SHUTTER ISLAND, R ( 2 hr & 18 min )

where: CENTURY 14 VALLEJO in Vallejo, CA

when: Friday, February 19th, 2010

show: 11:15 a.m. First Show Extra Dollar Off Matinee

costs: $6.25 Ticket + $5.75 Kid's Pack, Dollar Upgrade w/ Diet/Zero Coke = $12.00

auditorium: 13

seat: 3rd row, 7th column

synopsis: A U.S. Marshal, Teddy Daniels ( Leonardo DiCaprio ), requests to be given the assignment of investigating the disappearance of a female patient on an island's institution for the criminally insane. What he uncovers is a bloody trail of clues which ultimately leads him to the very man responsible for the death of his wife, Dolores ( Michelle Williams ).

noteworthy scenes: 1.) Sea sickness; 2.) Guards on edge; 3.) Electrified perimeter; 4.) Grounds; 5.) Rachel Solando ( Emily Mortimer ); 6.) Law of 4; 7.) Search; 8.) Interviews; 9.) Commander's quarters; 10.) German officer; 11.) Dachau Death Camp; 12.) Orderly quarters; 13.) Dream; 14.) Psycho-pharmacology; 15.) Mr. Breen ( ? ) interview; 16.) Mrs. Kerns ( ? ) interview; 17.) Who's Andrew Llaedis ( ? ); 18.) Cemetery; 19.) Dachau train; 20.) Funded by special grant; 21.) Who's # 67? 22.) Rachel; 23.) Migraine; 24.) Dream; 25.) Failed back-up generator; 26.) Ward C; 27.) Isolation cells; 28.) George Noyce ( Jackie Earl Haley ); 29.) Light house; 30.) Rats; 31.) The real one; 32.) No friends; 33.) God's gift; 34.) I quit; 35.) Sedative; 36.) Ugly tie; 37.) Withdrawal; 38.) Anagrams; 39.) Cutting-edge role play; 40.) Lake house; 41.) Endless loop; and 42.) The unwelcome choice made.

audience reaction: The audience seemed captivated by this Detective Thriller-type of movie.

recommendation: This movie fooled me into thinking that I had it all figured-out early on. The plot twists kept me glued to my seat. It's a good thriller, well-worth the time for fans of this genre.

spoiler alert! The ferry ship didn't look like it was moving up and down at sea when it should have because of its small size relative to that of an ocean liner. And the only way that a person gets sea-sick is if the boat is not moving smoothly. There were 19 female guards at Dachau, of which not one was shown. The Dachau Massacre scene, in which G.I.s executed the Nazi guards was somewhat incorrect: Some were killed while trying to escape and others were killed in combat, these probably "necessitated" the killing of the other guards. All in all, between 30 to 50 Nazi guards were killed; a post-war report put the estimate at between 122 and 520 killed after their surrender. But none of the G.I.s were court-martialed because General Patton dismissed all charges. Upon viewing the gruesome scenes at Dachau, most would be inclined to believe that all the victims were Jews. But about two/thirds of the victims were not Jews but were political prisoners, other ethnic minorities, homosexuals, the insane, men of the clergy, communists, and even some Royals ( source, Wikipedia ). Attention: All of you horndogs out there, this doesn't show the kind of nudity that you have in mind! Teddy walked backwards as he approached the lake shore ( I don't know if this was intentional or accidental due to bad editing, but it looked odd ). The boy ( ? ) in the blue-striped shirt had his left hand clutching at Teddy's shirt while they were in the lake.

fyi: I wanted to see the midnight show but changed my mind when I remembered that about a year ago someone got shot by a car-napper in this theatre's parking lot. No self-respecting car-napper would want to steal either one of my cars, but my car could be parked next to an expensive, exotic car then I would find myself at the wrong place and at the wrong time--not worth it! So, I stayed home, instead.

A bunch of Nazi doctors and scientists were brought here to the United States after the war, and granted US citizenship, to continue on with their research and experimentation, including those on human subjects.

Dr. Cawley ( Ben Kingsley ) asked, "Your poison, gentlemen ...?" and rightfully so. Alcoholic drinks are poisonous, from a bio-chemical standpoint. Someone who's drunk is described as being intoxicated, i.e. full of toxin. 'Notice how the word, "Intoxicated", comes from the word, "Toxin"? Alcoholic drinks poison the liver, leading to Cirrhosis, the seventh leading cause of disease-related death in the US. People, wake up!

When I was a Grade 3 or Grade 4 pupil at Philippine Women's College, Elementary Department, in Matina, Davao City, Mindanao, Philippines, one of my teachers told the class that drinking alcoholic beverages is bad for the liver and can kill a person. I was worried because there was this man who worked for the Coca-Cola Bottling Company across the side street from our apartment building who would always go to the cantina adjacent to apartment # 1 ( my family lived in apartment # 2 ) to get drunk on a very potent Chinese hard liquor called, "Shiok-Tung" ( I think that this is how it's spelled ). I was really worried for him because he was a gentleman and always very kind to, little-fat-kid, me even when he was drunk ( By the way, kids are allowed to hang out at establishments in the Philippines where patrons smoke and drink, and play cards and billiards ). Right after school and just before supper-time, I went to the cantina and found him there sitting alone at a table with a bottle to drink. I went and sat in the chair across the table from him and told him about what my teacher had said to the class, and I asked him to stop drinking because of it. Through half-opened eyes, he nodded at me in a drunken stupor. I felt relieved that he would listen to me. One day, not having seen the man in about two weeks' time, I went to the cantina to inquire of the owner about him. She told me that he had recently passed away. I was shocked and cried a little bit because I missed him and because my warning to him arrived too late to save his life. It has been so many years now so that I cannot even remember his face anymore, but I will always remember him as a gentleman and as a very kind friend.

word of advice: Looks can be deceiving.

