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WELCOME to my Blog!
Intro -- Embarking on a new journey
I am tired of acting "normal", but not being accepted anyway.
I might as well "play" the fool. And such I may be.
My Blogs from here on out will probably be a little--strange, lol.
Or a lot strange, my forte.
 wpx1, 8/31/2009.
COPYRIGHT Eternally and everywhere, and ©2009, 2008, 2007, 2006. All rights reserved by me, the author.
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BLOGGERS & WRITERS! Who owns your writings posted here?
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Jul 26, 2008 11:21 am
Mood: aggravated,
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Last I read, my understanding of the BigChurch policy was that they own everything we post.
I don't know how this would bear out if someone posting here PUBLISHED their poems, lyrics, writings, and at some point BC came along and published them too.
If anyone has a different understanding of this policy, or the same or similar, please let me know. Thanks.
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DEEP. Who wants to be D.E.E.P.?
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Jul 21, 2008 1:24 pm
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DEEP. Who wants to be D.E.E.P.?
Some recent quotes that stood out to me:
We all have weaknesses and immaturities in at least one of [ life's] areas, to a greater or lesser level. Part of spiritual, emotional, and relational growth is to identify these, and be in the healing and developing process.
--Fair Use excerpt. SOURCE: The book Who's Pushing Your Buttons? Handling the Difficult People in Your Life, by Dr. John Townsend. ©2004. Hardback, Pg. 8. Substituted word in brackets [] by me.
I've just started reading it, but the book encourages people to be in these processes, and to possibly help others be in them as well.
So many people focus on this or that problem in others, often as a self-justification method. And often people are unaware of this as they do it.
So far, this book steers the reader toward an accurate, balanced view of self and others; and intends to help us know how to deal with problem areas, both in others and in ourselves.
D.E.E.P.:
D Develop Role-model & Leadership skills.
E Encourage Personal & Spiritual growth.
E Exercise abilities in Creative-thinking & Problem-solving.
P Promote unity....
--My adaptation. SOURCE: A posted flyer at Eastside Christian School, Bellevue, WA, USA, in the outside bulletin board, at the SSE side of the chapel building; seen on 7/20/2008.
It may have been intended for those already in some "leadership" position, such as teachers, but it seemed a good list for most if not all caring people in general.
So many of us focus on this or that area in our lives, rather than the whole of us. Too little focus leads us here, there, anywhere, or everywhere. LOL. And we may get little or nothing accomplished. Too much focus can lead to perfectionism, obsession, or despair, etc., or simply to a lack of time for other areas of importance. (And we may get little or nothing accomplished. Lol.)
In my own experience, I am at times too focused, and at other times not focused enough. All in the same day! LOL.
Hoping and praying at times for balance. Please pray for the same.
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Rock. Rock 'n' Roll. Rock and Roll
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Jul 19, 2008 12:09 am
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Rock. Rock 'n' Roll. Rock and Roll
Before I was a believer, as a boy and as a young man I listened to Rock 'n' Roll.
I listened with youth and relative innocence.
When I heard a sexual reference in lyrics, it sometimes if not often bothered me. Even as a not-yet-believer. Even with my favorite group at the time, if there was a song with a direct reference to sex, I was often bothered.
Later, I would hear people say that Rock music was about sex, drugs, and Rock 'n' Roll. I myself believed and found that it could sometimes be about Rock 'n' Roll (if we're talking about the music or industry or experience ), but in my listening, it wasn't always if even often about sex or drugs. Or so I believed.
It would be years before I'd really pay a lot of attention to all those music-drowned lyrics that I couldn't hear; and, depressingly, I suppose, Yes, a lot of references were to sex that I hadn't realized before.
The song "Whole Lotta Love", lifting Led Zeppelin into international recognition and acclaim, was a great tune musically. And most of the song, as I listened, seemed to be talking about love. And maybe it does. But, when Robert Plant sang the lyric about giving someone every inch of his love, I cringed. Was the song not about love but about sex, I thought?
Well, one of the beauties of art sometimes is that the artist may leave some things up to the interpretation of the person apprehending it. So, though he sang "every inch of my love" instead of "every bit", I thought -- with some naïveté, perhaps -- that it might still, at that point in the song, be about love, and not just a sexual reference. Or, that the song in general was about love, but he sneaked in some reference to sexuality along with it, which certainly might be the case.
Then he sang that he wanted to be that person's "backdoor man". Now even today I don't know what that means, LOL, and frankly at this point I don't care. However, I do think that the song could have been even greater than it was, had it been about his love for another, and not about sex or his sexual love toward another. Not that I mind songs about sex, necessarily. But, singing it on stage, in front of others, TO the other person?? Kind of weird, if you were to ask me. And to this day I still feel uncomfortable with that, typically. Similarly with visuals.
Anyway, for various reasons, as a new believer, I stopped -- for 15 years -- listening to secular music. So I know what it's like to go without.
And then after that, 15 years later, perusing some of what I missed, I had 15 years of some experience in guarding my heart. And so, slowly beginning to listen somewhat again, I started paying more attention to lyrics. (Not that I cared much, at that point, since I wasn't necessarily "believing" them anyway, LOL; but they can get in under the wire, or under your skin, as it were, into the subconscious, and into the heart.)
Not that I recommend anyone to listen to secular music. For I think it's a matter of personal conviction/belief/faith, for adults anyway.
However, it is NOT a matter of personal conviction that we are to guard our heart, "for out of it flows the Springs of Life". That is universal. And I would hope that we will do this, and not desire too much to put anything that is wicked (hurtful ) before our eyes, or before our ears.
If interested, you may be able to view, my imperfect profile, LOL, wpx1.
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Pray for Appeals case and further
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Jul 14, 2008 10:39 pm
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Please Pray for:
Appeals case Tue. morning.
Then, if we win, onto dealing with the person who illegally and/or unethically evicted me last year.
Thanks!
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A nice 4th of July
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Jul 6, 2008 11:07 pm
Mood: good,
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I had a nice 4th of July.
A friend-girl (sic) and I went to a house on Lake Washington.
We watched fireworks from the owner's dock, with different displays being put on by towns near Seattle, at the north end of the lake, like Kenmore, Lake Forest Park (?), Kirkland, and a local neighborhood, etc.
I'd always gone to watch fireworks out in public. First time at someone's house. It was nice. Lots of people.
After that, we went to another house, close to the lake, and lots of us hung out.
Some people used the hot tub. I stayed dry, and played pool, etc.
The house also had a small drum set, an electric guitar, and a nice guitar amplifier; and I played around a bit with those, LOL.
I had fun.
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I've changed my handle name to wpx1. LOL!
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Jun 17, 2008 12:54 am
Mood: giddy,
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Hi!
My previous handle probably scared people off because it had the word perfect in it. Lol. So, when I saw today that we can change our handle, LOL, I did it. (It's not free.)
And, since someone previously dubbed me WPX (that was yendor, ya'll. LOL ), I thought that seemed as Good as any.
Only, BC forces you to have at least 4 characters; so, there it is wpx1.
Anyhoo, just thought I'd mention it for those of you who already knew me by my earlier handle.
Does that mean I'd have to go back to all those older Blogs I did to change my old handle? *Sigh* Maybe I'll skip that part. LOL.
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MOVIES SEEN 2008, Selected
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Apr 16, 2008 11:28 pm
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A Personal-Public Blog (but NOT Public Domain ).
MOVIES SEEN 2008, Selected
Films probably seen in a theater, unless noted otherwise.
VERSIONS/UPDATES: 2008-1215 additions, 2008-0818 (minor formatting change), 0802, 0729, 0626, 0417, 0416 (first posted for 2008 ).
GUIDE TO MY RATINGS: RATINGS GUIDE for MOVIES SEEN by me.
MY MAIN MOVIES AND SHOWS BLOG:
Who wants to DO something, like see SHOWS or MOVIES, or catch the SIGHTS?.
No profanity allowed! Lol. However, many of the movies I saw have it in them. 
Spoilers? Well, how much of a movie can you describe without spoiling the plot or some anticipation for the film? I try to avoid it when I can. If you feel I "spoiled" something, more than the previews would, email me, and YHWH-permitting, I may consider removing or changing it. Thanks!
