The Chronicles of Narnia - ACE Train Movie Review

Four siblings - Edmund, Lucy, Peter, and Susan - are sent from their London home to the country estate of an eccentric professor in order to ensure their safety during World War II. The house is very dull, except for a large, ornate wardrobe discovered by young Lucy during a game of hide-and-seek. Venturing inside of it in the hopes of finding a hiding place, Lucy is transported to a snowy alternate universe: a magical world called Narnia. The land is populated by talking animals and ruled over by the benevolent lion god Aslan, but sadly, the world is also in a state of perpetual winter. The white witch Jadis, lustful for power and governed by narcissism, has cursed Narnia with a tyrannical decree that it will always be winter but never Christmas. Now, the children must fight alongside Aslan for the salvation of Narnia, but one of them, seduced by the charisma of the white witch, may choose to fight on the wrong side.

If I was in elementary school, I would have absolutely loved this film. The whole idea of a secret world accessible by walking through the back of a giant dresser is pretty cool. The visual effects and computer generated landscapes were first rate. The underlying messages about trust, teamwork, good vs. evil, tolerance, taking chances, leadership, etc. make it a must see for kids. On the down side, some of the dialog was cheezy and the acting could have been better - very amateurish. Overall though, it was a pretty good film and is worth a look.

Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: No
Starring: Georgie Henley, Skandar Keynes, William Moseley, Anna Popplewell, Tilda Swinton

I typically watch movies on Monday, Wednesday and Friday while riding the ACE Train from Tracy to Santa Clara. The opinions expressed are those of me, myself and I.

Capote - ACE Train Movie Review

In 1959, Truman Capote was a critically acclaimed novelist who had earned a small degree of celebrity for his work when he read a short newspaper item about a multiple murder in a small Kansas town. Capote had long believed that in the right hands, a true story could be molded into a tale as compelling as any fiction, and he believed this event could be just the right material. Capote traveled to Kansas and while his artsy and mannered personal style stuck out like a sore thumb, in time he gained the trust of the Kansas Bureau of Investigation agent investigating the murders and with his help, Capote's magazine piece grew into a full-length book. Capote also became familiar with the petty criminals turned killers, Dick Hickock and Perry Smith, and in Smith he found a troubling kindred spirit more like himself than he wanted to admit. After attaining a sort of friendship with Smith under the assumption that the man would be executed before the book was ever published, Capote finds himself forced to directly confront the moral implications of his actions with regards to both his role in the man's death, and the way that he would be remembered.

Wow, this movie was worthy of all the attention and award nominations it has received. It was so interesting that I would have kept watching if it was twice as long. I didn't know who Truman Capote was before this film, but I'm definitely interested in learning more about him. I'll read his book In Cold Blood shortly. Capote was a very original, fascinating and eccentric person and based on the footage of him included in the DVD special features, Philip Seymour Hoffman had his whole being down pat. It takes a second to get used to the way he speaks, but it just adds to his unconventional and whimsical personality. The story itself is mind-blowing and would never be allowed to take place in the present day since security is on high alert and I doubt a journalist would be allowed to have unlimited access to a convicted killer and be allowed to view the crime scene notes from the head of investigation. In any case, this film is a breath of fresh air - it's great to see some originality still exists, even if the film's namesake has been dead for 20+ years.

Rating: 4.5 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: Yes
Starring: Philip Seymour Hoffman, Catherine Keener, Clifton Collins, Jr., Chris Cooper

I typically watch movies on Monday, Wednesday and Friday while riding the ACE Train from Tracy to Santa Clara. The opinions expressed are those of me, myself and I.

Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit - ACE Train Movie Review

Wallace and Gromit have launched a new business venture just in time for a major gardening competition in their neighborhood of West Wallaby. "Anti-Pesto" is a humane pest-relocation service in which Wallace and Gromit capture rabbits and other critters who have been eating the produce from local gardens and give them new homes somewhere else. Business has been going well, and when the woman hosting the garden show, Lady Tottington discovers a massive rabbit has been making a mess of her garden, she calls in Wallace to stop the beast. Wallace is quite taken with Lady Tottington, but he's not the only one - Victor Quartermaine is a slick but arrogant upper-class type who wants to win Lady Tottington's hand, and is convinced he can do a better job capturing the rabbit than Wallace. However, Wallace and his faithful friend Gromit discover there's more to Quartermaine than he's letting on.

This won an Oscar for Best Animated Feature? Must have been a slow year - it was up against Corpse Bride and while neither were masterpieces, I enjoyed Corpse Bride a little more. I have never seen a Wallace & Gromit cartoon before, so I didn't know what to expect. It was very nicely animated and some parts were humorous, but it was very "British English" so I'm sure some of the more subtle jokes went over my head. For a movie that was rated G, there were a couple of jokes that seemed more adult - i.e Wallace holding up a cardboard box to cover his naked body and there's a sticker on the box that says "might contain nuts" - bollocks... Anyway, it's mostly light and fluffy, the story is probably best suited for kids and I'm glad it was less than 90 minutes long.

Rating: 2.5 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: No
Starring: Voices of Peter Sallis, Helena Bonham-Carter, Ralph Fiennes

I typically watch movies on Monday, Wednesday and Friday while riding the ACE Train from Tracy to Santa Clara. The opinions expressed are those of me, myself and I.

King Kong - Movie Review

In the early 1930's, Carl Denham is a daring filmmaker and adventurer who plans to film his next project aboard an ocean vessel en route to Skull Island, an uncharted island he discovered on a rare map. Needing a beautiful actress willing to take a risk, Denham finds Ann Darrow, a beautiful but down-on-her-luck vaudeville performer and offers her the role. Cautious but eager to work, Darrow takes the role, and on board the ship she strikes up a romance with Jack Driscoll, a respected playwright hired by Denham to write the script for his latest epic. When Denham and company arrive on Skull Island, the natives react with savage violence, but they happen to be the least of their worries. Skull Island is a sanctuary for prehistoric life, and ruling over the dinosaurs and other giant beasts is Kong, a twenty-five-foot-tall gorilla. The natives kidnap Darrow, giving her to Kong as an offering to appease the giant beast. Denham and his men set out to find her, with Driscoll bravely determined to save the woman he loves. Eventually, Driscoll finds Darrow and Denham outwits Kong, intending to take the giant ape back to New York for display. But Kong has bonded with Darrow, and his attraction to her proves to be his undoing.

Wow, this was a big film and it was great to watch it on my big screen with surround sound. It probably would have been a good one to see in the theater. I never saw any of the King Kong movies before, so I don't have anything to compare it to. I was a little skeptical in the beginning as I thought the actors were overacting a bit and I questioned Jack Black as one of the leads - he's just too goofy in my mind. However, it got progressively better as the film went on. The Skull Island landscape was pretty amazing and the creatures were wicked although when I saw the dinosaurs, I immediately thought of Jurrasic Park, so maybe it wasn't so original. King Kong was huge and worked well with the actors even though I'm sure they were working with a green screen most of the time. I actually grew to like the beast and really felt bad when he was being attacked. Overall, this won't go down as one of the classic epics (3 hours long, ugh), but I thought it was a very good movie and I came away satisfied that I didn't waste my time.

Rating: 4 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: No
Starring: Naomi Watts, Jack Black, Adrien Brody

I typically watch movies on Monday, Wednesday and Friday while riding the ACE Train from Tracy to Santa Clara. The opinions expressed are those of me, myself and I.

House of Sand and Fog - Movie Review

Massoud Amir Behrani is an Iranian immigrant living the United States. Even though he was a high-ranking official in Iran, he works several menial jobs in order to provide his wife and son, with an apartment in California. He buys a California bungalow, thinking he can fix it up, sell it again, and make enough money to send his son to college. However, the house is the legal property of former drug addict Kathy. After losing the house in an unfair legal dispute with the county, she is left with nowhere to go. Wanting her house back, she hires a lawyer and befriends a police officer. Neither Kathy nor Behrani have broken the law, so they find themselves involved in a difficult moral dilemma.

Once again, my expectations were greater than what the movie delivered. With the setting of a fog enveloped house, a bitter woman who felt betrayed by the county bureaucrats and a cop with questionable morals, I felt the table was set for some explosive drama. However, what I got was a relatively mellow story of a foreign family trying to adjust to life in a new land while locked in a battle over the ownership of their house, which is also their investment for the future. I kept waiting for the fireworks that never came and the ending left me unsatisfied. Apparently, I failed to appreciate the moral struggle, but I wanted some entertaining action.

