Beethoven -- 1992

Beethoven
(1991)

Rated PG for thematic elements
My Rating: 4 Stars

Charles Grodin
Bonnie Hunt
Dean Jones
Oliver Platt
Stanley Tucci

“Really, honey. I've never been more attracted!”

Summary:
The Newton family is a regular, run of the mill family until a puppy wanders off the street straight into their lives. The children desperately want to keep the dog but Dad (Charles Grodin) says no. However, the mass of wiggling fur and slobber manages to have found a place in the children's hearts and Mr. Newton can't say no. So it is that the puppy, which the children had christened Beethoven, became a permanent fixture in their home.

Months later, Beethoven is fully grown and life is progressing smoothly. He saves the Newtons from bad decisions, bullies, drowning and gets Ryce the attention from a boy she likes among other things. But there is a villain: the local vet (Dean Jones) happens to set his eye on Beethoven as a good size for  experimentation. He stages the dog 'attacking' him and the Newton's are forced to send him the the office to be put down. But the children insist that something is not right...

Will the family be able to save Beethoven in time? And will Beethoven ever find a place in Mr. Newton's heart?

What I Liked:
1: This movie is 99% clean and really, really funny.
2: The bad guy is really creepy.
3: Beethoven is so lovable but very protective.
4: Mr. Newton punching the vet in the face. We were cheering him on. :-)
5: The story is unique enough that it holds you interest. I don't think there has been a movie quite like Beethoven before or after.
6: The bad guys all suffer appropriate endings.

What I Didn't Like:
1: The baby sitter makes one off-color comment...
2: Some language.
3: When the little girl is in the pool and Beethoven rushes to the rescue, they show a young woman sun bathing in a bikini. We know when it's coming, so we just cover the screen. :-)

Things to Know:
1: At one point, Beethoven climbs into Mr. and Mrs. Newton's bed and Mr. Newton thinks it's his wife. It's very funny but maybe a little much for the kids.
2: Mr. Newton is saved by a dog biting the evil vet... in a place I won't mention. Appropriate consequence, I thought. But for girls who don't know boys have them, parents beware.

If you like dog movies, this one is for you. A little cheesy but cute and funny. :-)

Arctic Adventures
(1992)

Ian & Sally Wilson

My Rating: 5 Stars

The musty smell of canvas filled my nostrils as Sally and I rummaged through a pile of tents. Nearby, the grizzled denim-clad owner of the camping supply store leaned against a rack of snowshoes.
“Let's see if I've got this straight,” the old timer said as he surveyed the pile of supplies we had selected. “You're planning to go on a year-long trek across the Arctic by canoe and dog team.”
“That about sums it up,” I said, steeling myself for the questions I knew would follow. The old-timer had always taken an interest in our adventures and misadventures.
“And you tell me your whitewater canoeing is a little shaky, your wife is scared of dogs, and you've never even had a pet mutt before,” he continued, looking me straight in the eye.
I reminded him that we had managed to tackle several demanding rivers on previous trips. Sally added that she was sure she would get over her fear of dogs once she got to know them. Then, almost as an afterthought, I assured him that we would learn what we needed to know along the way. I hoped I looked as confident as my words sounded. (Prologue)

Ian and Sally Wilson are an incredible couple. They are both talented: her in art; he in writing. They joined their talents and love for adventure and have written several books as a result.

As you may have judged by the title, Arctic Adventures is about their trip in Canada's north. The first route of the journey was made by canoe from the headwaters of the Thelon River to the Chesterfield  Inlet of Hudson Bay, a distance of twelve hundred kilometers. That may sound simple but keep in mind these key words: mosquitoes, rapids, black flies, bathing, frigid water, campfire, maps, falls, gear, storms, portages.

The first third of the book is about the canoe trip. The rest of the book is taken up with their experiences with the Natives at Baker Lake, where Ian and Sally learn the necessary skills for their trip by dog sled. They learn how to prepare caribou hides for warm clothing: chewing (yes, with your mouth/teeth!). How to eat raw meat (if you eat too much at once, you end up with stomach problems). How to build an igloo. How to stay warm when it's -100* with a blizzard raging. How to function at all when it's -100* with a blizzard raging. How to drive a dog team. How to treat frost bite... and a million and one other things necessary for surviving their adventure.