Notes:
Where I mention "On Demand", I am referring to a feature from Comcast cable TV where one may get for free or order movies it lists, and which one may play almost instantly.
If it says "(On TV, with commercials.)", that probably means it was also edited. Oftentimes edited movies have certain cuss words blanked out.
PERSONAL: As of June 2008, I may have access to some movies before they are released. 6/5 was the first. (The first time I tried this, I got in. The second time, I did not. More about my 2nd experience under The Incredible Hulk.) I may not use this service much, if at all, because it potentially requires traveling a distance, and then waiting to see whether or not you'll get in.
SOURCES: Most movie info comes from online sources such as IMdB, Blockbuster, Fandango, Amazon, Hollywood Video, and/or MovieTickets. Some may come from DVD sleeves and cases, or from the TV, Comcast, etc.
NOTE: Mistakes? I do not always reread what I write before posting. (Doing this takes long enough as it is! ) Therefore, there may be mistakes and typos. Feel free to correct. I may make changes without mentioning them.
LISTED 0-9 & then A-Z:
21 (PG-13) ##.5
Jim Sturgess, Kate Bosworth, Kevin Spacey, Laurence Fishburne, Aaron Yoo, Liza Lapira, Jacob Pitts
Psychological Thriller, Thriller
3/28/2008. 1 hr. 59 min.
{Smart college kids get recruited by a professor who is intent on them winning big in Vegas. ~~ Well paced. Some good music, writing, directing and acting. Some questionable morality and ethics, or is it an act of wickedness? Now "Shut Up and Drive", I mean, play.}
{Saw 11:00PM, 3/29/2008.}
27 Dresses (PG-13) (On DVD.) ##.5-###
1/18/2008. 1 hr. 47 min.
Katherine Heigl, James Marsden, Malin Akerman, Judy Greer, Edward Burns
Comedy, Romantic Comedy.
{An event planner who has gone to 27 weddings struggles when her sister nabs the guy she has had a crush on for years. An enabler in a codependent relationship, will she learn to say No when she has always said Yes? ~~ I liked this movie. The main character actress is better to watch in motion than her poses for the film. A little more passion within her would have made the film more moving. The film has a slightly rough independent feel to it. I missed much of chapter 3 on the DVD which was defective. Anyhoo, it's a romantic comedy. The storyline somehow reminds me slightly of the 1936 film Mr. Deeds Goes to Town, one of my favorites (directed by Frank Capra). So laugh and cry already. Why was this rated PG-13 instead of just PG? I don't recall. Okay, maybe it was the cussing, and the sexuality.}
{Saw ?PM, 6/X/2008.}
10,000 B.C. (PG-13) ###-###.5
Camilla Belle, Cliff Curtis, Joel Virgel, Steven Strait.
3/7/2008. 1 hr. 49 min.
{Wooly Mammoth hunters are attacked by a people who take some of them as slaves. Three of them set off to try to get back their loved ones, and face prophetic elements along the way. ~~ I really liked this movie, though there were some irritating elements. Occasional tears. Some huge scenes. The prophetic element was interesting. Some graphic scenes.}
{Saw 2:50PM, 3/15/2008.}
About Water (NR? G?) ##
No cast. Udo Maurer, Director. Writers: Udo Maurer, Michael Glawogger, Ursula Sova.
Documentary, Social Issues.
2007. 1hr. 22 min.
{How humans are dependent on water, and how the elements combine to make getting and controlling it difficult. ~~ In three parts: Bangladesh, Kazakhstan, and Nairobi. Austrian/German text and subtitles with English subtitles added. I saw this immediately after watching "You Don't Mess With the Zohan". LOL. A bit slow. Scenes are long when they don't need to be. Points made were mostly intimate rather than stated. No solutions were suggested.}
{Saw 9:30PM, 6/5/2008.}
Across the Universe (PG-13) (On DVD.) ##-###
Evan Rachel Wood, Jim Sturgess, Joe Anderson, Dana Fuchs, Martin Luther McCoy
Musical, Musical Romance, Period Film. Director is Julie Taymor.
9/14/2007. 2 hr. 11 min.
{Beatles music used for a musical and love story. Set in the 1960s. ~~ Good music in more than half the songs chosen; most renditions decent or good; some are moving, where I hadn't really been moved by the songs before. Story is a bit slow.}
{Saw ~9PM, 2/26/2008.}
Airport (1970) (G) (On Demand, Free.) ##-##.5
Burt Lancaster, Dean Martin, Jacqueline Bisset, Jean Seberg, George Kennedy (Barbara Hale.)
Action, Disaster Film, Drama, Ensemble Film, Thriller
3/5/1970. 2 hr. 17 min.
{Will the jetliner plane be able to land when trouble begins in the air? ~~ Okay film. A little slow. After this, a number of Airport films were made, some better than others, independent from one another. In these films big-name stars make some cameo or bit appearances.}
{Saw ?PM, 5/5/2008.}
Airport 1975 (PG) (On Demand, Free.) SAW PART ##?
Charlton Heston, Efrem Zimbalist, Jr., Karen Black, Susan Clark, George Kennedy (Helen Reddy, Myrna Loy, Sid Caesar.)
Action, Disaster Film, Drama, Ensemble Film, Thriller
10/18/1974. 1hr. 47 min.
{Stewardess is forced to fly a jetliner after a small plane crashes into it. ~~ SAW PART.}
{Saw ?PM, 5/5-7/2008.}
Airport 1977 (PG) (On Demand, Free.) ##-##.5
Jack Lemmon, Lee Grant, Olivia de Havilland, Brenda Vaccaro, Joseph Cotton (James Stewart, Christopher Lee, Kathleen Quinlan.)
Action, Disaster Film, Drama, Ensemble Film, Thriller
3/11/1977. 1 hr. 54 min.
{Hijackers cause a plane to have trouble in the Bermuda Triangle. ~~ Okay film. A bit slow. Cussing. People die.}
{Saw ~11PM, 5/6-7/2008.}
American Dreamz (PG-13) {On DVD.} ##-###
Hugh Grant, Mandy Moore, Willem Dafoe, Dennis Quaid, Chris Klein
Comedy, Drama, Media Satire, Political Satire, Showbiz Comedy
4/21/2006. 1 hr. 55 min.
{Will a young woman get her dream of winning a vocal competition? Is it what really matters to her, above others? And will a would-be terrorist kill the President of the U.S.? ~~ It was sort of like an American Idol TV show episode with a backstory for the characters, except it was actually funny at times, and not so painful to watch the contestants, who all sang at least decently.}
{Saw ?PM, 3/2X/2008.}
Body of Lies (R) ##.5
Russell Crowe, Leonardo DiCaprio, Golshifteh Farahani, Oscar Isaac, Mark Strong
Spy Film
10/10/2008. 2 hr. 8 min.
{CIA operative working in the Middle East against "terrorism" decides to pull an elaborate ploy, the end of which does not go as planned. Dealing with the burdens of his decision, he faces the question of whether to remain with the CIA or not. ~~ One of DiCaprio's better films, if not overacted a bit at points, and his character underwritten at points. Crowe played quite the smart-aleck in it. One very violent and graphic scene would put off a lot of people, but most of the rest of the film was at a more typical violence level, what one might suspect in a movie dealing with suicide bombers. If the movie does well, there could be some sort of sequel; but I am guessing there won't be, not at this level of production anyway. Other than graphic violence, a lot of cussing (by DiCaprio ), and some questionable ethics, I kind of liked this film.}
{Saw 10:30PM, 10/13/2008.}
The Bucket List (PG-13) (On DVD.) ##-##.5
Jack Nicholson, Morgan Freeman, Alfonso Freeman, Beverly Todd, Sean Hayes
Buddy Film, Comedy Drama, Road Movie
12/25/2007. 1 hr. 37 min.
