So today, a new movie came out, called The Debt. It stars Helen Mirren, Tom Wilkinson, Jessica Chastain, Marton Csokas, and Sam Worthington. Prior to last week, I had no clue what The Debt was about. I had only seen the poster a few times, but I've never seen the trailer. That was until last week when I saw the trailer either before Our Idiot Brother or Colombiana (which one, I'm not quite sure, but that's when I first saw the trailer). After seeing the trailer, it was a no brainer. The movie looked that good.
After seeing the movie, I wasn't disappointed. The movie was that good, and in my opinion is another candidate for Best Picture nominee at next years Academy Awards. It's a thriller, and an excellent one at that. The movie is about the look back at 3 Israeli agents mission into Eastern Germany back in the 60's. Their mission is to find a doctor responsible for committing atrocities against Jewish people during World War II. I don't want to deal too much with the plot, so I will leave it there.
After seeing the movie, I went and saw another movie (surprise, surprise). The movie was once again, none other than The Help. This movie is by far my favorite movie of 2011, and as of right now I'm pulling for it to at least be nominated for Best Picture. I posted my review on this film a ways down, so I'll just say. If you haven't seen The Help yet, then go see it. I guarantee you will not be disappointed with this film whatsoever.
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Friday, August 26, 2011
So today, I went out and do what I usually do (at least it now seems that way) on Friday's, and that's take a trip down to the theaters. This time, I saw Our Idiot Brother and Colombiana. My expectations going into these two movies weren't that high. Having said that, I'll start off with the first movie I saw today.
Our Idiot Brother. The only expectations I did have for this movie, was that the movie would be hilarious. Having said that, the movie had it's moments, and if you've seen the trailer, you pretty much have seen most of the funny parts in the film. This movie, I felt like it had an identity crisis. Sometimes aiming to be funny, and at other times trying to be serious, and in the long look at things, I think it lost itself in between. Do I think this movie was a bad movie? Nope, not close to that. Do I think it was good? In all honesty, it had it's moments, but I feel this movie fell in the just "ok" camp. In terms of comedies this summer, this movie doesn't come close to the ones such as Bad Teacher, Horrible Bosses, The Hangover II, etc. It tried, but like I said, this film suffered an identity crisis.
As for Colombiana. I've only seen the trailer to this film once, maybe twice, and I wanted to see it. I can't really tell you why I wanted to see it, maybe because of the lead actress. I don't really know. Having said that, I think the movie for what it was, was good. Is it good as in the Rise of the Planet of the Apes, or other type of blockbuster movies this summer? Nope, not in the slightest, but for an action flick, it was pretty decent. I rate this one about a 7/10. Maybe a 6.5, and that's only because you don't really connect with Zoe Saladana's character. I don't want to give too much away, but the premise around this, is Zoe's character trying to avenge her parent's death. It's a premise that's been done before in other movies, and has a slight change to it. She's an assassain.
I didn't really feel like going to in depth with these reviews. If you had to decide between these two films, I'd go with Colombiana over Our Idiot Brother. If you had to pick between other movies that have come out earlier this month, I'd still recommend in order: The Help, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, and One Day.
Our Idiot Brother. The only expectations I did have for this movie, was that the movie would be hilarious. Having said that, the movie had it's moments, and if you've seen the trailer, you pretty much have seen most of the funny parts in the film. This movie, I felt like it had an identity crisis. Sometimes aiming to be funny, and at other times trying to be serious, and in the long look at things, I think it lost itself in between. Do I think this movie was a bad movie? Nope, not close to that. Do I think it was good? In all honesty, it had it's moments, but I feel this movie fell in the just "ok" camp. In terms of comedies this summer, this movie doesn't come close to the ones such as Bad Teacher, Horrible Bosses, The Hangover II, etc. It tried, but like I said, this film suffered an identity crisis.
As for Colombiana. I've only seen the trailer to this film once, maybe twice, and I wanted to see it. I can't really tell you why I wanted to see it, maybe because of the lead actress. I don't really know. Having said that, I think the movie for what it was, was good. Is it good as in the Rise of the Planet of the Apes, or other type of blockbuster movies this summer? Nope, not in the slightest, but for an action flick, it was pretty decent. I rate this one about a 7/10. Maybe a 6.5, and that's only because you don't really connect with Zoe Saladana's character. I don't want to give too much away, but the premise around this, is Zoe's character trying to avenge her parent's death. It's a premise that's been done before in other movies, and has a slight change to it. She's an assassain.
I didn't really feel like going to in depth with these reviews. If you had to decide between these two films, I'd go with Colombiana over Our Idiot Brother. If you had to pick between other movies that have come out earlier this month, I'd still recommend in order: The Help, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, and One Day.
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Post-Game Concerts (6/11 and 8/20)
So this past Saturday, I went to the Angel game, and following the game there was a post game concert. It was the 4th in a series of 5 I believe. I went to the first game that had a post-game concert earlier this year, and that was better, only because I was on the field for that one.
The first post-game concert this year took place back on June 11th, and featured Taio Cruz. I was fortunate to be on the field, and by field, I mean the infield dirt, because I won two tickets to the game, and included with the tickets were two green wristbands that got my brother and I onto the infield dirt.
That was my view throughout the concert (and yes the picture is mine). I'm not going to lie though. Being on that infield dirt, that's just about every baseball fan's dream, or if not, then it's a dream of most fans. Being able to walk past the dugout both entering the field, and exiting the field were quite remarkable views.
Back to this past Saturday night, I attended my second post-game concert of the year, and got to see MercyMe perform. I'd say anywhere from 2 thousand to 5 thousand fans stayed for the post game concert. It seemed like more people stayed for Taio Cruz then MercyMe, and that's not really surprising. MercyMe is a Christian Rock Band (or at least I think that's the category they would fit in), where as Taio Cruz is more mainstream.
