Date Movie - Movie Review

Julia Jones is a young woman who wants nothing more than to find the man of her dreams and settle down. However, Julia has a rather serious weight problem that prevents her from making a positive impression on people. Determined to find love at all costs, Julia somehow drops the weight and meets Grant Fonckyerdoder, a handsome and charming Englishman who falls head over heels for her. Julia and Grant waste no time in setting the date, but until they make their way to the altar they have to deal with meddling parents, flaky wedding planners, fights over the right wedding dress, vertically challenged romantic advisors, and Andy, a longtime friend of Grant, who isn't so happy to hear he's getting hitched.

This is a parody movie that you will only understand if you have seen the movies that are being parodied (including My Big Fat Greek Wedding, Hitch, My Best Friend's Wedding, Meet the Fockers, When Harry Met Sally and Wedding Crashers). Even if you have seen these movies, this film is more silly than funny. There are some clever and creative scenes, but it's mostly a collection of moments from other movies taken to the next, un-politically correct level. This is one of those films that you need to be in a certain mood to enjoy - brainless entertainment.

Rating: 2 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: No
Starring: Alyson Hannigan, Adam Campbell, Sophie Monk, Eddie Griffin

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.

Freedomland - ACE Train Movie Review

Late one night in a working class New Jersey suburb, a bloodied woman staggers mute and dazed into the emergency room at the Dempsy Medical Center. After treatment for shock and hysteria, Brenda Martin recounts to Dempsy police detective Lorenzo Council a horrific tale of being carjacked on the isolated strip of undeveloped land that divides Dempsy's urban housing projects from the blue collar town of Gannon, where she lives. She claims she was forced out of her car by a black man, but during the interrogation Council senses he's not getting the whole story. Only after hours of questioning does Brenda finally break down and confess that her four-year-old son, Cody, was asleep in the back seat of the stolen car. Led by activist Karen Collucci, members of the communities of Dempsy and Gannon unite in a search for the missing child, but the criminal investigation into the alleged kidnapping by a suspect who is presumed to be a local from the projects soon ignites long-simmering racial tensions between the two towns.

It sounds like this could be an action-packed, controversial film, but it was really just a dud. The story started off well and was set up to be interesting, but I kept waiting for the big bang. Julianne Moore's character alternated between aloof and crazy throughout the whole film and Samuel L. Jackson's character acted like he had everything solved from the beginning - but was inept to get it done. I was bored part of the time and wanted to fast-forward to the end. After it ended, my fist thought was, "That was anti-climactic." Not recommended if you're looking for action.

Rating: 2 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: No
Starring: Julianne Moore, Samuel L. Jackson, Edie Falco

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 Time Traveler's Wife - Book Review

This novel tells the story of Henry de Tamble and his wife, Clare Abshire. Henry has a very rare genetic disorder known as "Chrono-Impairment" that causes him to involuntarily travel through time. He is unable to control when he leaves, where he goes, or how long his trip will last. His destinations are tied to his subconscious, as Henry most often travels to places he has visited (or will eventually visit). Certain things like stress can trigger time travel for Henry.

Clare Abshire is a perfectly normal woman in most respects. She comes from a wealthy family, goes to Catholic school and eventually moves to Chicago to attend college. She studies art, and eventually becomes an artist herself; working with several types of molding paper. Most women do not, however, meet their eventual husbands lurking in the woods behind their childhood homes. Henry time travels into Clare's childhood many, many times, starting when she is six years old and continuing until her eighteenth birthday, when they are separated for two years until they finally meet in real time for both of them. When 20-year-old Clare finds the 28-year-old Henry in the present, he has never seen her before, and she has known him all her life.

If that description sounds confusing, don't let it deter you from reading this book. It is a very original concept and the writing style is definitely creative and turns a confusing plot into a very readable and enjoyable love story. Love stories aren't typically my thing, but this one is excellent - no, it's not a romance novel. The chapters focus on different dates in time (some in the past and some in the future, not in order) and alternate between Henry's point of view and Clare's view.

Surprisingly, even though time doesn't proceed in a linear fashion, the story is easy to follow and makes perfect sense - each change in date is coupled with a readout of Henry and Clare's ages so it's easy to tell if Henry is time traveling or in the present. My only complaint is that the end could have been better, but it doesn't taint the rest of this great book. If you want to read something that is unlike anything you have ever read, I would recommend this novel. I'll bet you will find it as much of a page turner as I did.


Rating: 4 of 5 stars
Would I read it again: No

The Time Traveler's Wife
by Audrey Niffenegger
Hardcover: 518 pages
September 2003

Just Friends - Movie Review

In high school, Chris Brander was an overweight, maladroit teen who spent every waking moment with his co-ed pal Jamie Palamino. On the verge of graduation, Chris is humiliated when his yearbook confession to Jamie - that he wants to be more than "just friends" - is read aloud. Jamie is flattered, but rebuffs his advances, and Chris spends the next decade transforming himself into a buff, callous ladies' man. Assigned by his boss to sign his pop star ex-girlfriend Samantha James, Chris finds himself stranded in New Jersey for the holidays, where he promptly sets out to find Jamie. But winning back the love of his life proves difficult, as Chris not only has to get back in touch with the sensitive teen he once was, but also fend off competition from another former geek, the guitar-playing Dusty.

This movie was both dumb and hilarious at the same time. Some of the situations were just so over the top that you couldn't help but laugh. Ryan Reynolds plays the same character that he seems to play in every movie, so I don't give it points for originality. I wouldn't rush right out to watch it, but it's good for a few laughs if you're in a silly mood.

Rating: 2.5 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: No
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Amy Smart, Anna Faris

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.

Born Into Brothels - Movie Review

Born Into Brothels is a documentary about the inspiring non-profit foundation Kids With Cameras, which teaches photography skills to children in marginalized communities. In 1998, New York-based photographer Zana Briski started photographing prostitutes in the red-light district of Calcutta. She eventually developed a relationship with their children, who were fascinated by her equipment. After several years of learning in workshops with Briski, the kids created their own photographs with point-and-shoot 35 mm cameras. Their images capture the intimacy and color of everyday life in the overpopulated sections of Calcutta. Proceeds from the sale of the children's photographs go to fund their future education.

This documentary is both sad and inspiring at the same time. The conditions that the children live in are horrible and their family situations are very bad to say the least. On the other hand, when the children are given cameras to take pictures of their lives, the resulting images are pretty amazing and uplifting. Despite the squalor they live in, they are still able to capture a temendous amount of beauty on film. The transformation that the kids make, once they have something to strive for, is pretty amazing. The special features includes a segment that shows what happened to the kids three years after filming stopped - it was a nice way to wrap up a great documentary. More information about the non-profit organization can be found here.

Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: No
Starring: Zana Briski

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.

What the "Bleep" Do We Know? - Movie Review

Part narrative, part documentary, and part animation, What the #$*! Do We Know?! was filmed with the intent of expressing the neurological processes and so called "quantum uncertainty" of life. Marlee Matlin stars as Amanda, whose uninspired daily routine is abruptly altered into a chaotic, Alice in Wonderland-style reality, complete with quirky characters and wildly different perspectives on life. As Amanda falls deeper into the experience, she's forced to drastically reconsider her perceptions of interpersonal relationships, men, and the fundamental principles of life. What the #$*! Do We Know?! is supplemented by a host of mystics and scientists, who are interviewed intermittently throughout the film for their wisdom and knowledge concerning religion, science, the thin line between them, and the consequences of blurring that line.

