MONSTERS UNIVERSITY, G ( 1 hr & 42 min )

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where: CENTURY 14 VALLEJO in Vallejo, CA
when: Sunday, June 23rd, 2013
show: 9:05 p.m. 2-D
costs: $10.00 Ticket + $6.50 Lite Bite Popcorn Snack ( w/ Beef Jerky & Powerade Mountain Berry Blast ) = $16.50
auditorium: 14
seat: 5th row ( counting from the front ), 9th column ( counting from the left )

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2nd time

where: CENTURY 14 VALLEJO in Vallejo, CA
when: Tuesday, June 25th, 2013
show: 11:00 a.m. 3-D
costs: $10.25 Ticket = $10.25
auditorium: 2
seat: 4th row ( counting from the front ), 7th column ( counting from the left )

synopsis/overview: Mike and Sully were not always the best of friends. This prequel shows them meeting for the first time as Scare majors at Monsters University where a strong rivalry develops between them as they try to out-scare each other. But their strengths and weaknesses complement them well together and they forge a needed partnership to overcome their learning hurdles.

noteworthy scenes: 1.) Field trip; 2.) "How do I become a scarer"; 3.) Roommates; 4.) "Oh, man. I can't be late on the first day"; 5.) Simulated scare test; 6.) Fail; 7.) Scare game; 8.) Team; 9.) Fraternity house; 10.) Initiation; 11.) "It's a miracle"; 12.) Lady bug; 13.) Library; 14.) Party; 15.) "We're built for other things"; 16.) Big leagues; 17.) Maze; 18.) Hide and Sneak; 19.) "Do you think he's scary"; 20.) Pink hearts; 21.) Rigged; 22.) Confession; 23.) "Somebody broke into the Door Lab"; 24.) "You look funny"; 25.) "Most of the time, I'm terrified"; 26.) The Scare; 27.) New dad; and 28. ) Bonus Scene after the Ending Credits.

audience reaction: The few people in the audience liked it. But no one gave it a "Hands Clapper" ending.

The second set of audience members liked it. But no one gave it a "Hands Clapper" ending.

recommendation: I hate to say this, but I really wasn't entertained by this prequel as much as the other people were. I guess, for me, its charm had worn-off. This movie is not as funny as the first one. The laughs are few and far in-between. Go see this but save your money by skipping the 3-D version.

spoiler alert: The two scenes with the snail monster freshman were pointless!

fyi: A recurring reference in a lot of, if not all of, PIXAR films is the number A113. In this movie, it is the classroom number of Scare 101.

It is believed that ghosts, evil spirits and demons feed on the energy of Fear. Which is why you shouldn't be afraid of such entities.

word of advice: Don't rest on your laurels.

tidbits: I was so impatient to get off work today, Sunday, because of the "Supermoon Event" wherein the moon would appear at its "biggest" size for the whole year. It was supposed to be at its biggest size at around 7:30. I was off the clock by 7:15 and would have plenty of time to look for it in the night sky and take pictures of it with my new red VistaQuest VQ-9100 Waterproof 12 MP Digital Camera which I bought for $53.23, including tax.

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But, as it turned out, I was 12 hours too late! I misread the on-line posted time because I thought that it was a misprint, that the a.m. was actually meant to be a p.m.! And even if the time was for the evening, I would have still missed it because storm clouds were everywhere.

I went to the MacDonald's Restaurant at 1602 East 2nd Street in Benicia, CA, to have an Apple Pie and a large Sweet Tea ( $2.14 ) as I waited for the storm clouds to move away. When I stepped out of the restaurant, the storm clouds were still all over the sky.

After the movie, on my way back to the car, I scanned the sky for any sign of the Supermoon. Nope, storm clouds were still everywhere I looked!

>>> If it's a consolation, I saw the moon on Saturday night at around 8:30 p.m. on my way home from American Canyon, CA, to get the right size of SanDisk 8 GB Micro-SD Card for my new camera because I bought the wrong size without checking the camera manual first--I thought that they all came in one size ( I didn't think that they could get any smaller than the size of my big toenail )! <<<

This photo is of a 16 GB card. But it is still the same general idea and the same size dimensions.

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When I got home, I opened my box of LexMark X4270 "All-in-One" Printer, Scanner and Fax Machine and hooked it up to my computer. I bought it back in August of 2006 and let it sit untouched in my hallway these last 6 years and 10 months! But it was time to unbox it because I needed to print-out most of my manuscript pages. And, wouldn't you know it, it didn't come with a USB cable!!! Arrgh ....

This is the LexMark X4270.

