THE WOLVERINE, PG-13 ( 2 hr & 6 min )

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where: CENTURY 14 VALLEJO in Vallejo, CA
when: Friday, July 26th, 2013
show: 8:00 p.m. 2-D
costs: $10.50 Ticket + $0.99 3.25 oz Frito Lay Munchies Salted Peanuts ( bought at the Chevron Gas Station in Benicia, CA, and smuggled-in ) + $4.50 1-Litre Dasani Water = $15.99
auditorium: 7
seat: 3rd row ( counting from the front ), 8ht column

2nd time

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where: EDWARDS FAIRFIELD STADIUM 16 & I-MAX in Fairfield, CA
when: Sunday, July 28ht, 2013
show: 8:25 p.m. 3-D
costs: $15.50 Ticket + $14.75 buffet dinner @ Hometown Buffet Restaurant in Fairfield, CA ( + $1.00 Tip ) = $31.25
auditorium: 5
seat: 4th row ( counting from the front ), 6th seat ( counting from the left )

synopsis/overview: The Wolverine ( Hugh Jackman ) goes to a Japan that he hasn't been to since WWII. There, he finds himself on the run from its criminal underbelly and is confronted with the prospect of death for the very first time.

noteworthy scenes: 1.) Prison camp; 2.) "You can't hide"; 3.) "Don't make me do this"; 4.) "Go ahead. Ask me where I found it"; 5.) Separator; 6.) "An honorable death"; 7.) Future reader; 8.) "Hip replacement"; 9.) "He's alright"; 10.) "Who is the caveman"; 11.) Bath; 12.) "I feel violated"; 13.) Ronin; 14.) "You don't want what I've got"; 15.) Garbage eater; 16.) Death; 17.) Shinto priest; 18.) Arcade house; 19.) "You're bleeding"; 20.) "You are a toy doll. A companion for a child that is outgrowing you"; 21.) Train roof fight; 22.) Love Hotel; 23.) "Mission to Mars"; 24.) Student; 25.) "She did this to me"; 26.) "We had to wait until we were at least 15"; 27.) "In three days"; 28.) "He seems like an asshole"; 29.) Fallen tree; 30.) "Keep it safe for me"; 31.) "Everyone you love dies"; 32.) Abduction; 33.) "I saw you die"; 34.) "He was obsessed with you"; 35.) "I didn't"; 36.) Recessive trait; 37.) Ninjas; 38.) Viper; 39.) Note; 40.) Body scan; 41.) "You tried to kill your daughter"; 42.) "Live with that"; 43.) Diagrams; 44.) "Now, it's your turn"; 45.) Wolverine vs. Ninjas; 46.) Arrows; 47.) "He's made of Adamantium, just like you"; 48.) "A means to an end"; 49.) Skin shed; 50.) Two hands; 51.) "This is not my day"; 52.) "Don't look so shocked"; 53.) "I buried my grandfather"; 54.) "Sayonara"; 55.) "I've been hiding too long"; and 56.) Bonus Scene in the middle of the Ending Credits.

favorite scene: I liked the Train Roof Fight scene.

audience reaction: This audience really liked the movie and gave it a "Hands Clapper" ending twice: At the End, and after the end of the Bonus Scene.

2nd audience reaction: This Fairfield crowd was not as receptive to this movie as the Vallejo crowd was.

recommendation: I liked it. Go see this movie if you're an X-Men fan.

spoiler alert! In the arcade house, why did the bad guy try to body slam the locked door when he should have tried to kick it down, instead? I always thought that one had to buy a ticket first before boarding a train! Where did he get the money to buy a train ticket? The side wall of the bullet train looked like it was made out of paper, and without any kind of structural support in it. Why didn't the other passengers hear the train roof fight? Why didn't the knives and daggers penetrate through the train roof? He wouldn't have been able to keep himself parallel to the train roof as he "flew" toward the bad guy because he had no Thrust and Lift--he only had Drag, Uneven Weight Distribution and Gravity ( which all worked against him, by the way ). One guard was directly behind another one who just got "flying-kicked" in the head but the guard didn't react to the surprise attack on his fellow bodyguard. When Logan/Wolverine removed the note from the chest of a dead bad guy, the dagger in the chest of the dead bad guy shook around. Yokoi ( Rila Fukushima ) was hit in the face by the samurai of a bad guy who wanted to kill her; but all she got was a small nick in the face. The Yashida Research Laboratory was approximately 500.00 km ( 310.69 miles ) away from the Yashida residence. AND I DON'T THINK ANYBODY CAN DRIVE A MOTORCYCLE THAT FAR WITHOUT WEARING A PAIR OF WINTER-WEATHER MOTORCYCLE GLOVES, AMONG OTHER THINGS, SINCE IT WAS SNOW SEASON!!! And speaking of the Yashida Research Laboratory, I guess nobody at the facility ever heard of Stem Cell Research where cell cultures from organs are used to regenerate/revitalize old organs. When a particular enemy got entangled in a cable that went up an elevator ( ? ) shaft, the counterweight that hit said enemy should have been forceful enough to decapitate the entangled enemy. When the old bad guy transformed into the young bad guy, the SFX was ruined by the fact that the two didn't have the same mandibular dental arch--which could have been fixed easily using some computer manipulation or Photoshop. I thought Wolverine's whole Skeletal System was completely replaced with Adamantium?

fyi: I was always under the impression that the Japanese kept their cars' passenger cabins neat and clean at all times. They don't even want to drive their cars with their shoes on, so I heard. And if I remember correctly, cars in Japan don't have cup holders ( Maybe, things have changed by now---blame it on us messy Americans. Ha, ha, ha ).

You know what's fun about knowing to speak ( or knowing certain words ) in another language? Some foreign words end up sounding amusing to hear. For example, a female character's name in this movie is Mariko ( Tao Okamoto ). And it almost sounds like the Spanish word Maricon ( a homosexual man ).

word of advice: Face your fears.

tidbits: Before seeing this movie, I had a Big Mac dinner at the MacDonald's Restaurant at 1602 E. 2nd St., Benicia, CA. As I was getting my Sweet Tea at the soda fountain counter, a Hispanic man came up and asked me what Pilipino language I speak. I told him that I speak Cebuano. He asked me what word we have for drinking straw. I told him that we don't have a native word for drinking straw, that we just call it, "Estro ( straw )." But I added that we have the Spanish word Chupa ( suck ). He said that in South America, they call it, "El Pitillo." And then he added that he has Pilipino friends who taught him some naughty words such as "Suso ( Tagalog for Breast[s])." And I remarked, Oh, Tetas ( Spanish for Breasts ). Then, he said that his friends also taught him how to say, "Titi-ulo ( dick-head )." We both laughed. Then, he left---Hey! wait a minute .... Did he just call me a dick-head?!?!?!