Rating: 2.5 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: No
Starring: Jennifer Connelly, Ben Kingsley, Ron Eldard, Shohreh Aghdashloo

I typically watch movies on Monday, Wednesday and Friday while riding the ACE Train from Tracy to Santa Clara. The opinions expressed are those of me, myself and I.

Deception Point - Book Review

Deception Point is the novel Dan Brown wrote just prior to The Da Vinci Code. It opens with NASA personnel making a startling discovery. An ancient meteorite is found buried within an Arctic glacier. Samples taken from this meteorite show that there are fossils of some Isopod-like life forms inside it. Could this discovery prove that we are not alone in the universe? To answer that question, several civilian scientists are dispatched to the site in order to investigate the origin of the fossils and verify NASA's findings. Before any official announcement can be made, however, one of the scientists dies under mysterious circumstances. The remaining scientists quickly realize that all is not what it appears to be as they struggle to separate truth from deceit. The truth, they will learn, is the most shocking deception of all.

Since reading this, I have now read all four of Dan Brown's novels and this is my least favorite. Here's how I rated them:
- The Da Vinci Code (4.5)
- Angels & Demons (4)
- Digital Fortress (3)
- Deception Point (3)

Part of the reason I liked this novel the least is the fact that the topic was less interesting to me than the others - politics and NASA. There was a lot of talk about meteorites and very specific details about their composition - not exactly a page turner. Also, this novel seemed the least believable even though there was a note at the front that stated, "The Delta Force, the National Reconnaissance Office, and the space Frontier Foundation are real organizations. All technologies described in this novel exist." I find it hard to believe that a remote controlled flying object the size of a fly which is equipped with a wireless camera really exists.

The whole middle section of the book really dragged. It was set up nicely and quickly got to the action, but then it just sort of stopped and crept along for a bit until the last 100 pages which picked up the pace again with some great plot twists. The ending was OK - nothing groundbreaking or spectacular. I think at least 100 pages could have been cut out without losing anything critical to the plot. Hopefully his next novel, which stars Robert Langdon, will be as good as The Da Vinci Code and Angels & Demons.

Ever wonder what the proper titanium/zirconium ratio in the chondrules of a meteorite is? You can find that interesting tidbit and more in this book.


Rating: 3 of 5 stars
Would I read it again: No

Deception Point
by Dan Brown
Hardcover: 558 pages
2001

Stay - ACE Train Movie Review

Sam Foster is a psychiatrist living in New York City with his girlfriend, Lila Culpepper, who was once one of his patients. However, it's another one of his patients who becomes the focus of his obsessions when Henry Letham, a disturbed young man whom Foster took over from a colleague, announces during a session that he intends to commit suicide in three days, on his 21st birthday. Sam takes the threat quite seriously and tries to track down Henry, who seems to have disappeared. Sam speaks to a number of Henry's friends and acquaintances - his mother, the man he claimed was his father, a waitress who regularly served Henry at the coffee shop where she works, and his former therapist. As Sam talks to people in Henry's circle, he finds he's learning more about himself than the man he's supposed to save, and he begins to drift into an emotional netherworld where the supposedly dead and the living cross paths.

Crazy, confusing, thought provoking - those are just a few adjectives that come to mind after watching this film. The entire film was confusing and even after watching it through to the end, I'm still not sure I have it all figured out. The way that this film was shot was very original and the transition between scenes was extremely creative. I'll definitely have to watch it again since it was so packed with imagery and information that I'm sure I missed a bunch. A big reason I gave it a relatively good rating was really based on the fact that this film was just so artistic and innovative. I would recommend it if you're in the mood for a film that doesn't lay all the answers out for you, but instead relies on your own imagination.

Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: Yes
Starring: Ewan McGregor, Naomi Watts, Ryan Gosling, Janeane Garofalo

I typically watch movies on Monday, Wednesday and Friday while riding the ACE Train from Tracy to Santa Clara. The opinions expressed are those of me, myself and I.

Chicken Little - ACE Train Movie Review

Chicken Little is an earnest young fowl living in the town of Oakley Oaks who one day starts a panic when a falling acorn drops on his head, and he warns everyone that the sky has started to collapse. Chicken Little was wrong, of course, much to the embarrassment of his father, Buck Cluck, and now the young chicken is struggling to live down the incident. While his best friends Abby Mallard, Runt of the Litter, and Fish out of Water stand by him, the school's star athlete Foxy Loxy never passes up an opportunity to make fun of the diminutive chicken. As a result, Chicken Little tends to keep his more recent discoveries to himself, but what's a bird to do when he uncovers pseudo-scientific evidence that suggests the sky really is starting to fall, in large hexagonal chunks?

I'm sure this is a great movie for kids, but I'm reviewing it from an adult perspective. Unlike some other animated films (Shrek, Finding Nemo, Monsters, Inc.), there wasn't much here that adults could enjoy - i.e. masked adult humor. It was cute and used squeaky clean humor that's safe for kids of all ages. The plot was straightforward and relatively dull. It did have some good messages revolving around honesty, realistic expectations, stereotyping and encouragement; I suppose some adults could learn something from this. The bottom line - if you're going to watch it, don't waste your time unless you have a child present.

Rating: 2.5 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: No
Starring: Voices of Zach Braff, Steve Zahn, Joan Cusack, Adam West

I typically watch movies on Monday, Wednesday and Friday while riding the ACE Train from Tracy to Santa Clara. The opinions expressed are those of me, myself and I.

Monterey / Carmel Trip - March 25-26, 2006

Shawnna and I made plans for a trip to Monterey and Carmel on March 25-26 as it had been several months since we made it down there and we love to stroll through the quaint streets, look at the world-renowned art galleries and shop till we drop - all in the vicinity of the soothing ocean. Once down there, however, it struck me that our main purpose for visiting isn't really the things I mentioned above; no, the real reason we love to go is to eat at some of the best restaurants and indulge in fabulous food. With that realization, it was much easier to plan our days around which restaurants we wanted to try and weren't worried about all the other fluff ;-)

We drove down the morning of the 25th and were at our hotel by 11:30am. We stayed at the Monterey Beach Resort which is owned by Best Western. Our room was an ocean view room on the top floor which provided a great view of Monterey and the sound of crashing waves made it easy to fall asleep - but we're getting ahead of ourselves. After checking in, we headed over to Carmel to have lunch at Tutto Mondo Trattoria. We had eaten there before and obviously liked it enough to return. I ate the Lasagne Della Casa which is served with bolognese sauce and covered with cheese. Shawnna had the Pollo Alla Griglia Panini which is made up of a marinade grilled chicken breast, roasted garlic, fresh tomatoes and melted mozzarella. Both were excellent as expected and was a great start to the weekend.

Next, we poked around Carmel, working off lunch and looking at the shops and galleries. At 2pm we had reservations for a Carmel walking tour - Carmel Walks. Even though we have been to Carmel plenty of times, the tour sounded interesting and promised to provide an insight into some things we might not have known without a knowledgeable guide. The tour started at one of the hotels in Carmel-by-the-Sea and proceeded through much of the "downtown" area for 2 hours. There were about 10 people on the walk and 3 dogs. I'm not sure if it was because of the dogs, but a lot of the tour focused on everything that was dog friendly - hotels, restaurants, B&Bs, church... Not my idea of an enlightening experience, but I did learn some cool facts, walked through some "secret" passageways I didn't even know were there and got a great recommendation for the restaurant where we ate dinner - so, not a total wash.

After the tour, we continued walking around Carmel-by-the-Sea until dinner time. For dinner, we decided to go with the recommendation of the walking tour guide and eat at Grasing's. Grasing's is an award winning restaurant that serves "coastal cuisine" which just means they use fresh ingredients from California's coast. The atmosphere is intimate and elegant and the food is enticing and flavorful. We started with a Four-Onion Tart with grilled fennel sauce & balsamic glaze. I know, it doesn't sound good and I was leery at first, but it was so good that I ended up eating half instead of the bite I promised Shawnna. For the main course, I ate the Grilled "Painted Hills" New York Steak, with onion rings, roasted potatoes and sauteed spinach; Shawnna had the fish special which was Halibut Cheeks (yes, meat from the head of the fish) with white beans, roasted tomatoes, hickory smoked bacon, chantrelle mushrooms and spinach. For dessert, we shared the Strawberry and Rhubarb Cobbler with vanilla ice cream. Everything was excellent and highly recommended. It wasn't cheap, but well worth it. After stuffing our faces, we headed back to the hotel to watch a movie (Derailed) and get some rest.

On the 26th, we woke up, lounged around for a bit and then took a walk on the beach in front of the hotel. After cleaning up and getting the sand out of our shoes, we checked out and headed to Cannery Row for some more walking and shopping; the Tin Cannery is looking pretty abandoned with lots of empty store fronts. Next, we drove along the coast toward Pacific Grove to our destination for lunch - Fishwife.

