Sharon and I took Benny to his first movie last night. He did pretty well for the first 2/3 of the movie, but then he decided to explore the nearly-empty theater. First, he began to get squirrelly in his seat, doing some acrobatics on the armrest. Then, he ventured out from our row to the top row of the theater. He then proceeded down to the front row of the theater. Now, I was trying to decide whether to go chase him, or if that would just make him run and yell. There were only about 6 other people in the theater, so I let him go for as long as I could. Finally, he went back up to the top row and started yelling, "I'm up here Dada." I went to retrieve him, and sat him on my lap for the rest of the show. It was a good time--a special memory.
The movie itself was o.k. I was actually a bit disappointed. I've really liked several VeggieTales movies in the past, but this one just didn't catpure my interest. It wasn't horrible, just not as good as I was expecting.
Sunday, January 20, 2008
Sunday, January 06, 2008
Saturday, January 05, 2008
Movie: The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep
Last evening, Dominic and I went to see The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep. It had been a while since Dominic and I had been to the movies alone, without one of his friends tagging along. While he might not have enjoyed it as much as he would have with a friend, I certainly enjoyed it better this way. It was nice to do something together--just him and I.
This was an excellent movie. Even though I had heard some good reviews, I was still not expecting to be thoroughly entertained. In fact, this is one of the better all around films that I have seen in a long time. While the storyline was somewhat formulaic, the acting was superb and the scenery and cinematography were outstanding. My expectations were fantastically exceeded. Afterwards, even Dominic was trumpeting the beauty of Scotland. When you can get 7-year-olds commenting on scenery, you've done something right.
Last week on the Walt Bodean Show, I heard one of the critics paraphrase the storyline as an updated E.T. I can see his point. However, there was much more to the film than the water creature. In fact, I don't think the creature was on screen for more than half of the film. This was a nice piece of scripting/directing--not overdoing the screen presence of the title character/creature. The real story was about Angus, a boy of around 10 having trouble coming to grips with the fact that his beloved father will not be returning from WWII. It's a happy yet bittersweet ending as the creature escapes, but parts from Angus forever. I thought that the entire storyline was masterful use of the Loch Ness Monster myth. I really liked the way that it worked in the famous fake photo of Nessie. I'm also glad that I caught this one on the big screen, instead of waiting for it to come out on video. This one was worth the full theater experience---which I say less and less of nowadays since it cost just Dominic and I nearly $25 after tickets and snacks. Insane. I hightly recommend anyone with kids to see this movie. It will not be a waste of your time.
This was an excellent movie. Even though I had heard some good reviews, I was still not expecting to be thoroughly entertained. In fact, this is one of the better all around films that I have seen in a long time. While the storyline was somewhat formulaic, the acting was superb and the scenery and cinematography were outstanding. My expectations were fantastically exceeded. Afterwards, even Dominic was trumpeting the beauty of Scotland. When you can get 7-year-olds commenting on scenery, you've done something right.
Last week on the Walt Bodean Show, I heard one of the critics paraphrase the storyline as an updated E.T. I can see his point. However, there was much more to the film than the water creature. In fact, I don't think the creature was on screen for more than half of the film. This was a nice piece of scripting/directing--not overdoing the screen presence of the title character/creature. The real story was about Angus, a boy of around 10 having trouble coming to grips with the fact that his beloved father will not be returning from WWII. It's a happy yet bittersweet ending as the creature escapes, but parts from Angus forever. I thought that the entire storyline was masterful use of the Loch Ness Monster myth. I really liked the way that it worked in the famous fake photo of Nessie. I'm also glad that I caught this one on the big screen, instead of waiting for it to come out on video. This one was worth the full theater experience---which I say less and less of nowadays since it cost just Dominic and I nearly $25 after tickets and snacks. Insane. I hightly recommend anyone with kids to see this movie. It will not be a waste of your time.
Tuesday, January 09, 2007
Movie: Happily Never After
Dominic, Sharon and I saw this movie at Dickensen Northglen this past Friday, 1/5/07.