Give Alcoholics Anonymous a try. Cine-Man

tidbits: As I left the parking lot, I passed by a blue car with a bumper sticker which reads: "Iraq Detracts." Ah, a fellow conspiracy theorist. On my way to CSAA to pay on my car insurance, I swung by Postal Annex to drop-off some bills. Then, as I drove up the slight incline to the insurance office, I saw a pair of hang-gliders in the horizon just lazily going about in a circle. I gotta try hang-gliding some day.

While I waited in line for my turn at CSAA's payment counter, I noticed a very tall old white lady who appeared to have a double-bellied potbelly, each with an "outie" kind of belly button---Oops! my bad .... They were actually her big breasts dangling and swaying side to side down at her waistline. She must've been one of those bra-burning feminists. I'm gonna have nightmares about this! See, this is why I prefer girls with small to medium size breasts! And they had better holster them in bras, or else ....

There was also another lady, at the opposite extreme, ahead of me. This one was probably just four feet tall in height , in normal proportions. I was checking her out and saying to myself that she'll make for a good "spinner." Then, she looked over her right shoulder and---NOT!!!

VALENTINE'S DAY, PG-13 ( 1 hr & 57 min )

where: CENTURY 14 VALLEJO in Vallejo, CA
when: Wednesday, February 17th, 2010
show: 3:00 p.m.
costs: $7.25 Ticket + $3.75 small Diet/Zero ( w/ Barq's & Cherry flavors ) Coke + $1.00 Jack Link's Beef & Cheese combo + $0.74 Planters Honey Roasted Peanuts ( 2.50 oz. ) + $9.26 all-you-can-eat pizza & salad Wednesday Night Dinner Buffet at Mountain Mike's Pizza Restaurant = $22.00
auditorium: 2
seat: 4th row, 8th column

synopsis: Has LOVE, for you, ever been yet a vignette?

A florist named, Reed ( Ashton Kutcher ), delivers bouquets in the downtown Los Angeles area on Valentine's Day to people who are in one way or another connected to each other.

noteworthy scenes: 1.) Yes! 2.) Angry driver; 3.) Tap dancer; 4.) Downtown Flower Mart; 5.) Wind-up toy; 6.) Former gymnast; 7.) 'Phone call; 8.) Elevator; 9.) Daddy juggles well; 10.) Airplane; 11.) One empty hand; 12.) Pretty girl talk; 13.) Receipt; 14.) Bi-Polar Paula ( Queen Latifah ); 15.) Sex plan; 16.) Reading me; 17.) Discretion; 18.) Rehearsing; 19.) Dosvidanya; 20.) Rear-ended; 21.) Boisterous brats; 22.) Not ready; 23.) Inkling; 24.) Low-rider; 25.) Airport; 26.) Televised tour guide; 27.) Blackberry relationship; 28.) Track field; 29.) Grandparents; 30.) Confession; 31.) Pretzel bet; 32.) S. F. hospital; 33.) News conference; 34.) The "Today's Special"; 35.) Golden Kadahi Restaurant; 36.) Chauffeured ride; 37.) "Entertainer"; 38.) Hollywood Forever Cemetery; 39.) Pinata; 40.) Tri-fecta; 41.) Burn, baby, burn; 42.) Reconciliation; 43.) Sing-along; 44.) Revelation; 45.) Dance; 46.) African queen; 47.) Late-night arrival; 48.) Simple; 49.) Flower flotilla; 50.) Awkward; 51.) Candid camera; 52.) Out-takes; and 53.) Bonus scene after the ending credits.

I think that this is the most number of scenes that I've ever noted on any one movie that I blogged about--and I purposely left-out 3 or 4 more scenes! This is how convoluted the movie is. And for its subject matter, Love on Valentine's Day, I don't think that it was even well worth it at all. Of course, I'm not speaking from a female's commercialized point-of-view.

audience reaction: There were some funny scenes that the audience seemed to like.

recommendation: I liked it enough to give it a fair recommendation.

spoiler alert! The Los Angeles demographics was inadequately represented. I mean, where were all the Asians hiding on this particular day? In study groups, in laboratories, and in libraries ...? Come on, now, even Asians are vulnerable to Cupid's arrows. Heck, if they want Asian men represented, they can come and get me, Cine-Man, anytime! What about the gangs called the "Bloods" and the "Crips", huh? They're from Los Angeles, too! They could have had a love story centered around this gang rivalry, a la Romeo & Juliet, right? But, then again, cute pretty-boy whitey, Reed, might have reservations about delivering red roses to the Crips! And Alphonso ( George Lopez ), the sidekick, got enough street-smarts in him to know better than to mess with either gang. Valentine's Day falls on a Monday for these years: 2000, 2005, 2011 & 2022. This movie was probably scheduled for release next year but, as with LEAP YEAR, they bumped-up the release date perhaps for fear of what December, 2012 may have in store for Hollywood. They're raking-in their profits now for just-in-case. After all, if you can't take it with you .... Two pairs of attractive teenagers with raging hormones practicing abstinence! ... today! ... in Los Angeles! ... hello ...? Wake up! What are the improbable odds of that being actually true? Zilch, nothing, zero, nada, zip! Why didn't they show Reed getting on the freeway in that low-rider? Simple, low-rider tires are for street cruising only; they are not speed-rated for freeway use. But, oh, how I wanted to see Reed speeding on the freeway on such a set of tires because I wanted to see how soon the tires would blow out! Unfortunately, no such luck--damn! There were too many stories going on which actually made for less content. If these people invest too much of themselves on just this one particular day, what will they do for the next 364 days of the year when, ideally, Love should be nurtured and Passion should be spontaneous?

