Fish Movie Reviews

"African Cats"-Teaching About Life in the Wild Without All the Pain

2011-06-05T14:26:00.000-07:00

We have a review of the Disney documentary “African Cats”. Marvelous camera work but not for every 7 year old.

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”African Cats”
IMDB site for this movie

I was initially skeptical that this movie would be suitable for a 7-year old. Of course it was suitable in that in terms of graphic sex or violent content it was rated “G”. But a G-rating does not necessarily keep a 7-year-old mesmerized in her seat for an hour and a half.

Two things: first there were no other suitable movie alternatives that particular weekend and second, it was a Disney movie.

Understand that said 7-year-old child was also promised a trip to the local Play McDonald’s before Obamer kills off Ronald McDonald so my assertion that toward the end the child did get a tad restless is not to be blamed on the movie.

This same 7-year-old child, not to belabor the point, is normally an exceptionally well-behaved child thus adding all these factors together, were I the mother/grandmother of an especially rambunctious youngster under, say, aged ten, I’d think about waiting until this movie comes out in DVD before expecting active youngster muscles to sit through this thing quietly. Let them watch it in the comfort of their own living rooms where they can pause and pee as needed.

Which is my most diplomatic effort to praise this movie for its appeal to the younger of us but with caveats to pay attention to the child and circumstances that the “G” rating does not lull one into thinking this to be a captivating animated film especially designed for youngsters.

It is, however, a riveting film featuring amazing camera work that did keep my particular 7-year-old mostly quiet and focused for the movie’s duration. Myself enjoyed every second of the film but then I love animal type of documentaries so we’ll call it a draw for granddaughter Kaitlyn and myself between a cartoon and an adult romance made to mostly appeal to both of us.

The production company for this movie is DisneyNature. Disney does produce movies with the best camera work and this film is no different.
The movie follows the life of a lion, Fang, a lion cub, Mara, and a Cheetah, Sita, as they live their lives, fight their battles, yes, meet their death.

I was very happy that my granddaughter was able to witness, up front and personal, how God’s creatures too struggle to train and raise their young to survival, like humans. God’s creatures too struggle to survive, they are vanquished, they perish.

The whole thing is treated quite delicately. There are no bloody scenes, no long minutes of watching death, no humiliating vignettes of defeat and banishment. Yet it all happens in the movie, as it must, as would be expected from a real movie about nature realistically depicted.

Sita struggles to raise her cheetah cubs. They start in the movie as adorable cheetah kittens and throughout the viewer sees them grow strong, tall and able, nurtured by the dedication of their mother and trained to survive on their own as required. Sita did lose two of her five cubs, a sad thing again, handled delicately so as not to needlessly bring pain to young hearts.

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Mira is a lion cub raised by her weakening and dying mother. Mira’s mother too struggles to raise her daughter to live and grow strong. When Mira loses her mother she is driven out of the lion pride by an upheaval that shows, gently, how fleeting power is, how the stronger will win the battles that their genes continue on.

Mira survives her banishment and is eventually reunited with her pride, said lion pride taken over by a stronger pack of male lions. Mira goes on to bear and raise the cubs of the victors, the old and scarred male, Fang, having been driven off for his weakness.

The movie features amazing camera work, beautiful vistas of the habitat of the African Cats, close-ups that amaze, true story lines that will teach as well as entertain.

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RIO-A 2011 Movie As Pleasing to the Eye As It Is To the Mind

2011-05-23T04:54:00.000-07:00

Here's a movie review of RIO, an animated film as pretty to watch as too the joyful plot. With an amusing story of a "Blue" bird that visited my own modest backyard

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Official web site for this movie
IMDB web site for this movie

I’ve yet to attend the showing of an animated feature without noticing the resemblance of some of the characters to real and famous people. I could swear the little boy in “Rio” looked like Barack Obama. But I won’t hold it against him or the movie.

A few other characters looked very familiar but I couldn’t put a name to them.

I went to see this movie with daughter and granddaughter. First test, the movie kept the 7-year old interested, was not violent or sexual in any way, had a happy storyline and had the appropriate amount of action scenes as required to keep the young interested, to not lose them in boredom.

Cast overview, first billed only:
Karen Disher ... Mother Bird (voice)
Jason Fricchione ... Truck Driver (voice)
Sofia Scarpa Saldanha ... Young Linda (voice)
Leslie Mann ... Linda (voice)
Kelly Keaton ... Bookstore Customer / Lady Tourist (voice)
Jesse Eisenberg ... Blu (voice)
Wanda Sykes ... Chloe (The Goose) (voice)
Jane Lynch ... Alice (The Other Goose) (voice)
Rodrigo Santoro ... Tulio / Soccer Announcer (voice)
Gracinha Leporace ... Dr. Barbosa (voice)
Jamie Foxx ... Nico (voice)
Will i Am ... Pedro (voice) (as will.i.am)
Phil Miler ... Aviary Intern / Waiter (voice)
Anne Hathaway ... Jewel (voice)
Bernardo de Paula ... Sylvio / Kipo (voice)

These movies are never the stuff of Academy Awards and they are formulaic. There must be a story line, there should be a chaste love interest ongoing, there should be a battle, however smallish, of good versus evil.

The degree to which one such animated movie is better than another is in nuance.

Rio had the most colorful characters of any recent animated movies I’ve chanced to see. First, the movie was about birds living in the heart of South America. Right there you’ve got a treasure trove of colorful and beautiful birds.

As an aside, and as a bit of serendipity which brings a smile to my face, the main animated character in this story is a blue bird named …well “BLU”.

So isn’t husband, who’s hardly any dedicated bird watcher, sitting at the dining room table one day, eating his dinner in front of the sliding glass doors, when he suddenly and with great surprise shouts “What kind of bird is that?” I turned to watch and for 1/100th of a second I saw a flash of deep blue wings.

“The bird was completely blue!” husband shouted with surprise and joy. “It looked just like a cardinal only it was blue!”

Somewhere in my mind the species of that bird was tempting me but I walked away to muddle it through. And I was a bit jealous that it was husband, who never fills the bird feeders which had attracted the bird to begin with, saw it for a much longer time then to rub salt in the wound…”Here it is again!” he shouts, only when I got back to the big window the deep blue bird was gone.

It was an Indigo bunting, this within a week of having seen the movie RIO, which was about a beautiful blue bird which looked a lot like that Indigo Bunting.

Husband becomes a bit insufferable, giving me details on Indigo Buntings, which are related to cardinals, as he informed me in one such info session, thus I should not forget that his first comments were that the blue bird at the feeders resembled a cardinal, only blue.

The week before last husband spotted a pair of Orioles and I heard all about this for a week, but moving on.

For the record, I DID see a flash of those inky blue wings so technically, I saw it too.

For the record, sometimes I wonder if God doesn’t have a sense of humor what with these whimsical things happening, like seeing a glorious blue bird I’d never seen before…me, a dedicated bird watcher, the same week I watched an entire movie about a similar bird.

For the record, God obviously has a touch of satire in Him for giving husband the bigger glance at one of His more beautiful creations.

The love interest involves BLU and a lady bird, as well as a human couple, the female of which is BLU's human owner.

Along with the beautiful birds that lend themselves quite well to color, there were playful monkeys, handsome drooling bull dogs, humans dressed in colorful costumes…the entire movie was as much a pleasure to the eyes as to the mind.

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Review "Gnomeo and Juliet"

2011-03-24T14:30:00.000-07:00

For movies we’ve got a peek into that cuter than cute “Gnomeo and Juliet”. Yes it’s an adorable animated story for the young ones but what about this movie so offended me?
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Gnomeo and Juliet-Clever, Adorable, Entertaining

IMDB site for this movie.

Let’s get this small brickbat out of the way. For I know that the tragedy of “Romeo and Juliet” as written by Shakespeare would not be the stuff for an animated film meant to appeal to children. I’m not at all comfortable with the producers willy-nilly, poof, just changing the ending of the Shakespeare play to suit their needs.

This is, ahem, William Shakespeare, after all. And “Romeo and Juliet” is, ahem, a classic of the ages.

A character in the play does explain the change in endings rather cavalierly, that the original ending would not be the fodder for young children, that the ending in this 3-D animated movie will have the viewers leaving the theater with smiles instead of tears.

Well yeah.

BUT THEY CHANGED THE ENDING OF A FREAKING SHAKESPEARE PLAY!

On some level that seems a bit audacious but I’ll get off of my high horse. It was a better ending for children. Let’s hope that these children’s unionized teachers don’t choose to just show this movie in the classroom and call it close enough.

But we must move on, sarcasm off.

This, eh, version of Romeo and Juliet features a garden gnome named, of course, Gnomeo, hailing from a garden locked into a feud with the garden where another female gnome lived, named Juliet.

The pair meet, fall in love…the story unfolds.

Cast:
James McAvoy ... Gnomeo (voice)
Emily Blunt ... Juliet (voice)
Ashley Jensen ... Nanette (voice)
Michael Caine ... Lord Redbrick (voice)
Matt Lucas ... Benny (voice)
Jim Cummings ... Featherstone (voice)
Maggie Smith ... Lady Bluebury (voice)
Jason Statham ... Tybalt (voice)
Ozzy Osbourne ... Fawn (voice)
Stephen Merchant ... Paris (voice)
Patrick Stewart ... Bill Shakespeare (voice)
Julie Walters ... Miss Montague (voice)

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This movie has the best music of any animated movie (and with a 7 year old granddaughter I see a lot of them) of any animated movie I’ve seen. The dialogue was appropriate for children, but quite clever and appealing to adult viewers.

The movie flew by, an explosion of 3-D color, splendid music, appealing dialogue, action, love and pathos. I walked out of this movie with a big smile on my face, delighted from the experience and very forgiving of the mucking around with Shakespeare.

Just don’t do it again.

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Reviews-"Yogi Bear", "Gulliver's Travels"

2011-02-13T14:40:00.000-08:00

Movie Reviews-"Yogi Bear the movie"-cute, finally, a REAL villain. "Gulliver's Travel's"-disgusting with the worst movie scene...ever.

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"Gulliver's Travels"-Possibly Worst Movie of Year

Web site for this movie

Well there wasn't much of anything playing around the Baltimore area when I paid my daughter and granddaughter a visit this past mid-January. Daughter had reviewed the offerings at a mega-cinema near her and it was she who suggested we see "Gulliver's Travels". I am so glad that this was not my idea although daughter did express reservations.

"Jack Black, he's a bit odd, the comedy might be over Kaitlyn's head, may be a bit gross," daughter said, but noted it only had a PG rating and that "Yogi Bear" the movie too had a PG rating. Kaitlyn, my granddaughter, and I had recently seen the Yogi movie and I figured if "Gulliver's Travels" was on par with Yogi Bear, what could go wrong?

Stars of the movie included:

Jack Black
Jason Segal
Emily Blunt
Amanda Peet
Billy Connolly

Silly me, I thought the movie was animated. All I remembered as daughter and I discussed the film was that a bunch of little people somehow binding down a great big guy and this concept seemed, er, cartoonish.

Both daughter and granddaughter were surprised that "Gulliver's Travels" was, indeed, a real book, a splendid satire in fact. Jonathan Swift was a sort of medieval hippie of his era, and this story was a kind of smack at the constant fights amongst peoples over the silliest things. It was a day of kings, queens, knaves and peasants and a tale about a land full of tiny people who all had to suddenly stop their stupid fights to deal with this big giant suddenly living with them and had a tongue-in-cheek kind of moral.

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In fact, "Gulliver's Travels" the movie had a big scene that included a rousing rendition of the song "War, What Is It Good For". In case we needed to be hit over the head with the point.

As a common sense Conservative type of guy, I tend to pooh-pooh such Pollyanna songs that would what good is war, or in the case of John Lennon's "Imagine", ask why we all just can't get along.

There will always be nasty Hitlers and Kim-Jong-Il's about and the only way to stop them is to KILL THEM! Nobody likes it, but the alternative is slavery or a life without basic freedoms, or even our own execution. THAT's what good WAR is for, it's not pleasant, but while you boobs sing the naïve songs I'm going to fight to not be controlled by any other human. I report, thank you very much, to my Lord and God .

In Swift's little allegorical tale of life as a giant in a land of little people, he did live in an era when they people fought about right silly stuff, how to address the Lord, who is a serf, hardly the stuff of horrific Holocausts. Still, singing songs about war's uselessness is not going to stop an Adolf Hitler from annihilating an entire people.

This story of Gulliver's Travels did capture the essence of Swift's story, via a giant Gulliver played by Jack Black.

Some of it, folks, was quite disgusting.

At one point, Gulliver was called to help put out a fire that had broken out in a ministry building and was threatening to kill the King, the Princess, or some nobleman or other.

Think of every joke that had a sudden but smallish fire erupting in the presence of a human male and insert the smirky common method of how such a conflagration could be extinguished. So okay, big Gulliver saved the day of the desperate Lilliputians by peeing upon their fire. Had that been the scene, with time for a quick giggle, and the movie moved on, it would have been okay.

Oh no. In front of my 7 year old granddaughter Gulliver not only pees on the castle fire, he pees on all the Lilliputian people with clothes on fire. This peeing scene seemed to be interminable. Sorry folks, sights of people being wetted down by what is supposed to be urine are a bit sickening. I don't much like bathroom humor anyway, considering it something for teenaged boys. But long, drawn-out bathroom humor like this scene was simply excruciating.

Granddaughter said she really liked the movie but I think she speaks of the joyful camaraderie of mother, grandmother, of popcorn, cokes and candy, and a visit to Friendly's afterward, for a shared ice cream sundae. Although she did watch the movie quietly and laughed when appropriate.

I can only say, Mama don't let your children under age 10 watch this movie. I'll go one step further, buy them the book and HAVE THEM READ THE STORY!

"Yogi Bear" the Movie...Cute.

There's one new thing in the Yogi Bear movie, and that's it's the politicians are finally the bad guys.

Beyond that, my granddaughter and I quite enjoyed this film featuring the lovable Yogi, his cute buddy Boo-Boo, Ranger Smith and his love interest, Rachel.

Web site for this movie.

Character voices are provided by :Dan Akyroyd, Justin Timberlake, Anna Faris, Tom Cavanagh. Not that I rush to see a film based on who's providing the voices, I suppose there is some fame for speaking for an animated character.

So often when we see movies of all stripes, be they cartoons, science fiction, dramas, the bad guys are often some nameless but evil big business or our own country's military. Either some big business ran by ruthless CEO's who never struggle with meeting a payroll or delivering a timely product is all involved with taking over/stealing or outright killing the competition. And our poor military really takes a beating, dear Lord, you'd never believe that these folks are busy taking orders from civilian bosses or sleeping in a tent in some desert area wrestling fleas from camels. Oh No...the big bad military wants to take over other planets, rule the earth, turn us all into robots.

It was refreshing to have a movie finally making the bad guys, the REAL bad guys.

But of course not all politicians want to turn our national parks into trash dumps for re-election, or do they want to kill all endangered species.

Still I'd think a politician would be more likely to sell his or her soul and principles for another chance to remain in the Blue Blood Ruling Class than some military Loot trying to incorporate political correctness into what's supposed to be a fighting force while commanding a regiment charged with protecting some godawful city in the middle of a sandy hell.

Which is not to say that Yogi Bear was not a very good, quite amusing movie for adults, even grandmothers taking visiting granddaughters , and children. Although I do question the wisdom of a lovable bear character when bears are very dangerous animals.

But Yogi Bear's been around for quite a while, in fact, I watched many a Yogi Bear cartoon as a child.

Bears do like to raid camper's food supplies so the stereotype of a bear gorging on human food is not far off the mark.

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The movie has a good storyline, a chaste love interest, action to keep young minds interested in the movie right when their attention might wane. Add some popcorn, a soda, and you can't go much wrong with an afternoon of watching Yogi Bear, Ranger Smith, and Boo-Boo.

Just for laughs, click in to the movie below. Here's a real bear, curious fellow, who runs into a human that scares….the bear?

Curious Bear Meets Hunter

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Review: "Megamind"

2011-01-20T15:33:00.000-08:00

Movie Review-"MegaMind" is a story about good versus evil. Nothing new about this.

Except in MegaMind, it gets confusing as to who is evil and who is the good guy.

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Web site for this movie

Like every animated film I’ve seen these past years, the characters in this film look like real people to me and after spending a little time in thought, I’ve figured out who they resemble. A picture below my guesses better illustrates my choices.

The title character, Megamind himself, looks to me exactly like comedian George Carlin. His nemesis and ultimately his friend at movie’s end, Metro Man, is a dead ringer for Alec Baldwin. The fellow who segued into the REAL bad guy, Tighten, looks like Seth Rogen of “Knocked Up” fame.

MEGAMIND is a movie that follows a pro forma type of plot, like they all do. There’s good, there’s bad, there’s a love angle. MEGAMIND does have a surprise twist in the plot. For as the movie begins there’s the “bad” guy-Megamind, and the “good” guy-Metro Man. A clash of good versus evil ensues and the movie viewer sits back to watch the action.

Only the good guy is destroyed early in the movie and the viewer ponders how they’re going to fill in another hour of movie time. For MEGAMIND is in control of the metropolis, MEGAMIND is an evil sort of guy, MEGAMIND and his minion fish friend are full of joy for the victory and power.

Enter, Roxanne, who looks exactly like Katie Couric and does, in fact, play a news reporterette and Megamind love interest. Roxanne gets busy sniffing around in the liar of Megamind looking for the story that will propel her to journalistic fame. As for Megamind, he disguises himself as a mild-mannered museum keeper and amuses himself by assisting Roxanne in finding the evil Megamind.

For make no mistake, the evil Megamind is bored. So bored, in fact, that he decides to create another icon of goodness to replace Metro Man who left us so early in the film. “Tighten”, a clever play on the word “Titan”, is a camera man who works with Roxanne and lusts for her beauty.

Megamind manages to grant the formerly meek camera super powers, with the intent that Tighten would be a “good guy”, allowing Megamind an enemy to again fight on to the heights of joyous victory.

Only it doesn’t quite turn out that way.

Tighten does not quite do what Megamind had in mind. Metro Man, the movie’s original “good guy” really didn’t die, Roxanne does not know that mild-manner museum attendant is really Megamind and despite his intent toward evil, well….it doesn’t quite turn out this way.

It’s a good movie, one of the better animated films I’ve seen this past year. 7-year-old granddaughter adored the film and in due course a happy ending was had by all.

Except, perhaps, for Tighten.

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Review: "Despicable Me"

2010-07-28T15:15:00.000-07:00

8/1/10

Here’s a review of the latest hit movie of the summer of 2010. It’s “Despicable Me” and it’s perfect for a 6 year old granddaughter. We’ve got stolen moons, cute orphans, nasty turning nice and, of course, a happy ending.

It’s stereotypical but it’s good for a rainy or extremely hot summer matinee.

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”Despicable Me” Movie Review

As is the drill with such films, granddaughter and critic-in-chief joined me as I viewed this popular animated film of the summer of 2010. There is a 3-D and a regular version of the film. Granddaughter and I always see such things in 3-D because a 6-year-old thinks this is really cool.

The main character of the film, a really bad fellow who fell upon his evil ways because of a mother who utterly failed to instill in him any sense of self-esteem, is deeply involved in a life of bad deeds. His latest and greatest goal is to steal the moon right out of the sky and hey, this is cool.

IMDB site for this movie.

However Gru has a competitor for despicable greatness. A fellow named Vector is closing in on the cartoon curmudgeon and Gru despairs.

This is when we have three cute orphan girls come on the scene.

Using this trio, Gru manages to sabotage his nemesis and get inside his home. Said act helps him gain access to an invention that one would necessarily need if one wants to swipe the moon outta the sky.

Much of the movie is taken up by two story lines, both of them happening simultaneously. Gru plots, plans and steals the moon while falling in love with his three unwitting orphan cohorts in crime.

Hey, it’s a good movie, good characters, has action where action is needed, has sweetness as required. The viewer is left thinking there really is no hope for despicable Gru when the human spirit, as it always does, awakes to a brand new morn and life’s priorities are once again set straight.

The movie has, as expected, a happy and heart-warming ending.

I’m not convinced this movie will do for the 10-12 year old little boy hellions out there in movie land. I’m not convinced that children much beyond age 8 will demand to see the thing although once in DVD I think it will nicely occupy a few hours time.

Parents will like it as there’s enough adult wink-winks and nod-nods in the film and we get it.

It’s a stereotypical film but then again, what’s wrong with that?

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Review:"He's Just Not That Into You"

2010-06-06T13:44:00.000-07:00

So I watched this chick flick…"He's Really Not That Into You" and I saw myself as a young lass, I saw young women across the fruited plains.

To my surprise, I liked the movie!

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He’s Just Not That Into You

Let us begin by so noting that there are lots of big name stars in this movie.

Jasmine Woods ... Crying 20-Something (as Kristen Faye Hunter)
Scarlett Johansson ... Anna Marks
Ben Affleck ... Neil
Jennifer Aniston ... Beth Murphy
Drew Barrymore ... Mary
Kris Kristofferson ... Ken Murphy

Which by no means makes a great movie, let us not misunderstand. I’m jes’ sayin’.

Let us so note that Jennifer Anistan is by no means any sort of outstanding actress and again, I’m jes’ sayin’.

In fact, Jennifer is very much beginning to show her age and should I mention that I’m jes’ sayin’? The “girl” is seriously pushing 40, she’s not married, has no children, and always manages to get caught topless somewhere, either on the beach or around her home. Such bad luck, poor child.

But I did like Jennifer’s character in this movie, which is a chick flick, let us not mislead. Gentlemen might, ahem, enjoy this movie but with my very heterosexual husband as my guide, go with me here, the fellows will tune this thing out after the first fifteen minutes. As a date flick, well it might do as the movie does deal with the ticklish issues of finding, meeting, and solidifying a relationship and a couple on a date could use this film as a springboard to discuss amongst themselves.

Husbands, I dunno, I don’t see them enjoying this thing at all.

As for this senior female, now far beyond the dating scene with the movie’s subject matter way behind me, the movie did bring back funny and fond memories and darn, it wasn’t that long ago that I walked the same path as Kristen, Mary and Beth. I invested a lot of my life in a fellow who didn’t want to get married and I had to cut the cord. I spent many an hour listening for the ringing of the silent phone and I talked off my girlfriends’ ears discussing every move HE made as a sure sign that he adored me and was just waiting for the right time.

It’s a film for females of all ages is what I’m saying here. The subject matter isn’t the stuff of deep thought but the movie does hit the right tones, it does get it right. Whoever wrote the book on which this movie is based knew a thing or two about dating males and females, in other words.

IMDB LINK FOR THIS MOVIE

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There’s a lot going on in this movie, a lot of sub plots, many little stories weaving in and out. Which fact made me enjoy it all the more. I’d have turned that knob a long time ago if I had to watch over two hours of Jennifer Aniston and Ben Afflack act out there rather boring relationship until the break-up on through the make-up on to the very surprising ending with those two that made no sense at all.

But we also had a husband who was dealing with infidelity, …NO or YES? The drama of that sub-plot was totally unbelievable and let me reveal this strange tidbit…the wife threw husband overboard for SMOKING as opposed to being unfaithful and right there is a synopsis of how screwed up this world is. Nowhere in the marriage vows is a pledge to remain smokeless and very much there is a vow to be faithful but hey…silly me.

