Jasper!

Jasper!

Congratulations Bryce!

Congratulations to Bryce today, his Graduation from Bonneville High School is tonight. 

Happy Birthday Trish!

Happy Birthday today to my sister Trish.  I hope she received our gift in the mail. 

Weekend Fun and Robbie

Well we had an eventful holiday weekend. We went up and camped at the Shreeve property in Eden and Brooke was even feeling good enough to go mountain biking, and boating. She even had her 6th and 7th no puke days this weekend, so that is a good sign. We also took down Robbies nest because the eggs were cracked and then we found they were infested with worms. We kept the nest for scientific purposes but the eggs went in the trash. Sunday was also eventful as Brooke and I gave talks in church. Hopefully they were good. Today we are going shopping for furniture for the nursery, hopefully we find something we like.

New Baby Picture

Baby Picture

Announcing!

Well the news is in. We just barely got back from the Hospital and Brooke wouldn't let me wait until we got home to post.
The Baby is... a Girl!
We also have a new ultrasound picture that I will post later.

Oh, if you want to know if it's a boy or a girl, highlight the text.

Updates/Baby

There has been a lack of updates lately, but some big information is hopefully coming soon. Brooke and I have another appointment today with the Ultrasound Tech. We are hoping that the baby will be in just the right position to find out if it's a boy or girl. I will make sure to post results as soon as I can.

Antelope Island

Brooke and I made it out to Antelope Island on Saturday.  Brooke had never been there so we decided if we live only a few miles away, we better get out there.  It was a nice day so we had fun on the beach trying to fly our new kite "The Flame Plane", but there wasn't enough wind.  I wanted to take some pictures and post them up but I left the camera in the car and didn't want to walk all the way back to get it.  We'll take pictures next time.  If you go out to the island I recommend the Buffalo Burger, it's good and the beach was fun.  But don't make the 11 mile drive down to the ranch, it was really lame.  There is a good Mt. Biking trail on the West side, quite a bit of climbing but good spring riding because there isn't any snow melting to make things muddy. 

Music Info

A little info on what I am currently listening to and some recommendations for music. I have a varied range of music I like, so if you take my recommendations, be warned and listen before you buy. I have included web sites for each band where you can listen to some songs and see if you like it. If you like it, you know who to contact for a CD.

The Used, In Love and Death: I just received this CD from my friend Josh. This is a band from Provo and they seem to have made it pretty big. I really didn't like them at first, but I didn't give them much of a chance. However after listening to this latest CD I am rather pleased with them, still a little bit of screaming here and there but not too bad. I might even have to give their first album another listen. Be warned, just because they are from Provo doesn't mean they are wholesome.

Jimmy Eat World, Futures: This is a great disc, I seem to be coming back to it over and over. It is a little bit more "rock" than "punk" so it's nice and a little more mature than some of the other stuff I listen to. I will give this CD a high recommendation because it will appeal to a more broad audience than most of what I listen to and it's really good.

Reggie and The Full Effect, Songs Not to Get Married To: This is for those of you who want to experiment a little bit, this band is a little unusual. For sure they are a "listen before you buy" group. Another band referred to me by Josh a while ago that I just couldn't get into. But he just sent me another disc and requested that I give them another try. I am really getting into this new disc and am thinking I will give them another chance.

Keane: Jeff and Juline found this band and I listened to the CD just this weekend. I haven't listened to it a lot, but have made it through the disc all the way through. I didn't even realize it but I recognized a couple of the songs, I must have heard them on the radio. So far I really like what I hear, it's a little mellow and there is no guitar but a piano. I needed a little bit of a change from the same old stuff so this CD is just what I was looking for.

Green Day, American Idiot: The more I listen to this disc, the more I like it. I think that Green Day has really grown up with this latest album. The songs flow together and tell a story, sort of. The disc has been referred to by many critics as a "Rock Opera". It's a good disc for anyone who likes Green Day or similar artists.

Something Corporate and Jacks Mannequin: Something Corporate is Brooke's favorite band right now and Jacks Mannequin is the lead singer Andrew's side project. Piano Punk Rock, I know it sounds weird, but it works. Something Corporate has a couple of albums out, I recommend "Leaving Through The Window" over "North" but they are both good. Jacks Mannequin doesn't have an album out yet, but you can listen to a couple of songs on their web site. The album should be out this summer.

Star Wars Revenge at The Box Office

As predicted by pretty much everyone, Star Wars was huge at the box office this weekend raking in over $158 Million through Sunday. Look for a pretty large slowdown through the week but a big weekend again next weekend. As Jeff said, with not much competition until Mr. and Mrs. Smith is released Star Wars should have a few weeks to dominate. However most of the geeks have probably downloaded it by now so subsequent viewings may be at home and not at the theater.

Blog Warnings

Just a little bit of information about the blog. Any links that I post or show on my site are safe for you to click on. I promise I won't purposely send you to any site that I feel is inappropriate. However, if you choose to "browse" blogs by clicking on the "next blog" link I can't guarantee what you might get. Blogs are open and free so that anyone can post whatever pictures they want and use any type of language they want. Unfortunately many people are using the popularity of blogs to attempt to sell you things, post pornography and use obscene language. There are a lot of fun and worthwhile blogs out there, so go ahead and browse, but just be careful.

