Do You Hear the People Sing?... Because I sure did!!!

Alright folks...  You've waited... You've counted down the days until there was only "One Day More"... and now the time has come... Les Miserables has been made into a movie musical!!!

Let me begin this review with a warning...


***** THIS REVIEW WILL HAVE SPOILERS****


Sorry to be so blunt about it, but I can't give a proper review without spoiling a bunch of stuff... But in all honesty, if you haven't seen the stage show, or don't already know the story, THAT IS YOUR OWN FAULT!!!  That being said...  On with the review!!!

Let me start out by saying this about Les Miserables...  I FRICKEN LOVED THIS MOVIE!!!  Was it perfect?  No.  Were there things I would have changed?  Of course.  But on the whole, this movie was so good, the problems were few and far between.

THE GOOD:

I was FLOORED by how faithful the movie version was to the brilliant stage version of the story.  Never in a million years would I have thought that someone would have the guts to REALLY film the whole thing without spoken dialogue.  For those of you wondering... this movie is about 99% singing!!!  They did not dumb it down for the every day moviegoer.

Tom Hooper was the man behind this movie.  I was a huge fan of the last movie he directed (The King's Speech), so I had high hopes that he would deliver the goods this time around as well.  Honestly, I can't imagine ANYONE else doing as good a job with this material.  The creativity he gave his cast to explore the characters they were portraying was just what needed to be done.  It made sure that these actors really gave everything they had... and it TOTALLY worked.  The fact that he made the decision to NOT pre-record all the music was wonderful.  I would have hated it if it were just a carbon copy of every other version of Les Miserables that was out there.  I honestly think every movie musical from here out should follow this idea.  It makes for a better movie, with better performances.

Hugh Jackman - When rumors first started circulating several years ago that there was going to be a filmed version of one of my favorite musicals, I immediately thought the ONLY person who could play Jean Valjean was Hugh Jackman.  His casting made me a very happy man, and HOLY CRAP was I happy with his performance.  I could feel the inner turmoil inside his head after the Bishop (played perfectly by the ORIGINAL Jean Valjean, Colm Wilkinson) sent him on his way with all of his silver.  The tears were real, and flowing... and the whole thing was done with maybe ONE camera shot.  His voice was just right for MOST of the show... Only one minor issue with one of his songs... Bring Him Home felt a little strained for him...

Anne Hathaway - Everyone is, and will be talking about how great a job she did as Fantine.  And I have to agree with them.  She really did shine in this role.  I have been a fan of hers for a long time now, and her portrayal of Fantine in this movie made me like her even more.  Her short time on the screen was as close to perfect as you could ever ask for.

Sacha Baron Cohen and Helena Bonham Carter - First off... I am NOT a fan of Helena Bonham Carter.  That being said, her chemistry with Sasha Baron Cohen was awesome!  You could tell that the two of them really had fun playing off each other.  Between the two of them though, I was MUCH more impressed with Sacha...  His singing was exactly what it needed to be, and his characterization was perfect.

Samantha Barks - Wow... Playful when she needed to be, and emotional when she needed to as well.  For someone who has heard "On My Own" performed AT LEAST a thousand times, she knocked it out of the ball park.  Sadly though, I have to admit that I was chuckling a bit during the song in the movie NOT because of her, but because of the almost literal camera shots taking place behind her (when you see it, and think about it, you might laugh a little too).

Eddie Redmayne - HOLY CRAP!!!  Where did this guy come from?  Good lord does this guy have some serious singing chops!  Seriously, this guy MADE the movie for me (even more than Anne Hathaway).  His rendition of "Empty Chairs at Empty Tables" is BY FAR the best I have ever heard... and I have heard a LOT.  It was both haunting and COMPLETELY heartbreaking.  But my favorite line he sings isn't even from that song... When he sings "I was born to be with you" in the song "One Day More", I was hooked.  It's just a quick line, but it really was perfection.  If you need proof, just listen to it below...  The line is at about the 1:05 mark.  (listen to the whole song though... it's pretty awesome...)  Also, I have linked his AMAZING rendition of "Empty Chairs at Empty Tables"... It's pretty amazing.

One Day More

Empty Chairs at Empty Tables


Now...


 THE NOT SO GOOD:


Russell Crowe - **Oh Russell... you tried SO hard to fit in with all of these musical theatre people...  You did as much of the role as you could without having to sing like the rest of them... but when you DID have to sing, you just couldn't keep up.**  Ok... I will say that his characterization of Javert was pretty spot on.  You knew that he was genuinely upset that Jean Valjean was able to escape his clutches every step of the way.  The confusion on his face was completely evident when he COULD have killed Valjean but didn't, instead letting him go.  The only logical decision at that point was to kill himself, which he did.  I give him credit for trying, but with all of the outstanding talent in this film, he just couldn't compete.

