Saturday, November 24, 2012

RISE OF THE GUARDIANS in 3-D, PG ( 1 hr & 37 min )

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I went to see this today, Saturday, November 24th, 2012, here in Vallejo, CA, at the CENTURY 14 VALLEJO for the 2:40 p.m. 3-D show in auditorium 10, 4th row, 8ht column ( counting from the left ).

Quickie Review: Pitch-Black, the Master of Fear, wants the Children of the World to stop believing in Santa Claus, The Easter Bunny, The Sandman and The Tooth Fairy so that he can reign supreme and unchallenged. But The Man on the Moon has a plan of his own: Recruit Jack Frost into The Guardians Team.

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

I liked this movie enough. It's sure to be a commercial success, i.e. the commercialization of Christmas and Easter will continue on unabated. Take your brats to go see this movie. Then, be ready to fork-over your hard-earned money at the toy store checkstands when your brats go clamoring for movie "tie-in" merchandise just in time for The Holidays! Ha, ha, ha.

A Santa with tattoos .... Now, I've seen everything! But shouldn't his left forearm be sporting the word, "Naughty", instead, since the left side is traditionally associated with what are considered bad? Or ... maybe, he's got the word, "Naughty", tattooed on his right forearm because he is "right-handed"--wink, wink. Heh, heh, heh ....

There are some Bonus Scenes during the Ending Credits, by the way. So, stick around for them.

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I took my 2001 Hyundai Accent to Quality Tune-Up on Sonoma Boulevard here in Vallejo, first thing this morning, for an Oil and Filter change. And I waited it out by having a Burrito Breakfast w/ Orange Juice at the MacDonald's Restaurant next door to it.

They have Wi-Fi at this MacDonald's, I just learned. I'll be sure to keep this in mind for some other time.

The mechanic told me that my car has a Valve Cover Gasket leak, causing the Coolant to get dirty. Didn't I just have the Valve Cover replaced at Wheel-Works, across the street, a few months ago? This is the 3rd time that some mechanic at Wheel-Works did an incompetent job on this particular car of mine! I asked the mechanic if he's heard of complaints about the competition from across the street. But, out of "professional courtesy", he wouldn't divulge any such information. I just hope that the warranty on the Valve Cover job is still in effect and that they fix the problem correctly this time around because I'm tired of constantly taking my car to Wheel-Works and have to put-up with their incompetence!

Gad, I sure miss my Geo Metro. That car ran almost trouble-free!

I dropped-by the Main Post Office to pick-up a package. As I was leaving the building, a hobo sitting by the side entrance asked for some spare change. I didn't give him any. And he said, "God bless you." Don't you just love it when they try to put a "guilt trip" on you? I try and not give them money because they will more than likely just spend it on some vice. Why can't they get AND HOLD a job? I worked two jobs for ten ( 10 ) long years until I couldn't take it anymore since at the end of the day I would be reduced to walking with the aid of a cane because my feet and ankles would be in such pain! If I could hold two jobs, they could hold one job easily. Note to myself: Exit through the main entrance next time.

Then, I went to the Safeway Supermarket in American Canyon, CA, to fill-up my car's tank to take advantage of my 20-cents off per gallon, one-time-only "Gas Reward". With the price of gas the way it is these days, every little bit of savings helps out.

I went back to Vallejo to do a little shopping at The Dollar Tree Store on Sonoma Boulevard.

And I went to the Chase Bank at the Lucky's ( soon-to-be FoodMaxx in January of next year ) Shopping Center on the corner of Tuolumne and Redwood Streets to make a deposit into my checking account and to order two checkbooks.

As I walked back to my car, I called my friend, Hector, in Oakland, CA, because I was planning on visiting him and his family. But they already had other plans for the day. I'll visit them on Thursday, instead, after I take my car to Wheel-Works.

I went back to my condo to fetch my laptop. And I drove directly to the MacDonald's Restaurant in the Target Shopping Center on Admiral Callaghan Lane here in Vallejo to do my blog on RED DAWN while I waited for this movie to start.

One of the dining patrons asked me, as he walked by, if I get Wi-Fi in the restaurant. I said, Yes. He asked me if the signal is encrypted ( Huh, how the f-ck would I know? ). I said that I don' know. He said to check if the signal is WPA-2 coded. Now, how the heck would I go about checking-up on that? I've gotta get Hector's son, Isma, to check it out for me.

When I told the box office clerk at the theatre that I was there to see the 3-D version of RISE OF THE GUARDIANS, she dug through her supply of 3-D glasses and handed me a special "Collector's Edition" 3-D glasses. Either I get special treatment because I'm a regular movie patron/blogger OR some girls who work there just simply have got the "hots" for me and are actively vying for my "manly" attention ( the sexy 1st Stage Yogi that I am--ahem! [ cough, cough ... ] )---I like this second explanation better! Don't you ...?

Anyway ...

I told the clerk that I was gonna keep the "Collector's Edition" 3-D glasses as a souvenir and use the spare pair of regular 3-D glasses that I keep handy in my car. I came prepared, having learned from experience.