Here are some suggestions to help you stay safe while browsing blogs and on the Internet in general. All of these are free or offer free versions.

Make sure you have a pop-up blocker, if you use Firefox (Which I reccomend) it is built in, if you use IE download the Google Toolbar and install it.

At least once a week run some sort of spyware tool, such as Spybot Search and Destroy and/or Ad-Aware. Make sure you keep up to date with the latest versions as well.

If you search using Google they have a safe search option you can turn on. Go to Google and click preferences, then look for Safe Search Filtering, turn it on. Anything you search on Google will then be filtered.

For blogs, there is a couple other ways you can browse, rather than the "next blog" link.

The easiest is to use the links on trusted blogs, such as mine. I link to my friend Jeff's blog currently, as well as my own movie blog, but anyone else who starts a blog I can link to as well. I will only link to safe blogs and if you are on a safe blog, chances are their links will be ok as well.

You can also click to view a bloggers profile, within the profile it will list a persons interests and hobbies. You can actually click on each interest or hobby and it will pull up all the blogs of people who have those same interests listed on their profile. So chances are you will be guided to "safer" blogs if what you click on is safe.

So good luck and be safe, you have been warned.

Congratulations Bryce

Congratulations to Bryce on his Seminary Graduation last night.  He and his friend Tyson were part of the program singing together, they did a good job and the Graduation turned out well. 

The Cube

This is where I spend a lot of time, my cube at work.

Star Wars Records

It's only been out one day, but has already broken many records. Just the midnight showings on Wednesday night grossed $16.5 Million and after one full day, Thursday, Star Wars: Episode III, Revenge of The Sith has grossed $50 Million. Episode III beat the previous opening day record set by Spider-Man 2 by $10 Million and is also the highest grossing single day movie beating the previous record of $44 Million set by Shrek 2. This is all on a Thursday, so the weekend should bring some high numbers as well, look for Saturday to be huge. After just a single day Star Wars is already the 17th highest grossing movie of the year so far, look for it to be #1 or #2 after the first weekend alone, it will most likely be the highest grossing movie of the year and some still think it could take the #1 all time spot from Titanic, we will have to watch and see.

Star Wars: Episode III, Revenge of The Sith

I have sacrificed several hours of sleep last night to bring you my review of Star Wars: Episode III, Revenge of The Sith. I have posted my review of the new Star Wars on my movie blog. Head over and check it out, if you have or haven't seen the movie please feel free to make your own comments or observations. But I would recommend that you go out and get a Darth Dew Slurpee then see the movie, it's good, and hey, it's Star Wars.

Star Wars Preface

Just a note on the Star Wars review, I wrote this review with a huge lack of sleep, due to the midnight showing. Please be forgiving if it doesn't make as much sense as it should. Maybe once I catch up on some sleep I can post with a sharper mind.

Star Wars: Episode III, Revenge of The Sith (* * * *)

After almost 30 years, the Star Wars saga is complete. I sacrificed many hours of sleep last night to catch a midnight showing of Star Wars: Episode III, Revenge of The Sith. A big thanks goes out to my friend Jeff for letting me tag along to the private AOL showing.

Again as with all my reviews, I am going to horribly spoil the movie for you if you haven't seen it yet, so be warned. Although, unless you have been hiding under a rock since 1977 or so, you already know what is going to happen.

I really enjoyed Episode III, it was a lot of fun to watch and there were some great moments in the movie, just cool Star Wars moments. I am giving Episode III 4 stars, I really wanted to give it 5 but there were just some minor issues with the film that I couldn't overlook.

For those who don't know the story here is a quick synopsis. Chancellor Palpatine who leads the senate has been abducted by Count Dooku and General Greivous. Two Jedi's, Obi Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker have been sent to save him. After a fierce battle Anakin ends up killing Count Dooku and Greivous escapes. The two Jedi return the chancellor to the senate and Anakin is reunited with his now pregnant wife Padme. When Obi Wan is sent on an mission to find and destroy General Grievous, Anakin gets more upset with the Jedi council and their decision not to declare the title of Jedi Master upon him. He makes allegiance with Chancellor Palpatine and learns that the Chancellor has some knowledge of the force, the dark side especially. Anakin has a dream that Padme dies while giving birth and is promised by the Chancellor that if he learns the ways of the dark side he can save her from death. The movie comes to a head when Anakin learns that Chancellor Palpatine is in fact the sith lord the Jedi's have been looking for, he reports this to the council and is told that they will deal with the situation and that he should just sit back and wait. Again this angers Anakin and he defies the council to save Palpatine from the hands of Mace Windu. He then is appointed as a sith apprentice and takes on the name Darth Vader, he is ordered to kill all the remaining Jedi. The climax of the movie comes when Obi Wan and Padme discover the truth about Anakin and travel to a planet made entirely of lava to confront him. Obi Wan and Anakin have a spectacular fight and at the same time Yoda has an awesome fight with the Chancellor. Obi Wan prevails in the fight against Anakin as his body is burned by the heat and the lava, the Chancellor saves Anakin from what seems to be sure death and he completes his transformation into the Darth Vader mechanical suit. Obi Wan saves Padme and takes her to a safe haven to give birth to her twins, Luke and Leia. The twins are separated and taken to safe hiding places, Yoda and Obi Wan as well seek hiding.

