Movie: "4: Rise of the Silver Surfer"

This movie had some nice effects but the plot wasn't anything to write home about.
(Released June 15, 2007)

Movie: "Evan Almighty" (Released June 22, 2007)

A silly movie where God asks Evan Baxter to build an ark becoming a modern day "Noah". There are many funny scenes involving miraculous hair growth and SHEEP! My whole family watched it, including my two year old. I believe that she loved seeing all of the pairs of animals. My ten year old and I laughed several times. The sets were realistic and the animals, including the humans were funny.
(Released June 22, 2007)

Movie: "March of the Penguins"

This is a beautiful, touching documentary about the life cycle of the antarctic Emperor penguin. I kept thinking, with so many tribulations it is truly amazing that the Emperor penguin is not extinct.
(Released July 22, 2005)

Movie: "Happy Feet"

This is pretty good. I especially enjoyed the soundtrack and the animation. There were portions that looked so real, I am not sure if there was actual photographic footage mixed in or not. The penguin dancing was quite good too.
(Released November 17, 2006)

Movie: "Everyone's Hero"

A cute little story where a boy, a ball and a bat can save the day. The animation is nice and the characters are lovable but don't read too much into it. There is not much truth in the story: I'm pretty sure there are no talking baseballs and I hope no ten-year-olds jumping train from New York to Chicago.
(Released September 15, 2006)

Movie: "Wordplay"

Wordplay is an entertaining documentary about the inside world of crossword puzzles. It follows The New York Times' crossword puzzle editor Will Shortz and many other avid puzzle solvers and puzzle creators including Jon Stewart, Ken Burns, Bob Dole, and Bill Clinton. I would recommend this to anyone who loves words or loves someone who loves words.
(Released June 23, 2006)

Blood Diamond (Released December 6, 2006)

A movie that follows two classic plot lines of "boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy gets girl". All of this is set against the civil unrest and war atrocities around the Diamond Trade in Sierra Leone. The first is of Danny Archer played by Leonardo DiCaprio and the second is Solomon Vandy played by Djimon Hounsou. The Archer character was shallow and poorly written. I wished that the main character had been Solomon Vandy and Archer had been the supporting role. The movie was very enlightening in portraying the human condition and the horrors of the diamond trade. I am pretty certain that the movie was fiction but I do not know how much of the horrors were based on the true horrors that occurred in Sierra Leone during its civil war in the 1990s. It did peak my interest to find out more about the region.

Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan (Released November 3, 2006)

Borat is a funny mockumentary. I watched it with my 10 year old son and I was amuzed that we laughed at different times. It had much of the potty humor that Sacha Baron Cohen always has in his "Da Ali G Show" and also much more subtle humor.

Kermit, good news. It's getting easier to be green!

Easy ways to go green:
1. Stop hunting for parking. Pull in and park in the first available space even if you'll have to walk a few extra steps or walk instead of driving.
2. Use those curly CFL bulbs. They give a 100-watt appearance for only 13 watts of power used. Remember if the bulb breaks, EPA recommends that (1) you immediately open windows to reduce mercury concentrations inside your home; (2) you do not touch the spilled mercury; (3) you clean up the broken CFL glass carefully and immediately (but not with your hands or a vacuum cleaner), and (4) you wipe the affected area with a paper towel to remove all glass fragments and mercury. EPA further recommends that you place the paper towel and glass fragments in a sealed plastic bag and bring the sealed bag to your local Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) Collection Site.
3. Use wind energy. Modern windmills are quieter, and the energy is renewable.
4. Stop drinking bottled water. You are getting clean water, even cleaner in many cases, from your tap. All the energy spent in bottling, transporting and recycling is unnecessary. When a bottling company ad said "because it's not bottled in Cleveland, " a comparison found 6.3 micrograms of arsenic per liter in the bottling company's water while Cleveland's water had no measurable arsenic. If you are still not convinced about the safety of your tap water, buy your next refrigerator with a filter or get a portable filter pitcher.
5. Turn off vampire devices. Even when not in use, rechargers and plugged-in TVs, CDs and VCRs consume energy. Put them on outlet strips that are turned off at night or when not in use.
6. Have a clothesline. The sun, nature's own clothes dryer, not only saves energy, but your clothes last longer, maintain their colors and get sanitized.

