YOU AGAIN, PG ( 1 hr & 45 min )

where: UA EMERY BAY STADIUM 10 in Emeryville, CA
when: Tuesday, September 28th, 2010
show: 9:30 p.m.
costs: $5.00 Ticket ( Tuesday All-Day Special Price ) + $1.00 small Popcorn w/ Butter ( Tuesday Dollar Popcorn Day with a Movie Watcher Rewards Card ) + $4.75 small Diet Coke + $5.00 Carquinez Bridge Toll = $15.75
auditorium: 6
seat: 6th row, 9th seat

synopsis: When Marni ( Kristen Bell ) heads back home for her older brother's upcoming wedding, she finds out soon enough that Will ( Jimmy Wolk ) is marrying the very same girl who tormented her back in high school, Joanna ( Odette Yustman ). And to make matters worse, Joanna's Aunt Ramona ( Sigourney Weaver ) and Marni's mom, Gail ( Jamie Lee Curtis ), had a bad falling-out back in high school, too! Will old grudges resurface and ruin the wedding day for everyone ...?

noteworthy scenes: 1.) "We are the champions"; 2.) Mascot; 3.) Tree house; 4.) PR pep talk; 5.) Airplane; 6.) Coco Puff; 7.) Brand new sister; 8.) Dinner talk; 9.) "Nobody goes to high school unscathed"; 10.) Aunt Ramona; 11.) The Sullenger Group; 12.) High school cheer; 13.) Little breakdown; 14.) No recollection; 15.) Tree house buddies; 16.) Photo album; 17.) "Our tree house"; 18.) Jogging each other's memory; 19.) Grandma Bunny; 20.) True colors; 21.) Ex-boyfriend; 22.) Dance studio; 23.) "She remembers me"; 24.) "Just stretching my hamstrings"; 25.) Bathroom; 26.) Abdominal cramp; 27.) Lard; 28.) "Looks like nothing has changed since high school"; 29.) At the stoplight; 30.) Sea of Love; 31.) Old high school clique; 32.) Necklace; 33.) "Have you taken a look in the mirror lately"; 34.) "Your arch nemesis"; 35.) Time capsule; 36.) "Quick, call US Weekly"; 37.) Surprise guest; 38.) "I made a big mistake"; 39.) Toast; 40.) The video tape; 41.) "I wanted a real apology"; 42.) "You lied to me"; 43.) Swimming pool; 44.) Grounded; 45.) Refrigerator; 46.) "I was trying to protect you"; 47.) The accident; 48.) Hospital; 49.) Surprise wedding; 50.) You again; and 51.) Bonus scenes during the Ending Credits.

audience reaction: There were just about six of us in the audience. But I could hear laughter coming from the other people in the auditorium.

recommendation: I liked this movie, too. Although I would have reservations about recommending this Rom/Com to those who are still nursing a high school grudge.

spoiler alert! Marni's "four-eyed", "chrome-grilled" mouth and pimply-faced, geeky-look ruined all my sexual fantasies of Kristen Bell. Yuck!

Why didn't Marni cry at all when the other girls were bullying her at school? Normally, any girl would have! I don't know basketball, but shouldn't that have counted as a "foul" ...? Why did the dog bark at its owner? When Gail kicked the "S" trap off from under the lavatory sink ( first, it cannot come off just by being kicked since it's screwed into place ), water came shooting out from the drain pipe when it should have shot out from the supply hose which was clearly disconnected from the stop valve. At the stoplight, Marni didn't notice the other car even though its engine was being revved loudly and even though her mom, Gail, appeared distracted by the other driver. Why did the dog not follow her into the kitchen and binge-eat with them? The nuts and bolts of the 12-year old ( my estimate ) tree house look "brand-spankin' new" to me!

fyi: My eldest sister, the one who lives in Grand Rapids, Michigan, with her husband and daughter, has a Jack Russell dog named, Gromit. I first met Gromit in October, 2005 when I first visited with my sister. I was there for about a week. The next time that I met Gromit was in the 10-day period between July and August of the next year, 2006. They had a female Jack Russell puppy named, Lady, with them that time around. Gromit remembered me. The next time that I went to Grand Rapids was early in June of this year, 2010. And although Lady didn't remember who I was and was barking-up quite a racket, Gromit still remembered me even though he hadn't had my scent in four long years! Dogs--and cats, for that matter--have a very highly-developed olfactory sense that they depend on for long-term memory recall --think of it as the canine/feline version of our photographic memory.

I had an Australian/American classmate in high school, D. Pooley ( a Dr. Dean Edell look-alike ). Each day, we would greet each other by asking, "Are you still cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs?" And we would answer each other with, "Yes, I'm cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs, cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs. Munchy, crunchy, chocolaty Cocoa Puffs. Yahoo!"

The total world population now stands at around 6.87 billion. It is estimated that by the middle of next year the world population will have passed the 7.00 billion mark.

Betty White posed nude for a novelty deck of cards--No! not recently, you idiot. She did so back when she was young, hot and sexy. Why do you think her character's name in this movie is "Grandma Bunny"? Because she was hot enough to have been a Playboy Bunny had Playboy Magazine already been around at that time when she took-off her clothes for the camera. Of course, if confronted with the facts, she'll more than likely deny everything ... if only because of Alzheimer's Disease.

word of advice: "Living well is the best revenge." George Herbert, 1593-1633

newsflash: Eight days ago, my blog post for DEVIL was posted on USA TODAY's website: US TRENDS TODAY--HOT TRENDS AND NEWS IN USA TODAY! They listed it at the bottom, at number ten. A few days later, they posted it at number five--at the same time that their site's footnote listed my blog site as the most recently searched term. Two days ago, they posted my blog at number two. They also posted my earlier blog for THE LAST EXORCISM. Who knows, maybe someday ( soon, I hope ) Hollywood will come knocking at my door--finally!

tidbits: It was a hot day today, with the temperature expected to go into the high 90s. So, I deliberated whether to stay in Vallejo and go see WALL STREET: MONEY NEVER SLEEPS or go to Oakland and catch a showing of YOU AGAIN on my way home. After I dropped-off a payment at the post office, I made the decision to have fate decide what I would do for the rest of the day. I went to the 99 Cent Only Store on Springs Road and checked to see if they had any loaf pans for sale. If they did, I would have to go to Oakland to show my friend's wife what a real meatloaf is all about; if they didn't, I would have to stay in Vallejo. They had loaf pans. So, I bought a couple and off to Oakland I went.

When I arrived in Oakland, I was soon greeted by the stray cat--without the flea collar that I bought for it a week ago! You can tell that my friend lives in a bad neighborhood because even a cat wearing a fancy flea collar gets mugged. Ha, ha, ha.

We watched BILLY, THE EXTERMINATOR and UNDERCOVER BOSS on TV as I made my meatloaves. They liked my meatloaf.

Soon, my friend's daughter, Ana, came over to borrow her dad's book on juicing so she can start juicing for health and cancer prevention ( it runs on both sides of her family ). She parked her car in the driveway behind my cute Geo Metro. I had planned on leaving at around 7:00 p.m. so that I could catch the 7:30 p.m. show. But because she came over, I forced myself to stay until 9:00 p.m. And against better judgment--since I have to be at work the following day at 8:00 a.m.--I decided to watch the 9:30 p.m. show. Consequently, all that coffee and soda that I drank all day made me sleep for no more than two-and-a-half-hours! ( And, at work, a customer remarked that I was like a robot. [ Domo arigato, Mr. Roboto.] )

On my way out of the theatre, an employee was making his way out to the dumpster to throw away a bunch of empty boxes. Instead of walking backwards to use his back to open the door with, he decided to push the door with his right foot, instead. His boxes fell all over the floor. 'Must have been a new hire!