Amanda Seyfried - To begin with, it would have taken a lot for me to even like this character...  I just never have liked Cosette (sorry to all of my friends who either like Cosette, or have maybe even played her).  That being said, she did NOT help with my lack of caring about her.  And again... it was because of the singing...  Seriously... she sounded like an OLD recording of Snow White, being sped up to sound like the Chipmonks.  Her vibrato was grating and annoying, and I just wanted it to stop... lol.



THE REST:

This was just a beautiful movie.  The cinematography was spectacular (although, I think they could have used a few less close up shots).   The minor cuts to the score were not missed.  Is this my favorite movie of the year?  MAYBE...  To me it is probably a toss up between Les Miserables and The Avengers (what can I say, I'm a nerd)... but looking towards the future, I think I will end up watching Les Miserables a lot more...  It is as close to a perfect movie musical as you can ask for.

FINAL VERDICT:  I easily give this a 9.5 out of 10...  Which if you ask me, is just about as good as it gets!!!

GO SEE THIS MOVIE!!!  Bring some tissues (it's not a feel good movie).  And don't be surprised by the amount of singing!  Like I said, it is about 99% singing with maybe a half dozen spoken sentences in the entire movie (which is almost 3 hours long).

Good lord... I am FAILING at this... lol

Well, at least my intentions were good. Heck, I was even listening to the soundtrack for this blog while I was writing my last one. I just didn't make this blog a priority. I NEED to work on that. How will I ever get through my list of over 200 shows if I don't buckle down and write about them. Oh well. At least I have some really good things to say about this show. It is a musical that I hold VERY near and dear to my heart.

 Where do I start with this show... I know a lot of people who groan at the mere mention of this show. They immediately think of "Tomorrow" and how annoying that song can be. I am NOT one of those people. I had the extreme pleasure of playing Oliver "Daddy" Warbucks about 7 years ago (2005). It wasn't even on my radar of shows I was planning on doing at the time. I thought it was a little weird for a 26 year old guy to play SUCH an iconic part, which was WAY out of my age range. However, I got a phone call asking me to come to the last night of auditions. All I was told was that they had me in mind for a part, but they wouldn't tell me what it was. When I showed up, and they told me what I was reading for I was flabbergasted. I pretty much knew that I would EVENTUALLY play the part, but not this early in my acting career. Fast forward 8 weeks or so, and I was performing the part that would become one of my absolute favorite roles to play... And it still remains one of the VERY few parts I would play at a moments notice. I loved every second of this show.

Now, for my ACTUAL review... I'm pretty much going to do this in three parts... Original soundtrack, the movie (1982), and the TV movie (1999)...

Soundtrack - I LOVE this soundtrack, except for one HUGE thing... I am not a fan of Andrea McArdle (Annie) at such a young age. She was WAY too much of a belter for such a vulnerable part. It worked for her when she got older, but not for this part. I KNOW how much controversy this could cause, and I am ok with that. I stand by my opinion. Other than her belting, this soundtrack is great. I especially love "N.Y.C." (what can I say... I'm selfish... lol), and I will ALWAYS wish I could be an orphan just so I could sing "You're Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile". I can't even listen to that song without getting a HUGE grin on my face.

The Movie (1982) - Now... even more controversy... First, the good.  Carol Burnett is a GENIUS in the role of Miss Hannigan.  She is perfect EVERY SECOND she is on the screen.  Now... for my problems with this one...  My biggest problem with this movie is that the producers/director made a HUGE mistake by deciding not to stick to the original show.  They wanted a bigger, more adventurous ending, so they changed it.  In doing that, they created two pretty major characters that aren't even in the musical... Punjab and Asp (yes, it was pretty racist... but I guess they figured nobody cared).  I didn't care for the new stuff AT ALL, which is why this is probably my least favorite version of the show... which leads me to...

The TV movie (1999) - This is probably the most unknown of all the versions out there (at least the ones I'm reviewing), however, it is probably my favorite of the three.  It pretty much sticks to the plot and songs of the stage show.  The girl who played Annie (Alicia Morton) did a really good job, and doesn't get the credit she deserves for this performance.  She doesn't belt it (when it doesn't need to be belted), and she just seems to "get" the character.  I loved Victor Garbor as Daddy Warbucks, and Alan Cumming and Kristen Chenoweth are pretty much spot on.  I wasn't as much of a fan of Kathy Bates as Miss Hannigan, but she does an ok job (nobody can beat Carol Burnett). 
 ***Fun Fact***  The youngest orphan (Molly) was played by Sarah Hyland... who grew up to play Haley Dunphy on "Modern Family"...

All in all, there are good things about all of these versions of the show, but no matter the flaws in the recordings/movies... this is a REALLY fantastic show.  I would give it a 9.5 out of 10... 

Next show I review will be...  Annie Get Your Gun!  Hopefully, it won't take as long this time... lol

Thanks for reading, and don't forget to comment and discuss!  

