TAI CHI ZERO, PG-13 ( 1 hr & 40 min )

-

where:  AMC METREON 16 in San Francisco, CA
when:  Monday, October 22nd, 2012
show:  5:05 p.m.
costs:  $12.00 Ticket + $5.00 Curly French Fries + $4.75 20.0 oz Powerade Mountain Berry Blast = $21.75
auditorium:  5, on the 3rd floor
seat:  4th row, 5th  column

synopsis/overview:  Yang Lu Chan ( Daniel Wu--or is it Jayden Yuan? [ I'm confused ] ) was born with an abnormal growth on his right temple which makes him the town's social outcast. But his mother ( Shu Qi ) sees potential in him and encourages him to master the Martial Arts. But his fighting skills come at a great cost: Each time he fights a great fight, the abnormal growth on his head gradually weakens his life force. A good doctor tells him to stop using External Kung-Fu because it is killing him slowly from the inside. He must learn Internal Kung-Fu before it is too late, according to the doctor. So, he travels to Chen Village, a remote nearly-inaccessible mountain village populated by legendary Tai Chi practioners in the Chen Tradition, in hopes of learning Internal Kung-Fu from its acclaimed grandmaster, the inimitable Master Chen ( Tony Leung Kar-Fai ), himself. But nobody wants the determined, unwelcomed stranger hanging around their village. Yang gets beaten in a series of duels, especially at the hands of Yuniang ( Angelababy---Yup! that's her name. And she's one hot babe! Shu Qi's got some serious competition here in the Looks Department. ). But the fool-hardy Yang is not discouraged and just keeps coming back for more "beat-downs". An old man takes a liking to Yang and gives him precious tips on how to better his skills at fighting. What Yang doesn't know is that the old man is actually Master Chen, himself, who also happens to be the father of Yuniang! When a railway company decides to demolish Chen Village in order to put a railway right through it, Yang joins forces with Yuniang to thwart the evil plan and to unleash the Tai Chi Warrior within himself.

noteworthy scenes: 1.) Rice; 2.) Three Blossoms On A Crown; 3.) Three moves; 4.) Internal Kung Fu; 5.) Night raid; 6.) Mountain village; 7.) Village meeting; 8.) Coffee; 9.) "I'm not a good match for you"; 10.) Village gate; 11.) Governor's place; 12.) "Power of Technology"; 13.) Tofu fight; 14.) "There's a monster"; 15.) Secret love; 16.) Diagram; 17.) Sworn enemies; and 18.) "There's only one person who can save him."

audience reaction: Somebody in the audience gave this a "Hands Clapper" ending. But, I don't know why ....

recommendation: I didn't like this movie at all. It was at times like a video game; and the wire-work ( i.e. Wire-Fu ) didn't help it any, in my opinion. Also, this movie is part one in a two-part series. Wait for this to come out on DVD unless you're a fan of Shu Qi and Angelababy!

spoiler alert! Why didn't the governor hear the "monster" approaching? So, the legendary Chen-style Tai Chi can be easily defeated by Clumsy-style Tai Chi. Ha, ha, ha. How was the "monster" able to get to the near-inaccessible Chen Village?

fyi: Back in the early '70s, the late Bruce Tegner, a martial arts legend, published a book on Tai Chi. The form that he illustrated in his book complements well the song, Kung Fu Fighting. See it for yourself if you have a copy of his book and have learned the form. But I guess any Tai Chi form will do.

"Everybody was Kung Fu fighting. Those kicks as fast as lightning." Oops, I got carried away. Sorry ....

In the mid-'70s, Mad Magazine came-up with a martial arts parody on how a movie director gets the fight started by yelling out loud that he doesn't have enough rice for everybody! I get a chuckle thinking about that now. And this movie reminded me of it!

word of advice: Don't impose your will on others.

tidbits:  I started today bright and early. I went to my chiropractor for a spinal adjustment at 8:30 a.m. Then, I went to the local BofA ( Bank of America ), US Bank and Chase Bank to make deposits.

When I got home, I waited until after 12 noon to leave for a trip because I was waiting for my mail to arrive. I missed the 12:20 p.m. bus in the process. Actually, I think the idiot bus driver came by too early; otherwise, I would have seen the bus approaching. I walked back to my condo after I called and placed a complaint with the transit line.

I got on the 1:20 p.m. bus and transferred to the El Cerrito bus at the main transfer station so I could go to the El Cerrito Del Norte Bart Train Station to board a San Francisco bound train.

At the MacArthur Bart Train Station, a young Mexican couple, with an infant in a baby stroller, got on the forward car. I was pretty sure about their nationality because the man had an accordion with him painted in the Mexican flag colors. He played his accordion for the passengers as they moved from car to car. His wife had a 30.0 oz cup in her hand that she held out as they moved toward the rear of the train. I gave her a dollar bill when she walked by at 2:52 p.m. By then, her cup was pretty full.

Maybe, I should give this a try someday. I gotta learn how to play the accordion first, though, then borrow someone's wife and baby. LOL

I went to San Francisco, CA, for a little bit of vacation time. I never spent some nights in San Francisco before; and today, Monday, was my chance to do so. So, I seized upon the opportunity.

I got off at the Montgomery Bart Train Station and walked up Montgomery Street on my way to the hotel where I placed my reservation. At 3:10 p.m., on the corner of Montgomery Street and Sutter Street, a crazy black man was in the middle of the intersection holding-up traffic as he yelled at the cars  and swung at them with an invisible sword!

