Reviews by Friends of TracyAlana

PattyTherre says "This foot soap doesn't live up to any of its claims. A dud." about Avon Foot Works Exfoliating Bar Soap

PattyTherre — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 04:33:33 GMT

Quick View: I am all about soft skin year round and I use a variety of foot scrubs to keep my feet supple. When I saw this bar soap, it seemed like an easy way to exfoliate and soften my feet without the mess that foot scrub makes. It was very disappointing!

My Take on Avon Foot Works Exfoliating Bar Soap

This soap is light blue with little dark flecks of shells in it. It's a nice size at 4.2 ounces. It hardly has any scent which is unusual for a foot product. Generally they are more strongly scented to deodorize and leave feet fragrant. The scent is a barely there fresh one. Nothing special comes to mind when I sniff it.

Avon Foot Works Exfoliating Bar Soap lathers but I don't feel those little flecks of shells exfoliating at all. It is a very, very gentle soap and doesn't do the job or even half the job or the least potent foot scrub I own.

My feet don't feel hydrated after use, which Avon promises, and they don't feel smoother. They simply are clean which I can get with any cleanser...

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Fardreamer says "One star is way too good for lame Jaws: The Revenge" about Jaws 4 - The Revenge

Fardreamer — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 17:48:15 GMT

One of the many sad truths about being a constant movie watcher and film reviewer is that for every good movie that comes to a local multiplex near you, there are usually two or three fair-to-middlin' ones and quite a few bad apples in the same cinematic menu.

Sure, what might be a good moviegoing experience for me doesn't necessarily mean it will be for some. For instance, I honestly like the Star Wars Prequel Trilogy which was out in theaters between 1999 and 2005, while others honestly and earnestly don't. Conversely, I don't like Michael Bay movies along the lines of Pearl Harbor or Transformers, and yet I've come across reviews that defend those films with an equal passion as my write-ups for, say, The Phantom Menace or Revenge of the Sith.

In short, as the old TV sitcom theme song written by Alan Thicke puts it, Different Strokes for different folks.

But there are times when studios, either for financial or artistic reasons, release realy bad movies that most reasonable viewers...

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TheBard says "Just Plain Fun to Watch" about Mamma Mia! (2008 movie)

TheBard — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 13:07:56 GMT

Bottom-Line: In my estimation Mamma Mia! deserved all of the hype surrounding its release...

I am usually not one for musicals, but I did enjoy the music of the Swedish Pop group ABBA like everyone seemed to in '70's and '80's; there I admitted that I liked ABBA! So a musical-Mamma Mia! (2008)-set to the bubblegum pop music of ABBA needed to be seen, especially one staring the timeless Meryl Streep was not to be missed. So I watched and...

My Viewpoints

Bubblegum music or no, the music of ABBA is infectious and still fun to listen to. And watching Mamma Mia!, however silly the premise was just great fun. Is the movie Oscar material? No, but I seriously don't think it was meant to be. Can Pierce Brosnan sing? No, but I over looked that because at least he tried! Did Meryl Streep look at tad out of place? Well, yes, if you take in her enormous body of work and juxtapose it against Mamma Mia!, but at least it looked as though the woman had fun making this campy...

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Matt says "Last Man Standing is enjoyable but formulaic thriller" about David Baldacci - Last Man Standing

Matt — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 07:14:14 GMT

Last Man Standing is a formulaic thriller that was decidedly easy to read that and was enjoyable but it did not rise to the level of memorable or distinguished for what it was. That said, I am not a regular reader of this genre of fiction, but I was generally underwhelmed with the quality of writing in David Baldacci.

I found the plot to be both predictable and ridiculous which frankly is not such a good combination. On one hand I knew what was coming next, on the other hand the string of coincidences stretched the thin line of believability so much that the end of the book just felt like he was tying up a whole mess of loose ends.

Bottom line? A good very light vacation read but you can do better.

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TheBard says "And here I thought I was living the good live in the burbs!" about Revolutionary Road

TheBard — Sun, 27 Dec 2009 17:01:40 GMT

Bottom-Line: Though wonderfully acted and intelligently laid out, I find it hard to recommend Revolutionary Road because I just can't relate nor empathize with the characters.

