ALL'S FAIRE IN LOVE, PG-13 ( 1 hr & 44 min )

Quickie Review:  An actress turns her back on the Investment Banking World to work with her cousin at a Renaissance Faire in Michigan.  Where a college football star is sent to by his professor to work-off his non-attendance obligation.  Boy and girl meet and fall in love.  But, as everyone prepares for the competition to decide which group will be the Royals and which one will be the Common Peasants for the next year's Faire, jealousy and opposition may just drive a wedge between them both.

This movie was made approximately two years ago.  And it is not reviewed in the paper ( to the best of my knowledge ).  And, sadly, not that many people know of it because I was the only one in the auditorium--on a weekend, of all things!

Unfortunately, I find this Comedy sophomoric, at best.   And the acting talent ranges from Bland to Overly-Melodramatic.  Perhaps, with a better script, a better cast and a better director, this movie could be a bit  better.  As it stands, this Comedy was meant to be a Summer Movie but was left in the freezer for far too long.  I say this because the acting and the dialogue  coldly-numbed the Comedy Appreciation Center of my Brain.

THE RUM DIARY, R ( 2 hr & 0 min )

Quickie Review:  A writer goes down to Puerto Rico and gets hired by a struggling local newspaper.  Before long, he comes across shady American entrepreneurs working on an illegal property development deal; and they want him to write favorably  on  them and their business deal.

The audience was entertained by this.

But I wasn't.  There was not one likable character in the bunch, not even the girl!  I wouldn't associate with anyone of them in real life.  I dozed off and on throughout the movie.  That's how interested I was in this whole thing.

This Psychological/Period Piece/Comedy movie is basically just for those who are over 18 and who are likely able to identify themselves with any of the unsavory characters in this movie.  Other than that, I wouldn't recommend this movie to any other group, especially those impressionable ones who are simply looking for some vicarious thrills.

If you must see this, wait for it to come out as a Rental.

THE SKIN I LIVE IN, R ( 1 hr & 57 min )

Quickie Review:   Doctor Frankenskin or I Got You Under That Skin or Forced Skin  Take your pick of which one best describes this movie. 

A doctor's wife is burned horribly in a car accident and later kills herself.  The doctor then decides to create a "fireproof" skin.  But he will need a human guinea pig ....

At first, I liked it--please don't let me elaborate ( ahem! )--but, then,  it turned into a weirdly kinky movie even for a horn-dog guy like me ( I wanted to puke. )!  I believe that the audience expressed the same sentiment.

Here are the things that I didn't like about this movie:  The body model was not the same size and shape as the human guinea pig.  Why would an envelope inside a drawer In A Spanish Home--in Spain, I presume--have the English word, Clips, written on it?  At the party, the sleeves on the doctor's suit were too short.  That motorcycle should have been scuffed with paint from the other vehicle, which would have established  the probable fact that it was not a single-vehicle accident.  The victim was chained close to the wall yet no excrement was in sight.  ( I cannot add anything more here or I will just ruin it for those of  you who want to see this movie. ) 
                                                                                                  
**********************

The body model looked like the ones that are made by RealDoll.   ( I'm an aspiring writer so I make it my business to know such things. Ha, ha, ha.  )  Go check-out their website at:  www.realdoll.com.   Have fun reading the testimonials and the f.a.q.    ( Hey, buddy.  Can you spare me $6,000.oo?  Bwa, ha, ha, ha, ha--snort! )
                                                                                                                     

ANONYMOUS, PG-13 ( 2 hr & 10 min )

where:  CINE ARTS @ PLEASANT HILL in Pleasant Hill, CA
when:  Saturday, October 29th, 2011
show:  7:20 p.m.
costs:  $10.75 Ticket + $4.50 medium Diet Coke + $1.00 3.1 oz Cookies 'N Cream Bites ( bought at a dollar store and smuggled-in ) = $16.25
auditorium:  5
seat:  4th row, Center section, 5th column


synopsis/overview:  Fornication Under Consent of Queen and Court Intrigues

To educate the masses about the cruel tyranny of Kings, a closeted nobleman playwright  finds a literary outlet in a semi-literate stage actor.

noteworthy scene:  1.) "Darker story of Quills and Swords"; 2.) Arrest; 3.) Edward de Vere, Earl of Oxford ( Rhys Ifans ); 4.) "Seditious"; 5.) "You know you need not ask"; 6.) "Gift"; 7.) "Matters both of War and State"; 8.) "Powerful friends"; 9.) "Etc., etc., etc."; 10.) "Edward wishes to choose the next king"; 11.) "It would be an affront against the Muses"; 12.) "Keep your noble head from the executioner's block"; 13.) "Imposter"; 14.) "You have no Voice, that's why I chose you"; 15.) "Are you possessed"; 16.) "Writers don't have time to act"; 17.) "I return only upon my father-in-law's insistence"; 18.) Italian women; 19.) "This is why you bedded me"; 20.) Thundering applause; 21.) "Edward must be removed"; 22.) "Am I with child"; 23.) "You're neither the first nor the last of her lovers"; 24.) Illiterate; 25.) Foiled assassination attempt; 26.) Dead body; 27.) "He tried to kill me"; 28.) Bear fight; 29.) "I need more money"; 30.) "She had your child"; 31.) Indiscreet; 32.) "Your whore gave birth last week"; 33.) Three conditions; 34.) The two earls; 35.) Letter; 36.) "Not without right"; 37.) "He is quite sane"; 38.) "Words will prevail with Elizabeth ( Vanessa Redgrave )"; 39.) Brothel; 40.) "Venus and Adonis"; 41.) "No Johnson ( Sebastian Armesto ) plays at the Globe, ever";  42.) Hunchback; 43.) Mob; 44.) Trap; 45.) The scandalous truth; 46.) "Your son is going to be killed by his own mother"; 47.) "The Cecils are dependent on me"; 48.) The Act of Succession; 49.) "You came to me, Ben"; 50.) "Words, my sole legacy"; 51.) "Ruin, dishonor"; 52.) "Burned by your men"; 53.) "Marvelous"; 54.) "Avid theatre man as myself"; 55.) The first "official" Poet Laureate of  England, Ben Johnson"; and 56.) "Monument of  Words."

audience reaction:  The audience was pretty much silent throughout this intriguing movie.

recommendation:  I really liked this fascinating movie as it offers up another side to the Shakespeare Mystery that has long been a source of contention among literary scholars.  Go see this movie if you are a Shakespeare fan or if you are into Historical Drama/Mystery.

spoiler alert!  Wasn't that horse supposed to play dead?

The Ending Credits shows a disclaimer stating that there are no similarities to actual persons, dead or alive.  Hah!  What a joke ....  Did they really have to add this disclaimer?  Couldn't they just have said something along the lines of:  "Creative license was used in the making of this historical film", instead?

fyi:  "Thine eyes flash fire, thy countenance shakes a spear."  Gabriel Harvey's praise to the Earl of Oxford in 1578.  The Atlantic Magazine, Sunday, October 30th, 2011.

The fictional Hamlet and the Earl of Oxford have many similarities, according to a book by J. Thomas Looney, published in 1920. ibid

Although this movie serves-up a very compelling case, there are those who believe that it was actually Lord Francis Bacon, a close friend ( and half-brother? ) of the Earl of Oxford, who authored the Shakespearean Plays.

But, that's not all ....

There are also those who suspect that the legendary "immortal"  alchemist ( who faked his own death at least twice--supposedly ) , Count de Saint Germaine, whose coat of arms is similar to that of Lord Francis Bacon, is actually Lord Bacon himself!  Bring on the Bacon!

We have more words in our English Vocabulary than Shakespeare ever had in his!  Unfortunately, though, with the advent of  Texting, our vocabulary is now heading down an atavistic spiral towards Troglodyte English.  Ha, ha, ha.  'Not funny, actually ....

As an aspiring writer, although I don't have an extensive command of the English language to fully appreciate Shakespearean Plays, I can empathize with one of the characters in this movie:  To get your works published is the only way to give birth to the words that you conceived.   Hmm,  maybe I should put this in my ...  

word of advice:  The Pen is mightier than the Sword.

tidbits:  I had just gotten on the I-80 Freeway from Redwood Street when I found myself tailing an SUV with the personalized license plate, NO STEP, and with a personalized spare tire cover, with the words: "Cicciolini Films."  I brought this up because its driver was "speeding" at 40 mph on a 65 mph freeway.  He must have been just advertising his business.  Don't patronize his movies!  Ha, ha, ha.

