Reviews by Friends of chocofeind21

ChrisJarmick says "dull indie film stretches decent 10 minute idea to 70 minutes" about Film Geek

ChrisJarmick — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 19:25:01 GMT

Film Geek is a movie based on an idea that 20 years ago might have made a good 20 minute short movie or SNL comedy sketch. At 70 minutes, the 'cute' dated idea is stretched way too far and the film's couple of good ideas don't save the viewer from being bored and most likely annoyed with the execution.

Scotty Pelk (Melik Malkasian) is a movie fanatic who works at a video store (renting mostly VHS) who gives more information about movies then the customers ever ask him for. Some of the customers are annoyed, some are amused, but his manager is fed up with the complaints and fires him. He has a crush on his neighbor a good looking bikini wearing babe who isn't just wall paper. Scotty winds up getting a job in an Auto-Parts store and tries to function in the world outside of video stores with very little success until his movie web site is discovered by other film buffs and he becomes something of a local celebrity.

The writer director is James Westby and the film has technical...

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ChrisJarmick says "wide mix of musical styles, salsa, dance to opera = great album" about David Byrne - Grown Backward

ChrisJarmick — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 17:58:44 GMT

Only 2 of the 15 songs on Grown Backwards are opera--well David Byrne's skewed version of opera, with the help of Rufus Wainwright.

Grown Backwards is a pastiche of influences and styles that seem to be touched upon in this interesting hodge podge of an album that on this album includes music created by kitchen utensils, a vacuum cleaner, a theremin, classical string arrangements, South American and South African percussions and the inclusion of the Middle Eastern influenced Curtis Mayfield-like 2002 European Dance hit: Lazy (all 9 minutes and 35 glorious seconds of it).

If you're a Byrne fan, all you need to know is that this is nearly as strong an album as 'Look Into The Eyeball' was. It's a solid album and if you only like Byrne when he approximates Talking Head type music-there's 3 or 4 songs on this album for you too. If you don't mind Byrne's musical explorations then there are at least a dozen keepers on this album.

Which brings us back to opera. Byrne really does give us two songs...

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ChrisJarmick says "Murray & Boyle's performances make movie a winner" about Where the Buffalo Roam

ChrisJarmick — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 16:54:46 GMT

"You know, I hate to advocate drugs liquor, violence, or insanity to anyone--but in my case it's worked."
-- Bill Murray as Hunter S. Thompson

Where the Buffalo Roam (1980) is a relentlessly anarchistic meandering drunk of a movie, addicted to the spirit of Hunter S. Thompson and saved by superb performances by Bill Murray and Peter Boyle.

The movie is only amusing in fits and starts, but Thompson irreverent self is channeled by Murray and you can't take your eyes off of him. Ideas are picked up and frustratingly dropped, we start to get interest in what seems to be a story line and it's over. The comic pacing isn't even consistent with the last half of the movie all over the map and unsastifying. So many opportunities are squandered, so many possible funny scenes missing key ingredients or meaningful observations to score. You would think the whole thing was done on purpose since it is such a relentlessly 'almost' of a movie. The constant drug use seems to make Thompson more...

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ChrisJarmick says "Movies to make even manly men cry. Five hankie movies." about Best Movies top 5 Tear Jerkers to make you cry.

ChrisJarmick — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 21:49:02 GMT

Here are some movie that are sure to bring a tear or two or a whole flood to your eye. Powerful movies that will make even the most manly of men cry. No not Fried Green Tomatoes, or even Gone with the Wind.

5. Edward Scissorhands (1990) directed by Tim Burton)

A dark fairy tale about a lonely outsider who falls in love with a girl he cannot have. Johnny Depp imbues a rain forest of emotion in his mostly silent character, a mad scientist's creation an artist with scissors for hands left alone to fend for himself in a harsh cruel world.

4. The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964) (Les Parapluies de Cherbourg) directed by Jacques Demy

A love story that is told completely through song is what they call a three hanky film. It's about love and soulmates and how two beautiful people meet in France and fall in love and life is perfect-until he goes off to war, leaving behind his true love and the child he did not know he made. Years pass, they marry other people and then.... Well......