The pacing of the movie was really good, even seeing the movie in the wee hours of the morning I did not get tired or bored. The several different battles and fight scenes keep the film moving along very well. The plot develops nicely as more and more suspicions about how Anakin becomes Vader are revealed with each passing minute.

There are some of the best ever Star Wars fight scenes in this movie. Obi Wan and Anakin vs. Count Dooku, Yoda Vs. Chancellor Palpatine, Obi Wan Vs. General Greivous, and of course Obi Wan Vs. Anakin. After seeing 5 movies full of light saber fights, I never really get bored of it and the creativity of the fights in Episode III are far superior than any of the previous 5 movies. Especially that of any fight where Yoda is on the screen and fighting, it's just awesome to watch and fun to see what a little guy like that can do.

That leads me to another one of the great aspects of this movie, Yoda. Visual effects have come a long way, but none so far as the digital Yoda. He looked really good on the big screen and had some of the best scenes in the movie. The effects throughout the film are really great, especially the first few sequences of the fighting ships over the planet Corousant.

Sadly one of the best parts of the film is when the order to kill all the Jedi is executed. There was so much emotion to it, and I think it's the most emotion that has ever been invoked in a Star Wars movie. I was really saddened by seeing many of the great Jedi's betrayed and slaughtered. Especially seeing Anakin slaughter the young Jedi's in training. It just emphasized how far he had gone and that there was no more going back.

Of course the movie would not be complete without Anakin finally becoming Darth Vader and putting on the black mechanical suit. This was filmed exceptionally well, with the music and then that first breath of air from the Darth mask, it was great.

On par with all the previous movies is the score, the music is consistent and has a great impact on the film. Especially as the film progresses to hear the soundtrack of good and bad depending on who is in front of the camera, it was cool. You will no doubt recognize many pieces of the music from the original Star Wars trilogy.

Maybe the best of all is absolutely no dialogue from Jar Jar Binks and a very small amount from C3-PO, but by the way some great scenes with R2-D2.

But unfortunately with every Star Wars movie, there is the bad parts of it. Star Wars just has this unique way of making me love the movie and be so disappointed at the same time.

George Lucas just has a way with getting really crappy acting out of his actors. Hayden Christensen is horrible, his lines are delivered in such a scripted way you can almost see the cue cards in front of him. He does a good job of looking the part and as the film progresses you can see the darkness growing in him, but every time he opens his mouth it's just painful. The rest of the crew does ok, Ewan McGregor just seemed like he didn't want to be there but could actually deliver his lines well. Sadly the best acting came from the evil Palpatine and the digital Yoda.

Another problem was basically any of the dialogue between Padme and Anakin. It was just so insanely cheesy and repetitive, every conversation between them was the same thing over and over again. Even before Padme learns that Anakin has gone to the dark side, there is no chemistry between the two.

Another disappointment was the way that Padme dies in the end. Anakin almost kills her, which would have been ok but it ends up that she just doesn't have the will to live anymore. It was just so lame when they said that, I thought that they should have come up with something better than that. Even if she would have died giving birth I would have understood but just giving up after all she had done was really a let down. What about her two children, wouldn't she want to watch out for them?

The Bottom Line... Episode III is a really good movie, if you are a fan of any of the previous Star Wars movies, well you just have to see it. The good far outweighs the bad and it's a very well made film. One of the great things about Episode III is that it answers your questions, there is a great amount of detail and accuracy with the story. The effects and action sequences are great, you will find yourself in awe of the cool things you will see on the screen. There is also a lot of small little details to make the Star Wars loyalists happy. If you aren't a Star Wars fan, but have seen Episode I and/or II, well catch up and go see it. This movie franchise has and will go down in history as one of the best ever, I would suggest being a part of it. Episode III standing alone without the background of I and II would probably be difficult to understand, but it would be ok to watch. The movie is rated PG-13 (A first for any Star Wars movie) basically for violence. There is a lot of action and a lot of fighting, there is even some scary images so make sure to screen it before deciding if the kids should see it or not.

Episode III

I have had some good fortune. I have been invited by my good friend Jeff to see Star Wars Episode III:Revenge of The Sith tonight at midnight. I am excited to see the show and this means that after I catch up on some sleep I should have a review posted tomorrow or Friday.

May The Force Be With You!

Playstation 3

The Playstation 3 has been revealed, although it probably won't be for sale until late 2006. Head on over to Playstation.com or here for more info. The console itself looks cool, however I am not too sure about the controller, I will have to feel it in my hands first. The specs are awesome, this thing is going to be able to do everything, but some of the coolest features are backwards compatibility even as far as PS1 games, 7 wireless controllers, HD support, USB ports, Wireless Internet and compatibility with the PSP. But the biggest problem with the PS3, I probably won't be able to afford it.

It should be interesting to see the future of consoles, with the XBOX 360 coming out almost a year before the PS3 they could get a big jump on things. The PS3 will be twice as powerful however so people might be willing to wait a year. It's too early for me to make a prediction, but both Microsoft and Sony are making some serious strategic moves to be #1 in the market. Being that I am a PS2 fan right now, chances are I will be in favor of the PS3 over the XBOX 360, but we will have to see how it pans out.