Upon arrival at the theatre, and after looking-up at the marquee, I was surprised to find out that this movie was not playing in The Dome but was, instead, relegated to the last auditorium!  How could they do this to Shakespeare?

I wanted to see THE RUM DIARY a mile or so away from this theatre at the Century 16 Downtown Pleasant Hill and XD after the show.  But I changed my mind at the last minute because THE SKIN I LIVE IN is showing here in The Dome and is in limited release.  I can just go and see THE RUM DIARY someplace else.

P.S.  Is it just me or are the English in the habit of putting-out historical period pieces this late in the year just prior to the Oscars?  The ruse is exposed by none other than Cine-Man, himself!  Thank you, thank you and thank you, ladies and gentlemen.

IN TIME, PG-13 ( 1 hr & 55 min )

where:  EDWARD FAIRFIELD STADIUM 16 & I-MAX in Fairfield, CA
when:  Friday, October 28ht, 2011
show:  1:45 p.m.
costs:  $8.00 Ticket + $0.50 medium Zero Sprite ( upgraded from a free small drink with my movie watcher rewards card ) = $8.50
auditorium:  5
seat:  4th row, 4th seat


synopsis/overview:  In a future world where nobody ages past the age of 25, the only currency is Time.  The rich get to have as much time as they want and/or need.  But the poor struggle every day just to try to stay alive with their limited time on hand.  But one man, Will Salas ( Justin Timberlake ), decides to change all of that after he is falsely accused of murder and theft  when  he saves a suicidal rich man, by sheer happenstance,  from time thieves and is given the gift of a century in return.


noteworthy scenes:  1.) "Time is now the currency"; 2.) "Happy 50th"; 3.) 99 Seconds Only Store [ nice touch ]; 4.) Quota; 5.) Bar; 6.) "I know who took him"; 7.) "For a few to be immortal, many must die"; 8.) "Don't waste my time"; 9.) The bridge; 10.)  "You know that time will get you killed"; 11.) "You'd better run"; 12.) Death; 13.) "What was he doing in this Time Zone"; 14.) Border crossings; 15.) Surveillance video; 16.) Hotel; 17.) Casino; 18.) Insane; 19.) "Why are you investigating a suicide?  There are  mass murders in the ghetto everyday"; 20.) "Now you like the idea of sharing"; 21.) "I hope those are real"; 22.) "Your name's on a lot of buildings"; 23.) "He was doing something far more dangerous"; 24.) Stake-out; 25.) "He was giving them hope"; 26.) "Out of time"; 27.) "Stealing what's already stolen"; 28.) "Will, look out"; 29.) Cop car; 30.) "We look cute together"; 31.) "She doesn't appear to want to be rescued"; 32.) "You don't watch"; 33.) Bank robbery; 34.) Gifts; 35.) News; 36.) Strip poker; 37.) "So much for your theory"; 38.) Bus; 39.) Fully-booked; 40.) Line-up; 41.) "That's insulting"; 42.) Break-in; 43.) Hand-wrestling; 44.) "The time he's given away, Sir"; 45.) Cost of living increase; 46.) "Is it stealing if it's already stolen"; 47.) "Everybody wants to live forever"; 48.) "Shoot on sight"; 49.) "You can run"; 50.) The time-keeper's time; 51.) "You can do a lot in a day"; 52.) 100 years; and 53.) "You almost missed your calling."

favorite scenes:  I liked the "Will, Look Out!" scene.  Her "funny face" was a blast!

And I liked the Hand-Wrestling scene.

audience reaction:  The reaction was so-so.

recommendation:  I didn't particularly like this movie that much.  It definitely isn't a Thinking Man's type of Sci-Fi movie--I don't mean to insult or disrespect everyone else.

Just allow me to present my argument in my ...

spoiler alert!  There are so many things wrong with this movie that I have a hard time figuring-out where to begin my argument.  But, here goes ....

At the earliest, we can peg the start time of this movie's events approximately 105 years from our present year of 2011 which would set it in the year 2116 a.d.,  assuming that we at present have the Science and Technology to make this bio-engineered "fountain of youth" marvel medically feasible and available.  It is estimated that by the end of this year, our World Population will have reached Seven Billion!  [ Update:  According to the Monday, October 31st, 2011 edition of the Contra Costa Times newspaper, the World Population is already at Seven Billion--and counting! ]  If we have this technology now, the rich and powerful will be the first ones to get their greedy/selfish  hands on it.  And I'm talking about the ones that are over 25 years of age already--people like Bill Gates, the Sultan of Brunei, Donald Trump, etc!  So, this movie should have had old farts who stopped their aging process at an old fart age!  Now, for those who are 25 and under today, there is still the daunting logistics involved in the medical administration of this obviously expensive bio-engineered "fountain of youth" serum/device/or whatever it is.  Who gets to have it, and who gets to shoulder the costs of administering this thing to billions of people?  There would be mass rioting and revolts everywhere!  Logically speaking, a whole number of people will have to be exterminated first!  Because if everyone were to be given this thing, the whole world would experience unprecedented crises in the limited availability of food and water, and the exponential increase in toxic pollution and other such ecological hazards, to boot.  Add to this mix the fact that a long-life host will have microbial pathogens and diseases that will evolve into hardier strains--more money/time for the Drug Companies!  Now, the rich don't want to acquire all that time only to lose it doing something really stupid.  Which is probably why I didn't notice even one motorcycle in this movie at all.  But ... they travel around in vehicles that take their design and styling cues from vehicles of  the 60s and 70s--and without airbags, rollbars  and headrests on top of all that!  How stupidly ironic is that?  A hundred and five years into the feature and they still use what suspiciously looks like a modified M1911 Colt 45 Pistol which was invented way back in 1911!  Even as I write this, pistols are already designed without a need for a magazine and without a firing pin ( go to YouTube and watch: Deadliest weapons ever invented--Metal Storm ).  Such handguns have bullets chambered bilaterally and fired via electronic ignition!  One  of these guns can fire explosive, armor-piercing bullets at a rate of 250,000 ( yes, you read that right ) rounds per minute.  And another one of these guns can fire .45 caliber bullets at a rate of 1,000,000 ( yes, again, you read that right ) rounds per minute!  And we here in the good ol' USA now have guns designed for urban warfare that shoot smart bullets which can kill an enemy sniper hiding behind a thick concrete wall!  What if you got into a fight or had a bad accident that damaged your implanted bio-engineered time clock?  Do you go to a clock repair shop for it?  What if the person was an amputee or, worse, a double amputee, what then?  No security video of the suicidal man on the bridge was ever found, but they found one of Will's!  How stupid ....  "You know that time will get you killed"---Speak for yourself, you f--king alcoholic!  Ha, ha, ha.  I don't know about you, but if a beautiful, hot and sexy woman like that was desperately trying to hitch a ride from somebody--heck--I'd give her a ride right away ( Yogi or not, here I come ); and I wouldn't care how old she would be because she wouldn't be a day over 25 as far as I'd be  concerned.  Bwa, ha, ha, ha, ha--snort!  Will's mother ran for 1 1/2 hours without sweating profusely and without panting loudly?  Hah!  Yeah, right ....   It costs 8 1/2 week's worth of time for some lousy Continental Breakfast at some uppity hotel?  I guess that they don't have a 99 Seconds Only Store or a MacDonald's Restaurant in New Greenwich to go buy some breakfast items at!  Question:  What do you call a skinny-dipper who swims in the sea at night with his arm glowing in the dark?  Answer:  Shark-bait!  And speaking of skinny-dipper, there was no nudity in this one--at least one that was clearly VISIBLE, anyway.  Whether the time transferred was Ten Years, One Hour or Fifteen Minutes, the transfer time stayed the same, pretty much!  Why didn't any of them wear a lockable shield for their left forearms and a lockable glove for their right hands when they went out to socialize?  Hmm ... maybe I should invent these lockable security forearm and hand shields and go into the future and earn a ton of Time!  For the better part of his life, he didn't have a car 'cause he couldn't afford to have one; then, all of a sudden, we see him handling a sports car like a pro!   Hmm, that was a new one:  His car actually could go faster in reverse!  They hid under the bridge when it was still very dark at night but ... 1 1/2 hours later, they were in the bright of day!  They knew where he lived but they didn't do a stake-out of his place right away.  Why did that one guy turn his back on the bad guy as he walked away?  When she shot at the time-keeper ( Cillian Murphy ), she made a "funny face."  Had I been the one she shot at, even if she just grazed me, I'd probably die laughing because of the really "funny face" that she made!  The time-keepers supposedly worked in shifts; but this particular time-keeper worked 24-7, it seemed, because he was shown on-the-clock morning and night!  They have payphones but no cellphones in the future, a hundred years from now--Okay ....  Those cop cars don't have Lo-Jacks?  There were no guards at the bank.  Why didn't the time-keeper's car have a voice-recognition app?  I mean, come on!  Really.  I guess using your right hand to shake hands with another is So Totally out of the question!  And you can just forget about using your left hand to shake hands with somebody because it is considered Taboo in many cultures!  Yet, again, another Hollywood movie with that visually-annoying practically dry aqueduct used as a setting for some scenes; I don't even think that people are allowed to park their cars down there in the first place in real life today!

