DARK SKIES, PG-13 ( 1 hr & 35 min )

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where: CENTURY 14 VALLEJO in Vallejo, CA
when: Monday, February 25th, 2013
show: 2:25 p.m.
costs: $7.50 Ticket + $4.50 1-litre Dasani Water + $3.63 medium Strawberry Milkshake and Water at MacDonald's Restaurant after the movie = $15.63
auditorium: 2
seat: 4th row ( counting from the front ), 7th column ( counting from the left )

synopsis/overview: A young family is beset by problems of an "Alien kind" that culminates in something that could only be termed as "a parent's worst nightmare."

noteworthy scenes: 1.) Food trail; 2.) Sandman's handiwork; 3.) Alarm; 4.) Family photos; 5.) Playground; 6.) Birds; 7.) Sam's room; 8.) "You can't tell your mom about this place"; 9.) "I like the way you think"; 10.) Video monitors; 11.) Breakdown; 12.) "Three different directions"; 13.) Mass Bird Deaths; 14.) "Why aren't you answering me"; 15.) "I lost six hours today"; 16.) "Sam drew this yesterday"; 17.) Bruises; 18.) Woods; 19.) Standard procedures; 20.) Frame-by-frame; 21.) "I'm ready to believe"; 22.) "'Helps weed-out the lunatics"; 23.) Implants; 24.) Kids' pictures; 25.) "Leave us alone"; 26.) Vision; 27.) Newspaper clipping; 28.) Flashback; and 29.) Walkie-talkie.

audience reaction: There was a dozen or so people in the audience with me. And they seemed to like this movie.

recommendation: I liked it enough--the "weird eyes" on the innocent victim in a dream sequence might be a bit much for the little brats in your company. Go see this movie for a "different" kind of scare, but please leave the really young brats at home!

spoiler alert! The TV came-on too quickly. Okay, the waiting period after the purchase of a shotgun is 10 days for the necessary background check on the purchaser. So, how did he get the shotgun from the gun store so quickly? That poor dog probably thought to itself, "I left the dog pound for this?!?!?!" Don't tell me that the neighbors didn't notice the bright light and the shotgun blast. The porn movie never got past the "boob grope" scene--bummer! LOL

fyi: The houses in the quaint neighborhood look like they're from the '50s or '60s---I think that they are! come to think of it.

Do a Google search on "Mass Bird Deaths" and see what comes up.

This movie reminded me of Will Smith's INDEPENDENCE DAY ( 1996 ) movie as I watched the climactic scene.

I encountered two Reptilians one time and a single Reptilian in yet another time. They were huge and very quick! They were hellbent on killing me, if not for Divine Intercession.

And I couldn't help but think to myself that maybe--just maybe--the Demons mentioned in the Bible are just these Reptilian aliens, which was a very worrisome thought for me to entertain. Even though God's Living Creatures in Holy Attendance are described ( symbolically? ) in the Bible as having hideously fearsome "physical" anatomies, I still couldn't get over the idea that the Demons are Reptilian in form.

word of advice: Just because you don't experience it doesn't mean that it doesn't exist.

tidbits:  I had a 9 o'clock appointment with my tax preparer at Liberty Tax Service today.

After my taxes were done, I walked to the nearby newspaper vending machine to check on the Oscar winners. I was right about Ang Lee, Daniel Day-Lewis, and LIFE OF PI; but I was wrong about Naomi Watts. I still think that Ms. Watts should have won the Best Actress Oscar!

Then, I drove to the nearby oil-change shop to find out their business hours and to see how much they charge for an engine oil change. I also inquired about their manual transmission fluid change.

On my way to Goin' Postal on the corner of Tuolumne and Redwood Streets to drop-off some bill payments, I had to slam on my brakes while driving on Redwood Street because a brown puppy ( or little dog ) was standing in the middle of my lane and staring at something across the street. I honked at it a number of times to get its attention. It finally went back onto the sidewalk. If I see a little brown and red spot on that part of Redwood Street tonight on my way home, then I know what happened!

I went to the Food Maxx Supermarket a few doors down from Goin' Postal to buy something to eat since I left my condo without eating anything for breakfast. I bought a mixed berry yogurt drink to tide me over since it was almost noontime. And I had in mind to go have lunch at Selecta Pilipino Buffet on Springs Road here in Vallejo.

When I got to Selecta Pilipino Buffet, I parked my car under the shade of a tree and proceeded to read my old Contra Costa newspaper ( the one with a front page article on assault weapons ban after the Newtown, Connecticut School Massacre ) since lunch at Selecta is usually served at around 11:30 a.m., and I still had plenty of time on my hands.

I bought some lottery tickets after I ate my lunch. Then, I went next door to the 99-Cent Only Store to do a little shopping.

As I used a toilet stall in the men's room of the theatre, I noticed something ....

I'm sorry for this blurry image.

There is a little trash bin built into the side wall with an image of a hand disposing of a tampon! Yes, that's absolutely right: TAMPON!!! In the men's room!! And, to think, all these years I thought that it was just an image of a cigarette being disposed of! Then I realized that there is no smoking allowed anywhere inside the theatre. That was when it dawned on me! Ha, ha, ha.

After the movie, I went to the MacDonald's Restaurant on 902 Admiral Callaghan Lane in the Target Shopping Center here in Vallejo to have a strawberry shake and to blog about this movie.

 *

SNITCH, PG-13 ( 1 hr & 35 min )

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I went to see this on Thursday, February 21st, 2013, here in Vallejo, CA, at the CENTURY 14 VALLEJO for the 10:00 p.m. advanced screening in auditorium 2, 6th row ( counting from the front ), 6th column ( counting from the left ). The price of admission was $10.50. And I bought $1.53 worth of bulk Chocolate Candies to go with my purchase of a $4.50 1-litre Dasani Water. Originally, I was just gonna buy some bottled water because I smuggled-in a bag of cookies that I had earlier bought at a dollar store. But, for some stupid reason, I decided to get some bulk candies! Either my conscience is getting the better of me or the theatre lobby's piped-in music has a subliminal command to get patrons to buy more stuff at the concessions counter ( yup, that has got to be it )!