Nothing

You may have noticed that I haven't posted much on this blog lately, this is because I haven't really seen any movies for a while. I am still working on reviews for some old movies but haven't had much time. Hopefully soon there will be some posts as well as an Episode III review coming as soon as I get a chance to see it, probably late next week or early the week after. So keep checking back and maybe someday there will something interesting for you to read here.

Tivo

Well I figured if I am going to talk about entertainment on this site, I need to talk about something very important. Tivo. It's pretty much the best thing to happen to TV since color. We got Tivo a little over a year ago and I am afraid that now it will be impossible to ever go back. One of the best things being that we haven't watched commercials in a long time, in fact it's hard to watch TV at other people's houses because we are forced to watch commercials.

If you are thinking about Tivo or a DVR, I would suggest doing so. Even if you don't watch a lot of TV, your watching time will be more efficient. Don't worry if you have something going on Thursday night, you won't miss your programs with Tivo, just set up a season pass. Plus if you have to go to the bathroom, if the phone rings or someone (Home Teachers) stops by, just hit pause, and pick up right where you left off.

I also recommend Tivo with Direct TV, that is what we have and we really enjoy it. Although many people already have cable or digital cable, it might be more cost effective to just get a DVR from your current cable provider. Either way, you will definitely be happy you did.

Happy Birthday Aunt Bax

Happy Birthday to my Aunt today!

Darth Dew Slurpee

In celebration of the upcoming Star Wars movie we decided to get Darth Dew Slurpee's.

Brooke's Garden

Because it was such a nice day today, Brooke decided to get her garden growing. Check back later this summer to see the harvest. You may notice the unique way Brooke has organized her garden, for more information click here. Brooke swears by this gardening method.

Robbie's Eggs

Look what spring has brought for us. Unfortunately we may have to adopt these eggs because we haven't seen the momma bird since the snow storm. Brooke has named the momma bird "Robbie" because it's a Robin.

Blog Information

A little information about the blog. You can click on any of the pictures for a larger version of that picture. If you would like to have that picture for yourself, click on it with your right mouse button and click on "save picture as", then select a name and where you want the picture stored on your computer. Please feel free to post comments on the blog, simply click on the word "comments" and then type up what you want to say, make sure to include your name, and then click Login and Publish. Instantly your comments will be available for anyone to read.

Jantzens Birthday Revisited

Looks like Jantz enjoyed his Birthday, well at least his Birthday Cake.

Friday the 13th

Superstitious or not, it's Friday the 13th, so make sure you go out and rent a horror movie tonight. I suggest something like Psycho (The 1960 Classic) or The Shining another one of my favorites.

Well the weather is clearing up a little here in Utah after rain and snow has been falling for the past few weeks. Hopefully we can get some nice weather this weekend and dry out a little bit. It doesn't even feel like spring, and summer is rapidly approaching.

Congratulations to Brooke, she had her 5th no vomit day yesterday. We are hoping this is a sign for the future.

Picasa 2

I thought I would post about this because most people either have digital camera's or are planning on getting one soon. Most cameras come with really crappy software and you have to spend at least $50.00 to get a decent package, like Adobe Photoshop Album. I stumbled across a program for free called Picasa 2, it's made by the Google people and available for download here. It's mainly a picture organizing program but it has some really impressive photo enhancement tools, I think it's as good or better than Photoshop Album. You can fix red eye, crop pictures, brighten and edit your photos all with single click functions. I have been using it for a while now and it's really easy to use, plus it has good resources for getting your pictures printed or if you want to e-mail your pictures to people. Check it out.

Congratulations

Congratulations to Blake and Kaleena who are now also expecting their first child.  Kaleena is only 17 days behind Brooke, although Brooke is upset she hasn't been sick yet.  So this holiday season should be exciting with two babies on the way. 

Snow in May!

Well we woke up this morning to about 2 inches of snow.  Pretty crazy for this time of year.  Lucky for my parents down in sunny Mesquite, NV. today, good luck to my Dad in his softball tournament.

We won't have any more updates on the baby for a few weeks.  Although we are still hoping to find out the sex at our next appointment.  Brooke has still been pretty sick but had a vomit free day on Monday so that was good, her 4th or so in the past couple months.  With hopefully more to come.

 

The Old Man

Well "The Old Man" is getting a little older.  Happy Birthday to my Dad today!

Happy Birthday Jantzen

Happy Birthday to my nephew Jantzen Donahoe.

Flight of the Phoenix (* *)

We saw Flight of the Phoenix last night. This is a hard review to write because the movie was not what I expected and I had a hard time paying attention. In fact it was a little weird. I am giving the movie 2 stars because it wasn't too bad and I was entertained. I was tempted to give it 3, but there were just too many plot holes and weird scenes. This movie is a remake of a 1965 film under the same title.

As usual, if you haven't seen this movie, I am about to spoil it for you. Read on with caution.

The movie is about two airplane pilots who are sent out to the Mongolian desert to pick up a oil rig crew. The oil rig has not been producing for the company and is being shut down. After the crew is picked up and as they are flying to their next destination they are caught up in a severe desert sand storm. The plane eventually crash lands and the crew has to find a way to survive and escape the desert. After finding out one of the passengers, Elliott, has some knowledge about constructing planes they attempt to build a new plane from the wreckage. While trying to survive they ration the small supply of water they have and also get in some fights with smugglers that live and travel in the desert. Just before the plane is finished the crew finds out that Elliott isn't actually an engineer but a designer for a model plane company. There is a lack of confidence in his expertise in designing the plane, but after a large confrontation they decide to go on and finish the plane. It seems to be the only chance they have of survival. Once the plane is built they fly out of the desert narrowly escaping an attack by the smugglers.

