Wudrich

Sonoma/Napa 2010. A wine drinkers paradise.

2011-11-20T19:42:00.000-08:00

The trip was amazing. I’ll try and give a rundown as best as I can, definitely a wine drinker’s paradise. For my full collection of pictures please visit Flickr.

Sonoma

We flew into Oakland, CA and rented a car (aprox $220 for the week for a Nissan Ultima, unlimited KM’s from Budget. You can book online). We drove from Oakland to American Canyon (just north of Vallejo). First night was in the Best Western Inn and Suites at Discovery Kingdom near Six Flags in Vallejo. Scary walk around the trying to find beer. The gentlemen who owned the gas station was nice enough to tell us that it was probably best to get in our car and drive up the road to Safeway and find something there.

We moved on the next day and stayed at a hotel on the highway called Gaia (http://www.gaianapavalleyhotel.com/ ), literally 10 minutes up the road from where we had stayed the night before. The hotel was ok with a nice restaurant but I would suggest staying closer to Sonoma Valley if you plan on doing some wine tours. It’s about a 20-25 minute drive in the morning.

Sonoma has a Best Western in town (http://www.bestwesterncalifornia.com/hotels/best-western-sonoma-valley-inn-and-krug-event-center ) and everyone around there is EXTREMELY helpful with directions and information, a lot closer than staying outside of town. Most of the Wineries in the area are open for tastings from 10am-5pm and range in price from Free-$30. Excellent book on prices and info about the wineries (Fromers Wine Guide). Great app for your phone is “iVisit Wine Country”, also worth checking out. Would have come in handy when we were there had I known about it.

I would suggest sticking to a schedule of 4-5 wineries a day. Gives you time to enjoy each one, do a tasting, take some pictures without feeling too rushed. Full list is below, mixed in with some of the lunch stops that are worth mentioning.

List of Wineries we visited (get ready)

Cline Cellars (http://www.clinecellars.com/) – Very Friendly, take the tour it’s free and they have a great history. The grounds are beautiful so make this your first stop in the morning and walk around before the tasting room opens. Tour highlights, The Red Truck, the solar powered warehouse, the train car, the bird cages, the sign that warns of alligators in the pond… so much more. We were also introduced to a new term the Wooly Weeders (sheep), it stuck with us for the rest of the trip. These Wooly Weeder get moved from vineyard to vineyard and eat the weeds, poop, which in turn feed the wines and grapes. Eco-Awesomeness. You must taste everything!!! Must have selections are the Sonoma Zin, the Cashmere and the Los Carneros Syrah.

Jacuzzi Family Vineyards (http://www.jacuzziwines.com/) - Literally across the road from Cline. Amazing Spanish style building with a beautiful tasting room, grounds and patio. Two things. make sure you try all of the olive oils they have there from http://www.theolivepress.com/ and take the stairs to the top of the tower for a view of the vineyard and valley.

Before you go to Gloria Ferrer, look on a map and find “Bonneau’s Towing & Mechanical”. There is a small convenience store on the corner of Bonneau Rd and Arnold Dr (Hwy 116) called “Food to go” or something. They make killer sandwiches for lunch; anything on the menu will be amazing!!

Gloria Ferrer (http://www.gloriaferrer.com/) - Perched on a hill side in Sonoma valley. Take a lunch and eat on their patio that overlooks it all. Pay for the tour, it’s worth it for the history of the champagne, wine making and wine caves.

Schug Carneros Estate Winery (http://www.schugwinery.com/) – Small cozy tasting room and amazing wine. Very friendly staff, we showed up just as they were closing and they allowed us to do a quick tasting.

St Francis Winery (http://www.stfranciswine.com/) – Some of the best Zinfandels in the valley. Huge selection, and beautiful tasting room and patio. I hear the food is awesome but I didn’t sample the food myself when we were there.

Ledson (http://www.ledsonwinery.com/) – Most impressive thing was this was used to be some guys house! He moved up the road and turned it into a tasting house because people would often stop and ask if there were tastings. Guess he got tired of it. Definitely worth a stop to check out the inside and take some pictures.

Chateau St Jean (http://www.chateaustjean.com/) – Good wine with a beautiful garden and grounds. It was POURING raining when we arrived and had continued most of the time we were there so staying outside and getting photos was very limiting. Very nice gardens though and I wish we could have spent that time wandering the grounds.

Kenwood (http://www.kenwoodvineyards.com/) – Another location where it was Pouring rain. We had to run from the car to the buildings barn style sliding door. Once inside you pay for your wooden tasting tokens. A brief history and information on the winery was spouted by the lady pouring the wine. Behind her is a wall of bottles featuring the art used as their labels for their select series wine.

White Oak (http://www.whiteoakwinery.com/)– Very relaxed tasting room. A little nook beside it contains bottles of unseen vintage. Spent time outside relaxing and photographing the lizards warming themselves in the sun.

Korbel – (http://www.korbel.com/Default.aspx) Champagne tasting on our way up to the Russian River Valley. Staff (Two Gentlemen) were “busy” with three members and could barely tear themselves away to let us do a tasting. Very nice building and surrounding area for a rest stop but didn’t find the staff as helpful or informative as the other places we stopped.

The Red Grape (http://www.theredgrape.com/) - Stopped for a giant Caesar Salad and a pepperoni mushroom pizza for lunch. MmmmMmmm.

The Bear Republic (http://www.bearrepublic.com/home.php) – Lunch stop for the day. Good beers and a pretty good selection of pub food. I suggest the #5 burger.

Ravenswood (http://www.ravenswoodwinery.com/#) – Set back away from town, make sure you find this on a map first as it was a little confusing for me to get to. First thing I remember is the flowers and the old wood building as we were driving up to it. Almost like it is tucked into the corner of the valley surrounded by Grape Vines and a knarley looking tree on the edge of the parking lot. Inside were two small tasting bars that served up some killer Zins. I sat outside and took pictures of the flowers and an old lamp hanging by the door. A man approached and told me to feel free to wander into the storage area where their huge vats of wine were stored. Wandering around the corner I found the door open enough to let a sliver of sun in. I passed through and stood staring at these huge containers rather than take a photo all I could think about was how lucky I was to be there.

Santa Rosa / Red River Valley

DeLoach Vineyards (http://www.deloachvineyards.com/deloach/index.jsp) – The staff really showed us what it was like to go during the off season. We had stopped for our usual, a tour and tasting, when we asked about the tour, our gracious host mentioned that unfortunately the manager was currently doing a private tour for one of the wine members. We decided to start with the tasting and hoped that by the time we finished we might be able to jump into a tour. Pour after pour we tasted, the lady was so kind I am sure we tasted everything behind the bar, though only having paid for a regular tasting. Some time had passed by this point and it did not appear as though we would be getting that tour, our hostess must have read our minds and she said she would take us on a brief tour herself and showed us the private tasting room and the barrel room. After we finished and ended back at the bar, she reached under the counter and said “We just started bottling this this week. It’s our OFS Tawny” Trust me when I say this, You will never find a better Tawny than this!!

Alexander Valley Vineyards (http://www.alexandervalleycellars.com/) – Pulling into to park and seeing the giant doors to the wine cave open and staff hurriedly sending barrel after barrel into its depths. Amazing wine, great staff, definitely try and get a tour of their wine cavesl!!

Napa Valley

Domain Carneros (http://www.domainecarneros.com/) – Beautiful Champagne mansion you will see on your way from Vallejo to Sonoma. Excellent champagne (especially at 10am, right after breakfast hehe!) fresh, clean and gets you ready for your days of tastings.

Mondavi (http://www.robertmondavi.com/rmw/) – No tasting done here but the grounds are worth a look. They grow a fresh garden full of Artichokes and other vegetables. Orange Trees and a ton of rose bushes surround the entrance. Check out their website to see if you can get there when there is a concert going on.

Opus One (http://www.opusonewinery.com/) – Amazing looking building, you can’t miss it. Worth stopping and touring around. If you are with a group of 2-4 people, I suggest you all chip in and get one taster ($20 per glass), go up to the rooftop viewing area and share the wine while admiring the beautiful landscape.

Cakebread (http://www.cakebread.com/) – Our tour of the facilities was very interesting. So much information into their whole process, tasting the INCREDABLE wine, at the end of the tour we found out the gentleman that gave the tour used to be the wine maker. He took us aside and spent another 30 minutes talking about the wine, the winery and thanking US for coming. I feel terrible that I can’t remember his name but I really appreaciated the time he spent with us. When he found out I liked taking photos, he took me over to the private patio reserved for members. I was allowed to take more photos while he gave me more history into the grounds and the Cakebread house. After all this we finally walked up to the till to pay for the wines we were taking with us and he let us keep our etched tasting glasses. It may not seem like a big deal but it really just showed us that he went over and above a usual tour experience and touched us with his kindness.

Duckhorn (http://www.duckhorn.com/) – Massive wrap around patio on this beautiful country style home. We had a small tasting while sitting in the gardens around the back. I noticed on the way out we had parked next to an actual Cork tree. I really like the short driveway up to the building, you have to drive through the rows of vines to get to the parking area.

James Cole (http://www.jamescolewinery.com/) – Biggest Wine Glasses EVER ! Intimate tasting room, perfect for a tiny wedding.

Shafer (http://www.shafervineyards.com/) – Long ride up a sloped hill up to their hillside estate you take a side road from the main road, no signage or anything. We only stopped for a picture, you have to make reservations in advance for a tasting. The left quickly and I raced my sister down the hill like we were little kids again.

Stag’s Leap (http://stagsleap.com/) – Right off the main road with lots of trees to lock the bikes to. Great old buildings and the staff really made us feel welcome even though most of us felt sweaty and gross.

Regusci (http://www.regusciwinery.com/) – I skipped the tasting here. All the ladies on the tasting patio were mesmerized by the burley tour operator rocking a Kilt. There were cool mini orange trees, olive trees and the dog that no one was supposed to feed

Beringer (http://www.beringer.com/) –Take your time here, the grounds are a lot to take in. The mansion house has several tasting rooms as well as the winery behind it. The garden and patio around the house are amazing for photos too. I also think we found the doorway to the secret garden.

Heitz (http://www.heitzcellar.com/) – Don’t miss this small stone building on the side of the road. You enter, there is a warm cozy fire going in the fireplace with a dog curled up next to it, two giant reading chairs right in front, a row of smiling customers and winemakers. Within seconds of walking in, it feels like home. Amazing wine, free tasting and we took a bottle home of the Zin that was on special for ridiculously cheap!

Darioush Winery (http://www.darioush.com/)– Didn’t do a tasty here but the Roman inspired architecture is awesome. Tadpoles in the Lilly pad front water feature. Snotty looking crowd of 50+ (aged) men and their obvious girlfriends or trophy wives.

Clos Du Val (http://www.closduval.com/closduval.php)– Didn’t do a tasting but the building is beautiful. Walls full of Ivy vines, gorgeous patio, with huge wood doors that beckon you into the tasting room .

Side note… riding back on a bike, down the Solano Road that runs parallel to the St Helena Hwy is a very gentle upward slope as you head back toward Yountville. Riding this in +20 degrees, no wind, no cloud, after 3.5 hours of drinking and bike riding is extremely tiring. Pick up a couple bottles of water from the Soda Canyon store, they will help a lot!

Domaine Chandon (http://www.chandon.com/)– Last stop on our wine tour by bike. They have a small bike rack next to the parking lot that was quite full, we didn’t have an issue locking them all to a post close by. Stone toad stools lead you along the path toward the entrance. Once inside the bottle wall will lead you up the stairs to the bar. Order from their Bubbly tasting menu, you are sure to enjoy anything on it. It may take a few minutes to get your drinks depending on what you order and the number of people, the staff didn’t seem to be in much of a hurry. Thankfully we weren’t either and the wait was worth it, the drinks looked amazing

Soda Canyon Store (http://www.sodacanyonstore.com/) - Lunch stop for our bike tour day. Soda Canyon Store serves fresh made sandwiches in a small convenience store so you can grab drinks and snack at the same time. Picnic tables are usually free over by the creek. It is just a very nice place to just sit and watch people, bikes and cars.

Grace’s Table (http://www.gracestable.net/) – Such good food and found that the portions were done properly here. Make sure to save room for desert.

By far the BEST meal we had the whole time was lunch at Tra Vinge . AMAZING Italian food!!! They are north of Napa Valley right off the highway. Quite pricy but you won’t get better food anywhere. Our lunch started with the Mozzarella “Al Minuto”, hand made fresh mozzarella with bruschetta. Wine flowed then followed by Rabbit, Butternut squash Ravioli, Duck and Bison. mmmMMmmMM!!!! Most restaurants have a small corkage fee so any wine you buy from the vineyards can be brought with you for lunch or dinner.

We did a bike tour, just north of Napa there is a little town called Yountville. There are a ton of wineries around there most are accessible by bike. Check out http://www.napavalleybiketours.com/ if you are travelling by yourself the guided tour is a great way to meet tons of people and has a guide that will take you to some of the best wineries in the area.

That was the end of our Sonoma and Napa tour. We then flew down to Anaheim to spend a few days in Disneyland… but that’s another story.

Expand your musical horizons

2009-05-29T20:29:00.000-07:00

Great songs I am listening to this week

The Fray - You found me

Red - Breath into me

The Gaslight Anthem - The '59 sound

Seether - Careless Whisper (Wham cover)

The Prodigy - Omen

New Found Glory - Listen to your friends

Dell Adamo...grrrrr

2009-04-29T11:01:00.000-07:00

Big complaint. I hate being forced to use a new operating system when new hardware comes out. I figure, faster hardware on old Stable OS is probably going to run way better. So... here is what I have found for drivers for Windows XP for the new Dell Adamo... mostly work arounds from other dell models

Intel GM45 Video Driver

http://support.dell.com/support/downloads/format.aspx?c=ca&l=en&s=gen&deviceid=16047&libid=6&releaseid=R212481&vercnt=3&formatcnt=0&SystemID=LAT_E6500&servicetag=&os=WW1&osl=en&catid=-1&impid=-1

Intel Wireless 5300

http://support.dell.com/support/downloads/download.aspx?c=ca&l=en&s=gen&releaseid=R194581&SystemID=LAT_E6500&servicetag=&os=WW1&osl=en&deviceid=15758&devlib=0&typecnt=0&vercnt=2&catid=-1&impid=-1&formatcnt=1&libid=5&fileid=268580

Creative Integrated webcam

http://support.dell.com/support/downloads/download.aspx?c=ca&l=en&s=gen&releaseid=R213648&SystemID=LAT_E6500&servicetag=&os=WW1&osl=en&deviceid=16027&devlib=0&typecnt=0&vercnt=3&catid=-1&impid=-1&formatcnt=1&libid=17&fileid=302206

Broadcom NetLink 5784 Gigabit Ethernet

http://www.broadcom.com/support/ethernet_nic/netlink_k57.php

I am still having issues finding a working Audio and bluetooth driver. If anyone out there knows where I can find them, please post in the comments. I also have one unknown device. I will update this post if I find any new information.

UPDATE 1: Bluetooth

HOORAY! To Update the bluetooth download the two links.

Chipset - http://support.dell.com/support/downloads/download.aspx?c=ca&l=en&s=gen&releaseid=R182522&SystemID=LAT_E6500&servicetag=&os=WW1&osl=en&deviceid=1134&devlib=0&typecnt=0&vercnt=1&catid=-1&impid=-1&formatcnt=1&libid=27&fileid=249091

Bluetooth - http://support.dell.com/support/downloads/download.aspx?c=ca&l=en&s=gen&releaseid=R205002&SystemID=LAT_E6500&servicetag=&os=WW1&osl=en&deviceid=16166&devlib=0&typecnt=0&vercnt=2&catid=-1&impid=-1&formatcnt=1&libid=5&fileid=286033

Run the installer. It should extract but you don't need to install the package. Go to device manager and the two Human Interface devices that are disabled ... use the chipset driver to update them. They should show up fine and enabled once the driver is updated.