Where's a Border Patrol Agent when I need one?

2nd tidbits: Earlier in Benicia, CA, today, I saw a man wearing a T-shirt which had a cartoon drawing of a bear holding a rifle and the caption which read: "I Believe In The Right To Arm Bears." Ha, ha, ha. Good one! How come I didn't come up with that, myself.

I decided to have dinner at Hometown Buffet Restaurant at 1315 Gateway Boulevard, just across the street from the Westfield Solano Mall where the theatre is at, once I got to Fairfield, CA. I was pressed for time so I only ate two platesful + a cup of corn chowder + a "sorry excuse" for a Taco + a quarter loaf of a round Sourdough Bread + a saucer of Strawberry Cheesecake w/ a side of Banana Pudding. I didn't have my usual fill at the "pig-out feeding trough" because I ate two cookies ( Chocolate Chip and Oatmeal ) an hour before while I was at the MacDonald's Restaurant in Benicia, CA ( the same one as mentioned in the 1st tidbits above ). I think those damned cookies spoiled my appetite for me!

While I was eating my dinner, another dining patron came up to me and introduced himself to me. He was the young Chinese man I see occasionally in Benicia, CA. He told me that he was on his way home to Cordelia, CA, and stopped-off at this Hometown Buffet restaurant to have dinner first. He works at a Chinese restaurant. 

Yup, just like me, he could only have so much of "all-you-can-eat" Chinese buffet meals. The key to a successful lifetime of pigging-out at buffet restaurants is: Diversity, man. Diversity. After all, there is more to buffet restaurants than just Chinese, you know.  ( Belch! excuse me .... )

*

TURBO, PG ( 1 hr & 36 min )

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I went to see this yesterday, Thursday, July 25th, 2013, here in Vallejo, CA, at the CENTURY 14 VALLEJO, for the 4:40 p.m. show in auditorium 4, 4th row ( counting from the front ), 9th column ( counting from the left ). The price of admission was $7.75. And I bought a $4.50 1-litre bottle of Dasani Water at the concessions counter.

Quickie Review: Turbo, a garden snail, fantasizes about becoming an Indy 500 racer. When an accident infuses his body with a massive dose of Nitrous Oxide which turns him into a 200+ mph speedster, circumstances happen that guarantee the fulfillment of his seeming impossible wish.

The audience liked it. There was a lady, in particular, seated a few rows behind mine, who really--and quite audibly--enjoyed this movie. And two ( or more ) audience members gave this movie a "Hands Clapper" ending.

I went to see this movie with the preconceived notion that I wasn't going to enjoy it. But, wouldn't you know it, I actually ended-up liking it. Go see this with your brats.

And I liked the blurb: "He's fast. They're furious."

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After work, I went to Selecta Pilipino Buffet on Springs Road, here in Vallejo, to have a late afternoon lunch and to buy some lottery tickets ( $14.68 total ).

And since it was a warm Summer afternoon, I decided to go see this movie just to be somewhere air-conditioned while I digested my big meal.

After the movie, I went to the Chase Bank in the Food Maxx Supermarket on the corner of Tuolumne and Redwood Streets to make a deposit into my checking account. And I went home to rest-up for a while before going back to the theatre once again to catch an advanced screening of THE WOLVERINE. But I decided to catch this show at a later date as I hadn't had much sleep in the last few days.

*

THE CONJURING, R ( 1 hr & 51 min )

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where: CENTURY 14 VALLEJO in Vallejo, CA
when: Tuesday, July 23rd, 2013
show: 1:45 p.m.
costs: $7.75 Ticket = $7.75
auditorium: 13
seat: 4th row ( counting from the front ), 4th column ( counting from the left )

synopsis/overview: A family moves into an 18th century farmhouse out in the woods, not knowing that something evil lurks in the shadows and plans on killing them all. Based on a true story.

noteworthy scenes: 1.) Annabelle Case; 2.) "Inhuman spirit"; 3.) Dog; 4.) Secret basement; 5.) Barking dog; 6.) "Funky smell"; 7.) 3:07 a.m.; 8.) Death; 9.) Ghostly artifacts; 10.) Sleepwalker; 11.) "Another bruise"; 12.) Bird; 13.) "Hide and clap"; 14.) "It wants my family dead"; 15.) "Can we do it again"; 16.) Basement; 17.) Antique wall cabinet; 18.) Infestation, Oppression, Possession; 19.) "Rotting meat"; 20.) "Does it come in 3s"; 21.) "Something awful happened here, Ed ( Patrick Wilson )"; 22.) Rory; 23.) Tree; 24.) "This dark entity has latched onto you and your family"; 25.) "We're a threat"; 26.) Tape recording; 27.) "Ultimate offense to Him"; 28.) "What ...? I had to go"; 29.) "It must have been a draft"; 30.) Apparition; 31.) Lorraine's ( Vera Farmiga ) encounter; 32.) "Look, what she made me do"; 33.) "Somebody's with her"; 34.) Secret room; 35.) Basement; 36.) "She's feeding off of her"; 37.) Nancy ( Hayley McFarland ); 38.) 'Phone call; 39.) "This is complicated"; 40.) Curious kid; 41.) Back to the house; 42.) Possessed wife; 43.) Birds; 44.) "She's already gone"; 45.) "You said, 'This meant the world to you'"; 46.) "I'd take a guy with a gun any day"; and 47.) Another ghostly artifact.

audience reaction: The audience was not that scared.

recommendation: I had to resist falling asleep as I watched this not-scary movie. Don't believe the marketing hype: This movie isn't as scary as they'd have you believe it.

spoiler alert! Anybody in his right frame of mind would have good reason to worry about when a pet behaves in a scared manner. Why didn't the children awaken to the loud sound of the crashing family portraits? Why did the mother ( Lili Taylor ) go to the basement when her children were all accounted for? I would have locked and blocked that basement door, if I were her, and called the cops right away about an intruder in the house. When Lorraine fell down, why didn't Ed go right down to the basement, the logical place where she would have landed? The bird stuck in the window pane should not have been able to move its head around because its neck would have already been broken.

fyi: BRIDE OF CHUCKY ( 1998 ) comes to mind.