In general the movie was pretty good, there was quite a bit of action and a few plot twists. By far the best part of the movie happens right at the beginning when the plane crashes into the desert. I thought that the crash sequence was really well done and exciting, I was at the edge of my seat. I didn't see it on the big screen, but the special effects looked pretty good and the visuals of the storm were really cool. From that point on, however the film does move a little bit slow. There were some issues I had with some events in the film, first of all the plane gets completely buried in sand at least twice in the film and there is not one scene of them digging it out. Obviously they did dig the plane out of the sand, but It was weird that one second all you could see was the plane barely sticking out of the sand and all of a sudden it is miraculously sand free. There is also one part where one of the crew takes off into the desert and it is assumed that he is going to brave the treacherous desert to go and get help. They argue about who is going to go get him and bring him back, eventually Dennis Quaid's character, Frank Towns goes to retrieve him. As I was watching it I was just thinking, "let him go", he left and why should anyone risk their lives and their precious water to bring him back. He might even make it and save them all, who knows. Then there is the fact that Elliott played by Giovanni Ribisi is a really creepy character. I understand that it was important he was singled out because he is the center of the plot twist, I just didn't see any reason he had to talk and act creepy. That was lame. Here is another problem with the movie, they crashed way off course and so the odds of anyone finding them is slim. Obviously they can only survive so long in the desert before they will run out of water and die. They argue over and over about whether to build the plane or just wait for someone to find them. Early on though there is just little hope anyone is going to find them, so either they sit there and die or build the plane, I don't see much of an argument there. Most people would do all they could do to survive. It just didn't seem like much of an issue to me and there was a lot of time spent on deciding if they were going to do it or not.

Despite the weirdness of the movie there was some good acting, Dennis Quiad is someone I have liked for a long time and it was nice to see him playing this part. I also liked Miranda Otto as the only woman in the entire film, she impressed me in the Lord of the Rings films and was not a disappointment here either. As with Giovanni Ribisi, despite the fact that his character was unnecessarily creepy, he did a good job. I have always liked him as an actor and he played the part well.

The Bottom Line... Flight of the Phoenix isn't bad, it is pretty fun to watch and it will entertain you. The crash sequence is the best part of the movie and the acting is good. But there is a lot of plot holes and weird scenes, too many for me to like it. The movie moves a little bit slow and the characters make some odd choices. It's rated PG-13 and has very little foul language, a little bit of violence, and there is a couple of disturbing death scenes. Overall it's not a bad movie to just sit back, relax and watch.

Episode III Hype

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away George Lucas started his Star Wars movie franchise. Next weekend (May 19th) he brings us what he is calling the final chapter and the best of the six; Episode III Revenge of the Sith. Get ready to see Star Wars all over the place as the hype continues to grow and the merchandising giants, fast food restaurants and anyone else puts Star Wars right in your face.

Flying on the heels of Episode I and II, which both did well, but disappointed many fans George Lucas is looking to deliver something huge. Of course Star Wars is going to make huge box office totals and is expected to be the biggest grossing movie of the year. In fact many say it's going to give Titanic a challenge by attempting to take over as the highest grossing movie of all time. Can it be done? 600 Million is a long way to go but considering that no Star Wars movie isn't currently in the top 25, if George delivers what he is promising, it is quite possible. Star Wars is the highest grossing movie franchise of all time (Total gross 1.8 Billion) and Star Wars A New Hope (1977) continues to hold the #2 spot. Increasing ticket prices and a huge fan base will help the movie but hurting the movie could be the PG-13 rating, a first for the Star Wars series. The violence in this chapter will alienate kids who have been a big market for past Star Wars Films. Many critics who have seen the film are actually encouraging parents to keep their kids at home.

Being a fan of the movies and over 13 myself I am getting excited to go out and see this movie. I will be sure to post my comments as soon as I do see it, however I doubt I will end up being a huge geek and fighting the crowds to see it on opening weekend. Even though many people don't enjoy Sci-Fi movies such as Star Wars, this summer is going to go down in history. I recommend being a part of it and getting out to see Star Wars next month. It just might be your last chance to see a Star Wars film on the big screen.

Brooke and Lumines

Just so everyone knows, I am not the only one who plays video games.

