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A New Idea for Superman
We need a totally fresh look at Superman. Not a reboot, not a sequel. Just something that encompasses the old with the new.
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Nighttime Makeup?
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Women's Makeup
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Cherry Pickers
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Elvis Presley - Post Military Misinterpretations
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The Rise of Superhero/Super Villain Matchups
Since the advent of Superman, there have been numerous writers who wanted to build heroes/enemies that are stronger than the Man of Steel.
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Who is the Hottest Lois Lane?
Who is the hottest Lois Lane? Do you Have a Favorite?
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Sci Fi vs. Horror
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American Hunger: The Food Pantry Experience
You too, fellow American, may be starving one day, and you may be mystified by what you receive at your local food pantry.
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The Pack-a short story
The early years were both better and worse. Batteries still had life in them. They provided light in the darkness. They allowed me to drive a car. Not being much of a "gadget guy," I even figured out how to watch DVDs and listen to CDs. And that was...
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Comic Book Collecting - An Addiction
As dumb as it sounds (and probably is), I often bought a comic book title (during the 90s) for the artwork. I sort of flipped through pages then bagged them. I was a complete sucker for painted covers -- whether mainstream or independent. Since I...
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Batman vs. Superman -- as if Written by Tarantino
Batman: So you came. Superman: Yes, Bruce, I came. Batman: How do you know my name? Superman: I have x-ray vision. Batman: You're shitting me. Superman: No. Batman: Okay then what color is my underwear? Superman: Pink. Superman's Arrival ...
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Believers vs. Atheists -- An Appeasement
Is there any sort of appeasement between those who believe in God and atheists? I think there is. It takes both sides of the endless argument to give a little to reach a middle ground. Atheists tend to hold their ground based upon the concept...
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The Clearing (2004)
Probably, like many, this film passed your attention without any notice whatsoever. The film is worth watching. It has plenty of plot holes but just seeing Redford play off off of Defoe is a treat. Having Helen Mirren in a lead role is a bonus.
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From Dusk Till Dawn (1996)
Some may only be familiar with the TV series of the same name that lasted from 2014-16. You can gain a full plot summary of the movie (and the series) from IMDB or a dozen other places, so I'm not going to delve into that. It's not really much of a...
- 1
Satire -- The Kim Kardashian Meltdown
The world was shocked to learn that Kim Kardashian's face fell off along with her breasts and a portion of her buttocks. Reporters on the scene of the incident describe the event as "horrendous." One journalist even went so far as to say,...
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Satire - Playboy for a New Generation
After decades of presenting presumably a male-dominated audience with lush, mostly-nude figures, the magazine has decided to retract its long-standing tradition and present its audience with something different, less risque -- even though it didn't...
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Satire -- Andrea Bocelli and Elvis Clone Appearing Together
Well, someone finally did it, i.e., cloned a human being. You would have to be living under a rock not to already know this basic fact, but we want to provide some necessary context. For most countries this venture is simply off the table, but a...
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Elvira -- A Character Perfected
You can get all the background on Elvira (Cassandra Peterson) via Wiki and IMDb, so I'm not going to repeat what is already available to those interested in the subject. This is more of a personal impression of the actress and her effect upon me....
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Tumblr and Unrestricted Liberalism
For better or worse, each generation of our species seems infused with the desire to push social boundaries. This push goes beyond mundane presentations such as body piercings and tattoos. Unconsciously, each succeeding generation wants to define...
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Want a Russian Wife?
Have you been tempted by one of those beguiling ads that seem to promise you a model-like Russian woman? Maybe you are fed up with American women and think a Russian wife seems practical.
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Dealing With Evil
Find evil in our world is child's play. Finding goodness in this life takes more effort.
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Foreign Languages in US-Made Films
In most "Hollywood-made" films, a character from a foreign country is played by an American who may have a modest understanding of the language he/she is required to speak, or has no knowledge whatsoever and is coached with their dialogue. There...
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Penny Dreadful (2014-2015)
I don't have a cable connection so cannot watch shows that play on the regular broadcasting stations or the cable stations. From time to time I come across a review of a particular series, and this will prompt me to rent (on DVD) the first of the...
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Women vs. Men (The Real Deal)
The "battle of the sexes" has been real since forever
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Comics - The Very Hottest Female Titles (Non-Mainstream)
You really need to have paid attention for some time to know who the really, really hot women are in comics, and you aren't going to find them in DC or Marvel. If you want to familiarize yourself with the scorching hot women that have been...
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Comic Book World - One Man's Long Journey
A personal journey through comic book land -- the foundation, the evolution
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The Night of the Iguana (1964)
A defrocked Episcopal clergyman leads a bus-load of middle-aged Baptist women on a tour of the Mexican coast and comes to terms with the failure haunting his life. This is how the IMDB describes the film. It isn't quite clear whether the clergyman...
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Early Rock
Is there a transition that can be traced between the music of the 1960s and today?
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The Big Crunch
"William Paley’s ‘watch analogy’ suggests that complex and ordered things do not occur by chance. Instead, rather like the complex mechanism of a watch they have to have been made by someone, and for a specific reason. Thus I can conclude that...
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Satire -- Putin Assassinated: Muscovites Strangely Blase
While most of the world remains in a state of shock after the assassination of Russian president Vladimir Putin, our correspondents in Moscow were even more stunned by the blase temperament of average Muscovites. During random interviews of...
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Evil -- The Excoriating Pain of Living with a Passive-Aggressive
I was unfortunately married to a passive-aggressive woman for several years -- long before I knew about the costs of being connected to this type of psychological nightmare. When I finally could no longer endure the torture, I suggested a trial...
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Secret Desires -- Not a Big Deal?
Recently, Bruce Jenner's transition into being a woman (now known as Caitlyn Jenner) has received more than it's fair share of publicity. I have no comments on that particular subject. The media has beaten it to death. But it got me to thinking...
