Reviews by Friends of Sara1231

TheBard says "This one is from the soul" about As I Am by Alicia Keys

TheBard — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 21:42:45 GMT

Bottom-Line: As I Am feels and sounds more personal, more wistful and wishful; Keys is singing about the state of her soul

Upon release, As I Am, like its predecessors won wide-spread critical acclaim and debuted on the charts at No. 1 selling some 742,000 copies in its first week of release making it her strongest debut album yet. As of January 2008, As I Am had sold some three million copies worldwide; earning a triple-platinum designation, making it less successful than Songs in A Minor, but what's a million album sells between Diva and fans?

I enjoy As I Am on many levels; at least the music is authentically hers; in other words there is a decided and refreshing lack of featured artists (except John Mayer on track No. 6 Lessons Learned). Ms. Keys in confident enough in her "street credentials" and musical seasoning to keep it real all on her own. There are many gleaming musical facets to this album. In additional to Ms. Keys own brand of funky, sultry soul, there is also an diverse...

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TheBard says "Logitech is there is in Pointing Devices, Bar None" about Logitech G7 Cordless Laser Mouse

TheBard — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 19:31:53 GMT

Bottom-Line: For a general purpose optical pointing device, the Logitech G7 Laser Cordless Mouse can't be beat.

Logitech markets the G7 as a gaming mouse and to that end the mouse gives the user instant access to three sensitivity levels-400, 800, and 2000 dpi-before driver installation. With Logitech's trademark SetPoint software, the user can add game detection and independent x- and y-axis settings. Important to me and mine? No, but if you are a gamer, these settings mean something.

But since my wife does not play any games that needs the G7's gaming capabilities there must be another reason I choose the mouse over all others. That reason is two, or perhaps three-fold.

I bought the G7 because I wanted a cordless without the large transceiver and Logitech delivered again with the G7; the transceiver unit is smaller than a stick of gum and plugs into any available USB port. And the G7 ships, and is powered by, with not one, but two small (rechargeable) lithium-ion batteries, a little...

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TheBard says "Delicious BBQ Rib-Tips and a whole lot more " about Famous Daves BBQ - Oswego, IL

TheBard — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 19:43:07 GMT

Bottom-Line: A bit pricy, but the food is good, service reasonably fast, and locations accessible.

I love BBQ! And I usually use my Weber Silver to grill year-round; at least I had for the last three years because the winters in the Chicago area were decidedly snow-free. But not this year! My trusty Weber-and by extension, my patio-- have spend the last month or so buried in several inches of white rain from above. Add to that the bone-chilling cold that has gripped most of the upper environs of the United States and, well, the ribs, chicken and burgers have stayed longer that I'd liked in the freezer.

So this past week when I was craving smoky BBQ I noted that a new Famous Daves had opened a scan 2 miles from my garage door, so with menu in hand I trekked to the Internet to place my order.

Famous Daves offers an ever expanding menu of food items, but specializes in slow-smoked hickory-smoked St. Louis-style spareribs, Texas Beef Brisket, Country Roasted...

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TheBard says "Not Sure I Want to Know Sasha Fierce" about Beyonce - I Am.....Sasha Fierce

TheBard — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 18:15:24 GMT

Bottom-Line: Ultimately, I Am Sasha Fierce is a highly polished, energetic, but crass offering that sadly disappoints.

Beyoncé Giselle Knowles. As I wrote in my review of B'Day (2006), leave off the last name and her name bespeaks beauty, grace, and eloquence; and indeed she is a most striking woman, whose music career has begot a burgeoning business empire. But, although Ms. Knowles is a classically trained vocalist, her voice has never stood out as one of the greats in terms of dynamic range or soul-weeping beauty , but at least as part of Destiny's Child she made reasonably good music.

The same cannot be said of her long anticipated November 2008 release I Am...Sasha Fierce, a two disc CD that is supposed to highlight the two very different sides of Ms. Knowles persona.

While disc (1) is soft, dare I say eloquent, sweet and ballad filled, disc (2) is hard driving, street, "fierce", with enough hip-hop musical queues to give Sasha Fierce street credentials. It's not a stretch...