This is the hotel where I stayed at, Grant Plaza Hotel, on the corner of Pine Street and Grant Avenue. I don't think I got my money's worth staying at this hotel that had seen better days ( probably back in the '50s and '60s ) and which has loose and creaky floor boards, plus thin walls, on top of it all. This is not the place to go to for some hot and wild passionate sex romp! Fortunately for me, I went by myself.

I paid over $100.00 a night staying at this place. Yup! Because my room, # 211, is a Double-Occupancy room. I placed my reservation too late and could not get a Single-Occupancy room at all! And this place doesn't even have a coffee maker, it doesn't have a mini refrigerator, they charge $0.25 for a small bucket of ice, and they charge $5.00 for every 20 minutes spent on either one of their main lobby computers. I think that there is a Motel 6 on Geary. I'll go there next time---Never mind ... I just now found out on the Internet that it is more expensive to stay over at Motel 6.

These are the twin beds in my room. Believe me, I alternated beds each night if only to get my money's worth on my stay, somehow. By the way, that's my backpack that you see on the bed, my only "luggage" for my entire stay. If my sister in Michigan sees this, she's gonna wonder why I always haul two or three luggages with me whenever I go to visit her for less than a two-week stay; yet, here I am with just a backpack, of all things! 'Sorry for the blurry shot. I guess that I was just too excited to have a Double-Occupancy room all to myself---Woo-Hoo! I could prance around in my room butt-naked. Oops, too much information. ( I hope that they don't have "Spy Cams" installed in each room or else I'll be famous--or infamous--on YouTube. LOL )

This is the staircase just two doors away from my hotel room. If you notice, the door is set flush against the bottom step. Obviously, this was an "after-thought" job.

If you go to see a movie at an AMC theatre, forget about getting the Popcorn. Have the Curly French Fries, instead. You'll definitely get your money's worth on it because they give you such a generous serving of the fries.

After the movie, I walked on over to the Burger King on Powell Street because I had a "buy one, get one free" Chicken Parmesan Sandwich coupon with me. But, would you believe it? They don't honor their own coupons. I guess only franchises outside of Big Rip-Off San Francisco honor such coupons! I spent $8.77 for a Whopper w/ Cheese Meal with a medium Diet Coke. And I really didn't enjoy that meal because ....

On my way back to the hotel, I took a photo of this window display of a clothing store on the corner of Bush Street and Grant Avenue, just one block down from my hotel, because a mannequin is posed with its panties showing---That's a first, I think. Don't worry, I didn't leave you perverts hanging. There's a better daytime shot of this window display below, just scroll down to it.

The night was still young so I asked the desk clerk if there was a MacDonald's Restaurant nearby, for the next day's meals. She said that there was one just two-and-a-half blocks down on Pine Street. I walked down Pine Street until I got down to Market Street. And there was no sign of a MacDonald's at all!

I just walked back up to Grant Avenue and I made a right turn to go do some window shopping in the Chinatown District. But it started raining hard. So, I just walked back to the hotel with my clothes soaking wet because I left my umbrella in my hotel room--"smart", really "smart" ....

As soon as I got back into my hotel room, I turned-on the TV set just in time to see the San Francisco Giants win the game. Hurray!

Tuesday, October 23rd, 2012:

This is the Pine Street view from my hotel room. The man you see outside the window is one of three Parking Enforcement Authority personnel checking the parking meters.

Here's the better daytime shot of the mannequin, as promised. Now, aren't you glad that you were patient with me?

This is the corner of Bush Street and Grant Avenue, the gateway to Chinatown in San Francisco, CA.

This is Maiden Lane, on weekdays. They actually close this side street to vehicular traffic during lunch time so that people can dine out in the middle of it. Don't have your GPS find Maiden Lane for you on a weekday at noontime or else!

And here's the first pair of dining patrons! The next pair of dining patrons will probably order a couple of Pigeon dishes!

I made a twelve-second movie clip of the corner of Bush Street and Grant Avenue, quite by accident, if you must know.

This is inside of a bakery, Eastern Bakery, the first bakery in Chinatown. That is former President Bill Clinton in the poster. He visited this bakery in 1996. I bought one of those rice-dishes-wrapped-in-leaves "thing".

I ate at the Food Court on Grant Avenue, and which was just three blocks away from the hotel where I was staying. I was in Chinatown for about 1 1/2 to two hours.

Wednesday, October 24th, 2012:

The topless guy in the picture is me, Cine-Man. And this is as "naked" as I'll ever get for you guys. It's not a Vanessa Hudgens, Miley Cyrus, Scarlett Johansson or even a Demi Moore publicity stunt photo but it will just have to do. So, use your imagination! Ha, ha, ha.

This is the shower stall in my hotel room. Anyone who weighs 300 pounds or more WILL NOT FIT IN THIS STALL!!!

Here's one more shot of the mannequin, for good measure. "Third time's a charm," as they say.

And this is my "Two Second" movie--what you end-up with when you edit all of the superfluous stuff! This beats all of those "5-Second" movies you see on YouTube by three seconds! What can I say, I'm Cine-Man; and I'm good at what I do. Yeah, right ....

Okay, that's it! I can't afford to spend any more of my vacation time and vacation money in Big Rip-Off, Highly-Congested, Overly-Rated and Undeservedly Romanticized San Francisco!

I left my ---- ( rhymes with "Part" ) in San Francisco.

*

PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4, R ( 1 hr & 35 min )

-

I went to see this today, Sunday, October 21st, 2012, here in Vallejo, CA, at the Century 14 Vallejo for the 11:30 a.m. ( Extra Dollar Off First Show Matinee ) show in auditorium 7, 5th row, 9th column.

