There's No Place Like Movies at Home: Dark Passage

 Hey, if I just get this one done this year that is far better than I have done in the last few years. However, I am so close to being done with the dramas. I have one more film after this one that is a drama and then I will hit a nice string of musical. I cannot wait! 

A criminal escapes from prison. The man hunt starts for a one Mr. Vincent Perry as he is rolling in a barrel on the side of the road. One hitchhike gone wrong later, he meet Irene. A young woman who knows everything about him and his case. Who will do anything she can to get him to safety. That includes hiding him, giving him some cash to get around, and also playing nurse after he gets a surgery done to change his face to the police won't be able to find him. 

I'm not going to lie, when I first put this movie on I was very confused. It was about a third of the way through the movie before we aver saw Mr. Bogart's face. It's one of the first, and very few, films that was ever filmed from a character full point of view. What Mr. Bogart is looking at is what we see. If he reaches out his hand for somethin we see the hand come out like we would see out own hand moving. It was very odd! It felt like you do when playing an RPG. However odd it was it was really fascinating to see a movie from 1947 take on a challenge like that. It was a risk, even if it was only for a short bit of the film. It' all wasn't that way during that part. Anytime they showed Mr. Bogart's body they showed him from behind or they put his face in shadow. The reason is because we aren't supposed to know that he looked like before he went under the knife. Then after he was done you saw his whole face as we have come to know it. 

As much as these types of Noir films are hard to watch, it's hard to ignore just how much Bogie and Becall love each other. Even with the age gap, and the difficulties that they faced to be together, you can tell it was something wonderful and true. 

It did take me two days to watch this movie because it felt like it was so long. I am hoping that the last film will be the best one and be more entertaining that these other one. I won't say I would not watch these movies again but I would really have to be in the mood. I am hoping to knock the next one out soon and then get back on track with some really good movie! 

Let's Get 2024 Started!

Happy 2024 everyone! 

 

I hope anyone who happens upon this blog is having a wonderful start to their new year. I am not going to lie I needed the break from doing stuff in 2023. The funny thing is I told Alaina at the start of the year that 2023 was the seventh year in a row that I was doing projects. I tried at the start of the year but I was unprepared and my heart was not into it. I told her I needed the break, kind of like the crops in the old testament in the bible that the crops were rotated and every seven years not to plant anything to give the ground a break. I really did need the break. Honestly, it gave me the time to really look at some stuff in my life that needed to change and to make it happen. So, not having the self imposed pressure of projects was great. I am not in a much better place and I am ready to get back to doing projects. 

Here is the fun thing. I have told no one that I am restarting the projects. Now, I am not going to lie and if someone asks I will tell them. However, starting these project. now eight years ago, I didn't tell anyone. I just started doing them cause I wanted to do them. Well, I'm going to do that again. I am not going to overload myself with these either. The last few I did I did major projects all at the same time and it took a lot of time, effort, money, and fun out of doing them. It became more of a check list item rather than doing something that I enjoy. So, the secret it fun because it does involve me doing stuff with friends and getting them in on it without them knowing, but it's also to remind me how fun doing them without the craziness of everyone asking me what I am doing. So, we will see how this goes. 

Let's talk about what is to come then.

Just a quick refresher, not that anyone is even here to read this, my projects are based off of characters from The Wizard of Oz. This year is going to be a very Wizarding year. The two projects that I am going to do are based off the two different Wizards we see in Oz. 

The first Wizard we meet is not the one everyone was hoping for. The menacing floating Oz head is terrifying! It's also iconic with all of the fire and special effects that they could do in 1939. 85 years late its still a marvel! However, as little air time as this character gets it still serves a great purpose for the film. He motivate the characters to do things that they never thought they would do in order to come back with a victory and claim their rewards. Now, we learn later that this was all a lie, the real Wizard was hoping that the others would be too scared to get the broomstick from the Wicked Witch of the West and not come back and find out truth. They did do just that and had to come back and get what they were promised. All of this was accomplished with two words "Come Forward". 