After RISE OF THE GUARDIANS ended, I went to the Starbucks Coffee Shop at the Target Shopping Center here on Admiral Callaghan Lane at the opposite end of the parking lot from the MacDonald's Restaurant, where I was at earlier, to do my blog on this movie. Thank God, the "WPA-2" guy wasn't there!

*

RED DAWN, PG-13 ( 1 hr & 33 min )



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where: CENTURY 14 VALLEJO in Vallejo, CA
when: Thursday, Thanksgiving Day, November 22nd, 2012
show: 11:30 a.m.
costs: $6.50 Ticket + $1.12 Bulk Chocolate-covered Peanuts and Raisins + $4.50 20.0 oz VitaminWater Focus = $12.12
auditorium: 11
seat: 5th row, 5th seat ( counting from the left )
synopsis/overview: The people of Spokane, Washington, wake up one day to find that North Korean paratroopers have landed in their city. The invaders soon find out what we, Americans, mean when we say, "It's Kick-Ass Time!"
noteworthy scenes: 1.) News footage; 2.) Blackout; 3.) "Rendezvous with Douche Company"; 4.) Morning attack; 5.) Escape; 6.) TV News; 7.) No food; 8.) "They had to have help"; 9.) Traitor; 10.) Execution; 11.) "Your parents are down there"; 12.) Our home; 13.) Crash-course training; 14.) Ambush; 15.) "Isn't this C-4"; 16.) "We never drank that sh-t"; 17.) "We create chaos"; 18.) Graffiti; 19.) Subway; 20.) "That's how you get Choi"; 21.) Russians; 22.) Bad news; 23.) "I need to know I can count on you"; 24.) "She smelled like AquaNet"; 25.) Shelling; 26.) Free America Army; 27.) "Massive Electro-Magnetic Pulse"; 28.) Closed Network Communication; 29.) Jump; 30.) "I got this"; 31.) "You f-cked with the wrong family"; 32.) "I'm proud of you"; 33.) Sneak attack; 34.) "It's not a knife wound"; 35.) "We're not doing too bad for a bunch of kids"; and 36.) More recruits.
audience reaction: I guess some people in the audience liked this movie. A man behind me said, "Is that it?" And someone on my right side gave it a "Hands Clapper" ending ( I don't really know why ).
recommendation: I found this movie rather amusing, in a stupid sort of way. Veterans and servicemen/women would have a good laugh watching this ridiculous movie. This is strictly a "rental".
spoiler alert!  North Korea is over 5,000 miles away from the State of Washington. And, right off the top of my head, I count at least seven--there should be more than that--US Bases in the Pacific Region. Therefore, in order for them to launch an attack on the United States, the North Koreans would have to deal with all of these US Bases ( and their Advance Warning Systems ) first! Squadrons of foreign cargo planes will not go undetected, even if they have a "Massive Electro-Magnetic Pulse" weapon in use because such a weapon would still have a limited radius of effectiveness. Parachute into foreign territory in broad daylight--seriously ...? To send your paratroopers into a heavily-armed territory in broad daylight is suicidal and very stupid! The Army Reserve and the National Guard's Artillery Corps could easily handle those slow and mostly-undefended enemy cargo planes. The North Koreans don't have the level of experience in Logistics Support that we, Americans, do; and, "An army travels on its stomach ( Napoleon Bonaparte )." So, where did the North Koreans get their food, water and other supplies from, Starbucks, MacDonald's and 7-Eleven? The North Koreans only rounded-up those people who were in their neighborhoods and still dressed in their pajamas but those people who were out shopping and enjoying a cup of java at Starbucks were not rounded-up ...? Ha, ha, ha. They were fleeing the enemy in a Dodge Ram and should have rammed those four paratroopers instead of dodged them! Why didn't he run down the enemy officer who stepped-out of the crashed truck? In the Ambush scene, why didn't more enemy soldiers show-up? After the surprise shelling, dogs could be heard barking; dogs that I assume were the enemy's tracking hounds. So, what happened to the dogs? How come only the Marines were represented in this movie?
fyi: The United States Armed Forces are the most powerful, most experienced and most widespread forces in the whole world! In an All-Out War, no country can top the US. We even have weapons that are still strictly classified as Top Secret!
What follows is information that may be of interest to all of you foreigners out there who are contemplating a surprise land invasion on my  beloved country:
 www.guardian.co.ukhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/2012/jul/22/gun-homicides-ownership-world-list. The Small Arms Survey is also useful - although it is from 2007, it collates civilian gun ownership rates for 178 countries around the world, and has 'normalised' the data to include a rate per 100,000 population.
It shows that:
With less than 5% of the world's population, the United States is home to roughly 35–50 per cent of the world's civilian-owned guns, heavily skewing the global geography of firearms and any relative comparison
So, given those caveats, we can see which countries have the highest ownership rates for firearms - and which have the highest gun murder rates.
The key facts are:
• The US has the highest gun ownership rate in the world - an average of 88 per 100 people. That puts it first in the world for gun ownership - and even the number two country, Yemen, has significantly fewer - 54.8 per 100 people
• But the US does not have the worst firearm murder rate - that prize belongs to Honduras, El Salvador and Jamaica. In fact, the US is number 28, with a rate of 2.97 per 100,000 people
• Puerto Rico tops the world's table for firearms murders as a percentage of all homicides - 94.8%. It's followed by Sierra Leone in Africa and Saint Kitts and Nevis in the Caribbean
Here is what I found while doing a Google Search on Spokane, WA:
Spokane
Washington
Spokane is a city located in the Northwestern United States in the state of Washington. It is the largest city of Spokane County, of which it is also the county seat, and the metropolitan center of the Inland Northwest region. Wikipedia
Area58.5 sq miles (151.5 km²)
Population210,103 (2011)
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"... 88 per 100 people" is A LOT OF CIVILIAN FIREPOWER!!! Based on this, there would be approximately 176,000 guns in Spokane, Washington, alone! If you consider that each gun, on average, would have at least twenty ( 20 ) bullets available at-the-ready, those enemy paratroopers would be looking down ( and they wouldn't have to squint for long ) at approximately 3,520,000 bullets coming-up to greet them! Those suicidal and very stupid paratroopers would just be "sitting ducks" ( or should that be, "floating ducks" ) to the armed citizenry of Spokane---Woo-Hoo, it's Open Season time, folks! And we don't need no Gosh-Darn permit!! Let's go git dem yellow varmints, y'all!!! Hee-haw. Yippee ki-yay, motherf-ckers!
As for myself, I have a rifle, a Rambo knife and two machetes. Ha, ha, ha. And I'm thinking about getting two handguns, a Glock and a Medusa, someday. And when I move out of California sometime in the future, I'll be sure to put a Calico rifle and a Calico handgun on top of my To-Buy List! And I'm gonna get a shotgun, an assault rifle, a high-velocity pellet rifle, a bow and arrow set, a crossbow and a slingshot, too. ( Where's Santa Claus when I need him? ) But I'm still thinking about whether or not I should get myself a blowgun on top of everything else. LOL
word of advice: Do your research first. Then, work on your contingency plans.
tidbits:  I was gonna get a Lite Bite at the concessions counter but they don't fill-up the whole box with popcorn! They leave room for the small cup of soda to go in it. I complained to a manager about it, that at their sister theatre in San Francisco, CA, the CENTURY SAN FRANCISCO CENTRE 9 and X-D, the clerks would fill-up the box with popcorn and hand you the cup separately. The manager said that they used to fill-up the box with popcorn but got in trouble for doing it that way---Whatever .... I told him that I was gonna go on-line and complain about it. This theatre's got some nerve trying to cheat on Cine-Man, the well-experienced movie-goer.
Since today is Thanksgiving Day, I thank God that I live in such a great country,The Greatest Country in the World--even with a usurper in place. GOD BLESS AMERICA, the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave!!!
These colors don't run!

