Writings - Part 1

Alright so I said that I was going to start posting up the things that I have written in the past to get them out there. As promised here they are. I am going to try to go chronologically from high school on through the present. Along the way I will drop little tidbits of information about the writings and I may sporadically through in some poems I have written in no certain order. When I post the high school writings I will be writing them up in Word and they will not be edited any further than they were back when I wrote them. I will also include the little notes that were put on there by the teacher or teacher aides or myself in italics.

If I decide to add anything as I write these up I will use bold letters and possibly a different color.

Now you'll hear me bitching about Hollywood stealing my ideas from time to time, but with this first story it is me ripping off Hollywood. You see I had just seen Platoon and this is basically my interpretation of it as you will soon see. After re-reading this it is also very much like the Vietnam part of Forrest Gump.

Now the other thing that you have to know about my high school writings is that most of the time a teachers aide was the one grading these papers and most of the time it was an aide named Anne Wolf who was a bit of a hippie chick into pottery and such so some of my stories have a little bit of me pandering to her for a better grade :)

Without further ado I give you story #1.

For now just copy and paste this link until I figure out how to get this to work like I want it to.

http://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=0AV0YNVR3qS0tZGduYzZkZ2dfMGRtM2o1M2hj&hl=en

Wow that was a lot worse than I remembered it being. Ah high school.

. . . and now for something completely different. . .

We have a treat today. A guest review of a the new Disney film The Princess and the Frog by Alex Dale - Teenager. :)

Without further ado I give you Alex.

Dear humble readers of this blog, what you are about to read may have a little teenage angst in it but I'm sorry. I could not hold my tongue about this film. The film to which I write to you about is Disney's "The Princess and the Frog" (sigh), yes folks my life has hit rock bottom I am reviewing "The Princess and the Frog". There are very many reasons why this movie has royally ticked me off enough to leave my teenage lazy state of being, and write on this wonderful God-given vacation. Disney, Disney, Disney, tsk tsk tsk where do I begin. Since when did Disney start becoming political in what movies they made I mean come on we all know why this movie was made, it was to calm down a certain group of Disney fans from having an epilepsy attack about not having their own princess; hence why this movie was made! Well, well, well, where’s my beautiful Latina princess, ooooo can she be played by Salma Hayek and in the end have a song performed by the Gypsy Kings. This is when Disney says "No I'm afraid we cannot do that young man it might be offensive to some of our viewers." BULL$H!+ its because Disney won't feel a big hit in their pocket books if my group of people stop coming to Disneyland, buying costumes, or stop buying Disney films. Hence we have Mulan, Pocahontas, Jasmine, and all of the rest. Don't get me wrong in this review I am not a racist I just don't like the fact that political statements are now coming in the form of Disney Movies (well I guess they always have been). Any one seen Disney's "Der Fuehrer's Face", Donald Duck is a Nazi for Christ's sake check it out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZcs1SHVbz0 . Don't let me stray off topic; another thing that pisses me off about this film is the fact that the whole movie was one big freaking stereotype. I mean come on did Disney honestly think nobody would notice the accents, jazz playing, or the fact that only the white people in New Orleans lived in a mansion, I don't think so. How about at the beginning of the film when we found out that Tiana grew up without a father. That was offensive to me. What about the fact that there were no in the middle white people in that film, none that weren't really greedy and stuck up, or really retarded and uneducated. To finish off this very strong-willed review I would also like to add why did Ne-yo get to perform a song in the credits. Ne-yo? Really? Why not BB King or Stevie Wonder or even John Legend? Apparently Disney must have got a great deal in the price Ne-yo was asking for, because he is just awful. In total this movie was very fun for children who do not comprehend the concept of stereotypes. It was complete eye candy with all of the beautiful colors and such, and I guess the moral isn't half bad (hard work doesn't pay it is only true love that will get you what you want). The soundtrack wasn't so bad either. So I definitely wouldn't boycott the film I just would take my kids to see it and make sure that they have a good time, and that is it. All and all this movie was not terrible just minor errors that need to be addressed. Anyways thanks readers to listening to my review.

Sincerely Your Guest Writer,

Alex Dale

For two of my favorite people!

A friend of mine sent me this video a few months ago (thanks, Jan!)and I decided to re-personalize it with new pictures. Enjoy!

Try JibJab Sendables® eCards today!

Avatar - This is why we GO to the movies.

I don't really know where to begin with reviewing James Cameron's Avatar but we'll get to that in a minute. First, the plot of Avatar is basically the story of Jake Sully, a marine in the not too distant future (2154) who has lost the use of his legs in combat. Jake had a twin brother who was a brilliant scientist working on the Avatar project but he was killed and now Jake has the opportunity to take his place since they were twins and share the same genomes. Anyway, Avatars are 10 foot tall human/alien hybrids that have been created to try to bring a sort of peace between the earthlings and the aliens that inhabit the moon of Pandora. The earth people are there because our planet is dying and there is a mineral on this moon that we really need to be able to save our world. This is really all the setup you need for this movie and pretty much all you are given going into it.

Now, when I said that I didn't know where to begin in reviewing this movie it wasn't because I am not sure how I feel about it but because I am torn about how I feel about it. I am a fan of James Cameron's movies and in fact Aliens is my favorite movie of all time. That being said I was disappointed with this movie. When you watch other James Cameron movies there is a level of suspense that he is so good at creating, almost better than any other filmmaker out there. Aliens is a roller coaster of a film from start to finish and you didn't know who, if anyone, would make it out of there alive. During the Abyss I bet many of you were on the edge of your seat (I know I was) when Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio (sp?) had drowned and Ed Harris was beating on her chest to bring her back from the brink. Hell even though you KNEW how Titanic would end there was still a sense of suspense of what would happen and who would survive. Well unfortunately there is no suspense to be found in Avatar. Any movie fan out there can see exactly where this movie is going to take you the moment it starts. There are no surprises.

Now you might think from reading this review that I hated the movie. Not at all I loved it while I watched it. As predictable the story is and how bad the acting and characters were at times I still sat in the theater dumbstruck. This is why this review is so tough, because I would recommend that you go see this but I cannot recommend it as a movie.