Another day, "Another Pyramid", another show... lol

Hey everyone... The latest show I am reviewing is one that I have listened to only a couple times over the last 12 years or so (basically since it first came out). In listening to it again this week for the blog, I remembered WHY I only listened to it a couple times... I'll get into the reasons later though... For now, here you go.

This is what MTI (Music Theatre International) says about the show. "Elton John and Tim Rice's AIDA is a contemporary musical take on a grand classic tale of the timeless bond between an enslaved Nubian princess and an Egyptian soldier. As forbidden love blossoms between them, the young lovers are forced to face death or part forever. Together, they set a shining example of true devotion that ultimately transcends the vast cultural differences between their warring nations, heralding a time of unprecedented peace and prosperity." Here's what I say about it... MOST of the show is a snooze-fest. I'm just not a fan of this show. HOWEVER, there are a couple really good songs that are GREAT for auditions, or small performances... Most notable are "My Strongest Suit" and "Easy As Life". On the soundtrack, they are performed by the always brilliant Sheri Rene Scott, and TOTALLY under utilized Heather Headley. This show just has too many flaws for me to totally enjoy it. For a show that takes place in ancient Egypt, I don't like the rock opera style of the music. All in all, I would give this show a 6 out of 10... I didn't like the show as a whole, but with a couple standout performances, and a couple pretty good songs, they earned that 6... lol. Next show on my list is one I REALLY am excited to put in my two cents worth... because I have been IN the show, and it still stands as one of my favorite shows I have ever been a part of... ANNIE!!!

Sorry for the delay... lol

Hey everyone. Sorry for the delay in blogs. Honestly just got carried away in doing other things. Next one won't take as long. For this installment of my Broadway musical blog, I am going with a show I have been avoiding for a long time... "A Chorus Line". But just because I hadn't given it a chance before doesn't mean I didn't do my research this time around.

This is what Wikipedia said about the show... "A Chorus Line is a 1975 musical about Broadway dancers auditioning for spots on a chorus line. With nineteen main characters, it is set on the bare stage of a Broadway theatre during an audition for a musical. The show provides a glimpse into the personalities of the performers and the choreographer as they describe the events that have shaped their lives and their decisions to become dancers." Now for this show, because I KNOW how a LOT of people consider it to be one of their favorites, I wanted to give it the best chance I could... which meant using as many resources as I could get my hands on. I ended up listening to both the 1975 original cast recording AND the 2006 revival cast recording. I also broke down and watched the 1985 movie version... My verdict without explaining why (yet) is that the show is just alright. Now, before people jump down my throat for this assessment, let me explain why. Not surprisingly, I had heard most of the songs before actually LISTENING to the soundtrack. I have been to enough auditions, recitals, and musical revues that it would be hard NOT to have heard them. Having said that, it really didn't sway my opinion of the show, if anything, listening to the whole show made me appreciate the songs more. I think my main problem with the show is a pretty simple one, and it TOTALLY explains why so many people adore this show. I just didn't connect with ANY of the characters in the show. I'm willing to bet that the people who love this show as much as they do have at least one character that they COMPLETELY identify with. Whether it is the aging dancer who just wants her one last chance, the young person just trying to figure out their sexuality, or any of the other characters in the show... I just didn't have that connection. That being said... the show itself is pretty good. I MUST take this opportunity to give props to composer Marvin Hamlisch, who recently passed away. He wrote some pretty memorable music, and he will be missed. In each recording there were some songs that I liked better than in the other one... The best example is the song "Sing". In the original, the girl (Kristine... who isn't supposed to have a good voice) belts out the incorrect notes with such gusto, that you totally understand why she has relied so heavily on her dancing ability. They even have the line "What I lack in pitch, I sure make up in power". In the revival, there is NO belting. She doesn't accentuate the lack of singing ability as much as she SHOULD have... It just didn't work in the recording. And they COMPLETELY missed the ball by not having that song in the movie. The part was played by Nicole Fosse... the daughter of the legendary Bob Fosse and his equally talented wife Gwen Verdon. With his dance ability, and his wife's comedic timing, the song could have been a home run with such a great genetic line. Sadly, it wasn't meant to be. All things considered about this show, I would give it a 7 out of 10... I will listen to it again, but I don't see it becoming a part of my normal rotation. Next show on my list... Aida.

Show #3... And it's an OBSCURE show!!!

Hey everyone. Sorry for the delay in getting these blogs done every day. This last week has been pretty crazy. That being said, I still listened to another Broadway soundtrack, and today's show is one that I doubt ANY of you have heard of. It is called "70, Girls, 70".