*

Friday, November 23, 2012

LIFE OF PI in 3-D, PG ( 2 hr & 5 min )

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I went to see this on Wednesday, November 21st, 2012, here in Vallejo, CA, at the CENTURY 14 VALLEJO for the 10:20 p.m. 3-D show in auditorium 2, 5th row, 4th seat.

Quickie Review:  Lost at sea for months after a storm sank his ship and drowned everyone else, Pi ( Suraj Sharma ) must find a way to keep his sole companion on a lifeboat, a Bengal Tiger, from eating him alive.

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

I liked this visually stunning movie, too. It is such a sumptuous visual treat--kinda like an "all-you-can-eat buffet" for the eyes. Go see this movie.

I liked the scene where Pi threw a flying fish at the tiger.

I liked the scene where Pi and the Tiger took turns marking their territories.

I liked the scene with the whale.

And I liked the Doldrums scene.

Last, but certainly not least, I liked Pi's love interest! She is one hot spice gal.

I cannot say any more about the movie or I will spoil it for you in a major way. Just go see this "Popcorn" movie and enjoy ....

I feel that this movie will get nominated for at least two Oscars. 'Can't wait to see how my Oscar prediction turns out!

No animals were actually killed or harmed in the making of this movie--at least, that is what the disclaimer would have you believe. But it has some really intense scenes involving animals. Although the scene wherein a Meerkat got eaten by the tiger was obviously a fake!

*

Friday, November 16, 2012

THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN--PART 2, PG-13 ( 1 hr & 56 min )

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I went to see this today, Thursday, November 15th, 2012, here in Vallejo, CA, at the CENTURY 14 VALLEJO, for the 11:15 p.m. show in auditorium 5, 3rd row, 7th column.

Quickie Review:  Bella ( Kristen Stewart ) wakes up as a vampire from her life-threatening labor. And she learns that her daughter, Renesmee, is part mortal and part immortal who grows at an accelerated rate. When the Volturi receive word of the newborn, they decide to put an end to the abomination by sentencing everybody in the Cullen Coven to death. Bella, Edward ( Robert Pattinson ) and the rest of the Cullens seek help from other vampires scattered all around the world in anticipation of a seemingly inevitable kill-or-be-killed conflict with the Volturi.

The audience, mostly female--because it's a Chick Flick movie, duh--liked this. And some of them gave it a "Hands Clapper" ending.

