Pie Is More Than A Good Dessert, It's A Good Book

(5 STARS)  Pie, a ranch horse, suffers from an external mid-life crisis where he is injured after a brief encounter with a rowdy bull. Too damaged to continue his work, he is “put out to pasture” where the second phase of his life begins, which is surprisingly better than his first.

Pie is a multi-layered memoir about second changes, perseverance, and the power of bonding. Author Scaramuzzo has craftily managed to write an effective, feel-good book despite highlighted tragedy throughout. Told entirely through the point of view of Pie, this ordinary old brown horse shares his optimistic outlooks, fears, and subtle humor, as though the reader had stumbled upon his personal diary that he kept hidden at the back of his stable. Along the way, he meets a cast of characters, both human and animal, where they inspire and enlighten each other’s worlds.

This is not only a remarkable story on its own, but any lover of animals who understands the personal connection that is shared between pet and owner will have a heightened appreciation as Scaramuzzo expertly focuses on the importance of connections and interactions that both animal and human inherently give to one another. Pie is a regenerative tale for all ages.

Book Review: My Grandfather's War

(5 STARS) Before I begin singing praises for My Grandfather's War, I must come clean on two facts: a) being an author as well, it had been my intention to write a very, very similar book years ago about my grandfather's time in World War II as the bottom turret operator of a B-17 Fortress during the Pacific side of the war; and b) (and this is probably something more people can relate to) what it's like to be a caregiver for an ailing family member - the responsibility, the pressure, the fatigue, the time away from work, friends, and the simple pleasures in life we tend to take for granted (something vaguely comparable to being a prisoner of war).

Author Cozean hits the nail on the head with every word, right down to the brief moments of honest, yet silent, thoughts he allows himself to have before trudging on as a caregiver, heroically. I believe My Grandfather's War is a better book than anything I planned on writing if given the chance before my grandfather unexpectedly passed, because where I already had a solid and open relationship with my grandpa, Cozean not only takes a self-discovering journey in this memoir of the immense responsibility bestowed onto him during his "Papa's" recovery but builds a deeper and loving relationship with him that is just as intriguing as the stories of his grandfather's time being the Nazi's POW.

Filled with moments of grief, empathy, and humor, there is a little bit of everything in My Grandfather's War. Each transition moved seamlessly from one moment to the next, but what I especially liked most was the interludes into our nation's history and the retelling of America's involvement in World War II - brief, yet very important information in understanding the background and reasoning behind the motivation, influence, and abuse by all sides. In all honesty, I think I may have learned more about this devastating war in these 200 pages than I had during my 11th grade World History class - and then some - which was more enjoyable this time around because Cozean made sure the information was an exciting and intriguing read.

Finally, I could not agree more with the subtitle, which reads: "A Young Man's Lessons from the Greatest Generation". Even before reading My Grandfather's War, it had amazed me what my grandparent's generation accomplished and endured at their young age, and I wonder if our current generation would be capable of the same if put in the same war… a question similarly posed to Jesse by his Papa, and I believe answered honestly.

I look forward to more by this author in the future.

Did Not Expect-It Ralph

From Walt Disney Animation Studios comes 'Wreck-It Ralph', a hilarious, arcade-game-hopping adventure.  For decades, Ralph has been overshadowed by Fix-It Felix, Jr., the good-guy star of their game who always gets to save the day.  Tired of playing the role of a bad guy, Ralph takes matters into his own massive hands and sets off on a journey across the arcade through multiple generations of video games to prove he's got what it takes to be a hero.

As I wait (rather impatiently) for Les Miserables to hit theatres on Christmas Day, I'm glad I've had all my 'Night of the Chupacabra' book promotion to keep me busy - never expecting that another film would come along before Les Mis to distract me from the musical powerhouse coming not-soon-enough to a theatre near me.  Today I attended a media screening of 'Wreck-It Ralph', which I never thought would be about an hour and 45 minutes of pure genius.  Really... WOW!  I mean, I expected to like this movie, but I did not expect to love it!  Yes, I am an obsessed fan.

'Wreck-It Ralph' has to be one of the funniest animated films I have seen in a long time - granted, if you're not a child from the 1970's and 1980's, some of the jokes may leap and bound over your head like a Mario brother.  But alas, there is still plenty for every generation to laugh out loud about as the writers and producers did a fine job of making sure their target audience was not simply children and their parents but teenagers and the over 50 crowd as well.  I guess what I'm trying to say is if you know who Q-bert is then this movie, filled with innuendos and cliches and fads across multiple decades (and you would need to view this film 10 times to catch every one) is a little extra special.

But it's not all Pac-Man and Oreo jokes, the producers made the best move from the start by casting - what I believe to be - the best voice cast for this film.  Very smart.  As much as I knew how much I would worship Jane Lynch's (Glee, Best in Show) voice for Sergeant Calhoun, she did not stand too tall next to everyone else.  I don't think any other actor could have voiced Wreck-It Ralph better than John C. Reilly (Stepbrothers, Walk Hard), the big lug with a bad temper who has a heart of gold, nor Sarah Silverman (Sarah Silverman Program) as the feisty spit-fire-wire Vanellope on Schweetz (aka Glitch) or Jack McBrayer (30 Rock) as Fix-It Felix, Jr. who would have been the star if this film would it have been about the good guy.  But I think the actor who shocked me the most was Alan Tudyk (Suburgatory, Firefly) who played King Candy and characterized his voice to sound amazingly similar to the Disney-staple character voice actor, Ed Wynn, who voiced the the Mad Hatter in "Alice in Wonderland", the Toymaker in "Babes in Toyland", and Uncle Albert in "Mary Poppins".  (I know you can hear his voice in your head.)  Plus I have to not only give huge kudos to the director, Rich Moore (The Simpsons, Futurama) but to the writers as well (Phil Johnsont & Jennifer Lee) for finding a big twist to this storyline and being able to recollect so many nuances from our past; however, I'm sure the cast helped some in their improvs - you know I'm looking at you Jane Lynch.

