Cine-Man

JOURNEY 2: THE MYSTERIOUS ISLAND in I-MAX 3-D, PG ( 1 hr & 34 min )

2012-02-13T14:28:00.000-08:00

where: EDWARDS FAIRFIELD STADIUM 16 & I-MAX in Fairfield, CA
when: Sunday, February 12th, 2012
show: 9:45 p.m.
costs: $17.50 Ticket + $4.75 small ( 30 oz. ) Zero Sprite + $14.20 dinner @ Tin Tin Chinese Buffet in Vacaville, CA, before the show ( + $2.80 Tip ) = $39.25
auditorium: 12, with the I-Max screen
seat: 6th row, 9th column

synopsis/overview: Sean ( Josh Hutcherson ) receives an encrypted message from his long-lost grandfather ( Michael Caine ) about a thought-to-be-fictional mysterious island somewhere in the Pacific. His stepfather, Hank ( Dwayne Johnson ), who wants to bond with him, decides to help Sean find the island and search for his grandfather with the aid of a helicopter tour guide, Gabato ( Luis Guzman ), and Gabato's daughter, Kailani ( Vanessa Hudgens ).

noteworthy scenes: 1.) Swimming pool; 2.) "I'm already in jail"; 3.) "The island is real"; 4.) Three books; 5.) "We're going to Palau"; 6.) Official language; 7.) "Only a fool trades his life for money"; 8.) Desperate tour guide; 9.) Eye of the hurricane; 10.) The mysterious island; 11.) Eggs; 12.) "That's emasculating"; 13.) Tree house; 14.) "The Pec Pop of Love"; 15.) The Lost City of Atlantis; 16.) A 140-year Cycle; 17.) Captain Nemo; 18.) Mountain of gold; 19.) Bees; 20.) Campfire; 21.) Triple rate of Liquefaction; 22.) "If we die down there, Mom is gonna kill us"; 23.) Big chunk of gold; 24.) Magnetic friction; 25.) The Nautilus Submarine; 26.) "I need you to come back"; 27.) "Thousand watt smile"; 28.) The huge boulder; 29.) "That works, too"; 30.) Luxury tours; 31.) Birthday; 32.) The next planned trip; and 33.) Bonus Scenes during the Ending Credits.

favorite scenes: I liked the Featured Short, DAFFY'S RHAPSODY. Because Daffy Duck is my Number One favorite of all the animated cartoon characters.

I liked the Elephants scene.

I liked the Sharks scene.

audience reaction: There was a man, a couple and a family of six in the auditorium with me. And the four brats seemed to like this movie. After all, they gave it a "Hands Clapper" ending.

recommendation: It's a good enough "family" movie. Take your brats to go see this movie.

spoiler alert! A thousand dollars for college ain't gonna get you past the college bookstore--and I ain't even talkin' 'bout the cost of tuition! You need a bigger--much bigger--lizard to lay all of those eggs! I noticed this about the egg that Gabato fell into: At the stage of its Embryonic Development, the near-hatchling's egg's Albumen should have been considerably less in volume--and all of that empty space should not have been there in the first place. Those logs were not big enough to knock-out the giant lizard because lizards have what is called, The Reptilian Brain, a small, well-protected brain that doesn't have Cerebral Hemispheres like what is found in humans who, by the way, get easily knocked-out when the Cerebrum is "whipped" and "smashed" against the opposite wall of the skull when a hard, quick blow is delivered to the head, as from a punch. How did he build the tree house all by himself; and how was the old fart able to drag half the hull of his ship from the shore and all the way up that tree? Okay, if the City of Atlantis lays submerged for 140 years and appears above water for another 140 years before cycling back into submersion once again, then the only things that you would find on such an island would be coconut trees ringing the shoreline, sand, silt, coral, barnacles, sponges, starfish, crabs, turtles, shells, etc. One hundred forty years is not enough time, Evolution-wise, for variegated Flora and Fauna to exist and thrive in such a unique Ecological setting. Those bees were wild and would not like to have humans on their backs, much less have such humans steer them around like that. And, exactly how were they able to steer the bees around? The bird collision produced an "explosion" of feathers which would be highly unlikely in real life. It should have taken Gabato a long time to dig-up that big chunk of gold using just his hands. They could have chipped-off pieces of gold from that big chunk. They could have used their shadows to figure-out where the North was. How in the world did the giant electric eel miss its target on the first pass? There is nothing in this movie to suggest that the Nautilus submarine generates its own artificial field of gravity; in other words, in the fast almost-perpendicular ascent towards the surface, Hank should not have been able to walk around at all! When they torpedoed that Very Huge Boulder, they were still in the path of its blast debris. Sean and Hank better have a good stake in Gabato's new financial venture since it was they who found it in the first place!

fyi: A few years ago, an oil company's satellite survey of the Mediterranean Sea discovered a sunken island just off the coast of Cyprus. It is now speculated that this is the legendary ancient Lost City of Atlantis!

word of advice: Just because there is no physical evidence for something doesn't always mean that it doesn't exist.

tidbits: The Fortune Cookie that I was handed by the waiter at Tin Tin Chinese Buffet and which I read at 8:02 p.m. says: "Wish you a good journey." How strange it was that I should get this on the night that I decided to go see the movie, JOURNEY 2: THE MYSTERIOUS ISLAND. Maybe, I'm destined to journey, too, to some mysterious island.

Am I the only one who noticed it or did Vanessa Hudgens look more "endowed"? Maybe, she is just a late-bloomer. Or she had a boob-job. Or she wore a well-padded bra. I'm inclined to think that it's the last one: That she wore a padded bra. Because her wet shirt scenes didn't reveal the outline of her nipples at all.

And speaking of Nipples ... why were Dwayne Johnson's nipples way below his Pectoral Muscles? This, I surmise, is a cautionary result of the over-reliance on the "Pec Pop of Love" courting habit. Don't do it!

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SAFE HOUSE, R ( 1 hr & 55 min )

2012-02-11T21:10:00.000-08:00

Quickie Review: Matt Weston ( Ryan Reynolds ) yearns to be a full-pledged CIA field operative. But he gets more than he wished for when the CIA's most-wanted "guest", Tobin Frost ( Denzel Washington ), an ex-operative with a trail of blood in his wake, is checked-in at Matt's safe house.

The audience enjoyed this Action/Thriller movie, with its many plot twists and turns--'not much of an "originality" there, to be sure, for this type of movie. But, still, it was likable enough. It didn't get a "Hands Clapper" ending, though.

I liked this movie, too. And I'd recommend it as a "Go See" to both fans of Denzel Washington and fans of Action/Thriller movies.

Here are the things that I found wrong in this movie: Surely, the bullets that he fired at the ground at an angle in that crowded area ricocheted someplace--or some places, even. The safe house was attacked in daylight ... and nobody outside the building heard the firefight and the explosions? In the safe house, when Matt shut the door, the bad guy who just killed Kiefer ( Robert Patrick ) should have heard it since he was still around the corner. In the car chase, the multiple bullets which struck the rear window of the car that Matt commandeered should have gone through and struck the inside of the windshield, and possibly the back of Matt's head, too! In the context of the sentence which Tobin used, the correct Prepositional Phrase should have been, "... between you and me." In the shanty town of Langa, Matt sneaked-up on a bad guy and just knocked him out--I would have killed the bad guy, if I were Matt ( one less bad guy to worry about ). When Matt reported to his superior at the CIA Headquarters, his face no longer had scabs even though the events he documented were Very Recent!!!

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THE WOMAN IN BLACK, PG-13 ( 1 hr & 35 min )

2012-02-09T00:56:00.000-08:00

Quickie Review: Posted birthday Cards From over The Edge

A rich childless couple adopts the wife's sister's son born out of wedlock. And they won't have anything more to do with her. But tragedy strikes a few years later when the adopted son is killed and lost in a drowning accident. Distraught over the fact that her own son was not given a proper burial, the sister kills herself. But she returns as the vengeful ghost whom the fearful locals call, "The Woman in Black," an evil ghost that will stop at nothing to kill every single child in town.

I don't think that the audience liked this movie that much.

I didn't like this movie at all. It's full of cheap seen-it-before scares, and the ending doesn't offer-up a satisfactory resolution. Wait for this to come out as a rental.

Here are the things that I found wrong in this movie: The vengeful ghost had all that time to kill the town's children one-by-one without her having to wait for the arrival of the young lawyer to act as some sort of "triggering conduit" to her malevolence. That dog was nowhere to be seen at the times that its presence was expected/anticipated--"scaredy-cat" mutt! The lawyer's act of appeasement was for naught. Why didn't "The Lady in White" ghost protect her own son and/or engaged "The Woman in Black" ghost in an Afterlife Catfight? This catfight, alone, would have been worth the price of the movie ticket. Ha, ha, ha. I could just see them now, ripping at each other's clothes. Heck, yeah! At the end, you would think that he would have been in a good position to even the score ( "Here, honey. Hold our son while I take care of some unfinished business. Hey, bitch, why don't you pick on someone your own size?" ); and he could even have easily mustered-up support from all of the victims ( "Hold her down for me!" )--'just sayin' ....

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BIG MIRACLE, PG ( 1 hr & 47 min )

2012-02-08T13:34:00.000-08:00

where: EDWARDS FAIRFIELD STADIUM 16 & I-MAX in Fairfield, CA
when: Tuesday, February 7th, 2012
show: 4:45 p.m.
costs: $8.00 Ticket + $4.75 small ( 30 oz ) Cherry Coke + $9.40 lunch @ Tin Tin Chinese Buffet in Vacaville, CA, before the show ( + $1.60 Tip ) = $23.75
auditorium: 8
seat: 4th row, 5th column

synopsis/overview: Cold War Thawed On Ice

In October of 1988, three California Gray Whales got trapped in North Alaska. And an unlikely team of Eskimo whalers, oil companies, Russian merchant mariners, and the US military joined together to try and save the whales. Based on a true story.

noteworthy scenes: 1.) News; 2.) Breathing hole; 3.) Bid; 4.) Five miles; 5.) Three California Gray Whales; 6.) "Holy crap"; 7.) 'Phone tip; 8.) Press release; 9.) Frostbite; 10.) "What makes a story matter"; 11.) Governor; 12.) "P. R. thing"; 13.) Airport; 14.) "You may need them more than you think"; 15.) Town meeting; 16.) Enterprising natives; 17.) Ten thousand calories; 18.) "The ratings are what's gonna keep the rescue going"; 19.) Fred, Wilma and Bam-bam; 20.) Wall of ice; 21.) "Stereophonic explosion"; 22.) "It's forty now"; 23.) Make-up; 24.) Whale fluke; 25.) Publicity stunt; 26.) Headphones; 27.) Superman; 28.) Progress report; 29.) "Sounds like pneumonia"; 30.) Hootkin De-Icer; 31.) "Not sucking-up, too"; 32.) "Are you Mexican"; 33.) Power generator; 34.) Pilot's eye; 35.) "Bubbling jacuzzi"; 36.) Seventh report on the whales; 37.) Bad news; 38.) Breathing holes; 39.) Glasnost; 40.) Bubble gum; 41.) "Let's get back to the whales"; 42.) Pep talk; 43.) "He's gone"; 44.) "You're not as easy to hate as I thought"; 45.) Town effort; 46.) Flags; 47.) Thirty knots; 48.) "I'm gonna miss them"; 49.) "After" stories; and 50.) Bonus scenes and pictures during the Ending Credits.

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

recommendation: I liked this movie, too. It is a good Family movie to take your little brats to.

spoiler alert! The breathing hole for the whales kept switching from free-of-ice to frosting-over-with-ice. In the true story, one of the whales was named, Bone. Did they really have to keep the helicopter doors wide open? They could just have kept the doors slightly ajar. And even if they turned-off the generator to keep the helicopter doors closed, there were enough people in the helicopter to keep the generator relatively warm. And, besides, when a generator is turned-off, it's not gonna turn icy-cold in an instant: It will just gradually cool down--and the rescue site was just a few minutes away via helicopter! When her cameraman left her, why didn't she just pick-up the camera and film the unfolding drama herself? How in heck did the Russians get access to an American flag?

fyi: I really don't know why this escaped my attention back in '88.

There were elements about the true story that were kept away from the Big Screen. For example, there were two Russian icebreaker merchant ships involved in the rescue: The Vladimir Arsenev and the Admiral Makarov. Two search-and-rescue helicopters ferried people between Barrow, Alaska, and the trapped whales; and the helicopters also landed on the deck of the Admiral Makarov a number of times. Those Eskimo whalers were paid by the state to cut holes in the ice, it wasn't an all-volunteer effort. The Alaska National Guard CH54 Skycrane was put out of commission for several days when its rotor blade got split in the bitter cold. After their escape, the whales actually went back into their icy trap a day later. My guess is that they went looking for the third one before they finally gave up, turned around and left for good.

The rescue operation cost at least a million dollars.

word of advice: Find a good "Common Ground" with those that you are at odds with and work towards an amicable resolution.

tidbits: So, at Tin Tin Chinese Buffet, I was at the trough--I mean, buffet island--just piling heaps of food on my plate when I noticed something odd about the instrumental music playing through the speakers. It was a Christmas instrumental: Silver Bells! Yeah, like, "soon it will be Christmas Day" in about 321 days. Hah!

And I pigged-out at that place for about an hour just waiting for Silver Bells to cycle-over once again. But I guess someone got wise to it and switched the CDs on me. Darn ....

This movie is telling me to move to Barrow, Alaska, where I can pig-out once a day at Chinese Buffets and still lose weight! Because, even though I pig-out at buffets three times a week on average, I don't think that I even get anywhere close to eating 10,000 calories a day! And, who knows, I just might end-up having Sarah Palin as an occasional dinner date! We could both look at Russia through the window. That would be nice .... Ahem!

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Year of 1989, month of October: A pod of California Gray Whales are in North Alaska.

Whale 1: Yup, me and the missus were here last year. And we met a bunch of really kind, caring and friendly Alaskan natives. That's why we're here this year: To say, Hi, and to thank them for---Ouch! What's that thing on my back?!?!?!

Whale 2: Dude, I think that they just harpooned you.

Special Announcement: I would like to take this time to say, Thank You and Welcome, to my readers in:

Anguilla

Thank You, once again. Please keep on reading my weekly updates. And don't forget to tell all of your friends, and everyone else who you know, about my movie review blogsite.

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MAN ON A LEDGE, PG-13 ( 1 hr & 42 min )

2012-02-08T01:00:00.000-08:00

I'm a-gettin' a tickly-weakly feelin'

Quickie Review: A former cop/escaped felon climbs onto a hotel's ledge to prove his innocence in the theft of a very rare diamond. As a crowd gathers below with 'bated breath, a plan is in the works to recover the supposedly stolen diamond. But time is a-tickin' ....

The audience liked this Suspense/Thriller.

It's a good enough entertainment, especially a scene with Elizabeth Banks and another one with Genesis Rodriguez in it. Anyway ... go see this movie if you like Suspense/Thrillers and Hot Chicks! ( Well, in this movie, that would be more like a Hot Chick and a Hot Hen. LOL )

Have you guys out there ever had the experience where you're on top of a very tall building and you look at the street below, only to get a "Tickly-Weakly" feeling in your testicles? Well, this movie gave me such a feeling--and it's not even in 3-D!!! ( Maybe, I was a "man on a ledge" in one of my past lives, huh? )

Here are the things that I found wrong in this movie: The Building Codes in these here the United States were revised in the '20s or '30s so that buildings with more than 20 floors were no longer allowed to have windows that could be completely opened, for reasons of Safety and Ventilation. Or was that Ventilation, first, and Safety, second ...? I would sue that helicopter pilot for reckless endangerment! I used to work at a hotel ( the Concord Hilton in Concord, CA ) so I know that there was no way for that person to masquerade as an employee for that entire time without management catching-on to it. Because employees have to clock-in first then report to a supervisor or manager for their work duties before starting their shifts; in other words, they can't just go and do whatever it is that they want to do. There was no reason at all why Lydia ( Elizabeth Banks ) could not talk to Nick ( Sam Worthington ) through the window immediately next to him--hey! maybe that window was stuck shut. Ha, ha, ha. Why couldn't they just visually ID him sooner since there were still cops on the force that he used to work with? Wouldn't that micro-camera attached to the underside of the pin-pad's security hood just get in the way? Why was the suspect left uncuffed? Where was that damn helicopter when it was needed to witness the rooftop event? The bad guy who got shot was wearing a bullet-proof vest; so, why did not he make sure that the bad guy was put out of action first, being that he, himself, was a cop, and should have known better than to turn his back on the armed bad guy?

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CHRONICLE, PG-13 ( 1 hr & 24 min )

2012-02-04T18:45:00.000-08:00

Quickie Review: An introvert, his cousin, and their schoolmate happen upon a mysterious glowing object at the bottom of a tunnel. For some unknown reason, the object somehow gives each of them the power of Telekinesis which develops exponentially. But with this superpower comes super responsibility, something that none of them anticipated nor are prepared to handle.

The audience liked it. It played well for its target audience: Teens.

I liked it, too. I really thought that it was going to be just another stupid movie. But the second half got my attention. Go see this if you're into Teen Action/Coming-of-Age Movies with a supernatural twist.

Here are the things that I found wrong in this movie: First thing, they could have come up with a better movie poster! The Yard Lines on the Football Field were really uneven--like some f--king idiot didn't know how to measure with a Yardstick! Didn't his father have a key to his bedroom door? The hood of a jacket is not gonna stay put on someone's head for long if that someone is flying in the air at fast speed. And that guy's jacket should have ballooned-up as he flew through the air. I can't believe that none of them sang, "I Believe I Can Fly," an R. Kelly song. This is yet another movie in which the Black Guy is the first one to get himself killed! Those three teeth were pulled from across the hallway, not downwards; so, the bully should have been yanked forward instead of straight down. Believe me, you have to be strong to pull-out healthy teeth--some dentists can't even pull-out bad teeth because they are not strong enough ( Trust me, I know since I have it on good authority! ). That loud, heated argument that he had with his cousin in his bedroom should have been heard by his parents. When he landed in front of one of the four thugs that he was after, the asphalt on the road cracked--it shouldn't have happened because he was not that heavy nor did he descend from a high altitude. Why was there a home movie camera at the foot of his hospital bed since we all know that he didn't put it there himself? After the explosion in the hospital room, what happened to the policemen posted to stand watch outside the room? Why did he take so long to drop his dad after the explosion? A man falling down while his nephew is flying up to catch him in mid-air is like a head-on collision, Physics-wise: A very bad idea. Why was the girl documenting her own near-death experience, holding the video camera steadily the way that she did, instead of flailing her arms helplessly around? He had the power of Telekinesis, which has nothing to do with cutting metal objects cleanly in half; in other words, he could only have telekinetically-pulled the spear out of the statue's hand and neither had been able to cut-off the arm first nor simultaneously, for that matter.

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ONE FOR THE MONEY, PG-13 ( 1 hr & 31 min )

2012-02-04T11:45:00.000-08:00

where: CENTURY 14 VALLEJO in Vallejo, CA
when: Tuesday, January 31st, 2012
show: 9:40 p.m.
costs: $9.75 Ticket + $4.75 Pretzel Bites + $4.00 small Diet/Zero ( w/ Barq's & Cherry flavor ) Coke + $5.89 # 11 Filet-o-Fish Comb Meal w/ medium Sweet Tea @ the Target Shopping Center MacDonald's Restaurant before the show = $24.39
auditorium: 11
seat: 4th row, 7th column

synopsis/overview: Stephanie Plum ( Katherine Heigl ) has been out of a job for six months and, desperate for some quick and easy money, she convinces her sleaze-ball cousin to hire her as a recovery agent/ bounty hunter at his bail bonds company. The biggest ticket at which is the one on her former high school boyfriend. But Stephanie soon realizes that this case is not "air-tight" and the reward money will not be so quick and easy.

noteworthy scenes: 1.) Dinner; 2.) Figure of speech; 3.) Chatty; 4.) Grudge; 5.) The hide-out; 6.) Trick; 7.) "You smell like a dumpster"; 8.) "Trying to diversify"; 9.) Hydra-Shok bullet; 10.) Gym; 11.) Rapist; 12.) Dinner date; 13.) 'Phone call; 14.) "I need money"; 15.) Exhibitionist; 16.) "Honey, half the women in Jersey sold him their Cannoli"; 17.) Master Fuse; 18.) Shower; 19.) Scene of the crime; 20.) Witness; 21.) "One hundred twenty-five pounds of angry woman"; 22.) Ice cold; 23.) Hospital; 24.) "Now, it's personal"; 25.) "I need your help"; 26.) "Best option"; 27.) Rival; 28.) "You want it bagged"; 29.) "One mile, tops"; 30.) Sal's Meats; 31.) Sal's Gal; 32.) Fight; 33.) Taped confession; 34.) Acknowledgement; and 35.) Cupcake.

audience reaction: It was not that well-received by the audience since it came across as rather lame.

recommendation: This Comedy/Action Movie is not well-scripted, not well-acted and certainly not well-directed. I could have done a better job of directing this pedestrian effort. Wait for this to come out as a rental.

spoiler alert! Bounty hunting is a dangerous job. So, why didn't they give her some preliminary training before setting her loose on the hunt? If Ranger ( Daniel Sunjata ) was the best in the business, why did the job of hunting down Joseph Morelli ( Jason O'Mara ) given to Morty Beyers ( Fisher Stevens ), instead? Why wasn't the sparring match in the octagon monitored by a referee or a trainer? Why didn't anybody in the gym notice the bad guy manhandling her in the octagon? Her driver's side door was smashed; but, when she drove off, her window looked completely rolled down and there were no pieces of glass on the ground at all. I've seen more than enough cars with their side windows smashed--including mine--to know that pieces of broken glass will always be on the ground directly below such a broken car window. The bullet could have easily shot through that roasted chicken! She was handcuffed to a shower curtain rod--A SHOWER CURTAIN ROD!!! And shower curtain rods are held in place only by spring tension and by a screw adjustment. In other words, she didn't need to call anyone to free her from such a predicament because she could have easily freed herself. ( Please don't tell me that there is a "Dumb Blonde" joke subtly worked into that Handcuff scene. Because she's not blonde in this movie! Ha, ha, ha. ) Did she really have to take the shower curtain off the curtain rod? And how come her shower curtain didn't have a curtain liner? By gosh, I could easily make-out the outline of her right breast's areola--not that I'm complaining, mind you. Why did the rival bounty hunter say, "F--k God"? It was a stupid and senseless exclamation. "F--k you" would have made more sense to use in that scene. The bad guys could have easily disposed of that body since one of them was in a particular kind of business ( "Mystery Meat", anyone ...? ). Why didn't she give him the truck's license plate number and description? When they were at the boat dock, it got dark all of a sudden. For someone who just got shot in the butt, she sure could walk okay.

fyi: I know someone who had Lap Band surgery for weight loss. According to this person, a normal stomach is the size of a football. But with such a surgical procedure, the stomach's capacity is reduced to a size smaller than that of a tennis ball. And said person has to eat six small meals, and take a therapeutic multi-vitamin/mineral supplement, each day.

Okay, I already take a multi-vitamin/mineral supplement each and every day. So, I'm good on that. I just have to stop eating two football-sized servings of food whenever I'm pigging-out at a buffet. But, seriously though, despite the fact that I pig-out at buffets every week, I am actually losing my abdominal fat--AND I HAVE TO PIG-OUT ONCE OR TWICE EACH WEEK SO I DON'T LOSE TOO MUCH WEIGHT ( and too much fat ) TOO FAST AND END-UP JUST STRAINING MY HEART AND MAKING MY SKIN LOOSE AND SAGGY! With my abdominal fat shrinking fast, I can just say, Goodbye, to my "Love Handles" because it's getting so that there is less and less about me to love. Boo-hoo, woe is me ....

What, Katherine Heigl ... nude?!?!?! How could I miss that?!?!?! I must have blinked at the WRONG time--I was startled in my seat because of it. I'm losing my touch! It comes with age, I guess .... Ha, ha, ha.

word of advice: Know what you are trying to get yourself into before you accept a job offer.

tidbits: I had just eaten dinner at MacDonald's and swore to myself that I would not buy any snacks at the concession counter. But when I saw that last snack tray of Pretzel Bites laden with an extra helping of pretzels ( it was practically twice the usual serving )--I couldn't resist buying it just because!

By the way, in my Cebuano language, a true native would pronounce "Filet of Fish" as: Pee-let op Piss. Ha, ha, ha--snort! Hey, don't be laughing at my people's native accent. What's the matter with you ...?

After the movie, I went to the Super Wal-Mart in American Canyon, CA, to buy a multi-pack of Charmin Basic Bathroom Tissue, single ply ( Wal-Mart and Target are the only stores in the area that I know of which carry this particular kind )--the only type of bathroom tissue that touches my own butt at home!

I also bought a loaf of bread, five bananas, and two 2-litre bottles of soda: Sparkling Strawberry Lemonade and Diet Twist-Up Lemon-Lime.

It was already past midnight when I was done with my shopping, and a new day ( Wednesday )--and a new month ( February )--had just begun.