I liked it enough. This is the best in the series, in terms of Directing, Acting, and Special Effects--but not by much! ( But the Pacing still needed some work, though. ) Go see it if you're a Twilight fan--or if you're a girl!

Here are the things that I found wrong in this movie:  When Bella was running through the forest, she watched a flower go from bud to full bloom. Ah, excuse me. But the only way that Bella could have noticed the flower go from bud to full bloom was if she was running very slowly, so slowly that even a lowly snail could run circles around her with each step that she'd take! The forest floor is not smooth and even; meaning, they should have tripped and fallen a few times as they ran through the forest ( and remember, crushed leaves and weeds can be quite slippery ). When she jumped down from the cliff, her short skirt should have balloned-up and exposed her panties--I'm assuming, of course, that she was wearing one in the first place. Ha, ha, ha. If vampires don't breathe, then they don't have the ability to speak at all--I already mentioned this in my blog on DYLAN DOG: DEAD OF NIGHT ( May, 2011 ). Edward said, "Let's give them some privacy." Privacy, my butt--they all have super-sharp hearing and can hear a pin drop in another room! Why didn't Bella's father comment about the difference in her body temperature? Wow, what a lovely, remarkable daughter, Renesmee, you have there--Opps! she just had her period again. Hey, Bella, is your daughter gonna have a period every hour? 'Better stock-up on "blood rags", then. No wonder this dog keeps following your daughter around! LOL. Why didn't the Japanese vampire know of any Karate moves? I can understand why the vampires didn't show any breath condensation in the confrontation scene; but the little girl and the werewolves could breathe and should have produced breath condensation! I don't care how fast the vampires could run; they shouldn't be able to run that fast on snow-covered ground.

I found this on www.fandango.com.

The above photo is of a scene near the end of the movie. If you pay close attention to the Close-Up Shot of Bella's face, you will definitey notice that she's got crud in-between all of her teeth---Yuck! Disgusting!! If I were Edward kissing Bella in that scene, I would have vomited into her mouth!!!

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I got off from work at 8:45 p.m.--overtime pay--because I had to help somebody in my department finish his closing duties.

I drove to the theatre to buy my movie ticket so that I wouldn't have to wait in line for the movie to start.

Then, I decided to have dinner at a Mexican fast-food restaurant, the Chicken Express on the corner of Broadway and Redwood Streets here in Vallejo. I had the Chicken Taco Salad Meal for $7.58; it comes with a small bag of Tortilla Chips and a small drink ( I had the Raspberry Tea ). I always come to this place whenever I have a craving for Fresh Salsa. They have four kinds of salsa: Two mild ones and two hot ones. And you could have as much of the fresh salsa as you'd like--I'd always get a lot because they're delicious and fresh.

I swung back to my condo just to rest-up as I waited for when it was time for me to go to the theatre.

Since I didn't have to wait in line, I walked right in. I went to the Concessions Counter to buy a $4.50 20.0 oz VitaminWater Revive ( revive--how apropo ) to drink along with the smuggled-in $1.00 3.1 oz Cookie Dough Cupcake Bites that I bought at the local Dollar Tree Store over a year ago ( and it still tasted good, by the way ).

I found this somewhere on the Internet---How fitting!!! Ha, ha, ha.

*

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

SKYFALL, PG-13 ( 2 hr & 23 min )

I like this poster the best--oh, yeah--even though the date on it is wrong.
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I went to see this today, Tuesday, November 13th, 2012, here in Vallejo, CA, at the CENTURY 14 VALLEJO, for the 3:45 p.m. show in auditorium 8, 6th row, 8ht column.

Quickie Review:  When James Bond ( Daniel Craig ) fails to retrieve a hard drive, MI-6's security gets breached and its headquarters get bombed. And undercover secret agents all over the world get exposed and killed one-by-one. M ( Judi Dench ) turns to the one agent that she can trust to get to the bottom of things: Bond, a.k.a. 007. What Bond uncovers is something hidden from M's past that has now come back to haunt and torment her.

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

I liked this movie but not as much as the rest of the audience did. This 007 is different from the previous 007s: The other 007s would always get the girl ( I think ); but this 007 would always get the girl ... killed--it seems! What a skewed predilection this 007 has! Anyway, go see this movie if you're a die-hard James Bond fan.

Here are the things that I found wrong in this movie: When James Bond was operating the Back Hoe Construction Vehicle, the bad guy shot him in the right chest; and a later scene showed that the bullet had exited his body at the back. So, why was he able to fight normally? When he fell into the water, there was no blood flowing out of his bullet wounds. Bond should have told Eve ( Naomie Harris ) to put half on Red and half on Black. James Bond said, "What a waste of Scotch!" I would have said, What a waste of pu---Never mind! Silva's ( Javier Bardem ) face was badly deformed by Hydrogen Cyanide poisoning, to the point that his Infra-Orbital Nerves were damaged and the Facial Muscles associated with them became atrophied. Therefore, no Oral/Maxillofacial Prosthesis of any kind could ever effectively remedy such a deformity! When he was in the tunnel, he should not have been able to run away from the blast of the explosion. Why did they use a flashlight in the dark when they knew that the bad guys were looking for them? And whatever happened to the barking dogs? No bad guy had the forethought to bring along some Thermal Imaging Scope and/or Night Vision Goggles. That knife was not a throwing knife and should not have hit its target the way it did. There was no way that the hand-thrown knife could have penetrated the Spinal Column all the way through, dead-center. The knife looked like it penetrated T-5 ( Thoracic Vertebra # 5 ) all the way through. The diameter of the Spinal Cord in the Thoracic Region of the Spine is approximately half an inch. And the knife's blade's thickness was probably a quarter inch. Therefore, when the knife penetrated the Spinal Cord in the Thoracic Region, Nerve Impulses to all the Muscles and Organs from the Arms all the way down to the Legs would have all been greatly impaired because of the severe damage done to the Spinal Cord! In other words, I don't think that the bad guy could even have walked from that moment on!!!