Similar to Taio Cruz, this was my first time really hearing MercyMe, although the worship team at my church does sing a few of MercyMe's songs, so I knew what to expect going in.
As MercyMe went through each song, I noticed people leaving with each song, and I'm guessing it had to do more with people not wanting to or willing to deal with the message(s) of MercyMe's songs. Sure it was late, but it was not any more late had the Angels played a normal 7:05 game instead of 6:05 game.
The concert lasted an hour and ten minutes, and was noticeably longer than the Taio Cruz concert I attended. The setup process for the concert was the same. As soon as the game ended, they wheeled the stage out on two carts. It took about 15-20 minutes for them to setup.
My favorite parts of the night (aside from the game), were the fact MercyMe had fans singing Amazing Grace, their song Emmanuel (it's a song the worship team plays at church), the mini sermon he gave (was powerful stuff) and the closing song. I do say I like the Taio Cruz concert better because I was down on the field, but if all things were equal and I had the same view point for that concert as I did this one, I'd say MercyMe's concert was better.
The first post-game concert this year took place back on June 11th, and featured Taio Cruz. I was fortunate to be on the field, and by field, I mean the infield dirt, because I won two tickets to the game, and included with the tickets were two green wristbands that got my brother and I onto the infield dirt.
Back to this past Saturday night, I attended my second post-game concert of the year, and got to see MercyMe perform. I'd say anywhere from 2 thousand to 5 thousand fans stayed for the post game concert. It seemed like more people stayed for Taio Cruz then MercyMe, and that's not really surprising. MercyMe is a Christian Rock Band (or at least I think that's the category they would fit in), where as Taio Cruz is more mainstream.
Similar to Taio Cruz, this was my first time really hearing MercyMe, although the worship team at my church does sing a few of MercyMe's songs, so I knew what to expect going in.
As MercyMe went through each song, I noticed people leaving with each song, and I'm guessing it had to do more with people not wanting to or willing to deal with the message(s) of MercyMe's songs. Sure it was late, but it was not any more late had the Angels played a normal 7:05 game instead of 6:05 game.
The concert lasted an hour and ten minutes, and was noticeably longer than the Taio Cruz concert I attended. The setup process for the concert was the same. As soon as the game ended, they wheeled the stage out on two carts. It took about 15-20 minutes for them to setup.
Friday, August 19, 2011
2 More Movies Down...More To Go
So today, I went out and saw two more movies. It brings my overall total to 25 times I've been to the theaters this summer, 23 out of those 25 times to see a different film. The two movies I saw today were Conan The Barbarian and One Day.
Going into Conan, judging from the previews, I was underwhelmed, and thought the movie would be like another 10,000 BC movie. I have to say, I was completely wrong. In all actuality, I actually really enjoyed this movie. Granted this film wouldn't win any Academy Awards, and belongs in the blockbuster type films category, but I was really pleasantly surprised with the film. There are moments in the film where blood does tend to be over-exaggerated in it's usage, but as the film progresses, you really don't notice it, and learn to accept it.
The film stars Jason Momoa in what's really his breakout role, as Conan, and Rachel Nichols plays Tamara in the film, and I have to say the chemistry between these two is good (at least I thought so). The villains in the film are played by Stephen Lang (Khalar Zym) and Rose McGowan (Marique, Khalar's daughter). My big complaint with the villain's is more so on Marique's part. For some reason she looks like Freddy Kreuger's child, if he had a child. I don't want to give too much away, I'll just say look at her hand, and you'll see what I mean.
If I compare this one with some of the recent movies I've seen, I'll say that this one is better than Cowboys & Aliens (for some reason, the more I think back on this one, the more disappointed I get with it), but not near as good as Rise of the Planet of the Apes.
Now, as for the second film I saw, I saw One Day. As much as I was looking forward to Rise of the Planet of the Apes and other movies I've seen prior to this one, this is actually the second movie I looked forward to for quite a while now (behind The Help). For those that are unaware (as I was prior to taking a look at the film's poster once the movie was over, this film is based on the #1 international best seller). This movie tells the story of two individuals, Emma and Dexter that first meet on July 15, 1988. Without going on much more about the story, the movie progresses by each year, on the day July 15th. You aren't shown anything before the date, or after, only July 15th, each year afterwards up to the year 2011. I personally think this film has an outside chance of being nominated for best picture, wouldn't be surprised if it's not, and also wouldn't be surprised if it is. I went in with high expectations on this one, and for the most part, this movie did not disappoint. My biggest complaint, if any really, is the fact that Anne Hathaway's character is supposed to be British. Her accent in the film tends to fade in and out as the movie progresses. It's not really that noticeable, but if you listen, you can sometimes hear it, unless of course I was hearing things, which I doubt.
I would highly recommend this film (One Day) after you see The Help of course. You can't go wrong with it. I went and saw both movies alone (as I usually do), but this movie does make a good date movie as well in my opinion. What I'd honestly do, if you have the money (AMC is $6 before noon and 9:50 matinee), is go out and see The Help and then One Day (you choose the order) and have a fun movie filled day with it. Space it out if you can and get some lunch in between the movies (if you don't want to pay the high prices at the snack bar, and trust me, they are high, but I have an AMC Stubs card, so I don't really mind the prices at the moment. It just means I get my next $10 reward quicker.
Next week, I will definitely see another movie, perhaps two.
Going into Conan, judging from the previews, I was underwhelmed, and thought the movie would be like another 10,000 BC movie. I have to say, I was completely wrong. In all actuality, I actually really enjoyed this movie. Granted this film wouldn't win any Academy Awards, and belongs in the blockbuster type films category, but I was really pleasantly surprised with the film. There are moments in the film where blood does tend to be over-exaggerated in it's usage, but as the film progresses, you really don't notice it, and learn to accept it.