I will say that I am working on some stuff this year that I am not telling anyone about, I do know that I need to get motivated. Now, while I won't speak of the one thing I am working on, I will say that there is plenty of stuff through the year that I am going to need to be motivated to do. Right now the start of the year I don't have a lot on my plate. In a few days that will not be the case. So, I have a list of all of the different types of ways to get motivated when I am working on something. They can range from walking away to doing the fun things first. We are going to see which one's I like best or maybe why some of these things didn't work for me. I am hoping that maybe just having a place to talk about the struggles of doing something will be helpful. 

The second, and true, Wizard that we meet is the one we were all hoping for! We all wished that the Wizard was kind and helpful while all of these wonderful characters skipped down the yellow brick road. The true Wizard tries to hide himself because he doesn't live up to the image that he thinks the Wizard should look like. He tries to hide his authentic self in order to present what he thinks the people want to see. However, when he allows himself to be seen he proves to be a wise and caring Wizard that is very helpful is guiding the others. Not only in giving them what they think they are lacking, but in helping them move forward in life with their new sense of self worth. "The Man Behind the Curtain" is the one who lacked in being authentic with himself but saw who being really are when others were looking. He saw the authenticity in the others and found a way to show it, not only to them, but to the rest of the world. 

"The Man Behind the Curtain" is going to be a little bit of a two fold mission of mine. The person authentic journey I am going to take this year and picking out one thing a month that is "so me" or and belief that I have and question why I like these things, or why I believe in them. It's going to be a real journey that I am taking but really it's a cover. The real project is taking pictures. One of the things that I feel like people who are younger than me don't know about, and truthfully don't do, is candid pictures. They all grew up with cameras that you can re take a picture with out the waste of film. When everyone my age and older was growing up we knew that taking another picture meant that you would loose the ability to take a different picture cause you only had so much film. Now, you can take literally take the exact same picture 100 times, call it "so much better" and tweak it to make it even more perfect. The art of candid pictures is a dying and I am going to change that this year. I used to take candid pictures all of the time, but I have slowed down some as well. So, this year I am going to take a lot of pictures, and try to get away without my friends and family knowing that it was even taken. Then I am going to make a video at the end of the year with either all, or the best, or those pictures. I am going to have an album at the end of the year that will have all of the pictures. 

The reason I am so excited about this is because our memories of a moment in time, or of a person, are not usually what we are taking the picture of. When I think of people that are no longer on this side of heaven, I don't think of them in terms of the pictures I have but of moments the don't seem significate. That is what life is. It filled with so many more moment of "unsignificant"  moments that add up to a life that the exciting parts we do take pictures of. 

So, the last project is one that I can't seem to get myself to stay on. It's the "No Place Like Movies at Home" project. The one where I go through all of the movies that I own and watch them? Well, I didn't do that last year even though I said I would. Well, we are trying again. Like I said I needed the break. I think what killed the one was the fact that I am determined to go through them in the order that I have them on my self. I saw so many bad Frank Sinatra movies and then moved into Noir that I no longer cared. Not that all of the movies were bad but I hit a slump on my shelf that is for sure. The good thing is in looking at my list I have like two more movies that if I power through them, I will get to musical that I know that I love. then I will be happy to watch them again. So, hopefully I can be on a steady routine of watching some of these at home again in February, what my church is done with the fast. 

With all of that being said, I have to say it's glad to be back. I am hopeful that these projects are going to be chill and fun. I hope that my year off will give me enough time away to have fun doing these again, and hopefully these will also encourage me to stay on track with all of the other things that I have going on in my life. 

I hope that your year is wonderful and let's get started!

The List: #6, 60,133, and 136

 I have over 200 items on this list of mine. A list that I have been curating for nearly 15 years. Longer if you count how young I was when I wanted to do item number one on my list (one day it will be crossed off). However, There are very few items on this list that will be a surprise to me. Like I can't crate my own surprise birthday party, or run into an old friend by surprise. Other than that everything on my list really needs some sort of planning on my part in order for it to happen. 

So, have four items crossed off in one day, without much planning on part at all, is something I would have never have dreamed off. 

It all happened in less than 24 hours. 

The lest few years I have gone to Youth Convention in Nashville as a chaperone for my church. This year was not different. The plan was to get to Nashville right before the start of service on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, and then stay for the few days leaving very early in the morning the day of Thanksgiving. You sprinkle in the fact that Pastor Ronnie is awesome and always has fun things for all of us to do while we are there, you usually always leave with a smile. Then you have Thanksgiving, where you stuff you face and then take a much needed nap. All of that pretty much happened that week as planned. 

