John Wayne Movie Review: Rio Bravo (1959)

 Sheriff Chance (John Wayne) arrests a man Joe Burdette for murder, and his brother Nathan Burdette (John Russell) doesn't like it.  John is a big land owner and is complicit in a murder himself, paying people to do his evil work.  Chance has two deputies, Stumpy (Walter Brennan) who is crippled and Dude (Dean Martin) who has been on a two year bender after things went sour with a girl.  But they do have the fortress of the jail.  There is a woman (Angie Dickinson) new in town, who befriends Chance.  Also a young gun man, Colorado Ryan (Ricky Nelson) whose boss is murdered by Burdette's men, and becomes a third deputy.  Finally the dye is cast, when Burdette's men kidnap Dude, and arrange an exchange for Joe Burdette.  This sets up the final gun battle.  With the help of some dynamite things do not go well for the crooks.

I enjoyed this movie.  The action was very nice, as was the romance.  The nicest part was a couple of songs the deputies sang while they holed up in the jail where they thought they could defend against the criminals.  One of the songs the Tabernacle Choir has also sung, "Cindy." 

Movie Review: Batman Begins

This is a very good new beginning to Batman, with a lot of pre Batman explanation. like how he learned his fighting skills.  He actually trains with a group that is against crime, to the point of taking it into their own hands.  Bruce Wayne has a falling out with them, and returns to Gotham with a new goal and sets himself up as Batman.   But the past haunts him. 

Ducard is the person from the past who helped train Bruce Wayne.  Alfred is the butler and Lucius Fox is Bruce Wayne's inside man at Wayne Enterprises.  Rachel Dawes is a district attorney and Bruce Wayne's friend from growing up years.  Jim Gordon is a police officer and becomes Batman's liaison.  And Dr. Jonathan Crane is with the gangs and also working for Ducard and his group.  He is the mask man who uses a toxin to make people hallucinate and thereby he gets them off on insanity pleas.  

The gangs have been smuggling the toxin in for sometime, and putting it in the water supply.  They have stolen a water vaporizer and plan to vaporize the toxin in the air and release the poison toxin into the air.  This will create paranoid people killing each other and Gotham will destroy itself.  Only Batman, and Gordon can turn the tide.  

Batman vs Ducard makes very good conflict.  A cute side bar is the president at Wayne enterprises and Lucius Fox.  When Fox becomes the president he asks the former president, "Didn't you get the memo?"

• 

  Christian Bale

  Bruce Wayne

  /Batman
• 

  Michael Caine

  Alfred
• 

  Liam Neeson

  Ducard
• 

  Katie Holmes

  Rachel Dawes
• 

  Gary Oldman

  Jim Gordon
• 

  Cillian Murphy

  Dr. Jonathan Crane
• 

  Morgan Freeman Lucius Fox  

  
  

Music Review: Chicago Greatest Hits 1982-1989

 This C.C. collections starts off with the classic and personal favorite, "Hard to Say I'm Sorry."  The album starts with that violin melody that introduces this number.  It is just beautiful.  Chicago has never shied from using instrumentals in their numbers; in fact that is the trademark.  The use brass instruments frequently.  

Chicago describes themselves as a rock and roll band with horns.  The were formed in the late 60s in Chicago, first called The Big Thing, the Chicago Transit Authority and then Chicago.  Peter Cetera, Terry Kath and Robert Lamm provide most of the vocals.  Their songs seem to be about love and relationships.  "I can't go on if I'm on my own" the sing in "Will you Still Love Me."  In "Love me Tomorrow" they sing "She loves me, and thats all I need to know."

"Look Away" is a good song of the after effects of a break up.  "If you see me walking by, and the tears are in. my eye, Look away!"  Also included are the classics "You're the Inspiration" and "Hard Habit to Break."  These songs continue the general theme, "You're the meaning of my life, you're the inspiration.  

"What Kind of Man Would I Be" ius remixed for this album and is also very catchy.  

I find Chicago to be very pleasing to listen to and as I said before, "Hard to Say I'm Sorry" is one of my favorite songs of all time.  

