where: UA EMERY BAY STADIUM 10 in Emeryville, CA
when: Wednesday, August 19th, 2009
show: 9:45 pm
costs: $10.75 Ticket + $5.75 Kids Pack w/ Diet Coke + $5.00 Bridge Toll = $21.50
auditorium: 8
seat: 7th row, 11 column
synopsis: A new student who's a loner and a self-admitted David Bowie fan, Will Burton ( Gaelan Connell ), gets recruited to be the band manager by its singer, Charlotte Banks ( Alyson Michalka ), for an up-coming battle of the bands. Will soon adds more talents to the band and introduces it to the musical styling of Jamaican Ska. Meanwhile, a class project pairs Will with Goth girl, Sa5m ( Vanessa Hudgens ), in whom he slowly starts to fall in love with. But just before the competition starts, tragedy strikes a hard blow at Will's band. Will they give up after all the time and dedication they put into their group project or will they rise up to the challenge?
noteworthy scenes: 1.) The new school's cafeteria; 2.) The human studies project; 3.) The day care center; 4.) The band; 5.) The restaurant; 6.) The auto body shop; 8.) "I can't go on, I'll go on;" 9.) CBGB; 10.) Charlotte's seduction pointers; 11.) The Overlook; 12.) "The Burning Hotel;" 13.) Stood-up; 14.) The serenade; 15.) The "show and tell;" 16.) The confrontation; 17.) The Song; 18.) Charlotte's confession and anger; 19.) Philosophical Sa5m; 20.) The apology; 21.) The dirty trick; 22.) Dewey--do we ...; 23.) YouTube; and 24. ) David Bowie.
audience reaction: I was the only one in the auditorium.
recommendation: This movie is entertaining enough--what with all the showcased talents--to be a good summer fare for teens and young adults.
spoiler alert! I would think that bands engaged in competition would have to submit a playlist first to the judges for the competition to be fair and square.
fyi: In the movie, RUDO Y CURSI ( 2008 ), Gael Garcia Bernal, as Tatto, sings a Spanish version of I Want You To Want Me ( Quiero Que Me Quieras ), which is on YouTube for those of you who might be interested in checking it out.
In college, one of my Psychology professors said that the hardest kind of question to answer is the "why" question, so avoid it as much as possible, just as Charlotte, herself, does. And he also said that "nobody likes a free advice." So, never mind what I just said.
Chuck Mangione's Feels So Good ( 1978 ) would really make for a good love song ( a version with vocals is available for listening on YouTube ). And when I say love song, I MEAN: Love-Making Song--as in, "missionary style." Just keep the rhythm going in your head as you're doing the "dirty deed" in bed. Psst! promise me that you won't tell Chuck about this tip of mine.
I guess Vanessa Hudgens didn't learn her lesson because there are more pictures of her on the internet, iykwim.
word of advice: If you have nothing good to say about someone, keep your mouth shut. Just because you're angry is no excuse for saying something hurtfull to someone just to "blow off steam."
tidbits: Earlier today, I took my friend, Hector, and his wife to the CENTURY 16 BAYFAIR MALL in San Leandro for the 2:15 p.m. showing of DISTRICT 9.
Early in the evening, I showed my friend how to set up a blogger account because he wants to write about Christian topics. Why he took my advice and named his account, "FalseProphet," I honestly don't know.
On my way home to Vallejo, just after midnight, freeway traffic came to a stop just before the Pinole Valley Road Exit. The commute was delayed for over 35 minutes as the vehicles crept at a "snail's pace" all the way to the Highway 4 off-ramp.