Quickie Review:  A weird and creepy boy, Robbie ( Brady Allen ) moves into the neighborhood with his single mom. When his mom gets taken to the hospital one day, and with no known relatives to look after him for the time-being, Alex ( Kathryn Newton ) and her parents take Robbie in, not knowing that he has a "connection" with Alex's little brother. Soon, strange nighttime occurrences take place at Alex's home, captured live by computer cameras set-up throughout the house.

I guess some people in the audience liked it because one man gave it a "Hands Clapper" ending and said, "That was the best one."

I would have to disagree. I think the third one was scarier than this. I would only recommend this to those of you out there who are fans of the first three installments of this horror franchise.

I liked how the computer cameras were set-up to monitor the house. 'Remember what I said back in August about webcams on my HIT AND RUN blog?

And I liked the night-vision scenes with the motion-capture sensors.

There is a Bonus Scene after the Ending Credits which is shot inside of a Mexican ( ? ) store.

Here are what didn't make sense in this movie:  In a situation where a child is left behind without adult care or supervision, the authorities usually have Child Protective Services take care of the child. If only Alex and her parents reviewed the videos each day, they would have had a better idea of what they were dealing with. Otherwise, it wouldn't make any sense for Alex to agree to have the computer cameras set-up to monitor her house in the first place!

*******************************************************

After the movie, I went to the Best Buy electronics store across the street from the theatre to buy a top-up card for my "pay-as-you-go" Virgin Mobile cellphone. In a cordoned-off area of their parking lot, there was an old yellow school bus named, Bad to the Bone--with gigantic tires--giving "Kool Bus" rides to children and their parents in order to raise funds for Juvenile Diabetes. I would like to ride that bus someday.

After I topped-up my cellphone, I called Hector to let him know about what I saw in the night sky last night on my way home from my brother's house in Fairfield, CA.

While I was at the Starbucks coffee shop at 966 Admiral Callaghan Lane here in Vallejo blogging about this movie, two white ladies sat immediately to my right to try and figure out how to get someplace. Since they were obviously not from the area ( I asked ), I gave them my local map. And, later, I used my computer to find the place that they were looking for: La Strada Italian Restaurant in American Canyon, CA. I showed them the directions as well as the address and 'phone number of said place. They thanked me and called me an "Angel"--Hah! if only they knew what sort of kinky stuff goes through my mind each and everyday. Heh, heh, heh.

Anyway, I'm hoping that my "good deed" for the day will let me win the California Lottery BIG TIME!!! And soon, too. Hey, I just figured out that at my current rate of pay at work, it would take me close to 21 years to make a million dollars. So, if I win the lottery big time, I will be sure to take 20 years of vacation from work for each million that I win. It's wishful thinking on my part--for now! It only takes a dollar to win, as they say ....

I've kept you guys in suspense long enough. About that "thing" which I saw last night, I called and told my brother about it as soon as I pulled into my carport parking space; and, as soon as I entered my unit, I e-mailed my eldest sister in Michigan about it. And here's what I wrote to her:


>>>>  Xxx Xxx ( eldest sister ),

I went to ( my brother ) Xxxxx's house today, Saturday, October 20th,
2012, after work, for his infant son's baptismal celebration.

On my way home, on I-80, just about a mile away from the American
Canyon Exit, at 10:48 p.m., as I was doing my Zhunti Mantra while I was
driving, I saw out in the horizon a bright blue orb fall from the night sky
at a 30-degree angle from the perpendicular in front of my car. It was
approximately one-fourth to one-third the diameter of the Moon in size.
It was visible for only one second!

I fear that it is a repeat of the vision that I saw in December of
2004 just nine days before the Earthquake/Tsunami hit Asia. Of course,
back then, the orb that I saw falling from the sky was a combination
of red, orange, yellow and blue colors. So, I don't know what this
all-blue orb means. Only time will tell.

Anyway, just be careful when you and your family go about your affairs
during the next two weeks or so. Because I don't know whether the blue
orb falling from the night sky is a good omen or a bad omen.

What I do know about the blue color from my knowledge of Hinduism and
through my meditation practice is that it is the color associated with
the Hindu God, Shiva, the God of Destruction ( and, consequently,
Renewal ). I hope and pray that I am wrong because countless lives
will be in grave peril if I am right.

So, be careful, once again.

Xxxxxx ( Cine-Man )  <<<<

The blue orb fell in the same vicinity of the Pacific Ocean as the one which I saw in 2004. Please refer back to my blog on HEREAFTER which I posted on October 22nd, 2010--practically two years ago! I fear that Asia will experience another Cataclysmic Event within the next two weeks.

Before going to bed last night--rather, early this morning--I prayed to God to spare the lives of innocent little children and infants. But, who am I to go against God's Will? His ".. Will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven" ( The Lord's Prayer ). If innocent lives must be lost, I asked Him to take care of their souls.

When I told Hector earlier today about my vision, I mentioned that the blue color is associated with the Hindu God, Shiva, The God of Destruction. He said that he doesn't believe in Shiva. And I told him that Shiva is to Hindus what The Holy Spirit is to Christians. And I further elaborated by saying that Brahma is God, the Father; Vishnu is God, the Son; and Shiva is God, The Holy Spirit.

Allow me to rephrase a famous quote from Shakespeare's play, ROMEO AND JULIET: A Holy Trinity by any other name would still be as Divine.

Please pray that I am wrong about my "End Times" vision. Thank you ....

