CRAZY RICH ASIANS, PG-13 ( 2 hr & 0 min )

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I saw this movie last week but waited all this time to write about it because I have to mention a little spoiler at the end. In this way, I hope that most of you who wanted to see this movie will have already seen it by then; and my little spoiler wouldn't be such a spoiler after all.

Yes, I liked this movie. And I highly recommend this movie to anyone who's into Chick Flicks.

Now, for the little spoiler: The Games Theory Professor girlfriend got played at the end by her boyfriend's shrewd mother's "power move". Here's the hint: At the wedding attended by the princess who didn't want anybody sitting close to her.


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BUYBUST, R [?] ( 2 hr & 6 min )

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I saw this Philippine Action Movie sometime last week.

It's about an anti-drug raid gone bad in a gritty, seedy slum area in Manila. The drug agents are forced to kill their way out of the predicament that they found themselves in.

The real action starts at about 15 minutes into the movie and doesn't let-up 'til the end.

I liked it. Unfortunately, this is the last day to go see it. But you could always watch it as a DVD rental when it comes out.

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GRAVE OF THE FIREFLIES, PG-13 ( 1 hr & 40 min )

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I went to see this movie on Sunday, August 8ht, 2018, here in Vallejo, CA, at the Century 14 Vallejo, for the 12:55 p.m. show in auditorium 1, B6. The price of admission for this special Fathom Event was $12.50. I didn't buy anything at the concessions counter because the line was too long and the movie was about to start.

Quickie Review: In the waning months of World War II, in the Pacific Theatre, the US drops incendiary bombs all over Japan. Because of it, a boy and his little sister lose their mother and must fend for themselves in their war-torn town with very little hope for survival. Based on a retelling of a war survivor's personal account.

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I liked this sad, metaphorical movie. It shows a side of war that's usually left out: The perspective of those that are helpless casualties of such a conflict. I would recommend it as an animation movie to see. But, be advised, the subject matter is not suitable for kids.

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Since last month, I've been on a fitness plan: I kick-scoot    🛴   at the Benicia State Park at least three times a week. Because, last year, an orthopedic surgeon told me to stop jogging   🏃  since I have a bad knee. She recommended that I just walk   🚶  or 🚴   bike. But either one is too easy. Kick-scooting is harder than walking and slightly easier than jogging. So, kick-scooting, it is! And I'm still getting a good workout!     ☺️

I can't upload the pictures of my kick-scooters, for some reason. I can just give you the name and description of each: A gold Fuzion City Glide with dual rear brakes; a white Goplus with dual suspension and rear disc brake; and a blue Ancheer with dual suspension. The Goplus has rubber wheels. Whereas the other two have polyurethane wheels. All of them have 8-inch wheels.

I gave the gold Fuzion to a co-worker because it doesn't have dual suspension and is therefore not suitable for kick-scooting at the Benicia State Park.   😕

And I learned the hard way that I have to check my Goplus's rear wheel first every single time before I kick-scoot with it. Because its disc brake has a tendency to start rubbing against the wheel if it's not adjusted first before each ride; it has two adjustment screws for just that.

So far, my Ancheer Kick-Scooter is the best one.

I may need to try other kick-scooters to see which ones are the best in each of these categories: 8-inch, 12-inch, 16-inch, 20-inch and 26-inch wheels.

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JURASSIC WORLD: FALLEN KINGDOM, PG-13 ( 2 hr & 8 min )

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I went to see this yesterday, Thursday, June 21st, 2018, at the CENTURY 14 VALLEJO, here in Vallejo, CA, for the 3:40 p.m. advanced screening double feature ( JURASSIC WORLD & JURASSIC WORLD: FALLEN KINGDOM ) in auditorium 1, seat B-6. The price of admission was $18.00. And I bought a Large Popcorn & a Large Fountain Drink at the concessions counter for the special price of $9.00 for both ( it came with a free refill for each one, but I was too full to go for seconds; besides, I did sneak-in a $1.49 piece of Teriyaki Beef Jerky to eat during the second feature ).

Quickie Review:  The long-dormant volcano on Isla Nublar awakens, threatening to wipe-out the dinosaurs on the island. It is up to Owen ( Chris Pratt ) and Claire ( Bryce Dallas Howard ) to save the dinosaurs from extinction.

What are the things wrong in this movie:

When Owen was lying on the ground just within two feet of the flowing lava, his clothes would have started to smoke and possibly would have caught on fire. I know this for a fact because I used to work at a die-casting shop wherein I was usually just two feet away from molten metal ( aluminum, zinc and brass--aluminum was the "coldest" and the brass was the HOTTEST ) where I stood to ladle red-hot molten metals into their respective crucibles and forklift them to the die-casters' stations. At that close proximity to the molten metals, my overalls would start to smoke; and my gloves would start to catch on fire. I would douse the gloves in cold water and go back to ladling the molten metals; but, then, my gloves would start to steam--and this was worse than the gloves catching on fire!