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ChrisJarmick says "unique look at a group of river raft guides over 20 years time " about Same River Twice Documentary

ChrisJarmick — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 01:48:29 GMT

The Same River Twice is a unique but rather static documentary focusing on 5 people who back in 1978 were part of a group of 17 River Rafting Guides who took a 6 week long river trip together. They often ran around stark naked as if they had formed a nudist commune. The film contrasts 16 m.m. footage from 1978, with footage shot 20 plus years later on digital video; youth to middle age; naked rebellion to societal conformity.

It is interesting, particularly because it's all done in a modified verite style. We don't get explanatory narration. No one is asked questions about how they have changed, what they miss about the past, their regrets of what they did. We learn some details about relationships then and relationships now, but in a piece meal fly on the wall fashion. Life goes on.

In a way that is refreshing. It forces you as the viewer to put everything into your perspective. How do you feel about what you are watching? Perhaps you know people like the ones you are watching, or perhaps...

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ChrisJarmick says "Warm, honest, engrossing, look inside King's mind & heart." about On Writing

ChrisJarmick — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 20:04:47 GMT

Drink and be filled up - Stephen King

On Writing is part memoir, part autobiography and part how to. King had about half this book finished on that fateful day on June 19th, 1999 when he went out for one of his customary walks in Maine near his home and was hit by a Van and nearly killed. He talks about this briefly toward the end of the book.

You probably noticed I wrote; 'he talks about this..." This is what King does in ON WRITING. He writes in an almost conversational voice, it is warm, genuine, and honest. The book is short and if you take your time you'll be finished in a bout 6 to 8 hours max. It's like having a very long leisurely cup of coffee with Stephen King as he reminisces about his past, shares some ideas and thoughts he has about writing including his life as a writer and his teaching of new writers.

If you've curious about how King's mind work, some of his personal struggles, his thoughts on what he does for a living and what he was reading...

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ChrisJarmick says "Right back to being a kid enjoying Christmas with a smile." about Alvin and the Chipmunks aka Ross Bagdasarian - Christmas with The Chipmunks Volume 1

ChrisJarmick — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 14:57:18 GMT

What's my favorite Christmas Album?

Let me explain....

I went through a period in my teens where I absolutely abhorred Christmas music and considered 90 percent of all Christmas music detestable schmaltz worthy of throwing up to. The Beach Boys? Bing Crosby and David Bowie doing Little Drummer Boy... are you insane?

A few years after I passed through my phase came Bruce Springsteen doing Santa Claus is Coming to Town which made me laugh out loud the first time I heard it. I mean what drugs was he on? Remember The Dead Kennedy's (punk band) Christmas classic? F. . . Christmas? Sometimes I wish THAT song would blare into the ears of those rude store parking lot drivers who ignore the rules of decency in their quest to find a half-way decent parking spot. Some will block aisles as the wait for up to five minutes for someone to unload their cart, get into the car, back up and drive away. Why? To save 50 or 100 steps?

Of course there's the driver who goes the wrong...

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ChrisJarmick says "compilation of Lennon interviews and old Tony Sheridan music; " about In My Life [Box] [Limited] by John Lennon

ChrisJarmick — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 18:43:30 GMT

Lennon in My Life is a collection of interviews and Beatle press conferences mixed with several excerpts from John Lennon's last interview sessions recorded in 1980 just as the album Double Fantasy was released.

The front cover of the cd promises that the 3 CD collection contains over three hours of music and interviews. BUYER BEWARE. There is approximately 113 minutes of total material (less than two hours) on the discs combined. The sound quality varies from good to poor. Usually you can hear what is going on without problems, but sound levels and quality vary from track to track and sometimes within the track itself.

This is a CD for Lennon collectors and Beatle fanatics. For most, you might enjoy listening to 90 percent of this material ONCE and 10 percent a few times. The music on this album are Tony Sheridan tracks dating back to the very early days of the Beatles when John Paul and George were the band for lead singer Tony Sheridan. You won't hear John...