Taken from "Go green in eight simple steps. Honest" By AUTAR KAW Published July 5, 2007 in the St. Pete Times

Assume the Position 201 with Mr. Wuhl (2007)

Director:Robert Wuhl

Writers:Will Reiser
Rebecca Reynolds
more
Release Date:7 July 2007 (USA) more
Genre:Comedy / History
Tagline:The Class You Don't Want to Cut.
Plot Synopsis:This plot synopsis is empty. Add a synopsis
User Comments:Victoria Woodhull runs for President in 1872!

Assume the Position with Mr. Wuhl

Release Date:1 April 2006 (USA)
Genre:Documentary / Comedy / History more
Tagline:The stories that made up America and the history that America made up.
Plot Outline:Actor Robert Wuhl examines facts and myths in American history.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (released July 11, 2007)

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (released November 18, 2005)

The kids, Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, and Tom Felton really proved themselves as serious actors. Here in the fourth film they could no longer rely on just the good story or their youthful cuteness.

Harry Potter and the Prizoner of Azkaban (released June 4, 2004)

This was most disappointing of the whole series. The director Alfonso Cuarón decided to depart from the feel of the previous movies. For example the students rarely wore their school uniforms and instead wore contemporary clothes. And scenes such as the opening sequence where Harry blows up his aunt. In the book it was sad, fiercely angry and somehow funny but in the movie it missed this subtle humor. In his quest to be dark he missed some of the intriguing complexity of all of the characters.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (released November 15, 2002)

This movie starts with an introduction of a new magical creature Dobby. The animation is believable and Dobby is endearing. This plot introduces the predjudices and less favorable side of the magical world. I was particularly fond of the magic. The only performance that I was disappointed in was Moaning Myrtle who comes off as more whiny than anything else.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (released November 16, 2001)

Most people either love or hate Harry Potter. We love it. We are re-watching the whole series before we go see the latest movie (5)

My next comment about this one could really be about the movie or the book. I have to wonder why none of the adults don't grab Harry and really take him under his wings. He comes to Hogwarts at only 11 and most of the adults know how horrid the Dursleys are and yet everyone stands back and watches him struggle. Harry really needs a Big Brother.

I was very happy about the conversion from fantasy book to special effects movie. The only scene in the book that was not in the movie that I had really hoped to see was the death day party. I suppose it was so much special effect that it would have just looked like a cartoon.

The Devil Wears Prada (released June 30, 2006)

First, I need to say that my 10 year old son said this was the biggest chick flick that he had ever seen. I can't remember him watching more than 10 minutes of any chick flick. The movie was entertaining, and not too sappy like many are. I didn't cry or even come close. The beginning of the movie made fun of the fashion industry and then they went a little deeper and showed how we are defined by the choices we make.

Transformers (released July 3, 2007)

Warning this movie could cause speeding tickets! As I left the movie theater, there were cops and cop cars everywhere and I kept thinking are these just cop cars OR are they the evil Decepticons! I also had to slow down repeatedly. I guess after watching so much fast driving my own foot was a little heavier than usual. I have fond memories of my little brother collecting the Transformers trading cards and watching the cartoon and singing the song; "Transformers, Robots in Disguise." There was one moment when I thought "oh no they are going to make this into a love story." This movie is a kiss-free zone and safe for young men (like my 10-year-old son) to watch without the need to cover their eyes. I felt horrible about Bumble Bee losing his legs. Definitely go see this movie if you like: Transformers, robots, car chases, action-adventure or science fiction movies.

A Scanner Darkly (released July 28 2006)

I missed this one at the theaters. I never even saw a commercial. The DVD cover was very intriguing. I suppose I am just surprised at the line-up: Robert Downey Jr., Keanu Reeves, Winona Ryder, Woody Harrelson. The movie takes the "big brother," paranoia and the war on drugs with an eerie surreal feel. The animation itself is worth a look. It was created using an innovative method called Rotoshoping which gives a very Patrick Nagel feel to it.

Shot in the Dark (released 2002)

A documentary on the family dynamics of Adrian Grenier, who has been raised solely by his mother and is in search of his father. The simplicity and honesty of Grenier's approach is endearing and rewarding. Without blame or guilt Grenier follows the path that determined his lack of relationship with his father.