Next run and install the bluetooth manager. It will complete the bluetooth device setup.

UPDATE** SUCCESS!!!

The audio driver is located here

http://www.wickmanstudios.com/content/view/17/29/

Look under step 7. There is a whole package of drivers for download. Download and unzip. Run the installer in the audio folder and away it goes!!!

Snowflake

2009-01-06T13:38:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas everyone!

Snowflake
Originally uploaded by K Wudrich

Missing fall already :(

2008-10-29T12:19:00.001-07:00

Fallen
Originally uploaded by K Wudrich

The boys

2008-06-27T14:17:00.001-07:00

The boys
Originally uploaded by K Wudrich

I had the chance last weekend to go on one of many hikes I have been wanting to do for a few years in Waterton.

5 years ago some friends, along with my sister, opened a restaurant in Waterton, Alberta called Tuscana. They serve increadible food, awesome drinks and there is always great company with every meal. I made a list of several hikes I wanted to do as there is something like 100 you can do within walking distance of the town. Two of the major hikes I wanted to do were Crypt lake (18km round trip) and Bertha Lake (12km round trip). I mentioned the hikes to some friends and there was a lot of interest. Unfortunately scheduling has always been hard, one or two people (never the same ones) were always busy.

Well, after 5 years we finally did Bertha Lake. 7 people, 12 km's total and an increase in elevation of over 1600ft. It was awesome! Great hike, great photo's, great company and at the end of the day, more great food back at the restaurant. I would really recommend this to anyone looking for a half day hike in the area. It took us around 5 hours that included a stop at the waterfalls that are kind of the halfway point and lunch when we reached the top. The second half after Bertha Falls is the hard part, most of the increase in elevation happens in the last half and it's a lot of work.

Check my flickr link on the side for more pictures. Enjoy.

Shot for shot, I think I am catching on

2008-05-12T13:44:00.001-07:00

In with the new
Originally uploaded by K Wudrich

I have found a new hobby. Photography... thanks to some friends, family and gift certificates I have upgraded from my standard point and shoot to a Digital SLR. I picked it up around Christmas time 2007 so I have had some time to play with it, pick up some accesories and learn (very little) about how to use it.

My first couple of weeks with the camera was great. It was such a change from a point and shoot, it got me hooked. Playing with the amazing zoom on the 18-135mm lens, shooting in burst mode and snapping action shots one after another, after another. Then ... the auto focus on the lens broke. 3 weeks in and it breaks. WHAT THE HELL! Well, lucky for me, Nikon has a great warranty plan. Unluckily I was leaving in 14 days for my honeymoon and the 14-30 days Nikon was looking at for turn around wasn't fast enough.

I picked up a kit lens (18-55mm) from Facebook Marketplace. If you haven't shopped on there yet, it's fantastic. I haven't had a problem with any seller or anyone buying something off me yet. I found a lady on there selling the kit lens for less than half of retail. Just in time for the trip to the Dominican. The smaller lens worked out well though I really missed the zoom on the 135mm. Arriving back home my 135mm had been returned and I haven't had a problem with it since.

To help me out, as this is my first digital SLR, a friend recommended
The Digital Photography Book by Scott Kelby. A quick step guide for a newb like me to step into the world of photography. So here I go, taking the plunge, time to take a break from all the movie watching and walk out into this world and capture little bits of it to share with all of you... ... ...

Changes

2007-10-21T10:08:00.000-07:00

You may now notice the new side area for flixster. This is a way easier way of posting my reviews so less and less things may show up on this page unless I can think of something to write about. If you aren't a part of flixster I suggest you take a look, add me to your friend list ... and if you dare try and out-do my number of ratings.

http://www.flixster.com/

Time to play catch up, ketchup? catsup?

2007-09-08T06:50:00.000-07:00

The Simpsons Movie - I don't think I need to explain this one or tell you to go see it. It's been out for a few months now and if you haven't gone you must be locked in a basement somewhere playing the latest online phenomenon and think you are too busy to see this funny, funny movie. Well your wrong! Go see it, it is funnier than their last 3 seasons of TV episodes combined.

Wild Hogs - Old friends decide to take a motorbike trip to relive some of their youth. It was actually very funny. The characters and actors work so well together. There were a few rediculous parts... William H. Macy falling off his bike, but otherwise worth the watch. Rent it next time your out.

The Bourne Ultimatum - The final book made into a movie. Matt Damon delivers in this one again. Good story, fantastic action, you couldn't ask for more except an ending that leaves it wide open for another movie... oh wait... Anyway, if you are looking for a movie to see a bunch of peoples asses getting kicked, car chases and the usual spy stuff, this is it. I just hope if they do make a sequel they don't ruin the great story that has taken place over the first three.

The Condemned - Here comes another ass kicking. Take 15 death row prisoners, a reality show host and a desert island filled with camera's. Winner is the last one alive and gets to go free. Some crazy, crazy action right from start to finish. The story is terrible, loads of people die, but generally entertaining. If you are looking for something better check out Batoru rowaiaru (Battle Royale).

Rush Hour 3 - No explination and you should stay away from this terrible movie. The first two were funny, now their just pushing it. What's the matter Chris Tucker no one else wants you in their crappy movies? I think I laughed twice and they were jokes from Jackie Chan. Get a real job, switch to directing then no one has to see you on camera... and finished.

Big Trouble in Little China - Boooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo. I had never seen it before and will never see it again. This was supposed to be a bad movie right? No one was supposed to like it right? It was the directors big joke right? Kind of a "hahah I can't believe they paid me for that?"

Knocked Up - Funniest movie of the year. Though I haven't seen Superbad yet. This is a must see, must purchase for anyone. You will probably have a better understanding of everything if you already have children, which makes it twice as funny. Check It Out!

Evan Almighty - Evan Baxter, played by Steve Carell, the babling reporter from Bruce Almighty gets the lead here. He leaves the news station to become a senator. God comes to him and tells him to prepare for a great flood. Animals begin showing up 2x2 and the hilarity begins. Not a bad movie, but not as good as the first. Check it out as a rental.

Extreme Ops - Shooting a tv commercial, a group of extreme sports people comes across a terrorist believed to be dead. Not a good story at all but the running, jumping, skiing and snowboarding in the movie are pretty awesome, if anything I would watch it again just for that.

Kickin It Old Skool - Yes I actually watched this. 8 year old kid knocks himself into a coma while break dancing at a school competition. He wakes up 20 years later to find everything has changed and it has cost his parents a ton of money. To repay them he gets the old "crew" back together to compete in one last dance off and win money to help pay his parents back. It was terrible! The only good part was the 80's and 90's dance music, Michael Rosenbaum and the millions of references to stupid things in the 80's. Stay away from this one like you've stayed away from Breakdancing for the last 20 years.

Clockstoppers - Fun kids movie about a teen who finds a watch that allows him to move through time super fast. He uses it for fun until he finds out his dad has been taken by an evil corporation using him to create more and reverse the aging effects it has on the body. Directed by Jonathan Frakes (aka Commander Riker of ST: TNG) and he even includes a Star Trek reference in one of the scenes. Cheesy but still kind of fun.

Donnie Brasco - I finally saw this one as well. A few people have been telling me to watch it. Very cool story. Nothing else to say but you should watch it for yourself.

Hot Fuzz - An English supercop gets transfered to a rural area cause his superness is making the rest of the department look bad. He finds that in this new small town there is something going on and people start dying and he must figure out who is doing it. Comedy all the way through though not as funny until the end. Maybe rent it, only if you really liked Shawn of the dead.

Stand by Me - Make fun of me all you like but this is the first time I saw this one as well. Yes, yes, it took me 21 years but I finally watched it. Anyway, it was fantastic! I can't believe the number of stars in this movie though they weren't that big back then. Great story, I might even have to read the book now. Buy this one.

Gridiron Gang - Another football movie, but this one has more of a backstory that holds the movie together. Teenagers at a juvenile detention center, under the direction of their counselor, Sean Porter (played by The Rock), gain self-esteem by playing football. Good story, good characters and based on actual events and people. Definite rental.

Chat gim (The seven swords) - Seven master swordsmen (and women) come together to save a village from an evil General. This was a LONG movie, not much of a story but the sword fights were amazing as well as the swords themselves. Good movie if you are willing to sit through 2.5 hours of it and the bad english voice overs. Find it with subtitles if you can.

The Running Man - Cheesy 80's Arnold Schwarzenegger action movie. No explination just catch it if it is on tv at some point.

Hot hot hot

2007-07-18T20:35:00.000-07:00

The weather here has been crazy hot lately. This makes it really great to stay cool inside, grab a tall glass of ice and your favorite pop and sit and watch some flicks...

Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome - Should have been called - Mad max saves some kids. I can't believe, now that I am done the series, how bad these movies were. I don't understand the hype. The second one had enough action but all three the stories were terrible. If you haven't seen any of them, you might want to watch the second one but skip the other two.

Transformers - This is no 80's cartoon people. These are live action, ass kicking robots and humans don't stand a chance. Lucky for us Optimus and the gang are here to help keep our planet safe by whoopin' some decepticon butt. The effects were amazing, good story, funny, and contains one extremely hot chick (!!!!). My only complaint is that who ever was filming during the action sequences needs to be checked out. You don't need to shake the camera that much when people are fighting, I want to see giant robots smash into each other and have pieces break off not a blur of colour then someone fly's through the air. Still worth every penny! Must see in theater and a must purchase.

Cocktail - Tom Cruise, 1988, bartender. There, now you know the whole story. I had never seen it, it was sitting around, I ended up watching it. Unless you really like Tom Cruise, skip it.

I Think I Love My Wife - A married man, who finds his marriage boring and dreaming of other women, has an old girl... friend... show up in his life and throws a little chaos in the mix. Fun story, comedy was excellent. I enjoyed it enough to suggest you rent it, but not enough to buy it.

Philadelphia - 1993 release with Tom Hanks and Denzel Washington. Lawyer is fired because he has AIDS. Based on a true story. Interesting but I basicly forced myself to see the end.

The Long Riders - David Carradine and a ton of other stars in this 1980 western. What happened to these good westerns. Why doesn't anyone make them anymore? This one is another basic Jesse James story, not much too it, it's all about the shootout anyway.

The Last Mimzy - The future of earth is in trouble and a "doll" is sent back in time to help prevent it. It sounds bad but it isn't. It was a really fun story that follows two kids that find the "doll" and toys that are inside. This is a definite rental, one for the whole family.

Week off Marathon

2007-07-04T14:28:00.000-07:00

Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior - Much better than the first one. A little history behind the story. Better overall story and we get to see more of a hero. Bigger explosions, better driving, all around, just more fun. Skip the first movie and move right into the second. You won't miss any of the story.

The Returner - Girl from the future goes back in time to stop an alien invasion of earth. Meets up with kick ass assassin like guy and they proceed to save humanity. Pretty good story, a little slow but the action COMPLETELY makes up for it. Great fight sequences.

Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer - Continuation of the first one of course. New enemy and good story. I didn't like Laurence Fishburne as the voice of the surfer but otherwise it was a decent flick. Wait for this one on DVD.

Reign Over Me - Great, Great, Great movie. Follows a dentist (Don Cheadle) who runs into an old friend from college (Adam Sandler). Sandlers character lost his family in 9/11 and refuses to deal with the fact anything ever happened in his life before that day. This is a must see and purchase!

Georgia Rule - So the synopsis makes this sound like a nice family movie about 3 generations of screwed up women. Sound weird, you don't know the half. It is an attempt at being funny 40% of the time and the rest is seriously messed up. This family has a real problem that is no laughing matter. Mixing the two is such a stupid combination that it ruins the movie. AVOID!!!

Live Free or Die Hard - Finally I got to see it! Holy crap it blew me away. The story was good, the action was awesome, I can't say enough about how true they were to the Die hard series. Go see it, it is worth it in the theater!

Shooter - Mark Wahlberg plays a sniper. Well basically that is it. He is set up to look like he has killed an important figure in government and must clear his name and take revenge. Entertaining enough, I found it to be somewhat similar to the Bourne movies in a couple ways. Check it out at your local video store.

Driving Lessons - Stars Julie Walters and Rupert Grint. An old actress hires a young kid to help her around the house, they soon become good friends. Very very funny and enjoyable movie. This is a purchase. Funny thing is that the two leads (if you didn't recognize the names) are Mrs Weasley and Ron Weasley of the Harry Potter series. I think their prior chemistry really helps with this movie. Also Laura Linney is a scary mom.

Filler until Die Hard 4 and Transformers

2007-06-29T08:49:00.000-07:00

88 Minutes - Al Pacino stars as a forensic psychiatrist who must solve his own murder in 88 minutes. The first 15 minutes were good until you figure out who the killer is. Not worth it.

The Illusionist - Edward Norton plays a magician who wows a town by "bringing back the dead" and reuniting with a long lost love. Entertaining and worth the rental, I wouldn't buy it though.

The Ant Bully - Animated. A little kid who gets picked on by school bully's takes it out his aggression on the ants in his yard, that is until a magic spell shrinks him and he is taken into their world. He has to live as an ant until he can prove he is worthy of being one himself. Entertaining for kids with a good message. Pick it up for the little ones.

All the King's Men - Loosely based on Governor Huey Long of Louisiana. Tells the story of a regular hard working man who becomes Governor for and by the people. A little eccentric but an OK watch, the only thing that bothered me was James Gandolfini 's attempt at a Louisiana accent... terrible.

World Trade Center - I actually found this story of the World Trade towers coming down on 9/11 kind of boring. All the action is in the first 20 minutes and the rest is a depressing back story of the families of the men who were trapped. I will have to pick up United 93 next to depress me more I guess. Watch the first 20 minutes and turn it off... you know how it ends anyway.

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End - Could this movie have been any longer? I think not! You have to see it if you have seen the other two or things just don't finish up. This should have been broken up into two stories to make it better. This will be a purchase in order to complete the set but that is all.

Perfect Stranger - Ok, I had to watch something with Bruce Willis to tide me over until Die hard 4 but I should have just re watched Die Hard 1,2,3. Perfect Stranger is about Halle Berry's character trying to find out about her friend being killed. Crap, crap, crap. It just coasts along without much happening but they try and throw in a few twists. Ovoid like the plague.

Mad Max - Don't think I need to explain this but could someone tell me why people like this movie? Like 10 minutes of dialogue, 20 of driving, kind of boring actually and really no point to it besides to set you up for the second one. I am half way through the second as I type this. Watch The Road Warrior instead, much better so far.

Hannibal Rising - Young Hannibal growing into a psycho. Disturbing as usual but the story was lacking. Worth a watch if you have seen all the others.

Norbit - Yes, yes, I actually watched this without scratching my eyes out. It was terrible. Note to Eddie Murphy "Stop dressing like a woman, start swearing like a sailor again and get back to the funny". My only suggestion for you is every time you see this movie on a shelf, burn it!

On a person note my collection of DVDs has now grown to over 500. It is like my own person video store.

Adding to the pile, watching it grow

2007-05-26T08:32:00.000-07:00

I love summer, more free time it seems and loads of movies I managed to catch up on.

Breaking and Entering - Starring Jude Law plays an Architect who's new office gets broken into. He follows the kid responsible for the break ins but doesn't realize what impact the entire situation will have on his life. Entertaining and worth a rental but not a purchase.

54 - I finally saw this movie. Not bad, especially for the ladies as Ryan Phillippe spends 80% of it with his shirt off. Based on the famous NYC nightclub in the 70's. Pretty fun, worth the rental if you haven't seen it either.

The Libertine - Johnny Depp stars as the Earl of Rochester, apparently a dirty Englishman in the 1700's that drank, had loads of sex and sometimes wrote poems. Pretty bad, I wouldn't recommend it.

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang - The story is about a robber who gets a role as a detective in a Hollywood movie by accident and follows him trying to solve a real crime. The story was way too far fetched but the comedy was good. Rental if you can't find anything else.