That is until I got unexpected call from Nikki Day. 

Nikki Day never calls. 

So, I answer the phone, half panicked, and her casually asking me what I was doing this weekend. I told her that I did have stuff going on and the plans were pretty solid. Then she asked the one question I have waiting for someone to ask my whole life.

"Do you want to go to Disney World?"

  

#6: Go to Disney World

How in the world do you say no?! 

You don't...

Long story short. Nikki's family has annual passed. Nikki's nephews didn't want to go, after the begged to go, and they asked me if I wasn't to go instead. The hotel and gas would already be paid for, I would just have to foot the bill for the park ticket and food. They were only able to go into the parks on Sunday, so it was only one day at Disney. After being racked with guilt of having to call out of work on Monday, it didn't last long don't worry, I said yes! 

My chill Thanksgiving turned into a mad house. After coming back home I had to repack a bag, shower, and run out the door. Went to my parents house for dinner, a nap, and was off to meet Nikki Day at her job at 3pm to drive to her house and then 6 hours to our first hotel. Got up on Friday and drove the rest of the way to Florida, and went to Disney Springs. 

We shopped and spent some time looking around there for a few hours and then went to hotel number 2 and chilled out. The Saturday was walking all around Disney Springs, and meeting Santa, and taking a lot of pictures. We went to our new hotel for the rest of our stay, Bay Lake Tower, and got to watch the Magic Kingdom fireworks from the balcony of our room. I was then asked like 3000 questions of what I wanted to do at Disney. I told them a few things that were on my bucket list, but seeing that I didn't plan the trip just being at Disney World was going to be great for me. 

Little did I know what I was about to get myself into.   

We were awake at 6am for out day to begin. We got the park at 7 am to be let in, so we can head to rope drop. When Tiffany, Chris, and Nikki were all shocked at how not busy it was! Apparently, going on the day that we did was a slow day cause everyone was going home and it was the start of a new week! 

When the rope dropped, I was whisked away to go to the Snow Write ride, Peter Pan, Haunted Mansion, and It's a Small World and did it all in under an hour. Then we got to meet some Disney Princesses! I got to meet my all time favorite Rapunzel! 

Now, meeting her was not on my official list but the fact that I got the chance was amazing! 

#60 Meet Belle at Disney World

Some of the things that I have wanted to do during my time at Disney were not a feasible as I wanted them to be when I first wrote them down. Belle doesn't do normal meet and greets like some of the other do. She does have her own story time attraction that you can meet here at. I got a video of her talking with me but that we really it. The video it too long to put on here but I did get it crossed off of my list. 

The other two were something I didn't think was ever going to happen. 

So, I told Tiff that one of the things I have wanted to do, since it was announce that it was coming, was eat at Beast's Castle. That was not on the official list but it lead to the other two things being crossed off. 

#133 and #136

Tiff somehow was able to last minute reservations for Nikki and I to eat at Beast Castle the day before! So, we went and at our delicious meal! The best part was ever so often they start playing "Be Our Guest" and the Beast comes out and greets everyone! 

133 was to have dinner served to me while the song was playing and 136 was to meet Beast at Disney and have a picture of me dancing with her. Now, no one was allowed to go and talk to the Beast, there are many people there, but this is as close as I got and I am very happy with it! 

The meal that Nikki and I had was so good! We both tried some new stuff and we had a great time.

After dinner I was finally able to try the new ride they have called Tron. The coaster was awesome and I want to ride it again so much! 

The only problem that we had the whole time were were at Magic Kingdom was the Belle Storytime broke down and the Tron ride broke down. We had to move some stuff around but we were able to get it all done and do it all in enough time to run a meet Mickey Mouse before it was all over!

I do not know why I didn't have Mickey Mouse of my list but he was there. I will also say that I wasn't super excited to meeting him. Not that I didn't want to but I had other people I wanted to meet more. When I got into the room I was so nervous! I wasn't nearly as nervous as meeting the other characters as I was him!

When them go on the bus and made our way over the EPCOT and did some rides there and watch their fireworks show. 