fyi: I had this crush once when I was in first year high school at Ateneo De Davao in Matina, Davao City, Mindanao, Philippines. ( For the record, there's no junior high school in the Philippines, so students go from grade six elementary [ 6th grade ] to first year high school [ high school freshman ] ). There was a beautiful fair-skinned, light-brown haired Castilla ( Spanish ) Filipina in grade six in the school's elementary department right next to the high school department on the same campus. One day, when the school let-out early, I proceeded to the school bus terminal at the back of the campus and seated myself in my designated bus. Although she was supposed to wait in another bus, she came in my bus and sat on the bench in front of mine. She talked to some guy ( there were just the three of us in the bus ) but soon turned her attention to me and started a conversation with me. I panicked, gulped, and, at the earliest opportunity, bolted out the door. I think that I walked home that day.

Anyway, the guy she talked to was my classmate who was just a friend and neighbor of hers. This poor guy, who we nicknamed Aguila because of his facial deformity which made him look like an eagle, knew that I had a crush on J. V. So, he told me to give her something on Valentine's Day. I walked to downtown Davao City after school one day with my scrimped and saved ba-on ( lunch money ) to find something to buy at a shop or bazaar. I settled on a beautiful and cute hairbrush--Yes! Hey, I was young, so don't give me a hard time about it. Anyway, I gift-wrapped it as best I could and waited with 'bated breath for the special day to arrive.

Finally, it was Valentine's Day. I saw her out on the field as if waiting for someone. I started walking up to her from behind with the special gift in my hands. But a bunch of other guys appeared as if out of nowhere and ran up to her with Valentine's cards in hand. I froze on the spot! Why didn't I just get her a Valentine's card, I thought. Afraid that she would turn around and see me, I walked away quietly. It was just as well because had she turned around and seen me, I would have peed in my khaki pants ( high school students wore khaki pants and elementary school pupils wore navy blue pants )! And I don't have to tell you guys what happens if you get a pair of khaki pants wet.

One day, I saw a picture of a model in a magazine who looked like her. And being that I'm a talented artist , I drew it and colored it with pastel crayons so that I would have a "picture" of her to keep. ( Cue in Paul Anka's song, "Puppy Love." )

Ahh ... young love, how funny!

I wonder how she is these days ....

Something happened this Sunday, Valentine's Day, which I am at present not at liberty to divulge--too many gossip-mongers. And, no, nobody kissed my radioactive lips or tongued my radioactive mouth on Valentine's Day ( if you don't know what I'm talking about here, refer back to my tidbit on my blog for PERCY JACKSON AND THE OLYMPIANS ).

word of advice: "'Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all." Lord Alfred Tennyson

"Truth makes everything else a lie." Edgar ( Hector Elizondo )

"Too much of a good thing is bad." Shakespeare ( ? )

"Life imitates Art."

Love should be nurtured and Passion should be spontaneous. Cine-Man

newsflash: FriendsEat.com posted my blog for THE WOLFMAN at the # 1 spot on their Empire King Buffet blog list. They moved my WHEN IN ROME blog down to # 6. Those guys must like me a whole lot! Thanks, guys, and Happy Belated Valentine's Day to all of you. I bet that this blog will make it on their list, too! 'Gotta love their search engine. Now, I feel obligated to travel to Brooklyn, New York, to check out this particular restaurant, the Empire King Buffet. So, wish me luck on the California Lottery 'cause I plan on celebrating my win in Brooklyn, New York, via dinner and a movie ( Well, what else did you expect from Cine-Man? ).

I did go to the Empire Buffet here in Vallejo, CA for dinner on Valentine's Day. If only so that I could cast admiring glances at the owner's beautiful china-doll daughter. Wow, she's quite a dish! Anyway, back to the food .... They had Peking Duck, one of my favorite Chinese buffet staples, which is quite good ( the way they make it ) but which they rarely have except for that night. There must have been something special going on since the place was packed. Of course, I just kept to myself with my Peking Duck on rice. Oh, how yum-yummy it was for my hungry tummy. ( P. S. Don't get me wrong. I ate a bunch of other dishes, as well. I'm all for getting my money's worth! )

tidbits: On my way to the theatre, I swung by the CVS store, first, to buy the snacks to nibble on during the show since I hadn't had anything, yet, to eat all day.

Once at the theatre, I gave one of my Cine-Man business cards to the assistant supervisor after I told him that I'm the unofficial movie reviewer at work. I had asked him what new movies will be coming out on Friday, to which he answered, "SHUTTER ISLAND." Great, only one movie for me to review.