Black Snake Moan - Samuel L. Jackson and Christina Ricci . I don't know what to say. Mostly bad, the story I found was very lacking. No real point except for "try and be good". The music was great and the character interaction is awesome. Maybe a rental but don't get excited.

Idiocracy - Just how it sounds. An entire population of idiots. Based on a possible earth future where all the smart people have their careers and the idiots are doing is breeding. Eventually IQ's are lowered substantially over several hundred years and idiots roam the earth. Pretty funny I would definitely suggest it as a rental, you might want to join them and turn your brain off for a while though.

A Mind of Her Own - Inspired by a true story. Sophie, who is severely dyslexic goes from hardship to hardship while striving to become a Doctor. Again entertaining but quite slow, this girl never seems to get a break. Might make a better book than movie.

Shrek the Third - Shrek is back. My note here is that Mike Myers should only make movies that are in pairs (ie Wayne's World, cause yeah, a third one would have sucked). Following in the pairs theory, Shrek 3 was bad. Why couldn't they stop after 2? Not as funny, loads of filler and dragging out as many old jokes as they could. Wait till it comes out on DVD if you really want to see it.

Vanilla Sky - Messed up! Again another old one I finally got to see. Hard to explain but if you haven't seen it I would suggest watching it just to mess with your head for a couple hours. I wouldn't suggest it because of Penélope Cruz, terrible, terrible.

The Astronaut Farmer - Stars Billy Bob Thornton as Farmer, uh Charlie Farmer... who is a farmer... still with me? Who used to be a Fighter pilot and aerospace engineer, who is now a farmer? What ever. So he builds a rocket (yes a real rocket) in his barn so he can finally go into space. Wow, I am making this sound way worse than it is. It was very enjoyable, good story though really far out there. Plus it brings up questions like "If you launch a rocket in your barn, won't your barn burn down?" The first 3/4 of the movie are really good, then it kind of rushes to the end. Worth a rental on a night if you fall asleep on the couch you won't feel bad.

This one is a monster!

2007-05-19T07:04:00.000-07:00

Open Season - Two actors best heard not seen. Ashton Kutcher and Martin Lawrence. Fun animated movie about a deer and a bear trying to save the other animals in the forest from the hunters on the first day of Open Season. Get it for the kids but not worth it for anyone over 13.

RoboCop - Finally managed to sit all the way through it. I was never allowed to watch this as a kid and for good reason... it is violent. Even for today's standards Robocop it pretty gory and everyone gets shot. Quite enjoyable still but I wouldn't suggest buying it.

Stomp the Yard - Uhhh, how do I explain this?? Break dancing meets cheer leading. Some impressive moves, dives, throws but not worth a watch unless you dance for a living and your routine is getting old. Skip it.

Dreamgirls - Why did this win all those awards? Not impressive, boring story, and why the hell do the characters break out in song when talking to each other? Don't bother with this one either unless you really enjoy a bad musical.

Bridge to Terabithia - If this movie was any truer to the book, it would tell you when to turn the pages so you could follow along. Terabithia was amazing, great for kids, adults, anyone. The story is fantastic (did I mention it is one of my favorite books), the characters and actors match perfectly, and from book to screen to a whole lot is changed. Definite purchase!

Because of Winn-Dixie - Starring Jeff Daniels and Dave Matthews (yes the singer). Quickest rundown, anyone remember "The Littlest Hobo" . Well it is basically that, people having problems, dog shows up and fixes hearts. Not worth your time.

Garfield: A Tail of Two Kitties - I had to watch it as I saw the first one and thought "Why not". No real reasons that it was good or bad, might be fun for the kids with all the animals but not worth a purchase. Garfield goes to England in this one and ends up accidentally swapping places with an identical cat who is wealthy.

Flushed Away - Dreamworks and Aardman animations are amazing. Fun movie about a pet rat who gets flushed down the toilet by a sewer rat and much like Garfield they swap places. This one was much more fun, much more enjoyable. Definite rental and maybe a purchase.

Waist Deep - Gangster movie. A guys car get jacked with his son in the back. The drug dealer that took the car is an old partner in crime and asks for money in exchange for the kid. Tyrese Gibson plays the lead and steals, robs, kills to get his son back. Intense but overall not impressive. Skip it.

Sleeping Dogs Lie - Dirty (sexually and language wise) comedy about a woman who has an ugly secret that gets out and how it affects her life and relationship. A lot of sexual language but a pretty funny movie. Maybe a rental but not a purchase.

Find Me Guilty - The story about Jackie DiNorscio, a mafia member and the longest mafia trial in US history. Very entertaining and fun. First role I have really liked Vin Diesel in and he doesn't jump off a building or things are exploding. Definite rental.

The Business - 80's gangster movie set in Spain about a group of drug runners. If you like the 80's and predictable this one is for you. A kid moves from England to Spain and joins this group, follows his highs, his lows and his "highs". Pretty basic, I wouldn't suggest it.

The Contract - I don't remember this hitting the theaters last year, must have been one of those straight to DVD things. Stars John Cusack and Morgan Freeman. Freeman is a hitman who gets caught before a job by the police, tries to escape but it caught by Cusack (a former cop, now school teacher) and is marched through the woods with Freemans team of hitmen on their trail. Very enjoyable, pick it up as a rental.

Beowulf & Grendel - Again based directly on the book. I didn't enjoy the book and following suit was this movie. Stars Gerard Butler (of 300 fame) , a Norse warrior battles a troll (giant man), Grendel. Way too long and way too boring. Skip it.

Arthur et les Minimoys (aka Arthur and the Invisibles) - A kid enters a magical miniature world in his backyard being magically shrunk to find a treasure that will save the family farm. Switches from live action to computer animation. Great one for kids but I didn't find it all that entertaining.

Children of Men - Set in the near future. Globally the human race has become infertile and plaiged by war. It follows Clive Owen on his quest to get the first pregnant woman in 18 years to safety. This is definitely worth a rental or a purchase. Shows how if we don't change things what our world might end up like.

Seraphim Falls - You would figure with Pierce Brosnan and Liam Neeson in a western based just after the american civil war that this movie might turn out to be good. Well you would be wrong. Neeson chases Brosnan from the mountain tops to the valley to avenge a wrong. It just seems to drag along with the story never really getting anywhere. Skip it.

The Weather Man - Nicolas Cage plays a Weather man who can't decide between career and family. Entertaining, heart warming, sadening, everything roled into one. Worth a rental and it has great morals.

Spider-Man 3 - WOW! The affects were great, spiderman was great, why such filler with the love story. My advice... Time to move on Parker, get rid of that lame-o MJ and move onto some sweet Betty Brant. Worth seeing in the theater for the effect but not the story. Both Topher Grace and Thomas Haden Church did an amazing job with their characters and holy crap did they both ever bulk up for the role... no more skinny little Eric Forman. Go see it.

Well now my fingers are sore, time to take a break and watch some more movies. Hopefully the rest of the summer goes like this and I can get my list of "To watch" down from 40 to under 10. This should leave me time to see Pirates, Transformers (the new trailer looks INSANE!!!!!!), Die Hard, and Harry Potter (SOOOOO EXCITED!!!!, Marathon anyone???).

So many more, gonna be a long summer

2007-04-30T16:04:00.000-07:00

Big list since I haven't posted in a while. I tried to get my list of "need to watch" shortened but every time I watch 4 or 5, I add the same amount... let's get started.

11:14 - Made in 2003 before Crash ever came out, follows the story of a bunch of people and again how they are all connected in one way or another. I purchased it without having ever seen it and it took me over a year to get to it but definitely worth the wait. This is a must see if you enjoyed Crash. The connections do not come full circle until the end and the whole thing in between keeps you gripped! Rental is a must.

Taxi and Taxi 2 - Luc Besson, I think, is one of the greatest directors of all time. He can make an action movie like no one else. The beginning of the Taxi series is no exception. These are amazing, unlike the idiotic american remake. These are both must see's, I have 3 and 4 to watch yet but I am sure they are just as good. Check them out if you can get your hands on them.

Blades of Glory - I was pleasantly surprised. It was funny and entertaining. Jon Heder gets better and better. If you haven't yet heard it is about 2 over the top male figure skaters and their Rise to glory. Worth watching but probably not in the theater.

The Crimson Rivers and Crimson Rivers 2: Angels of the Apocalypse - Sweet! More Jean Reno. By far the best french actor, the more movies I see him in the more I can't get enough. The crimson river set so far is good. The first is based on a private College in a remote area and a series of murders are taking place. Two cops show up and investigate seperate cases and find they are connected. Enough action and suspence to keep the story moving. The second follows another series of murders following a Monk cult. More action and suspence, both worth a watch.

TMNT - The all new, computer animated, Ninja Turtles! Though the movie, I found, overall, was ment for a WAY younger audience it was still fun. The animation was amazing, with exception to April O'Neill's pencil like body and Master Splinters 3 foot beard. The story was lacking for anyone over the age of 13. The turtles saving the world from creatures from another dimension, and it is also mentioned that you should have maybe seen the first 3 live actions. Voice work was great! Definitely one worth taking the kids too.

Fracture - Hopkins plays a husband who finds his wife having an affair and murders her. Being incredibly intelegent removes all evidence that could convict him. A young, up and coming lawyer takes the case thinking it will be his last civil case as he moves into corporate law. Loads of twists and turns and very hard to figure out right until the end. Worth every penny for the theater!

Ghost Rider - Decent action, bad story, bad dialogue, not worth watching. Premiss, guy sells his soul to devil (never a good plan), becomes the devils' bounty hunter, hell on earth. I would hope the comics are better than this. Don't bother.

2007-04-10T06:22:00.000-07:00

Stay - This was a very weird movie. I couldn't figure out what was happening until 3/4 of the way though. Very interesting though. Kid goes to see a psychiatrist and tells him he is going to kill himself. The psychiatrist then tries to track him down and save his life. I won't spoil it but it is worth a rental.

Because I Said So - Staring Mandy Moore in a mother/daughter film about happiness in relationships. It was OK, I would probably recommend it for the women out there but only as a rental. Not worth seeing in the theater.

Karla - Based on Paul Bernardo and his wife, Karla Homolka who kidnap, sexually abuse, and murder three young girls. Laura Prepon did an amazing job in this movie though it was very, very disturbing. Very violent but not graphic, most of the "bad" stuff (killing, sexual abuse) aren't shown on the screen but voices are heard. Not for the weak but worth a rental

The Queen - A take on what the queen did and how she reacted after Princess Diana's death. Helen Mirren was freakin amazing as the Queen and it was an excellent movie. Definite rental.

Cocoon: The Return - Despite warnings from friends I sat down and watched this. They were correct in saying it isn't as good as the first. I didn't really enjoy it but hey, at least I have seen both now.

The Covenant - Bad, just plain BAD. Like a ripoff of Harry Potter meets the Highlander. Enough said.

The Night Listener - Based on a true story of a radio show host who starts speaking to a young boy and fan of his show by telephone. The background that the boy comes from and the book he has written intrigues the host and wishes to meet the boy. The host becomes suspicious after several attempts in meeting and decides to try and find him. Worth the rental.

Bandidas - Bad! Robin Hood featured in Mexico with two women. Avoid.

Farce of the Penguins - For being a "Farce" it wasn't all that funny. Imagine March of the penguins with comedians doing voice overs. Had a couple laughs but not worth noting.

Be happy about your epic namesake

2007-04-07T08:05:00.000-07:00

The Namesake - Starring Kal Penn finally in a serious role. I really can't do justice to describe this movie. All the acting is excellent! Description from IMDB "American-born Gogol (Penn), the son of Indian immigrants, wants to fit in among his fellow New Yorkers, despite his family's unwillingness to let go of their traditional ways." This is a must see and will be a purchase once released to DVD.

The Dukes of Hazzard: The Beginning - Well they made a back story to how the Dukes got started. If you are thinking, "Man, that sounds like a terrible Idea" you would be absolutely correct. This movie was awful, but again like all the American Pie movies they keep making, Dukes has a TON of T&A. There are a couple good jokes and of course THE CAR. Don't bother straining your arm trying to dig this one from the back of the rental shelf, leave it alone.

Meet the Robinsons - New computer animated movie about a kid inventor who is taken into the future to stop some bad guy in a Bowler hat. Fun movie but made for 2-6 year olds. The story was so lacking that I doubt any other child would like it. Again the best party is the part with the dino "I have a big head and little arms, I'm just not sure how well this plan was thought through" in a weird growly voice. Might be worth a rental to plunk the kids down for a couple hours but that is all.

The Pursuit of Happyness - Staring Will Smith and his son. Great story. It follows a struggling couple when the wife leaves and the husband tries to get a new job to support him and his son. Forced out onto the streets, he fights for the new job. Really great and worth the rental.

Bobby - The story of Robert Kennedy and the night he was assassinated. This is the most amazing cast in a movie I have ever seen and the story was fabulous. Check out the IMDB page for the list of actors, WOW! This is a must see, especially if you are like me and know nothing of Robert Kennedy. What an amazing man! It would have been interesting to see what would have happened if he had become president and how changed our world would be right now.

Happily N'Ever After - Fairy Tales gone wacky. We find out a wizard and his two apprentices run the world of Fairy Tales. The wizard takes a holiday and the evil step mother from Cinderella kicks the apprentices out and turns fairy tale land upside down. Pretty entertaining and a little funny but nothing I would suggest buying. Rental maybe but make it your last choice.

Epic Movie - Finally back to funny. After all the crappy sequels and that TERRIBLE Date Movie we get this. Good mix of everything, Superman, Narnia, Da Vinci code, Pirates, Wonka, Xmen... list goes on. Very funny, lots of good jokes and the usually language. Definite rental.

I have also started watching The X-files again. Made it through 3 seasons so far and I still love the show. There were rumors flying around this week about a second movie. Not a sequel but a scare your pants of sci-fi kind of thing with Skully and Mulder back on the case. I am crossing my fingers, toes, arms, legs just hoping they make this.

Fights, Freaky, Fun and Thoughtful

2007-03-29T13:34:00.000-07:00

Night at the Museum - Starring Ben Stiller. I had no expectation before I saw this movie. It actually surprised me how fun it was. If I was a kid today, this would be my Jumanji . It was entertaining, light and fun. Great for any kid, expecially this big one (Me). This is a definite rental for the kids and if you sat down with them, you might have a little fun too.

An Inconvenient Truth - Starring Al Gore and the environment. If this movie doesn't shake you enough to want to do something about the current state of our planet... nothing will. Shocking stats, moving speaches, this movie sends a powerful message to everyone. This is probably not a purchase but it is a MUST SEE!!!

Shut Up & Sing - Starring The Dixie Chicks. The movie is based on their career after the lead singer Natalie Maines says she is "ashamed of the President of the US, that he is from Texas" while in Britain performing and the aftermath of her statement and how it affected the Dixie Chicks career. Very interesting movie, really makes you think about Free Speech. Rent it.

A Prairie Home Companion - I was told to watch this by a friend, if not only for the comedy sketch with Woody Harrelson and John C. Reilly. I decided just to buy it after looking at the cast. Very fun movie. A look behind the scenes during the last broadcast of America's most celebrated radio show. Very funny and worth a watch. Rental or come borrow it from me.

The Number 23 - Holy freakin amazing. Not the movie itself but the thought and detail put into it. The story is decent enough to follow. Jim Carrey plays Walter Sparrow, an ordinary "dog catcher" or so it seems. For his birthday his wife buys him a book about "The Number 23". The book, Walter finds, is very similar to his own life and the number starts showing up everywhere. And I mean everywhere! I lost count of how many times I made connections to it in numbers in the background. This will be a purchase when it comes out just so I can try and find all the 23's placed in the movie. Cheap theater or rental (later) if you are considering it.

Van Wilder 2: The Rise of Taj - Why not, you have to watch a bad movie every once in a while. And let me tell you, this was bad. If not for the obviously gratuitous nudity it would have been a waste of time. Rent it if you plan on drinking heavily.

