Archive for August, 2013

Movie Review – Old Yeller (1957)

There’s nothing more classic than a story about a boy and his dog.

As we know, dogs aren’t merely pets.  They are best friends and members of the family.  A dog will always be faithful and will always be there to protect you, no matter the odds in succeeding.

Based on the book by the same name, Old Yeller tells a story about a frontier family that comes in contact with a stray yellow dog.  They befriend the dog and the eldest boy eventually respects and becomes best friends with the dog.  The dog risks his own life numerous times, even sacrificing himself to prevent a rabid wolf from attacking the family.

Old Yeller was directed by Robert Stevenson.  The film stars Dorothy McGuire as Katie Coates, the mother of the family.  Fess Parker plays the role of Jim, the father of the frontier family.  Tommy Kirk and Kevin Corcoran play the roles of Katie and Jim’s sons Travis and Arliss.

Supporting them are Jeff York as Bus Searcy, Chuck Connors as Burn Sanderson, and Beverly Washburn as Bus Searcy’s daughter Lisbeth.  Most of the actors here have been in other Disney films at one point or another.  Dorothy McGuire, Tommy Kirk and Kevin Corcoran were all reunited for 1960′s Swiss Family Robinson, Fess Parker is better known as playing Davy Crockett amongst other characters in several Disney films, and Jeff York has played the role of Mike Fink in a couple of Davy Crockett episodes.

Old Yeller (1957) – (c) Buena Vista Distribution

Old Yeller begins with the classic song “Old Yeller.”  We see scenes of the dog Old Yeller running through fields and chasing a jackrabbit.

The main part of the film begins in the late 1860s out in Texas.  The Coates are a poor frontier family, and we see Travis (Tommy Kirk) and his little brother Arliss (Kevin Corcoran) talking about money and the items they can purchase it.  Travis admits that the only money he has seen was an old Confederate dollar bill from a while ago.

Inside their home, Jim Coates (Fess Parker) is preparing to leave for a cattle drive.  His wife Katie (Dorothy McGuire) is reluctant to see him leave, but she knows how much they need the money around the home.  Besides, she knows how to run their frontier home, and their eldest son will also help tend to their farm and look after the animals, including little Arliss. Read more…

Movie Review – Braddock: Missing in Action III (1988)

Just when you think that the story is finished in Missing in Action 2: The Beginning, along comes its sequel, Braddock: Missing in Action III.

Released in 1988, Braddock: Missing in Action III is a sequel to MIA 2.  The jury is still out as to whether or not this film is considered as a prequel or sequel to the first Missing in Action film.  As we remember from MIA, that film takes place in 1984 while MIA III takes place in 1987, but MIA III‘s events are linked more with MIA 2 than the first film.

It’s a loose connection between MIA 2 and this film.  Don’t look for any of the characters or actors to return in Braddock: Missing in Action III.  The same goes for the general plot elements in MIA 2.

MIA III begins back in Vietnam as the U.S. is withdrawing from the country.  Braddock has a wife in the country, but there’s a moment when he believes that she is dead.  He leaves Vietnam and returns to the United States.  Twelve years later, Braddock receives a message that not only is his wife still alive, but he has a son who is also still living in Vietnam.  Braddock returns to the country to free his family, but a sinister Vietnamese general has other plans.

Braddock: Missing in Action III was directed by Aaron Norris, a brother of the legendary action star.  The film stars Chuck Norris in the title role of Colonel James Braddock, an officer in the U.S. army.  Once again, this film is filled with mostly nobodies in the acting world, though in the opening segments you’ll find veteran actor Keith David in a small role.

Braddock: Missing in Action III (1988) – (c) Cannon Films

Braddock: Missing in Action III begins in April of 1975 as the South Vietnamese city of Saigon is about to be overrun with Communist forces from the north.  The Americans are evacuating refugees from their embassy.  Colonel James Braddock (Chuck Norris) flies above the huge crowds of refugees as his helicopter lands on top of the American embassy.