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The next day, Monday, June 24th, I went to my Chiropractor's clinic for my 8:30 a.m. spinal adjustment.

Then, I went to the Dollar Tree Store on Sonoma Boulevard and the 99-Cent Only Store on Springs Road, both here in Vallejo, on the off-chance that they might sell a cheap knock-off version of the USB cable that I needed for my LexMark X4270. Neither place had it--I was being too optimistic!

I went to the RadioShack in the Target Shopping Center on Admiral Callaghan Lane, here in Vallejo, to look for a compatible USB cable. They had it in three sizes: 3-ft., 6-ft. and 9(?)-ft. I chose the 6-ft. size; and it set me back about $25.00 ( which is almost 1/3 the price of what I paid for the LexMark X4270, priced at 79.88 before taxes )!

Then, I went to the Empire Chinese Buffet on Sonoma Boulevard for lunch ( $7.58 + $1.17 Tip ). My Fortune Cookie fortune read: "You display the admirable traits of Charm and Courtesy." I don't know about the "Charm" part, but it sure got the "Courtesy" part "nailed in the head."

When I got home, I connected the LexMark X4270 to my Compaq Presario, followed all of the installation instructions and AND I STILL COULDN'T GET IT TO WORK!!! Maybe, since my manuscript is on Google Drive, the LexMark X4270 is not compatible with Google "anything", I reasoned. I just gave up and rested in bed for the next few hours as I  waited for my meal to get digested.

Then, I went to the FedEx Kinko's in the Safeway Shopping Center on Admiral Callaghan Lane to try printing my manuscript from my USB flashdrive. I couldn't access my manuscript at first. Then, I realized that when I'd backspace, I'd get a Google Drive option. So, I tried it and it worked. As I got small bills for my $20.00 at the desk to make more copies, I mentioned to the clerk that I couldn't print out my document on my LexMark X4270, that it was not--somehow--compatible with my Google Drive. He had that surprised look on his face which pretty much symbolically asked, "What, are you some kind of a stupid, dumbf*ck retard idiot old-fart moron?"

When I got back home last night, I thought hard about the expression on the FedEx Kinko's clerk's face earlier in the day. I must have done something wrong. I thought about what I did. And I reasoned that the installation program for my LexMark X4270 was probably written back in 2005, that today's computer programs are more efficient and more intuitive. I tried once again to install the LexMark software in my computer; but, this time, I ignored the LexMark installation instructions as I relied only on my computer's step-by-step installation instructions---AND IT WORKED!!! And that's an example of my Cine-Man Logic applied to a real-life situation. I'm not some kind of a stupid, dumbf*ck retard idiot old-fart moron, after all! Ha, ha, ha. I checked the color print quality by printing-out a soft-porn picture of a girl whose butt reminded me of a butt which served as an inspiration for my Butt-Biting Monster children's story--which I'm almost finished writing. ( I'm gonna have to use photo-quality paper next time, just as a test purpose. Heh, heh, heh .... )

Anyway ....

2nd tidbits: Today, before the movie, I went to the Office Depot across the parking lot from the theatre to look at the replacement cartridges for my Lexmark X4270. Wow! I didn't know that they were that expensive. I think that it would be better and faster for me to just print-out my documents at FedEx Kinko's, instead! ( And, no, I couldn't find any photo-quality paper. They must have had it hidden from me. ) I also looked at their folders in-stock but they didn't have what I wanted.

So, I went to the CVS Drugstore a few doors down to buy a folder for my manuscript, the kind that can hold 120 pages. As I stepped-out of the store, I came across two ladies from Benicia. They asked me if I ever got around to seeing the Supermoon. I told them that I didn't because of the storm clouds, that I will just have to check it out on YouTube.

Now, if you'll excuse me ....

There! I just got back from viewing  the June 23rd, 2013 Supermoon Australian Footage on YouTube. That'll have to do, I guess.

After the movie, I went to the Selecta Pilipino Buffet on Springs Road, here in Vallejo, to have lunch ( $8.71 ).

Then, I drove to the MacDonald's Restaurant at 902 Admiral Callaghan Lane in the Target Shopping Center, here in Vallejo, to have some Apple Slices and a large Sweet Tea ( $2.39 ) as I blogged about this movie. 

But, first, I called my friend, Hector, in Oakland, CA. His wife is still in the hospital---It has been 3 months already!!! I think that she craves the attention ( she has a psychiatric "condition", if I haven't mentioned that already ). Poor stressed-out Hector ....