300 - Overall I was a little disapointed. Spartan warriors fighting is cool but it was mainly war and not a gripping story. The cinematography was amazing, the effects and the feeling you yourself sitting in the audience were about to be splattered with blood was intense. But the story I felt was lacking. Go in expecting a fight and you'll be happy.

Things that fly

2007-03-20T10:58:00.000-07:00

Eragon - I recently picked up this book and read it and have now continued on to the second in the series "Eldest" The first book "Eragon" was a decent read. Made for teens by a teen (writer 17 year old Christopher Paolini), it was a entertaining story of a young farm boy who discovers a dragons egg and his life changes rapidly. The book was much better than the movie as the movie seemed really pressed for time. The story in the movie, as well as the characters, changed a lot. Fun and entertaining enough, you should pick up the movie as a rental... maybe borrow the book from a friend.

Hollywoodland - Based on the story of George Reeves death. The film was entertaining and filled me in on a lot I did not know about this man. Overall I still wouldn't suggest it as a rental though. The story moved slowly and the characters were predictable and a little boring. Skip it.

Cocoon - Another classic that I had the pleasure of watching for the first time. I bought it without having seen it and am glad I did. If you don't own Cocoon or have never seen it this is a definite purchase. Great story for everyone and the cast of actors from the 80's is huge.

2007-03-07T12:23:00.000-08:00

Kinsey - Based on the life of Alfred Kinsey, a scientist who published "Sexual Behavior in the Human Male". The book was about exactly what it says, Kinsey and his team interviewed thousands and thousands of people to get the information. Very interesting movie as I knew nothing about him before this. The movie came out in 2004, definitely a rental, and hey, you never know... you might learn something.

Employee of the Month - It stars way too many comedians to list and Jessica Simpsons' Boobs. Serious. She has like 10 lines in the whole movie but wears the lowest cut shirts that any other cashier would get fired for. Actually the movie was kind of funny, you would hope so with the number of stand-up comedians in it. Rent it on a weekend when you are hanging with the guys.

I just wanted to add here as well that I have been following Heroes religiously since it started. If you haven't been watching it, you need to find it and watch it before April 23rd. That is the season finale that they are making us all wait 1.5 months for. It will be amazing if it is anything like the rest of the series.

2007-03-06T10:51:00.000-08:00

Enemy Mine - Classic 1985 film starring Dennis Quaid and Louis Gossett Jr. I hadn't seen this until now and after 22 years it seems still like a worthy film. Man is at war with a lizard like race. Quaid is chasing Gossett Jr through the atmosphere of a planet, they crash and have to learn to survive together or die alone. Great story, good acting, bad effects, though you can't expect much for special effects from 1985. Anyway, everyone should own this movie. It shows that we should all learn to get along with our fellow man and who knows, someday, maybe even other species.

Mrs Henderson Presents - Judi Dench and Bob Hoskins star. Story about, duh, Mrs Henderson. Her rich husband has died and she wants to spend his money in a useful way. She opens a Nude dancing girls theater for the troops as they come home on leave from the war. Decent story but nothing spectacular. Kind of fun though and worth the watch. Rent it.

Smokin' Aces - Not as good as I had hoped. And by good I mean, more action, shooting, killing. There was a lot of this but the story wasn't good enough to keep everything going in between. Skip this one altogether.

People scare me sometimes

2007-03-05T10:22:00.000-08:00

Man of the Year - Finally Robin Williams goes back to funny. Pretty good movie overall and definitely a few laughs. Kind of a bit of a weird dual plot but still lots of fun. Follows the story of a Late night comedian (Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert-ish) who jokingly says he should run for president and then actually does. Pick it up as a rental.

Jesus Camp - Wow. This movie seriously frightened me. I can't believe how these Christians in this movie actually act. The best part is the Radio announcer, some of the most profound religious commentary I have ever heard. Not really a story here it just follows a couple of kids (Girl 8, Boy 11 I think) as they go to church and to a christian camp at (LOL) Devil's Lake. This is a must see, I may even have to buy this one.

A Good Year - Stars Russell Crowe as Max a money loving stock market maniac. His uncle dies and Max is the last known relative which means his Uncles' Vineyard and estate have now been passed to him. He flies from London to France with the intent of selling and soon remembers why he loved the place so much when he was a kid. Definite rental, the story is good and the scenery makes you wish you were there.

Check out my new sweet flickr badge on the side too. Man, they make this web stuff so easy now.

Mix and mash

2007-02-19T19:27:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the delay. Hopefully the pics tied everyone over. Here is the new list, some good, some bad, some funny, some sad. If anyone has any suggestions on what to watch next I am all ears! Here we go...

All Babes Want to Kill Me - Seriously, this is a movie. Follow the link to read more. Not a bad film for being independent. Pretty funny actually, if the title didn't give that away. If you can find a rental and you plan on getting a little liquored, pick it up.

Beyond the Sea - Interesting story of Bobby Darin the singer. Good music but not a fantastic movie. Kevin Spacey did a good job of it though. Rental.

Capote - Finally got to see this after purchasing it over 7 months ago. I can see why it was nominated for so many awards. Really great movie about Truman Capote during his research for his book "In Cold Blood". Definite rental if you haven't seen it yet.

Idlewild - This movie was so much fun. The music, the acting, the dancing, the story, all really good. This is a definite purchase.

The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio - Bought this one around the same time as Capote and sat down and watched it too. The true story of how a mother raised ten kids by entering prize winning contests for major company's based in the 50's. This was a great movie, go buy it cause you can watch it over and over.

Casino - I must have been in the mood for Scorsese this week. I forgot how good this movie was. Released in 1995 tells the story of the "old days" in Las Vegas. This is great, if you haven't seen it go buy it... watch out for the language though. If someone could tell me how many times they say the "F" word I would be impressed.

School for Scoundrels - Ahahahahahaha! I am still laughing. Thornton and Heder are great in this and play off each other so well. If you can't tell what it is by the title you probably won't like it. Definite rental.

Stranger Than Fiction - Finally Will Ferrell doing another good movie. I actually enjoyed this. Good story, funny, worth a rental.

The Departed - The other Scorsese. Not as good as I was expecting and crazy long ... Two and a half hours. Good story, good characters, great acting, but not worth as many nominations and hype as it is getting. Still worth seeing though... now that you can rent it.

Also I hooked myself up with a flickr account, most photo's from this blog and others are up there. Linky http://www.flickr.com/photos/wudrich Check it out.

Black and White Beauty

2007-02-12T12:15:00.000-08:00

The title is the hardest part

2007-02-05T10:11:00.000-08:00

What a bad week. I only managed to watch 2 movies. I spent more time looking and trying to decide than watching. The ever growing collection seems to be getting, well a little Too Big. It now stands at 405 dvd's. I never thought I could ever have that many, let alone the amount of money I have spent over the years collecting. #405 was Tim Burtons Corpse Bride. Not as good as Nightmare before Xmas but still a very cool film style with a decent story. I might have to start taking donations to buy myself a larger wall unit to store them all. LOL. Anyway on with the reviews.

Proof - Released in 2005, starring Gwyneth Paltrow, Anthony Hopkins, and Jake Gyllenhaal. It tells the story of an aging Math Professor (Hopkins) as he has fallen into madness and his daughter (Paltrow) who things she isn't far behind. A proof is discovered of a mathematical theory who's origin is questioned. Decent story and the only performance I have ever liked by Paltrow. Anthony Hopkins is great as usual followed by Gyllenhaal, the more movies I see with him I seem to like. Pick it up as a rental.

All Babes Want to Kill Me - Seriously, that is the title. Don't ask how I came across it. This ridiculous "B" movie is surprisingly funny. It follows 1 of 3 brothers who develops a "scent" that makes "babes" want to kill him. After moving to the desert and grows up, his brother comes to see him and help him find the love of his life. Venturing back into the city, hilarity ensues as all manner of "babes" try and beat him up. Worth a rental if you can find it. Also along the same lines is Jesus Christ Vampire Hunter ... classics I tell you classics!

Oh the pressure!

2007-01-29T19:53:00.000-08:00

Alrighty. Hopefully this puts off the tagging for a while. Here are five things you may not know about me.

1. I collect things. Mainly media (DVD's and music) but also comics, toys and Wrist watches. I got my first watch (wind up analog) when I was 5 and currently own around 20 ranging from that very first watch to timex to Tommy Hilfiger and Calvin Klein. 95% are analog as I love the sound of a ticking clock.

2. I play the violin. Well kind of. I took lessons from when I was 13 up to 17 and got quite good. I normally only pick it up these days to tune it and play a little when no one else is around. The violin itself was handed down to me and is around 135 years old.

3. I never had a sick day from grades 7-12. I had been ill a couple of times but never enough to stay home or go home from school.

4. I don't drink apple juice. The acid in the juice had a reaction to my kidney's when I was 7 years old and I haven't touched it since. To this day, I can't stand the smell of it.

5. I had 6 wisdom teeth. All 6 were pulled at the same time... 2 weeks before I had my braces put on.

Short and sweet

2007-01-26T21:52:00.000-08:00

Lady in the Water - Another M. Night Shyamalan and this time with no twist. Don't bother, it wasn't all that exciting.

Rocky 4, 5 - Finally caught up. Still just one fight movie after another. I didn't like the street fight scene in 5. Watching number six very soon. Still a must see set.

The Black Dahlia - Good but a little slow. I like the concept of the murders but in could have been a little more in depth and explored a few more areas. Rent it if your bored.

Huo Yuan Jia(Fearless) - Holy crap can Jet Li fight. See this movie not only for that but the great story of a great country that goes along with it.

"Robot Chicken" Season 2 - Am I the only one who knows about this show. I got a copy of season 1 on DVD finally and it is freakin amazing. Season 2 is even funnier. Not much gets better than watching all the toys I had in the 80's cracking funny jokes and beating on each other. Hahahahaha!

Snakes on a Plane - Finally saw this as well. What can I say, it is snakes... on a plane! Go rent it but don't buy it.

The Wicker Man - This one makes it to my top 5 of worst movies ever. Never ever watch this crap!

Good Night, and Good Luck. - Interesting story. Funny how it all came true to what Edward R. Murrow said about television. Definite rental.

Hostel - Worst "scary" movie ever. It wasn't at all scary, what was scary is how many times I looked at my watch and asked if it was over yet. Borrrrriiiinnnngggg!!!!!!! Even the "gore" they hyped about it wasn't good. Don't bother.

Bandits - Old but I thought I would post. It was on TV, I was bored, end of story. Worth seeing... on TV.

DOA: Dead or Alive - That's right another movie based on a video game except this one had some exceptional fighting in it. Purchase it for the women alone. Yowza! Uh I mean, nope that's what I meant.

Happy Feet - Good kids movie but not that impressed from all the reviews my friends had given me. Maybe I was expecting too much. Get it for the kids.

Blood Diamond - Amazing movie! Literally just finished watching it. Great story, great acting, this will have to be purchased when it is released to DVD.

Photo's Finally!

2007-01-23T21:10:00.000-08:00

The Murder

The Wild Ocean

Cool Fence

Calm Ocean

Washed ashore

Feel the chill

Victoria

Happy 2007

2007-01-07T10:37:00.000-08:00

Loads of time off for Christmas and new years made for two things. One, me being lazy and not posting. Two, a ton of time to watch a ton of movies. Lets get started...

The Man - Starring Samuel L. Jackson and Eugene Levy. The story of a vengeful overbearing cop (Jackson) and a nerdy salesmen (Levy) who's worlds collide when Levy is mistaken for a mob contact. Wow, I might be making this sound way better than it is. I had a couple of laughs but nothing worth bragging about. Don't bother with this one.

The Lake House - Starring Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock . A mysterious lake house connects these two who are able to instantly send letters to each other two years apart. Very good love story. I would definitely suggest this as a rental.

Jackass Number Two - Starring, well, all the guys from Jackass. I actually found number two to be a lot "better" than the first. Not much to describe here, if you have not seen Jackass well it's a bunch of guys that find ways to disgust each other, hurt themselves or one another and generally do stupid stuff. Not story, just funny.

The Holiday - Starring Cameron Diaz, Kate Winslet, Jude Law, and Jack Black. Story of two women (Diaz and Winslet) who have had enough of their part of the world and want to get away from their job and mostly the men in their lives so they exchange homes. Diaz goes to England, Winslet to California. Very entertaining, great movie, this is a must purchase. Check it out while it is still in the theater!

My Super Ex-Girlfriend - Starring Uma Thurman, Luke Wilson and Anna Faris. Thurman is well basically a ripoff of superwoman. Any way she dates Wilson, Wilson breaks it off . Thurman has her revenge as no "woman scorned" ever has, with super powers. Might be worth a rental for a few laughs but there aren't many.

Little Miss Sunshine - Super amazing cast, Greg Kinnear, Paul Dano, Toni Collette, Steve Carell and several guest appearances. This was an absolutely, crazy funny film. I suggest this to anyone and everyone. It follows a family as they travel across the US to enter their daughter in the Little Miss Sunshine beauty contest. That is all you need to know as the movie is worth every penny. Go and buy it right now.

Well, these last 3 post (5 movies) I am sure I will be made fun of for finally seeing. That's right, up until a few weeks ago I had never seen any of these movies all the way through. Bits and pieces on TV but never sat through them myself. Alright, I am prepared for the whipping.

Blade Runner - I am sure everyone has seen this if not hit the link and check out the huge list of stars. Anyway, my first time seeing this I am not all that impressed. True Ridley Scott did paint a grand vision of the future but the story didn't really keep me going much at all. I did enjoy it but not enough to recommend it to anyone. I will be watching it again to try and see what all the hype is about.

Airplane! - That's right, first time I ever saw it. Funny as hell. I still have the second one sitting here to watch. This is a definite purchase when I can find it. Leslie Nielsen is one of the funniest Canadians... one question though, has he always had grey hair?

and finally,

Rocky, Rocky II and Rocky III . I figured since the sixth one just came out it was time to catch up. I enjoyed the first three and can't wait to see the next three in the series. Hopefully I can catch up before Rocky Balboa leaves the theaters.

That's it for movies for now. I spent most of my holidays out in Victoria, BC, Canada and took a ton of amazing photo's. I will try and put a couple up this week.

Chaos rules them all

2006-12-07T19:29:00.000-08:00

Clerks 2 - I don't normally have anything great to say about Kevin Smith movies... so lets stick with that trend. This is the follow-up to the original Clerks that was released in 1994. The story follows Dante and Randal again as they find that the Quick Stop has burned down and must move on with their lives. I must admit this made me laugh about 10 more times than the first one did... making it a total of 10 times. Overall just an average movie like all other Kevin Smith movies. Rent the original and the second if you are bored and want to stay that way.

Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby - Will Ferrell plays an undefeated race car driver. Sacha Baron Cohen plays a French F1 racer who comes to the US to challenge him. Cohen really makes the movie. Anyone else finding Will Ferrell just not as funny anymore. Anyway, this is worth a rental as it was somewhat enjoyable but don't buy it.

American Pie - The Naked Mile - Good God does Eugene Levy really have nothing better to do than make American Pie movies. Yes, he is in this one too... Naked Mile makes #5. Fortunately it is better and much funnier than #4 (Band Camp). As a bonus there is way more vulgarity such as Angry Pimpin' Football playing "Little People" and tons and tons of T & A. Definitely not safe for anyone under 17. #5 follows Erik Stiffler, yes another Stiffler, this time a cousin of Steve (Pie 1-3) and Matt (#4). Erik goes off to check out a college for the weekend that his friends have applied to to run in the Naked Mile. Enter gratuitous Nudity. Unfortunately for me I will be purchasing this as to (hopefully the last time) complete the collection. I wouldn't suggest this for anyone else. This is worth renting if you are a guy, you have 5-10 guy friends to watch it with and you all get very drunk while doing so.