It’s time to leave the country.  Braddock looks for his wife, Lin, but she’s not at the embassy.  When talking to the captain of the gate (Keith David), he learns that Lin returned to her home to get her papers.  Without them she wouldn’t be allowed into the embassy and able to flee the country.  Concerned for her safety, Braddock takes a jeep and drives to Lin’s house. Read more…

Movie Review – Missing in Action 2: The Beginning (1985)

In 1984 the world was introduced to Missing in Action, a Chuck Norris action film that took us back to Vietnam in search of American soldiers still classified as being missing in action (MIA).

In Missing in Action, we learn that Colonel James Braddock (Chuck Norris) was himself a prisoner of war (POW) with other American soldiers in Vietnam.  They were tortured, and later Braddock lead a revolt against the Vietnamese captors and escaped from the jungle.

Missing in Action 2: The Beginning tells that captivity and escape story in greater detail.

Directed by Lance Hool, Missing in Action 2: The Beginning stars Chuck Norris in the role of Colonel James Braddock, an officer in the U.S. Army’s special forces who becomes a prisoner of war when his helicopter is shot down in Vietnam.  Supporting him is Soon-Tek Oh playing the role of the sinister Vietnamese POW camp leader Colonel Yin.  You’ll also find Professor Toru Tanaka as one of the guards in the camp.

That’s about it for the cast of this film.  Everybody else is a nobody in Hollywood.

Missing in Action 2: The Beginning (1985) – (c) Cannon Films / MGM

Missing in Action 2: The Beginning takes place back in the Vietnam War.  Colonel James Braddock (Chuck Norris) joins his fellow soldiers in a UH-1 Huey helicopter.  They take off and fly to a nearby landing zone where fellow American soldiers are pinned down by the Viet Cong.  Col. Braddock and his men are able to use the Huey’s weapons to pin down the enemy.  They land and pick up a few soldiers, but the Viet Cong shoots a missile and it hits the Huey.  As the helicopter descends and threatens to crash, Col. Braddock orders his men to jump out of the chopper.  He’s the last to leave before the chopper crashes in a fiery explosion.

The American soldiers are all classified as missing in action.  This includes Col. Braddock, Captain David Nester (Steven Williams), Lieutenant Anthony Mazilli (Cosie Costa), Master Sergeant Ernest Franklin (John Wesley), and Corporal Lawrence Opelka (Joe Michael Terry).  They are all captured by the Viet Cong and taken to a prisoner of war camp. Read more…

Movie Review – Necessary Roughness (1991)

What happens when a prestigious college football program is caught in a major scandal, loses all of its players and coaches, is not allowed any scholarships, and IF it wants to continue with its program, then is has to recruit players from the student body?

The answer is a film like 1991′s Necessary Roughness.

In Necessary Roughness, Texas State University is basically handed the “death penalty” by the NCAA.  They lose all of their players, coaches, and the ability to award football scholarships.  In order to have a football program, the school needs to conduct tryouts from the active student body.  In this case, the end result is a comedy of amateur student athletes trying not to get killed on the playing field.

Directed by Stan Dragoti and with music composed by Bill Conti, Necessary Roughness stars Scott Bakula as Paul Blake, a 34-year-old farmer who is recruited to play college football for Texas State.  Hector Elizondo plays the head coach Ed Gennero, a straight shooter who runs a clean program.  Robert Loggia plays assistant coach Wally Rig.

Supporting them are Sinbad as Andre Krimm, a graduate student who is still eligible to play ball; Jason Bateman as Jarvis Edison, the son of a very wealthy alumni; Kathy Ireland as Lucy Draper, a female soccer player recruited to be the team’s kicker; Harley Jane Kozak as Dr. Suzanne Carter, a teacher who remembers Paul Blake from years ago; Larry Miller as Dean Phillip Elias, an administrator who’s against the football team; Fred Thompson as Carver Purcell, the president of the university; and Rob Schneider as Chuck Neiderman, the radio and P/A announcer for the football stadium.

Necessary Roughness (1991) – (c) Paramount Pictures

Necessary Roughness begins with an ESPN SportsCenter broadcast with Chris Berman talking about a major scandal that occurred at Texas State University.  What was once one of the top football programs in the country has been reduced to nothing thanks to recruiting violations, steroids, illegal payment to players, and grade tampering.  The coaches were fired, the scholarships were removed, and all but one of the players were kicked off the team.  It’s basically the “death penalty,” such as the one that occurred at Southern Methodist University back in 1987.