On my way home while driving down Sonoma Boulevard, as soon as I passed the Highway 37 over-pass around 12:32 a.m. or 12:33 a.m., I saw a shooting star blazed an amber streak down the horizon in front of my car. It was visible for just a fraction of a second. Where were my lightning-quick ocular reflexes a few hours ago when I needed their help to "review" a critical ( Shower ) scene in the movie ...? Ha, ha, ha.

Once I got home, I proceeded to make myself a tall glass of Safeway Select Key Lime Pie Ice Cream and Diet Twist-Up Lemon-Lime Float. Hmm ... yummy.

Then, I made myself a tall glass of Safeway Select Strawberry Shortbread Cookie Ice Cream and Sparkling Strawberry Lemonade Float. 'Not so yummy ....

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AGNEEPATH, NR ( 3 hr & 16 min )

2012-01-31T02:58:00.000-08:00

Quickie Review: The 12-year old son of a village school master watches in shock and in horror as a drug dealer kills his beloved father. Made outcasts by their fellow villagers, Vijay and his mother move away to Bombay. There, Vijay gets in with the wrong crowd for the next 15 years as he bides his time to avenge his father's death.

The audience liked it.

I thought that it was a drawn-out melodrama because the tear-jerker scenes were really milked for the holy cash cow that they were. If not for this, the movie would have been shorter in length and would have been a more enjoyable movie for me to watch.

Here are the things that I found wrong in this movie: At the Lord Ganesha Festival, the bad guy had enough time to use his own gun to shoot at the knife-wielding attacker. Vijay ( Hrithik Roshan ) back-fisted the bad guy, Kancha ( Sanjay Dutt ) in the climactic fight twice, slowly loading-up for each strike--had the bad guy been me, Vijay would not even have landed the first back-fist strike because I would have easily put his arm out of commission! Vijay was still recovering from a gunshot wound and from being beaten with sticks and from his upper torso being repeatedly smashed against rocks; and on top of all these, he was stabbed in the kidney and in the pancreas SO THAT HE SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO FIGHT A BIGGER AND STRONGER OPPONENT THE WAY THAT HE DID!

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THE GREY, R ( 1 hr & 57 min )

2012-01-30T17:06:00.000-08:00

where: CENTURY 14 VALLEJO in Vallejo, CA
when: Saturday, January 28ht, 2012
show: 1:10 p.m. ( Extra Dollar Off First Show Matinee )
costs: $6.50 Ticket + $4.75 Pretzel Bites + $4.50 medium Diet/Zero ( w/ Barq's & Cherry flavor ) Coke = $15.75
auditorium: 8
seat: 5th row, 8ht column

synopsis/overview: Ottway ( Liam Neeson ) and a few survivors of a plane crash in the remote Alaskan snow-covered wilderness find themselves within a wolf pack's hunting ground and must head south to find help, escape the bitter cold, and avoid predation by the pack of timber wolves .

noteworthy scenes: 1.) "This is where I belong"; 2.) "Live or die on this day"; 3.) Crash; 4.) "You're gonna die. That's what's happening"; 5.) The seven survivors; 6.) The seven wolves; 7.) Werewolf; 8.) "A kill range of 30" [ miles ]; 9.) Bodies; 10.) Attack; 11.) "They weren't eating him. They were killing him"; 12.) Wallets; 13.) Straggler; 14.) The alpha; 15.) Bang stick; 16.) "You got him"; 17.) The omega; 18.) "Say goodbye, boys"; 19.) Hallucination; 20.) "Once more into the fray. The last good fight I'll ever know. Live or die on this day"; 21.) "Wake up"; 22.) Tree stump; 23.) Cliff; 24.) Pep talk; 25.) Eyeglasses; 26.) "I love you, daddy"; 27.) "They're not gonna let us go, are they"; 28.) "I just had the clearest thought that last night in camp"; 29.) "Hold your breath"; 30.) "Do something"; 31.) One-on-one fight; and 32.) Bonus Scene after the Ending Credits.

audience reaction: The audience seemed to like this Action/Adventure/Survival movie.

recommendation: It's good enough of an entertainment for me, even with the long in-between stretches of no-action. Go see this movie if you're into Action/Adventure/Survival-type of movies.

spoiler alert! When they were in the plane before take-off, you could see their exhaled breath condensing in the cold air; but when the plane was torn to pieces on the ground, and they gathered around the dying man, there was no breath condensation at all visible. There was snow everywhere the strewn bodies were at; but the day after the crash the bodies still did't exhibit rigor mortis, even in such a freezing weather! When they held a prayer for the dead, the one who led the prayer said, "God, bless these men." But what about the two female flight attendants who also died in the crash? Talk about sex discrimination at its most extreme! Ha, ha, ha. They could have used the life vests as "snowshoes" with just a little bit of improvisation. Why didn't they take with them sharp objects and scrap metal from the downed plane as weapons against the wolves? How many bang-sticks did they make and how many were used? Because I only heard one bang-stick go off! And why didn't they take the bang-sticks--or even just the sharpened sticks--with them. How did the wolves get to the bottom of the cliff so quickly? Was it even the same wolf pack? They were laboriously trudging along the snow-covered river bank at a snail's pace but when the wolves were upon them they ran like they were on solid ground. If I was out in the snow and I fell in icy-cold water with my clothes on, my teeth would be chattering and my body would be shivering from the bitter cold the moment that I stepped-out of the water. Why didn't he get out of his wet clothes? Not that I care to see him butt-naked at all! And I wouldn't be able to hold my breath for long in such an icy-cold water! Plus, my joints would ache because of my old sports injuries. I would have wrapped something thick around my neck and my arms before engaging the wolf in a fight. I would have secured the knife with its point pointing up instead of down to give me some added "reach". Those wolves were wild predatory animals whose bite could kill its victim just from an infection setting-in if the prey managed an escape.

fyi: Hector's third son, Tito, was attacked by his own Alpha male Pit-Bull named, Blue. He fought with it for almost half an hour ( according to him ) until he was able to subdue his dog. But he sustained many bite wounds to his arms and legs. Two weeks later, he couldn't walk anymore; and his legs were swollen from infection. His oldest brother rushed him to the doctor for emergency treatment. And the doctor told Tito that he came very close to dying of infection from all the bite wounds that he got in the fight with his own dog.

Over twelve years ago, somebody once told me that the reason why the airlines want you to put your head between your legs in the event of a crash landing is because THEY DON'T WANT YOU TO SURVIVE THE PLANE CRASH AND SUE THEM! So, all those stories you read or heard about in which no one survived a commercial plane crash was because everyone got their necks crushed since they followed orders and kept their heads between their legs. Think about it for a moment, are you gonna survive ramming your head against the seat in front of you as your plane hits the ground at 100 mph or more? Nope! I don't think so.

word of advice: Don't put your head between your legs--or between somebody else's legs, for that matter ( LOL )--if your plane is crashing down. Do what Ottway did: Lie sideways and strap yourself securely. And if there is somebody sitting next to you well, then, that's your problem, not mine.

tidbits: I went to see this movie before I headed-off for work. And I saw some customers of mine after the movie. I had a chat with them at work. They went to see EXTREMELY LOUD & INCREDIBLY CLOSE. I told them that I blog about movies and gave them one of my cards.

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EXTREMELY LOUD & INCREDIBLY CLOSE, PG-13 ( 2 hr & 9 min )

2012-01-30T03:27:00.000-08:00

Quickie Review: Oskar ( Thomas Horn ) loses his father on 9-11 in the World Trade Center. While rummaging through his father's belongings, he finds a mysterious key and a cryptic note. Believing that these were intentionally left for him by his own father, Oskar embarks on a journey of discovery as he tries to make sense of such a senseless tragedy.

The audience liked this movie. By all means, 9-11 is a delicate subject. But it is handled well in this movie from a "personal approach."

But I didn't like it that much, simply because of how the events of 9-11 affected me. The memories of which I'd prefer to keep buried in my past. I blogged about 9-11 once before for the movie, DEAR JOHN, in February of 2010. Refer back to it, if you'd like to.

I didn't even want to see this movie in the first place. I wanted to see JOYFUL NOISE, but I arrived 30 minutes too late.

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THE ARTIST, PG-13 ( 1 hr & 40 min )

2012-01-29T02:31:00.000-08:00

where: EDWARDS FAIRFIELD STADIUM 16 & I-MAX in Fairfield, CA
when: Monday, January 23rd, 2012
show: 4:45 p.m.
costs: $8.00 Ticket + $2.00 4.0 oz Reese's Pieces Peanut Butter Candy ( Monday Candy Special with a Regal Cinemas movie watcher card ) + $0.00 small ( 30 oz ) Coke Zero ( earned "Freebie" on my movie watcher card ) = $10.00
auditorium: 9
seat: 4th row, 6th seat

synopsis/overview: Before the advent of "talkies", a Hollywood Matinee idol, George Valentin ( Jean Dujardin ), meets lovely Hollywood-hopeful Peppy Miller ( Berenice Bejo ) by accident, and is quite taken by her innocent beauty and her effervescent charm. But their publicity stunt for the cameras just adds fuel to George's already strained marriage. As "talkies" become the norm, George's star eclipses as Peppy's star rises when she is chosen as the new "it" girl in Hollywood. The Stock Market Crash and the Great Depression just add to George's problems. Seeing no hope for redemption or for a proverbial "second chance", George drunkenly spirals into a deep funk from which there seems to be no escaping.

noteworthy scenes: 1.) Movie theatre; 2.) Encore performance; 3.) "Who's that girl"; 4.) Kinograph Studios; 5.) Dance rehearsal; 6.) Scene 20; 7.) Dressing room; 8.) Moving up; 9.) "Hey, you're not Napoleon! You're just an extra"; 10.) "Don't laugh. Since that's the future"; 11.) Noises; 12.) Talkies; 13.) "Fresh meat'; 14.) Toys; 15.) TEARS OF LOVE; 16.) October 25th; 17.) Interview; 18.) Stock Market Crash; 19.) Movie; 20.) Standing line; 21.) Visitor; 22.) Pawn shop; 23.) "You're fired"; 24.) Auction house; 25.) Bar; 26.) GUARDIAN ANGEL; 27.) "Look what became of you"; 28.) Fire; 29.) Cop; 30.) News article; 31.) Hospital; 32.) Peppy's house; 33.) A nobody; 34.) "I work for Miss Miller now"; 35.) Personal possessions; 36.) Overwhelming sense of despair; and 37.) The Dance.

favorite scene: I liked the Peppy and the Coat Rack scene. This scene was simply innocent, sexy and cute.

audience reaction: There were about five old ladies in the auditorium with me. But they all sat in the back rows so that I couldn't hear their reaction well enough to gauge it properly.

recommendation: I liked this sweet and charming movie, especially in how it was able to convey its message without the use of sound. This movie should sit-in well with old-timers ( Older than myself, that is. Way older! Eligible-for-senior-citizen-discounted-movie-ticket-price "Old Age" old folks ). Go see this if you're such an Old Fart who waxes nostalgic for the simpler ways of a bygone era or if you simply want to see something different for a change of pace. ( And, by Different, I mean a movie that has no foul language, no overt sexuality, no violence, no color, and no fancy SFX whatsoever yet is one that is visually-pleasing to watch and is well-received by modern-day computer-savvy audiences. )

spoiler alert! When George's wife, Doris ( Penelope Ann Miller ), threw the newspaper at the dog, the edit was so obviously not done well. How come most people didn't recognize George when he was out and about in public, especially with his Jack Russell dog tagging along with him?

fyi! I don't know if it was intentional or not, but one of the famous Hollywood actors from the Silent Film Era was Rudolph Valentino. I cannot help but take notice of the similarity in the actors' last names.

The "Beauty Mark" was the norm way back then.

I have a "Beauty Mark", too--since it doesn't sound "manly", should I even call it as such?--on my left cheek that I'm trying to get rid off since it only draws attention to itself instead of balancing-out the rest of my facial features.

When "talkies" became the Hollywood standard, a lot of silent film actors actually lost their jobs because they spoke with "un-American" accents. ( Speaking of which, pay close attention to the closing scene when this point was driven across clear-as-a-bell: "Widhz playshur." )

Which must be why Hollywood turned to making musicals shortly after "talkies" replaced the silent movies. 'Nice transition, if I may say so myself.

It's simply amazing how back in the day, people actually dressed formally just to go and see a movie! Hey, I should try this some time. Who knows, I just might end-up restarting a movie-going fashion trend.

word of advice: Never forget those who helped you rise to the top.

tidbits: I could only eat half of my Reese's Pieces Peanut Butter Candies because I pigged-out at Tin Tin Chinese Buffet in Vacaville, CA, earlier today. So, I just took the rest home with me to snack on.

After the movie, a theatre employee asked me how I liked the movie. I told him that I really liked it. And I also told him the bit about how some famous actors of silent movies lost their jobs when the studios switched to talkies.

I had planned on seeing this movie at the UA Emery Bay 10 in Emeryville, CA, on Thursday, the 19th, of last week because I was gonna pay Hector and his family a visit first; then catch this movie on my way home to Vallejo. But I scrapped that plan because sometime between late Tuesday, the 17th, and early Wednesday, the 18th, somebody unsuccessfully tried to steal my Geo Metro and just ended-up vandalizing it and stealing a bunch of my stuff from it! Here's a list of the vandalism and theft:

They--I believe that it was the work of at least two lowlifes--smashed the driver's side window when they couldn't open the driver's side door. The door lock was damaged in the process.
They cut the steering wheel to remove the security bar lock that I used to hook the steering wheel to the clutch pedal.
They cut a hole next to the ignition key to try to "hotwire" my car. But that failed because I had the steering mechanism locked.
So, they just took the security bar lock.
They took the sun shield.
They took the am/fm cassette radio.
They took the speakers.
They ripped the headliner.
They stole the rearview mirror.
They stole the ashtray.
They stole the pop-out cigarette lighter.
They ripped-up the center console housing the stick shift.
They ripped-out the air-vent grills.
They stole my box cutter.
They stole my tire pressure gauge.
They stole my "Free Chevron Car Wash Coupon."
They stole my pens.
They stole my mini box wrench set.
They ripped-out a bunch of wires.
They stole my floor mats.
They stole my owner's handbook and service log.
They took my registration form from the left visor--Yup! now they know my name and where I live.
They stole the mirror from my car's right visor.
They stole my lottery slips--So, if somebody wins the lottery big along with me and that lowlife lives near where I live, you know whose winning numbers they actually were.
They stole the $10.00 that I kept inside the lottery slip holder.
They stole my blue windshield squeegee.
They stole my black coach's jacket, embroidered with my first initial, middle initial, last name and nickname.
They stole my work apron.
They stole my baseball cap.
They stole both of my umbrellas.
They stole my folding knife.
They stole my flashlight.
They stole my spare gas cap.
They stole my spare eyeglasses.
They stole my emergency roadside kit.
They stole my emergency tire inflator.
They stole my emergency 1 1/2 gallon gas can.
They ripped-up the floor upholstery on the driver's side.
They ripped-up the bench seat.
They stole a 4-pack of toilet tissues.
They stole a 50-count of paper plates.
They stole a bag of cat-food that I bought for Hector's cat, Tiger.
They stole my "Jesus in Tears" mug and my A&W mug.
They stole my spare wiper blades.
They stole my yellow I-Max 3-D glasses. Well, I kinda "stole" this pair of 3-D glasses from Edwards Fairfield Stadium 16 & I-Max so I guess that it doesn't count.
They stole my brand-new, never-used plastic popcorn tub that I bought at a dollar store.
They stole a bottle of Chevron 10w-30 motor oil.
They stole my CSAA road maps.
They cut a battery cable to steal my car's battery.
They stole my late mother's yellow-colored rosary.
They stole two of my three Bibles. They didn't take the third one because it only measures 1 3/4 inch x 1 1/2 inch x 3/4 inch.

( But why they would steal my rosary and a couple of my Bibles is beyond me! They should burn in Hell for what they did, the lowlife scums that they are! )

I was on my way to work in my Hyundai Accent at around 2:45 p.m. on Wednesday, January 18th, when I noticed the vandalism, first, and the subsequent theft. I had to call my workplace to tell management that I'd be coming in late because I had to assess the damage and the theft, and because I had to call my insurance and because I had to notify the Vallejo Police Department. Here are pictures of my poor Geo Metro a day or so after it was victimized:

( The time and date shown in each of the eight photos are wrong. I had just put in a fresh set of AAA batteries in my digital camera and forgot to reset the time and date. These pictures were taken on Thursday, January 19th, 2012, between 12:30 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. )

This is the hatch area at the back of my Metro. On the left side was were I kept a box with my popcorn tub, 3-D glasses, spare wiper blades, a "Jesus in Tears" mug, the toilet tissues, the paper plates, and the cat food in it. On the right was were I kept a box with the 1 1/2 gallon gas can, the emergency tire inflator, the A&W mug, and the Chevron motor oil in it. They didn't bother to steal my cheap 25-foot long garden hose or the cheap sprayer attached to it. I used this to hose down my car every now and then.

This is the bench seat in the back, ripped-up from its base. On the bench seat was where I had my baseball cap.

This is the smashed driver's side window.

They ripped-away a section of the headliner just so they could steal the rear-view mirror and the rosary that I kept on it.

You can see where they cut a hole next to the ignition, where they ripped-out the air-vents, where the car radio once was, where the ashtray used to be, where the pop-out cigarette lighter once was, and how the center console for the stick shift was ripped-off and twisted to the left. Just below the cup-holders was where I had my box cutter, a pen, a tire gauge, and my free car-wash coupon. Just below the cut steering wheel is the driver's side door compartment where I kept an umbrella and some road maps.

This is the glove compartment where I used to have a flashlight, my owner's handbook and service log, my lottery slips, my folding knife, a bible, a pair of spare eyeglasses, and a spare gas cap.

You can see where one battery cable is cut so that they could steal my Russian car battery which I bought at Wal-Marts a few years ago.

This picture shows the driver's side seat cover that they decided not to steal after all. They also didn't take the passenger's side seat cover. I had my work apron on the passenger's side seat and my black coach's jacket at the foot of this seat. Beneath the driver's side seat was where I had my blue squeegee. Beneath the passenger seat was where I had my emergency roadside kit, an umbrella, and a bible.

The next two photos of my Geo Metro being moved to the back of the tow truck have the right date and time shown. My Metro was parked in Parking Space # 0, to the left of Carport Space # 1. The tow truck driver had to push my car in the photos below since its battery was stolen. I asked him if he needed my help to push it up to the tow truck. He said, No, since it was light enough for just him to take care of.

The Physical Damage Appraiser that my car insurance company, AAA, sent over, Miss A. S., declared my car a total loss. And , to think, I spent over $3,000.00 on it in the last year or so to have the transmission rebuilt, to replace the struts, to fix the hit-and-run damage caused by Hector's Chinese bitch neighbor, to have a new set of tires put on, to have the driver's side door lock replaced and to have the CV boot replaced. Miss A. S. told me that since my car was well-cared for, she'll give me a higher pay-out rate for my loss. And she wanted to know if I'd exercise my option to buy it from my insurance on a Salvage Title. I told her that I would if I could but I'm not mechanically-inclined, that it would cost me as much to have it fix as it would to put a good down payment on a new car, and that the f--king lowlifes know where I live and which one is my car!

This was the last time that I saw my Metro. It served me faithfully for exactly 17 years and 4 months! It was a highly dependable, easily-maintained and extremely economical ride with a good engine and a forgiving manual transmission. I would easily get 60 miles on the freeway using just 3 quarts and 29 ounces of regular unleaded gas if I didn't go faster than 63 mph! It was easy to park, owing to its diminutive size; and it was fun to drive. It never failed a Smog Check or a Smog Test--never ever! And it was my first-ever brand-new car. If Suzuki were to bring the Swift/Metro back on the US Market, I'd buy one right away! I called my brother after my Metro was towed away to tell him the bad news. There was a light rain going on, the first of the season. Just like in a romantic movie where the lovers have to go their separate ways and the cliched rain comes pouring down. But it's a fitting sad goodbye in this case. I called my sister in Michigan the day before. Now, I'm down to one car: My Hyundai Accent, which isn't as good a car as my Geo Metro was. Maybe, after I get the insurance money for my Metro, I'll use the money and my Accent to get a new car. I don't know. Let's wait and see. I'm thinking, Lexus--Yeah, if I win the lottery. Heck! I'd move out of this f--king lowlife neighborhood first and foremost if and when I do win the lottery big-time.

So, why did this happen to my 1994 Geo Metro? Is it because I put a curse on Hector's Chinese Bitch neighbor for doing a hit-and-run on my car and then denying it to my face? No, highly unlikely. Because the way a Karmic Backlash works is measure-for-measure alike; otherwise, if it's more or less, it would be unjustifiable either way. You know, just like what it says in the Bible, "Eye for an eye. Tooth for a tooth."

More than likely, it is because I absorbed some of Hector's son's bad karma. His third son was my favorite one, the one I felt a "connection" to. I say, Was, because after I got myself initiated into Kriya Yoga, I slowly began to understand the True Dynamics of Karma. And I've been avoiding this particular son of his as much as possible ever since--you will notice from reading a previous blog that the last time I was at Hector's place was over two months ago. ( He had to move back home over a year ago because he's on permanent disability due to work-related injuries. ) I thought that this was enough time to dissipate his third son's bad karma's ( and everybody else's bad karmas in that family [ Misery loves company ] ) hold on me. But I was wrong! My Yogi warned me not to needlessly absorb other people's bad karma and stressed to me the importance of letting-go of My Past if I want to control My Future. After my Metro became the victim of the hit-and-run in May of last year, this particular son of Hector said, "The same exact thing happened to my car in that spot!" And he spent over three thousand dollars on his car only to have it broken into, have a bunch of his stuff stolen from his car and eventually just had it towed away--just like what happened to my car! This son of Hector has had a neck pain for years, I have had a neck pain for many months now. And this son of Hector had his own male Pit-Bull turn on him and almost killed him--my next dog will be an old half-blind, three-legged toothless Chihuahua!

I've said it before, about my Geo Metro being the last connection that I have to my late mother and to my favorite cat, Winky. But the connection is not one of good memories. When my mother died, I was filled with the emotions of Anger and Frustration. She didn't have to die had she just kept on following my advice. And when I was forced to have my cat, Winky, put to sleep, I was overcome with the emotions of Grief and Depression. And 9-11 just added more Depression to the equation. These were the Bad Karmic emotions which permeated my Metro and which gradually increased in bad influence over me for almost 15 years. But at the moment when I saw what had happened to my Metro, I was not filled with rage or anger, even though I loved my car very much. Instead, I experienced a feeling of calm within me as if a sense of burden was removed from my psyche ( a Blessing in Disguise ). I guess that this is "The Letting-Go Of My Past" process that my Yogi talked about and that which I didn't pay a close enough attention to. Duh ....

Whoever they were who did what they did to my Geo Metro had Bad Karmic Energies and subsequently absorbed the Bad Karmic Emotions which permeated my car. "Like attracts Like", this is one of the Laws of Karmic Attraction; and which is why the lowlifes picked my car to victimize instead of some other fancier, newer and more expensive car in the parking lot. The Bad Karmic Burden, i.e. Curse, is now upon them. I should thank them for it. 'You think? Nah .... I'm not that nice of a Yogi, yet. And it will be a long while before I become a nice Yogi because I'm happy just taking my sweet time doing it.

When you Meditate and do Mantras, you're doing so to clean-out your Bad Karma and accelerate your Spiritual Evolution. But unless you "live in a cave", you'll just keep on absorbing Bad Karma from the people, places and things all around you! You'll be like an empty glass that keeps on getting unwanted free refills. Of course, bear in mind, when you accelerate your Spiritual Evolution in your Present Lifetime, you're actually letting your Karma potentially deal you a Mega-Whammy of Bad Karmas in this lifetime ( The reason why bad things happen to good people! ) instead of evenly and thinly spacing them out over the course of Many Lifetimes--which is usually how Spiritual Evolution is attained by the Ordinary Masses. Why do you think Yogis go hide in a cave for? And why do you think Jesus Christ disappeared for 18 years? Now, before you self-righteous christians out there turn sanctimonious on me over this perceived sacrilegious slight to your inculcated beliefs, consider this: God said, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased," ( Matthew 3:17 ) not when Jesus was born in a manger but approximately 30 years later when he was baptized! Think about it ... if you've always wanted to have a son and your wife finally delivers a baby boy, won't you say, "This is my beloved son, in whom I am well-pleased," right away at the moment that he is born into this world and not 30 long years later ...? Plain and simple Biblical fact: Jesus was a man, Christ is the Savior God; the God that saves you from Sin. And Sin is just one meaning of Bad Karma. Jesus was the first to be in-dwelt by Christ, the Savior God, and became free of Sin and made Holy (please review the Old Testament of the Bible to find out the ways by which things became Holy ) unto the Lord God. In effect, Jesus became the First-Born Son of Christ, the Savior God, at the Baptismal In-Dwelling, and only then! Before Jesus Christ came along, there was only one other kind of spiritual in-dwelling that occurred in His area of Ministry: The Demonic Possession kind of in-dwelling. Here's a point to consider: Jesus Christ healed people by telling them that their sins--i.e. Bad Karma--were forgiven ( paid in full ). From that point on, such people became free of the Cycle of Karmic Reincarnation and had earned the right to join God in Heaven in The House with many rooms ( John 14:2 ). ( Ever wonder why many dead "believers in Christ" still walk on Earth as ghosts instead of go to Heaven right away? Their Karmic Debts have not yet been paid in full and they will eventually just get reborn into this world when their Karmic Time is right for them to repeat their Karmic Cycle until everything's paid-up. ) Because without Bad Karma, they no longer had the need to reincarnate into this world. They had become Immortals, in effect! The prefix "Im-" means, "Not"; and as it is applied to the word, Immortal, in this context it means not mortal any longer because the person's Karmic Debts have been satisfactorily paid in full! You have to Meditate and do Mantras and do Good Deeds, as well, to "clean your slate" ( Forget what some wishful-thinking idiots with Slave Mentality say about "Salvation through faith, not through works" because YOU REALLY HAVE TO WORK AT BEING GOOD especially since you were born into Sin! ) to the point that bad karma is deflected away from you and you, instead, shower others with the blessing of Good Karma either visually/audibly through Darshan or through physical touch ( Luke 8:40-48 ).