I did no have any of this on my 2023 Bingo card! I am so happy and blessed that I was able to go. I know that was one of those things that God allowed to happen just because he knew it was something that I wanted to do, and I would not have made it happen myself. 

After a 17 hour day at Disney I do want to go back again! I want to go back and do all of the parks and experience without a one day time limit. I know that I got a taste but it was a sweet taste of something I love. I pray I get back there again soon, and have the most fun doing it! 

Thanks Tiffany, Chris and Nikki! I will never forget this magical time that I had!

 

Tom Hanks Hustle: Asteroid City

 Welcome back to a long awaited Tom Hank Hustle! It has been over a year since the legendary Tom Hanks has been on the silver screen! The last movie being A Man Called Otto. That drama drove me and my friends to tears when we saw it and today we are getting an opposite effect. 

The always impressive, Tom Hanks stars in a straight faced comedy called Asteroid City.

The star studded film is about an oddball group a people the come together for a space and mathematics type of competition. The geniuses that compete are teenagers from all over the country coming together in the middle of no where, a place name Asteroid City. The city is named after the object that feel from the sky over 5000 years ago and is still sitting in the middle of the sand where it first landed. Well, that is what they play is about. The movie is actually showing the play and how the play was made at the same time. You get the story of how it was created and the creation simultaneously. 

The characters are a string of eclectic people become an odd group of friends, and government hostages for a little while? There is a movie star a family that lost their mom, teenagers that are trying to be noticed, and soldiers that are there to judge the competition. As they are all getting to know each other a strange thing happens on the day of judgment when an alien comes down and takes the asteroid. No talking, no crazy attack, just come out of a spaceship and awkwardly picks up the rock, and leaves. Sending everyone in the city into confusion and, ultimately, lock down. 

All the while this is happening the star of the show how no idea what the purpose of the show is. So, he leaves the play and talks to the director of the show, who really doesn't have an answer for him. The star asks "Am I doing this right". The director doesn't really give him much of a helpful answer and then they go about the rest of the play. 

It's been a long time since I have been genuinely confused by a movie that I didn't understand why it was made. Asteroid City made me question what was happening the whole way through. Even when you think that you are going to get an answer it just leaves you more confused about everything than you were before. 

I will say this, the film is hilarious. Yes, you are confused but at least you get to have fun while you have no idea why you have subjected yourself to the insanity. The humor is as dry as the desert it's set in, but every line is delivered in such a way that you can't help but crack a smile and roll you eyes. When the cast not only has the Tom Hanks but Scarlett Johannsson, Edward Norton, Bryan Cranston, Jason Schwartzman, and Steve Carroll it's got to be able to deliver that kind of humor without falling flat. Again, you fall into confusion as to why this film was created but you enjoy almost every minute of it. 

While Mr. Hanks was not the soul focus of the film he is great at helping to move the plot forward, and delivering utter frankness and logic to the other characters that help to reach conclusion faster. However, there is one shot in the film when they are introducing as the character in the play where his is sitting in a director's chair that he looks amazing! It's a very quick look of him but it's a beautiful shot and one that will last in my mind for long time.

Would I recommend that movie to other people? Yes, if they are someone that likes artsy type films and wants to do more a study. If someone wants to escape for a few hours and not have to think about a movie I don't think this is the one for them. If you are someone the wants a solid conclusion, a happily ever after, or just to not leave the theater questioning the movie, I would pick something else. However, if you want to ponder why you gave a few hours of your life to a movie I would say that you would enjoy this film..  

The List: #179- See A Movie At The Theater My Parents Met

Most of the items on this list is stuff that I have thought was never going to happen, or something that I think is a dream almost too big to dream. However, 179 is a different story. 

I have know for a long time that my parents met a movie theater. They both worked for the theater and that is where their story begins, and then leads to my story. When I found out a few years ago that the theater is still standing I knew that I had to go! The theater business is odd. One day that theater and thriving and you think nothing is wrong and then all of the sudden it get shut down. It doesn't look the same on the inside, but it's the same building. 

My mom called me a few weeks before our trip and told us that the rest of my family wanted to watch the Barbie Movie. I took the opportunity to ask mom if the thickets have been bought yet. When they hadn't I asked mom if it was possible to see the movie at Ronnie's. It worked out and they bought the tickets for this theater! 

