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| The time-stamp is one hour late because I hadn't adjusted my camera's clock for Daylight Savings Time, yet. |
where: CINE-ARTS 5 @ PLEASANT HILL in Pleasant Hill, CA
when: Sunday, March 10th, 2013
show: 3:40 p.m.
costs: $10.50 Ticket + $3.75 20.0 oz Dasani Water + $17.10 Natural Sources Raw Glandular Concentrate ( 60 capsules ) + $13.04 dinner @ Buffet City Chinese buffet restaurant ( + $2.01 Tip ) + $5.00 Benicia Toll Bridge = $51.40
auditorium: 2
seat: 4th row ( counting from the front ), Right Section, 2nd column ( counting from the left )
synopsis/overview: Under Supreme Commander of Allied Forces in the Pacific Theatre General Douglas MacArthur ( Tommy Lee Jones ), one-star General Bonner Fellers ( Matthew Fox ) is tasked with the duty to decide the fate of Emperor Hirohito ( Takataro Kataoka ), whether or not the Emperor should be found guilty of War Crimes and be hanged to death. And Gen. Bonners only has 10 days to gather pertinent evidence and arrive at a conclusion. Based on a book about the true story.
noteworthy scenes: 1.) Atomic bomb; 2.) "I do not doubt their allegiance to him"; 3.) "No weapons"; 4.) "We must be seen as Liberators, not as Conquerors"; 5.) Ultimate respect; 6.) Headquarters; 7.) Pictures of War Criminals; 8.) "Private matter"; 9.) "Different idea of Honor"; 10.) Ten days; 11.) Bar; 12.) "I am too outspoken for a Japanese girl"; 13.) Apartment; 14.) "Our mission has changed"; 15.) "I need three names"; 16.) Interview with ex-Prime Minister; 17.) "We were simply following your fine example"; 18.) Interview with the Emperor's closest adviser; 19.) Abrupt departure; 20.) "Do not come back to this office unless you're dragging him by the balls"; 21.) "Nation of contradictions"; 22.) "Intricate web of power"; 23.) "My father made me promise not to marry an American"; 24.) "We won't be dining on steaks tonight"; 25.) "Revenge is not the same as Justice"; 26.) "The army is teaching kids to hate foreigners"; 27.) "I can get you a list of the dead, Sir"; 28.) "Your culture is much older"; 29.) The meeting at the Imperial Palace"; 30.) "Did the Emperor order the attack on Pearl Harbor"; 31.) Bar fight; 32.) "If you will understand Devotion, you will understand Japan"; 33.) Ancient Code of Loyalty and Obedience; 34.) "Jap lover"; 35.) Sensitive information; 36.) Ceremonial role; 37.) "I didn't, I thought I would die, too"; 38.) "What you want is impossible"; 39.) "We did our duty but we lost our humanity"; 40.) Letters; 41.) In-house shrine for the dear departed; 42.) Personal recommendation; 43.) "Get me the Emperor"; 44.) Social visit; 45.) Trash can; 46.) Handshake; 47.) "We have arranged for a picture"; 48.) "I need your help"; and 49.) "We never had that drink."
audience reaction: The audience, mostly senior and middle-aged citizens ( and there was such a big turn-out for this movie ), was engrossed in the movie-watching experience.
recommendation: Since I'm always a sucker for movies based on Historical Figures, it goes without saying that I liked this movie. Vicariously speaking, I had an "I-was-there" feeling as I watched Hollywood's version of an important part of 20th century history unfold before my very eyes. Go see this movie if you're into History Movies as I am.
spoiler alert! I would have to "somewhat" concur with a famous movie critic, Mr. Roger Moore, who said that Gen. Fellers exhibited a conflict of interest as he went about his task. I say, somewhat, because, even though Fellers' conflict of interest detracted from his mission, for the better part of it, he exhibited impartiality. Of course, there was a moment when he arrived at a hasty prejudgemental decision but he eventually composed himself emotionally and mentally well enough afterward as he weighed the consequences of such a harsh conclusion. To be fair, Gen. Fellers' conflict only added a more human and personal dimension to the dynamics of the unfolding War Crimes investigation. As to whether or not Fellers' conflict of interest was of a bogus nature, I do not know for sure. I can only say that I couldn't find any information on it on the Internet.
fyi: What follows is an abbreviated article ( the full story is about 5 - 6 times longer ) which is found on the Internet:
>>>How Gals Helped Nuke Japan Without Knowing It
Young women played a big role at WWII atomic plant By Neal Colgrass, Newser Staff
Posted Mar 9, 2013 5:15 PM CST
(Newser) – Many young women helped build the A-bomb at a secret atomic research facility in Oak Ridge, Tenn.—but didn't know what they were making, the Daily Beast reports. Denise Kiernan's new book, The Girls of Atomic City: The Untold Story of the Women Who Helped Win World War II, describes the weirdness of daily life at so-called "Site X." One 18-year-old, for example, was told only to monitor and adjust gauge needles: "The idea was to get as much R as possible," writes Kiernan, "so that when the men came to empty the 'E' boxes of the 'D' units there would be a nice amount in there." What did it all stand for? "Smart girls didn't bother asking."