Oh, Hollywood, when are you gonna smarten-up and use my services as script consultant and scene editor?  I can help to make your movies more appealing to the Smart Crowd if you just give me a chance.

fyi:  More than likely, this movie draws its inspiration from the New Testament of the Bible's Book of Revelation ( a.k.a. The Apocalypse )  Chapter 13, Verses 16 through 18, about the Mark of the Beast.

This movie gives new meaning to Time Theft.

word of advice:  Have some time on your hands.

Time is precious.

Don't waste your time.

tidbits:  At the concessions counter, a female employee said, "Oh, you're back."  I told her that I review movies on-line.  Then, I gave her one of my Cine-Man cards.


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

Sri Lanka



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

PUSS IN BOOTS I-MAX 3-D, PG ( 1 hr & 30 min )

where:  EDWARDS FAIRFIELD STADIUM 16 & I-MAX in Fairfield, CA
when:  Friday, October 28ht, 2011
show:  12:00 p.m.
costs:  $17.50 Ticket + $5.25 Zap Pack = $22.75
auditorium:  12
seat:  4th row, 6th seat

synopsis/overview:  Goosezilla is coming!

Long before he met Shrek, Puss in Boots was the local town hero until he was wrongly-accused of stealing from the local bank.

Now an outcast, he comes face to face with the ex-friend who used him, Humpty Dumpty.   Reluctantly, Puss in Boots agrees to help his former friend to steal a Goose that lays Golden Eggs, if only to compensate his old town's bank and restore honor to his name.  But before that can happen, they have to steal Jack and Jill's Magic Beans with the help of the best cat burglar in the world, Kitty Soft Paws.


noteworthy scenes:  1.) "You can't run forever"; 2.) Bar; 3.) "No baby muffins"; 4.) "You snap me"; 5.) Dance fight; 6.) "I smell something familiar"; 7.) "It ain't Over-Easy"; 8.) Distraction; 9.) The orphanage years; 10.) Second chance; 11.) Style advice; 12.) No claws; 13.) Bridge; 14.)  "You're better"; 15.) "Cat people are crazy"; 16.) The beanstalk; 17.) Funny voices; 18.) Castle; 19.) Golden suit; 20.) "I need powder"; 21.) Egg paradise; 22.) River; 23.) Parachute; 24.) "He looks just like you"; 25.) "Our cue"; 26.) Celebratory dance; 27.) Interlopers; 28.) Tumbleweed; 29.) Surprise; 30.) Revenge; 31.) "Not you, too"; 32.) "It's for my glaucoma"; 33.) "Out for blood"; 34.) Escape; 35.) Weather report; 36.) "Prove to me that there is still a good egg in you"; 37.) Mother goose; 38.) "Nice boots"; 39.) Hanging for dear life; 40.) "San Ricardo's greatest hero"; 41.) "She's a bad kitty"; 42.) "I am Puss in Boots"; 43.) Glitter Box; and 44.) "Ooh ...."

audience reaction:  The audience liked this.  But it didn't get a "Hands Clapper" ending.

recommendation:  I liked this movie, too.  It's a movie to take your little brats to.  Go see it in regular 3-D, at least, if possible.


spoiler alert!  Actually, when a cat licks up any liquid, it must curl its tongue downwards first in order for it to scoop-up the liquid.  I thought that Humpty Dumpty couldn't get up by himself, but he was able to get up all by himself in one scene.  They were out in the desert when the storm hit; but Humpty Dumpty never covered his eyes.  I think that there was a bad scene edit when they were floating in the river under the Giant's Castle; but it happened too quickly while I was scribbling notes in the dark and adjusting my I-Max 3-D glasses for me to pay any close attention to this particular scene.


fyi:  There are places in the world were declawing a cat is considered barbaric.  Apparently, the good ol' USA isn't one of them because my family took-in a part-Siamese stray female cat that was declawed.  I named her, Nicky, because it was around Christmas time that she came meowing at our front door.

The funny thing about Nicky was that she would suck on her hind paw to get herself to sleep.  A local veterinarian said that she probably was given away as a kitten before she was fully weaned.  Oh, and she looked like a young Barbra Streisand!  L.O.L.

Puss in Boots said that Cat People are crazy.  There's actually some truth to that.  And the cause of the eccentricity has to do with a mild microbial "infection" from  a certain parasite that cats have.  It has been so many years since I studied Microbiology so I don't really remember which one it is, or its mode of transmission and/or the severity/duration  of the condition/infection.

I'm a cat person, so you know what that means ....

word of advice:  Be a trust-worthy friend.

tidbits:  I was gonna go see IN TIME first.  But I didn't get to this theatre in time for the 11:10 a.m. show!  I got to the theatre nine minutes after the movie had already started, not counting the Previews.

I whiled the time away by calling my friend, Hector, on my cellphone to ask him about the "Occupy Oakland" protesters who were rough-handled by the police a day or two ago.


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


Uganda


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


P.S.  It's good to know that I'm seeing hits from Russia again.  For a while there, I thought my movie review blogs were banned in Russia because my blogsite's All-Time ( most ) Page-Views by Countries doesn't include Russia anymore.

And speaking of Page-Views by Countries,  I now have a total of 117 countries on my readership list!  Quite an accomplishment, I must say.  I think I'll celebrate by seeing more movies--goes without saying ....

THE HELP, PG-13 ( 2 hr & 26 min )

Quickie Review:  A journalist, and fledgling book writer, decides to write about the colored female help in racially segregated Jackson, Mississippi, in the early to mid 1960s.

I loved this movie!  So did the audience.  ( It didn't get a "Hands Clapper" ending, though. )  Go see this movie if it's still playing in your area.  It will be worth the time and the money that you spend on it--even with popcorn and drinks included.

This movie has very strong performances from its casts, both the principal and the supporting!  It is well-acted, well-scripted, well-paced and well-directed.  Even the very old maid and the tiny toddlers all acted well.  This will be a very strong contender for Oscars in at least two--maybe more--categories!

Here are the things that I didn't like about this movie--and they're all about the pie:  Was that whipped cream on top of the pie?  I ask because if it was, it wouldn't have survived the trip from the maid's kitchen, to the bus and into the employer's house.  Why would any of them walk around with uncovered pie?  Very unsanitary.  Oh, and if you mix "such a thing" into a pie, it would add a recognizably "distinctive" taste to the pie ( Not to mention, put one at risk of suffering from food poisoning--no laughing matter )!  The movie would have been perfect if not for these pie problems.