The Fishwife is an award winning seafood restaurant that serves California cuisine with a Carribean flavor. This is a casual restaurant that serves good food at a reasonable price. I ate the Grilled Salmon Fillet with rice, black beans and garlic bread. Shawnna had the Grilled Fillet of Sole Garden Salad with garlic bread. The flavors in the food was subtle and subdued, but nonetheless pretty good. I think the highlight was the little old lady who apparently has worked there forever and walked around the restaurant talking to all of the customers and making sure everyone had what they needed.

After lunch, we decided to head back home. On the way, we stopped at the Gilroy outlets since we didn't get enough walking and shopping done in Monterey & Carmel. All-in-all, it was a great weekend and should tide us over until we feel the itch again (or get hungry :-)

Derailed - Movie Review

Charles Schine is an advertising executive who is happily married to Deana and has a young daughter. However, that begins to change when Charles meets Lucinda Harris on a commuter train. Lucinda, who is also married with a daughter, keeps bumping into Charles on the train, and they strike up a friendship that soon grows into something deeper. Eventually Charles and Lucinda fall into infidelity, but the consequences turn out to be greater than they imagined; Philippe Laroche is a dangerous criminal with a taste for violence who has learned about the affair. Laroche demands a substantial payment if he is to keep the word of Charles and Lucinda's relationship from their spouses, but they become convinced that Laroche is not to be trusted and that he may mean to do greater harm to their loved ones than simply telling them they've been unfaithful.

This wasn't a great suspense movie, but it wasn't horrible either. The plot included a few twists and turns that throw you off guard, but if you're paying attention, you should have the ending figured out about halfway through the movie. The acting was mostly pretty good, but I think Jennifer Aniston was disappointing. It might have been the fact that the main purpose of her role really just consisted of her looking hot, but her performance didn't leave an impression on me. However, Clive Owen and Vincent Cassel were excellent. Besides a few weak parts in the plot and questionable acting by Aniston, I would recommend watching it once.

Rating: 3 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: No
Starring: Clive Owen, Jennifer Aniston, Vincent Cassel, Melissa George

I typically watch movies on Monday, Wednesday and Friday while riding the ACE Train from Tracy to Santa Clara. The opinions expressed are those of me, myself and I.

Prime - Movie Review

Rafi Gardet is a woman in her mid-thirties who has recently gone through a messy divorce. Rafi has been seeing an analyst, Lisa Metzger, as she struggles to get back on her feet emotionally and look for new love. Rafi meets a man named David Bloomberg, and the two quickly hit it off, but Rafi isn't sure if she should pursue the relationship, since David is only 23 years old. After discussing the burgeoning romance during one of their weekly sessions, Lisa urges Rafi to take a plunge with David, and not be afraid to seek out the companionship she needs. However, there's something about David that Lisa doesn't know - he's her son. Rafi doesn't know that Lisa is David's mother, either, and both psychiatrist and patient are thrown for a loop when they learn the truth.

I watched this movie with low expectations since most romantic comedies are a little too cheesy for my taste. I was pleasantly surprised find this film had an original premise. It was light on corny, "romantic" moments and heavy on funny and awkward situations that made me laugh and squirm. The actors all seemed to work well together and had great chemistry on screen. The supporting characters really added to the "realness" of the film and weren't just filler. The best part was the ending - not the typical ending for a movie of this category.

Rating: 3 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: No
Starring: Meryl Streep, Uma Thurman, Bryan Greenberg

I typically watch movies on Monday, Wednesday and Friday while riding the ACE Train from Tracy to Santa Clara. The opinions expressed are those of me, myself and I.

A History of Violence - ACE Train Movie Review

Tom Stall lives a quiet life in a small Indiana town, running the local diner with his wife and raising their two children. But the quiet is shattered one day when a pair of criminals on the run from the police walk into his diner just before closing time, attack one of the customers and seem ready to kill several of the people inside. Tom takes control, grabbing a gun from one of the criminals and kills the invaders. Tom is immediately hailed as a hero by his employees and the community, but Tom seems less than comfortable with his new notoriety. Shortly thereafter, a man with severe facial scars, Carl Fogarty, sits down at the counter and begins addressing Tom as Joey, and begins asking him questions about the old days in Philadelphia. While Tom seems puzzled, Carl's actions suggest that the quiet man pouring coffee at the diner may have a dark and violent past he isn't eager to share with others - as well as some old scores that haven't been settled.

I was anxious to see this film since it was based on a comic book and it was nominated for a couple of Academy Awards and Golden Globes. However, after watching it, I failed to see what all the hoopla was about. It seemed like a pretty ordinary film to me. There were multiple killings, plenty of drama and a twist in the plot that has all been done before. Add to that the fact that there wasn't really an ending (copout or thought provoking? - you be the judge) and you get a movie that isn't that special - bummer. I'd rather watch Sin City again.

Rating: 2.5 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: No
Starring: Viggo Mortensen, Maria Bello, William Hurt, Ed Harris

I typically watch movies on Monday, Wednesday and Friday while riding the ACE Train from Tracy to Santa Clara. The opinions expressed are those of me, myself and I.

Good Night, and Good Luck - ACE Train Movie Review

In 1953, Edward R. Murrow was one of the best-known newsmen on television. Joseph McCarthy, a U.S. senator from Wisconsin, was generating controversy with his allegations that Communists had risen to positions of power and influence in America, and an Air Force pilot, Milo Radulovich, has been kicked out of the service due to McCarthy's charges that he was a Communist agent. However, Radulovich had been dismissed without a formal hearing of the charges, and he protested that he was innocent of any wrongdoing. Murrow decided to do a story on Radulovich's case questioning the legitimacy of his dismissal. McCarthy responded by accusing Murrow of being a Communist, leading to a legendary news program in which both Murrow and McCarthy presented their sides of the story, which was seen by many as the first step toward McCarthy's downfall. Meanwhile, Murrow had to deal with CBS head William Paley, who was supportive of Murrow but extremely wary of his controversial positions.

This was a docudrama about events that took place way before my time. Therefore, I didn't have an immediate connection to the film and feel like I was re-living anything from my past. However, the film did a great job capturing what I would guess the 1950s would be like and the topic was compelling enough to keep my interest for the most part. Some of the themes in the film run parallel to events happening in the modern day - just substitute "Communist" with "Terrorist" and you can imagine the fear people felt and the political maneuvering that took place. But, today there is much more freedom in terms of what can be broadcast over the airwaves, probably thanks to people like Edward R. Murrow who pushed the boundaries from the beginning. Overall, I look at this film as a good history lesson, but not a great movie. By the way, did Philip Morris sponsor this film?

Rating: 3 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: No
Starring: David Strathairn, George Clooney, Robert Downey, Jr., Patricia Clarkson

I typically watch movies on Monday, Wednesday and Friday while riding the ACE Train from Tracy to Santa Clara. The opinions expressed are those of me, myself and I.

Digital Fortress - Book Review

This is Dan Brown's first novel (he wrote The Da Vinci Code among others) and is focused around Susan Fletcher, a brilliant mathematician and head of the National Security Agency's cryptography division, who finds herself faced with an unbreakable code resistant to brute-force attacks by the NSA's 3 million processor supercomputer. The code is written by Japanese cryptographer Ensei Tankado, a sacked employee of the NSA, who is displeased with the agency's intrusion into people's privacy. Tankado auctions the algorithm on his website, threatening that his accomplice, "NDAKOTA", will release the algorithm for free if he is killed. Tankado is found dead in Seville, Spain. Fletcher, along with her fiance, a skilled linguist with photographic memory, must find a solution to stop the spread of the code before it cripples US intelligence.

After having read The Da Vinci Code and Angels & Demons prior to reading this novel, I can definitely tell that Dan Brown has matured and improved as a writer. Being his first novel, it is much less polished than his more recent work. I suppose if I read them in order of release, I would have appreciated this one more, but since I had the brilliant, aforementioned books to compare it to, I was less impressed. Now don't get me wrong, this was still a good book, but just not up to par with the others.

Consistent with the other books, this one centers around a secret agency - in this case, the National Security Agency. The NSA is a real US government agency and is responsible for the collection and analysis of foreign communications and for the security of U.S. government communications against similar agencies elsewhere. Until recently, the US government didn't even acknowledge its existence, so reading this book makes you feel like an insider, even though I'm sure Dan Brown used quite a bit of artistic license. In any case, his descriptions are quite specific and vivid and makes you wonder if "big brother" is really capable of eavesdropping on virtually all of your communications. In other words, this book does a good job of exploring where the line between security and privacy should be drawn.