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Women Who Smoke Cigars
This is a sort of loose follow-up on a prior Hub regarding the allure/or its absence regarding women who smoke. This Hub is centered on women who smoke cigars. To get my own opinion out front at the beginning, I think cigars stink to the high...
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Religion - A Necessity For Man?
There's a debate among atheists and religious believers about whether or not God is an ameliorating factor for the human species or a source of mere antagonism. The antagonism is not really between atheists and the religious but among those who...
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Satire - Andrea Bocelli Regains His Vision
Whether you believe in miracles or not, Andrea Bocelli suddenly gained eye sight. This magnificent man who created a career for himself with his voice alone is reported to have awakened one morning with full visual dexterity. The doctors who...
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Coherence (2013)
This film is really out there. Fairly low budget. Basically no special effects (odd these days for a science fiction film). For me that's a plus. No big names. That's also kind of a plus. It deals with the juxtaposition of universes as it affects...
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Pop Culture and Its Infiltration Into Mainstream Media
If I see another article about Bruce Jenner, I'm gonna puke. Bruce in Transition I was really proud of the guy when he won gold back in the day. Bruce Back in the Day Today, I don't care if he wants to turn himself into a tortoise. He is too...
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Mel Gibson - One Man's Journey Into Hell
Mel in Present Times For reasons unknown, I went to YouTube and listened to about four of Mel Gibson's phone rants with his wife. I have no dog in this fight. I don't know either party personally. She may be a saint and Mel is the devil incarnate,...
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Satire - Russian Women
If you married a Russian woman and are happy with her, no need to read any further. If you didn't get everything you bargained for then you will want to know about our business. We are the foremost dealers in Russian wife trade-ins. Yes, you read...
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Satire - Sarah Brightman Missing
Sarah Brightman has disappeared from the universe. All we have is speculation, uncorroborated rumors and speculation.
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Satire - Splatburger
We interviewed the co-owners of Splatburger and Sid (co-owner with his wife) had this to say. My wife and I invented Splathburger. We had tried the usual hamburgers -- the chains and the restaurants, and decided, we could do no worse. So yes, it is...
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American Gothic 1995-1996
Short-lived but terrific TV drama
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The Fiction of Soul Mates
Soul Mates? No Such Thing
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Smoking Women
A non-professional's view on the allure of smoking women
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Food, Cravings, Over-Eating and Not Caring
This is not a how-to recipe hub nor a where-to-go-eat type of hub. It's a hub about just being hungry, having cravings at odd times, not caring about calories or nutrition.
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Jesse Ventura and the Muddled Minds of Americans
Jesse Ventura Ventura doesn't present himself as a messiah. When faced with a question he doesn't know, he simply states "I don't know." How many politicians do that? I don't think Americans are seeking perfection from their representatives --...
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The Signal (2014)
A perfect example of where potentially good science fiction stories go bad.
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Predator - a New Direction
A "what if" scenario dealing with the Predator motif.
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Mahler
This is a retrospective of Ken Russell's "Mahler," which still rattles around in my head.
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The Best Original Motion Picture Soundtracks
Original movie soundtracks can add an incredible depth and dimension to bland films and make otherwise spectacular films seem transcendent. Off the top of my head I came up with a list of soundtracks that stood out in my mind long after I had...
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Foolproof (2003)
I kept thinking -- what if this film had been cast with a bigger-name cast, e.g., Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie (or even Kate Bekinsale), Giovanni Ribisi. Would that have added some spark that the final product missed? The answer -- I don't know. It...
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Pets vs. Human Life
It's better to keep tropical fish. (1) they are silent (2) you always know where they are (3) most of them never bite (4) it costs almost nothing to keep them fed. (5) they are beautiful to watch and ask almost nothing in return (6)) filtration...
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Stephen King Movies and TV anthologies
Here is an incomplete list of my assessment of Stephen King ideas brought to film. A few of them have worked very well, but most fall into the "crap" bucket. This isn't necessarily a reflection on King. The author often has little control over...
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Cavemen and Economists
The sexes have two basic criteria. For women it is the attempt to find the most decent man possible who is loaded with cash. For men the criteria is finding a woman that is such a sexual bombshell that she will cause the top of his head to...
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All is Lost
Redford We haven't seen Redford in a film in quite a while, and this alone was quite a treat. Yeah, sure, the man has aged but he hasn't lost his acting prowess. A number of people have never appreciated his acting ability, and this is a shame....
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The Razor's Edge (1984)
I'm not going to do a comparison of the 1946 Tyrone Power/Gene Tierney version of this film with the 1984 version staring Bill Murray and Theresa Russell (Sophie). I can only tell you that I've watched both, and each time I view the 1984 rendition...
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The Kill Jar
As a young boy, I spent most of my time unsupervised. I had a few friends that were in the same situation. Together we found ways to entertain ourselves. Not all of them were savory. One of the ways we entertained ourselves was by torturing...
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Slapping Black Toddlers
I think Joe Rickey Hundley did what a lot of us would like to do but wouldn't because of the obvious consequences. I don't think parents should take screaming toddlers on a flight. It's torture for them to stay still for any period of time. It's...
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Opposite Sexes, Opposite Netflix Interests = Schism
If you are married or in a long-term relationship -- plus if you use Netflix -- this will seem all too familiar. You finally finish with Saturday chores, have dinner, and decide to relax by watching a DVD you rented. You open the sealed...
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American Gothic - 1995-1996
Here are the relevant facts about the plot of "American Gothic," originally aired on TV from 1995-1996, giving you just enough information to dive into the series, to create a hint of intrigue but not so much as to spoil any part of the story. ...
