Movie Review:  Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire

 Spoiler-free movie review of "Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire:" As this is America's no. 1 movie at the moment, I imagine a lot of you are curious to know if it is worth seeing... Well, it all depends on what you're looking for, really. Are you in the mood for the same type of fun, zany entertainment you got back in 1984 with the original? If so, you will be greatly disappointed. There are many callbacks and easter eggs that pay fan service, but the tone of this movie is VERY different. This is actually a much darker, more somber movie... more like a modern horror movie, actually. There aren't many funny moments, even with the inclusion of some stellar comedic actors such as Paul Rudd, Patton Oswalt and Kumail Nanjiani. Some portions of the movie are downright creepy, so those of you with young kids with whom you might want to share your love for the original should probably avoid watching this with them altogether. It's not all bad, however, as the story does move along nicely, the young actors are actually really good, and it is diverting enough. I suppose it all really depends on how you manage your expectations. If you go into this movie expecting to enjoy it as much as the original, you should understand right now that you won't. However, if all you want is a diverting movie with ghosts and some friendly old faces you used to love along with a few promising new ones, then this might just be the movie for you. I rate this movie 3.5 out of 5 stars.

#justmyopinion

 

Poem: the bridge between “you” and “you and i”

the chair you always said you liked

sits, cold and unwarmed

in the darkening april night

as empty as when

it first came into my life

now that you have left it

for the very last time.

it’s funny how eloquent a silence can be

or how you fill my room still

even as you no longer step inside

and even as i no longer remember

whether your tears made a sound

or why my heart had to hide

each time you sobbed a heartfelt plea

to have me hold you in the dying light.

my arms could not move, you see

as full of futile feeling as

there is now emptiness in the night,

even as the moon spoke words of moonlight at

a world that had long ceased to open its eyes.

and every aching word you sought

to thaw away from me, as the winter slowly

melted its ice

would not flow so smoothly down

those jagged crags of rock that formed

the mask i wore outside.

somewhere, in the distant sky

a single whispered "sorry" dies

alight on the cowardly wings

of sorrow and regret, and i

took the bridge between the worlds

of "you" and "you and i"

and walked away long before

that whispered word could reach

your lonely, broken, weather-beaten door.

April 3, 2008

Spoiler-free Movie Review of "Justice League"

In a nutshell? If you're a serious fan of superhero movies and/or DC this one's a big turd. Cringeworthy screenwriting, choppy, narrative-killing editing and a truly heinous CGI villain will make you want to demand your money back. If, however, you're a casual moviegoer looking for a bit of escapist distraction you can enjoy, it MIGHT be worth a viewing, but only if you download it for free. I wouldn't recommend anyone pay to see this, unless you want to gouge your eyes out watching another Crap-tastic turn by Ben Affleck as Batman (How he got top billing for this movie is a human rights violation Amnesty International ought to investigate). My verdict? 1.5 out of 5 stars, but only because Wonder Woman was in it.

To be fair, there were some laugh out loud moments, and not just because the dialogue was so bad. The Flash and, to a lesser extent, Aquaman provided some much-needed comic relief to an otherwise, plodding, non-sensical, dour movie. Most of the adrenaline-pumping, macho action was provided, ironically enough, by Wonder Woman, but even she wasn't enough to really redeem this movie as an action spectacular-wannabe. The Flash was the breakout star of this movie. His scenes were the ones most of us in the audience appreciated. (Warner Bros. better NEVER make another Batman movie and should exclusively feature The Flash in its next feature.) Jason Momoa is a HELL of a macho presence on screen as "The Aquaman" (he makes Affleck look pudgy and fat throughout, and he runs rings around him in the acting department too. Khal Drogo FTW!

My final analysis is DC made this movie by committee. The studio executives told the screenwriters to try to copy Marvel movies and they did so, to truly disappointing results. This is a wannabe Marvel movie. If you really want to see it done right, avoid anything with DC on it and just go watch a Marvel movie. Also, avoid Ben Affleck as Batman like you avoid ebola or herpes. You have been warned.