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ChrisJarmick says "service, communication slow delivery issues lower rating." about DeepDiscount.com

ChrisJarmick — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 18:14:48 GMT

I used to be a regular customer of Deep Discount DVD. The prices were low, and the selection was good. Since I didn't have to pay tax or shipping, the prices used to be the best ones out there.

Saving a buck meant I put up with the sometimes slow delivery times and I would use other sites to figure out what I wanted to buy rather than try to figure out from their inconsistent listings what I wanted.

Then I discovered that Amazon prices were often very close to Deep Discounts. If you ordered at least $25 worth at Amazon you get free shipping and if paying the tax meant I paid a few more dollars for the DVDs well I would usually get what I ordered in a very timely fashion.

The other thing that changed is that I had a problem. I ordered a special edition of a DVD and I got the wrong edition. The item was mis-labeled on the site. I wrote many many emails and it took me several weeks before my emails were answered by a live breathing person and not a bot.

I also challenged...

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ChrisJarmick says "Somewhat interesting struggling student filmmaker Reality Show " about Documentary Series Film School IFC Reality Show

ChrisJarmick — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 17:33:44 GMT

Film School is a less sensational, lower budgeted reality television program than Project Greenlight was. It originally aired on the Independent film channel in the 2005/2006 season and was originally available only through Netflix in 2007. You can buy the DVD at Amazon and other places now. I got mine through the local public library.

There are 10 half hour episodes (on 3 DVD discs) that focus on 4 New York University Film School Students as they attempt to produce (raise money), film, edit and get their film into the very important New York University First Run Film Festival.

We follow 4 film students separately. They have almost no connection with each other; each working on their own film projects. Alrick is a late 20s black black student whose short film; The Adventures of SuperNigger has a political message and is in response to the brutal police shooting of Amadou Diallo (an unarmed black man who was shot over 40 times by the police). Leah; a 20 something conceptual...

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ChrisJarmick says "Worst of the Worst, No Fun Turkey Movies to Avoid Watching" about Worst Movies Bad Films Part 16 of 16

ChrisJarmick — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:42:13 GMT

Wrapping up my Worst of the Worst Movies series with this installment. These are movies that are worthless. These are movies that are not fun to watch, not fun to laugh at, they are just wastes of time, so avoid them. Whatever the cover promises, whoever is in the movie, avoid the temptation. If you start watching one and you consider turning it off... turn it off, it's a bad move.

Avoid these and watch something else.

Wheels of Terror (1990) Director: Christopher Cain

Joanna Cassidy stars in this rip-off of The Car. A supernaturally possessed black car is raping (yep) and killing little girls. So bus driver mom (Cassidy) with a bus load of kids goes after the car in the wilds of Arizona. It's ludicrous, awful and BORING.

When Lightning Strikes (1934) A cheap rip-off of Rin Tin Tin (which wasn't expensive to begin with) is Lightning the Wonder Dog. Lightning stops the owner of a lumber company from stealing his master's land. He runs a lot, barks a lot, swims and oh yes.. smokes...

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lorialcorn2006 says "L'Oreal Revitalift eye cream duo nice and easy " about L'Oréal L'Oreal Revitalift Deep Set Wrinkle Repair Eye Cream 1 set

lorialcorn2006 — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 16:59:36 GMT

I received my L'Oreal revitalift deep set wrinkle repair 24 hour eye repair duo through bzzagent . I was very excited because I absolutely love the L'Oreal revitalift day and night creams and was happy to try another product in this line . I have been using it for a few weeks now and I can say that it really makes the skin soft around my eyes . I have not noticed to much wrinkle reduction but Its supposed to take 8 weeks for that to show .

My first impressions are that it has very innovative packaging with the 2 tubes of day and night creams attached to form one tube . This design makes it a bit easier to use the proper formula for the time of day . On the down side I thought the tubes were pretty small and would never last the 8 weeks it takes to see results . Personally I think if a product says it takes 8 weeks that they should really give you 8 weeks worth to use on your first purchase .

The cream is a nice soft cream thats easy to apply and drys quickly . This cream does well in the...

