Movies
‘Snowmageddon’ or ‘Snowpocalypse’?
Feb 13th
I’ve had enough of this ridiculous snow. There is no end in sight. At times like this, I feel that my emotions are best expressed by quoting lines from an early 90’s movie:
You want a prediction about the weather, you’re asking the wrong Phil. I’ll give you a winter prediction: It’s gonna be cold, it’s gonna be gray, and it’s gonna last you for the rest of your life.
and some more…
There is no way that this winter is *ever* going to end as long as this groundhog keeps seeing his shadow. I don’t see any other way out. He’s got to be stopped. And I have to stop him.
Thanks IMDB. You rock! I’d hate to think that this was going to be the new “normal” but it looks like that could be the case. Check this out:
| The Daily Show With Jon Stewart | Mon – Thurs 11p / 10c | |||
| Unusually Large Snowstorm | ||||
|
||||
Climate change causes more severe weather
Call it “Snowpocalypse” or “Snowageddon,” the mid-Atlantic and Northwestern U.S. have seen winter storms this year that rival anything in decades. Scientists agree that this kind of extreme weather is consistent with climate change research.
Arm yourself with facts and join Repower America in sharing the truth about climate change and extreme weather:
I have this sudden urge to sit down and watch “Groundhog Day.”
Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs
Jul 2nd
So, we went to the theater last night to see Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs. Not a bad little movie, but to be totally honest, I didn’t like the writing in this movie as well as the previous two Ice Age movies. I think that the 3D effects were well done, and there was a lot of humor especially for the kids to enjoy. But early on the dialog seemed to exist solely for the purpose of pushing the plot along.
While not as good as Disney-Pixar’s Up! I would still recommend seeing the new Ice Age film.
Take a break… with Monsters vs. Aliens
Apr 4th
Wow! Things have certainly been busy around here… I haven’t posted in forever. There’s just been too much life lately. Dance, baseball, work, school, etc. Too nuts.
Today, Richie and Tedy began replacing our roof after February’s nasty storm. I appreciate the help they’ve provided, and I hope they get things wrapped up tomorrow. I’ve been relegated to clean-up duty and gopher during this project. I’m not exactly a handyman.
So anyway, I definitely wanted to mention “Monsters vs. Aliens” that we went to see last weekend. It was a pretty good movie. I’ve always liked animated movies, and this one’s good. Not great, but good. The kids were entertained, and that’s the main thing.
To me, the one thing the movie lacked is “Aliens” — there was one alien, who cloned himself multiple times, thus creating “aliens.” I would have liked five different aliens, one that could have been beaten by some special ability of each monster. Like Susan could have fought some big alien, and B.O.B. could have fought some Jell-O-type alien, etc. But I guess that would have taken away from the story a little bit. But still when I hear “Monsters vs. Aliens” I picture an all-out battle for suprremecy. But that’s just me.
The kids loved it, and the animation is amazing. I didn’t get to see it in 3D because my local theater doesn’t support it, but the one in Morgantown does. It may just be worth the repeat trip to see it in 3D.
WALL•E on DVD November 18
Oct 13th
WALL•E
Aug 5th
I very much enjoyed this Disney-Pixar movie when we went to see it on
Saturday. We were a little late getting out to see this because of our vacation plans. I try to catch the Disney-Pixar movies as soon as they come out.
I liked the story line, and I had absolutely no problem with the lack of dialogue in the first half hour of the movie. You know, it just goes to show you how communication can be completely visual. I think it’s just a testament to how great the animators really are. This will definitely be a DVD purchase.
The only negative thing I had heard about the movie, really, was that the message was overtly political. And I just didn’t see that. Yes, in the movie, mankind failed to take care of the earth, but it was so “over-the-top” with the tall stacks of trash that all the “WALL•E” robots created… that just wouldn’t really happen that way. Yes, we may pollute the earth to where it’s uninhabitable… I could see that happening. And there’s a decent chance that we could get so large that we can’t even stand up without help. But that should just be encouragement to not let that happen. I don’t know… I just looked at the movie for it’s entertainment value. And I was entertained.