RA-ONE: THE NEXT LEVEL, ? Rating ( 2 hr & 36 min )

where:  UA EMERYVILLE STADIUM 10 in Emeryville, CA
when:  Wednesday, October 26th, 2011
show:  6:15 p.m.
costs:  $11.00 Ticket + $1.00 medium Popcorn ( upgraded from a free small popcorn on my movie watcher rewards card ) + $4.00 small Zero Coke = $16.00
auditorium:  4
seat:  6th row, 12th column


synopsis/overview:  A milquetoast father, Shekhar ( Shah Rukh Kahn ),  yields to his only son's request:  A computer game in which the bad guy cannot be defeated.  But the computer game character, RA-ONE, is programmed with Artificial Intelligence and soon takes on a life of its own then escapes into our world with only one thing in mind:  Finish the interrupted game by killing the other player,  Shekhar's son, Prateek ( Armaan Verma ).


noteworthy scenes:  1.) Rays; 2.) "Girls fall for me"; 3.) Fight; 4.) Set of keys; 5.) Jackie Chan; 6.) Thesis; 7.) Dude; 8.) Bad; 9.) Computer class; 10.) Random Access, version ONE; 11.) Smile; 12.) Mugger; 13.) Synchronization; 14.) Game demo; 15.) Dance; 16.) "Lucifer must die"; 17.) Suit synchronization; 18.) Rose; 19.) ID card; 20.) Funeral; 21.) Birthday gift; 22.) 'Phone call; 23.) "I don't like Chinese"; 24.) Chase; 25.) Junkyard fight; 26.) Spin-out; 27.) "Okay, mom, let's go"; 28.) Airport; 29.) Fight with the taxi cab drivers; 30.) "Hi .... 'Bye'"; 31.) Mosquito; 32.) "Bad hair"; 33.) "Paradise condom"; 34.) Stand By Me; 35.) Hospital room; 36.) "Power Yoga"; 37.) Nose; 38.) Red cubes; 39.) Alter thoughts; 40.) "Hug her"; 41.) Annual festival; 42.) "Sizzling siren"; 43.) Runaway train; 44.) Lord Ganesh; 45.) Death match; 46.) Multiple enemies; 47.) Shadow; 48.) Absorption; 49.) "Goodness lives on"; 50.) "I'm on"; and 51.) Bonus Out-Takes and Scenes during the Ending Credits.

favorite scenes:  I liked the Bollywood Dance scenes with all of those beautiful dancers.

I liked the Junkyard Fight scene.

audience reaction:  The audience, mostly Hindus,  really liked it.  ( I wonder if any of them could tell that there was a Yogi in their midst.  Ehh ... Yogis to them are probably a dime a dozen! )

recommendation:  Despite a weird beginning, this Hindi movie with English subtitles gradually settles into its intended genre later on but with Bollywood dancing thrown into the mix.  It is all done in fun, of course.  And I think that its intended target audience range in age from young teens to young adults.

spoiler alert!  Why couldn't that ample-breasted woman feel the set of keys fall down into her cleavage? Why didn't anybody notice the dead body dangling from the ceiling in the game design room at Baron Industries?  How was Ra-One able to ride a motorbike if it wasn't programmed for motorcycle riding/racing in the first place?  That car would not have been able to crash through a double-decker bus in real life!  The female Bollywood dancers looked suspiciously non-Indian--even the ones in Mumbai!  So, let's see if I got this right ....  A Good Guy has to have Blue Eyes!  Yeah, right ....

fyi:  This movie started without showing Movie Previews but showed a lot of ads, instead.  And, because of its length, there is a 15 minute ( ? ) intermission somewhere in the middle.

Watching this movie will remind you of some of Hollywood's major blockbusters:  Terminator, Matrix, Iron Man, and even Spider Man--and, maybe, even a little bit of Tron thrown-in for good measure.

A scene in an Indian house in Mumbai ( f.k.a. Bombay ) shows G-One reading the book, Autobiography of a Yogi, by Paramahansa Yogananda, the brother disciple of my Yogi's Paramguru of the Yogoda Satsanga Society lineage established by Sri Yukteswar.

The theatre staff really made quite a production of this movie, with x-mas lights and movie posters decorating the auditorium hallway.

word of advice:  A look-alike is no substitute for True Love.

tidbits:  The concessions counter clerk, Ernest, asked for another one of my Cine-Man calling cards because he misplaced the one that I gave him last week.  I hope that he won't lose this card this time around and I hope that he'll get to finally check-out my movie review blogsite.

You can tell if you're finally a regular movie patron if the concessions counter clerk knows exactly what kind of drink it is that you will buy:   A small Zero Coke with four ( yes, 4 ) ice cubes!  Heck, I ain't paying four bucks or more for a cup of "flavored" ice cubes!

Some Chinese girl who was in the same auditorium with me almost went into the men's room during the intermission.  I had to show her where to go to find the ladies room.

A third of the theatre's parking lot was cordoned-off for some black-top work and repair.

I parked in the parking lot to the right of this section.

COURAGEOUS, PG-13 ( 2 hr & 10 min )

Quickie Review:   You say you want a RESOLUTION.  Well, you know, we all want to change the World ....

Four Sheriff's Deputies tackle the bad guys while on duty and wrestle with family dynamics while off duty. But when tragedy strikes hard at one of them, they begin to reassess their fatherhood and find that they are sorely lacking in this particular department.  They then solemnly pledge to be better fathers from this point on, knowing that they will be "tested" by circumstances and events as Time goes by.

This Faith-based movie  addresses  Juvenile Delinquency, and worse, from the point-of-view that a fatherless home is the  major contributing factor to such crimes.  It presents a good argument that fathers everywhere should really pay attention to.  By father, I mean, it's not enough to get some woman pregnant and have her bear your child but share no responsibility in its upbringing.  Because it takes a real man, a good Father Figure, to act responsibly in such a matter.  And for that reason, I give this movie my high recommendation.   Go see it. And buy and read the book, The Resolution For Men, that this movie is based on while you're at it.

Here's what I didn't like about this movie:  The acting and/or the directing is so-so, understandably enough!  That Sheriff's Deputy should have known better than to leave unattended  a vehicle with its engine running, especially with a baby on board.  Why did he leave his cellphone on the table in Vibrate Mode while doing some carpentry work ( a minor detail but, still .... )? They could have easily shot one or two of the bad guys from under the car.  What, I make way more money than a Georgia Sheriff's Deputy but a deputy  can afford to live in a nice house but  I'm stuck in a crappy condo?!?!?!  Wassup wif dat?!  Ain't fair ....

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Dios bendiga nuestro hogar.   ( God bless our home. )

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This theatre's parking garage now has two ( ? ) parking spots reserved for electric cars only.  And they are situated closer to the garage's entrance and  exit than the handicap parking spaces.  I went to take a closer look at one of them after the movie.  And a police in a patrol car stopped to look at what I was doing.

Come on, officer.  It's not as if I'm gonna take that electric charger and ram it up my butt for a quick boost!  Geesh,  give me a break.

TAKE SHELTER, R ( 2 hr & 0 min )

Quickie Review:  A man starts having ominous visions and nightmares of a coming storm of an apocalyptic nature.  He then works on improving his storm shelter in preparation for it.  When word gets out, people in his small town  begin to think that he is becoming a paranoid schizophrenic like his mother who was diagnosed with the mental illness at around his present age.  But, is he just imagining these things or will a big storm actually come?

I liked the suspense and the acting but ... I hated the ending.  I don't know how the rest in the audience liked it.  I didn't even hear one comment from any of  them, come to think of it.

Here's what I didn't like about this movie:  The ending!

THE WAY, PG-13 ( 1 hr & 55 min )

Quickie Review:  An American doctor goes to France to collect the remains of his only son who died in a storm while trekking on the Camino De Santiago ( a.k.a.  The Way of St. James ).  After some deliberation, he decides to have his son's remains cremated to take it with him on the pilgrimage to honor his son's wish to complete the journey.  As much as he wants to keep his reason private and personal, three fellow pilgrims ( with reasons of their own ) befriend him and together they complete the journey that will profoundly affect them all.

I liked this road-trip of the pilgrimage kind.  It shows how far people are willing to go to for their faith and personal  convictions.  The movie was well done.  The few people in the auditorium with me were in their middle and old ages.  So, I guess that this movie appeals to an older generation.