This film was a coupling of philosophy and science. I had a little background with the science topics so I wasn't completely lost, but for the uninitiated, this film could be very overwhelming and confusing. The topic is so mindboggling that I wouldn't recommend it for anyone with a closed mind or anyone who has trouble imagining abstract concepts. I'll be honest and say that I probably need to watch it one more time to really "get" it. Overall, I liked the fact that it made you really use your mind and was different than anything I have ever seen.

Rating: 3 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: No
Starring: Marlee Matlin, Elaine Hendrix, John Ross Bowie

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.

When a Stranger Calls - Movie Review

Jill Johnson is a high-schooler dealing with the usual set of crises: an unfaithful boyfriend, a bitchy best friend, and an over-the-limit cell phone bill. In order to pay for the latter, her father has committed her to a babysitting gig with a wealthy family. At the isolated, palatial house, Jill settles in for a night of no-stress kid-watching. But it isn't long before someone starts anonymously calling the house with creepy, increasingly specific messages. Jill doesn't rule out anyone, but it becomes clear that whomever it is, he or she is watching her, and may be closer than she even suspects.

This was a very bad and stereotypical "horror" flick. There was absolutely nothing original about this movie (not to mention it was a remake) and you know exactly how it will end from the very beginning. There was a lot of suspense, but it was really just waiting for something you know is going to happen and it takes almost the entire film for it to come to fruition. In the meantime, you lollygag for 1 hour while not much is going on and the last 15 minutes is moderately exciting. Don't waste your time - it's actually pretty laughable even though it's supposed to be scary (watch Scream instead).

Rating: 1 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: No
Starring: Camilla Belle

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.

Transamerica - Movie Review

One week before going under the knife, a pre-operative transsexual named Bree (whose given name was Stanley) learns that she fathered a boy who is now 17 and is in trouble with the law. Bree would like to ignore this information, but is forced to meet the young man because her advisor will not allow the surgery to happen unless Bree meets him and confronts this aspect of her past. Upon meeting, the son believes that Bree is simply a do-gooder. She buys a car and the two road-trip back to her home in Los Angeles, Bree all the while attempting to keep from Toby the truth of the situation.

And I thought Brokeback Mountain was slow... This film was only about 90 minutes, but it seemed much longer. It was very awkward to watch Felicity Huffman act like a transsexual after watching her as a mother of 4 in Desperate Housewives. Don't get me wrong, she did a great acting job, but I kept picturing her as Lynette and could see right through the act. The whole film was very downbeat and dreary, so I came away feeling a bit drained. I'm not sure exactly what the point of the movie was supposed to be (other than showing the tough life of a transsexual), but the plot sure wasn't very exciting or engaging. The sub-plot of the porn actor son seemed to be frivolously thrown in to create more drama, but seemed unnecessary. Overall, I wouldn't bother watching this one unless you're ready for a snooze - or if you thought Brokeback Mountain was a great film.

Rating: 2 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: No
Starring: Felicity Huffman, Kevin Zegers

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.

Cheaper By the Dozen 2 - ACE Train Movie Review

College football coach Tom Baker and his wife, author Kate Baker, have decided its time they took their sizable brood of 12 children on a summer vacation, and so they pack up the cars and take the kids to Lake Winnetka for some camping. Not all the kids are happy about this, but the one who is really annoyed turns out to be Tom, who discovers his old rival Jimmy Murtaugh is also staying near the lake. Jimmy and his trophy wife, Sarina, also have a large family of eight children, and Jimmy and Tom seem intent upon one-upping each other at every opportunity. As the tensions mount, the Baker family and the Murtaugh clan face off in a not-so-good-natured series of family games to determine which of the parents have the greater bragging rights.

This is a sequel that really didn't need to be made. The first film was average (I gave it 3 stars) and this one was average as well. The only films that should have sequels are good ones that are purposefully written in a way that leaves the audience asking for more. After the first film, I didn't necessarily want more. But alas, I watched the sequel and came away with the impression that it was... average. It wasn't great or horrible, had some funny parts, touching moments and dramatic events. The plot was nothing new and the actors seemed to have fairly good chemistry, but it is a bit much with so many actors on screen at once. Nothing really stood out about this movie, but I would say that it is kid friendly and family oriented - so, it's "safe".

Rating: 2.5 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: No
Starring: Steve Martin, Eugene Levy, Bonnie Hunt, Carmen Electra, Hilary Duff

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 Ringer - ACE Train Movie Review

Steve Barker is an office drone who wants to move up the corporate ladder, but when he asks his boss for a promotion, it comes with a condition - Steve has to fire Stavi, who has been the firm's janitor for years. Steve decides to soften the blow by hiring Stavi to do his lawn and garden work. However, an accident robs Stavi of several of his fingers, and since he doesn't have medical insurance, Steve needs to find a way to pay for his surgery. Steve's uncle Gary, a sleazy type who will bet on anything, also needs some fast cash, and comes up with a get-rich-quick scheme - Steve was a track star in high school, and with the Special Olympics Championships coming up, all Steve has to do is pretend to be mentally challenged, enter the competition, and win the running events against six-time medalist Jimmy. Gary will bet big on Steve, and the odds will allow them to clean up. Steve is appalled by the idea, but he needs the money badly enough to go along. However, Steve discovers that Jimmy is fast enough that he has little chance of beating him. However, Jimmy's colossal ego has made him many enemies among his fellow Special Olympians, and they're eager enough to see him taken down a peg that they help Steve train for the big event. Matters become all the more complicated when Steve becomes infatuated with Lynn, a beautiful woman who has volunteered to help the challenged athletes, and would doubtless be furious if she found out what Steve was really doing.

I had very, very, very, very low expectations for this film - it does star Johnny Knoxville after all. Why did I watch it, you ask? I'm running out of new movies :-) Anyway, this movie was definitely not as bad as I had expected and was actually pretty funny. As "wrong" as the premise for this film seems, it didn't come off as degrading to mentally challenged people and actually turned out to really show challenged folks in a good light and portrays them as very capable of doing "normal" things. While Knoxville was the lead actor, I thought some of the Special Olympians stole the show and had some of the best lines. I'm not going as far as to say this is a great movie, but it surprised me in how good it was.

Rating: 2.5 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: No
Starring: Johnny Knoxville, Brian Cox, Katherine Heigl

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 Producers - Movie Review

Max Bialystock was once one of Broadway's most successful producers, but a string of flops has thrown his career into a tailspin, and now he struggles to raise the cash to stage new shows by playing gigolo to lonely old ladies. While going over his books, accountant Leo Bloom notices that Bialystock raised more money than he spent for one show, and points out that if one raised enough money for a show that closed in one night, you could make more off a flop than a hit. This strikes Bialystock as a brilliant scheme, and he decides to give it a try, persuading Bloom to join him in staging the world's greatest flop. After discovering a truly vile script - "Springtime for Hitler," a musical set in the Third Reich written by neo-Nazi pigeon fancier Franz Liebkind - and giving a key role to the secretary Ulla, a drop-dead gorgeous blonde with only a tenuous understanding of the English language, Bialystock and Bloom are certain they have the disaster they need for their plan to work. But the scheme unexpectedly goes wrong when "Springtime for Hitler" becomes a "so bad it's good" hit.