The film stars Jason Momoa in what's really his breakout role, as Conan, and Rachel Nichols plays Tamara in the film, and I have to say the chemistry between these two is good (at least I thought so). The villains in the film are played by Stephen Lang (Khalar Zym) and Rose McGowan (Marique, Khalar's daughter). My big complaint with the villain's is more so on Marique's part. For some reason she looks like Freddy Kreuger's child, if he had a child. I don't want to give too much away, I'll just say look at her hand, and you'll see what I mean.
If I compare this one with some of the recent movies I've seen, I'll say that this one is better than Cowboys & Aliens (for some reason, the more I think back on this one, the more disappointed I get with it), but not near as good as Rise of the Planet of the Apes.
Now, as for the second film I saw, I saw One Day. As much as I was looking forward to Rise of the Planet of the Apes and other movies I've seen prior to this one, this is actually the second movie I looked forward to for quite a while now (behind The Help). For those that are unaware (as I was prior to taking a look at the film's poster once the movie was over, this film is based on the #1 international best seller). This movie tells the story of two individuals, Emma and Dexter that first meet on July 15, 1988. Without going on much more about the story, the movie progresses by each year, on the day July 15th. You aren't shown anything before the date, or after, only July 15th, each year afterwards up to the year 2011. I personally think this film has an outside chance of being nominated for best picture, wouldn't be surprised if it's not, and also wouldn't be surprised if it is. I went in with high expectations on this one, and for the most part, this movie did not disappoint. My biggest complaint, if any really, is the fact that Anne Hathaway's character is supposed to be British. Her accent in the film tends to fade in and out as the movie progresses. It's not really that noticeable, but if you listen, you can sometimes hear it, unless of course I was hearing things, which I doubt.
I would highly recommend this film (One Day) after you see The Help of course. You can't go wrong with it. I went and saw both movies alone (as I usually do), but this movie does make a good date movie as well in my opinion. What I'd honestly do, if you have the money (AMC is $6 before noon and 9:50 matinee), is go out and see The Help and then One Day (you choose the order) and have a fun movie filled day with it. Space it out if you can and get some lunch in between the movies (if you don't want to pay the high prices at the snack bar, and trust me, they are high, but I have an AMC Stubs card, so I don't really mind the prices at the moment. It just means I get my next $10 reward quicker.
Next week, I will definitely see another movie, perhaps two.
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Conflicted
Pretty much for a while now, I've been pretty much conflicted inside. I feel like my life is headed more and more towards a life following God, and I want my life to head that way, and the more I feel it growing, the more I feel my relationship with my father, and to a smaller extent the rest of my family heading a different direction. There is a ton of negativity with my father, and more and more it's hard to live with it, but I'm stuck here until I get a job, save up and move. It sounds easier said then done, especially when you consider how ugly the economy and how tough it is to find work (at least for me) in it.
If you would have told me probably two years ago that church could impact my life the way it has, I probably wouldn't have believed you, and quite honestly, probably wouldn't have cared much, for prior to July of 2010, and pretty much from 2008/09 to that month of 2010, I literally stopped caring, and started giving up. I've pretty much have dealt with depression from 2003 onwards. Largely in part due to my mother's death among other factors in 2003. She died the day after my 21st birthday. Weird thing is I had dreams before my mother's death, and it didn't surprise me, even up to where we'd be at picking up her urn, and dreams in large part have also been a contributing factor to my depression.
Then there's the panic attack I had in my sleep back in March of 2005. That set me back a few years. It wasn't until I went on a diet, and walking at night regiment of 2 hours nightly that I got over it. I went from 300 plus pounds to 165. I went on this diet in 2007, and I was on it until the summer of 2009. For whatever reason, well there are several. I literally had no physical friends at the time, wasn't in a relationship (still not in one, nor have I ever been in one) and was dealing with loneliness among other things. It wasn't a pretty picture or sight in 2008 to June of 2010. I used to write a lot back then, but my writings got more and more dark, and I had thoughts of death, and well there were a few times I tried, albeit briefly.
Before I started attending the church I go to now in July of 2010, I thought about enlisting in the National Guard. At the time I was 215. I got as far as taking the test, and what stopped me from going forward at the time, was the fact when it came time to stating how many people you knew for background check, I really didn't know many people, and my past thoughts and attempts on suicide made me rethink it. About a week or so afterwards, I noticed flyers for the church I go to, and went the Sunday after the last showing. For a person like me (quiet, shy, that was a big step, but I felt a calling).
Fast forward to today, and I've been going ever since, and have made friendships, much needed ones at that, and ones rooted in the love of and for God. For the first time in almost a decade I'm starting to feel a sense of happiness, among other things. I feel more connected with the church then I do my family at home, and I don't know if that makes any sense or not, but I do.
If you would have told me probably two years ago that church could impact my life the way it has, I probably wouldn't have believed you, and quite honestly, probably wouldn't have cared much, for prior to July of 2010, and pretty much from 2008/09 to that month of 2010, I literally stopped caring, and started giving up. I've pretty much have dealt with depression from 2003 onwards. Largely in part due to my mother's death among other factors in 2003. She died the day after my 21st birthday. Weird thing is I had dreams before my mother's death, and it didn't surprise me, even up to where we'd be at picking up her urn, and dreams in large part have also been a contributing factor to my depression.
Then there's the panic attack I had in my sleep back in March of 2005. That set me back a few years. It wasn't until I went on a diet, and walking at night regiment of 2 hours nightly that I got over it. I went from 300 plus pounds to 165. I went on this diet in 2007, and I was on it until the summer of 2009. For whatever reason, well there are several. I literally had no physical friends at the time, wasn't in a relationship (still not in one, nor have I ever been in one) and was dealing with loneliness among other things. It wasn't a pretty picture or sight in 2008 to June of 2010. I used to write a lot back then, but my writings got more and more dark, and I had thoughts of death, and well there were a few times I tried, albeit briefly.