Movie Review: ***^ Surrogates (2009)

 In a futuristic world the characters are almost all surrogates who are controlled by people who stay at home rather than go to work.  With having surrogates the murder rate is down and life is great.  However there are areas where they are people only and the populace do not accept surrogates.  There is a new weapon that not only kills the surrogate, but also the person behind the surrogate.  Several murders are committed, including police men.  Greer (Bruce Willis) and Peters (Radha Mitchell) are police men investigating the murders.  Greer and his wife Maggie (Rosamund Pike) grow farther and farther apart as they never interact as people but only as surrogates.  In their research the visit the creator of the surrogates, Canter (James Cromwell).  He only appears as a surrogate to anyone; but he has several different forms.  

This makes for a very good who done it mystery as they try to track this weapon and get rid of it.  The connections also end up becoming very important, and the world as everyone knows it will be forever changed.  In this movie things are not as they seem, because a surrogate could represent anyone and you don't know who they might be. 

 

Silent Alfred Hitchcock Movie: **Champagne (1928)

 I think this is the Alfred Hitchcock silent movie I like least.  The story is about the daughter (Betty Balfour) of a champagne tycoon (Gordon Harker), whose father refuses permission that she marry her boyfriend (Jean Bradin).  She flies her father's plane to meet her boyfriend who is on a yacht going to France.  Her boyfriend has sea sickness and she meets a mysterious stranger (Ferdinand Von Allen).  She receives a telegram from her father who warns her about marrying him, so she proposes to him.  They argue over her having asked for his hand.  He later regrets this and looks for her to apologize, and finds her playing chess with the stranger, so they quarrel again.  The father meets them in France, and announces the family fortune has been lost.  The boyfriend leaves and the father thinks he is only interested in money.  The daughter is robbed and consequently they are destitute and father and daughter take a dilapidated apartment.  Boyfriend returns again to apologize and she rebukes him saying she is going to take a job.  She works in a restaurant where she sees the mysterious man who hands her a note to contact him if she is in need.  The boyfriend does not approve of the job and they argue again.  Her father also does not approve and says it was a ruse his having lost the family money.  She is mad at both her father and boyfriend, but the mysterious stranger pays for her trip back to America.  Turns out the mysterious an works for her father to keep her safe.  The boyfriend, unaware of this decides to attack him but father intervenes to say he no longer objects to the wedding.  Our couple of love birds now argue about the wedding arrangments as the movie ends.

This movie flounders because it really doesn't have much to say.  

Movie Review: **** In Time (2011)

 Will Salas (Justin Timberlake) is on a mission to undo a lopsided society.  In this society everyone is given 25 years, after which you no longer age.  However then you have to get your own time, and if your time gets to zero, you die.  In this way those with time can keep the world from becoming overpopulated.  When Salas' mother (Olivia Wilde) dies because Salas culd not get her more time before she died, he sets out on this vendetta.  Someone who wants to die gives him 100 years, and this gets him into a richer high society neighborhood.  There he meets Sylvia Weiss (Amanda Seyfried) whose father (Vincent Kartheiser) has benefitted by the system--living at age 25, forever.  His wife, mother and child all appear the same and are all 25 in terms of aging.  He first Salas kidnaps her, sort of but she wants to go with him, and they begin to change the system, by stealing years from banks.  The Timekeeper (Cillian Murphy) tells Sylvia's father she doesn't appear to want to be rescued.  Salas and Sylvia make a pretty good team.  There is always a bigger bank.

This universe has some very intriguing points and nuances which makes a good movie.

John Wayne Movie Review: ***^ Chisum (1970)

 Chisum is a formolaic John Wayne film.  Wayne plays Chisum, who has lived in the area for 25 years and built a ranch with hard work, and Lawrence Murphy (Forrest Tucker) who figures he can do better by taking what is Chisum's and controlling the law in the process.  You add Billy Bonney (Geoffrey Deuel) who is hot headed and explosive and things do not always go as planned.  Things go too far when Murphy's men kill Henry Tunstall (Patric Knowles) who had befriended Bonney.  Bonney takes it upon himself to kill the murderers and the sheriff and Murphy and anyone else complicit in the murder.  Makes for a good feud and war in town.  Ben Johnson plays Pepper, Chisum's long time friend and Pamela McMyler plays Sallie, Chisum's niece.  Glen Corbett plays Pat Garrett.  