So, my dear readers, pray for me so that I will win the lottery Big-Time! which will enable me to live the life of a reclusive hermit--like I've always wanted to ( a childhood dream of mine )--until My Karma becomes "squeaky clean". Don't worry, I will still be able to do my movie reviews by way of movie2k.com--even though I'll be avoiding people like The Plague! Back-off--keep away from me! Ha, ha, ha.

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RED TAILS, PG-13 ( 2 hr & 5 min )

2012-01-24T13:04:00.000-08:00

where: CENTURY 14 VALLEJO in Vallejo, CA
when: Monday, January 23rd, 2012
show: 11:50 a.m. ( Extra Dollar Off First Show Matinee )
costs: $5.75 Ticket + $4.00 small Diet/Zero ( w/ Barq's & Cherry flavor ) Coke + $1.00 3.1 oz Cupcake Bites ( bought at the Dollar Tree Store & smuggled-in ) + $9.40 lunch @ Tin Tin Chinese Buffet in Vacaville, CA ( + $1.60 Tip ) = $21.75
auditorium: 4
seat: 2nd row, 6th column

synopsis/overview: At a critical time when whites still held the deep-seated belief that the colored races, especially the black, were all inferior to them, a group of black American pilots in an experimental pilot program at the Tuskegee Institute prove their detractors wrong as they fly in the face of Racism, itself, and prove their mettle and fighting skills for all the whole world to see. Based on a true story.

noteworthy scenes: 1.) Flying Fortress Bombers; 2.) "Another P-40 from Uncle Sam's junkyard"; 3.) Train; 4.) "You're home now"; 5.) Black Jesus"; 6.) Newspaper article; 7.) "We will not go away"; 8.) Italian For Beginners; 9.) Couch; 10.) "Experience is a cruel teacher"; 11.) "Are you afraid"; 12.) "You get us that mission, we will light-up the boards"; 13.) Operation Shingle; 14.) Beach; 15.) "Bogeys in-bound"; 16.) "First Negro to shoot down a Gerry"; 17.) "Five minutes"; 18.) German airbase; 19.) "My God. Those pilots are Africans"; 20.) "We don't care"; 21.) "I'd rather be dead than on the ground"; 22.) Archive film of Flying Fortress Bombers under attack; 23.) Arrogant; 24.) "That's Black Jesus. I'm telling you"; 25.) "I love you"; 26.) Officers Club; 27.) "I've come bearing gifts"; 28.) "Everything is a fight"; 29.) "Ten to one"; 30.) Distinctive; 31.) "He's colored"; 32.) "Forget the prize. Save the lives"; 33.) "I'm gonna show him the last trick I learned"; 34.) Captured; 35.) "Your calls have been a little off lately"; 36.) Short cut; 37.) German destroyer; 38.) "You've been drinking"; 39.) Stalag; 40.) German destroyer movie reel; 41.) Deal; 42.) "Come and join us"; 43.) "Jet pursuit fighters"; 44.) Negro; 45.) "Time to think"; 46.) Woods; 47.) Berlin Offensive; 48.) "You want me to stay"; 49.) Dog tags; 50.) Self-pity; 51.) "We're going the distance"; 52.) "Yes, sir"; 53.) German jet fighter planes; 54.) "I think I did get myself killed"; 55.) Jockey Club Whiskey; 56.) Bad news; and 57.) "So, you'll no longer call me, "Junior."

audience reaction: The audience enjoyed it. And a number of people gave it a "Hands Clapper" ending. But since the audience was predominantly black, this movie crowd's positive reaction might be on the biased side.

recommendation: It's a good enough movie. And I would recommend it to those of you who are World War Two history buffs.

spoiler alert! The opening scene has an unbelievably unnatural and unconvincing dialogue between the Flying Fortress Bomber pilot and co-pilot. It sounded like either the script was poorly written or the two "actors" couldn't deliver their individual lines well enough, or both! Did the German pilots actually say, "Mayday," when they were in distress? Because it seems odd to me if they did use this phonetic rendering of the French word, "M'aidez." In the scene wherein the Tuskegee pilots were chasing after a German pilot, the villagers down below acted oblivious to the aerial spectacle which was happening directly above them. It only made sense to attack the train from the front. In the fly-by after the German airbase was strafed, the pilot was close enough to be recognized that it should have been easy for any German to shoot at him with a pistol or a rifle; but nobody bothered to shoot at him. Why? The archive film of the Flying Fortress Bomber formation under enemy attack was filmed from the front--this would only make sense if the film shown was from a captured German fighter plane! But there was no indication that this was the case. In my American History class, the World War Two films that my class watched of American planes under enemy attack were filmed from below, from above or from behind. And the few scenes showing the American planes from the side and from the front were mostly those taken from captured enemy planes. The Berlin Offensive strategic map looks exactly like the Operation Shingle strategic map! All those bullet holes in the plane's canopy yet no audible wind noise!

fyi: The Bomber Flight Jackets that the American pilots used in Europe during World War Two had a European map printed on the inside so if a pilot got shot down, he could find his way back to a friendly territory.

I didn't know that the Germans were actually able to employ fighter jets in WWII. Which makes me wonder if the Germans would have been able to turn the tide of war in their favor had it dragged on for at least another year, what with their impressive advances in war weaponry and in war technology.

I know of this black World War Two veteran who saw action in Germany. He respected the Germans' resourcefulness in converting internal combustion engine vehicles into steam engine vehicles.

Hey, maybe that's what we need these days: Steam engine vehicles! Why not? If it works, it works! Forget about Hybrids and Electric cars. And, as an added side benefit, you can probably barbecue, too, as you drive! "Honey, I'm home! Guess what we're having for dinner tonight? I'll give you a hint: The same kind of dinner that we've been having every night ever since I bought this car."

As I mentioned in my blog on CAPTAIN AMERICA, in WWII, my father joined the US Army. And he was assigned to the 51st Division in Milk Company "C"--I don't know if this makes any sense to any of you WWII historians out there, but I'm just writing it down the way my father told it to me. He said that most of the American soldiers that he was with were from Texas. There were blacks, too, but they were relegated to construction, maintenance, latrine and kitchen duties. And my dad said that whenever they would come under Japanese attack, the blacks would run for cover BECAUSE THEY WEREN'T GIVEN WEAPONS TO DEFEND THEMSELVES WITH! This was probably just an isolated case--what with the Texans "running the show", so to speak--and not at all standard WWII US Army regulation.

Because, from what I learned in my American History Class, some blacks fought bravely and even became war heroes. But, unfortunately, when they returned to the States, they were once again subjected to Racial Prejudice to the point that some of them even became victims of Lynch Mobs.

Likewise, German-Jew World War One veterans who defended their German Motherland became victims of the Holocaust in World War Two!

It is appalling to behold to what extent countries subject their innocent citizens to! World War II was indeed a very sad and deplorable chapter in modern human history.

word of advice: War veterans deserve all the respect that they can get.

Don't drink and fly.

tidbits: The box office clerk gave me a senior citizen's discount instead of just an Extra Dollar Off First Show Matinee price. Heck, I'm not that old yet! So, even though she saved me money on the price of admission, I was not flattered at all.

I decided to go to Vacaville to eat lunch at Tin Tin Chinese Buffet just to celebrate the start of the Chinese New Year, the Year of the Dragon. Gong Hay Fat Choy!

On my way to Vacaville, CA, a BMW with two license plates ( a European license plate covered-up by an American license plate ) passed me by. I took two pictures of it for just in case. It's the dark blue car on the left lane.

HAYWIRE, R ( 1 hr & 32 min )

2012-01-21T22:49:00.000-08:00

where: EDWARDS FAIRFIELD STADIUM 16 & I-MAX in Fairfield, CA
when: Friday, January 20th, 2012
show: 2:20 p.m.
costs: $8.00 Ticket + $4.75 small Mango Smoothie + $9.80 lunch @ Inay Pilipino Fast Food Restaurant in the shopping mall's food court = $22.55
auditorium: 6
seat: 3rd row, 8ht column

synopsis/overview: Mallory Kane ( Gina Carano ), a deadly agent for a government security contractor, finds herself double-crossed and must do everything in her power to clear her name and go after those who want her dead.

noteworthy scenes: 1.) Cafe & grocery; 2.) "That's actually real"; 3.) Barcelona story; 4.) "Eye candy"; 5.) SIM card reader; 6.) "That guy just recognized me"; 7.) GPS tracker; 8.) Storage room; 9.) Hotel room fight; 10.) "Is the divorce final"; 11.) "What your 6 [ i.e. back ]"; 12.) Tracking device; 13.) Disguise; 14.) "I wouldn't go outside until I call you back"; 15.) Roadblock; 16.) "Who's L.E.O."; 17.) "Jesus Christ, you're a great driver"; 18.) Killers; 19.) "Where's the due diligence"; 20.) "I'm not gonna run anymore"; 21.) False report; 22.) "She's here"; 23.) Photo; 24.) "Halo effect"; 25.) "He's not available"; 26.) Beach fight; 27.) Set-up plan; and 28.) Majorca.

audience reaction: The audience was amused by certain scenes.

recommendation: This is definitely a Chick Flick Action Movie. What I mean is, even though it's an Action Movie, there is too much talking going on! Not to sound sexist, but most women just love to talk Ad Nauseam! And because of it, even at only one-and-a-half hours long, I was painfully made aware of the fact that my bladder needed emptying and the action scenes were too far and few in-between to keep me sufficiently distracted. Thankfully, I was able to hold it in until after the movie ended. Whew, that was a close call! But I squirmed too much in my seat that I probably wore-out its cushion. Go see this if you like to listen to too much talking in an action movie.

spoiler alert! Why didn't she disable the other guy's car at the cafe & grocery? I would have. The man's car just got walked on yet he didn't get out to complain angrily about the incident; instead, he just drove off--what a wimp! Couldn't they also have provided Paul ( Michael Fassbender ) with a photo of her, too? She knew what was about to happen in the hotel room yet she allowed herself to get hit from behind. When Mallory got Paul in a headlock using her legs, why didn't Paul bite her in the crotch? I would have! Ha, ha, ha. In the Beach Fight scene, there were plenty of chances for either combatant to use sand to visually-impair the other. Mallory said in an earlier scene that she doesn't "... like to leave loose ends." Yet, this movie ended without her going after Studer ( Mathieu Kassovitz ). Maybe she did, though, but the scene just ended-up on the cutting room floor because in it she just bored him to death with her unnecessary exposition! Ahh ... Mallory, that's Execution, not exposition.

And this movie had some funny dialogues. But I don't know if they were all intentional or if some of them were just unintentionally funny!

fyi: Gina Carano is a former MMA artist ranked 3rd in the whole world in her division.

She can tie me up to her bedposts any time and "bitch-slap" me around a bit. But gently, of course, because I'm not into BDSM ( bondage-domination/sado-masochism )!

word of advice: Tie loose ends.

One of the Cardinal Rules of Movie-making, especially as it applies to Action Movies is this: Show, don't tell!

tidbits: After watching UNDERWORLD AWAKENING and before seeing this movie, I had enough time to walk around in the shopping mall and to grab a bite to eat.

I was gonna have lunch at the Chick-fil-A fast-food restaurant. But I decided to walk further down to check-out the mall's new food court. That was where I noticed Inay ( pronounced: Eee-Nigh; Tagalog for Mother ), a Pilipino fast-food restaurant.

Since I had never been to one--and didn't know that there was such an one, I decided to have lunch there. I chose the two-entree lunch with Sinigang ( pronounced: Cine-gang; Pilipino Garlic Fried Rice ) and a Dalandan ( pronounced: Da-lan-dan; Citrus Aurantium in English ) citrus soda. For the two entrees, I had Barbecue Chicken on a stick and Bicol Express ( Pork stewed in Coconut Milk w/ Jalapeno Peppers ) since my mother was from the Bicol region of the Northern Philippines.

And I don't know if this is true or not, but a cousin's husband once told me that any Pilipino dish made with Coconut Milk and/or Cream is a Bicol dish. Because that is the Bicolanos' culinary "signature".

The Food Court restrooms are nearby. So, I decided to check out the men's room. It has waterless urinals in place. But what really struck me as odd is the design of their lavatory sinks--highly impractical:

Do you notice how angled the bottom of each lavatory sink is? Well, when you put your hands under the motion-activated faucet, they touch the bottom of the sink! Whichever idiot came up with the design for this "piece of crap" seriously needs to get repeatedly slapped in the face. And I mean it!!!

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

In the Hotel Room Fight scene when Paul looked like he groped at Mallory's crotch and when she wrapped her legs around his head, some woman in the back of the auditorium laughed-out loudly. What's Erotic to a man is Funny to a woman, I guess---Or maybe some women are just too damn Ticklish! Ha, ha, ha--snort!

.

UNDERWORLD: AWAKENING in I-MAX 3-D, R ( 1 hr & 29 min )

2012-01-21T20:29:00.000-08:00

where: EDWARDS FAIRFIELD STADIUM 16 & I-MAX in Fairfield, CA
when: Friday, January 20th, 2012
show: 11:30 a.m.
costs: $17.50 Ticket + $4.75 small Diet Coke + $0.99 half-a-bag of Corn Nuts Corn Chips ( bought at the 99-Cent Only Store & smuggled-in ) = $23.24
auditorium: 12, with the I-Max screen
seat: 5th row, 5th seat

synopsis/overview: Selene ( Kate Beckinsale ) wakes up from a 12-year cryogenic freeze only to discover that the humans are now hunting-down all of the vampires and lycans. As she pieces together the missing events of the lost years, she discovers that there is a hybrid that the humans are looking for who has a link to her past. But finding the hybrid and keeping it safe is compounded by the problem that most of the remaining vampires don't trust her at all, and that a deadlier new kind of lycan is out on the prowl looking for more vampires to kill.

noteworthy scenes: 1.) News; 2.) Escape; 3.) Grenade; 4.) Lab; 5.) Teeth; 6.) "Twelve years"; 7.) "The guy's shredded"; 8.) "There's no room for error"; 9.) Surveillance photo; 10.) "Now we're even"; 11.) Lycans on the hunt; 12.) Girl; 13.) Chase; 14.) Girl's origin; 15.) "It was we who betrayed her"; 16.) "Look at the eyes"; 17.) "You're a fighter"; 18.) "I know exactly what you are"; 19.) "Is that what you wish for us, extinction"; 20.) "You're as cold as one already dead"; 21.) "They're here"; 22.) The big bad "wolf"; 23.) "They accepted her as a gift from me"; 24.) "I'm not good with feelings"; 25.) "Who administers the tests"; 26.) "Entire species saved from extinction"; 27.) Subject 2's confinement room; 28.) "I had to watch her burn"; 29.) Intruder; 30.) The surprise discovery; 31.) "It's worse if you try to fight it"; 32.) "I heal instantly"; 33.) "Buy you some time"; and 34.) Rooftop.

audience reaction: The audience liked it, it seemed.

recommendation: If you've seen one, you've seen them all. It's all same ol', same ol' to me. Kate Beckinsale is pretty much the only good reason to see this movie, for you horn-dogs out there--I mean, fans of Kate Beckinsale!

spoiler alert! Why was Selene's hair not dangling down from her head when she was kept upside-down in the cryonic freeze booth? After all, 12 years is more than enough time for Gravity to work its magic. And why was she kept upside-down for in the first place? The surgical scalpel was a single-edged kind ( a very critical point of consideration in the scene ). So, when she slashed the Carotid Arteries of the bad guys who stood to either side of her, she could not have been able to slash the necks of the guards situated on her left side--simply by the way that she was holding the single-edged scalpel and at the fast speed that she was moving--without taking a hard tumble while trying to do so! And did you notice the heels on the boots that she was wearing as she attacked those guards with her scalpel? Well, then, her heels should have made a very loud and fast tapping sound while she moved down the hallway! And if she could move that fast in those shoes, then the shoes had such good traction built into them that she shouldn't have been able to slide down the hallway like that! Duh .... When she was going down the building's exterior emergency staircase, the guard running up the stairs should have heard her footsteps and quickly noticed her crotch descending upon him--heck! it was at his eye level after all--and should have had enough time to aim his "phallic-like" weapon at her and shoot her ( and I don't mean with "blanks" ). Ha, ha, ha. If she could see what was in a person's mind by simply sucking that person's blood, why couldn't Selene figure out that a bunch of the guys that she sucked really good were all lycans in disguise? Why did these vampires use candles and flashlights? I always thought that vampires could see in the dark! At least one of the vampires was shooting at nothing when their hideout was under lycan attack--bad CGI edit! If vampires can move really fast, why did Selene get herself swatted around like a bug by the slow-moving giant lycan? Can a ceiling fan actually hold an adult human's body weight? This movie is set in the near future but it's got cars from the '70s and '80s! ( Cheap props, if you ask me. ) Why did the elevator work when its inner doors were kept open? If it heals instantly, why didn't the lycan dig into its own belly when it still had the chance? If vampires are ice-cold, why do they have to go around wearing jackets/coats or even clothes, for that matter? I'm sure that you horn-dogs out there will agree with me on this: There were "hot" frigid vampires in this movie who could have done us a good "favor" had they gone around completely butt-naked ( because cold weather doesn't affect them at all the way that it does humans )! So, I'm thinking, the next installment of this movie franchise should be titled: UNDERWORLD: UNDRESSING, NC-17. Ahem .... ( Yeah, I'd be more than willing to go to the midnight show for that one! ) I can just imagine how many human males would impatiently get in line just to have themselves sucked really, really good by such "hot" frigid vampires! Ha, ha, ha--snort!

Imagine how much sense this movie would have made had they hired my services as Cine-Man!

fyi: Somewhere in Asia--Tibet, if I'm not mistaken--people kill a goat or a sheep by cutting into its upper abdomen and then reaching in with the hand to grab and keep the animal's heart from beating anymore. They call this a "bloodless" slaughter.

Heck, if they really want to slaughter an animal in a bloodless sort of way, all that they need to do is drive a sharp spike into its head! You can't get any more bloodless than that. And it's quick so that the animal is not forced to suffer needlessly.

word of advice: There is a strong bond between a mother and her child.

tidbits: I was gonna wait until Saturday to see this. But I changed my mind at the last minute. And only because I arrived at the theatre with plenty of time to catch this movie's first matinee show.

Special Announcement: I would like to take this time to say, Thank You and Welcome, to my readers in:

Seychelles

Thank you, once again. Please keep on reading my weekly updates. And don't forget to tell all of your friends, and everyone else who you know, about my movie review blogsite.

.

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST in 3-D, G ( 1 hr & 24 min )

2012-01-18T00:34:00.000-08:00

where: CENTURY 14 VALLEJO in Vallejo, CA
when: Monday, January 16th, 2012
show: 2:00 p.m.
costs: $9.25 Ticket + $5.75 small Popcorn + $4.50 medium Diet/Zero ( w/ Cherry ) Coke + $6.86 # 3 meal @ the MacDonald's Restaurant in the Target Shopping Center after the movie = $26.36
auditorium: 7
seat: 3rd row, 9th column

synopsis/overview: A witch puts a handsome prince who is selfish, rude and ill-tempered, along with his unfortunate servants, under a spell that can only be broken if the prince changes his ways and finds true love before time runs out for all of them on his 21st birthday.

noteworthy scenes: 1.) The curse; 2.) Book; 3.) Vain suitor; 4.) Invention; 5.) "Lost in the woods"; 6.) "A place to stay"; 7.) "I'll have Belle for my wife"; 8.) "Where's Poppa"; 9.) "The one we've been waiting for"; 10.) "I didn't get to say, Goodbye"; 11.) Bedroom; 12.) "I'm disgraced"; 13.) "Crazy old Maurice"; 14.) "Show me the smile"; 15.) Magic mirror; 16.) "Be our guest"; 17.) "If it's not Baroque, don't fix it"; 18.) "So, that's the West Wing"; 19.) Wolves; 20.) Arguments; 21.) Evil plan; 22.) Library; 23.) Breakfast; 24.) Bold/daring; 25.) Stupid; 26.) "I release you"; 27.) "It's alright, Poppa, I'm home"; 28.) Stowaway; 29.) Asylum for loonies; 30.) Village mob; 31.) "Belle, you came back"; and 32.) "I told you."

audience reaction: The audience liked it. And it got a "Hands Clapper" ending.

recommendation: It's a formulaic Chick Flick, pretty much. Go see it if that's your "thing".

spoiler alert! What is a kingdom without a king and a queen, only a prince? I never heard of such a thing. What about the soldiers and guards? There were none; only the prince's personal servants were in the castle. In reality, if a person found himself alone in a dark, unoccupied building where objects take on a life of their own, that poor person would probably just die of fright! Who can eat 5,000 eggs a day? How did that skinny little Belle managed to put the unconscious Beast on the horse all by herself? Pigs do not wallow in the wintertime when the temperature drops down below 70 degrees Fahrenheit. I don't think that the women back then wore brassieres. How was Chip able to figure-out how to operate the newfangled invention? The leading man in this movie and the one in the other Disney movie, TANGLED, both died a similar death and were revived pretty much the same way, too!

fyi: I didn't see this movie when it first came out in 1991.

I wasn't much into movies back then.

Eggs are actually healthy for you. Egg protein is the "Gold Standard" Protein by which all other kinds of protein are measured. Although the egg yolk is high in Cholesterol, the egg white has enough Lecithin in it to counter the bad effects of Cholesterol! It was the Grain Lobbyists who financed the Egg Study to fool the general public into thinking that eating a breakfast that is very high in Sugar, Starch and Simple Carbohydrates is "better" for you than a breakfast that is high in Protein, Complex Carbohydrates and Fats.

word of advice: Looks can be deceiving. ( But I still won't marry an ugly girl! )

tidbits: I forgot that today is a holiday, Martin Luther King's Day, to be exact. Lots of people turned-out at the cineplex! And my usual favorite parking spaces were all taken-up so that I had to park far away, farther than I cared to park.

I ate at MacDonald's after the movie.

Then, I drove back home, took a shower, did some correspondence, and went to work.

CONTRABAND, R ( 1 hr & 50 min )

2012-01-16T12:11:00.000-08:00

where: CENTURY 14 VALLEJO in Vallejo, CA
when: Saturday, January 14th, 2012
show: 12:35 p.m.
costs: $7.00 Ticket + $4.50 20 oz. VitaminWater XXX = $11.50
auditorium: 14
seat: 5th row, 6th column

synopsis/overview: A former master smuggler, Chris Faraday ( Mark Wahlberg ) must get himself back in the game when his brother-in-law, Andy ( Caleb Landry Jones ), is forced to not deliver on a drug run. And the bad guys are threatening the lives of his wife, Kate ( Kate Beckinsale ), and their kids, as a result.

noteworthy scenes: 1.) Customs raid on a ship; 2.) Hospital; 3.) "I like your outfit"; 4.) "We're playing"; 5.) "Will you just trust me, please"; 6.) "The proudest day of my life was when you turned legit"; 7.) Funny money; 8.) Interview; 9.) "It takes money to make money"; 10.) "You're still the captain's bitch-boy"; 11.) "That's the point"; 12.) Intruders; 13.) 'Phone call; 14.) Accident; 15.) "You got a lot of pussy in there"; 16.) The iodine test; 17.) "If you'd hired a real smuggler"; 18.) "Human speed bump"; 19.) Gun battle; 20.) Last container; 21.) Inspection; 22.) "I f-cking warned you": 23.) Salt; 24.) Threat; 25.) "Who f-cking told him"; 26.) "I know what you did"; 27.) Double cross; 28.) Intradiction team; 29.) Tarp; 30.) "You won't get your dope if I'm dead"; 31.) Security alarm; 32.) What are you doing in my house"; 33.) "South corner first"; 34.) Ringing cellphone; 35.) "Sea-full of money"; and 36.) "Twenty on the Black Market."

audience reaction: The audience liked it.

recommendation: It was just okay to me, being that I don't like the subject matter to begin with.

spoiler alert! Why does Tim ( Giovanni Ribisi ), the drug dealer, live in a tenement building? Even with your back turned to it, you can tell simply by the sound that it makes if a vacuum cleaner is being moved back and forth. Why didn't she report the break-in to the cops? The cops could have run a ballistic test on the bullet that was lodged in the wall for future reference. I know that there are many uses for Duct Tape, but as a mask ...? They should have used Masking Tape, instead! Ha, ha, ha. And I don't think that Duct Tape comes-off that easily if you wrap it around your face and head, especially if you have all that hair! Those Duct-Taped bad guys deserved to get what they got! That last container hoisted onto the ship should have caught someone else's attention, what with the ship running behind schedule. Yup, that sure looked like a tarp to me. Ha, ha, ha. Why didn't he check for pupil dilation or used a mirror to check for breathing? Or, better yet, he could just have put his ear to her left breast to check for--Ahem!--heartbeats; and do Mouth-to-Mouth Resuscitation! LOL. ( Hey, that was what he wanted in the first place, when you think about it. ) Why would you haul around a Wet/Dry Vac like that without emptying its liquid content first? Sebastian's ( Ben Foster ) nose bleed coagulated and turned dark too soon--trust me, I know; I get about a dozen nose bleeds each year FROM EACH NOSTRIL!

fyi: I know of this young woman once who fell down and hit her head on the ground one day while she was out in her own back yard. She complained of a headache that night, yet never bothered to have herself checked by a doctor. The next day, she was dead.

word of advice: Don't betray/abuse the trust of those whose lives depend on you.