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Geeks, Bullies and Other Casualties of Class Differentiation
Geeks would seem to be experiencing a kind of heyday over the last few years. They are being portrayed (in films) as geeks, but geeks who get their comeuppance against jocks, bullies and stuck-up cheerleaders. Unfortunately, this portrayal of...
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Possible Actress for a New Wonder Woman
Because I can't help myself, I keep thinking who would be the appropriate actress to play Wonder Woman (should the role ever come to fruition). I've heard nothing about anyone being seriously considered for this role. After seeing some dozens of...
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No God, Sorry
Well, friends, I've finally had enough of the inanity of trying to justify the existence of an omniscient, all-knowing, all-seeing powerful and judgmental god that cares about us on an individual basis. Many a Bible-toting friend has told me, we...
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Comic Book Inconsistencies
Anyone who has read comics for a period of years will recognize and be flummoxed by the various writer's inconsistencies with truths we (as the faithful audience) had considered enviable. First of all we have to consider the enormous task of being...
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Batman vs. Wolverine
If the situation warranted such a conflict, could Batman or the Wolverine stand his ground and allow the other to perish? These are hypothetical exercises. So, there is no real right or wrong. There are a plethora of variables that could decide...
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Car Foibles
It's great to own a paid-for car, but some of its deficits are depressing. I've been lucky and only needed to change the battery and tires. Then there is the pride of ownership. Year after year my car bakes in the sun then is subjected to near 32F...
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One Small Step for a Man
With the recent death of Neil Armstrong, there has been a tempest in a teapot about exactly what he said before putting his foot on the moon. Some individuals (including Buzz Aldrin) claim that Armstrong forgot to add the article "a" when he said,...
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Head-Turning Glamour Gals of the 1940s to Present - Part I
This list of glamour queens is by no means meant to be all-inclusive. I'm sure I've forgotten dozens of women I would include; however, I purposely skipped over actresses that I had not seen in a film. Please feel free to send me suggestions. The...
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Modern Screen Sirens (1940--Present, Part III)
This photographic list is a continuation of the first parts, and (like them are presented) in no order. The only requirement I had for including anyone in my list was that they sparked something a bit unearthly -- either through their obvious beauty...
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Modern Screen Sirens (1940--Present, Part II)
This is Part II of the list that began with Part I. As before, there is no order to the sequencing. Photos are either imprinted with copyright information or are part of the public domain. Notice the drift from classical studio facial shots to more...
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DC's Possible Counter-Offensive
I think you can find as many comic book fans who want the entire biography of a character covered as those who don't. I'm in the "don't" category. Origin stories are as interesting as watching paint dry. For a very long time DC did not delve too...
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Justice League's Wonder Woman?
There is an ongoing buzz and fan-boy chat circulating that Warner Bros. will push a Justice League (JL) film by 2015, come hell or high water. But, I also read they only recently received a viable script. No actors have been assigned nor a director....
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Predator (1987)
The plot of "Predator" is a bit thicker than one might expect from a science fiction film of this type. Also, the level of tension begins rapidly, with the aid of Alan Silvestri's edgy musical score. Arnold Schwarzenegger (Major Alan "Dutch"...
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The Misogynist for the New Century
Those who know me well already understand I do not have a particularly high opinion about women. According to the dictionary definitions, a misanthrope with a particularly ill feeling toward women can be considered a misogynist. For a portrait of an...
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Powder (1995)
The movie "Powder" has the atmosphere of an "X-Files" episode, but with a great deal more sentiment and sense of anguish. The film was directed by Christopher Nolan who would have to wait quite a long time to gain fame and notoriety. An infant...
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Phantom of the Opera - Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again
Herein contains two renditions of "Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again" from Andrew Lloyd's Webber's "Phantom of the Opera." I think any direct comparison(s) would be like comparing apples with oranges. I find both renditions moving and stirring.
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The Bounty (1984)
The introduction to "The Bounty" is via Vangelis' master score. The music is an odd mixture of tropic paradise phrases, South Pacific Sea counterpoint, mixed with a modern blend of themes, simultaneously unnerving yet protective in its smooth,...
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The Unidentifiable Power of Words
Words are powerful artifacts of thought. We have all been subjected to compliments as well as slurs. Our minds can differentiate vulgarity, from phony flattery, from shouts of panic, from tomes of literature. We understand there are red, hot...
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Could God Pass an Ink Blot Test?
Science can neither prove nor disprove the existence/nonexistence of God. The universe is both orderly and chaotic. If God is orderly, is he also chaotic? Is God schizophrenic? Stephen Hawking, British theoretical physicist and author, has been...
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Lord of War (2005)
According to our protagonist and narrator (Nicholas Cage) he is brought up on the poor-side of NY city, in a suburb known as Little Odessa. He works in an Ukrainian family–run business–a modest restaurant. Caige becomes sick of the dead-end...
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My Favorite Silver Screen Goddesses
Many if not most of these actresses were born many years before myself, but I caught them on film and was wowed by their charm and glamour. The list is by no means intended to be all-inclusive. I selected the actresses using my internal "va-voom"...
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Never Let Me Go (2010)
This science fiction-based film is drawn from the novel by Kazuo Ishiguro (Remains of the Day). The action revolves around Kathy (Carey Mulligan), who reflects on her time spent at Hailsham, a unique/odd English boarding school, along with close...
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Carnality Is Good
US control over Iraqi affairs is about nil at this point. The country is in upheaval following the departure of our troops and firepower. The mere fact that the new Iraq would cut deals with its long-time enemy (Iran) just goes to show the level of...
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Gattaca (1997)
Gattaca is a highly polished movie involving perseverance as a theme, the lower notes being very ominous and disquieting. This story falls somewhere in between "1984," "Brave New World," and "Fahrenheit 451." The film is a snapshot of a possible...