*

HERE COMES THE BOOM, PG ( 1 hr & 45 min )

where:  UA EMERY BAY STADIUM 10 in Emeryville, CA
when:  Saturday, October 13th, 2012
show:  9:30 p.m.
costs:  $11.00 Ticket + $0.00 small Popcorn w/ Butter ( free on Regal Movie Watcher Rewards Card ) + $4.75 small 32.0 oz Fanta Orange Soda + $5.00 Carquinez Bridge Toll = $20.75
auditorium:  7
seat:  5th row, 12th column

synopsis/overview:  The high school where Biology teacher Mr. Scott Voss ( Kevin James ) teaches is facing budgetary cutbacks. And when he learns that his friend and fellow teacher, Mr. Marty Streb ( Henry Winkler ), is about to get his Music Department put on the chopping block, Scott springs into action, moonlighting as a Mixed Martial Arts fighter who hopes to raise the money all by himself.

noteworthy scenes:  1.) Late for class; 2.) "'Depends on what she looks like"; 3.) Budget problem; 4.) "I said, You showed up"; 5.) Basketball dunk; 6.) Suffrage; 7.) TV sports show; 8.) Lose; 9.) "So, I'm ... citizen"; 10.) Trial by Fire; 11.) "His name is Sergio. But I'm gonna switch it up"; 12.) "This is a terrible mattress, I'm feeling everything"; 13.) Music; 14.) "This looks like a Civil War hospital"; 15.) Intimidation; 16.) Unicorn; 17.) First installment; 18.) Disco Street Fighting; 19.) Training; 20.) Second fight; 21.) "My father wants me to quit music"; 22.) "Democrats, Republicans, Libertarians"; 23.) The same song; 24.) Blue-Eyed Gospel; 25.) Knock-out; 26.) Vomit; 27.) Applesauce; 28.) "You're famous"; 29.) Three vs. one; 30.) Genesis 32:24; 31.) Respect; 32.) "I can't lift my arms"; 33.) "I've always wanted to try this"; 34.) Principal's Office; 35.) Rumble; 36.) "And you, my friend, sat in gum"; 37.) Lyrics; 38.) Broken octagon; 39.) "Don't lose your grip"; 40.) "Derek did it"; 41.) Two colognes; 42.) "She's here--you're out of here"; 43.) "It's like the weirdest date, ever"; 44.) "I felt it when my eyes were burning"; 45.) Meditation Class; 46.) "I can kick your ass"; 47.) Restaurant; 48.) "He's my hero"; 49.) "Magic has to be rushed"; 50.) Pre-fight dinner; 51.) Food fight; 52.) Embezzlement; 53.) UFC Debut; 54.) "'Sounds different"; 55.) Music banner; 56.) "Let's win this thing"; 57.) "He knows better"; 58.) "Good round"; 59.) "I've got to be honest, it's a little blurry right now"; 60.) Inspired; 61.) "Honey, should they be watching this"; 62.) The kiss; and 63.) "I ... citizen two times!"

favorite scenes:  I liked the Suffrage scene.

I liked the Wierdest Date scene.

I liked the Meditation Class scene.

And I liked the Food Fight scene.


audience reaction:  The audience really liked this. But I didn't hear a "Hands Clapper" at the end.

recommendation:  I liked this movie, too. It's really funny. I might go see it again. Go see this if you're into Comedy Movies.

spoiler alert!  Why did they pick a Chinese, Reggie Lee, to play the part of Mr. De La Cruz, the father of Malia ( Charice )? Don't they have Pilipino actors in Hollywood? Why didn't they call on my services as Cine-Man, supporting actor? Maybe it was because I'm too good-looking to play the father's part. Ha, ha, ha. Oops, never mind ... I just found out ( on Google Search ) that Reggie Lee is actually Reggie Valdez, a Pilipino-American. After word got out in the news why a Biology teacher was doing what he was doing, I'm sure that many communities would be more than happy to chip-in for donations. In his UFC debut, Scott should have seen that first punch coming "from a mile away." Those frontal kicks were slow and should have been easily deflected and/or caught. When the other fighter wrapped his legs around Scott's neck, he could have easily gotten out of it by simply wedging his hand and forearm in-between the feet and prying himself out of it to do a counter move and gain the advantage. When he had his opponent on the mat, Scott forgot to punch him in the Liver and in the Spleen even though Niko ( Bas Rutten ) trained him earlier to do just that. Those kicks to the side of the head could have easily been blocked or dodged and countered.

fyi:  'Ever notice how someone who speaks with a British accent loses it when he/she sings a song?

Well, that's exactly what I had to do to get rid of my Pilipino accent: I learned to sing a lot of American songs. I lost my thick accent in the process But I Still Am As Bad As WILLIAM HUNG When I Sing!!! My singing voice is probably just a quarter of an octave in range--if at all! LOL

Bas Rutten plays a very amicable character which almost stole the show from Kevin James's character--who would have thought ....

This bunch of new citizens in the movie are better than the real-life bunch that I was sworn-in with back on July 11th, 2001 ( exactly two months before 9-11 ), in Sacramento, California. I wore a suit and another guy wore a three-piece suit--but the rest showed-up in jeans, shorts, t-shirts, sandals, hats, shades, etc. Unbelievable!!! Had I been the Governor, I would have sent them all home to dress up appropriately for their swearing-in ceremony. We, each, got a letter telling us all to dress-up formally for the special occasion! But, I guess, some people out there just don't give a damn ....

word of advice: Make your dreams come true.

tidbits:  I was asked to work 'til 2:00 p.m. today because somebody called-in sick in my department--and I already had planned on going to my friend Hector's place in Oakland, CA, after I got off from work, to watch the Donaire vs. Nishioka fight on TV in the evening. Since commute traffic headed for Oakland wouldn't be as bad because today is a Saturday, I decided to pick up on the extra hours.


