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Alice in Wonderland movie review * * (two stars)

Unlike the “literary nonsense genre” that Carroll used to write “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” and the sequel “Through the Looking Glass,” this film only uses his fantasy characters to create a straightforward story of a young woman finding her individuality in a culture that suppressed it in women.
 
  

Shutter Island * * * - movie review

Martin Scorsese’s direction of Denis Lehane’s novel “Shutter Island” is a haunting experience where we live the subtle differences between reality and fantasy. Set in the 1950’s at a mental institution on an island off the coast of New York, two FBI Agents, led by Teddy Daniels (Leonardo DiCaprio), are sent to determine why a mental patient has disappeared into thin air.
 
  

Bringing a gun to Starbucks

A movement started in northern California to test State laws by openly bringing guns into Starbucks has caused quite a stir of late.  See what local law enforcement has to say about it.
 
  

From Paris With Love - one star, disturbing

When our love for someone requires that we kill as an expression of such “love,” then love is only an illusion. Neither is it love when the one who claims to love us requires us to seduce or manipulate someone else. These messages are woven into this tale of terror by Pierre Morel in his film “From Paris With Love.”
 
  

Crazy Heart * * * Powerful

The devastating effects of the disease of alcohol addiction are well known and yet many choose to risk the disease to indulge in the substance. The reasons why they choose to do so vary from individual to individual.  Hal Conklin and Denny Wayman review this movie with values in mind.
 
  

The book of Eli - *** Insightful

Pairing the fact that Denzel himself is a Christian and that it is the God of the Bible that has called his character on a spiritual quest is a blending of real life with fantasy. But to say that the quest of Eli is a Christian quest would be a stretch. The film acknowledges that Eli’s bloody trail demonstrates little love for one’s enemies, but that does not keep it from exploring various spiritual and social issues.
 
  

Up In The Air - *** Insightful

Detaching ourselves from others is one way to avoid having to carry the weight and responsibilities of life. The difficulty with this solution is that when we avoid any relationship that requires the weight of commitment and the responsibilities of caring for another, we end up isolated and alone. This truth is insightfully presented by Jason Reitman (Juno) as both director and screenwriter in his film “Up in the Air.”
 
  

Avatar Movie Review - 3 Stars

“Avatar” is amazing cinema. Melding the latest technology in cinematic animation with live actors, writer and director James Cameron also unites science fiction with mythology in creating a story that captures both our imaginations and our souls.
 
  

Invictus - 4 Stars: Movie Review


The power of his Christian faith brought Nelson Mandela through thirty years of unjust imprisonment. But his faith didn’t just help him survive, it also helped him become a wise and strategic leader who recognized that forgiveness is his most potent weapon against the atrocities of apartheid. In classic Clint Eastwood style, “Invictus” is a film that not only demonstrates Mandela’s genius but Eastwood’s as well.
 
  

The Blind Side - 4 Stars - Inspiring: Movie Review

The multilayered description of Michael Oher’s journey from a life of poverty to that of a professional athlete is quality cinema. Written by Michael Lewis and adapted for the screen by John Lee Hancock, this true story exemplifies how lives can be transformed by love when people put their Christian faith into action.
 
  

Precious - 3 Stars - Movie Review

The damage caused by incest is made all the more painful when the mother knows of the abuse and yet does not protect her daughter. But when the mother blames her daughter for the father’s behavior and cruelly attacks her for years, the emotional, mental and spiritual destruction is revolting. That is the fictional tale created by Sapphire and put on film by director Lee Daniels in “Precious: Based on the novel Push by Sapphire.”
 
  

When My Papa Passed ...

In less then maybe a few minutes my Aunt Desiree came in a panic looking for me. She saw me sitting there looking pale and sick.  She signed the papers to take me home. After she finished signing the papers she lifted me into her arms with tears in her eyes and began to walk to our home.
 
  

2012 - 3 Stars

The claim has been made that the Mayan calendar ends on 12/21/2012. This is not true. It is true, however, that this date marks what the Mayan calendar calls the “Great Cycle” and a new cycle will begin at that time. Because of this, people have imagined a climactic change on earth will occur on that date that will be apocalyptic. That is the premise of Roland Emmerich’s film simply titled “2012.”
 
  

Amelia Movie Review - 3 Stars

“There is more to life than being a passenger.” This declaration by aviator Amelia Earhart (Hillary Swank) appropriately expresses how she lived her life and it sums up this dramatic film based on her life.
 