Spoiler-free Movie Review - Hacksaw Ridge

Random spoiler-free movie review ("Hacksaw Ridge"):
Mel Gibson is back, folks! :)
 Some years back, Mel Gibson, through no one else's fault but his own, put his career in jeopardy after a druken, profanity-laced tirade against Jews in general, and the Jewish powers-that-be who controlled much of Hollywood. At that point in time many in Hollywood (already still pissed off that he helmed the allegedly "anti-Semitic" movie "The Passion of the Christ," privately told some journalists that he "would never work in Hollywood again." For years this proved true, however, with "Hacksaw Ridge," Gibson has once again proven that the Academy Award he won for Best Director (for "Braveheart") was no fluke, and that, as he can still deliver crowd-pleasing movies that earn money, he is here to stay. This movie is a rousing, emotional, inspiring movie that serves as a towering testament to the power of Christian faith and conviction, and it's a damned fine war movie as well.

This is film is based on the true-to-life, incredible story of Desmond Doss, a conscientious objector and pacifist, played superbly by Andrew Garfield (those of you from Virginia might have a slight objection to his less-than-authentic Virginia farm boy accent, but the rest of his performance, as a devout Christian is pretty spot-on. In fact, his example in this movie is so inspiring, I'd recommend this movie as essential viewing for all Christians around the world who need a model for how to truly live up to their religious convictions. Prayer, and the Bible, are so prominently in display here that I'd almost classify this as a faith-based movie.

But this ain't no simple biographical character study, folks, this is a war movie, and Gibson won't let you forget it. The battle scenes in the latter half of this movie (it's a bit slow and dragging in the beginning, but it gets progressively better) are so harrowing that they FAR exceed the carnage you'll see in the first few minutes of "Saving Private Ryan." Gibson apparently has no parallel when it comes to depicting violence on screen. I felt as if I was strapped onto a soldier's helmet and feeling the bullets zing by... It's honestly almost worth the price of admission just to see these scenes by themselves.

At its core, however, this movie is a love story. It is both a romantic drama (the pure, devoted love between Garfield's Desmond and Teresa Palmer's Dorothy is also inspiring), and a testimonial to the love one man can have for his God, and his convictions. In fact, if you see this movie, the next time you hear the words "principled man," you'll probably think of Desmond Doss. He is, quite simply, the single, greatest example of a true Christian soldier I've ever heard of over the past century or two.

I'm taking my Bible Study group to see this movie, if they'll allow me to... ;) I also encourage all of you Christians to see it. This could also be a good movie to screen during Holy Week, right beside Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ."

This movie is clearly for adults or very mature teens only. The violence is just that graphic... If I were rating this using soldier's helmets, I'd give it a solid 4 out of 5, mainly for its incredible action and solid, faith-based positive message, deducting a little bit for its slightly dragging first half. I didn't regret watching this film, and neither will you. :) #WorthSeeing #ChristianModel

Your Mission? To Share your loaf.

Totally random, hypothetical, theological/philosophical discussion:

Fair warning: This will be LONG. Please do not read this if you're offended by, or totally uninterested in, religious thoughts... ;)

Every good Christian knows the story of the Multiplication of Loaves and Fish, (John 6: 1-15), where Jesus took a few meager loaves and fish on hand and had his followers pass them to one another, each one eating as they received their "share." He managed to feed a "large crowd," with only five barley loaves and two fish. Each crowd member ate until he/she was full and satisfied and yet, upon gathering the leftovers, they managed to fill twelve baskets! :)

Here's the dscussion point I was just thinking of:

Back in Catholic Religion class in my grade school days, I had a teacher who said it was "stupid" that no one "saved" a portion of either loaf or fish for himself/herself, as my teacher believed this food would continue on multiplying and would, thus, feed the person for the rest of his/her natural life! :) As a young boy who was still a bit selfish and self-centered back then,I fully agreed with him. I then allowed myself to imagine owning just such a piece of bread ( I didn't like fish, so I didn't imagine it... :) Today, however, I now believe that my teacher was wrong. I don't believe God would have continued to multiply the loaves and/or fish for any person who "saved" a piece for himself/herself.