Cars - This was a great kids movie. It follows Lightning McQueen, a shiny red race car on his way to race in the big race. He gets a little lost and finds himself in Radiator Springs where he learns a few life lessons and yadda yadda. Definite Rental or pick it up for the kids.

Just Friends - Chris (Ryan Reynolds) grows up as a chubby kid in high school with a huge crush on his best friend Jamie (Amy Smart). Chris moves away and changes his life completely as well as loses all that extra weight. He finds himself stranded overnight at the airport in his home town after 10 years and decides to visit and finds he is still in love. Very Funny, I would suggest this for everyone, worth a rental at least.

Hard Candy - Holy crap! This is a must see! Maybe not a purchase but seriously you have to see it. Ellen Page plays a 14 year old girls who convinces an online friend to finally meet her in person. Keep in mind her friend is a guy... who is 32. Suspecting that he is a pedophile, she goes with him to his home in an attempt to expose him. It just gets crazy from here. Page does an excellent job in this movie and the more I see her in, the more I really enjoy her acting. This will be added to my collection very soon.

Chaos - Jason Statham, Ryan Phillippe, and Wesley Snipes. Statham and Phillippe are on the hunt to catch Snipes after a darring bank robbery. Quite enjoyable with a few twists and turns. Also one of the shortest fight scenes ever for Statham and Snipes. Not together unfortunately. Pick it up as a rental.

Have a great weekend. I am heading out to the mountains so I will try and bring back some nice snowy pics for next week.

Long Time No Sound

2006-12-02T07:55:00.000-08:00

She's the man Based on "Twelfth night" by William Shakespear or so it tells me at the beginning of the credits. I have never read it myself but if it deals with a cross-dressing sister who takes her brothers place then there are a lot of movies based on "Twelfth Night". Anyway so this girl dresses as her brother so she can get into an all boys school and get on the soccer team cause her soccer team at her school got cut from the extra curricular activities. Not that funny, not that great for anyone, don't bother.

You, me and Dupree - Story of a newlywed couple who invite the Grooms best man, Dupree, to come and live with them as he is low on luck and lost his job. Not nearly as funny as advertised and actually quite boring. Skip this one too.

Beerfest - Finally a funny movie! If the warning at the beggining doesn't make you laugh, proceed no further... actual warning "The performers in this film are professionals. Please do not attempt these activities at home. If you attempt to drink this much, YOU WILL DIE!" It only gets funnier from there. Basicly this movie is about an underground drinking competition. Funny as hell, I think this one is a purchase.

I have had 2 albums on my MP3 player the last week that everyone should be listening to...(Artist - Title) Taking Back Sunday - Louder Now... a great rock alternative band pumping out another great album. Track after track just gets me going. This is a definite purchase!

The second album (Artist - Title) is Damone - Out here all night... more so for the hard rock fans. This is another album that has got me wanting to just get up and do something. Really high energy and great vocals.

And last a crazy christmas light display in downtown Calgary.

4 outta 5 ain't bad...

2006-11-21T18:22:00.000-08:00

After the success of our Cartoon marathon I got back to more important things... movies. Managed to only see one crappy one out of all of them this time... here we go.

The New world - What a load of crap. 135 minute running time, 100 minutes of mindless nothing and 30 minutes of Talking. Do not ever, ever see this! God I hate Colin Farrell.

John Tucker must die - Very funny. Follows the new girl in a new school who meets three girls who are obsessed with the same guy. They ban together to destroy his reputation. Pretty funny teen flick, worth a rental.

Accepted - Also very funny. A new graduate gets turned down by 8 colleges so he decides to start his own. His plan backfires when several other regected kids apply and are accepted. Check it out as a rental.

Babel - The big names in this one are Cate Blanchett and Brad Pitt but all the actors in this were amazing. Basicly the story of six families and their connection to each other all around the world. Rumor has it, it is going to be up for a couple of awards. Definitely deserving. An excellent movie worth seeing in the theater. Be prepared as it is two and a half hours long.

Superman 4 - Finally the last of the originals. Kind of cheesy but still it's Christopher Reeve. Now onto Superman Returns, only one week till it's out on DVD.

Casino Royale - Last but not least! The new James Bond. Daniel Craig. WOW, this has to be one of the best bonds out there. Hand to hand combat, and a lot of it, cooler cars, loads of stuff blowing up, hot women, it really doesn't get any better. I thought Mr Craig did a great job of playing Bond and I hope to see him in the next one. He was much more "on the job" than Pierce Brosnan. The ability to fight rather than just shoot 30 people with a gun. Go see it on the big screen, worth every penny.

Also I want to mention the Oneleggin site is back up ... a little rough right now but we are working on it.

Cartoon Saturday

2006-11-11T08:18:00.000-08:00

Today is the day of our second Cartoon Saturday. Basicly, the idea is to find as many cartoons from when you were a kid, sit down with a bunch of friends, eat and re-live your youth a little.

I grew up in the 80's watching cartoons. The likes of He-man, GI Joe, Transformers, Astroboy, Ninja Turtles, Thundercats, Jem, Popples, My little Pony, She-ra, Care Bears, Ewoks, Droids, Bugs Bunny, Wuzzles, Gummi Bears, Tom and Jerry, Tintin and many many others. These cartoons were great. They spoke in real english, big words and all... none of this pika pika crap. They had morals and stories to help you grow. He-man always had a 2 minute speech at the end of every episode describing why family, friends and being kind to one another is important. What happened to that?

So today we will look back in our lives and remember how good they were and still are. We will be reminded of the good morals we were taught, the friends we shared back then and the ones we share it with today. I suggest everyone find a way, as often as you can, to enjoy your youth and your life surrounded by the one's you love.

Heroes and Villains

2006-10-29T08:01:00.000-08:00

Superman 1, 2, 3 - Finally! I had never seen these movies ever in my life, except for bits and pieces on TV over the years. One and Two were good. Three was a little weird, Superman drinking then having to fight a computer... not that good. I am set to watch #4 today and soon Superman Returns is out on DVD. I would buy this collection just for the fact that Christopher Reeve is an amazing actor. I also liked how Annette O'Toole who plays Lana Lang in the Third movie is now Martha Kent in Smallville on TV.

Blade Trinity - I figured I might as well complete the trilogy. I found Trinity to be much better than the Blade 2. Better story, cooler fight scenes, and the characters finally grow up a little. I wouldn't purchase any of these movies but One and Three are worth watching.

Underworld Evolution - Sticking with the Vampire theme I finally saw this one too. WOW. Much better than the first! More story, great characters, better action, all around just better. And nothing really beats Kate Beckinsale is tight, tight leather. Yowza!! Both of the Underworld movies are worth the purchase.

10th and wolf - A mobsters son (James Marsden) get discharged from the Army during the gulf war and returns to Philadelphia. Working this the Feds to turn in a big crime boss so his little brother and childhood friend don't go to jail. It has a ton of Camio's (Dennis Hopper, Val Kilmer, Tommy Lee) as well as a great cast... Giovanni Ribisi, Piper Perabo, Brad Renfro, Brian Dennehy. This may not be a purchase as I can't imagine watching it more than once but it is worth watching. Great story, check it out next time you are at the video store.

Saw 3 - Finally the wait is over! Went to see this Friday on Opening night. The movie was AWESOME! This is a must see and must purchase. The way the story comes together, and brings all the movies together really is great! The third is much more gory than the first two though so be warned. Worth watching in the theater and worth the box set once it comes out.

I finally think I am done traveling for work. We finished up in Grande Prairie this week and everything went really well. I got another rental truck while I was up there and thought I would review it as well.

2007 Ford Explorer - This baby was fully loaded. Heated leather seats, 6 CD/MP3 stereo, 5 passenger seating, auto everything (lights, locks, seats including push button to lower the back 2 seats for more storage). It was so pimp! The drawbacks were the V8 that it had was ok but not great. Off the line it was slow but once it was in 3rd gear around 3000rpm it shot off like a rocket. Again being a Ford the speakers and sound weren't great but did the job. Overall it was worth the rental but I wouldn't buy one.

This is probably the last summer picture for a while as we are getting dumped on by snow today. Perfect timing as usual, 2 days before Halloween. This was taken where we have been scouting for locations to have the wedding. Enjoy!

Winter is coming, they don't seem to mind

2006-10-23T07:14:00.000-07:00

A cool shot from ... you guessed it, Waterton, Alberta. Winter was slowly creeping down the mountains there on October 7th.

These folks at the Calgary Zoo didn't seem to mind that winter is on it's way.

7 days 2000km's

2006-10-22T08:41:00.000-07:00

It has been an extremely busy week. I started off monday morning 6am driving from Calgary to Edmonton... then Edmonton to Whitecourt and driving around the Whitecourt area for 2 days. Tuesday afternoon I headed from Whitecourt to Hinton where I stayed in a fabulous little inn... www.mccrackencountryinn.com ... It was absolutely amazing. If you are headed to Jasper or Hinton I would HIGHLY recommend it. Great people, little tea house, AMAZING rooms!!! and all of that for a really decent price. I spent 2 days in and around Hinton and drove back to Edmonton Thursday night. Spend a few hours wandering around West Edmonton Mall crashed in my hotel and drove back to Calgary on Friday morning.

Having done all this driving I have something else to review... SUV's. I have had 2 diffrent rentals so far and here is how I found them to stack up.

1st rental - 2006 Buick Rendezvous. This truck was awesome. It has a 6 speaker stereo, 5 person seating (5 x 200lbs men comfortably), massive interior, in floor storage, cool design and over 600km's per tank of gas. Handling was great, no problems on highway or gravel roads and the 6 speakers nearly blew my ear drums. The only thing wrong with the rental was that it was White and there was no MP3 player. Overall a very cool vehicle.

2nd Rental - 2006 Ford Escape. Well they got one this right, escape as fast as you can away from this piece of crap. It was the complete opposite of the Buick. It has no interior room for cargo, it seats 5 (4 x 200lbs men uncomfortably), the stereo was a 6 disk mp3 which was cool but if you turned it up at all you were afraid something was going to blow. The gas mileage was horrible... around 400km's per tank, and all with a smaller less powerful engine. Stay away!

Back to movies. Being on the road so much with not a lot to do at night I got to watch a few more... they are,

Sisterhood of traveling pants - The story is based on the book by Ann Brashares. 4 teen friends have their first summer apart since they were children. It follows them as they grow with their experiences over the summer and they share a magical pair of pants that fit them all. Pretty girly story as would be expected but still worth watching. If I haven't got the guys attentions yet look up Alexis Bledel and Blake Lively.... yowza! Rental Worthy.

Yours, mine, ours - A remake of the 1968 original. Army man with 8 kids and free spirited woman with 10, get married and bringing their 18 children to live together. They take the good, the take the bad and there you have... uh an ok family movie. Rent it on a cheap night.

The ice harvest - Starring John Cusack and Billy Bob Thornton. They play a lawyer and strip club owner trying to screw the mob out of 2 million dollars. Really cool story and a way better movie than I was expecting. I would definitely check this out next time you are at the movie store.

Thank you for Smoking - I haven't laughed so hard at a movie in a very long time. It is hard to describe but worth every minute. Go out and buy it!

Blade 2 - I finally saw this on TV while on the road. I have seen the first one over a dozen times but never the second or third. It was an alright movie. It continues to follow Blade around killing Vampires but no big story change here. A couple more cool fight scene's but that's about all. If you have seen the first and no other you might as well. No real suggestion here.

Monster House - Animated movie about a house that eats kids, teens and toys. A couple of kids decide to fight back and take the house down. Great animation but I wouldn't suggest this for a kid under 10. Some pretty scary scenes and things jumping out that made me twitch a couple times. Worth a rental though.

Happy thanksgiving

2006-10-06T08:58:00.000-07:00

Have a safe and happy thanksgiving!

Butterflies hearts explode when you drink and drive... so don't!! Their family will miss them too.

Hot and cold

2006-10-02T19:28:00.000-07:00

Two for the money - Matthew McConaughey plays a average Joe that is becomes the best in the sports-gambling business. He finds that his rise to fame and fortune comes with a price and must get out before it is too late. Pretty good story. I would say worth a rental if you haven't already but not one to put on the shelf for keeps.

The Wild - Uhh isn't this just Madagascar? If that is what you are thinking you would be wrong. Not only is this not that entertaining but it is also not funny, the story completely ridiculous (Yes, even more so than Madagascar) and there is no real point. If you are looking for some adventurous animal fun pick up Madagascar instead. Don't even bother with this one.

The Machinist - Holy Freakin amazing. I was recommended this by a guy at work, more so that this character is the same build as one of the guys there but hey. The story revolves around Christian Bale... who weights around 110 lbs in this movie! Pretty scary, right? Any way he hasn't slept in a year and is starting to go a little nutso. The story takes you along to figure out the root of his insomnia and reveal a secret from his past. This is a definite purchase.

The Worlds Fastest Indian - The life story of Burt Munro (Played by Anthony Hopkins ). This crazy New Zealander who transformed a 1920 Indian motorcycle into a land-speed world record breaking motorbike at Utah's Bonneville Salt Flats in 1967. Very cool story. Rent it next time your in the mood for a "nice" movie. Not a lot of big action... just a great story about a great man.

Brick - Think 1940's detective story set in a Y2K High School...???!!! Make sense? No, well the movie does and it is one of the best I watched this year so far. Starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt (That kid from Third Rock from the sun) and Emilie de Ravin (Claire from Lost). Joseph plays Brendan, the loner, who finds that a girl in his school... also an ex-girlfriend... has been killed and he goes on the hunt for her killer. Brilliantly played out he makes his way through the jocks, punks and drug lords of the school. What is a detective without help from a brainy informant... nothing, cause it has that too. Buy this one if you see it in the store, it'll be worth it.

Crank - Jason Statham kicking ass again. But not as much as I would have liked. Pretty standard movie... little shooting, little driving, little sex in public, little drug, little to keep you thoroughly entertained. Wait for the DVD and rent it...cheap.

And last but not least... a little fire and water!

I'm Just a BIG KID

2006-09-18T20:41:00.000-07:00

I volunteered for a tour of duty at work and am traveling around Alberta helping out with various computer things. I don’t mind the work considering the Free vehicle, free meals, free hotel, free fuel… you get the idea. It also gives me the opportunity to see parts of my province I have never seen before or haven’t seen since I was a kid.

I am enjoying the work but I am enjoying the free stuff more. The hotel I am staying in has everything. Pool, Hot tub, food, exercise room, king size bed, kitchenette, and you can still smell the fresh paint on the walls. It’s just that new, I didn’t actually smell the walls.

Tonight really took me back a few years. I decided to go for a swim. Being a few years older, several pounds heavier, and a whole lot more self-conscious. Lucky for me the pool was empty. So in I went… the water was the perfect temperature and just enough chlorine to not quite melt my skin off. Off in the corner was the water slide. A perfect three turn spiral, solid tube from top to bottom, and that perfect trickle of water coming out the base. Now I haven’t been on a waterslide in 10 years and nearly 50 pounds. I forgot how fun waterslides are. The rush of air as you glide down on your back in the darkness, around and around. However being as it was 10 years and 50 pounds ago I didn’t take into account the fear that has been instilled in those years and the amazing speed you can build up with those extra pounds for gravity to pull on. There I am flying down at what I was sure at the time was mach 3, screaming with glee, then skipping across the water at the bottom filling my nose and lungs full of water. So what to do now that I am gasping for air as the water flows from my lungs? Grin like a fool and go again, What else?! It was so much fun and I am sure who ever was working the front desk was getting a good laugh on the Closed circuit cameras.

If you haven’t done something like this in years… now is the time. Go find something you liked to do as a kid and do it, it’ll add years to your life and a smile to your face.

Think I am an addict call 555-1YES

2006-09-16T09:23:00.000-07:00

Alrighty, 6 more, let’s get down and dirty.