Crime pays ...?

tidbits: After the movie, I went to the Dollar Tree Store at the Target Shopping Center to buy two door stops for my condo's hallway doors because the painters messed around with them so that now they don't stay open. And fresh air needs to circulate down the hallway to air-out any unpleasant and/or stale smell. And I feel more secure with the hallway doors open because it discourages or lessens any criminal activity.

Then I went to Selecta Pilipino Buffet on Springs Road here in Vallejo, CA, for dinner and to catch the football playoff game between San Francisco Forty-Niners and the New Orleans Saints. That was a close game. I thought that it was gonna end-up like last week's game in which the Saints won. But the Forty-Niners won by just a few points. Whew! that was exciting.

THE ADVENTURES OF TINTIN in I-MAX 3-D, PG ( 1 hr & 47 min )

2012-01-14T11:13:00.000-08:00

where: CENTURY 14 VALLEJO in Vallejo, CA
when: Wednesday, December 21st, 2011
show: 4:25 p.m.
costs: $11.00 Ticket + $4.50 medium Diet/Zero ( w/ Barq's Root Beer & Cherry ) Coke = $15.50
auditorium: 10
seat: 5th row, 4th seat

2nd Time:

where: EDWARDS FAIRFIELD STADIUM 16 & I-MAX in Fairfield, CA
when: Thursday, January 12th, 2012
show: 1:30 p.m.
costs: $17.50 Ticket + $4.75 small Diet Coke + $9.45 lunch @ Tin Tin Chinese Buffet in Vacaville, CA, before the show ( + $1.55 Tip ) = $33.25
auditorium: 12, with the I-Max screen
seat: 6th row, 9th column

synopsis/overview: Tintin buys a model of a 16th century battleship, the Unicorn, at an outdoor market and soon finds himself in the midst of an intriguing plan involving a long standing family curse and a long lost sunken treasure.

noteworthy scenes: 1.) Model ship; 2.) Marlinspike Hall; 3.) Reprobate; 4.) Pickpocket; 5.) Delivery; 6.) Karaboudjan Ship; 7.) Corks; 8.) "I assumed it was lock"; 9.) "Nothing is an accident"; 10.) Eyelids; 11.) Necessities; 12.) Lifeboat; 13.) Collection; 14.) Seaplane; 15.) "Wall of Death"; 16.) Fumes; 17.) Propeller; 18.) Sea battle; 19.) Sober; 20.) Secret cargo; 21.) The curse; 22.) The Milanese Nightingale Concert; 23.) "I can smell it on you"; 24.) The chase; 25.) Bagghar; 26.) Signal; 27.) Dueling shipyard cranes; 28.) Bottles; 29.) Coordinates; 30.) Globe; and 31.) "Unquenchable!"

favorite scenes: I liked the Sea Battle scene.

I liked the Milanese Nightingale Concert scene.

I liked the Chase scene.

I liked the Dueling Shipyard Cranes scene.

1st audience reaction: The audience liked it.

2nd audience reaction: N/A. I was all by my lonesome ....

recommendation: I liked this movie. The computer animation in this one is very good. Go see this movie with your little brats but be forewarned: A couple of scenes might be unpleasant to the little brats. But, then again, them little brats need something unpleasant every now and then!

spoiler alert! Tintin looked too young, like a 14-year old boy. A drunken fool for a captain? No wonder the crew mutinied! That bad guy should have been blown to smithereens when the ship blew-up. They were in the desert under the blistering heat of the midday sun yet neither one ended-up with sunburn and blisters. Why was an officer at the Nightingale concert sporting a Mohawk haircut? That Mohawk haircut was out-of-place for that time period. There is no way in the real world that a human voice can shatter a bullet-proof glass--but I could be wrong because I haven't heard William Hung give it a try, yet!

fyi: The animation in this movie is so good that it made me wonder why they did this movie in computer animation instead of in live action. I mean, why go through all that trouble, expense and time when they could have pretty much achieved the same effects using live actors for the better part of the film?

Am I the only one who noticed that the short bespectacled rich Moroccan man resembled Steven Spielberg?

word of advice: Do not assume. Because, if you assume, you'll make an ASS of--look in the mirror--U and ME!

1st tidbits: In the hallway, right after the movie, an Asian man asked one of his kids, "Did it look blurry to you?" I responded with, Yes, it was blurry. And, no, I'm not one of his kids! LOL

2nd tidbits: I wanted to see this in I-Max at the Fairfield cineplex on Wednesday, the 21st of December. But I was gonna eat lunch first at Tin Tin Chinese Buffet in Vacaville, CA, before the movie because I wanted to do a Name Tie-In. I forgot that this buffet is closed on Wednesdays now. I read the sign posted at their door last Thanksgiving and, yet, I still completely forgot about it--I guess hunger and/or a voracious craving for Chinese buffet does that to my Memory brain cells.

And I would have to wait one and a half hours more just to catch the movie on I-Max. So, I just drove back to Vallejo, CA, to watch this movie in 3-D, instead.

Unfortunately, the projectionist never bothered to check the focal setting on the projection, making the 3-D movie somewhat blurry. And nobody in the audience, myself included, told management about it! Heck, I assumed that some parent in the audience did; after all, the people with little brats in tow paid more to see the movie in 3-D and had that much more reason to get their money's worth on it than I did!

And I was gonna watch this Tintin movie in I-Max last week. But you all know how that went! ( Down the toilet bowl. Ha, ha, ha. )

DON 2 3-D, NR ( 2 hr & 25 min )

2012-01-12T23:57:00.000-08:00

where: UA EMERY BAY STADIUM 10 in Emeryville, CA
when: Tuesday, January 10th, 2012
show: 7:50 p.m.
costs: $8.00 Ticket + $2.00 small Popcorn ( discounted price on my movie watcher reward card ) + $4.75 small Barq's Root Beer + $0.50 Rascals Candy + $5.00 Carquinez Bridge Toll = $20.25
auditorium: 4
seat: 6th row, 12th column

synopsis/overview: An Asian underworld boss now has his sights on the European underworld. But the European underworld bosses want him dead; and the cops want him arrested.

noteworthy scenes: 1.) A meeting of underworld bosses; 2.) Execution attempt; 3.) Birthday; 4.) "Immunity or nothing"; 5.) Escape plan; 6.) Safe deposit box; 7.) Tape; 8.) Printing plates; 9.) Charity fundraiser; 10.) Video clip; 11.) "No autographs, please"; 12.) Car chase; 13.) Hit man; 14.) "Special talent"; 15.) Double-decker bus; 16.) "Under pressure"; 17.) Plans; 18.) The double-cross; 19.) Security cameras; 20.) Bomb; 21.) Underground vault; 22.) Fingerprints; 23.) "No escape plan"; 24.) "Shocking behavior"; 25.) Package; 26.) "Temporary lapse of judgment"; 27.) "Last request"; 28.) "I want to be a free man"; 29.) "You're welcome"; 30.) "Happy reunion"; 31.) "Immunity papers; 32.) Priceless; 33.) "Don never forgets"; 34.) "Perfect crime"; 35.) "It's not difficult to catch Don"; and 36.) Bollywood song and dance.

audience reaction: There were about 20 people in the audience with me. And they seemed to enjoy this movie.

recommendation: I never saw part one--'didn't even know that there was a part one--so I'm not a member of this movie's fan-base. 'That said, I found this movie to be above average as an Action Movie. Go see this if you're into Action Movies. However, the plot contrivance was a little "stretched" for my taste.

spoiler alert! What is missing from this movie? Oh, I know. This "Don" character is supposedly the Big Boss of the Asian underworld but ... think about it ... China and India, alone, have over a billion people in each one. And we're not even considering the population count of the other Asian countries. What I'm getting at is this: Don ( Shah Rukh Khan ) is the Number One underworld boss in Asia yet ... he goes around without an "army" of sorts--HE HAD TO GO TALK SOME OTHER BAD GUYS INTO JOINING HIS RAG-TAG TEAM!!! I mean, come on, he could not have become Asia's underworld's Top Boss if he didn't have his own formidable "army" to help him run and control things! So, what happened to his "army"? That mystery guy ( Hrithik Roshan ) at the charity fundraiser who danced with the female detective had a funny-looking "pinched" nose: Too narrow! ( I think that he had a "nose job". Hmm, I wonder if he had surgery done on that finger of his, too. ) When the car hit something, the airbags didn't deploy. When Don made his descent by way of a rope, the bad guy could have easily shot him dead because he was moving down in a straight line. Did they really have to kill the security guards? How did the cops know right away that it was a robbery, not a fire emergency? When Don made the comment that the helicopter was "spoiling the mood", Roma, the female detective, should have jumped on that HINT and easily narrowed-down Don's location in the building. Okay, that fingerprint identification machine had a touch pad; meaning, you cannot put a practically weightless sheet of clear plastic on it and expect it to read the fingerprints IF NO PRESSURE IS USED TO ACTIVATE ITS RECOGNITION SOFTWARE! Wouldn't the fingerprint identification machine recognize a security breach if its touch pad was activated WITHOUT ANY HUMAN BODY WEIGHT PRESSURE DETECTED BY ITS SENSORS? You would think that the vault's pressure sensitive floor would be calibrated to accept only the safe-keeper's average weight! Dang! I thought her bullet-proof vest spelled-out the word, SEX ( Because I was gonna say, Pick a number, get in line and wait for your "F" turn! LOL ), it didn't; SEK is the German acronym for, SpezialEinsatzKommando, the German equivalent of the American SWAT. Since Don knew how those bombs were put together, why did not the SEK force just let him deactivate all of them? That bad guy sure had no peripheral vision for Don to be able to jump him from the side like that! I said this more than once before: In a kill-or-be-killed fight, you fight dirty to survive and to end it as quickly as possible because, in such a situation, time will be a luxury that you won't be able to afford. She was shot in the liver, for Chrissake! Gunshot wounds to the Liver are almost always fatal. She needed medical attention right away to stop the profuse bleeding and to stabilize her and QUICKLY SPEED HER OFF TO THE HOSPITAL INSTEAD OF HIM CARRYING HER OUT--AT SUCH A LEISURELY PACE--TO A WAITING AMBULANCE BECAUSE, IN REALITY, SHE WOULD HAVE ALREADY BLED TO DEATH BY THAT POINT IN TIME! Duh! What good will his "immunity papers" do him if the other underworld bosses are still around and are still Hell-bent on killing him? The dialogue could have used some polish since it didn't translate well into English in the subtitle.

fyi: If you like your girls extra hot and spicy, this movie serves-up two delectable dishes in the form of Priyanka Chopra ( as Roma ) and Lara Dutta ( as Ayesha ).

Wow, that is one nice-looking prison! I wouldn't mind being incarcerated there. I just hope that they use liquid soap because a prison shower room floor is not where I'd want to pick-up a dropped bar of soap! Iykwim ( If you know what I mean )! Ha, ha, ha.

word of advice: Bad guys make for strange bedfellows.

tidbits: Earlier today, Tuesday, the 10th of January, 2012, I decided to have something new for breakfast. I had a Christmas peanut butter cup the size of a hamburger patty just sitting around in the kitchen--and I had one hamburger bun left! Hmm, what to do .... I put that peanut butter cup in-between the hamburger bun slices and nuked it in my microwave on High for 30 seconds. I ended-up with one big gooey mess on my microwave's turntable! But there was no way that I was gonna let all of that go to waste. I just picked-up a kitchen spatula and scraped-off all that gooey goodness so that I could eat it all up. Note to myself for next time: I'll just heat-up the hamburger bun in my toaster before putting the giant peanut butter cup in the middle of it--it should work better this way ( I hope ).

Later on in the day, I went to Oakland, CA, to visit Hector and his family--and Tiger, the cat. I haven't seen them in two months' time.

Tiger is slightly over a year old now. But he doesn't look like he's full-grown. His head is getting bigger, though. I hope that he gets bigger because I've had cats that were practically twice his present size. And bigger cats make for cuddlier sleeping companions.

And speaking of Tiger, as I pulled-up to Hector's house, I saw him perched atop a neighbor's SUV. He came into the house with me. And he curled-up in his favorite corner in the dining room. He slept there until after I was done making some Garlic Bread and Spaghetti for everyone. Because as soon as I was done cooking, he walked into the kitchen and, with those half-closed eyes of his, sat there waiting for me to give him some food. And who am I to just shoo him away?

Hector talked with his older sister on the 'phone. She has Alzheimer's Disease now. She thought that her own daughter was her little sister. Then she inquired of Hector how their parents were doing these days. Hector told her that they both have been dead for quite a while now. And she cried because she couldn't remember ever attending the funeral of either one of their parents. It was kind of sad for me to learn about her present condition.

To break the sad mood, I told Hector and his kids that I will take them to see the movie, THREE STOOGES, when it comes out in April because it is based on him and his two brothers, "Moe" and "Larry"--Nyuck, nyuck, nyuck. Woo, woo, woo, woo, woo!

During the movie's intermission, I went out to the hallway and got some Rascals Candy for 50 cents. But would you believe that the vending machine only gave me 6 tiny pieces! WTF?!?!?! That's it, I'm buying all of my candy snacks at the dollar/99 cent store from now on!

After the movie, I swung by my former place of employment at the Rockridge Shopping Center in North Oakland, CA. That huge place is half-empty now. It lost its lease and will close for business on March 10th of this year. Some of my former co-workers were still there. And I wished them all a "Happy New Year"; although, in retrospect, I think that I shouldn't have done so since they will be all without jobs in this bad economy in two months' time. I hope that they will all find employment soon after the store closes for business.

THE DEVIL INSIDE, R ( 1 hr & 27 min )

2012-01-09T10:10:00.000-08:00

where: CENTURY 14 VALLEJO in Vallejo, CA
when: Thursday, January 5th, 2012
show: 10:15 p.m.
costs: $10.50 Ticket + $4.75 Pretzel Bites + $4.00 small Barq's Root Beer = $19.25
auditorium: 11
seat: 2nd row, 4th column

synopsis/overview: Twenty years after her mother's failed exorcism in which three people were killed, a young woman, Isabella ( Fernanda Andrade ), goes to Rome to learn the truth. There, with the help of two priests, she engages four demons who are in possession of her mother.

noteworthy scenes: 1.) Crime scene; 2.) "Is it in my genes"; 3.) Exorcism class; 4.) Ogled at on the sidewalk; 5.) "You'll need to see a real one"; 6.) "Offering of forgiveness"; 7.) Centrino Mental Hospital video; 8.) "You shouldn't have killed your child"; 9.) "I've seen the Devil more than I've seen God"; 10.) Upside-down crosses; 11.) Exorcism cases; 12.) Dog; 13.) Basement; 14.) "I don't know what to say"; 15.) "What if it was your mother"; 16.) The mother's exorcism at the mental hospital"; 17.) "This is huge"; 18.) Four demonic voices; 19.) "They won't release her"; 20.) "Annoying guy with a camera"; 21.) "David ( Evan Helmuth ), what the f-ck are you doing"; 22.) Baptism; 23.) "What was it like ... when your mother f-cked your own best friend"; 24.) "He took your gun"; 25.) "Thank you"; 26.) "Maybe there's some transference"; 27.) Hospital; 28.) Car; and 29.) therossifiles.com.

audience reaction: The audience reacted as well as can be expected of a "scaredy-cat" audience watching a horror movie.

recommendation: It was a scripturally-inaccurate cheap entertainment for me. This is a "documentary-style" horror movie for fans of such a genre.

spoiler alert! When Isabella walked out of the mental hospital, she did so well ahead of her tag-along cameraman; but, as she walked down the steps, the cameraman was already on the sidewalk filming her from behind--Oopsy! The Dog Scene is the only scary scene in this movie, and simply because of its unexpectedness. In the Basement Scene, when the possessed young woman, Rosa ( Bonnie Morgan ) arched her back, while she was hemorrhaging, some of her blood splashed on the lens of the overhead camera--I've heard of "squirters" but this one takes the "bloody" cake! Ha, ha, ha. I can't believe that Isabella asked the priest, "David, what the f-ck are you doing?" Clearly, she was already possessed by the Devil to be so disrespectful toward the priest! LOL. Father Ben ( Simon Quarterman ) was cussing-up a storm--'probably was already possessed, too! Father Ben knew that Isabella was already possessed. So, why did he not restrain her? Why did he put her in the car? Why did the driver not pull the car over to the curb at the first sign of a struggle in the back seat? Why were the airbags not deployed? The Fictitious Persons and Events Disclaimer at the end of the trailing credits just proved that therossifiles.com is a bogus site!

fyi: In the basement where a possessed young woman, Rosa, was tied to her bed, the camera switched to an overhead shot and, from what I saw briefly, I wanted to yell out: Camel Toe! Ha, ha, ha--snort!

Father Ben said, "I've seen the Devil more than I've seen God." While it might be true for Father Ben to say that he'd "seen" the Devil on a number of occasions because the whole world is Satan's principality ( Matthew 4:8-9 ), it was wrong of him to lead us to believe that he had seen God and lived to tell about it! As a priest, he should have known better than to say such a lie!!!

Exodus 33:20 "You cannot see My Face for no one may see Me and live." New International Version

To Jesus Christ, His Apostles and their Disciples, Infant Baptism was an abomination before God! None of them baptized babies! Please allow me to repeat what I just said: NONE OF THEM BAPTIZED BABIES! This practice is a Roman Catholic invention. Jesus Christ, His Apostles and their Disciples only baptized individuals who had met the "adult age" requirements for Bar/Bat Mitzvah! In other words, a male had to be at least 13 years of age to be baptized; and a female had to be at least 12 years of age to be baptized. The reason for this is in 1st Corinthians 7:14 "For the unbelieving husband has been sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife has been sanctified through her believing husband. Otherwise, your children would be unclean but, as it is, they are holy." New International V ( Hence, no need for infants, toddlers and underaged children to be baptized! ) [ There is a "little technicality" attached to this provision, but this is neither the time nor place for me to engage you in such a digression. ]

Re-read my blog on THE LAST EXORCISM ( 2010 ) to learn what The Holy Scriptures have to say about these so-called modern-day "exorcisms".

Technically speaking, the Roman Catholics are not Christians at all, they are Marians, in the sense that they have supplanted the Divine Authority and Power of Jesus Christ as Our Savior with a belief that Mary, the mother of Jesus, has some kind of intercessory ability!!! A priest interviewed outside of the Vatican in the documentary movie, RELIGULOUS ( 2008 ) bemoaned this lamentable idolatrous fact. She does not have such an intercessory ability at all--Period! Yet, they ( the Marians ) persist in the false notion that since Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is the King of kings, then Mary, His mother, must be the Queen of Heaven. Ergo, the FAULTY LOGIC that Mary has Divine Authority and Power. But ... read what Jesus Christ had to say about His mother in Luke 11:27-28 and in Matthew 12:47-50. Also, please read what is said about the Queen of Heaven in Jeremiah 7:18-20 and in Jeremiah 44:17-29. Finally, read what Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ, had to say about her relationship to God, The Father, in Luke 1:46-48. The Roman Catholic faith has the most demonically-possessed followers of all religions, it seems to me, simply because THEY ARE NOT IN GOOD GRACES with Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Savior! Gee, I wonder why ....

word of advice: Read the Bible! Then, read it again! That way, nobody can fool you into believing in something that has no scriptural basis to it at all!

tidbits: I had my quarterly dental cleaning today, first thing in the morning, at 9:00 a.m. Then, I went to Benicia, CA, to pick-up my paycheck and deposit some money at BofA and at Chase Bank. And I had to go back to the Fed-Ex Store on Admiral Callaghan Lane here in Vallejo, CA, because the Name and Address labels that they printed-up for me didn't come out to my exact specification and to my complete satisfaction.

While I was at the Fed-Ex Store, I was treated to an unexpected but pleasant surprise: The beautiful daughter of the owner of the Chinese buffet here in town, Empire Buffet, walked in. She had been gone for many months, the reason why I haven't blogged about pigging-out at this buffet restaurant for so long.

Hi! Somebody told me that you went back to China, I said.

"I did. Then, I went to New York and came back. And I went to New York again and came back," she answered.

Lucky you, I commented. ( I hope that she didn't go to Times Square to watch the Ball drop only to have some snot-nosed, slobbery pervert give her a cold and flu New Year's Eve kiss! )

Then we got to talking for a bit. We formally introduced ourselves to each other--finally, and about time, too! And I learned that she is from the Southern Province of Fujian, in China.

Hey, maybe I'm related to her by blood on my father's side--distantly, I hope, because I've got the "Hots" for her. Most of the Chinese who settled in the Philippines, through the centuries, were mostly from Southern China.

I had to leave before her. And as I stepped-out of the Fed-Ex Store, I said to myself that I should ask her out on a date. Then, I saw her mother waiting for her in the passenger seat of her car. She drives a Lexus sports coupe! ( And I own a 1994 Geo Metro and a 2001 Hyundai Accent. Sad but true. ) I just looked at that fancy, expensive car that just dashed my wishful, romantic hopes and said to myself, I probably paid for the monthly on that with my frequent dining at their restaurant! Oh, I should point that out to her and get her to reciprocate by going out on a date with me. Otherwise, her Lexus is gonna get repossessed! LOL

Then, I went to Vacaville, CA, to eat lunch,first, at Tin-Tin Chinese Buffet before going to the Fairfield, CA, cineplex to see the TIN-TIN I-Max 3-D movie because of the obvious Name Tie-In. But I ate too much and I had to use their "facility" to relieve myself! Because of this, by the time that I arrived at the theatre, the TIN-TIN movie had already been playing for about 10 minutes. I will have to retry this tie-in attempt on another day next week, the determined movie blogger that I am! ( Ahh ... I already saw this movie, by the way--but without the tie-in! So, there .... )

I just drove back home and took a nap to allow my system time to digest all of the food that I ate for lunch.

Finally, it was time to get up and to go see this movie.

While I waited for my turn to buy a ticket at the box office, the woman ahead in line of me told the box office clerk that she wanted to buy two tickets for herself and for her little son for the movie, THE DEVIL OUTSIDE. The clerk laughed and her son laughed at her, too. She didn't know why they laughed at her so she repeated herself. They laughed at her again. Hell, I laughed at her, too. Finally, her son said that "... it's THE DEVIL INSIDE, not OUTSIDE." Then, she found out why ....

Before the movie started, a public service message was shown on-screen about not being rude and inconsiderate by talking or texting while the movie played. But, as soon as the auditorium darkened, cellphones here and there lit-up the whole damn place! I will have a word with management the next time that I come here and make sure that they enforce their policy! Because, frankly, I am tired of being in the same room with a bunch of rude and inconsiderate people!!! But, I guess it is just the Vallejo crowd who are just a bunch of low-lifes!

After the movie, one of the patrons said to one of his friends, in reference to therossifiles.com, "You better not go to that sh-t, you're a christian, brother!" Here's yet another example of an idiot who's ignorant of the biblical fact that a True Christian has power and authority over evil spirits and demons and is actually in command of them! ( Again, read the Bible to learn this spiritual fact. )

As I stood in the hallway looking at my movie notes, a security guard--where was she when all of those cellphones lit-up the auditorium?--came and asked one of the patrons, "Was it a scary one?"

The young female patron answered, "No, it was stupid as f-ck!"

I second that opinion.

YOUNG ADULT, R ( 1 hr & 34 min )

2012-01-05T21:31:00.000-08:00

Quickie Review: A somewhat famous writer of "Young Adult" novels goes back to her hometown to try to win back her former high school sweetheart who is already happily married and also has a new baby.

The audience ( namely, the women ) liked this movie. But I guess it was the women whose men were not stolen from them by some hot and sexy "home-wreckers" who were present and accounted for in the audience.

I didn't like it that much--which makes this movie a bona fide Chick Flick.