Full disclosure - I am not a huge fan of musicals and didn't particularly like the film version of Chicago. This musical had so much hype (particularly surrounding the greatness of Matthew Broderick and Nathan Lane on Broadway) that I was expecting a terrific film. Like most things, this didn't live up to the hype, but it wasn't terrible either. It had some very good, funny and entertaining moments and then there were some dull and boring scenes - I didn't particularly like the music part of this musical. Matthew and Nathan worked well together and I was pleasantly surprised by Will Ferrell's character who was very humorous despite being a huge fan of Hitler. Uma Thurman was less impressive and I didn't think the Swedish accent worked for her. If you're a fan of musicals, you might enjoy this film, but if not, try Rent instead which at least has some quality songs.

Rating: 2.5 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: No
Starring: Nathan Lane, Matthew Broderick, Uma Thurman, Will Ferrell

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.

Munich - Movie Review

The 1972 Olympics in Munich, Germany, were supposed to be a peaceful gathering of outstanding athletes from around the world, but on September 5, the games took a sinister turn when eight masked Palestinian terrorists invaded the Olympic village, killing two Israeli athletes and abducting nine others. The kidnappers demanded safe passage out of Germany in addition to the release of Arab prisoners in Israeli and German prisons, but when they arrived at the Munich airport they were met by German police and military forces, and in the melee that followed, all nine hostages were killed. In the wake of the killings, the Israeli government gave Mossad, the nation's intelligence agency, a special assignment - to track down and eliminate the Palestinians responsible for the death of the Israeli athletes. A young and idealistic Mossad agent is assigned to the four-man unit created to wipe out the Olympic terrorists, but while he believes in serving his country, as their bloody work goes on he begins to buckle under the weight of his work and wonders if he can morally justify his nation's acts of revenge.

Steven Spielberg is great at producing/directing films that bring to light historical events that aren't necessarily upbeat, but are certainly worth being told. Munich is one of those films in the same vein as Schindler's List, Saving Private Ryan and Amistad that is more of a history lesson than pure entertainment. The topic is somber and unpleasant, but the fact that it is based on true events and presented in an almost documentary-type fashion makes it interesting and educational at the same time. Everything about this film was high quality and very believable and I liked the fact that it focused on the aftermath of the Munich attack and not the attack itself which was much more publicized. My only two gripes are that it's a little too long (2hrs. 45 min.) and I was very surprised that there weren't a bunch of special features such as the actual news coverage of the Munich attack. Overall, if you're looking for a movie which might teach you something, take a look, but don't expect to walk away feeling good about the world.

Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: No
Starring: Eric Bana, Daniel Craig, Ciaran Hinds, Geoffrey Rush

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.

Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle - Movie Review

This film follows the life-changing (and mind-altering) journey of Korean-American investment banker Harold and Indian-American medical-school candidate Kumar. Both underdogs, Harold and Kumar decide to spend what would have been an otherwise uneventful Friday night satisfying an oddly intense urge for White Castle hamburgers. However, finding a White Castle proves a highly difficult task, and the two friends wind up on an epic road trip of deep thoughts, deeper inhaling, and enough half-baked, politically incorrect philosophizing to outweigh a White Castle value meal.

If you are stoned and/or wasted, you would think this movie deserves 5 stars. However, as a sober viewer, this film is mildly funny, but mostly dumb. The main characters are likeable losers and get themselves into some pretty odd and entertaining situations. Neil Patrick Harris plays a character very similar to his role on the TV show "How I Met Your Mother" - a big departure from "Doogie Howser". If you liked "Half Baked", I'm sure you'll like this film as well, although it's not quite as funny. If not, then don't waste your time.

Rating: 2 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: No
Starring: John Cho, Kal Penn, Neil Patrick 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.

The New World - ACE Train Movie Review

In 1607, British naval officer Captain Newport is leading the first expedition to the New World. One of the sailors accompanying Newport is Captain John Smith, who is valued for his skills as a fighter and a seaman, but also possesses a sharp temper and spends much of the voyage bound in chains because of disputes with his shipmates. When Newport and his men first set foot on the New World's soil, they have no idea what to expect, and are met by a handful of "naturals," as the British come to call the natives, who seem at once amused and puzzled by their visitors. Newport appoints Smith leader of a band ordered to explore the territory, and Powhatan, tribal leader of the natives, isn't sure what to make of the uninvited guests. When Powhatan decides the sailors are not going to leave of their own volition, he orders his warriors to attack them; several of the invaders are killed, but at the insistence of his daughter Pocahontas, the rest are spared, including Smith. Smith is one of the men left behind when Newport returns to England for supplies, and he soon becomes infatuated with the beautiful Pocahontas, and finds his edgy personality is soothed by the unspoiled beauty of this new land. At the same time, he is frequently at odds with the ugly and avaricious nature of his own people and their crude settlement. After Newport returns to the New World, Smith is sent home, and Pocahontas comes to believe that he is dead; when John Rolfe, who has established a tobacco plantation, asks Powhatan for Pocohontas' hand in marriage, he grants the request, and takes her back to England with him. When Smith finally returns to his beloved new land, he discovers the woman he loves is gone, and the British settlers and the "naturals" are on the verge of war.

There is a 15 letter word that perfectly describes this film: booooooooooring! If you're having trouble sleeping, pop this in and you're insomnia will be cured. It is sooooooo slooooooow mooooooving that you could walk away, make a sandwich, wash your car and still not miss anything. The only reason I gave it any stars at all is because the scenery is pretty nice, but the movie itself isn't worth watching. If you actually read the synopsis above and think it sounds interesting, let me save you 2+ hours and tell you it's not...

Rating: 1 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: No
Starring: Colin Farrell, Christian Bale, Q'orianka Kilcher

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.

Rumor Has It - ACE Train Movie Review

Thirtysomething Sarah Huttinger, who has spent most of her adult life in New York City, is flying home to California with her long time boyfriend, Jeff Daly, for the wedding of her annoyingly perky younger sister, Annie. While Sarah and Jeff have recently announced they're engaged to be married, Sarah has been having second thoughts, and she isn't excited about the prospect of spending time with the family where she's always felt like the odd duck. As Sarah tries to decide what she should do with her personal and professional lives, she turns to her sharp-tongued and still youthful grandmother, Katharine, for advice, and Katharine shares a little-known bit of family history - that Sarah's now-deceased mother left her father, Earl, a few days before their wedding and ran off with another man for several days before coming back and marrying Earl. However, after hearing this Sarah is also treated to some long-simmering local gossip about a young man who ran off with a bride-to-be after he was seduced by her mother...and that the story became the basis for the hit movie The Graduate. Sarah begins to wonder, was Katharine the real-life Mrs. Robinson of this story? And if it's true, who was the man who had affairs with Sarah's mother and grandmother? Was it dashing and wealthy family friend Beau Burroughs, who has also turned Sarah's head?

This movie is pretty sick and twisted - not on purpose. Watching Jennifer Aniston and Kevin Costner getting up close and personal with each other is not my idea of fun - pretty gross actually. The fact that Kevin Costner's character slept with three generations of women (Aniston's character, her mom and grandmother) didn't help with the barf factor. Beyond that, the plot was OK - nothing special. I didn't think the characters responded to the situations put in front of them appropriately and the chemistry between the characters didn't work for me. Aniston hasn't had good luck with producing quality films and this one doesn't break the streak (Office Space is the only good movie she was in that I can think of - and she wasn't even a main character). Anyway, this is one to skip.

