Entertainment

On the flight back from Germany one of the films I watched was The Beach (2000,R) (ScreenIt! Review).  From ScreenIt!:

A young American traveler and his two new French friends travel to a hidden island, rumored to be a tropical paradise, only to slowly discover that it might not be such an idyllic place.

I enjoyed it.  It was interesting to read on Wikipedia about differences between the book and the movie, and I think I would have preferred that some of the changes that were made hadn't been.

I give it 4 out of 5.

For movie night tonight we watched The Secret Garden (1993,G).  From Wikipedia:

The recently-orphaned Mary Lennox travels from her home in India to her uncle Archibald Craven's hundred-room house, Misselthwaite Manor, in Yorkshire, England.

I'm pretty sure I'd seen this one before, but it was enjoyable to watch with the kids.  I give it 4 out of 5.

Today I finished watching HBO's documentary Hard as Nails.  From the HBO web site:

When Justin Fatica steps to the altar, he becomes a whirlwind of energy, using a mix of professional wrestling, hip hop and Scripture to bring Jesus to his audience. An unordained Catholic minister and the founder of the Hard as Nails youth ministry, Fatica employs an intense, over-the-top approach that has connected with thousands of troubled teenagers, but also inspires resistance within his own Catholic Church. HARD AS NAILS paints an intimate portrait of this driven, charismatic man.

It was an interesting documentary.  The Hard as Nails ministry uses a lot more yelling and screaming than I'm used to hearing.  Maybe it's effective, though I guess I don't see much precedent in scripture.  Justin seems like a dedicated guy.  I like his idea of frequenting a barber shop on the black side of town and interacting with the folks there because it makes him uncomfortable.

I give it 3 out of 5.

Back in December we watched Meet the Robinsons (2007,G) (ScreenIt! Review) for movie night.  From ScreenIt!:

A 12-year-old orphan and failed inventor finds his world turned upside down when a 13-year-old takes him into the future in hopes of fixing a time-space continuum problem caused by some villains' nefarious plans.

It was enjoyable but nothing special.  I give it 3 out of 5.

Back in December I watched For Your Consideration (2006,PG-13) (ScreenIt! Review).  From ScreenIt!:

People involved in the making of and reporting on a holiday movie react to news that some of the performers in it might receive award nominations, all while dealing with studio changes to the film to make it more commercial.

I enjoy the mockumentaries from these guys, and this was no exception.  I give it 4 out 5.