Entertainment

American Gangster

200px-American_Gangster_poster I recently watched American Gangster (2007,R).  From ScreenIt!:

An honest to a fault cop tries to catch a Harlem drug lord who's directly importing and selling heroin, thus becoming a legend in his own right.

It was weird because I found myself pulling for the murderous drug dealer rather than the honest cop.  Such is the magic of Denzel.  I liked the film. 

I give it 4 out of 5.

Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief

200px-Percy_Jackson_&_the_Olympians_The_Lightning_Thief_poster A few weeks back I took the kids and a couple of their friends to see Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief (2010,PG).  From ScreenIt!:

A teen must not only contend with discovering that he's the son of a mythological god, but also that he must find Zeus' stolen thunderbolt before a devastating battle takes place among the gods that could destroy Earth.

I'd heard good things about the film but was disappointed.  I heard the book is better.  The boys loved the film.

I give it 2 out of 5.

Iron Man

200px-Ironmanposter Last year during Saturday night of the MS 150 weekend, Eric and I continued our tradition of going to see a film...this time it was Iron Man (2008,PG-13).  From ScreenIt!:

After seeing the military weapons he developed used in ways he hadn't imagined, a wealthy industrialist has a change of heart and creates an armored suit that nearly leaves him invincible, gives him the ability to fly, and affords him the opportunity to right his wrongs.

I give it 4 out of 5.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

200px-Harry_Potter_and_the_Order_of_the_Phoenix_theatrical_poster Lisa was chaperoning a dance tonight, so the boys and I had dinner at Pizza Hut and then watched Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007,PG-13).  From ScreenIt!:

A teenage wizard must contend with changes at his school all while trying to get everyone to believe in and prepare for the return of a dangerous entity in this fifth installment of the "Harry Potter" series.

I give it 3 out of 5.

Rhapsody Rendezvous 2009

Here are a couple videos from the 2009 edition of Midland High's Rhapsody Rendezvous featuring a friend of ours in these two numbers:

Link to Vimeo (also on YouTube)

Link to Vimeo (also on YouTube)

Keyboard Fest 2010

Here is video of Elliot participating in Keyboard Fest back in January:

Link to Vimeo (also on YouTube)

Paint It Black

The Carpenter Street School talent show was Friday night, and Elliot and his pals performed The Stones’ “Paint It Black.” 

Here are a couple photos from a practice session:

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Here is video of the performance:

also on YouTube

Here are a few pictures from the talent show:

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Terror in Mumbai

I recently watched Terror in Mumbai (2009).  From HuffPo:

When ten young men from Pakistan entered Mumbai aboard hi-jacked boats on the night of 26th November 2008, they had one intention: to create a terror that would grip international media and make the world sit up and take notice of Lashkar-e-Taiba -- the Army of the Righteous, a previously little known terrorist organization based in Pakistan.

And it's this intention, despite the extreme violence, allegations against Pakistan and shocking negligence of elements in the Mumbai police force, which really sticks with the viewer of Terror in Mumbai. The more you watch, the more you realize they succeeded.

The film has a unique perspective because it incorporates the cell-phone calls that the masterminds in Pakistan used to direct the terrorists during attack and footage of the sole surviving attacker being interviewed in police custody.  Here is the trailer:

I give it 4 out of 5.

Boy Interrupted

boy_interrupted I recently watched Boy Interrupted (2008).

On the night of Oct. 2, 2005, Hart and Dana Perry’s 15-year-old son Evan jumped to his death from his New York City bedroom window. This moving film is the story, told by his filmmaker parents and others who knew him, of Evan’s life and death, and his life-long struggle with bipolar disorder. It delves into the complexity of Evan’s disease, sharing his family’s journey through the maze of mental illness. In showing how one family deals with generations of loss and grief, the film defies the stigma related to mental illness and suicide and tells a human story that touches everyone.

For a parent of a kid who is presumably healthy but occasionally seems "bipolar" or makes suicidal statements, this film is chilling.

I give it 4 out of 5.

Coraline

200px-Coraline_poster Today we watched Coraline (2009,PG) for family movie night.  From ScreenIt!:

A lonely and bored preteen discovers a tunnel in her new house that leads to an alternate reality where most everything is the same, save for attentive parents who have buttons for eyes and want her to join them there.

Finn needed some convincing ahead of time about watching a movie that had people with buttons for eyes.  We convinced him to give it a chance.  The boys enjoyed it.  Finn said, "It wasn't scary.  It was creepy.  Indiana Jones was scary."

I give it 4 out of 5.

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