Rating: 2 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: No
Starring: Jennifer Aniston, Kevin Costner, Shirley MacLaine, Mark Ruffalo, Mena Suvari

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 Cold Blood - Book Review

In Cold Blood details the 1959 murders of Herbert Clutter, a wealthy farmer from Holcomb, Kansas; his wife, Bonnie; his 16-year-old daughter, Nancy; and his 15-year-old son, Kenyon, and the aftermath. Truman Capote said that he had created a new type of book, the non-fiction novel, by applying traditional literary conventions to crime reporting. Capote learned of the quadruple slaying from a news article in The New York Times. He decided to go to Kansas and write about the murders, even before the killers, Richard "Dick" Hickock and Perry Smith, were captured. He brought his childhood friend and fellow author Harper Lee with him. Together they interviewed the local residents and the investigators assigned to the case. Capote and Lee took thousands of pages of notes, and Capote spent years working on the book, finally publishing in January 1966.

This is a good book if you are really into details. Capote dug deep into the lives of the killers, the deceased, the investigators, the lawyers and several members of the community to write this very detailed account of not only the murders, but also the lives of those connected with the case. The result is almost an overly comprehensive book. I can truly appreciate the amount of time and work that went into researching and writing this book (and the originality in Capote's writing style), but it got a little tiring to read about seemingly inconsequential information related to people who were connected to the case in one way or another. In short, this book could have been 100 pages shorter and still been as interesting. Instead, it wasn't the page turner I was expecting as evidenced by the fact it took me about twice as long to read it than most of the other books I have recently read.

As a matter of fact, if you took out the 100 extraneous pages, you'd be left with a fascinating study into the minds of cold blooded killers. Capote had exclusive access to the killers while they were in prison and took full advantage of it by asking them about every facet of their lives from childhood to specific details of their crimes, including the murders. Of course, since In Cold Blood, there have been many books written in a similar style, but I give this one credit for being original despite its shortcomings. Even if you don't read the book, I would highly recommend the movie, Capote, based on the life of Truman Capote during the time he was writing this book.


Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Would I read it again: No

In Cold Blood: A True Account of a Multiple Murder and Its Consequences
by Truman Capote
Hardcover: 410 pages
January 1966

Last Holiday - ACE Train Movie Review

Georgia Byrd lives in New Orleans, where she works in the cookware department of an upscale gourmet supply shop. While Georgia has the hots for Sean, one of her co-workers, she doesn't have the nerve to tell him, and despite her impressive skills in the kitchen, she lives frugally and doesn't put her talent to use. Georgia's good friend Rochelle often tells her that life is short and she needs to live a little, but she doesn't pay her much mind until a visit to the doctor reveals that Georgia has a very rare medical condition, and only has three weeks to live. Throwing caution to the wind, Georgia cashes out her life savings and heads to Europe for a last bit of revelry. She checks into a four-star hotel, trades her drab clothes for haute couture, finds herself flirting with a handsome and powerful politician, convinces the head of a cooking supplies firm that she's a high-powered executive from a rival company, and makes friends with a four-star chef. But when Sean learns the truth about Georgia's condition, he sets out to find her before their chance at romance has passed.

The qualities I look for in a good movie are originality, entertainment value, mystery/plot twists and good acting. This film rated very low on the originality and mystery scales and average on the entertainment value and good acting scales. Most aspects of the plot have been done before and there were no surprises from beginning to end - you should be able to guess the ending about 15 minutes into it. This was really just an over the top, bittersweet, feel good movie that gets you thinking about how you would live your life if you knew you were going to die in the near future - hopefully, you'll actually achieve some of those things even though you don't have a terminal illness. So, the message is a good one, but the events that take place are just too unbelievable to achieve any semblance of realism. I would recommend this film if you're feeling down since it's a good pick-me-up, but if you're just looking for a good film to watch, skip it.

Rating: 2.5 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: No
Starring: Queen Latifah, LL Cool J, Timothy Hutton, Gerard Depardieu, Jane Adams

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.

Hoodwinked - ACE Train Movie Review

Grizzly and Stork are a pair of critter cops who have been called to the homey bungalow of Granny to investigate a disturbance of the peace. It seems there was an altercation involving Granny, her granddaughter Little Red Riding Hood, a Big Bad Wolf, and a Woodsman. However, as the detectives interview the participants and get each individual's perspective, they learn that Granny isn't so helpless, Red may have been doing more than just visiting relatives, the Wolf isn't the predator he's been cracked up to be, and the Woodman doesn't have much of an intellectual advantage over the trees he chops down.

Definitely a kids movie. Don't get me wrong, the story was told in a very creative way - each character told their version of events and they all fit together and answered more and more questions as it went along. There were some funny play on words and the animation was clean and easy to watch. However, the plot wasn't exactly captivating and the choices for voices could have been better (Xzibit as a cop & Andy Dick as anything?!?). Kids would probably like the bold colors, quirky characters and easy to follow storyline, but there's not a whole lot to keep adults entertained - good thing it was only about 75 minutes.

Rating: 2 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: No
Starring: Voices of Anne Hathaway, Glenn Close, Jim Belushi, Patrick Warburton, Xzibit, Andy Dick

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 Family Stone - ACE Train Movie Review

Everett Stone is a successful young businessman who is engaged to marry Meredith Morton, and has asked her to spend Christmas with his family. Meredith is more than a bit nervous about meeting Everett's folks, and things only get worse when they arrive - Meredith is by her nature straight-laced and a bit uptight around strangers, while Sybil and Kelly are free-thinkers who, except for Everett, have raised a family of cheerfully rebellious children, most notably younger daughter Amy, older brother Ben, and adopted sibling Thad. Meredith and the Stone family do not get along well at first, especially Sybil, who is appalled at the prospect of Everett giving Meredith the family's heirloom wedding ring; in dire need of moral support, Meredith asks her younger sister, Julie, to join her for Christmas with the Stones. However, the plan runs into a snag when Everett's head is turned by pretty Julie, and Meredith finds herself on the receiving end of attention from sloppy Ben.

Funny, awkward, crappy ending. The film started off very well and had me laughing out loud at the awkward and uncomfortable situations that took place. Sarah Jessica Parker played a great conservative character thrown in amongst a very free, liberal family - which caused the excruciatingly hilarious circumstances. All of the characters played off of each other very well and formed a believable family. All was well and good until the last portion of the film when the plot turned and became one unbelievable turn of events after another. There definitely could have been a better ending, but the one they chose knocked my rating down a full point. I would still recommend giving it a look since it was so funny and entertaining, but don't expect a great finish.

Rating: 2.5 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: No
Starring: Sarah Jessica Parker, Dermot Mulroney, Luke Wilson, Diane Keaton, Craig T. Nelson, Claire Danes, Rachel McAdams

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.

Hostel - ACE Train Movie Review

Their carefree college days close behind and the responsibility of the real world looming ever closer, Josh, Paxton and Oli strap on their backpacks and prepare for a stratospheric last hurrah of booze, babes, drugs, and debauchery halfway across the globe. The three globe-trotting thrill seekers catch wind of a Slovakian city whose male population has dwindled as a result of civil strife - leaving the ladies ready and willing to accept any male companionship that might turn up at the local hostel. Upon check-in, the trio is greeted by a bevy of beautiful locals and is quickly convinced that the hedonistic hideaway is indeed the real deal. Hazily awakening the following morning to find no trace of backpacking buddy Oli, Paxton chalks his former traveling companion's disappearance up to capriciousness and prepares for another day of debauchery, despite Josh's rapidly elevating sense of unease. Now trapped defenselessly in a foreign land without any means of escape and no way of anticipating the unimaginable hell that lies ahead, the pair is plunged into a torturous netherworld where the screams of the damned fill the air with dread and the warm rays of the sun are little more than a fading memory.

