Movie: The Wolf of Wall Street

Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio and Jonah Hill
Directed/Produced:  Martin Scorsese
4.5 STARS!!

There are 2 reasons why I saw this movie (well 3, but I don't count the fact that my daughter is in love with Leo).

1.  I work on Wall Street.  I know the culture and appreciate movies that deal with it.  Some other movies I've seen that deal with Wall Street recently are Arbitrage and Margin Call.  However, I thought this movie Trumped those. 

This is based on the autobiographical book by Jordan Belfort.  It tells of his life from a runt on Wall Street to an extremely successful Wall Streeter.  But this success comes at a price, or in his case, several prices.

This movie was 3 hours long.  Although I didn't think it lagged anywhere.  Most of the story was very intriguing, or perhaps since I knew what they were talking about, it was more intriguing to me.

 2.  To prepare for this role, Leo, Jonah and Martin had to go to an Investment Bank and do some research.  On August 21, 2012 they did this research.  Yes that's right ladies...I got to breathe the same air, touch the same door knobs and walked on the same carpet as Leo.

So since they did their research at MY bank, I was obligated to see it!!

Movie Review

I watched this movie yesterday.  It is called "Sympathy for Delicious".  Mark Ruffalo has been talking about this movie on Facebook for months.  He plays a Catholic Priest.  A homeless disabled man has the gift of healing.  Although all he really wants is to be healed.  He is given this gift and how he (and others) use it (or abuses it) is the main theme of this movie.  Will he ever realize that his gift can truly be a gift? Selfless and given out of love?

At first I wasn't sure where this movie was going.  It seemed to be an ordinary film, with a pretty extraordinary cast.  I was thinking this was going to be a waste of talent, but I was not disappointed.

I saw some very negative reviews for this movies but looking back I think maybe these people just didn't get it.

I putting this one in my "Catholic Movie" must see lists. However, you don't have to be Catholic or Christian or Religious to enjoy this.

Movie Review - Mary Bryant

The Incredible Journey of Mary Bryant (2005)

aka Mary Bryant

This is an Austrailian / UK mini series about Mary Bryant.  It is about a young woman is transported to the New South Wales penal colony in 1788.  It stars Romola Garai as Mary Bryant.

This is based on true events in the life of Mary Bryant who was 17 when she was sent to the penal colony along with harden crimminals. She was a 'highwaywoman' or rather a 'footpad' as she did not ride on a horse to do her crimes.  She would have been sentenced to death if the King had not commuted her sentence. However, she was not happy at the colony so she and some other prisoners decided to make a run for it.

Mary is a strong woman character. A resourceful who did what she needed to do at all costs.  Thought it would be good for children to know such a strong character exists in history, this is not a movie for children to watch.  It has many violent moments along with a graphic group rape scene as well as other sexual content.

Most of this movie did not have lush surroundings or costumes like so many period pieces do, this one took place in a few limited locations, one being on a small row/sail boat.  Most of the time they were dirty and poorly dressed.  I was still captivated by this film. It is very well done.

Also starring in this film: Sam Neill, Alex O'Loughlin (Yum), and Jack Davenport.

4 out of 5 stars.

Proms, Chrochet and a Movie Review

I have to start today with a post that made me smile early in the morning. Go Retro!: Proms: Then and Now. Looking at some of those pictures posted brought back memories. The good ole days!

As you can see, my friends and I were pretty low key. We had our yellow and/or white dresses. Our hair was not so teased. Our make-up was light. This was 1986.

The girls cringe when they see this picture, but I like it, ain't so bad.

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I am currently working on a granny square afghan.  I haven't worked on anything in a while. I'm using mostly scraps.  I want to make it the queen size so I can spread it over my bed.  It has been years since I made a granny square, I actually had to review how to do it. Pretty sad I know.

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I am still working through my Christopher Walken movies.  I watched "The Mind Snatchers" also known as "The Happiness Cage".  This movie is based on a play by  Dennis Reardon.  This is a drama about medical experimentation in the U.S. military. The experiment is a brain operation which removes pain, replacing it either with bliss or sensual satisfaction. It is at first attempted on terminal cancer patients, but finally the doctors receive permission to test the procedure on a healthy but thoroughly obnoxious subject played by Walken.