There’s a couple of other sub-plots and as the film rolls along I gave it my full attention for the pull of the various plots.

In the end, as these things go, it all comes together. And not necessarily with a happy ending but, to the producers’ credit, most likely the way it should be.

The day after viewing this film I called my daughter and told her to watch this film, either when it finally made it to TV or preferably by using RedBox for a special night of movie entertainment.

And I meant it. Daughter will enjoy this film. I enjoyed this film.

And if a film is enjoyable, an entertaining and intriguing little wedge of time, well it has met its mettle, no?
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How To Train Your Dragon”-3D and Endless Merchandising

2010-04-04T14:28:00.000-07:00

We're gonna have Vikings and Dragons from now through next Christmas as the merchandisers rush to cash in on Pixar's latest offering: "How to Train Your Dragon".

It's a great movie, if formulaic. Kids from four to fourteen will love it, as will their adult companions for its action, 3-D effects and colorful characters.

A review and a few complaints.

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”How To Train Your Dragon”-3D and Endless Merchandising

It’s not that I have any problem with merchandising a movie. I’ve long ago become accustomed to such as little toys associated with a movie being included as part of McDonald’s Happy Meals. In fact, I offer it as a point of excitement as I always take granddaughter to a nearby play McDonalds after we go to the movies and before I place the order I drum up Kaitlyn’s excitement by the promise of a toy in her meal that applies to the movie we’d just seen.

Indeed it was the same this past weekend when we’d both seen the movie “How To Train Your Dragon” and indeed included in Kaitlyn’s Happy Meal was a little figurine of lead character Hiccup’s obligatory love interest, Astrid, riding one of the movie’s many…well dragons.

It’s just that this movie is merchandised bejeesus to the point of complete distraction. Vikings and dragons can be purchased in abundance at Walmart or other retailers near you. There’s the McDonalds connection, ever present. We’ve got Vikings and dragons everywhere and Lord knows when it will all fade away. When Pixar has another movie to merchandise or when dragon rides are finally installed in Disney World no doubt.

Movie Web Site here

“How To Train Your Dragon” is the stuff of movie formulas for kids ranging from age 5 thru early teens. First you must have a lovable but pathetic sort of main character that early on must prove something to himself if not the entire world. Second this character must have some sort of love interest, but keep it clean, just a crush sort of thing, perhaps a chaste kiss at the end. Third, there must be some adventure that kids will like with their budding imaginations and what better to meet this criteria than dragons? Every little kid imagines dragons all about, under the bed, perhaps right outside the window.

If I sound jaded please indulge. This was a very enjoyable movie, it had a splendid, if somewhat convoluted story, you had the Vikings all involved and these fellows made great 3D images alongside the fire-breathing dragons.

It’s just that with granddaughter I’ve been to many of these sorts of movies and so far the winner is “UP” but that’s just me.

I’d give this movie an A- if not a solid A for the storyline, adventure, graphics and the 3D is always a great way to watch a movie. Granddaughter adores 3D movies.

But let’s not kid ourselves that this movie is cinema of a mighty intellectual caliber. Still, movie genres, even the formulaic, can be done badly but “How To Train Your Dragon” was done wonderfully.

A few nitpicks: The main dragon character, intriguingly named “Toothless”, really didn’t look all that scary. In fact, he looked like a pet dog. This sort of dragon was characterized in the movie as the most vicious kind of all but those big puppy-dragon eyes and humorous name was a bit incongruous with this depiction.

In addition, the plot line about the dragons’ lair and why they had to raid the Vikings’ livestock was very unclear to me. There was a big bogeyman dragon but the relationship of that dragon to the other dragons was a bit fuzzy. Was it the Queen of all dragons or was it the slaveholder of all the dragons?

Not that 6-year-old granddaughter questioned any of this and she fell in love with Toothless, something I suspect the animators intended.

Thus to those readers with kids do not fear that the vague storylines will distract from the young human’s enjoyment of the film one bit.
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Review-Planet 51-A Yawn, Wait for the DVD

2009-12-06T15:18:00.000-08:00

“Planet 51”-a big yawn. Here’s a review of this okay kind of movie, rated on the wiggle meter at about a c+ or b-.

Pic of the Day

“Planet 51”-an Okay Stereotype Sort of Movie

It was an entertaining enough kind of movie, “Planet 51”, when granddaughter visited. Granddaughter is 5 year old and by my use of the “wiggle” meter, I’d give this film a c+, at best a B-. The “wiggle” meter is my guide as to how the movie being viewed captivates the younger audience, specifically my granddaughter, who is 5 years old and fairly typical. For the movie “UP”, she did not wiggle once. For this movie she began wiggling about halfway through. Other similar types of movies and the mileage varies.

The animation was not especially terrific but it was sufficient. The plot line wrote itself. There were action scenes appropriately spaced with emotional scenes. Somebody got a hold of a pro forma movie for children and their parents who must accompany them and filled in all the blanks.

IMDB site for this film.

Frankly, if someone asked me, I’d advise not to bother viewing this movie via a trip to the theater but it would make a fine DVR to watch at home, perhaps leave with the babysitter. Fix up a couple bags of popcorn, some hot chocolate, sit the younger ones down in front of the set and it will keep them fixated for about an hour.

An American astronaut pays a visit to some planet somewhere, so goes the story line. It’s weird, in a way, because American astronauts are very respected in America, one is currently a Senator in America’s House of Lords. Yet it’s hinted at that astronauts are just big show-off lower-intelligent buffoons who only push buttons and looks big and brave.

I caution because in the end the handsome buffoon astronaut does become a hero and saves the day on Planet 51.

Warning, when watching this movie it becomes very necessary to suspend one’s sense of disbelief, I’d argue even beyond the possible. For the inhabitants of Planet 51 speak perfect English, look like humans save their odd antennas, behave much like humans with a silliness of humans when faced with the new and different.

It’s stereotypical all right but hey, there’s still children growing up who have yet to see every stereotypical film created so much that they can recite the plot line verbatim.

My advice? Save the money and wait for the DVD.
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Movie Reviews-"Beverly Hills Chihuahua" and "Juno"

2009-11-15T14:04:00.000-08:00

Here’s two movie reviews, raves both of them. They are so different but provide entertainment and thought. We look at the drama of dogs in “Beverly Hills Chihuahua”. It’s totally not believable but it’s a good watch.

“Juno” brings a special pang to the heart of this reviewer as I once found myself in a very similar situation to Juno. But I would never have made the same choice as the quirky Juno. Read the rave review and the personal story that had me and mine going such a different route.

Pic of the Day

Beverly Hills Chihuahua

Drew Barrymore ... Chloe (voice)
Piper Perabo ... Rachel Ashe Lynn
Andy Garcia ... Delgado (voice)
George Lopez ... Papi (voice)
Cheech Marin ... Manuel (voice)
Paul Rodriguez ... Chico (voice)
Plácido Domingo ... Monte (voice)
Edward James Olmos ... Diablo (voice)
Loretta Devine ... Delta (voice)
Jamie Lee Curtis ... Aunt Viv
Luis Guzmán ... Chucho (voice)

So okay it’s a stupid movie with a plot so predictable I had the movie line mentally written by the end of the first scene. The best thing about this movie was the dogs. Real dogs were used, not cartoons. Excellent photoshopping of the talking dogs with mouths moving to match the English words of their dialogue made this movie very entertaining.

A pampered Chihuahua, from Beverly Hills of course, ends up in the wilds of Mexico, all involved in some sort of dog snatching/fighting imbroglio that ultimately gives Chloe the Chihuahua a lesson in a life hard-lived.

There’s a magnificent German Shepherd that gets involved in saving Chloe from the evil dognappers and meanwhile Chloe’s temporary human caretaker and the owner of Delgado, the Chihuahua that loves Chloe with all his small yappy dog heart and soul, are too trying to save Chloe the Beverly Hills Chihuahua before her owner, played by Jamie Lee Curtis, comes home from her trip abroad.

The plot twists and turns are totally unbelievable, almost laughable. A little Chihuahua ends up in Mexico but just like magic and with a snap of the fingers, her human caretakers manage to find her and chase her through the streets of Mexico, into the cages of the dog fights, on cross-country trains right into the local shops of a small dusty town.

But it’s not a plot meant to be believable. Add in the improbable characters of an Iguana and a rat for God’s sake and the viewer surely knows that this sort of thing would n’er be possible in the real world. Then again German Shepherds and Chihuahuas do not talk and there is no great valley of the mighty Chihuahuas in Mexico, populated by thousands of brave and proud Chihuahuas either.

It’s entertainment, pure and simple. The lives of the dog stars follow lives of humans, this so that the human viewers would better understand the story. Chloe the little Chihuahua learns how to be tough and tender without need for diamond collars. A grizzled former police dog re-gains his courage and sense of smell after helping a tiny Chihuahua grow and survive against all odds. Love flourishes between the landscaper’s rough and tough Chihuahua and the Beverly Hills Chihuahua who once snubbed him as way out of her canine league.

Get this movie for your kids, get it for yourself, spend an afternoon in this fantasy involving dogs, danger and happy endings.

Juno

I do not want to spoil this movie for anyone. Given the fact that Juno was released in 2008, I doubt I will. Still, someone might read this review who has not yet seen the movie. I myself just saw the movie in early November 2009 so it’s possible.

Thus I warn of possible spoilers.

Characters in the movie below:
Ellen Page ... Juno MacGuff
Michael Cera ... Paulie Bleeker
Jennifer Garner ... Vanessa Loring
Jason Bateman ... Mark Loring
Allison Janney ... Brenda 'Bren' MacGuff
J.K. Simmons ... Mac MacGuff
Olivia Thirlby ... Leah
Eileen Pedde ... Gerta Rauss
Rainn Wilson ... Rollo
Daniel Clark ... Steve Rendazo
Darla Vandenbossche ... Bleeker's Mom

IMDB of this movie here

I remember when this movie was released. Being a contributor on many conservative web sites I was surprised to hear that this movie was so well received by those with a conservative idealogy. I wondered why.

The reason, it would seem, was that Juno chose to give birth to her baby rather than have it aborted. Conservative idealogy would decree that a child is created at conception and to terminate the pregnancy is, essentially, murder.

Further, Juno was hailed as a “feelgood” movie, a film that would leave you with the proverbial smile on your face and song in your heart.

Well yes.

It also left me a bit confused about some things but let’s assert right here that this was a very, very enjoyable movie, miles above others, a cinematic prize, if not a masterpiece.

The movie left me thinking and pondering some things but many would argue that this is the mark of a fine film.

Let’s get out of the way here that my daughter too had a baby as a very young girl. She did not have an abortion, not because of a firm idealogy against same but more because by the time I discovered the pregnancy it was too late for that procedure, late term abortions notwithstanding. Although I’m not at all sure she would have had an abortion but let’s be clear that while in this day and age I, and she I must suppose now having a daughter of her own, have a firm opinion on the matter of murdering the unborm, at the time we perhaps had no firm principles on the matter as we’d never been faced with it. Also, at the time, the slippery slope murder of murdering infants moments before birth was not widely practiced, or known, and mothers-to-be wishing to avert, (and proudly bragging about it!), multiple pregnancies by killing one of several gestating babies that life not be one big Walmart shopping trip, was rare.

She did have a very “modern” adoption, some now 16 years ago. In fact, we “interviewed” perspective parents who had placed an ad in a local newspaper seeking young women just like my daughter who were looking to place their babies into a good home for adoption. It was all a bit disconcerting and understand it was not the sort of thing anyone has a whole lot of experience with once in the midst of dealing with it all.

In fact, my daughter might well be reading this review right now as she is one of the two to three people every day who read this Blog so let me tell her right here in public that she should watch this movie. She will absolutely love it.

Daughter and I were inundated with folks wanting desperately to adopt her baby. At the time I was so unaware of how it all worked that I’d phoned up five such folks who were looking to adopt a baby and that was a mistake.

Those people wanted a newborn baby to adopt so darn bad that I had to face an even more difficult decision, which was breaking four couples’ hearts. For only one would be chosen by my daughter to adopt her baby. If had a chance to do it over again I’d have been much more judicious in setting up meetings for this sort of thing but thank God I didn’t have to do it again.

This leads me into my bafflement as to why Juno went ahead and let the woman adopt her baby even though the couple originally set to adopt her baby would be getting a divorce.

I recall there being lots of loving couples who desperately wanted a healthy newborn, there was no need to have a single mother adopt the baby. Then Juno’s parents only interviewed one couple at the time, unlike me who thought human babies were like puppies, that the infant would take some time to unload, forgive my grammatical ungraciousness, but that’s what I thought the experience would be like before I got underway.

I had potential adoptors of daughter’s baby phoning me at work, begging me to consider them, telling me all that they could offer my soon-to-be-born biological grandchild. The decision of which of the five couples to allow to adopt her baby was, of course, my daughter’s. The heart wrenching task of informing those not chosen was on me. I had people break down in desperate sobs when I did my best to tell those rejected that they were fine people but that daughter had chosen someone else. I’ll never forget that most difficult thing I ever had to do in my entire life.

You can believe that if one of those couples had notified daughter that they would be divorcing she’d have chosen another couple right away. Children need two parents. We had such a wealth of potential parents for daughter’s baby that there was certainly no need to give the infant, a boy as it would turn out, to a single mother.

In fact, one “couple” wanting to adopt daughter’s baby was a homosexual couple. The fellow told me that he and his partner had a wealth of joy, happiness and yes, money, to offer a child. He even offered us money if we would give the child to them. It was rejected right from the start. The man tearfully begging for a chance to raise the child seemed sincere but daughter was choosing a home for her baby and she would never have chosen to put her child in a home with two fathers and no mother. Or, to make my point more forcefully, a home with only one parent, a choice that the movie’s name character, Juno, willingly made.

Obviously my story is nothing like Juno’s. Juno was involved with just one couple and if she’d spoken to other potential adoptive parents it wasn’t indicated in the film. I just know at the time I was faced with it all, daughter only had one month to go before she’d be giving birth. I thought finding adoptive parents would be difficult and again, how are people expected to handle such a very tough task what with having no experience at all? I wonder how Juno’s parents, in the movie it was her father and stepmother while in my daughter’s time it was her stepfather and her mother, or possibly Juno herself, found the adoptive parents because that wasn’t clear either.

Still Juno chose to give her baby to the woman even though the husband was taking a hike. The potential adoptive mother of Juno’s baby was a fine woman, that was made clear in the film. The potential adoptive father was presented as immature, that was also made clear, and the fellow was bailing out on a commitment he had made so it’s not like any great loss there. Again, I’d never have done such a thing and again, not that it was my choice to make.

After daughter watches the movie I’ll ask her if she agrees.

Whatever the case, this is a great movie. Some would say, and so shall I, that it a movie that will likely only appeal to the females in our midst. It’s a movie that has great characters and does a wonderful job of showing the interaction of the characters from Juno’s father, to Juno’s boyfriend, to Juno’s stepmother.

It was heartwarming, not at all maudlin, and it had a happy, believable ending.

I cannot recommend this movie enough.

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”Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs”-It’s No “UP” But It Entertains

2009-10-11T07:57:00.000-07:00

Sure it's kid-oriented formulaic and it's no "Up" but it's an entertaining film that adults and children will quite enjoy.

It will also make a great DVD gift for Christmas and for future reminiscing viewing.

It's "Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs".

Pic of the Day

”Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs”-It’s No “UP” But It Entertains

As is always the case, I went to see this movie with my visiting granddaughter. This is the sort of movie designed for just this purpose

The movie was presented in 3D. Kaitlyn Mae does love that effect but it sure does drive the price up. Someday all movies will be 3D and there will no need for those special glasses.

From the web site:

Inspired by Ron and Judi Barrett's children's book of the same name, "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs" is about inventor Flint Lockwood and his food making invention. When hard times hit Swallow Falls, its townspeople can only afford to eat sardines. Flint Lockwood, a failed inventor, thinks he has the answer to the town's crisis. He builds a machine that converts water into food, and becomes a local hero when tasty treats fall from the sky like rain. But when the machine spins out of control and threatens to bury the whole world under giant mounds of food, Flint finds he may have bitten off more than he can chew.

“UP” by Pixar will forever by the benchmark by which I will judge these types of films. Even Kaitlyn, herself a humble five-year-old movie critic, told me during the viewing of “UP” that she had wanted to go to the bathroom but she loved the movie so much she couldn’t bear to leave. Thus our scramble to the bathroom facilities as the credits for “UP” rolled by.

Kaitlyn did sit spellbound during the viewing of this film but she got a bit antsy a couple of times. But not too often as the creators of “Cloudy …” no doubt knew that children were the primary audience thus movie scene action was a constant.

Which is not to say this is not a quite enjoyable movie with a premise that does bring smiles to our imaginations. Food from water…what a concept.

Except the whole thing does spin out of control and it is then that we discovered how much Flint’s father really loves him, that local scoundrels can become local heroes, that even the most nerdy amongst us can be loved.

“Cloudy …” had all the elements of successful film: romance, intrigue, compelling build up, an intense solution to the problem and a happy ending all around.

Which makes this film sound formulaic which, of course, it is. But the characters are creative with perfect dialogue, the 3-D action spellbounds and when a lazy matinee movie is just the ticket, this film is just the movie.
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"Mama Mia"-Good Music,Scenery,Acting, Very Uncomfortable Plot Line

2009-08-23T17:02:00.000-07:00

"Mama Mia" is an okay musical, probably not for our heterosexual brethren. It does feature pop music from my era, has beautiful scenery, great acting, intriguing characters.

Two things, "Dancing Queen" will roll around in your head for a month after seeing it and the plot line, folks, it's really, really uncomfortable.

Pic of the Day

”Mama Mia”…A Very Mixed Bag

IMDB Site for this movie.

I like musicals.

Of course I am a female and women, as I guess by instinct only, tend to like musicals more than men. Such as actors suddenly bursting into song at the weirdest of moments upon the big screen is not normally the stuff males of the human kind like.

So okay, maybe it’s just my husband. And my three other husbands.

Point is I’ve been around men in my lifetime and I assert, anecdotally, men do not normally like musical movies.

In the case of Mama Mia, however, my current husband had mixed emotions because he is, like me, of the era of this movie’s music and it was music he liked as a young man.

Except he doesn’t much like musicals.

But okay, I do and yes, I liked “Mama Mia”. I liked the music, I liked the acting, I liked the characters, I liked the setting, I liked the camera work, I liked the costumes.

I didn’t much care for the story.

Video trailer for this movie.

Actors in this movie:
Meryl Streep ... Donna Sheridan
Pierce Brosnan ... Sam Carmichael
Colin Firth ... Harry Bright
Stellan Skarsgård ... Bill Anderson
Julie Walters ... Rosie
Dominic Cooper ... Sky
Amanda Seyfried ... Sophie Sheridan
Christine Baranski ... Tanya
Ashley Lilley ... Ali
Nancy Baldwin ... Sam's PA
Rachel McDowall ... Lisa
Heather Emmanuel ... Harry's Housekeeper
Ricardo Montez ... Stannos
Mia Soteriou ... Arina
Enzo Squillino Jr. ... Gregoris

So Donna Sheridan runs some kind of hotel thing located somewhere on the ocean, not sure where or what country. But it’s a beautiful setting with, naturally, breezes constantly blowing over a setting of azure blue skies over clean, clear refreshing ocean water.

Donna Sheridan has a daughter, Sophie, and Donna Sheridan has no idea who is the child’s father.

Well not exactly NO idea. It could be one of three men who passed through Donna’s life all in the span of one very busy month when Donna’s child Sophie was assumedly conceived.

The movie involves Sophie’s wedding, her invite to all of these three possible fathers, their collective astonishing acceptance of the honor and moves on through this rather improbable plot line that left me, well a bit embarrassed.

Donna Sheridan, played by that most wonderful of actresses Meryl Streep- of apples with Alar fame so much for Streep’s activism may she stick to acting her liberal self- is a very likeable character.

She was once, along with two other youthful friends, a singer who then became a single hotel proprietress who eschewed males of all sort, alleging their uselessness except for that sperm thing and even at that Donna Sheridan messed it all up.

The idea is that the mother knows just WHO is the sperm donor as children should have a father whose identity they know and in the best of all worlds, that father will know these children exist and will stick around to raise them.

But maybe it’s just me.

For Donna Sheridan was a nice lady who wasn’t a slut as one might think. She just had that one busy month and it all happened because she had a broken heart anyway.

So while I quite enjoyed the movie with its fine music, beautiful scenery, pretty costumes and sometimes funny scenes, the thought of that pretty child having lived her life without ever having a proper father in her life, her somewhat pathetic attempt to locate him to give her away at her wedding, her obvious regret at never knowing her father, well this lent an aura of sadness to the movie.

Sadness and musicals, I’m just not sure they mesh all that well.

It was this discomfort that detracted from my enjoyment of the film. Which is not to say that overall I didn’t enjoy it. I did.

If I didn’t feel so damn sorry for poor Sophie Sheridan throughout the whole thing I would definitely have enjoyed the movie much more.

That’s the fact and what’s my point?

That maybe fatherless children and “courageous” mothers who raise them alone are not the most ideal stuff of happy song and strut?

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REVIEWS: "Incredible Hulk"; "Perfect Stranger"; "The Brady Bunch Movie"-Thrills, good acting and great satire, only not all in the same movie

2009-08-09T06:48:00.000-07:00

Three movies reviewed in this post. "Perfect Stranger" has a smashing ending and good acting by Haille Berry.

"Incredible Hulk" brings back the comic book character in an action packed film worth every second.

And "The Brady Bunch Movie" is packed with satire that had me smiling for every second. Loved the Monkees!
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Pic of the Day

The Brady Bunch Movie-brady bunch movie

IMDB SITE HERE

STARS:
Florence Henderson, Shelley Long, Jack Noseworthy, Jean Smart, Christopher Daniel Barnes, Gary Cole, Jennifer Elise Cox, David Graf, Olivia Hack, Jesse Lee Soffer, Henriette Mantel, Michael McKean, Paul Sutera, Christine Taylor, Betty Thomas, Megan Ward

When I first clicked in to see this movie I thought “nah, this is gonna bore”. I mean…The Brady Bunch?

I was, of course, of a perfect age to watch this film as The Brady Bunch was quite the hit in my day.

Not that I’m proud of this.

The Brady Bunch was a TV show based as much on sixties schlock and non-reality as most anything. We are to believe that this lady with three daughters and a man with three sons, all at the same ages, married and commingled their families, all without rancor, screams, fights, tears, hatred and an occasional murder?

Maybe you hadda be there, but the Bradys were as saccharine a group of individuals as most any on the planet. The kids were cute and goodness Alice the live-in made was a real card and who the hell had a live in maid anyway?

I suppose children my granddaughter’s age thought The Brady Bunch was something akin to reality but the series was the stuff of mockery even in that less cynical era.

But today, a movie about it?

Heh.

Well the joke was on me evidently or else I wasn’t alone as I rolled my eyes at this cotton candy confection that purported to be reality.

Now I look at the likes of, say, “Andy of Mayberry” or even “Leave It to Beaver” and there are those who would point and jump and ask…do you really think THESE shows depicted any sort or reality.

Folks, there was just something about the Brady Bunch that deviated too far from the reality of how difficult it must be to successfully combine two families with the demographics of the Brady Bunch what with this life presented as essentially one big love and laugh-in.