I've said this before. Now, I'll say it again: They should have hired my services as Cine-Man, technical consultant!

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At 7:30 a.m., I called my Periodontist's clinic to see if they could squeeze me in today for some emergency dental work. They scheduled me to come in at 10:00 a.m.

After I took a shower, I went to the post office to buy money orders as my payment on two property taxes.

Then, I went to my Periodontist's clinic. I had to park at the very far end, around the corner, because everybody went to the dentist/periodontist today. I guess it is because yesterday, Monday, was a holiday.

My Periodontist's new associate, a young and beautiful Chinese-American, took care of me. With the use of her laptop, she showed me my x-ray result: There was no way of saving the tooth because of the cavity on the Medial side of Tooth # 5 and the bone loss in the surrounding area. She extracted the tooth and put some Grafting Material in the area to stabilize Teeth #s 4 and 6, just in case I decide on having an implant put in later on. But I don't think that that will be a good option for me because of my history of Advanced Periodontal Disease.

I decided on getting a partial someday. And since I used to be a Dental Lab Tech, I would like to make the Partial Denture myself, if the lab that I used to work at 16 years ago will let me.

After the tooth extraction, I went to the Safeway Supermarket on Admiral Callaghan Lane, just two buildings in front of my Periodontist's clinic, to get my prescriptions filled. Then, I went to the Fed-Ex Kinko's Store across the parking lot from Safeway to get some xerox copies made. I went back to Safeway to pick-up my prescriptions.

Then, I went back to the post office to drop-off my payments.

And I went to AAA, just a few blocks away, to pay on my car insurance and to get another Vallejo/Benicia/Napa area map since I gave my last one to some from-out-of-town lady.

Before going to see this movie, I decided to have lunch at the MacDonald's Restaurant in the Target Shopping Center on Admiral Callaghan Lane here in Vallejo, CA.

This is the side entrance of MacDonald's. They just got done remodeling the place a few days ago. They're competing with Starbucks at the opposite end of this shopping center. Because, just like at Starbucks, they now have electrical outlets for people who want to use their laptops while dining here.
While watching this movie, I was dozing on and off because my pain medication was making me sleepy.

I came back to this restaurant after the movie to finish-up my blog on LINCOLN and to start my blog on this movie. There was a loud drunk inside the restaurant who was just making a fool of himself. They asked him to leave. He left; and he came back. They asked him to leave again. He left but came back later on. They asked him to leave for the last and final time at around 9:30 p.m.

Before going home, I went back to the Admiral Callaghan Lane Safeway Supermarket to buy a banana, an avocado, and a 1.75 qt. of Safeway Select Lemon Cheesecake Ice Cream ( hmm, yummy-licious ... ).

*

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

LINCOLN, PG-13 ( 2 hr & 29 min )

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If you notice the date on this photo, it is from last week when I came here for the very first time to see a movie. The movie was Denzel Washington's FLIGHT. He did a good job of portraying a pilot who is an alcoholic and a drug addict. But I think that his character was just too much to be believable; it was more like a parody sketch, if you ask me. 'Sorry for the blurry shot. I will try and set my digital camera at 400 asa speed next time.


I went to see this today, Monday, November 12th, 2012, in San Francisco, CA, at the CENTURY SAN FRANCISCO CENTRE 9 and X-D on the 5th floor of the Westfield Shopping Center, for the 5:50 p.m. show in auditorium 1, 7th row, 9th column ( seat number 18--I count from the left ).

Quickie Review: With the Civil War into its fourth year, President Lincoln finds himself with the moral and ethical duty to get the 13th Amendment to The US Constitution, which guarantees freedom and equality for slaves, passed by the House Committee.

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

I liked this movie, too. It goes into the subject more than what any US History book could do. I would highly recommend this to all of you US History buffs out there.

Daniel Day-Lewis did a superbly stellar job in portraying our beloved 16th President--he even looks like the President! When you see this movie, you don't see Daniel Day-Lewis; you see President Lincoln, himself. How uncanny. He is a very strong contender for Best Actor in the upcoming Oscars.

The only thing that I didn't like about this movie are the last two scenes which, in my own opinion, should have been switched around. Better yet, the Assassination scene should have been completely cut-out and left on the cutting-room floor ( it just looked out of place, to begin with )!

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I had a chiropractor's appointment first thing in the morning, at 8:30 a.m.