Here are the things that I didn't like about this movie:  If you notice, in the morgue, the pull tab on the body bag's zipper was moving back and forth---What, was there an earthquake going on in this scene?  A 500-mile trek like that is very hard for an inexperienced old man.  But the doctor walked ahead of the others at times.  I don't know whose shoes he wore on the trek, but hiking shoes have to be broken-in first before you take it on a long hike!  Or you'd end-up with some really serious blisters.  On a hike like that, you'd be better off with two walking sticks.  If they walked for 4 hours between breakfast and lunch and another 4 hours between lunch and dinner for a total of 8 hours per day, at an average speed of 3 mph, then the fat guy ( carrying the added weight of his backpack ) would have easily burned up 2,500 calories per day.  In other words, he would have lost weight--just like he expected!  And, if I remember correctly what I learned in Anatomy and Physiology, after exercising ( walking, in this case ) for a certain length of time, your body's metabolism will remain elevated for 2x the length of the exercise time.  So, since the fat guy walked for 8 hours each day, his metabolism would have stayed elevated for 16 hours.  In other words, his metabolism would have been on  High and Active for 24 hours of each and every day of the hike.  Therefore, he should have lost weight--his occasional food binges notwithstanding!

THE THREE MUSKETEERS 3D, PG-13 ( 1 hr & 50 min )

where:  EDWARDS FAIRFIELD STADIUM 16 &  I-MAX in Fairfield, CA
when:  Sunday, October 23rd, 2011
show:  9:50 p.m.
costs:   $15.00 Ticket + $4.75 small Zero Coke + $1.00 3.1 oz. Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Bites ( bought at a dollar store and smuggled-in ) = $20.75
auditorium:  5
seat:  4th row, 6th column

synopsis/overview:  Thank God for the Country Boy! Hey, there.  Hi, there.  Ho, there.  You're as welcome as can be.  M-u-s, k-e-t, e-e-r to be!  Musketeers!  Cardinal!  Musketeers! Cardinal!  Forever let us wield our sabers high!  High! high! high!  Opps! sorry.   I got a little carried away.  Anyway .... 

A young man, D'Artagnan ( Logan Lerman ), the son of a former Musketeer, goes to Paris to fulfill his dream of becoming one of the King's elite guards, The Musketeers.  He soon meets and befriends three of the best swordsmen in service to the King, Musketeers, themselves.  When they learn that  Cardinal Richelieu ( Christopher Waltz ) is plotting to overthrow the young King Louis XIII ( Freddie Fox ) and crown himself  as France's new king, D'Artagnan and the three Musketeers  join forces to prevent it from happening.


noteworthy scenes: 1.) Diorama; 2.) "You could have said, 'Hello'"; 3.) Key; 4.) "I have 10 minutes"; 5.) "Catching you"; 6.) Leonardo da Vinci's secret vault; 7.) "Better offer"; 8.) "Your adversary will not always be as noble as you"; 9.) "Apologize to my horse"; 10. ) Challenges; 11.) Citation; 12.) "He built it"; 13.) Introductions; 14.) "Budget cuts"; 15.) Sword fight; 16.) "He insulted my horse"; 17.) "Cold and unfriendly"; 18.) Balcony; 19.)  New clothes and gold; 20.) Air ship; 21.) "Very retro"; 22.) "An evening that I shall cherish forever"; 23.) Struck bell; 24.) "I have a lot of plans"; 25.) Hypothetical friend; 26.) The Queen Anne's ( Juno Temple ) jewels; 27.) Insurance policy; 28.) Purple; 29.) Love letters; 30.) Sealed with a kiss; 31.) "We were taken by surprise"; 32.) Diversion; 33.) Strategies; 34.) "The game is afoot"; 35.) "Permission to come aboard"; 36.) Good news; 37.) "The only person she trusts"; 38.) "On her own terms"; 39.) Fountain; 40.) The new and improved battleship; 41.) The exchange; 42.) Into the storm; 43.) "Round two"; 44.) "You should have apologized to my horse"; 45.) Crash-landing; 46.) "I could use men like you"; 47.) "All for one, one for all"; and 48.) British armada.

favorite scenes:  I liked the Opening Diorama scene.

I liked the Four Against Forty Sword Fight scene.

I liked the New Clothes and Gold scene.

I liked how they tried and upstaged each other with the latest in fashion color.

audience reaction:  There were only six or fewer persons in the auditorium with me.  And I didn't hear even one reaction from any one of them.

recommendation:  The sword fights were very well-choreographed.  But the techno gadgets spoiled it for me.  Because of it, I'd say that this movie is so-so ....  See it only if you're a die-hard Musketeers fan.  And don't waste your money on the 3-D version.

spoiler alert!   Firstly, a musketeer is actually an infantryman equipped with a musket.  So, why were these guys going around with swords in hand?  Secondly, why were there no infantrymen utilized to best advantage in the Musketeers' courtyard fight against the Cardinal's guards?  That sword sure broke in half so easily!  I don't think that they had pearly-white teeth and fresh breath back then--heck, they didn't even take a daily bath/shower!  After all that talk about not trusting women, the Duke of Buckingham ( Orlando Bloom ) still paid no attention to his own advice.  Did you notice all the unlit candle chandeliers in that one hallway alone?  It would take All Night  for some poor bastard to light all the candles in that castle!  The queen's jewels were guarded by high-tech "lasers"?  WTF?!?!?!  She had a chance to jump out of the carriage and escape abduction.  When D'Artagnan  fell down in the rooftop duel, Rochefort ( Mads Mikkelsen ) could have easily struck him on his shins!  How did Constance ( Gabriella Wilde ), all clean and in a different set of clothes,  get to the castle before the airship did ( This is called, A logic hole. )?  "I could use men like you"--Hah! fat chance of that ever happening since they liked serving the young, cute, funny and inexperienced French King who was fun to hang around with!  I don't know how Milady de Winter ( Milla Jovovich ) fell into the sea from such an height and survived--people have fallen into the sea from a shorter distance ( think Golden Gate Bridge ) and died!  Folks, Seawater can be like a solid wall if you Free-fall and hit it with such Terminal Velocity--I'm talking Death through  Blunt Force Trauma! How was the Duke able to mobilize the Royal Navy at such a short notice, and did he get permission from the King of England to do so?

fyi:  Here's a bit of trivia for you ....  One theory goes that the Butterfly Knife ( i.e. Balisong to us Pilipinos ) was actually invented by the French in the late 1600s and was introduced by French sailors  to the Philippines in the 1700s.  I don't know whether or not this theory is true.  (  But it's on the Internet so it must be true.  Whatever .... )

word of advice:  Good friends are hard to come by.

tidbits:  Hours before going to see this movie, I was on the Internet blogging and surfing when I heard the voice of one of my neighbors.  He was clearly angry with someone.  And he was dropping the "F" bomb in every sentence as pronoun, noun, verb, adjective, preposition, interjection, etc.  Such a colorful language, he used!  I think that I'm learning new English grammar usage from him, the impressionable non-native speaker that I am.  Ha, ha, ha.  ( This "old dog" is still capable of learning new tricks, as it turns out. )

After the movie, I stopped at the Fairfield, CA, Super Wal-Mart to see if someone I know was there.  Supposedly, he works there now.  But I've stopped by at least  ten  times now and I have yet to see him there.  So, I don't know what's going on with him.  But, Good Luck to him, whatever it is that he's currently doing with his life.

On my way home from the theatre, at 1:42 a.m., Monday, October 24th, I saw a Vallejo Police patrol car make a left turn at a neighborhood cross-street  without even stopping at the stop-signed intersection!  How can you trust the police if they abuse their authority and ignore traffic laws?

Had I hit that patrol car, guess who'd  be at fault when it would all boil down to his word against mine and there were no witnesses around?  Yup, exactly ....

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


Guam


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

PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 3, R ( 1 hr & 21 min )

Quickie Review:  "Toby or not Toby?"  That is the question .... 

A young family experiences some unusual and supernatural events at home.  And these occurrences  all seem to center around their younger daughter who has an ill-tempered imaginary friend named, Toby.  The father sets up his cameras to see if there are visual evidences to support his little daughter's claims.  But ... the family is totally unprepared for the terror that lies in wait for them in a "safe place".