By the time they were at their journey's end, they had a new perspective on life, dogs, cold and the Great Up North in general. Ian kept a detailed diary that makes for a fascinating read, especially for those who are exposed to some of the same things as the Wilsons went through. Someday, it would be fun to go see some of the places mentioned for myself! Also, they took many photographs, so it isn't completely up to the reader's imagination. :-)

ARCTIC ADVENTURES - Exploring Canada's North by Canoe and Dog Team

All Creatures Great and Small

All Creatures Great and Small
(1972)

James Herriot

My Rating: 5 Stars

(Note: all pictures, except for the first are from the t.v. series based on James Herriot's books. Enjoy!)

"We did two more visits, one to a calf with a cut leg which I stitched, dressed and bandaged, then to a cow with the blocked teat.
Mr. Sharpe was waiting, still looking eager. He led us into the byre and Farnon gestured towards the cow. “See what you can make of it.”
I squatted down and palpated the teat, feeling the mass of thickened tissue half up. It would have to be broken down by a Hudson's instrument and I began to work the thin metal spiral up the teat. One second later, I was sitting gasping in the dung channel with the neat imprint of a cloven hoof on my shirt front, just over the solar plexus.
It was embarrassing, but there was nothing I could do but sit there fighting for breath, my mouth opening and shutting like a stranded fish.
Mr. Sharpe held his hand over his mouth, his innate politeness at war with his natural amusement at seeing the vet come to grief. “I'm sorry, young man, but I owt to 'ave told you that this is a very friendly cow. She allus likes to shake hands.” Then, overcome by his own wit, he rested his forehead on the cow's back and went into a long paroxysm of silent mirth." (Chapter 2)

It's no wonder why James Herriot's books were best sellers in their day and why people (myself included in their numbers) still love them and want their kids read them. As a country vet practicing in Darrowby, a small village in Yorkshire, England, James Herriot's tales appeal to the humanity in each of us. What makes the stories even better is that they are true. Somehow, it makes his work more enjoyable. :-)

Some of the chapters are stories in themselves; sometimes there are several chapters to one tale. Regardless, I found it difficult to put down the book once I'd started. There are so many different kinds: some are very humorous; others, sad and lonely; some are just comfortable. You learn all about the farmers in Yorkshire and what types of animals they keep and what their families are. You get to read about births and deaths, friendships made and enemies kept, romance (Tristan was always up to his neck in it!) and a wonderful woman named Helen who happened to be James' better half in waiting.

Sigfried and Tristan Farnon: Sigfried was the elder and he owned the clinic. Tristan had followed in his brother's footsteps (well, to a certain degree, anyways. What does it matter?) and out of begrudging sense of duty, his brother shared the practice with him. James worked as an assistant to Sigfried until Sigfried made him a partner vet of the clinic.

Sigfried was an odd duck, to put it kindly. In real life, he was even more peculiar. But he was a good vet and he really did care about those in his life, even though if he had difficulties showing his affection. For the most part, he was very responsible and was always on James and Tristan's cases for their not being as diligently conscientious as he was... on occasion.

“We must put on a better show at these operations on the farms. It just isn't good enough to fish out a few old instruments from a bag and start hacking at the animal. We must have cleanliness, asepsis if possible, and an orderly technique.” (Chapter 27; during one of his “efficiency drives” during which everyone suffered...)

Tristan was the exact opposite of his brother. He was jolly, funny, as irresponsible as possible. He pulled some humdinger pranks on James, my personal favorites being the prank phone calls and ghost monk. But my most favorite story of Tristan is the time he threw his girlfriend out the living room window.

Tristan wiggled in his chair. “I'm sorry, I can't think how...”
Siegfried held up his hand. “Oh, don't worry. Your usual luck has come to your aid...”

And James? Sweet, kind, naïve, not above pranking Tristan out of revenge. It isn't surprising that Helen fell in love with him as deeply as he had fallen in love with her. Because for all of his faults, he had a surprising lot of good character traits.