Before I started attending the church I go to now in July of 2010, I thought about enlisting in the National Guard. At the time I was 215. I got as far as taking the test, and what stopped me from going forward at the time, was the fact when it came time to stating how many people you knew for background check, I really didn't know many people, and my past thoughts and attempts on suicide made me rethink it. About a week or so afterwards, I noticed flyers for the church I go to, and went the Sunday after the last showing. For a person like me (quiet, shy, that was a big step, but I felt a calling).
Fast forward to today, and I've been going ever since, and have made friendships, much needed ones at that, and ones rooted in the love of and for God. For the first time in almost a decade I'm starting to feel a sense of happiness, among other things. I feel more connected with the church then I do my family at home, and I don't know if that makes any sense or not, but I do.
New Movies Out Tomorrow 8/19
My original plan for tomorrow was to see 3 movies again. Was thinking of seeing Fright Night, One Day, and Conan The Barbarian. Looking at the showtimes, not sure if I'll do that still. At the very least, I will see One Day and Conan The Barbarian. I'm likely going by myself, as going to movies like that is a way for me to get away and clear my mind. Sure it gets kind of lonely going by yourself most of the time, but there's not much I can do about that right now. Regardless, it is still fun to be able to do that.
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Angels Game Tonight 8/16
Going to my 12th or so Angels game of the season tonight. Going to about 4 or 5 more after this game, and I believe that's it for the season, unless they reach the postseason. Right now, that's starting to look like a tall order, as they're 5 games out. Luckily, they still play 3 more games (including tonight) and 2 more series after that against the team they're chasing (Rangers).
Tonight should be fun though, being that's the Angels are giving away a mug to all fans in attendance tonight (at least I think it's all fans, not sure). It's also my first time seeing Chatwood pitch. Normally when I've gone this year, it's either Weaver, Haren, Santana, or Pinero that had been pitching. Seeing Chatwood pitch tonight, could be a good thing or a bad thing. Depends on what Chatwood you get. The one that shows promise of sticking around, or the one that's looking to fall in the footsteps of Pinero, and make his way out of the rotation.
Hitting wise, the team has a split personality (if it were a person). One game the team actually scores, and others, looks like they treat offense as if it were a foreign language. I've got my favorite players I follow, and players I wish weren't on the team (looking at Mathis here). Really don't think the Angels should have made that trade they did in the offseason. Napoli is putting up better all around numbers than Mathis, and it's not close.
Back to where I started off. After this game tonight, I will be going to the game on the 20th (Mercy Me is performing afterwards, game starts at 6), then going to the Yankees games on the 9th and 11th, with the last game being the 25th (fan appreciation day).
Tonight should be fun though, being that's the Angels are giving away a mug to all fans in attendance tonight (at least I think it's all fans, not sure). It's also my first time seeing Chatwood pitch. Normally when I've gone this year, it's either Weaver, Haren, Santana, or Pinero that had been pitching. Seeing Chatwood pitch tonight, could be a good thing or a bad thing. Depends on what Chatwood you get. The one that shows promise of sticking around, or the one that's looking to fall in the footsteps of Pinero, and make his way out of the rotation.
Hitting wise, the team has a split personality (if it were a person). One game the team actually scores, and others, looks like they treat offense as if it were a foreign language. I've got my favorite players I follow, and players I wish weren't on the team (looking at Mathis here). Really don't think the Angels should have made that trade they did in the offseason. Napoli is putting up better all around numbers than Mathis, and it's not close.
Back to where I started off. After this game tonight, I will be going to the game on the 20th (Mercy Me is performing afterwards, game starts at 6), then going to the Yankees games on the 9th and 11th, with the last game being the 25th (fan appreciation day).
Videogame Price Drops
So today, Nintendo announced price drops on 4 of their games. The games are Super Paper Mario, Super Mario Galaxy, Mario Strikers Charged, and Punch-Out!!!. Not to feel left out of the price cut announcements, Sony decided to get involved in the price cutting business, and announced the 160gb Slim PS3 model will now set you back $249.99 (before tax) instead of $299.99 (before tax)
If I didn't already have a PS3, I'd be partially excited over the price drop. For what it's worth, I still think it's one of the best blu-ray player models out there, and the fact you can play games on it, that's still an added incentive to go out and get one.
The news of price drops on games (Nintendo) and hardware (Sony) doesn't really come as a surprise in my opinion, as based on what you've read recently, game sales across the board have been pretty much flat, at least that's what I have read elsewhere. I'm guessing Microsoft will now announce a price cut in the coming weeks, depending on how well the PS3 sells at it's new price point.
If I didn't already have a PS3, I'd be partially excited over the price drop. For what it's worth, I still think it's one of the best blu-ray player models out there, and the fact you can play games on it, that's still an added incentive to go out and get one.
The news of price drops on games (Nintendo) and hardware (Sony) doesn't really come as a surprise in my opinion, as based on what you've read recently, game sales across the board have been pretty much flat, at least that's what I have read elsewhere. I'm guessing Microsoft will now announce a price cut in the coming weeks, depending on how well the PS3 sells at it's new price point.
