ICE AGE: DAWN OF THE DINOSAURS, PG ( 1 hr & 27 min )

1st time:

where: CENTURY 14 VALLEJO in Vallejo, CA

when: Friday, July 3rd, 2009

show: 11:05 am in 3-D (1st show extra dollar discount matinee )

costs: $9.00 ticket + $4.25 Medium Diet Coke + $1.50 CVS Mediterranean Trail Mix ( smuggled-in ) = $14.75

auditorium: 8

seat: 3rd row, 12th column

2nd time:

where: CENTURY 14 VALLEJO in Vallejo, CA ( I didn't have enough time to go to Fairfield )

when: Monday, July 6th, 2009

show: 12:25 pm in 2-D (1st show extra dollar discount matinee )

costs: $6.00 ticket + $4.25 Medium Diet/Zero/Cherry Coke + $1.39 CVS Asian Blend Trail Mix ( smuggled-in ) = $11.64

auditorium: 7

seat: 4th row, 9th column

Envious of his expectant Mammoth friends, Sid ( John Leguizamo ) decides to become a "mother" to a trio of T-Rex eggs ( which he names Eggbert, Shelly & Yolko ) that he happens upon quite by accident--and with Sid, everything is always accidental. The T-Rex mother rescues her babies and takes them back to her world with Sid along for the ride. His friends decide to rescue him, following the trail which leads them to a terra sanctum, a hollow-earth inner world, where its inhabitants live insulated from the mass extinction of the surface-dwelling dinosaurs.

In this inner world, they come across a reluctant guide, an eye patch-wearing super weasel named Buck ( Simon Pegg ), the definitive prehistoric precursor of Captain Ahab of Moby Dick fame, who's obsessed with exacting his revenge on a white super-saurus named Rudy.

And, of course, no ICE AGE movie is complete without the lovable, scene-interweaving and scene-stealing Scrat ( Chris Wedge ), who may or may not be ready to give up on his singular acorn obsession.

noteworthy scenes: 1.) Buck's Rule # 3; 2.) The "cell phone" rock; 3.) The Chasm of Death, a.k.a. Big Smelly Crack; 4.) Scrat and Scratte ( Karen Disher ) falling into the tar pit then resuming their acorn race; 5.) Sid trying to keep an Archeopteryx from being eaten alive; 6.) The "wax" job; 7.) The Tango struggle; 8.) Pterodactyl chase/rescue scene; 9.) Raptors on the attack; 10.) Scrat and Scratte on the "turn-table;" 11.) The Rudy chase; 12.) Scrat helping Scratte with home furniture; and 13.) The ending scene. This movie also pays homage to The Flintstones and The Chipmunks.

audience reaction: The kids in the auditorium found this to be a very funny movie.

recommendation: Go see this with children, the 3-D show if possible.

spoiler alert! The dinosaurs are exaggeratedly-sized to gigantic Godzilla proportions. This kid's movie can easily do without the penis jokes ( three in all ). If it were for real, Sid would have easily burned to a crisp on that rock-plate in the river of lava.

fyi: When I was a little boy, I tried to milk a pregnant goat and almost got gored for my effort. The writers could have used a pregnant cow instead of a dozing bull, "iykwim."

Scrat's scenes are always stand-outs because they employ the universal movie-making language of "Show, Don't Tell." One doesn't need to know a word of English to understand his scenes and are therefore perfect for any child the world over to see.

word of advice: It might be time to talk to your kids about "the birds and the bees" and their attached ( ahem ) "appendages."

tidbits: When I stepped out of the cineplex to go to my car, I noticed that my brown T-shirt had pen marks all over the chest pocket because I was busily taking down notes while the movie was playing.

Later on, I went to Kinko's ( Sir Speedy was closed for the July 4th weekend ) to have a thousand business cards made for my Cine-Man. They will be showing me the proof on Wednesday of next week. I can't wait to get my business cards all printed-up! I paid almost $40.00, but it will be worth it.

The movie title ought to be: ICE AGE: DUSK OF THE DINOSAURS.

2nd tidbits: The wasabi peas in my trail mix got more and more potent with each mouthful! I was just glad that I had a medium-sized drink to dilute its potency with. If I had any nasal congestion before the movie started, it was all gone before the movie ended! Banzai, wasabi! Banzai!

