In Good Company - Movie Review

When a sports magazine is bought by a large multimedia firm, the head of advertising for the magazine (who's worked there for 20 years) is demoted to second in command behind a young kid from the multimedia firm. On top of the obvious tension this situation creates, the young kid starts to fall for the former advertising head's daughter.

This movie was pretty bland and boring. The characters weren't developed enough to make me care what happened to them throughout the film and some of the scenes felt rushed - not well done. I thought this was supposed to be a comedy, but I didn't find much to laugh about. The one thing I did like was that the ending wasn't what I had expected, but overall it was a stinker.

Rating: 2.5 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: No
Starring: Dennis Quaid, Topher Grace, Scarlett Johansson

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.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind - Movie Review

After a turbulent relationship ends, a guy is informed that his ex-girlfriend has had her memory of him erased in an experimental procedure. Finding it too painful to see her around town and knowing that she doesn't even recognize him, the guy decides to get his memory of her erased as well. Part way through the procedure, he realizes that he has some great memories with her that he doesn't want erased, so he struggles to save those memories from being deleted.

This is a very strange and original film. I like films that make you think and this is definitely one where you must pay attention from start to finish in order to understand what is going on. The film was shot in an unusual and creative manner that takes a little getting used to. As long as you don't mind being confused throughout most of the movie, you will be rewarded with a well thought-out and entertaining story that has a great moral. This is the type of movie you could watch a second time and see things you missed the first time around. Warning: This is not a comedy, even though Jim Carrey is in it.

Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: Yes
Starring: Jim Carrey, Kate Winslet, Kirsten Dunst, Elijah Wood

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 Cat in the Hat - ACE Train Movie Review

A single mother of two gets called into work and has to get a babysitter to watch her kids. She is expected to host the company party at her house that evening, so she leaves only one instruction - "Don't step foot in the living room." Of course, the kids can't resist and a giant, talking cat shows up to share in the mischief.

This movie was lame. I am a big fan of Mike Myers' comedy style and laugh out loud at most of his movies, but he missed big time on this one. The jokes seem forced and repetitive, the story is shallow and uninteresting and the only redeeming factor is the very colorful and ornate set designs - not enough to make the movie enjoyable. Throw in Alec Baldwin and you really have a stinker - good thing it was only 1 hr. 20 min. I doubt that kids would even like this movie, but kids are funny creatures, so you never know...

Rating: 1.5 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again:

I would not watch this again on the train
I would not watch this alone in the rain
This is a movie I think they should ban
Save your time and money, Dave I am

Starring: Mike Myers, Alec Baldwin, Kelly Preston

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.

Troy - ACE Train Movie Review

Based on "The Iliad" by Homer - The Prince of Troy falls in love with the Queen of Sparta, but her husband, the King, isn't too pleased. When the Prince steals the Queen back to Troy, the King and his brother, another King decide to round up the Greek army and attack Troy. The Troy army has never lost a battle, but the Greeks have one of the fiercest warriors on their side, Achilles.

This was a looooooong movie - 2 hrs. 40 min. but is seemed to go by fairly quickly. There was a ton of action, lots of blood, and a love story to boot. I enjoyed the "historical" aspect to the film as it touched on some of the historical figures (Helen of Troy, Achilles) and events that turned into sayings that are used today (Trojan Horse, Achilles Heal). If you enjoy epic battle scenes, bloody sword fights, bad accents and Brad Pitt, this movie is for you, but take a pee before you begin.

Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: No
Starring: Brad Pitt, Eric Bana, Orlando Bloom, Diane Kruger

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.

Hotel Rwanda - ACE Train Movie Review

In 1994, an unbelievable horror took place in Rwanda as the Hutu extremists started murdering the minority Tutsis who had been given power when the Belgian colonists left. While the rest of the world paid little attention, a manager from one of the upscale hotels used his influence to help the local Tutsis, including his own family and turned the hotel into a refugee camp that saved about 1200 lives. When all was said and done, roughly 1 million people were murdered.