This film had a big build up with a small payoff. It was fairly well rounded in that it had plenty of comedy, nudity and brutality. However, the ending wasn't a satisfying answer to the events leading up to it. I can guess that the writer came up with the idea that became the "answer" to this film (I don't want to ruin it for anyone who will actually watch it), but he didn't fully explore all that could have been done with that idea. Instead, it seems he filled the plot with lots of hot chicks, college-age debauchery and blood (not that I'm complaining) as a cover for not developing the plot into what could have been a truly terrifying psychological horror flick, instead of just a bloody mystery. The movie isn't as horrible as my rating indicates, but I was just so disappointed after having imagined what could have been - but wasn't.

Rating: 2 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: No
Starring: Jay Hernandez, Derek Richardson, Eythor Gudjonsson

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 Arthur - ACE Train Movie Review

This action adventure drama begins with the fall of the Roman Empire in 450 A.D. as Roman armies flee the British Isles. Arthur, a heroic knight and devoted Christian, is torn between his desire to travel to Rome to serve his faith and his loyalty to the land of his birth. As England falls into lawlessness, Arthur throws in his lot with a band of knights who hope to restore order to their fair and pleasant land and hopes to win freedom for his comrades, among them Lancelot, Galahad, Tristan, Gawain, Bors, and Dagonet. In time, Arthur and his men join forces with Merlin, a shaman whose band of renegade knights were often pitched in battle against Roman forces. Forming a united front as loyal Englishmen against the invading Saxon armies, Arthur, Merlin, and the brave and beautiful Guinevere are determined to unite a sovereign Britain under one army and one king.

I'm not too much into Knights and chivalry, but this was a pretty good flick. The acting was very convincing, the battle scenes were action packed and fairly graphic, the costumes were remarkably detailed and the scenery (including the castles) was impressive. Not having any experience with the "history" of this era, I had to pay close attention to who was saying what and where so I knew what was really happening in the bigger context of the film. Needless to say, it was a little tiring, but if you are into this sort of thing, it should satisfy your craving of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table.

Rating: 3 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: No
Starring: Clive Owen, Keira Knightley, Ioan Gruffudd

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.

We Got a Patio Cover!

It was actually put up on Monday, but I just got around to taking a picture. It's insulated aluminum and keeps the back side of the house noticeably cooler.
We love it!

White Noise - ACE Train Movie Review

Divorced architect Jonathan Rivers seems to lead a pretty good life with partial custody of his young son and a happy second marriage to Anna, a best-selling author. Things take an ugly turn when Anna disappears during a thunderstorm, apparently the victim of a freak accident. Eventually, her body is found, and Jonathan sinks into despair. Then he meets Raymond, who claims that Anna has contacted him through EVP, or electronic voice phenomena. Raymond explains that the dead can communicate from beyond via static on common electronic equipment like radios and televisions. Jonathan is skeptical until he starts getting phone calls from Anna's inactive cell phone. He visits Raymond, whose home is filled with audio and video monitors and high-tech recording equipment. There he meets Sarah, who has recently received a farewell message from her late fiance. Jonathan eventually receives what appears to be a communication from Anna, but soon afterward, Raymond turns up dead. Obsessed with maintaining contact with his late wife, Jonathan visits a psychic who warns him that he's going down a dangerous path, "meddling" in the affairs of the dead. Undaunted, Jonathan continues to study EVP and eventually finds that he's getting messages from people who haven't died...yet.

Lame. The whole premise of this film is something I find very illogical and silly - that you can communicate with dead people through static on your TV and radio. Apparently, this is something that people actually believe as evidenced by the American Association of Electronic Voice Phenomena website - Yikes! Anyway, I couldn't get over the lame plot enough to really enjoy the movie. If you believe in the paranormal, you might enjoy it, but if not, don't bother.

Rating: 1.5 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: No
Starring: Michael Keaton, Chandra West, Ian McNeice

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.

Domino - ACE Train Movie Review

Domino Harvey was the daughter of famed actor Lawrence Harvey who passed on when Domino was only eight years old. Domino's mother, former fashion model Paulette Stone, strove to give her daughter a comfortable life, but Domino was naturally rebellious, and after a contentious stint in boarding school, a brief career as a runway model and a fling with the fashion business, Domino was looking for something more exciting. She found it when she met Ed Mosbey, an ex-con who had gone on to a successful career as a bounty hunter. Ed also taught others how to join his profession, and Domino took his course and joined his team, along with Choco, a headstrong bail agent who took an immediate fancy to Domino. Domino, Ed and Choco became a successful team - successful enough that television producer Mark Heiss asked them to become the subject of a television reality series. However, it was after the cameras were turned on Domino that her life got truly crazy - bail bondsman Claremont Williams III had hired Domino and her friends for a risky case, and soon Domino, Ed and Choco were chasing missing men and money while landing in hot water with both the FBI and the Mafia.

Non-stop action! From beginning to end, this film is shot in such a way that there is something happening all the time and there is an uptempo music soundtrack to go along with all of the hustle and bustle. This 2 hour film felt like it zipped by because there was no down time. The topic is intriguing and based on a real person (the DVD extras have a 20 minute piece on the real Domino). The plot is over the top, but believable and is surprisingly funny - mostly at the expense of Ian Ziering and Brian Austin Green from Beverly Hills 90210. The actors are very convincing in their roles - even Keira Knightley who I was skeptical could pull of a bad-ass bounty hunter, but she held her own. If you're in the mood for an action flick, have a look at this one.

Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: No
Starring: Keira Knightley, Mickey Rourke, Edgar Ramirez, Christopher Walken, Ian Ziering, Brian Austin Green, Lucy Liu

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.

Stoked: The Rise and Fall of Gator - Movie Review

Mark "Gator" Rogowski was born and raised in California and, as a teenager growing in the mid-'70s, became a passionate skateboarder. With time, he became quite good on a deck and, by the early '80s, his skills on the vertical ramp, combined with his cocky charm and surfer-dude good looks, helped to make him one of the top professionals on the skating circuit. Between endorsement deals and performance fees, he was earning more than a hundred-thousand dollars per year by the time he was 18. Not surprisingly, Rogowski soon found himself living a fast-lane lifestyle, partying all night, and dating supermodels. But when the popularity of ramp skating fell in favor of street skating, Gator found his career going into a skid. Over several years, he struggled to get his demons under control, trying, with no real success, to reinvent himself and regain his place in the public eye. In 1991, the bottom finally fell out of Rogowski's life: At the age of 24, he found himself behind bars, confessing to rape and murder charges .

This is a pretty good documentary about what can go wrong when you make your living as an athlete, then find yourself falling behind the curve as younger athletes start to steal the spotlight and the income you depend on. I liked Lords of Dogtown a little better because it dealt with the skateboarding movement as a whole compared to this film which focused on one individual. However, by focusing on a single person, you are able to really see how money and fame at a young age can really mess up a persons life if they let it go to their head. This should be required watching for any young person who decides to dedicate their life to a sport and starts to have some success. Lesson learned - diversify your interests because nothing lasts forever (of course, kids don't want to hear that :).

