TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON 3-D, PG-13 ( 2 hr & 37 )

where:  CENTURY 14 VALLEJO in Vallejo, CA
when:  Tuesday, June 28th, 2011
show:  10:00 p.m.
costs:  $13.75 Ticket + $1.00 3.1 oz Mint Chocolate Chip Cooke Dough Bites ( bought at 99 Cent Only Store & smuggled-in ) + $3.24 Value Meal ( $2.99 Cheeseburger & junior Minute Maid Strawberry Passion/Light Lemonade ) @ the nearby McDonald's Restaurant before the show = $17.99
auditorium: 2, with the 3-D screen
seat:  4th row, 7th column

2nd time

where:  EDWARDS FAIRFIELD STADIUM 16 &  I-MAX in Fairfield, CA
when:  Thursday, June 30th, 2011
show:  7:00 p.m.
costs:  $17.50 Ticket + $1.00 medium Popcorn ( dollar upgrade from free small popcorn on my movie rewards card ) + $4.75 small Zero Coke = $23.25
auditorium:  12, with the I-Max screen
seat:  6th row, 8ht column 

synopsis/overview:  The event which  triggered the space race between the United States and Russia comes into the open when the Autobots discover a Cybertronian artifact in Chernobyl.  But when the Autobots go on a  retrieve-and-salvage mission  some humans, in whom they trusted,  betray them to the Decepticons.  What follows is a climactic battle between the Autobots and the Decepticons that will decide the fate of  both the planet Earth and Cybertron.

noteworthy scenes:  1.) Final hope; 2.) "Impact detected"; 3.) "We have lift-off"; 4.) "Dark on the rock"; 5.) "We're not alone"; 6.) Boytoy; 7.) Presidential award; 8.) Political refugees; 9.) Datsun; 10.) Secret teams; 11.) Chernobyl; 12.) Engine part; 13.) Asian "Col. Sanders"; 14.) Republicans; 15.) Red cup; 16.) "You lied to us"; 17.) "Sworn to secrecy"; 18.) "Nicknames, that's fun"; 19.) "Are you threatened by him"; 20.) The ark; 21.) The bait; 22.) "Eliminate loose ends"; 23.) "Hoochie mama outfit"; 24.) "I'm next"; 25.) $200,000 Mercedes Benz; 26.) Elevator; 27.) Deep Wang ( Ken Jeong ); 28.) Infiltration; 29.) Decepticons; 30.) "That's my car"; 31.) "Prototype Autobot technology"; 32.) Space bridge; 33.) Guns; 34.) Messengers; 35.) "50-year old secret"; 36.) India; 37.) "Here's your foot"; 38.) "That means, 'Goodbye'"; 39.) "Dutch ( Alan Tudyk ), you suck"; 40.) "I'm so sorry.  That's the old me"; 41.) Strange rocks; 42.) Set-up; 43.) Mexican stand-off; 44.) "A deal had to be made"; 45.) "I am a Prime, I don't take orders from you"; 46.) Family meeting; 47.) Lincoln Memorial; 48.) Attack; 49.) "You're lucky I didn't kill you.  In time, you'll see"; 50.) Clients; 51.) "Nasty little bite"; 52.) Ultimatum; 53.) "Nothing.  What are you doing"; 54.) Old acquaintances; 55.) "There is no plan"; 56.) Strike; 57.) Trump tower; 58.) "That asshole killed my friends, too"; 59.) "I inherited a client"; 60.) Sealed city; 61.) "That kid is an alien-bad-news magnet"; 62.) "We kill them all"; 63.) Ground zero; 64.) Diversion; 65.) Collapsing building; 66.) "Launch the pillars"; 67.) Bomb; 68.) Captured Autobots; 69.) Trophies; 70.) Sabotage; 71.) Freedom is everyone's right"; 72.) "Sentinel's bitch"; 73.) "You betrayed yourself"; 74.) "I love this car"; and 75.) "Arrest him!"

favorite scene:  I liked the Deep Wang scene.

audience reaction:  The audience liked it.  But nobody gave it a "Hands Clapper" ending.

2nd audience reaction:  The audience liked it.  And somebody in the audience--a little girl in particular--gave it a "Hands Clapper" ending at the end of  the Ending Credits.

recommendation:  I liked it, too.  The 3-D effect is great on this one.  I will have to see this again in I-Max 3-D to see if  the SFX is visually better.  Go see this if you're a fan of the franchise or if you have time to kill.

spoiler alert!  Somebody forgot to change the start date on the movie poster.

Okay, so that Autobot, Sentinel Prime, has eyes with circular saw-like gears in them.  What for?  I guess Sentinel Prime heard that humans like to stick planks of wood in each other's eyes ( New Testament of the Bible, Matthew 7:5 )!  Why did the Decepticon who attack Wang have "saliva"?  Why did a Decepticon lick the Lincoln statue's face?  An Autobot with a beard  was bad enough, but did they have to have an Autobot with Male Pattern Baldness , too?  Come on!  That rocket ship would have only enough fuel to send the autobots on an intra-Solar journey.  They wouldn't want to go to Venus because that would just fry their circuitries.  So, their only preferable place of exile would be planet Mars.  But you don't send a rocket ship with limited fuel into space anytime you want to:  You have to wait for its intended destination to be as orbitically close to Earth as is possible.  One of  Sgt. Epps's ( Tyrese Gibson ) friends had a radio communications earpiece on even though the rest of the gang didn't have any !  Who the f--k was big, dumb guy communicating with?  And, as if  on cue, all the other guys put on their earpieces one by one BUT  ... they never were farther away from each other than just an earshot!  So, they didn't even need to have communications earpieces on in the first place.  Wait a minute, didn't the Decepticons jam  all the satellites?  So, why did they still have GPS ( Global Positioning Satellite )?  Even if  the people had to evacuate Chicago on foot, they could have made it out overnight, you'd think.  Those people in the financial building were in business attire even though Chicago came under Decepticon attack the night before!  Do you really expect me to believe  that those idiots still went to work after  their city came under attack ( I've heard of  workaholics, but this is ridiculous! )?  So, the Autobots and the Decepticons turn themselves from "battle-scarred" robots into brand-spanking new vehicles with nary a scratch on any one of  them!  Does that make any sense to you at all?  Why didn't the Decepticons figure-out the Autobots' Achilles Heel : Rubber Tires?  Without rubber tires, them Autobots ain't be goin' nowhere fast!  Ha, ha, ha.  Why can't the Autobots and the Decepticons, mechanical that they are,  shoot at their targets with  precision?  What happened to Mudflap and Skids?  Not that I really care about them.  And speaking of  missing in action, what about the sexy "female" Autobots from the second sequel?  Hey, maybe, they went on a shopping trip or it was that  time of  the month for them.  L.O.L.  They jumped out of  the building easily through glass windows; but they landed on glass windows that didn't break at all!  How stupid is that?    Having a "damsel in distress" looking very fashionable with make-up on and with styled hair  and wearing  a white  jacket while trying to stay alive in a raging battle is plain stupid and ridiculous, especially when she comes out of  it looking none the worse for her traumatic experience!  Sam ( Shia LaBeouf ) was lying on his back when he caught  Carly's ( Rosie Huntington-Whitely ) arm as she was falling--simple Physics dictates that he would have fallen down with her, too!  Of all the things that it could have chosen to drape itself with, Megatron opted instead for burlap!?!?!?  Why did Starscream go "Ouchie" when Sam shot it in the eye, since it was mechanical?  So, Carly is just standing there looking like the glamorous dumb-blonde that she is all the while explosions are happening in the background--what about  the blastwaves and the shrapnels?  Duh ....  When Cybertron appeared above daytime  Chicago, it should have caused an eclipse with its antipodal locus ( darkest spot in this sense ) somewhere off the coast of  Perth, Australia!  This event would be called, for lack of a better term, a Cybertronian Eclipse, such that in which both the planet Earth and the Moon would be plunged into  total darkness!  And with the Sun's rays effectively blocked-out, Chicago would also experience a  decrease in temperature, turning it into what it's famous for: Windy City.  Cybertron appeared to be at least three times the size of  planet Earth.  Well, what that tells me is that an equal amount of  Cybertron's gravitational pull will cancel out Earth's gravitational pull ( "Equal but opposite Forces cancel each other out," a Law of Physics  ) and send anything unsecured to the ground falling UP ( balloons not included! ) to Cybertron--including humans, who'd be dead before they got there!  As for the rest of  Cybertron's gravitational pull, it will pull planet Earth and the Moon out of their respective orbits and send them spiraling down to either of  the two inner planets or to the Sun, sorry to say.