Now, would you have ever told me that I would see this movie with my whole family, at that theater, I would not have believed you. We took a ton of pictures and just enjoys a very weird movie. 

It's really fun to go down and talk though a part of my family history. I know that there are lots of people who can't say that they know where their parents met, or that they can go and visit. I know that this building is special for that because there are a few places that are part of mom and dad's story that no longer exist, like where they got engaged.  

I know that that is not the most exciting thing on my list but it was wonderful to be there. You just never know where or when you will mee the love of your life. The fact that It's at this movie theater explains a whole lot about me.  

Best Picture Challenge: Everything Everywhere All at Once

 You know there haven't been that many movies in recent memory that really got talked about quite like Everything Everywhere All at Once. There have been many a great movie to come out, lots that have been talked about, but those are mostly popular movies like the Marvel movies. If you know me you know that I do love me a good Marvel movie, however, nothing has garnered attention of the masses like this film. 

What happens when the multi-verse opens? What do you think that you will be doing during that time? Do you think you will even know? Do you think that your life matters enough for anything in the world to even matter? What if it was you who was called to save the world from a darkness unlike any other? That is the question that Evelyn is faced with. One moment she is working very hard to keep her family laundry mat afloat, and the next she gathering abilities from other forms of herself to fight of a darkness that wants to consume the whole of creation. She must confront her own fears, and her own circumstances, in order to face the terrifying darkness that seems to be following her across all universes. 

This movie is bonkers! 

It's one of those movies that you watch questioning if this movie is even real. You sometimes think that you are having a fever dream and trying to make sense of what you are watching. However, in the end it doesn't matter how wild the ride is. All that matters is if the journey is worth it. I will say that this movie is well worth in insanity that sometimes happens on the screen. 

You would think that I would have learned by now. How many times have I said that here? The moment that this movie came to the big screen, it was literally the only movie that anyone was talking about! Every influencer, every critic, and all the average movie goers instantly fell in love with this movie. The creative perspective, the immersive plot, and the sometimes insane places that we see in the movie really would have made the film going experience well worth the trip. I made the crucial mistake of not going to see this movie when it was in the theaters. 

This movie is also one of those movies that fell into the unfortunate fate of having a trailer that doesn't explain anything. Most movies I feel like today are like that. The trailer comes out and there is supposed to be enough explosions, color, crazy, and laughter to get people to come. I want trailers to do their job and tell me what the general plot of the movie is. I don't want just the wild stuff that I could see, I want to know what the movie is about so that I can go and check  it out. Why is this movie worth my time and money to go and see. Thankfully, the word of mouth was good enough for me to be excited to see the movie, even before it won Best Picture. That may also play into why didn't see it before if left the theater. 

Why was the word of mouth so good for this film? Not only was the script superb, but the heart of the film is something that just about everyone can relate to. We are told in movies all of the time that we need to be kind to each other, to look out for each other, and consider others when we are living life. However, in the chaos that is this film, that message vibrantly stands out. Kindness does not equal weakness. The fighting back darkness with light is admirable and often overlooked. Kindness is far to often seen as a means to walk all over a person. The someone being nice means that they are easily manipulated. In reality, someone who is always kind, always there, always stepping out of their way to help people are usually some of the most strong people on the face of the planet. They take all of the ridicule, stress, and harsh words and still show all people love. That they don't let other people attitudes effect theirs. They often don't tell people of the stress and worry that they go through in their lives. Just because someone doesn't fight the same way as you do doesn't mean that they aren't fighting. 

The cast in the film was also phenomenal! Michelle Yeoh, Ke Huy Quan, and Jamie Lee Curtis star in the film, and make the whole thing look effortless. That fighting in the air with hotdogs fingers and just a normal everyday thing for them. It's no wonder that all three of them won Oscars for the performances in these roles. Ms. Curtis was able to show all all of her acting skills in this film. She has been in comedies, horror, and dramatic roles in her time in front of the camera. This film was an incredible way of showing all all of her abilities at once. She got to play feral, heartbroken, happy, and hopelessly in love. Ms. Yeoh was inspiring as she explored hopelessness, loneliness, bravery, and peace in the same film. I was most impressed with Mr. Quan's performance. Which I didn't think that would be case going in. I have seen far more movies with Ms. Yeoh and Ms. Curtis than I have with Mr. Quan. Yet, it was his performance that gave me goosebumps and just stare in awe at the screen. His role was two fold. He was the loving, supporting, and heartbroken husband who had to switch to brave, confident, and stern in the same breathe! I am still trying to figure out how he went from the verge of tears and then jump to fearless in a blink of an eye! His performance is truly something to behold!