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The Beatles at the Hollywood Bowl - 1964
The year was 1964 and we were on our way to the Hollywood Bowl to watch The Beatles in concert. In tow was my sister, her closest friend, my younger cousin (about 8 years old at the time) and myself. I had never been to a theater of the size of...
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Science Fiction Story: "Late Night Call"
Jolson turns over in bed and flips on the light on the nightstand. He takes a couple of deep breaths and brushes back his unkempt hair with his fingers. He picks up a cell phone and punches in a number. "Yeah, hi, it's me. I know. I know what time...
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Elvis Live at the Hilton
In August of 1972 I went with my sister to see Elvis Presley at the Hilton International in Las Vegas. My sister, who had made previous visits, knew that you had to give big tips to the staff in order to get a premium seat, so she had this cash...
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The Flowers of War (2011)
We find Christian Bale (John), a mortician caught in the middle of the Sino-Japanese war. He barely escapes with his life to Nanjing to prepare the local priest for burial. How or why he is left in this dangerous situation is never explained,...
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The Fountain (2006)
The Fountain is not a motion picture for everyone. It's pacing is slow and ponderous, but I would say with an artistic flair. As a viewer one must be prepared for three story lines (past/present/future) running simultaneously -- all of which are...
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Batman, Nightwing, and Superman
Batman in the Dark Knight Rises In the comics when Bruce Wayne is too old to continue as Batman, Robin (now a full adult) continues crime fighting as a character known as Nightwing. In "The Dark Knight Rises," Joseph Gordon Levitt plays a police...
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Supermarket Hades
I shop at the same supermarket week after week every Saturday. I can only visit the place once a week because of my loathing. This loathing is based on things that most people will find trivial, and perhaps they are, but not to me. The following...
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Supergirl (1984)
"Supergirl" has pretty much disappeared from the consciousness of film-goers, along with the last couple of Superman films -- and not without reason. Overall, "Supergirl" is not a very good motion picture. But, it does have a few merit-worthy...
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Corolanus (2011)
There's a reason why Shakespeare's "Corolanus" is not often performed by theater groups and even less often rendered on film. It isn't a very good play ... and it makes for worse film making. Shortly after graduating I bought a complete set of...
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Hubpage Contributor Overload
I'm wondering if any of my other fellow hubbers are experiencing this problem. As you begin to get established in the community, you start to get more followers, and this is great. But, if you are like me, you feel an obligation to at least visit...
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Superman - Trashing a Once Great Hero
The current Superman series reflects the paucity and mental incapability of the writers to retain the integrity and soul of the original hero. The current writers have turned Superman into a kind of Forrest Gump, walking (not running) across the...
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Cube (1997)
"Cube" resides somewhere between sci fi and horror. Happily, the horror elements do not eclipse the basic sci fi story line. A seemingly select set of individuals are entrapped in a kind of every-changing Rubik's cube, left to wonder if there is...
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Patton (1970)
From the moment that George C. Scott steps in front of the giant American flag to address the troops to the scene of his final homage, there is no equivocation that we are seeing General Patton. George C. Scott's acting is so on-spot that his...
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The Grey (2011)
"The Grey" is a gutsy, pretty much relentlessly dark film. Make no mistake about it, this is no Disney creation. It's curious that the film was given the British spelling of grey vs. the American gray, but it makes little difference. The effect is...
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The Avengers - Impressions (2012)
This will not be a review because we've been inundated with them -- rather, this will represent a series of impressions based on things I had read vs. things I actually saw. Scarlett Johansson as Natasha Romanoff / Black Widow (1) I had read...
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Jerimiah Johnson (1972)
Unexpectedly, a few films you watch get under your skin and nestle there for what may turn out to be a lifetime. The film Jeremiah Johnson, filmed in 1972, staring Robert Redford, and directed by Sydney Pollack was of this sort. I recall first...
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Stary, Stary Night
I experienced my first love/infatuation when I was in the fifth grade. This was no idle matter, nothing to be dismissed lightly -- despite my young age. I was a shrimp at the time so never did anything other than give Renee (the object of my...
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Being Un-Friended -- An Ongoing Injury
At some time or another you have been "un-friended," and I'm not talking about the click of a mouse on Facebook or Twitter. Sure, being un-friended on a social Internet site can be painful, but there were (and are) existing methods for communicating...
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Hugo (2011)
Hugo is loosely based on Brian Selznick's novel The Invention of Hugo Cabret. Not a great deal is known about Georges Méliès, but the film does a fairly accurate job at portraying (perhaps) the more essential elements of his life. Given the...
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Technology Is Not A Religion - So Don't Put Faith In It
Arthur C. Clarke took a serious stab at what our lives ought to be like by the year 2001. He predicted easy transport by space clippers to rotating hotels in space. He imagined substantial colonies on the moon. Clarke foresaw the application of...
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The Justice League of America
The execs at Marvel, Disney/Paramount spent a decade preparing a summer audience for the debut of "The Avengers" - an amazingly successful grouping of Nick Fury, Hawkeye, The Black Widow, Captain America, The Hulk, Iron Man, and Thor -- all lined up...
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Disposable Income, Disposable Gadgets
At some point in the future your oven (or equivalent) will start cooking your bacon a few minutes before you get out of bed. The eggs -- over-easy, scrambled, or sunny-side up will start a bit later. If you wake up and find that you'd prefer...
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Love Ain't Nothin' But Sex Misspelled
I'd enjoy taking credit for the wonderful title of this Hub, but it was written by Harlan Ellison in one of his acerbic essays from quite a few years ago. The last time I checked, Ellison was pretty damn old, as hyperbolic as in his youth and...
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Collective Anger - Blood in the Air
I lived through two riots in Los Angeles and I haven't forgotten the torn-open-chest-fear atmosphere, something I'd like to call a stench but it had no odor. Both were race riots, and once they were in motion they felt like time bombs that had been...