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WORLD WAR Z, PG-13 ( 1 hr & 55 min )

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I went to see this on Thursday, June 20th, 2013, in Fairfield, CA, at the EDWARDS FAIRFIELD STADIUM 16 & I-MAX, for the 10:45 p.m. show in auditorium 9, 3rd row ( counting from the front ), 9th column ( counting from the left ). The price of admission was $11.50. I got a $0.00 small 32.0 oz Fruit Punch ( free on my Movie Watcher Rewards Card ) and a $6.00 small Popcorn at the concessions counter.

Quickie Review:  A highly-infective virus which turns humans into marathon-runner zombies is threatening the very survival of all of humanity. It is up to a retired UN investigator ( Brad Pitt ) to find a cure a.s.a.p.

The audience liked it. And some people jokingly gave it a "Hands Clapper" ending.

It was entertaining enough for me. This movie is definitely for Zombie Movie fans.

Here are some things wrong with this movie: If they knew that the zombies were attracted to sound, why didn't they bother greasing-up their bicycles first before they went outside to get some fuel? How were they able to recharge the dead battery in his cellphone? In a human stampede, it would have been near impossible--if not totally impossible--for the zombies to detect poor host candidates for viral infection. The Olfactory Bulb in humans is not sophisticated enough to be sensitive at detecting faint scents and odors, whether that human is uninfected or infected. Viruses have built-in "safety measures" to ensure their continued evolutionary survivability. But in this movie's scenario, had it been allowed to run its course, the virus ( and its human hosts )  would have died out readily because it would have become too effective for its own good!

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I went to Selecta Pilipino Buffet on Springs Road, here in Vallejo, to have lunch and to buy some lottery tickets ( $16.58 ). While I was at the buffet, an African man who was a regular patron, mentioned to the proprietress that he only eats once a day. Everyday, he drinks tea for breakfast and has lunch, and that's it. Of course, he probably takes-in enough calories eating at a buffet to take care of his daily caloric needs. Whatever ....  Maybe I should try this "African diet" because he looks like an average skinny guy, I can tell you that right now.

Then, I went to Benicia, CA, to pick-up my paycheck and to make a deposit into my savings account at the Benicia BofA ( Bank of America ). Next, I went to the Chase Bank at the Target Shopping Center on Admiral Callaghan Lane, here in Vallejo, to deposit some money into my checking account. And I drove a few blocks up the street to pay on my car insurance at the local CSAA office.

And I stopped at the MacDonald's Restaurant, also at the Target Shopping Center, to have a Fruit and Oatmeal Cereal and a large cup of Sweet Tea ( $3.25 ) as I sat down to finish my blog on MAN OF STEEL.

At the movie, two assholes seated to my right were very rude and inconsiderate by talking to each other while the movie played and by texting on their cellphones. This was probably the first time I experienced something of this sort at this theatre--the assholes must be part of the "Vallejo Crowd" of irresponsible, disrespectful and inconsiderate lowlifes! The next time that I come to this theatre to see a movie, I shall make it a point to get a security pager at the box office to alert their security to such lowlifes who are ruining the movie-watching experience for everyone else.

After the movie, as I started up my car, the "Low Battery" warning came on for a few seconds. I will have to top-up the distilled water inside the battery because I suspect that the oil change places that I took my car to never checked all of my car's fluid levels like they were supposed to!

Then, I drove to the Fairfield Super Wal-Mart to buy a waterproof digital camera ( $49.99 + tax ) because it would be more practical of me to have such a camera on hand.



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4TH YEAR ANNIVERSARY

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I just realized that my blogsite had its 4th year anniversary five days ago. Boy! time sure flies when one is  busy blogging. I ain't sharin' the cupcake, by the way.

MAN OF STEEL, PG-13 ( 2 hr & 23 min )

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where: CENTURY 14 VALLEJO in Vallejo, CA
when: Saturday, June 15th, 2013
show: 9:20 p.m. in 2-D
costs: $10.50 Ticket =$10.50
auditorium: 8
seat: 2nd row ( counting from the front ), 8ht column ( counting from the left )

2nd time

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where: EDWARDS FAIRFIELD STADIUM 16 & I-MAX in Fairfield, CA
when: Sunday, June 16th, 2013
show: 7:00 p.m. in I-Max 3-D
costs: $0.00 Ticket + $0.00 medium Popcorn + $0.00 small 32.0 oz Pink Lemonade = $0.00 ( Because of my "avid moviegoer status", according to Regal Cinemas, I was given a $50.00 gift card two Mondays ago through the mail. Plus my movie watcher reward card was upgraded to Elite status, meaning I am now considered one of only 91 people in the world who are special to Regal Cinemas. By the way, my elite ranking is # 21. And, to think, had I gone to see all of the movies that I went to go see these last 10 years only at Regal Cinemas, I would have reached Elite status way sooner and would have probably been ranked at # 1 In The World, instead! )
auditorium: 12
seat: 3rd row ( counting from the front ), 6th column ( counting from the left )