Quickie Review: A loving father will do just about anything to help his son get out of federal prison. Based on a true story.

There were about a dozen people in the auditorium with me for this advanced screening. And they were in rapt attention throughout the movie. Obviously, they were all caught-up in the action as the story unfolded before their very eyes. As was I.

I would say that it is a good movie with the right amount of human drama. Go see this Action/Suspense Movie.

Here are the things that I found wrong in this movie: The shipping label on the package came-off too easily. Real shipping labels don't come-off that easily. In the shoot-out in the junkyard, the cops were called to the scene and were on their way b...u...t... a later scene showed the dead bad guys being buried in a mass grave! There were no bullet holes in the tractor-trailer---What did the rival drug gang use, BB guns? "When you work for us, you'll be treated like family"--the family member that gets abused a lot!!! Ha, ha, ha. I felt sorry for the bad guy(s) who had to count all of those dollar bills, all 83 million of them! I would have loved it had they shown pictures of the real drug lord, his family and his gang in the Ending Credits.

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It was around 12:30 a.m. of the following day when I got home from the theatre. And I learned that one of the supervisors at work had left a voice-mail on my cellphone asking me to come in and work on my day-off. I had turned-off my cellphone when I was in the theatre earlier in the day to see SAFE HAVEN, and I forgot to turn it back on!

*

SAFE HAVEN, PG-13 ( 1 hr & 55 min )

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I went to see this today, Thursday, February 21st, 2013, here in Vallejo, CA, at the CENTURY 14 VALLEJO, for the 2:20 p.m. show in auditorium 13, 5th row ( counting from the front ), 7th column ( counting from the left ). The price of admission was $7.50. And I bought a $4.50 1-litre bottle of Dasani Water at the concessions counter.

Quickie Review: I had to break from my usual synopsis/overview format for this movie because the famous JOURNEY song, Don't Stop Believing, already worded its synopsis--of course, I had to reword the lyrics slightly! Here goes ....

Just a city girl, living an abusive life.

She took the midnight bus going anywhere.

'Met a small town boy,

'works and lives in Safe Haven.

He takes his grieving pain, going everywhere.

'A waitress in a smokey shack

that smells of fish and greasy fries.

One night they eat by candle light ...

it goes on and on and on and on ....

Lovers walking up and down the boulevard,

their bodies swaying in the night.

Street side couple walking by to find emotion

showing sometime in the night.

Working hard to earn her tips,

people want more fish and chips--

paying anything to eat more fries

just one more time.

Some drink wine, some drink juice,

some were born to swig the booze!

Oh, the motive never ends.

It goes on and on and on and on ....

Drunkard walking up and down the boulevard,

his eyeballs searching in the night.

Street side couple walking by to find emotion

showing sometime in the night.

Don't stop believing.

Hold on to the feeling.

Street side couple,

whoa, ah, ohh ....

Don't stop believing.

Hold on ....

Street side couple,

whoa, ah, ohh ....

Don't stop believing.

Hold on to that feeling.

Street side couple,

whoa, ah, ohh ....

*

P.S. I hope that you like this Cine-Man's version. Do me the favor of singing my version on Karaoke Night. Ha, ha, ha.

( If you want me to sing it for you, you can just forget it! I don't want to hurt your eardrums. I'm a writer, not a singer. LOL )

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There were anywhere from eight to ten other people in the audience with me for this show--mostly females. I think that they liked this movie.

I liked it enough. It's a Chick Flick movie for fans of such a genre. Go see it if you're into such movies.

Here are some things that I found wrong in this movie: How was he able to recover from such a knife wound so quickly? The bad guy still had the same amount of sweat on his shirt in the night when the temperature would have already cooled down a bit. The two gas pumps looked like the old-fashioned kind that doesn't accept credit and/or debit cards--he would have to pay for that gas first INSIDE THE STORE! And the gas hose was kinda long, don't you think ...? How come there was no blood on her face and neck after the shooting? Usually, ambulances and firetrucks arrive at the scene within minutes of each other; but the ambulance hauled-off the victim after it was already dawn of the next day.

There is a character in this movie that I shan't mention here because doing so would give away the subplot. 

As I watched this movie, I was reminded of some places in Michigan.

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I started my day by going to my workplace to pick-up my check. One of my co-workers, Nancy, asked me how my back felt. I told her that my Chiropractor could pop my upper back and my neck, but he still couldn't pop my lower back because it is still very tight. Of course, the pain has subsided. But the area is still tight.

I also went to my workplace to adjust the setting on the digital camera that I gave to one other co-worker of mine, Robert G., as a wedding present. He was busy and stressed-out and couldn't accommodate me right away. 

So, I went to BofA ( Bank of America ) to make a deposit into my savings account. Then, I went to Chase Bank to make a deposit into my checking account. And I went to Chevron to get some gas and to buy some lottery tickets before I went back to my workplace to adjust the setting on Robert's camera.

After all of that, I went to the Empire Chinese Buffet here in Vallejo to have lunch--and I forgot to take a picture of this restaurant yet again! Then, I went to Goin' Postal at the Food Maxx Shopping Center on the corner of Tuolumne and Redwood Streets to pick-up a package before heading on to see this movie.

*

BEAUTIFUL CREATURES, PG-13 ( 2 hr & 4 min )

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I went to see this yesterday, Tuesday, February 19th, 2013, here in Vallejo, CA, at the CENTURY 14 VALLEJO for the 11:00 a.m. Extra-Dollar Off First Show Matinee in auditorium 2, 7th row ( counting from the front ), 7th column ( counting from the left ). The price of admission was $6.50.

Quickie Review:  In South Carolina, two high school kids meet and fall "heels over head" in forbidden love. For unbeknownst to Ethan ( Alden Ehrenreich ), Lena ( Alice Englert ) possesses a supernatural power that can easily turn her into an evil being if she becomes broken-hearted at the time of her "claiming". And two evil entities conspire to use everything in their power to make it happen.

There were just five other people in the audience with me, two males and three females. Their reaction to this movie was warm. Of course, such a low turn-out ( for the first show of the day, and on a weekday ) is in no way a good gauge of an audience's reaction to and/or interest in the movie.