BloodRayne - Starring that Terminator chick (Kristanna Loken) and a cameo by Meat Loaf, also starring Michelle Rodriguez, Ben Kingsley, Michael Madsen and Billy Zane. Apparently I have been watching a lot of bad movies lately and this is another to add to the list. There was a poor story, enough blood to fill an Olympic size swimming pool and loads of gratuitous nudity.

The story follows Rayne (Loken) who is half vampire, half human on her quest to kill her father. She spends her time along with Rodrigues and Madsen running around and spilling as much blood as humanly possible in a 90 minute movie. What ever you do, do not see this movie! I can not stress this enough, this is 90 minutes I will never get back.

Dirty - This story features two cops, Clifton Collins Jr.and Cuba Gooding Jr. It follows these two dirty cops around for a day as they try and get higher in the "food chain" and not realizing they are being set up to be killed. Interesting story and worth seeing but not worth the purchase. Also worth watching because of the unbelievable things they get away with just for being cops.

Friends With money - Starring Jennifer Anniston, Frances McDormand, Joan Cusack, Catherine Keener, Greg Germann, Jason Isaacs, and Simon McBurney. It is a story about three married women, their husbands, and their lone single friend (Anniston). It follows Anniston and her single life as she compares herself to her six seemingly happy married friends. The real life situations make it a worthy rental, but don’t buy it as I probably won’t see it again.

Running Scared - Starring Paul Walker. A story about a low level mob guy (Walker) who get told to dispose of a gun used for killing some dirty cops. The gun winds up in the hands of a kid and Walker has to find it before the mob finds out it wasn't disposed of. Not a bad flick, not a good flick, only slightly entertaining. There is a lot of swearing, shooting and nudity. I would suggest it as a rental but only if your desperate.

Freedomland – Starring Samuel L. Jackson and Julianne Moore. A white boy goes missing in a local community of Blacks and as the search goes on the Black community takes offence to their being blamed for the crime and being confined as the search is conducted. Again not a top notch film but still a great story of racism in our time and how it should not be tolerated. Rent this one.

Layer Cake – Our future James Bond, Daniel Craig stars as a drug dealer trying to get out of the business gets pulled back in by an international drug ring. Great story and a great supporting cast. Colm Meaney should really be in bigger budget films, he is awesome. This is a definite rental and maybe a purchase if you like this kind of film. Based on the trailers so far and this film Daniel Craig is going to make a phenomenal Bond… now I just hope the next two months pass quickly.

In TV news I am now going back in time. I have been watching the first two seasons of Quantum Leap. You know, that show that Scott Bakula was on way before taking control of the Enterprise. I remember watching some of the episodes when I was a kid but rewatching them now they are so much better.

Post and a picture

2006-09-03T20:09:00.000-07:00

I love lazy sundays! Gives me loads of time to catch up on my movie watching.

First we have The Sentinel starring Kiefer Sutherland and Michael Douglas. Oh and it also featured Eva Longoria's ass as she contributed nothing but that for this movie. The story wasn't all that bad though. The story follows Sutherlands character as he try's to catch someone plotting to kill the president. Douglas is a suspect and goes on the run. The story is decent enough... pick this one up as a rental.

Next we have Miami Vice. What can I say about Miami Vice...

1) This movie sucks more than Jenna Jameson on her boyfriends birthday.
2) This movie sucks more than a gay vampire.
3) This movie sucks more than drinking the last bit of milk from the carton only to find it is expired.

I don't know why everyone even liked the last shoot out. It sucked too. Ohhhh blood on the camera... GAY!!! Nothing like 2 groups of people shooting at each other hiding behind cars for 10 minutes. I feel sorry for myself and anyone who had to sit through this nightmare. Don't buy it, don't see it, the only way to make up for it is to buy seasons of the REAL Miami Vice on DVD.

Alright, I am done venting... The picture below is from Drumheller, Alberta. Beautiful day, hope you all enjoy it.

Not what I expected.

2006-09-02T20:46:00.000-07:00

Three more movies to cover... I was hoping to do eight but my week got too busy.

Stick it - The story is about a punk girl who used to be on her way up and heading to the world championships of Gymnastics. She turned her back on it and now after causing some trouble is forced back into the gym instead of going to jail. Don't ask me how swapping gymnastics for juvy solves the problem but it does make for a funny movie. Think of this as "Bring it on" but with real gymnastics and no pom-poms. Hopefully this ends up on TV soon as it isn't really worth renting or buying. Still a good laugh if you can rent it on a cheap night.

Over the hedge - Very, VERY cute animated movie. Loads of criters, jokes, good story, lessons learned, and fun for everyone. The voices lent to this film were amazing too... Bruce Willis, Garry Shandling, Steve Carell, Wanda Sykes, William Shatner, Nick Nolte, Thomas Haden Church, Eugene Levy... let me catch my breath... Avril Lavigne, Catherine O'Hara, Allison Janney. Wow!! The story follows RJ, a raccoon (Willis) who after a long winter is in search of food and takes some that doesn't belong to him. He meets some new friends and learns a little about himself along the way. Definitely go out and pick this one up for the kids. They will be able to watch it over and over again.

16 Blocks - Not at all what I expected. I pictured your typical Bruce Willis shoot'em up cop movie. It still had that but more a of story behind it and a twist that made it that much more interesting. Basic rundown is Willis must take a witness 16 blocks from the precinct to the court house to testify for a trial. Well let just say some people don't want the witness to make it there. Rental or purchase, it'll be worth your money.

Lets get back to it

2006-08-28T06:14:00.000-07:00

Four more movies this past week and I am expecting double that this week. SO... lets get started

RV - Starring Robin Williams as a hard working father who tries to make up for missing time with his family by taking them on an RV trip. Or does he, let me save you some time, you might want to skip down to the next one if you plan on watching the movie and want to be surprised... no ok. This is your typical "old school" Robin Williams movie. He always plays that Dad who messes up, try's to fix two things at once but in the end his family comes first. This makes for a good family story but not a movie you would run out and buy. In this one Williams has an overpowering boss and Williams job is in jeopardy if he doesn't do this "one major deal"! So of course he decides to try and please his family, while sneaking around behind their back while on vacation to save his job. As usual there is a happy ending with a few laughs in between. Worth a rental for the kids, but probably not worth your time.

Equilibrium - Finally, FINALLY I found it on DVD! Both Amazon.ca and HMV lowered their prices and I picked this up for $15 on the weekend. If you have yet to see this amazing movie, don't bother with the rental... just go straight out and buy it. Worth every penny. Set in the future, humanity has decided that our emotions play too big of a part in our lives and are what cause wars and are the reason we kill each other. So the government creates a drug to suppress all emotion and an elite group are trained to detect emotion and eradicate it. Go pick it up.

Empire of the wolves - Another Jean Reno movie you say, why yes, yes it is. I bought this to add to my collection but after watching it... not really worth it. The story is, the government is experimenting on a girl and a cop is investigating a serial killer. Get the connection? Neither did I, but it does come full circle, it just takes a long time. Just stay away from this one.

The Transporter - I picked this one up along with Equilibrium. Completed my collection and finally got to watch this one all the way through. Besides being Luc Besson, this collection is one of the coolest driving and fighting movies ever. I can't wait to see Crank next weekend.

When I was your age...

2006-08-20T06:56:00.000-07:00

What do old people complain about? Well I recently spoke with two distinguished gentlemen and here are some of the things in their everyday life they would like to change. They live in a condo (age 25+) with most of the residence being 70+. All of it seemed to be reasonable requests.

Rising of the sun should be changed to 3am as that is when any normal person should get up. Setting should be around 3:30pm, promptly after dinner.

Bridge should run from 10:30-11:30am, right after Lunch.

No phonographs to be played louder than a whisper, unless it needs to be cranked up to hear the music over the hiss of a badly scratched 78...

To ensure acceptable air quality, the cooking of foods with flavor or odor are strictly prohibited... with the exception of foods from the "Old Country", which must be cooked with doors wide open so as to promote the cooker's heritage.

Cooking can also be used to attract neighbors for mindless conversations that most of us don't remember we have had because of our Alzheimer’s.

Yeah! And also to attract neighbors for mindless conversations that most of us don't remember we have had because of our Alzheimer’s!

Any tenants under the age of 60 deemed to be "in a hurry", will be subject to a long, rambling story without a discernable ending. Failure to listen to said story will result in a feigned angina attack.

All vehicles parked in the garage will require being the following: Delta 88, Chrysler Intrepid, Crown Victoria, and Or Chevrolet Impala. All vehicles must be white and extremely clean at all times. 90% of the parking spaces should be designated as Handicapped Zones...

The trees around the property should be movable, to accommodate the need for shade in different areas at different times of day, or simply to satisfy an irrational whim.

No one is to own or operate a BBQ anywhere on the property. But every suite will have a wood burning fireplace. Fire should be enjoyed; it is not to cook with.

They are always looking for more suggestions. Feel free to submit any and they will be passed along.

Drifting through the sky

2006-08-14T19:04:00.000-07:00

The Fast and the furious: Tokyo Drift - I figured why not... third in the series... I saw the first two. Well this was better than both of them I must say. No big story, no chit chat or bad dialogue, nothing but racing. My bride to be even noticed (who refused to stay in the room while I watched it) that all she could hear for several minutes at a time was nothing but cars and squeeling tires. Pick it up as a rental next time your looking for a good guy movie, just don't go driving after.

Another little treat. I still can't decide... Creepy or Cool??

Got to love a long weekend

2006-08-05T21:40:00.000-07:00

Two reviews... One very good... one very bad!

The good. A Scanner Darkly. What an amazing movie! Originally filmed in real life the director then hired a team of animators to draw over each of the filmed frames! Not only original but an amazing story. It follows a cop trying to find the source of a powerful drug that is taking over the L.A. area. Great movie, great story, outstanding cast. This is a definite purchase, I just can't say enough about it!

The Bad. Folks at work kept telling me... "Hey, you watch South park... have you seen Orgasmo?" and no I hadn't, so it was lent to me. Yes someone actually owns this movie. Why, I have yet to figure out. Other than this film, Trey Parker and Matt Stone are geniuses. I am glad this was their first as they only went up from there. I think I managed to force out 3 laughs during the movie. Don't bother!

and last but not least, a classic Alberta sunset.

Such a surprise!!!

2006-08-02T18:32:00.000-07:00

It has been a very busy week and I haven't managed to watch any movies. Just some TV and getting some exercise cause it has been GORGEOUS!!! So, I should finally spread the news over the net.

I GOT ENGAGED!

So excited! It happened on July 22nd (ok ok so I am a little slow posting about it). It has been great, we have basicly taken the last 2 weeks to celebrate with both of our families. Everyone is excited and we are looking at early October next year for the wedding. So here is the story...

I got up that morning and went to the florist. I picked up 2 1/2 dozen flowers and came home and started to make breakfast. I told her to stay in the room as breakfast was a special one. She had no clue how special. It took about an hour after that to set up the dinning room with all the flowers and finish preparing breakfast. It was perfect! She came out, was distracted by the flowers and she turned to find me on one knee... then I went deaf. A "YES" followed by a loud scream. It was wonderful!

Yet another late Photo Friday

2006-07-30T15:01:00.000-07:00

Worth the wait! I managed to get a lot of amazing shots while out hiking this weekend. Here are a couple I thought I would share. Enjoy. Click on the photo to enlarge to full size.

What's with me and four?

2006-07-25T08:03:00.000-07:00

Inside Man - Awesome movie. How can you go wrong? Clive Owen, Jodie Foster and Denzel Washington! Great bank robbery story, it truely is the perfect crime. Definite purchase, you are going to need to watch it a couple of times... just that cool.

The Family Stone - I bought this on Sunday and watched it. Worth every penny. Too many plot lines to describe but the director did a great job of bringing it all together. Family mayhem, a little humor and a little sadness all roled into one. Definite rental.

The Matador - Good story but not as good as I had hoped. An aging assassin going through a mid-life crisis finds a friend in a strugling business man. Both of them help each other get through some rough patches in their lives. Pick it up as a rental.

The hills have eyes - 2006 Remake. I think Wes Craven is losing his touch. I didn't find this movie entertaining or scary. It did make me want to vomit a couple of times though. Maybe the original was better, but I have no desire to see it now. Don't bother with this one.

I tried to watch Good Night, and Good Luck last night but it seemed kind of serious and I got about 10 minutes in and had to turn it off. Will re-attempt closer to the end of the week.

When nerds like me grow up

2006-07-20T15:40:00.000-07:00

So now, not only do we all have 2 great movies to look forward to next year... Spiderman 3, Transformers... I have another to add to the list.

Turtles, Ninja Turtles

Enjoy!

Good News, Bad news

2006-07-18T08:23:00.000-07:00

One of the first things I do in the morning after getting up, showering and dressing is read as much movie news as possible. This helps feed my movie addiction. There was sooooo much news today, not all good mind you but I thought I would share a few.

As you may remember from my previous post about American Pie: Band camp or the teen porn as I like to call it, the review wasn't good. I have purchased this film to, I had hoped, COMPLETE the collection. Apparently I was wrong. CNN today said that American Pie: The Naked Mile (that's right, number 5) started filming in Toronto back in June. WHY... WHY?? This is torture. Being a collector this (surely to be another awful teen porn) will need to be added to FINALLY complete the collection. Really, how long can they keep going? I mean Cruel Intentions stopped after 3, The Skulls stopped after 3, or have I spoken too soon? Anyway, the story for the 5th Pie follows Erik Stifler's (Stiffmisters younger brother again) quest to lose his virginity before he graduates from high school. Hmm sounds very similar to the first movie...

Director Steven Spielberg did an interview last friday with SpielbergFilms.com where he talked about Indiana Jones 4 and a couple other "in the works" films. Check out the article Here. What about Tintin Mr Spielberg, I know you hold the rights. How about a live action? Common!

As a personal note I am starting Season 8 of Stargate SG1. Both season 10 of SG1 and season 3 of Atlantis started last week so I am in a mad rush to try and catch up before they get too far in.

Two thumbs up, two thumbs down

2006-07-17T09:48:00.000-07:00

Being sick yesterday I took advantage of the downtime to catch up on some more movies. I watched 4 that is right FOUR movies in between the cups of tea and chicken noodle soup.

Eight Below - Starring Paul Walker, Jason Biggs and a bunch of dogs. It is based on a group of Antarctic explorers who are forced to leave their team of sled dogs behind suddenly as a major snow storm rolls in. Walker is determined to make it back and save the dogs who must now survive the ice and cold of the Antarctic. Overall it wasn't a bad movie. The scenery was amazing and the dogs were increadibly well trained. Pick it up for the kids. Definite rental.

Casanova - Starring Heath Ledger as the famed fornicator. Now I am glad I didn't see this one in the theater. It wasn't a bad movie but it wasn't great either. It was entertaining enough that it would be worth a rental.

Sahara - Again no wonder I didn't see it in the theater. Bad story more over bad two stories they mashed into one, the HORRIBLE continuity (broken window in first shot, then not then broken again and not just one scene), the bad acting of Penélope Cruz, the list goes on. I won't bore you with the details of the movie... just stay away.

The Benchwarmers - We go from bad to worse. Was this movie supposed to be funny? Basic rundown Joe Dirt, Napoleon Dynamite, and Deuce Bigalow play baseball against 8-12 year olds to prove they aren't nerds anymore. Did I mention this sucked? Well it sucked. Don't bother, not for you or your kids. It will just distroy your minds.

Late photo friday

2006-07-16T10:02:00.000-07:00

Sunset coming back from Drumheller, Alberta.

Pirates Version 2.0

2006-07-14T08:14:00.000-07:00

To a surprising packed theater for a Thursday night, I went to see Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead mans chest yesterday. All I can say is that I am amazed more and more on how good computer graphics are getting. Everything scene in the movie was amazing. The scenery, the bad guys, the ships, the battles, everything was cool but the dialog was lacking.

It seems as though the director thought the action was more important that the story in this one. Although the story isn't finished...