Once again, Hollywood spent millions to make  a blockbuster movie with big logic gaps in it!  Too bad that they didn't hire my services as Cine-Man.  With me acting as their on-set technical advisor or script consultant, they would have made a movie that is not an insult to people's intelligence !

fyi:  I remember well that day when we sent Astronauts to the Moon.  My family was still living in that apartment complex in Matina, Davao City, Mindanao, Philippines. I, Butcha ( my nickname ), was playing with Butchoy and some other neighborhood friends when we heard  that the historic event was about to be televised.  My family didn't have a television back then.  So, Butchoy and I, and some of our friends, ran the two blocks to another apartment complex where another friend, Butchi, lived, since his family had a black and white TV set in the living room.  We stayed to watch it until  early evening when the program ended.  And it was THE major event  for weeks on end after that.  We even had to memorize the Astronauts' names ( Buzz Aldrin, Neil Armstrong and what's-his-name ) in school;  and we had to learn and quote the famous line: "That's one small step for Man; one giant leap for Mankind."

Neil Armstrong flubbed his scripted line.  He was meant to say, "That's one small step for a  man; one giant leap for Mankind."

Supposedly, the Astronauts--and by extension, the Cosmonauts--each carry a poison pill with them for just in case they get hopelessly stranded in outer space.  Heck, I'd ask for a quicker "exit" than that if  I were one of  them!

All of  the lunar landings happened during Nixon's term in office. Go, Nixon!  Oh, wait.  He's dead already ....

Rosie Huntington-Whiteley is plain-looking.  And she has a funny-looking "bee-stung" upper lip.

This movie is what happens when somebody like Megan Fox bad-mouths the director!

word of  advice:  Don't bite the hand that feeds you.

If you cannot beat them, join them.

Side with the winning team.

tidbits:  I went to see this after work.  I bought a ticket for the 10:00 p.m. show earlier in the day, before leaving for work.  I had a choice between this show and the earlier 9:00 p.m. show.  But, I reasoned that I might have to work a bit of an overtime, and I wanted to do a little shopping first at the Dollar Tree Store and getting a bite to eat before the movie.  So, I chose the latter showtime.

I bought a pack of  Trail Mix  and a can of  German Potato Salad at the Dollar Tree Store.  I only had German Potato Salad twice before: When my Home-Economics  class,  in my senior year of  high school, made it and when I made it myself  at home sometime later.  This can of  potato salad has an oven-bake recipe which calls for the use of  Bratwurst, barbecue sauce and a sprinkling of  sugar.  I'm curious about this recipe  and  I will make it this Friday, the 1st of  July.

2nd tidbits:  Watching this for the second time, I really thought that I could just sit back, relax and "popcorn" the movie like everyone else in the auditorium.  But, I had to transform myself  into "Cine-Man mode" to take more notes to add to my blog.

I went to the Fairfield, CA, Wal-Mart to see a former co-worker of  mine after  watching the movie.  But he wasn't there; and none of  the guys on the night shift knew of  him.  I guess he works in the daytime.  I will have to swing by again another day.  While I was there, I decided to have dinner at the in-house MacDonald's Restaurant where I ate the # 12 combo meal.  Then, I bought  myself a gift: A Vivitar 9.1 mega-pixel digital camera and a 2GB SD card so I can take pictures of  movie theatres and such then  upload them  onto my blogs. I also bought three bananas.  But I couldn't find a 4-pack of  AAA batteries for my new camera.  I will have to buy the batteries tomorrow.

My car  was very low on gas and I didn't know of  any Chevron gas stations nearby.  And it was getting close to midnight by then.  So, instead of  taking a chance, I just went and got $4.00 worth of  gas at the nearby Valero's gas station.

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BAD TEACHER, R ( 1 hr & 32 min )

where:  CENTURY 14 VALLEJO in Vallejo, CA
when:  Saturday, June 25th, 2011
show:  5:15 p.m.
costs:  $9.75 Ticket + $1.00 1.2 oz. Jack Link's All-American Beef  & Cheese ( bought at the nearby CVS Drugstore & smuggled-in ) + $4.00 small Diet/Zero ( w/ Barq's & Cherry flavors ) Coke + $13.74 dinner @ Empire Chinese Buffet ( + $2.26 Tip ) after the movie = $30.75
auditorium:  13
seat:  5th row, 7th column


synopsis/overview:   After being dumped by her rich fiance, a gold-digger, Elizabeth Halsey ( Cameron Diaz )  goes back to her profession as a teacher at John Adams Middle School ( JAMS ).  Then, a  new--and very rich--colleague, Scott Delacorte ( Justin Timberlake ),  gets her scheming once more, only to put her at odds with the school's well-liked teacher, Amy Squirrel ( Lucy Punch ),  who may have an "easy-life"  scheme of  her own, too.


noteworthy scenes:  1.) "Almost $40.00"; 2.) His and hers; 3.) "No more opera"; 4.) Back to school; 5.)  "Paranoid condom users"; 6.) "This was fun, huh"; 7.) Crazy ride; 8.) Cookies; 9.) "I don't eat muff pie"; 10.) New substitute teacher; 11.) "Big heart"; 12.) "Take 'em for a spin"; 13.) "Wanna get wasted"; 14.) Dolphins; 15.) Car wash; 16.) Faculty men's toilet; 17.) Pro-Choice; 18.) Parents/teacher meeting; 19.) New tits fund; 20.) Favorite book; 21.) "Salary plus tips"; 22.) Winter dance; 23.) Gym; 24.) Seriously; 25.) X-O, X-O; 26.) New Year Count-Down; 27.) Fun underwear; 28.) Bonus; 29.) To Kill A Mockingbird; 30.) "Twilight"; 31.) Medicinal; 32.) Grading papers; 33.) "I don't mean you"; 34.) Standardized test; 35.) "What turns me on"; 36.) Metal desk; 37.) "Annie's wig"; 38.) Bonus award; 39.) Mr. Apple; 40.) "What's wrong with your face"; 41.) Copy of  the State test; 42.) "Who knows what else she's capable of"; 43.) "Your jeans feel so good against my jeans"; 44.) "Even your forehead is sexy"; 45.) Message; 46.) Honest Abe; 47.) "I never have, and I never will"; 48.) Gift; 49.) "I'm going through such a tough time"; 50.) Confrontation; 51.) "Tell me my mission again"; 52.) Invelope; 53.) Statement; 54.) Drug-sniffing dog; 55.) Transfer; 56.) "Hold my ball sack"; 57.) "Let's do that again"; and 58.) Guidance Counselor.


favorite scenes:  I liked the Distracted Cop scene.

I liked the Faculty Men's Toilet scene.

and I liked the "Dry Sex" scene.


audience reaction:  The audience really liked this movie.  But nobody gave it a "Hands Clapper" ending.


recommendation:  I liked this movie, too.  Go see it.


spoiler alert!  Elizabeth  is not the kind of  Bad  teacher you hear or read about in the news these days--you know, the "sexual" kind.  Yeah, so--of course--it was a bit of  a disappointment in that sense.  I think teachers who cuss and swear in the presence of  their students get fired--so much for "Free Speech"!  What "Free Speech"?  Ha, ha, ha.  Those breasts looked real.  Do they really have the faculty use "medical/medicinal  marijuana" on campus in today's schools?  Doesn't repeatedly hitting a kid in the face with a ball constitute child abuse?  When did Elizabeth find the time to make a "false bottom" for her desk since she didn't go  to school early and she didn't like staying in school after class?  A drug test would have easily cleared the accuse of any wrongdoing.


fyi:  What did I do in 7th grade?  Hmm ... let's see--Ooh!  I know: Nothing.  There's no such thing as middle school in the Philippines--at least, not when I was going to school there.  Kids just go from Grade 6 to First Year ( Freshman ) high school.

This girl I know from work once left me her Warner's front-opening "The Naked Truth" sheer bra, size 34b, as a souvenir.  I keep it nice and safe in a Ziploc bag, for old time's sake.  Which reminds me, I gotta go pull it out of my dresser drawer and once again enjoy it's faintly-perceptible-by-now "essence".  Ahem!

