This week I'll be working for the Fort Mojave Tribal Court. I'll be working as a pro temp judge, and I'll be staying at the Avi Resort, Laughlin, Nevada.
posted by Frank LaFountaine @ 6:07 AM
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Yesterday I saw the movie “Madagascar”, which featured the voices of: Andy Richter, Cedric the Entertainer, Sacha Baron Cohen, Chris Knights and Tom McGrath.
The storyline involved the following: “This movie focuses on four residents and "stars" of the Central Park Zoo in New York City who are also best friends: a lion (Stiller), a zebra (Rock), a giraffe (Schwimmer) and a pregnant hippo (Smith). When one of them goes missing, the other three break out of the zoo looking for him, and eventually all four are captured and put in boxes to ship them back to the continent their species are originally from: Africa. An accident at sea, however, strands them on the shore of Madagascar. Having had humans take care of them their entire life, the four know nothing of surviving in the wild, or that one of them, the lion, is genetically predisposed to eat his three best friends. Exploring their surroundings, the four friends soon meet the Malagasy locals (a type of lemur given to having loud "rave-like" dance parties) and their carnivorous enemies, the fousas. As the two sides try to use these four new, strange (and large) friends to their benefit, our heroes are also confronted with the reality of their predestined roles in nature.”
I give the movie a “B+”, and the movie is worth the price of an admission ticket, a large popcorn and a medium soft drink. It was a delightful and entertaining film.
posted by Frank LaFountaine @ 11:59 AM
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Today I decided to begin writing another short novel manuscript about sasquatches on the Colville Indian Reservation. It will be a horror novel. I expect it to take three months to write. I will put on science fiction manuscript on hold.
posted by Frank LaFountaine @ 10:19 AM
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Last Tuesday I saw the movie “Unleashed”, which starred: Jet Li, Morgan Freeman, Bob Hoskins, Kerry Condon and Christian Gazio.
The storyline involved the following: “Danny (Li) has lived his life with his ''Uncle'' Bart (Bob Hoskins), a fiery gangster who has trained Danny to be an enforcer and do his dirty work for him. In truth, Bart has basically treated Danny like an animal--a dog, to be exact, collar and all--not a person. As soon as Danny's job of savagely beating those who had ''wronged'' his uncle is complete, he goes back to his dark, dank quarters. One day, upon finding a benevolent blind man Sam (Morgan Freeman) playing a piano, Danny discovers that he's more than merely a dog. Sam takes Danny into his home and teaches him about the piano and human relationships, with the help of his step-daughter (Kerry Condon). All seems to be going well, but the collar wrapped around Danny's neck is a link to his former violent life--and, of course, Bart. Heading down that path of redemption, Danny winds up reluctantly going back to his uncle, albeit in a different frame of mind. The tension builds as a massive showdown between Danny and Bart becomes imminent. It is only after his collar is taken off that Danny is unleashed.”
I give this movie a “C+”, and it is the worth of an admission ticket, a small popcorn and a small soft drink. It was good action movie, but the characters were not very likeable. Morgan Freeman could not save the movie.
posted by Frank LaFountaine @ 9:50 AM
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Yesterday I saw the movie “Star Wars: Episode 3”, which starred: Hayden Christensen, Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman, Samuel L Jackson and Christopher Lee.
The storyline involved the following: “The catastrophic battles of the Clone Wars are in their final stages as the crumbling Republic--supported by the ever-vigilant Jedi Knights--fight against the Separatist Alliance, lead by a particularly nasty half-droid, half-alien named General Grievous. Jedi üüberheroes Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) and Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) are sent to kill General Grievous and end the war, but it isn't easy. Meanwhile Yoda, Mace Windu (Samuel L. Jackson) and the other Jedi Council members fear for the state of the Republic under the guidance of the nebulously sinister Chancellor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid). I know what you're thinking, ''Yeah, yeah, just tell us how Anakin goes bad.'' Poor Annie. He still has some serious anger issues, which now revolve around his adoring young wife, Padme (Natalie Portman), and their unborn child (or children, in this case). He thinks he foresees Padme's death and will do anything to keep her safe, including listening to Palpatine malevolently whisper promises of immortality and the power of the Dark Side into his ear. Not the best thing for this volatile fellow. Yes, Darth Vader will soon emerge and the inevitable duel between the good and the Dark Side is at hand. Get your lightsabers ready.”