She turned a quizzical eye on me. “You look kind of pleased with yourself this morning, Mr. Herriot.”
I leaned back against the oak dresser. “Yes, Mrs. Hall, I've just been thinking. It must be very nice to be the principal of the practice but, you know, it's not a bad life being an assistant.”

Of course, you'll read all about vetting in green hills of Yorkshire. Some of his stories are full of very practical advice and we've used it more than once. Just the other day, we had a cow prolapse and used the trick of putting sugar on the uterus to help it back in. It worked well. I don't know what we'd have done without that bit of knowledge tucked away in our heads.

There is so much humor in the books. I love the story about the dog that had surgery and wouldn't stop howling for hours (I mean, 12 hours, at the least). Sigfried was feeling a little malicious and made sure that he and James were away all day, leaving Tristan stuck with the dog. Poor Tristan was nearly driven insane by the time he decided getting drunk might be a good idea. When Sigfried found all the empty bottles on the living room floor, he felt a big-brotherly need for Tristan to learn more responsibility (it had nothing to do with Sigfried not wanting to watch the dog) and stowed both of them away in Tristan's room for the night. (Chapter 21)

There was the story about the cow that had picked up a wire in her feed and had to be operated on. During the process of being cut open, she literally exploded, sending foul, green liquid over everything... Sigfried being her prime target.

...but it was the unkindest cut of all when a particularly powerful jet sent a liberal spray over the new jacket hanging on the wall. Sigfried's face was too obscured for me to detect any change of expression but at this disaster, I saw real anguish in his eyes.
The colonel's [owner of said cow] eyebrows were now raised to a maximum and his mouth hung open as he gazed in disbelief at the chaotic scene. Siegfried, still hanging grimly on, was the centre of it all, paddling about in a reeking swamp which came half way up his Wellington boots. He looked very like a Fiji Islander with his hair stiffened and frizzled and his eyes rolling whitely in the brown face. (Chapter 27)

Things to Know:
1: There is some drinking and carousing.
2: Some girl/romance stuff that never goes beyond kissing and Tristan having a girl sit on his lap.
3: For those squeamish about blood and animals and birthing, etc, these stories are very detailed.

4: For the most part, all of James Herriot's books are clean and good for family reading.

Transformers -- 2007

Transformers

(2007)

Rated for intense sequences of sci-fi action violence, brief sexual humor, and language

My Rating: 4 Stars

Shia LaBeouf

Tyrese Gibson

Josh Duhamel

Anthony Anderson

Megan Fox

Rachael Taylor

John Turturro

Jon Voight

“What'd they get you for?”

“Uh...bought a car. Turned out to be an alien Robot. [pause] Who knew?”

I was not impressed with Revenge of the Fallen, except for the occasional good humor it had. However, I spoke to a friend about it and she mentioned that she had some friends who really enjoyed Transformers. So I felt that I should watch the original and see if there was improvement. There was. It's interesting how the sequels are rarely as good.

Summary:

Sam Witwicky is a normal kid with a normal desire for a car and girlfriend. According to his Dad, it's only if he gets three A's and $2000 that he gets the car. So he gets the A's and the $2000 and ends up with a used-to-be hotrod Camaro that has a personality.

But getting the girl is up to Sam. Or at least it seems so at first glance. If it had been left up to Sam, the typical guy (all thumbs when it comes to talking to girls) it would have been a disaster. But there's Mikaela (Megan Fox), the gorgeous girl he goes to school with but doesn't even know he exists. Sam has been in love with her for years. Amazingly, it's the car and what's under it's hood that attracts the attention of the girl.

The circumstances surrounding the car was strange from the first, but Sam didn't realize how strange until he woke up one night to the engine starting. He got to the bedroom window just in time to see the car rolling out the driveway. Sure the car is being stolen, he rushes out of his room, telling his father to call the police. When he finally catches up with his vehicle, he was astonished to find that his car was alive. Between Mikaela, the car and Sam, they stumble into some interesting situations.