This is what Wikipedia says about the show... "The musical is based on the 1958 play Breath of Spring by Peter Coke. The plot concerns a group of larcenous old folks who steal furs from various New York City stores with the intent of using the proceeds from their resale to buy their Upper West Side retirement hotel, the New Sussex Arms, which is slated to be sold to developers." Basically... old people want to save their retirement home from being destroyed, so they resort to crime to try and raise the money to save it. To say this is an obscure show is an understatement. I had never heard of the show before I got a hold of the soundtrack, but I LOVED it. As much as "13 The Musical" had some questionable material for the age of its actors, this show had just as many risque jokes, and this time I thought it was adorably cute. There is just something about people of the elderly persuasion singing about how people are always asking if they still "do the deed". As much as it would seem gross to hear them singing about it, they never actually describe anything (the song is called "Do We")... and I thought it was adorable. And as for the singing on this album... you understand from the first verse of the first song that these people are "old". This recording was done in 1971, and it sounds better to me than last weeks recording of "42nd Street". I would LOVE to see this show actually performed locally, but I don't think it will ever happen. It is too obscure a show for theaters to take a chance with... PLUS, it could be tough to find a bunch of 70+ year olds with LOTS of energy to do this show. I'm not saying its impossible, but it would be tough. All in all I loved this recording. The songs were catchy, the story sounds fun, and I couldn't stop smiling as I was listening to it. If you are able to find a recording of this gem of a show, give it a chance. You will love it. I'd give "70, Girls, 70" an 8 out of 10... Next show is another one that I have just been putting off listening to... "A Chorus Line"... And since I have two different recordings of it (original 1975 cast, and 2006 cast), I have to listen to both... Oh goody (this "oh goody" is oozing with sarcasm if you couldn't tell... lol). See ya next time.

Day 2 of "A Musical a Day"... "42nd Street"

Look everyone... Day two, and I have listened to another show. Today's show is "42nd Street".

For those interested, here is the synopsis according to Tams-Witmark (performance license holders for this show). "This is the story of hard work, being in the right place at the right time, talent and love. FORTY-SECOND STREET is a celebration of Broadway and the people involved in shows. It focuses on aspiring chorus girl Peggy Sawyer, and takes us along her journey." OK... what did I think of it. Well, I wasn't all that impressed. I totally understand that this is a "tap" show. And that when watching it, you get to see some awesome tapping. That being said, I couldn't appreciate the amount of "tapping" that you had to hear on the recording. I would have much preferred to hear JUST the music in the background, and not the tapping of feet. My other problem with this recording is the performers themselves... I just didn't enjoy their voices... They seemed to ALL be singing WAY TOO LOUD. Maybe that was the style they were going for, but I didn't like it. Although a couple of the tunes were kinda catchy ("We're in the Money", "Lullaby of Broadway", and "Shuffle Off to Buffallo") nothing else was very memorable for me... Then again, I had already known those songs. I totally get that most (if not all) of the music in this was written in the late 1920's and early 1930's, there are some great songs and shows that came out of that era. This one just doesn't do it for me. All in all... I'm not a fan. I'd give "42nd Street" a 6 out of 10. Next time... a REALLY obscure show... "70, Girls, 70"...

A Musical a Day... Day #1... "13 The Musical"

Day #1!!! First one out of the gate COULD stir up some interesting discussion...

First off... here is the description of the musical according to MTI (Music Theater International)... "A grown-up story about growing up! When his parents get divorced and he's forced to move from New York to a small town in Indiana, Evan Goldman just wants to make friends and survive the school year. Easier said than done. The star quarterback is threatening to ruin his life and his only friend, Patrice, won't talk to him. The school freak sees an opportunity for blackmail and someone is spreading the nastiest rumors." OK... Here's MY thoughts on the show. Let me start by saying that I had heard about this show for a few years now, but hadn't actually taken the time to listen to it. Even though I really like the music of the composer (Jason Robert Brown... he wrote "Parade" and "The Last Five Years"), I just wasn't impressed with this one. And I think I know why. This musical was written to be performed by young teenagers (hence the title... 13). And I'm sure that for younger listeners this show would be great for them. My problem with it is the subject matter. I don't want to sound like a prude, but having young, 13 year old kids singing about "tongue kissing" (in several songs) is just uncomfortable to me. Not that it doesn't happen in real life (I know it does), I just don't want to see it, and I don't want to hear about it... Call me old if you like, but that's just what I think. As for the music. Some of the songs were pretty catchy... I especially liked "What it Means to Be a Friend", and "A Little More Homework"... The kids on the album were all really good. And for what its worth, some of the songs would make GREAT audition songs for younger singers... All in all, I would give "13 The Musical" a 7 out of 10. Next time... "42nd Street" - Original Broadway Cast Recording (1980)

Finally focusing my thoughts!!!