Here are the things that I didn't like about this movie: So, that's what Charlize Theron looks like now, especially without makeup. Mavis ( Charlize Theron ) had a reputation for being an "easy lay" back in high school and she drank liquor without any reservation; so ... if I were that guy, I would have plied her with hard liquor over and over again until she got drunk ( Heh, heh, heh )---Come on, I'm just sayin' for "Realism's Sake"! From her father's comment, her Traction Alopecia Disorder had been going on for many years; therefore, she should have had a big, bald spot in the back of her head by now. When she took-off her dress and stood there with her strapless, self-adhesive silicone ( emphasis on the "sili", i.e. Silly ) bra on, I actually laughed because it looked too damn preposterous to be erotic in any way. But, maybe, if the makers put fake nipples--Ahem!--on such silicone bras ....

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I had these two female co-workers, "B" and "C", once. They were both friends. "C" was married to a doctor. When "B" quit her job, "C's" doctor-husband hired her to be a front desk manager at his clinic. Long story short, the doctor and "B" had an affair, "C" divorced her doctor-husband, and "B" is now happily married to the doctor. What is my personal opinion on the matter? I think that "C" is better-looking than "B"; so, the doctor "traded-down" in the "Looks Department", if you ask me. ( But, of course, maybe "B" is better than "C" in another "department" .... )

As an aside, I went on a casual movie date with "C" back when she was still married. Because "C" wanted to see one particular Art-House film, and she knew that I go to the movies a lot. The movie that we went to see was an "R" rated one with nude scenes and sex scenes, too. Nope, nothing happened! I had to keep my sexual urge at bay in that darkened and mostly empty auditorium. It was all I could do to keep from "jumping" on her and "pawing" her , at the very least.

Attention, Women: If you are happily married, and you have female friends who are single or divorced, watch out!

NEW YEAR'S EVE, PG-13 ( 1 hr & 57 )

2011-12-31T02:10:00.000-08:00

Quickie Review: On New Year's Eve, people gather at Time's Square in New York City to ring in the New Year of New Beginnings as lost loves, dashed hopes and broken promises get their second chances on the most eagerly anticipated night of the year.

The audience was entertained by this Chick Flick.

I liked it enough, although it tended to be corny at times. Go see this if you like Chick Flicks because this is definitely one such movie.

Here are the things that I found wrong in this movie: Ingrid ( Michelle Pfeiffer ) rode the scooter side-saddle in her first scooter scene; she rode it astride in her second scooter scene; and she was back to side-saddle style in her third scooter scene. Why ...? Police officer Brendan's ( Chris "Ludacris" Bridges ) kids didn't look excited enough at the prospect of spending New Year's Eve with him! If I win a contest fair and square, there ain't no way that I'm handing my win over to the other guy. Sam's ( Josh Duhamel ) "mystery woman" was a major puke-inducing let-down ( if you ask me )!

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Watching this movie made me realize that one of my co-workers bears a resemblance to Katherine Heigl.

I waited until December 30th to watch this movie at it's last evening show, the 10:30 p.m. one, because I wanted it to be New Year's Eve day when I stepped out of the theatre. I originally had it in mind to watch this tonight, December 31st, at 10:30 p.m.; but I changed my mind because I have to go to work early tomorrow, a Sunday, January 1st; and I wanted to blog about this movie on the last day of 2011.

"Happy New Year To All Of You Out There!!!"
( Although celebrating the New Year in the dead of Winter instead of in the Spring doesn't make sense to me at all--it's all a Roman Catholic "thing", you see .... Whatever .... Anyway ... have fun and be safe out there! )

WAR HORSE, PG-13 ( 2 hr & 26 min )

2011-12-29T14:07:00.000-08:00

A LOVE STORY BETWEEN A BOY AND HIS HORSE

Quickie Review: The advent of World War One forcefully separates a British farm boy from his horse. Through the course of the war, the horse changes "ownership" until Fate reunites the two of them near the war's end.

The audience liked this movie. And it got a "Hands Clapper" ending.

I liked this movie, too, especially the Wire Cutters scene. Go see this movie if you're into Inspirational Dramas. But it was an emotionally Sad & Sweet experience for me. Many of the characters that I rooted for met their untimely deaths--such is the reality of war: "The war takes everything from everyone."

Here are the things that I found wrong in this movie: Mind you, these have less to do with the script writer or the director, but they have a lot to do with antiquated/ineffective battle plans and strategies that were hard-headedly used for centuries! The Cavalry Charge, with sabers drawn, was practically invented thousands of years ago and is of no use in today's battlefields. In fact, it became ineffective shortly after Rifles and Cannons were invented. And even more so when Explosives ( i.e. Dynamite and Grenades ) and Machine Guns came into use. Do you remember Tom Cruise's THE LAST SAMURAI ( 2003 )?

If I were the British officer in charged of that surprise attack on the Germans, I would have employed the primary use of the Infantry in concealment, with well-placed Snipers for support; and I would have used the Cavalry--with pistols drawn, not sabers--to flank the enemy. It looked to me like those German machine gunners didn't use their machine guns in a sweeping motion. The Cavalry officers just went past the machine gunners when they could have struck them with their sabers or had their horses trample them to death.

WE BOUGHT A ZOO, PG ( 2 hr & 4 min )

2011-12-29T12:36:00.000-08:00

Quickie Review: After the death of his wife, Benjamin Mee ( Matt Damon ), a journalist, quits his job and relocates his little family out of town and onto an 18-acre farm property that includes a recently-closed zoo. A small zoo staff, run by Kelly Foster ( Scarlett Johansson ), cares for the menagerie. Knowing full well that if the zoo is not opened many of its animals will be euthanized, Ben puts in his time and money into renovating the zoo and opening it to the public once again.

The audience liked this movie, especially the little brats. But it didn't get a "Hands Clapper" ending.

I liked this movie, too. It's a good Family Movie, if you don't mind the foul language.

Here are the things that I found wrong about this movie. Although this movie is based on a true story about the Mee family in England, the setting ( as well as the zoo's name ) was changed. Why, is it because the main characters in this movie couldn't learn the British accent well enough before production began? Well, if that was the problem, couldn't they just have hired British actors, instead? I mean, come on .... And the real zoo, Dartmoor Wildlife Park, was only closed for about 15 months, not years. All that time spent on renovation and bringing the whole place up to code and nobody bothered to repaint the signs at each enclosure. Whoever installed the doorknobs on the Big Cat enclosures sure didn't have the foresight or common sense to have repair work accessible only on the outside! Duh ....

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I read an article years ago that says all Big Cats kept in captivity die of Kidney Failure. Imagine that. These felines are carnivores, and have been so for tens of millions of years. Yet, they die of Kidney Failure.

As an aside, native Eskimos mostly subsist on a High-Fat, High Protein diet and they, too, succumb early to Kidney Failure before they can live long enough to get their Arteries clogged with Cholesterol!

Well, so much for the High-Fat, High Protein Diet!

THE DARKEST HOUR 3-D, PG-13 ( 1 hr & 29 min )

2011-12-28T23:45:00.000-08:00

Quickie Review: Two American entrepreneurial friends are in Moscow on a business trip. While there, they hook-up with a couple of female American tourists at a night club just as the whole world is being invaded by power-hungry near-invisible aliens who have no qualms about disintegrating any living thing that comes in their way. Somehow surviving the initial attack, the group emerge from hiding days later to find and join with other survivors to fight the deadly alien threat.

The audience somewhat liked it.

It was just okay to me.

Here are the things that I found wrong in this movie: If everybody felt like it was the end of the world and I came upon the guy who stole my business idea, I'd kill him right there and then! After all, who'll be there to arrest me and put me in jail? That dead guy's body that they wrapped in Saran Wrap should have been bloated after two days' time! The guys emerged out of hiding without any facial hair at all even though they had no access to razor blades and shaving cream! The plane that crashed through the wall of that shopping center still had its nose in perfect shape. Obviously, the aliens cannot see through glass; BUT their human targets don't have sharply-delineated energy fields--they glow. So ... if a human hides behind a glass shield, the human's energy field will still radiate a glow in much the same way that a light bulb will glow and give away its location even if it is hidden behind a solid, opaque object! Before that alien disintegrated the dog, it was far enough away to have been able to see the area underneath the patrol car and would have--should have--noticed the two guys's energy fields! I guess these aliens don't have the presence of mind to turn their heads and look at what's behind them! And speaking of the patrol car and the human energy field, the four of them could just have hopped into a car and driven away with the glass windows rolled-up and not be seen by any of the aliens! How long did that electrician take to turn his apartment into a "Faraday Cage" since he obviously had to go around town to scrounge for parts and supplies? The aliens' energy fields can make lights turn on, can make windshield wipers turn on and can make a drained car battery charge-up BUT it cannot charge the battery pack of the Microwave Projector Rifle??? Why did the girl swim to shore when the submarine that they went looking for was RIGHT THERE??? Why did all of their cellphones give-off ring tones even though they couldn't tell whether the 'phones were off or on since they were all without charge and had no reception at all, to begin with? And who would be calling all of their cellphones at that ungodly time??? AND ... instead of coming down to the ground to harvest energy, the aliens could just have stayed in the clouds since lightnings are generated in the clouds over 8 1/2 million times PER DAY!!! Ha, ha, ha.

P.S. I hope that that poor little ol' kitty got out of there okay ....

THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO ( 2011 ), R ( 2 hr & 38 min )

2011-12-25T00:22:00.000-08:00

Quickie Review: A disgraced journalist and a computer hacker team-up to uncover the 40-year mystery of a missing girl born into a very wealthy family.

The audience liked this movie.

I liked this movie, too, because my prayer to the god of Hollywood Movies was answered: This girl is better looking and has firmer breasts than the original girl in the Swedish version. There is a god after all--Yup!

Here are what I didn't like about this movie: The first time that we see Lisbeth Salander ( Rooney Mara ) is when she gets off her bike and takes off her motorcycle helmet to reveal a perfectly-shaped Mohawk--Hah! And what is a Swedish movie without Swedish Meatballs? It borders on sacrilege, that is what it is! Although this remake is very much the same as the original Swedish version which was shown in May and June of last year ( re-read my blog on it ), some scenes were replaced while others were altered. But I don't want to mention said scenes in particular since doing so might just spoil it for some of you out there. Go see the movie ....

MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE--GHOST PROTOCOL, PG-13 ( 2 hr & 13 min )

2011-12-24T23:57:00.000-08:00

Quickie Review: The MI Team gets blamed for a "terrorist attack" on the Kremlin. They go undercover to try and clear their reputation. And, at the same time, bring the guilty party to justice.

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

I liked this movie, too. And I believe that this is better than any of the other three Mission: Impossible movies.

Here are the things that I found wrong in this movie: For that "invisible wall" camouflage to work properly, its sides would have to be set flushed against the floor, ceiling and walls; but doing so would give off a scarping and/or rubbing noise as the "invisible wall" is moved, thereby spoiling the effect! When they were underwater, they could have used the air from the tires for breathing. If the in-eye camera can take pictures which are perfect copies that are scrambled, why was the Launch Code reader unable to detect the discrepancy? Wow, it was just "amazing" how those two vehicles could go travelling around town at high speeds IN A SAND STORM and not have their air intake ducts get clogged-up with sand!

ALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS: CHIPWRECKED, G ( 1 hr & 27 min )

2011-12-24T22:14:00.000-08:00

Quickie Review: Alvin and the Chipmunks and the Chipettes, along with their human, are on a cruise ship on their way to the International Music Awards. But fun-loving Alvin manages to get them all overboard and washed-up on a seemingly deserted remote island.

The audience seemed to like this movie.

I was mildly entertained by it. I would have enjoyed it more if Alvin wasn't such a little brat, no doubt about it. But I liked how one character in this movie earned himself some moral redemption; after all, when you think about it, a movie is just a fancy "morality play."

Here are the things that I found wrong in this movie: Even though Alvin and the Chipmunks are world famous singers, nobody seemed to care about them as they were embarking on the ship. No mango fruit grows on a bough. Am I right to assume that the woman wore the same outfit for years, yet it didn't wear out or fade at all? In this day and age, no active volcano ( no matter how remote its location ) will not get the attention of scientists all over the world. That volcanic island would have been monitored day and night in the air, at sea and on land by said scientists.

SHERLOCK HOLMES: A GAME OF SHADOWS, PG - 13 ( 2 hr & 9 min )

2011-12-21T21:47:00.000-08:00

Quickie Review: Sherlock Holmes ( Robert Downey, Jr. ) finally meets his match in the evil-minded genius, Professor Moriarty ( Jared Harris ), who is Hell-bent on starting a world war so that he can sell to both sides of the conflict.

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

I liked this movie, too. It's definitely better than the first one. And Jared Harris played his bad-guy role so convincingly that he might be up for an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor.

Here are the things that I found wrong in this movie: Formaldehyde is a very dangerous neuro-toxin--it can "pickle" the brain, something Holmes would not want to happen to his brain ( one might rightfully assume ). The horses should have been spooked by the horseless carriage puttering around town. When Holmes disarmed the Cossack assassin, the bad guy just kept his right arm extended instead of reflexively pulling it back! Mary Watson ( Kelly Reilly ) pretended to be morally shocked at the sight of the naked man but ... she read the telegram facing him and with her eyes strategically looking down in that direction! Those two men sitting around didn't notice it when the iron grate was flung wide open. Sure, he was a marksman but bear in mind that he was just wounded, he was full of Adrenaline, he had been running all that time, and his heart was pumping hard and fast--there was no way that he could have calmed his body down very quickly to make that long-distance kill-shot without first propping his rifle on the ground or on a rock or a tree stump/fallen branch. When they were at Mycroft Holmes' ( Stephen Fry ) place, the Gypsy guy was not in the room with them when he should have been since he was part of Sherlock's group. No surgeon in the late 1800s used Cortisone for plastic surgery; so, the facial scar should not have been so smooth. The would-be assassin was disguised as a foreign diplomat--here's my logical deduction: The would-be assassin might look the part and might also act the part but he was foreign-born and would be expected to speak the diplomat's language with a foreign accent ( "Elementary, my dear Watson. Elementary ...." )

Note: 'Sorry for this quickie review. I'm caught-up in the Holiday Rush writing financial proposals to 341 businesses; and I'm still prospecting for more! And I will be kept busy with my business leads 'til the end of January, 2012.

THE SITTER, R ( 1 hr & 40 min )

2011-12-11T03:02:00.000-08:00

Quickie Review: A former college kid decides to do his mom a big favor by taking on a baby-sitting job for one of their neighbors. With no baby-sitting experience whatsoever, he finds himself with a handful of little brats on a wild and crazy night out on the town.

This movie was just mildly entertaining. It drew just a few laughs from me and from the rest of the audience.

What did the filmmakers think of when they went ahead and made this movie, that putting little kids in age-inappropriate characterizations would make for one cute and "laugh-out-loud" funny movie? Well, they sure missed the mark on this one!

Here are the things that I found wrong about this movie: His girlfriend sure didn't know how to fake an orgasm--it was so unconvincing! He lived near the neighbors that he babysat for. Neighbors who were obviously friends with his mom and had more than just passing/casual interactions with her. So, the comment that he made and the subsequent hug that he gave the woman after she opened the front door for him--even if it was just meant to be a sleazy scene--didn't make sense at all! If they wanted the little "firebug" to stop blowing things up with M-80 firecrackers, all they had to do was cut-out his allowance so that he wouldn't have the money to purchase such fireworks. And, wait a minute, M-80s and Cherry Bombs were banned from manufacture in this country back in 1966 under the Child Protection Act! Where did he go to, then, to buy such illegal fireworks? His face got covered in cocaine and he didn't inhale any of it, not even accidentally? He had the GPS with him; he could have called the cops to have them help him retrieve the minivan. How did that beautiful black girl know where to find him? Or do all the black people in this movie only have one place to hang-out at, a pool-hall? The M-80 that exploded near the driver's crotch should have done more damage to his manhood! When the minivan hit something, its airbags didn't get activated. How did the little girl know what number to call to summon aid? And how did the rescue party get there quickly? The damage to the vehicle will most likely get him in "hot water" with the law and with its owner. And I don't think the bad guy will let him off that easily. A comment in a Bonus Scene character update was in poor taste, and unnecessarily so!

ARTHUR CHRISTMAS 3-D, PG ( 1 hr & 40 min )

2011-12-01T01:50:00.000-08:00

Quickie Review: Santa now runs a very "tight ship", all high-tech and super-efficient. But a minor glitch in the system leaves a Nice child without a Christmas present---Gasp! As Christmas Eve slowly begins to fade into Christmas Day, panic ensues at Santa's Command Center under the North Pole until Santa's youngest son, Arthur ( with the help of Grandsanta ), steps-up to save the day.

I liked it, although there were chaotic and complicated scenes involving Multinational Defense Forces all on Red Alert! The little brats might get alarmed and confused by said scenes. But the scene wherein the little girl opened-up her Christmas present was an especially touching scene. Also, the scene in which she saw a glimpse of Santa was a very sweet one.

Unfortunately, I went to see this movie at 8:35 p.m. last night in Fairfield, CA. The last show for the evening, and on a school day, too, for that matter! So, I found myself all by my lonesome inside the auditorium. Therefore, I had no way of gauging what the audience reaction to this movie could have been.

Here's what I found wrong about this movie: The animation quality in this movie is not quite up-to-par with the animation quality of other recent computer animation movies. But I am not going to pettifog over such trivialities since this is just a kids' movie.

I really wanted to see this movie at a matinee show today, Thursday, when little brats would most likely be in attendance. But I have so many things on my To-Do ( Holiday Rush ) List for Today that I cannot possibly squeeze this into my schedule.

Sorry ....

DESI BOYZ, NR ( 2 hr & 2 min )

2011-11-28T23:46:00.000-08:00

where: UA EMERY BAY STADIUM 10 in Emeryville, CA
when: Friday, November 25th, 2011
show: 5:10 p.m.
costs: $0.00 Ticket ( Free Pass ) + $11.50 Nachos Combo + $5.00 Carquinez Bridge Toll + $16.08 dinner @ Golden City Buffet in Vallejo, CA, after the movie ( + $2.00 Tip ) = $34.58
auditorium: 1
seat: 5th row, 7th column

synopsis/overview: When two friends find themselves without jobs, they become male strippers/escorts out of desperation. But all that money and attention begin to affect their personal lives in a big way.

noteworthy scenes: 1.) Bonus check; 2.) Shoplifter; 3.) "False alarm"; 4.) Bar; 5.) "Jignesh is dead"; 6.) Interview; 7.) Wedding plans; 8.) Social worker; 9.) Grocery store; 10.) Business card; 11.) Contract; 12.) Ritz Hotel; 13.) Song & Dance montage; 14.) "Three rules"; 15.) "Thank you for last night"; 16.) Father's Day; 17.) Party celebration; 18.) Baby oil; 19.) YouTube; 20.) "Clean up you act"; 21.) Slap; 22.) Dorm room; 23.) Camper trailer; 24.) Former classmate; 25.) E-mail; 26.) Employee of the month; 27.) Shooting gallery; 28.) Private lessons in Economics; 29.) "We Indians are always late"; 30.) Report card; 31.) Threat; 32.) "I wanted to sell this today. And I met you"; 33.) Child custody hearing; and 34.) Bonus Scenes during the Ending Credits.

audience reaction: The audience enjoyed this comedy.

recommendation: It is a good enough light entertainment for fans of Bollywood Song & Dance to go see.

spoiler alert! Don't they have a Motorcycle Helmet Law in place in the UK? He wasn't noticed and/or heard when he jumped from the second floor all the way down to the marble tiled first floor? A proposition to have all three heterosexual males in the tight confines of a shower stall? What, is this some kind of a questionable foreign culture idiosyncrasy? Why didn't the potential employer just stepped out of his office when all that racket was going on so that the people outside would know what was really going on inside? Whoever it was that they hired to do the English subtitles didn't do a good job of it; things got lost in the translation, e.g. "Brother from a hotter mother" and a few other instances of such that I failed to write a note on. She took the pull tab off of that beer can and set the can down on the table where it fell on its side yet its contents didn't spill out.

fyi: Either one of the leading ladies in this movie is better-looking than Frieda Pinto, for those of you who are into exotic "spice girl" Indian beauties and would care to know.

word of advice: Money can't buy you love.

tidbits: So, I got a pager for the very first time and couldn't wait to use it. Heh, heh, heh.

But, first, I had to go to the concessions counter to get a Nachos Combo. And ... again ... the slow wait. A lady in front of me wanted a big tub of popcorn to go with her drinks. Then, she changed her mind. She wanted just three hot dogs to go with her drinks. And she changed her mind. She wanted just the big tub of popcorn. But, wait, she changed her mind yet again! Now, she wanted the three hot dogs. Then, she wanted the big tub of popcorn on top of it, too. But, she changed her mind and just kept the big tub of popcorn and the drinks after she saw what the total purchase price ( over 30 bucks ) would have been had she gone and bought the hot dogs, too! And this was the same woman who complained that the line at the concessions counter was long and slow and that her movie already started at 5:00 p.m.

Finally, it was my turn at the concessions counter. The employee asked me for my movie watcher card. Opps, that was when I realized that I should have asked for the pager after a trip to the concessions counter to maximize my movie watcher reward points!

I walked into Auditorium One with my pager at the ready: Push button One for issues with Picture Quality; push button Two for issues with Sound Quality; push button Three for Movie Piracy; and push button Four for other issues, i.e. Cellphone Talkers or Texters. And my left thumb was trained on button Four! But, alas! I was with a nicer crowd this time around.

At least, I now know what I need to do to insure that I, and the rest of the audience, have a good movie-watching experience.

On the drive home, I deliberated on whether I should have a burger and fries for dinner or a Chinese buffet meal, instead. And since with a buffet meal I could always have some fruits and veggies on my plate, I decided to have a Chinese buffet meal to cap-off my evening. And my choice tonight was the Golden City Buffet in Vallejo, CA, near the border with American Canyon.

Just about two hundred yards or so from the Marine World Parkway on-ramp from Highway I-80, a car in the middle lane signaled to merge with my lane ( right lane ) to get onto the on-ramp where I, too, was headed. A pick-up truck behind this car was getting closer and closer--and dangerously so--to the signaling car. I slowed down my car in anticipation of an accident. And, just at the last second, the pick-up truck driver slammed on his brakes and turned his truck to the left to avoid hitting the car. He missed hitting the car's rear bumper by just a few inches! The pick-up truck's front tires smoked and the truck almost hit the center divider as its driver swerved to the left lane to avoid a collision. That a--hole truck driver probably was texting or talking on his cellphone to be so f--king inattentive in the first place! What a jerk! This incident happened at 8:36 p.m.

After I was assigned my seat at the Golden City Buffet, I went to the men's room to wash my hands first. When I dropped my used towel into the trash can, I noticed a used hypodermic needle inside of it. The kind that diabetics use. Didn't that diabetic know better than to dispose of his hypodermic needle so indiscriminately? And what is a diabetic doing at a buffet restaurant where there are too many simple carbohydrate and sugary items on the menu? That guy must have some kind of a death wish!

The buffet dishes, soups and sides were not much of a choice to begin with. I don't know how long they'd been sitting there getting overcooked and dehydrated! And I got charged $16.08 ( not including tip )! What a rip-off.

I will make it a point not to come here after 7 o'clock in the evening from now on because they don't cook-up anything after 8 o'clock, it seems! Since their food is fresher around noontime, shouldn't they charge less for dinner, and not the other way around?

THE MUPPETS, PG ( 1 hr & 35 min )

2011-11-26T01:58:00.000-08:00

where: UA EMERY BAY STADIUM 10 in Emeryville, CA
when: Friday, November 25th, 2011
show: 2:45 p.m.
costs: $9.00 Ticket + $5.75 Zap Pack = $14.75
auditorium: 8
seat: 4th row, 12th column

synopsis/overview: The muppets disband and go their separate ways when their show falls out of popularity. But they get back together when a big fan of the muppets learns of an evil oil magnate's plan for the Muppets Studio.

noteworthy scenes: 1.) "We could be twins"; 2.) Muppet Show; 3.) Dream; 4.) Ten Year Anniversary; 5.) Classroom; 6.) Muppet Studio tour; 7.) Evil plan; 8.) "Stop the car"; 9.) Electric fence; 10.) Bus; 11.) "This is really gonna be a short movie"; 12.) The Moopets tribute band; 13.) "They terrify me. Let's go"; 14.) "Have a seat"; 15.) "I can't believe we had that in the budget"; 16.) Fight; 17.) Montage; 18.) "Travel by map"; 19.) Muppet man; 20.) "I cannot be replaced"; 21.) Opportunity; 22.) "We built this city"; 23.) "I'm here for them"; 24.) "Me Party"; 25.) Richman rap; 26.) Thesaurus; 27.) Kidnap; 28.) Note; 29.) "Man or muppet"; 30.) "Briefly inconveniencing"; 31.) Telethon; 32.) Candle light dinner; 33.) Teenage mutant ninja turtle; 34.) Sabotage; 35.) "I love it when you talk shop"; 36.) "Evil English accent"; 37.) Naked; 38.) Miss Piggy's dressing room; 39.) One last act; 40.) "We were close"; 41.) Private property; 42.) Red carpet; 43.) Song and dance; and 44.) Bonus Scenes during the Ending Credits.

audience reaction: The nostalgic audience liked this enough to give it a "Hands Clapper" ending.

recommendation: I think that it's funny enough and good enough for a family movie.

spoiler alert! Why was that important contract just left there out in the open and just gathering dust? Did Gonzo just commit a terrorist act and possibly kill some innocent workers? They would need to raise more than 10 million dollars, what with expenses and all!

fyi: If I remember right, I think that the original Muppets' TV stage was designed so that guests had to stand on a raised platform while they performed with the muppets whose puppeteers stood hidden on the sunken floor at either side of the live performers. And ... the muppets were invented at a time when it was fashionable for sexy females to wear mini and micro mini skirts! Can you see an obvious connection--and not by mere coincidence, mind you--between the two? Because I surely can! Heh, heh, heh .... So, whenever a muppet had to pause or do a freeze-frame in the presence of a beautiful and sexy female guest star, you now know why. Ha, ha, ha---Snort! But, I hope that the puppeteers were, at least, smart enough to check their guests for flatulence beforehand.

word of advice: A good friend is one who stands by your side through thick and thin.

tidbits: I thought that I arrived at the theatre with plenty of time to catch the 2:00 p.m. show. But, I forgot to factor-in the Black Friday crowd! There was a long line of movie patrons and just one box office clerk for the better part of my 20 minute wait in line. And, again, I waited for another 15 minutes at the concessions counter.