After the broadcast, Texas State University President Carver Purcell (Fred Thompson) approaches Ed Gennero (Hector Elizondo) and inquires about him being the new head coach at the university.  Gennero is nicknamed “Straight Arrow” as he once kicked five all-American players off a team for violations of team rules.  Purcell tells Gennero that there won’t be any pressure from the boosters.  All he has to do is run a clean program.  Gennero accepts the proposal and becomes the new head coach of the Texas State Fightin’ Armadillos.Once arriving at Texas State, Gennero talks his old friend Wally Rig (Robert Loggia) to help coach the team.  They’ll split it right down the middle.  Gennero will control the offense while Rig has the team’s defense.

All but one of the previous team’s players were removed, and since they cannot use any scholarships to attract players, Gennero has to recruit directly from the student body.  They hold an open tryout session and have the best students join the football program.  As we see, many of the new players are oddballs who really don’t belong on the playing field.  Even the team’s quarterback has trouble throwing the most basic of passes. Read more…

Movie Review – Any Given Sunday (1999)

The professional level of football is one of the most intense sports in the world.

Those athletes are modern day gladiators, warriors of the gridiron.  To successfully play (and survive) at this level requires absolute strength, ability, and intelligence on the playing field.

And when it comes to the professional players off the field, for many of them it includes lavish parties, hot women, being the center of attention in the media, and a fair share of drugs as well.  For the ultimate highs on the field you’ll find the ultimate lows off of it.

Any Given Sunday, a 1999 football film directed by Oliver Stone, takes the audience into the darker side of football and what it takes to survive playing at that level.  In the film we see the starting quarterback get injured in the second half of the season.  He’s replaced by the second-string quarterback who gets injured the next play.  So it’s up to the third-string quarterback to not only prove himself but also survive on the playing field.  We see the inexperienced quarterback make a name for himself but at the cost of alienating his teammates and coaches.  Glory and stardom go to his head and it threatens to tear apart the team, just as they’re reaching the playoffs.

Any Given Sunday stars Al Pacino as the Miami Sharks’ head coach Tony D’Amato, an aging man who has won a championship with the team.  Cameron Diaz plays the role of Christina Pagniacci, the new owner and general manager of the team.  Christina inherited the football team from her father when he recently passed away.  She demands changes to the team, and if the city of Miami won’t build them a new stadium then she’ll move the team to Los Angeles.  Dennis Quaid is Jack “Cap” Rooney, the experienced quarterback who’s injured and forced to watch the game from the sidelines.  He only has a year or two left before retiring from the sport.  Jamie Foxx has the role of “Steamin’ ” Willie Beamen, the third-string quarterback who quickly becomes a star when he gains his confidence and shows off his skills on the field.  However, he’s also young and lets his ego get the best of him, and it nearly destroys the team.

Supporting them are James Woods as Dr. Harvey Mandrake, the team’s somewhat unethical physician; LL Cool J as Julian “J-Man” Washington, the team’s running back; Lawrence Taylor as Luther “Shark” Lavay, the captain of the defense; Jim Brown as Montezuma Monroe, the Defensive Coordinator; Aaron Eckhart as Nick Crozier, the Offensive Coordinator and future head coach; Matthew Modine as Dr. Oliver Powers, the assistant doctor; John C. McGinley as Jack Rose, a sports reporter who despises Coach D’Amato; Elizabeth Berkley as Mandy Murphy, a prostitute; and finally Charlton Heston as the Commissioner of the league.

Any Given Sunday (1999) – (c) Warner Bros.

Any Given Sunday follows the Miami Sharks as they play in the second half of the 2001 season.  The Sharks play in the Associated Football Franchises of America (AFFA), and they’re striving to make the playoffs and earn another Pantheon Cup Championship.  It’s been four years since Miami last won the championship, and the team’s owner, the media, and the fans are wondering if head coach Tony D’Amato (Al Pacino) has what it takes to earn another championship.