I liked this scary movie.  The audience was really into it, too!  After the movie, the girl who sat to my right said, "I won't be able to sleep tonight."  And a guy who was seated behind me said, "I think I'm done.  I can't take anymore of this!"  Such wimps and scaredy-cats!  If only they could experience what I've supernaturally experienced since I was a little kid, they wouldn't be scared of this movie at all.

Hands down, this is the scariest of the three PARANORMAL ACTIVITY movies!  It's also probably one of the scariest movies in movie history.  And the SFX are better in this one than in the original one.  Finally, a scary Hollywood movie that I'm sure the Japanese will remake--not the other way around--for a change! But, I think that The One  reason why this horror franchise works is because it doesn't rely on some stupid, loud background music played in a Minor Key just before each and every  scary scene is shown.

Here are the things that I didn't like about this movie:  I think that I can only take so much if  somebody keeps pointing a movie camera in my face like some kind of paparazzi.  If you're a mother who loves your children, you won't put-off  examining the evidence to support an unwanted/unexpected/unwelcomed/unsettling claim.  The babysitter should have freaked-out--even at the first sign of poltergeist activity.  The scene in which the two little girls played "The Bloody Mary Game" is just a Teaser Preview; it's not in this movie at all!  If I were that little girl, after a night like that, I'd insist on sleeping in my parents' room!  The father would only end-up being paralyzed from the waist down. 

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The "Bloody Mary" in the child's play referred to in this movie is not the Cocktail Drink, but the mass-murdering Catholic Queen of  England who struck fear in the hearts of Protestants.

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At the box office, a couple was refused tickets for this 10:15 p.m. show because they had a minor with them.  The man was cussing and swearing as he stormed-off!  But the box office clerk and the theatre manager were both in the wrong:  Adults can take a minor to watch an R-rated movie!  The theatre employees  must have mistaken this movie for an NC-17, which it truly isn't.  It was too bad that I, Cine-Man, was too late to intercede on the couple's behalf.

THE MIGHTY MACS, G ( 1 hr & 38 min )

where:  UA EMERY  BAY STADIUM 10 in Emeryville, CA
when:  Friday, October 21st, 2011
show:  4:50 p.m.
costs:  $9.00 Ticket + $15.38 Dinner @ Empire Buffet in Richmond, CA ( + $2.00 Tip ) + $5.00 Carquinez Bridge Toll = $19.38
auditorium:  2
seat:  4th row, 6th column


synopsis/overview:   In 1971, the underdog women's basketball team at Immaculata College got  a motivational new coach, Cathy Rush ( Carla Gugino ).  Based on a true story.


noteworthy scenes:  1.) Job interview; 2.) Sunday service; 3.) Heavenly Grace Hand Lotion; 4.) "You will make a wonderful husband"; 5.) "Streaked-corner lipstick; 6.) "Failed to find Spiritual nourishment"; 7.) "Any sign"; 8.) Trash can; 9.) Shoes; 10.) "All time leading scorer"; 11.) Uniforms; 12.) Defense drill; 13.) Oven mitts; 14.) Home movie; 15.) No cars; 16.) Ladies' room; 17.) First game; 18.) Prayer; 19.) "Was that, 'Amen,' or, 'I'm in"'; 20.) "This is my room"; 21.) Co-ed game; 22.) "Good job"; 23.) "Help the helper"; 24.) Creek; 25.) Grateful; 26.) "It was my idea"; 27.) Drill; 28.) Bar; 29.) "Jesus likes to dance"; 30.) Surprise gift; 31.) "My old coach"; 32.) New uniforms; 33.) "This is who you are"; 34.) Regionals; 35.) "Whose button is this"; 36.) "It's for your wife"; 37.) "Better luck next year"; 38.) Nationals; 39.) The Welcome Home celebration; 40.) Photo shoot; 41.) Door-to-door selling; 42.) Stash o' cash; 43.) "You know this is a sin, right"; 44.) Confession; 45.) Free throw; 46.) "You are a team player"; 47.) "Heaven and a hardwood"; 48.) Converse Hi-Tops; and 49.) Bonus Photos and Scenes during the Ending Credits.

audience reaction:  The audience really liked this Inspirational movie.  And someone gave it a "Hands Clapper" ending.

recommendation:  I liked this feel-good movie.  It's good, clean family fun type of movie.

spoiler alert!  Did she really walk in front of the congregation during Sunday church service in real life?  When they did their practice defense drill, some of the towels didn't touch the floor but the coach didn't have them correct it.  The coach totally lost me when she said, "Don't get your feet wet."  The noise level at the games was too muted down.  They were supposed to wear their best Sunday clothes for their photo shoot, but nobody on the team noticed how one of them stuck-out like a "Sore Thumb" before the photo shoot session began ( And  after all that talk about "Streaked-corner lipstick.  Tsk, tsk .... ).

fyi:  The scene wherein the Reverend Mother, Ellen Burstyn, walked with Coach Rush down a corridor was very well-done.  The subdued lighting and the soft focus really complimented Carla Gugino's beauty.

Back when I was living with my family at GSIS Heights in Matina, Davao City, Mindanao, Philippines, some of my neighborhood friends and I would play street basketball next door to my house, the weather permitting.  I was the shortest one.  But this disadvantage actually made me a great hooker--No! I don't mean that.  I could only do Hook-Shots.  And I was the best at it.  Of course, I couldn't do any other kind of  shots--and the Slam-Dunk was ( and still is ) out of the question.  Ha, ha, ha.

word of advice:  Always root for the Underdog!

tidbits:  Because of the heavy traffic on the freeway on the way home, I decided to wait it out by having dinner at a Chinese restaurant in Richmond, CA, the Empire Buffet.

This is yet another crappy-looking photograph that I took.  If only they have lights to illuminate their marquee, then this picture would have come out better.

They serve Pig's Feet at this Empire Buffet.  When I ate it, I couldn't help but nibble on the toenails.  I felt like I was having a Foot Fetish--Miss Piggy's!  ( What will Kermit, the Frog, say? )  Luckily, they didn't have toenail polish on them.  I'm never eating Pig's Feet again because Kermit might croak.  ('Get it ...? )

And, Yup! this restaurant still has its Christmas and Chinese New Year decorations all over the place.  What a festive place ....  Yeah, right.

JOHNNY ENGLISH: REBORN, PG ( 1 hr & 42 )

where:  UA EMERY BAY STADIUM 10 in Emeryville, CA

when:  Friday, October 21st, 2011
show:  2:40 p.m.

costs:  $9:00 Ticket + $5.75 Zap Pack = $14.75

auditorium:  6

seat:  5th row, 10th column

synopsis/overview:  A disgraced British Special Agent, Johnny English ( Rowan Atkinson ), goes into seclusion at a remote monastery.  But an assassination plot against the Chinese Premier calls him, with his dubious spying skills and misplaced confidence, back to active duty.

noteworthy scenes:  1.) "Make hard what is soft"; 2.) "Master, am I ready"; 3.) Toshiba British Intelligence; 4.) "Good Pussy"; 5.) "Toy cupboard"; 6.) "Chinese man with spectacles"; 7.) Key; 8.) "Look at what I found"; 9.) "With age comes wisdom"; 10.) Fight; 11.) Susan; 12.) Briefcase; 13.) "She's my mother"; 14.) Kitchen; 15.) Playroom; 16.) "I don't leak"; 17.) "Fireworks"; 18.) "Mr. Pussykin"; 19.) Golf; 20.) Helicopter ride; 21.) Song; 22.) KGB, CIA, MI-7; 23.) Meeting with the Prime Minister; 24.) The 3rd man; 25.) Men's room; 26.) Bingo; 27.) At the church; 28.) Wheelchair chase; 29.) Pants; 30.) Timoxeline Barbebutenol; 31.) "I prefer mortal"; 32.) Garbage chute; 33.) Sidekick's bedroom; 34.) Garage door cut-out; 35.) Traffic cameras flashing; 36.) Alarm; 37.) Body bag; 38.) "Refreshment"; 39.) "Completely horrible"; 40.) Banana; 41.) Lipstick; 42.) "Do your dance"; 43.) "Almost there"; 44.) "Never question a senior agent in the field"; 45.) Snow cable car fight; 46.) Umbrella; 47.) The wrong one; and 48.) Bonus Scene during the Ending Credits.

favorite scenes:  I liked the Susan scene.