I bought a harness for Sylvester, the kitten, but he will just have to grow into it because it's too big for him right now.

And Hector asked, "Didn't you buy him a leash, too?" I answered, He's too small even for the harness that I got for him. The leash can wait until he's all grown-up.

As Hector and I sat down for some Coffee and French Bread, we got to talking about yesterday's news, the one about human bone fragments recovered from a well which could possibly be those of a kidnapped 9-year old girl from around 24 years ago. Actually, the bone fragments were from 3 or 4 different individuals whose bodies were dumped into the well by a pair of "Speed Freak" ( methamphetamine addict ) killers.

Hector commented, "How could people do such things to innocent people? I remember back in Vietnam when, sometimes, we were given orders not to take any prisoners alive. And those men had families; they were fathers, husbands, brothers and sons."

I said that I want to write an Anti-War novel someday. And I brought-up an interesting bit of Trivia: The Japanese pilot who led The Attack On Pearl Harbor has a daughter who ended-up marrying a US Marine Sargeant! Then I added, That would make for some very interesting family get-togethers.

What is the point of going to war when after it is all over both sides become friends and even intermarry? Why waste precious lives and resources in the first place? Yeah, "Make Love, Not War."

To change the subject, I talked about ARGO. The movie that deals with the American hostages after Ayatollah Khomeini took over as the ruler of Iran. Hector asked me who the dead ruler was whose coffin the pallbearers lost hold of during the funeral procession. I said that it was Ayatollah Khomeini. And Hector said that they probably executed the clumsy guy responsible for it!

Hector had already cooked a pot of Beef Stew for dinner. But it wasn't enough since I showed-up unexpectedly and because his daughter, Ana, and her husband, Glen, and their daughter, Dalila, were coming over for dinner. Luckily, I brought three cans of Beef Stew with me.

I wanted to make some Spaghetti, but they got fed-up with me always making Spaghetti every time I showed up for a visit. I'll do a Hamburger Helper dinner next time. We'll see how they'll like that! Ha, ha, ha.

After dinner, I checked my right wrist to see if I was retaining water because I suspected that I took-in an excess of Sodium from the food that I just ate. I used my left thumb and my left middle finger to grab at my right wrist to see how far up my forearm I could keep my thumb and finger touching at the tips. Sure enough, I was retaining water because I couldn't even make my fingers touch at the tips around my right wrist. We're talking a raise in Blood Pressure here, folks.

I'd better let Hector and his kids know how to check for water retention because they have High Blood Pressure since they use too much salt.

I sat in the living room to finish my blog on ARGO while Hector and his family gathered around me to watch WATER FOR ELEPHANTS on TV. Isma, Hector's son, assured me that even though I temporarily have Dial-Up Service, I could still use Wi-Fi without any problem because they are two different non-conflicting Internet connections.

Hector's two sons, Isma and Tito, and I watched a televised fight after Hector and his wife, Elsa, left for Pleasanton, CA, to spend the night with Ana and her family. The Donair vs. Nishioka boxing match was not that exciting to watch because Nishioka was too cautious and got the crowd booing against him.

At one point, in Nishioka's corner, somebody asked him, "Do you speak Spanish?" Huh ... WTF?!?!?! Nishioka couldn't even speak English, let alone understand what the dumb idiot was asking him!

When I got home later on in the evening, I tried to start my blog on this movie but couldn't because I couldn't get any Dial-Up numbers to get me connected to the Internet. What kind of computer expert is Isma if he doesn't know what the heck he is talking about, I asked myself.

Over a day later, I found out that the reason why any of the Dial-Up numbers didn't work was BECAUSE I FORGOT TO PLUG-IN THE 'PHONE LINE TO MY LAPTOP---Oops, my bad .... Ha, ha, ha.



*

ARGO, R ( 2 hr & 0 min )

-

I went to see this today, Friday, October 12th, 2012, here in Vallejo, CA, at the Century 14 Vallejo, for the 4:55 p.m. show in auditorium 8, 5th row, 8th column.

Quickie Review: On November 4th, 1979, the US Embassy in Iran is stormed by Iranian revolutionaries and demonstrators. In the ensuing commotion, six Americans manage an escape and hide-out at the Canadian Ambassador's residence. When the Iranian Revolutionary Guards learn of the missing Americans, they do a door-to-door search for them. It is up to Tony Mendez ( Ben Affleck ), a CIA Technical Operations Officer, to extract the helpless Americans before it is too late.

The audience really liked this movie. Some people clapped their hands when the airplane finally took-off. And a bunch of people gave it a "Hands Clapper" ending.

I liked this Suspense/Thriller Movie, also. And I almost clapped my hands when the airplane took-off, too! But I had to maintain an "objective" composure to gauge the audience reaction. I was honestly caught-up in all of the suspense ( I actually jolted in my seat when a guard shot a man to death ) unfolding before my very eyes as I watched this "based on a true story" movie . If you are into Suspense/Thriller movies, you will DEFINITELY like this movie! So, what are you waiting for? Go see this movie!

This movie is a serious Oscar contender!

Stay for the Ending Credits to see photos of the actual US Embassy workers portrayed in this movie. The casting agent did a good job of finding look-alikes for the roles. Except for one: Ben Affleck is too handsome to play the part of Tony Mendez. And there is also a "voice-over" of former President Jimmy Carter talking about this secret CIA/Hollywood joint operation.