It was so-so for me, though. This Chick Flick movie looks to be a franchise in the making. Go see this if you're into Chick Flicks.

Here are some things wrong with this movie: When they first met, she had the number 104 printed on her hand; the next time that they met, she had the number 79 printed on her hand. In other words, she wore the same clothes for 25 days. Wouldn't her other classmates have also noticed the "counting-down" number on her hand, too? Especially since she made no attempt ( not even a feeble one ) to cover it up. In their first one-on-one conversation, she mentioned the word, "Mortal," and referred to him as such b...u...t he never got the hint because the word just flew over his head, it seemed! When he asked, "Can you make anything grow?" was he asking her in a sexual way?  Great Powers come with Great Responsibilities and should not be used just to show-off like when the caster made snow fall! Civil War Re-enactors usually buy their own expensive period piece military clothing, weapons and accoutrements--and I don't think that all of those high school kids could afford to buy their own stuff. When that particular caster manifested a tornado and a number of lightning strikes on the poor and helpless unsuspecting folks--hurting and/or even possibly killing a bunch of them--that pretty much should have sealed the caster's fate!

*

ESCAPE FROM PLANET EARTH in 3-D, PG ( 1 hr & 29 min )

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where: CENTURY 14 VALLEJO in Vallejo, CA
when: Saturday, February 16th, 2013
show: 1:35 p.m. Extra-Dollar Off First Show Matinee
costs: $10.00 Ticket + $4.50 1-litre Dasani Water + $8.15 buffet lunch @ Selecta Pilipino Buffet before the movie + $3.47 large Shamrock Shake @ MacDonald's Restaurant after the movie = $26.12
auditorium: 2
seat: 4th row ( counting from the front ), 7th column ( counting from the left )

synopsis/overview: Real-life action hero, Scorch, over-confidently goes on yet another daring rescue mission to the Dark Planet where alien life forms go missing forever. But the "distress call" is just a trap! And it is up to his nerdy brother, Gary, to rescue him and save their whole planet from total destruction at the hands of the Dark Planet's evil military leader.

noteworthy scenes: 1.) Baby rescue; 2.) Twelve hundred gnarlachs; 3.) "Jumbo head mode"; 4.) Dark Planet; 5.) "And I feel sorry for her"; 6.) Sponsors; 7.) "Facial hair"; 8.) Video; 9.) "'Sorry, Gary"; 10.) "Does anybody around here care what I think"; 11.) Rocket boot; 12.) Light source; 13.) Captured; 14.) "Stay-at-home mom"; 15.) Three-D; 16.) "Landing gear destroyed"; 17.) Examination room; 18.) Slurpee; 19.) Brain freeze; 20.) Fifty-one Flavors; 21.) Welcome video; 22.) Genius; 23.) Incoming call; 24.) Toilet; 25.) Prisoners; 26.) "It's not a question"; 27.) Alien technologies; 28.) "I'm still dreaming"; 29.) Food fight; 30.) Signatures; 31.) Halley's Comet; 32.) Frozen; 33.) "Stop that! I'm color-blind"; 34.) "Nerd King"; 35.) The Roswell incident; 36.) Fiance; 37.) Blast tape; 38.) Aliens; 39.) "We come in peace"; 40.) Escapees; 41.) "Talking rat"; 42.) "You're not fit to wear this uniform"; 43.) "Tornado"; 44.) Bath towel; 45.) "Mayday"; 46.) Tractor beam; 47.) Free-fall; 48.) "I told you we come in peace"; 49.) "Can we keep him"; 50.) "What does that mean"; 51.) "News report"; 52.) Best man; and 53.) The Wave.

I found this Air Dancer Tube Man on amazon.com.

audience reaction: The brats in the audience and their parents liked this movie, especially the Facial Hair scene. But it didn't get a "Hands Clapper" ending.

recommendation: I liked this movie enough. Take your little brats to go see this movie.

spoiler alert! So, our tranquilizers work the same way ( no adverse side-effects ) on aliens, too? Why are a bunch of the aliens shown without nostrils? How did the aliens learn how to speak flawless English? ( I know a bunch of Earth aliens who speak English with a thick accent---Heck! I used to be one of them. Ha, ha, ha. ) Considering that the Earth is lightyears apart from the alien planet, their interplanetary conversations should have had long pauses in-between talks. When the spaceship's hatch was opened, there should not have been what seemed like an inexhaustible amount of air rushing out into the space void. And the space vacuum would have also sucked-out all the air in their bodies. How were the aliens able to breathe our air and vice versa?

Well, at least most of the aliens in this movie were not butt-naked! Ha, ha, ha.

fyi: I don't know whether or not this movie is giving a "Nod" to the notion that much of our modern-day technology is supposedly based on Alien Technology obtained through "reverse-engineering" or otherwise. But Conspiracy Theorists would have you believe in modern-day technology's alien origin.

I don't get Brain Freeze. I get Nasal Sinus Freeze!

word of advice: Never always assume the worst in extra-terrestrials.

tidbits: I went to the Chase Bank inside the Food Maxx Supermarket on the corner of Tuolumne and Redwood Streets here in Vallejo to deposit money into my checking account. Then, I went a few doors down to Goin' Postal to drop-off some bill payments.

Then, I had lunch at Selecta Pilipino Buffet on Springs Road.

At the box office, I asked the clerk why they now cordon-off the side-lot parking areas ( see picture below ). He told me that they do that to keep people from sneaking into the auditoriums through the emergency exit doors.

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So, I guess that I should take back what I said about my being some kind of a VIP person in my blog on IDENTITY THIEF. Ha, ha, ha.

It was a little too warm for my own personal comfort when I sensed the outdoor weather the moment that I stepped outside of the theatre. It was the reason why I had a Shamrock Shake at the MacDonald's Restaurant at 902 Admiral Callaghan Lane in the Target Shopping Center here in Vallejo.