Friday, December 29, 2006
Reading Log Index
Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift; January 2008
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgeral; Demember 2007
Great Expectations by Charles Dickens; December 2007
The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck; November 2007
The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck; November 2007
The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams; October 2007
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley; October 2007
For Whom the Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway; October 2007
Faust by J.W. von Goethe; September 2007
Dali by Robert Descharnes; May 2007
A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway; March 2007
Euthyphro, Apology, Crito, Phaedo by Plato; March 2007
Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton; December 2006
The Creative Brain by Nancy Andreasen; December 2006
Don Quioxte by Miguel de Cervantes; December 2006
Crossing the Threshold of Hope by Pope John Paul II; October 2006
A Doll's House by Henrich Ibsen; September 2006
Doctor Faustus by Christopher Marlowe; September 2006
Word Play by Stephan Fatsis; August 2006
The Divine Comedy: Inferno by Dante Alleghieri; August 2006
The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank; June 2006
The New North American Trout Fishing by John Merwin; July 2006
Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller; May 2006
David Copperfield by Charles Dickens; May 2006
Daisy Miller by Henry James; April 2006
1776 by David McCullough; April 2006
The Crucible by Arthur Miller; March 2006
Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky; March 2006
Mark Twain by Ron Powers; December 2005
Bono: In Conversation by Michka Assayas; July 2005
The Color Purple by Alice Walker; August 2005
Savage Inequalitites by Jonathan Kozol; July 2005
Lies My Teacher Told Me by James Loewen; July 2005
Warriors Don't Cry by Melba Beals; June 2005
Mosaic of Thought; June 2005
The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis; April 2005
Hidden Order: The Economics of Everyday Life by David Friedman; April 2005
Catch-22 by Joseph Heller; April 2005
From Jerusalem to Antioch by Jerome Crowe; April 2005
Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis; March 2005
The Cantebury Tales by Geoffry Chaucer; February 2005
Letters to a Young Catholic by George Weigel; January 2005
Candide by Voltaire; December 2004
Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of a Violent Faith by Jon Krakauer; November 2004
The Call of the Wild by Jack London; November 2004
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley; November 2004
Stand Up Fight Back: Republican Toughs, Democratic Wimps and the Politics of Revenge by E.J. Dionne; November 2004
American Dynasty by Kevin Phillips; October 2004
Billy Budd by Herman Melville; August 2004
Hospitals: What They Are & How They Work by I. Donal Snook, Jr.; August 2004
Beowulf by Anonymous; July 2004
Bringing Up Boys by James Dobson; June 2004
The Awakening by Kate Chopin; June 2004
Booknotes on American Character by Brian Lamb; May 2004
The South Beach Diet by Arthur Agatston
Wealth & Democracy by Kevin Phillips; June 2004
As You Like It by William Shakespeare; April 2004
As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner; March 2004
Animal Farm by George Orwell; March 2004
All The King's Men by Robert Penn Warren; March 2004
All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque; February 2004
The Aeneid by Virgil; February 2004
The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold; January 2004
The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom; December 2003
The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton; January 2004
Poorhouse Jed by Horatio Alger; September 2003
Beyond Belief: The Secret Gospel of Thomas by Elaine Pagels
The DaVinci Code by Dan Brown; October 2003
Left Behind by Tim LaHayne; September 2003
The Glorious Cause by Jeff Shaara; September 2003
Joined at the Heart by Al & Tipper Gore
Rebecca by Daphne DeMaurier; July 2003
The Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith
Mozarts Brain and the Fighter Pilot by Richard Restak
When All You've Ever Wanted Isn't Enough by Harold Kushner; February 2003
John Adams by David McCullough; January 2003
Full of Grace by Terry Golway; November 2002
Rise to Rebellion by Jeff Shaara; November 2002
The First Billion by Christopher Reich; October 2002
Self Matters by Dr. Phillip McGraw; April 2003
Cosbeyology by Bill Cosby; August 2002
Portrait of a Lady by Henry James; June 2003
Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand; July 2002
Jack: Straight From the Gut by Jack Welch; May 2002
It's Only a Game by Terry Bradshaw; August 2002
Witness To Hope by George Weigel; January 2002
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgeral; Demember 2007
Great Expectations by Charles Dickens; December 2007
The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck; November 2007
The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck; November 2007
The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams; October 2007
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley; October 2007
For Whom the Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway; October 2007
Faust by J.W. von Goethe; September 2007
Dali by Robert Descharnes; May 2007
A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway; March 2007
Euthyphro, Apology, Crito, Phaedo by Plato; March 2007
Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton; December 2006
The Creative Brain by Nancy Andreasen; December 2006
Don Quioxte by Miguel de Cervantes; December 2006