The plot itself is a bit over the top and unbelievable. It also relies on too many coincidences to keep everything from grinding to a halt. However, it's very fast paced and begs you to keep reading as the plot continually twists and turns. I found it hard to put down and finished it quickly. Now I feel compelled to start cracking some codes. See if you can crack this one:

EBWF'T IPPFZ JT NZTUFSJPVT BOE HPPGZ

(Hint: this is a simple substitution cipher - i.e. each letter directly corresponds to another letter in the alphabet)
(Solution: Try substituting each letter with the letter that precedes it in the alphabet)


Rating: 3 of 5 stars
Would I read it again: No

Digital Fortress
by Dan Brown
Paperback: 373 pages
1998

Rent - ACE Train Movie Review

This film adaptation of the Broadway musical follows a year in the lives of seven friends living the disappearing Bohemian lifestyle in New York's East Village. AIDS and both its physical and emotional complications pervade the lives of Roger, Mimi, Tom, and Angel; Maureen deals with her chronic infidelity through performance art; her partner, Joanne, wonders if their relationship is worth the trouble; Benjamin has sold out his Bohemian ideals in exchange for a hefty income and is on the outs with his former friends; and Mark, an aspiring filmmaker, feels like an outsider to life in general, always behind the camera recording the events but never playing a part.

I haven't seen very many musicals, so I can't make a fair comparison to others. That being said, as a movie, I found it to be very enjoyable. The music performances were entertaining, the actors were top notch and the story that was told was pretty intense. Some of the topics included homosexuality, AIDS, socioeconomic struggles between the classes and infidelity. Even with all of those seemingly glum topics, the movie as a whole was upbeat and inspirational. The overall message was to not dwell on the negative, but focus on the positive and live life to the fullest. After having seen the film, I wouldn't mind checking out the live musical as I've been walking around with the songs running through my head - catchy little buggers. On the bright side, I can add to my useless set of knowledge since I'll never forget how many minutes there are in a year...

Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: Yes
Starring: Anthony Rapp, Adam Pascal, Rosario Dawson, Jesse L. Martin, Wilson Jermaine Heredia, Idina Menzel, Tracie Thoms, Taye Diggs

I typically watch movies on Monday, Wednesday and Friday while riding the ACE Train from Tracy to Santa Clara. The opinions expressed are those of me, myself and I.

The Ice Harvest - Movie Review

Vic Cavanaugh and Charlie Arglist are a pair of friends who work for Bill Gerard, a mobster with his finger in a number of illegal businesses. Vic runs a pornography distribution outfit for Bill, while Charlie is a lawyer who keeps Bill and his partners out of jail, and between them, Vic and Charlie have stolen over two million dollars in cash from Bill. On Christmas Eve, Vic and Charlie plan to make off with their money and escape Bill's clutches once and for all, but while Vic stays cool and collected, an increasingly nervous Charlie stops off at a topless bar to fortify his courage with a few drinks, and ends up causing a scene with a dancer he's long had his eye on. It doesn't take long for word about Charlie to get back to Bill, who sends an enforcer out to track him down, but while Charlie tries to make tracks, he ends up having to look after his friend Pete, who is much more drunk than Charlie and even more inclined to make a nuisance of himself.

This film is listed as a "Comedy Drama", but there wasn't much that was funny (funniest line, "Ho f@#&in' ho"). In fact, it was more depressing than anything watching most of the characters stumble through the movie drunk, demoralized and despondent with a few lame jokes thrown in. The movie seemed to zip through (or skip) seemingly important background information about the characters in order to concentrate on boring conversations at restaurants and strip clubs. Then they would throw in awkward scenes (Christmas Eve dinner with Charlie's ex-wife and her family) that I suppose was an attempt to show how disfunctional most of the characters lives had become - we get it. Most of the plot twists could be seen coming from a mile away and the ending left a lot to be desired. The special features includes an alternate ending which has a flashback that shows the impetus for stealing the money and wraps the movie up nicer than the ending that was used. Overall, I didn't enjoy this big, gloomy pile of mush and was glad it was less than 90 minutes long.

Rating: 2 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: No
Starring: John Cusack, Billy Bob Thornton

I typically watch movies on Monday, Wednesday and Friday while riding the ACE Train from Tracy to Santa Clara. The opinions expressed are those of me, myself and I.

Yours, Mine & Ours - ACE Train Movie Review

Frank Beardsley is a naval officer who has been raising eight children on his own after the death of his wife, and while he loves his kids, he rules his household with military precision. Frank has been alone long enough that he decides it's time to start dating again, and he agrees to be set up on a blind date. On his date, he runs into Helen North, a girl he dated years ago when they were both in high school who, like Frank, lost her spouse not long ago. The old chemistry clicks anew for Helen and Frank, and he asks her to marry him. However, there's just a bit of a problem - Helen is caring for ten children of her own, six of whom were adopted, and her artistic temperament makes for a very different household than Frank and his kids are used to. Frank and Helen decide to give this grand experiment a try, but the 18 siblings don't get along at all well at first, until they decide to set aside their differences and unite against a common foe - their folks.

This is a silly movie that is really geared toward kids. It wasn't horrible, but it just wasn't my style. This film requires no brain function from the viewer - everything is laid out right in front of you. There are so many characters that it's impossible to learn much about them in a 90 minute film, so the focus is really around the crazy pranks that the kids pull and the effect that has on the parents. I would say that if you just want to sit down and veg for 90 minutes while being entertained by juvenile hijinks, check it out. This is a remake of a film from 1968 with the same name starring Henry Fonda and Lucille Ball - was a remake really necessary? Not in my opinion.

Rating: 2 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: No
Starring: Dennis Quaid, Rene Russo

I typically watch movies on Monday, Wednesday and Friday while riding the ACE Train from Tracy to Santa Clara. The opinions expressed are those of me, myself and I.

The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio - ACE Train Movie Review

Evelyn Ryan was a woman of intelligence and valor living in the small town of Defiance, OH, in the 1950s. Evelyn was married to Kelly Ryan, a man who gave her ten children but not much else; Kelly had a severe drinking problem, struggled to hold on to a job, and tended to spend his money as soon as he earned it. It was seemingly up to Evelyn to support the family, but with ten kids to look after, taking a job outside the home hardly seemed practical. But the resourceful Evelyn discovered a way to bring some extra money into the household - at a time when a number of companies held contests to find new advertising jingles for their products, Evelyn had a genius for coming up with slogans and winning contests, and for the better part of a decade Evelyn kept food on the table and a roof over her head by dreaming up jingles, tag lines, and ad headlines and winning contests with her handiwork.

This wasn't a great movie, but it was "cute". It was amusing to see what life was like back in the 1950's in terms of style and the latest consumer products. It was also a reminder of how far women have come with regards to their independence. The fact that this was based on a true story was the main reason it kept my interest - had it been fiction, my rating would have dropped by 1 star. The main draw is watching a stay-at-home mom single-handedly raise 10 kids by winning literary contests despite her alcoholic husband spending most of his earnings on booze. The fact that she stayed married to him until his death later in life was also a testament to the time period. Anyway, it's not a blockbuster, but is an interesting and remarkable story.

Rating: 2.5 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: No
Starring: Julianne Moore, Woody Harrelson

I typically watch movies on Monday, Wednesday and Friday while riding the ACE Train from Tracy to Santa Clara. The opinions expressed are those of me, myself and I.

Walk the Line - ACE Train Movie Review

Walk the Line tells the life story of country music legend Johnny Cash, focusing primarily on the long courtship he had with June Carter. The film touches on his childhood, relating a horrific early incident from his life and establishing the troubled relationship he would have with his father. Cash joins the military and during his time in the armed services, he begins writing songs and romances a hometown girl. After the end of his duty he settles down and attempts to begin a music career. Cash auditions for Sam Phillips, signs to Sun Records, and finds himself on tour with future legends including Elvis Presley and Jerry Lee Lewis. On this tour he meets June Carter and they take a liking to each other although she refuses any serious advances from him. Cash gains world wide fame thanks in part to the inspiration he gets from June, but eventually his marriage crumbles and he develops a serious drug addiction.

This was a great film. Everything that can be said about "Ray" can be said about this film as well (I watched "Ray" pre-blog, so there's no entry for that film). Joaquin Phoenix became Johnny Cash - looked and acted just like him. But most amazingly, Joaquin Phoenix sang all of the songs used in the film himself - that's right, no lip-syncing. Reese Witherspoon did the same thing - sang everything herself, and won an Academy Award for her effort. Johnny Cash led a very eventful life which translated into an engrossing film that could have lasted longer and still held my interest. My only complaint is that the bonus material on the DVD didn't include any archive footage of Johnny Cash. It would have been fun to see actual footage of some of the big events that were recreated in the movie. But, that's just a small gripe and shouldn't overshadow a fantastic film that deserved all of the awards and nominations it received - I will definitely watch it again.