You may be asking yourself what the hell I mean and I will do my best to explain. Whenever I am watching a movie that I really like I find myself thinking how I cannot wait to own it on DVD and watch it over and over. I never felt that way about Avatar. Not once. But, this movie does deserve to be seen in theaters and 3D is a requirement believe me. For the almost 3 hour running time you will be completely transported to another world and isn't that really why we go to the movies?

James Cameron has created a spectacle that needs to be seen in theaters and I as always cannot wait to see where he goes next as I think it will be much better than Avatar.

In conclusion see it once in the best 3D you can find and then dream about where we will go from here.

writing

I have wanted to be a writer for as long as I can remember. It has always been a dream of mine to be able to make a living as a writer in one form or another. Whether that would be writing stories or reporting I cannot think of a more rewarding way to work than to write. Unfortunately actually living your life and providing for your family has a way of encroaching on ones dreams and the older I get the farther away the dream of being a working writer becomes. I have decided then that I am going to take all the things I have ever written (since high school that is) and all the ideas I have had in my head and begin posting them here. I think I am going to just put them on as is without editing them in any way. Along the way I will offer up notes as to where my mind may have been at the time of writing the pieces that I post.

I don't know about any of you but it seems that Hollywood has had a direct feed into my brain and I will post notes where applicable about when I came up with an idea and show where Hollywood seems to have rooted around my mind and made my ideas come to life without me.

The very first example that I can show for this happened probably around the sixth grade. When my mom would take my brother and I to Kmart I would tell her that I would be at the electronics section while she shopped. We were learning about computers in class and Kmart had Apple IIe's on display that I could practice super basic coding on. 10: you suck, 20: goto 10, 30: goto home. Or some such stuff. Anyway I ended up discovering that the computer had a word processor on it and I would write up little stories as I waited for my mom to finish her shopping. Well one time I was writing a story and was trying to come up with a name for an alien planet. I came up with Zorgon or something like that. Nothing original but at the time I had never heard it before. Wouldn't you believe it, not more than 2 weeks after that I was watching Bosom Buddies and they said "planet zorgon" I could have shit. Ever since then I have tried not to share my ideas over the phone (paranoid much?) just in case my ideas would be stolen. As you will find in the coming days it didn't stop them.

I hope you stick around to read the work of a wannabe writer. I will begin posting shortly!

Comic Con 2010

I AM SOOOOO FUCKING PISSED!!!!

It has been less than 4 months since Comic Con ended and 8 months still to go until Comic Con 2010 and guess what? IT'S ALREADY SOLD OUT!!!! Are you kidding me? This is unprecedented. You can normally get your 4 day pass until Feb - Mar and now in November it's too late to get passes. My best friend and his kids and I have gone to Comic Con for the past 4 of 5 years in a row and now it looks like we are going to be sitting this year out. Why the sudden overwhelming popularity for the con? Why are die hard fans now not able to attend? FUCKING TWILIGHTERS!!!! These tweens and their parents have taken over.

Here is a photo I took last year at Comic Con.

This was the general consensus last year by all the CC veterans.

I don't want to begrudge this new generation of CC fans their right to be there but it's damn hard to be understanding when they prevent me and my friends from enjoying our yearly time together.

Our "geek Christmas" is now on hold until 2011.

Go Team Silver Bullet and Team Wooden Stake.

Where's fuckin Buffy when you need her?

2012

Roland Emmerich hates the planet. 2012 marks the third time he has tried to destroy the earth and this time he pretty much succeeds.

Now I LOVE me some end of the world destruction movie and I had a good time at this movie but it is one of those films that I consider a bi-polar picture.

When I say bi-polar what I mean is that I watch a movie like this with 2 brains. On the one side is the movie lover in me that enjoys a good popcorn movie for what it is - mindless fun; on the other side though is my intellect that screams out to be heard whenever something happens in a movie that just strikes me as wrong. Well, during 2012 the intellectual side was going CRAZY!

The movie is enjoyable and I think that if you can disconnect your brain for the 2:40 running time then you will have fun at this movie but here are my problems with it. Your experience will probably vary.

SPOILER ALERT!!!!!

1) The most charismatic character in film is killed off much too early.

2) Toward the end of the film when one of the main group dies it is sort of shrugged off by the other characters in the group. "Where is so and so?" "He didn't make it." "Oh noez! Well I love you so let's keep going" Ummmm what???? Really? I felt terrible for the poor guy that his death was just a footnote in a conversation.

3) I am a Christian and as such I have certain beliefs and I put my faith into God and his teachings (i.e. the Bible). Now in the Bible, in the very beginning of the Bible, seriously I don't think it is more than 30 pages into the book, God tells Noah that he is going to destroy the earth with a flood (he was the original Roland Emmerich you see). Well he sticks to his word and floods the earth and the only survivors are those that Noah was able to put on his ark.

(At this point I understand that you that are non-Christian are probably rolling your eyes but I believe this so it is relevant to my point so bear with me.)

Anyway after Noah and his flock find dry land (Waterworld anyone?) God creates a rainbow as a covenant to man that he will - and this is important - NEVER AGAIN FLOOD THE WORLD!!!

So as you can see when the movie starts coming to an end and the world is flooded I am screaming on the inside because in my rational and faith based side of my mind I am screaming that THIS WOULD NEVER HAPPEN!!! I feel like Kathy Bates from Misery screaming that 'He never got out of the COCK-A-DOODIE CAR! If you don't understand the reference I suggest that you go watch Misery right now as it is one of the best movie adaptations from my favorite author of all time. The best adaptation being the Shawshank Redemption. But I digress.

So the giant flood pulled me right out of the movie and I kind of watched the rest of it with my arms folded but at that point it was almost over anyway so it wasn't too bad.