I liked the Helicopter Trimming The Trees scene.

I liked the Meeting With The Prime Minister scene.

I liked the Men's Room scene.

I liked the Garage Door Cut-Out scene.

I liked the Traffic Cameras Flashing scene.

I liked the Body Bag scene.

I liked the stupidly-funny Lipstick scene.

I liked the Snow Cable Car Fight scene.

audience reaction:  The audience liked this movie.

recommendation:  I liked this "silly-fun" movie, too.  Go see this movie if you're into Spy Spoof Comedies.

spoiler alert!   Why was the briefcase not locked?  Why couldn't he tell that the female assassin was wearing a different blouse?  Why didn't anybody at the parking lot notice the helicopter on top of the ambulance?  Why didn't the German Shepherd dog hear them?

fyi:  I like Rosamund Pike's exotic Eurasian Look--she's one hot mama!  And how she was able to kiss Rowan Atkinson--lucky bastard--is a fine testament to her acting skills.  Hey! she didn't barf---I would have, if I were her.

If Hollywood ever wants to make a good and funny Spy Spoof movie, all they need to do is team-up Austin Powers with Johnny English.  I'd love to see that happen!  So would a bunch of you out there, I'm pretty sure of it.

word of advice:  Never over-estimate the incompetence of an incompetent man.  ( You read this HERE FIRST--a Cine-Man original! )

tidbits:  Last night, I had a hard time meditating and doing my Zhunti Mantra because of what I read in the news earlier in the day about those poor zoo animals in Zanesville, Ohio, that had to be hunted down and killed because their owner, Terry Thompson, let them loose.  Every now and then, I would get disturbing thoughts about it while I was in mantric meditation.  And, each time, I would ask God to ease my troubled mind.  Overall, it was not a productive time for me to meditate and/or do my mantra work. 

From now on, instead of  trying to keep to a fixed meditation/mantra schedule, I should first gauge my mind to assess its spiritual state.  Otherwise, the time that I will be spending  in meditation and/or mantric work will just be time wasted.

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I am supposed to be on vacation this week but I got called-in to work today because an emergency situation in my department left it a person short.

Some man was extremely rude to one of my female co-workers.  I really don't know the details.  And said person became confrontational with another man as I passed by on my way out the door.  But I really did not have my curiosity get the better hold on me as I was in a hurry to leave and did not want to miss the opening scenes of this movie at a theatre which is over 25 miles away from where I work.  ( And this movie just started as I entered the auditorium.  Talk about perfect timing. )

I will try and find out tomorrow whether or not a fight broke out at work.

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I've been meaning to do something different for a long ( I'm talking Years ) time:  Since I spend so much time surfing the 'Net and blogging, I am left with little time to do my Sound Wave Meditation on CDs.  Yesterday, I loaded my meditation CDs to my computer's music library.  I reasoned that I can listen to my meditation CDs as I blog.  Well, I finally did it!  Even as I write this, I am listening to a meditation CD.  Unfortunately, though ...  I was supposed to listen to the 6th Chakra meditation CD ( the next session in my Chakra-a-day meditation ), but I used the 1st Chakra meditation CD by mistake!  Oh, well.  I guess that it was meant to be.

MACHINE GUN PREACHER, R ( 2 hr & 7 min )

This is probably The Best night-time picture that I've taken with my digital camera so far!

where:  CINE ARTS @ PLEASANT HILL in Pleasant Hill, CA
when:   Wednesday, October 19th, 2011
show:  7:25 p.m.
costs:  $10.25 Ticket + $4.00 Hot Dog + $4.00 small Barq's Root Beer + $1.00 3.1 oz. Fudge Brownie Cookie Dough Bites ( bought sometime ago at the Dollar Tree Store and smuggled-in ) + $5.00 Carquinez Bridge Toll = $24.25
auditorium:  4
seat:  5th row, Left Section, 6th column


synopsis/overview:  Sam Childers ( Gerard Butler ), a violent biker with more than a few run-ins with the Law, becomes a Christian and finds his true calling in war-torn Sudan, Africa, where he builds an orphanage for at-risk children.  Based on a True Story of  Violence and Redemption.


noteworthy scenes:   1.)  Raid; 2.) Ford Pinto; 3.) "It ain't right in the eyes of God"; 4.) Bar; 5.) Robbery; 6.) Hitchhiker; 7.) "Help me"; 8.) Baptism; 9.) "God was looking out for the both of us"; 10.) Blood donor; 11.) Tornado; 12.) New home; 13.) Special guest; 14.) Drug house; 15.) Family talk; 16.) Refugee camp; 17.) Dirty gun; 18.) Children; 19.) Burned-down village; 20.) Land mine; 21.) Construction plans; 22.) Fellowship church; 23.) "I'm buying this land"; 24.) "She's hired"; 25.) Attack; 26.) "Build it again"; 27.) Road block; 28.) Missing brother; 29.) Sermon; 30.) $5,000.00; 31.) Barbecue party; 32.) Pawnshop; 33.) Head bounty; 34.) Meeting with the Sudanese leader; 35.) Sniper; 36.) Night ambush; 37.) The day after the massacre; 38.) "Warrior prophets"; 39.) Meeting with a loan officer; 40.) TV news; 41.) "African Rambo"; 42.) "I've always believed in you"; 43.) Funeral; 44.) Birthday; 45.) Dining hall; 46.) Bridge; 47.) "You have the wish to die"; 48.) Kid's confession; 49.) Soccer; 50.) Caravan; and 51.) Bonus photos and scenes during the Ending Credits.

favorite scene:  I liked the Meeting With The Sudanese Leader scene.  It was a poignant one.

audience reaction:  There were about a half-dozen people in the auditorium with me.  And I heard some reaction from them during the funny scenes and during the tragic scenes.

recommendation:  I liked this Inspirational movie.  Too bad that it's not in wider release.

spoiler alert!  He was in jail for some time yet his motorcycle started right up.  What this movie failed to show was that some of those children actually fell victim to predatory animals like wild dogs, hyenas and lions as they tried to escape from their would-be captors.

fyi:  Years ago, a "born again" christian came knocking at the door of the house where my family lived in in Oakland, CA.  I answered the door.  Normally, I would just tell such solicitors that I wasn't interested.  But this guy was a big, ex-biker gang member--with tattoos and everything--who "found the Lord."  Worried that I might just upset him if I tried to turn him away empty-handed, I stood there and politely listened to his religious spiel.   Yup, that's the thing about "born again" christians; if they had a very violent past, you don't want them to revert to their former selves--ever!  Praise the Lord!  Hallelujah.  Amen ....

If you noticed, for this particular post, I switched the theatre building picture and the movie poster picture around.  I did this because my reviews for CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER, and for ZOOKEEPER got added to my list of  Popular Posts.  But the pictures used were those of the theatres, instead!  So, to avoid this problem and confusion from ever happening again, I will be displaying the movie posters above everything else from now on.

word of advice:  Don't forget/neglect  your obligations and your responsibilities to your own family.

tidbits:  To the right of this theatre was a Bally's Health and Fitness Center which very recently closed their doors.  Too bad, since I was thinking of pulling a practical joke on some of its members.

You see, this health club had its jogging/running treadmills all facing the window overlooking the sidewalk.  My planned practical joke involves looking like an out-of-shape "fat man" dressed in a jogging suit--since you see a lot of out-of-shape fat people walking around dressed in a jogging suit.  And my practical joke also would have involved the use of  a "Super-sized" drinking cup, a large pod of  french fries and a big bacon cheeseburger in my hands as I walk on the sidewalk in clear view of the "hamsters" jogging/running  on the treadmills.  Then, I would mock them by jogging back and forth,  then ... feign a heart attack with a mouthful of soda, fries and burger!  That would have been a whole lot of fun!  So, too bad that they had to go out of business.  Whoever said that Yogis don't have a sense of humor probably never met me when I get bored and have nothing else better to do with my free time!

After the movie and before heading on home, I swung by the CVS Drugstore at the Rockridge Shopping Center in Oakland, CA, once again, to say "Hi!" to some more of my former co-workers.