*************************************

Yesterday, a Thursday, I came this close >-< to buying a new computer. Then, I realized that I needed that saved-up money more for my two ( 2 ) property taxes and for a new set of tires for my car more than I needed it for a new computer. So, I decided to act on a hunch that has been nagging at me for almost a month now.

I reasoned that in order for the Reveton Ransomware Virus that infected my computer in August to work, it would have to corrupt my McAfee Internet Security and my System Mechanic registry optimizer. I decided to delete both of them. And since I already deleted my ISP DSL connection two weeks ago, I had to use a Juno Dial-Up service to check if my hunch was right.

I installed the dial-up service at 5:00 a.m.

Sure enough, I was able to get on the Internet through Dial-Up! My hunch was right. I was able to fix my computer and I was able to save myself some serious Moolah in the process.

Today, after work, I went to the Chase Bank in the Target Shopping Center on Admiral Callaghan Lane to deposit some money into my checking account. And since I still had enough time to spare before this movie started, I went to the Best Buy electronics store, two blocks up the road, to shop for another internet security system and for another registry optimizer. But Best Buy didn't have what I was looking for. I would have to go to the Wal-Marts Super Center in American Canyon to check on their selections.

After the movie, I went to the Wal-Marts Super Center to see if they have what I wanted to get for my computer. Here's the thing: Because of the viral infection on my computer, I had to get rid of my ISP ( PeoplePC ), my McAfee Internet Security and my System Mechanic just to be on the safe side. I was gonna get a Kaspersky AntiVirus but my Juno Dial-Up comes with a Norton AntiVirus and I already have a Malwarbytes Anti-Malware installed in my computer. So, I just went and bought a Defender Pro PC Medic registry optimizer, instead.

I installed the Defender Pro PC Medic registry optimizer as soon as I got home. And my laptop computer started working like new once again. By the way, I like Defender Pro PC Medic better than I liked my System Mechanic. Defender Pro is easier to use and faster--and better!

And I was gonna blog about this movie. But I couldn't get to my blogsite's "New Post" page. I practically waited for approximately two ( 2 ) hours just to see if my dial-up service would get me there; it never did. Dial-Up is of practically no use in today's Internet. So, at 9:45 p.m., I had to upgrade to DSL!

I will get my wireless router sometime next week, hopefully by Tuesday or Wednesday.

*

FRANKENWEENIE in 3-D, PG ( 1 hr & 27 min )

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where:  CENTURY 14 VALLEJO in Vallejo, CA
when:  Sunday, October 7th, 2012
show:  12:15 p.m. ( Extra Dollar Off First Show Matinee )
costs: $10.00 3-D Ticket + $4.50 20.0 oz VitaminWater Revive + $1.08 bulk Chocolate-covered Peanuts = $15.58
auditorium:  1, with a 3-D screen
seat:  6th row, 7th column

synopsis/overview: All Victor wants is for his dog, Sparky, to be back with him again, even if it meant bringing him back from the dead. When his science experiment becomes a success, the other kids in his science class decide to imitate him, unprepared for the disastrous outcome.

noteworthy scenes:  1.) Home movie; 2.) Grumpy neighbor; 3.) Spooky class; 4.) Dream; 5.) Baseball game; 6.) Frog; 7.) Pet cemetery; 8.) The attic; 9.) Waffle iron; 10.) Water; 11.) Fly; 12.) Cat; 13.) Fat woman; 14.) Baby pacifier; 15.) "Your friend is here"; 16.) Show and Tell; 17.) Dead fish; 18.) "Double top secret"; 19.) "Maybe they don't last"; 20.) Rooftop experiment; 21.) Town meeting; 22.) "You changed the variables"; 23.) "Tonight, we shall bring the dead to life"; 24.) Secret; 25.) His parents' discovery; 26.) Dutch Day; 27.) Fire Chief; 28.) Experiments all gone awry; 29.) Salt; 30.) Mob; 31.) Windmill; and 32.) Jumper cables.

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

recommendation: It was okay. But it has scenes that were a little too much for a couple of brats in the audience. Leave your infants and bratty toddlers at home if you want to go see this movie, in polite consideration of the other people in the audience who will be sharing the movie-watching experience with you.

spoiler alert!  A cat's eyes are essentially fixed in their sockets. The only way a cat can visually track a moving object is by moving its head. If a gravesite is tampered with, the groundskeeper would more than likely notify the people who own the plot. The parents should have noticed the door open because outside noise would become more audible and there would be a change in room temperature. Rain didn't fall into the attic when he opened the roof window. The stitches suggest that he took his dog apart, limb from limb, but why ...? If flies hovered above Sparky, it only meant that his body was putrefying; so, people should have been able to smell him. Shouldn't they have used electric transformers? Who covered-up the grave?

fyi: This movie has pop culture references that are quite obvious to fans of the Horror/Monster genre. I would just like to rattle-off a few: Vincent Price, Gremlins, Godzilla Vs. Bambi, Bride Of Frankenstein, Gamera, etc.

I liked the bicycle and the cars that they used in this movie.

I felt sorry for the cat--hey! what can I say ... I'm a cat person.

word of advice: Consider first the consequences of your intended action.

Don't let Envy and Greed cloud your Judgment.

tidbits:  Early in the day, I went to a store to look at their computer selection. I found a good one that I liked, a laptop, for only $368.oo. I'll probably buy it in the next few days.

Throughout the movie, some spoiled-brat toddler kept crying every now and then. And his mother just "Shushed" him each time. What good would shushing do to a bratty toddler who's too young to know what kind of behavior is expected of him/her in public? Why can't irresponsible and inconsiderate parents just leave their infants and bratty toddlers at home in somebody else's care while they go to the movies? Oh, I know the answer: Because They Are Irresponsible And Inconsiderate!!!