Rating: 3 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: No
Starring: Gator Rogowski, Tony Hawk, Stacy Peralta

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.

Aeon Flux - ACE Train Movie Review

Based on the animated series, Aeon Flux explores a future in which 99 percent of the world's population is killed through industrial disease, and the survivors live in a single city that, despite utopian appearances, is quite totalitarian. Disinclined to embrace any particular ideology outside of a hatred for Trevor Goodchild, the leader of the council that governs the walled city, hyper-sexualized assassin Aeon Flux seeks to bring about a revolution. Retaining the title character's trademark jet-black hair and sleek, revealing clothing, this film adaptation fleshes out the story behind the sexual and romantic tension between Aeon and Trevor.

Visually, this movie is awesome - very clean, futuristic and pleasing to the eye. Beyond that, this film is nothing special. The plot isn't terribly original and the idea of "life not being as it seems" was done much better in The Matrix. The characters weren't very deep and story wasn't explored as much as it could have been to really draw you in. At only 90 minutes, the film wasn't long enough to fully delve into such a complicated topic. It wasn't terrible, but it definitely could have been much better - maybe turning a futuristic cartoon into a live action movie proved more difficult than imagined. In any case, take a look if you'd like to see some stunning visuals, but don't expect a great, fully baked plot.

Rating: 2.5 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: No
Starring: Charlize Theron, Marton Csokas

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.

Match Point - ACE Train Movie Review

Chris Wilton is a tennis player who was just good enough to make his way onto the professional circuit, but not good enough to be a consistent winner. Looking for a more stable career, Chris is hired on as a resident professional at an exclusive tennis club by Tom Hewett, who is as impressed by his charm and good looks as he is by his game. Chris's intelligence and wit also make a strong impression on Tom's pretty sister, Chloe, who soon falls for him. It isn't long before Chris and Chloe are engaged to be married, a match that pleases both Tom and his father, Alec, a successful businessman who believes Chris has a bright future in his firm. However, Chris has also caught the eye of Nola Rice, a sexy blonde from the United States who is dating Tom. Nola makes no secret of her attraction to Chris, and he can't help but be drawn to her; the two quickly begin an affair, even as Chris and Chloe plan their wedding. Chris thinks good fortune has come his way when Nola drops out of his life shortly before his wedding, but a chance meeting a few months later brings Nola back into his life as he and Chloe try to start a family.

First off, I'll admit that I'm not a big fan of Woody Allen and usually find his films a little too odd and not really my style. I wasn't even planning on watching this film, but picked it up on a whim. Anyway, I was very surprised and impressed that I thoroughly enjoyed it. The plot was deep, dramatic, suspenseful, easy to follow and best of all, engrossing. I was totally drawn into the story and was on edge waiting to see how everything played out. The actors were terrific and it didn't hurt that Scarlett Johansson is easy on the eyes. I would recommend giving this film a chance, even if you don't particularly like Woody Allen's style since this was probably the least "Woody Allen" of all his films :-)

Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: No
Starring: Scarlett Johansson, Jonathan Rhys-Meyers, Emily Mortimer, Matthew Goode

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.

Malena - ACE Train Movie Review

Renato is a 13-year-old boy growing up in a small Sicilian community. Mussolini has risen to power and has declared war upon England and France, but Renato has other things on his mind - mostly girls. While hanging out with his friends by the seashore, Renato spies Malena, the daughter of one of his schoolteachers, whose husband Nino is fighting with Mussolini's army. Renato is immediately obsessed with Malena and follows her like a lost puppy, spying on her whenever circumstances permit and imagining her as his co-star in elaborate erotic fantasies inspired by his favorite movies. Renato, however, is hardly the only man in town to be struck by Malena's charms, and her beauty leads to resentment from the women of the community. Malena's circumstances take a turn for the worst after her husband is reported to have died in combat, and she is forced to resort to prostitution to survive.

Warning: This film is in Italian with English subtitles. The subtitles didn't take away from the film since it's very visual without a ton of dialog. It's a pretty good coming of age tale and love story with a few twists thrown in for good measure. I was actually surprised at how much I liked it. It flowed well and I never looked at my watch to see how much time was left - meaning it was engaging. The actors were great and they had good chemistry. Overall, I would suggest this film if you're looking for something unique that you wouldn't see in an American theater - don't worry, it has a good plot and is not too "artsy".

Rating: 3 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: No
Starring: Monica Bellucci, Giuseppe Sulfaro

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.

Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price - ACE Train Movie Review

Wal-Mart has become one of America's most successful retail chains by offering everyday goods at low prices for working families. But just how is Wal-Mart able to charge less than many of their rivals, and what has their success done for their employees? Documentary filmmaker Robert Greenwald takes a look inside the discount retailer's empire in Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price, and discovers a company short on scruples and long on shabby treatment of the people who work for them. Through interviews with labor experts and former Wal-Mart employees, Greenwald documents the firm's anti-union tactics, their history of paying wages often below the poverty line, the high price they charge for health benefits, their methods for driving away locally owned businesses, their practice of hiring illegal aliens for cleanup crews at a fraction of minimum wage, the abysmal working conditions and pay in the Third World plants where much of Wal-Mart's goods are manufactured, and more.

Even thought this was an obvious anti-Wal-Mart documentary, I was hoping for a more balanced view. The entire film was basically a big bashing of all things Wal-Mart. At the very least, I was hoping for evidence to be shown in support of all the negative statements made toward their business practices and against the Walton family. However, it was just one slam after another will little evidence to back it up. The points that were made seemed to be well thought out and researched, but without the other point of view, I'll have to research Wal-Mart's point of view if I really want to have an informed opinion of Wal-Mart. I will say, the case against Wal-Mart seems pretty strong, but I never shop there anyway - decide for yourself.

Rating: 2.5 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: No
Starring: Nobody in particular

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.

Snatch - Movie Review

Three groups of characters are intent on retrieving an elusive diamond which has been stolen from an Antwerp jeweler. In the first group are friends and business partners, Turkish and Tommy, who join up with Mickey, an Irish gypsy and boxer. Turkish and Tommy make arrangements with Mickey to take a fall in a match engineered by lunatic gang leader Brick Top. In another corner resides equally loony Russian gangster Boris the Blade, who has asked Jewish gangster Franky Four Fingers to place a bet on the match for him. Boris is also scheming to have Sol, the owner of a pawn shop, rob the place with a couple of dim associates. Meanwhile, Avi, freshly arrived in London from New York, hires Bullet Tooth Tony to find Franky when he goes missing; it seems that it was none other than Franky who was supposed to be transporting the purloined diamond to New York.

If I didn't know any better, I would have thought this was a Quentin Tarantino film. It's very strange, dark, hard to follow at times and has several stories going on all at once. The storyline was OK (nothing special), some parts were humorous, there was lots of action and the ending wrapped it up with an amusing twist. My biggest gripe is that it was hard to understand what some of the characters were saying in some instances - especially Brad Pitt's character who had some sort of weird Irish accent. Give it a look, but pay close attention...