Saturday, August 13, 2011
More Movies in 2011
The other day, I was dealing with boredom, and after looking back upon the movies I've seen so far this summer, I went ahead and compiled a list of movies that I know about, in which I plan on seeing this year. If I do so, it would bring my total from 21 films seen in the past few months alone, to a total of 50. Here's my list:
One Day 8/19
Conan the Barbarian 8/19
Our Idiot Brother 8/26
Colombiana 9/2
Warrior 9/9
Johnny English Reborn 9/16
I Don't Know How She Does It 9/16
Moneyball 9/23
Killer Elite 9/23
What's Your Number 9/30
Dream House 9/30
Anonymous 9/30
Courageous 9/30
Real Steel 10/7
The Ides of March 10/7
The Three Musketeers 10/14
Trespass 10/14
In Time 10/28
Like Crazy 10/28
Tower Heist 11/4
Puss in Boots 11/4
A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas 11/4
Immortals 11/11
Jack and Jill 11/11
Happy Feet 2 11/18
The Muppets 11/23
Arthur Christmas 11/23
The Sitter 12/9
New Year's Eve 12/9
Sherlock Holmes 12/16
Mission Impossible IV 12/21
Those are just movies I know about, and my count is actually wrong. It'd bring my total to 51 if I see all of these. I probably can do it though. Don't really have anything else going that would prevent me from seeing the films. This upcoming Friday, I will more than likely see at the very least 2 movies, maybe 3, and I might even go and force myself to sit through 2 movies I'm not particularly happy about seeing, as I think they look like duds. Those movies being 30 minutes or less and Final Destination 5.
One Day 8/19
Conan the Barbarian 8/19
Our Idiot Brother 8/26
Colombiana 9/2
Warrior 9/9
Johnny English Reborn 9/16
I Don't Know How She Does It 9/16
Moneyball 9/23
Killer Elite 9/23
What's Your Number 9/30
Dream House 9/30
Anonymous 9/30
Courageous 9/30
Real Steel 10/7
The Ides of March 10/7
The Three Musketeers 10/14
Trespass 10/14
In Time 10/28
Like Crazy 10/28
Tower Heist 11/4
Puss in Boots 11/4
A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas 11/4
Immortals 11/11
Jack and Jill 11/11
Happy Feet 2 11/18
The Muppets 11/23
Arthur Christmas 11/23
The Sitter 12/9
New Year's Eve 12/9
Sherlock Holmes 12/16
Mission Impossible IV 12/21
Those are just movies I know about, and my count is actually wrong. It'd bring my total to 51 if I see all of these. I probably can do it though. Don't really have anything else going that would prevent me from seeing the films. This upcoming Friday, I will more than likely see at the very least 2 movies, maybe 3, and I might even go and force myself to sit through 2 movies I'm not particularly happy about seeing, as I think they look like duds. Those movies being 30 minutes or less and Final Destination 5.
Friday, August 12, 2011
Reflection (Last Weekend, and God)
Last weekend, I was blessed enough to be able to go on a camping trip with a college group that I am a part of (through my church). I can't begin to tell you enough how much the church I go to has impacted my life. It's incredible. The people that are a part of the college group (not just the ones that were there, but the ones that weren't there, but show up every Thursday for college group) are amazing people and friends.
During the weekend there, I had the opportunity to share testimony about my life, and it was at that moment, that I felt connected, and it was that weekend I really felt my bond with Christ and my church grow and strengthen. I shared aspects about my life, that I haven't shared with anyone else (in person at least). I needed to do it, and sure there are aspects I didn't share, such as really only have one grandparent that recognizes you. Two are living, but one is gone in his mind, and my last grandparent that's alive that recognizes me, for the last month, maybe two, I've felt something with her that I felt with my mom.
Speaking of my mom, there isn't a day that goes by where I don't miss her. She past away a day after my birthday 8 years ago. The struggles though, they were hard. I remember going to school (college) coming home, and sleeping downstairs on the carpet 5 days a week while my mom slept on the couch (only place that was comfortable enough for her, she couldn't handle a bed and she wore an oxygen tube thing in her nose for the last few months of her life.) She didn't let her cancer get her down to be honest. She tried fighting it. For the first time in her life, I got her to drink milk, because she always fought it. Didn't like it. I used to lift her up with just my arms, helping her to the bathroom, going with her to doctor alongside my father.
What haunts me to this day, well not really haunts me as in I'm scared, but haunts me as in I still think about it, is her last days. You could tell and sense she was slipping. I remember one night (few days before we took her to the hospital) she was sitting up on the bed (not the couch) and she was struggling to stay awake, but she kept saying for us to get the door because there was a cookie salesman and she wanted us to by some. Didn't make sense, but it felt like she was saying things from her childhood. When we took her into the hospital because she had bruises, I remember seeing her crying begging us not to take her, and her words "if you take me in to the hospital, I will die." Sure enough, a few days later (after my birthday) she passed away. Her fight with cancer lasted a few months. Well in terms of diagnosis learning she had it, lasted a few months. Seeing her there on her death bed afterwards, is also something that sticks with me. I've pretty much grown numb towards seeing other things in the hospital after seeing that.
Prior to finding the church I go to now, there had been days where I found myself wishing roles were reversed, where it had been myself and not her that was taken. There had been days where I wish I could be with her in Heaven, and there had been days where I just plain wanted to give up on life. There's been a void left, because well not having a women's presence in your life sucks, and more so her presence. It's because of her I love to write. Every year as a child growing up, she'd make my brothers and I write a letter to "Santa" and what we'd want for Christmas. My letters went from the typical one page to ten pages and more. She kept encouraging me, and more and more, I looked forward to it, only because I got to write.
The weird thing about my mom passing is that to this day, I've only cried maybe 2 to 3 times about it, and the first time didn't come until more than a year later and during an argument. In fact, the night she passed, when we had people come over, instead of crying, I wrote my first poem (a poem I've sense can't find). I kept too much things inside, and ultimately, I believe it led to my panic attack I had in my sleep in 2005. I had too much stuff kept in. It took me nearly two years to get over that incident.
Since going to my current church, I've really learned to accept and trust in the lord more so now than ever. Don't get me wrong, I've always believed in the lord for as long as I can remember, but I feel like it's only strengthened and grown from where it used to be as a result of where I'm at. Things happen for a reason. That I've always believed. Sure I may not have my mother anymore, may only have one grandparent, and sure other areas are a constant struggle, but I wouldn't be where I'm at today, if they didn't happen. It wasn't until my mom was facing her death, where she encouraged myself and my brothers and family to go to church. That was her only request when she was dieing. She wanted all of us to go to church. It took 7 years to fulfill her wish, as that's how long my father held out. I probably wouldn't have started going to church if she was alive today and healthy, because she was never a church going person, as I mentioned it was only until she was facing her death that changed her, and she ultimately did accept and learn to know the lord while she was in the hospital. I know that because of a nurse that was with her. Nurse said my mom would pray for her (not the other way around) while in the hospital.