When I exited the freeway at Redwood here in Vallejo, I saw a Vallejo Taxicab in my rear-view mirror make a "U"-turn at the on-ramp to get back on Redwood. And I thought only cops had the privilege of driving the wrong way!

attention: I'm sorry that I kind of "jumped the gun" so to speak, in announcing that the weblog awards is coming soon. Actually, nominations will begin on January 1st ( ? ) of next year for the 2010 entries. I will be sure to remind you come December to pick through all of my 2010 blog posts for any one in particular that you deem worthy of submission/consideration/inclusion in the nomination process. Thank you very much. ( It's obvious that I impatiently cannot contain my excitement! )

THE LEGEND OF THE GUARDIANS: THE OWLS OF GA'HOOLE, PG ( 1 hr & 30 min )

where: EDWARDS FAIRFIELD STADIUM 16 & I-MAX in Fairfield, CA
when: Friday, September 24th, 2010
show: 11:50 a.m.
costs: $17.50 Ticket + $5.75 Zap Pack + $11.88 Fake/Novelty Driver's Licenses, decal, & Daily Republic newspaper = $35.13
auditorium: 12, with the I-Max screen
seat: 5th row, 6th column

2nd time:

where: CENTURY 14 VALLEJO in Vallejo, CA
when: Friday, September 24th, 2010
show: 3:45 p.m.
costs: $7.50 + $8.65 lunch at Golden City Buffet ( + $1.35 Tip ) = $17.50
auditorium: 1
seat: 4th row, 7th column


synopsis: A young owl can't get enough of the bedtime stories that his dad tells him and his brother and sister about a mythical kind of owls called, The Guardians. When trouble arises and threatens him and his loved ones, he goes in search of The Guardians and ultimately becomes one of them.

noteworthy scenes: 1.) "Just because you can't see something, doesn't mean it isn't real"; 2.) Branching; 3.) First pellet; 4.) Ground; 5.) Abductors; 6.) "Orphans"; 7.) Soldiers and pickers; 8.) Moon blink; 9.) Volunteer; 10.) The promise; 11.) Test; 12.) "Feels much better"; 13.) "The young ones are our future"; 14.) Burrowing owl; 15.) "Dinner"; 16.) Poet & warrior; 17.) Baby sister; 18.) "We are now asleep"; 19.) Crows; 20.) "'Twas foretold"; 21.) Rescue; 22.) "My words are my proof that you're real"; 23.) Basic training; 24.) Chronicles; 25.) "He sees it"; 26.) Spies; 27.) Trap; 28.) Exemplary; 29.) The hero, in person; 30.) The report; 31.) "To arms"; 32.) Traitor; 33.) Gizzard hazard; 34.) Battle song; 35.) "There's only room for one king"; 36.) Fire; 37.) Old foes rematch; 38.) "Honor is just another name for weakness"; 39.) "My teacher, my hero; 40.) Chronicles amendment; 41.) Reunion; 42.) Celebration and 43.) A new generation.

audience reaction: N/A. I was the only one in the audience.

2nd audience reaction: There were many people in the audience for this 2-D show. But this movie didn't get an "Hands Clapper" ending because, for the most part, it is aimed at an older crowd even though some of the creatures in this movie look cute and fluffy.

recommendation: I loved this movie! The CGI is done exceptionally well and with great meticulous attention to detail. The owls in flight really look like owls in flight. See this with your whole family.

spoiler alert! This is not a "Kids' Movie", per se. By this, I mean that it's not suited for young brats. I think of this movie more as a winged, feathered, taloned and beaked version of the movie, 300! There are stabbings and decapitations ( albeit, implied only ) and all sorts of nasty stuff that you can think of to do with sharp, bladed instruments depicted in this movie. And some of the words spoken in this movie are done too fast and/or not enunciated well enough that I missed comprehending a few words. ( Or, maybe, I was just too busy scribbling down notes in the dark! ) And on top of all this, the bad guys speak with a foreign accent ( British, I think ), compounding the problem. And the bad guy's eye, the good guy's eye, the "moon-blinked" eyes, and the snake's eyes may all prove to be just a wee bit too much for the little brats, especially in 3-D or, worse! in Imax 3-D.

fyi: Back in Matina, Davao City, Mindanao, Philippines, I read an article in my mom's Reader's Digest about Great Horned Owls and Eagles. They are supposed to be enemies of each other, fighting for supremacy and territory. But the owl has two advantages over the eagle: It can see in the dark and it can fly silently.

I wanted to post this last night but both Google Chrome and Opera were acting-up. So, I had to shut down my computer to reboot it. Today, I decided to use my Mozilla Firefox browser to finish this blog.

word of advice: Don't betray your own family.

tidbits: I was going to see this in Vacaville because I needed to buy more fake/novelty driver's licenses at the Chevron gas station next to the Brenden Vacaville theatre. But I didn't know the movie schedule at Brenden's. So, I bought a Daily Republic newspaper, too. But when I checked the local movie listings, it only had those for the theatre in Fairfield, Edwards Fairfield Stadium 16 & I-Max. So, I went to see it there instead.

And since I was the only one in the audience at Edwards', I decided to see it again, but in 2-D, at the theatre here in Vallejo, Century 14 Vallejo, because I needed to gauge the audience reaction to this particular movie.

attention: Sorry, I kind of "jumped the gun", so to speak, in announcing that the weblog awards is coming soon. Actually, nominations will begin on January 1st ( ? ) of next year for the 2010 entries. I will be sure to remind you come December to pick through all of my 2010 blog posts for any one in particular that you deem worthy of submission/consideration/inclusion in the nomination process. Thank you. ( It's obvious that I impatiently cannot contain my excitement! )

THE TOWN, R ( 2 hr & 5 min )

where: EDWARDS FAIRFIELD STADIUM 16 & I-MAX in Fairfield, CA

when: Tuesday, September 21st, 2010

show: 10:30 p.m.

costs: $11.00 Ticket + $2.00 medium Popcorn ( Dollar upgrade on a One Dollar Small Popcorn Tuesday Special on a movie watcher rewards card ) + $4.75 small Diet Coke = $17.75

auditorium: 6

seat: 4th row, 5th column

synopsis: When four thieves rob a bank, one of them falls in love with their hostage. But this love could prove fatal to them as a doggedly-determined FBI agent hounds them all over the streets of Boston, Massachusetts.

noteworthy scenes: 1.) Bank; 2.) Torched van; 3.) Driver's license; 4.) Laundromat; 5.) Drug bust; 6.) In the car; 7.) Tattoo; 8.) "I watch a lot of CSI ... and Bones"; 9.) "We're gonna hurt some people"; 10.) Sick days; 11.) Missing mom; 12.) Building a case; 13.) Sunny day; 14.) Let's start f---ing all the witnesses; 15.) Prison; 16.) Boys and Girls Club; 17.) Barber shop; 18.) Prep time; 19.) Nuns with a bad habit; 20.) Car chase; 21.) "Close the bridge"; 22.) Policeman in a patrol car; 23.) Arrests; 24.) Interrogation; 25.) "Let's go away together"; 26.) Suspects; 27.) "We've got a ton of heat on us"; 28.) Floral shop; 29.) "I never want to see you again"; 30.) Funeral wreath; 31.) "Alright, I'm in"; 32.) Community garden; 33.) Plan; 34.) Bar; 35.) "If we're all getting jammed-up, we'll all go down in the street"; 36.) "I'm leaving with somebody else"; 37.) D.W.I.; 38.) "Mr. Six Inches"; 39.) "Who called 911"; 40.) Cash room; 41.) Surrounded; 42.) Switch; 43.) FBI crime scene; 44.) "Throw down your weapon"; 45.) Payback time; 46.) Stake-out; 47.) Another sunny day; 48.) Bus; 49.) Note; and 50.) Anonymous gift.

audience reaction: There was quite a turn-out for this show, even though it was the last one for the evening. I would estimate the crowd at at least three dozen in number. And they liked the movie, although it didn't get an "Hands Clapper" ending.

recommendation: I liked this movie, too. It is better than the movie, TAKERS. Kudo to Ben Affleck on a job well-done. I would have given this an "Hands Clapper" ending had others in the audience given it one, too.