The last thing I have to say about this is certain to ruffle feathers and I apologize in advance but I have to get it off of my chest. As probably everyone out there knows there is a certain religion in this and many other countries that does not want to have it's leader shown or spoken about or defamed in any way. These people will actually threaten to kill you if you do any of these things and if they can get to you they WILL kill you. The reason I even bring this up is that in the film there are a couple scenes of religious icons being destroyed - the statue of Jesus overlooking Rio De Janeiro and the entirety of the Vatican. I have no problem with this. It's a movie after all. The problem that I have is that there is a scene of this group of people praying and facing their holy place but it never shows that place being destroyed. I know this is splitting hairs but it feels like the producers of the film did not want to offend and incur the wrath of this group by showing their holy place being destroyed. Why? Why is it okay to show other sites that are holy to one group being destroyed and not this other site? The answer is simple. Hollywood is afraid of this group. I have the solution for them though instead of trying to placate these people and not offend their whacked out sensibilities (this is my opinion) why doesn't Hollywood ,and it would be nice if we could all do this, just ignore them. Pretend like they don't exist. Instead of trying to only portray them in a positive, non-offensive light why not just not show them at all. Wouldn't that make them happier? I don't know if that would or even could work but I am tired of watching everyone bow to the will of this one group of people who worship someone you cannot even mention. EUREKA! We can just refer to them as the deatheaters since they follow the teachings of "He who cannot be named". Yeah that's right I just equated the extremists in the east to characters created by J.K. Rowling.

Argh!!!

2012. Go see it.

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon


My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This book made a huge impact on me. It was given to me by a friend who had really enjoyed it and when I read it, I immediately fell in love with the books and it's characters. It's one of those rare books that you can't put down and you really become invested in the characters' lives and adventures. I've recommended this book to many people but only a few have loved it as much as I do. Others, have yet to take the plunge! I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves adventure, traveling, history, and romance. Not to mention time travel!! It's set in Scotland, England, the Caribbean Islands, and North America.

I'm currently re-reading this series since the latest addition, An Echo in the Bone, was just released this past September. So far I'm finding myself just as enthralled as the first time I read this book and I'm falling in love all over again with the one and only James Alexander Malcolm MacKenzie Fraser, AKA Jamie, the tall,Viking-sized, red-headed Scotsman who steals the heart of Claire Beauchamp!

View all my reviews >>

Latest Read

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald


My rating: 2 of 5 stars
I had read this book in an English high school class a long time ago and I always had it in my head that I didn't like the book. I just reread it for work and I have to say, it didn't change my mind. I'm not sure why I don't like this book but I think it's because of the fact that none of the characters in the book are very endearing or even at all likable. The narrator is pretty apathetic an only really serves as a witness to all of the goings on of the spoiled rich people around him who seem to have everything yet nothing at all. Just goes to show, money isn't the answer to everything and sometimes it just makes douchebags out of people! Now I have to go and find something useful to tell my students when we discuss this book in class. It IS a literary classic after all!

View all my reviews >>

Tuesday 9/8/09

Everyone say bonjour to Rose who is now in France for a year teaching. . . . Bonjour Rose!

Now everyone say hello to the newest addition to my family. Lucas Vincent Groninga!

Good movie, book STILL better!

The Time Traveler's Wife is another movie adapted from a best-selling novel and I was prepared to tear it apart and scoff at how terrible it was compared to the book. Actually, I was pleasantly surprised to discover a pretty good movie. Eric Bana and Rachel McAdams do a wonderful job of portraying the characters they are playing as well as their emotions. Plus, the script is a decent adaptation of the novel it's based on even with a few minor omitted sequences that are important and or relevant to the story, in my humble opinion. All in all, I think the movie does not disappoint.

This is not to say I think you shouldn't read the book. Au contaire, mon frère! Reading the book before the movie is like reading the assigned chapter in a History class before the professor gives the lecture. This method is designed to fill in any of the gaps in the professor's lecture since he or she only has a limited time in which to talk about the material being presented. The same goes for the movie based on a book. Especially in a movie based on a book with such a complex time travel storyline as in that of Audrey Niffenegger's The Time Traveler's Wife. I saw the movie with three people who hadn't read the book and they all had various questions regarding the story. "Is the emotion just as potent while reading the book?" "I don't get the whole sequence of the time travel!" "I didn't understand why he..." and on and on. The three of us who HAD read the book came out really excited and only talked about things like, "I can't believe they left out the part when..." or "Wow, the part where ... was JUST like in the book!"

Ultimately, I think if you don't read the book before going to see the movie, you are cheating yourself out of a richer movie experience. Although, reading the book before seeing the movie can sometimes leave a very bitter taste in your mouth if the movie differs greatly from the original story. In the end, it can be a double edged sword kind of situation but I'll always take the side of the sword where you can form an informed opinion on the question: "Was it as good as the book?".

Rose

I'm back baby!!!

So I had big (too big I guess) plans to report live from Comic Con this year. Well for one reason or another that didn't happen (obviously since the convention has now been over for 3 weeks). By now you have probably heard what was big news at the convention and who was there and what they had to say, well here I am to give you my thoughts and opinions on the con along with some photos and maybe a video clip or 2 for ya.

One of the big movies that was teased at Comic Con was District 9. Going into the panel I had only cursory knowledge of the movie and I was surprised at the footage they showed to us. It was amazing. The special effects on the aliens and the weapons footage they showed were all really impressive but what actually surprised me the most was that the story seemed good. This little sci fi film had an actual story and a good story at that. I actually just saw the movie on saturday and it more than lived up to what we were shown at Comic Con. The movie was actually mostly story and the few action scenes (which was really just one long extended action scene) were there as a bonus really. While watching the movie though I never really worried about when the action would kick in even though I knew that the action I would see was going to be fantastic after sitting through the panel in San Diego. The story was that good. My one complaint with the movie was that I wished it was a little bit longer and at over 2 hours that is saying a lot. I wanted to know more about what happened to these characters after the movie ended and they certainly set it up that they can (and hopefully will) make a sequel. If you are looking for a smart science fiction film and don't mind 1) aliens, 2) south african political allegories, 3) and people exploding, then this just might be the movie for you.

So this year marked the first year that Comic Con presented panels and previews in 3D. They showed a preview for Toy Story 3 in 3D and a 3D enhanced scene from Toy Story 2. Some scenes from The Final Destination (gory but standard 3D sticks in the face stuff) were shown and then we saw some footage from A Christmas Carol starring Jim Carrey, Jim Carrey, Jim Carrey, Jim Carrey and then some more Jim Carrey. It's directed by Robert Zemeckis and he said that he plans on making more of these motion capture movies and doesn't plan on working in live action for the foreseeable future which is sad because these mo cap movies (Beowulf, The Polar Express, etc.) bore me and i would love to see a Back to the Future Robert Zemeckis making movies again.

