CATS & DOGS: REVENGE OF KITTY GALORE, PG ( 1 hr & 22 min )

where: CENTURY 14 VALLEJO in Vallejo, CA
when: Friday, July 30th, 2010
show: 2:25 p.m.
costs: $10.75 Ticket + $6.49 # 12 Value Meal @ MacDonald's Restaurant before the movie = $17.24
auditorium: 8, with the 3-D screen
seat: 6th row, 10th column

synopsis: Cats and dogs unite to put a stop to the evil plan for world domination of a former MEOWS agent gone rogue.

noteworthy scenes: 1.) German satellite station; 2.) Used car lot; 3.) On suspension; 4.) Kennel; 5.) Dog World Headquarters; 6.) The call of the wild; 7.) Mouse; 8.) Amusement park; 9.) Coit Tower; 10.) The chase; 11.) Golden Gate Park; 12.) Gone rogue; 13.) Missing; 14.) Uneasy alliance; 15.) Cat Lady's house in East Oakland, CA; 16.) Cat litter; 17.) Alcatraz; 18.) Ferry boat; 19.) Fisherman's Wharf; 20.) MEOWS; 21.) Playland; 22.) "Free HBO"; 23.) Magician's trailer; 24.) Satellite; 25.) Robot; 26.) Plan B; 27.) Cotton candy; 28.) New collar; 29.) Bonus scenes; and 30.) Bonus scene after the Ending Credits.

audience reaction: The people enjoyed this family movie.

recommendation: I liked this movie, too. It's a good movie for people with cats and/or dogs.

spoiler alert! I would normally exempt this because of its nature, except for two things: Cats and dogs don't see in color ( birds do ); and whoever was responsible for the 3-D effect did a bad job because the snouts of certain characters were misaligned in at least three scenes!

And one more thing .... Why is it that in the movies, a character with no hair is almost always relegated to the "bad guy" role?

fyi: I love the cartoon short with Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner. The 3-D effect on this one is better than in the main feature.

I had a Russian Blue cat once. At work, somebody was giving away free kittens. So I picked one and kept it in a box inside the buyer's office until the end of my shift. It had managed by itself to scramble out of the closed-lid box when I went to fetch it. So, being that it was a strong little kitten, I named it, Conan.

Soon, I found out that Conan not only ate cat food, but table scraps, as well. And, by table scraps, I mean that he would eat pieces of fruit and vegetables, too. So, I gave him the title of, Conan, the Vegetarian. Because of Conan, I know for a fact that cats have a very acute sense of smell: Whenever I would slice into a very ripe cantaloupe, no matter where he was in the two story house, he would come running into the kitchen meowing for a slice of the melon--it was his addiction!

Conan was also a practical joker. He pulled a stunt on my mother and on me, as well. My mom had a grand piano in the living room of our East Oakland, CA home. And she would always prop the top open whenever she would practice her piano lessons on it. But one key was off on the far treble side. And each time that my mom would strike this key, it would irritate Conan who would then jump on the keyboard and walk across it in protest. But, one day, Conan had had enough of it. I was across the room on the couch reading something when Conan walked into the room and curled-up for a nap on the floor behind the bench on which my mother sat practicing her lessons. Sure enough, my mom hit the off-key. Angry, Conan got up, jumped into the piano, and peed on the string that was out of tune! I never saw my mom play the piano after that.

And here's the story of how he pulled a stunt on me ....

My mother's bedroom was the perfect place to be in for a lazy afternoon nap. All the cats knew this. And whenever I'd go up there to check on them, I would always arrange them in bed so that the sleeping Conan's nose would be up some other cat's butt! And I would giggle to myself as I would tip-toe out of there. One afternoon, when I went in there to check on them, I didn't find any of the cats in the room. Tired of waiting for them to show up, I decided to take a nap, instead. Later on, I was awakened cross-eyed by a very unpleasant smell: My nose was wedged-up against Conan's butt--Ahhh! This particular Furry & Stinky Butt moment will forever be etched in my memory cells.

Go to YouTube and check out "Nora, The Piano Playing Cat."

word of advice: Love your pets.

tidbits: After the movie, I went to the Chevron Gas Station across the street from Marine World for some gas, $7.00 ( 2.18 gallons' ) worth. Then I decided to go to SeaFood City Grocery Store because I haven't been there in so long a time. Then I had some king-size Halo-Halo at the Chow King Fast Food Restaurant in the premises. And I was gonna go to B of A afterward to make a deposit; but I had lost track of time and would not have been able to make it through the doors before the bank closed for the day. So, I just finished my Halo-Halo dessert in a leisurely manner then I went home.

At the grocery store, I bought a Soursop Juice that came in a 10.60 oz. plastic container with a flip-top lid. I was gonna throw the used container away when I realized that it would be perfect for the evaporated milk that I use to flavor my coffee with. So, I washed it and am still waiting for it to completely dry before I transfer the milk into it. Well, what do you know, I'm as ingenious as Wile E. Coyote after all--Beep! Beep!

DINNER FOR SCHMUCKS, PG-13 ( 1 hr & 50 min )

where: CENTURY 14 VALLEJO in Vallejo, CA
when: Friday, July 30th, 2010
show: 11:10 a.m. ( Extra Dollar Off First Show Matinee )
cost: $6.25 Ticket + $1.99 5.0 oz. CVS Mediterranean Blend trail mix ( bought at CVS Drugstore & smuggled-in ) + $4.00 small Diet/Zero ( w/ Barq's & Cherry flavors ) Coke = $12.24
auditorium: 7
seat: 5th row, 10th column

synopsis: An ambitious investments junior executive, Tim ( Paul Rudd ), is on a fast-track for a promotion, provided that he can find an idiot in time to take with him to the executive board's monthly dinner get-together.

noteworthy scenes: 1.) Mouse dioramas; 2.) Job opening; 3.) Novelty lamp; 4.) Dinner proposition; 5.) Art gallery; 6.) Accidental meeting; 7.) The new Swiss client, Mueller ( David Walliams ); 8.) "The me you don't know"; 9.) Elevator; 10.) Applying heat; 11.) On-line chat; 12.) Mistaken identity; 13.) 'Phone call; 14.) Car keys; 15.) Cat; 16.) Photo shoot; 17.) Picture; 18.) The female stalker, Darla ( Lucy Punch ); 19.) Fellow IRS agent, Therman ( Zack Galifianakis ); 20.) Pudding; 21.) Overnight guest; 22.) Wrong 'phone; 23.) Business lunch; 24.) The Porsche; 25.) At the farm; 26.) In the pond; 27.) Last minute call; 28.) Dinner; 29.) Dreamers; 30.) Clitoris; 31.) Brain control; 32.) Welcome to my world; 33.) The finger; 34.) "I'm an idiot"; 35.) Confession; 36.) Photo wrap; and 37.) Bonus scene after the Ending Credits.

audience reaction: The audience loved this weirdly funny movie.

recommendation: I enjoyed this movie, too. This movie may appeal to you if you are into comedy.

spoiler alert! Even with his Biblical theme, it never occurred to Barry ( Steve Carell ) to have a Mouses ( as in, Moses ) character. The elevator bell sounded even before Julie ( Stephanie Kzostak ) could get to it. I wouldn't invite a "flaky" stranger to spend the night at my place! How could people so dim-witted work as IRS agents--am I missing something here ...? I wonder if Tim's car insurance covers him for "stalker-related" damages. ( Heck, I'd better check with CSAA regarding my car insurance coverage! ) Why would Mueller decide to collaborate with Tim and Barry after what had just happened?

fyi: If you'd paid close attention to Therman's office cubicle, you would have noticed a picture of Rasputin on the far left side; and, on the right side, a picture of the mentalist, The Amazing Kreskin, who was famous back in the early '70s through his syndicated TV show. Someone must really have it in on Kreskin because the Therman character is a parody of the famed mentalist.