Don't bother Googling "sheer bra" on the Internet:  All the models have flesh-tone pasties on!  Which kinda sucks because there's all kinds of  porn on the Internet BUT LINGERIE MODELS HAVE TO HAVE PASTIES ON!  Bummer ....   I fail to see the logic in it at all.  But if  you still want to know what a sheer bra looks like, "borrow" your mom's, sister's, girlfriend's, or neighbor's nylon stockings and stretch it across your bare chest to get that "Nipple Effect" going!

I'm not a fan of  big breasts.  Give me a beautiful slender girl with small to medium size firm  breasts and I'm a very happy guy!  Woo-hoo!  Just imagine me as Tom Cruise jumping up and down on Oprah's couch and you get the "picture".

And before I forget, I like small areolae.  And I don't like "Marshmallow Puff" nipples.  But I don't mind inverted nipples at all.

I was with an ex-Playboy Bunny one time.  And she had fake breasts.  When she mashed her left breast against  my face, it didn't feel real at all.  It  felt like the way a bag of  Blue Ice feels when you handle it.  Yeah, it was a big "turn-off" for me ( I'm not impotent!  Remember ...? ).

I had this classmate in my CLEP ( college level English preparatory ) class who needed more time to finish doing his essay.  So, to curry a favor, he came to class with a Red Delicious Apple for the teacher.  It ... was ... the ... BIGGEST ... apple ... that ... I've ... ever ... seen ... in ... my ... whole ... life!  Ever!!!   It was almost the size of  a cantaloupe.  I don't know what the Guinness Book Of World Record is for an apple, but that thing was super-humongously huge!

This movie reminded me of  a CANDID CAMERA episode.  In this particular episode, a small-breasted daughter who hadn't seen her parents for quite a while decided to play a practical joke on them.  She arranged for the prank to be set-up at some restaurant.  So, her parents were seated at their table waiting for their daughter to show up.  When she finally walked-in with  "generously-enhanced" breasts, the look of  shock/surprise on her parents faces made me laugh hysterically--it was a classic!



word of  advice:  Teachers should set a good example for their students by behaving professionally.


tidbits:  Okay, so ... again, somebody ( a customer ) at work today greeted me by saying, "Hello, handsome."  What's up with these people ( both male and female ), anyway?  I don't think they use the same mirror that I use.  I mean, come on, I look like a Filipino version of  the Hollywood actor Esai Morales.  ( Who?  Yeah, exactly .... )  No offense to him, but I honestly don't find him attractive at all.  Besides, he never was voted as the world's sexiest man--ever!  What does that tell you?   But, maybe when I make it to Hollywood with my hunkier bod, things will change.    I had better stop pigging-out at buffets and get back to doing my fitness routine just to get ready for my publicity/celebrity photo shoot as Cine-Man.

And speaking of  buffets ....

The waitress who waited on me at the Chinese buffet had a pack of  ramen noodles at  her station's work counter.  I think that having something like that out in the open for  the dining patrons to see is bad for business.

Anyway ....   The family seated at the next table had fun with the father's fortune cookie.  He told his family that he and his friends used to get a kick out of  reading their  cookies' fortune then adding, "In bed," at the end of  it.  So, he read his fortune:  "Nothing is more precious than having good friends."  And he immediately added, "In bed."  The whole family laughed.

"Between the sheets," is what I learned from a co-worker.  They're both interchangeable, pretty much.  And my cookie's fortune read, "Let reality be reality"--"between the sheets" ( or, "in bed" ).  In other words, if my "one night stand" turns out to be less than what I expected, I shall not complain because there's no telling when I'll get lucky again.  Ha, ha, ha.

Come to think of  it, "In bed" and/or  "Between the sheets," will also work on my word of  advice.  To wit:  Teachers should set a good example for their students by behaving "professionally"  "in bed" and/or "between the sheets."  Bad teacher, bad ....


Special  Announcement:  I would like to take this time to say, Thank You and Welcome, to my readers in ...


Morocco


Thank you, once again.  Please keep on reading my weekly updates.  And don't forget to tell your friends, and everyone else who you know, about my movie blogsite.

CARS 2: AN I-MAX EXPERIENCE, G ( 1 hr & 53 min )

where:  AMC BAY STREET 16 in Emeryville, CA
when:  Friday, June 24th, 2011
show:  10:00 a.m.
costs:  $12.00 Ticket + $8.00 Light Snacker ( small drink & junior popcorn ) + $1.50 Parking Garage Fee + $5.00 Carquinez Bridge Toll = $26.50
auditorium:  8, with the I-Max screen
seat:  3rd row, 8ht seat

synopsis/overview:  Lightning McQueen races in the first-ever World Grand Prix.  While Tom Mater, in a case of  mistaken identity,  gets involved in an international espionage mission to put an end to the sabotage on many fancy cars.
 

noteworthy scenes:  1.) "I'm looking for a car"; 2.) TV camera; 3.) Homecoming; 4.) Fun day; 5.) "Just me and Sally"; 6.) Mel Dorado Show; 7.)  "It's three syllables, not ten"; 8.) Japanese night life; 9.) Party; 10.) Drink; 11.) "Ciao, McQueen"; 12.) "Change of  plan"; 13.) Wasabi; 14.) Toilet; 15.) Rendezvous; 16.) Torture; 17.) "Francesco is triple speed"; 18.) "He's in the pits"; 19.) "Voice in my head"; 20.) "Tom Mater, average intelligence"; 21.) "You really want this first date, don't you"; 22.) Letter; 23.) Secret agent; 24.) "We're not here to go shopping"; 25.) Informant; 26.) "Lemons"; 27.) "It's organic"; 28.) Dents; 29.) "And there's the insult we were missing"; 30.) "Idiot tow truck"; 31.) "Embrace your inner lemons"; 32.) Racetrack pile-up; 33.) "No Allinol requirement"; 34.) Blown disguise; 35.) Embarrassing moments; 36.) "Big Ben" clock tower; 37.) "Mater would want you to race"; 38.) Back-up plan; 39.) "Go and get some more dents"; 40.) "Reverse the polarity"; 41.) Bomb; 42.) Out of  range; 43.) Voice activated; 44.) "Have a nice day"; 45.) Introduction; 46.) "I'm Mater's girlfriend"; 47.) "Once big oil, always big oil"; 48.) "Ka-Ciao, Francesco"; 49.) "Actually, there is one thing"; and 50.) Postcards during the Ending Credits.

audience reaction:  The audience liked this movie but nobody gave it a "Hands Clapper" ending.

recommendation:  This is a good kid's movie.  But it's not as good as any of  the other Pixar movies.  In fact, the TOY STORY:  HAWAIIAN VACATION short film that was shown before this movie is more enjoyable to watch.  Take your little brats to see this movie but get there early enough to catch the Toy Story short film.

spoiler alert! Doc. Hudson ( the late Paul Newman's character ) just disappeared without any kind of  explanation at all, at least I didn't hear  any to the effect.  When he was talking to some Italian car in a street scene about friendship, Lightning McQueen's wheels' center-caps didn't turn around when he moved.

fyi:  I wanted to have an AMC Pacer back when I was in high school.  I simply liked the way it looked, like a  giant fat toad!   But my classmates didn't see it that way; they thought that it looked more like an  UFO on wheels.

My other I-wish-I-had car was the Yugo.  I liked how its "back-up" lights were so big, almost as big as headlights.  I wanted to buy a Yugo and drive it in reverse at night as fast as I could safely make it go just to see how well the back-up lights work in the dark!  And I wanted to get this personalized license plate for my Yugo: "WHEN I GO".  But it was never meant to be.

word of  advice:    If  life hands you a "lemon", make lemonade.

tidbits:  I went to my dentist first thing this morning before seeing this movie.  My dentist said,  "You've been my patient for 14 years.  When you first came here, I thought that you would lose half of  your teeth.  You're doing good but with your age and your ( gum ) disease, what you were doing ( for your teeth ) five years ago won't be good enough anymore.  You have to step it up ( my oral hygiene care )."

I told him that since my teeth are not sensitive anymore, I am thinking of having my teeth whitened.  I want that dazzling smile when I become a Hollywood celebrity as a movie blogger.  ( You'll never know .... )

I decided to see this movie in Emeryville, CA, because the Pixar Animation Studios is less than a mile away from this AMC Theatre.  And I drove by Pixar on my way to the Rockridge Shopping Center Safeway Grocery Store in Oakland, CA, to buy some french bread to take to Hector's place.  There were many cars entering into the Pixar compound.  I think that there was a guided tour going on.  And I wanted to stop and find out what it was all about, but I couldn't find a curbside parking spot.  Darn it!