A Lot Like Love (* *)

So Brooke and her friend Molly have been wanting to see a "chick flick" for a while, so Kenny (Molly's Husband) and I sucked it up and went to see A Lot Like Love with them. It wasn't your typical chick flick, which was nice. It was a little bit of a different take on things so I am going to give it 2 stars, because it was ok.
First of all a disclaimer; I am not one that enjoys romantic comedy's, but I am not one of those guys who only likes war or action movies either. Honestly I feel like I enjoy a wide variety of films, but because I have seen a lot of good films, I tend to have high expectations. I have a difficult time judging romantic comedy's, therefore as you read my review know that there is a personal bias. I don't hate all romantic comedy's, but let's just say they need to be very good in order for me to like them. In my opinion it doesn't come down to a Men vs. Women situation either, I just think that in general they aren't well made films. Does that mean they don't have their place in cinema? No, of course not, just because in my opinion they aren't good doesn't mean there isn't a market for them. Obviously nobody is expecting a movie like this to take home Best Picture or anything like that, I am sure the film makers aren't even expecting those types of results. Personally I don't mind seeing a few of them on occasion, but after a while the stories tend to be too similar and I just can't watch the same love story over and over with different actors. Maybe I just need to lighten up and enjoy the movie, but it's not like me to do that, I watch movies because I enjoy getting into the details. With that said, let's get on with the movie itself.
Be aware, if you haven't seen this film I will spoil the ending, although you can probably predict it from the trailers alone.
The film is centered around 2 characters, Ashton Kutcher as Oliver Martin and Amanda Peet as Emily Friehl. The two meet on a plane when they are both traveling to New York, let's just say that after the flight is over they are both officially members of the "mile high club". After a brief romance in New York they each go their separate ways. They part with a promise that Emily will call Oliver's parents house in 6 years to make sure he isn't living there anymore and has gone along with his plan for the future. She ends up calling him early because she is desperate for a New Years Date after a bad breakup. So he comes over and from this point the film is very repetitive, she calls him and they hook up, he calls her and they hook up. This cycle pretty much continues as the film progresses, however each time they get together they learn more and more about each other and each of them seem to fall more and more in love with the other. Despite each of them being in committed relationships with others, they tend to fall back on each other with a sort of "rebound" situation. Toward the end of the film they both have strong feelings for each other and depend on each other emotionally. As you might have guessed in the end they do end up together. And like most romantic comedy's there is a wedding at the end, I just won't tell you who gets married.
The story itself isn't so bad, in fact it's a little refreshing compared to the usual "boy meets girl, the couple has conflict, the couple gets together in the end" type of romantic comedy. For that I give the movie credit, but there are other points that I didn't like. Such as, I know that people do stupid things when they are in love, but the amount of childish behavior that exists between the characters might make you think they were still in Jr. High. I cite the examples of a "quiet game" situation to see who can go without talking, also a spitting on each other scene and of course sticking things up their noses to make each other laugh. Some people might find these actions endearing, but I just felt like it was annoying. I mean Amanda Peet herself is over 30 and Ashton Kutcher is rapidly approaching 30 himself, when you see them on screen you don't see teenagers or kids in love, you see adults that should be acting like it. I do like Ashton Kutcher and I did find myself laughing through several of the scenes in the movie, but it just wasn't enough to leave a lasting impression. I mean the best scene in the movie was when Amanda Peet's character slams into a glass door.
There was a small thematic element of the movie that was good, but just wasn't driven home enough. Oliver happens to have a deaf older brother (Graham), they seem to be close and there are some funny scenes revolving around the two of them and sign language. Graham has completed college, married, and has a child; he has gone and lived his life where Olver has pretty much just waited for life to happen to him. Oliver is trying to start up his dot com diaper business and as he says "get is ducks in a line" before he settles down. There is really only one scene where the theme is emphasized or else you really would have never picked up on it. Oliver and Graham are sitting on the beach discussing the dot com business going under and watching as Grahams son plays in the sand. Graham tells Oliver to live his life, that it is the here and now and there is no use waiting for something to happen, he has to make it happen. It is a good theme and should have just been emphasized more, but it just isn't.
The Bottom Line... Despite my bias against this genre, the film was ok. I do think Ashton Kutcher was funny and Amanda Peet isn't so bad to look at on the big screen. However, the film was tainted with a lot of childish behavior, a repetitive story line and the comedy that exists is forgettable. Brooke gives the movie 3 stars, she thought it was pretty good and asked that I not be too hard on it. When asked what she liked about the film, she said it was cute, and Molly agreed with her. However, cute, just isn't enough for me. Kenny declined to comment. If you like romantic comedy's, you will probably like this movie. Both of the girls agreed that Ashton Kutcher is cute and that made them like the movie, but if you want to see him on screen go see something good like The Butterfly Effect. If you are like me and you expect more from your films, you won't hate this movie but you probably won't really like it either. If you are still part of the "dating scene" this could turn out to be a good date movie for you, your date will like it and you won't be bored out of your mind. The movie is rated PG-13 and there is a small amount of nudity, although any scenes with male butt for me is too much.

Change

So I am changing the format of this blog a little bit. I decided instead of just doing movies I would post reviews and comments about music, tv or anything else entertainment that I feel like talking about.

Almost Famous (* * * * *)

So this is the first movie I have reviewed that I am giving 5 stars. Don't worry though, there are more to come. This one is going to be long, so sit back, relax and well read this at home, not at work. If you can't handle reading it all at least skip to "The Bottom Line" and if you think it's for you, go out and see this movie. I know this movie is a little bit older, from 2000, but it is one of my favorites and a movie that a lot of people haven't seen. I need to thank Dayton for recommending this movie to me long after it had spent it's time in theaters.

This movie has everything you would expect from a great movie. It has a great story, interesting dialogue, excellent acting, the best music of any movie, comedy, sadness, and yes romance.