Back when my family lived in an apartment in Matina, Davao City, Mindanao, Philippines, I found a baby mouse and decided to keep it as a pet. And I named it, Mortimer; which, I learned from reading an article in Reader's Digest Magazine, is the original name of Mickey Mouse. I kept it in a cardboard box in an upstairs room and I made sure that none of our cats could get to it. It eventually grew to full-size. Then, one day, when I went into the room, I found out that Mortimer went missing: He had chewed an hole on one side of the box and managed an escape. I don't know what happened to him because I never saw him after that. ( Well, it has been many, many years now so he's deader than dead! )

I have a co-worker who's simply annoying. You've heard of the expression, "Kill you with kindness," I'm sure. Well, this guy can drive you crazy with his friendliness! Can you believe that he was married at one time? What was the girl thinking--sheesh!

word of advice: Don't use and abuse people for your own amusement and/or selfish gain.

tidbits: Before the show, I went to Chase Bank to make a deposit. Then, I went to CVS Drugstore to buy a snack to sneak into the theatre. I also was hoping to buy a pair of flip-flop sandals, but they sold-out of the kind that I wanted to buy.

One of the girls at the bank, a beautiful and cute Filipina, bears an identical resemblance to a naked girl ( the one on the far left ) in a group photo of eight skinny-dipping females posing on a river bank which was posted earlier today on the internet. ( And I think that the two other Asian girls are her co-workers, too.) In a way, I'm hoping that it is not her BUT, in another way, I'm hoping that IT IS her--Woo-Hoo! 'You know what I mean? If you're a guy, you'd know! Maybe this photo will come in handy someday, in an "ulterior motive" sort of way. Heh, heh, heh .... ( Now would be a good time for me to tell you to just disregard what I wrote down in my word-of-advice section. )

Hey, I should talk Playboy into doing a "Girls of Chase Bank" pictorial! Oh, yeah ....

THE GIRL WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE, NR ( 2 hr & 9 min )

where: CINE ARTS @ PLEASANT HILL in Pleasant Hill, CA
when: Monday, July 26th, 2010
show: 5:30 p.m.
costs: $7.25 Ticket + $4.00 small Diet Coke + $13.09 dinner at HomeTown Buffet before the show ( + $1.00 Tip ) + $5.00 Benicia Bridge Toll = $30.34
auditorium: 3
seat: Right section, 4th row, 1st column

synopsis: In this sequel to THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO, Lisbeth Salander ( Noomi Rapace ) returns to Sweden after a year's absence only to find out that she's framed for the murders of her guardian, a newspaper reporter and the reporter's girlfriend that more than likely were the result of the reporter's investigation of the extensive sex-slave operation that will implicate Swedish society's elite should the findings be put into print. But Mikael Blomkvist ( Michael Nyqvist ) is convinced of Lisbeth's innocence and sets out to try and prove himself right, ultimately uncovering unpleasant events in Lisbeth's past.

noteworthy scenes: 1.) Laser clinic; 2.) Snoop; 3.) Intruder; 4.) 'Phone call; 5.) New reporter; 6.) Retirement home; 7.) Lisbeth's apartment; 8.) Lottery tricks; 9.) "From Russia With Love"; 10.) Double murder; 11.) The church; 12.) Unanimous decision; 13.) Burglar; 14.) Fingerprints; 15.) Nils Bjurman's ( Peter Andersson ) home; 16.) Suspect; 17.) Coffee shop; 18.) Zala; 19.) Interrogation; 20.) Boxing gym; 21.) Kidnap; 22.) Barn; 23.) Lisbeth's e-mail; 24.) Hospital; 25.) List of prominent johns; 26.) Truth about Zala; 27.) Bjurman's cottage; 28.) Confidential file; 29.) Bikers; 30.) Lisbeth's father; 31.) News report; 32.) Monster; 33.) Motor vehicle records; 34.) P. O. Box; 35.) Alarm; 36.) Congenital Analgesia; 37.) The DVD; 38.) Reunion; 39.) A whore; 40.) A brother; 41.) The grave; and 42.) In the nick of time.

audience reaction: There was quite a crowd who turned up to see this movie. They seemed to be entertained by this movie because I could hear appreciative sounds coming from them every now and then.

recommendation: Although not as good as the first one in the trilogy, I still liked this 2nd installment. It goes without saying that this movie has a built-in fan base consisting of the readers of the trilogy by Swedish novelist, Stieg Larsson.

spoiler alert! If anything, Lisbeth's fingerprints would only be on the gun barrel and, perhaps, on the revolver's cylinder. Why? Because at least two people, possibly three, had their fingers on the gun handle and on the trigger. And being that Lisbeth had smaller hands ( hence, smaller fingers ), her prints would have been smudged-off from the critical areas of the gun that was used to implicate her in the murders; this would be true whether or not the murderer used gloves to hide his considerably bigger fingerprints. So, in a court of law, the evidence would therefore just be circumstantial, not conclusive! In the barn, while the bad guy was distracted, I would have picked-up the chain saw and used it on him! Why didn't the cops investigate Bjurman's cottage after he was murdered? They would have come across fingerprints galore! Why didn't Lisbeth asphyxiate? Where did Lisbeth get the cellphone to dig-out the dirt? She had to give-up her own cellphone earlier in her attempt to escape, if I remember right! Why didn't the old man wake up his son to help him investigate the noise? With all her wounds, how was Lisbeth able to wield the ax and use it? I thought that the bad guy ran into the house to get a gun--I would have!

fyi: Congenital Analgesia is actually a rare disorder. I wonder if the sufferers of such a disorder experience any sexual arousal at all? Hmmm ....

I just found out earlier today, Wednesday, July 28ht, that they will make this trilogy into an Hollywood production with Daniel Craig in the role of Mikael Blomkvist. And Sweden will still be the setting for the movie. But there's no word yet on who'll play the role of Lisbeth Salander--O, God of Hollywood Movies, please have the girl be much better-looking than Roomi Rapace! Thank you, Lord. Amen.

I had a Vietnamese co-worker who once lived in Sweden for about a year. He told me that in Sweden if you leave your bicycle unlocked, someone will take it BUT return it later in the day because that is how things are in that country: They share their bicycles with anyone. Of course, if you're someone like Lance Armstrong who owns $20,000.oo bicycles, it would be a good idea to have your bicycle under lock and key and with some kind of "Lo-Jack" attached to it, just to be on the safe side.

A $20,000.oo bicycle?!?!?! Hell! For such an high price tag, such a bike better be able to pedal itself!

And speaking of bicycling in Sweden, the natives prefer to ride their bicycles with the seat adjusted to such an height as to allow for the full extension of each leg in the power stroke. This is supposedly why the Swedish are long-legged.

word of advice: If you must, be discreet about your illicit affairs.

tidbits: While I was eating at the buffet, two girls seated in the booth next to mine were talking. The older sister was telling the younger one a make-believe story. In it, everybody around them dies. Then, their mom and their dad die. So, they go back to Mexico where they find people who are still alive. And they move-in with their grandparents. And they live forever--until they die! Sheesh, what kind of a story is that to tell someone at such a young age?

I have a much better children's story than that which I'm currently working-out the details on that I've tentatively entitled: Bedtime Stories .... ( 'Sorry, can't reveal more details here. And, nope, it's nothing like the Adam Sandler movie of the same title--not even close! All that I'm going to say about it is that it's a silly and funny one guaranteed to elicit laughs and giggles from the little brats come bedtime. )

I just left a dollar tip for the waitress because even though she was a very beautiful Hispanic girl, she never said, "Hi," to me at all. What a bitch!

Can you believe that this movie is rated, NR? It's obviously an R-rated movie, just like the first one! So, what happened ...? Something probably got lost in the translation.