*

OMG--OH MY GOD! NR ( 2 hr & 15 min )

-


I went to see this on Saturday, October 6th, 2012, in Emeryville, CA, at the UA Emery Bay Stadium 10, for the 9:45 p.m. show in auditorium 1, 4th row, 7th column.

Quickie Review: Kanjibhai ( Paresh Rawal ), an antiques shop owner, questions the reality of God and addresses the absurdity of Religion after he falls on hard times. Until Lord Shiva ( Akshay Kumar ) shows him the error of his ways.

The audience liked this movie. And some of them gave it a "Hands Clapper" ending.

I liked this movie, too, as it reinforces some of my long-held spiritual beliefs. Go see this movie if you're spiritually-inclined.

This movie has a missing piece of information: It gave a Chapter and Verse quotation from the Holy Bible yet failed to mention what Book it came from.

Milk is toxic to the ecosystem of rivers, lakes and estuaries. Too much milk that gets dumped into such bodies of water increases the growth of algae and suchlike which use up the oxygen that the fish and shellfish need to survive.

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After I got off from work today, I went to Hector's place in Oakland, CA, to sit-in on his 1:00 p.m. Bible Study Class. The topic was the Book of Daniel, Chapters 10 - 12, which tie-in with End Times Prophecy. Anyway, it was an informative discussion that the class had on the subject.

It was also a potluck day, so everyone who showed up ( myself included ) brought food to share with everyone else. And we had a hearty meal.

Then, we watched the Oakland A's and the San Francisco Giants on TV play baseball.

Later, Hector's son, Isma, went with his cousin to watch a football game at the UC Berkeley campus.

And poor Sylvester, the kitten, got smacked by Hector for climbing up on the new drapes. Sylvester hid himself until Isma came back home later on in the night, well after I had already left for the evening. ( I talked to Hector the following day, Sunday, when he mentioned Sylvester finally coming out of hiding. )

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Years before I became initiated into Kriya Yoga ( Yogoda Satsanga Society branch of SRF/YSS ), I had a vision in which I encountered Lord Shiva, Himself, in a human incarnation.

In my vision, as I laid in bed waiting to fall asleep, I saw myself, on a sunny day, walking on a dirt path when a dark-brown skinned and long dark-haired athletic-looking handsome young man in a leather loin cloth ( think of Tarzan ), appeared out of nowhere and walked into my path from the right. He turned and walked in front of me. I followed him, all the while I felt a sense of "destruction". But I didn't know what kind of "destruction" it was, whether I should destroy him like I destroyed some ghosts using a specific technique that I learned from a Canadian psychic or whether he was going to destroy me. And if I were to destroy him, I would have preferred that he faced me. Since I wasn't clear on the matter, I just quietly followed him instead.

He stopped at the edge of a bank of a river, a lake or a big pond. I don't know which one it was; all I know was that the water was very still and it was muddy-brown in color. All of a sudden, he dived into the water--in slow motion--and disappeared underneath the muddy water.

I stood there at the bank contemplating whether I should dive in or not. But before I could make up my mind, he appeared on the surface of the water sideways ( on his left side ) and covered in all kinds of poisonous snakes! He rolled on the water surface in slow motion without a care in the world as the snakes slithered all over his body.

I decided not to dive into the water because some time ago before I had this particular vision, on December 23rd, 2003, to be exact, I was attacked by a spirit entity disguised as a small black snake after I was done meditating for the night. It struck at my left ankle and lower leg three times; and its strikes were so painful that had I not been instantly and completely paralyzed by its first strike I would have screamed and writhed in deep agony!

But another spirit entity, disguised as my beloved deceased orange tabby Manx cat killed it with a single strike of its right front paw to the snake's head. I say it was a spirit entity because no ghost can stand a chance against any spirit.

( Cine-Man's note: According to the Ancient Egyptians who built the Great Pyramid, the year 2003 A.D. was the year when the Evil Celestial Serpent would be visible in the night sky to anyone inside of the pyramid looking out through its built-in porthole. )

As I stood at the bank trying to decide what to do next, the man slowly disappeared once again under the muddy water. Presently, a huge reptilian head emerged from the muddy water; the head was the size of my Geo Metro car! Since it was just a few yards away, it was clearly within striking distance of me. I couldn't escape from it even if I wanted to! And through my years of encounters with other-worldly entities, one thing that I learned the hard way is to never run away from any evil entity, that it is always best to hold my ground.

So, I stood there waiting for it to make its move. Then, it puffed its cheeks at me. And I said to myself, Wait a minute! Crocodiles can't do that because of their skull anatomy; only snakes can do that.

Then, the vision ended.

Years later, when I read Sri Yogananda's book, Autobiography Of A Yogi, that was when I realized that I had a spiritual encounter with the Destroyer God, Lord Shiva, and the River God, Naga.

Now, before you Christians, Jews and Muslims out there start thinking that I had an evil encounter, consider these: In the Old Testament, God represented Himself as a serpent; in the New Testament, Jesus Christ symbolically represented a serpent! Read the Bible and see them for yourselves.