Alfred Hitchcock Movie Review: **** Blackmail (1929)

 This is Alfred Hitchcock's  first talkie movie.  It is actually very good.  Alice White (Anny Ondra) has an argument with her boyfriend, Detective Frank Webber (John Longden).  She goes home with an artist she met at the coffee shop, Mr. Crewe (Cyril Ritchard).  He gets her into a different dress to model for him, but he forces a kiss on her and she protests and decides to get dressed and go home.  However she takes her dress, and then tries to rape her.  She happens upon a knife in his studio and kills him during the attempted rape.  She tries to erase evidence of herself in the apartment and leaves, walking the streets all night.  Webber is assigned to the case, and find's White's glove.  He takes the glove to her at the store her parents own and she works, wondering what happened.  At which point another person, Tracy (Donald Calthorp) enters the store.  He has the other glove and saw Mr. Crewe with White together and proceeds to blackmail them.  The tables turn when he turns out to have a criminal past, and he is wanted for questioning in the case.  Tracy panics and runs, and ends up falling to his death.  White goes to the police station to confess, but is intercepted by Webber.  The police assume Tracy did the murder.  White confesses to Webber about the attempted rape and the murder.  She is not arrested.

Enjoyable show.  First few minutes there is no sound, and when the sound starts there is lots of laughing as if this was easier to create.  A silent version was released.  This is credited as the first talkie in England, and was considered the best picture of the year.

Movie Review: **** Eagle Eye (2008)

A movi about when AI gores bad, and identifies people to kill and people to be killed.  Targeted as killers are Jerry Shaw (Shia LaBeouf and  Rachel Holloman (Michelle Monighan).  They are powerless to resist as the AI is into everything.  They have Rachel's son, and Jerry's twin brother just died.  Rachel is recruited for her son, and Jerry for his brother.  On the other side military officer Zoe Perez (Rosario Dawson) and FBI agent Morgan (Billy Bob Thornton) are on their trail; but the AI is able to keep them from being captured, or get out of jail if they are caught.   It is only after a while they begin to understand the goal.  The AI is a US project against terrorism; an it is seeking regime change.

This movie is ahead of its time in terms of AI, which is a big deal these days, 18 years after the movie was made.

Alfred Hitchcock Movie: ** East of Shanghai aka Rich and Strange (1931)

 This movie is a part time silent movie.  It was made during a transition period and consequently has sound and dialogue for some of the film, but not all.  Fred and Emily Hill (Henry Kendall and Joan Barry) are living a mundane life, wanting to do something different.  When a rich uncle gives them money to travel, the Fred quits his job and they take off.  However living in England they must take a boat, and Fred finds he always has sea sickness, while Emily meets an older gentleman, Commander Gordon (Percy Marmont).  Fred also meets a supposed princess (Betty Amann).  They drift apart and spend more time with their new loves.  Emily leaves with the Commander, the Commander confides that the princess is not a princess but just latching on for Fred's money.  Emily returns to warn him, and they fight and then make up.  They are on a boat which hit something and the crew abandons ship.  However Fred and Emily miss this as they are fighting and making up.  The boat is sinking and they appear doomed.  A Chinese Junk pulls to the boat to rescue the Chinese workers who were left. The rescue our couple as well.  

This film was not very well received because of its mixed genre, silent and talking.  

Alfred Hitchcock Movie: *** Secret Agent (1936)

 Alfred Hitchcock presents a spy thriller.  I don't know if this is his first, but it becomes a staple.  An Englishman, Captain Edgar Brodie (John Gielgud) is presumed dead, returns to England.  There he is given a new name, Richard Ashenden and sent on a secret mission.  He is also given a wife, Elsa Carrington/Mrs. Ashenden (Madeleine Carroll).  This film is set in WWI and they are to prevent a spy from reaching Turkey.  They are also given a companion who is a ruthless killer, Th General (Peter Lorre).  They end up on the trail of Caypor (Percy Marmont) as he claims a button they discovered at a murder seen of an informant.  They go with him to the mountains, and the General pushes him off a cliff.  Ashenden watches through a telescope, and Mrs. Ashenden is fed up with the idea of murder.  She leaves the other two with a man, Robert Marvin (Robert Young).  The other note discover a spy message which was addressed to Marvin.  They had killed the wrong man, and are now on the trail of Marvin, who is with Mrs. Ashenden.  They are on the same train, and they manage to catch up with them, but Mrs. Ashenden opposes murder with her gun.  The train is bombed.  Marvin is crushed and is dying but he shoots the General killing him as he dies.  The Ashendens leave the spy business.