The film opens in the second quarter in a game against the Minnesota Americans.  The Sharks have lost their last three games, but they’re still in the hunt for the playoffs.  Starting quarterback Jack Rooney (Dennis Quaid) takes a serious hit and is injured.  He has to be helped off the field and taken back to the locker room for imaging.  D’Amato sends in the second-string quarterback, Tyler Cherubini, but he’s also hit hard and is taken out of the game.

Now it’s up to the third-string quarterback Willie Beamen (Jamie Foxx).  Beamen has been passed between several teams in the league for the past few years, but he’s seen little (if any) actual playing time.  In the huddle Beamen pukes, something that becomes a tradition for him during the remaining games.  Beamen’s inexperience shows as he not only doesn’t know the plays, but he also throws an interception before halftime.

Coach D’Amato gives the team a rousing pep talk during halftime, and in the second half they start playing better.  The Sharks make a comeback but ultimately lose the game to the Minnesota Americans.  Now they have four losses in a row and it’s seriously questioned if they’ll be making the playoffs. Read more…

Movie Review – Jurassic Park III (2001)

The Lost World: Jurassic Park, the first sequel to 1993′s Jurassic Park, was a smash hit in the theaters.

The film’s opening weekend set all kinds of box office records.  Even though it received mixed reviews, the film was a hit and the audiences were craving more of the dinosaur films.  That’s where our third installment of the Jurassic Park series comes into play.

Released in 2001, Jurassic Park III brings Dr. Alan Grant back into the dinosaur franchise.  This time Dr. Grant is part of a disguised rescue mission for a 12-year-old boy who went missing while parasailing off the coast of Isla Sorna.  The rescue mission brings Dr. Grant along with a cast of new characters onto the tropical island filled with predatory dinosaurs.  Jurassic Park III shows us some familiar dinosaurs as well as introducing us to a much bigger predator and newer concepts for an older foe.

Jurassic Park III was directed by Joe Johnston, and Steven Spielberg was an executive producer for the film.  Don Davis provided the musical score this time around while including some of the famous theme originally created by John Williams.  Jurassic Park III stars Sam Neill in the title role of Dr. Alan Grant, a paleontologist who survived from Isla Nublar.  Also starring in the film are William H. Macy as Paul Kirby, and Tea Leoni as Paul’s ex-wife, Amanda Kirby.

Supporting them are Alessandro Nivola as Billy Brennan, one of Dr. Grant’s graduate students, and Trevor Morgan as Erik Kirby, the 12-year-old son of Paul and Amanda.  Laura Dern has a small role reprising her character Dr. Ellie Sattler, now Ellie Degler.  She’s married now with a young child.

Jurassic Park III (2001) – (c) Universal Pictures

Jurassic Park III begins with a small chartered boat sailing close to Isla Sorna, now a protected wildlife refuge.  People are well aware of the dinosaurs living on the island, but strict government regulations prohibit anybody from setting foot or getting too close to the island or its deadly inhabitants.

On board the small boat are Ben Hildebrand (Mark Harelik) and 12-year-old Erik Kirby (Trevor Morgan).  We don’t know it at the time, but Ben Hildebrand is currently dating Erik Kirby’s mother, Amanda.  The two of them hook into a parachute and then go parasailing while being pulled behind the boat, flying high over the water.

Ben and Erik are looking for dinosaurs, but they can’t see any from their vantage point.  Meanwhile, the small boat drives into a small fog bank.  Suddenly something goes wrong and Ben and Erik are tugged towards the boat.  When the boat emerges from the fog they see that it’s heavily damaged and covered in blood.  The crew is missing.

Unmanned by a crew, the boat is still speeding ahead at full speed.  Ahead in its path are a bunch of exposed rocks.  Erik is concerned that they’re going to crash, but Ben manages to unhook the rope connecting them to the boat.  As the boat crashes the two of them safely fly the parasail to Isla Sorna. Read more…

Movie Review – The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997)

Back in 1993 the audience was blown away with Jurassic Park, a film that brought dinosaurs back to life and placed them in a remote and technologically advanced theme park.