I'm not pretending I absolutely know how God thinks, but I sincerely believe that part of the reason God blessed the food and allowed it to multiply was for everyone to share such food with those among them who were hungry. I believe the true power of God was realized through the process of sharing food with one another, especially with those who were hungry and in need of food. In my humble opinion, the act of "saving" a piece for one's self like my Religion teacher recommended would be, I believe, an act of selfishness. You would be denying a hungry person the opportunity to eat by only considering your own well-being. I believe this to be a corruption of the pure intent Jesus had of promoting sharing and caring for one another, especially for those who were hungry. Things MIGHT be different, I magine, if you kept a piece in order to take home with you to feed your hungry family members and/or to feed poor, starving orphans or street children... In THAT scenario I imagine that the multiplication might still work. However, keeping a piece only for your benefit? I feel it would stop the miracle dead in its tracks... SMH:(

If you would please permit me a further mental extrapolation, I apply this philosophy to my daily life as much as I can... I've been truly blessed by God, but under no circumstances whatsoever do I believe that whatever wealth I'm permitted to obtain in this world is only for my benefit. I believe that any wealth and/or prosperity handed down to me by God is not for me to store away selfishly for my own ends, but is a literal obligation for me to share it with others, much like the sharing during the Multiplication of Loaves and Fish. God is not unfair. He's not going to bless me to the exclusion of everyone else. No, I believe that IF He chooses to bless me with a metaphorical "loaf" or piece of prosperity, then it is my firm obligation to pass that "loaf" or prosperity along, especially to those around me who are hungry or needy. I believe that only in this case would I be working to fulfill the will of God on this earth. I'm sorry Mr. Teacher of mine, I don't agree that it was "stupid" for someone in the crowd not to keep a piece of bread for himself/herself... I think the only stupid thing is believing that whatever prosperity you get by the grace of God is ONLY meant for you... I'm not saying I always succeed in my "mission" to share my blessings with others, but I shall endeavor to live the rest of my life with every intention, even should I fail, to never fail to try... :) God bless you all today!!! 

:)

When Love is not enough...

Essay on Love: ( I wrote this 4 years ago, but only re-discovered it today. I'd like to share it with all of you once again...) "When Love is not enough"

I have two friends who just recently broke up. It was the lady's choice, and the guy is just unable to deal with it. He's absolutely ripped up about the whole thing, and he can't understand why, if he truly, deeply, passionately loved her, she could just leave him and walk away.
The problem is that she's really much better off without him. She's more mature, and she's growing at a faster pace, meeting new people, discovering more of herself, while he is still clinging to an ideal of her that isn't true anymore. He still sees her as the girl he got together with last year, instead of the richer, more complete girl she has become. She didn't want to do it, but she had to let him go. He was holding her back from becoming the lady she knew she could be. He was preventing her from becoming more than the girl he thinks he loves.
I haven't spoken with him at length yet (he needs time to grieve), but I think this typifies why many men and women can't get over relationships. They pour so much of themselves into something that they sometimes miss the big picture altogether. Not to sound so high-minded (I have suffered through many such breakups myself, and I know how it feels to hurt), but what many don't realize is that LOVE SIMPLY IS NOT ENOUGH in a relationship.
I'm a romantic by nature, but a realist by inclination. I believe that two people who truly love each other can make things work, even in the face of tremendous odds. I just don't believe, however, that it is just the love that will see them through it, as so many other things come into the picture.
First, there is a common sense of happiness. If one person just isn't happy anymore, no matter how much the other loves that person, it just wouldn't be right for that person to stay. I mean, I'm going to tell this guy that she may be the right girl for him (or so he believes), but is he really the right guy for her? One of the most painful things to accept is that the person you are just may not be good enough. It's damn heartbreaking to admit, but sometimes that's the way life goes. Sometimes your best just isn't good enough. Or sometimes, what you give her isn't what she actually needs. And in the end, if you truly love a girl, it is really up to you to let go and move on, pain be damned. I mean, there is no way you can force a girl to be happy with you, no matter how happy you may be with her. That's not love anymore. That's selfishness.
Secondly, many people have to understand that two people are like circles. When they get together, the circles intersect, kinda like a Venn Diagram in Math (you know, those circles that overlap and are "shaded" where they meet...). Unfortunately for some, especially those who put all their eggs in one basket, no one's circle will ever stay the same. People grow. They learn new things, gain new experiences and meet new people. They become more than the people they used to be. And when that happens, the circle on one side of the relationship grows bigger and bigger, and the intersection, in sheer percentage terms, just gets smaller and smaller. In other words, it IS possible to outgrow a relationship, especially if that other person cannot, or refuses to, grow along with you. If he or she does not make an effort to participate in your growth... to contribute to helping you become better and happier, you will most likely feel less and less in love, and ultimately that love will die. I'm not saying we should always be intertwined... always trying to meddle in each other's affairs. Rather, I'm saying that we should accept that growing up is part of falling in love, and that we should constantly seek to re-evaluate and reaffirm our love for each other, constantly noting the new levels of growth and the new depths of your love's personality. Only when we ourselves learn to grow and to accept growth can we see our love deepen. Otherwise, it will die a natural death, no matter how much you say you "love" someone.
In the end, two people will never stay the same, no matter what the vows may have been in a relationship (marriage or otherwise). If you get together with someone not seeking to keep everything the same way it was when you first met, but rather seeking new ways to grow TOGETHER in love, then maybe, just maybe, your love will truly work.