This film was shot in Germany in 1972.  This was Walken's first film.  The film is very dated, and not that well acted by most, however, I have to say that Walken's performance was fantastic.  Not much different at all than the characters he plays now. Same pattern of speech, same facial expressions, same walk.  He hasn't changed in 40 years.

Most places I've seen did not give this film a very high rating, and it isn't the best thing out there.  It is an interesting film, based on scientific experiements from 1954.  It is thought provoking if nothing else.

Black Swan

Black Swan

OK, so I was really excited to finally get to see this. I was warned that it may be a little 'strange', but I'm used to strange movies. It started out OK, then there were moments of boring, then for the last 30 minutes or so, it picked up and ended with a big question mark. Throughout the whole movie there were also moments of weirdness that I couldn't wrap my brain around, and I usually can see where a movie is going. I was so unsure as to what happened, I had to look on-line to figure out what this movie was really about.

The acting was very good. Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis were both stellar in their performances.

Once I read more about where the movie was going and what certain things meant, I understood it more, so I upped the stars. I was going to give it 2 out of 5 so now it is 3 out of 5, because I can see the idea behind it. Still NOT my favorite movie.

BAKE SALE

This past Sunday we had a bake sale to raise money for our choir robes. There were so many baked goods. We came out with $411 in profit. As you can see...the girls took over the sale.

Now Back to Our Regulary Scheduled Programming

I did it. I have done the A-Z Challenge, with not so much as a hitch. I wasn't sure I was going to be able to come up with 26 things to post about, but I did. If anything, it will be an interesting look back on what I was doing or thinking about in April 2011.

Tyler Perry's: Madea's Big Happy Family was a very funny movie but at the same time it was very sad. Made me laugh and made me cry. I love when Tyler Perry does the Media movies.

The King's Speech came out on DVD. What a great movie. Colin Firth played Bertie very well, I recommend this movie to anyone, not just those who like British history.

I finally watched Mildred Pearce. I remember seeing the Joan Crawford version and thought it was mediocre, but this version, with Kate Winslet, was more detailed. Shown on HBO in five episodes, it really delve into the book that the first movie didn't even come close to.

I also watched all of the new Upstairs/Downstairs. I can't compare it to the original, but this on was very good.

Waiting in the wings....BLACK SWAN!!  Which I hear is disturbing. I'll let you know.

(J) Juvenal

Satura tota nostra est. Satire is all ours.
Decimus Iunius Iuvenalis, known in English as Juvenal, was a Roman poet active in the late 1st and early 2nd century AD, author of the Satires. (I can see your eyes drooping...relax I'm not going there).
I never heard of this man! I never heard this name until I watched a movie entitled Touch.
The main characters name was Juvenal (no last name). He is a modern day healer, a stigmatist who was once a Franciscan Monk. Played by Skeet Ulrich he has the ability to heal the sick. He's kept this a secret, but now his secret is leaking out, thanks to some shady and psychopathic characters.
I would not have normally be interested in this type of movie, but Chris Walken was in it and I see everything he does, and of course looking at Ulrich isn't exactly painful!
I'm not sure how I feel about this movie, I would give it 3 out of 5 stars. It was predictable and I was unfulfilled at the end. Walken does a fine acting job, Skeet is just a cutie pie, Fonda is slightly annoying and Tom Arnold is the most hysterical I've seen him in a while.
Oh and what does this have to do with the orignal Juvenal? Well, this movie is a Satire. I'm sure he would have approved.

(I) Insidious

Insidious a James Wan film

Leigh Whannell and James Wan the makers of the "SAW" movies and the "Paranormal Activity" movies give us a new ghost film. Those of you who know me, know I don't scare easily. I don't flinch at "The Exorcist" I yawned at "Paranormal Activity". But this movie scared me. Very few movies scare me. Among those are "Ju-On", "Ju-On 2" and "Gothika".

I had to do some research because most American movies are NOT scary. The Japanese or Korean films are very scary, I just knew this had to be a re-make. However, it isn't. I think the American filmmakers are taking notice of the Asian Horror film style.

It started out slow, and I thought, Oh boy this is going to suck. But about 20 to 30 minutes into the movie it really picks up.

Part of what made it work I believe was the low budget. Don't get me wrong, you can't tell it is low budget, but even the creators said they think it worked in their favor. No frills, just honest to goodness terror.

