THE RAVEN, R ( 1 hr & 43 min )

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where:  EDWARDS FAIRFIELD STADIUM 16 & I-MAX in Fairfield, CA
when:  Saturday, April 28th, 2012
show:  11:20 a.m.
costs:  $8.00 Ticket + $4.75 small 30.0 oz Barq's Root Beer + $5.57 # 6 Jumbo Jack Combo Meal @ Jack-In-The-Box after the movie = $18.32
auditorium:  5
seat:  3rd row, 11th column


synopsis/overview:  A killer is on the loose whose Modi Operandi are the dark tales of Edgar Allan Poe ( John Cusack ). As the killer brags about his crimes and taunts the author of his sources of inspiration, the deadly "cat-and-mouse" game takes a turn for the worse as the killer kidnaps Poe's fiancee, Emily ( Alice Eve ).


noteworthy scenes:  1.) It's empty; 2.) Bar tab; 3.) "This crime is familiar to me"; 4.) Emily and her dad; 5.) Longfellow; 6.) The Pendulum Ax; 7.) Human heart; 8.) Library; 9.) "There's someone here to see you"; 10.) "You're talking about my story, a work of fiction"; 11.) "They hated each other"; 12.) The taunt; 13.) "He was the host of the ball and the first to die"; 14.) "I would have devoted my time to eroticism"; 15.) The ball; 16.) The intruder; 17.) "Madness ... horror"; 18.) Coffin; 19.) Anatomy class; 20.) "I'm the master of my heart"; 21.) "Reset page one immediately"; 22.) Macbeth; 23.) "I'd gladly give my life for hers"; 24.) Search warrant; 25.) "Someone's missing"; 26.) Tongue; 27.) Peephole; 28.) "Some headway"; 29.) Tunnels; 30.) Corpse; 31.) "I went to West Point"; 32.) Longitude; 33.) Holy cross; 34.) Grave site; 35.) Magnet; 36.) Story; 37.) "One last act"; 38.) The note; 39.) The ink; 40.) "Getting warmer"; 41.) Surprise; 42.) "I'm your crowning achievement"; 43.) The basement; 44.) "In this life and in the next"; 45.) Park bench; 46.) "A dream within a dream"; and 47.) The unexpected encounter.

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

recommendation:  I liked how they made a Mystery Thriller out of Edgar Allan Poe's last few days in life. Go see this if you're into Action/Mystery/Thriller movies.

spoiler alert!  If that Double-Hung Window was nailed shut, how was the killer able to trigger the locking mechanism as he made his escape, since it could only be locked and unlocked from the inside, and it was spring-activated only to unlock? Didn't either of the tenant open the window--or try to, anyway--in any one of the days leading-up to the double murder? And if the window looked like it was nailed shut, simply pushing-up on it would be enough for the cops to know whether all of the nails went through both window frames or if only just one ( i.e. the locking pin, in this case ) did.

A Double-Hung Window ( from the Internet ) pencil-drawn to show its various parts.

That Pendulum Ax begs the question, on the meager salary that the killer was earning at his place of employment, how was he able to afford leasing or renting that place and having the time to secretly construct the elaborate and expensive killing device without anyone's help? Feeding a human heart to an animal is morally reprehensible in my book! How was he able to pick-out his tattooed sailor victim when, based on how everyone was dressed, the weather was cold enough for the men in that city to keep their shirts on and, therefore, keep their bodies's distinguishing marks--including tattoos, if any--well-concealed from the killer? When Emily poked a hole through the coffin lid, she was then able to see the side wall! What, were Emily's eyes periscopic? The cop who had his throat slashed laid on the ground with a big gaping wound on his neck--I don't think so! The cop's throat was slit open with a very sharp knife that would only leave a clean cut, not a gaping wound. Besides, the natural reflex of anyone after a knife wound like that would be to tuck-in the chin.

fyi:  Edgar Allan Poe's medical records and death certificate went missing. So, how he died is truly anybody's guess because about a half-dozen conflicting theories are offered-up. But the one thing that most medical doctors who have examined the evidence agreed on was that the most-likely cause of Poe's death was Rabies ( from his pet, Raccoon, perhaps ).

A TV show about criminals and their victims ran an episode once about the true story of a little girl who was the victim of an attempted murder by her own father who slashed her throat. Her body was dumped in a shallow grave. But she survived simply because of the position of her head in relation to her body: Her chin was somewhat tucked to her chest as she laid in the hole.

word of advice:  Don't be a copy-cat.

tidbits:  After the movie, I went back to the Box Office to buy a ticket to the midnight show of, THE AVENGERS, in I-Max 3-D.

On the drive back to Vallejo, I saw something that I have never noticed before: A windmill close to where the Budweiser Beer Distribution Center is located, between Fairfield and Vallejo. It must have been put-up recently because, like I said, I have never noticed it there before.

The windmill that I saw is exactly like these ones here that I found on the Internet.

A few miles down the freeway, I stopped by the Jack In The Box Restaurant for lunch.

That's not a pool of water in the foreground. That is the roof of my Hyundai Accent.

I made my own fountain drink by making a half-and-half of Diet Dr. Pepper and Diet Coke. I had plenty of time to review my movie notes before needing to show up at work by 4:00 p.m. But ... silly me, I left my notepad in my car! And I didn't want to interrupt my meal just to go and fetch it. It would have to wait since my hunger took precedence.

After my meal, I made another fountain drink by making a half-and-half of Orange Fanta and Strawberry Fanta, which I planned on taking to work with me to drink on my break period.

Then, I went to my car to get my notepad. And I walked to the restaurant's outdoor dining area to go over my notes in the cool shade.

My pen, my notepad, and my receipt are all visible on the counter top. Through the window, you can see some sitting areas. The far end was where I sat to eat my combo meal.

Later on at work, I went into the breakroom for my break period. I opened the refrigerator to get my drink. But it wasn't there anymore. Somebody threw it away. Damn! I'm gonna have to go back to Jack In The Box to make another Fanta soda mix.

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