Hey everyone! After a few attempts at trying to write a blog, I realized that I REALLY needed to get some focus to my blog. As much as I TRY and be interesting in what I write, I know that it is pretty scatterbrained and random. And I have figured out something to do! Here's a little back story... For as long as I can remember, I have always enjoyed the music of Broadway... Now, I KNOW what your first thought is... "gay"... Um... NO! Musical Theatre is NOT just for "gay" people. Straight people (like me) can enjoy showtunes too... I understand that not everybody enjoys it, and that is fine. If you are one of the people who doesn't like musicals, this blog might not be for you. A couple days ago, I had to drive down to my dad's house for a funeral. I knew it was going to be a long car ride, so I put a couple shows on my phone to listen to on the trip. On my way home I put on a show that I hadn't listened to, but kinda wanted to check out (the show was "Aspects of Love"... more on that show later)... While listening to it, a crazy thought just sort of hit me... As much as I THOUGHT I knew about musical theatre, there are a LOT of shows that I just don't know about. It isn't for the lack of access to them (I have over 200 Broadway soundtracks on my computer), it was just the simple fact that I never took the time to listen to them. So I decided to change that. Starting tomorrow (I think), I am going to listen to a different Broadway show every day (sort of in alphabetical order). Some of them will be new (to me), some will be so familiar that I will sing every word of the show along with the recording... No matter what though, I will have to give an honest opinion of what I think of the show. Some of the reviews might be glowing, some might criticize the performers, but I have to be honest. Now, there are some shows that I just simply don't have yet... That COULD change over the course of the next several months, and if I need to, I can just patch the reviews in where needed. Maybe after I get comfortable with the schedule, I might try and experiment with other types of reviews. Maybe a podcast, or a vlog (video blog). All in all, I am looking forward to this new adventure. Wish me luck, and if you have any special requests, I would be HAPPY to do my best to make it work. So starting tomorrow... 13 - The Musical

It's been a while...

I've been slacking in the blogging department... Sorry.  I will try and think of some fun things to write about... Until then, if YOU have any ideas for me, please pass them along.  I'd love to branch out and talk about whatever ideas you might come up with...

For this blog... I wanted to write a movie review.  I used to write them all the time back in the "myspace" era... even before Facebook... lol.  I apologize in advance for the length of the review.  I get a little wordy with my reviews...

Today's movie I will be reviewing is  "Prometheus"

******WARNING******

******THIS REVIEW WILL HAVE SPOILERS IN IT********

So...  if you don't want to ruin the enjoyment of watching this movie for the first time... DON'T READ ANY MORE OF THIS BLOG!!!



***** SPOILER ALERT*****


I think that might be enough warning...




Here we go.

If I were doing a "typical" ratings scale, I would probably give this movie a 7.5 - 8 out of 10.

Is this movie perfect... NO WAY!  But I DID find it quite enjoyable. 

BASIC PLOT -
A team of scientists travel to a distant planet on a ship called "Prometheus" to find the answer to the question "Where did we come from?".  They find an alien spaceship on the planet.  Bad things start to happen.  Really bad things happen... people die. 

See, that wasn't too bad.  Then again, you could have put all that together from the trailers...   Now its time for the REAL spoilers...

A lot of people have been expecting this to be a direct prequel to Ridley Scott's 1979 film "Alien".  For those of you expecting that... LOSE that expectation.  This is NOT the film you are expecting.  Prometheus is more about the search for mankind's beginnings.  It DOES have some almost religious overtones, but it doesn't take away from the enjoyment of the film.  Now, even though it is not a DIRECT prequel to "Alien", it does reference it quite a bit, and if you think about it, the movie definitely lays the groundwork for where that movie could have come from.

DETAILED PLOT -

****** MAJOR SPOILER ALERT******

OK... here's the big stuff.
Prometheus starts out on what looks like a lifeless planet.  On this planet, you see what looks like a man walking towards the edge of a waterfall (we later learn that he is what is referred to as an "Engineer").  He drinks some black liquid stuff and he pretty much disintegrates at a cellular level... you even see his DNA breaking apart (a pretty cool idea).

Fast forward to the interior of the spaceship "Prometheus"... a REALLY cool ship that pretty much has everything.  You see an android named "David" doing things to occupy his time while the crew is in their sleeping pods.  After the crew wakes up, they find out the full point of the mission, which IS to find out where mankind came from.  To see if they can find the "creator" of life.  They land on the planet and find a HUGE alien spaceship that has been there for thousands of years.  The crew goes out to explore the ship and they find the body of one of the aliens.  It turns out that these were the "Space Jockey's" from the "Alien" movie.  They find this huge chamber with some canister looking things, and some black ooze starts to leak out of the top of them.  David notices and takes a canister with him when they leave.  You then see a couple little worms swimming in the ooze and the foreshadowing begins...

When the crew returns to the ship, they closely examine the head of the "engineer" that they found.  After testing the DNA of the "engineer", the main character, Elizabeth Shaw, sees that it is an exact match to human DNA.  David closely examines the canister that he took from the ship, and gets some of the black ooze on his fingertip.  Because he is a robot, it doesn't do anything to him.  He puts a drop of it into one of the scientists drink, and the bad feelings continue.