Story-Line

Revolutionary Road is directed by Sam Mendes (Jarhead, Road to Perdition, American Beauty), and is based on the novel of the same name by Richard Yates. The setting is suburban Connecticut in the mid-1950's, not too far from New York City.

Frank Wheeler (Leonardo DiCaprio ~ The Man in The Iron Mask, The Aviator, Blood Diamond) and his wife April (Kate Winslet ~ Quills, Little Children, The Reader) appear to be living the American Dream with a shining little white house in the burbs, a beautiful wife, and 2.5 children. Frank has a plumb marketing job in the same Manhattan company his father used to work at (Knox Business Machines, read: IBM), while April is aspiring-but mostly unsuccessful-actress.

They should be happy, but they are, unfulfilled; especially April she wants something...

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PattyTherre says "So sticky, I feel like I just smeared syrup on my lips!" about Avon Mark Caribbean Shine Lip Gloss

PattyTherre — Sun, 27 Dec 2009 07:45:54 GMT

Quick View: This product is more of a balm than a gloss. It is very thick and VERY sticky. It hydrates but it's too thick for me. I feel like I need to wipe it off!

My Take on Avon Mark Caribbean Shine Lip Gloss

This gloss comes in a clear plastic squeezy tube with a slanted plastic tip to apply. There are three "beachy" swirled shade combinations. I chose "Kiss on the Beach" which has swirls of pink, brown, and white. It's pretty to look at!

The gloss has a sweet taste and a chocolately scent. It's more like cocoa butter, I think, than a true chocolate scent. It lightly tints lips (in the case of Kiss on the Beach, the tint is a deep pink. The others are what look to be a brown and a coral) and does add shine.

My issue with this product is that it is incredibly thick. I usually like good coverage but sticky, gooey stuff on my lips is not a good feeling. No matter how lightly I apply, it's still very thick and sticky.

Usually when balms or glosses are this thick, they last a long time on...

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PattyTherre says "Tarte lifts me up where eye belong! Smooth, lifted eyelids." about Tarte Lifted Natural Eye Primer With Firmatrol

PattyTherre — Sun, 27 Dec 2009 01:01:53 GMT

Quick View: I always wear eyeshadow primer to lengthen the time my shadow stays in. I discovered Tarte Lifted Natural Eye Primer With Firmatrol on the Tarte website during a 40% off sale and decide dto try it. I really like the subtle lift and smoothing this product gives my lids and it's a good primer as well.

My Take on Tarte Lifted Natural Eye Primer With Firmatrol

This product comes in a typical mascara-like tube with a small sponge tipped applicator. It is a light nude color and very creamy. I just apply a couple of swipes of the applicator sponge along my lids then blend. It dries fast and leaves a smooth canvas for eyeshadow. It also almost immediately tightens the kids and smooths them for more youthful looking eyes.

Tarte Lifted Natural Eye Primer contains no Parabens, Petrochemicals, Phthalates, Sulfates, GMOs, or Triclosan. It is considered a "green" product due to its lack of chemicals and its special tube that breaks down in landfills much faster than similar tubes.

I find...

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TheBard says "Hathaway truns is a fine performance; so long Princess " about Rachel Getting Married

TheBard — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 13:52:17 GMT

Bottom-Line: Life, like Rachel Getting Married just is and we deal the best we can.

Directed by Jonathan Demme, Rachel Getting Married open in the beautiful state of Connecticut just as Kym (Anne Hathaway ~ The Princess Diaries, Havoc, Get Smart) is released from rehab (not for the first time) just in time to attend her sister Rachel's (Rosemarie DeWitt) wedding to Sidney (Tunde Adebimpe).

As the movie unfolds we learn, almost as an FYI, that Kym was responsible for the dead of her younger brother when she was 16 and stoned. That knowledge and the accompanying guilt lead Kym to have a blowout with her mother Abby (Debra Winger) that culminates in a pretty ugly scene.

My Viewpoint

First of all the cast of Rachel Getting Married is a microcosm of America; the bride is Caucasian, and groom is Negro, and the wedding party is multi-cultural and multi-racial in every sense of the two words! Big kudos to the producers for offering up this slice of what America could and truly should...

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Jo says "New Green Acres RV Park, SC: A great overnight stay" about New Green Acres RV Park, Walterboro, South Carolina

Jo — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 23:59:27 GMT

We left Massachusetts several days ago heading south. The first campground in which we stayed one night was New Green Acres RV Park in Walterboro, SC.