After the movie, I went to the Dollar Tree Store next door to buy some stuff. I bought a bottle of The Works toilet bowl cleaner--this stuff really works, and it's the only one I buy. I also bought some corn chips, cheese dip, CD/DVD case, a five-pack of peppermint bubble gum, and a pair of industrial latex gloves. Also, I bought a pair of Smart HD View Wraparounds Sunglasses. ( "As Seen On TV." Ha, ha, ha. But they ain't kidding though: This pair of sunglasses actually cut-out the sun's glare--I've got to try this on next time that I go see an I-Max movie! )

SALT, PG-13 ( 1 hr & 39 min )

where: CENTURY 14 VALLEJO in Vallejo, CA
when: Friday, July 23rd, 2010
show: 11:35 a.m. ( Extra Dollar Off First Show Matinee )
costs: $6.25 Ticket + $6.49 # 13 Value Meal @ MacDonald's Restaurant after the show = $12.74
auditorium: 7
seat: 5th row, 8ht column

synopsis: E. Salt: Weed A Deadly Weapon ( There are two word plays here, as in ... "Evelyn Salt: Get rid of her 'cause she's dangerous" and "Assault with a deadly weapon." Get it? Got it. Good! )

A CIA operative, Evelyn Salt ( Angelina Jolie ) is on the run after being fingered as a Russian double-agent planning a political assassination in the hope of triggering an all-out war.

noteworthy scenes: 1.) North Korean prison; 2.) The walk-in informant, Orlov ( Daniel Olbrychski ); 3.) The child; 4.) Pre-school spy school; 5.) Day X; 6.) K-A 12; 7.) Truthful; 8.) Elevator attack; 9.) Fire extinguisher; 10.) Little girl's bedroom; 11.) Freeway chase; 12.) Moscow car accident; 13.) Ladies' room; 14.) "No future for us"; 15.) Spy kit; 16.) Funeral procession; 17.) Train; 18.) Two MIAs; 19.) Pipe organ; 20.) Bomb; 21.) Crypt; 22.) Police cars; 23.) Hospital corridor; 24.) "My greatest creation"; 25.) Execution; 26.) Double-cross; 27.) NATO liaison ; 28.) Act of war; 29.) Elevator shaft; 30.) Def-Con 2; 31.) Surprise attack; 32.) Mecca/Tehran; 33.) TV news; 34.) The patsy; 35.) The chain; 36.) "You know"; 37.) Text message; and 38.) The Potomac River.

audience reaction: There was a large crowd in attendance, a quarter of which sat all the way through the end of the Ending Credits. So, my guess is that this movie appealed to them.

recommendation: I liked this movie. This is a good action movie that will appeal not only to Action Movie fans but to Angelina Jolie fans, as well.

spoiler alert! How did Evelyn go from being an helpless damsel in distress to being an efficient one-woman killing machine? One would think that the CIA building was safe and secure enough to have highly sensitive x-rays and metal detectors in place that could easily detect an hidden retractable knife in someone's shoe! Why did the informant do what he did in the elevator, at the expense of blowing his cover? How did Evelyn pay for her taxi-cab fare? Oh, wait a minute, she wasn't wearing any panties--I guess that I just answered this particular question. L.o.l. If Winter ( Liev Schreiber ) wanted Evelyn to complete her mission, why didn't he put any effort into blocking the shots fired by Peabody ( Chiwetel Ejiofor )? There was no way that Evelyn could have kept herself in place, without having a seat-belt on, when the police SUV crashed! Am I the only one in this world who noticed that Evelyn's male disguise made her look like Ralph Macchio ( the original KARATE KID [ 1984 ] )? In the White House bunker, when the US President (? ) was on the telephone, a close-up shot of his left hand showed that he had an hang-nail on his ring finger! What? Don't they have a manicurist in the White House or on the set? A US president with hang-nails--geez! This is worse than Lindsay Lohan's nail-polished-with-a-message middle finger during her day in court just recently. Why didn't the Secret Service Agents shoot Evelyn when she was strangling somebody to death? It is relatively easy to find the other "sleeper" agents: Just find out which Americans were born and raised in Russia as children, then put into adoption by American families! Uh-oh, my sister in Michigan has in-laws who adopted a couple of Russian boys--now, I'm worried--I'm gonna have to keep tabs on those two from now on! Ha, ha, ha. There's talk of a sequel .... But I would take that with a grain of salt ( pun intended ) since, from a Medical stand-point, being that Evelyn was almost practically skin-and-bones borderline anorexic, she probably suffered from the effects of hypothermia and froze to death! ( Unless, of course, she happened upon a "Good Samaritan" like me who talked her into taking-off all her clothes so that he could warm her up with his--ahem--body heat. 'Sure beats drinking hot chocolate anytime! )

fyi: Supposedly, all the civilians who witnessed the assassination of President Kennedy were all dead within two years of the fateful event--men, women and children!

In the book, BEHOLD A PALE HORSE, George Bush, Sr., who was the head of the CIA back then, is accused of being the one responsible for the assassination of President Kennedy. According to the book, the reason why President Kennedy was assassinated was because he was about to tell the whole world the truth about UFOs. The book not only talks about UFOs but about Secret Societies, as well, and is quite a fascinating one to read. Get a copy for yourself, if you can. By the way, its author, former US Naval Intelligence Officer Bill Cooper, was assassinated two months after the events of 9/11 as he was preparing to implicate the George Bush, Jr. administration in the "terrorist acts".

I remember a gathering in my boyhood home in Kidapawan, Cotabato, Mindanao, Philippines one afternoon. I was in the upstairs living room where my parents were entertaining some guests. My mother was with two other ladies when I overheard the topic of their conversation: The president of America just died. I was too young to know what "president" and "America" were. But, judging by the adults' grave tone of voice, I knew it was something really serious and important, which was probably why I was able to remember it in the first place.

If you don't think that there is such a thing as a Mass Media Black-Out, consider this: From 2008 until 2009, over 176,000 Christians were slaughtered throughout the world, most notably in North Korea! That works out to one Christian killed every three minutes. But you probably never read that in the newspapers or saw it in the evening news. And, although North Korea tops the list according to the July, 2010 issue of the Levitt Letter ( Zola Levitt Ministries, Inc.; WWW.Levitt.Com ), most of the other countries, 35 out of 50, found guilty of committing such an heinous act against humanity are predominantly Muslim countries--if you're a Christian, think about that next time before you become anti-Semitic and side with the Muslim militants! ( When it comes to Ethnic Cleansing, Muslims don't make a sharp distinction between Jews and Christians--we're all the same to them, after all, Jesus was a Jew. )

Go to WWW.Levitt.Com to read-up on important news that have been censored by the mass media! Just be warned: Some of the photos of victims shown are emotionally hard to view.

Angelina Jolie is actually a natural blonde. But she took to dyeing her hair black since her teenage years for whatever reason.

Originally, this movie was made with Tom Cruise in mind to play the lead role. But Angelina Jolie liked the script so much that she "pulled some major strings" to get herself the part. I guess this is all well and good because I don't think I'd care to see Tom Cruise's character bound, gagged and tortured while he's wearing nothing but a bra and a pair of see-through panties! Ha, ha, ha---( snort! ).

word of advice: Leave family out of it ( whatever "IT" is ).

tidbits: Here's my alternate movie title for those in the know, i.e. Angelina Jolie fans: MRS. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON.

I was gonna go to the midnight show, but I changed my mind at the last minute because I thought that the movie wouldn't be entertaining enough for me and not worth the trip and the consequential dark circles under my eyes the following day.

INCEPTION, PG-13 ( 2 hr & 22 min )

where: CENTURY 14 VALLEJO in Vallejo, CA
when: Friday, July 16th, 2010
show: 11:00 a.m. ( Extra Dollar-Off First Show Matinee )
costs: $6.25 Ticket + $4.25 junior Popcorn ( w/ Butter ) + $4.00 small Diet/Zero ( w/ Barq's & Cherry flavors ) Coke = $14.50
auditorium: 13
seat: 4th row, 6th column

2nd time:

where: EDWARDS FAIRFIELD STADIUM 16 & I-MAX in Fairfield, CA
when: Tuesday, July 27th, 2010
show: 10:25 p.m.
costs: $17.50 Ticket + $1.00 medium Popcorn ( free + dollar upgrade ) + $1.50 Kernel Season's White Cheddar Popcorn Topping + $4.75 small Diet Coke = $24.75
auditorium: 12, with the I-Max screen
seat: 5th row, 5th seat

synopsis: Concerned that one man, Robert Fischer Jr. ( Cillian Murphy ), will end-up with too much financial power and political clout, a clandestine organization headed by Saito ( Ken Watanabe ) hires the services of a mind infiltrator, Cobb ( Leonardo Di Caprio ), to alter the course of future events. But Saito, unsuspectingly, may just be asking too much of a man who comes with a very heavy "psychological baggage".