3rd time

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where: CENTURY 14 VALLEJO in Vallejo, CA
when: Monday, June 17th, 2013
show: 10:30 p.m. in Real-D 3-D 
costs: $13.50 Ticket + $6.75 medium Popcorn w/ Butter + $4.50 medium 30.0 oz Powerade Mountain Berry Blast + $1.50 Kernel Season's Popcorn Seasoning Nacho Cheddar flavor = $25.25

auditorium: 14
seat: 4th row ( counting from the front ), 7th column ( counting from the left )

synopsis/overview: As the planet Krypton comes to its end, a couple makes the difficult decision to send their infant off to a distant planet, Earth, in the hope that it will be found and rescued by some Earthlings. The infant is found and adopted by a childless couple and named Clark ( James Cavill ). Clark grew up living in fear that others will learn of his true alien nature and reject him. All his life, out of respect for his father, Jonathan Kent ( Kevin Costner ), he keeps his super powers in secret. But that changes when a rebel army from his native planet comes searching for him and threatens to harm the humans if he doesn't surrender himself peacefully. Clark fights against it in defense of his adopted planet and of all human beings on Earth.

noteworthy scenes: 1.) "I have held that hope in my hands"; 2.) Codex; 3.) "Krypton is doomed"; 4.) Launch; 5.) "I will find him"; 6.) This is the end; 7.) Off-shore oil rig; 8.) Super senses; 9.) Bus crash; 10.) "Act of God"; 11.) "Maybe ..."; 12.) "We found you in this"; 13.) Truck stop diner; 14.) Anomaly; 15.) "Where the hell are you going"; 16.) Alien ship; 17.) Camera flash; 18.) Cauterize; 19.) News article; 20.) Consciousness; 21.) Genesis chamber; 22.) "Keep testing your limits"; 23.) Urban legend; 24.) Cemetery; 25.) "You're not my dad"; 26.) Tornado; 27.) Penance; 28.) "I found them"; 29.) NORAD; 30.) UFO sighting; 31.) Ultimatum; 32.) "Are you watching this crap"; 33.) School bullies; 34.) Church; 35.) Handcuffs; 36.) "It's not an 'S'"; 37.) Not adapting; 38.) Distress beacon; 39.) "I have a duty to my people"; 40.) "Two bogeys"; 41.) "I designed this ship"; 42.) "The codex is not here"; 43.) "What have you done to me"; 44.) Two super bad guys; 45.) "This man is not our enemy"; 46.) "Nice suit, son"; 47.) "I know how to stop them"; 48.) "I have located the codex"; 49.) World Engine; 50.) "The command key is revoking your authority"; 51.) "Krypton had its chance"; 52.) "And, now, I have no people"; 53.) Train station; 54.) Surveillance drone; 55.) "I just think he's kind of hot"; and 56.) New job.

audience reaction: The first group of audience gave this movie a "Hands Clapper" ending.
The second group of audience enjoyed this movie but didn't give it a "Hands Clapper" ending.
The third group of audience enjoyed this movie but didn't give it a "Hands Clapper" ending.

recommendation: I liked this action-packed movie. Go see it if you like Action Movies and if you're a Superman fan.

