Idiocracy directed by Mike Judge
2006
★★★✰✰
So I have seen this movie before and it is great. A little scary due to the accuracy of what could happen to humanity but nonetheless very funny. Everyone's name in the future has corporate names so they can make money off them. My favorite: "Beef Supreme" Hah!
So I was kind of excited to run this race since it got to wind through Disneyland and California Adventure. I was very disappointed. This race is not for runners who enjoy the competition. It is for people who like Disneyland regardless of running ability. There were over 4,000 participants and the course is not wide enough to fit everyone, therefore forcing you to walk parts of the course. Additionally, far too many walkers line up near the front and create even more traffic than necessary. The registration process and staging were horrible. Also, the medal that all finishers receive is just a piece of rubberized plastic. So cheap! (Update: Apparently, they ran out of medals so not everyone received one!) I am bummed but at least I know not to do this race again. Perhaps the half-marathon is better (but I'm not ready for that yet). $50 entry fee + $15 parking is not worth this race.
So I was actually at this game in 1988, when the Dodgers won Game 1 of the World Series. I was only 9 at the time. When Kirk Gibson came out of the dugout, the whole stadium went nuts! Everyone stood up cheering and I couldn't see (the guy in front of me must have had a sombrero on, or something). Anyways, I stood up on the seat, which promptly folded in on me, causing me to fall and get stuck in the chair. So there I am; stuck in my seat, crying, while the whole stadium is going bonko for what could be a walk-off win. Well, my dad pulled me out of the chair, I was able to stand up and see Gibson launch it into the right field pavilion. Greatest baseball game I have ever seen. On a similar note, RBI Baseball is easily the greatest video game ever!
Crispin: The End of Time by Avi
2010
★★★★✰
So I enjoyed the first two books of the series about a peasant boy in Medieval England. This final book wasn't as good as the others but it was still a great read. It is amazing to think of how people used to (and still do...) put their entire lives in God's hands. The story really missed "Bear" the lovable brute that Crispin traveled with. Still, I would like to read a little more of Crispin's and Owen's life in Iceland...
The Tale of Despereaux directed by Sam Fell
2008
★★✰✰✰
So I like animated movies made by Pixar and Dreamworks. The stories are normally fantastic which makes the movies so good. This one just flopped though. The story was weak. The characters were boring. My 4 year old who loves cartoon movies got tired of it. Pass.
Drag Me To Hell directed by Sam Raimi
2009
★★✰✰✰
So I like Sam Raimi and his weird horror/comedy that worked so well in Evil Dead and Army of Darkness. This movie was really lacking the comedy portion that makes his movies great. Justin Long and Alison Lohman may have just been cardboard cutouts. They were horrible!
Hot Tub Time Machine directed by Steve Pink
2010
★★✰✰✰
So I was caught up in the hype with this movie and was expecting awesomeness. I was disappointed. It was funny, just not that funny. Rob Corddry was way over the top as the drunk loser and it was weird seeing (a 45 year old) John Cusack hitting on teenagers.
So I was kind of excited to run this race since it got to wind through Disneyland and California Adventure. I was very disappointed. This race is not for runners who enjoy the competition. It is for people who like Disneyland regardless of running ability. There were over 4,000 participants and the course is not wide enough to fit everyone, therefore forcing you to walk parts of the course. Additionally, far too many walkers line up near the front and create even more traffic than necessary. The registration process and staging were horrible. Also, the medal that all finishers receive is just a piece of rubberized plastic. So cheap! (Update: Apparently, they ran out of medals so not everyone received one!) I am bummed but at least I know not to do this race again. Perhaps the half-marathon is better (but I'm not ready for that yet). $50 entry fee + $15 parking is not worth this race.