Rating: 3 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: No
Starring: Benicio Del Toro, Brad Pitt, Jason Statham, Stephen Graham

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 150 Movie Reviews

Below is a collected list of my first 150 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 - Capote
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 - Walk the Line
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 - King Kong
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 - Rent
3.5 - Yes - Taking Lives
3.5 - Yes - Stay
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 - Memoirs of a Geisha
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
3.5 - No - The Chronicles of Narnia
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 - Good Night, and Good Luck
3 - No - Two For The Money
3 - No - The Transporter
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 - Brokeback Mountain
3 - No - Close Your Eyes
3 - No - Pride & Prejudice
3 - No - The Squid and the Whale
3 - No - Flightplan
3 - No - Prime
3 - No - Just Like Heaven
3 - No - Chocolat
3 - No - Grosse Pointe Blank
3 - No - Derailed
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 - The Transporter 2
2.5 - No - Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason
2.5 - No - Monster-In-Law
2.5 - No - The Skeleton Key
2.5 - No - Fun With Dick and Jane
2.5 - No - Corpse Bride
2.5 - No - Lord of War
2.5 - No - Devil's Playground
2.5 - No - Jarhead
2.5 - No - A History of Violence
2.5 - No - Half Light
2.5 - No - The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio
2.5 - No - Downfall
2.5 - No - The Longest Yard
2.5 - No - Spanglish
2.5 - No - Elizabethtown
2.5 - No - House of Sand and Fog
2.5 - No - The 40-Year-Old Virgin
2.5 - No - Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit
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 - Chicken Little
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 - The Ice Harvest
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 - Wolf Creek
2 - No - Win a Date With Tad Hamilton
2 - No - Yours, Mine & Ours
2 - No - Proof
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

Wolf Creek - ACE Train Movie Review

Ben, Lizzie, and Kristy are three friends who, after a night of celebratory drinking, hit the road for a trip to Wolf Creek National Park in Australia, where they plan to spend a week hiking and surfing. However, after a long day on foot, they make the unpleasant discovery that their car's battery is dead, leaving them stuck in the middle of nowhere. Help arrives in the form of Mick, a burly but good-natured outdoorsman who happens upon them; Mick tells them that he can fix their car, and offers to give them a ride to his place down the road. Grateful but a bit nervous around the gregarious stranger, Ben, Lizzie, and Kristy offer Mick a wealth of thanks for his help, and give him some money for his troubles before they fall asleep around the campfire. The next morning, the travelers find themselves bound, gagged, drugged, and separated from one another, and they realize Mick is not the good Samaritan they imagined.

Chock one up for the Wolf Creek marketing department - I rented this movie based on the scary cover, the big "Unrated Version" red text and the fact it said "Based on True Events". Unfortunately, the box was better than the movie. The film was mostly non-scary, I couldn't tell what they considered unrated (maybe some extra blood) and very little of it was based on true events according to this website. As a movie, it's suspenseful, but not thrilling and the ending was unsatisfying with a fake "where are they now" about characters that were made up. It's all been done before, so don't expect anything new or groundbreaking.

Rating: 2 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: No
Starring: John Jarratt, Nathan Phillips, Cassandra Magrath, Kestie Morassi

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.

Proof - ACE Train Movie Review

Catherine is a woman in her late twenties who is strongly devoted to her father, Robert, a brilliant and well-known mathematician. While Robert's skill in the world of numbers still appears to be strong, his grip on reality begins to slip away, and as Robert descends into madness, Catherine begins to wonder if she may have inherited her father's mental illness along with his mathematical genius. After Robert's passing, Catherine is confronted by Hal, a gifted but zealous student of Robert's who wants to look through the late man's notes in hopes of finding his last great work. While Catherine is hesitant to look too deeply into her father's work for fear of what it might suggest about her own future, she allows Hal to do so, and when one notebook reveals a mathematical proof of potentially historic proportions, it sets off shock waves in more ways than one.

Boooorrrrring... I thought it sounded like an interesting plot and the fact that Anthony Hopkins was in it raised my expectations even more. What I got was a very slow moving, uninteresting, bore of a movie. The entire film had a depressing feel to it that became tiring fairly quickly. Looking back, I should have known that a movie featuring mathematicians wasn't going to keep me on the edge of my seat. Oh well, just because I wasted my time doesn't mean you have to.

Rating: 2 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: No
Starring: Gwyneth Paltrow, Jake Gyllenhaal, Anthony Hopkins, Hope Davis

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.

Memoirs of a Geisha - Movie Review

Chiyo is a girl who, at the age of nine, is sold to a geisha house in Kyoto in the early 1930s. Here, she learns that becoming a geisha can be the single path to wealth and independence for a woman. The head geisha of her house, however, Hatsumomo, is bitterly jealous of Chiyo and abuses her at every opportunity. Eventually Chiyo is taken under the wing of Hatsumomo's rival, Mameha, by far the most famous and successful geisha in their district. Under Mameha's tutelage, Chiyo becomes Sayuri, the most legendary geisha in the nation, skilled in all areas, from conversation to dance, and sought after by seemingly every man alive...except for the one whom she has secretly longed for since she began her training, The Chairman - a man who showed her kindness at a time when her view of the world had turned the most bleak. Now as World War II approaches, Japan stands at the brink of a new era and Sayuri must confront the possibility that history will leave all that she has worked for behind.

This film is a pretty interesting period piece and romantic drama. Being a Steven Spielberg film, no expense was spared on the costumes, cinematography and score (music by Yo-Yo Ma and Itzhak Perlman). I really enjoyed the scenery and thought along with the costumes, was really what made the movie appealing to watch. I had never known, or thought about, what the function of a geisha was, so this film also helped to educate (assuming it was factual). The role that women held in Japan back then (and might still today in some places) was certainly an eye opener. It was a little on the long side (2.5 hours), but it was intriguing enough to go by relatively fast. The acting was excellent and seemed effortless. My biggest gripe is that the ending was completely predictable and cliche, but the journey was worth it.

Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: No
Starring: Zhang Ziyi, Ken Watanabe, Michelle Yeoh, Koji Yakusho

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.

Fun With Dick and Jane - ACE Train Movie Review

Dick Harper and his wife, Jane, would seem to have it made - Dick has a high-paying job, they live in an expensive house in the suburbs, they have two luxury cars in the driveway, and a housekeeper to help look after their son, Billy. But Dick and Jane's fairy-tale life crashes head-on into reality when the firm Dick works for turns out to have been using unscrupulous accounting methods to disguise the fact they've been losing money hand over fist, and Dick has been made the fall guy for some of their dirty dealings. Suddenly flat broke, Dick and Jane must find a new way to support their lavish lifestyle, and in time they discover just the thing - crime.

This is not one of Jim Carrey's comedy classics, but it's not as bad as some of his other recent films. There's nothing original here - Carrey doing his usual physically intense comedy. However, the plot is relevant and very timely in light of the recent accounting scandals. The actors had great chemistry and I laughed out loud at some points, but other scenes were dumb or overdone. The best parts were Jim Carrey dressed in black with a voice disguiser taunting a victim and the very last line of the film (and the Special Thanks that follows). Overall, if you're a Jim Carrey fan, you'll like it, but if you're not, you aren't missing anything if you skip it.

Rating: 2.5 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: No
Starring: Jim Carrey, Tea Leoni, 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.

The Transporter 2 - ACE Train Movie Review

Frank Martin is a former special-forces officer who will transport anything anywhere for a price, and his latest assignment is acting as chauffeur for Jack Billings, the young son of politician Jefferson Billings, who has garnered no small amount of controversy for his aggressive efforts to stamp out the trade in illegal drugs. One day, Frank is to take Jack to the doctor for a checkup, however Jack's doctor is not who he appears to be - he's actually a Russian agent well versed in viruses who works with criminal kingpin Gianni. After a long and hard-fought chase with Frank, the bad guys get ahold of Jack and hold him for ransom. The parents comply with their monetary demands and soon have their son back at home - but little do they know that the boy has secretly been injected with a deadly and easily spread virus, which the terrorists hope to spread to the boy's powerful father and other politicians whom Jefferson will soon be addressing at a public event. When Frank learns what has happened to Jack, he sets out to find the culprits and the antidote that will save the boy and all others who have been exposed to the virus from dying a painful death.