I was glad I wasn't alone in that theater. Usually during the week no one is home to go to the theater in the middle of the day, but there were 6 of us. And they had this movie in an upstairs back theater, sheesh!

Walken on Sunshine

The Prophecy - I saw this one years ago, but it was on TV so I watched it. It was good to recall what happened, so the 2nd movie would make sense. Gabriel is my favorite of the Arch-Angles and to have Walken play (her - Gabriel is a female), made me smile, even if he was evil.

The Prophecy 2

- Usually the sequel sucks, but this one was actually better than the first. A lot of stars were in this one. Jennifer Beals, Eric Roberts & Russel Wong. Gabriel was even nastier in this one.

The Prophecy 3: The Ascent - This one sucked. The actors were just awful, even worst than the actors in the first one. Walken was good, the little he was in it. He lost his dark evilness and adopted a long haired hippy look. He was on his way to redemption.

Excess Baggage

- A young woman fakes her kidnapping only to find herself actually kidnapped. It was a cute movie. Alicia Silverstone stars. Walken plays her uncle Ray, a smooth 'mob like' character.

Pennies from Heaven

- Walken was in this movie for about 5 minutes as a tap dancing pimp. Wonderful! The movie itself was cute. Steve Martin stars in this remake of a British series.

Sarah Plain and Tall: Skylark

- The 2nd installment of the Sarah Plain and Tall trilogy. It was fine, sad in parts.

Vendetta - Xenophobia rules in New Orleans in 1890. Everyone fears the Italians and a new organization they call the maFia (not the Mafia...maFia - emphasis on the Fia). Based on the largest lynching in American history. Disturbing and sad. Walken plays a real jerk in this one.

The Rundown - Walken and Dwayne Johnson in one movie. Have I died and gone to heaven? Action film, funny in parts. You will not be bored watching this.

Fade to Black

- After Orson Wells divorces Rita Hayworth, he goes to Italy to film a movie. There he becomes involved in a plot of murder and Communism. Walken plays Wells' friend who may or may not be on the up and up.

More Walken...MORE Walken, I need MORE WALKEN

Eight out of the ten movies I've watched so far this month have had Christopher Walken in them, Yeah, I got it bad. LOL! It is only March 8th.


The Affair of the Necklace (2001)
When she and her family have their royal titles stripped by the crown, 18th-century French countess Jeanne de la Motte Valois schemes with her lover, her husband and a mysterious Italian count to obtain a diamond necklace worth millions.

Walken is the mysterious Italian count. He was decked out in eccentric clothes and even a more eccentric accent. His role in this movie was minor. Also starring Hilary Swank and Adrien Brody.


New Rose Hotel (1998)
Two old-school crooks, Fox and X, try to engineer the score of their lives -- a con worth $100 million. The assignment? To train a beautiful young girl to seduce and induce a radical Japanese geneticist to spill his scientific secrets.

I only watched this because Walken was in it. It wasn't the best movie I've ever seen. It also starred Willem DaFoe, and you would think with these two excellent actors, this movie would be stellar, but it just wasn't.

Suicide Kings

Last Embrace (1979)
After helplessly witnessing his wife's cold-blooded murder, emotionally devastated government intelligence officer Harry attempts to piece his life back together while suspecting that his own agency may be trying to kill him.

Walken was in this for about a minute, but he was young. Starring Roy Schneider, it was a decent movie. It looks like it was made for TV.

Last Man Standing

Brainstorm (1983)
Mike Brace is a technological genius who's created a device that can record and play back human thought. But the military catches wind and emerges as an unwanted 'silent partner' in his project. Soon, Mike and his wife are thrust into a breathless, non-stop race to prevent the machine from falling into the wrong hands and becoming the ultimate government weapon in this touching, thought-provoking thriller.

Walken and Natalie Wood (her last role) star in this Sci-Fi drama from the 80s. If you don't like 80s Sci-Fi, you aren't going to like this. I thought the main stars did a good acting job, the other actors, not so much.

Lots of young tasty Walken to behold.

Mouse Hunt (1997)
Two down-on-their-luck brothers inherit a run-down mansion that turns out to be worth millions. They can sell it and pocket a fortune, but first they have to evict its diminutive tenant: a mouse with no intention of leaving.

Caught this on TV. Walken has a cameo in this as a crazy exterminator.