I give the movie a “A”, and the movie is worth the price of an admission ticket, a large popcorn, a large soft drink and a small soft drink . The film was exciting and absorbing, and it had plenty of action and battle scenes. The storyline actual meant something, as Anakin is changed into Darth Vader.
posted by Frank LaFountaine @ 11:03 AM
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Today I made arrangements with iUniverse Book Publishing to self-publish my manuscript: The Omak Lake Monster. It’s a short novel about a lake monster in Omak Lake. The monster is summoned to reap revenge on gang rapist and doubters of Native American legends. It’s my first try at publishing one of my written works.
posted by Frank LaFountaine @ 11:21 AM
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Yesterday I saw the movie “Kicking & Screaming”, which starred: Mike Ditka, Will Ferrell, Robert Duvall, Kate Walsh, Mike Ditka and Musetta Vander.
The movie story involved the following: “Phil Weston (Ferrell) is a kindly fellow who owns and runs a vitamin store, has a lovely wife (Kate Walsh) and son, and has some serious issues with his father, Buck (Robert Duvall). All his life, Phil has had to endure his father's over-the-top competitive nature, and he always falling short of the mark. When Phil decides to coach his 10-year-old son's soccer team, he once again goes up against Buck, who coaches his own young son on the top team in the league. Of course, Phil's team is the worst team on the league, but that doesn't matter. Something suddenly snaps in Phil, and he sees a chance to settle some old scores with the old man. He starts using extreme measures to try to whip his young charges into shape. They include getting Mike Ditka as an assistant coach (played by the real ex-football coach, oddly enough), bringing on two Italian whiz kids as secret weapons, and drinking lots and lots of coffee (trust me, it works). Phil can taste his first real shot at victory and will stop at nothing to win the championship trophy.”
I give this movie a “C+”, and it is the worth of an admission ticket, a small popcorn and a small soft drink. The movie ran out of funny material, but it had its moments.
posted by Frank LaFountaine @ 9:03 AM
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On Friday, I saw the movie “Monster-in-Law”, which starred: Jennifer Lopez, Jane Fonda, Michael Vartan, Wanda Sykes and Monet Mazur.
The plot involved the following: “Unlucky in love, beautiful Charlotte 'Charlie' Cantilini (Jennifer Lopez) has finally met the man of her dreams, Dr. Kevin Fields (Michael Vartan). There's just one problem - his mother. Overbearing and controlling, not to mention volatile, Viola Fields (Jane Fonda) has recently been canned from her job as a star news anchor. Fearing she will lose her son's affections as she has her career, Viola decides to break up the happy couple by becoming the world's worst mother-in-law. Helping her with her crazy schemes is Viola's long-time assistant, Ruby (Wanda Sykes). The gloves come off when Charlie finally decides to fight back and it looks like Viola has finally met her match.”
I give the movie a “B”, and the movie is worth the price of an admission ticket, a large popcorn and a small soft drink. It was a funny movie, but Jennifer Lopez is still playing roles which are beneath her.
posted by Frank LaFountaine @ 12:46 PM
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On Tuesday I saw the movie “Crash”, which starred: Sandra Bullock, Don Cheadle, Matt Dillon, Jennifer Esposito, William Fichtner, Thandie Newton and Brendan Fraser.
The storyline involved the following: “Detective Graham Waters (Don Cheadle) and his partner Ria (Jennifer Esposito) get into a car accident en route to investigate a murdered body found in a canyon overlooking Los Angeles. Ria is ready to snap necks, but Graham explains, ''It's the sense of touch……I think we miss that sense of touch so much that we crash into each other just so we can feel something.'' He ain't kiddin'. Crash begins at the end, after 24 hours that have not only irrevocably changed Graham's life but also the lives of several other L.A. denizens who have inadvertently collided with one another. We go back to the previous day and meet an angry Brentwood housewife (Sandra Bullock) and her D.A. husband (Brendan Fraser), who have their car stolen at gunpoint by two carjackers (Larenz Tate and Chris ''Ludacris'' Bridges); a paranoid Persian store owner (Shaun Toub) who tangles with a kindly Mexican locksmith (Michael Pena); a rookie LAPD cop (Ryan Phillippe) and his veteran partner (Matt Dillon) who harass an affluent black couple (Terrence Howard and Thandie Newton) and then later, ironically, save them in separate, hair-raising incidents. Black and white, victim and aggressor, there doesn't seem to be a right or a wrong as things escalate and culminate. The only common thread is the fact that life is too short to be filled with fear and intolerance.”