At Hector's place, I used Meguiar's Headlight Restoration Kit, the $21.95 kit, to polish-up and renew my Hyundai Accent's plastic headlight lens.  But IT'S CHEAP STUFF THAT DOESN'T WORK AT ALL!!!  Don't buy it!

After working on my car's headlights, I went  into the kitchen to see if  the boneless pork shoulder that I brought had thawed out enough so that I could rotisserie it.  But  I found out that it was still pretty much frozen solid.  And, to think,  I took it out of  my freezer at 7:45 a.m. today.  Well, that's twice in a row that I couldn't rotisserie a pork shoulder.  Last week, I couldn't rotisserie Hector's pork shoulder because it had bone in it.  I told Hector to rotisserie my  pork shoulder tomorrow because it should be thawed out  by then.  And, just like last week, I again made spaghetti for everyone today.  It was either that or they could just all starve overnight--they  know   better than to argue with the cook!
  
Special  Announcement:  I would like to take this time to say, Thank You and Welcome, to my readers in these countries:

Dominica and Ecuador

Thank you, once again.  Please keep on reading my weekly updates.  And don't forget to tell your friends, and everyone else who you know, about my movie blogsite.

MR. POPPER'S PENGUINS, PG ( 1 hr & 35 min )

where:  CENTURY 14 VALLEJO in Vallejo, CA
when:  Thursday, June 23rd, 2011
show:  7:10 p.m.
costs:  $9.75 Ticket + $4.50 Pretzel Bites + $4.00 small Diet/Zero ( w/ Barq's &  Cherry flavors ) Coke = $18.25
auditorium:  13
seat:  5th row, 7th column

synopsis/overview:  "Major poopers" Penguins! 

An estranged  man, Mr. Popper ( Jim Carrey ),  inherits six penguins from his long-lost dad.  Before long, his business life takes a backseat to his role as surrogate father to his Antarctic brood with help from his wife and children.  Scatological humor ensues.

noteworthy scenes:  1.) "Bald Eagle to Tippy-Toe"; 2.)Sell and sail; 3.) "One more prize"; 4.) "He cut both wires"; 5.) Last Will and Testament; 6.) Souvenir; 7.) Tavern on the Green; 8.) Kidney donor; 9.) "We are related"; 10.) Bathtub; 11.) Flood; 12.) Pooped-on; 13.) "I can't touch it if it's not in the manual"; 14.) Recipes; 15.) "That could be anybody"; 16.) "It's an infestation"; 17.) Captain, Loudy, Bitey, Stinky, Lovey, Nimrod; 18.) The zoo guy, Nat Jones ( Clark Gregg ); 19.) "I promise"; 20.) "Gentoo Penguins in the refrigerator"; 21.) "Good, that will loop all day"; 22.) Lower temperature; 23.) Soccer; 24.) "Six illegal pets"; 25.) Leopard Seal; 26.) "Pitter-patter of floppy feet"; 27.) "Ghastly vintage"; 28.) "Environmental protest"; 29.) "Madison's big, fat friend"; 30.) Potty training; 31.) Dance move; 32.) New dress; 33.) Eggs; 34.) "That was our table"; 35.) "That's a cheese drawer"; 36.) "Traitors"; 37.) Fish market; 38.) Snowball fight; 39.) Hatchlings; 40.) The bosses; 41.) Bad egg; 42.) "Mission of  mercy"; 43.) "There's been a couple changes"; 44.) The dream; 45.) The letter; 46.) 'Phone call; 47.) Zoo; 48.) "Liar"; 49.) "Arctic Bird Flu"; 50.) Diversion; 51.) Flight; 52.) "Why are you hitting yourself"; 53.) Slo-Mo effect; 54.) Test; 55.) "I guess we have custody"; 56.) Family reunion; and 57.) Disclaimer during the Ending Credits.

favorite scene:  I liked the "Sell and Sail"  scene.

And I liked the "Why are you hitting yourself" scene.

And I simply liked the scenes with Pippi ( Ophelia Lovibond ).

audience reaction:  The audience liked it.

recommendation:  It's good enough for kids.  But adults might not like the tasteless bathroom humor--this movie milks it for what it's worth.

spoiler alert!  Why didn't the crates go through customs?  And why weren't  the penguins quarantined first?  The scene with a  water-tight  bathroom is unbelievable because there's no such thing--in a submarine, maybe ....  Where did all that water go?  And what about the water damage done to that apartment and to some other units in that building?   I live in a 37-year old condominium complex and know more than I care to know about water damage because of  some irresponsible, inconsiderate and careless neighbors--not to mention burst water pipes!  That penguin poop looked suspiciously like vanilla milkshake--I feel sorry for anyone watching this movie while sipping on some vanilla milkshake!  Why was the birthday cake wrapped in Saran Wrap?  Doesn't Amanda ( Carla Gugino )  know that there's such a thing as a Cake Caddy and that wrapping a frosted cake in plastic will just create one big mess?  Why were there no dogs to chase after the leashed penguins?  I thought the penguins were taught the dance move because there was gonna be a "HAPPY FEET"  finale.  Boy! was I wrong ....

fyi:  Back in the Philippines, my dad would at times tell me that we were gonna go on weekend trips and do some fun stuff.  But he would just say it  to put a smile on my face and to make me "happy" because he would almost always break  his promises.  I learned to take his promises with a grain of  salt just to keep myself  from getting too disappointed later when whatever it was I pinned my hopes on just gets dashed to pieces before my very eyes.

Gentoo Penguins usually lay two eggs.

word of  advice:  Don't make promises that you can't/won't keep.

Penguins taste like chicken.  L.O.L.

tidbits:  Some loud-mouth dad walked into the auditorium talking on his cellphone.  I said to myself, Oh, no.  Another one from the Vallejo crowd ...   But he kept quiet as soon as  the movie started--except to laugh at the humorous scenes.  So, all in all, my movie-watching experience in Vallejo wasn't ruined for a change!

SPIRITUAL MILESTONE

ZHUNTI BUDDHA

I finally reached the million mark of  my Zhunti ( pronounced: June-tea ) Mantra recitations.  I started doing this mantra on June 28th, 2008, a Saturday, at around 2:00 a.m.  And I reached one million today, June 23rd, 2011, a Thursday, at 4:45 a.m.

This mantra is unrestricted and very forgiving:  You can do this anytime, anywhere, and in any situation, with or without a sadhana ( contemplative visualization ) and/or mudras ( hand gestures ).   And it is used as a "short-cut" aid to Enlightenment.  My Third Eye Chakra ( a.k.a. the 6th Chakra ) opened on January 3rd, 2009, a Saturday, at 6:44 a.m. as I recited the Zhunti mantra for the 169,800th time.  Although the Zhunti Buddha, or an emissary, has not yet "visited" me, I've had many supernatural things happen to me these last three years, e.g. water appeared in an unexpected container on three separate occasions ( I drank it the third time that it happened  ), and my left knee and my left foot are all the better as a result of  my mantric effort.  So, do I stop doing this mantra now that I've reached the million mark?  No way!  Even as I write this, I am already planning to incorporate the use of  a sadhana, a particular seated posture and the recommended during-and-after mudras in my daily recitations.

The Zhunti Mantra is also used to get something your heart desires ( Please note: This mantra works on the Heart Chakra ).  If you concentrate on something hard enough while you do your daily Zhunti Mantra recitations, you just might end-up getting it!  So, be careful what you wish for.

Phonetically speaking, here's how you say the Zhunti Mantra:

Nah Moe Sah Dough Nah

Sam Yak Sam Poe Dough

Jeet Zee Nah

Dow Sah Toe

Ohm Jurly Julie June-Tea So Hah

Ohm Brin

Now, repeat it at least a million times.  Buy a tally counter ( as well as a notepad and pen ) at a sporting goods store to help you keep track of  your recitations.  But, word to the wise, whenever  you yawn, moan, groan, burp, belch, hiccup, sneeze, cough, drool, fart, slur, and/or have an impure thought while doing this mantra, it should not be counted as a recitation.   Because, although the Zhunti Mantra is unrestricted and very forgiving, you should still treat it with great respect since it can offer you the quickest route to Enlightenment.

www.meditationexpert.com is the site you should go to to know more about the Zhunti Mantra.  If  you cannot find the illustrations for the mudras on this website, do a Google search for "Particular mudra for use with the Zhunti Mantra."  The search result should show "Here's how to practice the Zhunti Mantra," by www.meditationexpert.com.  Click on that and go learn what you need to learn in order to do this mantra.