The month is not over and I have several more Christopher Walken movies to watch. I do think I'll be done with much of his stuff by the end of this month.

Last Man Standing - Film review across time and space

A 1920 era movie made in the 1990s, based on a Japanese samurai movie from the 1960s that was based on American western movies of the 1950s....got that?

Starring Bruce Willis as John Smith, a drifter making his way through a Texas town. On his route he finds rival gangs. Italians and Irish gangs with sharp suits and Tommy guns battle each other during 1920s prohibition America.

Christopher Walken plays Hickey, the Irish gangs right hand man. The best at what he does. Seems Hickey and Smith have a strange mutual respect for each other.

But Smith isn't making a home with either gang, he's playing both sides and getting pretty rich in the process.

Although this movie doesn't have much of a score, the little bit of music that you do hear is distinctly Kurisawa-film sounding.

As I was watching this, I thought this story was pretty familiar. So I looked it up and found that it was based on the 1961 Akira Kurosawa film, Yojimbo starring Toshirō Mifune.

In Yojimbo, a ronin arrives in a small town where competing crime lords make their money from gambling.

Obviously in the original film there are samurai sword instead of a Tommy gun, and a lot of honor and of course, no sex (some saki though).

Out of these two films, I enjoyed Yojimbo much more. I felt it had a little more class and a lot more style.

The only reason I watched "Last Man Standing" was because Walken was in it. It was an OK film, but as far as art or a film that will stick with you, it didn't work.

Yojimbo, although the same movie, is a much better film.

GUSH Time - My new favorite movie and some great reads

Suicide Kings (1997)
American neo-noir/comedy-drama film, starring Christopher Walken, Denis Leary, Sean Patrick Flanery, Johnny Galecki, Jay Mohr, Jeremy Sisto, and Henry Thomas. It was based on Don Stanford's short story, The Hostage, and directed by Peter O'Fallon.

I hate when I've been under a rock. I've seen this movie listed on Netflix and IMDB, but never paid it any mind. I like Christopher Walken but it didn't seem like something I could get in to. And the term neo-noir ??? I like film-noir but wasn't sure if I'd like neo-noir.

Of course I thought this movie was brilliant, and I'm probably the last person on earth who hadn't seen it. But it has now become one of my top 5 favorite movies of all time.

The Plot in a short form from Wikipedia:
Moving in a non-linear fashion, the movie follows the exploits of a group of young 20-something rich kids who are plotting a kidnapping in order to save the sister of one of the friends.

Scottish-German Walken plays an awesome Italian ex-mobster named Charlie Bartolucci who these idiots have the nerve to kidnap and mame!!

What I liked about this movie was the psychological mind-games Charlie played on these young men. Who can you trust? Who should you trust?

The other actors were amazing. Jeremy Sisto, Denis Leary and Johnny Galecki were the three (other than Walken) who stole the show.

I'm usually not one to gush too much about movies, but I loved this one. So if you are one of the few people (like me) who have not seen this, I recommend this highly. How highly? I gave it a 5 out of 5 stars.



Illusions: The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah by Richard Bach (1977)

This book questions the reader's view of reality, proposing that what we call reality is merely an illusion we create for learning and enjoyment.

I read his 1st book "Jonathan Livingston Seagull" many years ago. I thought it was quaint, but it didn't rock my world. I was surfing around one day and found this listed somewhere and read the synopsis and thought it might be worth the effort. I ordered it from my local library. I was done in 1 hour (191 pages). I loved it!

Synopsis from Wikipedia:
Donald Shimoda is one of the two main characters in Illusions. He is a messiah who leaves his job of being a messiah (and also of being a mechanic at a garage) after deciding that people value the showbiz-like performance of miracles and want to be entertained by those miracles more than to understand the message behind them. He meets Richard, a fellow barn-storming pilot and begins to pass on his knowledge to him, even teaching Richard to perform "miracles" of his own.

OK so it sounds way out there, but it is actually very good and thought provoking. Not a hard read, not cerebral at all. Written in plain every day language with plain every day imagery. I recommend. 4.5 out of 5 stars.


CURRENTLY READING


Imaginary Jesus by Matt Mikalatos (2010)

I got this book the other day for my Kindle for free from Amazon, but now it costs.

I'm a few chapters in and OMG, this book is hilarious.