After my spinal adjustment, I called my dentist to see if he could see me today for a tooth that had been bothering me for the last few days. But they could not squeeze me into their schedule.

Then, I went to the Dollar Tree Store across from my chiropractor's clinic on Sonoma Boulevard here in Vallejo, CA.

And I went to Max's of Manila Restaurant, just around the corner from the Dollar Tree Store, to have a Pilipino Buffet Breakfast.

I decided to see WRECK-IT RALPH once again, here in Vallejo, CA, as I waited for my food to get digested. There were a lot of brats in the auditorium with me because today is a Veterans' Day holiday. The brats and their parents really like the movie. The very annoying boy brat seated directly behind me kicked the back of my seat a few times. Why don't their irresponsible parents teach their brats some manners before they're forced to learn manners the hard way? The girl brat seated four seats to my right was dancing to the music during the Ending Credits--that was cute, I suppose.

As I stepped-out of the theatre, this is what I saw:

This van has Barbie Dolls--naked ones!!!--all over the rooftop and on its rear bumper. This van belongs to the owner of  a Barbie Doll Art Shop here in Vallejo, CA. The website is www.ooakbarbies.com. Go check it out! Any Barbie Doll fans out there ...?

I went home afterward to take a quick shower and to wait for the time when I will need to leave for my afternoon doctor's appointment in San Francisco.

I drove to the El Cerrito Del Norte Bart Train Station to catch the 3:16 p.m. San Francisco bound Bart train.

While the train was in transit, I got a message on my cellphone from a coworker of mine. But it was just too noisy in the train to hear what he had to say.

Presently, at one of the Berkeley Bart Train Stations, a beautiful blonde sat next to me, even though there were other available seats in that particular car. But I was not in a social mood since my tooth was really bothering me. Even though I applied some topical pain killer, Anbesol, on it before I left my condo, I was still in pain and was not about to chat-up anybody! I just sat there doing my Zhunti Mantra--I don't even think that my mantra work counted for any Karmic Merit at all since I did it while I was in pain, i.e. my mind was not really into it because of the pain.

When I got to San Francisco, I decided to while the time away at Posh Bagel Shop on Sutter Street before I was due for my 4:45 p.m. medical doctor's appointment. I bought a bottle of GT's Raw Kombucha Synergy Gingerberry to drink while I was there. I checked on my coworker's message once again.

I walked across the street to the 7-Eleven Store to buy a top-up card for my cellphone so that I could call my coworker. I stepped outside the store and there, on the corner of Kearney and Sutter, I called my co-worker.

And as I walked toward my doctor's clinic, I talked with my co-worker on the 'phone. He wanted me to "walk him through" the Cut, Copy and Paste functions of his computer. You see, yesterday, I wrote a letter to his Pilipina fiancee in the Philippines in the Cebuano language to convince her to fly here to San Francisco, her port of entry, instead of to Chicago where her "Evil Witch" employer will wait and see her Fiancee Visa jeopardized and cause her to be refused entry. I sent the letter ( along with its English translation ) off to my coworker's Facebook page because I didn't have his fiancee's e-mail address. And I told him to just Copy and Paste it to an e-mail that he'll send off to her. But he didn't know how to do it so he called me on my cellphone.

( I just learned how to Cut, Copy and Paste last year, after I've been using my computer for four years! Well, at least, I learned it strictly on my own. )

I've got about three more weekly appointments with this San Francisco doctor. I'm not really at liberty to divulge the nature of my medical appointments at this time. Maybe, someday ....

On my way to the theatre, I almost got hit by some asshole on a bicycle! Three cyclists crossed a red light on Market Street just as us pedestrians started to walk across. One of these days, I will carry a stick with me and push it through a bicycle's rear wheel if some asshole, idiot cyclist decides to cross on a red light in front of me. The last time I checked, cyclist must also obey the rules of the road AND GO WITH TRAFFIC!!! Why don't the cops do something about this rampant traffic hazard?

When I arrived at the theatre, I noticed a long line of people over on the right side of the main lobby. I went to a concessions counter clerk to ask about it. He said, rather curtly, that it was for an advanced screening for a movie. Which one, I asked. He didn't know. He told me to go to the ticket counter to find out what the 7:00 p.m. advanced screening was for.

The box office clerk at the ticket counter didn't know what the advanced screening was for. He seemed annoyed that I would ask him about it. I suppose the idiot wasn't the one who sold tickets to a whole bunch of movie-goers waiting in line to see an advanced screening.

I went to the ticket-taker and told her that I was just entering first to use the men's room then I was coming back out to buy something at the concessions counter. And I asked her what the advanced screening was for. She said that it was for the movie, LIFE OF PI. Finally! a movie clerk who knew what was going on.

At the concessions counter, I bought a $6.50 Lite Bite. It's kinda like an "upgrade" from a Kid's Pack, but with more popcorn and one's choice of Jamba Juice Trail Mix or Beef Jerky. But, the drink still comes in a small size; I made myself a Diet Coke/Coke Zero combo with one piece of  ice cube in it! And I didn't go to the curt clerk's register to pay for my purchase; I went to a female concessions clerk's register, instead.