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The Endurance of Apartment Living
As a bonus for attempting to live somewhere within commuting distance of a job, a lot of us have had the "pleasure" of living in apartments within one suburban sprawl or another. From about the age of eighteen, I have lived in one apartment or...
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The Disappearance of Superman's Trunks
In the next film iteration of Superman ("Superman: The Man of Steel") Henry Cavill wears a re-designed costume. If you are a Superman fan just emerging from your cave, you will already know this much. Also, if you have been living in the dark, you...
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The Last Temptation of Christ (1988)
The best movie involving Christ is a fictional one -- "The Last Temptation of Christ," based on the controversial novel by Nikos Kazantzakis's . Of all the films I've watched (except perhaps Mel Gibson "The Passion"), "The Last Temptation is the...
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The Hunter (2012)
It came as something of a surprise that Australia has an actual forest, but it does. And the film "The Hunter," takes full advantage of the lush scenery. The film is an Australian production. At last check, NetFlix wasn't carrying it, but I located...
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What Is Stuff?
We don't really want to think about what things are composed of -- especially food. The "pink slime" story ran through several news cycles recently. Pink slime defenders found nothing wrong with people consuming human hair, a wide variety of...
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Spider (2003) The Missed Fundamentals of Story Telling
I just suffered through the entire length of a motion picture titled "Spider" directed by David Croneberg. I do not use the term "suffered" lightly. At about the 15-minute mark I was strongly tempted to turn off the DVD, as the opening was so slow,...
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Bra Burning
To people around my age, you will remember depictions of women burning their bras on TV news or pictures inside national magazines. This protestation seemed to be another step forward in the suffrage movement -- after a lengthy gap. Women were...
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Moscow Zero (2006)
"Moscow Zero" is a three out of five-star movie; however, it's worth seeing and reviewing because the few things it does well, it does very well. Re. IMDB, the film cost a mere $10 million to produce. Most (if not all) of its exterior shots are...
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J. Edgar (2011)
I have to admit I never cared to know much more than I thought I already knew about J. Edgar Hoover. I knew that he was responsible for making the FBI a valued institution, that he irked several presidents (and their staff) because the bureau was...
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The Rapture (1991)
"The Rapture" is an "out there," kind of film. It deals with religious, moral and theological issues. It isn't meant to be a popcorn-munching film. I had to watch the film three times before I got where I am, so there's a word of caution. It's not...
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Kill Bill: Volume I (2003)
Once you get over the almost immediately noticeable shlock style in which this story will enfold, you are on your way to a lightly capriceful story of interest. Plotted out in a rather comic-book style, the plot moves along at a brisk pace, with the...
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Hanna (2011)
This is worth a watch, although don't go into it with high expectations, as this is another film where style outweighs substance. The stylings do seem different, and their crispness keeps one interested until the halfway mark or a bit beyond. At...
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A No-Win Question You Never Want to Hear and a Couple of Tips
The scenario goes like this: You and your significant other are in the bedroom getting dressed to go out -- not even for an evening on the town but maybe to the grocery store or local Taco Bell. Your wife/girlfriend (I'll just refer to wife...
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Take Shelter (2011)
Donald Rumsfeld (our former Secretary of Defense) seemed to be abtuse when questioned about specific details regarding the US involvement in Iraq. He said, [T]here are known knowns; there are things we know we know. We also know there are known...
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It's Only Life and Death
I am 99.999% sure that heaven and hell are only personifications of a living person's psyche. My reasoning goes like this: We are imperfect beings and (naturally) would be unable to comprehend absolute perfection or its opposite. To ask us to do so...
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A "Realistic" Approach Toward Life
Sadness The amount of sadness that digs down deep into the marrow of your bones and buries its claws there seems to depend upon one's general level of optimism/pessimism/realism. I don't have to explain these terms to you. Even if you never had a...
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Constant Scrutiny Over the Church
I am not a theologian. I am not a priest. I have no credentials in the scientific field. But, I have some strong opinions about what the church has done to religion. If I had to label myself, I'd offer that I'm a Catholic with a scientific bent....
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Opioids, Relentless Suffering and Alternative Solutions
People will relate or not relate to this Hub based on their prior experience with prolonged pain and their success (or failure) to find remedy through one of the various opioids prescribed by physicians. Your thoughts about pain relief will vary...
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2010: A Space Odyssey
I liked 2010 ... but just. The effort to make 2001: A Space Odyssey saga into a more "user friendly" kind of flick was something of an insult to Kubrick's invention. 2001: A Space Odyssey was an evolution in film making -- one of the very few films...
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The Outer Limits - Sex and Science Fiction
I made a recent purchase of a used copy of this disc's assembly of episodes -- specifically to re-visit the Valerie 23 production at my leisure -- which I have done and still not gone on to look at the other material. This 1995 attempt to...
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Johnny Got His Gun
Someone once said that all wars would cease if soldiers simply refused to fight. The politicians and leaders of societies/civilizations never get their fingernails dirty. They hand imperatives down to military commanders who then recruit, muster and...
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Melancholia - Not Very Melancholy
The opening montage is far too long and gives away too much about what you will witness further into the film. The shift from this montage to "regular" life is jarring/abrupt, but you feel welcome to get out of the lengthy montage nightmare. The...
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Baby Bumps
I require clarification about this blossoming penchant for celebrities to appear on cover pages of widely-circulated magazines to show off their pregnant bumps. Traditionally, viewing the bump has been restricted to family and close-friend members,...
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The Doors: Resistance Through A Soft Parade
I was fortunate to see "The Doors" as an impressionable young teen when the group came to Long Beach, CA -- this was after "Morrison Hotel" but before anything had been broadcast for "L.A. Woman." Snake Dance The band started out with their new...