Dead mans chest reminded me a lot of The Matrix Reloaded. Where they take the story so far and then just drag it out leaving it open for the third in the trilogy. If you didn't already know that was what the plan was all along for Pirates 2. They are currently filming the third installment which should be out next summer.

This is still a definite theater movie and a definite purchase. Also you get to see the Transformers trailer on the big screen!

Beauty and the bitch

2006-07-10T12:42:00.000-07:00

Meryl Streep makes one mean lady. After seeing her in "The Devil wears Prada" last night, I am seriously scared of this woman. Her role really took me back to when she played Madeline Ashton in "Death becomes her". Scary, angry, yet still very funny.

Devil wears prada was an excellent movie. It is also good to see Anne Hathaway moving away from the teen type movies. I guess baring her breasts in Brokeback mountain was what did it but she is still moving forward. Both these leading ladies where awesome. I laughed a lot and really enjoyed the story.

Short summary... young woman (Hathaway) comes to New York and scores a job as the assistant to the biggest, meanest, most demanding magazine editor (Streep). She soon finds herself run off her feet and constantly examining her life.

This is definitely one to see. Either in the theater or if you can wait long enough, to purchase on DVD. Go check it out.

Four for Friday

2006-07-07T08:46:00.000-07:00

American Pie Band camp - If you hadn't seen all the commecials on TV for this direct to DVD release then this is the fourth installation in the American Pie saga. The story follows Steve Stiflers kid brother Matt (who is around age 13 in the first three) who is now 17 and as much of a gerk as his brother ever was. He does some bad stuff and is sent to Band Camp over the summer as his punishment. This movie is basicly a teen porn. Not nearly as funny as the first 3 movies, just more topless women. This is a rental for anyone affraid to rent a real porn.

American Dreamz - Staring Mandy Moore, Chris Klein, Dennis Quaid, Willem Dafoe and Hugh Grant. Wow! This was crazy funny. It is a story about a girl (Mandy Moore) who dreams of being a singer and finally gets her chance on national TV. They did such a good job of making fun of American Idol, presidents, and how you really have to work to get to the top. This is a definite rental!

Scary Movie 4 - Why didn't they just stop at 3? After Date movie I was really hoping for something better but no. Don't bother.

Ultraviolet - What to say... this movie sucked but Milla Jovovich is SOOOO hot. So that means rent it but turn your brain off and drool.

That Crazy remote control

2006-06-30T08:07:00.000-07:00

Despite coaxing from several people I passed on going to see the Lake House... for now. I went to see Click, staring Adam Sandler and the SMOKIN HOT Kate Beckinsale. A few things about the movie...

1) Great story, shows how you need to take your life one day at a time and enjoy every second of every minute.

2) Family is number one!

3) Is there a movie out there where Kate Beckinsale doesn't wear the tightest clothes possible?

4) Is there a funnier man than Adam Sandler... I think not.

5) I laughed so much in this movie my face hurt halfway through it.

6) Christopher Walken is the man!

Go and check it out. It was worth every penny. This is a definite theater worthy watch and should be purchased on DVD.

A side note... by the end of the day today I should be starting Season 5 of Stargate: SG1. Still a great show, if you are a sci-fi fan and haven't starting watching it, now is the time.

...does what ever a spider can

2006-06-28T07:36:00.000-07:00

AHAHHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH. I have watched it 5 times already and I haven't been awake for more than a couple hours. The trailer for Spiderman 3 is out! Holy crap! This is going to be an awesomely, awsome, increadible movie!!! That's right awesomely awesome! Check out the TRAILER HERE.

Damn! Venom, Green Goblin, Sandman, Parker with another woman! WOO HOO! Now the question is is how much longer do I have to wait before the Transformers trailer hits the net?

As far as movies go I have been to busy to get out and see any lately. I am going to try and go to see either The Lake house or Click tonight. Friends of mine went to see Nacho Libre and said it was quite funny. I still think I will wait for it on DVD.

Made of Marble

2006-06-24T19:52:00.000-07:00

Today was beautiful out. So I grabbed the camera, called some friends and off we went. Cuppojoe and Chana were able to join me as well, this time out in the real world and not just online. Here are a couple shots from today. Both are made entirely of Marbles.

Picture Post

2006-06-18T18:56:00.000-07:00

Sorry I have been so lazy the last couple of weeks. 3 photo's to catch up for photo Friday. Happy Father's day to all the dad's out there!

A trip through the stargate

2006-06-13T12:50:00.000-07:00

I have finally caught up on all the theater movies I want to see... for now, next week it starts all over again and keeps going for 7 weeks. What a fantastic summer this is going to be! So many great movies like The Lake House, Click (Adam Sandler RULES!), Superman Returns, The Devil Wears Prada, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, Lady in the Water, Monster House...

and a few less interesting that can probably wait for DVD... Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, Garfield's A Tail of Two Kitties, Nacho Libre, You, Me and Dupree, Clerks II, My Super Ex-Girlfriend, Miami Vice, and The Ant Bully.

Since I have caught up on all the movies, I have been getting back to TV. This week I am sitting and watching (as many episodes as I can of) Stargate SG1. I was a huge fan of the movie and own it on DVD. I was never a fan of the show when it was on TV but hey, I have nothing else to watch.

SG1 is turning out to be a good show. I like the fact that they incorporate so many historical cultures into the show. I am still only halfway through the first season but from what I am told it gets a lot better. Sounds kind of like Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, slow at the start, then great story and battles near the end.

I am also a huge fan of the new Stargate: Atlantis and hopefully by watching all of SG1 it should pull both stories a little closer together.

Breaking up is hard to do

2006-06-09T09:20:00.000-07:00

And let me tell you Vince Vaughn and Jennifer Aniston argue their way through it. The two of them make a great on screen couple and are even cuter when they argue. The Break-Up is a great movie and I would suggest it to everyone. Very real life. I am really enjoying how Hollywood is getting away from the "Hollywood love story" and making a lot more real life stories.

Definitely worth seeing in the theater. Even my girlfriend said she would have bought this before walking in to see it. So if you don't manage to catch it on the big screen, definitely buy it.

As a quick addition I nearly pee'd my pants this morning while checking out some of my regular haunts... CLICK THIS LINK!!!

Creature Feature

2006-06-05T09:51:00.000-07:00

Last week I went to see X-men 3. WOW!!! I loved the first two and the third was just as amazing. I really suggest going to see it. Kelsey Grammer as Beast, the rise of The Phoenix, it was awesome. Don't forget to wait all the way through the credits. There is a little extra at the very end.

I watched the new Pink Panther with Steve Martin and Jean Reno (surprise) last night. I must say it was pretty funny. Definitely a rental. Unfortunately Beyonce is in it, I love her as a singer but her acting is lacking. The only good one she was in was Austin Powers.

I hope to see The Break-up this week. If anyone went to see it over the weekend, please let me know what you thought.

Go Crack The Code

2006-05-25T16:33:00.000-07:00

If you haven't seen The Da Vinci Code yet, I highly suggest it. This is definitely one you have to see in the theater. Action, Suspence, Great Story, Jean Reno. Doesn't get much better than that. I thought it did a great job of the book. They didn't leave a lot of things out and really stuck to the story and the characters. Very well done, this will be purchased once it comes out.

On another note, I was looking for more blogs to check out today and came across an article that Forbes.com (Home Page For The World's Business Leaders... thanks Wikipedia) had published on the best blogs on the net. This is a 3 year old article but the sites they list are really great. I suggest checking out the Celebrity blogs links. If you haven't been to Wil Wheaton's blog yet, he is an excellent writer. Check out the entire list here.

And a little photo to close things off. I spent my long weekend in Waterton. It was awesome! At around 1pm on Saturday I sat in a field feeling the warm breeze blow around me watching the sky. In that sky was a bald eagle teaching its new born how to fly. Where is the picture you ask? Well, not 3 minutes before that my batteries died and my spares were 2 kilometers away... so instead I leave you with this.

Who's up for a threesome?

2006-05-15T10:46:00.000-07:00

Shopgirl - Starring Steve Martin, Claire Danes and Jason Schwartzman. A very good story about a young woman trying to make her way in the world. Searching for love she finds two men. One is youthful but poor and the other is Older, Mature and VERY well off. This is a great story of love, growth and relationships. This is a definite purchase.

Prime - Starring Meryl Streep and Uma Thurman. A psychoanalyst (Streep) finds that her 23 year old son is dating newly devorced patient (Thurman). An excellent movie, but only worth a rental. Goes well with Shopgirl if you are looking for a couple of relationship movies. This one is pretty funny.

The Ringer - Starring Johnny Knoxville. I really felt bad for watching this for the first 25 minutes or so. Because, come on, who else can get away with starring in a movie about rigging the special olympics. But as it turns out the movie does have some heart and some parts are just fall down funny. Worthy to rent.

Photo Friday: High Above

2006-05-12T16:28:00.000-07:00

As a quick Review I watched The Big White today starring Robin Williams and Giovanni Ribisi. Kind of good, but mostly just a lame straight to DVD release. Williams plays a Travel agent who's business is slowly going under. He finds a frozen body in a dumpster that the mob has left behind and after letting wolves in the wilds of Alaska chew it beyond recognition clames it is his brother (who has a million dollar life insurance policy and has been missing for 5 years) so he can cash in and save his business and his marriage. Skip it, it wasn't that good.

Random Post 1

2006-05-11T15:24:00.000-07:00

Random Conversation... the names have been changed to not reveal the geeks involved.

Geek1: You know what always bugged me? Superman puts on glasses and no one can recognize him. Peter Parker, on the other hand, puts on pyjamas and gets bigger with a deeper voice. Now THAT'S a costume!

Geek2: Batman gets a deeper voice and bigger too. Maybe they just look bigger because they are projecting fear onto the enemy.

Geek1: lol
Seriously, I can see why Batman and Spiderman have secret identities... they have family, friends, etc. PLUS they need a day job to keep the cash coming in. Superman, though... Dude can fly anywhere, kill anything, cook it with his eyes... He doesn't need a job! So why the nerdy identity? Some freaky fetish?

Geek2: It's about the chicks

Geek1: Superman's train of thought then: Hmmm... I'm pretty muscular... Strong jawline... Great hair... I wonder if dressing like a nerd would get me into girls' pants easier?

Geek2: He likes the nice ones and if he were Superman all the time he would just get sluts. I can't remember the bad side anymore...

No luck needed

2006-05-10T13:37:00.000-07:00

If the amount of increadible actors featured in Lucky Number Slevin hasn't gotten you to the theater yet, what are you waiting for. I admit that I waited a long time too and finally after friends nagging me to see it so we could talk about it, I finally went. It wasn't like I was planning on not going, it's just that I have been busy and my nights are usually quite full lately.

This movie is worth full price admission and then it needs to be purchased. This will be added to my collection when it is released later this year. Not only because I own 75% of Bruce Willis's movies but because it was amazing. The story follows a young man, Josh Hartnett and his story of mistaken identity. It seems he owes a lot of money to a couple of mob bosses and the story just gets better and better. The amazing cast helps it along of course. Go see it!

On another note, I am looking for some "out there" movies. By "out there" I mean those rare movies that end up going straight to DVD but end up being one of your favorites. Be it action, comedy, drama, horror, I am looking for anything really. If you have any suggestions for my viewing pleasure, please drop it in the comments.

Your Misson...

2006-05-09T09:28:00.000-07:00

... Go see Mission Impossible 3. It was action packed and fantastic. I found MI3 to be much more entertaining than the first two combined. I don't want to spoil the movie so I won't give out the plot, just go see it! It is worth the $11 or what ever for the big theater and this needs to be seen on the big screen.

I also saw Firewall starring Harrison Ford. Pretty good movie. It hits video stores on June 6th. Pick it up as a rental, worth the money.

Also I went down to Waterton, Alberta over the weekend as Tuscana Ristorante opened. Tuscana is an amazing Italian restaurant in Waterton that is going into their third season. Most businesses in Waterton are only open from April to October due to the extreme wind and snow they get there during the winter months. During the summer it is beatiful. There is tons of hiking trails and the food at the restaurant is awesome. I highly suggest their Escargot. If you are in the area, check it out or log on to the website for more details.

I hate to spoil the ending...

2006-05-03T12:11:00.000-07:00

Get Rich or die trying? Well, he didn't die. Fortunately for myself and any other rap fans out there 50 Cent is still around. First off I want to say I really liked this movie. I didn't think I would when I first saw the trailers last year. I thought "Wow, how original. Another movie about a rapper". So with that I followed my gut and didn't spend the money to see it in the theaters. Now, after all this time, being cheaply available on DVD I figured "What the hell".

I now regret not seeing it in the theater. Ok, ok, maybe a cheap theater but still. It is a good movie. Much more interesting story, less swearing, and more tasteful love scenes than 8 Mile. They also don't make 50 look like a good guy. It is a really great story and worth checking out. Pick it up for a rental or an under $10 purchase.

Also have you heard that there is a new trailer out for Superman Returns and finally a trailer for the new James Bond in Casino Royale. I can't wait!!!

Photo Friday: Wind Power

2006-04-28T18:59:00.000-07:00

Finally some good ones

2006-04-27T11:03:00.000-07:00

Zathura - Starring a couple of kids and Dax Shepard. For being just another Jumanji this movie wasn't half bad. I loved Jumanji when it came out over 11 years ago now. Great cast and a great story. Zathura isn't too far off from that but with cooler Computer graphics. This is definitely one for the whole family and everyone will enjoy it. I would suggest it be a rental or an under $10 purchase. And if you don't already own Jumanji, you should go buy it.

Jarhead - I really liked this movie. It just showed you how pointless it was for the US to start sending troops overseas for "Desert Storm". And how greedy they are for wanting to "protect" the oil. Rent this one but don't buy it, you probably won't watch it again. Well maybe the ladies will as Jake Gyllenhaal spends half of it with his shirt off, walking around, sweaty in the sun.

Revolver - This one staring Jason Statham and Ray Liotta. It really reminded me of Fight club, with a lot less fighting which is odd being as Jason Statham is in it. A real "mess with your head" kind of movie. It combines mind games, real games (chess) and the world of money and drugs. I would suggest it as a rental.

Snowboarding rules!

2006-04-24T11:56:00.000-07:00

I love living in Canada! Especially Alberta. Being so close to the Rocky mountains. Such beauty, and there really is no better way to see them than standing on the top of one getting ready to ride down the side of it on a snowboard.

I have been snowboarding for around 4 years now and I am told I am getting pretty good. I will try and throw some pics up sometime. I ski'd for around 8 before I started boarding which I think really helped in making the transition. I love it. The freedom and enjoyment I get out of hitting the mountains really relaxes me. When I saw the trailer for First Descent I knew I had to see it.

The tag line is "The story of the snowboarding revolution." And it truely is a revolution. This movie goes back and explores the "begginings" of snowboarding in the 70's and follows it up to today. It features some of the worlds top snowboarders like Shawn White, and Hannah Teter. It also features legends like Terje Haakonsen, Shawn Farmer, and Nick Perata. There are also interviews with Jake Burton and tons of pro snowboarders.

One reason to watch it is the amazing footage. The team travels to the Alaskan back country and does some crazy boarding on untouched mountain ranges. It is just amazing to watch these people and to see how talented they are.

First Descent is a definite purchase for any one who enjoys snowboarding. I would still suggest you rent it even if you don't ski or snowboard just for the scenery and skills of these amazing riders.

Photo Friday: Explode

2006-04-22T08:19:00.000-07:00

From the Devonian Gardens.

What about when you're not wearing the hood?

2006-04-20T15:29:00.000-07:00

Hoodwinked. Hmmm... would you like to watch the story of Little red riding hood, with a few twists along the way. Oh, and you get to watch it 4 times from diffrent points of view. Why didn't I know all this before I started? Well at least now you do. I am not saying it was bad, but make sure the kids are there cause that way it will entertain someone.