noteworthy scenes: 1.) Beach; 2.) Resilient parasite; 3.) Fresh air; 4.) The double-cross; 5.) Folder; 6.) Train; 7.) 'Phone call; 8.) Helicopter; 9.) Leap of faith; 10.) The New mind architect, Ariadne ( Ellen Page ); 11.) Maze; 12.) First shared dream; 13.) "Five minutes is one hour"; 14.)" Wake me up"; 15.) Totem; 16.) The Forger, Eames ( Tom Hardy ); 17.) Chase; 18.) Paradox; 19.) The Chemist, Yusuf ( Dileep Rao ); 20.) "They come to be woken up"; 21.) "Not the typical corporate espionage"; 22.) The old man, Maurice Fischer ( Pete Postlethwaite ; 23.) The plan; 24.) "We have our 10 hours"; 25.) "You shouldn't be here"; 26.) "These are memories, not dreams"; 27.) Passport; 28.) Taxi; 29.) Ambush; 30.) Limbo; 31.) "Downwards is the only way forward"; 32.) "Disappointed ..."; 33.) "We built our own world"; 34.) "Letter from my attorney"; 35.) Subconscious security; 36.) "It was worth a shot"; 37.) "Nice synchronized kick"; 38.) "Break into his own subconscious"; 39.) Hotel hallway fight; 40.) Ski chase; 41.) Avalanche; 42.) "Just a projection"; 43.) "It was my world"; 44.) Elevator shaft; 45.) "I feel guilt"; 46.) Improvise; 47.) Pin wheel; 48.) "We can be together"; 49.) "Someone from an half-remembered dream"; 50.) "Welcome home"; and 51.) The spinning top.

prediction: This movie will win an Oscar in the SFX category. This movie is this year's MATRIX!

audience reaction: The audience was in rapt attention as they watched this movie. They had to, since this movie is very cerebral and convoluted.

recommendation: Although I liked this Psychological Sci-Fi Action movie for its SFX, I don't think that it will be to everyone's liking. It's a summer action movie alright, but not in the typical sense.

spoiler alert! Only $500.00 in his wallet when he's supposed to be one of the richest heirs- apparent in the whole, wide world? Heck! I've had customers pull-out a thick wad of bills from their front pocket just to pay for their groceries--I'm talking twenty, fifty and one hundred denominations here. Why were the security personnel shooting at the abductors indiscriminately when they didn't know the outcome of such an action, i.e. if hit, will their employer wake up or end up in limbo? Why didn't they just shoot-out the tires? Were the body panels of the vehicles bullet-proof? I ask because, with all those bullets peppering the vehicles, only one abductor got hit. A "dreamer" can be trained to put up defenses while an "infiltrator" can plant ideas/scenarios in--and populate--his subject's dream world; so ... why couldn't Cobb, the infiltrator, populate the dreamer's world with his own private army to combat the defenses of the dreamer or, at the very least, just have everything surrounding the "bad guys" explode, just like in an earlier "demonstration" scene for the new mind architect? The suicide occurred across the street so that the crime scene investigation as well as the security cameras would have easily cleared Cobb of any criminal wrong-doing. ( Duh! ) I guess Cobb became a French citizen to keep from being extradited back to the United States, but I don't know about the Extradition Laws of the other countries where he worked in; France, Austria, Russia, Japan and China forbid the extradition of their respective citizens--Mexico, too--as for any other country, I do not know at present where they stand on extradition. But in criminal cases like hijacking, terrorism, assassination and murder, the United States and other countries now use abduction to bring the fugitive to justice. So, even then, Cobb would still have to be on his guard even in France because he could be abducted from anywhere and at anytime, provided, of course, that he became the prime suspect/"person of special interest" ( a stupid euphemism, if you ask me ) in the "murder". The ending scene was cut short, leaving the audience to try and guess whether it was just a dream or if it was a reality--dang! I hate to be left hanging like that.

fyi: I absolutely love the top-notch fight scene in the hotel hallway! It will make all those Chinese martial arts choreographers scratch their heads in puzzlement for a good long time. I would gladly pay extra to watch this fight scene again in I-Max!

With some patience and dedication, you can do your own low-budget, no-tech "inception." Before going to bed each night, just keep telling yourself that you'll find yourself awake in your own dream. After a few days or weeks, it should happen. And, once you've awakened yourself within your own dream state, you can reshape your dream or incept your mind with a positive affirmation to modify your behavior. Although this is hard to do, it can be done because it has been done countless times by different people through the centuries! I, myself, was able to do it once: From a dream state, I willed myself to have an out-of-body-experience; so, I was actually functioning in two levels: dreaming and astral projecting simultaneously!

In a nod to Marion ( who plays the character of, Mal, in this movie ) Cotillard's Oscar-winning performance in the French movie, LA VIE EN ROSE ( 2007 ), a song by Edith Piaf, Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien, plays in this movie.

word of advice: Too much power is too much.

tidbits: After the show, a theatre worker asked me how I liked the movie. I told him that it was very cerebral and that I liked the hotel hallway fight scene.

When I stepped outside of the theatre, there was a Filipino kid standing around with two Filipina girls. He had a ukulele with him--I've never seen that at a theatre before. I guess he was practicing to be the next "Jake Shimabukuro."

Then, I went to the nearby CVS drugstore to buy a bottle of Calcium/Magnesium/Zinc supplement ( $3.99 ) as I was completely out of it.

Next, I went to the Postal Annex to claim the package that my sister in Michigan had sent me--she sent me too much stuff! On the bright side, half of the stuff were of the edible kind.

As my Hyundai Accent was very low on gas, I swung by the Chevron gas station across the street from Marine World to get $6.50 of regular gas.

Then I drove to Springs Road to buy three gallons of ionized drinking water ( $7.50 )from Agua Pura. Across the parking lot, I decided to have lunch at Selecta Filipino Buffet ( $6.59 ), along with a 16.9 oz. can of Tasco Brand Coconut Juice ( $1.29 ) to go with my meal. And, while there, I also bought some lottery tickets ( $6.00 ), plus a special quick-pick ticket ( $1.00).

So, as you can see, I really didn't have the time to go to Pep-Boys, as promised, to buy an air filter and a set of spark plugs for my Hyundai Accent. I'll get them next week--hopefully!


2nd tidbits:

I used my new Smart HD View Wraparounds Sunglasses to watch this I-Max show, hoping that it would give me more clarity. But I was wrong. I took it off after just a few minutes.

And speaking of a few minutes, I missed the first few minutes of this I-Max show. But it really didn't matter to me since I've already seen the movie anyway.

THE SORCERER'S APPRENTICE, PG ( 2 hr & 1 min )

where: EDWARDS FAIRFIELD STADIUM 16 & I-MAX in Fairfield, CA
when: Wednesday, July 14th, 2010
show: 2:00 p.m.
costs: $8.00 Ticket = $8.00
auditorium: 7
seat: 4th row, 5th seat

synopsis: Under the tutelage of a great sorcerer, Balthazar Blake ( Nicolas Cage ), a reluctant protege, Dave Stutler ( Jay Baruchel ), acquires the magical skills of the long-sought Prime Millennian, as prophesied by Merlin ( James Stephens ), to vanquish an evil foe once and for all.

noteworthy scenes: 1.) Britain, 740 A.D.; 2.) Grimhold; 3.) New York, 2000 A.D.; 4.) King Kong drawing; 5.) Note; 6.) Ring; 7.) Nesting doll; 8.) Pants; 9.) Grey wolf; 10.) Arcana Cabana kid; 11.) Braveheart; 12.) Tesla coils; 13.) Couple's home; 14.) Wolf pack; 15.) Puppies; 16.) "You should duck"; 17.) Car; 18.) Chinatown; 19.) Dragon; 20.) "Clear your mind"; 21.) Cops; 22.) Subway turnaround; 23.) Incantus, pocket edition; 24.) Merlin's Circle; 25.) Plasma ball; 26.) Drake Stone ( Toby Kebbell ); 27.) Uncle; 28.) Hiding place; 29.) "Enjoy the show"; 30.) Men's room; 31.) "... not the 'droids you're looking for"; 32.) Mops; 33.) Roof top; 34.) Yellow cabs; 35.) Reverse world; 36.) Distraction; 37.) Love triangle; 38.) Parasite spell; 39.) Special request; 40.) Knuckle bump; 41.) Persian quick rug; 42.) No choice; 43.) The truth; 44.) Better conductor; 45.) The gift; 46.) Morgana ( Alice Krige ); 47.) "Don't die and I'll tell you"; 48.) New jewelry; 49.) Old lady; 50.) The charging bull; 51.) The Rising; 52.) "What you did for me"; 53.) "It is you"; 54.) Electric cables; 55.) Science; 56.) CPR; 57.) "Breakfast in France"; and 58.) Bonus scene after the Ending Credits.

audience reaction: The audience liked this Fantasy/Action movie.

recommendation: I liked this movie, too. It's entertaining enough for the "summer action movie" crowd.

spoiler alert! In the Chinatown scene, a Chinese man sitting on a porch with two others was smiling for the camera when he should have been acting afraid, in grief, or consoling the lady beside him. How can Dave afford to pay the rent and the utilities on his science project? Balthazar said that there are no shortcuts to learning real magic, but ... wasn't he giving Dave a crash course in the magical arts all along? A Ford Pinto--are you kidding me? They were lucky that it didn't burst into flames when it was pushed back against another car--a reverse rear-end ( You have to know the history of the Ford Pinto to know what I'm talking about here. ). The setting for the bonus scene does not make sense to me at all.

fyi: In FANTASIA ( 1940 ), Mickey Mouse plays the role of The Sorcerer's Apprentice in a sequence of the same title. This movie pays homage to that animation classic. Which one do you like better, the man or the mouse?