  

Movie Review - The Boys Are Back - 3 Stars, Troubling

When men do not grow into responsible adults, their ability to raise boys is diminished. Rather than providing the next generation with models of mature behavior, these men lack the wisdom and experience to prepare their sons for life. This lack is accentuated when divorce or death disrupts the home and the father becomes like one of the boys in avoiding the pain of grief with childish actions. This truth is dramatically presented in Scott Hicks’ (Snow Falling on Cedars, Shine) “The
 
  

Movie Review - More Than A Game - 4 Stars

It is unusual to have a video record of an athlete’s rise to fame. But LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers did not take a normal path into the NBA. His journey was not only filmed by a student but it also has the feel of a spiritual quest more than simply an athlete’s achievements.
 
  

Tri-tip Lodged In Throat - How I Survived

What started out as a nice barbecue of Tri-tip for dinner, ended up with a trip to the hospital.  This is a story  of a harrowing ordeal that will not soon be forgotten.
 
  

Financial Strategy Update

Craig D. Allen, is the Founder and President of Montecito Private Asset Management, LLC.  As a guest writer, Allen shares his thoughts on new financial strategies that should be used since the dollar has weakened.

 
  

Movie Review PANDORUM - 3 Stars – Thought-provoking

Christian Alvart’s film “Pandorum” expresses such a hope within a complex tale of science fiction.  In the midst of an anticipated extinction, a massive spaceship is created to take humans in a cryogenic state to a recently discovered planet that can sustain our life-forms.
 
  

Movie Review - LOVE HAPPENS - 3 Stars

Denial is a helpful defense against the overwhelming pain of unexpected tragedy and loss. But when the denial continues for too long, it ceases being beneficial and instead becomes an obstacle to healing. This reality is the theme of Brandon Camp’s film “Love Happens.”
 
  

Movie Review - MY ONE AND ONLY - 2 Stars - Shallow

The unusual childhood of actor George Hamilton is the basis for Richard Loncraine’s film “My One and Only.” As executive producer of the film, Hamilton is said to have been emotionally moved upon seeing the film as he remembered his close, yet conflicted relationship with his beautiful mother Ann Stevens and his struggles which eventually led to his celebrity life the year she divorced his father, George William (Spike) Hamilton.
 
  

Movie Review - EXTRACT 1 Star – Demeaning

The end product is a “comedy” that is far more disturbing than humorous and an experience that is more depressing than entertaining.
 
  

The Strength That Comes From Within

Thirty years ago I was raped. It happened in a deserted beach area. I was just walking along and enjoying the scenery. A man suddenly appeared out of nowhere, grabbed my wrist, and said that if I didn’t resist, I wouldn’t get hurt.
 
  

Taking Woodstock - Movie Review **

Woodstock, the infamous music festival that symbolized the youth culture of the 1960’s, has taken on an iconic history of mythical proportions. Elliot Tiber's autobiographical story “Taking Woodstock” gives us a partial glimpse into its evolution from just a concert to a statement about the life and times of the counter culture of 1969.
 
  

Movie Review - Adam - 3 Stars

What does it mean to be normal? Does it mean that you act the same way everyone else does? Can it mean that you have the ability to love and be loved? Must it include the ability to express your feelings? These questions are explored in Max Mayer’s story of “Adam,” a handsome but awkward young man coping with Asperger’s Syndrome while living in New York City.
 
  

District 9 - Movie Review - 3 Stars – Insightful

The message of Neill Blomkamp’s “District 9” is obvious.  He sets the film in the city of Johannesburg, South Africa, where the decision is made to create an apartheid separation of a race of aliens who helplessly arrive on a spaceship.  This decision develops over two decades into creating a slum area of poverty, crime and prejudice.  This presents a cinematic opportunity to explore what such a decision does, not only to those so separated but also to those who
 
  

The Yarn Promise

This is a chapter from an up and coming book by Terrill Smith titled Feathers on my Path.  The excerpt from the book is titled "The Yarn Story".  The book should be published in the fall of 2010.  This excerpt tells the true story of the discovery by the author that her sister had a terrible disease, and how prayer overcame all.
 
  

From Personal Chaos to Loss of Meaning and Disintegration

What if all your sense of balance and stability in life disappeared? Author Terrill Smith explains how it feels when her body betrayed her - left her feeling like she lost all the rules or principles that provide one with knowledge, understanding, and most important: predictability and equilibrium.
 

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