A word of  caution:  All seven chakras in a non-spiritual person are like rusted hinges.  They are hard to open and will only do so with "resistance" of  some sort.  When my Third Chakra opened-up in the summer of  1995, my kidneys felt like they were "worked-over" by some thugs; my kidneys were in pain for about three months!  The Zhunti Mantra works to open-up the Heart Chakra, one of  the two ( the other one being the Crown Chakra ) chakras that are very hard to open.  You will eventually  feel chest pains when you recite the Zhunti Mantra.  If you have a pre-existing heart problem, you may need to consult with your physician before doing this mantra.  And if  you are a loving and caring person, you should have very little to worry about chest pains.

P.S.  By the way, if  a spirit entity appears before you while you do the Zhunti Mantra, test it by saying this mantra:

Ohm Ha Lee Dee Gah

( say it three times )

If it is an evil spirit, it will go away--try not to get a heart attack!    If  it's a good spirit, it will stay.

SECOND ANNIVERSARY

June 17th, 2011, marks the date of  my blogsite's second anniversary.  I wrote my very first post, for the Pixar movie, UP, in typical movie reviewer fashion.  But, I realized that I could never compete with the better and more established reviewers on their own turf.  I had to carve-up my own niche.  So, from that point on, I gradually evolved my movie reviews  into the format that it is now: Unique, Fun, Irreverent, Bold, Daring, Informative, Crazy, Kinky, Personal, etc.  My blogsite's ever-increasing page-views are a testament to its world-wide popularity.  To mark this special occasion, my blogsite's second anniversary, I extend my sincere, heart-felt thanks to all of  my  readers in these countries and territories:

1. Albania
2. Algeria
3. Antigua & Barbuda
4. Argentina
5. Australia
6. Austria
7. Bahamas
8. Belgium
9. Belize
10. Bosnia & Herzegovina
11. Botswana
12. Brazil
13. Brunei
14. Bulgaria
15. Canada
16. Chile
17. China
18. Colombia
19. Costa Rica
20. Croatia
21. Cyprus
22. Czech Republic
23. Denmark
24. Dominican  Republic
25. Egypt
26. Estonia
27. Finland
28. Fiji
29. France
30. Georgia
31. Germany
32. Greece
33. Guatemala
34. Guernsey
35. Honduras
36. Hong Kong
37. Hungary
38. Iceland
39. India
40. Indonesia
41. Iran
42. Iraq
43. Ireland
44. Israel
45. Italy
46. Jamaica
47. Japan
48. Kuwait
49. Latvia
50. Lebanon
51. Macedonia
52. Malaysia
53. Mauritius
54. Mexico
55. Moldova
56. Namibia
57. Nepal
58. Netherlands
59. New Zealand
60. Norway
61. Oman
62. Pakistan
63. Panama
64. Philippines
65. Poland
66. Portugal
67. Puerto Rico
68. Qatar
69. Romania
70. Russia
71. Saudi Arabia
72. Serbia
73. Singapore
74. Slovakia
75. Slovenia
76. South Africa
77. South Korea
78. Spain
79. Suriname
80. Sweden
81. Switzerland
82. Syria
83. Taiwan
84. Thailand
85. Turkey
86. Ukraine
87. United Arab Emirates
88. United Kingdom
89. United States
90. Uruguay
91. Venezuela
92. Vietnam
93. Zimbabwe

Wow! 93 countries and territories ( and counting? ) ....  It's like I have my own United Nations of  Blog Readers.

Cine-Man's plan for Blog-World Domination is becoming a  Reality!
Bwah, ha, ha, ha, ha--snort.

Again, thanks to all of  you out there.  My blog hobby could never have gotten as big as it has without your reader interest.

And, to think, I told some of  my co-workers a few days ago that I was seriously considering shutting-down my blogsite because blogging is taking too much of  my free time ( I've spent about 12 hours on research alone  on some of my blogs ) and generating no compensatory revenues for my efforts!  But they convinced me that  my blog's popularity with readers--and unpopularity with Hollywood--is just picking-up momentum.  God, I hope that they're right about it.  I'll give my blogsite one more year and see what will happen.  But, don't worry, my blogsite will at least be around long enough to have my posts on Harry Potter and Twilight ( Heh, heh, heh .... ) ;-)

GREEN LANTERN 3-D, PG-13 ( 1 hr & 45 min )

where:  EDWARDS FAIRFIELD STADIUM 16 & I-MAX in Fairfield, CA
when:  Friday, June 17th, 2011
show:  10:45 a.m.
costs:  $12.00 Ticket + $6.25 Nachos + $4.75 small Zero Coke = $23.00
auditorium:  5, with the 3-D screen
seat:  4th row, 6th seat


synopsis/overview:  Parallax eats his daily servings  of "greens" 'til he comes across one that's too tough even for him to chew on!


The Guardians and its Green Lantern Corps have always had little regard for the less-advanced Earthlings.   But when a very powerful enemy threatens to destroy the universal balance of  power, a new recruit from Earth, Hal Jordan ( Ryan Reynolds ),  proves his worth as he battles the enemy all by himself.  


noteworthy scenes:  1.) Green Lantern Corps; 2.) Parallax; 3.) Planet Ryut, Last Sector; 4.) "I'm badly wounded"; 5.) "There's water on the tap"; 6.) Test flight; 7.) "Let's go somewhere I can't fly"; 8.) "Yes!  I mean, Damn it"; 9.) Flashback; 10.) Fired; 11.) "Choose well"; 12.) "I miss all the quality family time"; 13.) "I got you something, birthday boy.  I wrapped it myself"; 14.) Snatched; 15.) "Purple blood"; 16.) "Hmm, that's a spaceship"; 17.) "Proposed"; 18.) Citadel; 19.) Dr. Hammond, we need you to come with us"; 20.) Secret lab; 21.) Autopsy; 22.) Oath; 23.) "We can talk and drink"; 24.) Secrecy; 25.) Dance; 26.) "My faith's just getting warmed-up"; 27.) New recruit; 28.) Possession; 29.) Transformation; 30.) "Have you concluded admiring yourself"; 31.) "Adaptation process"; 32.) Oa, the home planet; 33.) "Green is the color of  Will"; 34.) "We are the corps"; 35.) Training; 36.) "You insult his memory by wearing his ring"; 37.) "The ring  chose you"; 38.) Class lecture; 39.) Microscope; 40.) "It was you, that's why they chose me"; 41.) Sector 2312; 42.) "Feed on fear"; 43.) Forbidden chamber; 44.) "We must forge a yellow ring"; 45.) Party incident; 46.) Evil transformation; 47.) "I want to see it"; 48.) "Hal, is that you"; 49.) "I can see your memories"; 50.) Second alien life-form; 51.) "Don't worry.  I only want what's best for you"; 52.) Lab fight; 53.) "Fearless is the job description"; 54.) "I saw that you have the ability to overcome fear"; 55.) "Help me save my planet"; 56.) Hostage; 57.) "I lied, too"; 58.) "You have failed me"; 59.) Armed missiles; 60.) "The ring chose me for a reason"; 61.) "Beware my power: Green Lantern's Light"; 62.) "The bigger you are, the faster you  burn"; 63.) "It seems Abin Sur has found another just like himself"; 64.) "My new job requires that I travel"; and 65.) Bonus Scene during the Ending Credits.


favorite scene:  The one in which his secret identity is no secret to his love interest.


audience reaction:  Surprisingly, there was only a slight reaction from this crowd.


recommendation:  This is an "Origins" movie--and one without a built-in fan base, yet--meant to establish the characters and the background story.  As such, there is not that much in terms of  action.  I liked it but would only recommend it to those who are familiar with the Green Lantern story.


spoiler alert!  Did Abin Sur really need a space-craft to fly in?  Why did Hal Jordan take-off his belt before putting-on his flight suit?  It was not as if he would be needing that particular belt for his flight suit.  Why did neither Saber test plane shoot at Hal's plane during the straight ascent?  Abin Sur's Green Lantern suit disappeared at his death and was replaced by his "birthday  suit"--again, another butt-naked extra-terrestrial on Earth!  What's up with all these exhibitionist/nudist  aliens, anyway?  When was the last time you were at a pub where the jukebox's volume was turned low?  When an unconscious Hal Jordan was being diagnosed on planet Oa, why was he wearing a "tighty-whitey" instead of being butt-naked?  After all, since he was the first human recruit, it would only make sense for the aliens to be curious about his anatomy--especially in this day and age  when many people are into having body piercings, Hal might also be sporting a "power ring" down "there", too.  Ha, ha, ha.  Why doesn't the Green Lantern's power ring's adaptation process imbue its  new recruit with the skills of  its  previous owners?  There was not enough smoke in the lab when the body was "cremated". Ahh ... "mammalian" extraterrestrial Green Lanterns  with nice breasts--sweet!  Having a "mammalian" extraterrestrial Green Lantern with nipple "power" rings might just be a matter of time ( "Let those who worship" ( Sleaze Porn's ) "might  beware my power: Green Lantern's" ( nipple rings )!  L.O.L.  What's to keep a Green Lantern from fashioning a temporary duplicate power ring since there were times when Hal could have benefited from having two of  them?  The missiles exploded upon "impact" with a thick, dark "cloud"---How ...?  Why didn't Hal fashion a super-gigantic vacuum cleaner to suck-in Parallax?  You would think that, with all of  the pop culture references, Hal would be familiar with the outer-space giant robot-maid-with-a-vacuum-cleaner in the movie, SPACEBALLS ( 1987 ).

fyi:  Hal Jordan is not the first human Green Lantern:  Alan Scott preceded him.  And, many centuries earlier, a Chinese, Yalan Gur, wore the first power ring.