spoiler alert! When Claire Keesey ( Rebecca Hall ) recounted to Doug MacRay ( Ben Affleck ) her harrowing experience as an hostage in a bank robbery, he didn't say anything at all. And this struck me as quite strange because he was pretending to be an innocent, law-abiding local citizen that, I would assume, heard about the bank robbery in the local news like everyone else did. If they wanted to lead the cops/FBI on a "wild goose chase", they could have done a better job of it had they collected hair samples with the root intact instead of clipped hairs which have no DNA. Why didn't the cops shoot at the tires of the get-away car when they had the chance to do so? While the suspects were in custody, why didn't the cops/FBI bug the suspects' homes? A floral shop owned by a man and run by men ( I'm all for breaking stereotypes, but this is ridiculous ) without any female employees/co-workers in a bad neighborhood is SUSPECT to me--it's a "Green Thumb" that's a "Sore Thumb". Threatening the lives of your employees--Geez, what a way to instill loyalty in every single one of them! A policeman in uniform out on patrol and sporting a "5 o'clock shadow" on top of another "5 o'clock shadow" is suspect to me. And indubitably so. Cops pushing a money cart ...? No! Armored truck personnel, Yes. Security guards, Yes. Cops as escorts, Yes. But cops pushing a money cart ... Hell, No! I would have shot at the enemy from under the car, especially if I had an automatic rifle. Doug should have played-pretend at the shoot-out so he wouldn't stick-out so obviously. The 'phone call lasted for at least a minute so the cops/FBI should have been able to put a trace on it, instead of them all just standing around looking like a bunch of stupid idiots!

fyi: Many years ago here in Vallejo, California, an armored truck guard loaded money into the truck at a local bank when somebody walked-up to him and shot him dead, then took the money. I don't think that the cops ever arrested the murder/robbery suspect.

word of advice: Make sure that your alibi sticks.

tidbits: I went to Edwards to see this movie for two reasons. First, Tuesday is Dollar Popcorn Day ( small size ) with a movie watcher rewards card. Second, I wanted to use the $5.00 anytime Tuesday coupon that I got from their sister cinema, UA Emery Bay Stadium 10, in Emeryville, California. But I was told that it is only good at that location. So, I will have to wait until I need to travel that way again on a Tuesday to use the coupon.

I experienced trouble trying to post this movie blog earlier today because Google Chrome and Blogspot.com were both acting-up, making it impossible for me to put a movie poster on this blog. So, I had to switch over to my Opera browser to do it. But, I accidentally double-tapped a key just as I was almost completely finished with this particular blog post when the red-lettered "unable to contact Blogspot.com" flashed. And the whole thing got deleted, instead of saved! Damn, that was two hours' worth of work which was totally erased! This post that you're now reading is "the-second-time-around-for-me." My whole day has been like this, even at work: It started off on the wrong foot with this movie post, and it is now ending on the wrong foot--again--with this movie post.

Tomorrow had better be a brand new day that will start on the right foot and which will end in the same way, too! And I want it to carry-over onto the next day, and so on and so forth ....

attention: Sorry, I kind of "jumped the gun", so to speak, in announcing that the weblog awards is coming soon. Actually, nominations will begin on January 1st ( ? ) of next year for the 2010 entries. I will be sure to remind you come December to pick through all of my 2010 blog posts for any one in particular that you deem worthy of submission/consideration/inclusion in the nomination process. Thank you. ( It's obvious that I impatiently cannot contain my excitement! )

'See what I mean about "the wrong foot" ...? The format of this post is different. And, as for the red color, I did not plan for it to "bleed" into the body of the subhead text. Aarrgh ...! That's it! I'm tired! It's 12:52 a.m. on a Thursday, the 23rd. And I have to be at work later on today. I gotta hit the sack now. 'Bye and Goodnight/day!

EASY "A", PG-13 ( 1 hr & 33 min )

where: UA EMERY BAY STADIUM 10 in Emeryville, CA

when: Monday, September 20th, 2010

show: 8:00 p.m.

costs: $10.75 Ticket + $1.00 3.2 oz. Nestle Buncha Crunch ( Dollar Candy Monday with a movie watcher card ) + $4.75 small Zero Coke + $5.00 Carquinez Bridge Toll = $21.50

auditorium: 6

seat: 5th row, 12 column

synopsis: An high school girl, Olive ( Emma Stone ), tells a lie that gets way out of hand. And she decides to make the best out of a bad situation. But her plan soon unravels.

noteworthy scenes: 1.) Two sides to a story; 2.) Dinner with friend's family; 3.) Musical weekend; 4.) "Super slut like me"; 5.) Team mascot; 6.) "Lies travel fast"; 7.) Childhood lie; 8.) "I'm adopted"; 9.) "Bam! you're a bimbo"; 10.) Scarlet Letter; 11.) Principal's office; 12.) The letter "T"; 13.) Detention time; 14.) Floozy facade; 15.) At the party; 16.) Dirty skank; 17.) "Give 'em hell"; 18.) "My name is an anagram"; 19.) Cafeteria; 20.) "Jesus told us to love everyone"; 21.) "I'm repugnant"; 22.) Gift cards/certificates & coupons; 23.) "I'm hoping to get an 'A'"; 24.) Butter knife; 25.) Guidance counselor's office; 26.) Friends; 27.) Chlamydia; 28.) "G_ddamn shi_t"; 29.) "I could have Chlamydia"; 30.) Protesters; 31.) Bookstore; 32.) Confessional booth; 33.) Pastor; 34.) "Family member of the week"; 35.) Humble and silent; 36.) Lobster Shack; 37.) "Pretend you're my first real kiss"; 38.) "My apologies to Mark Twain"; 39.) Florida; 40.) Bad news; 41.) "You're much smarter than I am"; 42.) School gym; 43.) "How sh_tty it feels to be an outcast"; 44.) Lawn mower; and 45.) Voice-over ( 'not technically a scene, but what the heck ) after the Ending Credits.

audience reaction: The audience enjoyed this movie.

recommendation: I liked this movie, too. And I would recommend it to teens and young adults.

spoiler alert! Whoever chose the title for this movie doesn't know the difference between Adultery and Fornication. Just so we are both on the same page, Adultery is having sexual intercourse with a person that you're not married to; Fornication is sexual intercourse between two unmarried persons, as it is popularly defined in modern times although it had a broader meaning many centuries ago. So, the main character in this movie, Olive, should have been sporting the letter "F" to fit the image of a fornicatress. And the christian ( lower case "c" on purpose ) protesters in this movie are too dumb to know what Exodus 20:14 really applies to. In the "Who would they believe?" argument, the answer is simple: The one who doesn't have Chlamydia and who is still a virgin, of course! How could one lose the argument when armed with these two facts? How in the world did the "safe-sex" advocate forget to practice "safe-sex", especially when considering her position and marital status ...? And what was that thing with the lawn mower for since he had a car?

fyi: THE SCARLET LETTER was required reading in my senior year in high school for my C.L.E.P. ( college-level English preparatory ) class.

If you hang around self-professed "christians", you will observe two things about them: They are extremely prejudiced and bigoted--and the "born-again" ones are the worse offenders! So, it should not come as a surprise to you that through-out Man's history, christianity is--by far and away--the bloodiest religion. Research its history and learn about the Blood of the Saints, the Martyrs, and the Innocents.

By definition, "born-again" means to be born of the Holy Spirit, i.e. in-dwelt by the Spirit of God. As such, anyone claiming to be "born-again" should be able to converse fluently in any and every language and dialect known to man and should, likewise, be able to perform miracles and even raise the dead back to life. Tell me, then, when was the last time that you saw a "born-again christian" "speaking in tongues" and performing miracles? I certainly ain't seen one yet! 'Don't let their looks and their words fool you--and read the Bible for yourself!

word of advice: Don't tell lies.

Don't judge others, or you will be judged the same way. ( New Testament of the Bible, Matthew 7: 1 & 2 )

tidbits: I live just a block away from Sutter-Solano Hospital. As I was driving down the street on my way to my postal mail box ( PMB ), at an intersection across from the hospital, a fat middle-aged black lady was doing a dance and swaying her booty at passing motorists! Ha, ha, ha. How funny is that? Maybe she was a "nut-case looney bin" escapee from the hospital and was just out celebrating her freedom.

I went to Oakland, CA, to hang-out at my friend's place. I put a flea collar on the stray cat. And we let it inside the house so that it could scope the area and find out were the mice are hiding. It climbed on my chest as I sat on the couch to read a Christian ministry newsletter and, boy, did it let out one stinky fart!

I cleaned the wheels of my white 1994 Geo Metro hatchback while I was at Hector's place in Oakland. And I decided to degrease the engine and to de-sulphate the battery posts. As I was doing these, I noticed that my windshield got chipped in the lower central area. I guess after 16 years of owning my Metro, it was bound to happen eventually.

Hector cooked lunch for everybody. He made some kind of chicken stew with rice in it. It was like a soupy version of Arroz Con Pollo. And I cooked dinner for everyone. I made oven-baked smoked-flavored Polish Kielbasa with vegetables ( i.e. steak fries, garlic, onion, celery and bell pepper ), flavored with margarine ( there wasn't a stick of butter in his fridge ) and Worcestershire sauce--that's it!