{Two men who think they are going to die make a list of things they think they'd like to do before they "kick the bucket". One is rich, and can go practically anywhere. They decide to do together what is on each person's list, but what is actually ON each person's list might not be what the other one really wants to do! ~~ I kind of liked it, but it tended to drag a bit at spots. I enjoyed much of it, except maybe a few bits here and there, and part of the ending.}
{Saw ?PM, 7/?/2008.}
Captains Courageous (1996) (TV) (PG) ##.5
Robert Urich, Kenny Vadas, Kaj-Erik Eriksen
Adventure, Children's/Family, Drama, Family, Family-Oriented Adventure
4/21/1996. 1 hr. 33 min.
{Brat boy who inherits millions (or billions by today's money ) finds himself in a situation where he can order people around at his whim, and where he can learn appreciation for others and the simpler things of life, if he's willing. From a Rudyard Kipling novel. Awards: 4 Gemini nominations, 2 Young Artist Award wins. ~~ A bit slow at times, but kept my attention. Actually, it's at least the second time I've seen this in the last few years. A Family movie, for adults as well.}
{Saw again PM/AM, 2/1x/2008.}
Changeling (R) ###
Angelina Jolie, John Malkovich, Colm Feore, Jeffrey Donovan, Michael Kelly
Period Film, Psychological Thriller, Thriller
10/24/2008. 2 hr. 20 min.
{In Los Angeles in 1928, a mother with no husband leaves her boy at home while she goes to work to support them. When she comes home, he's gone. A few months later, he is reportedly found alive, but when she sees him for the first time, she says that he's not her son. The police insist that he is. She continues to fight for her son; and her fight exposes a corrupt police force, some of whom at times act more like organized crime. And a serial killer emerges. ~~ A well done film, though a teeny bit slow, and a tiny bit long. Tear-jerker. Lots of bad guys, and a few good guys. A supposedly true story. Lots of violence, some of it somewhat graphic, including a hanging scene that shows the entire length of the hanging. A little bit but not a lot of cussing.}
{Saw 7:10PM, 12/13/2008.}
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (PG) ##.5-###
Ben Barnes, Georgie Henley, Skandar Keynes, William Moseley, Anna Popplewell, Sergio Castellitto, Peter Dinklage
Children's/Family, Fantasy, Fantasy Adventure
5/16/2008. 2 hr. 20 min.
{Sequel to C.S. Lewis' The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe the Pevensie children, once kings and queens of Narnia, return to Narnia about a year later their time, which in Narnian time (this time around) is about 1,300 years later. They find that men have taken over Narnia, and that the talking animals and other unusual beings have all but become extinct. Or have they? With Aslan and Prince Caspian's help, will they win back the land, and make it free once again? ~~ Maybe more than a bit over the top for me. Ruins look more like 10,000 years vs. 1300. Lots of swordfighting. Almost surprising it's not PG-13.}
{Saw 9:45PM, 5/19/2008.}
The Dark Knight (PG-13) ##-##.5
Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Heath Ledger, Aaron Eckhart, Gary Oldman.
Comic-Book Superhero Film, Crime, Crime Drama, Fantasy
7/18/2008. 2 hr. 32 min.
{Batman faces the Joker who in deep psychopathic form sets up an incredibly complex series of events to get rich, and put to the test even the best of intentions in people. Can anyone in Gotham be trusted? ~~ Pretty violent though not terribly graphic. Pace is off, but then I saw 3 movies in the same day before this! Pretty amazing how the Joker is able to stay at least one step ahead of Batman and Gotham throughout almost the entire movie. Could it be because of a mole? Batman and others have their moral mettle tested throughout. When it seems that the choice is between two evils, and other choices don't present themselves, what then? And just how far will each one go to seek justice? Or is it revenge? Some Batman movies are a bit dumb. This isn't one of them, except at certain points. And I dunno, but the Batmobile looks pretty clunky, as does its motorbike counterpart.}
{Saw 10:45PM, 7/22/2008. The 4th movie I saw in 1 day! LOL.}
Dragon (2006/II ) (NR? PG-13) {On DVD.} #.5-##
Amelia Jackson-Gray, Eliza Swenson, Jeff Denton, Jon Paul Gates, Matt Wolf. Writers: Eliza Swenson, Leigh Scott. Director: Leigh Scott.
Adventure, Drama, Fantasy
12/12/2006. 1 hr. 24 min.
{Not-so-friendly Elves and a dragon threaten a kingdom. A princess goes to seek help from another ruler. She travels alone with no protection. In the woods, she meets various people who decide to travel with her to help, and to eventually face a dragon and the Elves. ~~ The entire film is pretty much set in the woods. Occasional cuts go to beautiful shots of the tops of mountains, which seems to have nothing to do with the film. Pretty slow at times, it's one of the dullest films I've seen in a long time. It's not dumb, per se, just dull. Action scenes are slow. Pacing is off. Not much happens. Dialog is so-so at times, and okay at others. Acting is sometimes good, sometimes quirky, sometimes not so great. It's almost like they're waiting on each other's lines. A thorough edit of the dialog would help. Cut out maybe 10-20 minutes of nonesuch, and, well, it would be a short film. (It's already short at 1 hour and 24 minutes.) In the background, one can hear planes flying, or other machines, etc. One can see people walking or moving around in the woods behind scenes. I could not find a Rating on IMDB, etc. While not quite R, I'd say that this is not exactly for children.}
{Saw, ending ~11:30PM, 3/17/2008.}
Dragon {Review written again, LOL.} #.5-#
--Why not. I'll write a second review. Actually, I mostly forgot that I wrote the first one! LOL.
{Will a dragon get the princess who is strangely traveling alone in a dangerous wood where adversary elves fight and kill people? And why are all those transients and separated soldiers (?) out there anyway? Will they help or hurt? And what's with the sorceress and her magic? ~~ One of the dullest movies I've seen in a long time. A movie that wasn't. Virtually no plot or action in this action movie. Acting was okay, though it sometimes seemed that actors were waiting on other actors to remember their lines, as timing was often off. Dialog was okay, sometimes. Dragon was cheesy. At times machines or engines made noise in the background (apparently in a time of when machines weren't supposed to exist); and people were wandering around behind the actors in the woods. Little or no suspense. Virtually no change of scenery as it almost all happens in the woods, though it does occasionally cut to helicopter filming of pretty mountains, etc. So-so or bad directing. I kind of liked some of the characters though. But, Where's the story?? Why do I write longer reviews for poorer movies?}
{Saw, ending ~11:30PM, 3/17/2008.}
Enchanted (PG) (On DVD.) ##-##.5
Patrick Dempsey, Amy Adams, James Marsden, Timothy Spall
Comedy, Family-Oriented Comedy, Fairy Tales & Legends, Light spoof
11/21/2007. 1 hr. 47 min.
{A magical princess is kicked out of a magical kingdom by an evil enchantress who is jealous of her or feels threatened by her beauty and royalty. She shows up in the physical world as a physical person, with all her fantasy-mentality intact. She is then followed by her fantasy beau, and by a servant of the enchantress. The plot is to kill her with--a poisoned apple. ~~ The movie touches on various Disney stories as a light spoof on them. Will a storybook romance survive in the "real" world? And what will end up occurring with them in a world where happily-every-after might not be the norm? Will any of the magic work here? Some of it does. And it's humorous at times. The previews seemed better in some ways than the movie itself, which was a bit dumber than I thought, but not as dumb as it could have been. And yet for all that, I still kind of liked it, and thought it was mostly pretty well done. Acting was fine. I thought the lead female animation was miscast when in the real world, but I got used to her. This pokes fun a bit at Disney-ish storytelling, but finally comes around to a more-serious climax toward the end. The movie isn't "too" dumb, but it come close.}
{Saw ?PM, 7/2x?/2008.}
First Blood (R) {Rambo I. 1982} {On DVD.} ##.5
Sylvester Stallone, Richard Crenna, Brian Dennehy
Action, Action Thriller, War Adventure
10/22/1982. 1 hr. 34 min.
{Rambo is a man trained to kill for the military. How will it affect him as a man and as a person? ~~ Interesting. Violent. I decided to see this before seeing the NEW "Rambo", also with Sylvester Stallone, out already in 2008. (See entry.) I haven't seen the other Rambo movies.}
{Saw ?PM-?AM, 2/10?/2008.}
Flash of Genius (PG-13) ##
Greg Kinnear, Lauren Graham, Dermot Mulroney, Alan Alda, Jake Abel, Daniel Roebuck
Biopic, Docudrama, Drama
10/3/2008. 1 hr. 59 min.