Kung Fu Panda movie
Jun 9th
So, Kung Fu Panda is a pretty good movie. You should go see it. It actually is pretty funny. I don’t know what else to say… except…
“Skidoosh!”
Christmas Time is Here
Dec 22nd
It’s almost time for toys and cheer. And if you hadn’t guessed by now, we went to see Alvin and the Chipmunks tonight.
Don’t listen to the critics. If you enjoyed Alvin and the Chipmunks as a kid, you’ll like this movie as an adult. And if your kids have never heard of them, go and take them to see this movie. They will absolutely enjoy it. The theater was packed with families. I love to see a surprise hit come from nowhere, and I think this is one of them.
Now that the holidays are here, it’s time to relax. Have fun with friends and family. But most importantly, remember the real reason for the season. Keep Jesus in your holiday season, and why not keep him with you the rest of the year too?
Visit my church’s website at http://www.lumberportbaptist.org.
Keep Moving Forward…
Mar 31st
We just got back from seeing “Meet the Robinsons”, the latest Disney-Pixar collaboration. I have always been a big fan of the Disney-Pixar movies. My wife and I saw “Toy Story” in the theaters way back in 1995, a mere six months after we were married. I have a nice neat collection of all the Disney-Pixar DVD’s. (To be honest, the “Toy Story” set is getting a little beat up. May have to break down and buy the 10th Anniversary Edition.) Plus, I’ve really been into seeing all the animated features as they come out, no matter who produces them.
So, we’ve been looking forward to this. Once again, Disney does not disappoint.
I kinda noticed the “Rolie Polie Olie” feel to the movie from the beginning, which makes perfect sense after learning that the movie is based on a book written by William Joyce, the man behind “Olie.”
The visual gags come fast and furious. Who knows how many I missed? That’s half the fun of getting the DVD, though. I won’t give too much away, but one of my favorite gags is the appearance of “Todayland” — and the very Space Mountain-like building in the distance! And it’s always fun to read billboards (even science projects!) in Pixar films.
The only complaint I would have about the movie is this: Sometimes, the visuals seem to exist simply to show that it can be done! Like the whole food fight scene at the dinner table of the future. It takes on the special effects of a low-budget, washed-out, foreign-dubbed, multi-hyphenated kung fu flick. Why? Lewis surely didn’t see it that way. I don’t know. The scene was cute, but didn’t advance the story. It would have been better served as a deleted scene on the DVD.
Ultimately though, the plot twists and surprising character reveals make this a great movie to watch with the whole family. Ryan will be saying “I have a big head, and little arms” for weeks!
My Entertainment Tonight
Mar 25th
Well, I did watch Idiocracy this weekend, and it was very entertaining — oh, crap! The lady on Deal or No Deal just opened her last big money case! — Anyway, Idiocracy was good. I would certainly recommend it to anyone with that twisted, dark sense of humor. I’ve read online that Fox tried to suppress the movie, but I have a feeling that like Mike Judge’s other movie, Office Space, it will become a cult classic.
Grease: You’re The One That I Want had its grand finale this evening. We were quite happy with the chosen Danny & Sandy, Max and Laura. I was actually cheering for West Virginia’s own Derek Keeling, but he was eliminated last week. But it was nice to see the two “underdogs” win.
I’m still waiting for my phone call from the Deal or No Deal “Lucky Case Game” informing me that I have just won $10,000. Gee, I wonder what’s taking them so long…
Getting ready for 2007
Dec 30th
Hope everyone out there had a Merry Christmas! We’ve been preparing for our New Year’s Eve party this weekend. And of course, the Mountaineers play their bowl game this Monday.
I’ve been playing the 360 a little bit lately. Hopeful to play more this long weekend. Allison (and Mommy) got me Need For Speed: Carbon for Christmas and I’ve barely gotten started. (Hey, I am 1% complete! Yeeha!)
I’ve gone to two movies in the past week. One last Friday, one this Friday. Pretty unusual for me. We went to see The Nativity Story last week and Rocky Balboa this week. Both movies were quite good. I will never picture the nativity scene the same way in my mind again after seeing that movie.
Well, I’m off to bed soon. Have a great weekend!
–Jason