Let's get started with the story. This movie at its basic core comes down to a coming of age story for our main character, William Miller. Young for his grade in school William is a very bright journalist but according to his classmates and his sister Anita is very "un cool". William meets a band, Stillwater, that is just beginning to become successful and to him is the epitome of cool. Rolling Stone Magazine, unaware of Williams’s age decides to send him on the road with the band to write a story. The movie is his story as he travels with the band and deals with his own complications. Yes the story at its core is very simple, but it deals with complex relationships and themes. The movie is actually based on the life of Cameron Crowe, the director and writer. You will recognize some of his other films such as Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Singles and Jerry Maguire.

The dialogue in this movie is so carefully written and seamless. In fact the dialogue is so good that I enjoy putting in the DVD as I am doing housework or something and simply listening to it. It connects so well and there are just so many little things that you only pick up on with subsequent viewings.

You may not recognize everyone in this film however there is some wonderful acting and I have to give credit to those who cast this movie, nice work. Patrick Fugit (A Utah native), plays William Miller the central character for the film. As a rookie actor he does very well with this role and was very believable. His ability to project emotion is great and as you watch the film you will be able to just look at him on the screen and know what he is thinking. One of my favorite actors, Jason Lee, plays Jeff Bebe, the lead singer of the band Stillwater. Jason has this great ability to say his lines. I know that sounds so simple, but listen to him as he talks, it's like no other actor and he has some great, long pieces of dialogue that are some of my favorite in the entire movie. Kate Hudson plays Penny Lane and does a great job at looking the part. She looks very much how I would have imagined this character in my mind. She is a good actor but it almost seems that in this movie she is just being herself. Billy Crudup plays Russell Hammond the guitar player and according to him the heart and soul of the band Stillwater. Billy is a good actor and really got into the part, learning in real life to play guitar (Taught by Peter Frampton), he brings authenticity to the movie. Frances McDormand plays Elaine Miller, Williams’s mother. She looks like the typical conservative mother and is such a good actor that all you need to do is watch her facial expressions and you can tell so much about her character. Not to leave out is the less central role of Phillip Seymour Hoffman who plays Lester Bangs, the rock journalist that is a mentor to William. His screen time is limited but he really portrayed this character well and will make you laugh as he is very "un-cool." But there is also the great performance of Zooey Deschanel as Anita Miller, Fairuza Balk as Sapphire and Anna Paquin as Polexia the other Band Aid's, as well as Noah Taylor, John Fedevich, and Mark Kozelek who make up the rest of Stillwater and its management. There is also a brief cameo by Peter Frampton and a small but memorable performance by Jimmy Fallon.

The music in Almost Famous is great. I know I didn't grow up during the time which this movie takes place but I have always loved 70's rock. The movie includes songs from Led Zeppelin, Simon and Garfunkel, Elton John, The Who, Black Sabbath, Joni Mitchell, Steely Dan, Yes, and Fleetwood Mac just to name a few. One of the great things about the music in this film is that it plays a role, the music is a character. Just watch the movie and pay special attention during the scene where Elton John's, Tiny Dancer is playing. Another thing that makes the movie great is that an entire album was written by Cameron Crowe and his wife Nancy Wilson, you may remember her from the band Heart. They wrote the songs for the fictional band in the movie, Stillwater. In fact if you buy the "Untitled" directors cut of Almost Famous you get a Stillwater CD that is really good.

This movie is really one of those movies that "will make you laugh and cry"; there are some great funny moments but some thematic elements that will invoke some emotion. There are also some interesting romantic moments between several of the characters. Normally I don't like romantic movies or even movies that have a strong romance presence. But with Almost Famous the relationships between the characters including several romantic situations is so key to the story. But it isn't boring, cheesy or sappy, the relationships of the characters is complex and keeps you interested. But can be also a very funny element as when William kisses Penny and says "I am boldly going where many men have gone before", it's great.

(Finally) The Bottom Line... Almost Famous is a great movie, if you enjoy it the first time you see it, you will want to see again. The story is deep and the acting great. In fact if you just like 70's music, you will like the movie for the soundtrack alone. But the key to this movie is that it really gets in touch with relationships and characters. However, this movie is not for everyone, it is rated R and I really wouldn't recommend kids or young teens seeing it. There really isn't much in the movie that is bad and it is referenced in the context of the day but it does include strong language, a few drug references, limited sexual content and a very small, split second amount of nudity. I can't believe I am saying this, but if you want go get the clean flicks or edited version of this film and watch it to be honest you aren't going to miss that much and the movie is good enough that you should still see it. If you aren't into rock music or 70's rock, you can still enjoy this movie but may not get some of the hidden references. If you like Almost Famous check out "Untitled" The Bootleg Cut, which is the directors cut of the movie and adds a lot more story, you will enjoy it as well.

Reviews Coming Soon

I have more movie reviews coming. I have been working on several here and there when I get time, but it has been a busy week. So hopefully I can get some posted today or even this weekend.

Firefox and Stuff

You will notice a new little graphic down on the right side of the page. For those of you who are still using Internet Explorer and getting tons of spyware, it's time for a change. Click on the graphic to find more information about Firefox, the browser you all should be using.

I have also posted a new link on the right. My friend Jeff started a blog too so go check it out. You can see a picture of their new baby Adelyn (Hope I spelled that right Jeff). **Correction** It's spelled Adilyn, thanks Jeff.

