Constantine - Movie Review

The world is filled with good and evil spirits that try to tip the balance between God and Satan in their favor. Since these spirits take the form of human beings, most people can't see them, but John Constantine is someone who can. Seeing that the world is tilting toward evil, Constantine teams up with the twin sister of a woman who committed evil-induced suicide to save the world from Satan. Constantine's motives aren't completely pure as he is trying to work his way into Heaven after a failed suicide attempt.

I have seen a lot of bad reviews on this film, but decided to watch it anyway and I'm glad I did. I thought the plot was very original (based on the comic book "Hellblazer") and well thought out. The theological basis is Catholicism with A LOT of artistic license used to make things interesting. The speed at which the story was told and that secrets were revealed struck the right balance between confusion and clarity. The special effects were outstanding and were used to compliment the story, not be the main focus of the movie. One of the only real negatives I saw was Keanu Reeves (big surprise). Not that he was horrible, but his portrayal of Constantine reminded me a little too much of Neo from "The Matrix." At least he didn't use Ted "Theodore" Logan as inspiration - Whoa! Bogus!!

Rating: 3 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: Yes
Starring: Keanu Reeves, Rachel Weisz

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 Pacifier - Movie Review

A Navy SEAL is assigned to protect a scientist working on a top secret project for the government. However, an assassin slips past security and kills the scientist. Since information for the project is being stored at the murdered scientists house, the Navy SEAL's new assignment is to protect his widow and four kids. While the widow has to fly to Switzerland to retrieve her husband's safety deposit box, the Navy SEAL must care for the kids by himself. Needless to say, he's not exactly prepared for what that all entails...

Not good. I'm sure that kids would like this movie and think it's really funny, but I was just glad it was only 90 minutes long. The whole premise was to have a really big, overbearing man with huge muscles deal with really small, (mostly) innocent kids and the petty and gross things they do. Sound familiar? Let me refresh your memory - Kindergarten Cop, Arnold Schwarzenegger, 1990. Vin Diesel didn't work in this role because, while he is great at being an angry hard-ass, he looked very out of place toward the end of the movie when he was supposed to be softening up. Shawnna said it best - "He looks awkward when he tries to smile." Vin should stick to action movies and this film should be placed in the Diaper Genie.

Rating: 1.5 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: No
Starring: Vin Diesel, Faith Ford, Lauren Graham, Brad Garrett

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.

Stephen Hawking's Universe - ACE Train Movie Review

Based on Stephen Hawking's best selling book "A Brief History of Time," this is a set of 6, 1 hour shows that were originally aired on PBS. Interviews with some of the top researchers in the world (including Hawking) are weaved together to tell a history of cosmological thought from the early astronomers to the ideas on the forefront of scientific theory today. Some of the historical figures covered include Copernicus, Galileo, Newton, Hubble, Curie, Einstein and some of the topics include the Big Bang Theory, the history of chemistry, the periodic table, the laws of physics, the theory of relativity, antimatter, neutrinos, black holes, alien communications and string theory.

If you are looking to learn about scientific history or ready for a refresher and have 6 hours to spend, I would recommend this set. It is delivered in a fairly straightforward manner and doesn't have much in the way of special effects, so don't expect to be dazzled and entertained by animated protons and neutrons buzzing around the nucleus of an atom. Instead, expect engaging interviews with some of the top minds in scientific research recounting the history of science as well as their theories for the future. However, since this series is from 1997, one of the main candidates for a "theory of everything," string theory, is only touched upon. If you want more up to date information on that particular theory, I recommend "The Elegant Universe" which is based on Brian Greene's book of the same name. Overall, this is a great, relatively short, history of science.

Rating: 4 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: Yes
Starring: Stephen Hawking

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 - July 23-24, 2005

Shawnna went to Atlanta for a Personal Chef conference this weekend, so I stayed down in San Jose to visit with my family. On Saturday, I drove to Dan's house in the morning. I spent the first part of the day copying a bunch of his music onto my computer to supplement the tunes I already have in preparation for purchasing an iPod. Mom took care of Andrew in the morning and brought him back in the afternoon. We ate lunch (McDonald's), Andrew took a nap, Dan and I played video game hockey and then we all went swimming in Dan's pool since the temperature was in the 90's. After swimming, which included mom's impromptu cannon ball, we dried off and went to Fresh Choice for dinner. After dinner, Dan and I played some more hockey before I went to mom's house for the night.