There were a few other movie clips that were shown in 3D but to be honest I don't really remember them and they didn't make much of an impression on me.

The thing with 3D is that I have never really been able to enjoy it and it always seems to actually pull me out of the movie when it is designed to make you feel like part of the action. The colors seem muted and dark and the picture is fuzzy and I find myself taking my glasses off frequently to adjust and rub my eyes. All this brings me to my next point. The highlight of the 3D panel without a doubt was when James Cameron came on stage and anounced he was about to show us 25 minutes of his new movie Avatar! WOW! I have never, NEVER, seen 3D as fluid and immersive as what I was shown during this panel. Not once did I have to adjust my glasses, rub my eyes oh hell, even blink. I was having a discussion with a friend about James Cameron and he feels that after Titanic he rested on his laurels and "sold out". Well if that is what it takes for James Cameron to improve movie technology then I whole heartedly encourage him to take 10 more years off. The 3D used in this movie actually does what 3D is supposed to do. . . enhance your movie viewing experience and make you feel like you are there. I will say this now that there is no movie this year that I am looking forward to more than this. I am going to find the best 3D screen near me and see it opening day. I have not seen a more beautiful movie than this visually probably ever. Yes there is a lot of CG but believe me it WORKS. The trailer for the movie was just released today on the internet and of course there are the haters out there talking shit on the movie already based solely on what the teaser trailer showed. Listen to me now. . . . FUCK THOSE PEOPLE! They have no idea what they are talking about and will be there right along with me and you on opening day to see this movie. You won't see a more visually stunning movie all year and as for the story based on what was shown it should be very interesting (it came across to me as a cross between Aliens - The best James Cameron movie - and the Abyss - not well received but I love it).

Anyway I have typed enough for now. Be back tomorrow with pictures and favorite moments from the con.

Comic Con - Day One

If you have ever been to Comic Con before then chances are you have been to or at least heard about preview night which takes place the Wednesday before the show begins. Well I attended my first one last night. It will probably also be my last. It was unbelievably hot and crowded and as usual mismanaged completely by the people running it. There are more people here this year than in any other Comic Con to date and it showed last night. If you managed to not feel like a piece of cattle as you were getting pushed around the show floor then well I applaud you. All that being said I still love Comic Con and it is still my favorite 4 days of the year. This year started out on less than 2 hours of sleep and I'm still going strong although I almost fell out earlier (I'll get to that in a minute). The day started off with the usual wait in the usual mishandled lines but we finally made it into the covention hall H to begin our day. We are fortunate enough to be the first group to see 3D presentations at Comic Con. They were alright, nothing that really grabbed my attention: A Christmas Carol, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, Astro Boy, Alice in Wonderland, and The Final Destination. All of these were okay but like I said nothing that really stuck with me.

Then came the worst part of Comic Con this year. . . . Twilight. As moderator Patton Oswalt so succinctly put it the panel was for girls and "sensitive men" and oh man was he right. They filled out most of the hall and made their presence known with their squeals of delight . . . the girls were pretty excited as well. :)

Well I was able to tune most of that out with my headphones and PSP and waited for the nightmare of Twilight to end.

It was well worth it to sit through that though because what came after was worth the price of admission for Comic Con all by itself. James Cameron came out to preview about 25 minutes of his new movie Avatar in 3D. The movie is beautiful and I have never seen anything in 3D that looks better than this. When it comes out December 18th you owe it to yourself if you care anything at all about movies to go see this. There will be screenings of 15 minutes from the film at select IMAX theaters on August 21st. Go check this out.

I will have pictures up later and more to come tomorrow.

COMIC-CON 2009 BABY!!!!!

It's that time of year again. Time for a world of cargo shorts, body odor, costumed freaks and now thousands of teen and pre-teen girls (not to mention a few of their mothers) wearing Team Edward or Team Jacob shirts.

That's right folks it is time for Geek Christmas otherwise known as Comic-Con to begin.

Check back here starting Wednesday night for pictures and then beginning Thursday there will be updates (hopefully up to the minute. Come on free Wi-Fi!).

See you soon!

Now where can I get a Team Wooden Stake and Team Silver Bullet t-shirt. Hmmmmm.

Eight Cousins by Louisa May Alcott

Eight Cousins by Louisa May Alcott


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Given my love of Little Women by Louisa May Alcott, I'm really surprised it took me this long to read this book. I'm also sorry I didn't read it sooner since it's a book I would have absolutely LOVED at twelve or thirteen years old. Eight Cousins is about a girl, Rose, who is orphaned at the tender age of fourteen and must go to live with her aunts and uncles at "Aunt-Hill" (so called since there are about six aunts who live in the area). Rose meets her seven male cousins called, The Boys, who gladly take her into their tight-knit group as well as, Uncle Alec, who is to adopt Rose and become her guardian. It's a wonderful story and I truly enjoyed it. No matter my age, I was still more than a little envious and in awe of the wonderful room, Uncle Alec bestows on Rose, filled with many exotic and wonderful little treasures he has acquired while sailing to different parts of the world! Look for the sequel, Rose In Bloom, to learn of Rose's adventures as a young woman and in romance!

Rose


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A Princess of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs

A Princess of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs


My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I read this book on a recommendation from a used bookstore owner. She also recommended Tarzan of The Apes from the same author. I have to say I did enjoy this book although, I kept thinking how much more a guy would enjoy it. It's a science fiction story set in Mars with many descriptions of the different Martian species on the planet and many fight scenes, as well. There is a bit of romance but only enough to provide the main character, John Carter, with motive and inspiration to be the hero and save the damsel in distress. I heartily recommend this book to men and boys alike!

Rose


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The Proposal - I don't!