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2001: A Space Odyssey - Reliving the Glory Years of the USA
Stanley Kubrick's "2001 A Space Odyssey" still remains the most enigmatic and mind-bending film ever made. Nothing even has come close. Kubrick is to cinema what Beethoven and Gustav Mahler are to classical music. What you are given by these...
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Scrub Day
Boxing in the Sixth Grade There was a time starting somewhere in the fifties, lasting into the sixties that was known as "Scrub Day." This was not what it sounds like. It wasn't a day where entire families got together to do house cleaning. No,...
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The Barber Shop
Barber Shop Pole Across the street from my elementary school was a tiny grocery shop, a dry cleaners, and (in between) a barber shop. This barber shop is where I remember receiving my first haircut ... and many, many more thereafter. In the early...
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Comic Book Heaven
Voracious Collecting At the age of twelve, I recall walking up the sun-baked sidewalk of Brand Blvd. in Glendale, California (which was then the main drag for a wide variety of small retail outlets). My mother discovered a new used book store and...
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Wait For The Babushkas
The Upper-Crust of Our Society According to reports that came out on 3/18, police forced a number of Occupy Wall Street protesters out of Zuccotti Park Saturday night at the point when the protesters broke the park's "rules" by assembling tents....
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Tree of Life (2011) - An Abstract Voyage
Shot From Tree of Life Having see other Malick films, I knew not to expect anything like a coherent story line in the conventional sense. Malick uses film as if it were a flowing canvas, and I admire his attempts to create something art worthy...
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Super 8 (2011) - More Hype Than Story
Clip from Super 8 "Super Eight" could have been noteworthy if the story involving the kids had been a tad bit more convincing. Generally, the interaction among the kids reminded me of ET or the Roy Neary (Richard Dreyfuss) family in "Close...
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Vladimir Putin - Russia's Everything Man
Your Putin Straight Up, No Rocks Setting most politics aside, Vladimir Putin, Russia's eternal president, works fairly hard to keep a positive image of himself in the minds of his countrymen. The imagine his handlers want to portray is a rugged...
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For Free - 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed
How many of you who may be reading this ever got anything worth any value for free? I once won two seats to the Hollywood Bowl for being the "x" caller who could answer some radio show question accurately. The seats were nearly in the trees, but...
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Two-Week-Old Kittens and Staff Sgt. Bales
I had just finished reading a short article about an eleven-year-old who bragged at school of killing three two-week old kittens with a baseball bat -- when I finally plunged into reading a second article about Staff Sgt. Robert Bales, accused of...
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Once Upon a Time in the West (1968)
Bronson as the Unpredictable Wild Card When I visited Russia some years back, I enjoyed a meal at a "Mexican" restaurant in the city of Moscow. The meal wasn't anything like I'd had in California -- that's for sure. The restaurant was run by a...
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The Longest Day (1962)
Opening Shot Accompanied with Beethoven's Fifth Symphony The scope of this movie is huge – covering everything from Eisenhower’s difficult decision to launch D-Day under far less than ideal conditions – to the utter confusion of the ordinary...
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Exotica (1994)
Mia Kirshner as Christina Because the story unfolds at a rather leisurely pace, and because we are only offered bits and pieces about the motivations of the characters, the viewer is forced to build certain assumptions – assumptions that seem to...
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The Existential Threat of War
Israeli Drone Pakistan stunned the world when it announced it had developed the atomic bomb. So far, they haven't used it. I suspect the same thing "might" transpire if Iran actually developed an A-bomb. Nevertheless, many Israelis are in a panic...
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Far From the Madding Crowd, an Opinion
Julie Christie as Bathsheba "Far From the Madding Crowd was once an undeniable classic film. After a second look, many years later, I'm not so sure this description still fits. The stars give good performances, the scenery is lush, and the...
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The Thing, You Know, The Thing
Billboard for The Thing If you're about my age you'll be acquainted with the three versions of the film: The 1951 version called "The Thing From a Different World." This is considered a sci fi classic. I liked the film although the director tried...
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Tom Horn - Little Recognized Classic
Steve McQueen's best performance might have been in "Papillon," but "Tom Horn" (an almost unknown film for its time or thereafter) may carry the greatest punch. It gives you an idea of where McQueen might have gone if he had survived to do other...
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Bullitt -- A Classic
Steve McQueen and Jacqueline Bisset By today's standards this may be a slog. The difference is that Bullit is realistic compared to modern-day equivalents such as let's say the "Bourne" series). The premise here is straight-forward, easy to follow,...
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Immortals -- Not Quite What You'd Expect
Henry Cavill in The Immortals There's a bit of confusion demonstrated in this movie. The Mt. Olympus gods are forbidden from meddling in the fortune (good or bad) of mortals on Earth. Nevertheless, they do, sometimes getting punished for it by Zeus...
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Iron Clad, a Review
James Purefoy in Ironclad They say that truth is often stranger than fiction, but that's not the case here. Given that this is a semi-historical "story," you'd think there would be at least a few surprises or twists ... sadly, there aren't any. ...
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The Wild, Wild West 43 Years Later
Robert Conrad as James West The sixties was a fun time to be alive if you were a child. Aside of the existential threat of instantaneous annihilation by the Soviets and the last Friday-of-the-month air-raid drills, most of us ran around with nearly...
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Woody's Midnight Snoozer
Corey Stoll as Hemingway I have to stick with the minority opinion regarding "Midnight in Paris." Happily, for Woody, the film was a critic and fan success, but for me "Midnight" was a bomb. My opinion is that Woody has become so successful (even...
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Superman for Adults
Intro To date, George Reeves has played the most confident, handsome, adult Superman/Clark Kent in the TV series as exemplified in "The Adventures of Superman." Although this program has long been dismissed as a mere "kiddy" show, I don't think...