Somewhere in the 50’s there really might have been a housewife with a cute but mischievous little boy and a polite adolescent son and who wore pearls while vacuuming. And there was, was there not, Eddie Haskell? As for Andy of Mayberry, I can believe that there was a small town somewhere policed by a wise sheriff like Andy and we’ve all known or had sidekicks who take themselves a bit too serious.

But The Brady Bunch pushed my suspension of disbelief so far that it just broke.

Which is why I loved “The Brady Bunch Movie”. This movie poked fun at everything that was wrong with the original TV series. Like Mr. and Mrs. Brady being portrayed as sex maniacs. Heh. I mean in the series I don’t think those two were ever even shown in a bedroom together. You had to wonder. Or no, maybe that was just me.

And the jealousy between those quasi-siblings. Marcia was really resented by her younger sister, eh? Besides, Marcia wasn’t really all that as it turned out.

Mr. Brady really did live on a cloud somewhere, didn’t he? Mrs. Brady too didn’t have a clue, huh?

The movie plot was neat, even with the happy ending with everything tied up in a bow with the Brady house being saved. It was exactly like the show ended up but the movie was poking fun at these neatly packaged endings big time.

Loved the Monkees!

I urge anyone who ever watched the Brady Bunch TV series to watch this movie. Go ahead, reserve it on Netflix. You’ll find it brings smiles and a final closure that no, it wasn’t just you rolling your eyes as Alice entertained and cooked or Mrs. Brady remained hopelessly naïve or Mr. Brady saved the world, all the while as these six kids were thrown together amidst smiles and the occasional but loving spats.

I loved this movie.

Perfect Stranger

IMDB Site for this show HERE.

There’s lots to criticize with this movie but it does have two great things going for it. The movie’s star-Halle Berry, gave a terrific performance and the movie’s ending was perhaps the most surprising ending to a movie in many a year.

Stars of this movie:
Halle Berry-Rowena Price
Bruce Willis-Harrison Hill
Giovanni Ribisi-Miles Haley

Halle Berry plays an investigative reporter who embarks on a mission to get evidence on the person she thought murdered her childhood friend. The suspect was Harrison Hill, played shallowly by Bruce Willis. Bruce Willis thinks his smirk is all that is needed to carry his character.

Berry, along with a male pal played by Giovanni Ribisi, who I’ve never heard of, begin a goal to get evidence against Harrison Hill who was, per the childhood friend, having an affair with her.

The story follows this effort and it was successful. In a few tense scenes, Hill got suspicious of Berry and who she was. Berry was posing as a temp for Willis’ agency.

The ending of this movie is its best part. In fact I was just about to turn off the DVR, somewhat satisfied and entertained. I only do reviews of movies that stand out in some way and up until the end, this movie was not deemed one deserving of a review.

I won’t reveal the ending, duh, but believe it was a real surprise, so much so that I dropped the remote and watched with a dropped jaw.

Below a scene from the movie. Halle Berry is to be commended for her acting. She does it well and it’s what she was meant to do.

Incredible Hulk

IMDB site for this movie.

Stars of this movie:
Edward Norton-Hulk
Liz Tyler-Dr. Elizabeth Ross
Tim Roth-Emil Blonsky-other hulk

The Incredible Hulk is one of my favorite comic book characters for several reasons. First, next to Superman, the Hulk was one of my fave comics as a child. Second, I loved Bill Bixby and the TV series. Third, I have a temper my own self, this without ever being subjected to gamma rays, and I understand the feeling of anger rising up within me to a point that had I been exposed to the gamma rays my clothes would rip from my body as animal growls escape from my throat.

Of course I’m not proud of this.

Edward Norton, you gotta wonder, who the hell is he? He did play a passable Hulk. Tim Roth, who is now on that show that has him ascertaining truth from lies, played the obsessed Emil Blonsky, who became, intriguingly, the other Hulk.

Well of course the two Hulks have to fight each other else why have them?

The original Hulk and his more normal human self spend much of the movie trying to escape from an army and government desperately trying to find him and study his transformation. The footage of Norton in various countries, his secret communication with a biologists claiming he could heal him, his return home and meeting with his love, Elizabeth Ross, begin the movie and it’s fine filming, well-rounded and captures attention and provides a background.

The movie begins its climb to a climax of a confrontation with the other Hulk fellow as you had to know was coming. Along the way Norton turns into a Hulk a time or two, mostly when his beloved Elizabeth is threatened.

Hey, it’s a good movie. It’s not filled with insightful facts of life nor is that the intent. I thought I’d long gone past the age where these sorts of movies would capture my fancy. For fans of super heros of past years, youngsters and adolescents who like this sort of action movie, this is a great film to watch.

Below a scene from the movie featuring Norton and Tyler as they seek a “cure” for Norton’s problem.

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"Take Me Out to the Ballgame" is a book that combines sports, politics in a page-turning thriller.

If that sounds impossible, read the review then get the book. Because it's a well-written story that you'll not put down until you figure out what Cal is up to.

HERE
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So we've got this year's Food Network Star and we eagerly await Melissa D'Arabian's first cooking show.

We wrap this year's contest in this post and make a promise we'll be sure to keep.
HERE
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Lots of information on Obama's awful health care plan, a challenge for yon reader to turn in the Fishy Fish, cartoons that tell it like it is.

Plus a Muslim wedding that will shock you, a video on Clunkers for Cash that will break your heart.

We end with a sure smile and more in this weeks Thoughts.
HERE
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Movie Reviews-1994's "The Paper"; 2009's :Ice Age/Dawn of the Dinosaurs"

2009-07-12T14:46:00.000-07:00

Two Movie Reviews.

One is of a 1994 movie that captured my fancy one lazy afternoon. It's called "The Paper" and I dream of journalists that might once again have such pride and integrity.

The other is "Ice Age/Dawn of the Dinosaurs" and here's a terrific animated movie, a great story that children will love.

It's no "UP" but adults will like it too.
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Pic of the Day

DISCLAIMER: Movie Reviews

I rarely see a first-run movie so any movie reviews I do are likely older ones. But if you're looking to rent a DVD for the weekend, or just want a new perspective on a movie you remember fondly, or not-so-fondly, read on.

”The Paper”…from 1994

IMDB site for this movie.

A commenter on IMDB pretty much captures the allure of this movie which so captured my fancy one Saturday afternoon that I thought I’d take the time to give it a review.

It's a cliché to say so, but there's never a dull moment in THE PAPER. The multi-faceted storyline sucks the viewer in and doesn't let go until after the exciting, root-on-the-good-guys finale.

I watch all sorts of movies via Comcast for a small monthly fortune. Some of them are older, ahem.

Which is not to say there aren’t good older movies from a decade ago, of course. Some would say they stopped making good movies after 1970 but these would be old farts.

It is odd when watching an “older” movie to see the characters dealing with life without cell phones. This was the case, indeed, with this movie. Glen Close, playing a female villain which seems to be her acting niche, had to find a telephone desperately towards the end of the movie. This ending would have a whole different plot ending had it been produced in the era of cell phones.

It’s also worth a giggle to see the gigantic size of earlier cell phones in movies produced at the dawn of the cell phone era.

At any rate, it wasn’t the glimpse of an earlier technology which so intrigued and captured my fancy with this movie.

Michael Keaton played the lead character magnificently. Good acting always makes for a better movie. A good plot too helps. “The Paper” had this as well.

What was old-fashioned in this movie was the concept of a journalist with principles. My mouth was agog for most of the movie as Keaton’s character struggled with his love of the job, a pregnant wife, a desperate chaos to keep a bad story from being printed in his paper, and a job offer to a more stately, albeit dull, newspaper in a better neighborhood.

Wow.

My mind boggled at the concept of a journalist who cared whether what went to print was true or not. In this year of our Lord 2009, journalists only care about printing the sentiment of whoever holds the reigns of power and will get them more quotes and scoops. Truth is seldom part of the equation, much less any sort of in-depth investigation of the matter like Keaton’s character did to get behind the talking points.

If looking for an old movie to put in the DVD, consider an evening watching some good acting, some nostalgia for more ethical times, some action, some love and lots of good drama. Watch “The Paper”.

Ice Age/Dawn of the Dinosaurs

Web Site for this movie.

Of course I saw this movie with Kaitlyn Mae, precious and precocious granddaughter because, well it’s that kind of movie.

I saw this movie in 3-D and after seeing “UP” I don’t think I could stand seeing a plain movie again. I have grown used to having objects coming out of the screen at me and seeing the characters in all the depth as if they were right in front of me, touchable and at my side.

The animated characters in this movie were done very well. One can’t help but associate their personalities with humans we all have in our surround.

There’s the sloth fellow who is like the self-righteous liberal who would have us all eating grass and living in diverse and impractical harmony.

There’s the weasel who lives his life to follow a mortal enemy. When that mortal enemy is gone he must go and save him that he doesn’t live in terrifying boredom for the rest of his breathing days.

There’s the loner bobcat who puts on a tough uncaring exterior when he only wants to be welcomed and loved, a part of things.

Ah, it’s all a bit sappy and frankly, there’s nothing too terribly original about this movie. Still it flows by for its length. The action is there when required, the sentiment comes along to soften the rough edges. The characters, as indicated, amuse, bemuse, anger, frustrate but we love them all in the end.

Five and a half year old Kaitlyn adored the movie. So will all children, even adolescents. Adults will enjoy the time as well.
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Finally we are rid of the preacher of healthy food on the 2009 Next Food Network Star.

The challenge was to make kid's food appealing to adults and adult food appealing to kids. The results were interesting, to say the least.

All with pics and video you'll find nowhere else on the Internet.

HERE
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Jillian finally sends home the scum bucket.

We explore the review of this episode and delve into the mystery of the Fantasy Suite.

Do they really "do" it? Or do they just talk all night? Isn't it a bit slutty to be sleeping with all these contenders?

All with pics and video you'll find nowhere else on the Internet.

HERE
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In Thoughts this week we have Obama news.

For the Commander in Chief is traveling and we have fashion disasters. Only this time it's the Obama DAUGHTER dressed very inappropriately.

And is the President really gawking at that teenaged girl?

The final word on Michael Jackson and time, puleeze, to move on.

HERE
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Pixar's "UP"-Best Movie of the Year, No Sex, No Cussing

2009-06-07T06:38:00.000-07:00

Here's a movie that is a 2009 "must-see".

Pixar's "UP" has everything, charm, adventure, laughs, insight, truth and an appeal to all ages. Scratch that. "UP" does seem to be missing curse words and sex scenes and still it entertains.

Check out who this movie's protagonist is based on in terms of resemblance. Hint-he's a famous journalist and "UP's" elderly adventurer looks exactly like him.

Pic of the Day

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Pixar’s “UP”-The Standard From Now On

I like to think I am not one to over-indulge in hyperbole. But for the movie “UP” there are not enough words to describe how wonderful this film is.

In fact, let me get the only criticism I have about the film out of the way. The movie’s title is only remotely, very remotely, associated with the film. I’m not at all sure if the two-word title generates intrigue about the movie or tends to make an American public hopelessly addicted to cute, short sound bytes to dismiss the movie out of hand.

UP Home Page

This movie has it all: charm, sentiment, adventure, excellent animation, a riveting storyline, and yes, dogs. Lots of dogs.

The film begins with the story of a couple who grow up together, get married and vow to live a life of adventure while following the lead of their favorite childhood movie adventure hero, Charles Muntz.

Right there we have the charm of a life well-lived, the poignancy of loss, the sentiment of a lifetime love.

Carl Fredericksen, the film’s protagonist, in a fit of disgust at the changes going on in his surround decides he’s going to embark on that adventure he and his beloved Ellie never undertook. Imagine a movie protagonist in his 70’s!

Thus begins the story that will have you thinking, rocking, laughing, and sighing with relief as Carl and his small friend Russell ride a house, yes a HOUSE, to South America where they meet not only a bird named Kevin and a dog named Dug, but also Fredericksen’s childhood hero Mr. Muntz himself.

Only Mr. Muntz is not such a hero anymore and the story races on as Carl, Russell, Dug and Kevin must save the floating house from dog packs and shotguns.

Interspliced artfully are vignettes of sentiment as Russell shares his story of childhood angst and Carl discovers the true meaning of an adventurous life. These are not maudlin moments but thoughtful, quick and bittersweetly true sentiments of life that are not forced upon the viewer but are scenes placed where they belong before moving on to the next cinematic adventure.

I saw this movie with my 5-year-old granddaughter. She was so mesmerized by the movie that just as soon as it was over she said she needed to pee quick. “I didn’t go pee during the movie because I did not wish to miss one second of it,” was how she explained it.

Indeed Kaitlyn did watch the entire movie, almost two hours long, without showing one sign of restlessness.

We saw the movie while wearing 3-D glasses and goodness, what an amazing feat of technology. Throughout the film it was as if objects were coming right at us. I’d describe it as a cinema experience where the viewer feels as if he or she is right in the middle of all the action. Granddaughter, as expected, loved it.

There was not one curse word, not one reference to sex, not one hint that the movie was not entirely suitable for families with all types of members.

And yet the movie entertained so wonderfully that upon its end most folks in the theater didn’t get up real quick to exit. The movie just left the viewer with a real good feeling, the sort of feeling that makes you just want to sit and let it linger inside of us.

If you do nothing else this year, see this movie. You’ll marvel at America’s talent so evident in the film and you’ll definitely be a better person for it.

Rotten Tomatoes review here. See what other critics say about “UP”.
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We've got some serious thoughts on the fine, fine Watson fellow who killed his bride on their honeymoon, all in front of many witnesses! Guy got manslaughter, maybe he'll serve a year.

Plus the coming tax on health care benefits, selling books in beauty shops and Sonia Sotomayor, what she REALLY needs if she's going to get nominated. It will surprise you.

And speaking of getting away with crime, how about those Black Panthers being let loose for voter intimidation that would have any white person thrown in jail toot de sweet?

HERE
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A quick catch-up on Jillian of "Bachelorette" fame. As of this writing she's got 16 guys still vying for her, we all should be so lucky.

The show is building the drama in that there's one fellow all the contenders love to hate and throw in a weirdo or two.

Does Jillian appear to be honing in on any one of her handsome choices yet?

HERE
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"Baby Mama" Movie Review. It Has Its Funny Moments. That's All.

2009-04-11T13:41:00.000-07:00

Tina Fey is an angry woman and it shows, unfortunately, in her acting in the film “Baby Mama”, reviewed in this Blog post.

The movie has its funny moments but it’s no great paean to thought and morals, make no mistake. It’s definitely a chick flick, let us not mislead.

The biggest surprise is the role played by Steve Martin!

Pic of the Day

DISCLAIMER: Movie Reviews

I rarely see a first-run movie so any movie reviews I do are likely older ones. But if you're looking to rent a DVD for the weekend, or just want a new perspective on a movie you remember fondly, or not-so-fondly, read on.

”Baby Mama”

Finally, a movie with Steve Martin and, get this, he’s NOT a loving Dad!

In fact Martin plays some sort of hippie New Age Guru in this movie about a woman hearing her ticking biological clock with intent to do something about it toot de sweet. Martin’s part in promotion of the screen play is ambiguous but they had to have some filler as I imagine.

IMDB FOR THIS MOVIE

Tina Fey is an angry actress, as I’ve often alleged. Which makes little sense as she’s been very successful in her career and goodness knows Sarah Palin put Fey on the map.

Amy Poehler, who played the part of poor white trash Angie Ostrowiski, is a colleague of Fey’s on “Saturday Night Live” and hey, it was much easier for this viewer to like Angie as opposed to Kate Holbrook-Fey’s character.

As anybody who ever watched the trailer for this movie would ascertain, this is not a movie with great depth and flood of thought. It does have its funny moments, yes it does, and if a movie makes me laugh out loud, however temporary, I consider it worth a look-see.

Tina Fey never even made me smile once during this movie. Amy Poehler had me smiling plenty of times. Some would argue it was a difference in the characters each played in the movie but I say PSHAW. Tina Fey is an angry woman and it shows in the parts she plays. Too bad.

Anyway, Holbrook is approaching age 40 and she yearns for a child. Such as cultivating a relationship and eventual marriage might take too long and besides, fertility tests reveal that Holbrook has serious issues with conceiving so the search is on to find a surrogate mother who would bear the child conceived by an anonymous sperm donor and Holbrook’s harvested egg.

Enter Angie Ostrowiski, a lower class female embroiled in a relationship with Dax Shepard, played by Carl Loomis. For a fee, Angie is to bear Holbrook’s child.

Holbrook does get involved in a romantic relationship during the course of the movie, with a Rob Ackerman, played very well by Greg Kinnear. Kate must deal with the dilemma of telling Rob the truth about her “friend” Angie’s unborn baby and the challenge of keeping it all a secret until she’s ready. Angie too has a secret that she wants to keep from Kate.

In the end, in the funniest scene in the movie in a courtroom confrontation, the truth comes out and it was so predictable from the very middle of the movie that it was all definitely an anti-climax.

Yes, I’d recommend this movie for a rainy afternoon. It’s a chick flick, my specialty and let me not mislead. Its humor is limited, let me not mislead, but it’s there.

Tina Fey needs to have her attitude smacked off of her shoulders clear to next Sunday. She’d be much more believable in a comedic role.

Below a little snippet from the funniest scene in the movie. Might be a bit of a spoiler so be forewarned.

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There were a few surprises in the bottom three on American's Idol Birthday night-4/7/09.

In fact, the contender sent packing was only following the advice of vaunted Judge Abdul.

A review of AI 09's birthday night, a prediction of the top 5, the video your DVR failed to record, the top three and worst performance of the night.

All with pics and videos you'll find nowhere else on the Internet.

HERE
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He staples his scrotum to his leg for giggles and grins and now he dances horrifically. And yet he stays around while others must dance off to stay in the contest.

A football player and singer fall to the bottom two, one goes home, yet Steve-O hangs in there on Paso Doble/Viennese Waltz night on 2009 “Dancing With the Stars”

All with pics and videos you'll find nowhere else on the Internet.

HERE
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Revs-"Sex in the City";"Parenthood"

2009-04-05T08:22:00.000-07:00

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It was not planned that a 1989 old-fashioned film about parenting and the travails of same would air the seem weekend that I dutifully taped the very hip and modern "Sex in the City" but so it was.

So The Wise I gives a review of both movies, the similarities (few), the differences (many...how times change) and attempts to draw a moral from it all.

With pics and video you'll find nowhere else on the Internet.
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Pic of the Day

DISCLAIMER: Movie Reviews

I rarely see a first-run movie so any movie reviews I do are likely older ones. But if you're looking to rent a DVD for the weekend, or just want a new perspective on a movie you remember fondly, or not-so-fondly, read on.

Review Two Movies-One from 1989, One from 2008

I planned to watch one of the movies reviewed below as I went to great lengths to DVR the thing. The other movie happened to be playing at a time when I had nothing better to watch. I do pay a premium for these movies and so when I saw Steve Martin starring in yet another movie where he’s a great Dad I decided to settle in, surf the net, and let the movie play out as a sort of background noise.

This spur of the moment movie was titled “Parenthood” and let me say right now that Steve Martin should be the best father on the planet because he’s hardly ever in any other film besides being cast as a loving but beleaguered father. I don’t even know if Steve Martin has kids but I’d sure like to talk to them, get the inside scoop so to speak.

The other, properly DVR’d and relished for proper watching time was “Sex in the City”. Which is odd, I’d offer, in that I have NEVER watched a single episode of that vaunted TV show. I sure heard plenty about it, however, and I thought, cool, I’ll watch the movie and catch up on everything.

Both movies featured a segment of the population that were very far apart. And both movies did a pretty good job of it.

“Parenthood” was by far the better movie in terms of acting, fluidity of screen play, message and believability.

Yes indeed, yon reader, you read this right. One might think “Parenthood” would be a schmaltzy movie, a shallow affair that is filled with knee-jerk emotions and armchair solutions.

Well there’s that.

“Sex in the City” however, no matter how vaunted its TV predecessor, was a disjointed, illogical, confusing mess of a film. “Parenthood” flowed logically, was comprehensible and the acting was pretty good.

“Parenthood” is the story of the Buckman family. The patriarch of the Buckman, played wonderfully by Jason Robards, is himself an imperfect parent, at least as his grown kids see it. Frank Buckman has four kids and this movie is the story of those kids and how they struggle to deal with THEIR kids.

Gil Buckman, played by Martin, has three children. His kids are weird, the oldest labeled as psychologically troubled by the school, the youngest a toddler who oddly enjoys banging his head against things.

One of Gil’s sisters has a troublesome teenaged daughter and a son entering puberty roughly and without the help of a father. The movie deals with her struggles to deal with the daughter and her errant boyfriend, dating as a single parent, and that son who is overwhelmed as his body changes and new urges come upon him.

Gil’s other sister is married to an anal control freak, played by Rick Moranis. They have one daughter who the control freak spends endless hours teaching her things way above her age level.

The youngest of the Buckman brood is the black sheep who makes a sudden appearance after many years away. He brings back a son, obviously a half-black child who was abandoned on his doorstep by the child’s mother. The Buckman black sheep is his biological father as we are to understand.

This black sheep is beloved by patriarch Frank Buckman even as the cherished son attempts to steal his father’s joy, a classic car he nourished from junk to spit shine. This black sheep turns out to have amassed some huge gambling debts and when chicanery doesn’t work, he approaches his father for $26,000 to prevent his murder from those bookies he owes.

The movie plows along, engagingly and entertainingly, yes it does. The characters struggle with their children, quit their jobs, fulfill their obligations, see their children ran off, suffer the pain of life gone awry, deal with unwanted pregnancies, all the things parents deal with on a regular basis across America’s fruited plains.

As expected, the movie does have a semi-sweet ending. The solutions come but they are not perfect. The black sheep runs away rather than accept the maturity to handle his debts. The half-black son is abandoned but accepted with great love into the Buckman clan, an invitation the child eagerly accepts so the Buckmans can’t be all that bad. Remarriages happen, unplanned babies are birthed, teenage marriages succeed if only temporarily.

Frank Buckman’s mother sums the whole thing up in a scene and while it might be knee jerk, it’s different and thoughtful. Something about a roller coaster.

I quite enjoyed this movie and would recommend it to almost anyone. In fact I want my own granddaughter Kaitlyn Mae to watch it some day.

Below, one of Steve Martin’s best scenes in the movie.

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SEX IN THE CITY

Two actors in this movie went on to become way more famous than their bit parts would suggest. Jennifer Hudson plays writer Carrie Bradshaw’s assistant and we all know how far this former runner-up for American Idol has become.

And there’s Gilles Marini, a fellow whose penis was on display in this movie, if only for a few seconds. Marini now dances, very well, in ABC’s “Dancing With the Stars” and for this he will more likely be a household face than because of this movie.

I am sorry folks. This movie has two major, major flaws. First, parts of the plot are totally unbelievable. Second, the screenplay does not roll along engagingly. It is, instead, disjointed, rocky, confusing. The writers seemed to have randomly stuck scenes in for want of leaving an awkward vacuum.

This movie is about characters as far removed from those in “Parenthood”, reviewed above, as possible.

All of the main characters are female, they all seem to be financially well off, and while they are in relationships with the opposite sex of some sort, there’s very little going on in the way or parenthood. In fact, the film’s star doesn’t appear will ever have a child and doesn’t seemed concerned about it.