*

A GOOD DAY TO DIE HARD, R ( 1 hr & 38 min )

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where:  CENTURY 14 VALLEJO in Vallejo, CA
when:  Wednesday, February 13th, 2013
show:  10:00 p.m.
costs:  $10.50 Ticket + $4.50 1-litre Dasani Water = $15.00
auditorium:  8
seat:  5th row ( counting from the front ), 9th column ( counting from the left )

synopsis/overview: John McClane ( Bruce Willis ) goes to Russia to fetch his estranged son, Jack ( Jai Courtney ), who is in deep trouble. But it's not your typical "garden-variety" of trouble that Jack is in: The whole world is at stake because weapons-grade Uranium is at risk of falling into the wrong hands!

noteworthy scenes: 1.) "You don't own me"; 2.) Night club; 3.) Taxi; 4.) Courthouse; 5.) Father and son; 6.) "Mission window is closed"; 7.) Car chase; 8.) "You think I understand a word you say"; 9.) "'Looking right at him"; 10.) "Double 0 7 of Plainfield, New Jersey"; 11.) "I'm on f*cking vacation"; 12.) "Five minutes"; 13.) "I had a two-year contract on that 'phone"; 14.) "Whatever happened to 'Dad'"; 15.) "In American, it means juvenile delinquent"; 16.) Bribe; 17.) Elevator; 18.) "You need a hug"; 19.) "This smells bad"; 20.) "I thought you were a problem child"; 21.) "It's not 1986, you know"; 22.) Helicopter gunship; 23.) "Kill them both"; 24.) Chernobyl; 25.) "You're not gonna cry, are you"; 26.) Car trunk; 27.) "That's none of your concern"; 28.) Masseuse; 29.) Weapons grade; 30.) Walkie-talkie; 31.) "The sh!t we do for our kids"; 32.) "Call me, 'Dad'"; and 33.) "Are you always looking for trouble or does it always find you?"

favorite scenes:  I liked the You Think I Understand A Word You Say scene.

I liked the extended Car Chase scene. It is probably the best chase scene that I've ever seen. I gotta buy one of those armored trucks to use as a daily driver! Ha, ha, ha.

And I liked the I Had A Two-Year Contract On That Phone scene.

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

recommendation:  I liked it enough. Go see this if you're a fan of the DIE HARD movie franchise. The Car Chase scene, I think, is worth the price of admission.

spoiler alert! For such a high-profile case, you'd think that there would be more police patrol cars and patrol motorcycles giving chase to the bad guys. Instead, only one cop car gave chase; and there where no police helicopters around! I guess the old man forgot that he was shot in his left upper arm! That piece of rebar that he pulled out of the other guy's belly was only about 6 inches long; but, when he threw it away, it sounded like it was a much longer piece! At the Chernobyl plant, a lot of bad guys were on the premises; but some of them went "missing" as soon as the shooting started. When John shot at the door inside the helicopter, no bullets ricocheted. When a bad guy was shredded by the helicopter's propeller, how come his garments ( and leather belt, especially ) didn't get entangled around the propeller's shaft? What happened to all of the radioactive material when the helicopter exploded?

fyi:  The Choke Hold that a bad guy used on another bad guy in this movie was almost properly executed--compared to the one in the PARKER movie. I say, Almost, because the strangler's fists were not in the right position to effectively choke the other bad guy. Done right, the victim would have gagged, coughed and choked audibly before getting killed-off!

The special purpose units of the Russian Police Force have the acronym of their units printed on their jackets which is spelled-out as: OMOH ( Otryad Mobilinii Osobogo Naznacheniya ). But it you're an American like John McClane and you see them coming at you from behind in your car's rearview mirror, the letters get reversed to read: HOMO! And I don't think such a red-blooded "macho man" American as John McClane would want to have a bunch of homos chasing after him at all! Ha, ha, ha---Snort!

Just in case you readers out there are curious about the current ranking of your respective nations as visitors of my blogsite, what follows is the current up-to-date list of the Top-Ten Nations:

United States = 31,016 hits
United Kingdom = 2,755 hits
Russia = 2,122 hits
Canada = 1,986 hits
Germany = 1,132 hits
Australia = 787 hits
Philippines = 761 hits
India = 431 hits
France = 410 hits
Ukraine = 386 hits

Special mention goes to Russia: It went from nowhere to tenth place and worked its way up to the number 3 position in very short order, knocking Canada down to fourth place! And Russia, as you can see, is already starting to nip at the heels of the United Kingdom.

India, France and Ukraine came out of nowhere, too!

This movie somehow reminded me of CHERNOBYL DIARIES ( 2012 ) because of the Climactic Scene setting. But I was expecting humanoids to come out and attack everybody! Ha, ha, ha.

word of advice: Looks can be deceiving.

tidbits:  I took this photo earlier today because I liked the assorted flowers bordering the hedge. This is beside the drive-through at the MacDonald's Restaurant in Benicia, CA, at 1602 East 2nd Street. My car was parked right beside it.

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I was gonna go see this movie in Fairfield, CA. What I planned on doing was to go see TOP GUN ( 1986 ) in I-Max 3-D, first, at 7:30 p.m. then go see this movie at 10:00 p.m. so I wouldn't have to wait in line. But I changed my mind.

I went home, instead, just to rest for a while.

Then, I went to Empire Chinese Buffet here in Vallejo to have dinner before the show.

*

LOST IN THAILAND, NR ( 1 hr & 45 min )

_

I went to see this today, Monday, February 11th, 2013 in San Francisco, CA, at the AMC METREON 16 for the 7:15 p.m. show in auditorium 6, 4th row ( counting from the front ), 6th column ( counting from the left ). The price of admission was $12.00.

Quickie Review: Two former friends/present business rivals are on a mad dash to find their boss in Thailand to get a Power of Attorney signed in order to proceed with their respective plans for a new gasoline formula invented at their own company's research lab. But a third party with a "Bucket List" unwittingly joins in the fray and complicates matters for the both of them!

There were just about half a dozen people in the auditorium with me. But those present seemed to enjoy this movie.