This dish of mine is something that you might come across at an American-style buffet, and it is quite good. You have to bake the potatoes ( steak fries ) in a nonstick-sprayed pan, first. Then, you throw in the celery. Then, you add the pre-cooked kielbasa along with the rest of the ingredients as you stir in the butter ( preferably ) or margarine and give the whole thing a few dashes of the Worcestershire sauce. And bake only until the kielbasa is heated through and the vegetables are just tender.

When I got on the 580 Freeway in Oakland, on my way to the theatre, an aquamarine-colored 1994 Geo Metro hatchback, in the middle lane, pulled-up alongside mine and made a "Beep, beep" greeting. Yup! us Geo Metro owners are highly sociable towards each other. And I already told you guys about the Geo Metro Fan Club in my post for last year's POST GRAD. Truth be told, my car is cuter than the other Metro because I'm heck of cuter than the other driver!

Lastly, I still cannot use any other color than Black to write my posts with. Hey, Blogspot.com, fix the problem already. Will you, please? Thank you.

attention: Sorry, I kind of "jumped the gun", so to speak, in announcing that the weblog awards is coming soon. Actually, nominations will begin on January 1st ( ? ) of next year for the 2010 entries. I will be sure to remind you come December to pick through all of my 2010 blog posts for any one in particular that you deem worthy of submission/consideration/inclusion in the nomination process. Thank you. ( It's obvious that I impatiently cannot contain my excitement! )

ALPHA AND OMEGA 3-D, PG ( 1 hr & 28 min )

where: CENTURY 14 VALLEJO in Vallejo, CA

when: Friday, September 17th, 2010

show: 9:30 p.m.

costs: $13.25 Ticket + $5.00 Kid's Pack + $3.24 little Notebook = $21.49

auditorium: 7, with the 3-D screen

seat: 5th row, 10th column

synopsis: A pair of wolves, life-long friends but polar opposites in the dominance hierarchy, find their way back home to try and prevent an all-out battle for territory between their pack and a rival pack.

noteworthy scenes: 1.) Law of the Pack; 2.) Failed first attempt; 3.) Arranged mating; 4.) Moonlight howl; 5.) The howl; 6.) Tranquilizer darts; 7.) Birds; 8.) "A birdie ruined your birdie"; 9.) "Relocated to repopulate"; 10.) Biker & Librarian; 11.) "Rabid" wolf; 12.) Tail; 13.) "Your eyes are beautiful"; 14.) Bears; 15.) Train; 16.) The howling; 17.) Conflict; 18.) Reminder; 19.) "Go organic"; 20.) United packs; 21.) Lone wolf; 22.) In love with an omega; 23.) Stampede; 24.) Unity; 25.) Party time; 26.) Dedication to Dennis Hopper; and 27.) Artwork, sketches and 3-D models during the Ending Credits.

audience reaction: There were just an handful of people in the audience with me. But I surmise that they were just lightly entertained by this movie.

recommendation: The theme of this movie, Settling For Less ( in terms of [ less qualified ] partner and [ less amount of ] food ), is beyond the grasp of its intended target demographic: The little brats. And I seriously doubt that any doting parent would want to intentionally wreak havoc on his/her child's sense of self-worth by teaching the child to have lower expectations in life. As for this movie's entertainment value, the funny scenes are few--two or three, at the most--and very far in-between. I have the nagging suspicion--and justifiably so--that the only reason why they're showing this in 3-D is so that they can make a "quick buck" off of it! This movie is not even worth seeing in 2-D on the Big Screen. It is strictly a rental.

spoiler alert! A "dog" movie without any "butt-sniffing" scene is no "dog" movie! If you double the amount of mouths to feed, then you cut in half the amount of food to eat just to start with--plain and simple math. What do you think will happen when puppies pop out? How come the pair was not out-fitted with tracking devices? Shouldn't the bears have been in hibernation, judging from all that snow? I could mention more things wrong with this movie but I won't since it's a children's movie, a type that I am wont to spare from my harsher criticisms just because ....

fyi: According to the native custom of some Pacific Islanders, if a female of marrying age puts a flower over her right ear, it means that she is single and available. If the flower is worn over her left ear, it means that she is married.

I saw this TV documentary once about a pack of wolves. The omega wolf in that pack was a female runt which was always in a playful mood. Whenever tension was in the air, her playfulness would soon erase it. But the other wolves in the pack seldom socialized with her and kept their distance. One night, a cougar sneaked-up on her and mauled her to death. The next day, the other wolves went in search of her. Soon, they found her remains. After which, they became so depressed that they just curled-up around each other and stayed there without eating or drinking for a long time.

word of advice: When you settle down to raise a family, your primary responsibility will be to your children. So, choose your future spouse wisely.

tidbits: I forgot to bring my mini notebook with me. So, after work and before going to the theatre, I bought a Mead "Fat Lil' Notebook" at Safeway so that I could take notes while watching this movie.

attention: Sorry, I kind of "jumped the gun", so to speak, in announcing that the weblog awards is coming soon. Actually, nominations will start on January 1st ( ? ) of next year for the 2010 entries. I will be sure to remind you come December to pick through all of my 2010 blog posts for any particular one that you deem worthy of submission/consideration/inclusion in the nomination process. Thank you. ( It's obvious that I impatiently cannot contain my excitement! )

DEVIL, PG-13 ( 1 hr & 20 min )

where: EDWARDS FAIRFIELD STADIUM 16 & I-MAX in Fairfield, CA

when: Friday, September 17th, 2010

show: 12:01 a.m.

costs: $11.00 Ticket + $4.75 small Zero Coke = $15.75

auditorium: 5

seat: 3rd row, 5th column

synopsis: Decedent Evil: Afterdeath

Five people, who are not as innocent as they look, are trapped in an elevator. And the Devil has come to collect their souls.

noteworthy scenes: 1.) 1 Peter 5:8; 2.) Truck; 3.) Elevator 6; 4.) Inspection mode; 5.) Levity; 6.) Crime scene; 7.) Inspection certificate; 8.) Bad childhood experience; 9.) Mattress; 10.) Flickering light; 11.) Video screen; 12.) Raccoon; 13.) Attack; 14.) Music; 15.) Turn to camera; 16.) Image of face; 17.) "Sit your creepy ass down"; 18.) Vision; 19.) Another attack; 20.) The Devil's meeting; 21.) Better Business Bureau; 22.) Suicide note; 23.) Scum-bag; 24.) Apology note; 25.) Blood; 26.) Old woman; 27.) "I'm not ruling anybody out"; 28.) "There's a reason why we're the audience; 29.) Satchel; 30.) Prayer; 31.) Fight; 32.) Hypothetical conversation; 33.) Lawyer; 34.) Electric shock; 35.) Cell phones; 36.) Glass shards; 37.) "Take responsibility for what you're doing"; 38.) Drunk driver; 39.) Confession; and 40.) "... My family."

audience reaction: The audience was mildly entertained by this movie.

recommendation: M. Night Shyamalan didn't write the script for this movie, although it is supposedly based on his idea. And this fact is probably this movie's redeeming quality. It's not as bad as people thought it would be, but it's not as scary as I had hoped that it would be. At one hour and twenty minutes long, this "Christian morality play" movie is a quick one to pass the time away.

spoiler alert! This movie shows that the scriptwriter is not well-versed in the Judeo-Christian concept of the Devil. This movie mistakes the Devil for some malicious entity with a sadistically murderous streak. How was the truck's parking brake disabled? In a financial district during business hours, a run-away truck doesn't get reported ...? I went on the Internet to watch a trailer for this movie so I could do a frame-by-frame of the shot where an image of "The Devil" appears--The Devil looks like a topless, masked Mexican wrestler, a luchador! Ha, ha, ha. How stupid is that ...? The sclera of each eye should have been red with blood from ruptured blood vessels, not black, considering how the victim was killed. If you think about it, it really doesn't make any sense at all to have one of the victims just disappear after it was possessed.

fyi: There is no Hell ... for now. The first ones to be thrown into Hell will be the Anti-Christ and his False Prophet after the Armageddon is over ( Revelation 19:20 ). The Devil will be captured and imprisoned for a long time ( Revelation 20: 1-3 ). But he will be released at a much-later time for a final showdown, giving him time to muster yet another army of the unsaved. Then, after his final defeat, the Devil will be thrown into Hell. And, No! he won't be in Hell to rule as its king, he will be tormented just like all the rest who will be thrown down there to suffer Eternal Damnation ( Revelation 20:7-15 ).