It seems there is no moral theme here, other than murder is never good.  This movie does enterain.  

Movie Review: **** Curly Sue (1991)

 This is a cute romantic comedy about a man, Bill (Jim Belushi) and his daughter, Curly Sue (Alisan Porter).  He is a grifter, conman and his daughter helps with his cons.  As part of that he will let himself be hit by a car and then extort money.  He pulls this game, and then the lawyer woman, Grey Ellison (Kelly Lynch) hits him for real a second time.  She feels guilty and takes them home.  They even continue this con as he feels better and could leave, but he feigns still being hurt.  Kelly begins to actually like Bill and Curly.  And this like grows into something more, and as a result Kelly becomes a more empathetic lawyer.  Grey's's boyfriend turns Curly and Bill into protective services, and Curly ends in a foster home and Bill in jail.  Kelly has to pull a few strings to set things right.  In the end Bill is the new boyfriend, and they are now a family of three and Curly Sue goes to school.  

This is a tear jerker romantic comedy.  

Alfred Hitchcock Silent Movie: **^ The Manxman (1929)

 This is an early Alfred Hitchcock.  In this movie there are two best friends, and one woman.  One is a lawyer and very loyal.  Pete (Carl Brisson) is in love with Kate (Anny Ondra).  Phillip (Malcolm Keen) is a lawyer and his trusted friend.  When Pete proposes marriage, Kate's father says absolutely not.  Pete determines to go over seas to get rich, and asks Phillip to keep and eye on Kate for him.  Kate and Phillip love each other, but are loyal.  when they hear Pete is presumed dead, they let go however.  However Pete is not dead and returns, and marries Kete.  However Kate is pregnant with Phillip's baby.  She has a baby girl, which Pete assumes is his.  They continue life until everything reaches a head for Kate.  She is married to Pete but loves Phillip, who is the father of her baby.  She attempts suicide by drowning.  She would like to be with Phillip but his lawyer, judgeship aspirations do not allow this.  But when Kate comes before him for trial, everything falls apart; or comers together based on your viewpoint.  

Early Alfred Hitchcock Movie: *** The Farmer's Wife (1928)

This is a very early Alfred Hitchcock, before he caught onto the suspense genre.  It is a romantic comedy of sorts with the Farmer, widowed, seeking a new wife after his daughter marries, leaving him at home alone.  Howevrer our farmer has terrible luck.  He is helped in his endeavors by his house maid and his handyman, who in the end are as funny as the farmer in his pursuits.  It takes him a while to com to his senses, but the maid and he have been in love for some time.  He is just shy around her.  

As noted Alfred Hitchcock direts.  This is a silent film, except for a serenade song.  

Movie Review: **** Jumper (2008) with Hayden Christensen

 David Rice (Hayden Christensen) has a miserable life.  The brunt of teasing at school, a mother who left him when he was five, and an abusive father.  while being teased at school, he falls through the ice and floats away.  But he doesn't drown, but teleports himself into the library.  He begins oracticing, and realizes he doesn't need to stay home.  He can teleport away, so he does.  He also develops a habit of teleporting into bank vaults, and thereby living a pretty good lifestyle.  However he doesn't show himself to anyone so they think he has died.  Several years later he is quite established.  However there is a secret group intent on killing the jumpers, no one should have such power.  Roland (Samuel L. Jackson) heads this group of Paladins.  He has a big knife he uses, but he slows the jumpers with electricity.  

He returns to his hometown, and looks up Millie (Rachel Bilson) and decides to bring her with on his next trip to Italy.  However in Italy he is attacked, but he also meets another jumper, Griffin (Jamie Bell).  David accidentally follows Griffin to his lair.  In the end they team up and the capture the Paladins without their device that helps them trap jumpers and also move about.  However Roland captures Millie.  david wants to save Millie, Griffin wants to blow u the Paladins.  A fight ensues, and david come away on top.  He rescues Millie and does not blow up the Paladins, prooving he is different from other Jumpers.