*

TAKEN 2, PG-13 ( 1 hr & 32 min )

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where:  CENTURY 14 VALLEJO in Vallejo, CA
when:  Friday, October 5th , 2012
show:  7:15 p.m.
costs:  $10.50 Ticket + $3.21 lunch @ MacDonald's Restaurant before the movie + $2.37 dinner @ MacDonald's Restaurant after the movie = $16.08
auditorium:  14
seat:  4th row, 11th column

synopsis/overview:  In Istanbul, Bryan Mills ( Liam Neeson ) and his wife, Lenore ( Famke Janssen ), are abducted  when the father of one of the kidnappers that Bryan killed tracked them down with revenge in mind.

noteworthy scenes:  1.) Cemetery; 2.) Boyfriend; 3.) GPS; 4.) Torture; 5.) Canceled reservations; 6.) Surprise; 7.) Magical; 8.) "He's in the lobby"; 9.) Followed; 10.) "I'll blow his brains out"; 11.) Instructions; 12.) Memory aid; 13.) Shooting victims; 14.) Mini-phone; 15.) Case; 16.) Grenade; 17.) Rooftop; 18.) Photos; 19.) Thirty minutes; 20.) Second grenade; 21.) Steam; 22.) Soccer game; 23.) Rooftop chase; 24. Five minutes; 25.) Van; 26.) "No, I just shot one of them"; 27.) Railroad track; 28.) US Embassy; 30.) "At least, my daughter is still alive"; 31.) 'Phone ring; 32.) "And I will kill them, too"; 33.) Gun; 34.) Department of Motor Vehicles; and 35.) "Don't shoot this one."

audience reaction:  The audience liked it. And some people in the audience gave it a "Hands Clapper" ending.

recommendation:  I liked it, too. Go see this Action Movie.

spoiler alert!  The henchmen were given the order to take them alive. Yet, in the first car chase, the henchmen shot at him like they wanted to kill him. Did Kim ( Maggie Grace ) have to go running around with her shirt mostly unbuttoned? The slash wound to the neck was not deep enough so that the victim could have prevented much blood loss simply by raising the shoulder and tilting the head toward the raised shoulder to "pinch" the wound close and give it time to get coagulated. Kim was still on a Learner's Permit as a driver and practiced driving on at least two vehicles that had an Automatic Transmission; but the taxi that she drove was a Manual Transmission that she was, somehow, able to handle without a problem---Hah! 'not happenin' in real life. When the car drove through the US Embassy gate, the soldiers didn't shoot at the sides of the car. They didn't have to call somebody to keep the soldiers from shooting at them; all they had to do was yell out loud, "Don't shoot! We're Americans." If you have a beautiful and sexy woman all tied-up and helpless, and you have a pair of scissors in your hand, you'd want to get her undressed at the very least, wouldn't you? So, imagine my  disappointment upon realizing that the bad guy was too stupid to do something better with his pair of scissors! As I've said it before, you cannot titillate if you don't show a tit ( nipple )!!! In his one-on-one fight with the bad guy, if he only gouged the other guy's eyes out and/or kicked him in the balls--and there were quite a few opportunities for Bryan to do either one--the fight would have ended sooner. And why didn't they factor-in ricochets in the shoot-out scenes?

fyi:  You would think that after the bombing of a US Barracks in Beirut, Lebanon, back in October 23, 1983, which cost the lives of 241 American Servicemen, we Americans would have already come up with a contingency plan that would keep a runaway or speeding vehicle driven by a suicide bomber from crashing through a checkpoint so easily.

But this movie shows a US Embassy's security checkpoint so easily breached. 

If I were in charged of security for that embassy, I would have installed machine gunners on either side of the driveway, have RPGs at the ready, installed pop-up tire-shredders, and I would have designed the entrance in such a way that vehicles would have to negotiate a winding path and have no easy access to a building's parking garage and/or 1st floor. It only makes sense.

word of advice:  If you want to kill someone, do it at your very first opportunity!

tidbits:  After I got off from work, I went to the Benicia Rite Aid Drugstore to get a Flu Shot for $29.99. I could have gotten it for free at my HMO, Kaiser Permanente Hospital, had I wanted to. But I need to have as many tax write-offs as possible when I go file my 2012 Income Tax Return so that I will get a bigger Income Tax Refund from Uncle Sam.

The pharmacy tech who gave me my Flu Shot was either new at the job or she was in awe of my imposing studliness because her hands were trembling as she gave me my shot in my left upper arm ( or she could just have been lusting at my manliness--or maybe she was just on a Caffeine High--whatever ... ).

After I got my Flu Shot, I drove to the Columbus Parkway MacDonald's Restaurant to have a light lunch. I ordered an Angus Snack Wrap and a large cup of Powerade Mountain Berry Blast for $3.21.

As I ate my lunch, I accessed MacDonald's Free Wi-Fi to surf the 'net and to check on my e-mails. I also bought and downloaded Malwarebytes Anti-Malware to my computer. I think that I paid $35.73 for it with my credit card.

Then, I got a refill on my drink so that I could take it to my car and fill-up my empty 32.0 oz Powerade bottle. Hey, I ain't one to pass-up on a free refill!

On my way to the theatre, I realized that I still had enough time to do a quick shopping trip at the Dollar Tree Store in the Target Shopping Center on Admiral Callaghan Lane. I bought some canned food, some napkins, some paper plates, and some 2.5 litre sodas.

Near the end of the movie, in the scene wherein Bryan saved his wife, the two guys seated to my left started giggling. I failed to see the humor in that scene.

After the movie, I went to the MacDonald's Restaurant in the Target Shopping Center to have a light dinner. I ordered a Cheeseburger and a large cup of Powerade Mountain Berry Blast for $2.37.

And I accessed their Free Wi-Fi to start my blog on this movie.

At just before closing time, I went and got a refill on my drink because I had another empty 32.0 oz Powerade bottle waiting for me in my car--hey, I'm not cheap, I'M SMART!

*