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Blade Runner - 2 Disc Final Cut (DVD)
Harrison Ford as Rick Deckard "Blade Runner" was a decade or two before it's time, yet being nearly a perfect film, it remains a timeless classic. My preference remains with the theatrical version. The voice-over by Ford is well-written and adds...
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Katherine Jenkins - The Ultimate Collection (CD)
This is a fine DVD, although anyone could argue about whether the contents are an "ultimate" collection. I have my favorites, as I'm sure you do -- so no single compilation would ever satisfy everyone. A couple of observations: Generally, I would...
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Sarah Brightman - One Night in Eden (DVD)
This DVD is weird and off-base. Sarah fans should be very happy to own One Night in Eden. The concert is very well done, as is the camera work. There are plenty of close-ups, so her male devotees can bask in her radiant beauty. Sarah may have...
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Sarah Brightman - The Harem World Tour - Live From Las Vegas (DVD)
Harem World Tour Cover This DVD is not a straight transfer of Sarah's "Harem" CD. The DVD depicts a live performance in Las Vegas, and Sarah purposely mixes songs from "Harem" with known crowd-pleasers. I thought the DVD was outstanding and sent...
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Boxing Helena - The Impossibility of Possessing and Containing Beauty
Sherilyn Fenn as Helena This film is not for everyone. If you hate Roman Polanski and David Lynch, stay away from this material. I owned this movie on tape and decided to buy the DVD -- primarily because I think it will be unobtainable in the...
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Outlander - DVD
Outlander - US Poster In other reviews, individuals have compared Outlander to the story of Beowulf. They are missing the boat. This is a much more complex story. The producer/director did not pick Jim Caviezel to play the lead by accident. The...
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Sarah Brightman - Diva: The Video Collection (DVD)
Sarah Brightman I guess the marketers didn't know how to label this DVD, so they came up with the "Diva" catchphrase, which is very inaccurate. I associate a diva as someone who is haughty, arrogant, short-tempered, intolerant. This doesn't...
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Spider-Man 3 - A Review/Analysis
Illustration from Spider-Man 3 I don't know what this conveys, but I saw Spider-Man 3 when it was released to theaters. I only just recently bought the movie and watched it for a second time. Surprisingly, I remembered almost nothing about it. I...
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I Robot -- Would Asimov Approve?
Will Smith in I Robot I don't think I've yet to see an Isaac Asimov story successfully brought to film. With the exception of Fahrenheit 451, I could say the same for Ray Bradbury. Anyway, leaving behind all references to the original material, I...
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Smallville - A Cup That Runneth Over
Clark Kent and Chloe Sullivan Rather like the make-it-up-as-you-go shows, e.g., "The X-Files," and "Lost," it's obvious that the "Smallville" creators never expected this series to last more than a couple of seasons at best. By season 10...
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La Luna - Sarah Brightman Showing What She's Got, and She's Got a Lot
Sarah Brightman It's hard to believe this recorded concert is ten years old. A testament to the concert's quality is its enduring ability to enthrall and fascinate. Far too much has been made about Sarah Brightman's early roots with Andrew Lloyd...
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The X-Files -- a Look Backward
Unlike the "spooky" anthologies that proceeded it (The Twilight Zone, The Outer Limits, Night Gallery, Ray Bradbury Theater, Night Stalker, Boris Karloff's Thriller, One Step Beyond), The X-Files presented a continuous, soap-opera-like depiction of...
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Lost ... Worse Than Using Mapquest
The Series My wife recently said that a woman entering a shopping mall is like a pilot entering the Bermuda Triangle. She might come out eventually or perhaps stay there forever. That's a premise for another enigma series. For me, "Lost" was the...
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Apocalypto - Unrelenting Terror
A Screen-Shot From Apocalypto There is simply no other film that can be accurately compared to "Apocalypto." The mere fact that it was brought to film is amazing. While the film concentrates on a period of time between the flourishment of the...
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Clockwork Orange - Only For the Literate
Movie Poster for Clockwork Orange You might want to read the Anthony Burgess novel prior to seeing the film. It's a bit easier to understand the author's objective -- plus it has a glossary that defines the many invented words, or created idioms...
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Lifeforce, a Film That Will Literally Suck the Life Out of You
The Queen Vampire Whether this was intended to be high schlock or accidental schlock is uncertain. This is from the director of "Poltergeist" believe it or not." It apparently was a British production, and you know how the British handle science...
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Downstreaming Movies -- Is it Worth Accepting a Minuscule Library?
Do you have an impression where all the current avenues of watching post-release movies is headed? Whether we like it or not, the major players appear to be trying to get out of the DVD rental business and force their subscribership to downstreaming...
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Will the Age of the Silver Screen Exist in Our Download-From-Your-Couch Future?
The Naked Jungle Do you have an impression where all the current avenues of watching movies is headed? My greatest concern is that more obscure movies will be harder (if not impossible) to locate on DVD. You remember B. Dalton Bookstores. They...
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Utility, Hoarding, and Laziness
Seeing Clear of One's Debris After years of dealing with spinal problems (and its current tenuousness condition), I wish I owned nothing but inflatable or wicker furniture, a small collection of clothes and a few kitchen utensils. I used to hord...
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How Moving Day is Like a Fragmentation Bomb
The Horror of Moving that Begins Weeks Before You find you are in a position of having to move -- in a hurry (thirty days or less). First off, don't panic. You can get through this a bit easier than you thought because I've been trapped in this...
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Superman vs. Thor, the god of thunder
Superman Thor I've taken a survey of the previous Superman vs. Thor opinions (mostly from YouTube), and the outcome is that Thor could best Superman in a one-on-one contest. The contest revolves around Thor being a magical being and the fact that...
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Living With Chaos
I feel as if my struggle/battle against chaos needs to begin with my desk, which has overtaken me. My desk never used to be this way, but now I am no longer able to control it. I do my best to create some kind of order within the chaos, but for the...