I give the movie a “B”, and the movie is worth the price of an admission ticket, a large popcorn and a small soft drink. I thought the subject matter of the movie was effective at making a message, but there were no clear answers. It’s a good movie to see and think about.
posted by Frank LaFountaine @ 10:12 AM
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Yesterday I saw the movie “House of Wax”, which starred: Elisha Cuthbert, Chad Michael Murray, Paris Hilton, Jared Padalecki and Jon Abrahams.
The movie story involved the following: “Twins Carly and Nick Jones (played by Cuthbert and One Tree Hill heartthrob Chad Michael Murray)--with Carly being the pretty, goal-oriented ''good'' twin and Nick the sullen, brooding ''bad'' one-- are road tripping to catch the big college game. Along for the ride are Carly's beau Wade (Gilmore Girls' Jared Padelecki), mini-cam-obsessed Dalton (Jon Abrahams), sports fan Blake (Robert Ri'chard) and his maybe-preggers girlfriend Paige (Paris Hilton, in her first major acting role--unless you count certain portions of her infamous sex video). The requisite car trouble ultimately leads them to a requisitely isolated Iowa town where they must seek help from the requisitely creepy locals. Dominating the town is the House of Wax, a paraffin-filled museum which doesn't just feature amazing wax likenesses of people and objects: the whole place is made out of wax, walls and all. This despite being constructed over a fiery furnace used for……well, these films aren't about logic, are they? Throw in the requisite twisted, menacing, blood-lusting boogeyman--but wait! Let's have TWO bad guys! And make them twins! (Did I mention the script was written by Chad and Carey Hayes, who happen to be twin brothers?) Cut to the running and the chasing and the cinematic carnage, the corpses turned into those impossibly lifelike wax figurines, the curvy Cuthbert in a white tank top and the impossibly big, drippy finale and call it a day. This is just a messy pile of waxy build-up that'll take an extra-long Q-Tip to clean out of your brain.”
I give this movie a “C+”, and it is the worth of an admission ticket, a small popcorn and a small soft drink. The movie had plenty of action, but the director saved his money for the movie’s finale. The film’s beginning was slow and not scary.
posted by Frank LaFountaine @ 6:03 AM
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On Friday, I saw the movie “Kingdom of Heaven”, which starred: Orlando Bloom, Eva Green, Liam Neeson, Brendan Gleeson and Jeremy Irons.
The storyline involved the following: “The Crusades were a series of religious wars in which the Christians tried to reclaim Jerusalem from the Muslims, who had conquered the Middle East in the 7th century. With the battle cry of ''God wills it!,'' thousands of Europeans answered the call and were able to retake the fabled Holy City in the 11th century. Kingdom of Heaven begins in 1186, between the Second and Third Crusades. A fragile peace prevails, mostly through the efforts of Jerusalem's enlightened Christian king, Baldwin IV (Edward Norton), and the military restraint of the legendary Muslim leader Saladin (Ghassan Massoud). But it's difficult to maintain the peace. There are extremists within the Christian brigades--known as the Knights Templar--who want to wipe every Muslim off the face of the Earth. On top of that, King Baldwin's health is failing. Once he's gone, war is sure to follow. If ever there was a need for a hero, this is the time. Enter the young French blacksmith Balian (Orlando Bloom), who is in deep despair over the loss of his family. He joins the Crusades after the father he never knew, Godfrey (Liam Neeson), comes back from Jerusalem and convinces him it's a quest worth fighting for. As Godfrey passes his sword to his son, he also passes on that sacred knightly oath: to protect the helpless, safeguard the peace, and work toward harmony between religions and cultures, so that a kingdom of heaven can flourish on earth. No pressure or anything, though.”
I give the movie a “C+”, and the movie is worth the price of an admission ticket, a small popcorn and a small soft drink. The film had a friendly treatment of the Muslims, and the battle scenes saved the movie.
posted by Frank LaFountaine @ 12:47 PM
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On Tuesday I saw the movie “House of D”, which starred: Robin Williams, David Duchovny, Anton Yelchin, Erykah Badu and Téa Leoni.