Another character, Samantha, played by Kim Cattrall, turns 50 in the film and has no children. Miranda, played by Cynthia Nixon, has a little boy but I question her devotion to her son, more on this later, and unbelievableness, later. Charlotte, played by Kristin Davis, has an adopted Chinese daughter and later becomes pregnant. I wonder about her motherhood skills as she constantly exposes her daughter to adult female sex talk totally inappropriate for such a young girl.

In fact, the characters in “Sex in the City” could be called, by the unkind, as vapid, shallow and possessing few morals. The kind would dismiss them as confused females sprung from today’s culture.

But hey, for movie viewers such as myself, it’s an escape into a fantasy world. I quite enjoyed the fashion and there was plenty of it. Surely any female tuning into to this movie would know, by virtue of the TV predecessor and its fame, that fashion was a benchmark of the series.

I don’t dress, or did I ever dress, like those women and for sure I never attended a fashion show as feature in the film clip below.

Again, it’s a movie, it’s fantasy, it’s about a life that ordinary women like me imagine is lived by some females out there even though most of us don’t know any of them.

If the movie had just stuck to the sex scenes, the fashion shows, maybe a little on the male/female relationships, no one could complain about not having gotten their money’s worth.

But no, they had to go and make a story line and this was the problem.

Nixon’s character confesses, during a lunch dinner, that her life has been so busy that she and her husband hadn’t had sex in six months.

Folks, SIX MONTHS? Any normal married couple in the mid to late 30’s as I surmise this character is, going without sex for six months should be on the verge of divorce. I’ll go out on a limb here and say there’s something seriously wrong with that marriage and I’m nowhere near the league of these characters in “Sex and the City”. These modern, young, hip, liberated women should be doing the deed every night as I envision, at least every other night. But nothing for six months?

At some point in time later, Nixon’s character’s husband suddenly confesses, out of nowhere, that he engaged in a one night stand. Folks, I find this totally unbelievable. Maybe I missed something but hey, it’s not like Nixon’s character CAUGHT the guy in the act. Everybody out there who’s got a husband who would voluntarily, for no reason save to assuage a guilty conscience, confess to adultery, please raise your hand. Hell, how many women would confess to such a thing if not required?

Not that I write with any expertise on the matter but hey, a spouse who ups and confesses to a one-night adulterous affair has one of two things going on…he or she wants his or her spouse to know that he or she was driven to such an act OR the adulterous spouse wants to brag.

We could understand a confession of an ongoing affair as maybe real love is involved, perhaps a request for a divorce. But to just up and confess such a thing?

Nixon’s character, she who admitted she and hubby had sex a full six months ago, proceeds to kick out her adulterous husband and the rest of the movie involves, in jagged, difficult to follow sequences, that character’s wrestling and coming to terms with the betrayal.

First, no sex for six months, right there something’s wrong. The guy admits he had a one night stand but sheesh, you’d think she’d cut him some slack. Don’t forget, Nixon’s character has a little boy and did she give that child any thought?

Yeah, eventually Nixon’s character reconciled with her husband but I wanted to slap her early on to get a grip, face that letting six months slip by with no physical activity (sure, in certain circumstances such a thing happens but in one’s mid-30’s?) was a sign something was amiss.

Then we have Parker’s character and her groom-to-be got cold feet on his wedding day.

Folks, I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone overreact like Parker’s character. Understand that the hunk she was marrying didn’t leave her standing at the altar. He did phone her up while he was in his limousine. He said he couldn’t go through with it but soon enough he realized his mistake and had his limo driver chase Parker’s character’s limo through town. He even got out of the car to express his regret and goodness, he was ready to get married. It was, as the viewer understand, a moment of cold feet. Instead Parker’s character beats the guy all to hell with her bouquet and leaves him cold.

This was unbelievable as well. Both of these women came off as cold, vapid, unforgiving, almost unhuman.

Of course the movie continued on after the initial break-ups. We had the characters going to Mexico, racing madly through town to be together on New Year’s Eve, moving out of apartments and back into apartments and meanwhile, over here, we had another character filled with the hots for some stud muffin (Gilles Marini…now dancing on ABC’s “Dancing With the Stars”) who beds a different babe every night, sometimes two a night. He’s hardly anybody I’d lust for but then I’m not a character on “Sex in the City”. Sure, he was a handsome dude but I stand by my belief that females are just not as into looks as our male counterparts. I’d have been turned off dead the moment I saw him in bed with two babes, which this character did witness. It only aroused her more.

Like I said, the “Sex in the City” characters were of a different breed, miles apart, from the “Parenthood” characters. Well of course, I understand, they were two very different screenplays telling two very different stories. It was a coincidence that I’d watched both movies on the same day but there was a certain serendipity about that bit of providence.

And on some level I did enjoy the film “Sex in the City”. It’s definitely a chick flick film but I’m willing to bet very few women who see this movie, or watched the TV show for that matter, were anything like the characters as depicted. For us less sophisticated and worldly women, this movie was more an intriguing peek into a world we know we’d never populate and most importantly, we’d never want to.
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Couple of reviews here. Beginning with a "Celebrity Apprentice" update and it's about time Dennis Rodman is gone.

Reviews of comedies "In the Motherhood" and "Samantha Who?" I'll do my best to be kind.

With pics and video you'll find nowhere else on the Internet.

HERE
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In thoughts this week we've got info on the upcoming tea parties…time for us to take to the streets folks.

The shamwow guy, what a shame.

We've got an actual cardinal singing of spring to us, the quip of the week, and a rant about Obama hiring and firing folks. Will you be next?

Finally, the WORST inventions...ever. A cat wig?

HERE
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Her bouncy boobs didn't save her and his cadre of geeks with their robo-phones didn't save him.

Two contenders booted off of "Dancing With the Stars" 09 and we're almost, not quite but almost, down to a legion of serious dancers.

With pics and video you'll find nowhere else on the Internet.

HERE
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It was seriously time for Megan Joy to go although she was sure a fresh-faced beauty and, eh, a bit different.

Another top eight contender is also very different and we've got lots on this plus the top three performances of Itune night and the very worst of the lot.

With pics and video you'll find nowhere else on the Internet.

HERE
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Movie Review-"Love Actually"

2009-01-03T15:51:00.000-08:00

”Love Actually”

First, this is not a new movie. Although I have never heard of it until Rush Limbaugh mentioned it during his radio show.

Second, the title makes no sense to me except on some distant level. Maybe it’s a British thing.

“The liberals are going on and on about this movie,” as I paraphrase my hero, Rush Limbaugh, from his radio show right before Christmas 2008. “The libs say this is the movie which typifies the REAL meaning of the season,” I continue to paraphrase my talk radio hero. “The thing is filled with nudity, it’s almost x-rated, or should be…”

Rush ended his rant about this movie by mentioning it would be airing a few days from that day and quick as a wink I picked up the TV remote, flicked on the GUIDE channel, scrolled down to the station Rush mentioned and boom, hit “record” and decided that I would just have to watch this movie that made Rush so angry.

Way I figured, this movie was a liberal presentation of the world and nothing makes me laugh much more than how liberals view the world. The Lifetime movie channel is filled with liberal movies but Lifetime is generally considered a chick channel so you’ve got to expect this. But the USA channel? And all the so-called liberals are were in ecstasy over this movie? Well I didn’t know what liberals Rush was referring to but Rush knows liberals when he sees them.

Hey, it had been a rough year. I needed a laugh.

I LOVED THE MOVIE!

Where on earth has this movie been my entire life and how did I miss it?

Of course I lamented my failure to view the movie as a mockery of liberalism and the Christmas spirit as Rush saw it. I even wondered if maybe I was some sort of closet liberal without what I thought was a now ingrained smell of the idiocy of liberalism and the damage it can bring.

Although it was, let me state now, it WAS a rather quirky movie.

But okay, I was by then sick of movies that had one storyline usually involving some broad who was sick of her life and wishes for another. This same broad would somehow, perhaps with the help of Santa or some strange earthly representative of God Himself, get her wish for a new life only to be brought to her knees begging for her old life back.

Which did happen and Christmas came and the viewer would know, as the movie would teach us, what the Christmas season is REALLY about.

“Love Actually” was a bit more edgy and brittle than that hackneyed storyline. Instead of one storyline, there were many. That fact alone will make me enjoy a movie as my mind can follow several plots at once if the vapid writers would allow it. “Love Actually” has a lady at an office who loved, secretly, an office mate, a writer who had a housekeeper from Portugal that he loved from afar, a drug-zoned singer who dances naked at one point, an English guy who goes to America to gain the love stamina he could not find in Britain, a British Prime Minister who loves a lowly secretary, and a homosexual groom with a best friend who seems to also be homosexual but who is very hetero and loves the homo’s bride. There were other sub-stories and it keeps the mind busy.

The stories do not always end up happily with all loose ends tucked away like a perfect Christmas gift bow. There is heartbreak and pain.

America really takes a hit in this movie but even this didn’t upset me. It might have made Rush, known for a serious patriotism, angry and part of the reason for his rant.

Not that I’m not patriotic but by me the U.S. President as depicted in the movie was just such a ridiculous caricature that the viewer should know it was inserted tongue-in-cheek. And that British fellow coming to America and immediately picking up three American beauties who all want to share his bed together…heh. That does not happen. That sub-scene sounds like wishful thinking on the part of the writers.

There were a few really remarkable scenes in the movie. One is the marriage of the homosexual to his lovely bride. During that scene various wedding attendees break out in song or stand up to play musical instruments.

Hugh Grant’s magnificent dance has to be the highlight of the film. Grant played the part of the British Prime Minister who became beloved by the English people for telling off the American President, like that’s ever going to happen.

Alone and in a muse, Grant dances all about 10 Downing Street. It was funny, poignant and his dancing was quite good.

Below a short video clip of each of the scenes described above.

There were morals to this movie. A fellow cheats on his wife and learns how deep was his mistake and how foolish his flesh. That drug-crazed singer comes to appreciate his manager who really made him famous. The English writer learns to speak Portuguese and his love interest learns to speak English.

The movie makes remarkable use of an airport scene, depicting various people greeting each other upon arrival and disembarkation. Those short scenes look very real and probably are. They are the sort of scenes that play every day in airports across the planet.

So I must thank Rush for introducing me to a most enjoyable film. If the liberals like it, well so do I.

And I’m no liberal although I used to play one when I was younger.

”LOVE ACTUALLY” IMDB SITE

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Movie Review "Rattatouille"

2008-12-30T15:51:00.001-08:00

Plus....Kaitlyn and I saw the movie Ratatouille and of course we've got a review.

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Ratatouille

He was a rat. Yet he wanted to be a chef.

Heh.

It’s an animated movie and when I first read the details in terms of starting times and film length, I noted the movie’s running time was 110. Understand that The Wise I had not been to a movie in over ten years but since I’ve stopped smoking and since Kaitlyn Mae was coming for a visit, I thought this cartoon film would be a great fit. Only I thought that 110 meant an hour and ten minutes. An hour and ten minutes is 70 minutes. That 110 meant 110 minutes, a good 40 minutes beyond my original mistaken estimate.

Kaitlyn is three years old but she’s generally well-behaved and if one keeps her busy brain occupied she can sit still for 70 minutes. It was after the movie had been playing for 70 minutes and seemed nowhere near the end that I realized what that 110 meant.

Kaitlyn had devoured a bucket of popcorn and still remained absorbed by the funny tale of a rat that would be a chef. She got antsy after another ten minutes. I took the child for a jaunt to the rest room and when we came back she settled back into the movie but that 110 minutes was about all the three year old could handle.

I consider it a tribute to the beauty of the animation and the fluidity of the plot that a three year old could sit through the movie’s entirety so well. For it was no easy feat to get the film’s protagonist away from his rat family feasting in the garbage dumps of Paris and into a world class Michelin four star restaurant.

I’m not convinced that Kaitlyn followed all the nuances of the film, and there were many, but she easily understood that this was a tale of a cartoon rat and something to do with a kitchen, knives and the possibly illegitimate son of a now deceased chef. That bit about illegitimacy is handled in a very subtle manner but enough was understood by even a young viewer that the plot kept flowing. The rat that would be a chef managed to surreptitiously help the son of a chef become a chef.

Oh, yes, and there’s a love angle. Heh.

It wasn’t easy building a plot that would have a rat controlling a would-be human chef but think tall chef’s hats that would effectively hide a culinary rat beneath. Think tufts of cartoon red hair that can be pulled right or can be pulled left by a rat hidden under the hat. Right means sauté; left means parboil.

This is a great movie for children and adults. It’s funny, colorful and impossibly cute. There are good guys and bad guys and did I tell you about the rat that wanted to be a chef?

This movie would be a great selection for a Friday night movie session for those younger than five. Pop some popcorn, get out some soda pop, lay a blanket on the floor, couple of pillows and pop in the “Ratatouille” DVD.

It’s clean family-oriented entertainment and even has a moral or two.

Movie Review-"Brokeback Mountain"

2008-12-30T15:49:00.001-08:00

And a review of "Brokeback Mountain", yes, I watched it and unlike other reviewers, this heterosexual female noticed something not written about in the many reviews of the movie I've read.

Pic of the Day

"Brokeback Mountain"-Yes I Watched It; Yes I Was Intrigued

IMDB SITE for "Brokeback Mountain"

When I saw that "Brokeback Mountain" would be showing on one of the local premium channels I had mixed emotions. For on another Internet public board I stated firmly that this movie would never appeal to heterosexuals and its viewing audience would likely be too small to make it into some sort of blockbuster.

Yet, out of curiousity and since it was free, I tuned in.

First, I greatly enjoyed this film.

Yes I did.

Second, I don't believe in this film's premise, not even for a second. Which isn't to say I didn't enjoy the film, because I did.

I especially adored the character Jack Twist, who is very handsome and goodness I hope this young actor was just playing the part of a homosexual else the females of the world will be denied his beauty.

I have a great, big, fat criticism of the film but I also have a sincere complimentary assessment of this film that I'm not sure its intended audience would see as well as this heterosexual female.

First, the criticism. Come on, Jack and Ennis were no more typical homosexuals than Goofy the Dog and Donald Duck. In fact, I'm thinking whoever wrote this screen play crafted the characters to be homosexual men as he or she WISHES they were.

Jack was a rodeo clown and Ennis was a for-hire cowpoke. This duo met while rounding up sheep and herding them down Brokeback Mountain. The film then continues to track Jack and Ennis' life as they marry, have children, suffer heartbreak and divorce, all the while stealing some time together on Brokeback Mountain whenever they could get away, throughout the years of their lives.

Both of these men eventually married, even after their affair on that infamous mountain. And their marriages, beyond anything my mind could grasp, were perfectly normal. A love scene between each of these men and their respective wives was inserted explicitly at various points in the movie and the love scenes were inserted just so the viewer understands that these fellows plainly can have heterosexual relationships and enjoy them as well.

Okay, so this is one thing I do not believe at all.

Which is not to say that there aren't plenty of homosexual men that are married and manage to lead mostly normal, if unfulfilled, lives. It was different with Jack and Ennis. Ennis even makes a point to scold Jack that he "ain't no queer" even as he prepares for a night of man love in Jack's arms.

Jack and Ennis were truly in love. I'm serious. These fellows were totally in love with each other and their love endured through years of separation, punctuated by an occasional tryst when the duo could get together. They even talked about running away to Mexico and living the rest of their years in blissful togetherness. Ennis quashed the idea, however, due to financial concerns, adding the odd comment "You ever heard of child support?"

Well Ennis did have to pay child support after his divorce from his wife but go on, how many homosexual men use child support as the reason they can't get together more often with their male lover? Of course I have no statistics on such a thing but it was such an odd comment considering the theme of the movie it almost made me giggle.

Both Jack and Ennis were betrayed as "he-men" that would handily squash nearby trouble-makers who use bad language in front of their children. Ennis regularly picked up his daughters for visitation and Jack loved his son and defied his father-in-law for interfering into family discipline.

Again, I just don't see this duo as your more common homosexuals but more like a homosexual would LIKE to be perceived.

I will naturally get scores of email telling me I don't know nothing, that what I think is normal homosexual behavior is nothing like I imagine and this movie, in fact, is trying in its very creation, to shatter my preconceived heterosexual notions.

Perhaps. I still don't buy it. In fact, Ennis showed absolutely no tendency or attraction to other men beyond Jack Twist. Jack, on the other hand, openly solicited other men for homosexual trysts. The viewer is supposed to believe that Ennis just happened to love Jack Twist and it happened and that's the end of that.

One thing about this film that really moved me was Ennis' relationship with his daughters. Ennis was devoted to his daughters and his daughters to him. One of the most moving scenes in the movie was when Ennis' daughter visited him in his bare little trailer and asked him to please attend her upcoming nuptials. Ennis, as was his wont, kind of shuffled and blushed, pleading a busy upcoming herding season with no time to take off for such as weddings. Eventually Ennis relented and said he would be there.

It was so obvious Ennis loved his daughters and his daughters' devotion to him says a lot about the man. It was also obvious that Ennis loved Jack Twist and there would be no other consuming love in Ennis' life like the love he had for Jack. After his divorce Ennis did date women and in fact one woman was very much in love with him. As for Ennis, that part of his life was done. He would live the remainder of his life alone and pining for Jack Twist.

The movie has a sad ending and I was moved. As a viewer I truly felt that Ennis was a confused man who only wanted some happiness and love in his life. The viewer is left to wonder about Ennis' real sexuality and perhaps that was the plan.

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Movie Review-"First Daughter"

2008-12-30T15:45:00.001-08:00

Three females in my surround suffered serious man trouble over the holidays. It was three-year-old Kaitlyn who temporarily stopped the heartbreak and taught us all the joy of Christmas through a child's eyes.

Also, a TV review of "First Daughter", a cotton candy confection of a movie featuring Tom Cruise's new love, Katie Holmes.

Pic of the Day

Quote of the Day

On grandparents

When grandparents enter the door, discipline flies out the window. ~Ogden Nash

Grandma always made you feel she had been waiting to see just you all day and now the day was complete. ~ Marcy DeMaree

Grandmas never run out of hugs or cookies. ~Author unknown

Grandmas hold our tiny hands for just a little while, but our hearts forever. ~Author Unknown

If I had known how wonderful it would be to have grandchildren, I'd have had them first. ~Lois Wyse

My grandkids believe I'm the oldest thing in the world. And after two or three hours with them, I believe it, too. ~Gene Perret

Web Site Worth the Visit

Rousing New Year Greeting

Click in to this web site and enjoy a rousing greeting for the New Year. Listen and watch well, then shut it down and move on.

CLICK HERE

TIDBITS

For the Love of Peroxide

I would like to tell you of the benefits of that plain little old bottle of 3% peroxide you can get for under $1.00 at any drug store. My husband has been in the medical field for over 36 years, and most doctors don't tell you about peroxide, or they would lose thousands of dollars.

1. Take one capful (the little white cap that comes with the bottle) and hold in your mouth for 10 minutes daily, then spit it out. (I do it when I bathe)

No more canker sores and your teeth will be whiter without expensive pastes. Use it instead of mouthwash (small print says gargle right on the bottle.

2. Let your toothbrushes soak in a cup of "Peroxide" to keep them free of germs.

3. Clean your counters, table tops with peroxide to kill germs and leave a fresh smell. Simply put a little on your dishrag when you wipe, or spray it on the counters.

4. After rinsing off your wooden cutting board, pour peroxide on it to kill salmonella and other bacteria.

5. I had fungus on my feet for years - until I sprayed a 50/50 mixture of peroxide and water on them (especially the toes) every night and let dry.

6. Soak any infections or cuts in 3% peroxide for five to ten minutes several times a day. My husband has seen gangrene that would not heal with any medicine, but was healed by soaking in peroxide.

8. Fill a spray bottle with a 50/50 mixture of peroxide and water and keep it in every bathroom to disinfect without harming your septic system like bleach or most other disinfectants will.

9. Tilt your head back and spray into nostrils with your 50/50 mixture whenver you have a cold, or plugged sinuses. It will bubble and help to kill the backteria. Hold for a few minutes then blow your nose into a tissue.
10. If you have a terrible toothache and cannot get to a dentist right away, put a capful of 3% peroxide into your mouth and hold it for ten minutes several times a day. The pain will lessen greatly.

11. And of course, if you like a natural look to your hair, spray the 50/50 solution on your wet hair after a shower and comb it through. You will not have the peroxide burnt blonde hair like the hair dye packages, but more natural highlights if your hair is a light brown, faddish, or dirty blonde. It also lightens gradually so it's not a drastic change.

12. Put half a bottle of peroxide in your bath to help rid boils, fungus, or other skin infections.

13. You can also add a cup of peroxide instead of bleach to a load of whites in your laundry to whiten them. If there is blood on clothing, Pour directly on the soiled spot. Let it sit for a minute, then rub it and rinse with cold water. Repeat if necessary.

14. I use peroxide to clean my mirrors with, and there is no smearing which is why I love it so much for this.

Christmas 2006, Broken Hearts and Kaitlyn Mae

There is no time of year sadder than the holiday season right after someone suffers a broken heart due to a relationship breakup. Been there and done that. The rest of the country is jovial and happy while inside a heart melts and crumbles with the pain of love gone bad.

It was the Christmas of 1980. My daughter was 3 years old and her father passed away that prior St. Patrick's day. While I had plans to join my family later in the day for Christmas dinner and gift exchanging, it was the first Christmas morning of my then 30 years of existence that I would awake on the holiday, all alone.

Alone save for my precious toddler and perhaps due to my guilt over the loss of her father that might mar HER holiday, I went overboard on gifts under the tree. Indeed a whole kitchen set complete with stove, sink and cupboards sat gleaming and ready to be found by an excited child.

She did, as expected, shout with glee at the sight of her new kitchen set. But instead of running to her bounty to get absorbed in the play, my toddler daughter went and retrieved "her" Christmas morning gift to me. I was surprised because her excitement at giving me that gift was as intense as her excitement at the sight of her own gifts.

It was wrapped in blue construction paper, a really bad wrapping job. Someone likely helped the child to wrap it as she was too small to do it all by herself. Still it looked like a gift a child wrapped and she probably did.

It was a dish that Melissa had decorated with her handprint and the date of its "manufacture".

That was it. That was the sum total of my gifts under the tree for me that Christmas morning. The bigger gift was the joy the child got from retrieving from its under-the-tree resting spot and giving it to me with such exuberance.

There are plenty of others who likely have had much sadder Christmas mornings. For sure I wasn't poor or destitute and could afford to provide for my child. I was, however, lonely and despondent. All my prior Christmas mornings had been exciting events, my husband, stepchildren and baby all gathered around the tree, exchanging gifts, oohing and aahing, as those things go.

Point being a)I know how much sadder the Christmas holidays can make an already sad individual and b)the innocent eyes of a child can make one see the true blessings of the season.

Kaitlyn did the same to my own house full of broken hearts who came to guest with me on Christmas-Eve’s Eve. My three guests had all just been involved in a breakup of either a cherished relationship or a marriage. I was filled with despair that all three of my scheduled guests would be deep in the throes of love lost, this while I hoped to celebrate that quiet evening as my Christmas with Kaitlyn. An exuberant three-year-old at Christmas might not be so welcome to the broken-hearted, or so went my fear.

It’s not easy being three and looking at a pile of presents under a big Christmas tree filled with sparkling lights. For Kaitlyn had to spend some time just looking at the gifts as all guests had not yet arrived and it seemed prudent to wait until this was the case. Kaitlyn did not agree, however, and began to sob her frustration.