Do you remember the four elements mentioned in the movie, THE LAST AIRBENDER? Well, THE SORCERER'S APPRENTICE is focused on showing how to harness Earth energy. Such an energy is absorbed into your body through the soles of your feet ( I forget the Chinese name for it--'has to do something with a brook ); which is why Balthazar wanted Dave to use the "pointy old-man leather shoes" because rubber-soled shoes cannot conduct the energy. In Qi Gong, a bare-footed practitioner forms this energy ball--visible through Kirlian photography--in front of his/her Solar Plexus area which is midway between the navel and the tip of the sternum, just as shown in the movie poster above. This energy ball can be physically felt; but it is put to best use during an out-of-body-experience as a deadly defense against malevolent ghosts ( 'just something I learned from a Canadian psychic and later put to good use ). Note: I said, ghosts; it doesn't work against evil spirits! So, if you're in an encounter with an evil spirit disguised in human form, you're in deep trouble if you cannot tell the difference between a ghost and a spirit--only hard-earned experience can serve as your guide in this matter.

Yes, there is an effective defense against evil spirits. But that is a subject matter best reserved for another time in a more appropriate movie blog.

If I were a god, you'd assume that I'd have millions--or billions--of fancy, super-expensive custom-made shoes that would put Imelda Marcos' personal collection to shame! But that would really not be the case at all. Look at all the classical and/or ancient images ( i.e. paintings, drawings, carvings, statues, etc. ) of angels, demons, avatars, gods and goddesses; you'd be hard-pressed to find one wearing a pair of shoes or sandals! It is for the same reason as mentioned in a previous paragraph: They go bare-footed to best absorb Earth's energy since such entities "feed off" on energy.

And speaking of the soles of one's feet .... There is an ancient exercise developed by Tibetan monks that can open-up the energy receptor at the bottom of each foot. The area is about the size of a silver dollar coin and is situated partway between the rear edge of the heel and the tip of the long toe. You can tell when you've opened-up these receptors: The area on each foot will feel almost ice-cold for about a month and a half. What happens after you've opened-up these receptors? Well, for one thing, you'll acquire more energy than you know what to do with--even someone badly enervated by liver disease will get such an energy boost that even sleeping for five hours each day would be too much sleep-time for such a person!

Supposedly, a ghost tends to physically solidify in an area with an high electro-magnetic field. This is probably were the scriptwriter got the idea to have Dave use electricity on Morgana.

word of advice: Patience is a Virtue.

tidbits: Just to "kill two birds with one stone," I decided to see this movie after watching the 3-D showing of DESPICABLE ME.

I think Nicolas Cage, or somebody working for him, has been reading my blogs. Do you remember how I made the comment in an earlier blog that Nicolas Cage looks much better with a mustache or a beard? Well, he has a mustache in KICK-ASS and he has a beard in this movie and in an up-coming movie, as well. If this is true, well, then ... Hey, Nick! please cast me in one of your future movies--a speaking part, of course--and I promise to heap praises on it in my blog. Have your secretary get in touch with my Blogspot's accounts manager so they can set-up a meeting for us. THANK YOU, Thank You and thank you ....

PREDATORS, R ( 1 hr & 47 min )

where: CENTURY 14 VALLEJO in Vallejo, CA
when: Monday, July 12th, 2010
show: 11:45 a.m. ( Dollar-Off First Show Matinee )
costs: $6.25 Ticket + $4.00 small Diet/Zero ( w/ Barq's & Cherry flavors ) Coke + $1.00 1.5 oz. CVS Cashew Halves and Pieces ( bought at CVS Drugstore before my vacation, and smuggled-in ) + $0.00 home-made Cookie ( my sister in Michigan gave to me before my return flight home ) = $11.25
auditorium: 2
seat: 5th row, 5th seat

synopsis: A group of military types and criminals is transported to an alien game preserve where they are hunted down one-by-one. They set their differences aside and band together to fight their common enemy.

noteworthy scenes: 1.) Free-falling; 2.) Assorted parachutists; 3.) Light before falling; 4.) Shoes; 5.) Doctor; 6.) Awesome ass; 7.) Trophy monument; 8.) Poisonous plant; 9.) Makeshift compass; 10.) Alien drop zone; 11.) Trap; 12.) Sky; 13.) Predator hounds; 14.) "Dog whistle"; 15.) Hunted; 16.) Bait; 17.) Predator hound tracks; 18.) Predator base camp; 19.) Shoot-out; 20.) Set-up; 21.) 5 o'clock time; 22.) Useful doc; 23.) "I missed"; 24.) "I'm alive"; 25.) Hide-out; 26.) "I talk too much"; 27.) "Enemy of my enemy ..."; 28.) Flares; 29.) Grenades; 30.) Sword fight; 31.) Maim; 32.) Alliance; 33.) Net; 34.) Space ship; 35.) Predator versus predator; 36.) Paralysis; 37.) Self-destruct; 38.) Booby trap; 39.) Ring of fire; 40.) Hack job; and 41.) Realization.

audience reaction: I guess the audience liked it--probably die-hard fans of this franchise.

recommendation: I wasn't impressed by it at all. This movie is so-so ....

spoiler alert! First off, this movie was conceptualized as a sequel to the original PREDATOR ( 1987 ); as such, the writers should have known beforehand that the predators needed a breathing apparatus to hunt human prey on Earth. Conversely, no human should have been able to freely inhale the air on the predators' home planet! Nikolai ( Oleg Taktarov ) had the drop on the other two yet, even with his machine gun firing hundreds of rounds per minute, he didn't hit either one. Speaking of which, all of them should have spent more time on the shooting range because none of them seem to be able to hit anything smaller than the side of a barn! ( What a waste of tax-payer paid bullets. ) Without a means to stabilize them in flight, the wooden stakes would never penetrate the ground as shown. Based on what I know about Biology, certain species of a planet's animal kingdom exhibit analogous/homologous anatomical characteristics, e.g. the internal organs of humans and dogs look very similar; likewise, their blood has a characteristic red color. So, why is it that the humanoid predators have neon-colored glow-in-the-dark blood while their predator hounds have blood of the same color as our dogs' blood? One rifle shot felled a predator hound, but it took countless rounds of varying calibers to kill another--W.T.F.!?!?!? Why didn't they roast one of the predator hounds since they had not eaten anything yet? Or did they get dropped into the game preserve each with a good supply of M.R. E.s ( Meals Ready to Eat ) ? They followed the predator hounds' tracks back to their base camp. But, once they got there, no hound could be found! The predators didn't need to flush-out the humans since they've been following them all along using a spectrometric device. I guess the humans can shoot at anything and everything that moves so long as they keep their voices down so as not to attract the predators' unwanted attention--Duh! Even after a fresh swim in the river with their clothes on, they still stank to "high heaven", huh? No wonder none of the guys made a pass at Isabelle ( Alice Braga )! What was up with that creature that was essentially just a "roach motel" with legs? Why did Noland ( Laurence Fishburne ) try to smoke-out the other humans when he knew that doing such a thing would just attract the attention of the predators? Hanzo ( Louis Ozawa Changchien ) actually had the advantage over the predator, in an actual death-match. Why didn't Royce ( Adrien Brody ) help the turncoat predator kill-off the other predator? How did Edwin ( Topher Grace ) know that the plant's sap could induce temporary paralysis even though that was the first time that he'd come across such a plant--and he even gave it a scientific name! What ... was he a medical doctor, as was implied, or was he really a botanist? For someone whose leg got maimed, that guy sure could stand pretty well without leaning on his other leg. Sure, I'll give anybody a free ride back to his/her home planet--but I ain't payin' for gas ( fuel )! Have you seen the prices for fuel lately ...? They are out-of-this-world!

