Recent Movie Reviews

Here's a quick review of some movies I've seen lately... Some have been alright while others have just been flat-out terrible...

• World Trade Center (F)

There is such a thing as too much drama, and I'm sorry to say Oliver Stone achieved that in this one. Sure we all know the story of the two police officers who made it alive out of the rubble... A miracle! Yet Oliver Stone, somehow manages to ruin their story by giving us 2 hours of extremely drawn out, up-and-down drama... Back and Forth of "We're going to make it, and we're not going to make it..."... The movie is extremely dramatic on every aspect! For a movie entitled World Trade Center, I wanted to see some depth and substance concerning the attacks... Maybe even some hints of conspiracy... Oliver Stone has always been known for sparking controversy in his movies, yet this one was dull as could be.... Not to mention, Nicolas Cage gives another terrible performance. And to think he use to be one of my favorite actors, and know I can't even remember his last decent movie...

• No Country for Old Men (C-)

For a movie that won the Academy Award for best picture, I definitely had high expectations going into this one. Yet when it finished I was left with nothing but confusion and then disappointment. Maybe thrillers just aren't my thing... Javier Bardem did make a pretty good villain with a wicked haircut, yet I still wouldn't put him in my top 50 list... Josh Brolin and Tommy Lee Jones gave some strong performances, but I just didn't care much for the story or the setting...

• Ali (C)

This one came out several years ago, and I've caught parts of it, but never the whole thing. So I finally decided to rent it and watch the entire movie. Will Smith gives a passionate performance, yet I was somewhat disappointed with the storyline... It basically just jumps from one big event in his life to the next without much flow to it... I also think they could have done a better job demonstrating the time period...

• Changeling (B-)

A decent period-piece, based on a true story of an L.A serial killing that took place in the 1920s... Angeline Jolie gives a solid performance as a mother who has had her son kidnapped, only to be later replaced by a different child... John Malkovich also shines as a minister who comes to her aid... The movie demonstrates several interesting themes of that time such as the corruption of the police and the mistreatment of women... As conservative as Clint Eastwood may be, he still always manages to come out with some pretty amazing dramatic and artistic films!

• In Bruges (B-)

This one was alright, a black comedy about three assassins set in Bruges... All around solid performances from Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson, and Ralph Fiennes... Though one thing that really annoyed me was that the story took a very long time to develop... It had it's moments, but was also dry in some parts... Yet the biggest appeal to me was the setting of Bruges, Belgium... A medieval town of stone and river...

• Burn After Reading (B-)

Now here's one that I definitely didn't expect... I thought this film was marketed as a comedy, yet when I actually watched it I didn't know what to think... It has lots of shocking moments in it, where you're not sure if you should laugh... It blends serious drama with comedy, in a genre that is considered "black comedy"... I couldn't get this one out of my head the next few days... So I got to give major props to the Coen brothers, for coming out with something so different... It also has an all-star cast of Clooney, Malkovich, Pitt, McDormand, and Swinton who all give great performances. Though Cloooney was my favorite....

The World Summit

After closely following the United Nations Assembly and the G20 Summit, I have come to understand that we are on the verge of a new era... The world is at a breaking point, and change has become a must... Almost every leader in power right now is somewhat of a progressive, leftist, and even extremist that is ready for social change...

Now the only thing that awaits is action... Our world is in serious crisis and we need to act soon... We need climate change, global finance reform, and the disarmament of all nuclear weapons, quickly before it is too late... These issues are for the well-being of mankind, that need to be seriously considered... Obama made a proposal that passed 15-0 to disarm nukes. The only question now is when do these WMD stockpiles start vanishing... I've always thought it to be ridiculous that there are active weapons in this world that can wipe-out existence in a matter of seconds... Whether it's for defense or not, no country should possess weapons of this magnitude... And although Iran may be a threat, it's not fair for Obama, Sarkozy (France), and Gordon (Great Britain) to accuse Ahmadinejad of building these weapons, when they themselves all possess a massive stockpile of WMDs... The last thing we need now is more war... Instead there should be a universal disarmament of all nuclear weapons!!!