And since it's Wednesday Night All-You-Can-Eat Pizza and Salad Dinner Buffet at Mountain Mike's Pizza Restaurant, I decided to take advantage of it. But some of the slices that I ate had a funny, somewhat bitter, aftertaste. It was as if they used too much yeast or the crusts were undercooked or both. If I get seriously sick within the next 24 hours, you, my blog readers, are my witnesses.

After dinner, I went to the Dollar Tree Store across the parking lot at the Target Shopping Center to buy a 2-pack of popcorn tubs, a pair of barber shears, a 4-pack of AAA batteries, a bottle of Silkience shampoo, and a 3-pairs pack of shoelaces ( No, I'm not planning on doing a "David Carradine", iykwim [ wink, wink ] ).

THE WOLFMAN, R ( 2 hr & 5 min )

where: EDWARDS FAIRFIELD STADIUM 16 & I-MAX in Fairfield, CA
when: Monday, February 15th, 2010
show: 8:05 p.m.
costs: $10.50 Ticket + $4.50 small Diet/Zero Coke + $1.00 Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough in Mint flavor + $10.84 before-the-show dinner at Great Wall Chinese Buffet ( + $1.00 Tip ) = $27.84
auditorium: 4
seat: 4th row, 4th seat

synopsis: Absent from his family's home in Blackmoor, England, for many years, a young aristocrat, Lawrence Talbot ( Benicio Del Toro ), returns at the request of his brother's fiancee, Gwen ( Emily Blunt ), who's worried about the fate of her missing lover. He arrives too late as a long dormant curse kept secret by his father, Sir John ( Anthony Hopkins ), has once again reared its ugly head. And just like how his older brother before him had tried to put an end to the curse, he, likewise, decides to take matters into his own hands, for better or for worse.

noteworthy scenes: 1.) Ben Talbot ( Simon Merrells ); 2.) The prodigal son; 3.) The slaughterhouse; 4.) Pub; 5.) Childhood memories; 6.) Gypsy camp; 7.) Recuperation; 8.) Curses; 9.) Scotland Yard detective, Aberline ( Hugo Weaving ); 10.) Posse; 11.) Mirror; 12.) Restless villagers; 13.) Mausoleum; 14.) Crypt; 15.) Hunters; 16.) Capture; 17.) Lambeth Asylum; 18.) Feral boy; 19.) Small gift; 20.) Medical observation room; 21.) The escape; 22.) Monster; 23.) Bad luck for you; 24.) Old Gypsy, Maleva ( Geraldine Chaplin ); 25.) Singh ( Art Malik ); 26.) Singh's room; 27.) Fight; 28.) Alone with Gwen; and 29.) The bitten one.

audience reaction: Fright-wise, I didn't hear a reaction from anybody.

recommendation: This movie is a remake of the 1941 Lon Chaney, Jr. classic of the same title and it plays like one. In other words, it is blase by the standards of today's horror fans even with its use of modern-day special-effects.

spoiler alert! This movie relies too much on the "Boo--Gotcha! pop-up shots" scene device which renders it unimaginatively predictable. Knowing that a bite is contagious, why did Maleva use her teeth to cut-off the thread? Why didn't the hunters put stakes in the pit? Why didn't they take advantage of "high ground"? Why didn't they have a net? Why didn't they have torches at the ready to try and burn the werewolf once it was in the pit? That was one stupid-ass custodian ( David Keyes ) which , I guess is to be expected of anyone doing menial tasks at an asylum. And the orderly ( Barry McCormick ) was stupid, too! Why wasn't the dog inquisitive about the strange noises in the dark of night? Why did the fire spread rapidly throughout the mansion, which was mostly made of stone, cement and tiles? Originally, a man turns into a werewolf only during a bright Autumn moon.

fyi: THE WOLFMAN

"Even a man who is pure at heart

and says his prayers at night

may become a wolf when the wolfbane blooms

and the autumn moon is bright."

That Benicio Del Toro is one scary-lookin' dude even without make-up on!

There's a forested area in England called Cannock Chase, and a German POW cemetery nearby, where reported sightings of werewolves are still on-going to this day. They are mostly seen peripherally, as if they have a way of not being seen directly by eyewitnesses. According to paranormal researcher and author, Nick Redfern, in the book, Timothy Green Beckley's Big Book of Werewolves, a theory goes that such creatures are from another dimension which were forced to appear in our world through the evil practice of secret occult rites, rituals and incantations involving the use of carved figurine heads called, Hexham Heads.

If you go to see someone in Punjab where every male who's a Sikh has the surname, Singh, you'll have a hard time looking-up the right person in the local telephone directory. You'd probably think that someone was playing a sick joke on you, which is nothing to sing about! ' Sorry for the pun jab at Punjab.

I read a newspaper article years ago which claimed that the only reason why more crimes took place on a full moon was because the bad guys could see better with their naked eyes on a full moon than on any other night.

word of advice: Be on your guard on a full moon.

Don't go for a walk in the woods at night all by your lonesome self. Heck! don't go walking in the woods at night, period.

tidbits: I went to Great Wall Chinese Buffet because I wanted to make my own Sweet & Sour Chicken dish. All that I needed were sweet & sour sauce, chicken nuggets, pineapple chunks, chopped onions, diced bell peppers, cucumber slices, carrot slices, and celery slices. They had everything that I needed except for the carrot and celery slices. Darn! I guess that I'll have to make it at home again, since I already have my own "secret sauce" recipe which is better than what they serve at Chinese restaurants. I don't mean to brag, but I was told at one time that my Sweet & Sour Chicken is better than the restaurant version. "Yan Can Cook" but so can Cine-Man. 'Damn right! Unfortunately, I don't like to cook anymore--time to get a wife, I think.