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TheBard says "This one is a keeper" about Mitchum Smart Solid for Men

TheBard — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 21:52:30 GMT

Bottom-Line: Now this is the Anti-Perspirant one for me.

As I stated in my review if Degree Ultra Dry Extreme Blast, deodorant, anti-perspirant; it's a necessary part of the human hygiene experience, but like all such products there are difference and varying degrees of effectiveness. Over the years I have experimented with manner of brands and formulations of deodorant in order to find the one that works best for me. Recently I happened upon Mitchum Smart Solid Anti-Perspirant.

I noticed the difference the very first time I applied it. The application was smooth, non-sticky; it glided on with ease and without scent. And it lasts and lasts. And Mitchum Smart Solid Anti-Perspirant blocks odor and provides amble wetness protect for all occasions. Now this is a solid, unscented anti-perspirant I can use.

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TheBard says "Just doesn't work for me" about Degree Ultra Dry Extreme Blast for Men

TheBard — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 20:39:02 GMT

Bottom-Line: Degree Ultra Dry Extreme Blast, just doesn't work for me.

Generally, scented deodorants do not work for me; like perfumes and colognes deodorants react to your body's chemistry and the result does not have the desired effect. In other words, instead of blocking the unpleasantness of underarm body odor it enhances in and tends to make it worse.

So it is with Degree Ultra Dry Extreme Blast. I bought the brand because my usual unscented brand was not in stock, so I decided to try Degree, hoping that this time things would be a little different, but of course they weren't. Though Degree does a fair job of blocking and or (almost) eliminating body odor, the scent reacts negatively with my body chemistry. The result: the extreme blast scent mixed with just a hint of body odor; not good. But Degree does stop the wetness, if only marginally so.

Degree Ultra Dry Extreme Blast, just doesn't work for me.

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TheBard says "A Conservative Nun sows seeds of mistrust" about Doubt

TheBard — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 17:47:49 GMT

Bottom-Line: Doubt is a winner!

At the beginning of Doubt (2008) father Brendan Flynn (Philip Seymour Hoffman - Charlie Wilson's War, Cold Mountain, Almost Famous) delivers a sermon about feeling of doubt that seems to resonate quite profoundly with Sister Aloysius Beauvier (Meryl Streep - Mama Mia, The Devil Wears Prada, The Manchurian Candidate).

The sister later wonders aloud to her follow nuns what the father meant to convey by the sermon; was he speaking in generalities or was he speaking of himself and his own doubts? Was he speaking specifically of doubting ones faith, or was his sermon speaking more about life in general? No matter the meaning or moral of the father's sermon, Sister Aloysius, the head nun at St. Nicolas, bade each of her fellows to keep a watchful eye on the priest. And so it begins...doubt.

My Viewpoint

Philip Seymour Hoffman and Meryl Streep; it is rare these days to be privileged enough to see two masters of their craft perform together in the same venue. ...

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Jolie says "Meet my Granddaughter Lexi, an American Girl Bitty Baby " about American Girl Bitty Baby

Jolie — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 04:41:35 GMT

My daughter asked Santa for a baby doll for Xmas. That was all that she wanted and nothing more. When she got her American Girl bitty baby she was an instant mommy and I was an instant Grandma to baby LEXI (yes, that is what my daugher named her American Girl bitty baby.)

The bitty baby is blond and blue eyed, just like my daughter, and made of sturdy construction. She is also small enough to carry around easily.

Since bitty baby came into our family, bitty baby has been to the movie theater, out to dinner, Xmas dinner, her Great-grandma's house and more. She is a full member of the family now and is with my daughter 24 x 7.

I, (I mean Santa), had originally picked out a baby from Target for $30. But, I have to admit, for $10 more, the American Girl bitty baby was so much nicer. She is actually normal looking with a cute little face and a button nose. Some of the babies look a little demented. But, the American Girl biddy baby is actually pretty cute!!!

Now, if I can just avoid buying the......