At the same time, across the world, something attacked an air base in Kuwait... and yet again, something hacked into national security, then disappeared without a trace. The US is sure it's a terrorist country at first. Then, they begin to question themselves. What is that sound? What is in that picture? What about eye-witnesses? Could these be... aliens?

What I Liked:

1: It was fairly well acted.

2: Funny.

3: Had patterns of dark and light... nice mix.

4: Military sequences were nicely done. Great job guys!

5: The alien robots were funny, sweet and majestic.

6: The scene where Sam finds out about Mikaela's background, his reaction is very realistic. That was probably my favorite thing about the film.

7: Next favorite is the way Bumblebee uses the radio/t.v. to talk/communicate. I love how they use John Wayne's voice... “anymore questions you'd like to ask?”

8: I like Mikaela. She's a no-nonsense type of girl.

What I Didn't Like:

1: Crude humor

2: The way Mikaela was dressed... it really concentrates on it.

3: The language.

4: Sam's parents are too irritating and naive. How does somebody get to be that way? Lol.

5: Sam's response to Mikaela's body. The way

6: How the aliens seem to take the place of God or angels. It's not pushed heavily but it's still there. For the record, it didn't hurt my belief in God but it might hurt someone else.

If you like Sci-fi, this is a fairly good film. Go for it. :-)

The Princess Bride -- 1988

The Princess Bride

(1988)

Rated PG violence, torture and some innuendo

My Rating: 5 Stars

Cary Elwes

Mandy Patinkin

Chris Saradon

Christopher Guest

Wallace Shawn

Andre The Giant

Robin Wright

Carol Kane

Billy Crystal

“There's not a lot of money in revenge.”

Our family has favorite movie and it is called The Princess Bride. Well, why shouldn't it be? Of all satires I've ever experienced, this movie is by far the best.

Summary:

[Young grandson has been sick with the flu and Grandfather arrives to cheer him up. He brings with him a very special gift.

“A book?” asks Grandson, blankly. Grandfather regards him sternly and says that in his day, books were the video games and TV. Then he proceeds to open said book and read from it aloud, to Grandson's chagrin. “Fine. I'll try to stay awake.”]

Buttercup was a beautiful maiden who lived on a farm with her horse and stable-boy/servant, named Westley. She loved to take long daily rides on her horse and torment the stable-boy because all he ever said when she told him to do something was, “As you wish.”

Then came the day when an amazed Buttercup realized that when Westley said, “As you wish” what he really meant was, “I love you.” But what was even more amazing was the realization that she loved Westley back. Thus, the two fell into true love.

[“Are you trying to trick me?” Grandson asks suspiciously. “Is this a kissing book?”]

They would have been very happy but Westley had no money for marriage, so he left for high seas, promising to return. But alas! News arrives that his ship has been attacked by the dread Pirate Roberts. And Roberts never takes prisoners.

[“Attacked by pirates is good,” says Grandson, approvingly.]

Heartbroken, Buttercup succumbs to the wiles of Prince Humperdinck and they are engaged to be married. Buttercup (now, Princess Buttercup) did not love Prince Humperdinck and always missed her one true love. Her only consolation was in taking rides on her horse, which is how she ended up getting kidnapped one day by three (unlikely) villains.

[Grandfather looks up from his reading, “Ah. You're getting tired. I'll stop for now.” Grandson, pleadingly: “No... no! I'm fine. Really.”]

This movie has it all: beautiful maidens, dashing heroes, evil princes, six-fingered villains, giants, revenge, mind games, thieves, Fire Swamps, poison, weddings, romance, R.O.U.S's, torture, miracle pills, chocolate, murder, castles... and of course, “twoo wuv”.

What I Liked:

1: The humor. If I'm ever feeling the least bit down, I watch this and it makes me smile.

2: The beautiful dresses Buttercup wears.

3: Even though the story makes fun of love, you are left feeling with a hope that you may have true love, too.

4: The music. It's dorky... and appropriate.

5: Miracle Max (Billy Crystal). So, so, funny. “Nobody's hearing nothin'!”

6: The swordfights. I love the swordfights!

7: The satire.