It was then that I had to sit the child down and explain to her the concept of ANTICIPATION. I’m not sure that Kaitlyn bought into my tale that sometimes just the excitement of waiting for something to happen can be as joyful as the actual event. She did become enamored of my notion that she had butterflies flitting around in her belly from the excitement.

As each guest arrived Kaitlyn proceeded to explain that she had TEN (I don’t know where she got that number) butterflies in her belly and it’s time to open the gifts.

Each broken heart took joy at the eager child and soon all guests were enjoying homemade chicken wings, deviled eggs, cheese, fruit, home-made cookies and Jewish Apple Cake. Since Kaitlyn received a few games in her gift trove, it was required that one or two be opened and in due course, games were being played, Memories were being recalled, Candy Land roads were traveled. There was no sign of a broken heart in the surround as everyone ate, played games and finally, all sat and sang Christmas songs to Kaitlyn’s surprise, joy and wonderment.

We had a lovely visit this past Advent season, Kaitlyn and I. We went to various Christmas functions in the area, we went shopping, we had a regular pajama party, she and I.

One evening I put Kaitlyn’s hair in curlers. The picture is below but silly me, I forgot to get a picture of her resulting curls.

Still I think Kaitlyn looks fetching as all get out in just the curlers.

Don’t you?

More Kaitlyn posts HERE
============================

DISCLAIMER: Movie Reviews

I never see a first-run movie so any movie reviews I do are likely older ones. But if you're looking to rent a DVD for the weekend, or just want a new perspective on a movie you remember fondly, or not-so-fondly, read on.

”First Daughter”, Starring Cruise’s Kaitie Holmes

Movie info at IMDB.com.

Goodness ole Tom Cruise has been jumping on Oprah’s couches over this child so when I saw her name as star in a movie about, well a first daughter, I just had to tune in.

The film, billed as

The girl who always stood out is finally getting the chance to fit in.

was so much balderdash.

Katie Holmes is a cutie pie but isn’t she a little young for Tom Cruise? Goodness, she played a teenager in this film.

~~~~~~~~~~

Girls around the age of 9 or 10 would like this movie. The film captures all that a pre-pubescent child dreams of: fame, celebrity, beauty, fancy dresses and handsome men to save the day.

Yes Katie plays the President’s daughter who chose to attend a college far away from the glare of D.C. She expresses a desire to be just like anyone else although Katie’s character manages to do more Audrey Hepburn imitations in one movie than anyone in a lifetime. This at a time when the character kept insisting she wanted to be like everyone else!

There’s a love angle. Katie’s character falls for another student who turns out to be a secret service guy. In a fit of pique, the first daughter abandons any pretense at class and hangs out at the local bars, dancing on the tables and other such slut-type activities.

The drama reaches a climax, parents are devastated, until finally, love conquers all.

For me, the movie was a waste of time. I can see and youngish Kaitlyn Mae totally smitten by this movie starring Tom Cruise’s love adolescent.

More TV Reviews HERE

Movie Review-"Little Shop of Horrors"

2008-12-30T15:44:00.001-08:00

DISCLAIMER: Movie Reviews

I never see a first-run movie so any movie reviews I do are likely older ones. But if you're looking to rent a DVD for the weekend, or just want a new perspective on a movie you remember fondly, or not-so-fondly, read on.

It's campy and kookie and I loved the Broadway show. Here's a review of the MOVIE "Little Shop of Horrors".

The best thing about the movie "The Thing About My Folks" is a certain actor's acting.

The rest of the film just doesn't make sense.

And guess what's coming up soon?

Pic of the Day

Quote of the Day

Web Site Worth the Visit
Fox News 2006 Year In Review

If this Blog’s own fine compilation of the 2006 year in review didn’t do it for you, here’s the link to Fox News’ 2006 year end review.

CLICK HERE

TIDBITS

”Little Shop of Horrors”

UPDATE and CORRECTION: While I'm leaving this Blog post unchanged, I have received a correction as regards the various movies made of this former Musical. Below I mention that this movie was filmed in 1960. Well, ONE version of the film was made in that year but the movie that I watched and am reviewing below, was made in 1986.

Here's a corrected link to the later version of the movie:

IMDB info on movie here.

Original post below.
=====================
1960 folks. This film was produced in 1960. I was ten years old.

It had been a stage musical then this movie came out and at some point in time I saw either the original musical or this film but I can’t remember which came first.

Thus many readers may not have ever heard of this musical/movie, particularly those of tender years.

By me it’s still a classic, a hoot, campy, cool, neato and filled with some truly great songs.

It’s the songs from this movie that I’ve cherished through the years. The story of the movie is not the memory-maker although it does have a cuter than cute plot.

First, a movie titled “Little Shop of Horrors” is a musical?

Indeed. Some of the most memorable songs were composed for this movie and just to get yon reader intrigued, it is Levi Stubbs, member of the famous “Four Tops”, who sings for the plant that eats people featured in the film.

My favorite is “Suddenly Seymour”. Another great one is “Somewhere That’s Green”. Of course there’s the plant’s famous tune “Feed Me”.

“Little Shop of Horrors” is a tongue-in-cheek, campy story of a nerdish fellow who works in a plant shop deep in a ghetto somewhere. The film refers to “Skid Row” frequently in the dialogue although I doubt many young people would understand that term today.

Seymour finds an unusual plant at a Chinese vendor and brings it back to the plant shop. Only the plant doesn’t quite have the same nutritional needs of your more normal plants.

The trials and tribulations of Seymour Krelboyne are depicted as the character wrestles with his gardening find that eats…meat. It is especially fond of human meat. The film is peppered with songs from the 50’s and a “Supremes” like girl group might suddenly appear on a ghetto fire escape to embellish the movie’s plot with a do-wop song complete with synchronized movements with the singers wearing coltish bows in their hair.

Seymour falls in love with Audrey, his colleague at the plant shop. Audrey is impressed with Seymour’s handsome plant thus Seymour must find a way to keep the plant alive to continue to impress his lady love.

At one point he is forced to feed the monster plant Audrey’s abusive boyfriend.

Cool as all get out.

When I saw this film offering on one of my three thousand premium movie channels, well I just had to check out this movie and music that once so enthralled my pre-teen self.

IMDB info on movie here.

”The Thing About My Folks”

I didn’t especially like this movie, IMDB link HERE.

A sentiment I write, hoping that yon reader will understand, as the disclaimer at the top of this post would indicate, that this humble Blogger might not have as fine and well-honed an appreciation of the film genre as most ersatz movie critics.

A man, played by Paul Reiser, discovers that his mother, played by Olympia Dukakis, has up and left his father, played by Peter Falk, after 46 years of marriage. The wife left a cryptic note, something about needing some time alone.

Right there my eyes glaze over because hey, shit happens I know, but it’s damn rare that a woman leaves a man she’s been married to for 46 years and with whom she shares four grown children. Much less for a lame reason of “needing time” It’s a weak premise is what I’m saying here.

Still and so, this is Hollywood and the movie was categorized as a “comedy”. My favorite movie genre this is so I sat back and was prepared to laugh.

Problem was, the movie wasn’t funny at all. I like Paul Reiser and think he has good comedic talent. Reiser was co-star with Helen Hunt in the TV series “Mad About You” although sometimes I think Reiser grimaces a bit too much and this takes the edge off his comedy.

Reiser plays Ben Kleinman, son of Peter Falk’s Sam Kleinman’s character. Ben takes charge of his father in the film when the note from his mother is discovered by Ben’s three sisters. The father-son duo take off on a trip that is evidently meant to shore up their relationship that they may explore their lives, particularly Sam’s relationship with Ben’s mother.

At some point during the movie, although I wasn’t laughing, I became enraptured by Peter Falk and his acting. If nothing else, Falk’s talents carry this movie handily.

The pair rent an old car and take off on a journey that has them fishing for the first time in their lives, end up at a dance with sweet young girls, dine together and endlessly discuss just where “Dad” went wrong that caused “Mom” to run off.

I was about to turn the thing off at the point that Ben accused his father of “abandoning” his mother and failing to fulfill her emotional needs. Falk’s character Sam turns to his son and calls that accusation “bullshit”.

Which it was. The man was faithful to his wife for 46 years, provided for her and their children handsomely and was devoted to his life’s mate. I was relieved when Sam Kleinman refused to accept such platitudes from his son.

Said platitudes totally untrue, as is discovered later when Ben’s wife phones her children and the viewer learns the REAL reason Sam’s wife took off suddenly and with no warning. It had nothing to do with her tormented son’s accusation that his father failed his mother.

The movie continues on to a bittersweet ending that didn’t nauseate with the emotion but managed to capture the moments without emotional overload.

I’d recommend this movie for a quiet evening when there is no major breaking news which must be regarded, when the fire cackles softly in the fireplace, and when a viewer wishes to watch some great acting from a veteran actor who does it well.

REMINDER

"American Idol" 2007 begins January 16/17 at 8 pm on Fox. Stay with this Blog. We'll follow the action start to finish, complete with original pics you won't find elsewhere.

More TV Reviews HERE
===============

Review "Monster-in-Law "

2008-12-30T15:43:00.001-08:00

We've got a movie review of "Monster-in-Law", starring that famous anti-war kook who's at it again…Jane Fonda. As for Jennifer Lopez, that girl needs to stick to singing.

And the tale of four generations of pointy chins with pics to compare.

Pic of the Day

Quote of the Day

You see a lot of smart guys with dumb women, But you hardly ever see a smart woman with A dumb guy.
-Erica Jong-

My husband and I are either going to buy a Dog or have a child. We can't decide to Ruin our carpet or ruin our lives.
-Rita Rudner-

I've been on so many blind dates, I should get a free dog.
-Wendy Liebman-

Never lend your car to anyone to Whom you have given birth.
-Erma Bombeck-

If high heels were so wonderful, Men would still be wearing them.
-Sue Grafton-

I'm not going to vacuum 'til Sears makes one you can ride on.
-Roseanne Barr-

Web Site Worth the Visit
For Any Grandmas Reading

In honor of this post, a link to a good Grandma Site

CLICK HERE

TIDBITS

Real Notes on Paternity

Regarding the identity of the father of my twins, Child A was fathered by John Smith. I am unsure as to the identity of the father of Child B, but I believe that he was conceived on the same night.

I do not know the name of the father of my little girl. She was conceived at a party where I had unprotected sex with a man I met that night. I do remember that the sex was so good that I fainted. If you do manage to track down the father, can you send me his phone number? Thanks.

I don't know the identity of the father of my daughter. He drives a BMW that now has a hole made by my stiletto heel in one of the door panels. Perhaps you can contact BMW service stations in this area and see if he's had it replaced.

I have never had sex with a man. I am awaiting a letter from the Pope confirming that my son's conception was immaculate and the he is Christ risen again.

I cannot tell you the name of Child A's dad as he informs me that to do so would blow his cover and that would have cataclysmic implications for the British economy. I am torn between doing right by you and right by my country. Please advise.

John Smith is the father of Child A. If you do catch up with him, can you ask him what he did with my AC/DC CDs?

From the dates it seems that my daughter was conceived at Euro Disney - maybe it really is the Magic Kingdom.

So much about that night is a blur. The only thing I remember for sure is there was a program about eggs on TV earlier in the evening. If I'd have stayed in and watched more TV rather than going to a party, my eggs might have remained unfertilized.

Chins, Tempers, Genes and Playing by the Rules

Twas but a week I ago that I wrote, a bit proudly and bemused, about Kaitlyn's odd love of the pinball. For so far as I knew, Kaitlyn has never been exposed to the lights and sounds of a pinball machine yet at a precious 3 years of age she spotted one across a crowded room and fell in love.

I too have always had a joy for pinball machines and frankly I don't know why. In fact, my mother loved to play the pinball and there were occasions when my mother and I would play the pinball, side by side, all damn day. Surely, I mused in that last post, Kaitlyn somehow inherited a love for the pinball machine from her maternal side but darn if that isn't a strange thing to be passing along in your genes. Or at least as I mused.

This past week Kaitlyn spent a few days with Mom-Mom and this time I noted a genetic disorder that Kaitlyn DID inherit from the maternal side of her family and it's no source of chromosomal pride.

It's called a temper and sure, everyone on the planet has one. Tempers also serve a purpose I am sure but by my experience, tempers are almost useless in terms of dealing with life's despairs and travails.

My husband never loses his temper and this amazes me. For I spring from a long line of bad tempers and it's always been a problem. In fact, we have terrible tempers in my family while I can't think of a single soul in my husband's family who has a temper. I figure this predelection must be hereditary. I also figure this makes MY family at a genetic disadvantage.

It was when Kaitlyn landed on a "chute" in the "chutes and ladders" game that she had a temper explosion as fine as some of my best. The chute had her sliding her playing piece down four rows and way behind Mom-Mom's piece which was then nearing the finish line to victory.

Kaitlyn did not like this bit of bad game luck one bit and damn if she didn't pick up her die and throw it, THROW IT I tell you, clear across the room!

Her behavior infuriated me on two levels. First, this was for sure an example of bad sportsmanship and at age three it was time the child learned a thing or two. Second, the bad temper gene was on display and my eyes rolled to heaven. So okay God, I thought a bit irreverently, Kaitlyn inherited a weird attraction to pinball machines but that's okay. She also inherited her pointy chin, pic and diagram below, and hey, this is okay, even amusing, as well.

I asked God if He couldn't, just once, bypass this terrible temper gene on just ONE person in our family? Because a temper tantrum is not pretty and a temper tantrum accomplishes nothing and a temper tantrum is a waste of energy. Yet even as I type, let this computer freeze up or allow any other sometimes petty thing happen to annoy me and I too will throw a temper tantrum even as I write wonderfully of how stupid such things are.

Hand to God, it's a physical thing. The rage roars up from within me somewhere and my body reacts. Fortunately, unlike O.J. Simpson, my temper does not cause me to up and murder someone. In fact I rarely throw things or engage in physical rage that damages my person or property. But I can yell and scream and cuss like a sailor, scaring all children, pets and birds in my surround during the rage.

I'm not proud of this. My husband, always calm even in cases where I would have thrown things out the window, will remind me that my temperate displays serve no purpose and of course they don't. It's like a volcano inside of me, the rage rises and the anger must erupt, somehow and someway.

Every female in my family is fully aware of our notorious tempers. None of us like it yet we'll lose our cool time and again. Now we have 3 year old Kaitlyn throwing dice across the room when she loses and I marvel at the notion that even at so young an age it's so obvious she's got the family temper. Poor dear child.

There will come a time when Kaitlyn Mae will read this Blog of her namesake. Along with all of the vignettes of her life I have encapsulated, let her pause now at this post and know that her grandmother early on identified a major genetic defect and give her hope to start working on it right away. I didn't even know I HAD a terrible temper until I was middle-aged. I thought everyone acted like an idiot when things don't go their way.

Thus Grandmother will inform young Miss Kaitlyn right here and now that tempers should be quelled.

Hopefully along the road path of her life Grandmother can be helpful in pointing out a temper tantrum and somehow shame her out of such fearsome displays. In fact, it's time for Kaitlyn and I to form a temper control support group.

Yeah...that's the ticket.

~~~~~~~~~~
DISCLAIMER: Movie Reviews

I never see a first-run movie so any movie reviews I do are likely older ones. But if you're looking to rent a DVD for the weekend, or just want a new perspective on a movie you remember fondly, or not-so-fondly, read on.

"Monster-in-Law"

Just in time, tada, for the re-emergence of Jane Fonda as war protester we present a review of what is possibly the worst movie ever aired.

Indeed, throw in Jennifer Lopez and we have a movie, official web site here, that defies the very definition of bad acting and vapid story lines.

There is no worse actress than Jennifer Lopez dear Lord she was so terrible I wanted to reach through the TV and slap her silly. As for Jane Fonda...sheesh I hate that woman.

Okay, Fonda plays a famed anchor news woman who loses her job to younger and prettier. Left on her own, she then learns her beloved son is about to be married to a "temp" and Fonda doesn't like it one bit. Her plan? Become a "monster-in-law" and scare Lopez away from her son.

First, this is a hackneyed plot. Some good and original comedy might have added something to the plot but Jane Fonda and Jennifer Lopez? Dear Lord. Jane Fonda is no comedienne. She is a bit too shrill and edgy to be funny. It's her personna and even with the help of Hollywood makeup and acting coaches this absence of joy can't be ammended.

As for Ms. Lopez, if nothing else watch this film to see what an airhead this broad is. I bet the director of this movie was rolling his eyes and biting his tongue. With my temper I'd have slapped her several times every day, just on principle.

Beyond my pic montage above and a link provided, I can't go on about this film. My suggestion is to avoid it at all costs.

If you want to watch Jane Fonda, tune into CNN and watch her be an idiot for the Moonbats amongst us. She is much better at this sort of thing.