So, being a girl, I'm not ashamed to say I'm a sucker for romance and all things romantic. Romantic comedies are so much fun. French Kiss anyone? Plus, I love me some Sandra Bullock in a romantic comedy! Two Weeks Notice is one of my favorites which is why I was so excited about seeing The Proposal. I'd also read a few interviews with SB and Ryan Reynolds and since they are such good friends off-screen and are much reported to have awesome on-screen chemistry, I figured I was in for a treat. Unfortunately, this was not the case. I do have to admit that given the lack of great romantic comedies in the past few years (He's Just Not That Into You = Bleh), it's going to take a lot to get my approval. That being said, I just didn't think the premise of this movie was at all believable. We are supposed to believe these people fell for each other over a weekend? I mean I know we've been asked to believe that much in the past (Romeo and Juliet only knew each other for a total of 3 days before they killed themselves over true love) but Ryan Reynold's character, Andrew, HATED his ball-busting boss for a very long time before falling in love with her over a two day period. Plus, we are lead to believe he has suffered greatly at the hands of this woman who goes from being a heartless, super bitch to a sensitive, insecure, and ultimately lonely woman who falls in love with her assistant. I can't even imagine the dynamics in that relationship in the long run. Also, when exactly does Andrew fall in love with Magaret? When Margaret opens up to Andrew and tell him what her tattoo means to her and a few other little personal tidbits? Yeah, I don't think so.
Romantic comedies aren't always believable, I get that. But they make us WANT to believe this romance is possible and attainable. The Proposal never once makes you feel that. And that is a damn shame since I truly love Sandra Bullock in most everything she does. All in all, another disappointment in the romantic comedy genre!

Rose

Where were you when...?

Yesterday, I was lucky enough to be a part of pop culture history. As you all know, (unless you've been in a coma, and even then, I'm sure someone put on the TV for you) Michael Jackson's Memorial Service took place at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, CA and I was one of the lucky few who got to attend. For me, Michael Jackson mania began when I was nine or ten years old. The first poster I ever owned of a celebrity was one of Michael Jackson's as was the first record. I was infatuated with him and his music and I thought he was so dreamy! Throughout my life, Michael Jackson was that constant mega super star that always fascinated and sometimes baffled me. I had many different perceptions about "The King of Pop" and not all of them were good. Today, I finally realized how much my perception of this person was shaped by the media because this was a PERSON. A human being who was loved by real people. His mother, his brothers and sisters, and most of all, his children. Today, I attended a funeral. It was like other funerals I've attended, full of grief and poignant memories and testimonials. Pictures and videos, etc. The only difference from this funeral and that of my grandmother's funeral a month ago, was that this service was witnessed by millions and millions of people. It was almost a circus event and many people capitalized on the death of this man.

I didn't know Michael Jackson personally. Therefore, I don't feel that I can pass judgment on him and I don't want to. That isn't up to me. All I can judge him on is his artistic ability and his body of work musically and artistically and I believe he was a great entertainer and a musical genius. All I know is that whenever I see a video or hear one of his songs, I feel light, cheery, and I all I want to do is smile and bob my head along with the beat. I can't tear my eyes away from Michael Jackson whenever I see him on TV or in a picture and that is something special.

When I heard there was an opportunity to be a part of the tribute to Michael Jackson at the Staples Center, I decided to register for the tickets on a half hearted whim. My aunt told me about the registration and told me to get on her computer to find out how to go about it. I registered my name, email, zip code, and date of birth and then proceeded to register almost every single person in the house. Everyone wanted to be a part of this event. The more time went by, the more I wanted to be at the Staples Center too. As I watched television specials on TV, I began to question my views and opinions about Michael Jackson and to see the true loss of an entertainer and human being. I was charmed and mesmerized by the child and young man he was at the beginning of his career and I began to remember the crush I had on him when I was young. I could easily see how I felt that way and to a certain extent, I began to redevelop that crush. On Sunday evening everyone who had registered for the tickets decided to check to see if any of us had won. I couldn't believe it when I opened up the email saying I had been successful in my application for the tickets. Just the day before, I had read extensive articles saying how slim the chances to win were. Still better than getting hit by lightening but not by much. As a matter of fact when I made the announcement, no one believed me. I went online, followed the instructions, and printed the necessary voucher to redeem the tickets at the Dodgers Stadium, the following day. Then, the QUESTION. Who do I take? I felt I should take my aunt, Zetta, or my cousin, Amy, since I'd registered on their computer and I knew they really wanted to go but I couldn't take my aunt since she's currently recovering from foot surgery and my cousin had to work. For some reason, my brother Joseph came into mind. He's the one who called me when news of MJ's death broke. He said he felt the whole city of Los Angeles was in shock and people were blasting MJ's music from their cars on the freeway. I thought he'd appreciate being a part of the memorial and so I gave him a call. He said he had to check with work but he was pretty sure he'd get the time off. My sister briefly entertained the idea of flying out but in the end, she decided it was too crazy an idea and Joseph called to say he'd gotten the time off. I told my sister we would always have Obama (we got to be at the inaugural ceremony in January) and now I would have Michael Jackson with our brother. Then I got on the phone with my father to ask if he'd serve as a bodyguard the next day at the Dodger's Stadium since I knew how coveted these tickets were. I didn't want to go alone and a lot of people warned me not to do so. My father said he'd be happy to go with me and we decided to leave as early as possible to avoid traffic jams and mob-city. It's a good thing we did, too. The whole process was a breeze since we were relatively close to the front of the long line of cars. It was a drive-through operation and we only waited about 15 minutes in total. When I got to the wristband guy he put one of the wristbands on my hand and handed me the other wristband. Right away, I noticed how tight the wristband he'd put on me was. I told him so and asked if he could take it off and or loosen it since it was too tight. He apologized for putting in on so tightly and said he realized it was his fault but there was nothing he could do. I insisted and he went off to look for his supervisor. As he walked away, he saw another wristband on the floor, picked it up and came back to the car. "Here. Don't tell anyone. Just cut off the one I put on your hand and put one of these on when you get home. Just don't tell anyone, ok?" OKAY!! I then drove to the ticket lady and she gave me two tickets to the STAPLES CENTER!! No Nokia Theater for me! Yay! BTW, not once did they ever check my ID. And the tickets weren't "computer generated at random", either! I definitely think it was better that I arrived early. Once I got home, I went online to read up on the ticket redemption progress. Already, the freeway off ramps were being closed. Again, I was happy I'd gone so early. All of a sudden, I remembered I had to pay my car payment. Ugh. This is when I'm sad to say I actually thought about selling one of my tickets for the MJ memorial. I went onto Ebay. WTF?! $150,000?!!! But wait, all of the posts are being deleted. Same thing on craigslist. It quickly became clear it would be hard to sell these tickets and if I'm being honest, I felt like a lowlife for even THINKING about doing that. My mind was made up. I'm not selling these tickets. I'm going to be there with my brother!!
Yesterday morning came rather quickly. I'd decided I would dress up appropriately in black and I knew my brother would do the same. I double checked to make sure I had the tickets and the wristbands. I followed the rules and didn't even take my camera. I grabbed my cell phone and my iTouch and hoped I'd get service so that I could report back on Twitter and Facebook (no such luck). I left the house at 6:45am and went to pick up my brother at his place near LAX. Thankfully there wasn't too much traffic. I got to my brother's at about 7:30am. Once he was in the car, I gave him his wristband.