At 3:30 a.m. this Monday, a New York Website, FriendsEat.com ranked my blog at # 1. Yes, finally! It is for my blog on WHEN IN ROME. You can check it out by going to the website, then clicking on the "Places" sub-head, then scrolling down to New York, then clicking on Brooklyn Restaurants, then typing-in "Empire King Buffet" on their search engine, then clicking on Empire King Buffet, and, finally, scrolling down to Empire King Buffet Blogs; mine should be at # 1 ( as of Monday ). It was listed at # 5 last week, then it moved down to # 7. But it's now at # 1! I thought, at first, that it was just Google's search engine simply giving me preferential treatment because BlogSpot.com is owned by Google. So I tried other search engines with the same consistent result every time--if this ain't a "scientific approach", then I don't know what is. I know--and would be the first to admit--that they posted my blog at # 1 solely on the basis of a technicality, but you won't hear me complain about it! Never, ever .... That's that on that! I had better start drafting my acceptance speech for the awards nomination ( just in case there's actually such an exclusive thing for blogs ) ....

Hey, I just found out right now at 10:54 a.m., Tuesday, the 16th of February, 2010, that there is such a thing as an awards event for blogs. It is called "The Annual Weblog Awards." They hand out a "Bloggie" ( kinda like an Oscar ) for outstanding work in any of a number of categories such as Humor, Entertainment, Food, ( mine are perfect for such categories ) etc. The prize money is twenty dollars and something cents. But it ain't for the money that bloggers are vying but, rather, for the "bragging rights." And there is no limit to the number of categories that a blog may be nominated for. It's too late for this year, but you readers of mine can help me out for next year by submitting my blogs for awards consideration. DO IT NOW! please, before you forget. Thank you. ( And you thought that my blogs were all a freebie. Well, think again .... )

This reminds me of an event which supposedly took place somewhere in Mindanao, Philippines, many years ago back when I was but a little kid. A datu ( native Muslim chief ) was the guest of honor at a local beauty pageant's "Coronation Night" and was tasked with crowning the beauty queen. As he proceeded to crown the queen, this was how he addressed those in attendance: "Good ibning, Koronesyon Night. I kem her to koronesyon da queen!" Then, he plopped the crown on the most-embarrassed beauty. Ha, ha, ha--snort!

PERCY JACKSON & THE OLYMPIANS: THE LIGHTNING THIEF, PG ( 2 hr & 0 min )

where: UA EMERYVILLE STADIUM 10 in Emeryville, CA
when: Friday, February 12th, 2010
show: 10:20 p.m.
costs: $0.00 Ticket ( Regal $10.00 Movie Certificate ) + $6.00 small Popcorn w/ Butter ( and sprinkled w/ Kernel Seasonings Jalapeno flavor w/c I brought in w/ me ) + $4.50 small Diet Coke = $10.50
auditorium: 3
seat: 6th row, 12th column

synopsis: Zeus' ( Sean Bean ) lightning bolt is stolen. And it is up to Percy Jackson ( Logan Lerman ) to find it in time to avoid a battle between the gods that will, in all probability, destroy all of creation.

noteworthy scenes: 1.) Poseidon ( Kevin McKidd ); 2.) Zeus; 3.) Pool; 4.) New Greek and Roman Galleries; 5.) Fury; 6.) Minotaur; 7.) Camp Half-Blood; 8.) Satyr; 9.) Chiron, the Centaur ( Pierce Brosnan ); 10.) Welcome home; 11.) Training; 12.) Duel; 13.) Strong feelings; 14.) Hades ( Steve Coogan ); 15.) Quest; 16.) "Daddy issues"; 17.) Medusa; 18.) Motel; 19.) Parthenon in Nashville, TN; 20.) Lernaean hydra; 21.) Storm; 22.) Lotus Hotel and Casino; 23.) Lotus flower cookies; 24.) Maserati; 25.) Gateway to Underworld; 26.) Scrap heaps of human misery; 27.) Hell hounds; 28.) Persephone; 29.) "Mick Jagger thing"; 30.) Shield; 31.) Empire State Building; 32.) Chase; 33.) Trident; 34.) Olympus; 35.) Pantheon; 36.) Where you belong; 37.) Horny dude; 38.) Grace under pressure; 39.) First rule of battle; and 40.) Bonus scene during the ending credits.

audience reaction: There was one scene which made the audience laugh--wait! it was I who laughed ( Sorry .... ).

recommendation: This is just a so-so "fantasy role-play" type of movie. It lacks polish but it will be appealing to teens, its targeted audience.