{Man who believes he has invented the intermittent windshield wiper is apparently ripped off by Ford. He decides to take Ford to court, but the years-long fight tears at him, his friends, and his family. ~~ I liked this film. Not flashy, just decent drama. Be sure to read the lines at the end. When will all Directors understand that moving the camera around so much is just bad because it's distracting? It's not how our eyes or head sees things. Occasional cussing.}
{Saw 10:20PM, 10/14/2008.}
Fool's Gold (PG-13) ##.5 (##-### )
Matthew McConaughey, Kate Hudson, Donald Sutherland, Alexis Dziena, Ewen Bremner
Adventure, Adventure Comedy, Romantic Adventure
2/8/2008. 1 hr. 50 min.
{A beach bum kind of guy with a girlfriend into studying history gets into treasure hunting; and decides to look for the "Queen's Dowry", treasure lost at sea in 1715. ~~ A little corny but fun.}
{Saw 10:15PM, 2/8/2008.}
For Your Eyes Only (PG-13?) (On Demand, Free.) ##-##.5?
Roger Moore, Carole Bouquet, Topol, Lynn-Holly Johnson, Julian Glover
Action, Adventure, Glamorized Spy Film, Romantic Adventure, Spy Film
6/26/1981. 2 hr. 7 min.
{A James Bond film. Bond is skiing in the Alps, and skin-diving in Greece, looking for spies with the daughter of an agent who was killed. ~~ Saw a little of it, again, after many years.}
{Saw PM, Summer-Autumn//2008.}
The Forbidden Kingdom (PG-13) ##.5-###
Jackie Chan, Jet Li, Collin Chou, Crystal Liu Yi Fei, Li Bingbing, Michael Angarano
Action, Fantasy Adventure, Martial Arts, Period Film
4/18/2008. 1 hr. 53 min.
{When a boy finds himself transported back in time, he finds that he has been drawn there by a magical king, and the magical staff that he must return that brought him there. ~~ Well-paced action film, with a lot of staged Gung Fu (Kung Fu). Both Jackie and Jet play more than one part. Fun, but violent. If there are morals to the story, they might be: work hard at something good, and be true to yourself, not bending to the will of evil people. The magic does not seem tied to any particular religion, though most of the film is set in the Far East. It's just there. Hopefully Jackie's drinking won't have a negative effect on folks.}
{Saw 10:30PM, 5/3/2008.}
From Russia with Love (PG) (On Demand, Free.) ##-##.5?
Sean Connery, Daniela Bianchi, Lotte Lenya, Pedro Armendáriz, Robert Shaw
Action, Adventure, Glamorized Spy Film, Romantic Adventure, Spy Film
4/8/1963. 1 hr. 55 min.
{A James Bond film. The bad guys want a Russian decoding device. ~~ Saw most of it, again, after many years.}
{Saw PM, Summer-Autumn//2008.}
Get Smart (2008 ) (PG-13) ##-##.5
Steve Carell, Anne Hathaway, Dwayne Johnson ("The Rock" ), Alan Arkin, Terence Stamp, Ken Davitian
Action Comedy, Comedy, Parody/Spoof, Spy Comedy
6/20/2008. 1 hr. 50 min.
{Based loosely on the TV show from the 1960s, the film, with main character Maxwell Smart, shows how a geeky, overly-in-depth intelligence analyst for a spy division of the US called Control becomes a semi-bumbling field agent after nearly all of its deployed agents are compromised by an inside leak. ~~ It started out not being as dumb as the TV show, which was cool; albeit, it was dumb. The audience seemed to crack up though. It was funny from time to time, but not hilarious throughout. For me, it didn't get "too" dumb until near the end where someone speaks before a huge crowd with his bum hanging out, and another "too-dumb" scene after that. There was a cameo by one of the people from the original series. I felt Anne Hathaway was miscast till toward the end of the movie, where she seemed to fit in more. Some violence, of course, but didn't seem over the top. (It's PG-13.) I liked it, but it might have missed the mark "by THAT much". LOL. Gotta love the original theme music.}
{Saw 7:45PM, 6/28/2008.}
The Great Debaters (PG-13) (On DVD.) ##.5-###
Denzel Washington, Forest Whitaker, Denzel Whitaker, Nate Parker, Jurnee Smollett, Jermaine Williams, Gina Ravera, John Heard, Kimberly Elise
Drama, Period Film
12/25/2007. 1 hr. 53 min.
{In the 1930s, the small Wiley College in Texas develops an inspired, black ("Negro" ) debate team that rises in the ranks to get national attention. ~~ Some inspiring moments and quotes from some of the more famous people of all time. Occasional violence: the end of a lynching, a few fights, arguing, and some yelling. Very well written, mostly. Pretty well directed, though a tad slow (at least late at night ). LOL. Some of the acting, especially early on was a bit wooden, or, sounded like they were reading lines from a book or script. Got better as the film progressed. Oprah produced. Denzel Washington directed.}
{Saw ~10PM, 5/27-28/2008.}
Impostor (PG-13/R) (On DVD.) ##-##.5
Gary Sinise, Madeline Stowe, Vincent D'Onofrio, Tony Shalhoub (lead in the TV show Monk )
Action, Sci-Fi, Thriller, Drama, Fantasy
1/4/2002. 1 hr. 42 min.
{In the not-too-distant future, when Earth is under attack from a neighboring star system, an Earth scientist is suspected of being an impostor and infiltrator. He does what he can to prove his innocence. ~~ This pushes ethical boundaries past what most of us would ever want to face. Pacing is a little off. A number of scenes are just a little too long. It could have used some more character development. I think the violence in this warrants an R rating.}
{Saw PM, 10/various/2008.}
The Incredible Hulk (PG-13) ##.5-###
Edward Norton, Liv Tyler, Tim Roth, Tim Blake Nelson, William Hurt
Action, Comic-Book Superhero Film, Monster Film, Sci-Fi Action, Science Fiction
Friday, 6/13/2008. 1 hr. 54 min.
{How the Hulk began, and the fight to try to find and keep him as if he were the property of the military and government, after a freak experiment goes wrong, and turns the man into a huge, green machine-like being. ~~ I liked almost everything except the animation, which was amazing but not realistic to me. Pretty violent.}
{Saw 6/14/2008, 9:50PM.}
{I did NOT get to see it for FREE at 7PM on 6/9/2008 even though a friend and I showed up to watch it. I was about 25 minutes early, but the line was SO LONG that maybe 1/2 of the people in line got in. (No reservations for it.) The theater could seat 418, but, being amazed that the line wrapped around the outside shopping mall floor more than once!, I took a few minutes to count maybe over 700 people in line! LOL. Wow. DETAILS: Traveling there, 70-90 minutes roundtrip; paying for parking ($4 ); waiting in line about 20 minutes, not knowing if we were getting in (well, I think we guessed! ); NOT getting in; not wanting to repeat that experience.}
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (PG-13) ##-##.5
Harrison Ford, Cate Blanchett, Karen Allen, Ray Winstone, John Hurt, Jim Broadbent, Shia LaBeouf, Igor Jijikine
Action, Adventure, Adventure Comedy, Costume Adventure
5/22/2008. 2 hr. 4 min.
{Based on archeological finds of amazing crystal skulls from around the globe, Indie travels to Peru to find a recently discovered lost city called Akakor. ~~ Something about it makes it, by far, the most disappointing, and least satisfying of the Indiana Jones films so far. I don't know what it is: the pacing, the visual cuts; it's hard to say. Even less believable than the other films, not because of the topic matter -- a quite intriguing theme related to the ancient astronaut theory -- but because of the makers once again going way, way, way over the top in so many ways. I actually bought a shirt for the occasion. I was warned ahead of time that it wasn't so great. And it wasn't. (Some animation was almost amazing.) But, I'd see it again, someday. One wonder, though, whether George Lucas and Steven Spielberg take filmmaking seriously anymore.}
{Saw 11:15PM, 5/24/2008.}
Into the Blue (2005) (PG-13) (On TV, with commercials.) ##
Jessica Alba, Ashley Scott, Paul Walker, Scott Caan
Action, Adventure, Crime, Drama, Thriller
9/30/2005. 1 hr. 50 min.