On the train ride back to the El Cerrito Del Norte Bart Train Station, the gum area around my # 5 tooth was really inflamed. I was in "near-tears" pain! The Anbesol topical pain killer wasn't doing its job.

I will have to go to my periodontist tomorrow morning and have this problem tooth removed!


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Saturday, November 3, 2012

WRECK-IT RALPH 3-D, PG ( 1 hr & 41 min )

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I went to see this today, Friday, November 2nd, 2012, here in Vallejo, CA, at the Century 14 Vallejo for the 5:20 p.m. show in auditorium 1, 4th row, 3rd seat.

Quickie Review:  Envious of his rival, video arcade game bad guy, Wreck-It Ralph, goes game-jumping to earn a hero's medal and prove to everyone that he is as good, if not better, than their hometown favorite do-gooder, Fix-It Felix, Jr. In his quest for the coveted medal, he develops meaningful friendships with other video arcade game outcasts/rejects and learns that deep inside of him is a good guy just waiting to get out.

The audience liked this movie. Unfortunately, nobody gave it a "Hands Clapper" ending. I don't know why ....

I liked this movie a lot, a whole lot! And that is saying a lot about a kids' movie.The underlying theme of this movie, about finding goodness in someone, might be lost on younger brats; hence, the reason for the PG rating. This movie is suitable for older brats. So, if you have such brats at home, take them to see this movie with you.

This movie has two "Tear-Jerker" scenes, a sad one and a happy one---And I'm not admitting that I shed some tears watching either scene! So, there ....


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Friday, November 2, 2012

THE MAN WITH THE IRON FISTS, R ( 1 hr & 36 min )

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I went to see this today, Friday, November 2nd, 2012, here in Vallejo, CA, at the Century 14 Vallejo for the 11:40 a.m. ( Extra Dollar Off First Show Matinee ) show in auditorium 14, 4th row, 7th column.

Quickie Review:  A stranger ( RZA ) washes ashore somewhere in China, gets taken-in by Buddhist Monks and eventually becomes a town's highly-skilled blacksmith. He hires his services out to rival martial arts clans that want to get their hands on an anticipated shipment of government gold. After he gets involved in it, and pays a heavy price for his unwelcomed involvement in the matter, he decides to help the town put an end to the greed and bloodshed that is uncontrollably ravaging it.

The audience liked this movie. But there was no "Hands Clapper" at the end. And, speaking of the end, at least a dozen people waited 'til after the Ending Credits to see if there was going to be a Bonus Scene. Nope, there wasn't ....

I liked this movie enough to recommend it to people who grew up on '70s Martial Arts Movies and/or are fans of said genre with its bloody and over-the-top action scenes.

I liked Russell Crowe's two scenes:

1.) "Let's pretend we're Catholic,"

and,

2.) "I'm here for your duck."

Also, I liked the Secret Dessert Key scene.

I thought that Chum Lee was in this movie.

Chum Lee, famous star of the reality TV show, Pawn Stars. I found this on the Internet.
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I was wrong! It's some guy named, Cung Le.

Here are some things that I found wrong in this movie:  Why was the prostitute, Lady Silk ( Jamie Chung ), always available to him? I mean, if she was the best prostitute at the brothel, her room should have always been "occupied" and would have a "Take A Number" ticket dispenser by the door ( and don't forget to change the bed sheets before you have a "go" at it )! Ha, ha, ha. Preposterous amounts of blood squirt and splash all over the place in some scenes of this movie. His "iron fist" should not have smashed the steel anvil into pieces since iron is weaker than steel! And, even though this movie was filmed entirely in China, all of the Chinese actors and actresses with a speaking part spoke English well!

( I have this Chinese friend, from Hong Kong, who once said of someone, "He committed society [ i.e. suicide ]." 'See what I mean? LOL. Don't get me wrong. He is a very good friend of mine and I like him a lot, but his English can be such a "riot" to listen to at times--and he has been living in the US for over 12 years now yet he still retains his thick Chinese accent. Maybe he should learn to sing American songs like I did, as mentioned in my blog on HERE COMES THE BOOM. )

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Thursday, November 1, 2012

SILENT HILL: REVELATION 3-D, R ( 1 hr & 35 min )


I went to see this on Tuesday, October 30th, 2012, in San Francisco, CA, at the AMC METREON 16, for the 6:50 p.m. show in auditorium 11, 5th row, 7th column.

Quickie Review:  A father ( Sean Bean ) and his daughter, Heather ( Adelaide Clemens ), are constantly on the run, managing to keep a distance between them and some evil force. When her father goes missing, she is forced to make the choice of confronting the evil which seeks to capture her. And she learns some deep secret about her own self, in the process.

There were just about half a dozen people in the audience with me. And I didn't hear a reaction from any of them.

There is a Bonus Scene shown after the Ending Credits of the huge guy ( executioner? ) with a funny-looking hat and a big, bladed weapon. It is really not worth the time to stay and watch it.

This movie is so-so. Wait for it to come out on DVD.