Rating: 4 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: Yes
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Reese Witherspoon

I typically watch movies on Monday, Wednesday and Friday while riding the ACE Train from Tracy to Santa Clara. The opinions expressed are those of me, myself and I.

Jarhead - Movie Review

Anthony Swofford decides to join the Marines, just like his father and his father before him, and signs on just in time to be sent to Iraq to fight in the Gulf War in 1991. After experiencing the rigors of boot camp, Swofford and his pal Troy are trained to be snipers and the two land in the middle of a desert where they're up against an enemy they can't always see under a blazing sun with hours of boredom punctuated by moments of sheer terror. Swofford, Troy, and their fellow soldiers rely on the wits, their sense of humor, and their friendship of their brothers in arms to deal with a situation that doesn't much resemble what they saw on television at home.

The entire time I was watching this film, I was waiting for something to happen - it never did. I thought this was going to be a movie about war and that there would be lots of gunfire and explosions - I was wrong. I suppose this movie was a closer representation of what most soldiers experience during a war - training, waiting and being bored. Of course, that makes for a boring film which is what it turned out to be.

Rating: 2.5 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: No
Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Peter Sarsgaard, Jamie Foxx

I typically watch movies on Monday, Wednesday and Friday while riding the ACE Train from Tracy to Santa Clara. The opinions expressed are those of me, myself and I.

Overview of My First 125 Movie Reviews

Below is a collected list of my first 125 movie reviews (in order of best to worst). The first column is my rating (out of 5). The second column is my answer to "Would I watch it again?" The third column is the name of the movie with a link to my original post.

4.5 - Yes - Hotel Rwanda
4.5 - Yes - Sin City
4.5 - Yes - The Aviator
4.5 - Yes - March of the Penguins
4.5 - Yes - Million Dollar Baby
4.5 - Yes - Cinderella Man
4 - Yes - The Jacket
4 - Yes - Saw II
4 - Yes - Oldboy
4 - Yes - Coach Carter
4 - Yes - Crash
4 - Yes - 11:14
4 - Yes - Stephen Hawking's Universe
4 - Yes - Murderball
4 - Yes - Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room
4 - Yes - Murder on a Sunday Morning
4 - Yes - Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil
4 - Yes - Hoop Dreams
4 - Yes - Hide and Seek
4 - Yes - Miracle
4 - Yes - South Park: The Passion of the Jew
4 - No - The Constant Gardener
4 - No - The Island
4 - No - Ladder 49
4 - No - Stevie
3.5 - Yes - The Machinist
3.5 - Yes - Eternal Sunshine of the spotless Mind
3.5 - Yes - Taking Lives
3.5 - Yes - A Lot Like Love
3.5 - Yes - Matchstick Men
3.5 - No - Kinsey
3.5 - No - Guess Who
3.5 - No - Madagascar
3.5 - No - Batman Begins
3.5 - No - Lords of Dogtown
3.5 - No - North Country
3.5 - No - Bridget Jones Diary
3.5 - No - Assault on Precinct 13
3.5 - No - Troy
3.5 - No - Hostage
3.5 - No - Cellular
3 - Yes - Constantine
3 - Yes - The Ring Two
3 - Yes - The Motorcycle Diaries
3 - No - Ocean's Twelve
3 - No - Friday Night Lights
3 - No - Seabiscuit
3 - No - Mr. & Mrs. Smith
3 - No - Grizzly Man
3 - No - Melinda and Melinda
3 - No - Without a Paddle
3 - No - War of the Worlds
3 - No - Final Destination
3 - No - Wedding Crashers
3 - No - Hustle & Flow
3 - No - The Interpreter
3 - No - Four Brothers
3 - No - Two For The Money
3 - No - The Horse Whisperer
3 - No - Fantastic Four
3 - No - Pirates of Silicon Valley
3 - No - Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
3 - No - After the Sunset
3 - No - The Polar Express
3 - No - Beyond the Sea
3 - No - Close Your Eyes
3 - No - Pride & Prejudice
3 - No - Flightplan
3 - No - Just Like Heaven
3 - No - Chocolat
3 - No - Grosse Pointe Blank
3 - No - Team America: World Police
3 - No - The Haunted Mansion
3 - No - School of Rock
3 - No - Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events
2.5 - No - Finding Neverland
2.5 - No - In Good Company
2.5 - No - Shall We Dance?
2.5 - No - Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason
2.5 - No - Monster-In-Law
2.5 - No - The Skeleton Key
2.5 - No - Corpse Bride
2.5 - No - Lord of War
2.5 - No - Devil's Playground
2.5 - No - Half Light
2.5 - No - Downfall
2.5 - No - The Longest Yard
2.5 - No - Spanglish
2.5 - No - Elizabethtown
2.5 - No - The 40-Year-Old Virgin
2.5 - No - Black Cloud
2.5 - No - Twisted
2.5 - No - Home on the Range
2.5 - No - The Upside of Anger
2.5 - No - The Passion of the Christ
2.5 - No - Wimbledon
2 - No - Dukes of Hazzard
2 - No - Sahara
2 - No - National Treasure
2 - No - Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
2 - No - Must Love Dogs
2 - No - Dark Water
2 - No - In Her Shoes
2 - No - Raising Helen
2 - No - Trauma
2 - No - Fever Pitch
2 - No - Monster's Ball
2 - No - Final Destination 2
2 - No - Havoc
2 - No - Win a Date With Tad Hamilton
2 - No - Christmas with the Kranks
2 - No - Alfie
2 - No - The Wedding Date
2 - No - Alexander
2 - No - Open Water
2 - No - Imaginary Heroes
2 - No - Waiting
2 - No - A Very Long Engagement
1.5 - No - The Weather Man
1.5 - No - The Pacifier
1.5 - No - The Cat in the Hat
1 - No - Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous
1 - No - Napoleon Dynamite
1 - No - Criminal
1 - No - The Cave

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - Movie Review

Harry Potter enters his fourth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Of course, Harry's wishes for an uneventful school year are almost immediately shattered when he is unexpectedly chosen, along with fellow student Cedric Diggory, as Hogwarts' representative in the Tri-Wizard Tournament, which awards whoever completes three magical tasks the most skillfully with a thousand-galleon purse and the admiration of the international wizard community. As difficult as it is to deal with his schoolwork, friendships, and the tournament at the same time, Harry doesn't realize that the most feared wizard in the world, Lord Voldemort, is anticipating the tournament, as well.

As with the other Harry Potter films, the make believe world that surrounds the characters is amazing. The quality and attention to detail makes it easy to accept this fantasy as reality so you can focus your attention on the story being told. In this case, the story is a little longer than necessary - 2.5 hours. It could have been shortened by at least 30 minutes and not lost anything necessary to the plot. It was also a little tough to believe that the "kids" in the movie were 14 years old when in fact they are over 16. I'm curious to see how the age gap will continue to play out in future Potter movies. All in all, this was the 4th movie in the series and probably the 4th best. Maybe I'm just getting bored with all things Potter.

Rating: 3 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: No
Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson

I typically watch movies on Monday, Wednesday and Friday while riding the ACE Train from Tracy to Santa Clara. The opinions expressed are those of me, myself and I.

The Weather Man - ACE Train Movie Review

Dave Spritz is a television weatherman on a high-profile Chicago news program. Professionally, Dave is doing just fine - he makes great money for a job that demands little effort, and he has a shot at an assignment with a network morning news and chat show. But Dave's personal life leaves a lot to be desired - his father, respected author Robert Spritz, is in failing health, he's divorced from his wife, Noreen, and his relationship with his children is tenuous at best, especially his overweight daughter, Shelly. If Dave is to land his new job, he'll have to move to New York City, and with his time in Chicago running short, he dedicates himself to trying to salvage his ties with his family before it's too late, though he discovers this is even harder than he imagines.

The forecast is booooring... If you like dull, boring and depressing movies, this one's for you. I kept waiting for something funny, stimulating or interesting to happen, but it never came. This is definitely one of Nicolas Cage's worst movies. From beginning to end, nothing really happened - at least nothing that kept my interest. The mood was dreary and colorless the entire time. I actually felt tired after watching it. Save your time with this one.

