"F" You and the Horse You Rode Into Town On!

What a great line -- delivered masterfully by Angelina Jolie, in CHANGLING.  

I believe every writer writes a screenplay with  a theme in mind.  This theme may or may not be the key line of the flick.  This line, "F" you and the horse you rode into town on, was not the theme in this biopic but it did define the 180 of the main character.

CHANGLING... I delighted in attending a real noon matinee to see this film today - Halloween - the least favorite day of the year for me.  I was surprised by the crowd.  The theater was just about full except for a few scattered seats here and there, the movie started and through the first act - which definitely pushed me to keep watching - I was content with my popcorn and the beautiful depiction of Los Angeles in the late 20s and 30s.  I also was amazed, probably more disturbed with the half-ass way the police dealt with missing children back then..  Yes, I lost myself in the story.

and then...

The fire alarm went off, with an announcement to vacate the theater.  After everyone realized this was not a part of the story we made our way to the front exit.  Twenty minutes later I was scurrying to get back to the story.  Weirdly enough, most of the movie goers decided to go somewhere else.  The theater was now half full.

Back to my popcorn and matinee and the disbelief of the events of the movie which was two hours and 15 minutes, I only dozed once.  I did however enjoy this sad story.  Angelina was a great cast pick, but the rest of the actors very much held the film, especially John Malkovich - brilliant as usual.  I give it 3 stars out of 4.

Ciao Y'all.

(CHANGLING poster courtesy of Universal Pictures 2008)

Next Season

My Dodger blue extended their season this year, and I know next season will be even better.  Wish List -- Dodger season tickets, first base line, up-close.

If I have to do this I will grit my teeth and do it... Congratulations Philadelphia for winning the 08 pennant.  Beyond contrary belief, the Obama 30 minute campaign ad didn't prevent this from happening.  But be forewarned Phillies, Dodger blue will be back!

 Ciao Y'all!

HSM3

Shall we take a moment to sigh out loud before we start?  Why is it that people use the word "we" when they have something to say that only stems to them - the individual... does it define what they say as so important that they volunteered to extend it to everyone's thoughts?

Any way...

High School Musical 3 in my opinion -- not too shabby.  Could it have been kept to the confines of Disney cable television?  Yes -- but than it would not have been the box office winner for the weekend.  I saw it almost a week after it opened and the theater was quite empty, ten people tops.  Maybe it was the after school hour matinee that hindered the massive crowd, or maybe everyone who was going to see the movie saw it on the opening weekend.

Any way...

The musical was definitely held together by the musical numbers.  Imagine that.  Efron was way cute, and Hudgens' could be well casted in my screenplay as the lead.  All ears that hear - pass this info on.  

Any way...

Glad  I saw the Disney phenomenon.  Very fun.

Ciao Y'all!

Gregorysm's Day

In his most spirited tone when asked what happened to the front lawn --  which had been scrapped like an itchy wound to reveal rich soil vice the luscious green grass that the gardener proudly works on once a week (hoping not a personal attack, considering this is the most colorful campaign in history) -- Gregory replied...

"Why don't  you ask Chase.  It was probably one of his little scab friends."

Could I have been way off the mark in my thinking that maybe he had a legit answer?  

Ciao Y'all!

The Restaurant Critique -- XIV

Critique -- a subjective opinion that one can take as golden or ignore because they didn't hear what they wanted to hear.

Last week my honey and I made our way into West Hollywood to check out the recently opened XIV restaurant.  After $175 plus tip and valet parking, we made our way back to the valley -- not SFV, but the SCV.  It's taken me this long to write about our experience because it was quite the experience.  Loved the place!  Five (5) stars!!!

After we decided it was worth utilizing valet parking, we were ushered inside, and  our 7:30 reservation assured us a seat right away.  We chose the patio and must I say, this was a very beautifully quiet place to dine.  The street traffic even with the leans on the horns did not put a damper on the evening's conversation,  The menu was very impressive, everything for every palette.  My personal favorite was the scallops and the passion fruit curd.  Curd - strange name but don't miss out because of the name.  Do it!  Order the curd.

The waitresses, waiters, servers and hostess were more than attentive.  KUDOs to them.  Our table shook and water spilled, but it didn't even sit on the table for more then 5 minutes before it was being sopped up for good pleasure.

Go for the ambiance.

Go for the tasty foods.

Go for the music

Go for whatever, but just go.

I know I'll go back.

Ciao Y'all

Won't You Be Glad When This is All Over?

All the back and forth nonsense!  The name calling!  The backlashing!  And all that is in between...  and can I apologize to anyone I cut off on the freeway in my beeline to the gas station that had $2.99 a gallon here in Los Angeles county.  

But really...