Jolie says "I am not a huge Brad Pitt fan, but he was good and "hot"" about The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Jolie — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 04:19:25 GMT

Yah, what Mike said! That was a thorough review!!

I liked Benjamin Button and I even cried during the movie a few times. The acting was good, the story line well developed, and it was such a touching love story.

I did think that the movie was a little slow going for the first hour, but when Brad Pitt turned into a man and he was courting his "love", it captured more of my attention. Hehehehhe. Again, I am not a huge Brad fan, but his acting was good, he looked good, and the storyline was touching.

I would consider seeing Benjamin Button in the theater but dont read too much-- it is a little over-hyped in my opinion.

For whatever it's worth, I thought Angelina did just as good of a job in Changeling. They are quite the duo.

My rating: a solid B
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TheBard says "Ultraviolent Escapism; is that a bad thing?" about Hitman

TheBard — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 16:03:09 GMT

Bottom-Line: Hitman is just about what you'd expect when a video game makes the leap to the big screen; the translation is all muddled and such.

The trailers were enticing enough; bald man clips untold number of baddies with big silver guns. What else could a testosterone laden American male need on a Sunday night in between broadcast and cable seasons? As it turns out, not much. One pretty much knows what he, or she, is getting into with a movie like Hitman (2007), expecting anything more is foolish and a sure receipt for disappointment.

My Viewpoint

If viewed through the lens of an action movie genre, Hitman is one of the best I have seen in quite some time, sort of a non-thinking man's James Bond with a much higher and indiscriminate body count. There was sort of a plot involving body doubles, but it tried to be too smart and lost credibility 1/3 of the way through the movie. As did the sub-plot involving an International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) agent...

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TheBard says "When the Escape is as Twisted and Horrid as Reality" about Pan's Labyrinth

TheBard — Sun, 28 Dec 2008 22:46:55 GMT

Bottom-Line: See Pan's Labyrinth!

We all need to escape the bitter entrails of reality from time-to-time, which is one of the reasons we watch movies, read books, etc. Children, with their whimsical natures, sense of adventure and need to explore, find more inventive ways to escape the sometimes harsh world in which they find themselves trapped, oft-times not of their own accord.

Magic and the arcane are still very much a part of their worlds; life has yet to beat the adult view of the things into their souls. But what happens if your form of escapism is on par with the real world, if it is so terrible and ugly, that it offers no real escape from the world in which you already live?

That is just one of themes of Pan's Labyrinth (2006), which on the surface might appear to be a children's story akin to the fairy tales of old, however the many messages the movie conveys are meant for those with considerable age and understanding.

The Story

Written and directed by Mexican-born...

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TheBard says "Nice stopgap between professional carpet cleamnings" about Hoover F7425-900 SteamVac Widepath Upright Vacuum Vacuum

TheBard — Sun, 28 Dec 2008 18:08:44 GMT

Bottom-Line: All things considered I think the SteamVac Widepath Upright Vacuum does an adequate job of shampooing/cleaning, and defiantly beats paying someone else to do the work.

When we bought the house some seven years ago(wow, has it been that long?), we purchased a Hoover Wind Tunnel vacuum cleaner that has served us well, but as the carpet has gotten older, certain wear paths-composed mostly of dirt and various other materials-were starting to make themselves known. So we started looking for an inexpensive alternative to a full out carpet cleaning company we would have to invite back yearly. We needed a carpet cleaner, a shampoo machine; a steam cleaner. I like Hoover and so I confined my research to that brand and came up with Hoover F7425-900 SteamVac Widepath Upright Vacuum for just under $250.00.

Similar is form to the venerable Wind Tunnel, the SteamVac Widepath Upright Vacuum is designed to replace or perhaps just supplement the tried-and-true carpet cleaners by offering...

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TheBard says "HP delivers a reliable workgroup printer" about Hewlett Packard LaserJet 8000n

TheBard — Sun, 28 Dec 2008 02:43:01 GMT

Bottom-Line: If you need a versatile, fast, and reliable large workgroup network attached printer, you can't go wrong with the HP LaserJet 8000n.