From Amazon:
The Apostle Peter punches Jesus in the face, then chases him out of a coffee shop. And that's just chapter 0.

OK so now, what do you think this book will be like? People on the train must think I'm nuts cracking up to myself. I love books that take religious subjects/figures and make them into laugh out loud stories. We all need a good laugh.

I've only read two other books that did this, one was a fiction story the other a memoir. Both were great, I recommend both:

Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal by Christopher Moore

Year of Living Biblically by A.J. Jacobs

Reviews (Books and Movies)

Macrobiotics for Dummies by Verne Verona

I love Dummies and Idiot books. Especially when I know very little about a subject. For those who don't know, Macrobiotics is a lifestyle, some people think it is just a way of eating, but this book goes into depth on how it is more than eating. It is how to keep your home, how to live your life and just basically the holistic approach to the Macrobiotic lifestyle. I found it very interesting. I have started eating Macrobiotic 80% of the time, the lifestyle change is a little harder, but I'm trying. It is a great book to start off with. Not a book for those who have already the basics down.

The Shunning (Heritage of Lancaster County #1) by Bevery Lewis

Downloaded this a while back, it was a freebie. Learned it was coming on TV in the spring, so I wanted to at least read the first part. Set in Amish Country, young Katie Lapp is about to be married to the local Bishop, however, things aren't what they seem. Katie finds out things about herself, and it changes the course of her life. The end of the book had an interesting cliff hanger, which caused me to purchase the 2nd part, and of course then I'll have to purchase the 3rd part.



I've been watching a lot of Christopher Walken movies. I'm a big fan, but he has so many movies, I cannot keep up. So I decided to just buckle down and watch some. Here are his movies that I watched in February. I'm still working on more for March.


Who Am I This Time? (1982)
In this hour-long film by Jonathan Demme, Walken plays a very very shy hardware store clerk who signs on with a local drama troupe in order to overcome his shyness. Susan Sarandon co-stars as his love interest. Most people are not familiar with anything Walken has done before the age of 45, but in this early movie he shines, he's different than what we know him to be. He is downright brilliant. This is my new favorite movie that he stars in. He was about 38 in this, but he still has his boyish face. 5 stars.


The Sentinel (1977)
Starring an even younger Walken. Here he doesn't say much, maybe a total of 10 words in the whole movie, but who cares...he is yummy in this one, eye candy deluxe. Oh yeah, it is a horror movie about a young unmarried model who moves into a posh Brooklyn apartment building and experiences some interesting paranormal phenomena.


The Funeral (1996)
Now this is the Walken we all know and love. Here he is who we know him to be. Also starring Chris Penn, Isabella Rossellini and Anabella Sciorra. At the funeral of their brother, the two living brothers deal with past hurts and present dangers as they look for their brothers killer.

The Maiden Heist (2009)
What a delightful film. Starring Walken, Morgan Freeman and William H. Macy. A fantastic comedy that deals with 3 security guards who have fallen in love with several pieces in the museum they work in. When the news that the pieces will be moved to a Denmark museum, these 3 devise a plan to save their beloved pieces. Who thought of putting these 3 men together in a comedy? I don't know, but great job. The chemistry was amazing. 4.5 stars.

Nick of Time (1999)
Also starring Johnny Depp, Walken is a crooked law enforcement officer who wrangles Depp into doing a criminal activity that would cause political upheaval.

Homeboy (1988)
Also starring Mickey Rourke. Mickey is an over the hill boxer named Johnny Walker who gets involved with a con artist named Wesley, played admirably by Walken. Wesley befriends Johnny but has ulterior motives. He wants Johnny to help him with a jewelry heist. While this friendship develops, Johnny falls in love with an owner of a local carnival.

Around the Bend (2004)
Also starring Michael Caine. Four generation of men come together to help heal the past. Walken plays Grandpa Turner (Caine is great grandpa Henry). After Henry dies the remaining 3 embark on a road trip that answers a lot of questions and bring forgiveness. I cried at the end of this one. 4 stars.

$5 a Day (2008)
The conservative son of a thrifty conman begrudgingly joins his father on the road --after being released from jail for one of his dad's earlier crimes. Strangely similar to "Around the Bend" in the fact that there is a father/son forgiveness thing happening and a road trip as well as the ending which is scarily similar. But I did enjoy this one. Walken acts more like himself in this one. He's even from Queens in the movie (art imitates life). 4 stars.