-Peejay Garcia 

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Why should I have faith in God?

A matter of perspective: (This will be long, but I believe it is worth the read, so please give it a go.) Last night a young student asked me how it was I could still have faith in God in spite of what had happened to me ( a serious stroke that left me semi-paralyzed for life); I answered him thusly...

One shouldn't have faith because of what he gets in life; one should believe in God because it is what He deserves from us... Any Christian who's ever read the Bible will know just how much God sacrificed for us and how much He loves us all. If faith is a form of devotion, then we owe Him ALL of our faith for that alone. However, if we MUST go by what we get in life, then, even then, God has been very good to me, you see; He gave me a loving family and many good friends. I always have shelter and good food to eat, plus I have a computer and a good internet connection... What more do I need, really?  I've been blessed... 

Even my stroke was a blessing, in its own way... I was wealthy, well-respected and constantly bathed in attention and general acclaim while I was in Korea and it caused me to forget about God in my life. I even stopped really being concerned about what was happening back home in the Philippines so much so that I lost touch with my family and most of my Philippine friends; I even decided never to come back to the land of my birth ever again because life was so good to me in Korea... I was rich, full of pride, and arrogant, but then God lay me low... 

In one fell swoop I lost my ability to physically be the same, dynamic self I used to be that got me so much money in the first place. I could no longer physically handle my usual 21-hour work days so much so that I had to give up work in Korea and return to the Philippines and, because I am no longer financially raking it in, I'm now relying on my family's love and support to get by. For the first time in many years I'm once again living in a home that has people who love and care about me. I'm reminded every single day now of just how wonderful my family is. How could I not consider this a blessing from God? 

Take it from me, the trappings of wealth, while a nice distraction in life, are really just that.... a "distraction;" they blind you to what truly matters in the end... I can no longer afford to be proud and arrogant; I must acknowledge I need others in my life. I must now acknowledge I need God's infinite love and grace to get by day-to-day...  There is a line in the Bible that goes, "What does it profit a man if he gains the entire world, but loses his immortal soul?" (Mark 8:36) 

Yes, my young friend, God took away my wealth, my prestige and privilege, even my physical body, but He gave me back my family, my friends, my country and my soul... How could I NOT feel blessed??? God has been SO good to me, you see... It would be totally illogical of me NOT to believe and have faith... I'm not a perfect Christian by any means, but with His loving grace, I hope to one day be more worthy of the name... Thank you for reading this far. I hope it's been worth your time... God bless you all!!!