fyi: If you remember the preview for this movie a few months back, it had a scene that showed Royce with a bunch of red dots all over his face and torso! I guess they omitted this scene because each predator is supposed to have only three laser dots and Noland says that they only hunted in groups of three. So, someone got smart enough and omitted this particular scene. Too bad, I would have wanted to brutally and mercilessly rip on it! ( As if I'm not doing it already. )

I used to have a co-worker, Wiley, who looks like a young Adrien Brody. I told him that he should sign-up with a celebrity look-alike agency. Who knows, maybe he'll get famous this way. I just hope that he takes me up on my advice.

word of advice: Lay low and keep your mouth shut if you're being hunted down.

tidbits: I took my 2001 Hyundai Accent to a Quality Tune-Up shop for an oil change at its 75,000-mile scheduled maintenance. The mechanic said that I would need a tune-up even though the service log for my car states that all I need is an oil change, a new air filter and a set of new spark plugs--it doesn't mention anything about a tune-up. So, I just went for an oil change. I was gonna swing by Kragen's to buy the air filter and the spark plugs after the oil change, but I forgot to bring extra money with me. Then, after a quick trip home to change cars, I thought about going to Pep-Boys, first, to buy the stuff before going to the theatre to see this movie, but I was out of time. I'll just get the stuff for my Hyundai on Friday.

Today, Tuesday, after I got off work this morning, I immediately went to the Chevron gas station two buildings down from my place of work to check my tires' air pressure. The front tires were over-inflated by about nine psi each! The rear tires were at the exact psi that I had them pumped-up to about a month ago before I went on my vacation. I don't know if it was done yesterday at the oil change place, or if somebody has it in for me and wants me to have a front-tire blow-out on the free-way ( You know, as in ... get my car to flip-over ). I'm gonna have to check my tire pressure every day from now on, just in case.

I guess the cookie that I ate yesterday was still good because here I am, still up and blogging!

DESPICABLE ME, PG ( 1 hr & 35 min )

where: CENTURY 14 VALLEJO in Vallejo, CA
when: Saturday, July 10th, 2010
show: 8:30 p.m.
costs: $10.00 Ticket + $5.25 small Popcorn ( w/ Butter ) + $4.00 small Diet/Zero ( w/ Barq's & Cherry flavors ) Coke = $19.25
auditorium: 14
seat: 4th row, 7th column

2nd time:

where: EDWARDS FAIRFIELD STADIUM 16 & I-MAX in Fairfield, CA
when: Wednesday, July 14th, 2010
show: 11:45 a.m.
costs: $12.00 Ticket + $6.25 Nacho Chips w/ Cheese Dip + $4.75 small Zero Coke = $23.00
auditorium: 11, with the Real-D 3-D screen
seat: 4th row, 7th column
synopsis: A highly ambitious bad guy, Gru, has his eyes set on the moon as he plans on stealing it to become the greatest villain in the whole world. But when three orphan girls enter into his life, he discovers another side to his self that can derail his plan and change his self forever.

noteworthy scenes: 1.) Pyramid; 2.) Coffee shop; 3.) Gru's home; 4.) Minions; 5.) Girls' orphanage; 6.) Gru's mom; 7.) Lending institution; 8.) Flashback; 9.) Shrink ray; 10.) Mid-air snatch; 11.) Girls' bedroom; 12.) Vector's fortress; 13.) Light bulb moment; 14.) Adoption; 15.) Balloon; 16.) Toilet; 17.) Food/Water/Pee-pee/Poo-poo; 18.) Cookie robots; 19.) Anti-gravity serum; 20.) Store; 21.) Toy; 22.) Dance class; 23.) Infiltration; 24.) Glow stick; 25.) Shark; 26.) Light bulb moment, again; 27.) Amusement park; 28.) Cotton candies; 29.) Diagrams; 30.) Childhood disappointments; 31.) Pep talk; 32.) Rocket; 33.) Photo album; 34.) Mr. Perkin's son; 35.) "'Like Santa"; 36.) Zerox machine; 37.) Spanish dictionary; 38.) Moon; 39.) Boxes of shame; 40.) Swan Lake ticket; 41.) Launch; 42.) Mobility scooter; 43.) Dance recital; 44.) Note; 45.) Father to the rescue; 46.) Escape pod; 47.) Chase; 48.) "Nefario Principle"; 49.) "I got you!"; 50.) The Unicorn Story; 51.) Kisses; 52.) Private and exclusive dance recital; and 53.) Bonus scenes during the Ending Credits.
audience reaction: The audience, especially the little ones, enjoyed this movie, as evident in their infectious laughs. This movie got an "Hands Clapper" ending from the kids in the audience.

recommendation: I enjoyed this movie, too. This movie is aimed at little kids, much younger than the demographic that TOY STORY 3 aims for. The little ones, mostly girls, will like this movie.

spoiler alert! Because this movie is geared at little kids, I had to suspend most of my disbelief--saved for these: That bit about the troubled financial institution was way over the heads of most in the audience ( too adult a subject matter ). Also, that low, low, low tide would never happen in real life because the gravitational field of the Moon would still be the same ( the shrunken Moon would be just like a mini Black Hole ). There are other things wrong with this movie, but they are all from an adult's point-of-view; so, they don't count.

fyi: Attention, Kids .... If you shrink the Moon to a very tiny size, it would still weigh the same. So, you cannot carry it around because it would be very, very heavy. Also, the Moon is like a giant magnet that gets stronger the closer it gets to Earth. And depending on where it is in space, the Moon can get hotter than the hottest place on Earth and colder than the coldest place on Earth, too.

2nd fyi: I went to see this in 3-D mainly for the roller-coaster scene. I should have moved my body in-sync with the roller-coaster motion on-screen for a more realistic and heightened "feel". Overall, it was well-worth the extra money that I paid for admission and the extra miles that I put on my car since I didn't have to write down any notes in the dark and since I was able to enjoy every scene shown as just one of the regular everyday-kind of people in the movie audience.

word of advice: Spend some quality time with your kids.

tidbits: I will have to see this again in 3-D because the "Roller Coaster" scene is well worth the extra money.

I had plenty of time to catch the last show for the movie, PREDATORS, but I changed my mind at the last minute because I had to be at work early the following day.

THE TWILIGHT SAGA: ECLIPSE, PG-13 ( 2 hr & 4 min )

where: CENTURY 14 VALLEJO in Vallejo, CA
when: Friday, July 2nd, 2010
show: 2:00 p.m.
costs: $7.50 Ticket + $4.50 medium Diet/Zero ( w/ Barq's & Cherry flavors ) Coke + $1.00 2.25 oz. Emerald Trail Mix ( bought at CVS Drugstore & smuggled-in ) = $1.00 1.2 oz. Jack Link's All American Beef & Cheese ( bought at CVS Drugstore & smuggled-in ) = $14.00
auditorium: 2
seat: 2nd row, 8ht column

2nd time:

where: EDWARDS FAIRFIELD STADIUM 16 & I-MAX in Fairfield, CA
when: Tuesday, July 6th, 2010 ( Tuesday is "$1.00 for-a-small-popcorn day" with a movie-watcher card )
show: 10:00 a.m.
costs: $17.50 I-Max ticket + $1.00 small Popcorn + $0.00 small Zero Coke ( free coupon reward on my movie-watcher card ) + $7.99 lunch at Fresh Choice Restaurant ( CSAA discount ) ( + $1.00 Tip ) = $27.49
auditorium: 12, with the I-Max screen
seat: 6th row, 11th column

synopsis: Bella Swan ( Kristen Stewart ) is torn between her love for Edward Cullen ( Robert Pattinson ) and her very close friendship with Jacob Black ( Taylor Lautner ). But that is probably the least of her worries as an old foe, Victoria ( Bryce Dallas Howard ), has returned with her "newborn" army of the undead to exact vengeance on her and the Cullens.