Rating: 1.5 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: No
Starring: Nicolas Cage, Michael Caine

I typically watch movies on Monday, Wednesday and Friday while riding the ACE Train from Tracy to Santa Clara. The opinions expressed are those of me, myself and I.

Pride & Prejudice - ACE Train Movie Review

The Bennetts are the parents of five daughters near the close of the 18th century. Comfortable within their means but well short of rich, Mr. and Mrs. Bennett are looking for suitable husbands for their girls, and they are encouraged to learn that an eligible young bachelor from a wealthy family, Charles Bingley, has moved into a nearby estate. Eager to see if a match can be made, the Bennetts bring their daughters Elizabeth and Jane to a ball thrown by their new neighbor to see if sparks will fly. Jane seems to like Charles, and he appears to feel the same, but Elizabeth takes an immediate dislike to Darcy, Charles' egocentric best friend. While Elizabeth is infatuated with military man Lt. Wickham and finds herself courted by William Collins, a well-meaning but drab man of the cloth, fate causes Elizabeth and Darcy to frequently cross paths, and while they don't care for one another, they can't stop thinking about each other, either.

Obviously, this was Shawnna's choice to watch, not mine. It is definitely a chick flick and shouldn't be watched without a woman present :-) There is not much action and the ending can be predicted within the first 15 minutes. Mostly, this is a film about a bunch of women trying to catch the attention of rich men whom they hope will become their husbands. The drama revolves around the fact that the men have high status while the women are not well off, so there is a disparity in class that must be overcome. If you're a man, save your time, but women will probably like it.

Rating: 3 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: No
Starring: Keira Knightley, Matthew MacFadyen, Brenda Blethyn, Donald Sutherland, Judi Dench

I typically watch movies on Monday, Wednesday and Friday while riding the ACE Train from Tracy to Santa Clara. The opinions expressed are those of me, myself and I.

Devil's Playground - Movie Review

Although the Amish live in traditionally conservative enclaves, shunning modern conveniences and electricity while favoring a strict code of conduct and dress, they do have a moment in their lives known as "rumspringa." When an Amish child turns 16, they are allowed to interact with and take part in life away from their upbringing. This film follows a handful of teenagers as they break from their past and experiment with drinking, drugs, and driving (possibly for the only time in their lives).

I was really interested in seeing this documentary because I figured it would be like "Amish Go Wild" :-) In other words, I thought it would show the Amish kids going crazy while they were away from the farm and then make the tough decision whether or not to go back to the Amish life. They showed a few crazy scenes, but it was mostly pretty dull. Also, they didn't show enough of a follow up to say what happened to the kids that were in the spotlight during the film. Maybe they should have waited a few more years to release the movie so they could tell whether the kids stayed on the farm or decided to leave for the "English" life.

Rating: 2.5 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: No
Starring: A bunch of Amish kids

I typically watch movies on Monday, Wednesday and Friday while riding the ACE Train from Tracy to Santa Clara. The opinions expressed are those of me, myself and I.

Stockton Thunder vs. Dayton Bombers - 3/4/06

March 4th was ACE Train night at the Stockton Thunder game and I won the tickets on the train by answering the question, "What is the 5 hole?" Any hockey fan would know the answer and I was the quickest one on the train to answer. The new Stockton Arena was very nice, but there doesn't seem to be enough parking. We parked in the garage next to the arena and they closed it a few cars after we got in because it was full - and we were 20 minutes early. The arena holds about 10,000 and was about 1,500 from capacity.

The quality of hockey was about what you would expect from the ECHL - the minor, minor league. It wasn't horrible, but noticeably slower with sloppier passing. The crowd was pretty well into the game and cheered when the Thunder scored, but the loudest cheers were saved for the "Chuck-A-Puck" game during the intermission - you could buy a plastic puck for $1 and try to hit the target on the ice during intermission to win cash. Anyway, Shawnna and I had a good time, but I don't think we'll be buying season tickets anytime soon. Although, the Thunder won for the first time at home in about 3 months, so we might be good luck :-)

Score: W 5-2
1st Period
Stockton - Havern (Lalonde; Metcalfe)
Dayton - Teplitsky (unassisted)
2nd Period
Stockton - Ziedins (Stork; Irwin)
Stockton - Ziedins (PP) (Irwin; Martz)
Stockton - Foster (PP) (Irwin; Martz)
3rd Period
Stockton - Havern (Gardner; Ziedins)
Dayton - Kelly 10 (Teplitsky; Tennant)

Stockton SOG: 36
Dayton SOG: 40
Winning Goalie: Jake Moreland
Losing Goalie: David Currie

Tickets: Section 210 Row 25

Mt. Shasta Skiing - March 1-2, 2006

Dan and I drove up to Dad's house in Cottonwood to hang out and go skiing at Mt. Shasta which is just over an hour drive from his house. The mountain got about 6 inches of snow the day before our first day of skiing - March 1st. Dan, Dad, Tisha and I drove to the ski park and were on the slopes by 9:45am. After the nice snowfall, it was a great day for skiing on fresh powder. The temp was in the mid 30s and it was a bit overcast, but the great snow made up for the semi-crummy weather. We made the first run down an easy hill to get our ski legs ready and Dan took the first (and only) spill of the day while standing still :-) After digging him out of the huge snow cave he made, we continued to make 18 runs down the mountain until 4pm when it was time to leave for the day.


That night, it snowed 12 more inches, so the following day (March 2nd) was looking to be another great powder day. Dad and Tisha were too tired (out of shape :) to ski for a second day in a row, so Dan and I hit the slopes by ourselves. We made our first run at 9:30am and continued skiing for another full day. The weather was a bit colder (low 30s) and more overcast than the previous day, but the powder was awesome and made it worth adding an extra layer of clothing to stay warm. Without the old folks to slow us down, we made 23 runs down the mountain until closing time of 4pm. Then it was time to go back home and get some much needed R&R. What a blast...!

Bon Jovi in Concert - Feb. 27, 2006

On Monday, Feb. 27th, Shawnna and I went to the Bon Jovi concert with Dan and Kelley at the HP Pavilion in San Jose. We met for dinner at the Spaghetti Factory prior to the show and the headed to the arena for some 80s rock.

Shawnna and I sat in section 201, row 9 and Dan & Kelley sat on the floor seats, 4 rows from the stage. The stage setup was typical for the HP Pavilion - on one end of the arena with all of the fans in front of the stage and black drapes down the back. The unique part was the giant screen behind the stage that moved around (tilted forward, backward and moved up and down) throughout the set.


The performance itself was pretty good, but not great. Of course, the fact that it was a Monday night and I was sitting in the second deck probably had an effect on my opinion. The crowd was fairly into it and seemed to know the lyrics to most of the popular songs. I wasn't impressed with the acoustic songs they sang as they were too sappy and were obviously geared toward the female persuasion. I also didn't know some of the songs they played from their new album. However, they played most of their greatest hits which were high energy and kept my attention. I must say that Bon Jovi can still rock - for a bunch of 40 year olds ;-)


SET LIST
LAST MAN STANDING
YOU GIVE LOVE A BAD NAME
COMPLICATED
BORN TO BE MY BABY
STORY OF MY LIFE
I'LL SLEEP WHEN I'M DEAD JUST OLDER
IN THESE ARMS
I WON'T BACK DOWN (as intro to...)
HAVE A NICE DAY
WHO SAYS YOU CAN'T GO HOME
IT'S MY LIFE
I'LL BE THERE FOR YOU (acoustic)
BLAZE OF GLORY (acoustic)
BED OF ROSES (acoustic)
BAD MEDICINE
RAISE YOUR HANDS
LIVIN' ON A PRAYER

encores:
WELCOME TO WHEREVER YOU ARE
EVERYDAY
BLOOD ON BLOOD
WANTED DEAD OR ALIVE

North Country - Movie Review

In the late '70s, Josey Aimes was a single mother after the unhappy breakup of her marriage, and she needed to find a way to support her children. Aimes returned to her hometown in Minnesota and followed the lead of her old friend Glory, who had bucked tradition and found a job in the iron mines that had long provided employment for much of the male community who were uncomfortable working with women (whose right to work in the mines had been mandated by law), and didn't care to show them much respect. However, as Aimes found herself the growing target of sexist jokes and behavior, she found that many of her female co-workers were reluctant to stand beside her, afraid of losing a good-paying job at a time when they were increasingly hard to find. But as a small crisis became a war of words, Aimes became the center of a nationwide controversy when she filed a sexual harassment suit against the mine owners which put her and her family in a position of scrutiny she never expected.