With the election 9 days out, let me confess that I am an Obamacan who will Pit the Bull and vote for "that one".

Defined:

Pit the Bull -- The art of not being sucked into all the hype surrounding the republican campaign.

"That One" -- Senator Obama's pegged nickname.

Ciao Y'all!

Gregorysm's Day

Today as I waited along with Gregory in a Los Angeles court house, he went for a stroll and returned somber and watchful,  then in his Gregory way stated matter of fact..

"Everyone in here either looks finished, really finished off"ed" and just plain please finish me off now."  He understood at the end of the day that he never wanted to be so irresponsible that he would ever have to end up in that place again.  I guess after witnessing the unlikelies and the one guy who was given a one million dollar bail assignment, he could appreciate his life.  

Ciao Y'all

You Ever Wonder

How is it that kids these days as young as 7 know how to send a text, set the dvr, navigate the web (hopefully supervised), and still think SpongBob and Hannah Montana are way cool?  My Mother kept hearing her text message alert go off from her cell, when she checked it she was surprised to see the text messages were sent from my 7 year old nephew.  

Did our parents wonder about us?  

Ciao Y'all.

FOR LOVE OF THE GAME

Not one of Kevin Costner's three baseball flicks, but my love of the game.  Costner's cool, but I have to give kudos and mad props to the Boston Red Sox for coming back from a 7 point deficit in the 7th inning to win this do or go home game against Tampa Bay 7 to 8.  They head back to Tampa where the series will be decided.  Who will go to the World Series against the Phillies?

WOW!  You gotta love the game.  

Remember the words of Robert Deniro's character in THE FAN -- "Baseball's better than life, baseball's fair".  He was a little stressed and demented in this film though.  

Ciao Y'all!

MY BOYS IN BLUE

DODGER TOWN!  Hear me BLUE -- I love you through and through.  

What a difference a year makes, as we weren't even here last year.  Someone commented to me last year after Torre was signed, that the DODGERS wouldn't get to the post season.  HAHA!  HAHA!!!  Post season saw the DODGERS and even though they won't be moving on to the World Series they have made me proud to say I AM A DODGERS' FAN!

NEXT SEASON WILL BE A WHOLE NEW BALL GAME.

Ciao Y'all!!

Gregorysm's Day

Since he declared at the age of 4 that "I USED TO BE THE BABY", Gregory rant has been remembered, repeated, and laughed at time and time again.  For the countless hours of entertainment, I thank him.

"Grams"  what he calls his beloved grandmother.

"Boss"  what he calls his mom.

"Son"  what he calls his brother who took his spot as the baby.

"the boy"  what he refers to his brother as when talking to others about him.

"Rag"  what he calls his sister when he is speaking to her.

"the dog"  what he calls -- yes you guessed it -- the family dog.

I really think he should have his own dictionary or reference book.

Watch the last presidential debate tonight.

Ciao Y'all!

Can I Quote You on That Again

Mark Twain the brilliant author of many classic novels once said

"Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness..."

How true.  Now let's all book a cruise around the world!  

Ciao Y'all!

Fair Whether or Not Fans

Are you one?  Do you only cheer for the home team when they're winning?  Do you snatch off your once proudly hung team flags or delete from your cell the team's theme song when they lose?  Do you look for a new team to cheer for justifying why, by saying  "the Dodgers didn't advance so we have to support the Angels". ???  Some fool friend of mine told me this a few years back.  I should have known then that friendship would not last long.  

I am here to say today that I will stand by the Dodgers til the end!  They ROCK!  GO BLUE!  It's not too shabby that they are in it against Philly and I have all faith they will win it!

Ciao Y'all!

Don't Preach

Yesterday's piece opened up religion.  Without being preachy, because that is not my intent -- the persecution of the Church in India is astounding, as they are very real. Christians threatened, raped, beaten and killed all because they won't denounce their beliefs.  Truth is even if they denounce their beliefs it won't make it go away.  God will still be on the thrown and evil will still be prevalent.  This is no different than the persecution of the Jews or any other religious sect.  My word to the believer is "stand firm", "stand strong", "stand on the promises".  

Also on deck -- be discerning about the ignorance that surrounds this election here in the U.S.

 Pit the BULL!  VOTE!

Buona Domenica

Ciao Y'all!

Tough Times Don't Last

Do me a favor -- click on this.  I heard a speaker talk on this horrific predicament in India.

Sometimes it's good to step back from our own hardships and look at those of others.

Ciao Y'all

Do You Know Your Credit Score?

What is a credit score?  Who designed the rating system?  Why is it that we all get very anxious about our own, even if we have a perfect score?

I'm a writer and therefore lots of thought and research should go into this piece, but maybe just maybe I can fudge this a bit and be overly imaginative here... Bare with me.