8: The acting is excellent.

9: The story is perfect.

What I Didn't Like:

1: One use of bad language.

2: One inappropriate mention of Buttercup's anatomy.

Note: neither of these were overdone.

If you like fairy tales and satires, this film is for you. Prepare to laugh yourself silly and wince as your favorite tales are torn to shreds.

“Chocolate makes it go down easier.”

The Parent Trap -- 1998

The Parent Trap

(1998)

PG for mild mischief

My Rating 5 Stars

Lindsay Lohan

Dennis Quaid

Natasha Richardson

Elaine Hendrix

Lisa Ann Walter

Simon Kunz

Ronnie Stevens

Joanna Barnes

The first time I watched this movie was during a difficult time in my life and it made me laugh so hard. Ever since then, it's been my in my top ten list of movies... along with Fiddler on the Roof, Miss Potter and Narnia.

Summary:

When Hallie Parker (Lindsay Lohan), cool girl from California, and Annie James (Lindsey Lohan), prim miss from England, meet at summer camp, they promptly become worst enemies. So what that they both look so much alike that no one can tell them apart!

“The difference between us is that I have class and you don't.” [insert British accent]

But after a round of pranks played on each other and the two are sent to the isolation cabin, they can't help but notice the similarities in their lives... such as, they both love Oreos with peanut butter on them, they each have one parent missing (Hallie only has a dad and Annie only has a mom) and their birthdays are on the same day.

It's then that Annie begins to wonder... she asks Hallie if she has a picture of her mother. Yes, Hallie says, but only one and it's only half a picture, torn down the middle. Annie's eyes widen. “My picture of my father is half a picture, too!” And when they show each other their pictures, it's clear that Annie and Hallie look alike for good a reason: they're identical twins.

The girls immediately become inseparable. The time they have together seems very short, now. As the precious moments pass and the time draws ever nearer to part, they come up with a scheme so hair brained that it might just work. They were going to switch places. Annie would pretend to be Hallie and go to California while Hallie would pretend to be Annie and go to England. The purpose of said plan is two-fold:

1: They each get to know the parent that had missed.

2: Get their Mom and Dad back together.

What ensues is hilarious and incredibly sweet. My entire family loves this film!

What I Liked:

1: The score... from the first until the last, it's perfect!

2: The acting. Everyone is incredibly gifted... I love Lisa Ann Walters and Simon Kunz. :-)

3: Lindsay Lohan. She's a big reason the movie is a success.

4: The story. I love the evil girlfriend. But I wish they hadn't used the name Meredith. Lol. I like that name.

5: The pranks. They didn't seem outlandish or impossible.

6: Elaine Hendrix was a great pick for the girlfriend. ;-)

7: The scene where Hallie meets her mom for the first time never fails to tear me up.

8: The Elizabeth James character is probably my favorite. She is so graceful.. gentle.. beautiful and I love her smile! Shy... demure.

What I Didn't Like:

1: Meredith is fairly seductive, which is quite necessary for the story, but some of the outfits are... well, less than modest.

2: One part, Nick touches Meredith inappropriately. We always put a pillow over the t.v. at that point. It happens when “Hallie” (Annie) is first home and is watching them out the window through her camera.

I highly recommend this film. :-)

The Mightiest Heart -- Lynn Cullen

The Mightiest Heart

(1998)

By Lynn Cullen

Illustrated By Laurel Long

My Rating: 5 Stars

There are times that I find greater pleasure in a truly well told and illustrated children's book. This is one of them. I hope to purchase a copy someday for my library.

Summary:

In Snowdonia, there was a young prince named Llywelyn who lived in great stone castle and he... “...was the luckiest lad in Wales... He had strong ponies to ride; servants to grant his every wish; a table set with jellied eel and roast peacock. But what made Llywelyn truly lucky was his dog, Gelert.”

A legend of a dog and his boy that lives on through the woven words of Lynn Cullen and marvelous period illustrations of Laurel Long. There really is a place called Snowdonia... “If fairies exist, they live there.” And there truly was a Prince Llywelyn and a dog Gelert.