Information you may want:

www.newgreenacres.com
396 Campground Road, Walterboro, SC 29488
(843) 538-3450
The longest and widest pull-thru sites east of the Missisippi. That is according to the website; however, the sites were very long and although we are used to backing, in most of the sites were pull-throughs so we went with that.
Electric hook-up (30 and 50 amp)
Water and sewer
Cable- but note: it is an additional $2.00.
Laundry
Swimming Pool
Children's Playground - Note: I wan't all that impressed with the playground. All in all I consider New Acres a great place to stay for a night of two but it is not a destination campground- especially since it seemed to be in the middle of nowhere!
Dog Playground
Wireless Internet Service though we didn't use it so it either wasn't available or it was to hard to use.
Restrooms...

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TheBard says "A Guilty Pleasure Three Season In" about Entourage - Season 3, Part 1

TheBard — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 19:23:35 GMT

Bottom-Line: Entourage: The Complete Third Season is not for those under the age of 17; this is strictly adult fair, pretty much like anything HBO produces; YES!

Entourage chronicles the life of one Vincent Chase (Adrian Grenier), an up and coming A-list movie actor, and his posse of two friends and one brother from Queens New York as they party their way through the jungle that is Hollywood California. Purportedly Entourage is loosely based on the experiences of Executive Producer Wahlberg and his gang when he first appeared on the Hollywood scene.

Ari Gold, played to hilarious over-the-top perfection by Jeremy Piven, is Vincent's high-powered always on the edge agent, while Mrs. Piven (Perrey Reeves - The Lyon's Den) and Shauna (Debi Mazar) round out the regular cast membership.

Entourage: The Complete Third Season DVD drops us into the four childhood friends lives just after Vinnie become an A-list star, and the "Entourage" is living large. ...

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Fardreamer says "Jaws 3 stinks worse than three-day-old fish!" about Jaws 3

Fardreamer — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 17:48:44 GMT

Although Hollywood studios did make a few movie series (The Thin Man, Andy Hardy, Blondie) in the so-called Golden Era of the 1930s and 1940s, the modern concept of the Big Blockbuster Sequel really didn't emerge until the 1970s, starting with Francis Ford Coppola's The Godfather: Part II, followed by Airport 1975, Airport '77, and Jaws 2. And, of course, the phenomenal success of Star Wars and the subsequent The Empire Strikes Back proved to be decisive in the studios' increasing dependence on sequels to make millions of dollars at the box office, especially in years where there are no real "boffo" champs deserving of either critical or popular acclaim.

While all the major studios are prone to make totally unnecessary sequels, Universal Studios is perhaps one of the worst purveyors of Film Sequels from Hell, and one of the best (or is it worst?) examples is Jaws 3, which was originally known as Jaws 3-D.

The third film in The Series That Never Should Have Been a Series actually has the...

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TheBard says "Is This Supposed to be Christmas Music?" about Brand New Year by SHeDAISY

TheBard — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 21:16:24 GMT

Bottom-Line: When all is said and sung, Brand New World is a worthy effort, but for a traditionalist like me the CD just doesn't work.

I have been a fan of Kristyn, Kelsi and Kassidy Osborn, better known as the Pop-Country group, SheDaisy, since 1999 when I saw the video for the single Little Good-byes from their debut album The Whole SHeBANG (1999). To this day Little Good-byes typifies what SheDaisy's music is all about; the song is fun, whimsical, full of energy and highlights the trio's harmonizing acumen.

In between The Whole SHeBANG and Knock on The Sky the trio released the obligatory Christmas CD, entitled Brand New World in the fall of 2000. However, the CD was less than I expected. Now I like my Yuletide music traditional, thank you very much and with one, okay two, exceptions, Brand New World fails to deliver.

Yes, the trio put their own new-age country-contemporary spin on wintery seasonal favorites like Deck The Halls (track No.1), Jingle Bells (track No.4), and

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PattyTherre says "If you're gonna do purple eyeliner, be HIP and do it right!" about L'Oreal HIP Color Truth Cream Eyeliner, Eggplant

PattyTherre — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 03:08:12 GMT

Quick View: I'm obsessed with the color purple and have been buying purple eyeliner and mascara but have generally not liked the color. I am brunette with brown eyes and I like a very deep purple as opposed to a violet shade. I tried L'Oreal HIP Color Truth Cream Eyeliner in Eggplant and wow! The liner is dark, deep, and very dramatic. I like it!