Another point of interest at the UN Assembly was the Libyan President, Muammar al-Gaddafi, who ranted for over an hour about Capitalism, conspiracy theories, and how Obama should stay in office forever... I must admit that I do not know much about this revolutionary leader, yet feel he may be on to something. In 1969 he overthrew the Libyan government and has been president ever since. His loud rant at the United Nations Assembly was a headline story, and has brought him world-wide attention...


People have grown frustrated with the way things are, and are ready for some serious social change. That is why they have elected progressive leaders, and that is why we have seen protests and demonstrations all over. The ones that took place in Pittsburgh scaled from violent uprising to peaceful demonstrations... All standing against Capitalism, War, Globalization, and Global Warming... As terrible as some of these uprisings may be, they serve as demonstrations to the world. People are still united and strong and are not brain-washed by propaganda or the dollar... Hopefully our world leaders can quickly solves these issues and put an end to these demonstrations...

Theater Review: 9

Saw this movie last night and was quite pleased with it. The film is a visual stunner, all the way through, unlike any animation I've seen before... Incredible dark and artistic scenery in the backdrop of some intense special effects and action... It takes place in a very dark post-apocalyptic world, where humanity has been destroyed by machines, and a group of 9 artificial-intelligent stitch-dolls are hiding from these machines... One in particular, 9, comes across the source of their life, and unites the others to solve the mystery of their existence. The story is quite unique, and keeps you on the edge of your seat, yet the real sell is the visuals... This is definitely a film that will keep your eyes glued to the screen. It's actually pretty short, only 80 minutes, and is over before you know it... Yet other than that I have no complains about the movie, and recommend to go see it... Great voice-overs from Elijah Wood, Jennifer Connelly, John C Riley, and Christopher Plummer... The only thing I might change would be the title...

Fall Festivals: Lebanon, IN

One thing I've always loved about Fall-time, is the country festivals... It's the best time in my opinion to take in the countryside and visit small towns full of rich American culture. It has become a past-time of mine, dating back to our family country drives and my boy scout years... It's my favorite time to appreciate the outdoors... American culture is a very broad thing, yet I think the heart of it lies in these small rural towns... This fall season I plan on hitting many of these town festivals...

So to kick the season off, I joined my mom, Sue, and Andres on a road-trip to Lebanon, IN just north of Indianapolis. It was about a 2 hour drive, yet quite enjoyable since it was the first time in a while that I've left Fort Wayne... The festival had a Fifties Theme, with old classic cars lining up the streets, flags waving, and many booths... A Beatles cover band was playing the entire time, which although is not 50s, was still pretty awesome... We had some real good pulled-pork sandwiches, cole-slaw, and strawberry short-cake. Mom and Sue hit up a flea-market where they bought a bunch of old junk for very cheap... The people were all very friendly, and I have to say I enjoyed the experience...

Random Notes

Just started up a new job as a youth instructor at the United Hispanic Americans... I'm working part-time, 25 hours a week, in the evenings... This job can be the perfect transition into a potential teaching or non-profit career... I've already met many of the parents and students, and am hoping I can really rock as a youth teacher... So we shall see...

I love fall! It's hands down my favorite season... Football, the weather, Halloween, tailgating, Thanksgiving, Country festivals, the leaves, etc...! Today I went out with my mom, Sue, and Andres out to a Fifties Festival in the small town of Lebanon... I'll try and post some pics on this tomorrow...

Can't get enough of My Morning Jacket... I really wouldn't mind catching them in concert with somebody if they were touring...

I'm trying to plan an Indy/B-town weekend over the next month... I was thinking spending Friday night at Indy, maybe do some drinking at Broadripple,... then Saturday tailgate and hit up the bars in the evening... just got to see what works best with mine and everybody else's schedule...

I've gotten back into running, and have been training for the upcoming Fort Wayne mini... The race is next Saturday... Although I don't have an entry, I hope to use somebody's else's or bandit the thing. I won't be in the best shape, but I at least have to beat Palms... I would never hear the end of it if he beat me.