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AmyA says ""Straight from the Heart" will grab your heart" about Straight From the Heart

AmyA — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 16:38:38 GMT

It is very rare these days that there is a movie that will grab me, but Straight from the Heart did just that and it's been weeks and I still can't get the movie out of my head. I had to see it again and found myself watching it on YouTube HA.

The movie was made in 2003 for the Hallmark channel and is now on DVD. Based on the book by Pamela Wallace. Staring: Andrew McCarthy, Teri Polo

A New York photographer (Jordan Donavan played by Teri Polo) was in hopes that the man she has been dating for five years would at last propose, but he just couldn't commit. Unkowing her best friend responded to a personal ad and then Jordan finds herself going to Wyoming for a blind date with (Tyler Ross played by Andrew McCarthy) a Wyoming cattle rancher. His sister is the one that put the ad in the magazine.

The two couldn't be more opposit, but as Jordan finds out more about Tyler's past life she wonders if she will really find love. She falls in love with the family and the people of the area....

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AmyA says "Have you ever been in love with your pots and pans? " about Paula Deen 10 Pc. Set of Pots and Pans

AmyA — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 18:29:09 GMT

You want me to cook with those pans? Ugggg! My old pans were looking old, dry, no life nor were they inspiring me to cook.

I found this beautiful 10 piece cookware set at Walmart for $99 and text my hubby that I would love to toss out the old crap we had replace it with (I took a picture of the Paula Deen pan set with my cell phone and sent it to him). l got a OK (I already had it in the cart before he said OK shhhhhh) and brought it home.

It fit us perfect. All of pans can go into the oven up to 350 degrees, made of porcelain enamel, durable, stain resistant (a plus with my hubby), a snap to clean (a plus for me) because it has a nonstick interior, mine is a pretty speckled red finish (LOVE IT) and a limited life time warranty. The pan covers are glass with a cool brass finish. Just the right weight too.

The ten piece set comes with: one and two quart sauce pans with lids, three quart sauce pan with lid (great for soup for two), six quart stock pan with lid, and a eight and...

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AmyA says "Put the pulse in your mascara and get long lashes" about Maybelline Pulse Perfection Waterproof Mascara

AmyA — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 17:15:09 GMT

Yes, another mascara, but this one had something new. I saw the ads on TV and magazines and just didn't get it..vibrating mascara? So found a sale and thought I would give Maybeline Pulse Perfection Vibrating Mascara a try.

As I do with new make-up...Rip it out of the package like a little kid on Christmas just to see what it was like. Yippee it was out of the package and I located the little button and nothing. Oh great I bought a dud, but wait (it must have a battery and something needs to be pulled) it didn't have a little pull tab for the battery. It was a band wrapped around where the pulse button was. So if you purchase it...take the wrapped band off first and WALAAA the pulse will work. (I live for my little "duh" moments, always helps others in the long run).

This is a mascara to play around with and the trick is start at the base of your lashes, do a quick pass on the back side and back to the front at the base (on the front take your time, rushing is not the key). ...

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AmyA says "The last straw that is working for my allergy stuffies" about NeilMed NasaFlo Neti Pot

AmyA — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 16:45:26 GMT

Oh yeah this year had to have been the worst year for my indoor and outdoor allergies! Rag weed (per my doctor) was high for allergy sufferers this past summer/fall season and I believe it.

I think I tried everything and nothing was really helping me like I hoped it would and the prescription medication didn't help at all so what to do next.

My account manager told me about a Neti Pot and I should give it a try. I was like HUH? You pour water up your nose? I don't think so. Then I was visiting my parents and my big brother was over and we were talking allergies and told him what my account manager said. To my surprise my brother uses the NasaFlo Neti Pot by NeilMed for his allergies and he told me it helps out a lot for him. OK, if my big brother uses it and it works for him I will brave it and give it a try.

So I hit my local Walgreens and purchased my NeilMed Neti Pot. I was still nervous, but opened the box, read the directions and looked to see what the box all had in...

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ChrisJarmick says "Simple, Convenient, Reliable, Inexpensive Grinder" about Mr. Coffee IDS55 Electric Blades Grinder

ChrisJarmick — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 20:57:45 GMT

The low-down on the Mr. Coffee brand Coffee Grinder.