Is it just me or do the Roman Catholics suffer the most from Demonic possession? Gee, I wonder why ....

When my family lived in the old house in the Fruitvale District of Oakland, CA, a house that was behind a mortuary, the first thing that my mother did was to have the house blest by a priest---A lot of no-good that did! I encountered so many entities in that house that it wasn't even something to laugh about. Anyway, I had lots of books on the Occult and Supernatural in my bedroom. When I started reading the Bible, I packed-up my occult and supernatural books and put them in the garage. That seemed to lessen the severity of my otherworldly encounters noticeably. And it led me to believe that "specialized" books are imbued with energy, good or bad, depending on its subject.

word of advice: On a similar note, a ghostly artifact would also be imbued with good or bad energy. So, collecting ghostly artifacts imbued with bad energy is really not a smart and safe thing to do--even for someone like me who learned the hard way how to handle otherworldly encounters!

tidbits: I went to Goin' Postal in the Food Maxx Shopping Center on the corner of Tuolumne and Redwood Streets, here in Vallejo, to drop-off some bill payments.

Then, I went to the Selecta Pilipino Buffet on Springs Road to have lunch, my first meal for the day. As I walked towards the buffet restaurant, I saw this SUV in the parking lot and took a picture of it since its ad sign was apropos for the movie which I planned on seeing after I have had my lunch ( $8.71 ) and after I have had shopped next door at the 99-Cent Only Store to buy a jar of Strawberry Jam and a loaf of 100% Wheat Bread ( $2.00 ).

Its ad sign reads: "SoulseekerS, paranormal investigation."

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After the movie, I called my friend, Hector. And I learned that his wife is still in the hospital. And she's been in the hospital since April 4th of this year! Hector is all stressed-out because his wife, Elsa, refuses to get out of the hospital bed for fear of falling down on the floor and not being able to get back up! They cannot do Physical Therapy on her if she just stays in bed 24-7. I've told him before, and his children have told him twice, his wife needs to be ( re- )committed to a mental institution. He's just delaying the inevitable at the expense of his own health; he doesn't realize it yet but HE IS THE VICTIM OF ABUSE, Spousal Abuse.


*

R.I.P.D., PG-13 ( 1 hr & 38 min )

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where: CENTURY 14 VALLEJO in Vallejo, CA
when: Friday, July 19th, 2013
show: 5:20 p.m. 2-D
costs: $7.75 Ticket + $2.12 bulk Chocolate Candies + $4.50 1-L Dasani Water + $12.70 dinner @ Empire Chinese Buffet here in Vallejo, CA ( + $2.00 Tip ) after the movie = $29.07
auditorium: 1
seat: 4th row ( counting from the front ), 7th column ( counting from the left )

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2nd time

where: CENTURY 14 VALLEJO in Vallejo, CA
when: Monday, July 22nd, 2013
show: 2:45 p.m. 3-D
costs: $10.25 Ticket + $6.75 medium Popcorn w/ Butter + $4.50 medium 30.0 oz Powerade Mountain Berry Blast + $3.45 15.2 oz Naked Green Machine Juice Smoothie ( @ Starbucks Coffee Shop in the nearby Target Shopping Center ) = $24.95
auditorium: 2
seat: 4th row ( counting from the front ), 8ht column ( counting from the left )

synopsis/overview: Nick Walker ( Ryan Reynolds ), a police detective, is cold-bloodedly killed on-duty. In the afterlife, he is immediately recruited into the Rest In Peace Department ( RIPD ) and partnered with a long-time veteran, Sheriff Royseefus Pulsifer ( Jeff Bridges ), to catch Deados, dead bad guys who escaped judgment by coming  back to Earth to mingle with the unsuspecting humans while in disguise. But the Deados have an evil plot: Send the evil dead back to Earth. And it is up to Nick and Roy to restore the balance of things between the mortal and supernatural realms. Otherwise, life on Earth will end as we know it.

noteworthy scenes: 1.) Gold artifact pieces; 2.) "Advise for the day"; 3.) Shoot-out; 4.) Freeze-frame; 5.) Tunnel of Light; 6.) "I've sat in that chair"; 7.) "What's with the Steely Dan"; 8.) R.I.P.D. Boston; 9.) New partner; 10.) VCR Repair; 11.) "Disappointing turn-out"; 12.) Coyotes; 13.) "You don't look like you"; 14.) "That makes you way less creepy"; 15.) "'Sounds like an STD"; 16.) Indian take-out food; 17.) "You're really gonna rummage through that"; 18.) Bus; 19.) "This is called 'Giving the dog a bone'"; 20.) Trifecta; 21.) Confession; 22.) Music video talent scout; 23.) "I'm sick of hiding"; 24.) "I'm okay. 'Nothing to see. 'Gotta go"; 25.) Elevator; 26.) "I've never seen that before"; 27.) Internal Affair; 28.) Suspend and erase; 29.) "I haven't left you--it's me ...."; 30.) "The coyotes are the heroes"; 31.) "Take-off the St. Christopher medal"; 32.) "I know it's wrong, but the whole 'cowboy thing' is working for me; 33.) Deception; 34.) Gold pieces; 35.) "I invented this sh*t"; 36.) Chase; 37.) Human sacrifice; 38.) "I missed you so much"; 39.) "I like violence"; 40.) "She billy-goated me"; and 41.) New I.D.

favorite scenes: I liked the scene wherein the wall-climbing fat deado showed its "whale-tail butt floss" in slow motion.

I also liked the scenes wherein Roy was mistaken for a hot blonde by unsuspecting males.