The Devil fell from Heaven with a third of the angels. His mission here on Earth is to recruit evil-minded people into his army. He is not out to kill the bad guys. He is out to possess the bad guys ( e.g. Hitler, Stalin, Conquistadors, Inquisitors, Crusaders, Jihadists, murderers, etc. ) and use them to kill good and/or innocent people.

I wanted this movie to be the first one that I see this week because it segues perfectly in line with the last movie that I saw, title-wise.

My deadliest encounter with an evil entity was on the night of December 23rd, 2003. It was of a serpentine form when it attacked me shortly after I had done my meditation on my bedroom floor. I was caught off-guard and was rendered totally defenseless and would have been killed in a most excruciating way ( believe me, it hurt like hell! ) had it not been for some form of Divine intervention. I don't want to go into detail on this one because I don't want Hollywood taking advantage of such information just like how a scum-bag writer for Steven Spielberg stole my improvised line many years ago when I collaborated on a film by a student of the California College of Arts and Crafts!

word of advice: Don't drink and drive.

tidbits: I was at my friend, Hector's, place in Oakland, CA, earlier in the day. His oldest son, Marcus ( a Chris Farley look-alike ), dropped by and we had a discussion on the Bible's Pre-Tribulation Period, UFOs, and Noah's curse. Overall, it was a very interesting discussion that we had.

We watched Orange County Choppers, b.k.a. American Choppers, and BBQ Pit Masters on TV. And we also started to watch a movie on movie2k.com: ROYAL KILL, a.k.a. NINJA'S CREED ( a stupid movie, if you ask me ).

The stray cat was there. So I told it to not ever walk all over my car after I wash it. I guess it got the message because I washed my car later on but there were no paw prints anywhere on my car this time around.

I don't know what's going on with Blogspot.com, but I can't use any other color than black to write my posts with anymore.

And speaking of the Better Business Bureau, the complaint that I filed with them on a company in Illinois over a week ago was resolved to my satisfaction today.

attention: Sorry, I kind of "jumped the gun", so to speak, in announcing that the weblog awards is coming soon. Actually, nominations will start on January 1st of next year for the 2010 entries. I will be sure to remind you come December to pick through all of my 2010 blog posts for any particular one that you deem worthy of submission/consideration/inclusion in the nomination process. Thank you.

RESIDENT EVIL: AFTERLIFE, I-MAX 3-D, R ( 1 hr & 40 min )

where: EDWARDS FAIRFIELD STADIUM 16 & I-MAX in Fairfield, CA

when: Friday, September 10th, 2010

show: 12:01 a.m. I-Max 3-D

costs: $17.50 Ticket + $6.00 small Popcorn w/ Butter + $0.00 small Zero Coke ( free on movie watcher reward card ) = $23.50

auditorium: 12, with the I-Max screen

seat: 5th row, 5th seat

2nd time:

where: CENTURY 14 VALLEJO in Vallejo, CA

when: Saturday, September 11th, 2010

show: 7:45 p.m. 3-D

costs: $13.25 Ticket + $5.00 Kid's Pack = $18.25

auditorium: 7, with the 3-D screen

seat: 5th row, 9th column

synopsis: Alice ( Milla Jovovich ) and a small band of survivors go in search of Arcadia, not knowing what lays in store for them.

noteworthy scenes: 1.) The first victim; 2.) Snipers; 3.) Intruders; 4.) Turbulence; 5.) Injection; 6.) Landing field; 7.) Satellite-tracked; 8.) Rooftop landing; 9.) Resident superstar; 10.) Arcadia; 11.) Underground; 12.) Prisoner; 13.) Hobby; 14.) The axeman cometh; 15.) Reunion; 16.) At the gate; 17.) Armory; 18.) Rooftop shoot-out; 19.) The shower fight; 20.) Boat; 21.) Trap; 22.) Survivors; 23.) Blood trail; 24.) Laboratory; 25.) Purge; 26.) "I didn't want you to miss that"; 27.) Drainage tunnel; 28.) We live up to the promise; 29.) Here comes trouble; and 30.) Bonus scene and a voice-over during the Ending Credits.

audience reaction: Some people in the audience gave it an "Hands Clapper" ending.

recommendation: Not recommended for horndogs since there's no nudity in this sequel--not even so much as T-shirt "perkies".

spoiler alert! There was no way that the first victim would have been able to spit out blood since he was bitten in either his carotid artery or his jugular vein ( at the side of the neck ), not in his trachea ( windpipe ). I am not one who's inclined to believe that a visible target out in the open can dodge bullets spitting out of many fully-automatic rifles. No one fired at the "twins" when they rolled the grenades on the floor--the bads guys should have had a clear shot at both of them. When the "twins" jumped through the window, the angle of their shots got progressively off-target! Who was the idiot who did the CGI for this particular scene? I want his job! Why didn't they shoot at the helicopter's intakes or at its missile pods? Alice reverted back to her normal human self just before the helicopter crashed into the mountain, so how was she able to survive and walk away from it? This sequel is set 18 months after the events of the last one when available, uncontaminated water was no longer a daily luxury. But, even then, Alice still managed to keep herself looking fresh and pretty. Heck, you should see me after just two days of not washing my hair; I'm talking super-greasy hair here. And where did she keep her stash of toiletries and cosmetics--and why did she have to have make-up on in the first place? After all, the undead were not out to woo her in any way. There is no way in the world that even the strongest man can hold onto a cable that's used to slow down and stop a plane. The undead could easily dig through many feet of dirt and solid concrete and cut and bend rebars out of the way but they couldn't do the same thing to the perimeter wall and gate. And where did all that dug-up dirt go? I don't know where the undead piled-up all that dirt. Why did the undead still have fresh red blood in them? When Alice jumped-off the rooftop while holding onto some cable, her trajectory should have been lessened enough so that the undead who tumbled-off the roof after her should have rained down on top of her. When Alice made a run for the entrance, the undead just stayed to either side of her path instead of crowding her in--my, how courteous of them all. With all those thousands, if not tens of thousands, of the undead massed around their potential "pieces of morsel", you would think that they'd fight each other to get at the scarce and tasty bits of fresh human flesh. Why didn't they just cannibalize each other? All that super-fast footwork should have generated a lot of squealing noise, smoke and scuff marks on the floor--kinda like burnin' rubber. But they forgot that part or thought that Cine-Man would not call them out on it. Well, I just did! Hire my services already, will you, Hollywood? So I can plug-up the logic-holes in your movies. How did Alice keep at least $12.00 worth of quarters from dropping out of the barrel of each sawed-off shotgun? The bad guy said that if he ingested her, he would gain control of his body. I don't think so. I guess he forgot that he runs a laboratory where they do transfusions, cell cloning and bio-engineering, any one of which will give him the desired effect that no amount of "ingesting" can. But maybe he was just talking about plain ol' oral sex. Hmm .... Her sawed-off shotguns sure don't have a lot of kick to them! There is no way that you can have a bunch of scalpels stick to an object simply by kicking a tray-full of them clear across the room. Okay, so you're inside a bullet-proof cylinder ... the last thing that you want to do is shoot at its concaved surface because your bullets will have to ricochet somehow. 'Know what I mean? How did they figure out which helicopter the bad guy would use for his quick get-away? Even with all that CGI going for this movie, two or three extras on the ship still managed to point in the wrong direction. I mean, come on now, there were at least two dozen helicopters approaching the ship and making all that loud noise but they still pointed in the wrong direction--maybe they don't know their left from their right, or maybe they saw a cute bird flying across the sky ( awww ... how sweet ). It could also possibly be that when the on-set photographer told everyone to "Look at the birdie," they took that in its literal sense. And as for the rest of the crowd gathered above-deck, they all just stood there casually mingling about when they should have been acting alarmed and looking in one particular direction in the sky where a fast-approaching aerial spectacle was making a bee-line for their ship.

fyi: I collect quarters, too. I have lots ( I'm not telling any of you how many I've got ) of Bi-Centennial, State Commemorative and Territorial quarters. I'm still waiting to come across the circulated "America, The Beautiful" series.

word of advice: Don't look a ( strange ) stranger in the eye.

tidbits: About thirty people stayed all the way through the end of the Ending Credits of this movie. And one girl said that she wanted to see it all over again.