Heh.
~~~~~~~~~~

More Kaitlyn posts HERE

=============

Movie Review "The Producers"

2008-12-30T15:41:00.000-08:00

Note to Delaware GOP Friends

The following email came through my Ebox.

Dear Friends, Western Sussex Republicans are celebrating Ronald Reagan's birthday this Tuesday (2/6/07) at the Golden Corral in Seaford from 6pm til 8. Please consider attending the celebration with follow Republican friends. Republican Senate Leader Charlie Copeland will be the guest speaker following dinner and the cost is only $15. Everyone is welcome. Please contact Monet Smith at 302-542-4163 to RSVP.

Consider yourself informed.

Catching up on some TV Reality shows, we got American Idol 2007 in Birmingham, Apprentice LA and the Pollo Loco and a Movie review of The Producers.

All with pics you'll find nowhere else on the Internet.

Pic of the Day

Quote of the Day
Quotes from Women-Part 2
I think, therefore I'm single.
-Lizz Winstead-

When women are depressed they either eat Or go shopping. Men invade another country.
-Elayne Boosler-

Behind every successful man is a surprised woman.
-Maryon Pearson-

I base most of my fashion taste on What doesn't itch.
-Gilda Radner-

In politics, if you want anything said, Ask a man; If you want anything done, ask a woman.
-Margaret Thatcher-

I have yet to hear a man ask for advice on How to combine marriage (or parenthood) And a career.
-Gloria Steinhem-

Some of us are becoming the men we wanted to marry.
- Gloria Steinhem-

I never married because there was no need. I have three pets at home which answer the same purpose as a husband. I have a dog which growls every morning, a parrot which swears all afternoon and a cat that comes home late at night.
-Marie Corelli-

Nagging is the repetition of unpalatable truths.
-Baroness Edith Summerskill-

If men can run the world, why can't they stop Wearing neckties? How intelligent is it to start The day by tying a little noose around your neck?
-Linda Ellerbee-

I am a marvelous housekeeper. Every time I leave a man I keep his house.
-Zsa Zsa Gabor-

Web Site Worth the Visit
Help for Your Event

It would turn out that a group of Delaware Bloggers are to be attending a get-together in the swamps of Delaware. The organizer used the web site EVITE.com and in its usage I was continually intrigued.

First, of course, one must enter the invitees into the Evite database for the event. Then all the details regarding attendance, RSVP's, directions, notification of other invitees of changes and/or any froufrou required to manage invitees is handled electronically with little fuss.

I responded to the invitation, I got all directions, times and dates as required AND I asked to be notified of the response of all other invitees, either yea or nay. Each day updates arrived in my Ebox and right now I must ask...if you're not organizing your party with the help of Evite, why not?

EVITE Home Page HERE

TIDBITS

The History of 'APRONS'

I don't think our kids know what an apron is.

The principal use of Grandma's apron was to protect the dress underneath, but along with that, it served as a potholder for removing hot pans from the oven.

It was wonderful for drying children's tears, and on occasion was even used for cleaning out dirty ears.

From the chicken coop, the apron was used for carrying eggs, fussy chicks, and sometimes half-hatched eggs to be finished in the warming oven.

When company came, those aprons were ideal hiding places for shy kids. And when the weather was cold, grandma wrapped it around her arms.

Those big old aprons wiped many a perspiring brow, bent over the hot wood stove.

American Idol 2007 Goes to Birmingham, Alabama

We are to understand that Birmingham, Alabama is home to more AI stars than any other single city in America. Its AI graduates include Beau Bice, Taylor Hicks and Rueben Stoddard. We are also to understand that the American Idol mobile unit has NEVER made an official visit to Birmingham.

So they did the night of 1/30/07.

Below some pic montages of a few of the tryouts for the evening with both the "duds" and the real possibilities.

As for my assessment of the contenders from Birmingham, the contestant who talked exactly like a duck stands out more than any other.

Yes she does and when she first spoke for the cameras my first reaction was astonishment. Surely, I thought, an individual who sounds like Daffy Duck will never enter the rarified air of American Idol stardom?

Yet she DID get a coveted gold ticket and will be moving on to Hollywood. And yes, the duck-talker sang quite well. This alone should intrigue us enough to watch where this goes.

Apprentice LA-Crazy Chickens

The task this week was to create a new chicken dish for the Pollo Loco chain, market and sell it. First thing, Surya was moved (he volunteered) from the Kinetic team to the Arrow team. I didn't understand a word Surya said when he went to his new team and frankly, don't know why this move was even effected except to even out the team members, I suppose.

Aaron headed the Arrow team while Heidi headed the Kinetic team. Heidi's been team manager since the beginning of time it seems.

So Arrow comes up with the simple and straightforward "chicken tortilla bowl" while the Kinetic teams creates something called "Paradise Bowl". Their concoction had mango in the ingredients and right there we have failure. At least as I see it as mango has to be the worst tasting fruit on the planet. I understand that several gazillion people disagree with me but hey, I'm not at all convinced Americans are ready for fast food chicken and mango.

Whatever the case, Kinetic team member Marisa did her darndest to get her team to call the dish "Bravado Bowl" and begged Heidi to send a pair of humans costumed as chickens down to the street corner to lure in pedestrian traffic.

Meanwhile Arrow gets in a van and goes out and about the town taking orders for their chicken tortilla bowl and at one point gets an order for 22 of them! With some gay balloons floating about and curbside greeters, Arrow does pull in the customers.

But of course, and about time, Arrow wins the task.

It was kind of sad that Marisa got fired in that she was right about the marketing. For Kinetic failed to bring in the customers and those giant chickens she wanted could have brought in more traffic.

Only thing is, by the time Marisa got done in that board room I was ready to not only fire Marisa, I first wanted to slap her silly for about an hour.

The woman would NOT shut up!

Now I don't suppose she had anything to lose as it was obvious her job was on the line. But Marisa did have some grievances in that she tried, unsucessfully, to get her team to change its marketing strategy, much less the name of their product. She felt wronged when her team lost and she felt that she had the right ideas if only her team mates had listened. Which may or may not be true and no one can really know this. Marisa's behavior at the board meeting was anything but professional.

Marisa was fired. Heidi is no longer project manager extraordinaire. Kinetic goes to the godawful tents.

DISCLAIMER: Movie Reviews

I never see a first-run movie so any movie reviews I do are likely older ones. But if you're looking to rent a DVD for the weekend, or just want a new perspective on a movie you remember fondly, or not-so-fondly, read on.

"The Producers"-A Musical For ...well, PRODUCERS

STARS:
Nathan Lane .... Max Bialystock
Matthew Broderick .... Leo Bloom
Uma Thurman .... Ulla
Will Ferrell .... Franz Liebkind
Gary Beach .... Roger DeBris
Roger Bart .... Carmen Ghia

IMDB site for this movie.

This movie was (or maybe still IS) a smash-hit Broadway play. In fact, as I understood it the time I watched an interview with a producer of the Broadway hit "The Producers", heh, it was almost impossible to get tickets to the play. I wondered at the time what would make a Broadway show such a hit that obtaining tickets was nigh on impossible. Now that I've seen the movie, I think I understand why.

For "The Producers" is a story of, go with me here, PRODUCERS. Those would be people who produce stuff, with the "stuff" produced generally referring to a play or movie in the more popular jargon of the word. Of course Producers would love a story about Producers. And Producers have all sorts of contacts in the ticket-buying-selling-distributing world.

Which is not to infer that this show was sucessful only because it appealed to Producers but I seriously doubt it would have been so wildly sucessful had it been titled "The Accountants" even though one of the story's main characters was an Accountant.

The movie version of this musical was very entertaining. It was funny, irreverent, a bit tongue-in-cheek and self-deprecating to Producers everywhere.

A down-and-out Producer teams up with a world weary Accountant to produce a play that they know will fail. The Accountant, played by Matthew Broderick, has a scheme that will effectively bilk investers of a losing venture out of their contributions. Max Bialystock, played by Nathan Lane, has plenty of such investers to bilk and these two would-be flim-flam artists embark upon what should be an easy feat...produce a big flop on Broadway.

One would think a musical about Hitler would be just the ticket. Except the Hitler show becomes a smashing success and the team of ersatz flop Producers lost their chance at quick and dirty money.

As with most musicals, the story flits here and there. The songs and dances are meant to entertain and they do. The Producers has some of the best song and dance combinations of any movie musical I've seen in quite a while.

We've got costumes that will astound, songs that will smile down upon the ears and dancing that takes such movement to new and amazing heights.

Yes I'd recommend this movie hands down for a couple of hours of entertainment. As to whether it was "all that" from the hit Broadway musical, well I must wonder.

More TV Reviews HERE
===============

=======================

Movie Review-Chicken Little

2008-12-30T15:40:00.000-08:00

Hot off the presses we have the first American Idol eliminated from the top 12.

Also, a review of the animated film "Chicken Little". Which I saw three times in total and let me tell you why.

Pic of the Day

Quote of the Day
Classic Quotes by Oliver Wendell Holmes (1841-1935) American Jurist
A goose flies by a chart which the Royal Geographical Society could not mend.
--------------------
A man may fulfill the object of his existence by asking a question he cannot answer, and attempting a task he cannot achieve.
--------------------
A mind that is stretched by a new experience can never go back to its old dimensions.
--------------------

Web Site Worth the Visit
Indulge My Beloved Husband

For he sent me this link and guaranteed I would be bowled over. It is an interesting video but it's not all that...

Anyway, the man sometimes clicks on this link and just sits and listens, giggling the whole time. If you think you got a warped sense of humor, this site is for you.

CLICK HERE

TIDBITS

PREGNANCY Q & A:

Q: Should I have a baby after 35?
A: No, 35 children is enough.

Q: I'm two months pregnant now. When will my baby move?
A: With any luck, right after he finishes college.

Q: What is the most reliable method to determine a baby's sex?
A: Childbirth.

Q: My wife is five months pregnant and so moody that sometimes she's borderline irrational.
A: So what's your question?

Q: My childbirth instructor says it's not pain I'll feel during labor, but pressure. Is she right? !
A: Yes, in the same way that a tornado might be called an air current.

Q: When is the best time to get an epidural?
A: Right after you find out you're pregnant

Q: Is there any reason I have to be in the delivery room while my wife is in labor?
A: Not unless the word "alimony" means anything to you.

Q: Is there anything I should avoid while recovering from childbirth?
A: Yes, pregnancy.

Q: Do I have to have a baby shower?
A: Not if you change the baby's diaper very quickly.

Q: Our baby was born last week. When will my wife begin to feel and act normal again?
A: When the kids are in college.

ELIMINATED THE NIGHT OF 3/14/07:
Brandon Rogers

The bottom three were Phil Stacey, Brandon Rogers, Sanjaya

Below was written BEFORE the elimination show of 3/14/07 was aired.

American Idol 2007-Diana Ross and the Top Twelve

First, some idle Idol gossip. It seems that Antonella Barba, a top 16 finalist in 2007 who had racy photos of herself floating around the Internet, will not be jobless now that she's been kicked off the contest by the American public.

From Realitytvworld.com:

SugarDVD -- the largest renter of adult DVDs online -- has offered Barba $500,000 to become their new "spokesperson," TMZ.com reported on Thursday. SugarDVD's CEO "Jax" said if Barba were to accept the offer, her first gig would be hosting a launch party for their new video-on-demand service.

Next, hey, on the night of 3/13/07 when the top twelve performed Diana Ross songs, Paula Abdul had on the most gorgeous necklace! Which made me go on and wonder why Simon always wears white Tshirts. Doesn't the man have any other clothes?

Understand here that when you're talking Diana Ross you're talking a song genre I am very familiar with. And I still didn't recognize a few of the tunes so forgive me if I didn't go researching all over the place for yon two or three people who read this Blog. I did recognize most of the songs as sung by the 2007 "American Idol" top twelve and they certainly sounded different. Which is not to say they sounded particularly good.

Let us move on to Brandon Rogers. Brandon performed Ross' famous "Can't Hurry Love" and he was just terrible, simply awful. It sounded as if Brandon were in some deep tunnel somewhere and his voice was grainy. I didn't notice but judge Randy pointed out that Brandon also forgot the words to the song.

I don't have a forgiving heart when it comes to forgetting words to a song. I interpret this as a failure to practice enough. And forgetting words was a big problem this first night of the "American Idol" 2007's top twelve.

Melinda Doolittle sang a song from "The Wiz" that I did not recognize. As I recall, Melinda dedicated one evening of song to her alleged "stylist". Melinda, sweetie, check back with this stylist. That grey dress was positively matronly.

The judges like Melinda's performance as did I. Simon likened Melinda to a "young Gladys Knight".

Curly-haired Chris Sligh sang "Endless Love" and I do declare, Diana and Mr. Sligh both HAVE THE SAME HAIR!

The beginning of this love song was very weak and Chris was definitely not at his best. Chris sang the tune kind of fast. Chris didn't wear his glasses and hey, Chris....put your glasses back on! Being a nerdy kind of guy is part of your charm.

Judge Simon declared Chris murdered the song.

Next up the very Goth Gina Glocksen performed "Love Child" and my adolescent memories filled with teenage angst and the import of that song's lyrics. Which made me wonder what the hell happened to this country. In this "Love Child" song, a female sings of her desire to never bear an illegitimate child, that she knows the damage that status wreaks on a child. Today, almost every teenage girl on Baltimore street bears a baby out of wedlock and proudly declares that the dope smoking guy on the corner is her "baby daddy".

I didn't like Gina's performance but I don't especially like Gina for her silly pierced tongue. My prejudice regarding this will never leave me. May Gina get booted off soon for surely she will never beat the likes of Lakisha and Melinda. Even gentle Paula said Gina "shouted" part of that song.

Heh. Now we have Sanjaya. Here's a top twelve American Idol 2007 that no more belongs in the top twelve than I do. Sanjaya sang "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" and hand to God, if I heard someone singing like him in a Karoake bar I'd boo.

Sanjaya did, however, have great hair, all curly like in honor of Diana Ross I must suppose. The judges too did not think much of Sanjaya's performance. Randy said "thank God for background singers".

Haley Scarnato is another contender of this evening who allegedly forgot her words. I didn't hear Haley forget her words so evidently she covered it well. Haley sang "Missing You" which Diana Ross said was written for Marvin Gaye. I didn't know that.

I loved Haley's earrings and truly thought this was one of Haley's better performances. The judges, all except Simon, really gave Haley bad, bad reviews, way worse than I thought she deserved. Except for Simon who, oddly, said that Haley didn't do all that bad and that she displayed a good "presence" on that stage. Which she did. Haley did manage to quell her tears at the judge's disparaging remarks.

Phil Stacey sang "I'm Going to Make You Love Me". I thought he gave a fairly good performance and all the judges complimented Phil as well. I don't see Phil winning this thing but I don't think he'll be going home any time soon.

Ah, Lakisha Jones looked and sounded like an angel. I didn't recognize the song she sang but in terms of range and pitch, it was perfect for Lakisha. The judges loved Lakisha and remarked on how well she contained herself and didn't "overdo" her song. Simon called it an extemely "controlled performance".

Which it was. Lakisha going to be in the top five, definitely, the top three, probably.

I have been thinking right along that Blake Lewis will win this thing but after last night, not so much.

Blake has an amazing amount of talent and for the longest time his ability to do sounds, sing a hip-hop-happening rap and croon a love song mesmerized me. Last night, Blake wore just the most stupid outfit although I understand he was trying to be "au current". He looked more like the Bob's Big Boy icon to me.

Blake sang "You Keep Me Hanging On" and Blake put his famous "Blake-Take" on that classic tune. I had no problem with it but the judges certainly took exception to what they called too much "blakinzation" of a classic tune.

Well Blake's big sell is his vocal talents and as Blake sees it, the audience EXPECTS such vocal artistry from him. If I'm right about how Blake thinks, and I am just guessing folks as the fellow does not talk to me, I think he's right. Those judges, sometimes you simply cannot please them. If you put your take on a song, they complain. If you don't, they complain.

Stephanie Edwards wore the most colorful dress I've ever seen. I didn't recognize the tune Stephanie sang but I thought she displayed very good vocals and showed a little, but not too much, boob. Simon chastised Stephanie for only singing the intro to her song.

Chris Richardson also sang a tune I didn't know and I didn't especially like it. I though his performance was not so good, certainly not memorable. The judges didn't like his performance either.

Finally, my own personal favorite, Jordin Sparks. Jordin wins the best dressed of the Diana Ross night on AI 2007. Beyond this, I would depict Jordin's performance as absolutely a delight to watch and hear. Jordin sang "If We Hold On Together". She wasn't exactly Diana Ross but for sure she was Jordin Sparks, a very possible winner for American Idol 2007.

My own awards for Diana Ross night American Idol 2007:
BEST PERFORMANCE-Lakisha Jones
BEST DRESS-Jordin Sparks
BEST SONG CHOICE FOR VOICE-Lakisha Jones
WORST PERFORMANCE-Sanjaya
BIGGEST SURPRISE OF NIGHT-Chris Sligh, not so good, needs his glasses, is much better as a "nerd" personna.
MY GUESS AS TO NEXT ELIMINATION-Sanjaya

AMERICAN IDOL 2007 LINKS
Seattle and Minneapolis 1/16/07 and 1/17/07
Birmingham 1/30/07
San Antonio 2/6/07
The Top 24 2/12/2007
First Four Eliminated
3/1/07-Down to 16
The Top Twelve
Diana Ross and the Top Twelve

More TV Reviews HERE
===============

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=======================

Movie Review-"Prime"

2008-12-30T15:39:00.000-08:00

NOTE-a reader has informed me that the former Miss USA is Tara CONNER. I'll not change my original entry but know that the surname REID is incorrect. Not at all sure where I got that name. Regrets.

What with last year's Miss USA, Tara Reid, and all the hoopla around that winner's almost demise, I just had to tune in for this year's Miss USA pageant.

I must say that Trump has overhauled the matronly concept of a beauty pageant without going into sleaze.

It's hip, happening, and we've got lots of pics you'll see nowhere else on the Internet.

Also, a review of the movie "PRIME" starring Meryl Streep. It's got a clever and laughable plot yet Streep brings an element of fine acting to this tale of a Psychologist whose patient is having an affair with her son.

Pic of the Day

Quote of the Day
A CANDIDATE TRULY FULL OF HOT AIR

"More and more Democrats are becoming convinced Mr. Gore is running for president -- by not running for president. . . . This fall, many Gore aides are convinced he will win the Nobel Peace Prize for this global warming crusade. 'If that happens, you can bet the roof will come off in terms of pressure from the Democratic base for him to run,' predicts Rich Galen, a former GOP consultant who now writes Mullings.com."

- John Fund, Political Diary, 3/19/07

Web Site Worth the Visit

Experience the Ecstasy of the Opposite Sex

Through the miracle of the Internet and the computer in front of you, we can now experience the same joy of the opposite sex as they ascend to the heights of pleasure.

Heh.

Well try it out. I did. I learned a lot.

BLOG POST HERE

TIDBITS
A first grade teacher had twenty-five students in her class and she presented each child in her class the first half of A well known proverb and asked them to come up with the remainder of the Proverb.It's hard to believe these were actually done by first graders. Their insight may surprise you. While reading these keep in mind that These are first graders, 6-year-olds, because the last one is classic!

1. Don't change horses.................until they stop running.
2. Strike while the.........................bug is close.
3. It's always darkest before.........Daylight Saving Time.
4. Never underestimate the power of ........ Termites.
5. You can lead a horse to water but ........ How?
6. Don't bite the hand that ........... Looks dirty.
7. No news is......................................impossible.
8. A miss is as good as a ............................... Mr.
9. You can't teach an old dog new .............. Math.
10. If you lie down with dogs, you'll .......stink in the morning.
11. Love all, trust...................................... Me.
12. The pen is mightier than the ................... Pigs.
13. An idle mind is......................the best way to relax.
14. Where there's smoke there's ..............pollution.
15. Happy the bride who.....................gets all the presents.
16. A penny saved is .....................not much
17. Two's company, three's ......... The Musketeers.
18. Don't put off till tomorrow what .......... You put on to go to bed.
19. Laugh & the whole world laughs with you cry and... you have to blow your nose.
20. There are none so blind as ...........Stevie Wonder.
21. Children should be seen and not ......spanked or grounded.
22. If at first you don't succeed ................ Get new batteries.
23. You get out of something only what you ...... See in the picture on the box.
24. When the blind lead the blind ............... Get out of the way.
And the WINNER and last one!
25. Better late than.......................pregnant.

Miss USA 2007-Trump Brings the Beauty Pagent Back from the Dark Ages

Goodness knows The Donald had plenty of publicity build-up from the Tara Reid kerfluffle. Not that Mr. Trump didn't know this as the saga of Tara Reid and her total lack of self-control was played out for the audience a couple of times during the Miss U.S.A's 2007 competition. Hey, it's good drama, it's a Lifetime story of the decades, it's the stuff that makes Oprah's audiences cry.

If time permits, they also tune into the Miss U.S.A. pagent, 2007.

I salute Trump and the creative team behind the Miss U.S.A. contest as presented upon my television the evening of 3/23/07. For the show was edgy, hip, and modern. The contest unabashedly presents the contenders as sexy women and apologizes to no one for this. I admire the honesty and thank God there was no bother with a talent contest. These young beauties are meant to represent the prettiest, healthiest and best about female America. They don't need to be able to tap dance.

It was announced early on in the show that this year's event designer was Givenchy. Well I didn't even know that the contest HAD a designer but I have some fashion critique for Givenchy, as is my wont.

Some miscellaneous notes I jotted as I watched the contest unfold:

-Jerry Springer as a judge? And just what are his qualifications for this? He's the host of a raunchy daytime talk show!

-I enjoyed the backstage vignettes of the competition and suggest that this sort of thing makes the contestants more human and vulnerable, less of a plastic, joyless icon beauty contestants are often deemed to be.

-The winner, Rachel Smith of Tennessee, is a mere 21 years old. Remember Tara Reid, Rachel, and try to behave for at least the first year.

-Someone tell designer Givenchy that evening gowns don't need a ton of beading on the top to be pretty, not to mention comfortable.

-I noticed the top five were given a chance to recite some nonsense that was obviously pre-written. The top five were also given unexpected questions compiled by the judges so the element of quick-wit was tested. The bit allowing each of the top five spout a little pre-written story was nice, I've decided. For what could be more nerve-wracking that trying to find the proper and politically correct words to answer a question under the glare of the lights and the pressure of the contest?

-By the time a beauty contest gets down to the top five I put a lot of weight on how the finalists handle unrehearsed questions. The top five of most beauty contests usually answer these questions so badly they make me laugh. Then I feel a bit mean because I don't know that I would do any better.

Still when it's time for the finalists to answer some questions impromptu, we know they are exceptionally pretty and look good in a bathing suit. It's the questions and responses that sort the beauty contender wheat from the chaff.

For instance, Miss Nevada was asked who was her personal hero. She gave a good answer in that her brother, a member of the Air Force, was her hero. Miss Nevada missed her chance to sound all patriotic and American by waxing on about the troops and the sacrifices they make for our liberty. I do hope it was nerves that had her bypassing this bit and not political correctness.

Miss Tennessee was the winner of the 2007 competition but the answer to her surprise question was handled with a verve and a smile but it was just dumb as all get out. Rachel was asked what man she would most like to be given a chance to be. The woman answered WILL SMITH!

Come on....Will Smith? But oh dear Lord, Rachel went on and on about how wonderful Will Smith is, how he single-handedly saved the world and cured cancer. I mean...Will Smith? I like Will Smith and everything but is he really the one man Miss U.S.A. would choose to be if she could? Sad.

Miss Kansas might have hurt herself by her firm answer that NO, not everyone deserves a second chance. Given the prior flap about Tara Reid this could have hurt Miss Kansas who Donald Trump likely expected to exclaim that of course EVERYONE deserves a second chance. This contestant did stipulate that certain crimes are just too heinous to warrant another chance.

Wow, I am glad Miss Rhode Island didn't win because her answer was so stupid, and frightening, that it boggles the mind. She was asked that if given the chance to ban ANYTHING, what would it be. Now myself would ban CANCER, given that the question didn't limit the choices or require common sense behind the answer. Or I might ban disease, poverty....stuff like this.

What does this bimbo want to ban? Driving while talking on the cell phone! She also rambled on and in one of her inane comments she actually iterated just why her cell phone and driving ban would NOT work. Miss Rhode Island smirked that she's even seen people SHAVING while driving. Well right there don't we have to ban SHAVING AND DRIVING? Because a ban on cell phone talk and driving holds no halt for such as shaving, eating and/or plucking eyebrows while driving. The point being, heh, that people should shut up and drive and the government will spend the rest of eternity trying to ban the stupid things that people do but they do it anyway.

I shouldn't be surprised that Miss California, who wore a gown that resembled something Morticia of the Adams family would adore, missed such a softball question as "Should women be allowed to use their looks to get ahead?" So here's Miss California then in the top five of the Miss U.S.A. contest of 2007 and isn't this sort of using one's looks to get ahead? Miss California missed this irony where she could have went on about scholarships and chances afforded beauty contestants and instead, heh, went on about being beautiful on the inside. Go on. Beauty contest winners simply are not known for their great INNER beauty and they seldom cultivate this aspect of their selves because why should they?

Still and so, I enjoyed this year's Miss U.S.A. pagent and would watch it again. Kudos to Donald Trump for this man is a PR genius, let us not ever take it away from the man.

More TV Reviews HERE
===============

DISCLAIMER: Movie Reviews

I never see a first-run movie so any movie reviews I do are likely older ones. But if you're looking to rent a DVD for the weekend, or just want a new perspective on a movie you remember fondly, or not-so-fondly, read on.

Review: "PRIME"

A movie reviewer, Chris Hewett, describes it like this:

Meryl Streep elevates sitcom to prime movie material

Hewett accurately reflects the content of the movie "Prime", starring Meryl Streep and Uma Thurman. For this film could easily have devolved into a formulaic situation comedy, indeed in some parts it did.

The main plot line in the movie "Prime" is of a psychiatrist, Streep, who has a female patient, Thurman. The patient is undergoing a life crisis and seeks professional psychological help to help put her life back on the track she'd like to travel. Uma's character tells Streep the psychiatrist that she's almost 40 and wants to have a child before her biological clock runs out. Streep's psychiatrist is a caring doctor, concerned with her patient, even a bit fond of her patient.

At some point, Thurman's character meets the son of Streep, played by Bryan Greenberg. Greenberg's character is a mere 23 years of age, is a budding artist and has a mother who is a psychiatrist then treating the object of his lust, Uma's character.

At some point Streep's psychiatrist realizes that the young man her patient describes eagerly during their mental therapy sessions is, in fact, her own son. This causes Streep great angst as one might imagine.

Here is where the plot line deviates from believability for a shrink with a patient dating one's child is a bit too close for comfort and I'd think a violation of medical ethics. Streep does seek advice from another psychiatrist and is advised to continue with the therapy of Uma whilst hoping that the patient's affair with the shrink's son is just a passing thing.

The situation comedy here revolves around the shrink suffering through mental counseling sessions with a patient who talks unabashedly about the shrink's son, including all manner of sexual detail that a mother should never have to hear about her own son. Streep struggles as Thurman giggles on about Streep's son's beautiful penis and how she'd like to knit a nice cap for it.

Streep has to keep this all quiet and there were times when it got really silly, such as the time Uma and Bryan were in a store where Streep and her husband were as well. Soon Streep and husband were rolling under store furniture in an effort not to be seen, all while Streep's husband questions all this weird behavior.

At some point Streep simply has to reveal to her patient that her new love is, in fact, her son. At this point Streep stops being Uma's shrink and becomes her son's concerned mother. For Uma is 37 years old while Streep's son is only 23. Streep knows her patient wants babies and a future. Streep wants the best for her son, as do all mothers, and is not sure that making a baby with this older woman is where her son should be going.

All the anguish is eventually resolved as these things usually are. In fact, all the characters DO live happily ever after.

I watched the entire DVD of this movie and was greatly entertained. Meryl Streep is known world-wide as a great actress, and she is. It was Streep's acting that kept this film from being another Carmen Diaz chick flick.

Streep really should stick to acting and stay away from Alar in apples.

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Movie Review of "Poseidon"

2008-12-30T15:38:00.001-08:00

We've got a couple of new TV shows we're looking at on this Blog post. First, the new reality series called "The American Dream".

Next, we're reviewing Fox's newest comedy entry "The Wedding Bells".

Also, a movie review of the TWO movies depicting the sinking of the mighty ship known as the Poseidon.

Hint...the newer version "POSEIDON" not as good as the older "The Poseidon Adventure", even with newer and improved special effects of our day.

Pic of the Day

Quote of the Day

Children's Logic: "Give me a sentence about a public servant," said a teacher. The small boy wrote:

"The fireman came down the ladder pregnant." The teacher took the lad aside to correct him. "Don't you know what pregnant means?" she asked.
Sure," said the young boy confidently. "It means carrying a child."

Web Site Worth the Visit
MAKE PAUL DANCE

If you find you haven't been chosen to star in ABC's "Dancing With Celebrities" then click into this web site to make your own celebrity dance.

Indeed a site visitor can make this fellow do all sorts of moves. It's fun and whimsy.

ABOVE BLOG POST HERE

TIDBITS

An April Fool's Day Joke

In 1998, on April Fool's Day, Burger King published a full page advertisement in USA Today announcing the introduction of a new item to their menu: a "Left Handed Whopper" specially designed for the 32 million left handed Americans. According to the advertisement, the new whopper included the same ingredients as the original Whopper (lettuce, tomato, hamburger patty, etc. ), but all the condiments were rotated 180 degrees for the benefit of their left handed customers. The following day Burger King issued a follow up release revealing that although the Left Handed Whopper was a hoax, thousands
of customers had gone into restaurants to request the new sandwich. Simultaneously, according to the press release, "many others requested the 'right handed' version. "

Review: Fox's "Wedding Bells"

I see no need to provide a list of the various stars and supporting stars in the new series on Fox TV-"The Wedding Bells". A link to Fox's site for the show, however, is provided HERE. Go look them up yourself.

We begin with my assertion right here on this Blog read by two or three people every damn day....I'll not watch this show again.

Which means, in no way, that the show is not worthy or that others wouldn't enjoy it. I will also assert that I am likely the target demographic for this show, ie a middle-aged middle-class American woman with a bevy of female relatives in my surround all looking or hoping for a marriage and/or wedding in the near future.

This show bored me to tears and folks, I am still crying though I finished my review three days ago.

The show's premise is about a group of sisters who inherit their parents' "Wedding Palace" and the sibling trio join up to revive their parents' wedding business. They hire a bunch of help to include a consultant to help the business end of the endeavor plus various chefs, singers and office managers that all are part of the ongoing drama of people getting married along with the people helping people get married.

Thus the story line can be replenished every week with a new batch of brides and grooms, all with their own stories and fresh drama as the new weddings unfold. The plot line is bolstered by the steady permanent cast whose foibles and quirks are already known by the viewers with the team's interaction with the bridal customers providing new and hip tales of the heart.

I reviewed this show on the evening of March 23, 2007. On this night there were three weddings in process. One involved an older woman all set to marry a much younger man. The older bride admitted handily that she was marrying her groom for the sex and the sex alone. Another bride had already left her groom standing at the altar but they were scheduled to try it again. Her groom was bitter about the abandonment and cast dark hints that on this try HE might leave the bride standing alone in front of the crowd. Finally there were a set of twins planning a wedding and frankly I don't know what that was all about.

At some point the young groom of the older bride got all involved with one of the wedding planner sisters, a plot line that made no sense to me. Surely, go with me here, but surely one of the first rules of running a bridal consultancy business such as this one, would be, surely.....DO NOT MESS AROUND WITH THE BRIDE OR GROOM IN A ROMANTIC MANNER!

Right?

Yet on this first show we have one of the sisters kissing this young groom of the older bride? Is the viewer to assume that the rest of the series will have some variation or another on this theme? While I can readily buy that a pretty young woman serving as a bridal consultant for happy couples might fall for a groom-to-be, I would think such an event would be rare. Hey, that pretty young woman could find a gazillion guys that would be interested in her. For sure she doesn't need some young fellow so stupid that he's marrying a female twice his age just so she can have steady sex.