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

2nd audience reaction: This group was not as receptive to this movie as the first group was.

recommendation: It was okay. Roy's avatar ( Marisa Miller ) is the one "must-see" factor of this movie. Go see this movie when you have nothing else better to do on a hot Summer day--if the weather ever gets warmer since it has been like Winter weather here where I live ( we only got about a week's worth of Summer, and that was it; not that I'm complaining, mind you, since I'm more of a cold weather person [ 'notice I didn't say, Freezing Weather--there's a big difference ] ).

spoiler alert! The way he landed on the floor after he was shot didn't look real. The first day he was declared dead at the scene; the next day his body was probably examined by a pathologist at a hospital as required by law before a death certificate could be issued; the third day was when his body would have been taken to a funeral home for embalming and for other burial preparations; therefore, I DON'T THINK THAT HE WAS BURIED ON THE FOURTH DAY because that would have been the day for viewing the deceased at the soonest!!! But ... if you follow the scenes closely, Nick was buried the day AFTER he was killed! How ...? ( 'Another example of why Hollywood should hire my services as Cine-Man, Technical Adviser, before they spend tens of millions on their blockbuster movies--I'm willing to work for cheap; say ... a couple hundred grand per movie. ) The car was traveling at city-speeds and shouldn't have flipped over so many times for lack of inertia/momentum. Nick's wife Julia ( Stephanie Szostak ) remarked that the short Chinese guy was back. But, actually, James Hong ( Nick's avatar ), at 6'0", is just two inches shorter than Ryan Reynolds, according to Hong's on-line information found on www.imdb.com.

fyi: How odd it was to see the bad guy wearing a St. Christopher charm. Or, maybe, it was just meant to humorously depict the saint as the unbiased protector of travelers, whether human Roman Catholics/Orthodox christians or other-worldly entities.

My paternal grandfather married my grandmother after he accidentally ( ? ) saw her ankles! How quaint is that?!?!?!

I can just imagine myself getting lured into marriage by a scheming--but hopefully not fat, old and ugly--female who flashes me her ankles (no offense, grandma )!!! These days, it would take more than just "flashing me your ankles" to get me all hot-and-bothered and desperate for some---

Ha, ha, ha---Snort!

word of advice: Life goes on.

tidbits: I was at the Safeway Supermarket in Benicia, CA, earlier in the day. The purchase total for the customer in front of me was $14.96. I remarked, Fourteen ninety-six, that was a good year ....

He said, "Fourteen ninety-two was a better year. The year when Columbus "discovered" America."

I said, Well, some say it was the Chinese or the Vikings who discovered America first.

"Actually, it was the Phoenicians in the 4th century BC. They landed somewhere in Massachusetts," he informed me. He had seen a recent TV documentary on the controversial subject.

At first, I thought he said, "... Benicians ..." Wow, I didn't know that people in Benicia, CA, have been around that long! But, then, I realized that I heard him wrong---I really need to do a better job of cleaning-out my wax-impacted ears!!! Ha, ha, ha.

Anyway, I looked it up on-line and found out that the "Phoenician angle" of America's discovery has been floating around for about 200 years or so. And it is the basis for the Mormons' belief in the Jewish discovery of America. But this Phoenician Theory is largely founded on "archaeological" forgeries.

So, it's back to either the Chinese or the Vikings who first discovered America. I'm betting on the Chinese because they're all over the world!!! LOL


Later in the day ...

I went to eat at a Chinese buffet restaurant after I watched this movie.

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I have talked about eating at this Chinese buffet restaurant here in Vallejo on a number of occasions. I finally decided to take a picture of it. By the way, this is the first photo I took with my red waterproof digital camera, a VistaQuest VQ 9100 Sport UW 12 MP, which I posted on my blog---And I had a hell of a time figuring out how to post it because my Acer C7 Chromebook has its own set of Google programs/apps that are not similar to those of Apple's and Microsoft's. But, ever the resourceful and creatively smart ( ahem! ) Cine-Man that I am, I was able to finally do it ( but not before I spouted a whole string of expletives and curses ).

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2nd tidbits: I took my car to Wheel-Works at 8:00 a.m. today for an Oil Change/Tire Rotation/Battery Check.

I took this picture, about an hour later, on my way back to fetch my car after I had my spinal adjustment at the Chiropractor's clinic just three doors down from this auto shop.

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Then, I had my spine adjusted at my Chiropractor's clinic just three doors down from this shop.

When I got back to the shop an hour later, the service adviser told me that everything checked-out okay but my passenger side license plate bulb was out. So, I had them replace the bulbs for me.

And I went to the MacDonald's Restaurant just a block down, on 3289 Sonoma Boulevard and at 9:22 a.m., after I left the auto shop, to have a large Sweet Tea and Cookies ( an Oatmeal and two Chocolate Chip ) for $2.17. I worked on this blog while I was there. I sat in the playroom dining area where a bunch of brats were boisterously playing around ( where was a pair of earplugs when I needed it the most ... ). They don't have electrical outlets there so I had to blog via battery power.

The date on this photo is off by one day: it says July 21st when it should be July 22nd, instead. I took this photo after I was done at MacDonald's and just before I entered my Hyundai Accent, the roof of which is shown in the foreground.

After I made my left turn onto Sonoma Boulevard from the MacDonald's parking lot on Valle Vista Avenue, I spotted a wonderful sight on the sidewalk in front of my Chiropractor's clinic at 11:54 a.m.:

A tall, sexy brunette dressed as Wonder Woman, with a white cape and shades on, was walking towards the corner of Valle Vista Avenue. Had I had enough time, I would have taken a photo--or lots of photos ( heck, it's a digital camera after all )--of the costumed wonder!!! 'Remember Lynda Carter of the '70s TV's Wonder Woman fame?

Lynda Carter as Wonder Woman ( www.thecomicscode.weebly.com )

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Lynda Carter as Wonder Woman ( www.fanpop.com )

Lynda Carter as Wonder Woman ( www.picasaweb.google.com )

The Wonder Woman who delighted my eyes had the requisite body stats to fill-in the "gap" ( ahem! ) left by Ms. Carter. Boy--oh, boy, oh, boy---Hubba-hubba!!!

After the movie, I went to the Starbucks Coffee Shop at 966 Admiral Callaghan Lane, in the Target Shopping Center, to finish this blog.

Congratulations on the birth of the royal baby prince!