PUBLIC ENEMIES, R ( 2 hr & 23 min )

where: CENTURY REGENCY 6 in San Rafael, CA

when: Thursday, July 2nd, 2009

show: 8:40 pm

costs: $10.00 ticket + $4.25 medium Diet Coke/Zero + $2.16 bulk chocolate candies = $16.41

auditorium: 6

seat: 5th row, 14th column

It is the early 1930's during the Great Depression, desperate times calling for desperate measures. The desperate men who rise to the challenge go on to become legends in the annals of American Crime History, men such as "Pretty Boy" Floyd ( Channing Tatum ), "Baby Face" Nelson ( Stephen Graham ) and, of course, the incomparable John Dillinger ( Johnny Depp ), the man who inspired the law to get tough on crime. Banks are closing and homeowners are foreclosing ( these sound familiar to you? ). Organized crime is enjoying a burgeoning business across state lines and law enforcement is stretched to the limits of its capabilities. Clearly, a harsh message has to be sent to the criminal elements. John Dillinger, the first "public enemy # 1," must be captured "Dead or DEAD!" as J. Edgar Hoover ( Billy Crudup ) unleashes on him a determined Chicago Detective, Melvin Purvis ( Christian Bale ), who closes-in evermore for the kill.

John Dillinger, a cocky, daring, charming and smart criminal with an inscrutable code of honor arrives at his defining moment which endears him in the hearts of his true love, Billie Frechette ( Marion Cotillard ), and of the disenfranchised folks suffering through the depression.

predictions: Three Oscar nominations: Best Actor - Johnny Depp, Best Actress - Marion Cotillard, Best Supporting Actor - Stephen Graham.

noteworthy scenes: 1.) The first jail-break; 2.) J. Edgar Hoover introducing Detective Purvis to the reporters and giving the audience an insinuating glimpse at his rumored sexual proclivity; 3.) John's first date with Billie; 4.) The hat & coat check counter; 5.) The second jail-break; 6.) The public service announcement at the theatre; 7.) The talk with Det. Purvis; 8.) The intense shoot-out involving the trigger-happy "Baby Face" Nelson at the hide-away; 9.) The passing of the National Crime Bill; 10.) Billie's interrogation; 11.) The casual stroll through the Chicago Police Department as a Yankees game is aired on the radio; and 12.) Going to the theatre to watch the Clark Gable movie, MANHATTAN MELODRAMA.

audience reaction: The audience was in rapt attention.

recommendation: Whenever a Hollywood movie is billed as one based on a true story, you can be sure of two things: 1.) Creative license is used to EMBELLISH the story and 2.) COMPOSITE characters are thrown-in for good measure; so that I just roll-up my eyes and moan, Oh, no, not again .... But this movie is different, as it breaks away from the pack. Anybody who is interested in American History will be well-served by this movie. Go see it.

spoiler alert! I don't know how in the early 30's they got away with an imposing black man in the car with them at a time when racial segregation was still the norm in this country. The big coward who interrogated Billie didn't get what he deserved. The unjustifiable gunning-down was a senseless act; why it happened, we'll never know.

fyi: Marion Cotillard won a Best Actress in a Foreign Film at the Oscars for her superb performance in the French movie LA VIE EN ROSE. Go see this movie if only to know what a deadly combination of smoking, drinking, and doing drugs can do to a person mentally and physically--it is a very disturbingly graphic depiction in this must-see movie about a real-life person, Edith Piaf.

Speaking of Marion Cotillard, she bears a resemblance to my second sister in her younger years.

The very first movie that I saw at this cineplex is the original X-MEN.

word of advice: Boycott the Chinese buffet mentioned below!

tidbits: It was around 6:15 pm when I arrived here in Novato, CA. I still had about an hour and 15 minutes before the scheduled start of PUBLIC ENEMIES at the Novato Century Rowland Plaza. After talking to my eldest sister on my cell-phone, I decided to eat first at Fuzhou Super Buffet just across the freeway from the cineplex, before seeing the movie. There I was returning to my seat at around 7:00 pm when I noticed that the plate that I had just finished was still on the table. I sat down and started eating when a waitress came over and told me that I hadn't finished eating all the rice left on the first plate ( about 3/4ths cup ), and that I should finish it first before I eat all the rice on my second plate! Can you believe the nerve of such a bitch? I've been eating at Chinese buffets for over 12 years now and this is A FIRST! I just snorted like a hog and kept on eating. What else could I do? I was busy eating like a pig and she was ruining the rhythm that I had going for me which involved a lot of eye-hand-mouth coordination! You've heard of bean counters, right? Well, apparently, in China they have rice counters! She'll probably save that rice and add it to tomorrow's Fried Rice!