Here's a useful tip for you: Don't get in line at the concessions counter if the people ahead of you have little brats in tow who don't bother to make-up their little minds over what they want their adults to buy for them while they still have all that time as they stand waiting in line! Aargh ....

My movie-watching experience was ruined by some bitch seated four seats to my right. She kept texting on her cellphone all throughout the movie AND she had the audacity to have either one of her little brats take turns text-messaging, too! What a lousy role model the c-nt was! Talk about Parenting Fail. She was lucky that she didn't sit directly in front of me or I would have doused her with my softdrink. What a f--king bitch!

When I went to buy a ticket for the DESI BOYZ movie, I complained to the manager about the cellphone texter. He told me that I should have reported it; but I was in the middle of the row and I didn't want to miss any scenes since I blog about movies. I asked him why they don't have a cellphone blocker. He said that cellphone blockers are illegal in this country. Who came up with this stupid law, THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF IRRESPONSIBLE, RUDE AND INCONSIDERATE CELLPHONE TALKERS AND TEXTERS?!?!?! Anyway, the manager apologized for my inconvenience and gave me a free pass to the DESI BOYZ movie ( Hey, I think that this incident just gave me a good idea .... ). And I asked him for a pager, just in case there will be Irresponsible, Rude and Inconsiderate cellphone talkers and/or texters in the DESI BOYZ auditorium with me.

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

Now, for some adult humor ....

Q: Why did Miss Piggy add Honey to her Vinegar & Water Douche?

A: Because she found out that Kermit, the Frog, loves to eat Sweet & Sour Pork!

HUGO 3-D, PG ( 2 hr & 6 min )

2011-11-24T23:26:00.000-08:00

where: EDWARDS FAIRFIELD STADIUM 16 & I-MAX in Fairfield, CA
when: Thursday, November 24th, 2011
show: 4:35 p.m.
costs: $12.00 Ticket + $5.75 Blue Raspberry Icee + $14.20 Thanksgiving Dinner @ Tin-Tin Chinese Buffet ( + $2.25 Tip ) = $34.20
auditorium: 8
seat: 4th row, 5th column

synopsis/overview: A clockmaker's ( Jude Law ) orphaned son, Hugo ( Asa Butterfield ), lives in the walls of a train station in 1930s Paris to tend to its clocks. In his possession is a broken automaton, his last cherished connection to his late father, that he is determined to fix. With the help of a toy merchant's ( Ben Kingsley ) goddaughter ( Chloe Grace Moretz ), he starts to solve the mystery of the automaton piece-by-piece.

noteworthy scenes: 1.) Thief; 2.) Train; 3.) "A reprobate"; 4.) "All a trick"; 5.) Steadfast; 6.) Deal; 7.) Trespassing; 8.) Movie; 9.) "Simple-minded"; 10.) Key; 11.) Message; 12.) "I need to know what this means"; 13.) Drawings; 14.) "Your best smile"; 15.) Film Academy Library; 16.) "Passion of mine"; 17.) "Enchanted castle"; 18.) Wrench; 19.) "If you lose your purpose, it's like you're broken"; 20.) "Here for some reason"; 21.) Dead body; 22.) Visitor; 23.) "You tried to forget the past for so long and it brought you nothing but unhappiness"; 24.) "Magic tricks and illusions"; 25.) "Tastes change"; 26.) "Happy endings happen only in the movies"; 27.) Dogs; 28.) Train track; 29.) "You should understand"; 30.) "Eighty films"; 31.) "The kindest magic trick that ever I've seen"; and 32.) Diary.

audience reaction: I didn't hear much of a reaction from the audience.

recommendation: But I liked this movie. And I would recommend it as a must-see family movie.

spoiler alert! If somebody damaged my musical instrument like that, I'd be in a fit of rage! All that pushing and shoving at the train station and not a word of complaint or objection from any one in the crowd. The train station police officer ( Sasha Baron Cohen ) said that the person was dead for a number of months before his body was discovered. Nope, not likely. The body would have already been badly, if not completely, decomposed and/or scavenged by then.

fyi: Whoever did the movie projection for this auditorium didn't do a good job of it! The projection light was too dim. A 3-D movie doesn't show well if the movie projector light is set on dim! I hope that the theatre manager reads this blog and butt-spanks the idiot responsible for this oversight or negligence!

Or is the theatre staff simply skimping on quality just to save money on their electric bills?

How did I know that the projection light was too dim? A scene for the TIN TIN movie preview where a ship was sailing in a sea of sand was not properly lit--I've seen this movie preview enough times to know how that particular scene is supposed to look like!

Today is Thanksgiving Day. A holiday that I think the Native Americans are not too keen on observing--and who can blame them!

An American Wild Turkey can grow to a length of about four feet long, measured from tip of beak to tip of tail.

You could say that I'm in this portrait. Yup, I'm outside the window looking in! Hey, folks. Save me some left-over turkey and fixings, won't you please? Ha, ha, ha.

Happy Thanksgiving Day!

word of advice: Talent is a terrible thing to waste.

tidbits: There was a Thanksgiving potluck at work today. They asked me yesterday if I would like to cook something for the potluck. I told them that I couldn't because I had to work 'til midnight and come back the next day at 10:00 a.m. But I told them that I'd be sure to bring my big appetite with me, instead.

And I wanted to go to the Selecta Pilipino Buffet here in Vallejo, CA, on Springs Road right after work for some Thanksgiving turkey dinner. But I ate too much at the potluck. So, I just went home to sit around and digest my meal before heading on to Fairfield, CA, to watch this movie.

After the movie, I went to HomeTown Buffet in Fairfield to have a Thanksgiving dinner. But I arrived there too late because their doors were already locked. I guess they sensed that I was coming over then went ahead to bolt their doors shut before I could get there!

Next, I swung by China Moon Buffet to see if they were open for business. Nope, all the lights were off. I think that they turned-off their lights and hid under the tables after they saw me coming over from HomeTown Buffet.

I was left with one other choice of buffets in the local area, the Tin-Tin Buffet in Vacaville, CA. I ate there the last two Thanksgiving holidays. So, I assumed that they would be open for business tonight. I was right! They were open. And, thankfully, this time around, the Chinese cooks at this buffet finally understood the concept of a Thanksgiving Dinner--because they didn't, the last two times that I was there for Thanksgiving--it was nice to know that they took my suggestions to heart last year.

And this is what my Fortune Cookie fortune says: "You will have a long and wealthy life"--But not if I keep eating at Chinese Buffets all of the time. Ha, ha, ha---Snort!

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HAPPY FEET, TWO 3-D, PG ( 1 hr & 40 min )

2011-11-18T22:40:00.000-08:00

Quickie Review: Mumble is now a father to a son who looks up to a surrogate father-figure, a penguin who can fly. But when their colony becomes helplessly trapped, Eric sees for himself what his own father is really capable of doing to save their own kind.

I liked the Tweety Bird and Sylvester, the Cat, short film.

I liked the scenes with the Krills.

And there was a "nod" to Porky Pig at the end of the Ending Credits.

The visuals in this movie, as a whole, was really stunning ( and I'm still trying to figure out whether or not those men and women on the boat were all real live actors or just CGIs, or CGI-enhanced live actors ). But, although the audience liked it, it didn't get a "Hands Clapper" ending.

Mumble is all grown-up this time around. Unfortunately, so is this movie's target audience. My short conversation with a theatre employee after the movie sums it all up.

Theatre employee: "How was the movie?"

Cine-Man: Ehh ... I think it missed its target audience. The adults got it ( i.e. The message ). But it was lost to the little kids.

Theatre employee: "It's not too 'Kid Friendly.'"

Cine-Man: Yeah, it's not "Kid Friendly."

Here is what I didn't like about the movie: ( And it is something that I wanted to avoid mentioning at first but finally felt that I would be remiss if I did not mention it since this movie's intended audience are children at an impressionable age. ) The other "message" in this movie is the not-too-subtle insinuation that in a world of brown-eyed beings, only a blue-eyed one can truly make a difference. Even Will Smith, himself, showed the world that he was just a sell-out to this "Blue-Eyed" propaganda in his 2004 movie, I, ROBOT. Hollywood has got to stop feeding us all this B.S.!

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THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN, PART I, PG-13 ( 1 hr & 57 min )

2011-11-18T05:24:00.000-08:00

Quickie Review: Knocked-up In A "Cold-Cock" ( heels over head/swept off her feet ) Supernatural Love Affair!

I don't see the appeal in this movie! It was just so-so. Basically, it is a "30 minute" movie all fluffed-up to stretch for two hours long. Let's see what it has: Wedding, honeymoon, pregnancy, complications, vision, the end. Stretching it to two hours long just so they could milk its adoring fans for more money come Part II just made me feel like I was cheated out of my hard-earned money and a good night's sleep, as well, since I went and saw this at its 12:04 a.m. show. Okay, so it showed a quick shot of Bella's left nipple ( Tip: Don't blink in the Honeymoon scene )--but this is beside the point!

But the girls in the auditorium were of another opinion. They liked this movie, especially some scenes with Jacob in it. This movie didn't get a "Hands Clapper" ending; but the cute blonde girl seated to my left screamed at the end and, also, when Taylor Lautner's name showed-up on the Cast list. ( Lord, why did you have me end-up looking like Esai Morales, instead? Woe is me, woe is me .... )

Here are the things that I found wrong about this movie: When Jacob transformed into a wolf, his clothes broke into tiny square pieces. Come on! Clothes don't break, they rip apart. I thought that the CGI artists would have known this simple fact by now. There was no wedding march song. The priest started the wedding too quickly. And the priest didn't say the if-anyone-is-opposed-to-this-union-speak-now-or-forever-hold-your-peace line. When they made love for the first time right after they went skinny dipping, Edward's skin was pretty much the same color as Bella's; and nary a fleck of glitter on it, too ( Fire the person in the make-up department )! If the life expectancy of an average American female is 78 years and the life expectancy of a male vampire ( who was once a human ) is w-a-a-a-y beyond that, it goes to reason that their halfbreed fetus would have a longer than nine-month gestation period--'not the other way around! Breastfeeding is out of the question, Bella, 'cause you won't want to have that kind of baby teething on your tits. Stock-up on Infant Formula and Baby Bottles, a.s.a.p! To Hell with "imprinting"; if I were Jacob, I'd just pee on it to "mark" it as my personal property! L.O.L. So, the wolf pack got the Cullens' residence surrounded so that none of the vampires could go out and hunt for game. Didn't anybody tell the Cullens that, if they need fresh animal blood, all they have to do is call the local Pilipino grocery store and have some pig's blood delivered to their door? Or they could even just call some local rancher and have them send over some animal blood, with the excuse being that they want to try out a Pilipino recipe for blood stew, Dinuguan! Hmm, yummylicious.

This blood stew, by the way, is the secret to Manny Pacquiao's in-the-ring stamina! Ha, ha, ha.

Finally, the movie director found a good use for the blank expression on Kristen Stewart's face--and about time, too!

I liked the Energy Sheets commercial before the movie, i.e. "I take a sheet in the pool", etc.

And I liked the Bonus Scene which showed a trio of vampires who were sticklers for proper grammar, spelling and the proper use of punctuation marks. I'd love to see them go after cellphone texters, especially on the freeway and in movie theatres!

ROCKSTAR, ? RATING ( 2 hr & 40 min )

2011-11-16T01:28:00.000-08:00

Quickie Review: Janardan ( Ranbir Kapoor ) is an aspiring Indian rock musician. But nobody takes him seriously because of his pedestrian musical efforts. Until he learns that all great artists suffered heartaches before they made names for themselves. So, he goes and woos the most popular and most beautiful heart-breaker on campus, Heer ( Nargis Fakhri ), simply to get his heart broken. He soon becomes a famous rock star, as Jordan, but not without complications.

I liked the songs in this Tragic Musical Rom-Com movie. But the basis for the principal characters' friendship and their resultant love affair were both tenuously-contrived, in my own opinion.

The audience, though, seemed to enjoy it. Some even gave it a "Hands Clapper" ending. And one patron even whistled at the end.

P.S. The Massage scene is probably the funniest scene in this movie.

J. EDGAR, R ( 2 hr & 17 min )

2011-11-14T23:55:00.000-08:00

Quickie Review: All Work And No Play Makes J. A "Doll" Boy

As head of the FBI for the better part of the last century since its inception, J. Edgar Hoover ( Leonardo DiCaprio ), serving under eight Presidents, becomes the most powerful man in the United States that most Americans do not know about. Suspicious of Anarchists and Communists, he almost single-handedly shapes the bureau into a modern and scientifically and technologically advanced federal department tasked with investigating criminal and "un-American" ways by whatever means necessary, lawful or otherwise.

I liked this movie a lot. It was very fascinating to see how the FBI got its start and its development.

The other people in the audience--and there were a lot who turned up to see this first-show matinee--liked the movie, as well. In fact, when I went to the men's room after the show to empty my bladder, I overheard a conversation among three older gentlemen, with the gist of it being that they, too, liked the movie.

Most of the people in the audience were senior citizens, people who lived through the J. Edgar Hoover years. So, what does that make me? Oh, I know. A very good observer--Hah!

Watching this movie left me with a puzzle, though: How did Charles Lindbergh become a Nazi-sympathizer after what happened to his first-born son?

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JACK AND JILL, PG ( 1 hr & 31 min )

2011-11-14T00:44:00.000-08:00

where: EDWARDS FAIRFIELD STADIUM 16 & I-MAX in Fairfield, CA
when: Friday, November 11th, 2011
show: 1:50 p.m.
costs: $8.00 Ticket + $1.00 bag of Mixed Nuts ( bought at a Dollar Tree Store and smuggled-in ) + $4.75 small Diet Coke = $13.75
auditorium: 5
seat: 3rd row, 14th column

synopsis/overview: An ad executive, Jack ( Adam Sandler ), dreads the coming of Thanksgiving when he'll be forced, once again, to spend some family time with his annoying twin sister, Jill. But when he finds out that Al Pacino, an advertising prospect, has a crush on his sister, Jack stops at nothing to extend Jill's stay long enough for Al to sign on the dotted line.

noteworthy scenes: 1.) Twins interview; 2.) Ad shoot; 3.) Dunkaccino; 4.) Airport terminal; 5.) Bird; 6.) Homeless man; 7.) Sweat shadow; 8.) Dinner table; 9.) Calculator; 10.) To-do list; 11.) Swimming pool; 12.) Movie theatre; 13.) Computer dating profile; 14.) Identical, fraternal, nocturnal; 15.) "Throwing her to the wolves"; 16.) "What are you gonna wear, daddy, in Hell"; 17.) The dinner date; 18.) "Busted, disgusted, never to be trusted"; 19.) "I want to choke on my own vomit"; 20.) Celebrity cam; 21.) "He just wants to play Twister with your sister"; 22.) 6:32 a.m.; 23.) Birthday party; 24.) Panic button; 25.) Stick ball; 26.) "It flew in my bread"; 27.) Picnic; 28.) Deal; 29.) "It's not you, it's the chimichanga"; 30.) "Chocolate squirties"; 31.) Windows; 32.) "God told me your feet were on my desk"; 33.) The stage play; 34.) "I can smell Horny across the ocean"; 35.) Double Dutch; 36.) Men's room; 37.) Tickle; 38.) Weight room; 39.) Knock-out punch; 40.) Displace melons; 41.) Heartfelt talk; 42.) The Impossible Dream song; 43.) "Deathbed love"; 44.) Night club; 45.) Don Quixote; 46.) "I'm kidding"; 47.) TV ad; and 48.) Bonus scenes during and after the Ending Credits.

favorite scenes: I liked the Bird In The SUV On The Way Home From The Airport scene.

I liked the Identical, Fraternal, Nocturnal scene.

I liked the Picnic scene.

I liked the Double Dutch scene.

I liked the Men's Room scene.

I liked the Knock-out Punch scene.

I liked the Don Quixote scene.

audience reaction: The audience was entertained by this. But nobody gave it a "Hands Clapper" ending.

recommendation: It was funny enough. And I was the only one in the audience who got the "He's going back home" joke in reference to the homeless man--Yes! This movie is stupid and funny which, I guess, is what endears Adam Sandler to his legions of fans out there. Go see this if you're into stupid and funny movies.

spoiler alert! This is a stupid and funny movie. How was the boy able to tape the salt shaker so quickly to his forehead when the last time that we saw him he was still busy taping a drumstick to his chest? And how does he tape things to his back without anybody's help? I don't know about you, but I think that Jill should have fallen for you-know-who, instead.

fyi: Back in my Humanities class in college, the professor showed us the 1972 movie, MAN OF LA MANCHA. It was the first and only time that I saw the movie. The scene with The Impossible Dream song really moved me! I was just glad that the lights in the classroom were turned-off or my classmates would have seen me with tears rolling down my eyes!

Here's a neat use for scotch tape: Put scotch tape on your frown lines, crow's feet and smile lines before going to bed at night. Remove them in the morning and behold a younger-looking you in the mirror. I've got more beauty tips, but this is all for now!

People may think that Al Pacino's crush on Jill is too inconceivable to be believable. But when I was younger ( emphasis on younger ), I had a crush on big-nosed, plain-looking famous Jewish women. I'm talking about Barbra Streisand, Bette Midler and Sandra Bernhard. And as if that wasn't enough, I actually had sexual fantasies about them!!! I know that I've got Jewish blood on my mother's side of the family but couldn't my Jewish DNA and Jewish Testosterone have come up with much better Lust choices for me to drool on? ( It didn't help matters much for me especially after Sandra Bernhard did a Playboy Magazine photo shoot, after a photo of Better Midler circulated with her showing her tushy to her fans and after news broke-out that Barbra Streisand was rumored to have been in a porn movie! ) But, now, whenever I think about these childhood crushes of mine, I shudder ( should that be, Shrivel? ) at the thought of doing the "nasty deed" with them!

word of advice: You're the only one in the world who knows who your true love is.

tidbits: After watching the IMMORTALS, I still had plenty of time in my hands before this movie started. So, I went down to the lower level of the mall to go to Best Buy and buy a top-up card for my cellphone. But I almost missed the opening scene of this movie because there was a delay at the check-out line.

A mom and her son stayed 'til after the Ending Credits. And, as they started to walk out of the auditorium, the kid said, "I thought it was gonna splat and go all over the screen." ( In reference to the last Bonus Scene. ) What a Stupid Kid remark!

And there was a dad who told his son to save the large tub of popcorn because he wanted to get more popcorn at the concessions counter before they leave the theatre. Well, for the price that he paid for the popcorn, I guess he was entitled to act like a Cheapskate Dad.

When I got back to Vallejo, I went to the Selecta Pilipino Buffet for a late lunch.

Then, I walked next door to the 99 Cent Only Store to buy a three-litre size Orange Soda. Some guy was outside the store with his pirated DVDs for sale, all lined-out neatly on the ground--I don't know, but I think that I should have called the cops on him. Hey, maybe I'll do that next time.

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IMMORTALS 3-D, R ( 1 hr & 50 min )

2011-11-12T00:34:00.000-08:00

There are eight movie posters to choose from. I like this the best.

where: EDWARDS FAIRFIELD STADIUM 16 & I-MAX in Fairfield, CA
when: Friday, November 11th, 2011
show: 11:05 a.m.
costs: $12.00 Ticket + $0.00 small Popcorn ( free on movie watcher reward card ) + $4.75 small Cherry Coke = $16.75
auditorium: 4
seat: 4th row, 4th seat

synopsis/overview: An evil king, Hyperion ( Mickey Rourke ), is in search of the long-lost bow of Epirus which he'll need to free the titans to help him conquer the world. But an oracle, Phaedra ( Frieda Pinto ), convinces a stonemason, Theseus ( Henry Cavill ), that he is the only one who can stop the power-mad king.

noteworthy scenes: 1.) The dream; 2.) The bow of Epirus; 3.) Quarrel; 4.) Disguise; 5.) Defector; 6.) Ball crusher; 7.) "Witness Hell"; 8.) Vision; 9.) Escape; 10.) "You can see the Future but you don't have the power to change it"; 11.) Tsunami; 12.) "She believed"; 13.) Burial chamber; 14.) Brazen Bull; 15.) Gods; 16.) "They're dying"; 17.) Bastard; 18.) Envoy; 19.) "The gods chose well"; 20.) "Stand your ground"; 21.) Titans; and 22.) War in heaven.

favorite scenes: I liked Athena's ( Isabel Lucas ) first ( ahem ) scene.

I liked the Ball Crusher scene. ( Man, I "felt" your pain; so did the rest in the audience with me. )

I liked Theseus and Phaedra's Alone Time Together scene. ( Hey, she's from India and I'm a Yogi. What else do you want me to say, huh? )

audience reaction: The audience reacted mainly to the Ball Crusher scene. Other than that, the audience was mute for the better part of the movie.

recommendation: I liked the fight scenes, especially since they incorporated some wrestling moves. And we know that wrestling was pretty much invented by the Ancient Greeks. If you're into Action movies, go see this for its fight scenes.

spoiler alert! Wow, that oil slick sure washed off easily with just plain ol' water. Ah, shouldn't the body that Theseus was carrying be stiff due to Rigor Mortis? The bowstring was not strung tightly enough because it had too much vibration in it after Theseus twanged it. When the executioner lifted Theseus up by the hair with his left hand, he could have used the club in his right hand to crush Theseus' ribs with. Theseus released the arrows one after the other but they all found their marks simultaneously. You can't kill someone simply by gouging his eyes out! You would think that that wall would have been built with contingency measures ( i.e. rocks, arrows, boiling oil, etc. ) factored in in case it was breached. There were just a few Titans kept in prison but, upon their released, they seemed to have multiplied like a bunch of horny rabbits! And where did all those other gods and titans come from anyway? From what the Ancient Greek Poet, Hesiod, wrote about Mount Tartarus, where the titans are kept in prison, only the immortals can get to it because its distance from the gods' heavenly abode is twice that to Earth's if measured from the time that an anvil falls from heaven and lands on earth nine days later ( in other words, 18 days of Free-Fall time distance )! I don't even want to do the math on this because it would be pointless of me to do so. Suffice it to say that it is farther than the two days' journey that the oracle, Phaedra, claimed it to be--even on horseback. The 3-D effect in this movie is not used to its full advantage; in other words, save your money and see this in 2-D, instead.

fyi: The Brazen Bull was invented in the 6th Century BC, not in the 13th Century BC as the time setting for this movie suggests.

word of advice: The gods don't help those who don't help themselves.

tidbits: I took my Geo Metro to Quality Tune-Up Shop for an oil change, first thing in the morning. And I had breakfast at the MacDonald's Restaurant next door to it while I waited for the service to get done. Then, I was gonna go to BofA to get a cashier's check to pay-off a credit card debt. But I completely forgot that today was Veterans' Day, i.e. banks were closed and there was no mail service because it's a Federal Holiday. ( This put an inconvenient wrinkle on my "To-Do List" for today. )

I just parked my car in the shopping center parking lot in front of the local Chinese buffet restaurant while I read today's paper and checked out the movie listings, as well as the movie reviews.

Then, it was off to Fairfield for me, the place where I decided to go see this movie and the Adam Sandler one, too.

I was busy scribbling notes on my notepad in the dark while I was watching this movie and didn't realize soon enough that my pen had already ran out of ink. I lost about two pages' worth of notes! I had a spare pen with me--three, actually--but it was already too late. Sorry ....