This movie jumps around a lot (pun intended).  They travel to sevreral different countries, Egypt and Italy among them.  There is some fine fighting and special effects with electricity.  

John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara Movie Review: **** Rio Grande (1950)

 This is the first of five collaborations of John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara.  Lt. Col Kirby York (Wayne) is osted on the Rio Grande, and dealing with Apache Indians.  Mrs. Kathleen Yorke (O'Hara) his estranged wife comes to camp after her son, Trooper Jefferson Yorke (Claude Jarman Jr.)  He had arrived in camp a few days earlier as a new recruit.  The relationship between Yorke and his wife evolves during the movie and it is fun to watch, as too the growth of their son.  Other characters are Trooper Tyree (Ben Johnson) who in addition to being a trooper is wanted on manslaughter charges.  Trooper Boone (Harry Carey Jr.) starts in a fight with Trooper York but they fast become best friends.  The movie is also graced with the serenading of the regimental singers (Sons of the Pioneers.)  

Great story telling.  In Black and White.  John Ford directed.

Tom Cruise Movie Review: **** Minority Report (2002)

 This is a science fiction that is a bit hard to understand.  It is a futuristic movie, taking place in 2054.  In Washington, D.C. pre cogs (peope with cognitive functions where they dream of future murders, and are used by the police to prevent future crimes.  Many people have been arrested as a result, and placed in a comma.  The murder rate has dropped to zero.  However one of our police, Chief John Anderton (Tom Cruise) shows up on a future crime report, killing someone he doesn't know.  He runs, and eventually gets to the bottom of a murder which was miss handled in the past.  A woman was murdered twice, once prevented by the precogs, but the second did happen, Ann Lively (Jessica Harper) was drowned.  One of the Precogs was her daughter (Samantha Morton).  Anderton steals this precog.  She is considered the strongest. 

Someone has been manipulating the system, and that person is very powerful.  A coworker (Colin Ferrell), rival of sorts, also started questioning and goes to the director (Max Von Sydow), and is murdered.  Anderton's (Kathryn Morris) wife is also involved, and is the person who discovers the true murderer.  

Directed by Steven Spielberg.  Even though this is hard material, with futuristic computers and such, I think is comes off well.  

Movie Review: **** Coach Carter (2005)

 Coach Carter (Samuel Jackson) takes a position as basketball coach even though he knows it is a tough neighborhood and the team has n9t had much success.  He sets some conditions for the players, 2.3 GPA and attend classes and sit in the front and wear a tie on game day.  They actually find a great deal of success on the court, but when the progress reports come to the coach, he realizes most of the team is not fulfilling the conditions of the contract.  He locks the gym and suspends games.  The forfeit a few games as a result; and the community has a conniption.  They go to the school board who overrules the coach and says games will restart.   Coach Carter chooses to resign.  The issue is important to him as too many kids do not go on to colege in Richmond, California where this story takes place.  However the players stivck with him.  They bring their grades up and get back to basketball.  This movie provides some exciting play.  They lose to the best team in the state in the playoffs by a last-second basket.

Samuel Jackson is very good.  Channing Tatum and Rick Gonzalez play basket ball players.  Robert Ri'chard plays Coach carter's son and als basketball player.  

Music Review: Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits

Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits, Columbia Records, 1967.

Bob Dylan is most known for his writing the iconic song, "Blowin' in the Wind."  That is the feature song of this C.C.  However there are only ten songs on the C.D.  The other on that s pretty popular as an anti-war movement song is "The Times, They Are a-Changin'."  Who knew that Bob Dylan wrote the song, "It Aint Me Babe" which Johnny Cash and June Carter recorded.  Another song in the same category is "Mr. Tambourine Man."  Dylan recorded this several times but the Byrd's version reached Number one.  The other song that is quite popular is "Like a Rolling Stone."

Dylan sings with a raspy kind of voice.  Some of the songs have a blue grass feel.  However the song that makes this C.D. enjoyable is "Blowin' in the Wind."  I sand this song with the Jr. High choir many moons ago.  