I was so upset that my abdominal muscles constricted so that I became full before I could scarf down some dessert! So I just sat there and waited and waited and waited for my abdominals to relax because I knew I still had room in there for some more. In the meantime, the bitch kept checking-up on me to see if I ate the remaining rice on the first plate--I didn't, of course, since I was already done with it as far as I was concerned. She was messing-up my relaxation and concentration, and training ( I want to be the next hot-dog eating champion, in keeping with Vallejo's new tradition ). I missed the 7:30 pm show in the process. But there's another cineplex a few miles down the freeway with a scheduled 8:40 pm show. So I waited and waited and waited some more--but to no avail. Damn! no dessert this time--she might as well have sent me back to my room, that bitch!

So, did I leave her a tip? Nope, but I should have left her with this: Don't quit your rice-counting day job 'cause you ain't got what it takes to be a waitress--and you're not even a good-looking one. I've seen some hot Chinese waitresses before but I'm not looking at one right now!

If it's any consolation, my cookie fortune says: "You will make a name for yourself in the field of entertainment." This is no lie. I have this fortune in my wallet to show to anyone who demands proof of it.

Hey, I should apply for work as a writer at a fortune cookie factory. I'll start off with this: Confused So says, "Man who walks in front of moving car gets tired fast." Damn, I'm good!

AWAY WE GO, R ( 1 hr & 40 min )

where: CINE ARTS @ PLEASANT HILL in Pleasant Hill, CA

when: Wednesday, July 1st, 2009

show: 9:35 pm

auditorium: 2

seat: 4th row, 10th column

A young white insurance salesman, Burt ( John Krasinski ), is in love with and wants to marry a mulatta ( quadroon, perhaps ) artist named Verona ( Maya Rudolph ), who's pregnant with his first child but does not want to marry him because of a promise she made to her own parents before they died. And his rich hypocritical parents do not seem to cotton to the idea of their son marrying outside of their race as they make the effort to be thousands of miles away by the time the child is born. Left to decide what to do with their seeming directionless lives before their daughter is born, they take to the road to visit with friends and relatives as they weigh their lifestyle options.

noteworthy scenes: 1.) The first bedroom scene; 2.) In Tucson, a mom-tutored boy candidly tells the couple about what he did to a baby; 3.) The tete a tete on the train; 4.) The Fisher-Herrin "hippy/new-age" home in Madison; 5.) The personal revelation by a friend at a club in Montreal; 6.) The "Do you promise" talk as they drift off to sleep on a trampoline in Miami underneath a starry sky; and 7.) The final scene which uses the metaphorical symbolism of a variegated fruits tree.

audience reaction: The audience laughed at the funny scenes in the movie.

recommendation: This movie is the anti-thesis to the usual Hollywood "road trip" fare except that it cannot veer-off the stereotypical assortment of quirky characters that one expects to see in such movies. It was an "okay" movie for me. This is perfect for passing the time away on a hot summer day. Or if you already have other plans, wait for this to come out as a rental.

spoiler alert: There's no strip-tease on "amateur night" at the club, for you horndogs out there. Don't tell me that there are no mosquitoes in Miami! There are mosquitoes here in Vallejo, but they are non-native because all of them have a butt sticker that says, "I (heart) Benicia."

fyi: As the couple enters the Fisher-Herrin residence, L N ( Maggie Gyllenhaal ) welcomes them in with the greeting, "Namaste." This Hindu greeting means: The Holy Spirit which in-dwells me acknowledges and greets the Holy Spirit which in-dwells you. I wouldn't use this greeting in the casual manner that it is used in the movie. First of all, you have to say it with the palms of your hands pressed against each other in front of your chest and accompanied by a slight bowing of your head. Secondly, if you're not spiritually enlightened, you have no business using this greeting. It should be reserved for formal use only by yogis, monks, ascetics, holy men, saints and anybody else who is free from the dangerous bigotry of religion.