And just because he is beautiful (I think he still is):

After.Life (movie)

I always find it interesting to watch a movie that I have never heard of. This movie came to my attention during the previews of another movie. I don't recall this one being in the theaters, so perhaps it was straight to DVD.

Starring:
Liam Neeson
Christina Ricci
Justin Long
Rated R
Pychological Thriller

A funeral director claims to have the gift to speak to his 'clients'. A young woman finds herself on his table after a car accident. He is in a constant battle with her to convince her that she is dead, but she has trouble accepting this. Is she dead? Or is she in a living hell?

I wasn't sure if I was going to enjoy this movie. Until the very end it had me guessing and that kept me interested. The acting was fine, the plot was fine, the suspense was fine, the cinimetography was fine...basically the whole movie was fine. It wasn't outstanding just different.

3.5 out of 5 stars.

Dave Mustaine & Vincent Price

Dave Mustaine

I have just completed “Mustaine: A Heavy Metal Memoir” by Dave Mustaine of the popular Heavy Metal (Thrash Metal) band Megadeth. I listened to this in audio format, not for any particular reason except that I was going through audible.com one day and saw it there. I got excited and purchased it right on the spot. The narrator was great, there were times I forgot it wasn’t Mustaine who was narrating the book, and the other voices he used such as the voice of Lars Ulrich of Metallica fame was spot on. It was done very well.

I have been a fan of Megadeth for 24 years. I followed them closely for about 10 years, and then life got in the way, and I only caught news of them every now and again. This book filled in the gaps.

I knew about Dave’s life with Metallica as well as his life with Megadeth up until 1995, or until about when his arm ‘died’. I knew he lived the Rock n Roll life style of excess, but to hear just how much excess there was shocked me.

It was also interesting to hear about his childhood. I did remember hearing he was a Jehovah’s Witness as a child. I remember this because his former band mate, James Hetfield (Metallica) was a Christian Scientist as a child, and I found it very interesting that both of these men, who had such extreme religious upbringings, were now both into the Heavy Metal scene.

Dave doesn’t sugar coat his ‘asshole’ moments, or does he hid his humility. He admits he was a bone head at times, and that he was a very arrogant and egotistical jerk. He admits to diarrhea of the mouth more often than not. He admits to his weaknesses and eventually realizing that he cannot do it alone and that he really is blessed beyond his imagination. But what a ride!

This book does have some choice words and some graphic imagery. However, it is written by a Christian man (a ‘baby’ Christian). He put his life out there for all to see, how brave is that?
I was hoping this book wouldn’t cause me to lose respect for him, and it didn’t. I am more in awe now than I was when I started. I’ve read memoirs and biographies of Rock Musicians before and have always been left disheartened by the end, not this time.

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Vincent Price

I recently started watching Vincent Price movies. I know he was the Prince of horror movies, but I didn’t realize how many. About two years ago I got to watch “The Abominable Dr. Phibes”. In “The Abominable Dr. Phibes”, the maniacal sawbones uses the biblical plagues visited upon Egypt as a model for revenge against the surgeons he blames for his wife's demise. A silly movie, but entertaining none the less, my daughter enjoyed it.

This weekend I got the opportunity to watch "Dr. Phibes Rises Again", the sequel. This film was so campy I just loved it. In this movie Dr. Phibes attempts to resurrect his wife and will take care of anyone who gets in his way.

You have to really enjoy hearing Vincent Price’s voice, because he does a lot of talking in these movies, although his lips never move.

I also watched “The Raven” another of Price’s movies from that era. This was a quadruple threat as it also starred Peter Lore, Boris Karloff and a very, very young Jack Nicholson. Its full title is “Edgar Alan Poe’s: The Raven”, however, it has nothing to do with the poem. The only Poe thing in this movie is a short recitation at the beginning and the last line of the movie is one of the more famous lines in the poem, “Clasp a rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore. Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore."

This was definitely a tongue and cheek effort. Very entertaining and campy. Dr. Craven is a non practicing sorcerer who is asked by a talking raven for his help in changing him back to a human being. Craven hasn’t practiced sorcery in some time; since his wife Lenore died, but he did it one last time to help this man. Once the man is transformed into his human form, Craven discovers he is a fellow sorcerer in need of help. Craven agrees to help him and the story takes off from there.