Movie Review: ***^ Music from Another Room (1998)

 As a boy, Danny (Jude Law) helps hs father deliver a baby.  At that time he declares he is going to marry the baby some day.  Jump forward 25 years and Danny is a down on his luck man who begins working making deliveries, and he runs into the same family.  The baby, Anna (Gretchen Mol) is now engaged.  Danny expresses his love, but it falls flat.  Anna has a sister, Nina (Jennifer Tilly) who is blind and over protected.  Danny begins to help her expand her life.  They go to a dance and she meets Jesus (Vincent Laresca) who gets her to dance.  From thee they form a relationship, and eventually marry.  As she grows, the family becomes more open and free, and Danny finds his place with them.  

Musical Review: The Neil Diamond Musical: A Beautiful Noise

 The Neil Diamond Musical: A Beautiful Noise was very enjoyable.  It presented the Neil Diamond story by framing it in a therapy session, with the therapist using the Neil Diamond songs as a place to focus her therapy; In a real sense Diamond put his life into his songs.  The ensemble went from them being backup singers to there being characters in his life.  The musical is presented with two Neil Diamonds, his current self watching his his then self and the rise of his career.

Diamond has had three wives, which means he has gone through two breakups.  Most of them ended amicably, but his second wife took his houses in the divorce.  His first wife was his high school sweetheart, Marcia.  She had a baby before Diamond started his career.  His second wife could be credited as the person who discovered him, Jaye.  She was with Diamond for 25 years, but eventually his being on the road took its toll.  His third wife, Katie, encouraged him to seek therapy, and to gor through with the musical.  His wives share in singing some of his songs, including, "Hello Again," "Song Sung Blue," "You Don't Bring Me Flowers," "Love on the Rocks" and "Play Me." "Play Me" is a very romantic duet.  The first act ends with Diamond being faced with writing a song to gt out of a repressive contract.  The song was "Sweet Caroline" which he sang with the audience.  

Diamond was a performer until his Parkinson's disease making so he couldn't continue.  In the musical all the songs were written by Neil Diamond, some with collaboration but mostly by himself.  When he started his career he said he had already written 50 songs.  His first song to become a hit, for the Monkees was "I'm a Believer."  He eventually started performing his own songs.  His manager, Jaye, who later became his wife, encouraged this.  

The climax of the musical the two Diamonds performed as a duet, "I Am I Said."  The doctor used this as an empty chair exercise, witting in one chair as the king, and another as the frog.  "Have you ever heard the story about a frog who dreamed of being a king, and then became one."  Sort of the Neil Diamond story rolled up into one line.  

This musical is really good, and I loved the music.  The thing that makes it special is the dancing.  There was some crazy dance moves going on.  For our night the part of Neil Diamond then was played by Joe Caskey.  

I also liked that there is a noe from Neil Diamond in the program explaining how the musical came to be.  It was a nice touch.

John Wayne Movie Review: ****The Sands of Iwo Jima (1949)

 Sergeant Stryker (John Wayne) is a tormented person.  He has an alcohol problem, and is tough on his men.  But he hopes he has taught them enough that it might save their lives.  Of course nothing ever works 100 percent.  After a hard fight up Mount Suribachi, Stryker is killed by a sniper's bullet, just before the raising of the flag by the Marines on the mount.  Stryker's death was not expected.  I though Wayne always lived.  After his death the discover he has a son he is not able to see, a reason for some of his torment.  Ira Hayes played himself in this movie as one of the men who raises the flag, and as a member of the unit Stryker trained and commanded.  

Tough fighting but an enjoyable movie.  Wayne was nominated for an Oscar for this movie.  

Reflections: Carly Simon's Greatest Hits

 In this CD we have 20 Carly Simon songs, 19 of her greatest hits and a 20th song recorded with her daughter, Sally Taylor, as a bonus.  The song for me that makes this CD worth listening to is "You're So Vain."  This song is surrounded by mystery as no one knows to whom she is referring.  It seems to be actually a compendium of men, including Warren Beatty.  "I haven't got Time for the Pain" is a song whose lrics go through my head.  This and the song "Anticipation."  I also like "That's the Way I've Always Heard it Should Be" from her first album and "The Right Thing to Do" from her third album.  She sings "Mockingbird" with James Taylor.  She was married to James Taylor for ten years.  Simon has a distinctive and enjoyable voice.  She also plays piano.  She represents music from the 70s when I grew up.