Be prepared to be taken back in time and inspired by true devotion.

The Tale of Two Cities -- Charles Dickens

The Tale of Two Cities

Charles Dickens

My Rating: 4 Stars

“...every human creature is constituted to be that profound secret and mystery to every other. ....every beating heart in the hundreds of thousands of breasts there, is, in some of its imaginings, a secret to the heart nearest it!... In any of the burial-places of this city through which I pass, is there a sleeper more inscrutable than its busy inhabitants are, in their innermost personality, to me, or than I am to them?”

When I think of Dickens, I am transported back to an attic with four sisters lounging about reading aloud from their homemade paper. Each sister had adopted a character from Dicken's Pickwick Papers and what ensues is hilarious to read about. Yes, I'm talking about one of my favorite books of all time, “Little Women”.

Dickens comes to mind as humorous when in fact, he wrote much serious work. I have only been able to read one book and some excerpts by him but I have been impressed with what I have read. I am looking forward to reading more of his work before long. Reading classics has made me appreciate authors of all genres because I hear echoes in all work. But aside from that, what we can learn from Dickens in all areas of life is something to take into account.

As you may have already guessed, the book I read was “Tale of Two Cities”. While reading it, I kept notes of what I liked and disliked and how I felt about the work. It was very dry at first. I believe I was in chapter five or so before I finally felt a connection with the author. I believe it was about this point that Dickens actually began to enjoy his story and wasn't just writing it for the money.

The character notes and excerpts are from when I read the book. The rest, from memory. :-)

Summary:

When it begins, the rumblings of the Revolution are beginning to sound more loudly in the streets of Paris. We find that a certain Dr. Manette had been locked away in a cell for many years and he has almost lost his mind from the isolation and conditions to which he has been confined. Due to certain circumstances, his daughter Lucie and good friend Mr. Lorry come and free him from his captivity, taking him back to Britain. There, he lives in peace for awhile with his darling and they are happy.

But Charles Darnay arrives on the scene. He's a good man. There is such a believable quality of character to him. He falls in love with Lucie and Lucie with him and they get married. But the day they are married, he tells Dr. Manette who he is, for Charles Darnay was not his name. The shock almost sent Dr. Manette to madness but his friends gathered around him and wouldn't let him go. Instead, they brought him to a higher plateau of sensibility than had been his before the shock. The good man wanted his daughter happy above all else. And he knew that regardless of Charles Darnay's heritage, the man was innocent of wrong doing.

Happiness is but for a time. As the years fly by, the noise of the Revolution increases and due to his heritage and his morality, Charles Darnay must go to France. And in doing what he feels is right, he nearly gives up his life.

All through this story is a delightful sense of mystery, romance, history, adventure... and characters you thought were good and exciting turned to be villains or vice-versa. And the humor! Ah yes. There is some. :-) And when it comes, it's very effective.

“The faintness of the voice was pitiable and dreadful. It was not the faintness of physical weakness, though confinement and hard fare no doubt had their part in it. Its deplorable peculiarity was, that it was the faintness of solitude and disuse. It was like the last feeble echo of a sound made long and long ago. So entirely had it lost the life and resonance of the human voice, that it affected the senses like a once beautiful color faded away into a poor weak stain....”

Character Notes:

Here is a list of characters I had formed an opinion of throughout the book. As you will see, some changed for me the further I read.

Charles Darnay:

Indefinite... he was simply in the story. Then, he became more and more noble. I admire his obedience to what he feels is right.

Lucie:

Sweet, kind, very much the lady. Two separate times she surprised me with back bone and good sense: both were when a certain Sydney Carton was involved.

Doctor Manette:

Very noble, very strong; someone who suffered much and came out marked for life but overcoming. This world needs more men like him.

Sydney Carton:

From the first, Sydney Carton surprised me. His sudden stand in the courtroom to defend Darnay, his tender love for Lucie, his apparent worthlessness, then, his willingness to give up his life. I love the opposites of his character. I love how unpredictable he is. I love how I can't quite figure him out. :-)

John Barsad:

I should have known he was involved somehow. Good ol' Solomon. :-P

Miss Pross:

I still love Miss Pross. Predictable, loyal, strong, womanly but very sudden. And very deaf! What a lady!