{In a search for sunken treasure, young hotties come across a plane with illegal cocaine, and end up running into trouble. ~~ Actually a well-paced, reasonably-acted plot. Pretty violent at times.}
{Saw 11PM, 8/1-2/2008.}
Iron Man (PG-13) ##.5-###
Robert Downey, Jr., Jeff Bridges, Gwyneth Paltrow, Shaun Toub, Terrence Howard
Comic-Book Superhero Film, Sci-Fi Action, Action
5/2/2008. 2 hr. 6 min.
{A builder of military weapons must find a way to escape from a terrorist camp. The experience causes him to rethink his entire multibillion dollar weapons business. He makes the attempt by building a high-tech robotic suit to attempt to escape. ~~ Well-paced action film. Fun, but violent.}
{Saw 7:45PM, 5/4/2008.}
Jumper (PG-13) ###
2/14/2008. 1 hr. 30 min.
Hayden Christensen, Jamie Bell, Samuel L. Jackson, Rachel Bilson, Diane Lane
Sci-Fi Adventure, Science Fiction
{A young man discovers he can teleport; and then runs into others who can too. Only, they're not all friendly. And neither are the people who think that they are dangerous, and try to stop them ~~ Cool movie about teleportation. Well done. But I don't know that it added meaning to my life or moved me in any way. Hayden (who played Darth Vader in Star Wars 3 ) is all right, but he's got to move from sullen/sulky/sultry/moody/what's the word I am looking for?, to broader in emotions.}
{Saw 9:45PM, 2/19/2008.}
Jungle 2 Jungle (1997) (PG) (On TV, with commercials.) ##-#.5
Tim Allen, Martin Short, JoBeth Williams, Lolita Davidovich, Sam Huntington
Comedy
3/7/1997. 1 hr. 45 min.
{An almost-Divorcee from New York finds he has a son, raised in the jungle, by his maybe-soon-to-be ex-wife. His son leaves the jungle to visit New York, the concrete jungle, but his jungle ways don't quite fit in. ~~ Somewhat dull but cute. Some comedic violence.}
{Saw 3-5AM, 8/2/2008.}
Legal Eagles (PG) (On TV, with commercials.) ##-##.5
Robert Redford, Debra Winger, Daryl Hannah, Brian Dennehy, Terence Stamp, Jennifer Dundas as Jennie Dundas (Jennifer Logan ), Roscoe Lee Browne (Judge Dawkins )
Comedy, Comedy Drama, Crime, Romance
6/18/1986. 1 hr. 56 min.
{Opposing attorneys find themselves joining forces when a case has mutual benefit to the two. Murders, and the mystery of whether an accused woman's father's paintings exist or not, need to be solved. ~~ Cute. Humorous. May have been edited for content.}
{Saw ending ?PM, 7/28/2008.}
Life is Beautiful / AKA Vita è bella, La (PG-13) (On TV, no commercials.) ##-##.5
Roberto Benigni, Nicoletta Braschi, Sergio Bustric, Giustino Durano, Marisa Paredes
Comedy Drama, Tragi-comedy, War Drama
10/22/1998. 1 hr. 58 min.
{Set during World War II, a kind but very goofy man looks for romance, but during the war finds himself facing the prospect of going to a Nazi concentration camp. ~~ I finally saw it! It won a number of Academy awards, and was nominated for several. I can't really say much more about the movie, or I think it would spoil the drama. I CAN say that lying to protect someone only worked for so long; and rebellious goofiness ends up in part disaster. While it is a comedy, it is also a drama, and a tragedy. I don't know what else to say. The English version is, I think, dubbed. Be prepared to answer riddles. Lol.}
{Saw ending 7:57PM, 7/22/2008.}
Made of Honor (PG-13) ##-##.5
Patrick Dempsey, Michelle Monaghan, Kevin McKidd, Kathleen Quinlan, Sydney Pollack
Comedy, Romantic Comedy
5/2/2008. 1 hr. 41 min.
{One of two best friends begins to realize -- after several years -- that he may want to have something serious with the other; only, she has already found someone. She then asks him to be her best--I mean, Maid of Honor?? Will he let her have her happiness, with another man, or fight for his (and maybe their) happiness together? ~~ I liked it, "chick flick" and all. LOL.}
{Saw 8:10PM, 5/11/2008.}
Magic in the Water (PG?) {On DVD.} ##.5-##
Mark Harmon, Sarah Wayne, Joshua Jackson, Harley Jane Kozak
Children's Fantasy, Children's/Family, Fantasy, Sci-Fi Fantasy
8/30/1995. 1 hr. 41 min.
{Why are grown men feeling and hearing strange things? Were they somehow inhabited by a sea creature? ~~ A family film that is a bit slow throughout most of it, but I liked it. Some of the acting pushed the dumb limit though. So-so animatronics.}
{Saw 11:30PM, 3/27/2008.}
The Man in the Iron Mask (PG-13) {On Demand.} ###-##.5
Leonardo DiCaprio, Jeremy Irons, Gérard Depardieu, John Malkovich, Gabriel Byrne, Judith Godrèche (Godreche), Anne Parillaud
Action, Adventure, Drama.
3/13/1998. 2 hr. 12 min.
{Who's that man in the iron mask? Do we care? The Musketeers do. ~~ Well-paced, mostly well-acted, mostly well written.}
{Saw 6:45-9PM, 3/27/2008.}
Max Payne (2008 ) (PG-13) ##.5-###?
Mark Wahlberg, Mila Kunis, Beau Bridges, Chris "Ludacris" Bridges, Olga Kurylenko
Action, Crime Thriller, Modern Noir, Post-Noir.
10/17/2008. 1 hr. 40 min.
{ An ostracized police officer wants to find those who killed his partner and family. On the way, he comes across invisible forces -- reminiscent of the Valkyrie -- not to mention a lot of bad guys. ~~ I started watching this about 20 minutes into it, but it wasn't hard to follow. I'd like to see it again since I missed parts of it.}
{Saw PM, 10/xx/2008.}
Miracle on 34th Street (1994 ) (PG) (On TV, no commercials.) ##.5-###
Dylan McDermott, Richard Attenborough, Elizabeth Perkins, Mara Wilson, Robert Prosky
Children's/Family, Children's Fantasy, Fantasy
11/18/1994. 1 hr. 37 min.
{What appears to be the real Santa becomes a store Santa until he is accused of mental instability for saying so. What follows is a trial, and the hope of some romance, and hopes for a family. Similar to the 1947 film, but set in the 1990s. ~~ I liked it. I thought Santa, or the actor, was great. Where's the magic though? Oh, when Christmas comes. Serious references to the Tooth Fairy and the Easter Bunny reminded us that this is fantasy and not reality. Too bad, the rest of the movie was serious and well-done enough to pull it off! Touching at points.}
{Saw ending 6PM, 7/22/2008.}
Mouse Hunt (PG) #.5
Lee Evans, Nathan Lane, Christopher Walken, Vicki Lewis, Eric Christmas, Maury Chaykin
Action?, animal Picture, Comedy, Family, Family-Oriented Comedy, Slapstick
12/19/1997. 1 hr. 38 min.
{Two men inherit a factory and a house from their dad. In the house is a mouse. And through one brother's obsession with catching it, both get foolishly obsessed, and go after it no matter where it goes in the house, or what the consequences to the house, or to their careers. ~~ One of those really dumb movies, similar to some Home Alone-type movie (but not as funny ) and to some old Laurel and Hardy episodes, that you might want to watch once. But it's not really all that funny. Well, I didn't think so. Totally over-the-top production, and slapstick type humor. Reepicheep (from the Chronicles of Narnia ), have you met your match? Oh, but this mouse doesn't talk. The mouse tricks were sometimes amazing!}
{Saw PM, 9/29?/2008.}
Muhammad: The Last Prophet (NR / PG--my rating, maybe PG-13 ) (On DVD.) ##-##.5
animated characters playing historical figures.
animation, Docu-Drama?, Religious
11/14/2004? 2002?. 1 hr. 35 min.