*

GROWN UPS 2, PG-13 ( 1 hr & 40 min )

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where: CENTURY 14 VALLEJO in Vallejo, CA
when: Wednesday, July 17th, 2013
show: 8:05 p.m.
costs: $10.00 Ticket + $2.01 bulk Chocolate Candies + $4.50 1-L Dasani Water = $16.51
auditorium: 1
seat: 4th row ( counting from the front ), 7th column ( counting from the left )

synopsis/overview: Lenny Feder ( Adam Sandler ) relocates his family back to the small town where he grew up with his childhood buddies just as Summer vacation starts. As the old gang gets together to relive childhood memories, they run into some conflict that will add to their lives' lessons on lasting friendship.

noteworthy scenes: 1.) Deer; 2.) "Well, we're not gonna pay for college"; 3.) "Looks like heck"; 4.) Dad Higgins' picture; 5.) Conditioner; 6.) School bus; 7.) Boyfriend; 8.) Monkey boy; 9.) "Watch this"; 10.) Squat aerobics; 11.) G-string; 12.) K-Mart; 13.) Classroom; 14.) Gym; 15.) Parking lot; 16.) Dance recital; 17.) Bully; 18.) Lifetime job; 19.) Ice cream machine; 20.) Fruit Loop; 21.) Statue; 22.) The quarry; 23.) Jump; 24.) "That's my son, Satan"; 25.) Tire; 26.) Graffiti; 27.) Football field; 28.) "Be safe. Don't do what I just did"; 29.) Driver's test; 30.) "Yesterday's history, tomorrow's mystery"; 31.) Car wash; 32.) "They're not all '10s"'; 33.) Dinner time; 34.) Grocery store; 35.) Ice cream parlor; 36.) '80s theme party; 37.) Music prodigy; 38.) Pee stain; 39.) Swimming pool; 40.) Fight; 41.) Party crashers; 42.) Kiss; 43.) "It's a monkey"; 44.) "He was an accident"; and 45.) Talking to future baby.

favorite scene: I liked the scene wherein Marcus Higgins' ( David Spade ) son, Braden ( Alexander Ludwig ), meets him for the first time and double-checks him with the picture that Braden had in his hand. It was just too stupidly funny!

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

recommendation: I didn't like it that much. This movie is definitely for Adam Sandler fans only---And I know that there are plenty of you out there, based on the number of hits my Adam Sandler movie blogs get!!!

spoiler alert! Why didn't the dog bark at the deer? Why did the daughter hug his father who was still drenched in deer urine? Etceteras .... All in all, this movie labors hard to deliver cheap laughs, some of which are preposterous in their premise and/or delivery. And Nick Swardson ( Nick Hilliard in this movie ) really needs to broaden his comedic acting skills since his presence in his recent movies are more irritating than they are funny.

fyi: I was 4-years-old when my parents decided to put me in 1st Grade! Heck, I couldn't even speak properly yet. And I didn't know anything about "Reading, 'Riting and 'Rithmetic" because my parents didn't bother to send me to nursery school or kindergarten! And the teacher had this little game ( designed to torture me ) that she had us pupils participate in once a week: Math flash card contest. The pupils, picked two at a time, would stand at the back wall and take a step forward for every correct answer made---I was stuck to that wall each week ( that back wall probably still has my butt imprint on it )!

And the other boys ( it was an all-boys school, Notre Dame Elementary School, Boys' Department in Kidapawan, Cotabato, Mindanao, Philippines ) in that 1st Grade class were two years older than I was and were consequently bigger than I was. So, guess who got picked on quite a lot by the class bullies?

Yup, my initial foray into education was riddled with such instances of humiliation, physical abuse and ridicule! It is no wonder that I detested going to school. As a result, I flunked school twice ( in 1st and 2nd Grades ) and had to go to summer school ( in 5th Grade ) to keep from flunking for a third time. But, despite such setbacks, I made it to the Honor Roll in 3rd Grade and in 4th Grade; and I tested with the highest IQ in my 6th Grade Class!

When my family moved here to the United States, my high school experience was no better. Not only that, but in one of my classes in which I never missed a day of attendance, where I was never late, where I always did my homework, and where I always got good grades in tests I ended-up with a C grade because the lowlife redneck racist blonde, blue-eyed short teacher at Pacific High School in San Leandro, CA, a Mr. Remer, switched my A grade with that of a track and field athlete who couldn't even triple-jump further than I could ( and I wasn't even on the team )!

Because of my bad experiences with education since 1st Grade ( or Grade One, in the Philippines ), I've become a very stubborn learner who picks and chooses which subjects pique my capricious interest. And I now only learn what I need to learn; then, I move on.

word of advice: Stand up for each other.

tidbits: As I was getting some bulk Chocolate Candies at the concessions counter, I overheard a male patron ask the cashier a question about his soda fountain drink: "If my Coke tastes like Pepsi, will I get my money back?" The cashier just laughed.

I found this on the Internet. It's somewhat similar to the one at Century 14 Vallejo.

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I went up to the cashier after I got my bulk Chocolate Candies. And as he rang-up my purchase, I asked him, If my Dasani Water tastes like 7-Up, will I get my money back? He just laughed--what was up with that guy ...?

*

PACIFIC RIM, PG-13 ( 2 hr & 11 min )

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where: CENTURY 14 VALLEJO in Vallejo, CA
when: Friday, July 12th, 2013
show: 4:15 p.m. 2-D
costs: $7.75 Ticket + $5.75 medium Popcorn w/ Butter + $4.00 small 20.0 oz Powerade Mountain Berry Blast = $17.50
auditorium: 7
seat: 5th row ( counting from the front ), 9th column ( counting from the left )

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2nd time

where: EDWARDS FAIRFIELD STADIUM 16 & I-MAX in Fairfield, CA
when: Sunday, July 14th, 2013
show: 10:30 p.m. I-Max 3-D 
costs: $0.25 Ticket ( I used-up the balance on my Regal Movie Watcher Gift Card and paid just $0.25 to cover the remaining amount due ) + $6.00 small Popcorn + $4.75 small 32.0 oz Pink Lemonade = $11.00
auditorium: 12, with the I-Max screen
seat: 6th row ( counting from the front ), 8ht column ( counting from the left )

synopsis/overview:                  MOVES LIKE JAEGER

Just shoot for the eyes, 

if it feels right.

Then aim for the heart, 

if you feel like.

Kill it right away.

Be done for the day.

I swear I will live.

I am in control.

So, they waited.

I put on a show.

Now, I do it.

You envy my gig:

A robot so big.

I don't give a sh*t.

And it goes like this:

Grab and break its arm 

and it'll know you;

dis it 'til you're done

and it'll know you.

You want the moves 

like jaeger;

I've got the moves 

like jaeger!

I've got the mo-o-o-o-o-oves

like jaeger!

I don't need to try 

to control you.

Poke you in 

the eyes

and I'll own you

with the moves like jaeger;

I've got the moves like jaeger.

I've got the mo-o-o-o-o-oves

like jaeger!

Maybe it's hard 

when you feel like

you're broken and scared.

Nothing feels right

when you're against me.

I'll make you believe

that I've got the Chi.

You'll run very far

but can't hide it.