In conclusion, God is great and amazing, and truly works in mysterious ways. I wouldn't have met so many amazing people, or been a part of such an amazing group of people if it weren't for that. That much I believe.
During the weekend there, I had the opportunity to share testimony about my life, and it was at that moment, that I felt connected, and it was that weekend I really felt my bond with Christ and my church grow and strengthen. I shared aspects about my life, that I haven't shared with anyone else (in person at least). I needed to do it, and sure there are aspects I didn't share, such as really only have one grandparent that recognizes you. Two are living, but one is gone in his mind, and my last grandparent that's alive that recognizes me, for the last month, maybe two, I've felt something with her that I felt with my mom.
Speaking of my mom, there isn't a day that goes by where I don't miss her. She past away a day after my birthday 8 years ago. The struggles though, they were hard. I remember going to school (college) coming home, and sleeping downstairs on the carpet 5 days a week while my mom slept on the couch (only place that was comfortable enough for her, she couldn't handle a bed and she wore an oxygen tube thing in her nose for the last few months of her life.) She didn't let her cancer get her down to be honest. She tried fighting it. For the first time in her life, I got her to drink milk, because she always fought it. Didn't like it. I used to lift her up with just my arms, helping her to the bathroom, going with her to doctor alongside my father.
What haunts me to this day, well not really haunts me as in I'm scared, but haunts me as in I still think about it, is her last days. You could tell and sense she was slipping. I remember one night (few days before we took her to the hospital) she was sitting up on the bed (not the couch) and she was struggling to stay awake, but she kept saying for us to get the door because there was a cookie salesman and she wanted us to by some. Didn't make sense, but it felt like she was saying things from her childhood. When we took her into the hospital because she had bruises, I remember seeing her crying begging us not to take her, and her words "if you take me in to the hospital, I will die." Sure enough, a few days later (after my birthday) she passed away. Her fight with cancer lasted a few months. Well in terms of diagnosis learning she had it, lasted a few months. Seeing her there on her death bed afterwards, is also something that sticks with me. I've pretty much grown numb towards seeing other things in the hospital after seeing that.
Prior to finding the church I go to now, there had been days where I found myself wishing roles were reversed, where it had been myself and not her that was taken. There had been days where I wish I could be with her in Heaven, and there had been days where I just plain wanted to give up on life. There's been a void left, because well not having a women's presence in your life sucks, and more so her presence. It's because of her I love to write. Every year as a child growing up, she'd make my brothers and I write a letter to "Santa" and what we'd want for Christmas. My letters went from the typical one page to ten pages and more. She kept encouraging me, and more and more, I looked forward to it, only because I got to write.
The weird thing about my mom passing is that to this day, I've only cried maybe 2 to 3 times about it, and the first time didn't come until more than a year later and during an argument. In fact, the night she passed, when we had people come over, instead of crying, I wrote my first poem (a poem I've sense can't find). I kept too much things inside, and ultimately, I believe it led to my panic attack I had in my sleep in 2005. I had too much stuff kept in. It took me nearly two years to get over that incident.
Since going to my current church, I've really learned to accept and trust in the lord more so now than ever. Don't get me wrong, I've always believed in the lord for as long as I can remember, but I feel like it's only strengthened and grown from where it used to be as a result of where I'm at. Things happen for a reason. That I've always believed. Sure I may not have my mother anymore, may only have one grandparent, and sure other areas are a constant struggle, but I wouldn't be where I'm at today, if they didn't happen. It wasn't until my mom was facing her death, where she encouraged myself and my brothers and family to go to church. That was her only request when she was dieing. She wanted all of us to go to church. It took 7 years to fulfill her wish, as that's how long my father held out. I probably wouldn't have started going to church if she was alive today and healthy, because she was never a church going person, as I mentioned it was only until she was facing her death that changed her, and she ultimately did accept and learn to know the lord while she was in the hospital. I know that because of a nurse that was with her. Nurse said my mom would pray for her (not the other way around) while in the hospital.
In conclusion, God is great and amazing, and truly works in mysterious ways. I wouldn't have met so many amazing people, or been a part of such an amazing group of people if it weren't for that. That much I believe.
Summer of 2011=Summer of Movies
Well for myself that is. I've been to the movies so many times this summer, AMC Theatres might have to start charging me rent or something along those lines. Actually though, I've been going to a lot of movies this summer, because it's one of my few escapes at the moment, and I've had a love for movies for the longest time, only more recently (as in the past few years) has that love for movies really grown.
In the past, my taste in movies pretty much stopped at the latest blockbuster's, but as I've grown older, I've learned to pretty much appreciate every genre of movies aside from horror flicks. I've just never cared for that genre. I've always liked watching films most guys would probably get teased about (chick flicks, sappy love stories, etc.) and usually, I wind up watching them alone. I tend to do a lot of things alone, but that's a whole different story.
Back to where I was going, my deepening love for movies really took off a few years ago, when I went to my first Best Picture Showcase at AMC Theatres. I've gone now for the last 4 years. It's such a great experience, and it is so much fun. Originally when I first went, the rules for that category were 5 films were nominated, so we saw all 5. Then the Academy changed it to 10 films, so one weekend was spent watching the first batch of 5, then the remaining 5 the week after that. You see the films in one day. It's a marathon, but a fun one in that. Every year, they give you new lanyards. I've got about 5, and this past year, they gave us movie posters (still have 2)
Now as far as movies for this summer goes, I've seen 21 different movies, and out of those 21 movies, have seen 2 twice. Here is my list of movies, along with my short brief take on the movies:
Thor (First comic book movie of the summer I saw, and I actually enjoyed this one, a tad bit more than Captain America. The cast in my opinion, was just a tad bit better than Captain America, but both movies in their own right were good comic book movies.)