spoiler alert! First of all, if they're gods, how come they can't figure it out amongst themselves who actually stole the lightning bolt? In actuality, a lightning bolt is extremely hot ( white-hot ) and super electrified so that even a demi-god--who is not even impervious to bladed weaponry strikes, as shown in this movie--who's stupid enough to hold it will have his hand burned-off at the very least and get himself electrocuted at the very most! If we mere mortals have use of security cameras, why don't the gods have something of a similar function? The sparring matches were not well-choreographed, for the most part. Why did Grover ( Brandon T. Jackson ) carry-on with his charade in places where no one knew who he was? When Medusa ( Uma Thurman ) confronted them, why did they just close their eyes and stayed-put? They could just have looked down at the ground as they made a hasty retreat! How did Luke ( Jake Abel ), a mere half-mortal, know Percy's exact shoe size when even the gods, themselves, seem to lack the power of omniscience? How come the sudden addition of a gigantic statue in the parthenon never made it on the news the following day ( only a storm brewing was shown on TV news)? How come there was no Lo-Jack or any other type of anti-theft device on the Maserati? When I bought my base model 1994 Geo Metro brand new, it came with two anti-theft devices already pre-installed by the dealership! Luke should have had plenty of time to make his "kill shot". Why didn't Olympus have any posted guards on duty? Did Gabe Ugliano ( ? ) really deserve to get what he got? Since they had a pair of dark sunglasses handy, why did they have it so that Medusa's eyes would still open and close? Why didn't Medusa's head change to a more believable post mortem color?

fyi: Annabeth ( Alexandria Daddario ) has a very interesting facial feature: Double Philtrum. I've never seen such a feature on anyone else's face before. It looks to be a more than one-in-a- million rare oddity. I'd marry her for just that one reason--of course, it helps that she's very beautiful, too!

Did you notice how Grover held the dollar bills in his hand? Actors hold it in that particular way in all the movies where a close-up of "play money" is needed. Dollar bills, as props, are made bigger in size than the real thing and will have this printed on them: "Not for legal tender." This was covered-up by Grover's index finger in the scene with the ferry man.

Shortly after we arrived here from the Philippines, our cousin took us to Reno, Nevada, during the Spring Break. We walked through the casinos. I'd never seen so many beautiful cocktail waitresses in high heels and in tiny mini skirts before in my whole young, impressionable-age life! I had a fun time ogling all of them, up and down, and almost got a whiplash in the process. But all good things must come to an end. A mustachioed plainclothes security personnel accosted us and informed us that no minors are allowed in the gambling areas ( but being that he was white, I think he meant to say, "Minorities." Ha, ha, ha. ).

I didn't get to see the midnight show on Thursday because I fell asleep on my couch as I waited for the showtime.

word of advice: "Power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely."

"The pen is mightier than the sword."

tidbits: Today, first thing in the morning at 8:30, I went to my periodontist for a full-mouth x-ray. The hygienist took 16 x-rays, all in all. My head is probably radioactive now. If somebody kisses me on Sunday, Valentine's Day, the kiss probably won't register on a "love meter" but on a Geiger Counter, instead! Ha, ha, ha. Why am I laughing ....

Later on, I went to Oakland, CA to hang-out with my friends and to show them the picture CDs of my eldest sister and her family's trip to the Northern Philippines for their vacation during the Holidays. There were two notable pictures in the bunch: a full-grown cat suckling on a bitch's ( female dog, you guys ) teat; and a house built juxtaposed to the road with no road shoulder or curbside to act as a safety barrier ( can you just imagine a drunk driver careening through such an area? )!

At the theatre box office, the ticket clerk at first didn't take my Regal $10.00 Movie Certificate as payment because the computer didn't recognize it at all. It was my last certificate which I had kept in my wallet all this time but always kept forgetting to use. I got it as a reward for earning enough points on my Chase/Regal MasterCard. But Chase stopped the co-sponsored movie incentive about two years ago. And even though such a certificate has no printed expiration date on it, I guess Regal Cinemas ( of which UA is part of the chain ) decided to delete the information on any and all outstanding certificates. The ticket clerk advised me to talk to the manager and I said that I will, but later, since I didn't have the time right then. So he changed his mind and issued me a free pass, instead. I told him that I'll leave him my certificate so that he won't get in trouble over this particular transaction. Later, as I bought my concession items, I realized that the price of an evening ticket was $10.75. So I asked the concessions clerk to give me four quarters for a dollar. I, then, went back to the booth to give the ticket clerk my 75 cents. At which point the manager came over. I explained to the manager what had happened and told him that I didn't want the ticket clerk to get in trouble with management over a measly $0.75 when his till won't balance-out at the end of his shift. But the manager told me that everything will be fine and thanked me for being so nice. Of course, I, Cine-Man, am always nice to people who are nice to me; conversely, I can be someone's worst enemy since bad things always happen to people who are not nice to me--trust me on this since it has always been this way for as far back as I can remember.

DEAR JOHN, PG-13 ( 1 hr & 48 min )

Proposed alternate movie poster!  Ha, ha, ha--snort!

where: EDWARDS FAIRFIELD STADIUM 16 & I-MAX in Fairfield, CA
when: Monday, February 8ht, 2010
show: 11:15 a.m.
costs: $7.50 Ticket + $4.50 small Zero Coke = $12.00
auditorium: 4
seat: 4th row, 4th seat

synopsis: Two holes are better than none.