I liked this Comedy Movie, too. For those of you who are into Chinese Comedies, this movie would serve as a good one to start the Chinese New Year with! "Gong Hay Fat Choy!  Lai si dow loy?" ( translation: Happy Chinese New Year! Where is my money? )

I liked the Catching The Ashtray scene;

And I liked the Cobra Venom scene.

If some "Lady-boys" look that "hot" in real life, I know where I'm going on vacation someday. Ha, ha, ha.

Stay around for Outtakes during the Ending Credits.

Here are some things that I found wrong in this movie: When one of them broke the SUV's side window, the broken glass shown was not safety glass but was just a typical house window glass. I've heard of lonely stretches of road but that highway where they got stranded on sure was A LONELY STRETCH: No vehicles came driving by from either direction from morning 'til night!  That knife was not a throwing knife, it was a Swiss Army Knife, and should not have struck the briefcase the way that it did. The camera and the cell phone got wet in the river yet somehow were still in working condition. The innocent, well-meaning country bumpkin sure was clueless and annoying--and his bald-headed companion had the patience of a saint!

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LOST IN THE FINANCIAL DISTRICT

I went to San Francisco, CA, to make a reservation and to set-up an appointment in the Financial District. When I got off the BART train at the Montgomery Station, I decided to walk on a different route, thinking that it would be a short way to get to my destination. But I Ended-Up Being Lost, walking around for 30 minutes at a brisk pace, trying to find my way around.

Obviously lost, I asked a man where Market Street was. He pointed to some tall buildings behind me. I walked the wrong way, as it turned out! I really had to hustle as I walked back to Market Street and re-oriented myself in the right direction.

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I was back in familiar territory as I crossed a street. Some people were also crossing the intersection from a different direction. At the corner, I had to stop abruptly and say, Excuse me, because some f*cking bitch kept walking and TALKING on her damn cellphone without even acknowledging the fact that I was coming from her right side and that she would have walked into me had I not stopped! She didn't even say, "Excuse me" or "I'm sorry." She didn't even bother to acknowledge my presence! What a F*CKING BITCH!!! I really wanted to slap the cellphone-side of her face just to teach her some manners. Instead, I just said, Bitch! And the c*nt didn't even hear it!!! She just kept talking on her damn cellphone! I bet she walks just like the way she drives!

Bitches, cellphones and cars shouldn't be allowed to mix!!! And whoever invented the cellphone needs to get seriously clobbered by the innocent victims of irresponsible, inconsiderate and disrespectful bitches who had their hands and ears glued to their cellphones at the time of the accidents!!!

After I made a reservation and set-up an appointment, I walked to this theatre to see this movie. But I had about two hours before the start of this movie. So, I decided to go grab a bite to eat.

I went to the MacDonald's Restaurant at 609 Market Street. The same MacDonald's that I couldn't find in October of last year. It is just a "hole-in-the-wall" place, as it turns out--must be why I couldn't find it last year. Anyway, they only charge 35 cents for a cup of water! The MacDonald's Restaurants in Vallejo and in Benicia charge a dollar for a cup of water. I ordered a Daily Double sandwich to go with the cup of water.

As I sat at the small round table closest to the entrance, I observed the foot traffic outside. At one point, a man walked by with two small dogs on a leash, two Chinese Crested dogs--two really ugly dogs with punk hair was what they looked like to me! And, later on, a woman walked by with what appeared to be a hairy brown Dachshund on a leash and which scooted along with its rear legs suspended in a wheeled harness.

Presently, a woman stepped through the doors of the "No Smoking Allowed" fast-food restaurant with a lit cigarette in hand. And the man seated at the rectangular table across from mine said, "You can't have that in here! Take it outside." The woman apologized and stepped outside to finish her cigarette.

The man turned to the other diners and said, "She was respectful but sure was f*cking dumb!" The other diners laughed.

The woman stepped back in. AND IT TURNED OUT THAT SHE WAS THE PERSON THAT THE MAN WAS SUPPOSED TO MEET FOR HIS JOB INTERVIEW!!!  Oopsie! Ha, ha, ha.

I had 30 minutes left before the start of this movie. I walked back to the theatre in a super hurry!

I cut across an eatery row between Market and Mission Streets ( across from the Yerba Buena Gardens entrance ) where I spotted a young white female cyclist stop for a moment to pick-up a cup of soda ( ? ) that someone had left behind on one of the square planters set outside the eatery row.  She then proceeded to suck on the straw without even knowing what was inside of the cup!!! What if some prankster had put urine and/or feces in the cup, just for laughs? Yuck! Remind me not to kiss that "somewhat good-looking" woman anytime soon!!

I ordered a 20.0 oz Dasani water ( $4.25 ) and a tray of Fries ( $5.00 ) at the concession counter. And I drizzled 4 packets of Ketchup and 4 packets of Mayonnaise all over the Fries! Um-um good. I looked for packets of Parmesan Cheese, but they didn't have any. Yes, this was my dinner, part 2 ( I had a burger less than 45 minutes ago, remember? )

After the movie, as I started to walk to the BART Train Station on Powell Street, I realized what all of the fast-walking that I did earlier had done to me: My thighs were sore, I had a mild shin splint in my left leg and some bones in my left foot were forced out of alignment! I learned one thing as I limped along: Just because your pair of shoes was advertised as "Walking Shoes," it doesn't mean that they were actually made for walking! I'll have to get a pair of Dr. Scholl's Walking Shoes someday--the sooner, the better!!!