This is a great movie. I relate it to Schindler's List by saying that it was fascinating to watch, but very disturbing at the same time. I watched this movie with the knowledge that it was based on true events, but knowing that the reality must have been much worse since this movie was rated PG-13. As horrific as it was, the courage and selflessness of the hotel manager who opened his hotel to Tutsi refugees was amazing. This was truly a man who put his life on the line to help others and was a nice antithesis from the unspeakable violence that was happening in the streets. There are great bonus features on the DVD that have interviews with the people who survived the real tragedy, including the hotel manager. This is the type of movie that makes you think about everything we take for granted.

Rating: 4.5 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: Yes
Starring: Don Cheadle, Sophie Okonedo, Joaquin Phoenix, Nick Nolte

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.

Weekend - May 21-22, 2005

This was a great weekend for being outside. On Saturday, we decided to go to the Oakdale Chocolate Festival. We weren't very impressed - they had a lot more samples when we went a couple of years ago. We looked at all the booths, ate lunch, bought some chocolate and left. Next, we drove to Modesto since Shawnna had a meeting with a potential client - they signed up for monthly Personal Chef Service. Then, we ate dinner at Olive Garden and went home and watched Wimbledon.
On Sunday, we went to the REI Paddling Demo at Lake Natoma in Folsom. I was able to try out 6 or 7 different kayaks - from the really short river kayaks to the long, touring kayaks. I'm not necessarily looking to buy another one, but it was a good excuse to get out and paddle. That took up most of the afternoon and then we came home and I BBQ'd tri tip for dinner.

Wimbledon - Movie Review

An aging tennis star decides to play in one last tennis tournament before he retires - Wimbledon. He finds inspiration to play his best in a female tennis player who is just beginning her career (and has an overbearing father).
There are no surprises in this romantic comedy. It is the typical love story and plays out exactly the way you think it will. While the story is disappointing, I thought the cinematography was outstanding. The different angles and views of the tennis scenes were very creative and unique. I also liked the way that the players' thoughts were "voiced" during tough situations on the court, but this was not enough to make it a must see.

Rating: 2.5 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: No
Starring: Kirsten Dunst, Paul Bettany

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.

Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events - Movie Review

Three kids of a wealthy family come home to find that their parents died in a fire that destroyed their house. They are sent to live with Count Olaf who is after the family fortune and several other "unfortunate events" ensue.
This dark comedy started off good. It is live action, but has a dark cartoon feel to it like a Tim Burton movie. As the movie went on, it became predictable and repetitive - maybe I was expecting too much from a movie based on children's books. After all of the bad things that happen throughout the movie, they try to teach a moral lesson which doesn't fit with the rest of the story. If the ending were different, I would have really enjoyed it.

Rating: 3 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: No
Starring: Jim Carrey, Liam Aiken, Emily Browning

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.

Social Tips for Rednecks

In General...
1. Never take a beer to an interview.
2. Always identify people in your yard before shooting them.
3. It's considered tacky to take a cooler to church.
4. If you have to vacuum the bed, it's time to change the sheets.
5. Even if you're certain that you're included in the will, it's rude to drive a U-haul to the funeral.

Dining Out
1. When decanting the wine from the box, make sure you tilt the paper cup and pour slowly so as not to 'bruise' the fruit of the wine.
2. If drinking directly from the bottle, always hold it with your hands

Entertaining in your home
1. A centerpiece for the table should never be anything prepared by a taxidermist.
2. Do not allow the dog to eat at the table, no matter how good his manners are.

Personal Hygiene
1. While ears need to be cleaned regularly, this job should be done in private using one's own truck keys.
2. Even if you live alone, deodorant is not a waste of money.
3. Use of proper toiletries can only delay bathing for a few days.
4. Dirt and grease under the fingernails is a social no-no, as they tend to distract from a woman's jewelry, and alter the taste of finger foods.

Dating (outside the family)
1. Always offer to bait your date's hook, especially on the first date.
2. Be assertive, Let her know you're interested: "I've been wanting to go out with you ever since I read that stuff on the bathroom walls two years ago."
3. Establish with her parents what time she is expected back. Some will say 10:00 PM. Others might say "Monday," If the latter is the answer, it is the man's responsibility to get her to school on time.