spoiler alert! Jor-El ( Russell Crowe ) was slow to aim and shoot his rifle. If the Kryptonians had weapons that could kill their fellow beings, why didn't their weapons seriously hurt Superman , at the very least? Each of the rebels was encapsulated in something that, for all intents and purposes--and for lack of a better description, looked suspiciously like a giant dildo with a suction cup base ( Don't ask me how I know. LOL ). Lara Lor-Van ( Ayelet Zurer ) should have been thrown back by the force of the fiery explosion. When little Clark began to see x-ray images of his classmates, ONE THING WRONG THAT REALLY STOOD-OUT WAS THAT EACH OF HIS CLASSMATES HAD A PERFECT SET OF ADULT TEETH--kids that age should not have grown a full set of permanent teeth yet!!! ( 'See what happens when Hollywood doesn't consult my--relatively cheap--services as Cine-Man, Technical Adviser? ) When the kids trapped in the sinking school bus screamed, their screams should have sounded like they were gargling water. The school bus was in all probability still in gear when it crashed into the water. Therefore, when Clark pushed it up the river bank, its rear wheels ( if it was a rear-wheel drive ) shouldn't have rolled so readily. If that foreign object's composition was not identifiable according to our Elements of the Periodic Table, that alone would have piqued the metallurgist's interest and, in turn,  possibly would have had the government goons investigating the elder Kent, too. With his super hearing, I don't know why Clark didn't hear it when Lois Lane ( Amy Adams ) asked, "Where the hell are you going?" In the vacuum of space, why did his cape flap around? Why didn't the alien shuttle ship have any seats in it--Superman and Lois Lane had to stay standing up. When Superman struck the hull of the mother ship, it broke apart like it was made out of cement--and without rebars, at that! When he rescued the falling Lois Lane, he turned around to shield her from the blast, but his cape SHOULD NOT HAVE STAYED BEHIND HIS BODY! His suit could get penetrated by a needle. Therefore, his suit should not have stood up to gun shots and abrasions. When he came flying at that falling soldier at an angle and at such a fast speed to catch him, the soldier should have been killed by blunt force trauma! When the alien ship hovered above Metropolis, how come nobody on the ground took videos or pictures of it with their cellphones? Superman avoided fighting anybody all of his life. So, how was he able to defeat the battle-hardened bad guys who had years of training and experience fighting in unarmed combat? How was General Zod able to breathe our air without any kind of a reaction to it first? Why didn't that family in the train station simply just get the heck out of the way?

To build the kind of physique that Clark Kent had, he would have to lift weights. But ... it begs the question: Where did he find a weightlifting set heavy enough to stimulate his body's muscular growth?

What I gather from watching this movie is that Krypton was doomed because Kryptonian science and technology had stagnated for more than 18,000 years!!! Observe how their present spacecraft and their ancient spacecraft were still technologically compatible with each other.

And why didn't anybody tell General Zod ( Michael Shannon ) that there is that object orbiting around in space called the planet Mars? They could have terra-formed the Red Planet to their hearts' content--and we would have had "next door neighbors" that we could possibly interbreed with! ( I have dibs on General Zod's 2nd-in-command, Faora ( Antje Traue!!! )

Shouldn't the title have been MAN OF KRYPTON, instead, since his native element is not even listed in the Elements of the Periodic Table?

fyi: The surname El comes from Hebrew. It means Might, Strength, Power ( www.hebrew4christians.com/Names_of_G-d/El/el.html ).

The co-creators of Superman are Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, sons of Jewish immigrants. So, it's very easy to see the parallel between Superman and Siegel/Shuster as outsiders trying to fit-in in American society.

The first Superman created by Siegel and Shuster was a bald-headed bad guy.

This super guy goes around without his red underwear on! What's up with that? They should just call him Commando Man since he refuses to wear his red underwear.

>>> Time for Superman wordplay <<<

In the '50s, there was George Ribs.

In the '70s and '80s, there was Christopher Rib.

Now, we have Henry Clavicle.

Do I sense a pattern ...?

As for the other two Supermen, I'm not ( Tom ) Welling to go that ( Brandon ) Routh! Ha, ha, ha---Snort! Am I witty or what?!?!?!

word of advice: Don't even think for a moment that we are all alone!

tidbits: I went to the Chase Bank in the Food Maxx Supermarket on the corner of Tuolumne and Redwood Streets here in Vallejo, first thing in the morning, to put money into my checking account. Then, I went a couple of doors down to Goin' Postal to pick-up a package of hair care products.

Then, I went to the Big 5 Sporting Goods Store on Sonoma Boulevard to buy a pair of slip-on shoes for work for the Father's Day Sale Price of just $18.00.

And I went to Selecta Pilipino Buffet on Springs Road to have lunch and to buy some lottery tickets. I spent $17.58 for my meal and tickets.

I went home to rest-up, digest my meal, and to try the new hair care products that I picked-up earlier.

Then, I went to Best Buy Electronics Store to buy a flash drive ( $7.59 tax included ) for my manuscript.

Next, I went to the Dollar Tree Store in the Target Shopping Center on Admiral Callaghan Lane to buy Black Currant Jam, Aquafresh Toothpaste, Windshield Cleaner, and Anti-Plaque Mouth Rinse, all for a total of $4.26.

And I went to the nearby MacDonald's Restaurant to have a Fruit and Oatmeal Cereal and a large cup of Sweet Tea ( $3.25 ) before I went to see this movie.

2nd tidbits: After I got off work in Benicia, CA, I went to the nearby Chevron Gas Station to get some gas and to check my lottery tickets. I won $116.00 on the Super Lotto--and I was just one number short of winning $12,000 + !!!