Crossing the Threshold of Hope by Pope John Paul II; October 2006
A Doll's House by Henrich Ibsen; September 2006
Doctor Faustus by Christopher Marlowe; September 2006
Word Play by Stephan Fatsis; August 2006
The Divine Comedy: Inferno by Dante Alleghieri; August 2006
The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank; June 2006
The New North American Trout Fishing by John Merwin; July 2006
Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller; May 2006
David Copperfield by Charles Dickens; May 2006
Daisy Miller by Henry James; April 2006
1776 by David McCullough; April 2006
The Crucible by Arthur Miller; March 2006
Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky; March 2006
Mark Twain by Ron Powers; December 2005
Bono: In Conversation by Michka Assayas; July 2005
The Color Purple by Alice Walker; August 2005
Savage Inequalitites by Jonathan Kozol; July 2005
Lies My Teacher Told Me by James Loewen; July 2005
Warriors Don't Cry by Melba Beals; June 2005
Mosaic of Thought; June 2005
The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis; April 2005
Hidden Order: The Economics of Everyday Life by David Friedman; April 2005
Catch-22 by Joseph Heller; April 2005
From Jerusalem to Antioch by Jerome Crowe; April 2005
Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis; March 2005
The Cantebury Tales by Geoffry Chaucer; February 2005
Letters to a Young Catholic by George Weigel; January 2005
Candide by Voltaire; December 2004
Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of a Violent Faith by Jon Krakauer; November 2004
The Call of the Wild by Jack London; November 2004
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley; November 2004
Stand Up Fight Back: Republican Toughs, Democratic Wimps and the Politics of Revenge by E.J. Dionne; November 2004
American Dynasty by Kevin Phillips; October 2004
Billy Budd by Herman Melville; August 2004
Hospitals: What They Are & How They Work by I. Donal Snook, Jr.; August 2004
Beowulf by Anonymous; July 2004
Bringing Up Boys by James Dobson; June 2004
The Awakening by Kate Chopin; June 2004
Booknotes on American Character by Brian Lamb; May 2004
The South Beach Diet by Arthur Agatston
Wealth & Democracy by Kevin Phillips; June 2004
As You Like It by William Shakespeare; April 2004
As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner; March 2004
Animal Farm by George Orwell; March 2004
All The King's Men by Robert Penn Warren; March 2004
All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque; February 2004
The Aeneid by Virgil; February 2004
The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold; January 2004
The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom; December 2003
The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton; January 2004
Poorhouse Jed by Horatio Alger; September 2003
Beyond Belief: The Secret Gospel of Thomas by Elaine Pagels
The DaVinci Code by Dan Brown; October 2003
Left Behind by Tim LaHayne; September 2003
The Glorious Cause by Jeff Shaara; September 2003
Joined at the Heart by Al & Tipper Gore
Rebecca by Daphne DeMaurier; July 2003
The Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith
Mozarts Brain and the Fighter Pilot by Richard Restak
When All You've Ever Wanted Isn't Enough by Harold Kushner; February 2003
John Adams by David McCullough; January 2003
Full of Grace by Terry Golway; November 2002
Rise to Rebellion by Jeff Shaara; November 2002
The First Billion by Christopher Reich; October 2002
Self Matters by Dr. Phillip McGraw; April 2003
Cosbeyology by Bill Cosby; August 2002
Portrait of a Lady by Henry James; June 2003
Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand; July 2002
Jack: Straight From the Gut by Jack Welch; May 2002
It's Only a Game by Terry Bradshaw; August 2002
Witness To Hope by George Weigel; January 2002
Beowulf
Beowulf is an epic poem of unknown authorship written in Old English. It was written between 700 - 1000 A.D.
The legendary poem is set in Scandinavia circa 500 A.D.
The poem includes ambiguous roles for both Christianity and paganism.
The legendary poem is set in Scandinavia circa 500 A.D.
The poem includes ambiguous roles for both Christianity and paganism.
Tuesday, December 12, 2006
Don Quixote
Author: Miguel de Cervantes
Characters: Don Quixote de La Mancha; Sancho Panza; Dulcinia del Toboso
Characters: Don Quixote de La Mancha; Sancho Panza; Dulcinia del Toboso
Wednesday, September 27, 2006
A Doll's House
Author: Henrik Ibsen
Published: 1879
Type of work: Play
Original language: Norwegian
Characters: Nora Helmer; Torvald Helmer; Dr. Rank; Christine Linde; Nils Krogstad
"A Doll's House" is a scathing indictment against Victorian standards for marriage and proscribes roles for women. It was highly controversial in the late 19th century, and Ibsen was pressured into changing the ending of the play for it to be performed on German stages.
Published: 1879
Type of work: Play
Original language: Norwegian
Characters: Nora Helmer; Torvald Helmer; Dr. Rank; Christine Linde; Nils Krogstad
"A Doll's House" is a scathing indictment against Victorian standards for marriage and proscribes roles for women. It was highly controversial in the late 19th century, and Ibsen was pressured into changing the ending of the play for it to be performed on German stages.
Doctor Faustus
How does Faustus use the magical gifts that he receives? How are the uses to which he puts his power significant? What do they suggest about his character or about the nature of unlimited power?
The only thing significant about the way that Faustus uses his power is its insignificance.
The only thing significant about the way that Faustus uses his power is its insignificance.
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