Theater Etiquette
1. Crying babies should be taken to the lobby and picked up immediately after the movie has ended.
2. Refrain from talking to the characters on the screen.. Tests have proven that they can't hear you.

Weddings
1. Livestock, usually is a poor choice for a wedding gift.
2. Kissing the bride for more than 5 seconds might get you shot.
3. For the groom, at least, rent a tux. A leisure suit with a cummerbund and a clean bowling shirt can create a tacky appearance.
4. Though uncomfortable, say 'yes' to socks and shoes for this special occasion.

Driving Etiquette
1. Dim your headlights for approaching vehicles, even if the gun is loaded and the deer is in sight.
2. When approaching a four way stop, the vehicle with the largest tires does not always have the right of way.
3. Never tow another car using panty hose and duct tape.
4. When sending your wife down the road with a gas can, it is impolite to ask her to bring back beer too.
5. Do not lay rubber while traveling in a funeral possession

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil - ACE Train Movie Review

A New York journalist travels to Atlanta, GA to write an article about an annual Christmas party thrown by a wealthy antique dealer who also restores old mansions. After the party, the antique dealer kills his lover, explaining it was self defense. The journalist (who has befriended the antique dealer) decides to stay and cover the trial.
I really enjoyed this movie and thought the plot was rich and very entertaining to watch. The characters in this movie were completely over the top which might make them seem unbelievable until you realize that this is based on a true story. The fascinating part is that several of the actual people who were involved in the real life drama either act in the movie or were special consultants to make sure the movie reflected the real events as much as they could. As they say, true life is stranger than fiction...

Rating: 4 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: Yes
Starring: Kevin Spacey, John Cusack

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 Trip - May 14-15, 2005

Check out pictures from the trip here.

Shawnna and I decided to go to Monterey for the weekend to kayak, hang out and unwind. We stayed at the Cypress Gardens Inn on Munras Ave. (across from the Del Monte Shopping Center). The weather was typical - sometimes clear, sometimes foggy and the temperature hovered around 68°.

We arrived in the afternoon and the first thing we did was walk up and down Cannery Row to stretch our legs after the drive. Then we drove to Pacific Grove along the coast and ate dinner at a European style restaurant called Fandango. I had the asparagus soup and salmon fettuccine and Shawnna had a mixed green salad and cannelloni nicoise. The food was very good but the service left a little to be desired. We were served by a stereotypical Frenchman - he seemed almost pissed off to be there serving a couple of Americans. It probably didn't help that we were the only people in the restaurant not dressed up - we didn't want to go back and change. After dinner, we completed the drive around the coast of Pacific Grove and made a pit stop at Marie Callender's for dessert (I had the triple chocolate cheesecake and Shawnna had the white chocolate raspberry cheesecake) before heading back to the hotel.

On Sunday, we got up and went kayaking in the morning - we hit the water at about 9:00am. There was no wind, the water was still and it was very foggy. We started from Monterey State Beach and paddled all the way past the Monterey Bay Aquarium and back. We saw a ton of sea lions on the rocks and buoys and even a couple of otters. They seem to be used to people as we were able to get very close. The water was so clear, we could see to the bottom of the kelp beds and the rocks below. On the paddle back, the fog lifted and it was clear and sunny. The wildlife, serene environment and unique perspective of Monterey combined to make this my favorite kayaking experience so far. The total paddle was about 90 minutes.

After going back to the room and taking a shower, we drove to Carmel and walked around Carmel By-The-Sea. For lunch, we ate at an Italian restaurant called Tutto Mondo Trattoria. I had the lasagne della casa and Shawnna had the salmone affumicato panini. The food, service and ambiance were all great - highly recommended. Next, we drove 17 Mile Drive, ate the rest of our cheesecake from the night before on the beach and stopped at Pebble Beach to walk around. Finally, it was time to go home, but not before stopping at Black Angus for a filet mignon dinner to top off the weekend.

Check out pictures from the trip here.