And I stopped by the MacDonald's Restaurant at 902 Admiral Callaghan Lane in the Target Shopping Center here in Vallejo to have Fruit and Oatmeal Cereal ( again! ) and a large cup of Sweet Tea for $3.25.

Then, I drove to EDWARDS FAIRFIELD STADIUM 16 & I-MAX in Fairfield, CA, to watch this movie in I-Max 3-D and to use my new Elite Movie Watcher Card and my Regal Movie Watcher Gift Card:

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The movie watcher reward card on the left is my old one. My new, personalized Elite Status Movie Watcher Reward Card is on the right. At the top is my $50.00 Regal Entertainment Group gift card. Am I special or what? Ha, ha, ha.

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3rd tidbits: A few hours before I went to see this movie for the third time, I encountered slow traffic on the slow lane of the I-80 Freeway. Normal traffic would have been moving along at 65 mph. But it was crawling along at just 50 mph. Three or four cars ahead of mine switched to the middle lane. And I saw the source of the slow traffic: A black Mercedes Benz. I switched to the middle lane and passed it by to see what was causing it to move slower than the posted speed. A black bitch was at the wheel AND THE BITCH WAS TEXTING!!! I HATE INCONSIDERATE, SELF-CENTERED AND IRRESPONSIBLE LOW-LIFES!!!!!!! I hope the bitch gets into an accident, gets her driver's license revoked, gets sued for everything she's got and gets her dumb ass thrown in jail for life! Such low-lifes should not be allowed to drive at all.


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THIS IS THE END, R ( 1 hr & 47 min )

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I went to see this yesterday, Friday, June 14th, 2013, here in Vallejo, CA, at the CENTURY 14 VALLEJO, for the 10:25 p.m. show in auditorium 13, 5th row ( counting from the front ), 5th column ( counting from the left ). The price of admission was $10.50. And I bought a $6.75 medium Popcorn w/ Butter and a $4.50 medium 30.0 oz Powerade Mountain Berry Blast at the concessions counter.

Quickie Review:  As a group of Hollywood movie celebrities gather at James Franco's new house for a house warming party, the Biblical Apocalypse unexpectedly happens! When the good people of Earth get raptured into Heaven and Hell opens up and lets loose its demons on Earth, the movie celebrities must learn the true meaning of real-life friendship and sacrifice if they are to be saved.

The audience absolutely enjoyed this movie which is a "laugh-a-minute" riot!

Of course, I enjoyed this movie, too! I would go so far as to say that this movie is this year's funniest movie. Go see this movie if you are a fan of Comedy Movies!

I liked how they passed the time away by making home movies--talk about vanity! Ha, ha, ha.

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Seeing this movie was a perfect way for me to de-stress after a particularly stressful time of it at work--I practically didn't get anything done in my department ( and lost sales as a result ) because I was delegated to do something else!

I wasn't able to write down any notes for this movie because I was busy enjoying my popcorn "dinner" for the better part of the show! ( I told the clerk at the concession stand's popcorn station that it was my dinner for the evening. )

note: I am almost done writing my children's book manuscript about a Butt-Biting Monster. Now, I'm trying to figure out how to transfer it unto an USB Flash Drive so that I can take it to a local FedEx Kinko's to make copies for my test-market research ( I've already gotten some co-workers to volunteer as test-market readers; and the anticipation is making them very impatient! LOL ).

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THE PURGE, R ( 1 hr & 25 min )

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I went to see this yesterday, Sunday, June 9th, 2013, here in Vallejo, CA, at the CENTURY 14 VALLEJO, for the 11:50 a.m. Extra Dollar Off First Show Matinee, in auditorium 14, 4th row ( counting from the front ), 6th column ( counting from the left ).  The price of admission was $6.75.

Quickie Review:  In the USA of 2022, where all the people still drive around in cars that are 10 years old or older, people participate in an Annual Civil Disobedience to relieve their pent-up rage and to really "go to town" on their hapless victims.

The audience only liked one scene, the "Did You Hear What I Said?" scene.

I almost fell asleep halfway through this mostly predictable movie.  This is strictly a rental.

But this movie does have one redeeming value built-in: Mary ( Lena Headey ) is one Hot Mama!  ( Note: She played the character of Ma-Ma, by the way, in the DREDD [ 2012 ] movie. )

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note:  I'm still plugging away at my Butt-Biting Monster manuscript. And I'm still not finished with chapter 17 as it keeps unfolding itself before me, offering up twists and turns that add to the overall appeal of the whole story. I already have a general feel for what are in store for me in chapters 18, 19 and 20--yes, I had to add one extra chapter to round-out a crucial character's personal background. And I'm just curious to see how this whole story wraps itself up!