Back outside to the alien spaceship... a couple of guys that had been left outside make their way back to the huge canister chamber.  They see something moving around in the ooze and it turns out to be a big, cobra looking thing.  It attacks the two guys...  Basically... this is what seems to be the origin of the "face hugger" aliens from "Alien".  The rest of the scientists go back outside and we find out what happened to the scientist that drank the tainted drink... he's gonna die (duh).  Also, David has gone away by himself and found the flight deck of the "engineer's" ship.  He figures out how to fly the ship, and finds one of the "engineers" ALIVE in his sleeping pod. 

When everyone returns to the ship, David is running tests on Elizabeth Shaw, and finds out that she is preggers from the guy who just died... she had "done the deed" AFTER he had injested the alien ooze in his drink... Could she have an alien type baby inside her?  Duh.  Instead of it bursting through her stomach though, she has it surgically removed by a surgical "pod" (kinda like a sleeping pod, but with medical tools in it).  Now THIS little guy looks like (and is the predecessor to) the real face hugger...  After the surgery, she finds out that the super rich (old) guy that paid for the whole mission has been there the whole time.  One of the corrupted crew members (from outside) shows up at "Prometheus" and starts attacking the rest of the crew.

After everything settles down a little bit, the surviving crew, plus the old guy go out to the alien ship to try and wake up the "engineer" from his pod.  When he wakes up, he attacks and kills (almost) everyone and rips David's head from his body (seriously, it was like a scene straight out of Alien 3 with Biship... lol). The "engineer" then starts up the ship, and is going to fly his way to earth to destroy the planet.  Shaw has the captain of "Prometheus" destroy the alien ship, and with it, destroy "Prometheus" as well.  When Shaw returns to the broken "Prometheus", she sees that her alien squid baby has survived and is now a BIG alien squid baby.  David's head calls her and says that the "engineer" is on the ship, and is out for revenge.  Her squid baby attacks the engineer and his true "face hugger" self, latches on...  David's head calls again and says that she should come get him because he knows how to fly the alien ship, and there are other ships on the planet.  She goes to David, brings him to another ship, and you see that they were able to fly away from the planet... End of movie........ or so you would think.

****GIGANTIC SPOILER AHEAD, SO BIG, IT IS INVISIBLE******

Scene goes back to the dead engineer on the "Prometheus".  You see what is the absolute origin of the xenomorph "Alien" from the other movies...  It has almost the same shaped head, but his teeth aren't pointy.  It also has a second "jaw" that protrudes out.  The back of his head is sharper than the original "Alien".  

****Back to the review****

Now for my thoughts on everything...

Is this movie perfect... NO WAY!  But I DID find it quite enjoyable.  

The acting was pretty good all the way around.  The standouts for me were Noomi Rapace as Elizabeth Shaw, and Michael Fassbender as David.  They both did a really good job with the material they were given.  The special effects were just about as good as you can get.  I wouldn't have wanted it any other way.  I also liked the musical score of the film.

My problem with this movie is pretty much the script and the plot...  A LOT of the writing was cheesy and there are more plot holes than a piece of swiss cheese.  HOWEVER, I am ok with the plot holes simply because I can TOTALLY see this as a setup for another prequel. 


If you are a fan of thought provoking, science fiction... you will probably really enjoy this movie.  If you aren't... well, why did you read this whole blog if you weren't.  Boredom?  Just kidding. 

I DO recommend this movie if you like suspenseful, science fiction movies... Or if you just like those fun to watch, popcorn flicks.


Josh's OFFICIAL rating of this movie...

Prometheus :   7.5 - 8  out of 10.

The "magic" of the number FOUR...

This week has been kind of an interesting week for me...  I have been thinking about everything that has happened in the last few years... the last FOUR years to be specific... You see, FOUR years ago, I pursued my dream of working at the Happiest Place on Earth... Disneyland.

On June 4th 2008, I started working at Disneyland.  I had wanted to work there since I was very young, and had always thought it was "just a dream".  I never thought I would have the means to leave pretty much everything behind and actually try and GET the job there.  Looking back on it now, I can honestly say it was one of the scariest things I have EVER done.  And while it was a truly scary thing to do... it was one of the best things I have ever done.

Here I am, FOUR years later, and there isn't a day goes by that I don't miss every single little detail about that wonderful place.  I can still hear all the sounds that echo through the Temple of the Forbidden Eye, or the train going around the spiral after B Lift...  I can still smell that musky, natural gas smell that comes out of those jeeps...  I can still feel the joy and excitement every time I heard the phrase "Hit it Skip", or the rush of adrenaline when circular flow stops in the CFA lane in the plaza, and it HAS to be cleared out quickly and safely.  Those are the memories that I will NEVER forget. 

I always thought that IF I ever worked there, I would slowly become jaded to all of the "magic" that happens around the park.  I didn't want it to happen, but I had read too many accounts of that happening to other cast members.  Truth is...  that NEVER happened!  Not a day went by that I wasn't excited to be going to work.  And very quickly, I realized that it wasn't the park itself that I was excited to be going to, or the attractions I was going to be working on... it was the people.