Wherever you hide,

be inside it.

Show me some fear

when I'm shifting gears.

'Slap you in the ears.

And it goes like this:

Grab and break its arm

and it'll know you;

dis it 'til you're done

and it'll know you.

You want the moves

like jaeger;

I've got the moves

like jaeger!

I've got the mo-o-o-o-o-oves

like jaeger!

etc., etc., etc.

( dang! I got carried away--again .... )

When Kaijus ( monsters ) from another planet invade planet Earth through an underwater inter-dimensional space bridge, humanity sets its differences aside and pools all of its resources together to create colossal robotic Jaegers ( hunters ) that are each piloted by a pair of neurally-compatible human pilots which hunt and destroy the alien invaders. But the Kaijus are just testing humanities' limits as it prepares for one last massive assault meant to dominate the planet and exterminate whatever remains of humanity.

noteworthy scenes: 1.) The first invasion; 2.) Compatible; 3.) Alaskan offshore battle; 4.) "We never find anything good"; 5.) "The Jaeger Program is over"; 6.) Bad news/good news; 7.) Wall of Life; 8.) "Where would you rather die"; 9.) "'See the Russians back there? They can get us anything"; 10.) "Thank you for your honesty"; 11.) "Vengeance is like an open wound"; 12.) "You're dead weight"; 13.) Trials; 14.) "There's nothing to talk about"; 15.) Kaiju/Human drift experiment; 16.) "I made you a promise"; 17.) Black market dealer; 18.) Offline; 19.) Memory; 20.) "This place is Heaven"; 21.) "Apologize to her"; 22.) "It was my mistake"; 23.) "I don't care what you saw"; 24.) "Don't you ever touch me again"; 25.) Hong Kong offshore battle; 26.) Analog; 27.) "I tried it once"; 28.) "No pulse"; 29.) "The Kaiju wants the little dude"; 30.) Hong Kong street fight; 31.) Sword; 32.) "You owe me a Kaiju brain"; 33.) Organ harvesting; 34.) Baby; 35.) "You and I are the only ones who ran solo"; 36.) "By Job! we're not going to own this bad boy"; 37.) "Egotistical jerk"; 38.) Genetic code; 39.) Category 5; 40.) Nuclear detonation; 41.) "They're in"; 42.) Manual override; 43.) "You're squeezing me too tight"; and 44.) Bonus Scene during the Ending Credits.

audience reaction: The audience liked it but nobody gave it a "Hands Clapper" ending.

recommendation: I liked it enough. This is a "Popcorn Movie" in every sense of the term. It was fun to watch the robots do battle with the monsters as I sat back and enjoyed my buttered popcorn. Go see this if you're into monsters vs. aliens-type of movie ( hey, this sounds like a title for a movie--of course it does because it is! Ha, ha, ha. ).

spoiler alert! In six days' time, that Kaiju only traveled 35 miles?!?!?! ( I could cover that distance with my short legs in about 12 hours' time! ) You can sense a nosebleed happening. At the trials, why did they fight each other using fighting sticks when none of the Kaijus ever used fighting sticks on any of the jaegers? What---You kept my shoe hidden from me all of these years? ( If you think about it, the shoe had little or no cinematic value, symbolic or otherwise. ) Gee, thanks for giving me back my shoe. It won't fit me anymore but I could still hang it from my car's rear-view mirror. Why did the female Russian Jaeger pilot ( Heather Doerksen ) wear makeup and red lipstick for? If the Category 4 Kaijus had Acid and Electro-Magnetic Pulse defenses, why didn't they just use them on the Jaegers sooner? Why did the seagulls just sit around IN THE RAIN? And why did the seagulls, perched upon the bollards, fly away only at the last second? That ship could never be used like a baseball bat because it would easily break in half ( 'Remember how the Titanic broke in half easily? ). If the Kaijus were genetically identical because they were all cloned, HOW THE HECK DID THAT KAIJU GET PREGNANT?!?!?! Why did the Kaijus sound normally when they were growling underwater? When the nuclear bomb detonated, Gipsy Danger should have been hit almost simultaneously by two walls of water: First, the one rushing at it from behind; then, the wall rushing at it from in front and to either side of it. Underneath all of that sand at the bottom of the ocean is mud; mud that would have been stirred-up by the detonation and would have subsequently kept the water murky for quite a while. Shortly after the nuclear detonation, a school of fish swam past the blast site---The nuclear blast would have killed fish for a few miles' radius; therefore, IT SHOULD HAVE TAKEN A CONSIDERABLY LONGER TIME FOR ANY SCHOOL OF FISH TO HAPPEN BY!!! Why did only one escape pod release its sea marker dye? He was chewed by a monster which would have had the same jaw strength as that of a big shark! So, how was he able to survive being eaten by a monster?

'Know what I think ...? Modified anti-tank missiles and bunker-busters could easily destroy even Category 5 Kaijus!!! But them giant robots sure look neat-as-all-heck doin' battle with them alien critters!

fyi: Tuk-Tuks are a very dependable mode of transportation. I would love to have one since they are CARB-approved ( I think ) for the State of California.

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There is actually a Thai restaurant here in Vallejo, CA, that has a Tuk-Tuk vehicle parked outside its front door! It's at the opposite end of the shopping center from the Century 14 Vallejo Cinemas.

If Kaijus are for real, let's just have the Chinese deal with them personally. That way, they won't steal islands from the Philippines just to feed the bazillion hungry mouths of their own people!!! ( The Kaijus' body lice sure looked appetizing! I bet they'd be great served as a Sweet and Sour, Hot Pot or Stir-Fry dish with lots of Rice on the side. )

word of advice: Simulated fighting can never substitute for actual fighting.

tidbits: I'm still busy proof-reading my children's book manuscript and preparing a final draft for submission to publishers and agents.

