A Day No Pigs Would Die

A Day No Pigs Would Die by Robert Newton Peck
1972
★★★★✰
So I never read this book in school.  It was never assigned in my classes so I never read it, even though it seems standard reading for elementary/middle school curricula.  It is an amazing book.  Peck had an incredible childhood, though I wonder how much may have been embellished as it is a novel and not a memoir.  A must read.

The American

The American directed by Anton Corbijn
2010
★★✰✰✰
So I really liked how the movie started.  Building anticipation and then lots of fast paced action.  Then, the movie hit the brakes and slowed down to a snail's pace.  Very boring at times. Beautiful Italian towns, though.

The Catcher in the Rye

The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
1951
★★★★★
So I can't believe I actually read this book.  It only took me 100 years!  I was supposed to read this book for 8th grade English class but never did.  I got by with the help of Cliff's Notes.  That was the year I became friends with Scott Weaver.  Scott is a great guy.  We had a lot of fun that year.  I figured out that I didn't have to do my homework but could play video games or sports instead.  Of course, I got into problems because of that.  Not big problems but I got caught cheating off of Scott.  That was the beginning of a great friendship.  I ended up getting a B in the class but my education foundation was shaken.  I had figured I had goofed off too much during the year and would not be ready for honors English or Geometry in High School so I retook Algebra and enrolled in regular English.  Turns out I would have been better off enrolling in the more advanced classes but it may have changed my college course where I ended up meeting my wife.  If I hadn't gone to the University of Redlands, I may never have met her and never had our two kids and then where would I be?  Who'd know?!
Anyways, a fantastic book that every teenager should read.  I wish I had read it way back then as it would have had more meaning.

Devil

Devil directed by John Erick Dowdle
2010
★★★✰✰
So I knew nothing about this movie aside from it being an M. Knight Shyamalan film.  Turns out, he didn't direct the film, only wrote it.  It is a take off of Agatha Christie's "And Then There Were None."  It was a good thriller but a little predictable.  Not too bad.  I will probably end up watching the other films in the planned themed trilogy.

Instagr.am

So I discovered Instagr.am (an iPhone app) that edits your photos to give it a unique style and tint.  It's great and I love it.  I hope this will get me going into photography again.
Check out my photos at Flickr and Tumblr.
I may start using a different blog soon.  We'll see...

The 11th Hour

The 11th Hour directed by Nadia Conners
2007
★★★✰✰
So I used to despise Leonardo DiCaprio but he is starting to grow on me.  I knew he was an environmentalist so I thought I would take a gander at 11th Hour.  It is a typical "earth" documentary that doesn't tell us too many new things. I hope that it will at least get the message out that we need to more kinder to out planet.

Case 39

Case 39 directed by Christian Alvart
2009
★★✰✰✰
So I like demon/monster movies.  I do not like Renee Zellweger.  This movie had both and it had too much Zellweger and not enough demons.

Assassination of a High School President

Assassination of a High School President directed by Brett Simon
2008
★★✰✰✰
So I was looking for a movie to watch and found this on Netflix streaming.  It was interesting but slow.  I enjoyed the mystery/detective side to the story but the teenager/school/party thing was dull.

Amelia

Amelia directed by Mira Nair
2009
★★✰✰✰
So I thought this would have been better but it wasn't.  Hillary Swank was downright annoying and the cheesy love story made me fast forward at times.  The first half of the movie was very jumpy.  I couldn't follow it at all.  The second half was super slow.  It wasn't until her final flight that things got interesting.  Of course, the movie was essentially over at that point...

The Twilight Saga: Eclipse

The Twilight Saga: Eclipse directed by David Slade
2010
★✰✰✰✰
So I don't know if I really get to rate this film as I didn't pay much attention while my wife watched it.  It was very cheesy from what I saw but I do like the one quip by Edward (Robert Pattinson) in reference to Jacob (Taylor Lautner) "Doesn't this guy ever wear a shirt?" My thoughts exactly! Hah!!!!

9

9 directed by Shane Acker
2009
★★✰✰✰
So I had high hopes for this film but was ultimately disappointed. Visually, 9 is stunning.  What it lacks is a great story.  Certainly now happy ending here.  I enjoyed the film but I was left wanting more when it ended.

How To Train Your Dragon

How To Train Your Dragon directed by Chris Sanders & Dean DeBlois
2010
★★★★✰
So I didn't think too much of this movie before watching it.  It turned out to be great.  Hiccup's, Jay Baruchel, sarcastic, monotone persona was great for this movie.  Clearly a "nerd showing his cool dad he's alright" type of movie but it was fun to watch.  I'm sure it was even better in 3D.