At the last concern I worked as a Network Administrator we put in a group of new network printers to server the need of the organization as whole. All told we had to provide printing service to some 350 people on two floors, all connected via a LAN. We decided to standardize (mostly) on the (8) Hewlett Packard LaserJet 8000n large workgroup printers.

The 99.2 pound HP LJ 8000n is monochrome laser printer with its 100,000+ page duty cycle, 1,100 sheet paper capacity, 1200x1200 dpi, and 24ppm output was designed for large workgroups. The built-in 133MHz NEC VR4310 MIPS RISC processor, fast Jet Direct Ethernet port, versatile paper handling (the printer can handle paper sizes up to 11x17), and 16MB of RAM, as well as 4MB of flash RAM make the printer ideal for the large workgroup setting where fast robust printing is a must. ...

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TheBard says "Now this is home video viewing at it finest!" about Panasonic - DMP-BD35K Blu-Ray Player

TheBard — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 17:05:54 GMT

Bottom-Line: Love, love, love this player!

The DMP-BD35K Blu-Ray is a single-disc, DVD player that when connected with an HDMI cable play's Blu-Ray DVD's in your collection to 1080p when used with a compatible HDTV. As an added bonus the unit can also play your CD's of all types, plus MP3 and JPEG files that have been burned onto CD-R's, CD-RW's, DVD's and other media. Dolby Digital surround sound decoding is built in, along with a DTS output. Other outputs include component video, HDMI, as well as an optical digital audio output. And, as an added bonus the DMP-BD35K Blu-Ray will accept input from and SD-Media card; the slot is behind a panel in the right from of the unit.

The Unit

The DMP-BD35K Blu-Ray features an HD Audio Decoder (Dolby TrueHD, Dolby Digital Plus and DTSTM-HD Master Audio Essential) capable of delivering 7.1-channel surround sound if mated to an A/V receiver equipped with 7.1-channel inputs and an HDMI terminal. The DMP-BD35K Blu-Ray can also output analog signals...

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TheBard says "Imagine this happing to you or yours!" about Rendition

TheBard — Thu, 25 Dec 2008 18:04:32 GMT

Bottom-Line: For those willing to listen, Rendition has a powerful message to impart.

"Extraordinary Rendition"; that odious practice reportedly started under the Clinton Administration, but the Bush Administration took it to new lows after 9/11 is the subject of Rendition (2007). In case you have never heard of the affront to human rights, Extraordinary Rendition is the practice of kidnapping a person and shipping them off-usually by CIA chartered jet-to a place where the torture has been elevated to a high art form, all for the stated purpose of saving lives.

The Story

Helmed by actor turned director Gavin Hood (Tsotsi) Rendition chronicles the abduction of one Anwar El-Ibrahimi (Omar Metwally - Munich), a naturalized American citizen born in Egypt. Anwar, a chemical engineer, is on his way back to Chicago where he lives with his American-born wife Isabella (Witherspoon - Cruel Intentions), son Jeremy (Aramis Knight), and mother Nuru (Rosie Malek-Yonan -...

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TheBard says "Whitaker's wins the Oscar for his Performance as a madman" about The Last King of Scottland

TheBard — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 19:41:16 GMT

Bottom-Line: Be prepared, The Last King of Scotland is a hard film to watch, much like Amin's brutal reign was hard to comprehend and watch unfold on 1970's era television.

The Last King of Scotland is a funny, and dare I say weird name for a movie dealing with an African tyrant until one remembers-or first learns, whatever the case may be-that Uganda was once a British territory and Amin admired the Scottish greatly for their own struggle to throw off the yoke of British rule. At one point in the movie Whitaker's Amin states that if he could be anything other than Ugandan, it would be Scottish. Was he serious or delusional? who knows, but the association obviously stuck.

The Story

Directed by Kevin MacDonald The Last King of Scotland is based on the 1998 novel by the same name written by English journalist Giles Foden. The novel is an intertwining of historical fact and fiction, and the stories main protagonist, a young Scottish doctor named Nicholas Garrigan (James...