The storyline involved the following: “David Duchovny wants to tell an important story. He wants his writing-directing debut to be the heaviest, most life-altering movie you've ever seen. He doesn't quite get there. Ostensibly a flick about how random strangers can change your life's course, this indie drama follows teen Anton Yelchin as he hangs with his mentally retarded older friend (Robin Williams, and we're not even gonna comment on that) and falls for a girl (Zelda Williams, who's, oh, Robin's kid!). He then strikes up a friendship with an incarcerated woman (Erykah Badu) by yelling at her through her window at the house of detention (aka the House of D). Yelchin shows promise as a young, charming actor, but he's stuck in a movie that never feels as important as it wants to be. Awkward pacing and a too-pat ending also taint the project. We call this House of C-.”
I give this movie a “C+”, and it is the worth of an admission ticket, a small popcorn and a small soft drink. The script was weak and far fetched, but acting was okay. There were not too many likeable characters, and the movie did not represent the 1970's correctly as I remember it. The movie was a little too dark for my taste.
posted by Frank LaFountaine @ 10:24 AM
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On Monday, I saw the movie “Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy”, which starred: Martin Freeman, Mos Def, Sam Rockwell, Zooey Deschanel and Bill Nighy.
The plot involved the following: “Ape descendant Arthur Dent (Martin Freeman) gets yanked from the Earth by best friend and alien Ford Prefect (Mos Def) seconds before a Vogon constructor fleet destroys it to make way for a hyperspace expressway. Next thing he knows, Arthur is aboard the Vogon ship, reading the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (voiced by Stephen Fry) and wondering where he might get some tea. But he and Ford are not in the clear: the Vogons (some of whom look like the nightmarish drawings of Ralph Steadman come to life in S&M leather) want to throw them into the vacuum of space, right after they read some of the third worst poetry in the known universe. Luckily, the spaceship Heart of Gold picks up the stranded hitchhikers in the nick of time. Stolen by the dim but groovy President of the Galaxy, Zaphod Beeblebrox (Sam Rockwell), the ship has an Improbability Drive that causes certain mischief, turning the stowaways into loveseats and later two missiles into a bowl of petunias and a sperm whale. Also onboard is doe-eyed Earth girl Tricia ''Trillian'' McMillan (Zooey Deschanel), who previously ditched Arthur at a costume party on Earth to satisfy her wanderlust with Zaphod. The crew then embarks on a quest to find the Ultimate Question to Life, the Universe and Everything after supercomputer Deep Thought (voiced by Helen Mirren) found the answer: 42. On the run and without a home, Arthur discovers that life's true meaning comes from the answers found within.”
I give the movie a “B+”, and the movie is worth the price of an admission ticket, a large popcorn and a small soft drink. The movie was a combination of the British TV “Doctor Who” and the British novel “Alice in Wonderland”.
posted by Frank LaFountaine @ 9:45 AM
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Yesterday I saw the movie “XXX: State of the Union”, which starred: Ice Cube, Samuel L. Jackson, Scott Speedman, Peter Strauss and Sunny Mabrey.
The plot involved the following: “U.S. President Sanford (Peter Strauss) is in real trouble. Seems his fairly liberal military initiatives have earned him some enemies, including a radical splinter group of dissenters deep within his administration who plan to assassinate him and his followers. Yeah, that's not good. After surviving a massive hit on the National Security Agency's top-secret headquarters, the unconventional Augustus Gibbons (Samuel L. Jackson) once again finds himself in need of an outsider since his first XXX agent, Xander Cage, was conveniently killed off following the first film (Vin Diesel didn't want to participate in State of the Union, I guess). Gibbons enlists decorated Special Ops soldier Darius Stone (Ice Cube), with whom he once worked. But Stone's now sitting in a military prison. No matter. Soon, assisted by his hometown posse, the revved-up, streetwise, badass new XXX agent is free, heading to the nation's capitol to uncover the insurgents from within and stop the first coup d'etat in American history. It's off the chain, man.”
I give this movie a “C+”, and it is the worth of an admission ticket and a small popcorn and small soft drink. The movie had plenty of action, but it lacked any sense. The acting was generally bad.
posted by Frank LaFountaine @ 6:09 AM
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