The Haunted Mansion - ACE Train Movie Review

A real estate agent visits a property with his family to asses it prior to finding a buyer. However, when they arrive at the old, dilapidated mansion in New Orleans, they quickly discover they are not alone and that it's not as easy to leave as they thought.
This is a fun movie with some cool special effects. If you like the ride at Disneyland, you'll love all of the characters from the ride that come to life on the screen. On the other hand, if you haven't been on the ride, the story itself isn't enough to stand alone as a good movie. Beware of hitchhiking ghosts...

Rating: 3 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: No
Starring: Eddie Murphy

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.

Alfie - ACE Train Movie Review

A womanizing playboy goes from one bed to the next, but finally has to make peace with his choices after all the women seem to have moved on.
I thought the way that Alfie talked directly to the camera throughout the film was clever - almost like he was making a documentary on how to be a male giggalo. However, the constant moving from one woman to the next became too repetitive and predictable. The acting was good, but the characters were weak and shallow. I haven't seen the original (this was a re-make), but I'm not interested after having seem this version.

Rating: 2 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: No
Starring: Jude Law, Marisa Tomei, Omar Epps, Susan Sarandon

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.

School of Rock - ACE Train Movie Review

A wannabe rock star, loser poses as a substitute teacher at a prestigious, private elementary school to make money so he can pay rent (after he gets kicked out of his band). He tries to convert the conservative students into rock stars for a battle of the bands competition and amusing hijinks ensues.
This movie went by fairly quickly and was entertaining enough to keep me interested. I enjoyed the music and Jack Black brings a lot of energy to the screen, so if you enjoy his type of comedy (over the top, obnoxious humor), you'll enjoy this movie. However, if you are looking for a smart, deep plot, this isn't for you.

Rating: 3 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: No
Starring: Jack Black, Joan Cusack

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.

Mother's Day 2005

It was a dark and stormy day... Shawnna and I started by driving to San Jose to have lunch with my mom, Dan, Liz and Andrew at Mandarin Gourmet - typical Chinese food (not as good as China Chili in Fremont). Then, we went back to Dan's house and hung out for a few hours and played with Andrew - chase, trains, balloons. Next, we drove to Fremont to have dinner with Shawnna's mom, dad, Leanna, Jeff and Mike. Shawnna and Leanna made shrimp skewers, cornbread and salad for dinner and brownies for dessert. We hung out in Shawnna's parents' redone family room (new couch, recliners, carpet, entertainment center) and then drove home. A full day with both families, time for sleep...

Seabiscuit - ACE Train Movie Review

A movie about overcoming odds and triumph of the underdog. A horse destined for the glue factory and a jockey that is too big and has a troubled history combine to create a dynamic duo. The story is fairy well known and the ending is no surprise. I found it a little slow to start and the "action" of horse racing is not my forte. However, the fact that it is based on a true story makes it much more interesting and the horse that played Seabiscuit did such an amazing job, the resemblance was uncanny. I would say that my favorite part of the DVD was the 15 minute true history of Seabiscuit (with real video) in the "special features" section.

Rating: 3 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: No
Starring: Tobey Maguire, Jeff Bridges

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.

Who's Who in my blog

This is just a listing of people who are (or could be) in my blog - I'll update this if anyone new appears. This makes it easier for those who don't know so I don't have to explain each and every time...

Shawnna - my wife
Mom - my mom
Dad - my dad
Dan - my brother
Kelley - my brother's wife
Liz - my brother's ex-wife
Andrew - Dan & Liz's son
Amy - a good friend from high school, college, etc.
Gramps - my mom's dad
Grandma - my mom's mom
Mither - my dad's mom
Grandad - my dad's dad
Leanna - Shawnna's sister
Jeff - Leanna's husband
Mike - Shawnna's brother
Madonna - Shawnna's mom
Rusty - Shawnna's dad
Uncle Dan - Madonna's brother (Shawnna's uncle)
Aunt Gayle - Uncle Dan's wife (Shawnna's aunt)
Marcus - Uncle Dan & Aunt Gayle's son (Shawnna's cousin)
Heidi - Uncle Dan & Aunt Gayle's daughter (Shawnna's cousin)