Everything Everywhere All at Once is a movie that makes you believe in the movie experience again. It's a movie that when you are watching you know that you are seeing something rare and spectacular. That there has never been anything like this movie and there will be nothing like it again. People may try to capture the same magic but will ultimately fail in doing so. It's a film that you can't afford to miss. I am giving it 9.5 out of 10 stars, and the note that it does live up to all of hype is was given. It has taken it's rightful place as of of the Best Pictures ever made and will continue to be something inspiring for the rest of time.  

Rest: The Craziest Challenge Of All

 Happy 2023........ five months late.....

Yeah, so let's talk for a minute. It should be no surprise at this point, but I am not doing any challenges this year. Ok, so that's not 100% true. I am going to keep doing some of the stuff like the Best Picture Challenge, No Place Like Movies At Home, and the Tom Hanks Hustle. I will be doing these when I get the chance, or when the opportunity comes up for me to do them. 

So, here is what happened. I usually get hit by inspiration for the next challenge like right int he middle of the year. This is use the rest of the year to finish the challenge(s) that I am doing in the current year, and then I also world out all of the kinks that I can foresee on the upcoming challenges. Well, at about November of 2022 I realized that I didn't have anything planned. I will tell you that I tried so hard to make something, anything, work for my challenges this year. I really tried to make something happen. I tried to push the issue. However, nothing that I was coming up with was working out. I then go stressed because I was so far behind! I know that I have all of the challenges from last year finally posted, but I have been writing the last six in the last month! I got really burnt out by all of the pressure that I was putting on myself, while trying to do other things that I was very clearly more interested in. 

I even started doing once of the challenges at the start of this year but it died very quickly. 

So, after taking a few weeks to get my head right, and wallow in my own self pity because I felt like I failed, I realized that I very much needed a huge break. So, I am going to take the year off of doing more challenges, except for the ones listed above, and see what happens. Do I hope that I will get hit with inspiration again soon and prep for the challenges next year? Yes. Do I know with 100% certainty that this is going to happen? No. 

I have been full speed ahead of these challenges over the last few years but not doing one has been very weird and very helpful so far this year. I have other dreams that I am wanting to pursue that have come to me in the last few month, and not having the weight of a challenge on my shoulders has really helped me to understand this new dream. It's something that I can actually focus on and really throw myself into without having to add it to the current load. 

I am the type of person that needs to keep going. I am always on the move and going somewhere and doing something. Not having a challenge was something that really made me crazy at the start of the year. Rest is a four letter word for me. It's so hard to stop and rest. However, it's also biblical. In the old testament the Bible talks about how the field that the you grow your crops in are changed every year. You don't plant that same crop in the same field two years back to back, and on the 7 year or your harvest you don't use the crop at all. Well, 2023 is the seventh year that I have been doing these challenges. So, 2023 is going to be a Sabbath year of rest for these challenges. Has it been very weird to not keep up with doing a blog monthly, or making sure I have time to get everyone done really quick? Absolutely. However, I have had so much on my plate this year that I really haven't missed the challenges. I miss them but like I don't feel like that I have gone without of that I don't have enough to do without them. 

So, far the thing I can say that I have learned the most about this year is the rest is not bad. Not doing something doesn't mean that you are not doing enough, it means that you are learning on what needs to take a priority in your life. That just because you can do something doesn't mean you should add it to you plate. That taking a breath and saying "I love doing this but I just can't" is perfectly ok. 

It means hopefully next year, when I am able to get back to this, that I will come back better, ready, and much improved on how to execute my challenges. I have no idea what is in store for the rest of this year, but I'm excited to see where God is going to lead me and why he had me take a break.