Defarge:

I thought this man was rather noble and clever. Then, I found out what little backbone he had and my good opinion of him is on the verge of going opposite. There was some good in the man but...

Madam Defarge :

I knew she was dangerous. But I thought it was a controlled dangerous... and for most of the book it was. But when she had a power, you feel that she is on the verge of insanity. I breathed a sigh of relief at the ending. Very fitting.

Jerry:

I found this man very funny. I love his quote about how Mrs. Jerry is supposed to honor and obey him and how religiousness ruins his “business”. His resurrection-man humor is to die for and the conversations he has with Young Jerry never fail to make me laugh out loud. Young Jerry is all boy and Old Jerry is... well, he's Telson's Bank odd-job-man who has a distinct aversion to all things connected with 'flopping'. :-)

Mr. Lorry:

The story begins with him and he is there, faithful, to the end. A true friend, noble, honest, level-headed and a “man of business”. :-) He was a very comfortable character because you always knew what he was going to do and it was always very correct. Amusing but I never laughed at him in a mocking way, as I did Mr. Stryver. :-)

I think that this book should be on the list of books that make a person well read. It's a classic for a reason. If you haven't read any other works by Dickens, you may find it a little dry at first. But hang in there! By the time I was half way through the book, I was completely interested. The ending is phenomenal. And if you can't get into the story, then read it for a study of characters. :-)

“Father,” said Young Jerry, as they walked along: taking care to keep at arm's length and to have the stool well between them: “what's a Resurrection-Man?”

Mr. Cruncher came to stop on the pavement before he answered, “How should I know?”

“I thought you knowed every thing, father,” said the artless boy.

“Hem! Well,” returned Mr. Cruncher, going on again, “he's a tradesman.”

“What's his goods, father?” asked the brisk Young Jerry.

“His goods,” said Mr. Cruncher, after turning it over in his mind, “is a branch of Scientific goods.”

“Persons' bodies, ain't it, father?” asked the lively boy.

“I believe it is something of that sort,” said Mr. Cruncher.

“Oh, father, I should so like to be a Resurrection-Man when I'm quite growed up!”

Mr. Cruncher was soothed, but shook his head in a dubious and moral way. “It depends upon how you develop your talents. Be careful to develop your talents, and never to say no more than you can help to nobody, and there's no telling at the present time what you may not come to be fit for.” (The Honest Tradesman)

Star Trek -- 2009

Star Trek

(2009)

Rated PG-13 for Sci-fi action and violence, and brief sexual content

My Rating: 4 Stars

Chris Pine

Bruce Greenwood

Simon Pegg

John Cho

Zachary Quinto

Winona Ryder

Zoe Saldana

Karl Urban

Anton Yelchin

Eric Bana

Leonard Nimoy

I've only seen a few of the original Star Trek shows and that was years ago, so I cannot compare this film to them. In spite of that, however, I must say this movie was very enjoyable to watch. Even though I'm not versed in Sci-fi, I was able to understand the story and whys and wherefores. Terrific acting, little language and amazing special effects all went towards my 4 Star rating. Sci-fi people, if you haven't seen this movie, you should. :-)

Summary:

When his mother was in labor with him, Jim Kirk lost his father to the Romulan Hero named Captain Nero... and the Starfleet lost a brave and selfless man. They also lost Captain Robau and their ship, The U.S.S. Kelvin to Nero. It was a rue day when the StarFleet crossed paths with Nero and they never hoped to again.

Well, except maybe one. But he wasn't even part of the Starfleet. He was a bit of a playboy. Reckless. Angry. Arrogant.

James Tiberius Kirk.

One day at a bar, he tried hitting on a girl who was cadet in the Starfleet and her fellow cadets ganged up on Kirk, leaving him smeared with blood. It wasn't until Captain Pike stepped in and whistled that they left Kirk hanging over a table, seeing double through the red. When the Captain heard who the young man was, he recognized in Jim the same great spirit that his father had. It was just hidden under a facade of 'devil-may-care'.