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

Azerbaijan and Isle of Man

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

IDES OF MARCH, R ( 1 hr & 40 min )

Quickie Review:  The behind-the-scene  events on the campaign trail leading up to the Ohio Democratic Primary will impact  a candidate's chances for election.

I cannot say whether I liked it or not.  And I don't know how the audience reacted to it.  Politics isn't my "cup of tea".  I don't even vote because I know that no matter who gets elected will end-up being just a crook.  A friend of mine, after realizing that politicians just play with people's lives,  said, "All politicians are a bunch of crooks!"  I second that opinion.  And I'm not about to pick and choose between the lesser of two evils.

And what's with the title?  It's not fitting since "Ides of March" means a premonition that something terrible will happen in the middle of March/of the month/or of something.  And the "terrible" part has to do with an assassination--not suicide.  This is the original and true meaning of, "Beware the Ides of March."  A good example in our times would be when the American Astrologer Jeane Dixon went to President John F. Kennedy to warn him that something bad was about to happen.  It could have gone something like this:  Mr. President, please beware the Ides of March.

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I fell asleep during the first 30 minutes or so of  the movie, just to let you know.

50/50, R ( 1 hr & 39 min )

Quickie Review:  A man diagnosed with a rare form of  Cancer learns, through his ordeal and recovery, a valuable lesson:  Friendship, love, family, and humor are important and are good for the soul, the mind  and the body.  Based on a True Story.

I liked this "Feel-Good" movie.  The audience liked it, too.

Here are the things that I didn't like about this movie:  Why didn't toothpaste foam come bubbling out of her mouth as she spoke?  Since he had a painful back, why didn't they do the "Cowgirl position" on the floor, instead?  Why would you want someone with Cancer to sign an Organ Donor Form prior to surgery?  I mean, what if the Cancer has already metastasized?  It's like wanting/needing to harvest organs from an AIDS/HIV patient!  'Ridiculous.  And speaking of harvesting organs, they charge you an arm and a leg, whether you live or die during/after surgery, but they want to harvest your organs, if you die, for free---What A Rip-Off!  I say, if they want to harvest your organs if you die then they should not charge your next-of-kin for the surgery!  After all, they're gonna make a ton--I repeat, a TON,  of money off of your harvested organs when they do transplant them to some other people!  I live across the street from a hospital and a few blocks away ( walking distance ) from another hospital;  and, every now and then, I see doctors, nurses and other medical staff personnel smoke cigarettes on the sidewalk, NOT IN FRONT OF THE ENTRANCE DOORS!!!  Especially since there is a law banning cigarette smoking within 20 feet of a building's entrance.  ( But I don't know if the law applies to cigar smoking and/or pipe smoking.  Ha, ha, ha. )

THE BIG YEAR, PG ( 1 hr & 39 min )

where:  UA EMERY BAY STADIUM 10 in Emeryville, CA
when:  Monday, October 17th, 2011
show:  9:40 p.m.
costs:  $11.00 Ticket + $2.00 Peanut M&M ( $2.00 Candy Monday Special on movie watcher card ) + $4.75 small Zero Sprite + $5.00 Carquinez Bridge Toll = $22.75
auditorium:  7
seat:  5th row, 12th column

synopsis/overview:  Three men, going through life crises, compete for the coveted North American Birder of the Year title.

noteworthy scenes:  1.) Greatest Bird Year; 2.) Handicap decal; 3.) Day one; 4.) Code five; 5.) Pitching and tossing; 6.) Accidental discovery; 7.) Brownsville Dump; 8.) A Calling; 9.) Fall-out; 10.) "You don't want to miss this one"; 11.) "Follow him"; 12.) Quail Special; 13.) E-mail; 14.) Deal-breaker; 15.) Flight; 16.) Honeymoon suite; 17.) "You bought me drinks and got what you wanted"; 18.) Lady friend; 19.) Idiot Savant; 20.) Bird attack; 21.) Boyfriend; 22.) 700 club; 23.) Team-up; 24.) Helicopter; 25.) Hospital; 26.) Honor system; 27.) Snowy owl; 28.) Epic; 29.) Peking Duck; 30.) "Those freakin' birds"; 31.) 741; 32.) New Year's Eve; 33.) "We won"; 34.) China; 35.) "Weekend birder"; and 36.) Bonus Bird Photographs during the Ending Credits.

favorite scene:  I liked the reference to Vultures at the Brownsville Dump.

audience reaction:  N/A.  There was nobody else in the auditorium with me.

recommendation:  With the three comedians ( Steve Martin, Owen Wilson and Jack Black ) in this movie, I was expecting it to be funnier.  Instead, this movie is very light on comedy.  It would be most appealing to the bird fanciers out there.

spoiler alert!  The last time that I checked, Mexico is still a part of North America!  I don't know why this simple fact was completely left out!  Imagine the number of bird species that they could have added to their lists had they ventured down south of the border.  I've never seen a retail clerk cut-up a customer's credit card, not even once--and I'm in the retail business; I think it's only done in the movies!

fyi:  Many years ago, my brother, some of our relatives and I went camping in Pinnacles National Monument near Fresno, California.

To while the time away, I went down a grassy slope behind our campsite.  It was there that I overheard a Scout Master ( there were Boy Scouts at the campground out on a "Nature Walk" ) telling his troop which indigenous bird species were present simply by the sound of their bird calls.  I looked around but couldn't see the troop.  Neither could they see me, I was sure of it.

So, I decided to pull a prank on the troop.  I made a loud, hoarse deep-throated "bird call".  Then I heard one Boy Scout ask the Scout Master, "What was that?"  There was silence as they waited for another  "bird call".  Well, I had to oblige them with yet another "call".  After just listening for a short while, the Scout Master yelled out loud, "Shut the Hell up!"  L.O.L.

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I wish that I could have a job that allows me to take as many days-off as I want/need anytime and every time that I have to.

word of advice:  Winning isn't everything, it's the lonely thing.

Friends of a feather stick together.

tidbits:   I got out of bed today, and for some reason, thought that it was Presidents' Day.  So, I was surprised to find out that I had mail in my mail box.  When I got to Hector's place in Oakland, CA,  I saw one of his sons put mail in the mail box for the mail carrier to come pick up.  There's no mail today, it's Presidents' Day, I said.  They all laughed at me because Presidents' Day is in three more months from today!  I don't know why I mistook today for a holiday.  Alzheimer's, maybe?  I hope not!

Sad news:  Two-Face, the female Pit-Bull puppy playmate of Hector's cat, Tiger, is not with them anymore.  Since they could only keep one dog, they chose to keep Two-Face's mom, Mercedes, instead.  His son, Tito, took Two-Face to the local animal shelter to put it up for adoption.  But Pit-Bulls are very hard to find homes for because of their bad reputation.  So, more than likely, Two-Face was "put to sleep".  I don't know why they didn't go ahead and place a "free to good home"  ad in the newspaper.

While I was in Hector's kitchen baking some mini potatoes, one of his sons came in because he had a craving for some "Hash Cookies".  He had a Tupperware of green butter ( butter mixed with Marijuana ) with him.  And, when he opened that thing, boy!  did it stink up the place like a skunk scent.  So, this particular son whipped-up a batch of "Hash Cookies" to pop in the oven after I was done with my potatoes.  And Hector was just a few feet away in the living room!  I don't know how he could not smell the stench of it.  Surprisingly though, the stench disappeared after the "medicinal cookies" were baked ( I know because I sniffed the baking pan---Nope! I didn't have any of it, not even a tiny bite ).

I went to the CVS Drugstore at the Rockridge Shopping Center in Oakland, CA, before going to see the movie just to say "Hi!" to some former co-workers.  I found a Coach's jacket on sale that I really liked; but I didn't have the time to buy it because I didn't want to be late for the movie.

At the theatre's concession counter, the clerk asked me which movie I was there to go see.  I told him which it was.  And I gave him one of my Cine-Man business cards so that he can check-out my movie review blogsite.

After the movie, I went back to the CVS Drugstore to buy the jacket.  I will have it personally embroidered in a few days.

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

Bahrain, Belarus, El Salvador, Malta and Nigeria

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

P.S.  Does anyone out there know what happened to my Russian Readership?  I am not getting anymore hits from Russia.  I don't know why ....