Soldier boy, John Tyree ( Channing Tatum ), out on leave, through happenstance, meets conservative girl, Savannah Curtis ( Amanda Seyfried ). They soon fall in love with each other. But priorities and obligations force them apart. They correspond with each other to keep in touch and to keep the "flame of love" going, not knowing that Fate is about to rudely intervene and deal them a bittersweet hand.

noteworthy scenes: 1.) Coins; 2.) Pier; 3.) Barbecue; 4.) Primal; 5.) Pick-up; 6.) Restaurant; 7.) Numismatist; 8.) Conservative lifestyle; 9.) Montage; 10.) 12 months; 11.) Fight; 12.) Note; 13.) Double lasagna; 14.) Dear John; 15.) Dear Savannah; 16.) Full moon; 17.) Favorite coin; 18.) Warm milk; 19.) 9-11; 20.) Changed mind; 21.) 15-year wait; 22.) Re-enlist; 23.) Airport terminal; 24.) Long-delayed news; 25.) Bazaar burqa mamas; 26.) Ambush; 27.) Extending; 28.) Stroke; 29.) Reading his letter; 30.) Rain surfing; 31.) Funeral; 32.) Camp Horse Sense; 33.) Master plan; 34.) Dinner conversation; 35.) Father's collection; 36.) Anonymous donation; and 37.) Chance meeting.

audience reaction: Although it was seen by a predominantly female geriatric crowd ( who probably have their own love stories to tell from the Korean and Vietnam War eras ), I didn't hear a peep or a sob or a sniffle from anyone of them. It was just plain quiet. Too quiet for the type of movie that it supposedly is.

recommendation: Forget what the other critics say: This isn't a "tear-jerker" kind of a "Hen-picked" flick ( I say "Hen" because the majority of the female crowd are older women, not "Chicks" [ young girls ] ). This is just a love story worked around 9-11. If you're an "hen" who wants to vicariously relive a bittersweet romance, then this movie may just appeal to you.

spoiler alert! When was the last time that you saw anyone walking around with a pen handy? Even people who go shopping for groceries, or whatever, and have in mind to pay for their purchases with a cheque don't necessarily have the common-sense presence of mind--in most cases--to take a pen with them before they leave the house ( this observation is based on my years of retail experience )! The only guy I personally know of who has a pen handy whenever he goes out, is I! In fact, I had four pens with me today. The Afghan man in the bazaar who tried to warn the army patrol about the ambush is "dead-meat" in real life! John didn't properly assess the situation before trying to take a fallen comrade out of harm's way ( but I guess we can chalk this one up to "human error" ). I knew something was up when I observed the first horseback-riding scene. Why was John so overly nice to someone who figuratively "ripped his heart apart"? Not I! No, sirree ( there are other chicks in the coop ).

fyi: There is a rare coin worth lots of money. It's a 1972 double-stamped copper penny. I've been keeping an eye out for it for many, many long years. If you find one, give it to me! I'll gladly pay you twenty bucks for it. ( And I hope that you're stupid enough to sell it to me for that set price. ) But if you do sell it to someone else, give me a 10% commission for letting you know of its potential worth.

There should be a law against sending an only son/child off to war.

On September 10th, 2001, on my way to work in Oakland, CA at around 10:15 p.m., I was busy talking to myself after I exited the freeway. When I crossed a particular intersection and drove by a Muslim center, I said to myself, You know, if the United States ever gets attacked, they should burn this place down! Upon realizing what I had just said, I uttered, Why in Hell would I say something like that ...? I dismissed it as just mindless babble.

The next day, I drove to Benicia, CA to work at my other job. On my commute, all the radio stations that I tuned-in to in my Geo Metro played no music at all. Instead, they were all talk shows talking about The Revolutionary War, The War of 1812, The Civil War and Pearl Harbor; and I really didn't get the gist of it all. Anyway, at work, while standing at my assigned checkstand ( 6 or 7 ) during a lull, I overheard the checkers on 1 and 3 talking about war and an attack on American soil. I asked them what they were talking about. Surprised at my seeming lack of information ( I didn't watch the news or read the paper before leaving for work ), they told me about what had just happened earlier in the day. When I took my break and went to the breakroom, that was when I realized the gravity of the situation because the TV news showed the planes crashing into the twin towers. I forcibly kept myself from crying even though my eyes welled with tears.

Greatly distressed by the events, I had trouble sleeping for over a week because I "saw" myself on the floor of the buildings that were hit, and in the planes, as well, as if I were in with the victims on that fateful morning. I felt solely responsible for the tragedies because of my vague premonition on September 10th. Had I been neither lackadaisical nor desultory in my meditation and in my spiritual cultivation, I would have had a clearer premonition of the events which were to transpire and would have, then, been able to warn the authorities and helped to avert the attacks. I became so depressed that I almost took my life in the morning of September 17th with my own rifle. And I would have, if not for a sign from my beloved, deceased orange Manx cat, Winky. ( But this is another story best saved, perhaps, for another time. )

word of advice: Marry for the right reasons.

Never turn your back on the enemy.

tidbits: After the movie, I went back to the box office to ask the clerk if they were having a midnight show for THE WOLFMAN this Thursday night. He said, "No." But their schedule on the Internet for Thursday does list a midnight show for THE WOLFMAN, VALENTINE'S DAY and PERCY JACKSON & THE OLYMPIANS. I guess that I'll just take a chance and swing by on Thursday night, just in case.

Three little old ladies were sitting on a park bench one warm spring day. All of a sudden, a pervert in a trench coat walked up to them and flashed them. The first two little old ladies, each, had a stroke. But the third little old lady was so shocked that she didn't even want to take a look at it!