Joseph: "Oh, this one is broken."

Me: “WHAT?!! NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!

Of course my incredibly laid back brother says, "It's ok. I think I can fix it."

Me: "No, Joseph, you don't understand! They won't let us in without these!! They said if the wristbands are damaged in any way, we can't get in!"

Again, he assured me he would be able to fix it. He said he could fashion a little grommet (the part that was missing) from one on his shoe! I was extremely doubtful and told him it would be better if we went back to my place to get the part from the wristband I had cut off the night before. He told me to give him ten minutes and if he wasn't able to fix the band, we could drive to my place. I grudgingly agreed and true to his word, he did it!! It was a bit noticeable but it would HAVE to do. We couldn't waste any more time. After a brief stop for gas, we were on our way. Unfortunately, the off ramp to the Staples Center was closed and we had to detour and double back from the freeway. We got stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic on Figueroa Street where the Staples Center is located. At this point we are still ok on time but the clock is ticking away. 9:15, 9:30, 9:40!! Uh oh. Now they've closed off the street! My brother gets out and asks one of the traffic control officers how to get to the Staples Center. He comes back and says he was told it's too late!! Everything is closed. NO! The officer gave him some directions to try just in case and we race off. We get in another line of cars only to be told there is no more parking and we have to park in the neighboring residential area and walk to the Staples Center. Fine. Anything. At this point it's 9:54am and we get a call from my sister who assures us nothing has started and they are running late since the coffin is being transported to the Staples Center. Ok. There's still a chance! We turn onto a street and begin to look in vain for a parking spot. Nothing!! I'm driving down a residential street when I hear a whistle and then, "Ey! Parking spot, right here! 20 bucks!" I hit the brakes. What? It's a guy who looks like many of the guys in East LA. Sunglasses, black wife beater, shorts, knee high socks, tattoos, etc. etc.
Me: "Ummm. We're going to keep looking and we'll be back if we can't find anything. Twenty dollars is a little steep. Thank you."
East LA Guy: "Okay, 15!"
Me: "How about 10?"
East LA Guy: "Okay! 10 dollars. Come on! You can park in the back!"
Yes!!! We drive into the driveway and park the car in the back. There are already about 5 other cars there. When we walk out we pay the lady handling the money and the guy says. "Don't worry about your car, ey! I'll take care of it. You just enjoy yourself!" We thank them and walk about a block before we reach the first of the police checkpoints. "Wristbands and tickets! Let me see your wristbands and tickets, please!! Have them out, please!!" We lift our hands and show him our wristbands and the tickets. "Okay, you two, come on through." We walk through and continue on to the Staples Center. We are asked to show our wristbands and tickets 4 more times before we finally reach the doors to the Staples Center. "You made it! You're here! Welcome!" the people checking the tickets at the door and the security guards are all very friendly and cheerful. And let me tell you, it did feel like a journey! We show them our wristbands and tickets (again!), we get programs, and we are through the door. They inspect my purse tell us where to go. We scramble around a bit before we FINALLY find our seats. Whew! I'm immediately hit with the realization of just how quiet the crowd is. There are about 20,000 people in the stadium and it's QUIET. Five minutes later, the coffin is rolled in and the memorial service for Michael Jackson begins with a standing ovation for his coffin. What a shame. I think about how cool it would have been if I had won tickets to his concert and not his funeral.
I'm sure most of you saw the service and if you didn't it, you can probably find most of it online so I won't give a play by play. I just want to say that being there was very emotional and I didn't really think it would be. The first moment this thought went out the window was when Rev. Al Sharpton addressed Michael Jackson's children and told them, "…there wasn't nothing’ strange about your Daddy." Then, when his brother, Jermaine, sang and could barely finish the song. By the time Paris Jackson spoke, I dissolved into full on tears. This was some who was a son, a brother, an uncle, and most importantly, a father. Someone's Daddy. Too sad.
Ultimately, it was a long and emotional day but I was glad to see that the fans and the public could be so respectful. I wish I could say the same about the media.

Thank you for reading!

Rose

The Proposal - I do?

Just got back from seeing The Proposal. If you have seen the preview for this movie it is everything that you think it is. The thing is though that even though it is formulaic and you can see all the twists and turns coming from a mile away the leads make it a little something more. No one does straight faced sarcastic comedy quite like Ryan Reynolds and no one can play the ice queen with an actual heart and feelings quite like Sandra Bullock. These two aparently are friends in real life and that chemistry actually comes through in their performances and you can feel the chemistry that they share. The movie starts off as a standard romantic comedy that has a bit of a slapstick feel to it but somewhere about 2/3rds of the way into the movie the movie shows some genuine heart.

You know exactly where these two people are going to end up at the end of the movie but it is an enjoyable ride nonetheless.

If you want to go enjoy yourself at the movies this weekend and you have already seen The Hangover (and if you haven't then you really must) then I would recommend this to anyone. Best movie ever? No. A good time at the movies? A hearty yes.

STAR TREK, BITCHES!!!!!!