To this day, I don't think ANY of my fellow cast members know how much of an impact they all made on my life.  And to all of you that I had the PRIVILEGE of working with, all I can say is THANK YOU... From the bottom of my heart.  YOU are the reason I have so many wonderful memories of that place...  And while I can still hear the sounds, smell the smells, and feel all of those feelings, YOU are the reason that place is so special to me. 

Even though I can't be there in person, I still might be able to pass on a little inspiration for all of you that are still there.  Whenever you step through those gates, whether it is at the Egg Gate, next to the Inn Between, or even behind Frontierland, remember this...  There will ALWAYS be at least one person that truly believes in the magic...  There will ALWAYS be someone who has never experienced the attraction you are working on... There will ALWAYS be someone who hasn't seen the fireworks over Sleeping Beauty's Castle...  Remember that YOU are that something special that keeps that magic going...  Cherish every moment you have there.  Always try and make somebody else's day special... you never know the impact you will have on their life.

Part of me will always wish I could go back.  And who knows... maybe someday I will.  But that dream will have to wait a while... And even though my entire life has changed in more ways than I could have ever imagined (both good and bad), the thing that sticks out to me is how special my time was at MY Happiest Place on Earth.

Third time's a charm...

As Eddie Murphy once said (as Buckwheat... on SNL).  Once... Twice... Three times a mayday......  or to be more specific... Unce... Tice... Fee times a mayday... lol... anyway... here is my third blog for your reading enjoyment.

Today's blog was an EASY decision about what I was going to write about...  my LUCKY evening!

Let's start from the very beginning (a very good place to start... sorry, I had to).

Last week in the mail, we got an advertisement from a local Indian casino that their buffet was only $9.99 for "club" members... Before my big decision about losing a lot of weight, we had already decided to head out there for the buffet.  And just to be sure you all know... I ate pretty sensibly at the buffet...  Now... while sitting at the table, we had agreed to ONLY spend $20 between the two of us.  I figured that would be fine, since we NEVER win anything anyway, and it wouldn't be wasting TOO much money.  We finished dinner, and since I had a couple one dollar bills in my wallet, I would give the guy a $2 tip (don't judge me... it was a buffet, so he really wasn't working TOO hard for it).

After dinner, we had a quick restroom break, and while I was waiting for Heidi, I decided to (secretly) play the last dollar that I had in my wallet on a penny machine (fact... I was ONLY playing on penny machines all night... an important detail for later).  Well, I got caught...  In about 3 minutes of playing I was up to about $5.  Since we wanted to go up to the main floor, I cashed out, and we walked away.  While we were walking, I jokingly said "I'm so excited... I just quintupled my money!"... little did I know that this would be just the beginning of my evening...

When we got up to the main floor, Heidi split the $20 we had agreed on and gave me $10.  We walked around, not really having any luck (playing a couple bucks here and there).  After a little while, I saw a game I thought I had played at some point before (probably in Vegas or something).  I put in my ticket, which was still at about $5.  After about 20 minutes, I noticed something... I was up to about $20.  I decided to cash out the machine, and put in one of the five dollar bills I had (from the original $10).  Another half hour later or so, I was still playing, and got another ticket for $21...  Again, I cashed out the machine, and put in the last five dollar bill I had...  Then... luck struck again!!!  This time for $27...  At this point I knew I was doing pretty well, and was already up over $60... so I knew I should stop... or at least PACE myself.  I went over to the bill changing machine and cashed in my first $20 ticket... I gave $10 back to Heidi, and decided to play the other $10... Then... my luck started to wear out...... or so I thought...  Now, at one point, I was down to about $0.40 and I got a bonus... That bonus got me back up to around $8.  A few minutes later, I had gotten that total up to about $27...  then, something CRAZY happened... Heidi had gotten bored at the machines near me, so she got up and tried another machine...  At around the $27 mark, I got another one of the bonus games that gave me a few free spins... those few free spins turned into 20 free spins... and with that, MIRACULOUSLY I saw that I had won a MAJOR jackpot (for a penny machine) and was getting something like 16,000 credits... Or... to put it in $$$ terms... $160.  I immediately cashed out the machine and walked over to Heidi and said "You are NOT going to believe what just happened"...  I showed her the ticket and didn't even have to say anything...  I think her response was "are you serious?".  I couldn't believe it!  I have NEVER had that kind of luck.

Now, for a lot of you, having $200 doesn't sound like a big deal.  But for me, who has been desperately looking for a job for the last 6 months, it is SUCH a relief.  Honestly... I don't even want to spend it.  Just HAVING it makes me feel so much better about things.  I know they always say "Money doesn't buy you happiness"... but when you haven't had any money for such a long time... Well, it sure feels like happiness to me.

Day #1... blog #2...

Well folks... it has begun!