noteworthy scenes: 1.) First victim; 2.) Marriage proposal; 3.) 4 o'clock on the dot; 4.) Bella's truck; 5.) School cafeteria; 6.) Tracking situations in Seattle; 7.) Two airline tickets; 8.) Quilt; 9.) Chase; 10.) Jacob; 11.) New pack member; 12.) Imprinting; 13.) Intruder; 14.) Protection detail; 15.) "I'm Switzerland"; 16.) Changing of the guard; 17.) Jacob waiting for Bella; 18.) Council meeting; 19.) Tribe's history; 20.) "Newborns"; 21.) Flesh, blood and warmth; 22.) Bad ass; 23.) Vampire bride; 24.) Feeding frenzy; 25.) Graduation; 26.) Party; 27.) Uneasy alliance; 28.) Training; 29.) Emmett's ( Kellan Lutz ) story; 30.) Victoria; 31.) Alibi; 32.) Father/daughter talk; 33.) Negotiate conditions; 34.) Mother's ring; 35.) Plan for the Cullen clan; 36.) Scent trail; 37.) "Submarine" newborns; 38.) "Hotter than you"; 39.) "Stay!"; 40.) The fight; 41.) Victoria and Riley ( Xavier Samuel ); 42.) Bella's blood; 43.) The Volturis; and 44.) Bullet-proof.

audience reaction: The audience ( I mean, the chicks ) gave this "Chick Flick" an "Hands Clapper" ending at the Century cinema. But the audience at the Edwards cinema, rather few in number, was more restrained and didn't give it an "Hands Clapper" ending.

recommendation: If you're a "Chick Flick" fan, this movie is definitely for you. I think that my eardrums got pierced from all that squealing going on around me during certain scenes of the movie at the Century cinema. I would go so far as to say that this is better than the first two installments--but not by much, as I'm about to explain.

spoiler alert! When Victoria threw Riley against the wall, that might have been enough to kill him instantly through blunt-force trauma. ( I want the medical consultant's job! ) When Edward sensed the scent of the intruder and hurried up to Bella's bedroom, it should have been cause for concern on the part of Bella's father, Charlie ( Billy Burke ), but he didn't go sticking his nose in to find out what was going on. In his confrontation with Edward, Jacob said, "I could care less what you need." Wrong! What he should have said was, "I couldn't care less ...." "I couldn't care less" is the proper term and it is the same way as saying, "I don't give a damn!" Or, in other words, it is at the rock-bottom of one's "Care Less" list and has last priority/importance. But, "I could care less" means that Jacob hadn't reached rock-bottom yet. ( I want the script-writer's job--or script-girl's [ boy, in my case ] job!) In the feeding frenzy scene, with the Volturis looking down at, the same exact scene was shown twice! ( I want the scene editor's job! ) Instead of getting "googly-eyed" and being a "cuddly-pooh", Jacob should have spent more time paying attention to the sparring matches to spare his ribs from unwanted breaks. Why did Bella stop at "Stay!"? I would have added, "Sit!" "Behave!" and "Good Dog." Why didn't Victoria smell the werewolf's scent? The werewolf got Riley by his left upper arm and shoulder but his left hand got bitten-off, instead! Why didn't Riley finish-off the werewolf? Edward couldn't have pushed down the pine tree at all, even with his super-human strength. Why? In Physics, I learned about Force and Leverage involving the use of a Lever and Fulcrum. You cannot move a lever ( the pine tree's trunk, in this example ) if you're too close to the fulcrum ( the roots, in this example ). It would have made more sense had he jumped up and hit the tree to knock Victoria down. But, since they made it so that the tree fell over, then Edward should have lost his balance and fallen down along with the tree when the roots snapped and lost their anchorage. I didn't hear any loud snapping sound, and I didn't see any exposed root at all! ( I want the sound editor's job and the camera man's job! ) In the "Oldies" versus the "Newbies" fight, I didn't notice anything special about the newborns; in fact, none of them had a chance against the Cullens. ( I want the fight choreographer's job! ) If you're gonna build a " newborn" army and stack the odds on your side, "recruit" street thugs, gang members, bikers, football players, basketball players, and soldiers on shore leave, etc. Don't pick hoboes, preppies, delicate females and "runts of the litter". ( I want the book writer's job! ) Don't tell me that the Volturis can't pick-up the scent of the werewolves! ( I want the director's job! ) In the Ending Credits, there is a typo: Assistant Location Manger: Jason Jollier. ( I want the proof reader's job, too! )

One last thought: Why do vampires choose to have a mate for eternal life? After all, they cannot procreate--if you haven't noticed it yet, the newborns in this movie are not exactly milk-sucking vampires. I say, forget mating for life and just have an all-out orgy, instead!

fyi: I got the hots for Alice Cullen ( Ashley Greene ) and Victoria ( Bryce Dallas Howard ). Either one is better-looking than Bella ( Kristen Stewart ). ( And no pimples on either one--Yes! )

I had my left arm in a sling once due to a motor scooter accident. And I can tell you this: Having an arm in a sling is the best way to get your armpit super-stinky! Ha, ha, ha.

This movie is less about "Teen Angst" and more about "Teen Acne"! If you remember my review for NEW MOON, in it I make the comment that even vampires and werewolves are not safe from teen acne. But, in this sequel, the human Bella takes the cake because even with a thick layer of "face paste" spackled on her, I could still see all of her pimples. Here's a job for Edward: Suck-out the zits off your girlfriend's pimply face! Didn't anybody tell Kristen Stewart anything about the acne medication, Proactiv ...?

word of advice: If I were Bella, I'd wait until my acne problem is over before I decide to turn into a vampire--nothing is worse in the afterlife than a forever-for-all-of-eternity acne. L.O.L.

If you're a movie director who's shooting a film in which the main characters are teenagers, don't use high resolution I-Max as all that clarity may prove too distracting in close-up shots in which the audience cannot help but count all the pimples on a character's face!

tidbits: I picked-up four hours at another store on my day off before going to the show. On my way to the theatre, I got some gas and lottery tickets at the Chevron gas station on Couch Street and Redwood Avenue. Then, I went to Bank of America on Sonoma Boulevard to make a deposit. Then I drove to the Chase Bank on Admiral Callahan Lane to make another deposit. And I thought about going to the MacDonald's Restaurant nearby for a bite to eat. But it was almost 2:00 o'clock. So I went to CVS Drugstore, instead, to buy some snacks to smuggle-in to the theatre with me.

2nd tidbits: I just found out today that no matter what time of day or night it is, the price for an I-Max show is the same, whether or not it is in 3-D.

Now that the werewolves are friends with the Cullens, they can have Dr. Carlisle Cullen ( Peter Facinelli ) hook them up with some Rabies and Distemper shots! Oh, and a "flea bath", too, while they're at it. Ha, ha, ha.

After the movie and before having lunch at Fresh Choice Restaurant, I picked-up the three copies of the book that I had ordered at Barnes & Noble. I paid $27.64 for all three. Then, after lunch, I went to The Embroidery Factory in Benicia, CA, to approve the final design on a jacket that I'm having custom-embroidered.

I wanted to finish this movie review last night, but my computer was acting-up. I called my friend, Hector, today ( Wednesday ) and asked him if either his computer or his son's, Ismael, computer was acting-up, too. He said, no. And Ismael told him to tell me to turn my computer off and start it again to reboot it. It worked! I guess this old dog can still learn new tricks!

'Just a thought: Instead of "Jacob Black", it would have been more fun had they chosen to have Jack Black, instead! The "newborn" vampires would just die laughing.