So before I begin my review I need to share 2 of my favorite moments from tonight. I took my six year old to see the movie with me and provided me with my favorite moments. 1) When Kirk is on the ice planet hoth. . . errrr not hoth but the Star Trek equivalent. . . . . anyway he turns to me and says "Is he going to see Santa?" HA!
2) During one of the scenes with Spock he looks at me and says "Is that Spark?" HAHAHA! Kids can be funny.
Anyway just had to share, and now on with the review.
So I may get my sci-fi nerd card pulled for admitting this but I have never. . . seen. . . Star Trek 2 The Wrath of Khan (arguably the best Star Trek movie) all the way through. You see I am a Star Wars guy, always have been, always will be. I have actually never seen Star Trek 1-3 all the way through. I didn't start watching them really until the 4th movie. I have watched some of the original episodes and even some of the next generation episodes, I know enough of the Trek universe to get by but I am by no means a big fan. I am telling you this so you understand where I am coming from when I tell you that this new Star Trek. . . . . IS FRAKKING AWESOME!!!!!
From the opening moments to the closing credits this movie is just fantastic. It has action, comedy, drama, and yes even a little romance. If you are at all familiar with Star Trek or any of it's characters, catch phrases or rituals then you will absolutely love this film. If you aren't familiar with any of these things you will still enjoy this movie because it is just that good. So far this year this is the best movie that I have seen. I will even say that it is the Dark Knight of 2009. My favorite part of the movie has to be Karl Urban as Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy. He absolutely nails the character from his first moment on screen. I don't really know what else to say other than. . . GO SEE THIS MOVIE! If you don't find something in it that you like . . . well you have no soul and not enjoying movies is the least of your troubles.
Until next time "Live long and prosper" and just to keep balance in the universe "May the force be with you".

Random Thought of the Day

I will feel very disappointed if I miss out on the zombie apocalypse.

Haven't been here in awhile.

So I still haven't gotten around to reviewing the sundance movies that I saw. I will be getting short reviews out this week though.
I feel like I owe Slumdog Millionaire an apology. After actually watching the movie it turned out to be better than I had imagined. Was it the best movie I have ever seen? No. Was it deserving of the praise it garnered? For the most part yes.

Oscar Nomination Predictions and Reactions (mostly reactions)

Before I get going please know that I have not forgotten to review the list of Sundance movies that I saw as I promised. I will be posting my thoughts on those movies shortly.


Now on to the Oscar noms!


First you must understand that I LOVE MOVIES! I also love the Oscars (most of the time). I have to tell you though, I am getting a little sick of all the movies that are brought out for Oscar season that seem to have but 1 purpose: win an Oscar. Now this year I didn't really make it to a lot of movies and I especially missed a lot of "Oscar" films. The reason that I bring all this up is that I am especially pissed at this years Academy Awards for not nominating the best movie of the year for best picture or best director.


I am of course referring to The Dark Knight. I was about to go on and on about hollywood not recognizing it because it was popular and made a lot of money but they have in the past honored those types of films (i.e. Titanic, Lord of the Rings). I just cannot believe that they totally ignored how great this movie was and how well directed it was in favor of more traditional "Oscar" fare.

Rose and I were having a discussion about this just the other day. The Oscars seem to jump on the bandwagon with each other if a smaller film generates a little buzz (Juno, Little Miss Sunshine, Etc.) and while they are cute, fun movies they don't really hold up as BEST PICTURE.

ARGH I could go on all day but suffice to say most of my predictions/reactions will be biased AWAY from the "artsy" "Oscar" films this year.


All the nominated movies that I have not seen will be designated with HS. I will list the nominees, give a few thoughts and then end with my prediction for who I think will win and who I would like to win.


Without further ado (or rambling); my list:



Best Actor

Richard Jenkins in "The Visitor" - HS - to be honest I know nothing of this movie which is a little sad I guess, but Jenkins is a fine actor.

Frank Langella in "Frost/Nixon" - HS - I think Langella is a good actor and I have heard nothing but good things about his portrayal in this movie. His best since he played Skeletor in Masters of the Universe. . . . that was a joke.

Sean Penn in "Milk" - HS - another great actor but I have heard that this wasn't his best performance.

Brad Pitt in "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - If you read my review of the movie you will know how I feel about this performance.

Mickey Rourke in "The Wrestler" - HS - another awesome actor and from what I have heard he gave the performance of his life.



* I would give the award to Pitt because 1) I actually saw the movie :) and 2) he did give a wonderful performance.

I think though that the academy will give it to Rourke.

Either way I would be happy if either of these 2 won it.



Best Supporting Actor

Josh Brolin in "Milk" - HS - I like Josh Brolin and thought he was fantastic in No Country for Old Men. He even did well on SNL. I know nothing of his performance in this movie.

Robert Downey Jr. in "Tropic Thunder" - If it wasn't for one of the other nominees in this category I think that RDJ should win this hands down for throwing himself into the character.

Phillip Seymour Hoffman in "Doubt" - HS - Great actor in what I hear is a great movie, but once again I know nothing of this performance.

Heath Ledger in "The Dark Knight" - nothing needs to be said here.

Michael Shannon in "Revolutionary Road" - HS - I know nothing about his performance in this but I just saw him in the Sundance film "The Missing Person" and I was quite impressed with his performance.


* Without a doubt this will be my polarizing category during the Oscars this year. I don't care that I haven't seen most of the other performances in this category because when you think about a great performance you should (in my mind) not be able to see the actor in the character they are playing. No one that I have seen in recent memory has accomplished this to such a degree that Heath Ledger did playing the Joker. Robert Downey Jr. came very close but didn't quite make it. Look at the difference between Jack Nicholson and Heath Ledger. In the original it was "Jack Nicholson is the Joker" (so really it was still Jack), In The Dark Knight however Heath Ledger was THE Joker. Watching his performance in this movie is pure craftsmanship and it is sad that we will never see where he would have taken his performances. In my mind he would have been the next Johnny Depp. Always reinventing the public's perception of him and taking roles that were fun and challenging to him.


Heath should win (even if he was still with us) and if hollywood has any iota of what talent is they should give it to him.

Best Actress

I am going to say right now that I have not seen any of these movies.

Anne Hathaway in "Rachel Getting Married"

Angelina Jolie in "Changeling"

Melissa Leo in "Frozen River"

Meryl Streep in "Doubt"

Kate Winslet in "The Reader"


* Since I have not seen any of these and I am not invested in any of them I am just going to say that I hope Anne Hathaway or Kate Winslet wins it. Anne Hathaway because I think she is a good up and coming actress and I hear she did very well in this film, and Kate Winslet because I hear she did well and is just a wonderful actress all around. Meryl Streep needs to take a break, I am not familiar with Melissa Leo, and I may be the only straight male out there who thinks that Angelina Jolie is WAAAAY over rated. I have liked her in only 2 movies: Wanted and Mr. and Mrs. Smith.