The film was a smash hit and director Steven Spielberg urged author Michael Crichton to write a sequel to Jurassic Park, the book that inspired the film.  Originally Crichton was against the idea of writing a sequel, but the immense popularity of the film helped convince him to continue the story.  Michael Crichton’s The Lost World was published in 1995, and The Lost World: Jurassic Park was released to the movie theaters in 1997.

The Lost World: Jurassic Park takes place several years after the events in Jurassic Park.  John Hammond has lost control of InGen to the board of directors.  He knows that the board is going to commercialize the dinosaurs, so he sends a small team to the island to document and catalogue the dinosaurs and use public opinion to put pressure against InGen.  Of course, things go wrong, and the last part of the film is more of a classic monster movie as a lone Tyrannosaurus rex terrorizes the city of San Diego.

Directed by Steven Spielberg, The Lost World: Jurassic Park also features the return of Academy Award-winning music composer John Williams.  Jeff Goldblum returns as Dr. Ian Malcolm, and this time he’s the star of the film.  Starring with him is Julianne Moore as Sarah Harding, a paleontologist and Malcolm’s girlfriend.  The film also features Pete Postlethwaite as Roland Tembo, a professional hunter, and Arliss Howard playing the role of Peter Ludlow, Mr. Hammond’s nephew and the new leader of InGen.

Supporting them are Vince Vaughn as documentary producer Nick Van Owen, Peter Stormare as Dieter Stark, Vanessa Lee Chester as Dr. Malcolm’s daughter, Kelly Curtis, and Thomas F. Duffy as Dr. Robert Burke, a paloentologist working with InGen’s team.  Richard Attenborough returns in the role of John Hammond.

The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997) – (c) Universal Pictures

The Lost World: Jurassic Park begins on Isla Sorna, an island 87 miles southwest of Isla Nublar, the island that housed the biological theme park in Jurassic Park.  A wealthy British family has decided to make the isolated tropical beaches of Isla Sorna as their private getaway.  As they prepare to enjoy their lunch, the family’s daughter, Cathy, takes a sandwich and wanders away.  She stumbles upon a lone compsognathus.  The tiny dinosaur isn’t much of a threat and amuses the girl more than frightening her.  This encounter takes a turn for the worse when more compies arrive and quickly swarm the girl.  She screams in terror and her family comes to the rescue.

The film cuts to Dr. Ian Malcom (Jeff Goldblum) arriving at the house of John Hammond.  He’s greeted by Lex (Ariana Richards) and Tim Murphy (Joseph Mazzello), but they are unaware as to why their grandfather wants to meet with Dr. Malcolm.  Malcolm then meets with Peter Ludlow (Arliss Howard), the new leader of InGen, the genetics company that cracked the genetic code for bringing dinosaurs back to life.  Ludlow isn’t pleased with seeing Dr. Malcolm as Ian went public after the disaster back on Isla Nublar and published a personal account of what happened on the island.  This lead to much disbelief and destroyed Malcolm’s academic reputation. Read more…

Book Review – Lincoln Child’s “Death Match”

In this day and age, most single people have tried a matchmaking company at one point in their life.

Internet-based matchmaking companies have been popular since the late 1990s.  Most of them have you answer a basic set of questions about yourself and your “perfect” mate, and then it uses basic software to attempt to find a match for you.  It’s simple, it might work for you, and for many people, it’s rather boring.  You’ll be browsing through the results pages and wondering if any of the people are right for you.  You’ll also wonder if the people in your results actually have any interest.

In the end it’s the same old song and dance for many matchmaking companies.  But what if a company used a significantly more complicated system of matching people?  Would you be willing to pay $25,000 for the guaranteed result of lifelong happiness with somebody matched perfectly with you?

That’s part of the concept in Lincoln Child’s thrilling novel, Death Match.  In Death Match such a company exists.  It’s called Eden, Inc., and it produces results well worth the extravagant fee.  The biggest problem for most customers is the lengthy examination process, which involves a complete physical and psychological review.  The company wants to make sure that its clients are both physically and mentally sound, and they’ll live long and flourish in their new relationship.