This was an eye opening film based on true events. While this movie was focused on sexual harassment in the mining industry, it could have taken place in any industry that is typically dominated by men. The scary part is that the real events depicted in the film took place very recently - the 1980s and 90s. The movie did a good job of setting the scene and making you feel the emotions that the women felt while dealing with harassment at the hands of resentful men in the mines. The sub-plots of the relationships Charlize Theron's character had with her father and son added even more depth to an already emotionally charged plot. Definitely not a feel good film, but a story that needs to be told as I'm sure there are still plenty of situations like this still going on.

Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: No
Starring: Charlize Theron, Frances McDormand, Sissy Spacek, Woody Harrelson

I typically watch movies on Monday, Wednesday and Friday while riding the ACE Train from Tracy to Santa Clara. The opinions expressed are those of me, myself and I.

In Her Shoes - ACE Train Movie Review

Free-wheeling and irresponsible Maggie Feller gets through her life thanks to her remarkable looks and her straight-laced, plain-Jane successful lawyer sister Rose, whom she relies on for financial support. The two sisters have been very close to each other in part because their troubled mother died when they were girls. However, Maggie does something to betray Rose's trust and sets off for Florida to find her estranged grandmother. A failed workplace romance forces Rose to rethink her career, a career that has been the center of her life. As Rose tentatively begins a new relationship and Maggie gets to know her grandmother, the two learn a dark family secret that helps smooth the path toward reconciliation.

Another chick flick... This film was slow to start, lethargic in the middle and crawled to the end. The characters seemed to be interesting enough to result in an engaging and amusing plot. However, the intriguing characters were wasted in a meandering plot that touched on potentially explosive scenes, but never fully followed through. The result was a blah movie that won't last long in my memory. For a film that was more than two hours, I felt unsatisfied at the end and thought that I had just wasted 2+ hours on a movie that should have been 45 minutes shorter.

Rating: 2 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: No
Starring: Cameron Diaz, Toni Collette, Shirley Maclaine

I typically watch movies on Monday, Wednesday and Friday while riding the ACE Train from Tracy to Santa Clara. The opinions expressed are those of me, myself and I.

Just Like Heaven - ACE Train Movie Review

When David rents his new apartment, the last thing he wants is company. Then Elizabeth shows up, insisting the apartment is hers. He's convinced she's a ghost, she's convinced she's still alive. As they search for the truth of Elizabeth's past, their relationship changes from resentment to romance.

This is a great movie for a 13 year old girl. It's a super sweet love story that is completely predictable from beginning to end. Reese Witherspoon is as wholesome as ever and Mark Ruffalo does a good job playing a guy who is in love with a ghost (and not seeming too crazy). The relationship and chemistry between the two create some very funny scenes, but it gets a little old and I just wished they would get to the ending I could see coming from a mile away. Unless you're a prepubescent girl, don't waste your time - although Shawnna liked it and thought it was cute, hence my average rating.

Rating: 3 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: No
Starring: Reese Witherspoon, Mark Ruffalo

I typically watch movies on Monday, Wednesday and Friday while riding the ACE Train from Tracy to Santa Clara. The opinions expressed are those of me, myself and I.

After the Sunset - Movie Review

Max Burdett is a master jewel thief who, with the help of his accomplice and lover Lola Cirillo, has stolen two of the three Napoleon diamonds, among the most valuable gems on Earth. Stanley Lloyd is an FBI agent who has been on Burdett's trail for years and is especially eager to bring him to justice after a humiliating incident in which Max swiped one of the Napoleons out from under Stanley's nose. But word has it that Max and Lola have abandoned their lives of crime, and they've taken up residence on an idyllic island in the Bahamas. Lloyd is not convinced they're out of the game for good, and when he learns that the third Napoleon diamond will be on display aboard a cruise ship headed in Max's direction, Lloyd vows to catch Max and Lola red handed.

This film is not what I expected it to be which probably affected my rating. I expected to see a lot of action, explosions and intense dramatic standoffs. What I got was a comedy that was more silly than clever and very little intensity since you could predict the plot "twists" well before they happened. It wasn't all bad as there were some very funny scenes between Pierce Brosnan and Woody Harrelson. The fact that Salma Hayek spent most of the film in very little clothing also contributed to my enjoyment of the movie. Overall, it's worth watching once if you have nothing better to watch, but don't expect a great flick, just a good one.

Rating: 3 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: No
Starring: Pierce Brosnan, Salma Hayek, Woody Harrelson, Don Cheadle

I typically watch movies on Monday, Wednesday and Friday while riding the ACE Train from Tracy to Santa Clara. The opinions expressed are those of me, myself and I.

Waiting - Movie Review

Dean and Monty are two longtime friends who work as waiters as Shenanigan's, a "fun" chain restaurant. Both have been working at the restaurant since they graduated from high school; it's only recently occurred to Dean that he has nothing to show for the last four years of his life but a community college diploma and his name tag from work, and he's developed a sudden urgency to make something of himself. Monty, on the other hand, is more interested in making time with the women on the wait staff at work than accomplishing anything. Over the course of an evening at Shenanigan's, Dean and Monty confront obnoxious customers and train a timid new employee while dealing with the wildly eccentric chef , control-freak manager and a kitchen full of crazed cooks, prep workers and dish washers.

After working as a waiter throughout college, I was very interested in watching this comedy about life in a restaurant. My excitement was quickly diminished within the first 5 minutes as this film started off dumb and only got mildly funnier as it went on. I laughed at, and could relate to, a few of the scenarios which is the reason I gave it 2 stars instead of 1. Mostly, this is a complete waste of time to watch, even if you have worked in restaurants. The type of comedy in this movie is only funny if you're drunk, stoned and tired.

Rating: 2 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: No
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Justin Long, Luis Guzman

I typically watch movies on Monday, Wednesday and Friday while riding the ACE Train from Tracy to Santa Clara. The opinions expressed are those of me, myself and I.

Angels & Demons - Book Review

This is Dan Brown's first novel centering around his fictional character and Harvard symbiologist, Robert Langdon, the central character in "The Da Vinci Code." In this book, he tries to stop the Illuminati, a legendary secret society, from destroying the Vatican City with the newly-discovered power of antimatter.

CERN researcher, Leonardo Vetra, is found murdered in his secured, private quarters at the research facility. On his chest is branded a symbol — the word "Illuminati", formed as an ambigram. After researching the Internet, Director Max Kohler contacts Professor Langdon, an expert on the Illuminati who has written a book on the subject, and requests his assistance in uncovering the murderer.

What Langdon discovers at the murder scene frightens him: the symbol appears to be authentic, and the legendary secret society, long thought to be defunct, seems to have resurfaced. The Illuminati has also stolen CERN's supply of antimatter, the ultimate weapon, and has its sights on fulfilling a centuries-old dream: to destroy Vatican City. Time runs short as Langdon races around Rome to stop not only the Vatican's destruction, but to save the lives of four cardinals who have been kidnapped by a deadly assassin.

Similar to "The Da Vinci Code", this novel contains a kernel of truth as the basis of the story. One of the first pages states, "References to all works of art, tombs, tunnels, and architecture in Rome are entirely factual (as are their exact locations). They can still be seen today. The brotherhood of the Illuminati is also factual." Another similarity is that there are several puzzles that must be solved by Robert Langdon throughout the book that are amazingly well thought out.

This is a relatively technical book that attempts to bridge the gap between science and religion. Talk of antimatter, particle accelerators and magnetic fields are mixed in between talk of God, the holy conclave and theinner workingss of the Vatican. As crazy as the plot sounds, Dan Brown does an unbelievable job of writing in such a way that everything flows and seems to make sense. There are a myriad of plot twists and turns that will keep you guessing the outcome. The reward for diving into this novel is a well written, thought provoking mystery that is tough to put down and will throw you for an unexpected loop at the end.


Rating: 4 of 5 stars
Would I read it again: Yes

Angels & Demons
by Dan Brown
Hardcover: 572 pages
May, 2000

Half Light - Movie Review

A successful mystery writer's five-year-old son has drowned, and as a result her life appears to be falling apart at the seams. When a sympathetic friend rents her a secluded cottage in hopes that a little peace and quiet will help the grieving mother recover from her loss, the quiet retreat is violently shattered by a series of bizarre and unexplained murders. Now with a community in fear and her sanity slowly slipping, she must use her instincts to unmask the killer before it's too late and she too falls prey to the murderous rage that threatens to consume the once tranquil town.

I don't remember this film being in the theaters - strange for a Demi Moore movie. The beginning started off well and provided the right amount of background information. The seeds of a good mystery and suspense film were planted early. The setting of a remote cottage by the ocean was perfect for a thriller. Demi Moore did a fantastic job creating an air of mystery and intrigue. Basically, the stage was set for a great movie. However, it certainly didn't live of to it's potential. The ending is what makes a great mystery movie and that was the big disappointment. I won't ruin it for you in case you decide to watch it, but now I see why there wasn't any buzz for this movie when it was in the theaters.