I first learned of  Green Lantern back in the Philippines sometime before the imposition of  Martial Law.  A time when I was still learning the English language.  But, even back then, I already had the feeling that Sinestro was a bad guy because his name sounded like the bad word, Sinister.  And it amazed me that the English-speaking Guardians never figured-out what came naturally to non-native me!

word of advice:  There is nothing to fear but fear, itself.  In other words, nothing is more frightening to behold  than  people who  are so paralyzed by  their own fears that they simply refuse to do anything about their situation.


tidbits:  At the concessions counter, I noticed that one patron was carrying a red motorcycle helmet that I thought to be a full-face modular kind.  So, I asked him, Is that a modular helmet?    He didn't know what I meant by it so he set it on the counter, pressed a button and flipped-up the jaw guard and face shield.  Yep, it was a modular helmet.  I asked him if  it gets noisy when he uses it  on the freeway.  He said that it's quiet on the freeway, and that he really likes using it.

Then, he asked me if  I ride a motorcycle.  I said ( a little white lie ) that I did many years ago and that I would like to get back to riding bikes soon.  I didn't want to tell him, for fear of  embarrassment, that my old ride was a 1984 50cc Honda Gyro.  But I would really like to move-up to motorcycles someday ( it's a "guy thing", after all ).

So, I called my claims adjuster yesterday.  The lady told me that the other party, i.e. the Chinese bitch, is denying any involvement in the hit-and-run incident with my car.  What a f---ing low-life bitch!  This leaves me with no choice but to put three curses on her.   What that bitch doesn't know is that bad things always happen to people who are not nice to me!  But,  this time, I want it multiplied by three!

SUPER 8, PG-13 ( 1 hr & 52 min )

where:  EDWARDS FAIRFIELD STADIUM 16 & I-MAX in Fairfield, CA
when:  Friday, June 10th, 2011
show:  10:50 a.m.
costs:  $17.50 Ticket + $6.00 small Popcorn + $4.75 small Diet Coke + $8.75 # 2 meal @ Jack In The Box ( including  a car antenna ball purchase ) after the movie = $37.00
auditorium:  12, with the I-Max screen
seat:  5th row, 6th seat

synopsis/overview:   "E. T. 'phone home," this ain't!

Kids make an amateur zombie movie and witness a train derailment.  Soon, their town is overrun by  soldiers who are  in search of  something  just as  the town's folks, dogs, appliances, and engines begin to disappear.

noteworthy scenes:  1.) Lillian Steel Company site safety board; 2.) Wake; 3.) Zombie home movie clip; 4.) Diner; 5.) Unlicensed driver; 6.) Improvised line; 7.) Train derailment; 8.) "I'm having a heart attack--and I have a scrape"; 9.) "White Rubik's Cube"; 10.) Map; 11.) Eight-millimeter film pack; 12.) T.V. news; 13.) "I'm gonna steal some money from my mom"; 14.) Camera shop; 15.) "I'll do it"; 16.) Air Force train; 17.) More white "Rubik's Cubes"; 18.) Molds of tire tracks; 19.) Gas Station; 20.) "Kind of like her, but hungry for human flesh"; 21.) "Unusual calls"; 22.) Used car lot; 23.) Missing dogs; 24.) "Cables are gone"; 25.) Cherry picker; 26.) "Military chatter"; 27.) "What was that necklace"; 28.) "Ran away in every direction"; 29.) "Operation Walking Distance"; 30.) "Deputy, let's talk--'not just here"; 31.) "We're not clear"; 32.) Cemetery; 33.) "Under military arrest"; 34.) "He's in me as I am in him"; 35.) Home movie; 36.) "Is this normal"; 37.) Monster; 38.) Flame thrower; 39.) Water tower; 40.) Rival lovers;41.) Evidence; 42.) Evacuation; 43.) "I believe you"; 44.) The favor; 45.) "Thanks for the hospitality"; 46.) Diversion; 47.) "I loosened it for you"; 48.) "We've turned him into an enemy"; 49.) "You're the deputy's boy"; 50.) "... Tell me everything or I will throw you in jail"; 51.) Military bus;  52.) "Find our kids"; 53.) "You dorks are alive"; 54.) "It's a mess"; 55.) "Out here, Sir"; 56.) Sparklers; 57.) "It was an accident"; 58.) Captured people; 59.) Firecrackers; 60.) "I'm just doing the best I can to help you"; 61.) "Bad things happen";  62.)  The focal point; 63.) Lift-off; and 64.) Short zombie film during the Ending Credits, an obvious homage to Hollywood Director George A. Romero.

audience reaction:  I didn't hear much of  a reaction from this crowd.

recommendation:  This is not a kids' movie, per se.  But it is a good, character-driven movie that will prove appealing to those who are tired of  the "same ol', same ol'" UFO Alien/Sci-Fi movies that are heavy-handed on special effects.

spoiler alert!  So, a sheriff's deputy ( Kyle Chandler ) is at a funeral wake, in civilian clothes, yet still carrying around a pair of  handcuffs.  If the deputy knew that one of  his son's friends carried potentially dangerous fireworks with him all of the time, why didn't he confiscate the whole lot?  Here is yet another Hollywood movie about highly-advanced extra-terrestrials who come to Earth butt-naked!  Why ...?  Do these aliens come here looking for nudist beaches?  This movie should have been rated R, for alien nudity.  Why does Hollywood keep assuming that every extra-terrestrial who lands/crash-lands on Earth  can breathe our air with no problem at all?  The Physics equation about  Mass and Velocity ( what my classmates and I called, "The bug vs. the windshield"  equation ), Mv = mV, applies in the case of  the head-on collision between the train ( M, for Big Mass ) and the pick-up truck ( m, for little mass ).  Simply put, the train has many more times the mass of  a pick-up truck; so, when they get into a head-on collision, the train's velocity ( v ) will only be slightly affected while the pick-up truck's velocity ( V ) will be greatly affected.  In other words, the train should not have  derailed and the pick-up truck should have been flipped-over in all likelihood!  A derailment would have been more likely had the railroad tracks been tampered with.  As big and as strong as this alien was, why did it wait until after the derailment to free itself?  Dogs wouldn't run away from it in real life.  Why didn't any of  the cops seated at the kitchen table see Joe ( Joel Courtney ) step into the room?  The one bad thing about field hospitals:  Flies--eeyew!  Here's another Hollywood movie in which the first one to die is a black man!  How  did  Charles ( Riley Griffiths ) load the film into the projector quickly and without being noticed?  One would think that the glow of  that lit marijuana in the dark would be noticed by at least one soldier.  Even if  the alien had a tough exoskeleton, it would still be vulnerable to rifle fire at close range if  the soldier shot at it when its mouth opened.  It looked like the soldiers in town were firing at each other.  Where did all the dug-up dirt go?  ( That was a very big hole in the ground, after all. )  In its hideout, and without the use of  its "Lego building blocks" to build its spaceship with, the alien, which was at least five times taller than an average-height human, would only have 1/5th ( or less ) the manual dexterity required of  any  human to assemble all the precision electronic/mechanical devices with since its "hands" would be at least five times bigger than a human's hands!  In an earlier scene, the alien disregarded a bicycle, but it collected a bicycle or two near the end--'it must be a gift for E. T.!

fyi:  In 2005, my sister in Michigan took  me, along with her husband and daughter,  to Mackinac City  at the foot of  the Mackinac Bridge, the bridge that connects Southern Michigan to Northern Michigan.  We were gonna go to Mackinac Island, but it was too windy and the Lake Michigan water was too choppy for a boat ride to the island.

