Movie Review: The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep (2007)

 This is a very good retelling of the Loch Ness monster story.  A boy finds an egg, and takes it home.  The boy is introverted and clumsy, and scared of the water even though he lives by the loch.  His father is away to fight in the war.  The egg hatches into a cute little seal looking creature.  He keeps it secret, but it is impossible to keep it secret forever.  The man who has moved into the house to do the upkeep, Lewis Mowbray, finds our, as does his sister Kristie.  But his mom doesn't.  He lets the beast go, as he grows very fast.  He visits the beast and they go on a swim.  However the military is defending theloch under Captain Hamilton, during WWII.  Some practice rounds get too close to the beast and causes him to have som PTSD.  Now the military are looking for him, and others, some for the notoriety and some for possible money.  His mother finally realizes he is not lying about the monster when it visits, and now they are trying to escape past the submarine nets.  

• Alex Etel as Angus MacMorrow
  • Brian Cox as Older Angus MacMorrow
  • Louis Owen Collins as young Angus MacMorrow
• Emily Watson as Anne MacMorrow
• Ben Chaplin as Lewis Mowbray
• David Morrissey as Captain Thomas Hamilton
• Priyanka Xi as Kirstie MacMorrow

Movie Review: ****^ The Notebook (2004)

 This is a story that tells you the true love wins out in the end, despite all the odds against it.  A summer fling appears to not go anywhere, but both partners, Noah (Ryan Gosling) and Allie (Rachel McAdams) profess their love.  Noah confesses his dream of restoring an old house, and living with Allie in the house.  It is Allie's mother (Joan Allen) that gets in the way.  The family ends their vacation early, and Allie is prohibited from seeing Noah.  Allie tells a friend to confess her love to Noah.  But when Noah writes every day for a year, the mother takes the letters and does not deliver them to Allie.  He joins the military for WWII, and she goes to college.  

Seven years later Allie is engaged, but comes upon a news story about Noah and the house he has restored.  She has to see, and thus rekindles the flame, even though they have not seen each other for seven years.  Allie's mother brings her the letters she kept from her, and indicates she had to make the same decision at one point, and went with the man who could provide best rather than the man she loved and wonders if her decision was best.  Allie now has a similar choice.

This story is overlaid by a an readinga notebook to his partner ho has deentia.  She does not remember things but likes the story.  By the end of the movie we realize that this is Noah (James Garner) and Allie (Gena Rowlands) reading Allie's journal about their love story.  When they come to the end Allie finds her memories for a time, but then becomes confused again.  After having a heart attack, Noah survives, to sneak into bed with his wife where they die together.

Musical version at theater

Movie Review: My Giant

 Billy Crystal plays a hollywood scout, Sammy, whose last client has just fired him.  He is down on his luck.  He finds himself in Romania on business and crashes his car.  He is rescued by a giant, Gheorghe Mureșan playing Max.  Max leads a lonely life, having been brought up by a monastery as his parents gave up on him because he was so big.  Max is convinced to go with Sammy to America to look for an ex girlfriend, Liliana (Joanna Pacula).  Sam hopes to sell hi to Hollywood.  Sam finally finds her, but she does not want anything to do with Max.  It had been over twenty years since they last saw each other.  Sam recruits his estranged wife (Kathleen Quinlan) to take the place of Lilliana, and it works.  His wife as Lilliana says she has found another so Max gets soe closure.  Sam does get Max a role as a giant with Steven Seagal.  Pretty fun, and everyone is better for it in the end.  Sam gets back with his wife, and Max reconciles with his parents.  The downer is Max has an inoperable heart condition.  

Music Review: My Take on the Omaha Symphony Orchestra Concert 1/17/2026

Debussy and Prokofiev, January 16-17 Holland Performing Arts Center, Joseph Young, conductor and Robert Young saxophone.  The conductor was a guest conductor and the saxophonist as well.  They are brothers. 

The concert was performed at the Holland Center.  It wasn't completely full,  but very close.  I have never attended an adult orchestra concert other than when they play and I am singing.  Such was the case in Kingman. This was a new experience.  I had good company, my granddaughter, who got free tickets for playing in a youth orchestra.  I did attend her own concert before Christmas.  

They played three pieces.  1. Claude Debussey, "Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun."  This was a shorter ten minute piece.  It was very dream like, fairy like as it was composed to represent a poem about a faun's dream of two nymphs.  Camberly like this number best.  The program says it was revolutionary when it came out with advancing music style.

2. Guillaume Connesson, "A Kind of Trane--Concerto for Saxophone and Orchestra."  It has three movements, I. There is None Other, II. Ballade and III. Coltrane on the Dance Floor.  It is written as a orchestral tribute to John Coltrane.  It s very interesting as the saxophone is often going all over the place in contrast to the base and percussion which keep their steady beats.  This the the piece I preferred.

3. Sergei Prokofiev, "Symphony No. 5 in B-flat major, op. 100, with four movements: I. Andante, II. Allegro moderato, III. Adagio, IV Allegro giocoso.  The program said this was a 45 minute piece, but it seemed to go much quicker.  It is written by a Russian composer during WWII.  When it was first played they had to wait for a cannonade which marked the crossing of the Vistula River in Poland, marking a turning point in the war.  Many consider Prokofiev's fifth symphony to be his best.  

Saxophonist during the bows

Music Review: Neil Diamond--The Ultimate Collection

 I don't think you can ever get enough Neil Diamond Music.  This 2 C.D. set has 40 songs, 19 on the first CD and 21 on the second.  That is a good start in getting enough Neil Diamond.  He includes songs he wrote that were sung by other artists like, "I'm a Believer" and "Red Red Wine." He sings a couple duets, "You Don't Bring Me Flowers" with Barbra Streisand and "You've Lost that Loving Feeling" with Dolly Parton.  80 percent of the songs were written by Neil Diamond.  My favorite Neil Diamond Song has always been "Song Sung Blue."  It is simple and sweet and has a catchy tune.  There are many others to like: "Sweet Caroline," "I Am I Said," "Hello Again," "Longfellow Serenade," "Play Me," 'Soolaiman," "September Morn," "Kentucky Woman," "America," "Hearlight," and many more.  This is a whole lot of familiar songs that bring back nice memories.  Lots to love.  

Animated Movie Review: **** How to Train Your Dragon (2010)

 This is very likely the beat of the three animated movies about coexistence between dragons and people.  Hiccup (Jay Baruchel) befriends a dragon.  This is unheard of in Viking society.  But he learns from the dragon, and consequently is able to pass his dragon school training as top of the class.  Most importantly he learns that dragons are not the vicious enaces all though them to be.  His father uses his dragon to find the dragon lair, and bites off more than he can chew, but hiccup, his dragon, and his friends come to the rescue.  Astrid (America Ferrera) is ghe girl that likes Hiccup and restores his cofidence when he is down.

Music Review: A Children's Celebration of Music

 A Children's Celebration of Music, various artists, AllMusic, 1992

This is a delightful collection of children's songs by the original artisits, some as long as 50 years ago.  Some are classic American Folk songs such as "This Old Man" by Pete Seeger and "Skip to my Lou" by John McCutcheon.  Peter Paul and Mary sing "Puff the Magic Dragon" and Loggins and Mesina sing "House on Pooh Corner."  There is also "Over the Rainbow" by Judy Garland.  A beautiful song is "Garden Song" sung by Maria Muldaur.  There is even "The Ugly Duckling" by Danny Kay and Gordon Jenkins.  Other artists include Paul Simon, Anne Murray, James Taylor, Burl Ives and the Doobie Brothers.  There are fifteen songs in total and all are enjoyable.