But "Site X" had a darker side. Women had letters boldly censored, romantic outings monitored, were fired for discussing work, and labored under Orwellian billboards—like one of a huge eye with a "swastika-embedded pupil" that read, "THE ENEMY IS LOOKING FOR INFORMATION GUARD YOUR TALK." Meanwhile, black workers were treated poorly, banned from the swimming pool and any family cohabitation (white couples were allowed to live together). In the end, the plant's workers were shocked to see the fruit of their labor dropped on Japan. Their curiosity, writes Kiernan, was replaced by "pride and guilt and joy and relief and shame." <<<
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I've been wanting to write about this for many years and share it with as many people as possible. That moment is now! What follows is an article from a booklet, entitled Miracles, Signs and Wonders, by GLOBE DIGESTS ( minimags@globefl.com ), which was published in 2002. It is on page 78:
>>>Surviving The Bomb At Hiroshima
Shortly after 8:00 a.m. on August 6, 1945, the United States dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan. A community of Jesuit Brothers lived in a house that was only eight blocks from the center of the bomb's blast. All eight members of the Jesuit household survived the destruction of the bomb when nearly every other soul who lived within a one-mile radius was annihilated.
Father Hubert Schiffer, a German-born missionary who lived in Hiroshima, described the blast as a blinding white light unlike anything he had ever seen before--and afterwards, there was only silence. No other explosions, no sirens, no cries for help--none of the sounds you would expect following such an attack. There was nothing but silence.
Father Schiffer had been injured in the blast, and when the other monks decided to take him to the doctor, they were shocked to discover that nothing remained of the town. Only the rectory where the men lived stood in the midst of all the destruction from the nuclear bomb.
Even today, scientists and doctors are unable to come up with an explanation as to how these men were able to survive the devastation with none of the side effects that plagued so many others. But Father Schiffer said the explanation was simple. He said that prayers were said every day in that house.<<<
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According to a READER'S DIGEST's "Humor in Uniform" article which I read as a boy of eleven back in the Philippines, the Americans and the Japanese were positioned on opposite sides of a hill on some island sometime during World War II. And either side was waiting for the other to commence an attack. But nobody did anything. So, an impatient G.I. ran to the top of the hill and shouted to the Japanese below, "To Hell with Hirohito!" Then he ran back down to where his men were at, waiting for the Japanese to charge. Presently, a Japanese soldier also ran to the top of the hill and yelled, "To Hell with Roosevelt!"
word of advice: Respect the differences between cultures to avoid Culture Clash.
tidbits: After the movie, I went to Harvest House Health Food Store on Monument Boulevard in Concord, CA, to buy some food supplements.
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| The time stamp here is also one hour late because I hadn't adjusted the camera's clock for Daylight Savings Time. |
I wanted to buy some bone meal tablets or powder and some freeze-dried raw glandular protein concentrate. I could only buy the glandular concentrate, though, because they were out of stock on the bone meal tablets and powder--I think some people out there have the same general idea as I do regarding the bone meal.
I don't know why bone meal tablets and powders are so hard to come by these days. I remember back in the late 70s and all through the 80s when I could walk into any--I repeat, ANY--health food store and buy bone meal or glandular protein any time I wanted to. These days, all that's in vogue at health food stores are "synthetic this" and "synthetic that"--crap that the human body doesn't even recognize at all, I told the store clerk.
( Anyway, when I got home, I looked-up the bone meal and glandular concentrate on the Internet. What a mark-up! I could have bought the glandular concentrate on the Internet for close to 50% less than what I paid for it at the health food store! I know where to buy my nutritional supplements from now on. )
After shopping at the health food store, I thought of going to Tomi Seafood and Sushi Buffet at the Sun Valley Mall in Pleasant Hill to have some Sushi. But I remembered that Sunday Sushi Dinner is more expensive than weeknight Sushi Dinner. So, I just went to Buffet City on Willow Pass Road in Concord to have Sushi. But, I changed my mind at the last minute and just ate some regular Chinese Buffet fare. And I only ate two plates' worth of food, instead of my usual three or four! I definitely didn't get my money's worth.
On my way home, as I slowed my car down to a stop at the Benicia Bridge Toll Booth, my HYUNDAI ACCENT's Check Engine Light flickered about a dozen times---And I have to have this car smog-checked in two weeks' time! What a piece of crap!!! I truly miss my GEO METRO, my trustworthy little car!
I will have to take my Accent to WHEEL WORKS in Vallejo, CA, tomorrow, first thing in the morning, to have this problem taken care of. Gad ... those guys at WHEEL WORKS probably love me by now because my Hyundai is forcing me to be a predictable repeat customer! Oh, please pray for me so that I will win the California Super Lotto and the Mega Lotto BIG TIME--a.s.a.p.!!!
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