The three sisters as well as the office help, all seem to have personal issues that intrude on their business. It's a hackneyed concept that David Kelly, creator of Ali McBeal and this series, thinks us dopey females are going to adore. Said hackneyed concept being the plight of a bevy of confused and lonely women forced to make a living providing brides the happiest day of their life while coping with their own brand of misery.

Well hey, it might work. It just won't work with me. The whole show seemed too forced, too contrived.

This show got a fine boost as a follow-up to Fox's mighty "American Idol" series. If it doesn't survive it will be because the show's demographic, which would be women like me, turned their noses up at the absurdity of the show's premise.

DISCLAIMER: Movie Reviews

I never see a first-run movie so any movie reviews I do are likely older ones. But if you're looking to rent a DVD for the weekend, or just want a new perspective on a movie you remember fondly, or not-so-fondly, read on.

"POSEIDON"

One of my favorite movies during that short era when I actually went to a movie theater and watched such things was "The Poseidon Adventure". On a side note, the movie's theme song "The Morning After" by Maureen McGovern is one of my favorite tunes. So on a cold March afternoon I fired up the DVR and watched the modern version of The Poseidon Adventure, titled "Poseidon".

The cast list for "Poseidon", detailed HERE, includes:

Josh Lucas
Kurt Russell
Richard Dreyfuss
Emmy Rossum
Andre Braugher

The cast list for the 1972 version, detailed HERE, includes:

Gene Hackman ... Rev. Frank Scott
Ernest Borgnine ... Det. Lt. Mike Rogo
Red Buttons ... James Martin
Carol Lynley ... Nonnie Parry
Roddy McDowall ... Acres
Stella Stevens ... Linda Rogo
Shelley Winters ... Belle Rosen
Jack Albertson ... Manny Rosen
Pamela Sue Martin ... Susan Shelby

I am working from an ageing memory as regards the 1972 version of the film but two scenes remain in my mind even almost 35 years after seeing it. One is the image of many forlorn survivors of the ship's capsize marching without a sense of purpose DOWNWARDS. The cast of this movie had determined that the direction to survival would be what had been the bottom of the boat which was, according to the expressed logic, then sticking out above the water as the boat had essentially turned over completely after hit by the rogue wave. The cast of the 72 movie tried to convince the weary survivors going the wrong direction to certain doom to turn around but they marched doggedly on by, deeper into the coffin the boat would become for those who didn't make it to the top.

Another scene I recall fondly from the 72 movie is the death of Shelly Winters as she volunteered to swim underwater and turn a valve or some such necessary action for the group's survival. Shelly Winters is a rather obese actress but like the character she played in "The Poseidon Adventure", she was once ravishing and beautiful. Winters' did succeed in doing what was required to save the group but the strain of the long underwater swim caused a heart already taxed by too much fat to stop its steady beat. The loss of the Winters' character in the first Poseidon movie was a heartbreaker as the audience had learned to love the character.

As for the more modern version of this story, it's title was shortened to just the name of the boat..."Poseidon".

It was okay. Had I not seen "The Poseidon Adventure" so long ago, I doubt the movie "Poseidon" would stand out in my mind as nothing more than an okay movie about a big ship tragedy and the struggle of a handful of survivors to get to safety and eventual rescue.

Sure, that was essentially the premise of the first version of this ship's hapless fate but the newer version of the tale is mostly special effects and make no mistake, the effects were good. Even the vision of the huge wave bearing down on the tiny ship was dramatic and awe-inspiring. The little group of survivors struggled to get clear of odds so overwhelming at times I was tempted to switch off the TV as I believed there is just no way this group can survive THIS obstacle. Said obstacles included being locked into tiny rooms with but one firmly locked hatch, being stuck in air vents or trapped behind screens with no hope of escape.

I recall these sorts of things cropped up in the earlier version of the movie but nothing like the more modern version. The obstacles and hurdles the modern group had to clear to get to freedom tested my sense of disbelief greatly. But I knew that in the end they would all be rescued so I watched to see which of a the beloved few would die as one always does. I also watched to see how many challenges the group would encounter and the movie effects and plot line that would somehow set them free.

Sure "Poseidon" is a movie worth watching. Go on and rent the DVD. I'm thinking males around the ages of 12 to 16 would love this movie. There's not a lot of sex or bad language, it's an adventure, the special effects are great.

It will never hold a candle to the nuance and drama of its predecessor.

Zsa Zsa's Husband Sues Bill O'Reilly

You can't make this up folks. Now we have a potential father of Anna Nicole's baby actually suing someone for declaring that he is NOT the father of the child.

From CNN.com:

LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- Prince Frederic von Anhalt has sued Fox and Bill O'Reilly after the talk show host called him a fraud for claiming he could be the father of Anna Nicole Smith's baby.

Von Anhalt, who is married to Zsa Zsa Gabor, filed the defamation suit seeking at least $10 million in damages Wednesday in Los Angeles County Superior Court.

So this Prince husband of Zsa Zsa is suing Bill O'Reilly for declaring that he could not be the father of Anna's baby Dannie Lynn?

Heh. Well this is a trial I'll sit and watch.

Leprechaun Gives Florida's Speeders Their Tickets

I came across this story and was totally floored.

From the Orlando Sentinel:

Speeding drivers in Orange County today may spot a leprechaun dancing on the side of the road but instead of finding his lucky pot of gold, expect to find a hefty speeding ticket.

Deputy Richard Lockman of the Orange County Sheriff's Office has stopped more than 50 drivers who were exceeding the speed limit, which is 45 mph in the area of University Boulevard west of State Road 417. The fastest driver stopped so far was going 72 mph.

I think the notion of dressing up as a character to hand out speeding tickets to be a bit stupid. At least that was my first reaction thus I saved the link and copied the picture for inclusion in my Blog's Pop Culture compilation.

Why is that I think speeders won't be amused by getting their speeding ticket from a leprechaun as opposed to, say, a regular traffic cop? In fact, I think the ha-ha of giving out tickets while dressed as a character to be a bit cruel and totally unnecessary.

Still I want to note this weird action in the event such a notion catches on across the fruited plains when suddenly we'll be getting our traffic tickets from such as Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny and other characters. Sooner of later somebody, could be Santa Claus, who knows, is going to get run over by an angry speeder.

More TV Reviews HERE
===============

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MOVIES-Review: "The Bee Movie";

2008-12-30T15:37:00.001-08:00

A review of those American Music Awards...pics, video, thoughts and opinions.

Plus Fox's "The Next Great American Band" continues.

A review of "The Bee Movie", a cartoon film that will enchant the little ones but also delivers an amazing lesson any gardener would love.

Pic of the Day

The American Music Awards 2007

A review of the 2007 winners here.

It's not at all clear to me just how the winners of The American Music Awards are chosen. Although I note that the field of choices is only three and there aren't all that many awards given out.

The show seems to be yet another music awards show to get attention and sell records. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

American Idol is making inroads into this awards show it would seem. Last night there was Carrie Underwood, who received three major awards, Kellie Pickler, Jordan Sparks and Chris Daughtry, an American Idol "loser" who now has a band and an album named after his own fine self although he claims it's all a team effort. Heh.

I will say I was entertained by the show although I was often left scratching my head in confusion. One of the more vaunted singers is alleged to be Avril Levigne. That girl can't sing so her popularity is lost on me.

The musical productions are really over the top. They did make great video entertainment but would this music play well on the radio? Too, many of the numbers were sung by two or three people and this confused me. One pretty singer, Rihanna, sang a song that lasted an hour it seemed like and she was joined by various men that I didn't know who they were.

Jimmy Kimmel was the host and Lord he was lame. At one point he was introducing a team (the job of the host of this award show is to introduce the people who will be giving out the awards) of singers from High School Musical 2. He cracks that his son told him that these are the females he'd most like to lose his virginity to. Hahahahahah. I could barely stop my hearty laughter.

It's understandable in a fashion that sex would very much be on the minds of teenagers but what...is it cool for Dad to yuk, yuk along?

Of course there was the mandatory song by Celine Dion and this woman's days are numbered judging by the Carrie Underwoods and Taylor Swifts coming right behind. And Josh Grobin speaks perfect English...American style. All this time I thought he was Italian. By me, Josh Grobin is a hunk I'd love for my daughter to bring home.

The old clips featuring Guns and Roses, Dixie Chicks and some old favorites were a hoot and great entertainment.

Finally, what's with that Chris Brown guy and that stupid dance he does?

Below a remix of some clips of the videos featured. My clever and snarky comments included on the video clips.

Heh.

Fox’s “The Next Great American Band” Top 7-Episode 11/16/07

It was Lieber and Stoller night for the 11/16/07 episode of “The Next Great American Band”. Plenty of great tunes here including “You Ain’t Nothing But a Hound Dog” and “Jailhouse Rock”.

This coming week, Friday 11/23/07, features The Rolling Stones!

Below a remix of the top 7 bands. Franklin Bridge sent home this past week.

”The Bionic Woman” Returns

NBC’s Bionic Woman Site HERE.

Jamie Summers is back. Actually, Jamie Summers was a copy of another popular series once upon a time “The Bionic Man”, starring Lee Majors. Well it wasn’t good enough to have a bionic man so we need a woman. The original Bionic woman starred Lindsay Wagner.

I don’t know why they brought this series back, this time starring Michelle Ryan. Although, it’s not bad, folks, not bad at all.

I admit to not paying as close attention as I should have but this series seems well-acted, well-scripted, and the plot is riveting.

Jamie has a little sister for whom she is an ersatz mother and goodness knows she’s very busy in her life as a bionic woman who must protect nasty dictators from harm when they visit our shores.

I am going to re-visit this show and get a better grip on the flow. For now, I recommend this show to anyone who liked the original series or the young looking for compelling drama with excitement and a bit of romance.
=============
Focus on TV Posts of Fame

Those Wacky TV Chefs. Includes Rachel Ray and the sexiest chef of them all.

TV News Pundits including Russert, spitting Matthews and the one I adore.

"Dancing with the Stars" of 2007, reviews, pics and videos.

American Idol 2007 and The Bachelor. One night's review with links to all the others.
===============

”The Bee Movie”-A Cartoon With a Message

I took my three-year-old-granddaughter to see this movie although she’s almost four comes this early December. She watched this entire movie that is listed as being a little over an hour and a half long.

There were a few things that were a bit of a stretch in terms of believability but hey, it’s a cartoon! A talking bee that sues the honey industry for stealing the product of the honey bees might seem farfetched. In fact, later the afternoon of seeing the movie, I took Kaitlyn to my gardens and explained to her that honey bees do not talk but they are very important to the vegetation on our planet, just as the movie pointed out.

Indeed the bees in the movie did win their lawsuit against the big honey industry, leaving honey bees across the planet with no need to continue foraging for nectar to make more honey. Without the humans taking away the honey the bees could sit around all day. Which meant, as the movie plot unfolded, that the flowers and trees fell sick and dead with no more busy bee pollinators around to spread the seed.

This is very true and for this I highly recommend the movie. For the bees of our planet are most valued by gardeners and hey, we’d have no vegetables, fruits or flowers without these most precious of insects. There was no need for exaggeration in the story line because the dread, dead world left by the lazy bees could really happen.

Take your children, go yourself, rent the DVD. The characters, dialogue and story line of this movie is top notch entertainment.

And you’ll love the mosquito who becomes a lawyer because, well he was already a blood-sucker, as he explains.
=================
FOCUS ON MOVIES
========================

"Brokeback Mountain" was heavily hyped as a homosexual film. Which it was. I found the relationship with one of the film's protagonists and his daughter to be more revealing about the character than any same-sex relationship depicted.

Tom Cruise's love is featured in "First Daughter", a film about, well, a first daughter. Only totally not believable.

"Chicken Little" is an animated film about, well something about a sky falling. Kaitlyn Mae watched this movie six times in one weekend. Read why this movie appeals to children so.

This post features reviews of BOTH "Poseidon" movies. The best one chosen might surprise.

He was born a rat but he wanted to be a chef. Here's a review of a charming animated film that will capture the imagination of both your children and ...YOU! Ratatouille

Movie Review-"Alvin and the Chipmonks"

2008-12-30T15:36:00.001-08:00

Couple things going on in this Blog post.

Kaitlyn came for a visit and we made cookies. You gotta see what this child thinks is "helping" to bake cookies.

We then went to see "Alvin and the Chipmonks" and we have a review. Talk about your generation gap.

Finally, an update on "Dance Wars" 2008 with pics and video you'll find nowhere else on the Internet.

Pic of the Day

Dance War 2008-America Votes

I like dance shows and I like reviewing them. Sure they’re not everyone’s cup of tea but there’s an audience for the genre.

Except this reality series, yon ladies and gems, doesn’t seem to be raising any eyebrows or interest.

I can tell how popular a reality show is by the number of search hits this Blog (or any Blog for that matter but I only monitor this one) gets on a subject.

For example, let an ongoing True Crime get major activity and if the crime had been covered on one of this Blog’s True Crime posts the hits will pour in. The day Lisa Montgomery went before the court recently this Blog took heavy hits all day.

“Dance War” gets very few hits, even on the day of or around the most recent show. Thus, I predict with all the authority of a Gallup that this show won’t survive.

Although there’s still time. Interest might grow and one or two people might actually tune in.

The concept of the show features two dance show judges from ABC’s very successful “Dancing With the Stars” show, Bruno Tunoli and Carrie Ann Inaba, who choose their own dance team. The first few shows had Brunie and Carrie Ann traveling the fruited plains in search of contenders who can sing AND dance as both of these talents are required to be in “Dance Wars”.

Then those 14 finalists as they were culled down performed for both judges until Bruno and Carrie Ann had a dance team of 6 dancers each.

Now it is America’s turn to vote.

I wasn’t sure if the viewers would be allowed to vote but how this will work was made clear in the episode aired Monday 1/21/08. America can now vote for the winning dance team. Whichever, either Carrie Ann’s or Bruno’s, team loses the vote must eliminate one dancer from the group.

I haven’t formed any favorites or even any amazing opinions or analysis regarding this reality series, a sure sign I’d suggest, that an audience-participation series is not doing so well. The goal of any of these shows is to get viewers just like me to like a participant and to follow that contender’s progress as the show moves along.

I do know the names of each team’s members and perhaps I’ll pay more attention to the nuances and, who knows, even form an opinion after tonight’s show-1/28/08.

Carrie Ann’s Team:
===================
Mariel
Alyssa
Elizabeth
Chris
Qis
Bradlee

Bruno’s Team
==============
Lacey
Phillip
Kelsey
Charity
Zack
Tony

For the first night of team competition I thought Carrie Ann’s team was awful. So I guess I do have an opinion.

Below a remix of both teams’ performances. Play the video and note that Chris of team Carrie Ann had serious audio problems that left him totally unheard during his few seconds of solo during his team’s performance. Somebody ought to be fired for letting that happen. This show is live, by the way, which allows goofs like this to make it on the air.

"Dance War" 2008 Contenders
==========================
Charity
Zack
Phillip
Mariel
Allysa
Maxx-sent home 1/14/08
Corina-sent home 1/14/08
Lacey
Kelsey
Tony
Marquis
Chris
Bradley
Elizabeth

Prior Links to Posts for "Dance War" 2008
======================
Premiere Show
Maxx and Corrina sent home
Begins America's Votes

=========================
Focus on TV Posts of Fame
=========================
Those Wacky TV Chefs. Includes Rachel Ray and the sexiest chef of them all.

TV News Pundits including Russert, spitting Matthews and the one I adore.

"Dancing with the Stars" of 2007, reviews, pics and videos.

American Idol 2007 and The Bachelor. One night's review with links to all the others.
===============

”Alvin and the Chipmunks”-Talk About Your Generation Gap

Kaitlyn Mae did come for a three day visit with Mom-Mom in mid-January 2008. Since it’s winter here on the shores of Delaware there’s not much to do but maybe go to a movie. Or bake cookies, an experience I describe in the Kaitlyn post below.

I saw that “Alvin and the Chipmunks” was playing and I thought that Kaitlyn might enjoy this movie.

This movie wasn’t animated and this surprised me all to hell. Kaitlyn is but barely 4 years old and I don’t think she’s yet sat through an entire non-animated film. The famous chipmunks, of course, were animated in the movie as, duh, there’s a real shortage of talking, singing chipmunks.

Is any of yon readers old enough to remember the famous singing chipmunks? Remember they had those real high voices and Alvin was always doing something he hadn’t oughta?

Yeah, THOSE chipmunks. This was a movie about, well, Alvin and the Chipmunks, and Kaitlyn sat through the entire thing and seemed to enjoy the show.

These singing chipmunks had been all the rage when I was about, oh 14 years old or so. Which is about 33 years or so ago and not only was Kaitlyn nowhere on the planet, her mother hadn’t even been but a twinkle in somebody’s eye. Alvin and the chipmunks eventually died from an almost insane-hatred of those high-pitched voices as their novelty wore out.

Who’d have thunk I’d someday be sitting in a movie theater watching their story with my granddaughter?

The story is hackneyed as a story about a trio of singing chipmunks can only be. In my youth I’d only heard their famous Christmas song and how Alvin wanted a hula hoop.

Well there was some drama behind this trio’s fame and this movie told the tale.

The chipmunks were discovered by an out-of-work musician who eventually came to love them. The trio were kidnapped by an unprincipled music producer who wanted the money from this unique singing phenomena. This unprincipled music producer worked this cute team of furry toothy critters half to death. Finally the trio was re-kidnapped by their original human finder and everyone lived happily ever after.

Sure that’s a very short synopsis but the plot allowed for close calls, races against time, tears of joy and all the elements of a fast-moving movie plot that kept my 4 year old granddaughter enthralled to the very end.

I left the movie in a pensive mood. Maybe someday Kaitlyn will read this review, perhaps after she watches the movie again on a TV re-run. Maybe then she’ll understand that the notion of the three singing chipmunks wasn’t born in her era, but that Mom-Mom was but barely out of puberty when the singing chipmunks were all the rage.

Heh.
==============================
FOCUS ON MOVIES
========================

"Brokeback Mountain" was heavily hyped as a homosexual film. Which it was. I found the relationship with one of the film's protagonists and his daughter to be more revealing about the character than any same-sex relationship depicted.

Tom Cruise's love is featured in "First Daughter", a film about, well, a first daughter. Only totally not believable.

"Chicken Little" is an animated film about, well something about a sky falling. Kaitlyn Mae watched this movie six times in one weekend. Read why this movie appeals to children so.

This post features reviews of BOTH "Poseidon" movies. The best one chosen might surprise.

He was born a rat but he wanted to be a chef. Here's a review of a charming animated film that will capture the imagination of both your children and ...YOU! Ratatouille

Kaitlyn “Bakes” Cookies Deep in Cold January 2008

So besides going to the movies, what else is there for grandparent/grandchild to do in a seaside resort in the dead of winter?

If you guessed making a big batch of cookies, you would be right.

Please note in the picture montage below the concept of “helping” to bake cookies as Kaitlyn Mae envisions it.

Kaitlyn Mae’s Mom loves cookie dough. Perhaps such a thing is hereditary although myself doesn’t like cookie dough and, indeed, I almost gag at the thought.

As pictured above, Kaitlyn dived into the mixing bowl with vigor. She also licked the mixer beaters clean of dough and when the child was finished the bowls, beaters and spoons involved in mixing and processing the dough which would become fine crisp cookies after a stint in the oven, were as clean as our own dinner plates once the dog has a go at them.

I told Kaitlyn that I was going to write about our cookie making experience on my Blog. Kaitlyn does know that I have a Blog and she knows it’s named after her. She understands the concept on some level because she laughed when I told her the whole world would know of her lust for cookie dough.

“Well you can write on your Blog how your granddaughter licked lots and lots of cookie dough,” was her response then she launched into giggles which lasted five minutes. Or maybe she was in the throes of a sugar high because I’m thinking she consumed enough cookie dough to make a half a dozen baked ones.

I bought Kaitlyn a building block set for Christmas. I tend to keep many of my gifts to Kaitlyn in my house for when she visits. Reminiscent of my days as a passionate women’s libber, I decided to buy my granddaughter some building blocks because, well how else is she going to create grand skyscrapers that will influence perhaps a future career as an architect?

In the picture above Kaitlyn poses with her building block creation and I thought it was quite an original creation. Although I didn’t know that building block sets nowadays have eyeballs but there you have it.
==================
KAITLYN FOCUS FILES
========================
Kaitlyn Mae is what it's all about. No, not MY Kaitlyn Mae but her generation. For they are the children who we are charged with leaving a society and environment at least as moral and pristine as we inherited; ideally even better than we inherited.

So I document her life as one little American baby is born, grows and learns about life and the world around here.

Some examples below:

The intrigue of the pointy chins. While it's not unusual for human females to have triangular or heart-shaped faces while the human male generally has a broad, square jaw, the pointy chin in mine and Kaitlyn's family is an obvious and intriguing tale of chromosomes down through four generations.
Kaitlyn goes into politics. Indeed. And she's quite good at it.
Kaitlyn learns the power of "nuance" in the English language. For there is nothing more full of wonder than a human child learning to talk. We are the only animal who does. In this post, Kaitlyn learns that language has all sorts of caveats and conditions.

Movie Reviews-"Nim's Island" and "Kung Fu Panda"

2008-12-30T15:35:00.001-08:00

Both are movies involving the weaker as they strive to become stronger. One has a little girl trying to save her island and the other involves an overweight panda trying to save his land.

"Kung Fu Panda" is a Dreamworks animated movie that challenges the imagination and "Nim's Island" is a charmer. Both movies are geared to children but this adult enjoyed them as well.

Pic of the Day

Bedroom in a box...click on this link HERE to see it put together live.

”Nim’s Island”

From IMDB.com:

Plot:A young girl inhabits an isolated island with her scientist father and communicates with a reclusive author of the novel she's reading.

The short synopsis above is true enough. What follows is a fast-paced yet sweet story of a young girl and her desperate, sometimes funny, attempts to save her beloved island and namesake.

Nim’s father is lost at sea while Nim manages to contact the author of her favorite action hero book.

Said author of Nim’s heroic dreams, played by Jodie Foster, turns out to be a reclusive writer with a full-blown fear of the outdoors. Nim’s pleas for help spur the author to find Nim’s island and help the young girl in her time of need.

The movie takes on two story lines. One has young Nim trying to scare off tourists and other riff-raff who would besmirch her paradise.

The other story line is the story of the frightened and mildly obsessed Jodie Foster character, Alexandra Rover, as she makes her way across the planet to find Nim’s island and help Nim with the invaders and help her find her father.

There’s also a hint of a love story as Nim’s father finally is rescued, by a pelican no less.

This is a fun movie very suitable for little kids. Kaitlyn Mae, at a tender age of four years, sat through the entire hour and a half, mostly quietly and happily.
============================================
”Kung Fu Panda”

IMDB link for “Kung Fu Panda”/

We begin with a cute pic of Kaitlyn Mae posing by a giant icon of this movie’s hero, Po, the magnificent Kung Fu Panda who saves all the citizens of the Valley of Peace.

So okay, nobody does animation much better than Dreamworks. For the animation in “Kung Fu Panda” was mesmerizing. The images were large, colorful, loud and impossible for even a four year old NOT to sit quietly and regard with amazement for the hour and a half length of the movie.

The story behind “Kung Fu Panda” was a bit difficult to comprehend although in due course the plot unfolded.

An ageing turtle is charged with appointing the next Kung Fu Master. The turtle has fine and already trained choices from a group called the Furious Five, all taught the mastery of Kung Fu by Master Shifu, a little guy who once taught the dangerous snow leopard Tai Lung. Tai Lung turned out to be evil and had to be locked away for the safety of the citizens of Valley of the Peace.

The members of the Furious Five are a curious lot, products of a fertile mind that could create this hypnotizing tale. A tiger, a monkey, a praying mantis, a snake and some kind of bird are all members of the Furious Five trained by Master Shifu. But the wise turtle, due to a strange series of coincidences, appoints an overweight panda as the next Kung Fu Master that will save the Valley of Peace.

It’s never made clear just why Po, the panda, has a father that is a duck but that’s just part of the charm of this nonsensical yet logical tale of he who learned to believe in himself causing a hero to be born and a villain to be defeated.

I guarantee that kids of all ages will love this movie. It has that kind of enchanting and imaginative aura about all aspects from animation to plot to the dialogue.

FOCUS ON MOVIES
========================

"Brokeback Mountain" was heavily hyped as a homosexual film. Which it was. I found the relationship with one of the film's protagonists and his daughter to be more revealing about the character than any same-sex relationship depicted.

Tom Cruise's love is featured in "First Daughter", a film about, well, a first daughter. Only totally not believable.

"Chicken Little" is an animated film about, well something about a sky falling. Kaitlyn Mae watched this movie six times in one weekend. Read why this movie appeals to children so.

This post features reviews of BOTH "Poseidon" movies. The best one chosen might surprise.

He was born a rat but he wanted to be a chef. Here's a review of a charming animated film that will capture the imagination of both your children and ...YOU! Ratatouille

Movie Review-"Space Chimps"

2008-12-30T15:34:00.001-08:00

A frog peed in her hand and Kaitlyn was more insulted than injured.

During our 7/2008 visit, Kaitlyn and I go out on a pirate ship. Kaitlyn was scared of the "bad" pirate but Mom-Mom saved the day.

We also went to the fabulous Delaware State Fair only we ended up calling 911 for a Kaitlyn in physical distress.

Kaitlyn and I saw the movie "Space Chimps" and it was fun, it was neat, it was just the ticket for a hot summer day.

Pic of the Day

Frogs That Pee, Pirate Ships, Fairs and Heat Exhaustion

We begin with the ride on the pirate ship because Kaitlyn's Mom, my daughter, informed me that Kaitlyn was greatly entertained by the activity.

I live near Lewes, Delaware, home of the famous "ferry" from Lewes, Delaware to Cape May, New Jersey. Lewes also has a plethora of boats, yachts, dinghies and you name it, all ready to take Rehoboth tourists out for a fishing trip.

I chanced upon this "pirate cruise" in a local newspaper. Children, according to the advertisement, reserve a spot on the "cruise". When they come to the dock, the little pirates are dressed in pirate duds, given a special tattoo on their arms (removable, of course) and have their faces painted with mustaches and goatees to better resemble the pirates they are about to be.

Parents are allowed on the boat and there is a special space in the back of the boat for parents to sit and proudly watch their little pirates. The pirates gather at the bow of the boat to hear tales or piracy on the high seas, look out for treasure and scariest of all, look for the "bad pirate". All around the boat are water cannons that will be used to ward of the bad pirate once he makes his move.

Treasure was retrieved from the sea, a happening Limbo dance was performed, magic tricks mesmerized the pirates at the bow and yes, a bad pirate did show up, floating up to the side of the pirate ship on a dinghy.

Kaitlyn was afraid of the bad pirate and I had to hold her sobbing self. She got over that fear real quick, however, when the bad pirate gave her a gold coin for being such a good pirate.

The arrival of the bad pirate launched an all-out "water war" with the mini-pirates shooting him with the water cannons and the bad pirate shooting back with a big water gun of his own. In the special boat alcove for parents, Moms, Dads and grandparents cringed to get away from the shooting waters.

The trip out past the mouth of the Delaware Bay lasted about 70 minutes, a real nice time span to keep them entertained yet not bore their busy little minds.

Kaitlyn, my niece and my wounded self visited the Delaware State Fair on Monday, 7/21/08.

I love the Delaware State Fair. As a child, one of my family's yearly rituals was a visit to the Merryland State Fair. Ladies and gems, Merryland is chump change compared to the mighty Delaware State Fair. Here in Delaware we capture a big tourist crowd who happily visit our fair during the height of the tourist season as opposed to more normal state fair time periods around the harvest.

Only that Monday of our visit it was very hot. Temperatures were up in the 90's.

Since just one ride cost almost five bucks, it made sense to purchase an arm band. For $20.00 one can ride all the rides one wants. I bought one for my niece and Kaitlyn. Myself did buy a few tickets because such as going up, down, around or upside down is not for those recovering from heart surgery.

My niece was a gem, taking Kaitlyn on all the rides requiring parental accompaniment although Kaitlyn got on quite a few rides all by herself.

"Again, Again!" she would shout after finishing a ride she especially enjoyed.

Well what the hell, she had an armband so if she wanted to get on the ride she got on the ride.

It was after jumping around on two of those themed jumping balloon things that Kaitlyn expressed some physical distress.

"I think I'm going to throw up," she said after disembarking from the big gorilla jumping ride. Connie, my niece, and myself quickly took her over next to a trash can that she would have a place to, well, vomit.

Instead of throwing up, Kaitlyn wrapped her elbows over the trash can and used it as a prop to hold her up. Connie told her not to do that as the trash can was dirty. Connie pulled Kaitlyn away from the trash can but as soon as she let Kaitlyn go the child immediately laid down on the ground.

I fretted and complained. "What's wrong with her?" I worried to my niece.

Connie thought Kaitlyn was probably hot and asked the child if she wanted to go on the water ride again. This would cool the child off, as we figured, plus it was a ride that Kaitlyn had expressed a desire to get on all day.

Only once Connie and Kaitlyn got to the water ride, Kaitlyn would not stand on her own. Once again the child laid down on the ground and would not move.

By this time I'm a wreck. Obviously this was not normal behavior. I did suspect Kaitlyn's sickness had something to do with the heat. But this laying around and not moving was scary. I had no idea where to get help.

Connie asked some vendors where we could get help for a sick child but no one knew anything.

In my pocketbook I had a brochure I'd gotten at the main gate. There was no information on what to do in an emergency but there was a number for the ticket booth.

Connie carried Kaitlyn (I could not carry the child, it's a good thing Connie was with me) to a nearby exhibition building that had air conditioning. I settled down on a ledge around an exhibit but again, once I put Kaitlyn down she immediately laid on the ground and closed her eyes. The child was responsive when I called her name but given the chance she would simply lay limp and unmoving.

I called the main ticket booth and told them I had a sick child and needed help.

"Call 911," the lady on the phone told me. "They have a special set-up here at the fair."

"She has heat exhaustion," the paramedic told me.

Well the child did act "exhausted" but I'd never taken the phrase literally. I thought heat exhaustion was when one got so hot that they couldn't move. So okay, Kaitlyn did lie down as if lifting a finger was more than she could do but those times when I called her name in panic she lifted her head up and assured me that she was okay. Then she lay her head down again and remained still.

My own daughter had a childhood fraught with oddball ailments. For a five year period the child fainted every time she hurt real bad, beginning when she was six months old! And yet I don't recall a time she ever suffered from heat exhaustion.

Kaitlyn, Connie and I all had a tractor ride to the Fair's first aid station. After about twenty minutes Kaitlyn recovered nicely. We all went back into the heat although it had cooled down just a bit by then. We avoided the rides and walked through the animal areas. We saw cows, pigs, and sheep. I glanced at Kaitlyn, who did enjoy the animals. I noted a tell-tale flush creeping up her face. I bought the child a SpongeBob Squarepants blow up doll and we decided to walk out of the fair just when everybody else was coming in.

Finally we have the insult of the frog and hey, Kaitlyn needed a bit of humility. For the frogs of Serendipity Shore, which Kaitlyn chases endlessly, tormenting them mercilessly as she captures them and holds them prisoner in her palm. I warn her she should stop, that frogs are people too, that to a frog she is a big giant monster who could end his life with a laugh.

Only one sunny morning a frog plucked from its frog pleasures by an eager Kaitlyn took a long pee in Kaitlyn's hand.

I heard that frogs do this though I'd never experienced or witnessed such a thing.

Later that day a quick call to Kaitlyn's Mom was required to firm up some meeting or another. Kaitlyn told me she wanted to talk to her Mom to tell her "about the frog that peed on me." This phrase she uttered with the disdain required for a talk with one's mother for reassurance that it was, indeed, a major insult for a frog to have peed on Kaitlyn's person like that.

I smiled and hoped she might consider the plight of the frogs the next time she goes looking for fun and games with a living thing. If Kaitlyn hasn't gained a sense of humanity from the incident, well hell, maybe she'll fear having her palm used as a toilet the next time she goes grabbing innocent frogs.

Below, two movies of Kaitlyn enjoying her 2008 Delaware State Fair visit. Both were taken right before she went down with heat exhaustion.