*

IDENTITY THIEF, R ( 1 hr & 51 )

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where: CENTURY 14 VALLEJO in Vallejo, CA
when: Friday, February 8ht, 2013
show: 11:05 a.m. Extra-Dollar Off First Show Matinee
costs: $6.50 Ticket + $1.65 bulk Chocolate Candies + $4.50 1-litre Dasani Water = $12.65
auditorium: 8
seat: 5th row ( counting from the front ), 10th column ( counting from the left )

synopsis/overview:  Sandy Bigelow Patterson ( Jason Bateman ) has his personal information stolen by a female con-artist, Diana ( Melissa McCarthy ), who then goes on a wild spending spree. He must track her down in Florida and convince her to go back to Denver with him and help him clear his good name.

noteworthy scenes: 1.) 'Phone call; 2.) "People like you don't have friends"; 3.) Breathalyzer test; 4.) Birthday cake; 5.) $14.02; 6.) "Cheese dick"; 7.) Bonus checks; 8.) "You like getting f*cked"; 9.) Shopping Mall; 10.) Gas station; 11.) Arrest; 12.) "Five or 10 per cent"; 13.) Warrant; 14.) "Just believe in me"; 15.) "Hobbit height"; 16.) Rearend; 17.) Diana's house; 18.) Bad guys; 19.) "What are you, a f*cking Kenyan"; 20.) Bounty hunter; 21.) Restaurant; 22.) Reception desk; 23.) "Walt likes to watch"; 24.) "You're like Dorothy from THE WIZARD OF OZ"; 25.) "Weird sexual tryst"; 26.) "Daddy, are you there"; 27.) Butt-naked; 28.) "I think he really ripped it. You gotta take a look"; 29.) Abduction; 30.) "'Car's fine"; 31.) "Traditional community"; 32.) Duct tape; 33.) Snake; 34.) Sock money; 35.) "Consider that a warning"; 36.) "One of those badgers"; 37.) "How is this helping you"; 38.) Records room; 39.) Suite; 40.) Shower head; 41.) Beauty make-over; 42.) "You've got to work on your tone"; 43.) Foster care; 44.) Elevator; 45.) "This is personal"; 46.) Escape; 47.) "Relax your legs"; 48.) "You've got food on your face"; 49.) "Nothing happened between the two of us"; 50.) Note; 51.) "How come you snuck out this morning"; 52.) Visitation; 53.) "Sweet junk"; 54.) "That's a terrible f*cking name"; 55.) Tazer; and 56.) Voice-over after the Ending Credits.

favorite scenes: I liked the Kenyan scene;

And I liked the Snake scene.

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

recommendation: I liked it enough. Although, to be honest, it was pretty obvious halfway through the movie how it was gonna end. Go see this Road Trip Comedy.

spoiler alert! I don't have Sandy pegged as a man who would let his gas tank go on empty while commuting to work. When she rammed the other car, why didn't the airbags deploy? His shirt was sweat-soaked even though he just stepped out of an air-conditioned taxicab. She claimed that they were a married couple but the waitress failed to notice that she wasn't wearing a wedding ring! The "knock-out" drug that she used was not in capsule form and should have taken longer to dissolve. It seemed that the bad guys were better than the police at tracking down their interstate prey. Wait a minute .... Wasn't he an accessory to a crime?

fyi: Here's what I found on the Internet, regarding this movie:

>>> McCarthy, Bateman Can't Save Identity Thief

One critic ignites controversy by calling Melissa McCarthy a 'hippo' By Kevin Spak,  Newser Staff

Posted Feb 8, 2013 11:27 AM CST

(Newser) – No matter how much you like Jason Bateman and Melissa McCarthy, critics are urging you to decline Identity Thief, their new—sadly conventional and unfunny—buddy comedy. Here's what critics are saying, including one who got himself in hot water:

•As a fan of Bateman and McCarthy, Mick LaSalle at the San Francisco Chronicle wanted to like it. But "what seemed like a good idea—a comedy based on the phenomenon of identity theft—turned out to be comic quicksand," because having your life ruined at random isn't really funny. Bateman comes off as "a dramatic character facing personal tragedy who just happens to be stuck in a supposed comedy."

•The screenplay "tortures itself" to get its leads on a buddy-movie-esque road trip together, complains Ty Burr at the Boston Globe. "No, it doesn't make sense. Nothing in this movie makes sense. Next to Identity Thief, Inception is a marvel of sober concision." It's littered with "comedy clichés," and worse, an "obnoxious sentimentality," like the "generic equivalent of a Judd Apatow movie."

•Rex Reed at the New York Observer has drawn criticism of his own for calling McCarthy a "tractor-sized" "female hippo" who "has devoted her short career to being obese and obnoxious with equal success." Many have decried the review as sexist. "Have you ever read a review where a male actor was described this way?" asks Adriana Velez at The Stir, pointing out the host of plus-sized male comedians who haven't faced that kind of ridicule.

•Meanwhile Manohla Dargis at the New York Times thinks McCarthy is the best part of the movie, "the supernova who burns up this show." But ultimately this is "a lazy comedy" that isn't subversive enough to really cut her loose. "Order must be restored, the family reunited, the wild woman tamed." Everyone must learn a lesson, "and then everything will fit tidily, phonily together."

Showing 3 of 13 comments

. gravemaster217 Feb 8, 2013 3:44 PM CST .I never trust what the critics say. Most have different likes and dislikes concerning movies than what i like. I always prefer to make my own judgments on films. Just give me a synopsis of a movie so i know what it's about and i'll decide if i like it or not.

. PadrePio Feb 8, 2013 12:41 PM CST .Yeah but having the opportunity to ogle Amanda Peet is worth it. Man she is good looking!

. Mr.Vista Feb 8, 2013 12:19 PM CST ."Ty Burr at the Boston Globe. "No, it doesn't make sense. Nothing in this movie makes sense. Next to Identity Thief, Inception is a marvel of sober concision." It's littered with "comedy clichés," and worse, an "obnoxious sentimentality," like the "generic equivalent of a Judd Apatow movie."........ > Hey Ty, get over yourself you are JUST a movie critic, not writing a college thesis. <<<

word of advice: Don't give out personal information over the 'phone.

"Do the crime, do the time."

tidbits: I had a Chiropractic appointment first thing in the morning. I had hoped that my Chiropractor would show me how to work and strengthen my Core Muscles. But he said that my Lumbar Area was still weak, that we would have to wait 'til later to work on strengthening and balancing my Core Muscles.

I must be getting famous because the theatre cordoned-off the area where I parked my car! Talk about getting the VIP treatment. Ha, ha, ha.

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I ate at the MacDonald's Restaurant in the Target Shopping Center on Admiral Callaghan Lane after the movie and before driving off to work. While having lunch, I called my Union Rep to find out whether or not I am eligible for Worker's Comp for my lower back pain. She gave me the 'phone numbers of my Union Benefits Clerk and of the Union's Worker's Comp attorney. I gotta give them both a call as soon as I get the chance.