A Tale of Two Sisters

A Tale of Two Sisters ** (장화, 홍련 Janghwa, Hongryeon literally 'Rose Flower, Red Lotus') is a 2003 South Korean psychological horror film by Kim Ji-woon. The film is inspired by a Joseon Dynasty folktale entitled "Janghwa Hongreyon-jon", which has been adapted to film several times.

I don't remember who said they saw this movie and thought it was really scary? Was it Wendy? Anyway, I did see the American remake "The Univited". I didn't hate that version, but I am a fan of Asian Horror, so I thought I'd give the Korean version a try.

I don't remember being afraid watching the American version, but the Korean version was creepy. I wasn't 'scared', but I did tense up some. I did get a little lost during the movie, I wasn't sure what was happening, and at the end, it didn't come to light. Maybe I'm just dense, but the overall picture was very good.

For those unfamilar with the story it is about two sisters who come home from a hospital stay. They come home to a step mother who moved her way in shortly after (or during) their mother's death. Strange things happen once the girls return home.

I always tell people to watch the Asian version of a horror picture before they watch the American remake. I have not found any American remake that was as scary as the Asian. The best American remakes were "Shutter" and "The Eye"...still the Asian version is better.

If you have any interest, here are some Asian Horror pictures that are out there:

Ju-On (The Grudge) (Japanese) **
Ju-On 2 (Japanese) **
Jian Gui (The Eye) (Chinese)
Shutter (Thai)
Rinne (Reincarnation) (Japanese)
Ringu (The Ring) (Japanese)
Ringu 2 (Japanese)
Yogen (Premonition) (Japanese)
Phone (Korean)

**Highly Recommend

I purposely left 2 movies off "Auditon" (Japanese) and "Pulse" (Japanese) because they were awful.

I Write Like... & Up the Down Staircase.

This cool link was brought to my attention.
I Write Like

It analyzes you writing, and tells you who you most write like. I was wondering if it was more of a random generator. A lot of people on the board I found the link on got Stephen King. And so did I, the first time.

I whipped up a two paragraph random piece of fiction. Not really thinking about it, just something quick. When I got Stephen King, I thought "OK yeah." I mean, I love Stephen, but we all can't write like him! Then I thought about putting up a non-fiction piece. I put up one of my blog posts about being Catholic, and guess who it said I write like? Dan Brown.

Tell me that's not funny! LOL!

I'm sure there is little science to this. It probably picks out random words and uses that as some type of algorithm I suppose. But it is all in fun.

Yesterday I watched a movie from 1967 entitled "Up the Down Staircase" starring Sandy Dennis.

A young white teacher has her first assignment in a tough urban high school. Not a new storyline as "The Blackboard Jungle" tackled it first. Nor was it the final one as "Dangerous Minds" came decades after. However, this is one of the better ones I've seen.

Ms. Barrett is an inexperienced teacher who teaches English to a group of rowdy high school students. As it is set in the late 60s, we see a lot of racial tension. With that in the background, she has to deal with kids who are abused, neglected, have self-esteem issues, sexual identity crisis, basically, she is dealing with the reality of being a teacher.

There is that one student that gets under her skin. The more she reaches, the more he resists. There is the student that shows appreciation for her, thus changing her outlook.

Those of us who like to read, will like the fact that Ms. Barrett is an English teacher and talks about Emily Dickinson and Charles Dickens. The class reads "A Tale of Two Cities", and discusses it, though not in depth in this movie.

I'm usually iffy on the movies from the late 60s/early 70s, but this one is very good.

4 out of 5 stars.

On a side note, I felt sad when I saw Florence Stanley in this movie. Those of you may remember Ms. Stanley from the hit TV show "Fish" starring Abe Vigoda.

I met Florence in the strangest of places. We had a class together. It was at the 96th Street Y in Manhattan. We were in a writing class, along with several other people. She was the most senior person in the class. No one else recognized her, but I sure did. It was the early 90s, and she was living in NYC at the time.

We struck up a friendship. She was a lovely woman, and very down to earth. I am not sure if anyone ever recognized her, and I never gave her secret away. We lost her 7 years ago, I think about her every now and again. I was sad but also happy to see here in the movie. Haven't seen anything by her in a while.