Also look for more movie reviews coming soon on my other blog Silver Screen Sayings. I am hoping to get out to the movies this weekend or at least post about some older movies that I enjoy.

050505

Well not a lot has been happening lately.  I went fishing last night, but only got one bite and my Dad only caught a Crappie.  Still a great way to enjoy a nice spring day in Utah.  Although I ate enough bugs out at Willard Bay to not require dinner.  We are going to give it a try again in a week or so, this time from a boat, see if our luck improves.  I will make sure to post evidence if it does.

Brooke has been doing better lately, not as much sickness but it still comes and goes.  Hopefully soon it just goes.  Mother's Day is coming up so we are getting ready for that.  This year Brooke officially qualifies and so there is a surprise on the way for her, (we will see if she really reads my blog and will now be excited about her surprise)

 

 

MOM

Brooke was feeling a little left out, jealous that the baby got a picture on the blog but she hasn't yet. So here is a picture of the mother to be.

And The Baby Is...?

Well no news on whether this is Jake or Hailee, but everything is going well and we even have a new due date of November 12th.

Riding Giants

Big movie review day. Check out my movie blog, Silver Screen Sayings, for a review of the documentary film Riding Giants.

Ladder 49 Review

Check out "Silver Screen Sayings", my movie blog, for a review of the movie Ladder 49. Just click the link to your right.

Riding Giants (* * * *)

Riding Giants is a documentary movie about the history of surfing. The movie was created by Dogtown and Z-Boys director Stacy Peralta. I really enjoyed this movie, it was very well done with lots of interviews and some great footage. The film was recommended to me by a friend of mine who had seen it earlier.

I am not a surfer, in fact I have never been surfing and have very few times even been to the ocean. I still thought this was a great film and have given it 4 stars. The great thing about it is that you don't have to know anything about surfing or even be into the sport to enjoy it. The movie does move along a little slow, but for a documentary, that is to be expected. Actually in spite of being a documentary I felt that it was paced fairly well. After watching it though I felt like it seemed a lot longer than it was.

The movie takes the viewer through the history of popular surfing. It was great fun to see the black and white old footage of the guys with the long boards out there taking on huge waves. The stories of Greg Noll and Laird Hamilton were especially interesting to me. Greg Noll was a pioneer of big wave surfing and his story was captivating, as well as the footage of he and his friends riding some huge waves off the coast of Hawaii. Greg continues to truly have a charismatic personality, there are some great interviews with Greg. Also to note the story of Laird Hamilton, who has probably surfed bigger waves than anyone, was great. I loved the story of how he introduced his mother to a man on the beach and they ended up getting married. Laird eventually looked to him as a father figure and took his last name of Hamilton. The footage of Laird and his crew was truly jaw dropping and amazing. Especially of note is a scene where Laird is pulled by a jet ski into a massive wave off the coast of Tahiti and is totally consumed by the massive barrel and then suddenly appears speeding outside the barrel in a storm of mist. Truly amazing.

The Bottom Line...This is a really fun movie to watch. Even if you have never been surfing or don't even know anything about surfing you can enjoy this film. I am sure surfing enthusiasts will enjoy this film as well. The pacing is a little slow, which is expected for a documentary, but it was not a problem for me. The music is great and seems to change from old to new as the film progresses. The footage, old and new, of the surfers in this movie riding huge waves was definitely my favorite parts of the film. The stories of Greg Noll and Laird Hamilton were very captivating and interesting. If you can handle seeing a documentary, go out and see this one.

Ladder 49 (* * *)

I saw Ladder 49 over the weekend so I wanted to post my review. I know it's an older movie and many people have probably already seen it. Either way, here is what I thought.

I give Ladder 49 3 stars because I thought the story was good. The story really made me appreciate what firefighters really do and I did gain respect for the courage that they have. I think that was the obvious message of the film. However the film really lacked in making me care about the characters. I realize that there was a lot of time spent on character development, but I still didn't care. I am not sure where the blame for that lies because I liked the story and the concept, the acting was good and the movie was paced well. I just didn't make a connection and they were definitely spending time trying to give me that connection, maybe they tried too hard. I really liked the way the show was set up where there was a main storyline, that of Joaquin Phoenix's character (Jack Morrison) being trapped in a burning building, and then a series of flashbacks leading the viewer through time to the current point. I found it interesting and exciting waiting for what was to come next. However I felt that the ending was a let down, (Spoilers Ahead). When they went in the burning building to save Jack Morrison I just didn't feel like they had exhausted their resources enough to just let him lay there and die. Maybe it was due to the flashbacks that I enjoyed, they might have been too far distant to the crisis of the main story therefore not enough time was spent on the main story. Whatever the reason, I was disappointed with the ending.

The Bottom Line...Ladder 49 is a good movie and definitely has a great message. In fact, the best part about the movie was the message about courageous firefighters that it left behind. So for that I say, Thank You, to all the firefighters out there saving our lives and risking their own. However, Ladder 49 really lacked the dramatic powerful ending that obviously the film makers were attempting to create. This was probably due to over building the characters and not really creating a connection. I know many of you are John Travolta fans, so if you like him, go check it out although you might be a little disappointed with the amount of screen time he gets.

And The Baby Is...

Today could be the day. We are expecting a child and today might be the day we find out if it is Jake or Hailee. More to come on that....

Picture of Me for my profile.