After the movie, I went to the men's room to empty my bladder. An older man had preceded me and was already at a toilet stall relieving himself as I walked to one of the urinals. After I was done, I noticed that the man was still at it. It took him about a minute-and-a-half to two minutes to empty his bladder. But that's nothing compared to my record of five ( yes, 5! ) minutes to completely empty my bladder after watching the movie, BATMAN AND ROBIN, back when it came out in 1997.

In case you've all forgotten, BATMAN AND ROBIN is the movie in which the dynamic duo's suits had built-in nipples but for some mysterious reason Batgirl's suit didn't have any nipples at all--this practical joke was quite a disservice to all the horndogs out there back then!

2nd tidbits: One of the concessions clerk asked me which movie I came to see. I told him that I came to see RESIDENT EVIL, and that I already saw it in I-Max 3-D for its midnight showing. He asked me what I thought about the movie. I told him that there were many things wrong with it and that I'm seeing it again just to double-check on my findings. Then, I gave him one of my Cine-Man movie reviewer cards.

attention: It is getting closer and closer to the Annual Weblog Awards. Please select from all my posts for this year then go to the awards website and take the time to nominate one of my blogs--whichever one happens to be your favorite--in the following categories: Best Entertainment Weblog, Most Humorous Weblog, Best-Kept Secret Weblog and/or Best New Weblog. Thank you very much.

LOTTERY TICKET, PG-13 ( 1 hr & 39 min )

where: CENTURY 14 VALLEJO in Vallejo, CA

when: Tuesday, September 7th, 2010

show: 5:35 p.m.

costs: $6.25 Ticket + $4.50 medium Diet/Zero ( w/ Barq's & Cherry flavors ) Coke = $10.75

auditorium: 5

seat: 5th row, 6th column

synopsis: A young man, Kevin Carson ( Bow Wow ), wins a nation-wide lottery and must then fend-off neighbors, friends, strangers and bad people who are out to get a big share of his newfound fortune.

noteworthy scenes: 1.) Kevin's room; 2.) Lucky numbers; 3.) Lottery dreams; 4.) Basketball court; 5.) Shoplifters; 6.) Cookie fortune; 7.) Snitch; 8.) News; 9.) Unwanted visitors; 10.) Underground railroad; 11.) Entourage; 12.) Mobsters; 13.) Dream date; 14.) "My lottery ticket"; 15.) Basement; 16.) Sunday church service; 17.) Chase; 18.) "Best friends since 5th Grade"; 19.) "The kind of girl I want is you"; 20.) The attack; 21.) The "real" ticket; 22.) Confrontation; and 23.) Community dedication.

audience reaction: None. I was the only one in the auditorium.

recommendation: This light comedy is good only for wiling the time away on a hot day or at any time that you find yourself with nothing else better to do.

spoiler alert! All that I saw in his closet were shoes. Where did he store all of his clothes? When the cops were hauling-off Lorenzo ( Gbenga Akinnagbe ), he threatened to kill Kevin. Well, that's considered "Assault with intent to do bodily harm." Therefore, the cops should not have let him out on the streets so soon. And if he was just let out on parole, such an incriminating statement would have been enough to put him back in the slammer for a long time. So, Kevin is being raised by his grandmother. Yet, as much as I had expected would inevitably happen, neither one of his long-absent parents showed-up to "reconcile" with their son--unlike Manny Pacquiao's ( ulteriorly-motivated ) shameless dad! You would think that he'd have enough presence of mind to put his name and signature ( at the very least ) on the back of the lottery ticket before word ever got out! Why didn't he go to a bank that Saturday and put it in a safe deposit box? I would have. Why were there no plain clothes police officers on the train? Why would he buy and wear a pair of very expensive and highly-coveted sneakers knowing that in his bad neighborhood a guy can get killed just for wearing such a fancy pair of shoes? When Lorenzo gave the shoes back to Kevin, they didn't look like they've been worn at all even though Kevin had worn it for at least a day. Nowadays, not only will the lottery commission's computer know when and where a winning ticket was bought but, with the aid of store video surveillance, the winning ticket holder can also be easily identified to avoid theft and false claims. ( At least, that's how things are done here in California; but I don't know how they keep track of such things in Georgia, where this movie was made. )

fyi: Years ago, as I was dozing-off to sleep, a man's voice in my head said, "I want you to write down these winning lottery numbers." To which I said, Not now, I'm sleepy. As soon as I realized what I had just said, I was completely wide awake! But, that was it .... the voice never returned. Talk about missed opportunity. And years before this incident, again, as I was waiting to fall asleep, a woman's voice in my head asked me, "What would you like to have most in life?" And I answered with, Who the Hell are you? And, then, I quickly added, A million dollars! But, no such luck. Maybe, there's a third time coming up; and you know what they say: "'Third time is a charm."

My friend, Hector, said that if he ever wins the lottery, he'll buy me a "Happy Meal" at McDonald's. Heck, if I win, I'll send him a postcard from a vacation destination--and that's all he'll ever get from me. Because I'll disappear so fast like magic that if Harry Houdini were still alive he, himself, would sit up straight and take notes! And I might even suffer from sudden wealth-induced amnesia and would, then, easily forget who my friends, neighbors, co-workers and certain relatives are.

Two months ago, after I returned to Vallejo, CA, from Grand Rapids, MI, my sister there sent me a dollar bill that she got from somewhere which had my name on it; and she got it at around the time of my birthday. She figured that it might bring me luck--and if it does bring me luck in the California lottery, I'll have to split the jackpot with her 50/50. So I used it to buy a California mega-lottery quick-pick ticket. I've been playing the same set of numbers twice a week ever since. But I haven't had luck with it. Although .... it did win 10 dollars at one time but--for the life of me--I don't know what I did with that ticket: I either dropped it accidentally somewhere or I tore it up and threw it away accidentally. Darn, It could have paid for either a buffet lunch or a little over three gallons' worth of Chevron gas. Of course, I would still owe my sister five bucks! Keep a running tally, sis.

If I ever win the lottery big-time, I'd be sure to splurge the first million, i.e. go on a six-month cruise all around the world, party-hearty, buy fancy stuff, pay all of my debts, buy me my dream ( mobile ) home ( don't laugh, there are some really nice ones out there ), buy brand-new vehicles with air conditioning, look through a bunch of mail-order bride catalogs ( Yes! ), etc. Then, I'd invest the rest.

word of advice: Always write down the necessary information on the back of your lottery ticket even before you step out of the place where you bought it from.

First thing to do after you find out that you won big in a lottery game is to go to a lawyer and file for asset protection--a.s.a.p.!

You either worship God or you worship Riches. You cannot serve both. ( New Testament of the Bible, Matthew 6: 24 ) Keep this in mind as you watch a Televangelist work a gullible crowd.

tidbits: I dropped-off a couple of bill payments at the post office and headed-off to Agua Pura on Springs Road here in Vallejo to buy some alkaline drinking water. But the place is temporarily closed for business and will re-open in about a month. So, I walked on over to Selecta Filipino Buffet for lunch. Afterwards, I didn't feel like heading for home right away and decided to head on over to the local theatre to give my stomach enough time to digest my meal.

Before my free-way exit came into view, a billboard ( which I mistook for the giant screen one ) distracted me in such a way that when I turned my gaze back to the road, I saw my car rapidly gaining ground on the slow-moving white Toyota Corolla in front of it and I was forced to almost do a complete panic-stop! Getting a quick and tight feeling of fear in your Solar Plexus area on a full stomach is quite an experience. I'm just glad that I didn't end-up with another kind of "accident" in my pants! L.O.L.

The free-way incident mentioned above is probably the third time, at least, that I didn't lose control of my car while driving at free-way speeds when a potential accident was unfolding. And the common denominator in all of them was that I was doing my evening mantra, the Ohm Mantra, while each incident was happening. I could not panic and/or scream in fear in each incident because I didn't want either one to interrupt me from doing my mantra for its full alloted time. If only I had a passenger with me in each incident, it would have been a comical sight to behold: my passenger would be panicking and screaming at the top of his/her lungs while I would be reciting my mantra all along.