L N presents a very wacky concept of child-rearing: The Theory of the Continuum Movement which asserts that the reason for family dysfunctions is the non-enforcement of the Three No S's: No Separation from your child (even if it means breast-feeding the child past the weaning-off stage), No Sugar and No (baby) Strollers. And, in a perfect two-step, her husband chimes-in with the "family bed" and the "Sea Horse Community," capping it all off with the bit about his (yes, HIS) "Electra Complex." Man! and I thought I was flaky; but this couple takes the cake and eats the coo-coo nut flakes, too!

word of advice: Love conquers all.

tidbits: The main reason why I went to see this movie is to double-check on the poster for the movie, MOON, which I saw at this cineplex three days ago ( see my blog on this one ). A concessions clerk and the box-office clerk showed me the poster which had already been removed from the lobby and is now being kept inside the box-office. I was right about my keen observation of said poster. Aren't you glad for the fact that I'm dedicated to giving you, my readers, the most accurate details that I can possibly gather for my movie blogs? Well, you should be because you're getting all this information from me for free since I'm just doing this as a hobby and as a way to "pad my resume" so I will look more credible to publishers and editors the next time that I approach them with a book proposal.

I remember back in college when I dated this German-American girl who was a singer in a Madonna tribute band. Her part-time prostitute mom ( Yes! ) did not approve of me ( the nerve of such a woman) since I'm of mixed race, too; so she hooked-up with this older guy who just got her pregnant then abandoned her. I blamed Madonna for this girl's messed-up life. To add fuel to the fire, I saw pictures of Madonna showing EVERYTHING except for her armpits--she had more hair in one square inch of -pit skin than I do in both armpits! Hairy women are a turn-off for me. Now, whenever I'm driving and a Madonna song starts to play on my radio, I immediately turn it off because it brings back memories. Unfortunately, Madonna songs are played on a regular basis at work. So I'm doing my darndest best to train my ears to accept this vocal trash as "white noise." Did she really look like Madonna, you ask ...? Well, she's a female just like Madonna, I can tell you that much!

I wonder what would have happened had I paid her mom to like me--things would have turned out quite differently. I do recall knocking on her bedroom door ( innocently enough ), to inquire about her daughter's whereabouts, one night when she was "busy." Boy! talk about coitus interruptus!!!

MY SISTER'S KEEPER, PG-13 ( 1 hr & 46 min )

where: CENTURY 14 VALLEJO in Vallejo, CA

when: Tuesday, June 30th, 2009

show: 11:05 a.m. (extra-dollar discount matinee for the first show )

auditorium: 11

seat: 4th row, 8ht column

Caring for an older sister who's dying of cancer robs one of his/her youth as he/she is rapidly forced into a mature role far beyond the scope of his/her innocence. Enter into this picture Anna Fitzgerald (Abigail Breslin), a precocious 11-year old preteen suing her own parents for "medical emancipation." For it seems that the sole purpose for her very own existence is to keep her older sister, Kate ( Sofia Vassilieva ), alive since she was not conceived by accident but bio-engineered to be an exact donor match for Kate. The two sisters share a common bond of emotional and physical pain. But is "simply existing" the same as "being alive?" As a love one, patient and/or donor, how does one decide on what is more important and when enough is enough? All three parties have rights and have valid arguments. If only one party is to prevail, a court decision is the only way to arrive at a legal conclusion.

prediction: Sofia Vassilieva will win an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress.

noteworthy scenes: 1.) The brother Jesse ( Evan Ellingson ) being sent to camp; 2.) The "urine" sample; 3.) Scenes with Taylor Ambrose ( Thomas Dekker ); 4.) Anna as a non-cooperative 5-year old donor patient; 5.) The going-to-the-beach; 6.) The "Britney Spears" moment by the mother, Sara ( Cameron Diaz ); 7.) The courtroom; and 8.) The final visit.

audience reaction: As the audience left, I heard a lot of sniffles. I, on the other hand, only had a severe case of allergy (ahem!). I was the last to leave because I had to blow my nose. They should install HEPA filters in this auditorium!

recommendation: Go see this Family Drama.

spoiler alert! This is not for people who have read the book because the ending is different, according to what I read on the Internet.

fyi: Back in the early '70's, when the popular detective series, HAWAII 5-0, was aired in the Philippines, it brought with it the tsunamis of Don Ho's singing career: Pearly Shells and Tiny Bubbles. Inspired by these Hawaiian phenomena, children could be seen doing their best impressions of the Hula dance and the Tahitian dance. It strikes me as odd, then, that the filmakers chose Tiny Bubbles as the background song for the scene in which the children are jumping on the trampoline because this particular song is about drinking and becoming drunkenly affectionate--and under-age children are not allowed to drink alcoholic beverages in this country ( unlike in the Philippines where 5-year olds could be seen with an opened beer bottle in one hand and a lit cigarette in the other hand, and would therefore be allowed to listen and dance to Tiny Bubbles ). If you must know, I started smoking when I was four and quitted when I was thirteen! ( There goes my prudish, innocent "Good Boy" image flying out of the window. )

word of advice: Count your blessings.