A credit score is a number system that tells others how efficient you have been about paying off your debt - by first accumulating that debt (because you will start out with a very low score if you have no type of loan, and/or credit card).  So get a credit card and get a credit score!  Debit cards may or may not count -- someone get back with me on that one.

The designer and more than likely designers of this system are those who want to scare the hell out of you when a red flag shows up on your credit score!  You'll then be forced to write letters to everyone about these little discrepancies if you ever want to survive our capitalist society.

Since I know people with very low and very high scores (of course different people, but maybe the same person depending on which report you have in front of you), I think we get anxious because we find it hard to do without, especially if we are indeed trying to keep up with the Joneses, or we have actually fed into the belief that whoever made up the system has infinite knowledge about who we are, and what we've been through, and for some reason this matters to us.

Do they check the credit scores of these big corporations or are there different rules for them?

Ciao Y'all.

Recast

What's up with Renee Zellweger's face?  

She has a constipated pinched nerve expression in the whole of the movie Appaloosa.  After the movie, which I thought was very good considering I don't care for westerns - my amore and I contemplated just what other actresses could have played the part.

Recasting.  We all do it!  We all know better than most casting directors who should have been cast in our favorite flicks.  Let's recast Allison French for everyone who loved Appaloosa but abhorred  -- maybe that's too strong a word -- "misunderstood" why Renee Zellweger was given this role.

Kate Winslet, Sandra Bullock, Debra Messing...   Name your recast...

Ciao Y'all!

(Film still courtesy of Warner Brothers 2008)

Can I Quote You On That Too

Just wanted to see how much play I could get out of this title.  But I do have a quote, or maybe I should call it Gregorysms.  Have you ever known someone who could always come up with their own spin on life and say unique things.  I get that from Gregory and I believe sharing his"isms" with the world - or this little piece of it - is a must.

After a long day Gregory comes home and says -- "I'm so finished off!

When he found out his little brother was going to a public school high school after being home-schooled forever, Gregory proclaimed to his brother -- "You're so finished off!"

If talked to and considered told off by his boss, or parent, grandmother or teacher, Gregory will refer to these poor souls as -- "the finisher, who finished me off!"

Maybe a catch phrase in the making?  Who knows, I simply find him amusing.

I hope you caught the second presidential debate.  PIT THE BULL!

Ciao Y'all!

Robbing Peter to Pay Paul and Then Not Paying Paul!

AIG for instance -- they didn't have to rob Peter to pay Paul as so many of us who juggle our debt daily -- they were given muy dinero to rescue their business and a week later celebrated this bailout by going on a spa vacation!  A $400,000 spa vacation, funded by taxpayer dollars, for their company -- not for me -- not for you -- not for my own young actor son who's been paying taxes since before he was a year old, and he's not even old enough to vote.  

Please let me know that I'm not the only one who is annoyed about this.  Send your comments.

PIT THE BULL!

Ciao Y'all

The Day After the Weekend

Time flies

Go Blue!

Rainy days and Mondays

How 'bout you?!

Yes, I was a cheerleader in a former life.  

The Dodgers moved closer to the World Series when they swept the Cubs Saturday past!  Who'd have guessed? ME!!

Ciao Y'all!

Brotherly Love

INT. CHASE'S BEDROOM - LATE AFTERNOON

CHASE, (14) lounges in a comfy video gamer chair watching TV, when GREG (19) enters.

GREG: Mom says you're going to a dance at school?

CHASE: Yeah?

GREG: What time is the dance?

CHASE: Starts at 7.

GREG: What time is it now?

CHASE: I don't know. Look at your watch.

GREG: I can see it's 4:00.

CHASE: Sooooo......?

GREG: It's your first dance.

CHASE: I repeat -- Sooooo.....?

GREG: SO, you got 3 hours to learn how not to look like an ass!

*** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***

Some CFA - casual Friday amusement!

Ciao Yáll

Good Busy

Finally able to take a break from my work today and jot a few lines.

How 'bout them DODGERS! GO BLUE! I really hope you caught that grand slam hit by the baby blue Dodger, first baseman, JAMES LONEY!! If you missed it, go to their site and check the highlights. Way cool! Tonight is game 2 against the Chicago Cubs.

I'll have a tough time switching back and forth from the "must see" vice-Presidential debate to my all time favorite sport!

Pit the Bull!

Ciao Y'all

Can I Quote You on That?

Wednesday.  Hump day.  Hump day?  I've wondered if you actually view the middle of the work week as hump day then are you doing what you love?  

WEDNESDAY here will be QUOTE DAY, and the quote for today:

"I resigned as governor of the universe -- you must not have gotten the memo".  RAW

Ciao Y'all!