Google Chrome changed some stuff on my browser so that I am having a hard time searching for MY OWN BLOGSITE on the Internet!!! ( The reason for the delay in getting this blog posted on my site--I thought that I was having a computer virus problem yet again! I deep-scanned my computer everyday for the last few days just as a precaution. It all came up Negative--Thank God. Whew! )


*

SISTERAKAS, NR ( 1 hr & 50 min )

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where:  CENTURY 14 VALLEJO in Vallejo, CA
when:  Saturday, February 2nd, 2013
show:  11:45 a.m. ( Extra-Dollar Off First Show Matinee )
costs:  $6.50 Ticket + $3.75 20.0 oz Dasani Water + $1.42 Bulk Chocolate Candy = $11.67
auditorium:  4
seat:  3rd row ( counting from the front ), 7th column ( counting from the left )

synopsis/overview:  Bernardo ( Vice Ganda ) and Bernadette ( Aiai delas Alas ) are close friends as children. Until it is revealed that Bernardo's mother is the mistress of Bernadette's father, and that Bernardo is the bastard son. Bernardo's mother is pushed down the stairs by the jealous wife. Unceremoniously removed from his father's residence, the disgraced and humiliated Bernardo vows revenge on his father's other family in the presence of his now-paralyzed mother. Years later, Bernardo gets his opportune chance at revenge when Bernadette ( who has fallen on hard times ) unknowingly applies for a job at his fashion design house, The Ponytail.

noteworthy scenes:  1.) Textile plant; 2.) School awards; 3.) The other woman; 4.) The promise; 5.) Evil boss; 6.) "Totoy Bernice"; 7.) Perfect fit; 8.) Custody case; 9.) "I will not stop"; 10.) Want Ads; 11.) Eggs; 12.) "This is an office, not a church"; 13.) Chin measurement; 14.) Water station; 15.) School crush; 16.) Good news; 17.) Table of Contents; 18.) Launder and iron; 19.) Fish; 20.) Milk; 21.) "She seems nice. Whatever I do ..." 22.) New design; 23.) "I'm just washing my eyes with my saliva"; 24.) Cup o' Chili; 25.) In-demand male model; 26.) Volleyball; 27.) The "Mole"; 28.) Brief; 29.) Flat tire; 30.) Contract; 31.) Glutathione; 32.) Niece; 33.) Wheelchair; 34.) Vital statistics; 35.) In love; 36.) Recall; 37.) Food court quarrel; 38.) Apology; 39.) New offer; 40.) "Who poked my butt"; 41.) Ghosts; 42.) Sales charts; 43.) National Sharp Chins Day; 44.) Kisses; 45.) Serious talk; 46.) "Lotlot, and friends"; 47.) Chief of Operations; 48.) Evil plan; 49.) Roadside stand; 50.) Warehouse; 51.) "I'm a woman now"; 52.) Guilt trips; 53.) "You're not alone"; 54.) "Just continue where you left off"; 55.) New partnership; and 56.) Outtakes during the Ending Credits.

audience reaction:  The audience liked this movie.

recommendation:  I thought that it was stupid. The Premise was good. But the Acting and the Situations weren't. Go see this only if your taste in Comedy leans heavily on the unrefined side.

spoiler alert!  That little girl's chin looked so fake. Why did the nephew have to sport an old "Justin Bieber" hairstyle? Being a Pilipino, I would think that Bernardo would be "Lactose Intolerant" and shouldn't have drank all of that milk. Those fashion lines looked too garish to me. God, I've never seen a pizza pie that BIG ( yeah, but does it tastes Italian-style? )! I didn't know that they take the phrase, Roadside Stand, quite literally: That vendor's table IS AT THE CURB OF THE ROAD!

fyi:  When I was a little kid growing up in the Philippines, my father would discourage me from watching Pilipino movies. To him, such movies lacked quality and refinement and, as such, were relegatable to the "Bakya Crowd", people too poor to afford to buy shoes and must wear wooden sandals, instead.

Presently, this movie is the highest-grossing Pilipino film of all time. And I really don't see a reason why it should be.

One of the actresses in this movie, Ms. Gloria Diaz ( Miss Universe, 1969 ), is a first cousin of my late mother.

Totoy, in my Cebuano Language, means Breast(s).

It truly is inhumane the way they treat their servants in the Philippines. The abusively-exploited servants are more like slaves than anything else!

Vice Ganda bears an uncanny resemblance to the Chinese actor, Donnie Yen. They look like they could be identical twins separated at birth! Hey, they could do a movie along the "Good twin/Evil twin" line, something like: Kung Fu vs. Kung Fruit.

Donnie Yen, Martial Artist ( I found this on the Internet )

Vice Ganda, Make-up Artist ( I found this on the Internet )

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word of advice:  "Revenge is a dish best served cold." ( STAR TREK: WRATH OF KHAN [ 1982 ] )

tidbits:  As I waited in line at the box office to buy my ticket for this movie, my sister ( the one who lives in Fairfield, CA ) came up to greet me. She was there with her daughter. They were in line to buy tickets for BULLET TO THE HEAD. I told them to go see WARM BODIES, instead, that it is way better than TWILIGHT. She said that she and her daughter will see it tomorrow. I hope that they do because I'm pretty sure that they'll like watching WARM BODIES.

Before the movie started, the audience was treated to a promotional short for the upcoming DESPICABLE ME, 2 movie. It's the one with the Minions changing a light bulb. When the Minion holding the light bulb said, "Eh, narito na." The mostly-Pilipino audience laughed because it is Tagalog for, "Hey, it's here." Ha, ha, ha. And the line, "Okay, dito tara" sounds similar to the Tagalog command, "Okay, dito ka na." ( English: "Okay, you stay here." ) Hey, wait a minute .... Are the minions just a bunch of Pilipinos in disguise ...?