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SARAH'S KEY, PG-13 ( 1 hr & 51 min )

2011-11-08T22:59:00.000-08:00

The time shown is one hour ahead. I forgot to set the time back one hour on my camera to adjust for the end of Daylight Saving Time.

where: AMC BAY STREET 16 in Emeryville, CA
when: Monday, November 7th, 2011
show: 7:40 p.m.
costs: $11.50 Ticket + $5.00 medium Root Beer + $14.30 dinner @ Empire Chinese Buffet in San Pablo, CA ( + $2.00 Tip ) + $5.00 Carquinez Bridge Toll = $37.80
auditorium: 11
seat: 4th row, 7th column

synopsis/overview: Vel' d'Hiv Devoid of Humanity

A pregnant American expatriate journalist in Paris, France, learns that her home once belonged to a Jewish family that was rounded-up to be sent to a death camp. As she starts her research for an article on said family, she discovers a terrible secret. A secret that sets her on a journey of discovery and closure.

noteworthy scenes: 1.) Round-up; 2.) Magazine article proposal; 3.) "It was the French"; 4.) Velodrome; 5.) "Nobody in the world can choose when I die"; 6.) "Frankly, I expected more enthusiasm"; 7.) Separation; 8.) Computer data search; 9.) Escape; 10.) "I just can't believe they didn't know anything"; 11.) Diphtheria; 12.) Train; 13.) Closet; 14.) Personal papers; 15.) Letters; 16.) "How do you know what you would have done"; 17.) Goodbye letter; 18.) Brooklyn search; 19.) Affair; 20.) "Do you recognize her"; 21.) "I deeply desire to have this baby"; 22.) Father/son talk; 23.) "Not an accident"; 24.) "My whole life was a lie"; 25.) Diaries; and 26.) "When a story's told, it's not forgotten."

audience reaction: There was only one other person in the auditorium with me. And he was seated way in the back where I could not hear any reaction from him.

recommendation: I liked this movie, a heart-breaking and depressing journey that finds bittersweet closure at the end. I was moved to tears at times--let me rephrase that: My eyes welled with clear liquid. If you go see this movie, bring a box of Kleenex facial tissues with you or get some extra napkins at the concessions counter.

spoiler alert! The key shown in the movie poster up above Was Not Sarah's Key. Her key was short and stubby. I can't believe that the posted guard at the watchtower didn't notice the escapees in the bright of day. Why didn't the dog bark at the strangers? Did they really have to use the "I found the secret door with you" song? Why didn't she use her computer's White Pages or even ancestry.com to find the person that she was after? She was probably the prettiest girl in that dance hall yet nobody wanted to dance with her--yeah, right ....

fyi: Vel' d'Hiv is short for Velodrome d'Hiver, an indoor racetrack for bicycle races, in Paris, France. It was there that thousands of innocent Jews were rounded-up prior to their shipment to death camps on July 16 and 17 in 1942. Although this movie is a work of fiction, how the velodrome was depicted was true-to-historical-fact.

Although the French Police actively took part in the round-up of the Jews, after the war, their punishment amounted to nothing more than just a "slap on the wrist"! And it took the French government over 50 years before they admitted to their complicity with the Nazis in this most heinous crime against humanity.

word of advice: "Do unto others what you would have others do unto you." ( Jesus Christ's Golden Rule in The New Testament of The Bible, Matthew 7:12 )

tidbits: I decided to go to the 99 Chinese Buffet, first, at the Hilltop Mall in Richmond, CA, on my way to the theatre, to have dinner first. But the buffet went out of business ( I guess the 99 Chinese walked-off the job. L.O.L. ) So, I ended-up going to the Empire Chinese Buffet in San Pablo, CA, instead.

Although the food was good, I could only stomach two plates' full. That's one down from my usual three. If this keeps up, I'm gonna have to stop eating at Chinese buffets because I won't be getting my money's worth anymore.

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TOWER HEIST, PG-13 ( 1 hr & 45 min )

2011-11-05T00:21:00.000-07:00

Quickie Review: A Wall Street financial manager is placed under house arrest at his upscale condominium complex after he is charged with stealing billions of dollars from his clients, among them are the condominium staffers whose pensions were entrusted to him. The staffers suspect that he has money hidden in his condo and hire a petty crook to help them get their money back or risk letting him walk away after committing the perfect crime.

I liked it. And the audience liked it, too. It's a funny movie. And it is relevant to our "Occupy Wall Street" time.

Here are the things that I found wrong about this movie: You don't ever leave your wallet with a stranger. Don't they have security cameras in those shopping mall stores? Didn't the maid eat that slice of chocolate cake that she, herself, sprinkled with "sleeping powder"? There were thousands gathered to watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade yet not one of them noticed the bright red object dangling high up above them even though watching such a parade would necessitate that people look up in the air! The body, frame and mechanicals of the car were all strictly "one-off" custom-made parts. And the specific tool-and-die equipments alone that would be needed for the custom "one-off" auto parts job would cost millions of dollars, and many man-hours, to make--definitely not a cost-effective project; and such an extravagant project would not remain secret for a long time because of the costs ( read: Paper Trail ) involved. Those packages sent to all of those individuals were heavy. Who paid to have them all sent? And how will they convert them to cash, especially since the FBI is looking for each one as evidence of the crime? They would all be charged guilty of being accessories to the crime, of tampering with evidence and of obstructing justice--a Federal offense, in this case!

A VERY HAROLD & KUMAR 3-D CHRISTMAS, R ( 1 hr & 30 min )

2011-11-04T23:47:00.000-07:00

where: EDWARDS FAIRFIELD STADIUM 16 & I-MAX in Fairfield, CA
when: Friday, November 4th, 2011
show: 1:15 p.m.
costs: $12.00 Ticket + $5.75 Zap Pack = $17.75
auditorium: 9
seat: 4th row, 7th seat

synopsis/overview: A package sent to the wrong address starts this irreverent send-up of everything we sentimentally hold dear about Christmas.

noteworthy scenes: 1.) Bad Santa; 2.) "It's gonna be amazing"; 3.) Protesters; 4.) "F--k a baby into me"; 5.) The whole extended family; 6.) Family photo shoot; 7.) The ex-girlfriend; 8.) "Donde esta el banjo" [ Where's the bathroom ]; 9.) The father-in-law's story; 10.) The Christmas Tree; 11.) X-Mas Tree Lot; 12.) New friends; 13.) Daughter in the backseat; 14.) "Acting coach"; 15.) Beer pong; 16.) Mob boss; 17.) Cocaine dust; 18.) Rapists; 19.) I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas; 20.) Closet; 21.) Claymation; 22.) White Castle; 23.) The Plan; 24.) Christmas Extravaganza Show; 25.) Dressing room; 26.) Heaven; 27.) "Misdirection"; 28.) "Long, beautiful history together"; 29.) "Wafflebot"; 30.) Stuck; 31.) "Mints"; 32.) Santa; 33.) "My house"; 34.) Ex-girlfriend's bedroom; 35.) "It's a miracle"; 36.) Christmas Day party; and 37.) Santa up on high.

favorite scene: I liked the Beer Pong scene.

audience reaction: The audience liked it.

recommendation: I was somewhat amused by it. It's a comedy not meant for everyone except for those out there who are of a rebellious, selfish, immature and/or irresponsible nature.

spoiler alert! The poop on the driver's side window changed shape. That guy had all the time in the world to hose down his van and get rid of the poop smear on the window. The cops would know how to track down the owner of the overturned vehicle. It was dark in the ex-girlfriend's room. So, how did she know right away that the intruder was none other than her ex-boyfriend? That girlfriend of his was a "drug enabler"--'must be related to some drug dealer. How did Wafflebot's bullet holes disappear overnight? And how did Santa's Hat get back on his head? The mob boss still wanted them dead! And why was a Hanukkah candle holder ( a.k.a. Menorah ) shown at the end of the Ending Credits? Is the next installment of this franchise going to be, A VERY HAROLD & KUMAR 3-D HANUKKAH, guest-starring Adam Sandler? And what's next after that, a Kwanzaa related movie?

fyi: I will go on record to state that I don't do drugs. And I don't have a high regard for people who do. The director and the writers of this movie overstepped the boundaries of responsibility, decency and propriety. Isn't anything sacred anymore?

It's sad to see Christmas Trees strewn unceremoniously along the road after The Holidays. People can be so selfish, inconsiderate, disrespectful and irresponsible.

word of advice: Trees are living, breathing things. Save the trees, don't mutilate them! Be kind and use artificial ones, instead.

tidbits: Unlike at UA Emery Bay Stadium 10 in Emeryville, CA, Edwards Fairfield Stadium 16 & I-Max ( also part of the same theatre chain, Regal Cinemas ) doesn't provide a tray liner for their Zap Packs. So, if you put butter on your popcorn, the butter leaks out at the bottom and soaks your pants! The right inner thigh of my blue jeans was just soaked in popcorn butter ( or should that be popcorn grease ). I guess that I should just be thankful that I didn't wear my khaki pants for this movie. Otherwise, after the show, people would've noticed and thought that I "busied" myself during the nude scenes! My right testicle probably smells of popcorn butter right now. Hmm ... I wonder if popcorn butter is good for wrinkles. Ha, ha, ha--snort!

After exiting the theatre building, I decided to go back to the main lobby to check the movie time listings. As I got close to the main entrance, a pigeon perched up on the marquee squirted-out a big piece of poop that landed with a thud just to my left! I guess that was a sign for me to stay away--a warning shot, if you will!

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ALL'S FAIRE IN LOVE, PG-13 ( 1 hr & 44 min )

2011-10-30T23:58:00.000-07:00

Quickie Review: An actress turns her back on the Investment Banking World to work with her cousin at a Renaissance Faire in Michigan. Where a college football star is sent to by his professor to work-off his non-attendance obligation. Boy and girl meet and fall in love. But, as everyone prepares for the competition to decide which group will be the Royals and which one will be the Common Peasants for the next year's Faire, jealousy and opposition may just drive a wedge between them both.

This movie was made approximately two years ago. And it is not reviewed in the paper ( to the best of my knowledge ). And, sadly, not that many people know of it because I was the only one in the auditorium--on a weekend, of all things!

Unfortunately, I find this Comedy sophomoric, at best. And the acting talent ranges from Bland to Overly-Melodramatic. Perhaps, with a better script, a better cast and a better director, this movie could be a bit better. As it stands, this Comedy was meant to be a Summer Movie but was left in the freezer for far too long. I say this because the acting and the dialogue coldly-numbed the Comedy Appreciation Center of my Brain.

THE RUM DIARY, R ( 2 hr & 0 min )

2011-10-30T23:17:00.000-07:00

Quickie Review: A writer goes down to Puerto Rico and gets hired by a struggling local newspaper. Before long, he comes across shady American entrepreneurs working on an illegal property development deal; and they want him to write favorably on them and their business deal.

The audience was entertained by this.

But I wasn't. There was not one likable character in the bunch, not even the girl! I wouldn't associate with anyone of them in real life. I dozed off and on throughout the movie. That's how interested I was in this whole thing.

This Psychological/Period Piece/Comedy movie is basically just for those who are over 18 and who are likely able to identify themselves with any of the unsavory characters in this movie. Other than that, I wouldn't recommend this movie to any other group, especially those impressionable ones who are simply looking for some vicarious thrills.

If you must see this, wait for it to come out as a Rental.

THE SKIN I LIVE IN, R ( 1 hr & 57 min )

2011-10-30T14:29:00.000-07:00

Quickie Review: Doctor Frankenskin or I Got You Under That Skin or Forced Skin Take your pick of which one best describes this movie.

A doctor's wife is burned horribly in a car accident and later kills herself. The doctor then decides to create a "fireproof" skin. But he will need a human guinea pig ....

At first, I liked it--please don't let me elaborate ( ahem! )--but, then, it turned into a weirdly kinky movie even for a horn-dog guy like me ( I wanted to puke. )! I believe that the audience expressed the same sentiment.

Here are the things that I didn't like about this movie: The body model was not the same size and shape as the human guinea pig. Why would an envelope inside a drawer In A Spanish Home--in Spain, I presume--have the English word, Clips, written on it? At the party, the sleeves on the doctor's suit were too short. That motorcycle should have been scuffed with paint from the other vehicle, which would have established the probable fact that it was not a single-vehicle accident. The victim was chained close to the wall yet no excrement was in sight. ( I cannot add anything more here or I will just ruin it for those of you who want to see this movie. )

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

The body model looked like the ones that are made by RealDoll. ( I'm an aspiring writer so I make it my business to know such things. Ha, ha, ha. ) Go check-out their website at: www.realdoll.com. Have fun reading the testimonials and the f.a.q. ( Hey, buddy. Can you spare me $6,000.oo? Bwa, ha, ha, ha, ha--snort! )

ANONYMOUS, PG-13 ( 2 hr & 10 min )

2011-10-30T12:53:00.000-07:00

where: CINE ARTS @ PLEASANT HILL in Pleasant Hill, CA
when: Saturday, October 29th, 2011
show: 7:20 p.m.
costs: $10.75 Ticket + $4.50 medium Diet Coke + $1.00 3.1 oz Cookies 'N Cream Bites ( bought at a dollar store and smuggled-in ) = $16.25
auditorium: 5
seat: 4th row, Center section, 5th column

synopsis/overview: Fornication Under Consent of Queen and Court Intrigues

To educate the masses about the cruel tyranny of Kings, a closeted nobleman playwright finds a literary outlet in a semi-literate stage actor.

noteworthy scene: 1.) "Darker story of Quills and Swords"; 2.) Arrest; 3.) Edward de Vere, Earl of Oxford ( Rhys Ifans ); 4.) "Seditious"; 5.) "You know you need not ask"; 6.) "Gift"; 7.) "Matters both of War and State"; 8.) "Powerful friends"; 9.) "Etc., etc., etc."; 10.) "Edward wishes to choose the next king"; 11.) "It would be an affront against the Muses"; 12.) "Keep your noble head from the executioner's block"; 13.) "Imposter"; 14.) "You have no Voice, that's why I chose you"; 15.) "Are you possessed"; 16.) "Writers don't have time to act"; 17.) "I return only upon my father-in-law's insistence"; 18.) Italian women; 19.) "This is why you bedded me"; 20.) Thundering applause; 21.) "Edward must be removed"; 22.) "Am I with child"; 23.) "You're neither the first nor the last of her lovers"; 24.) Illiterate; 25.) Foiled assassination attempt; 26.) Dead body; 27.) "He tried to kill me"; 28.) Bear fight; 29.) "I need more money"; 30.) "She had your child"; 31.) Indiscreet; 32.) "Your whore gave birth last week"; 33.) Three conditions; 34.) The two earls; 35.) Letter; 36.) "Not without right"; 37.) "He is quite sane"; 38.) "Words will prevail with Elizabeth ( Vanessa Redgrave )"; 39.) Brothel; 40.) "Venus and Adonis"; 41.) "No Johnson ( Sebastian Armesto ) plays at the Globe, ever"; 42.) Hunchback; 43.) Mob; 44.) Trap; 45.) The scandalous truth; 46.) "Your son is going to be killed by his own mother"; 47.) "The Cecils are dependent on me"; 48.) The Act of Succession; 49.) "You came to me, Ben"; 50.) "Words, my sole legacy"; 51.) "Ruin, dishonor"; 52.) "Burned by your men"; 53.) "Marvelous"; 54.) "Avid theatre man as myself"; 55.) The first "official" Poet Laureate of England, Ben Johnson"; and 56.) "Monument of Words."

audience reaction: The audience was pretty much silent throughout this intriguing movie.

recommendation: I really liked this fascinating movie as it offers up another side to the Shakespeare Mystery that has long been a source of contention among literary scholars. Go see this movie if you are a Shakespeare fan or if you are into Historical Drama/Mystery.

spoiler alert! Wasn't that horse supposed to play dead?

The Ending Credits shows a disclaimer stating that there are no similarities to actual persons, dead or alive. Hah! What a joke .... Did they really have to add this disclaimer? Couldn't they just have said something along the lines of: "Creative license was used in the making of this historical film", instead?

fyi: "Thine eyes flash fire, thy countenance shakes a spear." Gabriel Harvey's praise to the Earl of Oxford in 1578. The Atlantic Magazine, Sunday, October 30th, 2011.

The fictional Hamlet and the Earl of Oxford have many similarities, according to a book by J. Thomas Looney, published in 1920. ibid

Although this movie serves-up a very compelling case, there are those who believe that it was actually Lord Francis Bacon, a close friend ( and half-brother? ) of the Earl of Oxford, who authored the Shakespearean Plays.

But, that's not all ....

There are also those who suspect that the legendary "immortal" alchemist ( who faked his own death at least twice--supposedly ) , Count de Saint Germaine, whose coat of arms is similar to that of Lord Francis Bacon, is actually Lord Bacon himself! Bring on the Bacon!

We have more words in our English Vocabulary than Shakespeare ever had in his! Unfortunately, though, with the advent of Texting, our vocabulary is now heading down an atavistic spiral towards Troglodyte English. Ha, ha, ha. 'Not funny, actually ....

As an aspiring writer, although I don't have an extensive command of the English language to fully appreciate Shakespearean Plays, I can empathize with one of the characters in this movie: To get your works published is the only way to give birth to the words that you conceived. Hmm, maybe I should put this in my ...

word of advice: The Pen is mightier than the Sword.

tidbits: I had just gotten on the I-80 Freeway from Redwood Street when I found myself tailing an SUV with the personalized license plate, NO STEP, and with a personalized spare tire cover, with the words: "Cicciolini Films." I brought this up because its driver was "speeding" at 40 mph on a 65 mph freeway. He must have been just advertising his business. Don't patronize his movies! Ha, ha, ha.

Upon arrival at the theatre, and after looking-up at the marquee, I was surprised to find out that this movie was not playing in The Dome but was, instead, relegated to the last auditorium! How could they do this to Shakespeare?

I wanted to see THE RUM DIARY a mile or so away from this theatre at the Century 16 Downtown Pleasant Hill and XD after the show. But I changed my mind at the last minute because THE SKIN I LIVE IN is showing here in The Dome and is in limited release. I can just go and see THE RUM DIARY someplace else.

P.S. Is it just me or are the English in the habit of putting-out historical period pieces this late in the year just prior to the Oscars? The ruse is exposed by none other than Cine-Man, himself! Thank you, thank you and thank you, ladies and gentlemen.

IN TIME, PG-13 ( 1 hr & 55 min )

2011-10-29T13:58:00.000-07:00

where: EDWARD FAIRFIELD STADIUM 16 & I-MAX in Fairfield, CA
when: Friday, October 28ht, 2011
show: 1:45 p.m.
costs: $8.00 Ticket + $0.50 medium Zero Sprite ( upgraded from a free small drink with my movie watcher rewards card ) = $8.50
auditorium: 5
seat: 4th row, 4th seat

synopsis/overview: In a future world where nobody ages past the age of 25, the only currency is Time. The rich get to have as much time as they want and/or need. But the poor struggle every day just to try to stay alive with their limited time on hand. But one man, Will Salas ( Justin Timberlake ), decides to change all of that after he is falsely accused of murder and theft when he saves a suicidal rich man, by sheer happenstance, from time thieves and is given the gift of a century in return.

noteworthy scenes: 1.) "Time is now the currency"; 2.) "Happy 50th"; 3.) 99 Seconds Only Store [ nice touch ]; 4.) Quota; 5.) Bar; 6.) "I know who took him"; 7.) "For a few to be immortal, many must die"; 8.) "Don't waste my time"; 9.) The bridge; 10.) "You know that time will get you killed"; 11.) "You'd better run"; 12.) Death; 13.) "What was he doing in this Time Zone"; 14.) Border crossings; 15.) Surveillance video; 16.) Hotel; 17.) Casino; 18.) Insane; 19.) "Why are you investigating a suicide? There are mass murders in the ghetto everyday"; 20.) "Now you like the idea of sharing"; 21.) "I hope those are real"; 22.) "Your name's on a lot of buildings"; 23.) "He was doing something far more dangerous"; 24.) Stake-out; 25.) "He was giving them hope"; 26.) "Out of time"; 27.) "Stealing what's already stolen"; 28.) "Will, look out"; 29.) Cop car; 30.) "We look cute together"; 31.) "She doesn't appear to want to be rescued"; 32.) "You don't watch"; 33.) Bank robbery; 34.) Gifts; 35.) News; 36.) Strip poker; 37.) "So much for your theory"; 38.) Bus; 39.) Fully-booked; 40.) Line-up; 41.) "That's insulting"; 42.) Break-in; 43.) Hand-wrestling; 44.) "The time he's given away, Sir"; 45.) Cost of living increase; 46.) "Is it stealing if it's already stolen"; 47.) "Everybody wants to live forever"; 48.) "Shoot on sight"; 49.) "You can run"; 50.) The time-keeper's time; 51.) "You can do a lot in a day"; 52.) 100 years; and 53.) "You almost missed your calling."

favorite scenes: I liked the "Will, Look Out!" scene. Her "funny face" was a blast!

And I liked the Hand-Wrestling scene.

audience reaction: The reaction was so-so.

recommendation: I didn't particularly like this movie that much. It definitely isn't a Thinking Man's type of Sci-Fi movie--I don't mean to insult or disrespect everyone else.

Just allow me to present my argument in my ...

spoiler alert! There are so many things wrong with this movie that I have a hard time figuring-out where to begin my argument. But, here goes ....

At the earliest, we can peg the start time of this movie's events approximately 105 years from our present year of 2011 which would set it in the year 2116 a.d., assuming that we at present have the Science and Technology to make this bio-engineered "fountain of youth" marvel medically feasible and available. It is estimated that by the end of this year, our World Population will have reached Seven Billion! [ Update: According to the Monday, October 31st, 2011 edition of the Contra Costa Times newspaper, the World Population is already at Seven Billion--and counting! ] If we have this technology now, the rich and powerful will be the first ones to get their greedy/selfish hands on it. And I'm talking about the ones that are over 25 years of age already--people like Bill Gates, the Sultan of Brunei, Donald Trump, etc! So, this movie should have had old farts who stopped their aging process at an old fart age! Now, for those who are 25 and under today, there is still the daunting logistics involved in the medical administration of this obviously expensive bio-engineered "fountain of youth" serum/device/or whatever it is. Who gets to have it, and who gets to shoulder the costs of administering this thing to billions of people? There would be mass rioting and revolts everywhere! Logically speaking, a whole number of people will have to be exterminated first! Because if everyone were to be given this thing, the whole world would experience unprecedented crises in the limited availability of food and water, and the exponential increase in toxic pollution and other such ecological hazards, to boot. Add to this mix the fact that a long-life host will have microbial pathogens and diseases that will evolve into hardier strains--more money/time for the Drug Companies! Now, the rich don't want to acquire all that time only to lose it doing something really stupid. Which is probably why I didn't notice even one motorcycle in this movie at all. But ... they travel around in vehicles that take their design and styling cues from vehicles of the 60s and 70s--and without airbags, rollbars and headrests on top of all that! How stupidly ironic is that? A hundred and five years into the feature and they still use what suspiciously looks like a modified M1911 Colt 45 Pistol which was invented way back in 1911! Even as I write this, pistols are already designed without a need for a magazine and without a firing pin ( go to YouTube and watch: Deadliest weapons ever invented--Metal Storm ). Such handguns have bullets chambered bilaterally and fired via electronic ignition! One of these guns can fire explosive, armor-piercing bullets at a rate of 250,000 ( yes, you read that right ) rounds per minute. And another one of these guns can fire .45 caliber bullets at a rate of 1,000,000 ( yes, again, you read that right ) rounds per minute! And we here in the good ol' USA now have guns designed for urban warfare that shoot smart bullets which can kill an enemy sniper hiding behind a thick concrete wall! What if you got into a fight or had a bad accident that damaged your implanted bio-engineered time clock? Do you go to a clock repair shop for it? What if the person was an amputee or, worse, a double amputee, what then? No security video of the suicidal man on the bridge was ever found, but they found one of Will's! How stupid .... "You know that time will get you killed"---Speak for yourself, you f--king alcoholic! Ha, ha, ha. I don't know about you, but if a beautiful, hot and sexy woman like that was desperately trying to hitch a ride from somebody--heck--I'd give her a ride right away ( Yogi or not, here I come ); and I wouldn't care how old she would be because she wouldn't be a day over 25 as far as I'd be concerned. Bwa, ha, ha, ha, ha--snort! Will's mother ran for 1 1/2 hours without sweating profusely and without panting loudly? Hah! Yeah, right .... It costs 8 1/2 week's worth of time for some lousy Continental Breakfast at some uppity hotel? I guess that they don't have a 99 Seconds Only Store or a MacDonald's Restaurant in New Greenwich to go buy some breakfast items at! Question: What do you call a skinny-dipper who swims in the sea at night with his arm glowing in the dark? Answer: Shark-bait! And speaking of skinny-dipper, there was no nudity in this one--at least one that was clearly VISIBLE, anyway. Whether the time transferred was Ten Years, One Hour or Fifteen Minutes, the transfer time stayed the same, pretty much! Why didn't any of them wear a lockable shield for their left forearms and a lockable glove for their right hands when they went out to socialize? Hmm ... maybe I should invent these lockable security forearm and hand shields and go into the future and earn a ton of Time! For the better part of his life, he didn't have a car 'cause he couldn't afford to have one; then, all of a sudden, we see him handling a sports car like a pro! Hmm, that was a new one: His car actually could go faster in reverse! They hid under the bridge when it was still very dark at night but ... 1 1/2 hours later, they were in the bright of day! They knew where he lived but they didn't do a stake-out of his place right away. Why did that one guy turn his back on the bad guy as he walked away? When she shot at the time-keeper ( Cillian Murphy ), she made a "funny face." Had I been the one she shot at, even if she just grazed me, I'd probably die laughing because of the really "funny face" that she made! The time-keepers supposedly worked in shifts; but this particular time-keeper worked 24-7, it seemed, because he was shown on-the-clock morning and night! They have payphones but no cellphones in the future, a hundred years from now--Okay .... Those cop cars don't have Lo-Jacks? There were no guards at the bank. Why didn't the time-keeper's car have a voice-recognition app? I mean, come on! Really. I guess using your right hand to shake hands with another is So Totally out of the question! And you can just forget about using your left hand to shake hands with somebody because it is considered Taboo in many cultures! Yet, again, another Hollywood movie with that visually-annoying practically dry aqueduct used as a setting for some scenes; I don't even think that people are allowed to park their cars down there in the first place in real life today!