Beware the Anti-Obama Movement

It began with the town hall meetings, the outcries of angry Conservatives who think Obama is trying to take over the country. They began to bring their guns to rallies, basically stating that they are willing to fight for their freedom. The other night on the Rachel Maddow Show, I heard of this movement that is going on, the 9/12 Movement being led by conservative radio pundit, Glenn Beck... Beck claims that Obama's administration is a government takeover, and has laid out nine principles and twelve values that define the American people. At first it just seemed like another tea party protest, until I saw Republican Minority Whip Eric Cantor giving the opening speech. They are marching on Washington today, and using the attacks of 9/11 to defend their purpose...

I did some reading and found that there are many of these grassroots organizations popping up across the internet, most notably the Freedom Works Foundation... They believe Obama is a threat to freedom, claiming that his liberal ideology is a socialist takeover... I suppose it was only a matter of time, before a movement of some sort began. I knew from the moment Obama was elected there would be many who would just not accept the idea of a black president. It's only a matter of time until these grassroots organizations unite with larger conservative organizations such as the NRA or KKK to create their own militia... Many of these militias have already begun to form throughout the country... These conservatives are angry, stubborn extremists who are a serious threat to our society! All I know is that if it ever came to civil war, I for once would be proud and ready to defend the country against these kind!

Football has Begun!!

~Good to see the NFL has kicked off again... (I really could care less for College, especially since I'm not working it right now...) But for the past few years it's been tradition for me to go out to watch the Thursday Season Opener with some beer and wings... Tonight I had a session with Palmer at B-Dubs... Yet I gotta say tonights game between the Steelers and the Titans was pretty uneventful... and go figure lot of my Fantasy Players were playing tonight... So it's looking like another bad fantasy football season for me... Oh Well, at least I still got the Lions and as of now they are undefeated!

The Time for Bickering is Over

President Obama had a very important and pivotal speech to give tonight... One that would define his administration for the years to come. With the ongoing debate over Health Care Coverage, there was serious pressure for him to come out strong and be clear on his plan... well I think he flat-out nailed it tonight!

He was forceful and passionate right from the beginning when he stated that this Health Care Reform was nothing new and had been tried by nearly every president since Theodore Roosevelt... He then gave a classic line, "I may not be the first president to take up this cause, but am determined to be the last!" At that moment you knew Obama meant business. He squashed the rumors and allegations of an all-out government takeover... He then continued with the details of his plan, most notably the heated debate on the public option. He finally made his stance clear when he said, "I will not back down on the basic principle that if Americans cannot find affordable coverage, we will provide you with a choice." He then described how he intended to pay for the plan. Which would consist of spending cuts in other departments, most notably in the MediCare system, and even hinted at the extremely high military budget over the past years in Afghanistan and Iraq... ($900 billion) He wrapped up the speech with a fitting tribute to the late Ted Kennedy, by remembering his longterm passion for Universal Health Care Coverage...

Throughout the speech he took some heavy criticism from the right side of the hall... They laughed at his mention of figuring out a mandatory insurance policy... They continuously criticized his claims, shouting and heckling him, and rarely arising to applaud him... to one extent when Obama mentioned his plan would not benefit immigrants a congressmen from South Carolina yelled to the president, "You Lie!"... Of course it happened to come from the most racist state in the country, in my opinion... The room was the most divided I'd seen it in a while, and I can't remember the last time I saw so much criticism during a speech, yet I think Obama did a great job in maintaining his composure... After the president's speech was over, the Republican rebuttal came seconds after, which goes to show that it was already prepared before Obama's speech was given. Based on their actions, I'd say it's safe to say that the Republicans have no intention to work this thing out. They'd still rather do nothing, and let the free-market continue to work itself out while leadings us into a bigger deficit...

I'm just glad Obama came out strong tonight, and made his stance clear. I think the Liberals and Progressives can be satisfied that he finally cleared up the confusion. I feel pretty confident that in the next few weeks a bill will successfully pass, that will include some form of public-option... And I gotta say if Obama can pass Health Care Coverage in his first year as president, then there are many great things to come.... He has without doubt in my mind the potential to be our greatest president ever, and has already demonstrated it thus far with his eager approach!