Hey, maybe people should do the Ohm Mantra while they are driving in less than ideal conditions--at the very least, it should keep them from talking on their cellphones and/or texting while driving ( I just hate such people! ).

After the movie, I went to the Dollar Tree Store at the Target Shopping Center and bought Corn Chips, a can of Evaporated Milk, a Bath Mat, a Vibrating Toothbrush ( Ooh ... ), and two 3-lb. bags of Long Grain Rice.

attention: It is getting closer and closer to the Annual Weblog Awards. Please select from all my posts for this year then go to the awards website and take the time to nominate one of my blogs--whichever one happens to be your favorite--in the following categories: Best Entertainment Weblog, Most Humorous Weblog, Best-Kept Secret Weblog, and/or Best New Weblog. Thank you very much.

MACHETE, R ( 1 hr & 45 min )

where: CENTURY 14 VALLEJO in Vallejo, CA

when: Saturday, September 4th, 2010

show: 2:30 p.m.

costs: $9.75 Ticket + $6.00 upgraded Kid's Pack + $13.75 dinner at Empire Buffet after the show ( + $2.00 Tip ) = $31.50

auditorium: 8

seat: 5th row, 12 column

synopsis: A Mexican Federale known as Machete ( Danny Trejo ) escapes an attempt on his life and goes on a "lay-low" across the border in Texas. But trouble catches up with him and, once again, he finds himself in a fight for his life--but not without help this time around.

noteworthy scenes: 1.) Rescue attempt; 2.) Cellphone; 3.) Border agent on stake-out ( Jessica Alba ); 4.) Vigilante border patrol; 5.) TV commercial; 6.) Taco truck operator, Luz ( Michelle Rodriguez ); 7.) "The senator must die"; 8.) Weapon of choice; 9.) Methamphetamine lab; 10.) Financial aid; 11.) Sen. McLaughlin's ( Robert De Niro ) speech; 12.) Betrayal; 13.) "I didn't frisk him"; 14.) Live chat with Torrez ( Steven Seagal ); 15.) Hospital; 16.) Surgical instruments; 17.) Intestine; 18.) Local news; 19.) Egg; 20.) Shower; 21.) "'You speak .45"; 22.) Shack; 23.) Taking out trash; 24.) 1-( 800 ) Hit-Man; 25.) "Because we're both cops"; 26.) Network; 27.) Confessional; 28.) Mexican; 29.) File; 30.) New gardener; 31.) Pool; 32.) Sex video; 33.) Campaign ad; 34.) Evidence; 35.) "I ( heart ) April ( Lindsay Lohan ); 36.) "Eye for an eye"; 37.) Church shoot-out; 38.) Intruders; 39.) Video; 40.) "He's back"; 41.) "I'll do what's right"; 42.) News conference; 43.) Nun's habit; 44.) Roll-out; 45.) Gun battle; 46.) The new Mexican with no other choice left; 47.) "Welcome to America"; and 48.) "I'm already a myth."

favorite scenes: The improvised "rope" used in Machete's escape at the hospital. Although I honestly don't think that it can hold his weight without getting torn-off at the source.

I also liked how when the truck crashed through the wall, the senator was practically on the toilet seat--it's all about the "in-the-crapper" symbolism.

audience reaction: The audience enjoyed this wickedly funny and gory bloodbath-of-a-revenge movie.

recommendation: I liked it, too. But you'd have to be a Robert Rodriguez fan--which I'm really not--to fully appreciate this "played for ( violent ) laughs" movie.

spoiler alert! How did he manage to escape from being burned alive? Why didn't Machete speak with a Mexican accent? After all, Torrez did--on occasion! Why would you put a suspect in the back of a patrol car without cuffing him first? Okay ... the egg "thing" ... now that's a new one on me! I'm just glad that I don't go to confessions anymore. How was he able to type-in the heart-shaped symbol for the password? A puncture wound forms a tight seal around a pointed and tapered object thrust through any body part and left in place. Or, in other words, when the priest ( Cheech Marin ) was nailed to the cross, his blood should not have squirted out. Why did the bad guys take so long to fire back at the attacking good guys? That must have been one really hard eyeball which kept the bullet from penetrating the brain. What's with the border-patrol-agent-in-high-heels look?

fyi: What all this "illegal immigrants from Mexico" that the news media saturate the general public with does is just to keep us distracted from the atrocities that are committed constantly on the Mexican Southern border. The Mexican authorities who patrol their Southern border rob, rape and kill people from Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, etc. who are trying to illegally-cross into the United States through Mexico. So, the press is always giving the United States a bad name, but you'll never hear a bad word said about how Mexicans patrol their Southern border! Think about that the next time you read the papers or watch the news about illegal immigrants.

Many of the Western States at one time belonged to Mexico. So, are Mexicans entering such States doing so illegally? After all, all the anti-Semitic world want the Palestinians to have a place in Israel. If the Palestinians are allowed to be repatriated into Israel, why doesn't the anti-American world force the United States to repatriate the Mexicans into the States that were once their own? I'm just being a devil's advocate here, if only to make a point.

How is Lindsay Lohan going to revive her derailed acting career with this movie after all her public melt-downs and crazy publicity stunts? It looks like "downhill" for her from now on. After all, she portrays the porn star, Linda Lovelace, in an up-coming movie--and it had better be at least an NC-17 movie or I'm not going to review it ( maybe )!

Puneta ( Damn it! ) was one of my late father's favorite Spanish expression.

word of advice: What goes around, comes around.

Don't bring un carrito de helado ( ice cream cart ), un rastrillo ( rake ) y una escoba ( broom ) tambien ( also ) to a gunfight.

tidbits: I decided to have an early dinner after the show at Empire Buffet because I haven't seen the owner's daughter the last half dozen times that I was there. But, there she was--beautiful as ever! I guess she only works on weekends now. I'm not a stalker, just an admirer, mind you.

attention: It is getting closer and closer to the Annual Weblog Awards. Please select from all my posts for this year then go to the awards website and take the time to nominate one of my blogs--whichever one happens to be your favorite--in the following categories: Best Entertainment Weblog, Most Humorous Weblog, Best-Kept Secret Weblog and/or Best New Weblog. Thank you very much.

THE AMERICAN, R ( 1 hr & 43 min )

where: UA EMERY BAY STADIUM 10 in Emeryville, CA

when: Friday, September 3rd, 2010

show: 9:55 p.m.

costs: $10.75 Ticket + $0.00 small Popcorn w/ Butter ( free on my movie watcher reward card ) + $4.75 small Diet Coke + $5.00 Carquinez Bridge Toll = $20.50

auditorium: 5

seat: 5th row, 11th column

synopsis: The Man With The Butterfly Tattoo.

After a botched assassination attempt in Sweden, an American assassin, Jack ( George Clooney ), goes to hide in the Italian countryside. While in hiding, his contact contracts his construction of a custom-made and un-serial numbered sniper rifle for a mysterious client. But his relative safety in the quiet provincial town is compromised as some hit-men track him down.

noteworthy scenes: 1.) Assassination attempt in Sweden and the innocent victim; 2.) "Live in the present"; 3.) Mysterious contact, Mathilde ( Thekla Reuten ); 4.) "Custom-made assassination"; 5.) "Hands of a craftsman, not an artist"; 6.) Clara ( Violante Placido ); 7.) Suppressor; 8.) Brothel; 9.) The letter; 10.) Picnic with Mathilde; 11.) Time with Clara; 12.) Bullets; 13.) "Someplace new"; 14.) Newspaper article; 15.) Swedish assassin; 16.) Nightmare; 17.) "You've done much sinning"; 18.) Restaurant; 19.) Briefcase; 20.) Surveillance; 21.) "Two more days"; 22.) Picnic with Clara; 23.) Final job; 24.) "Candy for your trip"; 25.) Following the target; 26.) Back-fire; 27.) Quick-draw; and 28.) The secluded meeting place.

audience reaction: The audience didn't really like the ending of this movie.

recommendation: Ditto for me. Save your money and watch this as a rental.