Oh, Hollywood, when are you gonna smarten-up and use my services as script consultant and scene editor? I can help to make your movies more appealing to the Smart Crowd if you just give me a chance.

fyi: More than likely, this movie draws its inspiration from the New Testament of the Bible's Book of Revelation ( a.k.a. The Apocalypse ) Chapter 13, Verses 16 through 18, about the Mark of the Beast.

This movie gives new meaning to Time Theft.

word of advice: Have some time on your hands.

Time is precious.

Don't waste your time.

tidbits: At the concessions counter, a female employee said, "Oh, you're back." I told her that I review movies on-line. Then, I gave her one of my Cine-Man cards.

Special Announcement: I would like to take this time to say, Thank You and Welcome, to my readers in ...

Sri Lanka

Thank you, once again. Please keep on reading my weekly updates. And don't forget to tell all of your friends, and every one else who you know, about my movie review blogsite.

PUSS IN BOOTS I-MAX 3-D, PG ( 1 hr & 30 min )

2011-10-28T23:25:00.000-07:00

where: EDWARDS FAIRFIELD STADIUM 16 & I-MAX in Fairfield, CA
when: Friday, October 28ht, 2011
show: 12:00 p.m.
costs: $17.50 Ticket + $5.25 Zap Pack = $22.75
auditorium: 12
seat: 4th row, 6th seat

synopsis/overview: Goosezilla is coming!

Long before he met Shrek, Puss in Boots was the local town hero until he was wrongly-accused of stealing from the local bank.

Now an outcast, he comes face to face with the ex-friend who used him, Humpty Dumpty. Reluctantly, Puss in Boots agrees to help his former friend to steal a Goose that lays Golden Eggs, if only to compensate his old town's bank and restore honor to his name. But before that can happen, they have to steal Jack and Jill's Magic Beans with the help of the best cat burglar in the world, Kitty Soft Paws.

noteworthy scenes: 1.) "You can't run forever"; 2.) Bar; 3.) "No baby muffins"; 4.) "You snap me"; 5.) Dance fight; 6.) "I smell something familiar"; 7.) "It ain't Over-Easy"; 8.) Distraction; 9.) The orphanage years; 10.) Second chance; 11.) Style advice; 12.) No claws; 13.) Bridge; 14.) "You're better"; 15.) "Cat people are crazy"; 16.) The beanstalk; 17.) Funny voices; 18.) Castle; 19.) Golden suit; 20.) "I need powder"; 21.) Egg paradise; 22.) River; 23.) Parachute; 24.) "He looks just like you"; 25.) "Our cue"; 26.) Celebratory dance; 27.) Interlopers; 28.) Tumbleweed; 29.) Surprise; 30.) Revenge; 31.) "Not you, too"; 32.) "It's for my glaucoma"; 33.) "Out for blood"; 34.) Escape; 35.) Weather report; 36.) "Prove to me that there is still a good egg in you"; 37.) Mother goose; 38.) "Nice boots"; 39.) Hanging for dear life; 40.) "San Ricardo's greatest hero"; 41.) "She's a bad kitty"; 42.) "I am Puss in Boots"; 43.) Glitter Box; and 44.) "Ooh ...."

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

recommendation: I liked this movie, too. It's a movie to take your little brats to. Go see it in regular 3-D, at least, if possible.

spoiler alert! Actually, when a cat licks up any liquid, it must curl its tongue downwards first in order for it to scoop-up the liquid. I thought that Humpty Dumpty couldn't get up by himself, but he was able to get up all by himself in one scene. They were out in the desert when the storm hit; but Humpty Dumpty never covered his eyes. I think that there was a bad scene edit when they were floating in the river under the Giant's Castle; but it happened too quickly while I was scribbling notes in the dark and adjusting my I-Max 3-D glasses for me to pay any close attention to this particular scene.

fyi: There are places in the world were declawing a cat is considered barbaric. Apparently, the good ol' USA isn't one of them because my family took-in a part-Siamese stray female cat that was declawed. I named her, Nicky, because it was around Christmas time that she came meowing at our front door.

The funny thing about Nicky was that she would suck on her hind paw to get herself to sleep. A local veterinarian said that she probably was given away as a kitten before she was fully weaned. Oh, and she looked like a young Barbra Streisand! L.O.L.

Puss in Boots said that Cat People are crazy. There's actually some truth to that. And the cause of the eccentricity has to do with a mild microbial "infection" from a certain parasite that cats have. It has been so many years since I studied Microbiology so I don't really remember which one it is, or its mode of transmission and/or the severity/duration of the condition/infection.

I'm a cat person, so you know what that means ....

word of advice: Be a trust-worthy friend.

tidbits: I was gonna go see IN TIME first. But I didn't get to this theatre in time for the 11:10 a.m. show! I got to the theatre nine minutes after the movie had already started, not counting the Previews.

I whiled the time away by calling my friend, Hector, on my cellphone to ask him about the "Occupy Oakland" protesters who were rough-handled by the police a day or two ago.

Special Announcement: I would like to take this time to say, Thank You and Welcome, to my readers in:

Uganda

Thank you, once again. Please keep on reading my weekly updates. And don't forget to tell all of your friends, and every one else who you know, about my movie review blogsite.

P.S. It's good to know that I'm seeing hits from Russia again. For a while there, I thought my movie review blogs were banned in Russia because my blogsite's All-Time ( most ) Page-Views by Countries doesn't include Russia anymore.

And speaking of Page-Views by Countries, I now have a total of 117 countries on my readership list! Quite an accomplishment, I must say. I think I'll celebrate by seeing more movies--goes without saying ....

THE HELP, PG-13 ( 2 hr & 26 min )

2011-10-27T04:33:00.000-07:00

Quickie Review: A journalist, and fledgling book writer, decides to write about the colored female help in racially segregated Jackson, Mississippi, in the early to mid 1960s.

I loved this movie! So did the audience. ( It didn't get a "Hands Clapper" ending, though. ) Go see this movie if it's still playing in your area. It will be worth the time and the money that you spend on it--even with popcorn and drinks included.

This movie has very strong performances from its casts, both the principal and the supporting! It is well-acted, well-scripted, well-paced and well-directed. Even the very old maid and the tiny toddlers all acted well. This will be a very strong contender for Oscars in at least two--maybe more--categories!

Here are the things that I didn't like about this movie--and they're all about the pie: Was that whipped cream on top of the pie? I ask because if it was, it wouldn't have survived the trip from the maid's kitchen, to the bus and into the employer's house. Why would any of them walk around with uncovered pie? Very unsanitary. Oh, and if you mix "such a thing" into a pie, it would add a recognizably "distinctive" taste to the pie ( Not to mention, put one at risk of suffering from food poisoning--no laughing matter )! The movie would have been perfect if not for these pie problems.

RA-ONE: THE NEXT LEVEL, ? Rating ( 2 hr & 36 min )

2011-10-27T03:54:00.000-07:00

where: UA EMERYVILLE STADIUM 10 in Emeryville, CA
when: Wednesday, October 26th, 2011
show: 6:15 p.m.
costs: $11.00 Ticket + $1.00 medium Popcorn ( upgraded from a free small popcorn on my movie watcher rewards card ) + $4.00 small Zero Coke = $16.00
auditorium: 4
seat: 6th row, 12th column

synopsis/overview: A milquetoast father, Shekhar ( Shah Rukh Kahn ), yields to his only son's request: A computer game in which the bad guy cannot be defeated. But the computer game character, RA-ONE, is programmed with Artificial Intelligence and soon takes on a life of its own then escapes into our world with only one thing in mind: Finish the interrupted game by killing the other player, Shekhar's son, Prateek ( Armaan Verma ).

noteworthy scenes: 1.) Rays; 2.) "Girls fall for me"; 3.) Fight; 4.) Set of keys; 5.) Jackie Chan; 6.) Thesis; 7.) Dude; 8.) Bad; 9.) Computer class; 10.) Random Access, version ONE; 11.) Smile; 12.) Mugger; 13.) Synchronization; 14.) Game demo; 15.) Dance; 16.) "Lucifer must die"; 17.) Suit synchronization; 18.) Rose; 19.) ID card; 20.) Funeral; 21.) Birthday gift; 22.) 'Phone call; 23.) "I don't like Chinese"; 24.) Chase; 25.) Junkyard fight; 26.) Spin-out; 27.) "Okay, mom, let's go"; 28.) Airport; 29.) Fight with the taxi cab drivers; 30.) "Hi .... 'Bye'"; 31.) Mosquito; 32.) "Bad hair"; 33.) "Paradise condom"; 34.) Stand By Me; 35.) Hospital room; 36.) "Power Yoga"; 37.) Nose; 38.) Red cubes; 39.) Alter thoughts; 40.) "Hug her"; 41.) Annual festival; 42.) "Sizzling siren"; 43.) Runaway train; 44.) Lord Ganesh; 45.) Death match; 46.) Multiple enemies; 47.) Shadow; 48.) Absorption; 49.) "Goodness lives on"; 50.) "I'm on"; and 51.) Bonus Out-Takes and Scenes during the Ending Credits.

favorite scenes: I liked the Bollywood Dance scenes with all of those beautiful dancers.

I liked the Junkyard Fight scene.

audience reaction: The audience, mostly Hindus, really liked it. ( I wonder if any of them could tell that there was a Yogi in their midst. Ehh ... Yogis to them are probably a dime a dozen! )

recommendation: Despite a weird beginning, this Hindi movie with English subtitles gradually settles into its intended genre later on but with Bollywood dancing thrown into the mix. It is all done in fun, of course. And I think that its intended target audience range in age from young teens to young adults.

spoiler alert! Why couldn't that ample-breasted woman feel the set of keys fall down into her cleavage? Why didn't anybody notice the dead body dangling from the ceiling in the game design room at Baron Industries? How was Ra-One able to ride a motorbike if it wasn't programmed for motorcycle riding/racing in the first place? That car would not have been able to crash through a double-decker bus in real life! The female Bollywood dancers looked suspiciously non-Indian--even the ones in Mumbai! So, let's see if I got this right .... A Good Guy has to have Blue Eyes! Yeah, right ....

fyi: This movie started without showing Movie Previews but showed a lot of ads, instead. And, because of its length, there is a 15 minute ( ? ) intermission somewhere in the middle.

Watching this movie will remind you of some of Hollywood's major blockbusters: Terminator, Matrix, Iron Man, and even Spider Man--and, maybe, even a little bit of Tron thrown-in for good measure.

A scene in an Indian house in Mumbai ( f.k.a. Bombay ) shows G-One reading the book, Autobiography of a Yogi, by Paramahansa Yogananda, the brother disciple of my Yogi's Paramguru of the Yogoda Satsanga Society lineage established by Sri Yukteswar.

The theatre staff really made quite a production of this movie, with x-mas lights and movie posters decorating the auditorium hallway.

word of advice: A look-alike is no substitute for True Love.

tidbits: The concessions counter clerk, Ernest, asked for another one of my Cine-Man calling cards because he misplaced the one that I gave him last week. I hope that he won't lose this card this time around and I hope that he'll get to finally check-out my movie review blogsite.

You can tell if you're finally a regular movie patron if the concessions counter clerk knows exactly what kind of drink it is that you will buy: A small Zero Coke with four ( yes, 4 ) ice cubes! Heck, I ain't paying four bucks or more for a cup of "flavored" ice cubes!

Some Chinese girl who was in the same auditorium with me almost went into the men's room during the intermission. I had to show her where to go to find the ladies room.

A third of the theatre's parking lot was cordoned-off for some black-top work and repair.

I parked in the parking lot to the right of this section.

COURAGEOUS, PG-13 ( 2 hr & 10 min )

2011-10-26T14:07:00.000-07:00

Quickie Review: You say you want a RESOLUTION. Well, you know, we all want to change the World ....

Four Sheriff's Deputies tackle the bad guys while on duty and wrestle with family dynamics while off duty. But when tragedy strikes hard at one of them, they begin to reassess their fatherhood and find that they are sorely lacking in this particular department. They then solemnly pledge to be better fathers from this point on, knowing that they will be "tested" by circumstances and events as Time goes by.

This Faith-based movie addresses Juvenile Delinquency, and worse, from the point-of-view that a fatherless home is the major contributing factor to such crimes. It presents a good argument that fathers everywhere should really pay attention to. By father, I mean, it's not enough to get some woman pregnant and have her bear your child but share no responsibility in its upbringing. Because it takes a real man, a good Father Figure, to act responsibly in such a matter. And for that reason, I give this movie my high recommendation. Go see it. And buy and read the book, The Resolution For Men, that this movie is based on while you're at it.

Here's what I didn't like about this movie: The acting and/or the directing is so-so, understandably enough! That Sheriff's Deputy should have known better than to leave unattended a vehicle with its engine running, especially with a baby on board. Why did he leave his cellphone on the table in Vibrate Mode while doing some carpentry work ( a minor detail but, still .... )? They could have easily shot one or two of the bad guys from under the car. What, I make way more money than a Georgia Sheriff's Deputy but a deputy can afford to live in a nice house but I'm stuck in a crappy condo?!?!?! Wassup wif dat?! Ain't fair ....

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

Dios bendiga nuestro hogar. ( God bless our home. )

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This theatre's parking garage now has two ( ? ) parking spots reserved for electric cars only. And they are situated closer to the garage's entrance and exit than the handicap parking spaces. I went to take a closer look at one of them after the movie. And a police in a patrol car stopped to look at what I was doing.

Come on, officer. It's not as if I'm gonna take that electric charger and ram it up my butt for a quick boost! Geesh, give me a break.

TAKE SHELTER, R ( 2 hr & 0 min )

2011-10-26T08:37:00.000-07:00

Quickie Review: A man starts having ominous visions and nightmares of a coming storm of an apocalyptic nature. He then works on improving his storm shelter in preparation for it. When word gets out, people in his small town begin to think that he is becoming a paranoid schizophrenic like his mother who was diagnosed with the mental illness at around his present age. But, is he just imagining these things or will a big storm actually come?

I liked the suspense and the acting but ... I hated the ending. I don't know how the rest in the audience liked it. I didn't even hear one comment from any of them, come to think of it.

Here's what I didn't like about this movie: The ending!

THE WAY, PG-13 ( 1 hr & 55 min )

2011-10-26T04:14:00.000-07:00

Quickie Review: An American doctor goes to France to collect the remains of his only son who died in a storm while trekking on the Camino De Santiago ( a.k.a. The Way of St. James ). After some deliberation, he decides to have his son's remains cremated to take it with him on the pilgrimage to honor his son's wish to complete the journey. As much as he wants to keep his reason private and personal, three fellow pilgrims ( with reasons of their own ) befriend him and together they complete the journey that will profoundly affect them all.

I liked this road-trip of the pilgrimage kind. It shows how far people are willing to go to for their faith and personal convictions. The movie was well done. The few people in the auditorium with me were in their middle and old ages. So, I guess that this movie appeals to an older generation.

Here are the things that I didn't like about this movie: If you notice, in the morgue, the pull tab on the body bag's zipper was moving back and forth---What, was there an earthquake going on in this scene? A 500-mile trek like that is very hard for an inexperienced old man. But the doctor walked ahead of the others at times. I don't know whose shoes he wore on the trek, but hiking shoes have to be broken-in first before you take it on a long hike! Or you'd end-up with some really serious blisters. On a hike like that, you'd be better off with two walking sticks. If they walked for 4 hours between breakfast and lunch and another 4 hours between lunch and dinner for a total of 8 hours per day, at an average speed of 3 mph, then the fat guy ( carrying the added weight of his backpack ) would have easily burned up 2,500 calories per day. In other words, he would have lost weight--just like he expected! And, if I remember correctly what I learned in Anatomy and Physiology, after exercising ( walking, in this case ) for a certain length of time, your body's metabolism will remain elevated for 2x the length of the exercise time. So, since the fat guy walked for 8 hours each day, his metabolism would have stayed elevated for 16 hours. In other words, his metabolism would have been on High and Active for 24 hours of each and every day of the hike. Therefore, he should have lost weight--his occasional food binges notwithstanding!

THE THREE MUSKETEERS 3D, PG-13 ( 1 hr & 50 min )

2011-10-24T15:42:00.000-07:00

where: EDWARDS FAIRFIELD STADIUM 16 & I-MAX in Fairfield, CA
when: Sunday, October 23rd, 2011
show: 9:50 p.m.
costs: $15.00 Ticket + $4.75 small Zero Coke + $1.00 3.1 oz. Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Bites ( bought at a dollar store and smuggled-in ) = $20.75
auditorium: 5
seat: 4th row, 6th column

synopsis/overview: Thank God for the Country Boy! Hey, there. Hi, there. Ho, there. You're as welcome as can be. M-u-s, k-e-t, e-e-r to be! Musketeers! Cardinal! Musketeers! Cardinal! Forever let us wield our sabers high! High! high! high! Opps! sorry. I got a little carried away. Anyway ....

A young man, D'Artagnan ( Logan Lerman ), the son of a former Musketeer, goes to Paris to fulfill his dream of becoming one of the King's elite guards, The Musketeers. He soon meets and befriends three of the best swordsmen in service to the King, Musketeers, themselves. When they learn that Cardinal Richelieu ( Christopher Waltz ) is plotting to overthrow the young King Louis XIII ( Freddie Fox ) and crown himself as France's new king, D'Artagnan and the three Musketeers join forces to prevent it from happening.

noteworthy scenes: 1.) Diorama; 2.) "You could have said, 'Hello'"; 3.) Key; 4.) "I have 10 minutes"; 5.) "Catching you"; 6.) Leonardo da Vinci's secret vault; 7.) "Better offer"; 8.) "Your adversary will not always be as noble as you"; 9.) "Apologize to my horse"; 10. ) Challenges; 11.) Citation; 12.) "He built it"; 13.) Introductions; 14.) "Budget cuts"; 15.) Sword fight; 16.) "He insulted my horse"; 17.) "Cold and unfriendly"; 18.) Balcony; 19.) New clothes and gold; 20.) Air ship; 21.) "Very retro"; 22.) "An evening that I shall cherish forever"; 23.) Struck bell; 24.) "I have a lot of plans"; 25.) Hypothetical friend; 26.) The Queen Anne's ( Juno Temple ) jewels; 27.) Insurance policy; 28.) Purple; 29.) Love letters; 30.) Sealed with a kiss; 31.) "We were taken by surprise"; 32.) Diversion; 33.) Strategies; 34.) "The game is afoot"; 35.) "Permission to come aboard"; 36.) Good news; 37.) "The only person she trusts"; 38.) "On her own terms"; 39.) Fountain; 40.) The new and improved battleship; 41.) The exchange; 42.) Into the storm; 43.) "Round two"; 44.) "You should have apologized to my horse"; 45.) Crash-landing; 46.) "I could use men like you"; 47.) "All for one, one for all"; and 48.) British armada.

favorite scenes: I liked the Opening Diorama scene.

I liked the Four Against Forty Sword Fight scene.

I liked the New Clothes and Gold scene.

I liked how they tried and upstaged each other with the latest in fashion color.

audience reaction: There were only six or fewer persons in the auditorium with me. And I didn't hear even one reaction from any one of them.

recommendation: The sword fights were very well-choreographed. But the techno gadgets spoiled it for me. Because of it, I'd say that this movie is so-so .... See it only if you're a die-hard Musketeers fan. And don't waste your money on the 3-D version.

spoiler alert! Firstly, a musketeer is actually an infantryman equipped with a musket. So, why were these guys going around with swords in hand? Secondly, why were there no infantrymen utilized to best advantage in the Musketeers' courtyard fight against the Cardinal's guards? That sword sure broke in half so easily! I don't think that they had pearly-white teeth and fresh breath back then--heck, they didn't even take a daily bath/shower! After all that talk about not trusting women, the Duke of Buckingham ( Orlando Bloom ) still paid no attention to his own advice. Did you notice all the unlit candle chandeliers in that one hallway alone? It would take All Night for some poor bastard to light all the candles in that castle! The queen's jewels were guarded by high-tech "lasers"? WTF?!?!?! She had a chance to jump out of the carriage and escape abduction. When D'Artagnan fell down in the rooftop duel, Rochefort ( Mads Mikkelsen ) could have easily struck him on his shins! How did Constance ( Gabriella Wilde ), all clean and in a different set of clothes, get to the castle before the airship did ( This is called, A logic hole. )? "I could use men like you"--Hah! fat chance of that ever happening since they liked serving the young, cute, funny and inexperienced French King who was fun to hang around with! I don't know how Milady de Winter ( Milla Jovovich ) fell into the sea from such an height and survived--people have fallen into the sea from a shorter distance ( think Golden Gate Bridge ) and died! Folks, Seawater can be like a solid wall if you Free-fall and hit it with such Terminal Velocity--I'm talking Death through Blunt Force Trauma! How was the Duke able to mobilize the Royal Navy at such a short notice, and did he get permission from the King of England to do so?

fyi: Here's a bit of trivia for you .... One theory goes that the Butterfly Knife ( i.e. Balisong to us Pilipinos ) was actually invented by the French in the late 1600s and was introduced by French sailors to the Philippines in the 1700s. I don't know whether or not this theory is true. ( But it's on the Internet so it must be true. Whatever .... )

word of advice: Good friends are hard to come by.

tidbits: Hours before going to see this movie, I was on the Internet blogging and surfing when I heard the voice of one of my neighbors. He was clearly angry with someone. And he was dropping the "F" bomb in every sentence as pronoun, noun, verb, adjective, preposition, interjection, etc. Such a colorful language, he used! I think that I'm learning new English grammar usage from him, the impressionable non-native speaker that I am. Ha, ha, ha. ( This "old dog" is still capable of learning new tricks, as it turns out. )

After the movie, I stopped at the Fairfield, CA, Super Wal-Mart to see if someone I know was there. Supposedly, he works there now. But I've stopped by at least ten times now and I have yet to see him there. So, I don't know what's going on with him. But, Good Luck to him, whatever it is that he's currently doing with his life.

On my way home from the theatre, at 1:42 a.m., Monday, October 24th, I saw a Vallejo Police patrol car make a left turn at a neighborhood cross-street without even stopping at the stop-signed intersection! How can you trust the police if they abuse their authority and ignore traffic laws?

Had I hit that patrol car, guess who'd be at fault when it would all boil down to his word against mine and there were no witnesses around? Yup, exactly ....

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PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 3, R ( 1 hr & 21 min )

2011-10-23T02:39:00.000-07:00

Quickie Review: "Toby or not Toby?" That is the question ....

A young family experiences some unusual and supernatural events at home. And these occurrences all seem to center around their younger daughter who has an ill-tempered imaginary friend named, Toby. The father sets up his cameras to see if there are visual evidences to support his little daughter's claims. But ... the family is totally unprepared for the terror that lies in wait for them in a "safe place".

I liked this scary movie. The audience was really into it, too! After the movie, the girl who sat to my right said, "I won't be able to sleep tonight." And a guy who was seated behind me said, "I think I'm done. I can't take anymore of this!" Such wimps and scaredy-cats! If only they could experience what I've supernaturally experienced since I was a little kid, they wouldn't be scared of this movie at all.

Hands down, this is the scariest of the three PARANORMAL ACTIVITY movies! It's also probably one of the scariest movies in movie history. And the SFX are better in this one than in the original one. Finally, a scary Hollywood movie that I'm sure the Japanese will remake--not the other way around--for a change! But, I think that The One reason why this horror franchise works is because it doesn't rely on some stupid, loud background music played in a Minor Key just before each and every scary scene is shown.

Here are the things that I didn't like about this movie: I think that I can only take so much if somebody keeps pointing a movie camera in my face like some kind of paparazzi. If you're a mother who loves your children, you won't put-off examining the evidence to support an unwanted/unexpected/unwelcomed/unsettling claim. The babysitter should have freaked-out--even at the first sign of poltergeist activity. The scene in which the two little girls played "The Bloody Mary Game" is just a Teaser Preview; it's not in this movie at all! If I were that little girl, after a night like that, I'd insist on sleeping in my parents' room! The father would only end-up being paralyzed from the waist down.

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The "Bloody Mary" in the child's play referred to in this movie is not the Cocktail Drink, but the mass-murdering Catholic Queen of England who struck fear in the hearts of Protestants.

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At the box office, a couple was refused tickets for this 10:15 p.m. show because they had a minor with them. The man was cussing and swearing as he stormed-off! But the box office clerk and the theatre manager were both in the wrong: Adults can take a minor to watch an R-rated movie! The theatre employees must have mistaken this movie for an NC-17, which it truly isn't. It was too bad that I, Cine-Man, was too late to intercede on the couple's behalf.