If you like the original Transporter, then you're sure to like this one as well since it's more of the same. I thought the plot of the sequel was better, but the action wasn't much different than the first film except that it might have been a little less believable. The fight scene in the airplane that had no pilot was a bit much and then when it crashed into the ocean, but didn't seem to harm the people inside, I had to roll my eyes and say, "No way!" That sequence came after the scene where Frank was driving the car with a bomb on the bottom, drove off a ramp, flipped upside down, the bomb caught on the hook of a crane that just happened to be there which pulled the bomb off the car just in time for it to explode - and the car continued its rotation before landing and driving away. Now, there's "movie fantasy" and there's just plain ridiculous. Some parts of this movie bordered on the latter, but it was entertaining none the less.

Rating: 2.5 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: No
Starring: Jason Statham, Hunter Clary, Matthew Modine, Amber Valletta, Alessandro Gassman

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 Transporter - ACE Train Movie Review

Frank Martin is a former Special Forces officer who lives on the French Mediterranean and has a lucrative second career as a underworld courier for hire. Martin is hired to make a delivery to a wealthy but unscrupulous American known as Wall Street, but after taking possession of the package he realizes that whatever is inside happens to be alive. Martin opens the bag to discover a beautiful Asian woman, Lai, who is bound and gagged. Lai briefly escapes, but Martin captures her, and delivers her to Wall Street as promised. However, after being given a parcel to deliver by Wall Street, Martin finds out what Wall Street is up to - in partnership with Lai's father Mr. Kwai, Wall Street is part of a scheme to smuggle Asian illegal aliens into France. Martin's conscience gets the better of him, and he sets out to rescue Lai and put Wall Street and Mr. Kwai out of business; however, as if this wasn't enough of a challenge, Martin discovers a French detective, Tarconi has gotten wind of his illegal business.

If there's one thing I could say about this film, it's that the action never stops. From beginning to end, it's action packed with lots of great fight scenes, gun battles, car chases and explosions. The plot is not the best and a little far fetched, but with an action thriller such as this, believability isn't the goal. The most amazing part (which boosted my rating) is the fact that Jason Statham did his own stunts including all of the crazy driving - wow. If you want to watch a supremely confident guy kick butt and take names, this is your film.

Rating: 3 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: No
Starring: Jason Statham, Shu Qi, Matt Schulze

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.

Ponzi's Scheme - Book Review

Before Charles Ponzi (1882-1949) sailed from Italy to the shores of America in 1903, his father assured him that the streets were really paved with gold - and that Ponzi would be able to get a piece. Ponzi learned as soon as he disembarked that though the streets were often cobblestone, he could still make a fortune in a culture caught in the throes of the Gilded Age. This book chronicles Ponzi's mercurial rise and fall as he conjured up one get-rich-quick scheme after another. Charming, gregarious and popular, Ponzi devised and carried out the scheme that carries his name in 1920 in the open (and with a brief period of approval from Boston's newspapers and financial sector). Many investors did indeed double their investments, as Ponzi would use money of new investors to pay old investors, and Ponzi himself became a millionaire. Eventually, the Boston Post uncovered this "robbing Peter to pay Paul" system (as it was then known), and Ponzi's life unraveled.

I had high hopes for this book and thought it would be an interesting journey through the life of the man responsible for one of the most well known get-rich-quick schemes in history - the Ponzi Scheme. While it did provide a lot of details about the life of Charles Ponzi, it wasn't very colorful or interesting. It read a lot like a high school book report - just the facts. I will say that the author had a high attention to detail and went to great lengths to collect the information contained in the book straight from the families of those involved. While I'm not disputing it was informative and factual, it was just a bit dry and boring. Also, there were a lot of people that were involved in Ponzi's life in one way or another and it seemed that each one was described in great detail with a history of each. That just filled the book with a lot of useless information that didn't really relate to Ponzi or his scheme. In the right hands, this book could be turned into a fascinating read (or movie), but not in its current form. Don't be conned into reading this one.


Rating: 2.5 of 5 stars
Would I read it again: No

Ponzi's Scheme: The True Story of a Financial Legend
by Mitchell Zuckoff
Hardcover: 380 pages
March 2005

The Squid and the Whale - Movie Review

Bernard is a novelist whose career has gone into a slow decline as he spends more time teaching and less time writing. His wife, Joan, meanwhile, has recently begun publishing her own work to widespread acclaim, which only increases the growing tension between them. One day, Bernard and Joan's two sons - 16-year-old Walt and 12-year-old Frank - are told that their parents are separating, with Bernard renting a house on the other side of their Park Slope, Brooklyn, neighborhood. As the parents set up a schedule for spending time with their children, Walt and Jesse can hardly imagine that things could get more combative between their folks, but they do, as Joan begins dating Ivan, Frank's tennis instructor, and Bernard starts sharing the house with Lili, one of his students. Meanwhile, the two boys begin taking sides in the battle between their parents, with Walt taking after his father and Frank siding with his mom.

This was a pretty dark comedy that had some very off the wall humor. I don't think any of the characters smiled the entire time, so most of the levity came from the awkward situations and inappropriate comments that came at a rapid clip. As bizarre as it was, I could actually relate to some of the events and characters in the movie - the divorced parents and relationship the 2 boys had with their dad really felt familiar. The whole film had a "low budget" feel and was artsy like an independent movie. The plot and dialog weren't polished and you have to read between the lines a lot to capture the essence of the film. It certainly isn't for everyone, but if you're looking for a film that's a bit unconventional and obscurely funny, give it a look.

Rating: 3 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: No
Starring: Jeff Daniels, Laura Linney, Billy 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.

Brokeback Mountain - ACE Train Movie Review

Two young cowboys, Jack Twist and Ennis Del Mar are hired to corral sheep on Brokeback Mountain in Wyoming and they soon bond very closely. Their platonic relationship explodes into a physical one, but eventually the two are separated when their job comes to an end. Although the two follow different life paths - one becoming a father of two and the other marrying into a successful business - they have a reunion years later. Each is affected profoundly by the rekindling of their old feelings for each other. Those feelings lead each to consider what continuing their hidden relationship would cost them.

This was not my kind of movie. It was basically a love story about two gay cowboys who lived in a time (1960s) when being gay was very taboo - even more so than now. I'm not a homophobe, so my issue wasn't with the fact that it was about gays - I just felt it was an awkward film (if the main characters were a man and a woman, I would have rated it even lower). It was a very slow moving movie and, even though it spanned more than 20 years, not a whole lot really happened. The actors seemed uncomfortable, which might have been on purpose, but it was disquieting to watch. I give the filmmakers credit for taking on a controversial topic, but I didn't see what all the hype was about. I actually rated it higher than I probably would have if I weren't influenced by all of the Oscar buzz and the fact that Shawnna said she would have rated it a 4. Maybe I missed the point, but I wasn't entertained and/or enlightened by watching this film.

Rating: 3 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: No
Starring: Heath Ledger, Jake Gyllenhaal, Randy Quaid, Anne Hathaway, Michelle Williams

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.