Owen and the dinosaurs were running from the Nuee Ardente ( the ash and smoke coming out of the volcano ) when, in truth, they would have all been burned and died of toxic smoke inhalation. What I learned in Geology is that Nuee Ardente is toxic, hot, and travels very fast!

When they jumped off the cliff and into the sea below, they would have been boiled to death because a lot of super-heated rocks fell into the sea all around them.

They stowed-away on that ship. 'Just one big problem, though: Isla Nublar, off the coast of Costa Rica, is about ten days away from their intended destination: Northern California. So, where did they go to empty their bladders and move their bowels, and how were they able to have some food and water during the entire trip?

Possible "Easter Eggs" ...

When  the little girl was taken back into her room, on the table in the foreground, you can see a white action figure that resembles the main character in the PLANET OF THE APES remake. Also, when the assistant and the nanny are in the hallway, right above them is a circular window that's similar to the one in the PLANET OF THE APES' main ape's former home.

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Nobody gave this movie a "Hands Clapper" ending.

There's a Bonus Scene after the Ending Credits.


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TRUTH OR DARE, PG-13 ( 1 hr & 40 min ) / DA ONE THAT GHOST AWAY, NR ( 1 hr & 43 min )

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I went to see this on Monday, April 30th, 2018, here in Vallejo, CA, at the Century 14 Vallejo, for the 4:30 p.m. show.

Quickie Review:  A group of friends go on Spring Break somewhere in Mexico. Where they are lured into playing a deadly game of Truth or Dare.

What I think about this movie:  It's not really a horror movie, per se. It's more of a suspense movie. And I don't get why the curse was not lifted after the incantation was already said and done the required seven times and all they had to do was put the sacrificial offering inside of the jar. I, also, didn't like its ending.

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I went to see this yesterday, Tuesday, May 1st, 2018, in Richmond, CA, at the Century 16 Hilltop, for the 10:20 p.m. show.

Quickie Review:  A fake paranormal investigator/exorcist and her team finally get more than they ask for when they agree to do their work in a haunted mansion.

What I think about this movie:  It's not scary; and it's not even funny. I wasted gasoline, subjected my car to unnecessary wear-and-tear, and wasted my time and money to go see this "movie." This movie, for me, was a big let-down; especially considering that the lead actress, Kim Chiu, did a good performance in last year's THE GHOST BRIDE.

The South Korean actor, Ryan Bang, was the only one that I liked in this "movie."

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I wanted to see both movies back-to-back. But, as I was about to leave the Sonoma Boulevard McDonald's Restaurant here in Vallejo, CA, where I had dinner and where I spent time on the Internet until their closing time at 10:00 p.m., I was unable to use the men's room, first, before heading off to Richmond because some male employees were cleaning it. Since my bladder was really full, I decided to just head on home and see DA ONE THAT GHOST AWAY the following night.

And the reason why I wanted to see both movies on the same day was because of what happened to me in a predawn hour on Monday.

Here is what happened ....

An early morning FaceBook Messenger message to
my siblings:

    Today, Monday, April 30th, at 2:11 a.m., as I laid
in my futon trying to decide if I should go empty my
bladder or just sleep it through, I noticed with my very
slightly opened eyes a faint light, like from a very
tiny flashlight, 🔦 sweeping across my living room
then aiming at a spot to my left. All of a sudden, I felt
someone/something put a dark “box” 📦 on my left
that occupied an area alongside my hip and knee, in
approximate length. The “box” had some heft to it.
And, then, whatever it was, it searched the room--
where I was in--with its “flashlight”. Finally, it retrieved
the box and put it on a “shelf” or “top bunk bed”
about a yard away from my left side.

    I wondered to myself, That’s odd. The last time that
my siblings and I slept in the same room was when
we were still living in the two-bedroom apartment in
Matina, Davao City, Mindanao, Philippines back in the
early ‘70s. Why would there be a bunk bed near me, I
asked myself. 🤔

I wanted to see if the very stealthy
someone/something would do anything else as I
laid there pretending to be fast asleep while a song
played like a broken record in my mind ( I think
that it was the song with these lyrics: “I saw the sign.
I opened up my eyes and saw the sign 🎶”---Yeah, I
know, funny things do happen to me at The Most
Inappropriate of times LOL ). Then, I realized once
again that I live all alone in my condo and that I don't
even have a bunk bed! 😨 But I wasn’t afraid, though,
not in the least bit. Because I was just so calmly
observing its presence.

    I kept still as I intently tried to sense some more
the presence of this silent visitor/intruder. But, to my
dismay, it had already gone. It probably sensed that
I was no longer fast asleep. Dammit! 😡

    After a few more minutes, I got up to empty my
bladder at 2:20 a.m. And I went into my kitchen to
drink some water. 🥛

    Now, I write this as I wait to fall asleep once again
as I do have a 7:00 a.m. appointment with my
periodontist.

Goodnight. 🛋️

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