*

DESPICABLE ME 2, PG ( 1 hr & 38 min )

-

where: CENTURY 14 VALLEJO in Vallejo, CA
when: Wednesday, July 3rd, 2013
show: 6:25 p.m. 2-D show
costs: $10.00 Ticket = $10.00
auditorium: 7
seat: 5th row ( counting from the front ), 7th column ( counting from the left )

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2nd time

where: CENTURY 14 VALLEJO in Vallejo, CA
when: Friday, July 5th, 2013
show: 5:30 p.m. 3-D show
costs: $11.25 Ticket = $11.25
auditorium: 10
seat: 3rd row ( counting from the front ), 8ht column ( counting from the left )

synopsis/overview: Gru forsakes a life of crime to dedicate his new life to being a father to his three adopted little girls. As he struggles to find a way to provide for his new family, the Anti-Villain League comes calling because they need his expertise--as a former bad-guy--to capture another bad-guy who just pulled-off a daring heist.

noteworthy scenes: 1.) Arctic lab; 2.) Birthday party; 3.) Abduction; 4.) Anti-Villain League headquarters; 5.) "Bottom"; 6.) PX-41; 7.) "Sheepbutt"; 8.) Rowboat; 9.) Bald head; 10.) Jelly factory; 11.) "I miss being evil"; 12.) "I counted 22"; 13.) Unexpected guest; 14.) Internet dating photo choices; 15.) Bake My Day; 16.) A minion's love fantasy; 17.) Mexican flag; 18.) El Macho; 19.) Mother's Day poem; 20.) Minions' after-work party; 21.) Backyard abduction; 22.) Guard chicken; 23.) "That pollo is loco"; 24.) Salsa; 25.) Ice cream truck; 26.) "Are you single"; 27.) Wishing fountain; 28.) Eagle Hair Club; 29.) "Mi llamo llama Ding-dong"; 30.) "The son"; 31.) Beach resort; 32.) Villain.com; 33.) The date; 34.) Gru's happy day; 35.) Case closed; 36.) Memento; 37.) Bad mood; 38.) "It turns out you're right"; 39.) "That's not helping"; 40.) "Bee-Doo"; 41.) Experiment; 42.) Cinco de Mayo party; 43.) Dance; 44.) La Cucaracha; 45.) "I choose Gru"; 46.) An old colleague; 47.) Killing machine; 48.) "I hate boys"; 49.) Captured; 50.) Antidote; 51.) Disguised; 52.) "Nobody messes with my family"; 53.) Rocket; 54.) Surrounded; 55.) "I really hate that chicken"; 56.) Sushi bar; 57.) The question; 58.) "They'll be back"; 59.) Wedding song; 60.) "I would like to make some toasts"; 61.) Wedding dance; and 62.) Bonus Short Film during the Ending Credits.

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

recommendation: I liked it; it was fun. Go take your brats to go see this movie.

spoiler alert! That outhouse in the arctic had no sub-zero insulation in it. The overalls that the Minions wear seem to have a very super-stretchy pair of shoulder straps. Why didn't the spy car have headrests? The man who ordered 200 cupcakes didn't specify what day and time of the following week that he will be expecting his order to be ready for pick-up or delivery. What was the reason for the "Shark Rocket"? At the shopping mall, why did that man try to throw away a cup full of hot coffee? X-ray images are not in color. I'm surprised Gru's date didn't end-up with bumps and bruises and/or broken bones! That plane's door shouldn't have stayed open because of the side where it was hinged. If the mutant minions could chew through anything, including a police car, why couldn't they chew their way out of their prison cells?  I don't think that shark meat is Sushi-certified because of its high Mercury content. The minion rescue rowboat arrived too soon.

fyi:  A wig that is worn on a bald head is held in place by adhesives.

You guys ever noticed this about girls: Before going out on a first date, they dye their hair, put on make-up, put eye shadow and fake eyelashes on, wear contacts, wear lipstick, put on a set of fake nails, wear a cleavage-enhancing bra, wear a waist cincher, wear padded bottoms, wear a pair of high heels, and doused themselves with perfume; then, once they are on that date with you, they lay it all out on the table by telling you matter-of-factly, "I'm looking for a guy who will be completely honest with me." ( Waiter. Check, please! I'm done here .... )

Is it just me or do the Minions speak a combination of French and Tagalog? And could this be because of the fact that the late Herve Villechaize, a famous diminutive Frenchman of THE MAN WITH A GOLDEN GUN and FANTASY ISLAND fame, was half Pilipino?

Here is the 'phone number shown in the movie: 1 ( 626 ) 584 - 5723

word of advice: Don't mess with family.

tidbits: I'm late posting my recent blog posts because I had been busy writing and finishing my manuscript for a children's book. The story itself is 97 double-spaced pages long ( not counting the Title, Table of Contents, Dedications, Introduction, Background Notes, Acknowledgements, About the Author and Word of Thanks which all add an additional 14 to the page count ). My literary rep is currently  reviewing my query letter to publishers and agents before it will be sent out.

A co-worker read my story to his 6-year-old who liked it.

Another co-worker will be reading my story sometime next week. And he has a 16-year-old daughter who wants to read it.

And I have another co-worker, an English major, who wants to read my story, too.

Writing the story was the easy--and fun--part. Now comes the hard part: Selling it! Wish me LUCK!!! ( So I won't need to blog anymore---Just kidding! )

*

THE HEAT, R ( 1 hr & 57 min )

-

where: UA EMERY BAY STADIUM 10 in Emeryville, CA
when: Tuesday, July 2nd, 2013
show: 6:50 p.m
costs: $5.00 Ticket ( All-Day Tuesday Special ) + $4.75 20.0 oz Dasani Water + $5.00 Carquinez Bridge Toll = $14.75
auditorium: 5
seat: 5th row ( counting from the front ), 10th column ( counting from the left )

synopsis/overview:  Polar opposites Sarah Ashburn ( Sandra Bullock ), a by-the-numbers FBI agent, and Shannon Mullins ( Melissa McCarthy ), a foul-mouthed and short-fused Boston cop, team-up to bring down the local drug lord.

noteworthy scenes: 1.) "Nice work, Dick"; 2.) "Let's go"; 3.) Cat; 4.) Arrogance, competitiveness and showmanship; 5.) "Champaz"; 6.) "It's a good thing I didn't get the drugs"; 7.) "God, what are you, Spock"; 8.) Sudoku; 9.) Watermelon; 10.) Driver's side window; 11.) Special agent; 12.) Cop cars; 13.) Interrogation; 14.) Balls; 15.) "Thirteen years old"; 16.) Bar; 17.) "Tattle tits"; 18.) "Balls-deep in boredom"; 19.) Rosetta Stone; 20.) Toilet; 21.) Refrigerator; 22.) Areola; 23.) "My mom"; 24.) Condom; 25.) "Vent that furnace"; 26.) Dance floor; 27.) Albino; 28.) Coffee filters; 29.) Tux; 30.) "Pork chop"; 31.) Family; 32.) "Tongue in cheek"; 33.) Paint factory; 34.) "Campbell Soup kids"; 35.) "Dogs can hear you"; 36.) "One drink"; 37.) Kiss; 38.) Drunk; 39.) "Your first boyfriend"; 40.) E-mailed; 41.) Family van; 42.) "I feel"; 43.) First aid; 44.) "Induced coma"; 45.) Handpicking; 46.) "My 2003"; 47.) "Sandwiches"; 48.) "You guys coming back from break at the same time"; 49.) Ring; 50.) Confession; 51.) "I gotta put it back in"; 52.) "Misogynistic a--hole"; 53.) Hospital; 54.) Crotch shot; 55.) Seductive pose; 56.) Jesus Sport portrait; 57.) "No cellphone"; 58.) High school yearbook; 59.) "This was never your cat"; and 60.) Photos during the Ending Credits.