Is my story too long, considering that it's just a children's book?  Nah .... If I remember correctly, the Harry Potter novels were originally aimed at boys between the ages of 8 and 10!

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THE INTERNSHIP, PG-13 ( 2 hr & 00 min )

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I went to see this today, Friday, June 7th, 2013, here in Vallejo, CA, at the CENTURY 14 VALLEJO for the 1:50 p.m. show in auditorium 7, 6th 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: Two salesmen lose their jobs. In desperation, they manage to talk themselves into an internship at Google. There, they must compete with younger and very technologically-savvy interns vying for the few job openings through a mentally grueling set of team challenges.

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

It was okay. This is a light comedy meant to be seen on a hot and lazy summer afternoon when you find yourself with nothing else better to do.

There are some Bonus Scenes at the start of the Ending Credits, if you want to stick around for them.

fyi:               Google

Shared publicly  -  1:03 PM

+Larry Page and +David Drummond address reports alleging that Internet companies have joined a secret U.S. government program called PRISM:http://g.co/upuu

Larry Page originally shared:

Dear Google users—

You may be aware of press reports alleging that Internet companies have joined a secret U.S. government program called PRISM to give the National Security Agency direct access to our servers. As Google’s CEO and Chief Legal Officer, we wanted you to have the facts.

First, we have not joined any program that would give the U.S. government—or any other government—direct access to our servers. Indeed, the U.S. government does not have direct access or a “back door” to the information stored in our data centers. We had not heard of a program called PRISM until yesterday.

Second, we provide user data to governments only in accordance with the law. Our legal team reviews each and every request, and frequently pushes back when requests are overly broad or don’t follow the correct process. Press reports that suggest that Google is providing open-ended access to our users’ data are false, period. Until this week’s reports, we had never heard of the broad type of order that Verizon received—an order that appears to have required them to hand over millions of users’ call records. We were very surprised to learn that such broad orders exist. Any suggestion that Google is disclosing information about our users’ Internet activity on such a scale is completely false.

Finally, this episode confirms what we have long believed—there needs to be a more transparent approach. Google has worked hard, within the confines of the current laws, to be open about the data requests we receive. We post this information on our Transparency Report whenever possible. We were the first company to do this. And, of course, we understand that the U.S. and other governments need to take action to protect their citizens’ safety—including sometimes by using surveillance. But the level of secrecy around the current legal procedures undermines the freedoms we all cherish.

Posted by Larry Page, CEO and David Drummond, Chief Legal Officer

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I started the day by going to Goin' Postal in the Food Maxx Shopping Center on the corner of Tuolumne and Redwood Streets to pay on my postal box rental and to drop-off a couple of bill payments. Then, I went to the Chase Bank inside of Food Maxx to make a deposit into my checking account.

And I went to Selecta Pilipino Buffet at the Springstowne Shopping Center, on Springs Road, to have a combo Breakfast and Lunch ( my first two meals for the day all rolled into one---Nope, I don't think it qualifies as a Brunch based on its sheer size ). I also bought some lottery tickets while I was there. I spent a total of $17.71 for everything ( it used to cost me just $17.58 ).

As I was leaving the shopping center at 1:25 p.m., I passed by a Dunbar Armored Truck similar to this one that I found on the Internet:

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It was picking-up money from one of the stores or shops. I saw something funny about it which made me laugh: The front left fender was dented! That does not necessarily inspire confidence in any of its armored crew personnel. Ha, ha, ha.

After the movie, an Asian woman driver bitch cut me off and a crossing female pedestrian. I was so shocked and in disbelief that I forgot to honk my horn at her to remind her of her recklessness! This happened at approximately 4:16 p.m. She's probably the same kind of woman driver who does some texting while she's driving! F*cking irresponsible lowlife woman driver bitch ( a "Vallejo Crowd" member, in all probability ).