Pirates 4 (Only saw this one once unfortunately, but this one was a lot better than the last one imo, and it has Johnny Depp in it, and there's not much more to say with regards to that.)
The Hangover II (Not going to lie. I thought this one was funny, but the more and more I think back on it, the more disappointed I get with it. The plot was exactly the same as the first one, just replace certain actors with new ones, and it's almost like a television show recasting. Is it worth getting when it comes out on Blu-ray/DVD? Yeah, but still I felt disappointed none the less. Supposedly a third one is on it's way, I can only hope that they make it as unique and different as the first one.)
X-Men First Class (This one, was one of my more pleasant surprises of the year. I literally went in with the attitude of why in the world did they do an origins movie. I felt like it was completely unnecessary, and they should have done a sequel instead. Coming out however, I couldn't have been more wrong. Not only was this film really enjoyable, but it also was hands down in my opinion the best comic book movie of the Summer.)
Green Lantern (Seen this one twice, second time only because I had a free ticket. Still as much of a let down as the first time)
Mr. Popper's Penguins (Jim Carrey flick. Really worth it, if your a fan, even if your not a fan of his, I recommend this one)
Bad Teacher (Hilarious movie, along the same lines of The Hangover)
Cars 2 (Better than I thought it'd be, still one of Pixar's more weaker films)
Transformers The Dark of the Moon (Seen it twice. Want to see it a third time at the very least, before it's out of theaters)
Larry Crowne (This was better then it's performed in the box office. Only complaint about this film is the ending. Seemed kind of rushed. Could have been better)
Horrible Bosses (Another comedy along the lines of Bad Teacher and The Hangover.)
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 (My first midnight showing. Was worth it, and then some. Managed to write 5 paragraphs in something I'm trying to write, or at least fool around with, prior to the start. Saw a guy dressed up as Batman, and had a bunch of cosplayers hit up the auditorium prior to the start.
Captain America (Good comic book movie. I place it in a tie with Thor for second best comic book movie this summer, behind X-Men First Class. Stay for the ending if you see it, well worth it)
Friends With Benefits (This movie has a similar storyline setup to No Strings Attached, only it's better, and by better, I mean a lot better. Really worth seeing if your in the mood for some laughs)
Cowboys & Aliens (Harrison Ford, Daniel Craig, and the increasingly popular Olivia Wilde makes this a really good film right? You'll be disappointed if you went in with really high expectations. If you take it for what it is, then you'll enjoy yourself, but if you stop to think how silly the premise of the movie is, then that's where you'll feel disappointed. In a way almost feels like this year's version of Skyline, but that's not really doing this film justice.)
Crazy, Stupid, Love (When it comes to movies starring Steve Carrell, I find it to be either a hit or miss. I don't find him to be that funny. More annoying funny perhaps. I think he tries to hard, but this movie was really well done. I really found myself to enjoy this one. Julianne Moore, is such an incredible actress, then you add in Emma Stone, and Ryan Gosling, and you won't be disappointed with this one.)
The Smurfs (I saw this one mainly for nostalgia reasons alone. Having said that, this movie was ok. Sort of leaves you with an Alvin and the Chipmunks feel to it (the first one, not the second, as the second really sucked.) My real gripes with this film are the voice acting (thought it could have been way better, and George Lopez as Grouchy Smurf, along with Katy Perry as Smurfette could and should have been cast better, along with Papa Smurf) and the writers really didn't try to come up with a good character for Neil PATRICK Harris (middle name is capitalized for a reason)
The Change-Up (This comedy is up there with The Hangover, Friends with Benefits, and Horrible Bosses, in terms of raunchiness. Having said that, I rank this movie up there on the comedy schedule. If you are a fan of either Ryan Reynolds and the other guy for which I'm am too lazy to go look up, you won't be disappointed with this film, at all. Easily Ryan Reynolds best film of the summer
Rise of the Planet of the Apes (If you compare this with Mark Whalberg's version of the Planet of the Apes, you will realize that this one is by far much, much better than that one, and question yourself why on earth didn't they do something like this to begin with. James Franco was really good in this movie, and probably my second fav. film with him in it (first one being 27 hours, if you haven't seen that, rent it or buy it, you'll like it) I actually found myself feeling connected to the Apes as the film progressed. Really well done.
Zookeeper (This movie I liked less than Mr. Popper's Penguins. The comedy in this one for the most part was pretty much hit or miss.)
The Help (I absolutely think this movie is the best movie I've seen so far this year. I really love it. It has such a good cast, and good story. I will be shocked if this movie isn't at the very least nominated for Best Picture. It's that good. I saw this first day it was released, and truth be told, I want to see it again. If you were standing in line deciding what movie to pick, and you could only pick one, I'd recommend this movie before you see any other film. It's really good, and enjoyable. Has it's funny parts, sad parts, and parts that just keep you hooked throughout the whole movie. You can really relate to the characters in this film, I myself liked Skeeter's character, but also found myself feeling sympathy towards Cecilia's character in the film. That's all I will say for now on this film, don't want to spoil anything.)
In the past, my taste in movies pretty much stopped at the latest blockbuster's, but as I've grown older, I've learned to pretty much appreciate every genre of movies aside from horror flicks. I've just never cared for that genre. I've always liked watching films most guys would probably get teased about (chick flicks, sappy love stories, etc.) and usually, I wind up watching them alone. I tend to do a lot of things alone, but that's a whole different story.