{Shows the beginnings of Muhammad's new religion called Islam. Very basic. animated. ~~ Runs almost like a paid advertisement. As it has the stamp of Islam's official's approval, there is nary a negative word about Muhammad's questionable exploits. It shows Islam, and its battles, as just trying to be faithful to God-- Allah in Arabic, a word even Christians use--and just trying to protect what was their own. Muhammad is portrayed as a near-saint, as it were, and Muslims alike. I felt I learned almost nothing I didn't already know about Islam and Muslims/Moslems. I watched it twice. I'd tag it as being propaganda: for Islam of course, against paganism (or at least against polytheism that worships idols of wood and stone ), and neutral or somewhat-positive about Christianity and even Judaism, as Islam (in the real world ) paints itself as the successor and/or corrector of these religions. Time-period covered is around 610AD/CE and following. The music was really tunable, though awfully repetitive at times in its thematic usage. And the animation was very well done, though it's entirely old-style, with all features and people clearly looking like animations. The DVD menu took me a while to figure out. The film can play in English or Arabic. You can also have subtitles. (Growing up, it was Muslim or Moslem, which seems to have fallen out of favor. Muhammad I tend to try to spell Muhammed, LOL, though I may have seen Mohammed. Transliterations or translations of names and places from other languages seem to rarely be done the same way by everyone.)}
{Saw ?PM/AM, 7/1x-2x/2008, AND saw AGAIN mid-PM, 7/22/2008, the end first, and then the beginning.}
Mummies: Secrets of the Pharaohs (NR/G-PG) {IMAX} ###
Narrator: Christopher Lee (actor who played Count Dooku in Star Wars; and Saruman in The Lord Of The Rings ).
Biography, Documentary, Drama, Family, History, Science
5/25/2007 or 3/16/2007. 0 hr. 40 min.
{Some interesting backstory behind the finding of ancient mummies in Egypt. ~~ I liked it. Wished it were longer.}
{Saw afternoon, 3/2008.}
National Treasure: Book of Secrets (PG) ##.5-###
Nicolas Cage, Jon Voight, Justin Bartha, Diane Kruger, Helen Mirren, Ed Harris, Harvey Keitel
Action Thriller, Adventure, Caper
12/21/2007. 2 hr. 4 min.
{An action film about a search for treasure. ~~ Corny but fun.}
{Saw 10:20PM, 1/20/2008.}
Quantum of Solace (PG-13) ##.5
Daniel Craig, Judi Dench, Olga Kurylenko, Mathieu Amalric, Giancarlo Giannini
Action, Action Thriller, Glamorized Spy Film, Spy Film
11/14/2008. 1 hr. 46 min.
{Another James Bond 007 film, only his permission to carry and be a 0-0 is taken away, when there is a security breach. His credit cards don't work either; and his passports are flagged. Bond goes dark, and finds allies to locate those who had something to do with the death of someone he cared about. Bond must face a businessman named Dominic Greene who plots to control natural resources for profit. Some from the CIA play bad spies in this. ~~ I've heard that some people were disappointed in this film, but I thought it was rather decently made. Daniel Craig's Bond portrayal was way too sure of itself though, and it gave the film a false feel to it. Hardly ever broke a sweat, except in the the first scene. Where do they get these creepy actors to play nefarious bad guys? lol. This and the last film were two of the least dumb Bond films I've seen.}
{Saw 9:10PM, 12/7/2008.}
The Quick and the Dead (1995) (R?, PG-13? ) (On TV, with commercials.) ##-#.5
Sharon Stone, Gene Hackman, Russell Crowe, Leonardo DiCaprio, Roberts Blossom, Tobin Bell
Action, Adventure, Western
2/10/1995. 1 hr. 47 min.
{Quirky and dark Western where a super-fast, sociopathic gunfighter runs a town. Almost the whole movie is one gunfight after another, for $123,000. ~~ Bizarre plot, and dark humor. We find a woman gunslinger in town, who's not a bad shot. Wouldn't $123,000 in the 1800s be something like $1-12 million today?}
{Saw 1-3AM, 8/2/2008.}
Rambo I SEE "First Blood".
Rambo (R) {2008} ##.5-###
Sylvester Stallone, Julie Benz, Graham McTavish, Paul Schulze, Matthew Marsden
Action, Action Thriller, War Adventure
1/25/2008. 1 hr. 33 min.
{Rambo, a man trained to kill has been living for years in the jungle, away from American society. How will he react when asked to be missionary-type folks' guide? And if anything happens, will he help or avoid conflict altogether? ~~ Interesting. Very violent. I saw the first Rambo movie just before seeing this, but I haven't seen the other Rambo movies. (See entry under First Blood.)}
{Saw 8:45PM, 1/27/2008.}
Romancing the Stone {On Demand.} ##.5
Michael Douglas, Kathleen Turner, Danny DeVito, Zack Norman, Alfonso Arau
Action, Adventure, Adventure Comedy, Comedy, Romantic Adventure, Romantic Comedy
3/30/1984. 1 hr. 45 min.
{Action-romance in the jungle, looking for treasure hidden in clues. ~~ Corny. Lots of cussing. But okay film otherwise.}
{Saw PART of it, again, 3-5AM, 2/10/2008.}
The Ruins (R) #-## SAW PART. Walked out of the theater.
Joe Anderson, Shawn Ashmore, Jena Malone, Laura Ramsey, Jonathan Tucker
Horror
4/4/2008 1 hr. 31 min.
{Vacationers rendezvous with killer plants that attack the unsuspecting tourists. They are held back from escaping by locals who don't want to be contaminated by them, now that they've touched the plants. ~~ The Ruins ruined my evening. From previews, I thought it might be an action film with some cool archeology thrown in. But, it became more of a horror film; and after about 45 minutes or so, I walked out. This is a gruesome film with strong violence, also some nudity, etc. When the scene came on where they were going to amputate a guy's leg with a bolder and a knife, I decided that enough was enough, and walked out. Even the other theater patrons groaned. I didn't need to see this on screen. Nothing really happens in the first 30+ minutes, and so it was somewhat dull at the start, except for people getting hurt or killed. I didn't realize it would be horror; and it is movies like this that cause me to usually not even consider watching films called Horror. I asked for a refund. A similar scene in Pan's Labyrinth nearly ruined that movie for me (which I thought was an otherwise decent film). IF this were edited for TV, I at first thought that I might like to see what happens in the end, though, now that I've glanced through watchers' reviews, after returning, I see it's not going to be pretty. Not for children.}
{Saw 9:50PM, 4/10/2008.}
Shackleton's Antarctic Adventure (NR/G-PG) {IMAX} ###-##.5
Narrator: Kevin Spacey.
Docudrama, Documentary
2/10/2001. 0 hr. 40 min.
{Attempt to cross Antarctica is challenged again and again. Will the people at the end of the Earth survive? ~~ I liked it. Actually interestingly dramatic. Cool survival story.}
{Saw afternoon, 3/2008.}
Sister Aimee. The Aimee Semple McPherson Story. (NR) (On DVD.) #.5-##
Mimi Michaels.
Docu-Drama**, Drama, Religious Drama
//2005-2006. 1 hr. 50 min.