On Sunday, mom and I played miniature golf at Golfland - it was a closely contested match, but I ended up winning 45-51 even after mom got a hole-in-one on the second to the last hole while I shot a 5 (ugh). We then went to Oakridge Mall where mom purchased a new vacuum cleaner at Sears and we ate lunch at P.F. Chang's. We ordered the Crispy Honey Chicken (Lightly battered and quick-fried in a flavorful sauce) and Moo Goo Gai Pan (P.F. Chang's version of the classic Cantonese dish with chicken and shrimp). We both really enjoyed the honey chicken while the moo goo gai pan was a little bland. Next, mom gave me a tour of her workplace (an upscale retirement community in Los Gatos) including a visit with the resident cat, Leo. Leo is about 18 years old and has been taken care of by the residents since he decided to move in several years ago. He hasn't been feeling well and while we were walking around, some of the residents told us he hasn't been eating or drinking, so we brought him to the house of a woman who was going to take him to the vet on Monday. After that, we drove back to Dan's house for some more swimming. For dinner, Dan BBQ'd hot dogs and pork tenderloin and Liz prepared strawberries, ice cream and chocolate sauce for dessert. That was a fitting end to a very eventful weekend, so I drove home. On the way home, I drove past an accident on the other side of the road (I later found out that a big rig drove off the side of the road and burst into flames killing the driver). The traffic was backed up on I-680 near the Sunol exit all the way to the I-580 interchange and on I-580 all the way to the Portola exit in Livermore. I'm glad I was going the opposite way...

Epilogue: Leo the cat was taken to the vet on Monday where he was X-rayed which showed he had a fast growing tumor in his leg. Because of his age, the decision was made to put him down instead of putting him through any more pain. RIP Leo - July 25, 2005.

Ladder 49 - ACE Train Movie Review

In the midst of battling a fire inside a burning building, a firefigher becomes trapped when the floor collapses. While the Fire Chief tries to orchestrate his rescue, the firefighter looks back on his life and remembers the important moments that made him who he is today. As the rescue team closes in, the only question is whether this will be the last fire he will ever fight.

Even though the timing of this movie seemed to capitalize on the outpouring of support for firefighters following 9/11, this was a genuinely good film. The concept wasn't completely original, but the script was compelling, emotional, suspenseful and full of action. Joaquin Phoenix and John Travolta were perfect for their parts which made the whole story very believable and flow nicely. After watching this movie, you can't help but feel tremendous respect and admiration for the men and women who risk their lives to protect others.

Rating: 4 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: No
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, John Travolta, Jacinda Barrett

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.

Million Dollar Baby - Movie Review

A wannabe female boxer enters a gym to start training under the tutelage of a grizzled, veteran trainer. The only problem is that the trainer claims he doesn't train girls and disdains female boxing as a circus freak show. After showing her tenacity and unmatched work ethic, the boxer wins over the trainer who agrees to show her the ropes. The two form a tight bond and ride a wave of success, until tragedy strikes.

I am not necessarily a fan of a lot of the films that win Academy Awards, but this film deserves all of the accolades it has received. The plot is dramatic and entertaining and the characters are engaging and well cast. Clint Eastwood is older than dirt, but he was perfect for the part and I thought this was Hilary Swank's second best performance next to "Boys Don't Cry." Those characters, along with Morgan Freeman's character, created a trifecta of storylines that weaved in and out of each other like a perfectly assimilated tapestry. Okay, maybe that's a lame simile, but the point is that this is a great movie and a must see.

Rating: 4.5 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: Yes
Starring: Clint Eastwood, Hilary Swank, Morgan Freeman

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.

Friday Night Lights - ACE Train Movie Review

Based on true events and a best-selling book, this movie tells the story of a high school football team in Odessa, Texas struggling to win the state championship while under tremendous pressure from the town who is used to the school's winning ways. With the entire town expecting a championship, the team will seemingly sacrifice anything to win games.

Being from California where high school football games are a fun distraction for high school kids, it was amazing to see how seriously people of all ages in Texas take it. Their high school football fields are multi-million dollar complexes that hold up to 20,000 people and the state championship was held at the Astrodome in front of 55,000 fans. While it was an interesting and entertaining film, I wasn't enthralled and drawn into rooting for the struggling team. I was mostly thinking about how crazy the players and fans are, but the movie does have a good message about the potential consequences of focusing on extra curricular activities at the expense of education.

Rating: 3 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: No
Starring: Billy Bob Thornton, Tim McGraw

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.

Hide and Seek - ACE Train Movie Review

A father is left to raise his young daughter alone after his wife commits suicide. They decide to move to the country since the young girl seems to be having a hard time dealing with her mother's death. Shortly after arriving at the remote house, the girl creates an imaginary friend which seems like a harmless coping mechanism. However, as horrible things start to happen, the father questions whether the friend is really a figment of her imagination.

A suspenseful thriller, this movie delivers just that. From start to finish, gruesome things happen that beg the question, "Who's responsible?" A new suspect seems to crop up at every turn and a lot of people look guilty, but the real shocker is the ending. The acting is so good and was cast so well, you get lost in the story and jump at every sudden movement. The ending was so surprising that I have to watch the movie again to see if I missed some clues. Come out, come out, wherever you are...