audience reaction: The audience liked it a lot. But only one person gave it a "Hands Clapper" ending.

recommendation: I liked it a lot, too, despite the fact that the movie itself is laced with profanity and that McCarthy's "one-act" show has become tiring since it has already seen better days. This movie is probably the second funniest movie of this year, the first one being THIS IS THE END. Go see this movie if you like Comedies and don't mind hearing a lot of profanity from the lead characters.

THE HEAT and THIS IS THE END would make for a perfect comedy double-bill at a drive-in theatre.

spoiler alert! They made this movie as if there will be no repercussions when one acts in an insubordinate, irresponsible way. If you administer first aid even though you are not certified to do so, you could get sued in all likelihood. Why didn't they just bend the suspect's legs at the knee to keep him from falling down?

fyi: Years ago, my work supervisor showed my Chinese friend and co-worker, David, pictures of his two daughters. David looked at them and, quite frankly said, "Ooh, dis one so beautiful. But dis one look like big, fat ugly pork chop ( referring to the daughter who bore a striking resemblance to our supervisor )!" Ha, ha, ha. The supervisor never forgave him for that.

At first, I really thought that the "Albino Guy" was the guy who played the role of Dr. Cullen ( Peter Facinelli ) in the Twilight series! It would have been extra funny had it actually been him.

word of advice: Don't be rude, vulgar, obnoxious, ill-tempered and insubordinate.

tidbits:  I was at the Benicia Safeway earlier in the day between 9:30 and 10:00 a.m.  I was on checkstand one.  A female customer asked me as she pointed at something on the floor, "What's that ...?" I looked at it. It looked like a trail of poo-poo because it was! Somebody left a trail of diarrhea poop from checkstand one all the way to the exit door. Poor person, whoever it was. I'd sure hate to be in that person's shoes---Or should that be, person's pants? Sorry ....

Before seeing this movie, I went to see an earlier show at this theatre. I saw the Punjabi Romantic Comedy, JATT AND JULIET 2, at 3:40 p.m.

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I couldn't blog about this movie because the characters spoke their lines too fast and the English subtitles would change before I could even finish reading each one. I gave-up reading the subtitles as well as taking notes on this movie. ( By the way, the movie ticket was free on my movie watcher reward card. The popcorn was a dollar-and-medium upgrade on the $2.00 Popcorn [ with Butter ] Tuesday Special. And I bought a $4.75 small 32.0 oz Fruit Punch [ with 4 Ice Cubes only ] at the concessions counter. )

A few days later, I asked Deepty, a co-worker from Punjab, if Punjabis actually talk too fast. She said that they, indeed, talk fast. Okay, that's good to know next time there's a Punjabi movie showing at this theatre.

After watching JATT AND JULIET 2, I looked at the box office listing for movies playing at later times. That was when I learned that they had a 7:00 p.m. advanced screening for THE LONE RANGER. I decided not to watch it. ( And I was glad that I didn't because when I went to see this late in the evening of July 4th, I actually fell asleep watching it--which was a first! Sorry to say .... )

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By the way, when I showed the box office clerk and the concessions counter clerk my new Elite Regal Movie Watcher Club Card, they were awed by it. They had never seen a club card like mine before. And I informed them, somewhat smugly, that there are only 91 cards such as mine in the whole world; and mine is # 21. "How do you get one," asked one of them. Well, you have to be special, I said.

How special ...? In the last 10 years or so, I probably spent approximately $8,000.00 at this theatre chain alone---And this doesn't even count the money which I spent at other theatre chains within the same time period. Dang! it sure adds-up fast if you tally it all up.


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



Q: How is a fat woman similar to a motor scooter?



A: Either one is fun to ride until your biker dude friends see you on top of one!


*

WHITE HOUSE DOWN, PG-13 ( 2 hr & 17 min )

-

I went to see this on Friday, June 28ht, 2013, here in Vallejo, CA, at the CENTURY 14 VALLEJO, for the 5:20 p.m. show in auditorium 1, 5th row ( counting from the front ), 2nd seat ( counting from the left ). The price of admission was $7.75. And I bought a $6.50 Lite Bite Snack with a pack of Beef Jerky and a cup of Powerade Mountain Berry Blast at the concession counter. I also smuggled-in a couple of oatmeal cookies that Jeff, a co-worker of mine, gave me earlier in the day.

Quickie Review: John Cale ( Channing Tatum ), a Capitol policeman, takes his daughter, Emily ( Joey King ), on a tour of the White House. When paramilitary terrorists take control of the White House and take his daughter and the President ( Jamie Foxx ) as hostages, it is up to John to save the day.

The audience sort of liked this movie.

I didn't like it as much. The Gerard Butler version, i.e. OLYMPUS HAS FALLEN, is better. Wait for this to come out as a rental.

This is the third movie of this kind shown this year, G.I. JOE: RETALIATION ( which also has Channing Tatum in it ) being the first one. Is it just me or do I detect an overall sense of dissatisfaction in Hollywood with the current administration?

Here are some things wrong in this movie: There Are No Rules In A Kill Or Be Killed Fight!!! Fight Dirty. Throw everything you've got against the bad guy--even the kitchen sink, if there's one handy! Why didn't the National Guards shoot at the SUV's machine-gunner who was endangering the life of the President? What is it about a cellphone that makes people dumb enough to use it in the most inappropriate time?

Pay close attention when you see this scene near the end of the movie:

I found this on the Internet

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When the helicopters fly along the length of this landmark, the people to either side of the water didn't react to being sprayed with water. Bad CGI! Bad, bad, bad.  They should have hired my services as Cine-Man, Technical Adviser.

*