{The story of how Aimee Semple McPherson came to be a preacher. ~~ While the writing wasn't too bad, however, this was one of the worst-produced, worst-directed, and worst-filmed movies I've seen in a while. Most of the acting was tolerable, and some even pretty decent. The audio quality was practically unbearable. Some of the music, however, was very good. I think I would have preferred more documentary and less drama. There was a little real info, eclipsed by the drama. I watched most of it, and listened to some without watching. I was mostly bored or displeased at the production. SOME SNIPPETS, not chronological: The government had a trial related to Aimee who claimed she was kidnapped. A woman who was also part of the legal proceeding: Minnie Kennedy. ~1:14. They dropped the charges. Aimee was married. Her husband died. She married again. They got divorced. She married again, David Hutton. 1931. She divorced Hutton. She preached on the Radio. Had her own show, if not her own station. She went to Broadway. Her mother threatened that their top givers were against the theater. She said something like, If you sell your name, there will be no temple. Angelus Temple is now a National Historic Landmark, and still functions. Later in the film, Aimee quoted her, saying, To lead, you must be alone. Aimee died of an overdose of a barbital compound, said a medical examiner. 1890-1944. The film said: First woman to start her own denomination, International Church of the Foursquare Gospel. Fed over 1,000,000 people during the Depression. Prayed for over 300,000 people to be healed. Her son found her dead. Her son Rolf led the church for 44 years. There were more than 32,000 Foursquare churches worldwide. It was ©2005, though IMDB says its date is 2006. OTHER: "As an actor, I can tap right into a person's emotions. And read 'em like a book." "... Especially the girls." PT Barnum said that there was "No such thing as bad publicity." But that was a circus. ANOTHER SOURCE says that she, alongside Billy Sunday, was one of the leaders of the 1920s Prohibition movement. In other words, perhaps people should have been warned by Psalm 104: 15; 1 Timothy 4: 1-6; and ironically Song of Songs 1: 4. Ironically because this chapter is partly quoted in the movie.}
{Saw ~11PM, 7/14/2008.}
Speed Racer (PG) ##.5
Emile Hirsch, Christina Ricci, Matthew Fox, Susan Sarandon, John Goodman
Adventure, Cartoon film adaptation, Chase Movie
5/9/2008. 2 hr. 15 min.
{Speed Racer is invited to drive for a huge conglomerate. If he refuses, he faces almost insurmountable obstacles to try to qualify for and then maybe win one the biggest races of all time. ~~ If you can get used to the use of animation with real-life actors, it's pretty amazing at times. One fight scene starts out pretty well, then gets a bit dumb. If you saw the cartoons, it's similar to that, only real actors play the parts with some real cars, and some animated cars that can do some impossible things, as they did in the cartoons. Directed by Andy Wachowski, of The Matrix fame, if that tells you something. Amazing and incredible animation.}
{Saw 10:00PM, 5/13/2008.}
The Spiderwick Chronicles (PG) ##.5-##
2/14/2008. 1 hr. 37 min.
Nick Nolte, Freddie Highmore, Mary-Louise Parker, Sarah Bolger, Andrew McCarthy
Adventure, Fantasy, Fantasy Adventure
{Invisible creatures fight to get a book that lists many magical things of power that they could use to destroy Humans. They're not demons, but close enough. But it maybe isn't quite as bad as it seems. After all, there are children to help fight them off! ~~ Definitely fantasy. Probably not for much-younger children, but teens would probably like it, if they didn't think it was too young for them. If it sounds violent, it is at times, but not terribly graphic or gratuitous, considering the context.}
{Saw 10:35PM, 3/31/2008.}
Step Up (PG-13) ##.5
Jenna Dewan, Channing Tatum, Mario, Drew Sidora, Heavy D
Dance Film, Drama, Teen Movie (more like 20s )
8/11/2006. 1 hr. 38 min.
{Hoodlum with personality must do community service at an art school that he and some buddies trashed. While there, he likes a girl who sees he has talent dancing. Will he develop appreciation for the arts beyond Hip-Hop dancing? ~~ Decent romantic drama and dance film, most of the time.}
{Saw PM/AM, 2/1x/2008.}
Step Up 2: The Streets (PG-13) ##
Briana Evigan, Robert Hoffman, Sonja Sohn, Will Kemp, Adam G. Sevani
Dance Film, Drama, Teen Movie (more like 20s ), Urban Drama
2/14/2008. 1 hr. 38 min.
{(See synopsis for Step Up.) People from the art school try to get "street cred" by competing in prank moves and dancing competitions. ~~ So-so romantic drama. Dance choreography is mostly limited to Hip-Hop and breakdancing.}
{Saw PM/AM, 10/2x/2008.}
Through and Away (NR?) ##-#.5
David Burdett, Ann Testa
Drama, Romance (sort of)
?/2006. ~1 hr. 30 min.
{Three friends go off to different schools. Will they keep in touch, stay friends, grow in life, leave the past behind, move on? ~~ The Centerpiece Premier movie at the National Film Festival for Talented Youth (NFFTY), in the SIFF Cinema at the Seattle Center. Fairly honest film, I suppose, but slowly paced. Acting was mostly very good, but the B&W camera work needed work, and the sound was not very good. (Little or no ADR.) Decent writing, some decent music. Okay directing. Directed by Jonathan Ade, age 21. Movie was preceded by some decent shorts.}
{Saw 7:00PM, 3/29/2008.}
Throw Momma From The Train (PG-13) {On Demand.} ##-##.5 (SAW PART)
Billy Crystal, Danny DeVito, Anne Ramsey, Kate Mulgrew, Kim Greist
Black Comedy, Comedy, Crime Comedy
12/11/1987. 1 hr. 28 min.
{No synopsis. ~~ Saw only PART of it; enough maybe to know I probably wouldn't really want to watch it all, but maybe. A bit on the psycho side for me.}
{Saw ?PM/AM, PART of it, 2/?/2008.}
Titanic (PG-13) {On Demand.} ###-##
Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet, Billy Zane, Victor Garber, Kathy Bates, Frances Fisher
Action, Drama, Disaster Film, Epic, Period Film, Romance, Romantic Epic, Sea Adventure, Tragedy
11/1/1997, or 12/14,18,19/1997. 3 hr. 14 min.
{A dramatization of one of the most famous ship sinkings of all time. ~~ The movie that broke all records. Best Picture. 11 Oscars. A bit long, but not dull or terribly slow.}
{Saw again ?PM, 3/2X/2008.}
Top Gun (1986) (PG) (On DVD.) ##-##.5
Tom Cruise, Kelly McGillis, Val Kilmer, Anthony Edwards, Tom Skerritt
Action, Buddy Film, Drama, Romantic Drama
5/16/1986. 1 hr. 49 min.
{Rebel pilot tries to find his wings and win the military's Top Gun #1 spot. ~~ A bit slow at times. So-so romance. A couple of "good" songs. Mostly so-so dogfight scenes.}
{Saw ?PM, 7/31?/2008.}
Twilight (PG-13) ###
Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Billy Burke, Cam Gigandet, Edi Gathegi, Elizabeth Reaser, Nikki Reed, Peter Facinelli, Rachelle Lefevre
Fantasy, Romantic Fantasy, Teen Movie, Thriller
11/21/2008. 2 hr. 2 min.
{A vampire movie where some of the vampires don't really want to drink the blood of humans. A human develops an obsession for a "teen" vampire, while he fights off a hunger for her. Will it be romance, romance for forever, or death for her? Some human-sucking vampires also are in the movie, and cause trouble for everyone. ~~ It has a bit of an independent feel to it in a couple of scenes, but otherwise a well-made film. Why do these vampires seem nearly indestructible? Some sensuality and violence. One scene in particular is reminiscent of the Matrix.}
{Saw PM/AM, 11/2x?/2008.}
U2 3D / U23D (PG-13) {IMAX with 3D glasses, LOL.} ##.5-###
U2: Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton, Larry Mullen, Jr. Director: Mark Pellington.
Concerts, Music, Vocal Music
2/23/2008. 1 hr. 20 min.
{A U2 concert in 3D, with many of their hits. ~~ If you like the music of U2, you may enjoy this. While I don't usually like the actual sound of live venues, the performances in this sounded good or great. Some good visuals too. Amazing amount of people listed as working on this.}
{Saw evening, 2/2008.}
Unleashed (2005) (R) (On TV, with commercials.) ##-##.5
Jet Li, Morgan Freeman, Bob Hoskins, Kerry Condon
Action, Martial Arts
5/13/2005. 1 hr. 43 min.
{Boy, now a man, was to be like an attack dog when off his leash (collar ), and is used to attack others for power and money. Finding kindness in a family, he becomes more and more self-aware, and wants to become non-violent. ~~ Pretty bizarre plot, but pretty interesting, and almost believable.}
{Saw ?PM, 7/31?/2008.}
Vantage Point (PG-13) ##.5
Matthew Fox, Forest Whitaker, Sigourney Weaver, Dennis Quaid, William Hurt.
