Movie Review: The Alamo (2004)

This is a historical movie based on the real events of The Alamo in 1836.  Santa Ana, emperor of Mexico had a very much larger army. The Texas army was not yet prepared to engage them.  The men at the Alamo were sacrificed to give them that time.  Billy Bob Thorton does an excellent job of portraying Davy Crockett.  He is a very interesting character.  In this version he is not killed in the attack on the fort.  He was captured and given a chance to plead for his life. Instead he asks for the surrender of the Mexicans. Dennis Quaid portrays Sam Houston, who is not talked into attacking early but waits for Santa Ana to make a mistake.  When he does the Mexican army is destroyed in 18 minutes.

Movie Review: ****The Impossible (2012)

This movie shows a young family with parents (Naomi Watts and Ewan McGregor) and three boys, as they are swept from their pool where they are vacationing in Thailand, by the tsunami of 2004.  Talk about your crazy scenes.  They follow the mother as she is swept away, and under the water, and poked with a branch in her chest, and her leg is also wounded.  She is being swept away with one of her sons as they try to keep close to each other, and they eventually come to a halt.  Her oldest son, Lucas (Tom Holland) does manage to stay with her.
The movie also shows the struggle of her husband, trying to locate her.  Somehow the two younger boys have survived and are with him.  However he puts them on a rescue truck as he is intent on continuing to search for his wife.  Consequently they are separated.  Mother and oldest son, in their wanderings, rescue a small boy, who eventually is found by his family.  However mother and son become separated in the hospital, as son is helping others, and mother taken to surgery without his knowing where she has gone. 
Just as you are about ready to give up on this family ever getting back together, the impossible happens.  The reunion of the three boys with their father is very dramatic, and then with mother who is in hospital with her wounds.
This is one crazy story based on actual events.  One can only imagine the devestation as a result of this natural disaster.

Theatrical Review: John Horner: My Father's Field

However John Horner was a good man, a church man.  Church was held in his home on many occasions.  He was also a good friend to the missionaries traveling to the South Pacific and Hawaii.  I read in the Millennial Star the story of how some missionaries traveling west were told to seek him out, and he helped pay their passage to Hawaii.  At the first state fair he was declared "The first farmer of California."  It is ironic that he left California and ended up pioneering agriculture in Hawaii.

I visited the temple grounds to see the musical, My Father's Field.  It was enjoyable.  I had read about John Horner on several occasions  How he had purchased his property on several occasions, with different people saying it belonged to them, and then how he had to buy the same property three or four times.  Then after being a success, he lost everything by over extending himself in signing notes for others, and not keeping $30,000 available as advised by the Prophet.

I took those of the family who wanted to see this, a couple years ago to Regional Center in Oakland.  This presentation had some entertaining parts, and they set up conflict between John and a banker to keep the show interesting.  However some of it was contrived and only mildly entertaining.  In fact I must admit, I became bored and we did not stay to the end.
http://www.wheelwrightenterprises.com/musicals/MyFathersField.htm