I think the academy will work with me on this one and give it to Kate Winslet.



Best Supporting Actress

Amy Adams in "Doubt" - HS - I really just like Amy Adams in anything she is in.

Penelope Cruz in "Vicky Christina Barcelona" - HS - I really DISlike Penelope Cruz in almost everything with the exception of Vanilla Sky.

Viola Davis in "Doubt" - HS - I am unfamiliar with her work

Taraji P. Henson in "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" - Since this is the only movie I have seen I am going to say that she did a very fine job in this movie and gave a great performance. I don't know if it is strong enough to win though.

Marisa Tomei in "The Wrestler" - HS - I hear that she was fantastic in this movie.


* I would like to see Marisa Tomei or Amy Adams win this one, but I think the academy may give it to Penelope Cruz which would be disappointing.



Best Animated Feature Film

Bolt - HS

Kung Fu Panda - Entertaining

Wall-E - Mesmerizing



* Wall-E should win and will win!



Best Director

EFF this contest since the actual best director (Christopher Nolan) was left out of the running.

David Fincher - "Benjamin Button"

Ron Howard - HS - "Frost/Nixon"

Gus Van Sant - HS - "Milk"

Stephen Daldry - HS - "The Reader"

Danny Boyle - HS - "Slumdog Millionaire"



* The only way I won't be pissed at this is if they give it to David Fincher or Ron Howard but I have a bad feeling that they will give it to Danny Boyle for Little Miss. . . errr Slumdog Millionaire ("This Year's Little Miss Sunshine")



Best Adapted Screenplay

"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"

"Doubt" - HS

"Frost/Nixon" - HS

"The Reader" - HS

"Slumdog Millionaire" - HS



* I hope Benjamin Button wins but I think it will go to Frost/Nixon.



Best Original Screenplay

"Frozen River" - HS

"Happy-Go-Lucky" - HS

"In Bruges" - HS

"Milk" - HS

"Wall-E"



* I think Wall-E should and probably will win.



Best Picture

again. . . Eff this category since the BEST picture isn't even nominated.

"Benjamin Button"

"Frost/Nixon" - HS

"Milk" - HS

"The Reader" - HS

"Slumdog Millionaire" - HS



* I hope either Benjamin Button or Frost/Nixon wins and I think they may give it to one of these two. If however Slumdog Millionaire wins I will throw my shoe at the television like a pissed off Iraqi greeting President Bush.



As for every other category; I could really care less. The only thing that I would like to see is that for every category that the following films are nominated that they win in the following order.
1) The Dark Knight
2) The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
3) Wall-E

There is one other thing I must rant about and this will probably draw a rebuttal from Rose. I think it is just ridiculous that a movie like "The Duchess" is nominated for Art Direction and Costume Design. At this point in the game there should be a moritorium on nominating these period piece movies for these categories. I mean really they all really do the same thing. Any movie by or about Jane Austen or the like have all had basically the same art direction/costume design since they started making those movies. Isn't it about time we just said enough and started giving these awards out to movies that do things that are new and different? Maybe it's just me but it seems like a cheat every time a movie like this gets nominated for this sort of thing.

Well that's it. We will see how it plays out come Oscar time.

Rose? Your turn!

January

If you absolutely have to live in the state of Utah and you are 1) not a mormon, 2) not a fan of snow, 3) love movies, then there is really only one thing. . . scratch that. Not REALLY one thing; ONLY one thing to look forward to in Utah in January.
Of course I am talking about the Sundance Film Festival. Ah Sundance. The time of year when Park City fills up with jackasses wearing black leather and snobby attitudes.
The reason I bring this up though is not to make fun of machiatto sipping, blackberry using, black leather wearing douches. No I am here to tell you that I will be attending some of the films this year and I will be providing my opinions of said films. Here is the list of the films that I will be attending. I will not provide the synopses of these movies but if you really want to know what they are about you can check them out on the official Sundance website here http://festival.sundance.org/2009/

Here is the list:
1) Mary & Max
2) Lymelife
3) Brooklyn's Finest
4) The Killing Room
5) The Missing Person
6) Johnny Mad Dog
7) Mystery Team
8) Adventureland
I will be seeing most of these next weekend so stay tuned for the reviews.
Until then have a nice day! :)
-Chad

Our First Movie Review

She Said: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.
TCOBB is one of those movies that automatically gets put onto my "Must See" movie list. Mostly, I'll admit, because Brad Pitt is in it and I, like millions of women out there, would watch a movie of Brad Pitt reading the newspaper. That being said, there are other reasons, like the fact that for quite some time I've known just how good an actor Brad Pitt is and it's good too see him finally get some much deserved credit. Plus, I've really enjoyed other David Fincher movies as well as saga movies that span decades. This is something I really loved about this movie, the cinematography, the fabulous wardrobe throughout the different decades, and the look of New Orleans who was like another character in the movie. A beautiful, elegant character who steals a few scenes.
I was truly amazed with the CG effects when it came to Pitt's character, Benjamin Button. For the first half of the film, Benjamin, who is aging backwards, is shown as a short old man with Pitt's face, which is very distinguishable. I have to say that for me, this is who the audience falls in love with. Pitt brings a very tender and endearing aspect to this character. By the time we see the gorgeous Brad Pitt we are used to, we no longer think of him as the charismatic, handsome movie star but as Benjamin Button, the sweet and sensitive character we've come to know and root for. As for the other characters in the movie, I wasn't as drawn to any of them, especially Cate Blanchett's character, Daisy. Does anyone else think Cate Blanchett and Brad Pitt make a terrible couple? For some reason, for me, it's like a professor with her student. This is the same impression I got from watching Babel. There just doesn't seem to be much chemistry there.
All in all, a wonderful movie, with a unique storyline. Definitely similar to Forrest Gump, with the two principal characters meeting up at various points throughout their lives. I too, remember thinking it reminded me of this movie when watching TCOBB. Good call, Chad!