spoiler alert! Geesh! Whatever did he do to get the Swedes to be really pissed-off at him for? It's not explained in the movie. Maybe he was just being the quintessential "Ugly American"--perhaps, they should have chosen this as the movie's title. Couldn't he have picked-up the hint that the woman was innocent? I wonder if forensics took a semen sample from the innocent victim to find out who she was with for the last time. When the book fell on the floor, he--right away--pointed his gun in a different direction. Why was one prostitute wearing pasties? It was not as if she was doing a burlesque dance since she was just laying in bed ( in other words, lose the pasties! ). How was he able to put the rifle grooves in the barrel? It's bad enough that he kissed the prostitute on the lips ( this is a "no-no" in the profession ) but he even went so far as to perform oral sex on her, too--talk about one kinky bastard! And after all that sweaty, wet and sloppy performance, he had the nerve to say, "You don't have to act. I'm not here to give pleasure; I'm here to get pleasure." ( This is the gist of what he said, not a verbatim quotation. But you get the point. ) Who murdered the prostitutes, and for what reason? If I were the Swedish assassin, I'd have my gun in my hand, then I'd slow down the car, turn the wheel quickly, and shoot at the distracted pursuer. The gun used to kill the landlady didn't have a silencer or suppressor attached to it. In other words, how come there was no loud gunshot noise for the neighbors and/or passersby to hear? If I know that people are out to try to kill me, I'd wear a bullet-proof vest, at the very least.

fyi: I have some personal designs for firearms. If only I were a gunsmith and a machinist, I'd be able to construct such weapons from scratch easily. I even gave them names: Overhead sniper, Pointer target pistol, Belted shooter and All-in-One combat survival weapon.

word of advice: If you must go into seclusion, get rid of the paper trail.

tidbits: I took my car to Wheel Works first thing in the morning to have them put manual transmission fluid in my Geo Metro because I suspected that it hadn't been changed in a long time. The service advisor told me that they only change the transmission fluid during the 30K, 60K and 90K scheduled maintenance intervals. Meaning, that the last time that it was changed was about 44K miles ago--probably longer! And he told me that putting new transmission fluid in it might make the hard shifting worse. So he told me that it would be best for me to have Discount Transmission, three buildings down the corner, check it out and see what they'll recommend.

Then, I went to Royal Jelly Doughnut Shop for a Blueberry Fritter, a Nut-crusted Chocolate Doughnut and Royal Kona Coffee breakfast before heading on home.

After writing-out payment checks for a couple of monthly bills, I went to CSAA to get a new tag for my Metro's license plate and a free California State map so I can see the route that I'll need to take for a planned near-future trip to Bakersfield. Then, I dropped-off the bills at the post office and did some grocery shopping before heading-off to Oakland, California.

I was at my friend, Hector's, place in Oakland for the better part of the day. He confirmed what the service advisor at Wheel Works said: That putting in new transmission fluid will more than likely make things worse since it will eat-up the old seals in my transmission.

His son, Ismael, showed me a taped program on TV about rival gangs in Oakland, CA, mostly centered on the Nortenos ( red gang color ), Surenos ( blue gang color ) and Border Brothers ( black gang color ). And they live deep in Norteno territory--and all this time I've been visiting them sporting a black baseball cap! I wonder if Barbie-pink or floral-print will look good on me ....

Later on in the day, I showed Hector, his wife and his son a website about weird/funny people who shop at Wal-Marts: www.peopleofwalmart.com. Then, I washed my car--only to have the stray cat that they've been feeding walk all over my Metro and leave paw prints all over it. So, I had to hose down my car and squeegee the windshield, mirrors and windows all over again. Later on, we sat down to some dinner that he and I cooked ( me = macaroni & cheese w/ vienna sausage; him = spaghetti and pan-fried steaks ). Then, we started watching a movie on movie2k.com: KING OF FIGHTERS. But I only watched half of it since it was getting late--and I didn't want to miss the last showing of THE AMERICAN. When I got in my car--guess what?--I noticed MORE paw prints all over my windshield, and on the hood and roof! Damn, I'm not buying cat food for that crazy stray anymore!

At the end of the movie, some guy in the audience said out loud, "Stupid-ass movie!" The rest of us laughed. Then, somebody clapped his/her hands.

attention: It is getting closer and closer to the Annual Weblog Awards. Please select from all my posts for this year then go to the awards website and take the time to nominate one of my blogs--whichever one happens to be your favorite--in the following categories: Best Entertainment Weblog, Most Humorous Weblog, Best-Kept Secret Weblog and/or Best New Weblog. Thank you very much.

AVATAR: SPECIAL EDITION 3-D, PG-13 ( 2 hr & 51 min )

where: BRENDEN VACAVILLE 16 in Vacaville, CA

when: Thursday, September 2nd, 2010

show: 12:50 p.m.

costs: $10.00 Ticket + $5.00 small Popcorn w/ Butter + $4.25 small Diet Pepsi = $19.25

auditorium: 9, with the 3-D screen

seat: 6th row, 9th column

synopsis: James Cameron went back to the planet of Pandora to shoot additional scenes. But, seriously folks, I already blogged about this movie when it first came out. Feel free to re-read my previous blog-post on this movie.

noteworthy scenes: 1.) Abandoned school for the Na'vi children; 2.) More spinning creatures; 3.) Hunting a herd; 4.) Burned and destroyed equipment; 5.) Home Tree's destruction; 6.) Extended battle scene; and 7.) The replacement warrior chief.

audience reaction: There were two little old ladies in the audience with me. And I don't know how they liked this movie.

recommendation: For die-hard AVATAR fans, this movie is a must-see.

spoiler alert! 'Same as what I've blogged about before.

fyi: The added scenes really added more substance to this substantial movie.

word of advice: 'Same as before.

tidbits: I got $7.00 worth of gas at the Chevron gas station by the theatre. They sell novelty fake driver's licenses. I bought a couple of them. I learned that it's not a good idea to clean your windshield if it's hot: the cleaning solution dries up before you can squeegee it off and just leaves filmy streaks that are hard to wipe off.

On the way home, I picked up my check, looked at my schedule for next week, went to B of A and Chase banks to make deposits, bought two gallons of alkaline drinking water, ate at Selecta Filipino Buffet, and bought some lottery tickets.

HUBBLE, G ( 0 hr & 45 min )

where: EDWARDS FAIRFIELD STADIUM 16 & I-MAX in Fairfield, CA

when: Thursday, September 2nd, 2010

show: 11:35 a.m. I-Max 3-D

costs: $10.00

auditorium: 12, with the I-Max screen

seat: 5th row, 5th seat

synopsis: This movie, as narrated by Leonardo DiCaprio, chronicles the final upgrade/service on the STS-1256 Hubble Space Telescope, with the astronauts doing the film documentary which will be a scientific legacy for generations to come.

noteworthy scenes: 1.) Astronaut pre-flight preparations; 2.) The Hubble telescope; 3.) 320 miles above Earth; 4.) Warped mirror; 5.) Contact lenses; 6.) Orion's Nebula; 7.) Tadpoles; 8.) Shuttle servicing mission; 9.) Underwater practice sessions; 10.) Suction toilet; 11.) "The last thing to do is scratch"; 12.) RSU and other astronaut acronyms; 13.) -200 degree temperature; 14.) "Larry, Moe & Curly"; 15.) Tethers; 16.) Vulnerable gloves; 17.) 32 screws; 18.) Floating tortilla; 19.) Utopia; 20.) Chewing gum; 21.) Stars; 22.) Galaxies; 23.) Billions of light years away; and 24.) Fragile Oasis.

audience reaction: There were only three other people in the audience with me. And I have no way of knowing how they liked it.

recommendation: I loved this movie. It is a great and invaluable supplementary learning aid that students of Astronomy ( as I once was years ago ) will come to fully appreciate.

spoiler alert! Some scenes involving the Earth and the Milky Way Galaxy, and its neighbors, were obviously done with computer graphics.

fyi: The Americans have Astronauts. The Russians have Cosmonauts. And the Filipinos have Coconauts, because the farthest up in space Filipinos have ever gotten is the top of coconut trees! ( If word of this old joke ever gets out, I'll never be able to visit the Philippines anymore. So let's let this be our little secret. Pinky-promise, 'kay ...? )

word of advice: Earth is the only humanly-habitable planet that we've got; let's take good care of it.

tidbits: I was gonna see the extended AVATAR movie at this theatre. But I'm only allowed to earn up to 17 points on my Regal movie watcher reward card per day. And I already earned 15 points for this movie. So I decided to go to Brenden Theatre in Vacaville, instead. Besides, I haven't been to Brenden Theatre in Vacaville in quite a long time.