Captain Pike played all the cards he had: Jim's father and his record. And the feeling that Jim had tried to squelch by playing bad boy: he was meant for something better than being a genius repeat offender.

“Enlist in Starfleet.”

“Enlist? ::laughs:: You guys must be way down in your recruiting quota for the month.”

But last minute, he's on the ship. And, although he hasn't any intentions of becoming so, James Tiberius Kirk is on his way becoming a heroic, mature, sensitive leader to whom everyone looks up to. And he's also on his way to see his father's murderer, Nero.

What I Liked:

1: 99% of this movie is clean.

2: Great acting. There wasn't one scene in which this movie wasn't well acted.

3: I love Scotty. Really and truly. That guy makes me laugh.

4: Spock. There's something about watching him fight his way through life and still remain that sweet sensitive man...

5: Winona Ryder. Bravo.

6: The music. :-)

7: Bruce Greenwood. I've seen this man play in several movies and he's always impressive. It doesn't matter if he's playing family man, President or Captain, in the end of the film,you wish that all men could have at least some of his character traits.

8: The special effecs are very good. If you have a chance, watch how they put this movie together and you'll be amazed at how far they went to get the details just right.

9: I have watched a few movies in which J.J. Abrams was director of and have always been impressed.

10: The humor. Low clearance was a good one. Chris Pine pulled it off very well. “I might throw up on you” was also funny. Oh... and the Russian accent! I loved the Russian accent. :-D

What I Didn't Like:

1: The almost sex scene between Kirk and Gaila (the 'green girl' as my sister calls her)... it didn't help the movie in the least. In fact, it took away from the story and made it seem more common.

2: The language. There wasn't much, thankfully. :-)

3: I found that Kirk's character was too immature, then mature, then immature... and finally, mature. I couldn't really relate to the extremes.

Rebecca -- Daphne du Maurier -- 1938

Rebecca

(1938)

Daphne du Maurier

My Rating: 5 Stars

Summary:

“Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again...”

An inexperienced, naive young girl hired as a companion for the wealthy and despicable Mrs. Van Hopper meets and falls in love with recently widowed Max de Winter, owner of Manderley. They marry and go to the estate to live. In doing so, Mrs. de Winter is thrust into a world she knows nothing of... a world in which everyone and everything is tainted by the former Mrs. de Winter: Rebecca. It is a dead woman she must fight to gain her place. It is Rebecca she is expected to imitate . It is Rebecca she fears her husband loves still. And it is Rebecca who is her greatest enemy.

How dreadfully abrupt that sounds. The problem is this: I cannot write a good review for “Rebecca”. It is a work of art. Each word molding against the next; each sentence it's own unique flavor in the paragraph; each paragraph a blaze of color that lends itself to the perfection of the rainbow.

I have never read another book like “Rebecca” and as bittersweet as that is, I hope I never do. “Rebecca” deserves to stand alone. Oh, it has what other books have: good style, good story, unique characters, wonderful mystery, romance, intrigue... but “Rebecca” has something else other books don't have: Daphne du Maurier.

“Rebecca” is a mixture of styles, one of them being abstract; another being bold. You feel the dreamy quality of consciousness not being quite there but every word pricks it's own place into the readers mind. The story fills your senses and takes you with the characters as you journey through the pages. You know their love and pain and frustration; you feel the rain and the sunshine; you smell the roses in the gardens and the air of the sea.

The author leaves the reader with many questions about themselves. The one that impacted me the most was this: Why should we try to emulate others when we were created uniquely as ourselves?

What I Liked:

1: The basics: plot, style, mystery, details, the colors (you'd think for a book so morbid, it would be dark but instead, it ranges... most of it bright), characters, Manderley...

2: A realization: When we feel we are at the end, it is time for a new beginning. Do not act in haste. Wait. God has something better for you.

3: How the young Mrs. de Winter makes mistakes... and learns from them. In the end, she has become a mature woman.

4: Even though this book is long and there isn't much action (until the end, of course ;-)), I never felt the details were excessive. Each was there for a purpose.