I went to the MacDonald's Restaurant on 902 Admiral Callaghan Lane at the Target Shopping Center to have some Sweet Tea and Chocolate Chip Cookies ( $2.17 ), to get out of the hot afternoon sun and to blog about this movie. I first called my Chiropractor's clinic, after I parked my car in the shade, to reschedule my Monday appointment because my manager at work scheduled me to work the midnight shift and I wouldn't be able to make it to my 8:30 a.m. appointment in time. I moved my schedule to between 9:30 and 10:30 a.m. And I also have a 4:45 p.m. doctor's appointment in San Francisco--there's goes my sleep-time ....

note: I'm now on Chapter 17 of the manuscript that I am writing for a children's book. My BUTT-BITING MONSTER book. Originally, I imagined my story to have only 15 chapters. But I realized that I needed to break down the last chapter into more "bite-sized" pieces. Otherwise, Chapter 15 would end-up being a very, very, very long chapter, putting it in sharp contrast to the rest of the chapters which are short in comparison. So, I decided to make it an 18 chapters long story. But, at 18 chapters, it would end on a melancholic note---And I like happy endings, don't you? So, I decided to add another chapter to it, Chapter 19. Here's the current breakdown:

CHAPTER 15: The Escape

CHAPTER 16: The Dream

CHAPTER 17: The Unexpected

CHAPTER 18: The Legacy

CHAPTER 19: The Purge ( incidentally, this is also a title of a movie currently showing on the Big Screen )

EPILOGUE ( i.e. afterword )

NOTES, "the-making-of"

I should be contacting book agents within the next two weeks or so. And, hopefully, one of them will like it enough to represent me. Overall, it is a very funny--at times, sad--"butt-centric" story that I truly enjoy writing; I can't wait to finish writing it. ( It has got some catchy tunes in it, too! Ha, ha, ha. ) 

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AFTER EARTH, PG-13 ( 1 hr & 39 min )

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where: CENTURY 14 VALLEJO in Vallejo, CA
when: Friday, May 31st, 2013
show: 7:40 p.m.
costs: $10.50 Ticket + $3.75 20 oz Dasani Water + $2.00 13.8 oz Tazo Organic Iced Green Tea ( after the movie at the Starbucks in the Target Shopping Center on Admiral Callaghan Lane, here in Vallejo ) = $16.50
auditorium: 8
seat: 5th row ( counting from the front ), 8th column ( counting from the left )

synopsis/overview:  After returning home to Nova Prime, General Cypher Raige ( Will Smith ) goes on a routine space mission with his military cadet son, Kitai ( Jaden Smith ), who lives in the shadow of his legendary father. Their spaceship is caught in an asteroid storm and crash-lands on a-now-hostile-to-humans Earth. Both father and son survive the crash and must learn to trust each other if they are to return safely back home to their planet.

noteworthy scenes: 1.) Ghosting; 2.) "You tell your father that I said, Welcome home"; 3.) Amputee; 4.) "I'm reading Moby Dick"; 5.) Restricted area; 6.) "Mass expansion"; 7.) Crash-land; 8.) "We need that beacon"; 9.) "You didn't see that"; 10.) "Hold on to what"; 11.) Baboons; 12.) "You are not being followed"; 13.) "Contaminated blood"; 14.) Arterial shunt; 15.) "Breathing fluid"; 16.) "Fear is a choice"; 17.) Carcasses; 18.) Ursa; 19.) The case; 20.) Sky jump; 21.) Nest; 22.) "Wake up"; 23.) Bird; 24.) Black zone; 25.) "It has found you"; 26.) Beacon; and 27.) "I want to work with mom."

audience reaction: The audience liked it and some of them ( i.e. the kids ) gave this movie a "Hands Clapper" ending.

recommendation: It was so-so. As an Action Movie, it sure was boring. This movie is aimed at preteens. So, if you're a preteen, you might want to see this movie.

spoiler alert! He should have used the word, "Phenomenon." Why weren't the seats equipped with oxygen masks? Why were the monkey carcasses all lumped together in one place? Ursa is a Latin word for Bear. If that creature was really blind, how was it able to find trees with pointy-tipped bare branches to impale its victims on? Eagles don't lay many eggs! Such birds lay only one or two eggs at the most! And, in most cases, only one hatchling grows to full maturity. The crashed spaceship had an underlying structure that looked like something you'd see in a Fred Flintstone cartoon show.

fyi: Organic Architecture and Structures are shown in this movie to preposterous, impractical extremes!

word of advice: An Action Movie that has too much talking going on in it is a Chick Flick!

tidbits: I watched this movie as I finished-up the bag of trail mix that I had with me earlier in the day when I went to see the movie NOW YOU SEE ME. I tried to chew on what I thought was a very hard piece of banana chip. Is this fossilized, I asked myself. I took it out of my mouth and looked at it. It was an "America, the Beautiful" commemorative State Quarter, a 2013 Ohio "Perry's Victory" coin! One of my quarters must have somehow slipped inside the bag.

After the movie, I went to the Starbucks Coffee Shop in the Target Shopping Center on Admiral Callaghan Lane to make a correction on my NOW YOU SEE ME blog and to start this blog.

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