Most of the couples matched by Eden, Inc., are between 90-97% compatible.  It’s a very rigorous matching program, and if you can hit the mid to upper nineties, then you’re doing great.  In the history of the company, six couples have been matched 100%.  Nicknamed “supercouples,” these people have scored perfectly in compatibility.  It’s as if they were literally made for each other.  Whenever people talk about those supercouples, the comments are always the same:  The couples are perfectly happy with each other.

So when a supercouple is found dead from an apparent double-suicide, Eden, Inc. is incredibly worried.  Could there possibly be a flaw in its seemingly perfect matching program?  How could such a happy couple die in a tragic manner?  If word spreads about there being a problem in Eden, Inc., the company would be financially ruined.

Dr. Christopher Lash is hired by Edwin Mauchly, the director of Eden, Inc., to solve the mystery of the double-suicide.  Lash is a private investigator who used to work in the Behavioral Science Unit in the FBI.  When it comes to analyzing the evidence and profiling a potential killer, Dr. Lash is one of the best people in the nation.  He accepts his payment of $100,000 and begins investigating the death of the supercouple. Read more…

Movie Review – The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)

The year is 1951.

The Second World War ended six years ago, but tension is growing around the world as the forces of Communism are growing stronger by the day.  A new war, a Cold War, has begun, and there are fears that this could easily escalate into a full blown nuclear war, a war that can kill every single person on the planet.

And then one day a flying saucer lands in Washington, D.C.  The spacecraft’s humanoid occupant brings peace but insists on meeting all of the world’s leaders.  If such an assembly can happen, then the alien visitor will deliver his message, a message that concerns the future existence of the planet Earth.

Directed by Robert Wise, The Day the Earth Stood Still is based on Harry Bates‘ short science-fiction story, Farewell to the Master.  The 1950s sci-fi film stars Michael Rennie in the role of Klaatu, an alien who visits planet Earth.  Patricia Neal plays the role of Helen Benson, a woman who encounters Klaatu and eventually learns his secret.  Billy Gray plays Bobby Benson, a young boy who becomes friends with Klaatu while he’s in disguise as Mr. Carpenter.

Supporting them are Hugh Marlowe as Tom Stevens, Helen’s boyfriend who later helps expose Klaatu to the government.  Sam Jaffe is Professor Barnhardt, one of the smartest men in the world.  Lock Martin plays the role of Gort, the metallic robot who guards Klaatu and his flying saucer.

The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951) – (c) 20th Century Fox

The Day the Earth Stood Still begins on what seems to be an ordinary day.  That is, until radar stations around the world begin tracking some sort of aircraft travelling much higher and faster than previously known possible.  News stations break the story as the object eventually descends and makes a landing in Washington, D.C. Read more…

Movie Review – Jurassic Park (1993)

“An Adventure 65 Millions Years In The Making.”

That’s the tag line for the film that not only revolutionized the way that dinosaur-themed movies were created, but it raised the bar for thrilling and adventure films as well.

Released in June of 1993, Jurassic Park is based on the hit novel of the same name by Michael Crichton.  Jurassic Park tells an intriguing tale of genetics and a seemingly good idea gone horribly wrong.  Scientists have cracked the genetic code and brought dinosaurs back to life for an exotic theme park on an exclusive island.  When a tropical storm hits the island and a greedy worker commits some sabotage to fatten his bank account, the dinosaurs escape from their enclosures.  It’s a fight for survival as distinguished guests touring the island have to reach a rescue helicopter while dealing with the elements and hungry dinosaurs.

Jurassic Park was directed by Academy Award-winning director Steven Spielberg, and given a legendary music score by John Williams.  The film stars Sam Neill as Dr. Alan Grant, a famous paleontologist invited to the island to hopefully endorse the soon-to-open theme park.  Joining him is Laura Dern as Dr. Ellie Sattler, a paleobotanist and cery close friend to Dr. Grant.  Richard Attenborough plays the role of Mr. John Hammond, the eccentric billionaire who dreams of bringing dinosaurs back to life and sharing that experience with the world.

