Music Review: Tango Al Rojo Vivo, Enzo Peiret with the Buenos Aires Quartet

Tango music makes my blood boil.  It is so passionate.  You have the piano playing a few bass notes, and then the accordian kicks in.  It is so cool!  I jump up and always try to engage Sheri in a Tango dance (not that I know how to dance Tango but I could pretend) but I end up dancing around her.  And when they sing of kissing, I just have to kiss Sheri.  On of the songs is even entitled "Passional." "You'll never know what it is t die a thousand times from anxiety, you'll never know what it is to love, to want your kisses."  And in every moment, feverish and loving, I want your lips to kiss."
Man I love this stuff!!!

Movie Review: ***Hotel Transylvania II

Adam Sandler helped write this movie, as well as providing his voice talents for the character of Dracula.  His daughter is voiced by Selena Gomez.  In Hotel Transylvania I she married a human (voiced by Andy Samberg.)  In this episode they have a child.  Will he be human or vampire?  that is the big question, and where will he fit in?  Great Grandfather comes and says he just needs a good scare to bring out his fangs.  But in this case, that doesn't help.  However, his friend being in peril just might work.
This is a fun Halloween movie.  I must admit, I have not seen Hotel Transylvania, but hope to do so.  It is not available on Instant Netflix while this version is.  
My only complaint is the nipple twisting scene.  Of course it is the blind man's nipples being twisted, but Sandler seems to be infatuated with this move, as it is also in "Water Boy."

Its The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown (Full Episode)

This is a Charlie Brown Special focusing on Halloween and Linus.  Of course it has all the characters, including Snoopy chasing the Red Baron, and getting shot down, Charlie Brown, who only gets rocks, Lucy who is embarrassed by her brother, Linus, who believes in the Great Pumpkin and gives up his halloween waiting for its arrival, Sally, who loves Linus enough to wait for the Great Pumpkin with him, and Schroeder, whose music touches the emotions, as Snoopy demonstrates.
Loved this show as a kid, and still love it.
There are a couple versions on You Tube

Book Review: Star Wars The Force Awakens

Star Wars The Force Awakens, Alan Dean Foster, screenplay by Lawrence Kasdan, J.J. Abrams and Michael Arndt based on Character of George Lucas, Del Rey, New York, 2015.

The book added more depth to the story; but even after the movie and the book, I still have questions about motivation.  The biggest question of course is why did Ben Solo become Kylo Ren, turning to the dark side.  The book points out the manipulations and scheming of Supreme Leader Snoke.  I am at a loss to explain when Luke Skywalker would have run away.  He is not the type.  To me this is the biggest hole in this whole plat thing, and I am waiting for explanation.  Just because Ben went to the dark side is not enough reason for his actions.  This part doesn't make sense.  
As for the rest of it, I understand better where the storm troopers come from and why one of them might go rogue and join the rebellion.  We are still waiting for the parentage of Rey, and why she would be so great in the force.
However, I enjoy a good Star Wars read and found this book very entertaining.

Movie Review: **^Candleshoe

 Candleshoe is the name of an English Manor where is hid an old pirates treasure of Spanish Doubloons.  An orphan, Jodie Foster and a con man, David Niven are on the trail.  

Movie Review: Practical Magic

Here is a very good Halloween themed show.  Sally (Sandra Bullock) and Gillian (Nicole Kidman) come from a family of witches, with a particular curse that if they love men, that man is destined to die.  And so they do their best not to fall in love, including wishing (or casting a spell) for the impossible, or picking someone who is terribly evil you couldn't fall in love with him.  All this works to a degree, until Sally does fall in love, and after having two children, her husband is killed by a truck.  In the meantime, Gillian picks an abuser, and Sally goes to rescue her, killing gillian's boyfriend in the process.  They cast a spell to bring him back, and he comes back as a ghost haunting them.  In the end he inhabits Gillian, and only bringing the community together are they able to save her, and send the ex on his way.
This movie has sisterly and motherly affection, as well as romantic relationships.  It has some scary scenes.  It also puts in some unneeded drinking and partying.  It also deals with relationships with those who are different.  The community has always been down on them as witches, but in the end the make amends.

Movie Review: ****^Unbroken

I knew this movie would be difficult to watch, and it was.  However it is an important movie.  It shows the experience of Louis Zamperini (Jack O'Connell) and his contact with Watanabe (Miyavi) a Japanese officer at the Japanese POW camps.  Louis had been an Olympic athlete.  He ran the 5000 M at the Berlin Olympic games in 1936, taking eighth.
During WWII he was aboard a Liberator plane which went down due to mechanical failure.  He and two others managed to get on two rafts.  They were strafed several times, but not hit.  They ate small fish, and birds that flew on their raft.  The captured rain water.  They went through a big storm, and survived.  However one of the crew men passed away.  Louis and his other companion were captured by the Japanese.  He was at several prisoner of war camps, and during this time was tortured by Watanabe.  Many times he was tested, as Watanabi wanted an excuse to kill him.  However Louis overcame.
After the war he was haunted by nightmares, and wanting to get even.  It wasn't until he turned his life to Christ that he was able to forgive and the nightmares went away.  He carried the torch for the 1998 WInter Olympics in Japan.  He tried to visit his captors, but Miyavi would not see him.

Book Review: Bugs of Northern California

I am mentioning this book because I have been going over some of the reference books in our library.  Every family should have a book about bugs.  Not necessarily bug of Northern California but local bugs where you live.  You can find a lot of creepy pictures in a bug book.  I am glad bugs aren't large, because then they would really be creepy.  This book is by John Acorn with illustrations by Ian Sheldon.  I guess Acorn is really into bugs as he mentions in the introductory chapter.  Lone Pine Publishing, Renton, WA, 2002.

Movie Refiew: ****The Last Air Bender (2010)

This movie is surprisingly well done and I enjoyed it very much.  There are different people with certain powers, air benders are the most unique, as they have all the powers.  However there is also fire, and earth and water.  Fire controls the world with their machines and their seagoing vessels.  Nothing can stop the power of fire,  but an airbender.  And the Airbender is discovered.  This movie includes great sacrifice, not just by the airbender but by those around him.  This film is written and directed and M. Night Shyamalan.  I enjoy his work.
Noah Ringer stars as Aang the Last AirBender.  Jackson Rathbone as his ally, Sokka and Nicola Peltz as another ally, Katara.

Music Review: Julio Iglesias: Mexico

Even though this C.D. is entitled Mexico, the common theme of Julio Iglesias is "Love."  All of his songs are brimming with love, and his manner of singing expresses that feeling of love throughout.  I am talking of romantic love.  I really enjoyed the song "Jurame" "Promise Me."  "Promise me that even if a lot of time passes you will never forget the moment."  It has a section where there are some fascinating rhymes.  It also has a big "Besa me, con un beso enamorado."  "Kiss me with a kiss of love."  Who could not like that.
He follows with "Ella" another song just overflowing with love.  It seems all of his songs are brimming with love themes.
The song "Sway" has a big band feel.  He sings this song in English.  "Sway with me, stay with me, you have a way with me."  This is great dancing music.
Even when he sings of relationships, he does so with a feeling of love, "Echame a mi la Culpa" "Give me the blame."
"Y Nos Dieron las Diez" has a feel of Argentine tango with an accordion playing.
He does turn to Mexico in two verions of "Mexico Lindo" but still his songs are full of love.  "Mexico, beautiful and beloved, if a die far away from you, may they say I am sleeping and bring me to you."
Julio Iglesias has such a soft but vibrant voice.  I have always enjoyed listening to him since I was in Argentina on my mission and introduced to him.