My Take on L'Oreal HIP Color Truth Cream Eyeliner, Eggplant 960

This cream eyeliner comes in Black, Teal, Navy, Brown, and Eggplant. I bought the Eggplant because I wanted a dark purple liner and this one looked very deep. The brush included is not great. I can use it but I prefer to use my Smashbox eyeliner brush for a much more even line.

The cream is very thick and only a bit is needed. It does glide on well and looks very intense. It is almost a black purple shade which is exactly what I wanted. Anything less would look kind of weird with my skin coloring and at my age (45).

The liner is super pigmented as all HIP products are. It is intense...

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TheBard says "A Submarine Movie This Bubblehead Can Enjoy" about Crimson Tide

TheBard — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 15:03:59 GMT

Bottom-Line: Crimson Tide is now one of my favorite must see once-a-year movies.

Directed by action junkie Tony Scott (Top Gun, Man on Fire, Spy Game), Crimson Tide revives and old enemy (Russia) for some tomfoolery and high intrigue in the middle of the Pacific Ocean onboard the nuclear-powered ballistic submarine U.S.S. Alabama. The "Bama" has been sent to counter possible first strike moves by a rouge Russian rebel leader who has managed to seize a Russian nuclear base on Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula in the Northwestern Pacific. The U.S.S. Alabama is led by a no nonsense, by-the-book skipper, one Captain Frank Ramsey (Gene Hackman ~ A Bridge Too Far, Superman, Mississippi Burning).

The acting executive officer is one Lt. Commander Ron Hunter (Denzel Washington ~ Glory, Malcolm X, American Gangster) and almost immediately the two men butt heads. One man is doer, an old-school sub driver, while the other is a thinker a graduate of Annapolis.

The differing leadership...

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TheBard says "Nice To Look At, The Unit Has Problems" about AT&T - Quickfire Cell Phone

TheBard — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 17:30:51 GMT

The AT&T Quickfire 3G Handset (made by UTStarcom and distributed by PCD) serves up a capacitive touch screen, similar to the one used on the Apple iPhone and the T-Mobile G1. In addition, the sliding handset ships with a full QWERTY keyboard idea for texting, e-mailing, surfing the Internet, or performing Instant message functions.

The AT&T Quickfire 3G Handset ships with a plethora of useful features including a 1.3 megapixel camera, micro-SD media card slot, 500-entry address book, a full HTML Polaris browser, and MP3 player. In addition, the unit ships with stereo Bluetooth, mobile e-mail, instant-messenger support, and A-GPS. With A-GPS, the Quickfire also comes with AT&T Navigator, as well as AT&T's own traffic and turn-by-turn direction service.

First Impressions

I did a considerable amount of research on the AT&T Quickfire 3G Handset before I agreed to purchase it for my off-spring and what I found was not altogether encouraging! The handset has a high failure rate,...

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Fardreamer says "Willis is watchable in 1990's otherwise too formulaic Die Hard 2" about Die Hard 2: Die Harder

Fardreamer — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 16:37:41 GMT

One of the predictable consequences of the success of 1988's Die Hard was 20th Century Fox's decision to greenlight Renny Harlin's Die Hard 2: Die Harder, a spectacularly violent sequel to Bruce Willis' star-making hit about a brave, wise-cracking police detective who goes mano-a-mano with a band of sophisticated criminals in order to save his estranged wife (Bonnie Bedelia) and other civilians.

The studio's big shots, of course, rarely see movies as works of art but rather as investments for which they expect at least some profit, so when a stand-alone film such as Airport, Jaws, Smokey and the Bandit or Die Hard makes more money than they put into it, the temptation to make them into franchises becomes irresistible.

Although Die Hard director John McTiernan had been tapped to helm the sequel (written by Doug Richardson and Steven E. de Souza), he had to pass because he was working on Paramount Pictures' The Hunt for Red October. Determined to release Die Hard 2 for the summer 1990...