Supporting them are Jeff Goldblum as Dr. Iam Malcom, a mathematician who uses chaos theory to predict the doomed outcome of the theme park.  Ariana Richards and Joseph Mazzello play the roles of Lex and Tim Murphy, Mr. Hammond’s grandchildren.  Bob Peck has the role of Robert Muldoon, the park’s game warden.  Martin Ferrero is Donald Gennaro, a lawyer investigating if the park is safe for both workers and visitors.  Wayne Knight plays the role of Dennis Nedry, a computer engineer who later sabotages the control center.  Samuel L. Jackson is Ray Arnold, the park’s chief computer engineer.

Jurassic Park (1993) – (c) Universal Pictures

Jurassic Park begins late at night on Isla Nublar, a remote island located 120 miles west of Costa Rica.  Robert Muldoon (Bob Peck) is leading a team of workers transferring a dangerous animal into a secure enclosure.  As we can see, the animal handlers are heavily armed with tasers and shotguns.  The heavy crate is moved into position, but when the gate is lifted we see a dinosaur ram the enclosure and knock it backwards.  Workers scramble to subdue the dinosaur as it grabs the gate keeper.  The velociraptor maintains its grip and ultimately kills the gate keeper.

The film then switches to the Mano de Dios amber mine in the Dominican Republic.  Donald Gennaro (Martin Ferrero) is there to meet with Juanito Rostagno (Miguel Sandoval), the proprietor of the amber mine.  Junaito explains that Mr. Hammond is unable to be there in person as his daughter is currently going through a divorce.  Donald Gennaro is a lawyer sent to investigate the safety of the secret island project where a worker was killed a few days ago.  Inside of the amber mine we see that the miners have found what appears to be an ancient mosquito in a fossilized piece of amber.  Exactly why this is so important we don’t yet know. Read more…

Movie Review – Flight to Mars (1951)

Back in 1950, Destination Moon took viewers on what was seen as a realistic flight to the Earth’s Moon.

One year later a film decided to take viewers one step further —- to the planet Mars.  Released in 1951, Flight to Mars portrays a secret rocket flight to the Red Planet.  A team of engineers along with a newspaper reporter embark on the incredibly risky journey, not even knowing if they’ll be able to return to Earth.  But when they arrive on Mars, the crew discovers that the planet is nothing what they expected.

Directed by Lesley Selander, Flight to Mars is a relatively low-budget science-fiction film that was filmed in only five days.  The film even borrows details and props from previous sci-fi films such as Rocketship X-M (1950) and Destination Moon (1950).

Flight to Mars stars Cameron Mitchell as Steve Abbott, a prestigious newspaper reporter who documents the space flight to Mars.  Arthur Franz plays the role of Dr. Jim Barker, the chief engineer and pilot of the spacecraft.  Virginia Huston has the role of Carol Stafford, an engineer who is in love with Jim Barker.  Marguerite Chapman plays the role of Alita, a Martian assigned to help Jim Barker and later falls in love with him.

Flight to Mars (1951) – (c) Monogram Pictures

Flight to Mars begins with two scientists ominously looking at planet Mars through a massive telescope.  One of the scientists remarks that the spaceship will be leaving in two days.  He also wonders if they’ll actually make it to the planet.  Perhaps there’s life up there on the red planet.

Over at the Pentagon we meet Dr. Lane (John Litel), an engineer and adventurer.  Dr. Lane is more concerned about him and his rocket crew landing on Mars.  Finding a way back home is not a concern to the scientist.  We also meet Steve Abbott (Cameron Mitchell), a prestigious newspaper reporter who will be documenting the space flight. Read more…

Movie Review – Friday Night Lights (2004)

In honor of the month of August and the rapidly approaching football season, today we’re taking a look at high school football in the film Friday Night Lights.

Released in 2004, Friday Night Lights is based on the true story of the Permian High School football team in 1988 and their run for the state championship.  The school is located in the city of Odessa, Texas, a region of the country where people are fanatic about their local high school football teams.  Out there football isn’t merely a sport but an obsession.  It’s a way of life.

Directed by Peter Berg, Friday Night Lights is based on the book Friday Night Lights: A town, a Team, and a Dream by H.G. Bissinger.  The film stars Billy Bob Thornton as head coach Gary Gaines.  Supporting him are Lucas Black playing the role of quarterback Mike Winchell, Garrett Hedlund as fullback Don Billingsley, Derek Luke as running back James Miles, Lee Thompson Young as running back Chris Comer, and Tim McGraw as Charles Billingsley, Don’s alcoholic and somewhat abusive father.