FROM PARIS WITH LOVE, R ( 1 hr & 35 min )

where: CENTURY 14 VALLEJO in Vallejo, CA
when: Friday, February 5th, 2010
show: 7:45 p.m.
costs: $10.00 Ticket + $1.05 Tropical Punch Fuze, 18.5 oz bottle ( which I bought at the nearby CVS Drugstore and drank before and after the show ) = $11.05
auditorium: 13
seat: 5th row, 7th column

synopsis: Orange you glad that I didn't say, "Bomb Anna!" Or ... Wax-on and get waxed-off.

An aide to the U.S. Ambassador of France, James Reese ( Jonathan Rhys Meyers ) secretly works as a low-level CIA agent who yearns to have high-security level assignments thrown his way. One day, he gets his wish--and then some--when he is partnered with a high-ranking operative, Charlie Wax ( John Travolta ), on assignment in Paris to get rid of a terrorist threat.

noteworthy scenes: 1.) License plates; 2.) Chip; 3.) Bedroom curtain; 4.) Staple; 5.) Short notice; 6.) Customs; 7.) Mrs. Jones; 8.) Le Lotus de Neiges; 9.) Egg Foo Yong; 10.) Tail; 11.) Dragonheads; 12.) Stairs; 13.) Show; 14.) Sweat shop; 15.) Snort; 16.) Elevator; 17.) Stake out; 18.) Satellite; 19.) 5 Kilos; 20.) Scenic route; 21.) Bad guys' car; 22.) Photographs; 23.) Police car; 24.) Royale with cheese; 25.) Dinner; 26.) Wired; 27.) You-Tube; 28.) Pay Phone; 29.) U.S. Delegation; 30.) Car chase; 31.) Summit meeting; 32.) Access denied; 33.) Orange Chadors; and 34.) Chess game.

audience reaction: The audience enjoyed it.

recommendation: I, too, enjoyed this over-the-top, and played for laughs, action movie. If you're into action movies, go see this one.

spoiler alert! Did Reese have to wear his suit all the time that they were chasing down and disposing of the bad guys? When the pistol rolled across the table, the bad guy had ample time to track it and shoot Wax, but didn't. Does it really make any sense that Caroline ( Kasia Smutniak ) would go to such a place just to buy fabric? Why wasn't the news media all a-buzzed over the killing rampage? When they left their Cadillac SUV in a bad part of town, nobody carjacked it or, at the very least, stole its wheels. Even though Reese had his left arm in a sling because of a gunshot wound, he had no trouble holding a gun "cup and saucer" style, then playing chess later on with no sign of pain and/or difficulty in arm movement.

fyi: The French get the chance to stereotype us, Americans, this time around!

Can you imagine being a paramedic and going to a scene of an accident or a crime and have to tend to Muslim female victims? It is such a quandary! On the one hand, you have a duty to provide emergency medical aid to anyone in need of it; but, on the other hand, Islamic law forbids you from touching a Muslim female. What can you do? What will you do? What are the repercussions for committing acts deemed inappropriate? Whatever happens, the paramedic will be damned if he does, and be damned if he doesn't! I don't envy him his job.

The female U.S. Delegate, in real life, would be the one to get fired. And I would put her in jail, too, if I were the President, for reckless endangerment.

word of advice: Don't bring a vase to a gunfight!

tidbits: One of the things that I did after work and before going to the theatre was stopped off at the Benicia Police Station to file a complaint about what happened the day before, Thursday. Last night, when I got home from work after 9:00 p.m., I found 53 messages on my answering machine--and 51 of them were blank with nothing more on them other than the "date and time" stamp. Somebody called my number up to 51 times without saying one damn word! And, I should note, 9 days before Valentine's Day. Does somebody have a FATAL ATTRACTION on me or what?!?!?! Some girls, through the years, have called me "handsome", "hunk" and "sexy" ( some guys, too, I'm embarrassed to say ), but this unwelcome obsession is more worrisome than it is flattering. Perhaps, the attraction that they have for me can be boiled down to one constant: Here, I'm what one would call an "Exotic Dish", of course, back in the Philippines I'm probably just a "Staple Diet" to those with a discriminating taste. Or, to put it more bluntly, in the Philippines I'm just a "Tuyo ug Kan-on" ( fried dried & salted fish and steamed rice ) on a banana leaf whereas here I appeal to those with an adventurous taste. So, I guess it just makes sense that I should charge in Dollars, instead of Pesos, for the same old thing. Yeah, why not? My other sister had a classmate back at The Philippine Women's College in Matina, Davao City, Mindanao, Philippines, who had an ugly-looking brother who walked into their living room one day, sighing and exclaiming, "I'm tired of being handsome!" I'm beginning to feel the same way. Now, where was I ... oh, yeah! The dispatcher at the police station said that they can't do a thing about my situation.

When I got home, I called the AT&T operator. She said that she can't do anything about it, too. But she gave me an 800 number to call just in case of a repeat occurrence and added that I would have to take note of the particular time for each harassing call. What ...? Is she nuts? All of those calls ...? Maybe it would be better to just have whoever it is who is sexually obsessed with me break into my condo, over-power me, tie me up, and do kinky unmentionables to me--but I digress!

If I'm so sexually attractive, why doesn't Hollywood take notice of me, yet? Oh, I just remembered ... because they already have somebody who looks like me: Esai Morales, my somewhat famous Hollywood Celebrity look-alike. But, unlike him, I don't have Herpes! But I just might end up with a "hair piece" someday if I don't do something aggressively pro-active about my situation.