Back to where I was going, my deepening love for movies really took off a few years ago, when I went to my first Best Picture Showcase at AMC Theatres. I've gone now for the last 4 years. It's such a great experience, and it is so much fun. Originally when I first went, the rules for that category were 5 films were nominated, so we saw all 5. Then the Academy changed it to 10 films, so one weekend was spent watching the first batch of 5, then the remaining 5 the week after that. You see the films in one day. It's a marathon, but a fun one in that. Every year, they give you new lanyards. I've got about 5, and this past year, they gave us movie posters (still have 2)
Now as far as movies for this summer goes, I've seen 21 different movies, and out of those 21 movies, have seen 2 twice. Here is my list of movies, along with my short brief take on the movies:
Thor (First comic book movie of the summer I saw, and I actually enjoyed this one, a tad bit more than Captain America. The cast in my opinion, was just a tad bit better than Captain America, but both movies in their own right were good comic book movies.)
Pirates 4 (Only saw this one once unfortunately, but this one was a lot better than the last one imo, and it has Johnny Depp in it, and there's not much more to say with regards to that.)
The Hangover II (Not going to lie. I thought this one was funny, but the more and more I think back on it, the more disappointed I get with it. The plot was exactly the same as the first one, just replace certain actors with new ones, and it's almost like a television show recasting. Is it worth getting when it comes out on Blu-ray/DVD? Yeah, but still I felt disappointed none the less. Supposedly a third one is on it's way, I can only hope that they make it as unique and different as the first one.)
X-Men First Class (This one, was one of my more pleasant surprises of the year. I literally went in with the attitude of why in the world did they do an origins movie. I felt like it was completely unnecessary, and they should have done a sequel instead. Coming out however, I couldn't have been more wrong. Not only was this film really enjoyable, but it also was hands down in my opinion the best comic book movie of the Summer.)
Green Lantern (Seen this one twice, second time only because I had a free ticket. Still as much of a let down as the first time)
Mr. Popper's Penguins (Jim Carrey flick. Really worth it, if your a fan, even if your not a fan of his, I recommend this one)
Bad Teacher (Hilarious movie, along the same lines of The Hangover)
Cars 2 (Better than I thought it'd be, still one of Pixar's more weaker films)
Transformers The Dark of the Moon (Seen it twice. Want to see it a third time at the very least, before it's out of theaters)
Larry Crowne (This was better then it's performed in the box office. Only complaint about this film is the ending. Seemed kind of rushed. Could have been better)
Horrible Bosses (Another comedy along the lines of Bad Teacher and The Hangover.)
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 (My first midnight showing. Was worth it, and then some. Managed to write 5 paragraphs in something I'm trying to write, or at least fool around with, prior to the start. Saw a guy dressed up as Batman, and had a bunch of cosplayers hit up the auditorium prior to the start.
Captain America (Good comic book movie. I place it in a tie with Thor for second best comic book movie this summer, behind X-Men First Class. Stay for the ending if you see it, well worth it)
Friends With Benefits (This movie has a similar storyline setup to No Strings Attached, only it's better, and by better, I mean a lot better. Really worth seeing if your in the mood for some laughs)
Cowboys & Aliens (Harrison Ford, Daniel Craig, and the increasingly popular Olivia Wilde makes this a really good film right? You'll be disappointed if you went in with really high expectations. If you take it for what it is, then you'll enjoy yourself, but if you stop to think how silly the premise of the movie is, then that's where you'll feel disappointed. In a way almost feels like this year's version of Skyline, but that's not really doing this film justice.)
Crazy, Stupid, Love (When it comes to movies starring Steve Carrell, I find it to be either a hit or miss. I don't find him to be that funny. More annoying funny perhaps. I think he tries to hard, but this movie was really well done. I really found myself to enjoy this one. Julianne Moore, is such an incredible actress, then you add in Emma Stone, and Ryan Gosling, and you won't be disappointed with this one.)
The Smurfs (I saw this one mainly for nostalgia reasons alone. Having said that, this movie was ok. Sort of leaves you with an Alvin and the Chipmunks feel to it (the first one, not the second, as the second really sucked.) My real gripes with this film are the voice acting (thought it could have been way better, and George Lopez as Grouchy Smurf, along with Katy Perry as Smurfette could and should have been cast better, along with Papa Smurf) and the writers really didn't try to come up with a good character for Neil PATRICK Harris (middle name is capitalized for a reason)
The Change-Up (This comedy is up there with The Hangover, Friends with Benefits, and Horrible Bosses, in terms of raunchiness. Having said that, I rank this movie up there on the comedy schedule. If you are a fan of either Ryan Reynolds and the other guy for which I'm am too lazy to go look up, you won't be disappointed with this film, at all. Easily Ryan Reynolds best film of the summer
Rise of the Planet of the Apes (If you compare this with Mark Whalberg's version of the Planet of the Apes, you will realize that this one is by far much, much better than that one, and question yourself why on earth didn't they do something like this to begin with. James Franco was really good in this movie, and probably my second fav. film with him in it (first one being 27 hours, if you haven't seen that, rent it or buy it, you'll like it) I actually found myself feeling connected to the Apes as the film progressed. Really well done.
Zookeeper (This movie I liked less than Mr. Popper's Penguins. The comedy in this one for the most part was pretty much hit or miss.)
The Help (I absolutely think this movie is the best movie I've seen so far this year. I really love it. It has such a good cast, and good story. I will be shocked if this movie isn't at the very least nominated for Best Picture. It's that good. I saw this first day it was released, and truth be told, I want to see it again. If you were standing in line deciding what movie to pick, and you could only pick one, I'd recommend this movie before you see any other film. It's really good, and enjoyable. Has it's funny parts, sad parts, and parts that just keep you hooked throughout the whole movie. You can really relate to the characters in this film, I myself liked Skeeter's character, but also found myself feeling sympathy towards Cecilia's character in the film. That's all I will say for now on this film, don't want to spoil anything.)
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