Friday Night Lights begins with scenes from around Odessa, Texas.  As we can see, it’s a oil-driven but still desolate area.  Dirt dominates the landscape and trees are few and far between.  That doesn’t really matter though as it’s August and the local people once again have football fever.  Some of the sports talk on the radio questions whether head coach Gary Gaines is the right man to lead the team to a state championship.  NOTE – In reality, Odessa, Texas is a medium sized city with the metro area containing about 250,000 residents.

Friday Night Lights (2004) – (c) Universal Pictures

The Permian High School football players gather at the football stadium and begin their practice sessions guided by Coach Gary Gaines (Billy Bob Thornton).  In attendance in the stands are parents, members of the media, and talent scouts from college football programs.  Out on the playing field we see highlights from star players such as quarterback Mike Winchell (Lucas Black) and running back James Miles (Derek Luke).  Fullback Don Billingsley (Garrett Hedlund) has poor ball-handling skills and keeps fumbling.  His father, Charles Billingsley (Tim McGraw), is furious with his son’s mistakes, and he goes onto the playing field to yell at his son. Read more…

Movie Review – The Thing from Another World (1951)

The extreme cold and isolation at a research station on top of the world at the North Pole.

The thrill of discovering not only a crashed flying saucer but also a humanoid alien life form frozen in the ice.

The terror of the alien returning to life and waging a war against the scientists trapped in the research station.

That’s the basis for the classic 1951 science-fiction film, The Thing from Another World.  Directed by Christian Nyby and produced by Howard Hawks, The Thing from Another World takes the audience into a remote and hostile environment, and pits them against a menacing alien creature.

The Thing from Another World beings with newspaper reporter Ned Scott (Douglas Spencer) arriving at the officers’ club at a military base in Anchorage, Alaska.  He greets Captain Patrick Hendry (Kenneth Tobey) and seems to have a good rapport with the other men.  General Fogerty (David McMahon) receives a message from a research station at the North Pole concerning a crashed aircraft.  He orders Captain Hendry to take his men and assist in the search and rescue of the crashed aircraft.  Ned Scott is given permission to join the crew and document the mission for a newspaper article.

The Thing from Another World (1951) – (c) RKO Radio Pictures

The crew departs from Anchorage and uses a C-47 to make the long flight to the North Pole.  While en-route the crew is informed that there’s a magnetic disturbance somewhere around the research station, and it’s throwing off their magnetic compass.  They eventually spot the research station and make a landing on the snow and ice covered terrain. Read more…

July 2013 Exercise Results

Another month has passed and I’ve been successfully sticking with my exercise program.

As it’s been mentioned in previous articles, I use an exercise bike along with a strength training machine, the Total Bodyworks 5000.  Normally I’ll workout for two or three days in a row and then take a day off to recover.

The catch this month is that I had an eleven day period where I only had one workout.  My girlfriend was dealing with a crippling medical condition that required a minor surgery.  The good part is that she’s doing much better now and is more like her normal self.

July of 2013 exercise totals:

It turns out that despite the break from exercising when I was taking care of my girlfriend, I used my exercise bike the same number of times as last month.  The main differences are that I had more shorter rides of 25-30 minutes, but I was riding at a faster pace and breaking my personal distance records.

In July of 2013 I set three personal distance records when riding for 45 minutes.  Right now my record stands at riding a distance of 10.6 miles in 45 minutes.

Exercise bike totals (cardio) – 13 sessions:

– 483 minutes

– 105 miles

– 5,267 calories burned

Total Bodyworks 5000 totals (strength):

– 10 sessions; ~ 20 minutes each

In June of 2013 my average bike ride was 41 minutes long, reached 7.6 miles and burned an estimated 385 calories.  In July my average bike ride was only 37 minutes, but I rode for 8.1 miles and burned and estimated 405 calories.  It’s clear how continual exercise can improve a person’s fitness, even over the period of two months.

We’re in a new month now, so it’s off to exercise I go!