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TheBard says "No New Revelations, But The Movie is Worth the Watch" about Battlestar Galactica: The Plan

TheBard — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 17:57:06 GMT

Bottom-Line: Before watching Battlestar Galactica: The Plan do watch all four seasons of Battlestar Galactica the (2004) television series; it will make understanding this movie so much easier.

Directed by Edward James Olmos, Battlestar Galactica: The Plan tells the story of the attack and its aftermath from the group of (12) Cylons perspective. The Cylon's plan was supposed to be simple: destroy the hated human race in its entirety. But when their devastating nuclear attack upon the colonies leaves human survivors, the Cylons have to improvise and set about destroying the rest.

Two powerful Cylon leaders, both portrayed by Dean Stockwell (JAG, Battlestar Galactica, The Manchurian Candidate); are working separately; one on Occupied Caprica (one of the twelve colonies), the other aboard the Galactica. And both are determined to finish the task at hand. The story is all-too-human in its exploration of how the best laid plans oft go awry.

My Viewpoint

If Battlestar Galactica...

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PattyTherre says "Nothing magic about this air freshener. Didn't last long at all." about Citrus Magic Solid Air Freshener (227 Gr.; 8oz)

PattyTherre — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 05:54:49 GMT

Quick View: This product is natural which is clearly a plus but not only is it big and ugly, it doesn't last long at all. For $6.00, I expect a solid freshener to work for at least a few weeks. I am not at all impressed with Citrus Magic Solid Air Freshener.

My Take on Citrus Magic Solid Air Freshener

This product comes in a round, white plastic tub with slits in it for the solid freshener inside to release its scent. It's big and ugly so I hide it behind things or put it near the litter box but it doesn't have the power to destroy tough odors like litter box type ones.

I bought the Citrus fragrance. There two others as well. It smelled orangey and decent when I opened the package but it soon faded. It was only fresh smelling for a week or two and then I smelled nothing at all. Now, this is a natural product and does contain charcoal to absorb odors so it could have been doing so without a scent but I didn't feel the house smelled fresher after a couple weeks of using the Citrus Magic Solid...

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TheBard says "I'm Just Not Into This (Very Bad) Movie" about He's Just Not That Into You (2009)

TheBard — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 21:50:49 GMT

Bottom-Line: He's Just Not That Into You is a humorless, white bread, loaf of a movie that is short on drama as well.

Directed by Ken Kwapis (The Office, The Bernie Mac Show, Malcolm in the Middle) and festoon with an A-Lister's dream of (non-minority) Hollywood actors and actresses, including Jennifer Connelly, Jennifer Aniston, Drew Barrymore, Kevin Connolly, Scarlett Johansson, Bradley Cooper, just to name a few, He's Just Not That Into You chronicles the failing fortunes of a multitude of 20 and 30-something single women juggling relationships.

He's Just Not That Into You is based on the (best-selling) relationship book entitled "Just Not That Into You: The No-Excuses Truth to Understanding Guys" by Greg Behrendt and Liz Tuccillo.

Despite the who's-who list of Hollywood wattage, and story more or less coalesces around Gigi (Ginnifer Goodwin ~ Robot Chicken, Big Love, Ed) who has a hard time holding a man's interest. Could it be that men react this was way she is unbelievably...

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Fardreamer says "De Palma's Mission Impossible reboot goes on Cruise control" about Mission: Impossible

Fardreamer — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 17:13:59 GMT

In 1996, 30 years after its debut on the CBS television network, producer Bruce Geller's spy-action adventure series Mission: Impossible followed Star Trek from the small screen into the silver screen when Paramount Pictures released Brian DePalma's film adaptation, which stars Tom Cruise as IMF operative Ethan Hunt and Jon Voight as Jim Phelps.

Because the series was so much a product of the Cold War - proving Nicholas Meyer's statement that "all art reflects the times in which it's created" - storywriters Steven Zaillian and David Koepp and screenwriters Koepp and Robert Towne couldn't simply take stories from the old show and update them for the film.

They could, however, take some of the series' basic premises and one character (Phelps) and try to extrapolate what the end of the Cold War has wrought on the IMF team and its leaders now that the Iron Curtain has fallen and their roles and missions are being redefined.

The big issue faced by Zaillian, Koepp and Towne was this: Tom Cruise's...

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