tidbits: In July of 2006, I went with my eldest sister and her family to AMC STAR GRAND RAPIDS 18 in Grand Rapids, Michigan to see the movie, JOHN TUCKER MUST DIE! There, in the main lobby, was displayed the dress which Cameron Diaz wore in the 1994 movie, THE MASK, with Jim Carrey. She is one tiny lady! Or, as us guys would say it, A SPINNER! ( This is guy slang for a hot, petite babe that you can just lift, plant and spin, "iykwim"; it has nothing to do with a singing group unless you have a fetish for petite female singers.) Oh, by the way, iykwim is a very deliciously sweet frozen treat ( yeah, right ... ) made out of milk, cream, sugar, fruit and/or other flavorings which melts in your mouth and in your hands, If You Know What I Mean.

I half-expected John (brother of Joan Cusack who plays Judge De Salvo in this movie) to pop up in a cameo, supporting or uncredited role since they are almost always featured together in movies starring either one of them as a lead character, all in the name of Hollywood-style nepotism. But to my disappointment, he is a no-show in this one--the victim of "down-sizing," perhaps?

Joan Cusack was a hot fantasy commodity back in 1993. Check her out as the blonde nanny in ADDAMS FAMILY VALUES.

I had planned on seeing this movie the night before, either in San Rafael or Novato since I had not been to either place in over a year. But I lost track of time as I was busy proof-reading the previous two blogs.

MOON, R ( 1 hr & 37 )

where: CINE ARTS @ PLEASANT HILL in Pleasant Hill, CA

when: Sunday, June 28th, 2009

show: 4:50 pm

auditorium: 4

seat: 4th row, 6th column

Astronaut Sam Bell ( Sam Rockwell ) is isolated on the Moon on a three-year contract to mine it for Helium-3, which has become Earth's primary source of energy. Nearing the end of his contractual obligation, he gets into an accident and wakes up to find a younger version of himself living with him at his outpost. As they put their minds together, they unravel a very disturbing secret.

noteworthy scenes: 1.) The discovery of the secret "cryogenics" room and 2.) The satellite call to Earth in an area outside the jamming towers' reach.

audience reaction: This is a thought-provoking film about Science and Technology's Code of Ethics ( execution, violations and ramifications). The reaction was pretty much cerebral.

recommendation: Go see this movie to know what real science fiction is all about.

spoiler alert! There are neither mega-bots nor pointy-eared aliens in this one. The poster for this movie is stupid: the astronaut is walking on the moon holding his helmet in his arm! (Ahh! a conspiracy in the making.) Three thousand two hundred and eighty-five styrofoam food containers ( 3-year supply) is a lot of styrofoam to eat through! I thought astronauts ate squeeze-tubed and plastic-pouched foods only.

fyi: There are actually two moons shown in this movie: the other one being Sam's backside in a shower scene.

I cannot add more to the synopsis without giving the story away.

Sam Rockwell starred in a 2002 movie titled, CONFESSIONS OF A DANGEROUS MIND, about the secret-agent life of TV host Chuck Barris (who looks more like a Daniel Craig type of spy rather than a Pierce Brosnan one) of The Gong Show. He is great in this movie. See it if you can.

word of advice: Expand on your notion of Science Fiction.

tidbits: For this second movie, the line was only about forty yards long, and it wasn't as hot as it was earlier.

As I waited in line to buy a ticket, I saw this old, flabby white lady ahead in line of me wearing a light-tan shirt and khaki pants with the fabric all bunched-up at her posterior that it looked like she gave herself a big wedgie putting her pants on. And her outfit was almost skin-tone in color so that from far away she looked like she was (really wrinkled) butt-naked! 'Not a pretty sight to behold for my delicate eyes. ( This one's for you, Brett B., my co-worker in Benicia, CA. )

In line at the concession counter with a bottle of Fuze Green Tea to buy, I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror behind the counter. I didn't know that I look that scary. It was like I was staring at a pit-bull sporting a mustache!