Action, Drama, Political Thriller, Thriller
2/22/2008. 1 hr. 30 min.
{An attempt to solve the mystery of who shot at the President, with the same scene being viewed over and over again from different perspectives, and then finally progressing to the story's conclusion. ~~ If you can get over the countdown to repeating the opening scene, multiple times, you may enjoy this movie. Interesting directorial concept. I can imagine the future, that with advanced technology following people around, multiple views of the same scene could be possible, adding to the interest level in details, or frustrating viewers who want the story to Get along now. I and multiple people in the theater went "Come ON." LOL. But, it was interesting. I won't tell you here how many times it repeats. LOL. There was a similar reaction in the theater to 2007's "Next" (PG-13), with Nicolas Cage, Julianne Moore, Jessica Biel, etc. A lot of violence and terrorism. Not for young children.}
{Saw 10:10PM, 3/6/2008.}
Wanted (R) ##-##.5
Angelina Jolie, Morgan Freeman, James McAvoy, Terence Stamp, Thomas Kretschmann, Common
Action, Action Thriller, Fantasy Adventure
6/27/2008. 1 hr. 50 min.
{Wes is a beaten-down worker doing books or reports for a company, wondering about meaning in his life, when a woman ostensibly from a secret organization called the Fraternity shows up while he's shopping, saying she's there to save him from a man who killed his real father, a special assassin. A code, mysteriously spelled-out from woven cloth, tells people in the Fraternity who must be assassinated; and they obey. The Fraternity is comprised of people who have some special abilities due to massive adrenaline and a super-fast heart rate. One of their agents goes "rogue", and is picking off the rest of them one by one. Wes is trained by them, in part to kill him, the man whom they say killed his dad. Wes feels he's found his purpose in life. What Wes discovers along the way shakes up his view of his new purpose. With many different characters, it looks like there could be a sequel. LOL. ~~ Extremely violent, with graphic violence. Strong language. But, some pretty cool effects scenes.}
{Saw 10PM, 6/28/2008.}
You Don't Mess With the Zohan (PG-13; practically R) ##-##.5
Adam Sandler, John Turturro, Emmanuelle Chriqui, Nick Swardson, Lainie Kazan
Comedy, Farce.
6/6/2008. 1 hr. 53 min.
{Zohan, an antiterrorist fighter in Israel decides he'd rather be cutting hair than cutting people down. ~~ The Zohan is incredibly uninhibited sexually, and there are huge amounts of sexual misconduct and innuendo. It was not explicitly shown as much as it was directly implied. It was about as explicit as one can get, from a slight distance, with one's clothes on. It made me quite uncomfortable to see it on the screen. I didn't know this going in, but the movie pokes fun at Israel and Palestine (or at Jews and Arabs). The 1st 3rd of the movie is sort of humorous; 2nd 3rd, funny; 3rd 3rd, not as funny. The ending is deliberately exaggerated Hollywoodish schmaltz that was not funny but rather almost got a groan out of me. This film could have been rated R as far as I was concerned. NOT for children.}
{Saw ~7PM 6/5/2008. Before it was released publicly.}
Saw in earlier years, SELECTED, but...
I don't want to go back to those older Blog Posts to add them in! LOL.:
The Skulls II (2002) (R) {On TV, off recorded DVD.} ##-##.5
Robin Dunne, Nathan West, Ashley Cafagna-Tesoro, Lindy Booth, James Gallanders, Christopher Ralph, Aaron Ashmore, Andrew Gillies
Thriller
4/9/2002. 1 hr. 39 min.
{Story that seems to be loosely based on the secretive "The Skull and Bones Society". ~~ I missed the first few minutes or so, I think. "The Skull & Bones Society" is said to be a secret society that grooms or trains up people for positions of power or authority. This society supposedly included the current President Bush and his dad, as well as many others. I don't think I've seen the other Skulls movies. I don't think the version of one I saw was rated R, as it might have been edited for TV.}
{Saw almost all of it ?PM/AM, 12/2/2006.}
MY MAIN MOVIES AND SHOWS BLOG:
Who wants to DO something, like see SHOWS or MOVIES, or catch the SIGHTS?.
©2008. All rights reserved eternally by me.
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Does God LOVE us?
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Apr 9, 2008 6:18 pm
Mood: contemplative,
515 Views
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Does God LOVE us?
OK, I know it sounds like a stupid question, but I ask it anyway:
1. Does God LOVE us? (present tense ). Not past tense. And if so,
2. In what way(s) does God Love us? because there are all kinds of loves and reasons and motives and motivations for them. (And the Bible actually lists at least TWO different kinds of Love that the Father has for people, which a lot of people may not know.) And,
3a. Who is us? And/Or, maybe, 3b. Whom does God NOT Love, if any?
Please show it 1) by Scriptures that are stated in the present and/or future tense(s); 2) by history references SINCE the 1st or 2nd Century AD; and 3) by your own and/or others' experience. Feel free to go into detail. (Be respectful, be polite.) The first two methods of showing are most important to me personally, though 3) may be most important to those writing.
Those are the basic questions I am asking.
Now some background about the word love/Love, which hopefully won't get people off the subject. LOL.
Scripture says that in the Last Days people would be "lovers of their own selves". And it seems pretty clear that that is being listed as a negative thing. It also says to "Love your neighbor as yourself", which has been interpreted by some lately to love yourself.
Scripture does say to "Love your neighbor", and for Christians, to "love one another" (disciples ) in particular ways.
Most Bible translations also say that "God so Loved {Gr. root: agapao, related to agape} the world {Gr. root: kosmos} that He gave...". --John 3: 16, various translations.
Now, maybe a bit confusing, 1 John 2 says, "Do NOT love {again, Gr. root: agapao, related to agape} the world {again, Gr. root: kosmos}". The SAME two Greek words as John 3: 16.
THEN it insists that if anyone "loves {Gr. root: agapao} the world {Gr. root: kosmos}", then "the Love {Gr. root: agape} of the Father IS NOT IN HIM"!
So, type, expression, source, and recipients of Love are important. (Not to mention timing! Song of Songs 2: 7; 3: 5; 8: 4.)
Now we know that the Bible says that Yahshua of Nazareth, "Jesus", "died for us", and that this was an act of Love. Almost 2000 years ago, past tense.
But what about NOW? in our lives? personally? SEEMS like a simple question, for those who feel Loved! But it's not as simple as some people may think!
We see verses in the Bible that relate to some pretty strong judgments from God/elohim/YHWH against people, both in the past -- OT and the NT! -- and in the future too. Are the people being Loved by God at THOSE times, on Earth, in the future? And what about "final" judgments, then too?
Does God ever stop Loving an individual, and if so, at what point?
And how are individuals to know?
If a person has "backslidden" (not necessarily "fallen away" ), or doesn't Love/obey with all the heart, what then?
Maybe the answer isn't as simple as Of COURSE God Loves us! LOL.
And, to add a proverbial monkey wrench to the works:
We know that others in OTHER religions (not Christianity ), philosophies, experiences, etc., believe that God loves them. They may even think that they've had experiences of God and of God's Love. They may believe that their religion is true because of their experiences. WHAT are they experiencing (as relates to loves and the invisible )? And if you say that they are being deceived in these experiences by spirits, how do you/we know that you/we are not being deceived? (just because we may believe differently?? )
As it could be ANY invisible being's presence, loves, or emotions that they or we could be experiencing, and not necessarily God's, How does one really know?
I know that this is a lot of ground to cover -- in a book! LOL -- a lot of questions, and maybe you just want to cover certain of the questions, but maybe do at least questions 1., 2., and 3. above.
And, for me personally, the last question in bold is paramount.
References would be wonderful. Thanks for your thoughtful input.
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Best way to meet someone
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Mar 9, 2008 11:11 am
Mood: curious,
603 Views
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Best way to meet someone
What are the best ways to meet someone, other than saying Hi?
I really don't know what to say when I make initial contact via email; any great suggestions?
And ladies, What would YOU like to hear in a first email from a guy?
And follow-ups? LOL.
Thanks!
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