~~~~~~~~~~
More Kaitlyn posts HERE
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"Space Chimps"-Entertaining on a Hot Day

On the day BEFORE our Delaware state fair visit the temperatures here in the swamps of Delaware were soaring too. Ah, I thought...an afternoon matinee at the movies. The theatre would not be crowded and, as I figured, child and grandmother would be cool.

"Space Chimps" had premiered the week before.

"Space Chimps" is a movie about monkeys in space, to give a quick synopsis.

Ham III is the grandson of a famous space chimp who was, at the time of the movie's space trip, working at a circus. Ham III's country called and Ham III, the pretty Luna female chimp, and a gorilla type of fellow were launched into space to study some problems in the universe.

This story is a typical animated type of tale. There's good, evil, unlikely heroes, likely heroes and a fast pace to keep little minds following the plot.

Ham III is smitten with pretty Luna. An evil man on a distant planet was using American space equipment to enslave his people. This same evil man captures the chimp space explorers.

The daring space chimps not only had to save the people of the distant planet, but they had to build their own space ship in order to get back on earth.

There was action, romance, comedy and love. Kaitlyn watched the entire movie, spellbound and full of popcorn.

This movie is perfect for folks with children, ages 4 (Kaitlyn's age) to around 10 as I'd estimate. I enjoyed the movie as well but there was nothing outstanding that gave me surprise or shock either at the quality of the animation or the plot line.

Still and so, there's something to smile about a movie of monkeys going into space, true love and defeat of the evil dictator on Planet X.

FOCUS ON MOVIES
========================

"Brokeback Mountain" was heavily hyped as a homosexual film. Which it was. I found the relationship with one of the film's protagonists and his daughter to be more revealing about the character than any same-sex relationship depicted.

Tom Cruise's love is featured in "First Daughter", a film about, well, a first daughter. Only totally not believable.

"Chicken Little" is an animated film about, well something about a sky falling. Kaitlyn Mae watched this movie six times in one weekend. Read why this movie appeals to children so.

This post features reviews of BOTH "Poseidon" movies. The best one chosen might surprise.

He was born a rat but he wanted to be a chef. Here's a review of a charming animated film that will capture the imagination of both your children and ...YOU! Ratatouille

The bees were mad that humans were harvesting and profiting from sales of their honey and they weren't going to take it anymore. It's a cartoon the kids will love but there's a message in the movie that transcends all eras since the Garden of Eden.The Bee Movie

It was almost forty years ago that a record exploded upon the Pop culture that was sung by, ahem, CHIPMUNKS! Indeed my 4 year old granddaughter could not know that her grandmother listened to the feature song in this movie which brings the tale of the three hapless chipmunks to life as but a young girl her own self.

To Kaitlyn Mae, this was a movie about cute little chipmunks who became singing sensations. The tale involves evil record producers, kind but confused songwriters, and a bit of a love story.

Alvin is still as bad as ever.Alvin and the Chipmunks

Here's a review of a cartoon and a fine children's movie that is not a cartoon. The cartoon is "Kung-Fu Panda" and it's a strange tale of an out-of-shape panda bear who is charged with saving his land by becoming a mighty warrior. The film is by Pixar and has the amazing animation that company is known for.

"Nim's Island" is a story of a little girl who also must save her "land", which is an isolated island in the case of Nim.

Nim and her father live on an island named after Nim. When her father gets lost during a routine trip out to sea, Nim struggles to save the island and survive. Finally the little girl contacts the author of her favorite action hero book to please come and help her out. Kaitlyn was four years old at the time we saw "Nim's Island" and she watched the entire non-cartoon movie without wander.

Movie Review-"The Clone Wars"

2008-12-30T15:31:00.000-08:00

Here's a movie to consider carefully before viewing.

For "The Clone Wars" is a strange creature, an animated "prequel" to the original Star Wars movie.

Two problems with this movie and they are major ones.

Also, day one of the Democratic convention and I've got some opinions about it all, including some hanging boobs.

Pic of the Day

"The Clone Wars"

First off, the movie begins...it just begins. It begins right in the middle of some sort of conflict and the viewer has not a clue until well into the film.

No long introduction with credits crawling up the screen. I'd chosen this movie because it's animated with a PG rating. I figured my four year old granddaughter would love the movie.

IMDB link for "The Clone Wars "/

It would turn out that Kaitlyn did enjoy the movie but I am quite sure she had not a single clue as to what was going on. That abrupt start didn't help.

Indeed this movie "ASSumed" that the viewer knew its history. The movie assumed the viewer knew that there is a galaxy far, far away where space battles were constantly ongoing, where heroes fought the dark side and where good always triumphed.

To get even more nuanced about it, the "hero" of this movie was one Anakin Skywalker and I knew, though Kaitlyn surely did not, that this was the Skywalker who eventually went over to the "dark side".

Knowing that the hero of a movie I was watching turned out to be a bad guy in a future sequel made me not quite enjoy the movie as I would have had I only known him as a continuing force of light and good as portrayed in The Clone Wars.

"Star Wars" was a cultural phenomenon when the stories of good versus evil in a mythical galaxy exploded on the movie screens across the fruited plains. The entire story was told via a trilogy of movies and I must say I was never a great fan of this sort of cinematic fantasy. But I was alive and anyone living that hasn't seen at least one of the Star Wars movies and more likely two or more, well they had to be dead.

Or not born, as is the case with Kaitlyn Mae.

Kaitlyn is good about sitting through movies but for this one she was a bit restless. Some popcorn and Skittles calmed her down and for the most part she watched it mesmerized.

I wanted so bad to explain the history of the movie to Kaitlyn, how this Annikin Skywalker was Luke Skywalker's father in a future tale, how Jabba the Hutt returns again, how the "space night club" characters became such funny icons of the culture. I felt an urge to warn Kaitlyn not to get too attached to this Skywalker character, that one day he would become the epitome of evil on the big screen.

Yet Annikin Skywalker was very likeable in this Clone Wars movie as he fought to rescue Jabba the Hutt's son while training a young cadet how to fight evil by his side.

The movie featured intriguing animation that was almost a cross between cartoon and real life. The action was constant, loud and mesmerizing, much like the earlier Star Wars movies. Good does triumph over evil as is always the case.

I think Kaitlyn enjoyed the movie but I know for sure that Kaitlyn did not understand a single thing about that movie, its history and cultural impact long before she was born.

More's the pity.

FOCUS ON MOVIES
========================

"Brokeback Mountain" was heavily hyped as a homosexual film. Which it was. I found the relationship with one of the film's protagonists and his daughter to be more revealing about the character than any same-sex relationship depicted.

Tom Cruise's love is featured in "First Daughter", a film about, well, a first daughter. Only totally not believable.

"Chicken Little" is an animated film about, well something about a sky falling. Kaitlyn Mae watched this movie six times in one weekend. Read why this movie appeals to children so.

This post features reviews of BOTH "Poseidon" movies. The best one chosen might surprise.

He was born a rat but he wanted to be a chef. Here's a review of a charming animated film that will capture the imagination of both your children and ...YOU! Ratatouille

The bees were mad that humans were harvesting and profiting from sales of their honey and they weren't going to take it anymore. It's a cartoon the kids will love but there's a message in the movie that transcends all eras since the Garden of Eden.The Bee Movie

It was almost forty years ago that a record exploded upon the Pop culture that was sung by, ahem, CHIPMUNKS! Indeed my 4 year old granddaughter could not know that her grandmother listened to the feature song in this movie which brings the tale of the three hapless chipmunks to life as but a young girl her own self.

To Kaitlyn Mae, this was a movie about cute little chipmunks who became singing sensations. The tale involves evil record producers, kind but confused songwriters, and a bit of a love story.

Alvin is still as bad as ever.Alvin and the Chipmunks

Here's a review of a cartoon and a fine children's movie that is not a cartoon. The cartoon is "Kung-Fu Panda" and it's a strange tale of an out-of-shape panda bear who is charged with saving his land by becoming a mighty warrior. The film is by Pixar and has the amazing animation that company is known for.

"Nim's Island" is a story of a little girl who also must save her "land", which is an isolated island in the case of Nim.

Nim and her father live on an island named after Nim. When her father gets lost during a routine trip out to sea, Nim struggles to save the island and survive. Finally the little girl contacts the author of her favorite action hero book to please come and help her out. Kaitlyn was four years old at the time we saw "Nim's Island" and she watched the entire non-cartoon movie without wander.

==============================
Political Tidbits-Scuttlebutt, Speculation and Sunday Political Talk Show Summaries

I have, so far, enjoyed the 2008 Democratic National Convention more than the finest soap opera or funniest comedy.

No wait! The convention is already that, no?

Heh.

So okay, the worst president in history, Jimmy Carter, must be trotted out as he was a Democrat and this is a Democratic convention after all. But he does not give a speech? Well hey, if Carter were in my political party I'd hide him too.

And we simply must mention Nancy Pelosi and her boobs.

Please understand that I am a woman of some years and I fully understand the effects of gravity on certain body parts, ahem. But Nancy Pelosi, who also made a name for herself this past week with her analysis of Catholic dogma, more on this later, surely could have herself fitted with a decent bra, you think?

Turns out that, according to Bishop Pelosi, St. Augustine believed life began after three months in utero when he never preached any such thing. Then Nancy Pelosi, to the extreme and rightful anger of many Catholics, went on to state that Catholicism considers such a thing a personal decision.

The Catholic church teaches that life begins at conception with NO exceptions. What part of that does Nancy Pelosi not understand?

This is only the most disgusting thing any politician has ever done. There are millions of Catholics in this country and none of them need or want Nancy Pelosi to serve as a fill in for the Pope.

Anything to kill more unborn babies. The Libs....they love abortion, can't get enough dead babies, can't say enough lies, must keep encouraging abortion.. disgusting.

So Ted Kennedy shows up. All day it's hyped that Ted fought to get medical permission to fly to Denver and, if we are lucky or so the biased pundits phrased it, he would give a speech . After hearing how much of a struggle it would be for Ted Kennedy to appear in Denver I was certainly surprised at how robust he appeared. Goodness I was expecting him to shuffle on stage, all pale and out of breath, haggard, gaunt and obviously tired.

Instead I hear the same old, same old from that ageing liberal who leaves young women to die at the bottom of creeks while he seeks political cover.

Ted Kennedy was nowhere near the man that the little film feature made him out to be. Ted Kennedy has some serious time waiting for him in Purgatory for one Mary Jo Kopechne. I've not forgotten what he did and I'll never have an ounce of respect for anyone who ever voted for the man or that crowd who cheered this murderer on.

But I'm not evil like Kennedy so I was happy to see him looking well and hope he lives as long as God intended. It's more than he gave to Mary Jo Kopechne.

Ah, Michelle Mabelle.

Talk about your fiction!

She was a Stepford Wife! Her two kids were Stepford Kids!

She once said she became proud of her country only recently and yet, oddly, last night she shouted her love of country while looking as if Martha Stewart herself gave her a makeover.

Michelle never mentioned her attendance at Harvard, very odd. Nor did she mention her career as a spokesperson for a hospital, also odd.

Nope. It was all about Michelle the mother and beloved wife of the Messiah Obama.

She said, and I'm not making this up..."The first thing I think about every morning are my children and the last thing I think about before going to sleep are my children" as I closely paraphrase.

Well go to hell....AS IF SHE'S THE ONLY WOMAN IN AMERICA WHO LOVES HER CHILDREN!

We all love our children out here in la-la land where we carry this country on our back whilst raising the soldiers and citizens of tomorrow, Michelle. And many of us struggle to make ends meet without help of Syrian thugs to buy our homes and we are not married to the Messiah.

The Obamas are trying to convince you and I, yon readers, that THEY ARE JUST LIKE US!

Yeah, right.

Did Michelle Obama's living lie work?

I suppose that the ladies at the beauty parlor who tuned in for a quick peek might have been impressed by Michelle's feminine frock and the enchanting way she tossed her hair for every important verbal point.

She looked to those who watched closely, as if a sophomore in high school playing a lady giving a speech in a school play.

It's all fiction, smoke and mirrors at the Democratic convention this week, ladies and gems.

In a way, it's The Clone Wars redux, only using real politicians who are re-created to be who they want us to THINK they are.