To me this movie looked like a bunch of cut scenes from a video game. For "Computer graphics" these people didn't pay much attention to detail. One scene it looks like "Red" has lead feet and can hardly walk. The only parts of the movie that I enjoyed featured a "nutty" little squirrel named Twitchy. This little bastard talks and moves crazy fast and then they give him coffee. Way too funny!! A few good lines in there for you parents out there too..

"Red": What big ears you have.
"The Wolf": All the better to hear your petty insults with!

Check it out. It will be available for rent on May 2nd but probably not something you want to add to your shelves.

Also for those who didn't see it before. "Commander In Chief" starring Geena Davis as the President of the USA is back on TV thursday nights. I LOVE Geena Davis and she does a great job in this role. Take a peak and help boost the ratings so they don't cancel it.

Great TV shows that have been cancelled too early:

- Dead like me
- Firefly
- Reunion
- X-files (that's right 9 seasons isn't enough)
- Futurama

See Dick Run

2006-04-18T19:43:00.000-07:00

I have come to expect a lot from Jim Carrey. I really enjoy his acting and am glad that he has branched out from his comedy into more challenging roles. Dumb & Dumber, Man on the Moon, The Truman Show, and Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events are probably my top favorites of his. I really enjoy all of his movies and his acting. Fun with Dick and Jane is no diffrent. I enjoyed this movie. Not as much as I was hoping to but it was still a good flick. There should have been more of the "Fun" crazy parts and not so much of the "Dick and Jane" relationship parts.

Unfortunately it is another remake. An updated version of the 1977 film. I hate remakes. I haven't even seen the original so I really should not criticize but come on writers, are you just trying to earn an easy paycheck? Try and do something original.

Anyway... I enjoyed the movie. Jim did a great job again at making me laugh, and surprisingly so did Téa Leoni. Check it out, it is worth the rental and a definite purchase if you collect Jim Carrey movies or are just a big fan.

Don't take a date

2006-04-17T08:52:00.000-07:00

I saw Date movie. Not a date movie like "The wedding singer" or a good date movie like "Failure to launch" but the spoof movie... Date Movie. Confused?

Date Movie stars Alyson Hannigan (Hot red head band geek from American Pie) and as many stars as would allow to show their faces in this film. It featured takes on When Harry met Sally, My big fat greek wedding, Hitch, Meet the parents and Mr and Mrs Smith. All of which I would suggest you watch instead of Date Movie.

Even if you have seen all of the Scary movie series, this is nothing like it. Not as funny or entertaining. If you really want to see it, find 6-8 friends who want to as well so you can all put in your 35 cents cause that's about how much it's worth.

Skip it if you can or wait for it to show up on TBS in about 3 years.

Mrs. Joe strikes again

2006-04-15T07:19:00.000-07:00

Today is a day for a slighty diffrent kind of review. A sequel that keeps going and going. To celebrate this day, Caffeinated pictures has released this special commemorative "30 something" aniversary coin.

30 something years in the making, sequel after sequel, the ongoing saga of "The life and times of Cuppojoe" is still going strong. One thing that makes these films great is the scenery. My Town and Urban web help us explore Cuppojoe's world. While Killer sunset and Bird over banff show us the beauty in it.

During the early stages which were called "Boring Childhood stories" there was adventure, which sometimes led to tragedy. Check here for example. Overall the saga seems to be a Strong mix of comedy with helpings of heart and pride. This is one great series that I plan to continue to follow and will collect on friendship.

Happy Birthday buddy.

Photo Friday: Stand Alone

2006-04-14T14:44:00.000-07:00

Fan Films

2006-04-13T15:00:00.000-07:00

Every geek loves Star Wars, right? As a geek myself and a star wars fan I was watching Rocketboom a couple of weeks ago and they showed a small clip of this crazy homemade light saber fight. You can watch these two geeks fight it out HERE. This got me thinking... if someone can throw this together in their spare time... what else is out there I haven't seen.

I came across TheForce.net. A fan site dedicated to those who love Star Wars. On the site I found that these two geeks that made the light saber fight aren't the only ones. There are a few cool battles from other fans as well... plus a few short films.

The most popular of the short films was one called Reign of the Fallen. You can download the entire movie, made by fans, completely free. Now, I know what you are thinking... "Fan film, hmmm, probably some lame-o nerd dressed up as a jedi, swinging one of those $100 fake light sabers around" Well my friend you couldn't be more wrong. Well, for the most part, he still is a nerd dressed up as a jedi.

Reign is 55 minutes of unbelievable homemade footage. Realistic looking light saber battles, tons of Sith, ships and even a girl. These folks should get way more credit for this amazing work. I definitely suggest you download the entire movie! Why? Why not you cheapskate it's free!

Download it here.

Quick Catch up... ketchup... catsup?

2006-04-11T08:19:00.000-07:00

I finished watching the first season of ReGenesis over the weekend. WOW! I can't say enough about this show. I would definetly recommend it to everyone... and have been. I am going to try and find it to purchase on DVD.

A few friends went to see Lucky Number Slevin this past weekend as well. They have all recomended it so I will be off to see that later in the week along with Take the Lead.

I am sitting right now watching the Extreme edition of Danny the Dog aka Unleashed staring Jet Li. Loads of action plus a story of growth and renewal of life. I really enjoy it. I would suggest renting it if you haven't seen it. Also it was written by one of my all-time favorite writer/directors Luc Besson.

Has anyone seen Jarhead? I was planning on watching it this week and was looking for some input.

Photo Friday: Warm up.

2006-04-07T06:13:00.000-07:00

Something to keep you toasty if it's cold where you are.

Regenesis

2006-04-06T08:06:00.000-07:00

About a week ago I started watching a TV show available on The Movie Network called Regenesis. I am almost done the first season and this is turning out to be a great show. The second season just started airing three weeks ago on the dish and I figured I should try and catch up.

Filmed in Toronto, Regenesis follows a group of scientists who study and manipulate genes, bacteria and all things biological. It has kind of a CSI look and feel to it but based a lot more on biological and chemical sciences. You follow the team as they search for cures to diseases, and being TV some of them are made up but they do a great job of connecting them to the real world.

I have finished 9 of the first 13 episodes and I would really suggest it for anyone looking for a new show to watch. Because it is on satellite they get away with throwing the "F" word out a couples of times an episode, so check it out when the kids aren't around.

At the end of every episode, during the credits, it says "Only you know the whole story, be a part of it" and gives you a link to their site. The Site is very well laid out and also features a link to their podcast. Not one but two podcasts.

The video podcast gives you a short trailer of what the next episode features. The Audio podcast is a radio show the features the artists, the songs and the score heard on the show. It also has exclusive interviews with some of the people involved in putting ReGenesis together. The audio podcast is worth every minute. The music in the show is a kind of techno, but with out the heavy pounding beats. Both podcasts are available through the Itunes music store for Free.

Crazy marketing.

2006-04-05T18:55:00.000-07:00

Does anyone remember when Clearly Canadian released a drink called Orbitz? You know that crazy flavoured water with the floating balls of flavour... I remember. I also miss this product. People were always saying it was disgusting and that they could not stand the little flavour pellets. It was one of the most inventive drinks ever created... until now.

A company called Ipifini has created a new soft drink they are calling the "Programmable Beverage." Check out the picture HERE. You can "inject" your flavour/color with the push tabs at the top. With buttons for lemon, lime, vanilla, and cherry flavors, you will be able to make all sorts of crazy combinations. I can't wait until this hits the market. There are a few things I do not understand though.

1. How do you mix in your flavour? If it is carbonated you, for obvious reasons, can't shake it.

2. What happens to the flavours you don't use? Do you really want to pop them when you are finished and drink straight syrup?

3. How much is this "Choose your own adventure soda" going to cost, considering what a regular Cola is these days.

4. Am I getting old because I am complaining about the price of pop?

I am sure I will drop the $3.00 or what ever when it first comes out just to try it. Like Orbitz though, I don't think the product will remain on the shelves that long.

Windows Down, Stereo up

2006-04-04T14:46:00.000-07:00

I am really enjoying some of the music that is coming out these days. Such a wide range of taste and with the internet it makes it easier and easier to get your hands on great stuff. A few of the albums sitting in my player lately are:

Catching Tales - by Jamie Cullum - He does a new twist on the jazz and swing scene. And what an amazing voice.

In between dreams - by Jack Johnson - Lighter, pop'ish style. Great melody and lyrics.

Distort Yourself - by Institute - Headed by former Bush lead singer Gavin Rosdale. This album rocks! Still sounds close to what Bush did, but he twists up the style and rocks a little harder.

Haughty Melodic - by Mike Doughty - Former lead singer of Soul Coughing. He put this album out last year. You really have to like his unique voice in order to appreciate the music. If you haven't listened to soul coughing or Mike Doughty before you will need to sample before buying, it isn't for everyone.

Stranded in Suburbia - by Melissa Mcclelland - I saw her live a couple weeks ago. She was touring with Matthew Good on his accoustic tour. The live show they were both amazing. I'll throw up a picture or two later. This is a pretty good disk, she plays guitar very well.

What's in your player?

A little family fun

2006-04-03T08:27:00.000-07:00

Wandering around the mall on Sunday I ended up at the disney store. Full of their regular toys and a lot of stuff from Chicken Little, I remembered I hadn't seen it yet. Now, I didn't spend the $26 dollars they were asking for the movie, I found a friend who liked it and had bought it, so I borrowed it. Nothing better than a free movie! I take that back, nothing better than a Great free movie.

Chicken little wasn't great but it was funny and a decent family flick. The one thing that blew me away was the voices. Little featured the voice tallents of Zach Braff, Garry Marshall , Don Knotts, Patrick Stewart, Joan Cusack, Harry Shearer, Catherine O'Hara, Adam West... the list goes on.

I am definitely going to add this to my collection and you should too.

I also managed to get my hands on the new album by Pink. Titled "I'm not dead", this pop rocker breaks out with another great album. I own her first three and was glad to get this one as well. It has been 2 1/2 years since "Try This" but worth the wait, plus she was busy getting married to Pro motocross rider Carey Hart. She has the same great mix of rock, pop and R'n'B here as well. Worth a listen. If you haven't seen her new Video for the track "Stupid Girls" check it out Here. Very funny!

The train Derailed on my way to Find Neverland

2006-04-02T09:24:00.000-07:00

2 more movies to add to the list. Well one more on each of the Good and Bad lists.

Having no plans for yesterday night I decided to sit down and... what else... watch movies. I had plenty of choices at home but decided I needed one more. Went down to the local video store and picked up Derailed. Starring Vincent Cassel, Clive Owen, Jennifer Aniston, RZA and Xzibit. I have really been enjoying Clive Owens acting lately in King Arthur, Closer, Sin City. Quite good, kind of creepy and his voice is powerful. I had been wanting to see Derailed since I first saw the trailer. Suspence, romance, a little violence, it all sounded like a good combination... I guess I expected too much. The movie started very slow and there was no real flow to it, just given to you in chunks. The general story is Owen and Aniston have an affair, a robber (Cassel) breaks in and catches them. Robber proceeds to extort money out of Owen. The story did turn around near the end and straighten itself out but not before I had given up on it. This is still a worthy rental, but don't pay more than $4 for it.

The second movie was Finding Neverland. Already part of my collection I had yet to sit down and watch it. I do this a lot, mostly because everyone I talked to before it was released to DVD were raving about it. They couldn't have been more right! What an amazing movie! Starring Johnny Depp and Kate Winslet in the story of the man , James Barrie, who wrote Peter Pan. The imagination this man had to come up with such a great story is amazing. This is a definite purchase, though I found I really wanted to watch "Peter Pan" and "Hook" after watching it, you might want to pick those up at the same time.

Well off to set all the clocks in my house. Enjoy the rest of your weekend.

Photo Friday: I've hiked it

2006-03-31T07:29:00.000-08:00

Bears hump in Waterton, Alberta. The hike takes between 30-90 minutes depending on how quick you are. But either way it is worth the view once you are up there.

That's a lot of V's

2006-03-28T13:26:00.000-08:00

I decided to go see V for Vendetta this past weekend. I had never read the comic books but it was still a great movie. Great story, great action, and a great cast. This will be added to my ever growing collection of Natalie Portman movies. Definite Purchase, if only for this quote...

"This visage, no mere veneer of vanity, is it vestige of the vox populi, now vacant, vanished, as the once vital voice of the verisimilitude now venerates what they once vilified. However, this valorous visitation of a by-gone vexation, stands vivified, and has vowed to vanquish these venal and virulent vermin van-guarding vice and vouchsafing the violently vicious and voracious violation of volition. The only verdict is vengeance; a vendetta, held as a votive, not in vain, for the value and veracity of such shall one day vindicate the vigilant and the virtuous. Verily, this vichyssoise of verbiage veers most verbose vis-à-vis an introduction, and so it is my very good honor to meet you and you may call me V."

After watching it on saturday afternoon, I thought "Why not make it an all Natalie weekend?" Flipping though my collection I pulled out... The Proffesional, Heat, Beautiful girls, Where the Heart Is, Anywhere But Here, Star Wars: Ep 1, Closer and finally Mars Attacks. I didn't manage to watch them all just The Proffesional, Beautiful Girls and Mars Attacks.

I still haven't been able to watch CLoser since I saw it in the theater. This may seem kind of weird since it is part of my collection, but I found I had a very real connection to the characters in the movie and remember myself having those conversations with others in my life years ago. Still freaks me out, but I can't just let it sit on the shelf... maybe next weekend.

Just as a side, and maybe something for Cuppojoe to watch for... I noticed that in Peter Jacksons "King Kong" Look in the background, there are an unbelievable amount of the letter "K" hiding in the scenery and backdrops.

An introduction

2006-03-28T12:16:00.000-08:00

In case you haven't read my other blog "Allow myself to introduce... myself!" (Austin Powers).

I am a movie freak. I love everything about movies. The incredible stories, the actors and actresses but most of all the escapism. Being able to let go of the world and let the director take you to another galaxy, on a romantic trip and sometimes even show you your world from a completely different perspective.

My collection of video and dvd currently stands around 500. I don't have a favorite genre, my movies range from Terminator to Titanic, The Matrix to Midsummer nights dream, Beauty and the beast to Bowling for Columbine. I do however have a couple favorite actors/actresses some of which are Bruce Willis, Geena Davis, Adam Sandler, Natalie Portman, Jean Reno... ok, more than a couple.

I also enjoy taking photo's. I will try and throw one up every Friday... let's call it Photo Friday. Because, let's face it, after working on Friday you don't really want to sit down and spend an hour writing.

Until later...

Address Change

2006-03-27T12:34:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone... anyone?

I thought it was about time I got a "real" blog address. I have been posting over at angelfire for a while now but I am hoping to get a few more readers over here. To check out any of "the old stuff" go to

The Old blog

Alrighty, here we go.

No wonder it didn't win any awards

2006-03-20T09:33:00.000-08:00

So I decided on the weekend to see King Kong. And well I was looking to waste some time but I was hoping that it wasn't going to be such a waste. Did anyone else think this movie sucked? Or am I the only one?

If you haven't seen it I won't spoil it for you if you still intend on watching this crap. However I did enjoy it up until they got to the island and ran into the locals... after that it went downhill faster than Antoine Deneriaz on a ski hill (look it up).

The CG was pretty cool. I am sure Peter Jackson would have it no other way, but it doesn't make up for the scenes that dragged on or had nothing AT ALL to do with the story.

It kind of reminded me of Chronicles of Narnia. Which, looking back I forgot to post on... anyway. Both Chronicles and Kong had at least 4-5 scenes they could have cut to make the movies much shorter and more to the point.

So unless you are a die hard Peter Jackson or King Kong fan I wouldn't do much more than rent it when it is released on Tuesday. Make sure you have 3 hours to spare to get through it as well.

Chronicles of Narnia will be released to DVD April 4, 2006. Again unless you are a die hard fan, I wouldn't bother with this one either.

This week in TV I am attempting to watch all of the original episodes of the Transformers. I can't wait for the live action movie next summer. Check out the site www.transformerslive.com