In a few months, though, my sister, her family and I are gonna go to Mackinac Island, for sure.  Because, I heard that "Mackinac Island is beautiful this time of  year."

I remember when Sony Walkman first came out.  It made quite a name for itself  when people actually got hit and killed by trains while listening to music on the new, fashionable device.  It took me many years before I finally got the nerve to buy myself a Sony Walkman--and I never used mine anywhere near railroad tracks!

Hey, maybe this movie's railroad scene would have made more sense had the pick-up truck driver been listening to music on a Sony Walkman.  Ha, ha, ha.

I had  a co-worker, J. Galindo,  at PayLess Drugstore, who studied film directing at the nearby California College of  Arts and Crafts.  He wanted my input on his script.  I gave his script the title, COMPULSION CONTRAST, because it was about a guy with a compulsion to steal and a girl with a compulsion to kill.  Anyway, long story short, he had me play the bad guy; and I had my Anatomy and Physiology classmate play the role of  the bad girl because I had a "thing" for her.  But, she ended-up being more interested in my movie director co-worker than in me because he rode an 80cc Honda Elite while I rode a 50cc Honda Gyro.  Hmmph! women ....  ( I don't even remember her name anymore--not that I care! )

About J. Galindo's  student film, COMPULSION CONTRAST ....  I improvised a scene where my character walked past the girl's character and my character turned and looked at her appreciatively as he said, "Chihuahua  ( which was my slang for, cute little bitch )."   Next thing I knew, Steven Spielberg's TV show, AMAZING STORIES, aired an episode about a boy genius who invented a pink liquid that turns pictures of  humans into life-size, three-dimensional living, breathing replicas.  A scene had this boy genius walking  past a girl at a crosswalk and turning around to appreciatively say, "Chihuahua."  Steven Spielberg and/or one of  his TV show's writers  used my improvised line without giving me any credit WHATSOEVER!!!  What f---ing low-lifes!  All they do is go to student film festivals  trolling for fresh ideas that they can steal!!!!  How despicably low is that?  I will never work for or with Steven Spielberg without any kind of  acknowledgement and apology from him and/or his writing staff!  I don't want money, I just want credit where credit is due.  It's all a matter of principle!

By the way, the California College of  Arts and Crafts changed its name to, California College of  the Arts.  Why ...?  Because the academic staff got tired of  its students calling the school, "California College of  Farts and Craps!"  L.O.L.

word of  advice:  We are not alone.

tidbits:  On the way home from the theatre, I decided to grab a bite to eat at the Jack-In-The-Box Restaurant right off  the freeway between Fairfield and Vallejo.  And I decided to get a Jack-In-The-Box antenna ball to replace the old, raggedy Union 76 antenna ball on my blue Hyundai Accent.

Then, I realized that there is a Union 76 gas station right across the street.  So, after eating my meal, I went to get gas at Union 76 and asked them for an antenna ball.  But, they don't have them anymore.  I went and put a lesser-quality gas in my tank for nothing!

Hours later, I went on the Internet to look-up Union 76 antenna balls.  These are now collector's items that are sold on E-Bay for a goodly sum.  No wonder I always had my Union 76 antenna balls stolen!

It took me longer than usual to post this particular blog because I have recently started doing Delta Brainwave Frequency Meditation.  Before this, I did Alpha Brainwave Frequency Meditation for about eight years.  Delta Brainwave Frequency Meditation is as low a frequency as you can consciously get your brain to function.  But, after such a meditation period, you fall asleep fast.  The first time that I tried Delta Brainwave Frequency Meditation, I fell asleep soon afterwards and stayed asleep for about 12 hours!  ( I was glad that I didn't have to go to work the next day. )  I only awakened from it because my kidneys were in pain and begging me for mercy.  And I've been doing Delta Brainwave Frequency Meditation everyday ever since; and I've been falling fast asleep soon afterwards ever since!  Which is why it took me this long to finish this blog.

If you'll excuse me, I will now be doing my Delta Brainwave Frequency Meditation.  Goodnight ....


Special  Announcement:   I would like to take this time to say, Thank You and Welcome, to my readers in:

Botswana, Lebanon  and  Macau

Thank you, once again.  Please keep on reading my weekly updates.  And don't forget to tell your friends, and everyone else who you know, about my movie  blogsite.

X-MEN: FIRST CLASS, PG-13 ( 2 hr & 12 min )

where:  CENTURY 14 VALLEJO in Vallejo, CA
when:  Friday, June 3rd, 2011
show:  5:30 p.m.
costs:  $7.50 Ticket + $4.50 Pretzel Bites + $4.00 small Diet/Zero ( w/ Barq's & Cherry flavors ) Coke + $13.75 dinner @ Empire Chinese Buffet ( + $2.25 Tip ) after the show = $32.00
auditorium: 8
seat:  5th row, 10th column

2nd time


where:  CENTURY 14 VALLEJO in Vallejo, CA
when:  Tuesday, June 7th, 2011
show:  2:30 p.m.
costs:  $7.50 Ticket + $4.00 small Diet/Zero ( w/ Barq's & Cherry flavors ) Coke = $11.50
auditorium:  8
seat:  5th row, 10th column

synopsis/overview:  X-MEN: First Class Drop-outs and Rejects


Charles, the future Prof. X ( James McAvoy ), and Eric, the future Magneto ( Michael Fassbender ), meet, become good friends, and recruit other mutants to fight a power-hungry mutant, Sebastian Shaw ( Kevin Bacon ), who wants to start a nuclear war between the USA and Russia.  But because of  their personal differences, Charles and Eric part ways.  And so begins the war between Prof. X's  X-Men and  Magneto's  Brotherhood.

noteworthy scenes:  1.) Poland, 1944; 2.) Westchester, NY, 1944; 3.) Ravenous raven; 4.) Doctor's office; 5.) Oxford University; 6.) Groovy mutation; 7.) "Would you date me"; 8.) "Illegal gold"; 9.) Using some equipment the CIA didn't give me"; 10.) CCCP; 11.) "What the hell did you put in my drink";  12.) War Room; 13.) "Expert on genetic mutation"; 14.) Argentinian pub; 15.) "I really need your help"; 16.) Yacht; 17.) "How's that for a magic trick"; 18.) Drinking fountain; 19.) "Get in the car"; 20.) "Ah, now it's a party"; 21.) "There's someone else out there"; 22.) "Calm your mind"; 23.) "You're not alone";  24.) Covert CIA research base; 25.) Helmet; 26.) Blood; 27.) "I've felt your agony"; 28.) "I've been a lab rat;  I know one when I see one"; 29.) Private dance; 30.) Other recruits; 31.) "Identification, that's how it starts"; 32.) The code names; 33.) "These freaks are dedicated, hard-working young people"; 34.) "I expect more from you"; 35.) "This wasn't on the map"; 36.) "Nothing, it's empty"; 37.) "He's not coming"; 38.) "I'm not CIA"; 39.) Barbed wire; 40.) Bedroom; 41.) Attack; 42.) "Kings and queens"; 43.) "You will make it happen"; 44.) "We can avenge him"; 45.) Interrogation room; 46.) New home; 47.) Training; 48.) "Don't forget to scream"; 49.) "You want society to accept you, you can't even accept yourself"; 50.) Flight; 51.) "True focus lies between rage and serenity"; 52.) Presidential address; 53.) "Mutant and proud"; 54.) Reaction; 55.) "How about now"; 56.) "Where are your clothes"; 57.) "Do we really have to wear these"; 58.) "Where's Hank ( Nicholas Hoult )"; 59.) "Sound general quarters"; 60.) "You just averted war"; 61.) Sonar; 62.) Submarine; 63.) "He's gone into the void"; 64.) Deception; 65.) "We are the future"; 66.) The coin; 67.) "Collateral damage"; 68.) "United in their fear of  the unknown"; 69.)  "New orders"; 70.) "I've been at the mercy of men just following orders"; 71.) Deflected bullet; 72.) "You did this"; 73.) "No more hiding"; 74.) "I can't feel my legs"; 75.) "Next thing you know, I'll be going bald"; 76.) "X-Men"; 77.) "A kiss"; and 78.) "I prefer ... Magneto."