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TheBard says "This one is the adults in the room" about Ninja Scroll

TheBard — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 20:48:39 GMT

Bottom-Line: Ninja Scroll is a keeper, one of those rare movies where watching it again and again brings something new to the viewing table.

The title Ninja Scroll (American title); the Japanese title is Jubei Ninpucho-has a meaning beyond the words that help lend insight into the world of an arcane-laced Feudal Japan where the story-line takes place. The title Ninja Scroll directly relates, or so I have read, to the character of the wizened little monk with the bug eyes named Dakuan, who manages to get Jubei, our main character, into so much trouble. Dakuan records the story as he experiences it, or is going to experience it. And once committed to the "Ninja Scroll," facts, tragic or happy, cannot be altered or changed.

The Story

The plot of Ninja Scroll is extremely hard to follow; sufficed to say that given the setting there are plenty of Ninja, Samurai, ronin, demons and sword play to go around. As mentioned above Jubei Ninpucho is our main character, he is a Ninja for hire,...

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TheBard says "Alyssa Milano's coming of age flick" about Embrace of the Vampire

TheBard — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 18:26:09 GMT

Bottom-Line: Checking in at just over 90 minutes, Embrace of the Vampire is worth it only if you want to see copious amounts of Alyssa Milano and little else.

To label 1995's Embrace of the Vampire Alyssa Milano's coming of age flick is a gross understatement; she is topless, flaunting her near perfect milky white breasts in almost every other scene after all. One needn't wonder why Milano decided to do Embrace; it was a natural transitional movie catapulting Ms. Milano from girl to woman and semi-serious actress.

The Story

Directed by Anne Goursaud (Red Shoe Diaries, Poison Ivy II), in Embrace of the Vampire Milano portrays 17-year-old virgin Charlotte Wells who is being seduced by a vampire (Martin Kemp - EastEnders) in order to own her virgin soul on the eve of her 18th birthday. Charlotte reminds him of a princess he once loved long ago before he was made as a Vampire by three topless blood suckers. If he fails to bed her he will go into an eternal sleep; who knew Vampires had an...

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TheBard says "The Catholic Church at its Flawed Worse" about Goya's Ghosts

TheBard — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 14:52:37 GMT

Bottom-Line: In its overall theme(s) Goya's Ghost is timely and timeless.

The Spanish Inquisition (1478-1834), that vile religious based period of human history in which "The Question" (torture) was asked of many, yet the truth sought of none, is the backdrop for Goya's Ghosts (2006), a period piece staring Natalie Portman and Javier Bardem. Period piece it may be, but it is also timely in its universal message that torture is a worthless bit of human tomfoolery that inflicts pain upon the human body and soul in an idiotic attempt to extract information that might otherwise be taken to the grave. And that the lack of due process leads to the destruction innocent life and a perversion of power.

The Story

Written and Directed by Milos Forman (Ragtime, The People vs. Larry Flint), Goya's Ghosts opens on 1792 in Madrid during the closing moments of the aforementioned Spanish Inquisition when the Catholic Church is drinking the last milk of power on the European continent, it just...

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TheBard says "Perhaps the Critics are on to Something" about The Day The Earth Stood Still

TheBard — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 01:57:12 GMT

Bottom-Line: There was a rushed feel to the film, like the screen-writer and director were stretched for time and had someplace else more important to be.

Sometime the movie critics get it right; not often mind you, but occasionally. Most of the established press has/had nothing good to say about the recent remake of The Day The Earth Stood Still and after seeing the movie I have to say I agree. The movie was just one bad clique after another with virtually no character development or coherent theme to hold it all together. By the end I was less than entertained, despite the major marquees resumes.

The Story

Directed by Scott Derrickson (The Exorcism of Emily Rose) The Day The Earth Stood Still takes place in there here and now as a multitude of small shinning balls plant themselves in various locations about the Earth, while one large sphere lands in New York City's Central Park. Human fearing the unknown (don't we always) marshal the military and come knocking on the...

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