THE LAST AIRBENDER, PG ( 1 hr & 43 min )

where: CENTURY 14 VALLEJO in Vallejo, CA
when: Thursday, July 1st, 2010
show: 10:20 p.m.
costs: $6.50 Ticket + $4.00 small Diet/Zero ( w/ Cherry Flavor ) Coke + $3.07 bulk Chocolate Candies ( assorted ) = $13.57
auditorium: 14
seat: 5th row, 4th column

synopsis: An air-bending avatar, Aang ( Noah Ringer ), is awakened from his 100-year dormant slumber as the Fire Nation wages a war against the other elemental nations of Air, Water and Earth, to rid them of their benders. But Aang, with the help of the last water-bender of the Southern Water tribe, Katara ( Nicola Peltz ), learns that he has the power to control all four elements. Together, and with the help of Katara's brother, Sokka ( Jackson Rathbone ), they set out to restore balance among the nations.

noteworthy scenes: 1.) Sphere; 2.) Unwelcome visitors at the Southern Water tribe's village; 3.) Responsibility; 4.) Floating creature; 5.) Pass the tests; 6.) Glider; 7.) Suspended animation; 8.) Dragon spirit's lair; 9.) Sparring; 10.) Prisoners; 11.) Revolt; 12.) Sacred scroll; 13.) Sacrifice; 14.) Banishment; 15.) Previous incarnations; 16.) Betrayed; 17.) Rescue; 18.) Report; 19.) Sabotage; 20.) Volunteer; 21.) "Eliminate the Spirits"; 22.) "Spiritual place to meditate"; 23.) Invading ships; 24.) Ice man; 25.) Yin/Yang; 26.) "No love without sacrifice"; 27.) Refusal; 28.) Water wall; and 29.) The acceptance.

audience reaction: The audience gave it a brief "Hands Clapper" ending.

recommendation: This is okay for fans of the animated TV series or anyone who's into Martial Arts and/or Fantasy/Adventure films. The SFX are good, but the story could have been better.

spoiler alert! The Southern Water tribe lived in ice & snow country. So, based on what I learned in Physical Anthropology, all the people should have been short, stocky, big-headed and have fat deposits around their eyes ( The "Eskimo" look which is also seen in the peoples of Siberia and Greenland ) as anatomical/evolutionary adaptations to living in a place with a sub-zero temperature weather. So, what's up with the tall and skinny round-eyed white people? ( 'Must have been adopted by the tribe and made into honorary members. ) The name, Aang, is mispronounced as, "Ung". When Aang ran out of the room, he did so without his staff in hand. But, later on, he was in possession of the staff. A glider like that is not big enough to hold his weight and make him glide through the air. How did Aang's Lemur-Bat pet manage to live for so long when all the other ones of its own species supposedly became extinct? When they went up to the Northern Water tribe's princess, whose back was to the camera, her hair was fashioned into something that unmistakably resembled a beautifully circumcised P ... E ... N... I ... S--no kidding! L.O.L. You don't believe me? Well, take a closer look for yourself--just don't get poked in the eye doing so. Ha, ha, ha. Only a spirit can eliminate another spirit. Aang asked about a spiritual place that he could go to to meditate. But I'm sure that the dungeon where he was kept hanging in shackles by his wrists was no spiritual place, yet he was able to meditate and communicate with the dragon spirit with no problem whatsoever. All those water-benders gathered around to watch the invading ships approach, but it never occurred to them to pool their ability together and send the ships to a watery grave. Why were the Fire Nation's warships outfitted with flame-throwing cannons for, when there were a bunch of fire-benders on-board ship? In the time that it takes any bender to do his/her fancy hand/arm movements to load-up for a super-sized elemental shot, he/she could have already been shot half-a-dozen times with arrows by a lone archer ( mind you ). The bow and arrow is a weapon that is suspiciously under-utilized in this movie! Gee, I wonder why .... I guess the benders don't know anything about Chemistry and Physics; otherwise, they'd know that fire cannot form in the absence of air. In other words, all an air-bender has to do to neutralize a fire-bender is to remove the air around the enemy, i.e. create a vacuum. If I were an air-bender and a fire-bender was fixing to shoot a flame at me, I'd simply turn around, drop my pants and "break wind" to torch the poor, hapless S.O.B. into a crispy well-doneness--now that's turning the tables on someone! Ha, ha, ha.

fyi: If you remember the preview for this movie about a year ago, you'll notice that a scene was omitted: It's the one wherein a bunch of ships are catapulting flaming projectiles at a temple on top of a cliff. I was hoping that they'd have this scene in the movie 'cause I was itching to point out the implausibility of such an assault ( the physics is all wrong about the angle, distance and the trajectory of the catapulted projectiles ). Hey, Director M. Night Shyamalan, hire my services as a consultant next time!

At least M. Night Shyamalan got one thing right, the order in which an adept learns to manipulate the elements: First is Wind, then Water, then Earth and, lastly, Fire. This is even alluded to in its proper order in the New Testament Gospels: In the storm, Jesus Christ rebuked, first, the Winds and then the sea. He walked on Water. He showed power over the Earthen grave/tomb. And He gave the gift of the Holy Spirit through the Pentecostal Fire.

You don't need to know Tai Chi and do all sorts of fancy hand/arm movements to "bend" air. If you have read my blog for THE KARATE KID, you'll recall that, in my tidbits section, my entry for Monday implies that I can manipulate the wind. I used to do it a number of times, whenever a strong wind would blow through the neighborhood, back when I was about 11 years of age and living in G.S.I.S. Heights, Matina, Davao City, Mindanao, Philippines. The ability to stop a strong wind from blowing and then letting it blow from the opposite direction is one that I discovered quite by accident. It was all just child's play for me, literally and figuratively speaking. Interestingly enough, I discovered this ability at around the approximate time that I taught myself a style of Tai Chi by Bruce Tegner. So, is there a connection ...? I don't know. And after many years of no practice, just out of curiosity, I tried manipulating the wind again, surreptitiously, about two months ago at a park across the street from my yogi's house in Union City, CA; and I was able to do it successfully without the knowledge of the other people in the park. I wonder if my yogi psychically picked-up on it.

word of advice: Don't upset the balance/order of things.

tidbits: I was out all day. I swung by my workplace at around 9:30 p.m. to pick-up my paycheck. There was a police roadblock nearby. So I had to make a detour. Later, I arrived at the theatre with plenty of time to spare.

If you had noticed what I paid for the ticket, you would have known that I got a good discount on the price--but that was only because the box office ticket seller rung-up my purchase wrong: He entered it using a senior's discount. I don't know whether to be happy that I got a cheaper-priced movie ticket or feel offended that he would mistake me for an old fart!

GROWN UPS

Quickie review: The death of their beloved former basketball coach reunites a group of men after thirty years to reminisce, re-bond and catch up on things.

The audience enjoyed this Comedy film. I enjoyed it, too.

Here are the things that I found wrong about this movie: Thirty long damn years without keeping in touch, not even so much as a yearly Christmas card--or 'phone calls, or e-mails, even ...? How come there were no relatives of the deceased when it came time to spread the coach's ashes around? The two scenes with the "Arrow Roulette" didn't make sense if you observe the angle from which each arrow was shot: In the first scene, I would just have hidden behind a tree; and in the second scene, I would just have stood behind the spot where the shooter fired the arrow. And I can't wait to read about "Arrow Roulette" copy-cats in the news. ( Oh, boy .... ) Hey, I didn't know birds like to drink breast milk. An hot MILF like that whose solution to everything is breast milk ... my kind of woman! Ha, ha, ha. The thing with the ski boat was hard to believe.

KNIGHT AND DAY

Quickie review: A woman bumps into a super spy at the airport and is mistaken for his accomplice. She is forced to flee with him as he protects a new energy source from falling into the wrong hands.

The audience liked it. I liked this summer Action flick, too.

This movie is somewhat like the movie, KILLERS, which came out about a month ago. If I am to choose between the two, I like KILLERS a little better--but just a wee bit!

JONAH HEX

Quickie review: Not wanting to commit the war atrocities that his fellow soldiers, including his best friend, are committing, a Confederate soldier, Jonah Hex, "betrays" his own men to the Union army. His best friend's father exacts vengeance on Jonah, himself, and his young family. Having survived death, Jonah returns with some supernatural abilities and becomes the most-feared bounty hunter in the land. When he receives news that his old foe is still alive and terrorizing people while at the same time amassing weapons of mass destruction, he vows to avenge his family.

The audience seemed to enjoy it. It was good enough for me as a Western/Gunslinger film.

Here are the things that I found wrong about this movie: Those Gatling guns firing in close proximity to the horse's ears should have rendered it deaf, but it could still hear Jonah whistling at it. Back in those days when women were relegated to menial tasks and housekeeping, the pretty ones were married off to rich men quite easily while the homely-looking ones ended up working in low-paying jobs or became brothel wenches. So how did someone hot like Lila end up working in a whorehouse, and why wasn't there a long line of "Johns" outside of her bedroom door? And since this was before "safe sex" was practiced, an hot girl like her would have been quite an "hotbed" ( pun intended ) for all sorts of sexually-transmitted diseases ( STDs ). And what's up with the acid-drooling "Snake Man"? Despite its title, this movie is all about Lila. Think about it, which face would you rather be looking at? 'Nough said!