Background

I'm a grind my own coffee, java snob kind of guy. I make my own blend from a few bags of beans I buy at Costco (to save money) mixing medium and dark roasts usually from Sumatra and Ethiopia that will then be made via a French Press and give me a good robust cup of coffee with some enjoyable citrus after-tastes.

I've had four different coffee grinders and tried several others over the years. I rarely grind more than one pot's worth of beans at a time, so I don't have much use for the grinders that allow you to grind several scoops of ground at once. I don't need pretty lights, or a reserve container the grounds are supposed to fall into so you can transfer it without spilling it to the coffee pot or French press. If I spill a few grounds, I'll clean it up.

Grinder Model IDS55 Experience

I've been using a basic Mr. Coffee Grinder for years. Inexpensive, easy to use, and it does the job. I bought a simple...

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ChrisJarmick says "Unique Website, exploring unique writing experiment" about 3:15 Poetry Experiment

ChrisJarmick — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 19:54:40 GMT

People who write regularly, professionally or just for fun, have contemplated their sources of inspiration, experimented with writing prompts and challenges and might have read a few books on the subject of writing as well.

Beyond the thinking and reading about writing inspirations, people have been conducting writing exercises and experiments for many years.

One such experiment began in 1993 and involved waking up from a deep sleep to force yourself to write something down on a piece of paper and then go back to sleep. The writings would not be edited or re-written, but observed and shared. How close to a subconscious or shared subconscious level of writing can someone get to?

Every night in August, several poets have been waking up at 3:15 a.m. in the morning to write something. The idea to do this was started in 1993. Since then, different versions and experiments have been tried. Since 1999 a group of writers who participated in the 3:15 a.m. experiment have been sharing...

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ChrisJarmick says "Best Movies Hitchcock, Peckinpah, Aldrich gems are highlights" about Classic Movies Best Movies TCM Vintage Movies Hitchcock, Westerns, Cult and Cummings

ChrisJarmick — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 19:39:08 GMT

Turner Classic Movies gives us 3 more Grace Kelly movies on Thursday November 12th. Then, on Friday the 13th the primetime focus is on Westerns with manly men going for the gold followed by a rare cult type movie that's probably worth checking out for baaad movie lovers. Saturday the 14th TCM gives us several movies starring 'Love that' Bob 'Dobie Gillis' Cummings.

On Thursday November 12 the spotlight is again on movies starring Grace Kelly,

We get three gems. First is the 1954 Hitchcock thriller that was originally in 3D starring Ray Milland, Grace Kelly and Robert Cummings Dial M For Murder. It's a decent tale about a cheating husband who had a plan to frame his wife for murder. It's been re-made a couple of times and isn't considered Hitch's best but it's one you don't want to miss.

This is followed by one of the best Hitchcock movies ever made; 1954's Rear Window with James Stewart and Grace Kelly. I've told you to make sure and watch this several times in the past......

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ChrisJarmick says "The NOT good, the bad and the ugly. Worst of the Worst movies." about Worst Movies Bad Films Part 15 of 16

ChrisJarmick — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 15:36:13 GMT

Worst Movies Part 15 is brought to you as a public service. Hopefully by avoiding these time wasting blights on the cinema landscape you'll watch much better movies, read or book or spend quality time with your wife and family talking, playing cards, going for a long walk or making something together.

I've even included a bonus awful movie to tell you about.

Here's some more movies to avoid:

Thirsty Dead (1974) Another Philipine made psuedo jungle horror film about a young bride who can be young forever if only she would let the seemingly young king teach her about drinking blood and sacrificing virgins kind of thing. Problem is, it's all very dull.

Theodore Rex 1995

Whoopi Goldberg whose made many lousy movies considers this among her worst (perhaps topped by The Telephone). She plays a futuristic cop named Katie Coltrane who is assigned a new partner, an eight foot tall, three ton no longer extinct Tyrannosaurus Rex, who's closer to Barney than Jurassic Park. Stupid concept,...

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