After the movie, I went to the FedEx/Kinkos store in the Safeway Shopping Center on Admiral Callaghan Lane here in Vallejo to make copies of my Chiropractor's appointment to give to my manager because he keeps messing-up my appointments. I think that he wants me to miss my scheduled appointments so that I become permanently disabled.

*

WARM BODIES, PG-13 ( 1 hr & 38 min )

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where:  CENTURY 14 VALLEJO in Vallejo, CA
when:  Friday, February 1st, 2013
show:  11:30 a.m. ( Extra-Dollar Off First Show Matinee )
costs:  $6.50 Ticket = $6.50 ( I'm budgeting my money because my manager doesn't want to compensate me for my work-related injury. My Chiropractor says it's a work-related injury. We'll see what the union lawyer has to say about it. )
auditorium:  7
seat:  6th row ( counting from the front ), 8ht column ( counting from the left )

synopsis/overview:  R(omeo) and Julie(t)

In this macabre love story, R ( Nicholas Hoult ), a zombie, becomes infatuated with a live girl, Julie ( Teresa Palmer ), after he kills her boyfriend ( Dave Franco ). They become friends. And their nascent friendship triggers something in R, a "something" that affects the other zombies, too.

noteworthy scenes:  1.) "Jesus, these guys look awful"; 2.) Airport security; 3.) "They'll eat anything with a heartbeat"; 4.) "This is what I have to look forward to"; 5.) Grunts and groans; 6.) "God, we're slow"; 7.) Brain; 8.) "New addition to family"; 9.) "Not eat"; 10.) Memory; 11.) "Don't be creepy"; 12.) "Be dead"; 13.) "Don't stare"; 14.) BMW; 15.) "Non-committal gesture"; 16.) "Will he come back as one of you"; 17.) "This is as close as we can get"; 18.) "You said, 'A few days'"; 19.) "Come with me"; 20.) Holding hands; 21.) Polaroid camera; 22.) Magazine cover; 23.) "Do you feel it"; 24.) "He would have killed you"; 25.) "Oh, sh!t"; 26.) "It was me"; 27.) Dream; 28.) Abandoned; 29.) "We have to be safe"; 30.) "Corpses don't get cold"; 31.) "Bitches, man ..."; 32.) "They said, 'F*ck, yeah'"; 33.) "I actually miss him"; 34.) "'Sup"; 35.) "Funny, you feel warmer than I remember"; 36.) "Nora ( Analeigh Tipton ), he didn't come here for an interview"; 37.) "Did you say, 'We ...'"; 38.) Pretty Woman; 39.) "'Nailed it"; 40.) "They're curing themselves"; 41.) "We want to help"; 42.) Subway; 43.) "Who the hell do we shoot"; 44.) Water fountain; 45.) Kiss; 46.) Bleeding; 47.) '"Situation has changed"; 48.) Bonding experience; 49.) Play catch; 50.) "I have zombie fingers"; 51.) "I like R"; and 52.) The wall.

audience reaction:  The audience, the females in particular, really enjoyed this movie. But it didn't get a "Hands Clapper" ending.

recommendation:  I liked this movie. Go see this if you're a Rom-Com ( or is that Zom-Com? ) Movie fan.

spoiler alert!  Wouldn't the zombies' clothes exude a certain putrefied "aroma"? If they don't have a heartbeat, their Circulatory System won't work ( the reason why zombies won't bleed ) and their Respiratory System won't work, either. Therefore, they won't be able to breathe, talk and smell. And their Digestive System won't work, too, so they won't need to eat. What I'm saying is, Relax, there's no such thing as zombies. Now, vampires, on the other hand ( ha, ha, ha ) .... If those zombies chased after me, I'd be a step ahead of them--literally--simply by walking fast ( ha, ha, ha ). The Memory scene should have been in a "point-of-view" perspective. How come the BMW's airbags didn't deploy? If there were no more humans in that place, how come the electricity wasn't cut-off? The Polaroid photo developed too fast. I know. I had the same exact Polaroid Camera at one time!

fyi:  This movie is better than any in the TWILIGHT Series!

word of advice:  Love means never having to say, "I ate your boyfriend's brains." LOL

Love conquers all.

tidbits:  I went to my Chiropractor first thing in the morning. He told me that my lower back is really tight. And that I should stretch my hamstrings because they also pull on the back muscles. He said to put a pillow under my knees before going to sleep to gently stretch the hamstrings.

I should have my Chiropractor show me some Core Muscle Exercises to strengthen and stretch my lower back muscles. Because lower back pain ain't no fun!!!

I took this picture in the back lot of my Chiropractor's office on my way in for some spinal adjustments.

After the movie, I went home to rest-up for a while before heading off to work. I laid down and put a pillow under my knees. And ... I felt pain on the inside of my left knee. Great, just great .... If it isn't one thing, it's another! Ahh ... the pleasures of getting older---Not!!!

*

BULLET TO THE HEAD, R ( 1 hr & 31 min )

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I went to see this yesterday, Thursday, January 31st, 2013, here in Vallejo, CA, at the CENTURY 14 VALLEJO, for the 10:15 p.m. show in auditorium 5, 3rd row ( counting from the front ), 8ht column ( counting from the left ).

Quickie Review:  A hit man ( Sylvester Stallone ) and a cop ( Kang Sung ) join together to go after the one responsible for the deaths of their respective partners.

A man in the audience, of just a dozen people or so, enjoyed this movie.

I liked it enough. The premise is somewhat improbable but it is a good enough Action Movie.

If you're a "Breast Man", this movie offers-up "Tits Galore"!!! I guess nothing says, "Action!" more than an assortment of bouncing breasts--and good quality ones, at that ( and I'm not even talking about Sylvester Stallone's well-aged and tanned pecs ). Nary a pair of saggy breasts in the whole bunch. Ha, ha, ha.

Here are some things that I found wrong in this movie: A man shot twice in the chest can't put-up a fight like that. You can't just casually walk into a "private club" without someone accosting you. With all that talk about noticing a difference in a gun's weight, how come he didn't notice that his own gun was lighter? All the males who attended that costume party wore suits, except for the two of them: One wore a T-shirt and the other a Polo shirt. Yet, nobody noticed that they crashed the party.

*