Rating: 4 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: Yes
Starring: Robert De Niro, Dakota Fanning, Elisabeth Shue

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.

3rd Wedding Anniversary - July 12, 2005

Note from Dave: This was written by Shawnna, hence the focus on food ;-)

Today we celebrated our 3rd wedding anniversary! We started our day by sleeping in (6:30am is sleeping in!). When we got up, it was a beautiful day so we decided to go kayaking before it got too hot. We headed out to Hidden Lake (a man-made lake in Tracy). Although it was already 70 degrees by the time we got on the water at 7:40am, it was nonetheless a perfect outing. We spent about 40 minutes paddling the lake, and then headed home to clean up for the remainder of the day.

From there, we ran errands. Our errands consisted of going to the mall, checking with the car dealership on an ordered part for our Trailblazer, and picking up an air filter for the house. We also decided to scout out some places to eat for lunch. There’s a new Italian restaurant in Tracy that just opened up and I grabbed their menu to take a peek. String’s Italian Restaurant looked fantastic, so we decided to try it out.

Fantastic it was! Their weekday lunch specials looked so wonderful, they were difficult to pick between, but we made our decisions to try out the Chicken Parmesan (Dave) and Tortellini Alla Panna (veal) (Shawnna).With the meal came delicious bread and a huge salad. This salad must be one of the largest pre-meal salads I have ever had put before me. It consisted of romaine and iceberg lettuce, with raisins, tomatoes, red onions, croutons and sunflower seeds. You had your choice of dressing and we had ranch and creamy cucumber. Yummmmy! Once finishing the bread and salad, you almost don’t have any room for the entrée. But, when the meal reaches your table, you have no choice but to dig in to the heavenly platter of cuisine before you. As always, we tested each others meal. Exquisite! The tortellini had the most perfect sauce, creamy (neither runny nor clumpy) with just the right amount of oregano, cream and Marsala wine. The Chicken Parmesan was perfectly breaded and cooked and was smothered in a marinara to die for.

We skipped dessert at String’s because we were so stuffed from the lunch. However, we did take a look at their dessert menu and it looks like we may have to go back for a dessert-only trip! (I must also add that the service was excellent.)

After lunch we went home so Shawnna could put in her honest afternoon of work. While Shawnna was working, Dave continued a project to download all of our CD’s onto our computer storage drive. In between e-mails, Shawnna baked and frosted a cake to try out in advance of making it for a dinner party this weekend. Of course, who would say no to be the guinea pig taste tester for a chocolate cake?

After our lunch had worn off from the afternoon of working, we headed out for our anniversary dinner to where we consider is the most upscale restaurant in Tracy; Magellan’s. Magellan’s is where we also ate our 2nd anniversary dinner, and was so delightful we decided to make this kind of our “anniversary dining place”.

Another great meal was eaten today, this time from a menu compiled by Tomas Magellan, proprietor and executive chef of Magellan’s. With a salad and Clam Chowder ahead of the meal, we started to realize that we were already comparing our dinner with the lunch we had had. Dinner was (Dave) a rigatoni with an Alfredo sauce, smoked salmon and capers, and (Shawnna) a pork chop with a peach bourbon sauce, vegetables and potatoes. Both meals were pleasing, including the most perfectly grilled pork chop I’ve ever eaten. Nevertheless, I feel that our better meal of the day was at String’s.

Again, too full from dinner to eat dessert, we headed home. After our food settled for a bit, we grabbed a very small piece of the freshly baked chocolate cake. Can you say ‘Got Milk?’! One of the best chocolate cakes I’ve ever tasted.
Fat and full, it’s time for bed. G’nite!

The Machinist - ACE Train Movie Review

An insomniac who works at a machine shop passes the time by hanging out with a call girl and having coffee at an Airport coffee shop. As his mind and body start to deteriorate from the lack of sleep, his mind plays tricks on him and he has trouble differentiating delusions from reality. When he is involved in an accident at work, his co-workers turn against him. He discovers that someone is following him and messing with his mind, but who would want to do that?

This is the type of film where you're confused most of the time, but secrets are slowly revealed. The first scene was intriguing enough to peak my interest and I spent the rest of the movie trying to figure out the puzzle. It is a very dark film, literally and figuratively. I liked the fact that they didn't reveal anything too soon, so you can't figure out the end until you get there. The acting was great and the fact that the lead actor starved himself to get down to 120 pounds was both sickening and commendable. I would totally watch this movie again since the knowledge of the end would make it a different viewing experience.

Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: Yes
Starring: Christian Bale, Jennifer Jason Leigh

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 - July 9-10, 2005

Saturday was a lazy day. We did a little shopping and bought Shawnna some new cookware (11 piece Circulon set). Then we came home, chilled out, watched a movie (National Treasure), ate dinner and went to bed.