At the Movies: ****^ Mercy (2026)

 This movie takes on AI.  It is placed in 2029 Los Angeles.  Chris Raven (Chris Pratt) is confined to a chair when the movie begins, and he is charged with murdering his wife (Annabelle Wallace).  Raven is a police officer with L.A.  He was instrumental in gaining the first conviction through a system called Mercy.  He is given 90 minutes to prove his innocence or be executed.  Apparently the contraption he is connected to can do that immediately.  Judge Maddox (Rebecca Ferguson) is the face of the AI system which has accused Raven of murder, with 98 percent certainty he is guilty of murder.  Everything points to him being the only person in the house, and they have access to cell phone and camera information.  He also has his police partner (Kali Reis).  Together they begin to unravel a plot.  That plot gets more and more complicated, and results in the kidnapping of his daughter (Kylie Rogers).  The plot involves the brother (Chris Sullivan) of that first person executed by Mercy.

This movie is very entertaining.  It is different than any movie I have ever seen in that Raven is in a chair, but able to interact with people far away in the field.  This includes asking many questions of different people.  Even the judge begins to glitch as the guilty percentage slowly goes down.

At the Movies: **** Solo Mio (2026)

 This is an enjoyable romantic comedy based in Italy, complete with some language issues.  There is a big surprise in this movie, to the characters and the audience.  The story is Matt (Kevin James) takes his fiancée Heather (Julie Ann Emery) to Italy for the wedding; but she leaves him at the altar.  He finds another woman, Gia (Nicole Grimaudo) and they eventually become friends, and then more.  Things seem to hit off, but he does not tell her that he is on the rebound, and when he does she takes it hard.  Lots of funny stuff about relationships, and the two couples he meets in the honeymoon tour package, while he is single, really add to the movie, Meghan and Neal (Alyson Hannigan and Kim Coates) and Donna and Julian (Julee Cerda and Jonathan Roumie).  The really add some humor, one a couple divorcing each other twice and remarrying thrice.  The other present as therapists, and this gives me a laugh being a therapist and the language they use.  This made for a fun feel good movie.  Andrea Bocelli and family with an appearance.

Book Review: The Christmas Coat: Memories of my Sioux Childhood

 The Christmas Coat: Memories of my Sioux Childhood by Virginia Driving Hawk Sneve, illustrated by Ellen Beier, Holiday House, New York, 2011.

This book is a children's book but it is very good with an engaging Christmas story and nice wintry illustrations.  The book is about Virginia, who needs a new coat, but because she is the minister's daughter she gets the last pick of the Theast boxes, boxes sent by church members in the East for the Native American children.  So when a nice coat shows up in the boxes, it doesn't get to Virginia.  

A nice look at the Sioux culture and the Christmas pageant with the wise men wearing war bonnets.  

John Wayne Movie Review: **** The Alamo (1960)

 This is an epic movie of the Battle of Alamo directed and produced by John Wayne.  John Wayne also plays Davy Crockett.  Richard Widmark portrays Jim Bowie and Laurence Harvey plays Colonel William Barret Travis.  Smitty, the young man sent away to get reenforcements is played by Frankie Avalon.  Two of John Wayne's kids are in the movie.  Patrick portrays a member of Colonel Houston's staff and his daughter portrays a small girl who survives the final attack.  His son Michael Wayne is credited as a co-producer.  Another daughter also played a townsfolk as did his wife, Pilar.  In the move there is a budding love interest thrown in between Crockett and Flaca (Linda Cristal).  Crockett sends her away to be safe.  There were women in the church who were spared.  All the defenders were killed, about 200.  There were 400-600 casualties of San Ana's troops.  

This movie is not totally accurate in its portrayal of the Alamo.  However it has some good points.  It shows a very large Mexican Army.  It shows lots of marching and pageantry.  And it has some intense battle scenes.

The public loved the movie, the fourth highest grossing movie for the year.  Critics were not so kind.  It did eventually make a profit, but not initially as it has lots of cost over runs.  This is the only film Wayne directed and it is considered more a sketch about Wayne and his political feelings and o0inions than about the Alamo.