Today... before dinner... I went for a walk!  Not a huge step, but everything has to begin somewhere.  We decided to go walk around the park somewhere for a half hour and see how it went.  That half hour was NOTHING.  I think once I get in the habit of doing it, I will probably walk for a LOT more than that...  For the record... my weight is not stopping me from doing ANYTHING... I just want to try and lose the weight so that I DON'T run into health problems down the line.  I am trying all kinds of apps (on my phone) to track calories, track my exercise, and keep me focused.  If all goes well (which I'm hopeful it will), I will be able to lose about 100 pounds in a year.  That's about 2 pounds a week... I can do that!

OK... enough with the weight loss stuff... for now... On to the fun stuff...

I think a good way to get this blog off to a fun start is to do SOME kind of review every time or at least every couple/few times)...  It could be a movie review, a television show review, music review (probably Broadway related... because that is what I like... lol), or something random even.  If nothing else, it can be a way to put my thoughts together about what I think about something.  Here's where YOU can be a part of this process...  A lot of times I find myself watching the same thing, or listening to the same thing over and over.  Not that it is a bad thing at all, I just know what I like... lol.  If YOU have anything you would like me to watch and review, PLEASE feel free to send a suggestion my way.  I may not always get around to it right away, but I will at least TRY to give it a chance. 

Also, I might just be willing to give away some of my recipe's on here... granted MOST (if not all) are variations of recipes I have found online somewhere.  No matter what, I can pretty much guarantee that they will at least taste delicious. 

I think that's about it for tonight... I need to start planning out things I can do on here. 

Again... thank you all for your support in this little experiment of mine. 

Starting over...

  Most people think of their life as having a starting point (birth), and an ending point (death), with lots of events and stories to fill the gap between them.  And while I agree with that to some degree, I am very quickly coming to the conclusion that there has to be another way for some of us to look at life. 

  Let me start with the basics of why I am considering starting this blog.  Mainly... I need a new starting point. 

  Right now in my life... I feel like I'm in a rut.  I have been unemployed for 6 months.  I am becoming more and more worried about my health and my weight.  And I just don't feel as happy and positive as I have always tried to be. 

I NEED A FRESH START!!!

  I need to get that spark back in my life so I can feel that happiness again.  Maybe this blog can be where it all begins. 

  I've never been much of a writer, but with new beginnings comes new challenges.  Over the last couple months I have been toying around with the idea of starting a podcast.  As much fun as that might be, I think I need to start smaller.  Besides... podcasts with only one person and no real focus (yet) wouldn't be the most entertaining thing.  Eventually, I might be able to work up to something like that, or an internet video, but for now... a blog can be a starting point. 

  The most difficult thing for me to start is the more life threatening aspect that needs work... my weight and health.  For YEARS I have just accepted the fact that I am a big guy.  I wasn't unhappy about it, and for the most part, it didn't affect my daily life.  I'm starting to see that change.  I am admitting here and now that I'm not the most "active" person in the world (duh... lol).  Not having a job really seems to have affected that even more than normal.  I spend most of my days sitting in front of the computer, surfing the internet, applying for jobs that don't seem to be interested in me, playing games... things like that...  I'm not proud of my inactive life.  I want to change that... but the starting point is what is difficult.  THAT is going to change.  For those of you who are probably thinking "he probably eats everything he sees, and THAT is why he is so big", I can honestly say you are wrong.  Now I'm not saying that I never eat unhealthy things... But, most of you would probably be surprised at how little I eat.  I try to cook well balanced meals, and I really don't eat huge portions.  I usually only eat 2 meals a day (BIG mistake, I know).  A big problem that I have is that I am an insomniac.  More specifically I am pretty sure I have "Delayed sleep phase disorder" (look it up... it's pretty fascinating).  My internal clock just doesn't run at the same time as "normal" society.  On average, I go to bed between 4 and 5am, and get up around noon.  Now, as bad as "sleeping till noon" sounds, I will point out that I am sleeping a "normal" 7-8 hours a "night".  I have tried to change this, and go to bed earlier, but that is when problems usually occur.  Here's an example... If I go to bed before midnight, I usually am awake within a couple hours, and can't sleep for another 8 or 10 hours...  The next day, I am groggy, unhappy, and generally just not fun to be around.  This has made exercising even more challenging.  However, somewhere deep down, I AM going to motivate myself to try.  Its NOT going to be easy... I'm NOT going to enjoy every step of the process... but I HAVE to do it.  For me to be at a comfortable weight, my goal is to lose at least 100lbs.  I don't even know if that is possible, but I have to try.  I know it is going to take a LONG time, but this is a life long change that needs to happen.

   Wish me luck internet world...  I'm going to need it!




P.S.  This blog will NOT be just about me moaning and complaining about life...  future ideas are movie reviews, vacation stories, fun stories from my life... things like that.  I still want to be the fun, entertaining guy you all know and love... I hope... lol