On Sunday, my mom, Dan, Liz and Andrew came to our house to celebrate my birthday in person (a little late ;-). Andrew played on the stairs, ball in the back yard, Frisbee in the front yard, we played piano, went to the park, I kicked Dan's butt in darts (hey, it's my blog, so it's my version of the truth - OK, we tied a game apiece), we drove around Tracy and ate lunch at the Golden Corral. The food at the Golden Corral was so-so. They had good ribs and Bourbon chicken, but the steak (which seems to be their big selling point since it's in all of their advertising) was fatty and not very flavorful. I guess that's what I should expect from a $9.99 buffet. It was a fun day, but the weekend ended too soon especially after just having a long weekend.

National Treasure - Movie Review

Legend has it that the Founding Fathers hid a treasure trove at the end of the Revolutionary War and left clues to its location in historical documents. An archeologist from a family of treasure hunters continues the quest for the hidden fortune. Along the way, he has to deal with a lot of resistance from people who think he is crazy and don't think the treasure is real. Since one of the clues is supposedly on the back of the Declaration of Independence, he has to find a way to get his hands on the original document while staying one step ahead of a rival treasure hunter with suspect intentions.

Nicolas Cage is no Harrison Ford and this movie is no Raiders of the Lost Ark. This is just a poor man's rip off of a classic movie and left me wondering when Nicolas Cage was going to make a good movie again. The plot is a silly treasure hunt for clues hidden in historical documents ala "The Da Vinci Code." It is unoriginal at best with very few redeeming qualities as far as I could see. I'm going to have to watch some Indiana Jones to get the bad taste out of my mouth.

Rating: 2 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: No
Starring: Nicolas Cage, Diane Kruger, Justin Bartha, Jon Voight

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.

Beyond the Sea - Movie Review

Based on the life of Bobby Darin, this film follows him from childhood to adulthood and captures his many reinventions in between. At the age of 15, he contracted rheumatic fever and was expected to die. He beat the odds and became a successful rock & roll singer, lounge singer and actor. He married Sandra Dee, had a son and won a Grammy. But, his life wasn't without turmoil and a major twist.

Kevin Spacey is an extremely talented performer and his skills are on full display during this film. His credits for this movie include director, producer, writer and lead actor. On top of that, he dances and sings all of the songs in the film himself. While I was very impressed with Kevin Spacey, the movie itself didn't thrill me. It was shot in an unusual and confusing way that went back and forth between a young and adult Bobby Darin and left me wondering what year all the events were taking place, how old Bobby was at the time and why the young Bobby and adult Bobby were appearing in the same scenes. However, it's worth seeing just for Kevin Spacey's performance.

Rating: 3 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: No
Starring: Kevin Spacey, Kate Bosworth, John Goodman

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.

Miracle - ACE Train Movie Review

During the 1980 Winter Olympics, with tensions running high between the USA and Soviet Union, a group of college hockey players set out to do the unthinkable - defeat a clearly superior Soviet team that had won the gold medal in the previous 4 consecutive Olympic games. Coached by Herb Brooks, who was cut from the 1960 USA Olympic hockey team 10 days before they won the gold medal, the team worked hard, dug deep and pulled off a miracle that brought a nation to its feet.

After watching this movie, I realize how much I miss hockey. From start to finish, this was an action packed film that had drama, comedy, suspense and excitement - just like a real hockey game. For 2 hours, I was swept away by the story and found myself rooting for an outcome I already knew was coming. The casting was great, the hockey scenes were historically true to form and Al Michael's original, final call was used when Mike Eruzione scored. Do you believe in miracles? Watch this movie and you will.

Rating: 4 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: Yes
Starring: Kurt Russell, Patricia Clarkson, Noah Emmerich

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.

Independence Day Weekend - July 2-4, 2005

On Saturday, we drove to Woodward Reservoir (near Oakdale) for a weekend of camping and playing on the lake. The campers were me, Shawnna, Leanna, Jeff, Mike, Uncle Dan, Aunt Gayle, Marcus, Heidi, Norm, Paul, Hector, "Big Head" John and Vicki (and some of her friends). The weather was hot, but there was a bit of a breeze. The lake wasn't as crowded as in years past, which was nice.

We went tubing (being pulled behind the boat by a rope while sitting on an inflatable tube), wakeboarding, rode the Sea-Doo, lounged by the water, played ball with the dogs (6) in the water, launched water balloons at our neighbors, sat around the fire at night, took down Mike's tent while he was sleeping (pictured below) among other fun things.

We drove back home on Monday to a nice shower. At night, we stood by the park next to our house and watched several different fireworks shows going on throughout Tracy. Then, much needed rest...