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Pat Buchanan - Just Another Paper Cup Thrown Out the Window
Working for the Media The news about Pat Buchanan getting canned from MSNBC is a one or two-day news cycle event. Currently, there is too much happening in the Middle-East and in the GOP primary race, to give Pat's dismissal more than a few...
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Incurable Depression
I don't know exactly when it began, but I became depressed (generalized depression) about 11 years ago -- while also dealing with sciatica and the appearance of a tumor in the upper-rear section of my jaw. I saw a couple of psychiatrists who...
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The Silent Treatment and 20,000 years of Evolution
Ultimately, women of the twenty-first century will come to realize the pointlessness of competing with men on the same ground. Ultimately, they will see that there is no reward, no triumph. And hopefully, BY CHOICE, they will return to the home, the...
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After the Rosy Glow Dissipates
Drifting Apart All of us have read magazine or online articles about how to spice up a marriage that seems to be petering out. Do not take them to heart. They are based on some kind of Disney fantasy, and, as such are utter nonsense. The authors of...
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Let Me Fly - Recommendation
I listened to the wee bits that Amazon allows you to hear to get a sprinkling taste of a particular track. I went through the songs of a CD known as "Let Me Fly" and received a favorable impression. So, I bought the disc, and am very pleased with...
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Madonna - Our Modern-Day Magdalene
Madonna For the past several decades Madonna has been our modern equivalent of Mary Magdalene. When you peruse her body of work, you will find a lot of eroticism in her videos and lyrics, but nothing that seems particularly vulgar. Nevertheless,...
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Survivalist Tips for a Contract Tech Writer
Making Sense Out of Chaos -- Par for the Job I've been working in the tech writing field for nearly 30 years, and much of that time on a contract basis. Within the tech writing field there is an ongoing debate whether it is better to be an...
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26 Movie Quotes That You May Have Forgotten
How many of these films have you seen? How many of them left memorable quotes rattling around in your brain? Here are some quotes that came to me rapidly. Let me know your favorites. If you have others not shown here, left me know ... if they match...
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Songs From the Heart - and the Lawyers
Songs from the Heart - in Memorium Like the CD itself, the DVD, omits certain key songs that seriously diminish the whole concert experience. I think the group shown was the best arrangement of performers in terms of diversity, cohesiveness...
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Cute Little Angels vs. Horned Beasts (pt. 2)
illustration by Gustav Dore To sum the whole thing up as a simple metaphor, the entire gambit reminds me of a scene in the original "Poseidon Adventure." Gene Hackman and his group are heading upwards. They encounter a group that is headed downwards...
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Cute Little Angels vs. Horned Beasts (pt. 1)
Somewhere in the Bible, it says that we must become like children in order to enter the domain of heaven. I think I have an idea to which the Big Guy may have been referring. If you're an atheist or agnostic, talk with any Evangelical, Baptist or...
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Believe. Believe in What?
Anyone who pays attention to this "cross-over" type music will already know that the group "Celtic Woman" has recently released a new CD titled "Believe." I'm unable to not make a few comments. Celtic Woman is my favorite group (although I'm not...
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Star Trek - The United Federation of Planets
Logo for the United Federation of Planets Star Trek needs a serious face-lift in order to be unique and daring from everything that has come before. I have a few suggestions for anyone in a position to consider taking another stab at this old...
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(Satire) Attention, Ralphs' Shoppers! We Have a Special in Our Seafood Department for fresh Pleisiosaur Steaks
Be Sure to Check Today's Specials for the Best Prices Do you like grocery shopping? If you do maybe you can explain why. I asked a friend of mine this question, and his response was "I enjoy ogling the girls." If you were born to accept grocery...
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Speaking in a Semi-Conscious State
Have you noticed that there are certain people who have pet (not animals in particular but not to be excluded either) stories they like to tell over and over ... and over? Anyone can get mixed up about what they've said to whom. However, a small...
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There Are No Monsters in the World?
Of course it would be horrible if there were monsters such as the "xenomorphs" depicted in the "Alien" franchise. But, we don't have to look far to find a perhaps more gruesome type of monster within ourselves. Once upon a time Americans could...
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Thor - The Pivitol Storyline
Once you get past the part where Thor rarely wears a helmet, let alone one with bird wings on its exterior, you are ready to engage the Hollywood interpretation of the God of Thunder. Thor is stripped of his armored exterior, and, more importantly...
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Ceremony of the Great Leader
I can only picture this pomposity as might Woody Allen in one of his early films. With all the pomp and circumstance surrounding the burial of their exalted leader, it would be hilarious if his box slid off the top of the limo and tumbled to the...
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Hub Writing Can Kill You
Putting Thoughts Into Words If the headline drew you in, then my ploy worked. The ploy is the same as the near hoaxes used in advertising and news headlines -- something grossly/falsely exaggerated in order to draw your attention. This hub is really...
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The Avengers - A Long, Strange Journey
One of the most anticipated geek-boy/geek-man films for 2012 is "The Avengers," staring all the characters from Marvel's solo productions. (Well, excluding Daredevil, Spider-Man. Ghost Rider, and Elektra.) I owned The Avengers No. 1 comic book,...
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So Long Superman, And Thanks
Brandon Routh as Superman "Superman Returns" was a superior film to "Batman Begins." After you finally see Nolan's signature on "The Man of Steel," you'll come to appreciate Brandon Routh and "Superman Returns." The love/adoration that...
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The Quizzical, Lonely State of Enjoying Something That No One Else Seems to Appreciate
How often has it happened that you wished to share your enthusiasm for a book you read, a movie or TV program you watched, a piece of music you listened to, or just simply wished to convey a cherished memory, and your loved one (would-be loved one),...