SALT & INCEPTION

I had an affinity to this movie. I got a chance to see the New York City scene being filmed. I like Angelina but I could take her or leave her, but I'm glad I didn't leave her this time.

Salt is one big adriniline ride from the first scene. By the end of the film, we still aren't sure if Agent Salt is an American spy or an enemy spy. There are just enough twists in this film to keep you guessing until the end and beyond. Angelina was a powerhouse, kick-ass woman who beat the crap out of every man that came across her path.

I recommend this film. 4.5 out of 5 stars.


My Photos

This is the Church scene where the coffin is bought in.

Funeral procession scene.

Inception is layer upon layer of downright interesting. I haven't been this involved in a movie since "Shutter Island". DeCaprio is brilliant in this movie as well as the rest of the cast. The special effects were neat, but the story outweighed all of it. One really has to pay attention, no, don't get up to use the bathroom HOLD IT!. If you do, you will miss something important.
This movie revolves around the nature of dreams. A lot of detail was paid to timing and how dreams work. I would love to give more info about this movie, however, I don't want to give anything away. This is a must see. Especially for those of us who like intricate stories.
I rate this 4.5 out of 5.

March Reads, March Movies

A Very Very Slow Month!!

Books

Tennessee Williams Notebooks by Tennessee Williams & M. Bradham Thornton

This was a very big book. It was over 800 pages (although only 765 were actually the book), but it was a hardcover, and a pain to carry back & forth to work. It was the Journals of Tennessee Williams from the 1930s until the 1970s. Although a huge chunk from the 50s and 60s is missing. So it jumps from somewhere in the mid-50s to mid-70s. They are not sure if those volumes were lost or just not written. It was a very depressing read, it is sad to see such great talent suffer. If you want to understand the man and his works, this is the book to read. Although it was big, I really did enjoy it.

The Master Cleanse by Stanley Burroughs

A very small book. About The Master Cleanse (aka Lemonade Diet) which I plan to do next week. I'm also reading another book about this at the moment.

This was a slow month for two reasons. The first book was very long, and I'm only reading one way on the train as I meet up with friends on the way home. However, I have a feeling April will be a heavier month for books.


Movies

Also a slow month, as guitar lessons take up my time.

What Are Dreams? Nova - Documentary about dreams.

InAliable - Wanted to see it because Andrew Koenig was in it and I wanted to see one of his later projects

A Man Called Peter - This is a Classic film about a Minister named Peter and his rise to become a very loved man. He caught the attention of the D.C. Bigwigs and they wanted him to be their spiritual adviser. Very interesting bio-pic.

Jimi Hendrix - A Documentary about him. This was produced in 1972. But it was fun to see a young Clapton, Jagger and Townsend. Also highlighted some of his best performances. Don't think I learned anything new, but it was still a fun watch.

And the Rest

2012
Precious
Cold Souls
Old Dogs
Disney's Alice in Wonderland
Did You Hear About the Morgans
Armored
The 39th Steps (2008)
The Sound of Music
Red Cliff: Theatrical Version
Alice in Wonderland: 3D
Cream: Classic Artists

Holiday Movies - Starting early

The Man Who Came to Dinner (1941)

In this television adaptation of the hit Broadway play, Monty Wooley, who plays Sheridan (Sherry) Whiteside overstays his welcome at the home of an Ohio Family. He slips and falls on the ice on his way to their house for dinner. He is told that his hip is fractured and he requires bed rest.

His stay puts a cramp in a lot of people's style including his secretary played by Bette Davis.

I've always liked Monty Wooley, and I loved him in this. This is also one of Bette Davis' better roles.

It takes place during Christmas so it is an appropriate movie to watch during this time of year.

4 out of 5 stars.



An Old Fashioned Thanksgiving (2008)

This movie based on a short story by Louisa May Alcott was aired on the Hallmark Channel. It was pure Hallmarkian. A struggling widow is trying to support her 3 children, and they will not be able to afford a Thanksgiving turkey. The widow's estranged mother (who is rich) shows up unexpected. There are a lot of wounds and a lot of dysfunction, but it all comes together in the end. After all, it is Hallmark.

I give this 3 out of 5 stars. I don't know if it was the story or the production. It was just OK for me. It is a nice film though, very family friendly.