Here are some things that I found wrong in this movie: They drove a car at night that looked like it had a very well-lit cabin. When the girl turned into a mannequin, an attachment joint formed in the neck area but not in the shoulders, wrists and hips. Why did the "spider" mannequin fondle the mannequin's right breast? I mean, what was there to feel--it was hard as a rock! The pistol shouldn't have that much of a "knock-down" power or else the recoil would have forced it out of her hand. Why did that thing allow her to stick her hand into its torso? It could have easily grabbed at her wrist and pulled it out. The father had to go back in; otherwise, there will be no sequel after this!

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Here is my San Francisco/Millbrae bound Bart Train arriving at the El Cerrito Del Norte Train Station.

When I got to San Francisco, I walked to the Posh Bagel Shop on Sutter Street to buy a bottle of GTs Enlightened Raw Kombucha Synergy Drink, the Strawberry Serenity flavor. I'm hooked on this line of raw kombucha synergy drinks! This is what I have for lunch at work, along with a banana, a slice of cheese and some mixed nuts.



I went back to the Chinatown in San Francisco to walk around in the daytime. I bought a fanny pack and something for my niece in Michigan.

I found a BofA ( Bank of America ) close to the hotel where I stayed. That will make it easier for me to go souvenir shopping the next time that I come here to Chinatown.

As I waited for a light to turn green. A brand-new white Ford Fusion crossed the intersection, making a strange rattling noise before it stopped running. A lady walking down the sidewalk behind me said, "That doesn't sound good." Well, of course. It's a Ford! What did she expect? Luckily for the embarrassed driver, his car started up again.

On the corner of Jackson and Grant, slightly up the hill, is an All-You-Can-Eat Dim Sum Restaurant. I gotta eat here the next time that I "mini-vacation" in San Francisco.

I went to my doctor's office for my scheduled 4:30 p.m. appointment.


This giant cube is in the courtyard between Market Street and Mission Street, and just across Mission Street from the Yerba Buena Gardens ( I gotta check these gardens someday ). I call this the "Energon Cube". And the immensity of its size would be enough to give Megatron a visual orgasm in his HARD drive! Ha, ha, ha.

Then, I went back to the Burger King Restaurant on Powell Street. I ordered an "Angry Whopper" combo meal ( $8.56 ) because I was still upset about last week when they wouldn't honor my buy-one-get-one-free Chicken Parmesan Sandwich coupon.

On Powell Street and on Market Street, street vendors were hawking World Series-themed memorabilia: t-shirts, baseball caps, banners, etc.; in anticipation of tomorrow's San Francisco Giants victory parade down Market Street at 11:00 a.m.

At the concession counter, I didn't order the Curly French Fries this time because I just had dinner at Burger King. I opted for the "Kid's Pack", instead--for the kid in me!

Behind me was a long line of parents with their little brats in tow, waiting for the advance screening of WRECK-IT RALPH.

They had three security guards stationed in the lobby, waiting to hold anybody's recording-capable device 'til after the show is over. A guard, a tall black man, said to me, "Your light is on."

I went, Huh ...?

"You have a light on in your jacket pocket," he said as he and his two fellow guards got ready to pounce on me.

I put my ticket stub and snack pack on the table as I reached into my left jacket pocket. Somehow, my pocket flashlight got turned on. I thank the guard for pointing it out to me. In the process, he forgot to ask me to surrender my recording-capable device ( cellphone ). 'See what happens if you practice common courtesy? You just learned something new from Cine-Man today.

At the Powell Street Bart Station, I forgot that there was no direct line to El Cerrito Del Norte in the evening. So, I didn't get on the Pittsburgh/Bay Point train--the train that I needed to get on to transfer to an El Cerrito/Richmond bound train on 19th Street in Downtown Oakland. My commute home was delayed for about 20 minutes in the process.

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About that vision which I saw, the one about a blue orb falling from the sky, as mentioned in my blog on PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 ....

I got the date right but the location wrong. It happened an approximate nine days after my vision of the falling blue orb. It was Super-Storm/Hurricane Sandy, which cut a huge swath of destruction in its wake along the Eastern Seaboard of the US.

Blue is not only the color associated with Shiva, it is also the color of the oceans. So, now, we know that a giant blue orb falling from the night sky is symbolic of an ocean-based calamity. And 30 degrees from the perpendicular ( from my Northern California perspective ) is associated with the Atlantic Ocean.

Whereas, my 2004 vision showed me a falling orb with the colors of fire and of the ocean. So, now, we know that a falling orb with the colors of fire and of the ocean means an earthquake and a tsunami. And 45 degrees from the perpendicular ( from my Northern California perspective ) is associated with the Pacific Ocean.

But why nine days? Easy. It is biblical in nature. Let me explain: 1 = God's Number; 2 through 6 = Days of Creation; 7 = God's Day of Rest ( we presently live in that "day" ); 8 = Day of a Blood Covenant or blood-letting ( the last century was called "Hemoclysm Century" ); 9 = The End of a Cycle of anything ( perhaps, even the day of Armageddon ); and, 10 = God's Supreme Number ( also, a multiple of 1 ), and God's Day of Reawakening. Of course, this is just my personal understanding of the 10-number system as it pertains to the Judeo-Christian tradition.


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