favorite scene:  Dr. Moira MacTaggert ( Rose Byrne ) in undercover ( underwear-uncover ? ).


miscast:  Jennifer Lawrence is too plain-looking to take on the role of  a  young Mystique.  She just ruined my Mystique fantasy.


is that ...?  A cameo by Wolverine and by an adult Mystique ( both are funny scenes, by the way ).  But I don't recall seeing Stan Lee in a cameo role, though--I must have been busy scribbling notes in the dark, as always.

audience reaction:  The audience liked it enough for some to give it a "Hands Clapper" ending.

recommendation:  If  you're a fan of  the X-Men, go see this movie.  It is a good "origins" movie.

spoiler alert!  Young Eric didn't have a mark on his rifle-butted face.  Why didn't the young Eric manipulate the metallic parts of  the bad guy's eyeglasses after he crushed the helmeted soldiers' heads?  How in the world did Shaw become a mutant?  This movie doesn't explain his transformation from a human to a mutant--Ooh!  I know, Spiderman bit Shaw.  Ha, ha, ha.  If  Charles was a mind-reader, why couldn't  he  figure-out the kind of  person that  Eric  was before it was too late?  I guess that  the shoe store clerks  also didn't ask Hank, so he didn't bother to tell them; yet, the shoe store clerks, through the years,  still managed to find Hank shoes that were "custom-made" just for his kind of  feet!   No matter what, his funny-looking shoes would really stick-out like a pair of "sore thumbs"--or should  that be a pair of  "sore big toes"?  And how did Hank get through P. E. class in his school years without anybody noticing his feet while he and his classmates were in the locker room shower?  Why were the metal  statue and the cement & steel bunker on fire?  None of  the agents had the presence of mind to stand with his back against a wall while under attack from Azazel ( Jason Flemyng ).  Once again, here's yet another  movie in which  only the black good guy, Darwin ( Edi Gathegi ), gets killed!  Dr. Hank McCoy  groped the mannequin's left nipple--I take it "Dr. Genius" didn't go out on dates that much.  Charles tried to talk some sense into Eric by telling him that  "... killing ... won't bring you peace."  But didn't Charles blow-up a boat-load of  innocent  Russian commie sailors ( who were all supposedly dead even though their captain was just unconscious ) ...?  Charles is such a bloody hypocrite!  Why did none of  the battleships pick-up the X-Men's plane on their radar?  Banshee ( Caleb Landry Jones ), from my understanding, is a glider, not a flyer.  Banshee uses his voice to achieve thrust and lift.  Banshee, then, should neither  be able to glide into the air from the ground without a running start nor glide-up from underwater without mechanical aid.  So, how did Banshee get out of  the water and go gliding again?  Making a giant transmitter dish pivot around is one thing, lifting a submarine out of  the water is quite another:  He would have needed a solid base to stand on while lifting the submarine into the air!  And, No ... a plane's landing gear doesn't fit the bill of  "solid base".  Why did Shaw float in the air in a "cross" pose even though he hardly had any metal object on his person?  Shaw's buttons looked like they  were made out of  plastic, he didn't wear a watch, and I didn't notice any ring on either hand; the only metal object he might have had on him was his pants' zipper and probably a belt buckle--assuming, of course,   that his pants were of  the "zipper"  kind and that he wore a belt.  Soon after Eric donned the helmet, he floated down to the ground but--excuse me--he couldn't have floated down to the ground because THE HELMET DIDN'T HAVE A CHIN STRAP TO KEEP IT IN PLACE AND FLOAT HIM  IN THE AIR  WITH;  and the metal parts on his uniform should have pulled-up his bodyweight but they looked flushed with the fabric instead of  against it!  ( This is exactly what happens when Hollywood spends millions of   dollars on a blockbuster movie without hiring my services as Cine-Man! )  Once Eric reversed the projectiles' trajectories, the self-propelled projectiles should have been  set on their courses with no further "will-power" guidance from him--think of  the back-and-forth volleys in the game of  tennis or  badminton.  So, the projectiles shouldn't have stalled and flown erratically no matter how much of a beating Eric got from Charles.  And those projectiles that exploded in mid-air amidst the others should have scattered shrapnels all over  and damaged the nearby  projectiles in the process!  And why did the missiles run out of  fuel so soon?  ( I've heard of  short-range missiles, but this is ridiculous! Short range missiles have a range between 43 miles to 430 miles. )  The ships' target was less than 20 miles away so the missiles had more than enough fuel for the "round-trip".    If  Charles became paralyzed from the waist down, why did his right foot move?  And, later on, Charles' legs were positioned farther apart.  ( Bad acting! Bad editing!  Bad directing! )

fyi:  If there ever is a mutant who is exactly like Mystique, I will marry her right-quick!  Think about it, if I behave nicely, she can be any woman that I want her to be--and I can think of  about a thousand different women that I would like her to be.  Of course, if I don't behave nicely, she can turn herself into one big, ugly and hairy guy that I don't want to have a sexual fantasy with ( Just the thought of it makes me cringe and makes me wanna puke. )!  You can be sure that I'll be on my very best behavior around her.  But she better not turn herself  into my "identical twin" while we're being intimate because that will just be too damn sick and kinky for me!

Mystique is my one-and-only favorite X-Men character--ever!
( As played by Rebecca Romijn, of  course )
;o)

word of  advice:  You are, in your own way, special.

tidbits: While I watched this movie, some bitch seated behind me had her legs crossed and was repeatedly tapping the back of  my seat with the tip of  her shoe.  Finally, I couldn't stand the bitch's rudeness and inconsideration any longer.  So, I turned around and looked at her as I said,  Do you mind not hitting the back of  my chair?  The bitch got the message.  But I had half a cup of soda left and ready to be splashed at her just in case she refused to  comply.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again:  The Vallejo crowd is the rudest, most inconsiderate and most irresponsible crowd that I've had the displeasure of  encountering!  And that's saying a lot!

And speaking of bitch ....

I finally caught-up with the daughter of  Hector's neighbor in Oakland, CA.  You know, the bitch who backed into my car then took-off.  I went to Hector's place last Tuesday, the 31st of  May.  And her black Toyota 4Runner was there at the curb with a tell-tale dent on the left corner of its rear bumper's cover which was an exact match to the dent on the left quarter panel of  my white Geo Metro!  I knocked at their door and told the woman to come out and see the damage she did to my car two weeks ago.  She refused to come down. Instead, she said, "Call da cops.  I call my insu-lance  all-lady."

I called Oakland PD.  But the dispatcher asked me why I didn't report the hit-and-run right away when it happened.  Well, a hit-and-run is only reported if  the guilty party is unknown.  But I had a very strong suspicion of  who was responsible for it.  Which is why I didn't report it right away  because I wanted to confront the bitch first!

And that bitch was just about 4'8" tall in high heels!  No wonder she hit my car:  She probably couldn't even see over the steering wheel without having to sit on a booster seat first!  Maybe she should also get eyelid surgery to make her eyes bigger so that she can see where she is going--the streets of  Oakland, CA, would be all the more safer for it!

A word to the wise:  People who drive big vehicles are just overcompensating for an under-endowment!  This is a case in point.

Then, I called my insurance adjuster to give her the bitch's vehicle make and model plus its license plate number.  My insurance adjuster said that she'll contact the responsible party by mail and let me know of  any new developments.  And I hope that the bitch's insurance will take care of my car's damage because I wouldn't want to pay for something that was not my fault in the first place!

By the way, the damage to her Toyota 4Runner's plastic bumper cover was more extensive than the damage to my Geo Metro's sheet metal quarter panel!

After I hung-up the 'phone, Hector said, "Take both of  my swords and go next door and threaten the chinita.  I said,  I'd better not.  She might know Kung Fu.  And his son, Ismael, said, "Yeah, she'll beat the crap out of  you and slam your head against her SUV's bumper."  And I said, And you'll probably have it down on film, upload it to YouTube and make millions at the expense of  my dignity!  We all laughed.

2nd tidbits:  I went to see this for a second time because I wanted to double-check whether or not Stan Lee has a cameo appearance in this movie.  He does not.  Also, because I was distracted by some bitch the first time that I went to see this movie, I decided to see it again just to check on my findings.

Special Announcement:  I would like to take this time to say, Thank You and Welcome, to my readers in:

Jamaica

Thank you, once again.  Please keep on reading my weekly updates.  And don't forget to tell your friends, and everyone else who you know, about my movie blogsite.