Rating: 2.5 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: No
Starring: Demi Moore, Kate Isitt, Hans Matheson

I typically watch movies on Monday, Wednesday and Friday while riding the ACE Train from Tracy to Santa Clara. The opinions expressed are those of me, myself and I.

Elizabethtown - ACE Train Movie Review

Drew Baylor is considered the big success story in his family, having moved away from the small Kentucky town where he was born to California, where he works as a designer for Mercury, the nation's biggest athletic shoe company. But success has begun to elude Drew - his most recent design was a resounding flop that has cost him his job and his girlfriend. Drew is contemplating suicide when he gets word that his father has died, and that he's needed back home in Elizabethtown, KY, to help organize the funeral. As Drew reconnects with his family, he gets a new lease on life and is reminded about what's really important to him. Helping him learn these valuable lessons is a pretty and optimistic flight attendant Drew meets on his flight home who has her own philosophies about positive thinking and the curative powers of travel.

This was a meandering, emotionally suppressed movie that seemed to drag on too long. It's tough to make a movie about a depressed guy and make it interesting to watch - and this movie was proof of that. There were some parts that were funny, but it was mostly just blah. The relationship between Orlando Bloom and Kirsten Dunst was a bit awkward as was Susan Sarandon's tap dancing. There was just something that was a little off about this movie, but I can't seem to put my finger on it. If you're having trouble sleeping, I recommend this film...

Rating: 2.5 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: No
Starring: Orlando Bloom, Kirsten Dunst, Susan Sarandon, Alec Baldwin

I typically watch movies on Monday, Wednesday and Friday while riding the ACE Train from Tracy to Santa Clara. The opinions expressed are those of me, myself and I.

Hustle & Flow - ACE Train Movie Review

Djay is a low-level pimp and drug dealer who scraped together a living in the ghettos of Memphis, TN. Djay has always had a gift for spinning stories, and after picking up a cheap keyboard, he begins picking out beats to go along with his rhymes. After bumping into an old high-school buddy who works in gospel music, Key, Djay decided to take the plunge and remake himself as a rapper. With the technical know-how of Key, Djay begins turning his way with words and his first-hand knowledge of the street life into music. When local boy-turned-nationwide hip-hop star Skinny Black comes to town, he sees an opportunity to put his demo in the hands of someone who can bring his music to the masses, though it turns out to be far more difficult than he expected.

I wasn't very interested in the plot of this film. It didn't say that it was based on a true story, but I'm sure there are many true stories similar to this one - it would have been more interesting as a documentary. In the beginning, I found it hard to understand the characters as they mumbled their lines, but I must have gotten used to it as the movie went on. It also got old listening to everyone say nigga this and nigga that, but I suppose that was necessary to keep it real :-) I will say that Terrence Howard's performance was amazing - especially knowing how he talks and acts normally. He truly became a ghetto living, rappin' pimp which seems to be the farthest thing from his reality - great acting. I only wanted to watch it because Terrence Howard was nominated for an Oscar for his performance - now I know why.

Rating: 3 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: No
Starring: Terrence Howard, Anthony Anderson, Isaac Hayes, Ludacris

I typically watch movies on Monday, Wednesday and Friday while riding the ACE Train from Tracy to Santa Clara. The opinions expressed are those of me, myself and I.

The Da Vinci Code - Book Review

This book follows the attempts of Robert Langdon, Professor of "Religious Symbology" at Harvard University, to solve the murder of Jacques Sauniere, the curator of the Louvre Museum in Paris. The interpretation of hidden messages inside Leonardo Da Vinci's famous works, including the Mona Lisa and The Last Supper, hold clues to solving the murder (hence the title). The main conflict in the novel revolves around the solution to two mysteries:

1) What secret was Sauniere protecting that led to his murder?
2) Who is the mastermind behind his murder?

The unraveling of the mystery requires the solution to a series of brain-teasers, including anagrams and number puzzles. The solution itself is found to be intimately connected with the possible location of the Holy Grail and to a mysterious society called the Priory of Sion (a secret society charged with protecting the Holy Grail), as well as to the Knights Templar (the group who originally found the Holy Grail). The Catholic organization Opus Dei also figures prominently in the plot. There are several concurrent storylines that follow different characters and eventually, all the storylines are brought together and resolved at the end of the book.

I don't know how much of this novel is fact or fiction, but one of the first pages in the book states, "All descriptions of artwork, architecture, documents, and secret rituals in this novel are accurate." In any case, the amount of research that must have gone into writing the novel is impressive as is the creativity that clearly went into the creation of the various brain-teasers in the book. There are so many plots and characters that are intertwined, it's tough to summarize it in a couple of paragraphs, but while I was reading it, I was never confused. The author does a great job of setting a complex scene with understandable language.

I'm not a religious guy, but all of the descriptions of religion and religious symbols didn't bother me and really added to the plot and mystery in the novel. I'm pretty sure that some of the allegations (suggestions) that are made in the book could create quite a stir for religious folks. The author presents some bold theories that contradict the very fabric of Christianity. Beyond that, this is a great novel that will take you for an wild, exhilarating ride through a jungle of mystery and is extremely hard to put down.


Rating: 4.5 of 5 stars
Would I read it again: Yes

The Da Vinci Code
by Dan Brown
Hardcover: 454 pages
March, 2003

Cellular - ACE Train Movie Review

A female biology teacher is kidnapped by a vicious criminal who has threatened to murder her husband and son if he doesn't get what he wants. The criminal destroys the only working telephone in the cabin where she's held, but she manages to put enough of the pieces together to send out a call that's picked up by a stranger, on his cellular phone. She manages to convince the stranger of the gravity of her situation, but she has no idea where she's being held, leaving his cell phone as the only link to her whereabouts - and his batteries are starting to wear out.

Talk about action packed... The action starts within the first 5 minutes of the film and doesn't let up until it ends, 90 minutes later. In between, there are car chases, shootings, robberies, beatings, foot chases, blackmail, corruption, explosions, kidnapping and more. The plot is a good one and is actually based on a kernel of truth. One of the DVD bonus features is a 30 minute documentary about the true life activities that became the kernel of truth - very interesting and unsettling. While some of the action in this film is a little over the top and unbelievable, it never gets dull and the 90 minutes just races by.

Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: No
Starring: Kim Basinger, Chris Evans, William H. Macy

I typically watch movies on Monday, Wednesday and Friday while riding the ACE Train from Tracy to Santa Clara. The opinions expressed are those of me, myself and I.

Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room - ACE Train Movie Review

The film, based on the book with the same name, travels back in time, describing Enron chairman Kenneth Lay's humble beginnings as the son of a preacher, his ascent in the corporate world as an "apostle of deregulation," his fortuitous friendship with the Bush family, and the development of his business strategies in natural gas futures. The film points out that the culture of financial crookedness at Enron was evident as far back as 1987, when Lay apparently encouraged the outrageous risk taking and profit skimming of two oil traders in Enron's Valhalla office because they were bringing a lot of money into the company. But it wasn't until eventual CEO Jeff Skilling arrived at Enron that the company's "aggressive accounting" philosophy truly took hold. The film explores the lengths to which the company went in order to appear incredibly profitable. Their win-at-all-costs strategy included swooning financial analysts with huge contracts for their firms, hiding debts by essentially having the company loan money to itself, and using California's deregulation of the electricity market to manipulate the state's energy supply. The film reveals how Lay, Skilling, and other execs managed to keep their riches, while thousands of lower-level employees saw their loyalty repaid with the loss of their jobs and their retirement funds.

This was a very interesting documentary and I learned a lot by watching it. A couple of years ago, when Enron was in the news every day, I didn't pay very close attention because I felt bombarded since it was everywhere. This documentary did a great job of summarizing how Enron went from a hugely successful company to the biggest collapse in corporate history to that point. I didn't realize how far the collapse of Enron reached to negatively effect so many things - the rolling blackouts in California, the recall of Gray Davis, the creation of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and most tragic, the complete loss of retirement and pension funds for thousands of innocent Enron employees. A lot of work was done to pull together film footage and audio tapes that tell the story using the words of the actual players in this complex scheme. A great cautionary tale...

Rating: 4 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: Yes
Starring: The real Enron Execs: Kenneth Lay, Jeff Skilling, Andrew Fastow

I typically watch movies on Monday, Wednesday and Friday while riding the ACE Train from Tracy to Santa Clara. The opinions expressed are those of me, myself and I.