Lastly, the film is precluded by a black and white short, "Paperman", which I thought was cute but at one point crossed a line between a story that started as realistic and believable to fantasy.  Still, it was fun but not even remotely as fun as Wreck-It Ralph.  Five Stars!  Highly Recommended!  Must See!  'Nough Said!

"AMAZING" Spider-man???

When I first heard Sony Pictures was rebooting the Spider-man franchise, I was a little skeptical.  Not just because Hollywood has been "reboot" crazy for a while now (ie Batman, Superman, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Halloween and even another Sony Picture title due later this year, Total Recall), but unlike the others, the original Spider-man franchise ended less than a decade ago!  I thought it was a bit too soon for a reboot; however, after enjoying 'The Amazing Spider-Man' today, directed by Marc Webb (tee-hee) in glorious true IMAX 3-D (not L-IMAX), I can now add 'The Amazing Spider-Man' to my list of successful reboots, right next to 'Batman Begins'.

So yes, I would say 'The Amazing Spider-Man' is pretty amazing and what this film has that the others did not are better relationships, a better sense of mystery, and better character arcs.  Forget what the previous films told you, 'The Amazing Spider-Man' goes back (and I mean WAY back) to Peter Parker before being bit by the genetically enhanced spider; still in high school and still suffering with puppy love.  There is a new Uncle Ben (Martin Sheen) and Aunt May (Sally Field) and even Peter's parents are introduced in this film.  There is also a new villain, Dr. Curtis Connors/The Lizard (Rhys Ifans), but don't go into the theatre expecting a ton of The Lizard; though prominent, this is an origins movie which takes primary focus, but I reiterate that the improved plot did not slow the film.  Still, it's not all gooey relationship stuff, the fighting is grittier, more creative, and quite honestly, made me a little restless when my own fear of heights kicked in, which I did not feel watching the other films.  There are also better special effects and a few POV shots of what it would look like being inside the spidey suit, which was nice.  But since this is the summer of action/superhero films, I do have to compare the action sequences to, let's say... The Avengers, which are not quite as thrilling, but still very entertaining.

However, I've saved the best for last, and what I think makes this film superior to the others is Andrew Garfield.  Tobey Maguire is a fine actor, but I think Garfield gives Peter Parker another layer that was missing in the previous portrayal.  No, I did not forget about Emma Stone as Gwen Stacey, who was good though her part was probably the least demanding, but that is not a dig at the screenwriters who did the very impressive job of giving everybody a significant part to play that is intricate to the story - right down to a very grateful father.

So, no offense to the original "classics" but 'The Amazing Spider-Man' is a needed reboot that leaves a couple of unanswered questions for a sequel.  Also, as is with most superhero movies these days, there is an end credit ending, which occurred right after the main casts' names were scrolled.  If anyone can explain it to me though, please do as I feel that only readers of the comic books would understand it.

Madagascar 3: Paramount's Most Funny

Okay, I'm sort of cheating on my own rules here as I just attended the media screening for Madagascar 3 today, and although I think it's the best of the series, it's still no Disney/Pixar film and I'm not obsessed with it.  However, this is the second time I've seen the movie (having participated in an audience reaction screening back in January 2012) so with the exception of a few frames of film that were not completed, I knew what I was in for and I still attended the media screening.  That has to account for something, right?

And since some of you readers have appreciated my thoughts on films I've viewed in advance, I thought I'd give my two cents before you decide to spend (or blow - depending how you like the movie) your hard earned money.  And because I'm obsessed with my readers, I can write this post because I'm thinking of your well-being.  There! That's my angle.

First, the blah-blah-blah:   Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted:  Alex (Ben Stiller), Marty (Chris Rock), Gloria (Jada Pinkett-Smith) and Melman (David Schwimmer) are still fighting to get home to their beloved Big Apple.  Their journey takes them through Europe where they find the perfect cover: a traveling circus, which they reinvent - Madagascar style.

Yes, all the originals are back plus a few new characters from the aforementioned traveling circus, including Bryan Cranston (Malcolm in the Middle, Breaking Bad) as the Italian seal Vitaly and Jessica Chastain (The Help, The Tree of Life) as the cougar (maybe cheetah) Gia.  But my favorite newcomer and the character that steels the show for me is the villainess Captain Chantel DuBois, voiced by the fantastic Frances McDormand, who will stop at nothing - and I mean NOTHING - to claim her prize.

Now, I'm not a big fan of the Madagascar franchise at all.  In fact, I only saw the first two once because I did not think they were worth watching a second time, however not only do I find this to be the most entertaining in the trilogy, but the funniest as well.  Sure, it gets slow in the middle (sometimes painfully so) but overall it is a good time that should be enjoyable to both kids and their parents. 

But be warned... the songs in this film are highly contagious.  Don't be surprised if my next, "I Can't Get XYZ Out Of My Head!" is a song from this film.  Yikes!

Can You Hear the Big Star, Celebrity Actors Sing?

Why, yes you can whilst I continue my Broadway-ish obsession -

Last night, Universal Studios released their first official trailer for the upcoming theatrical version of the Broadway smash "Les Miserables" online. 

Logline:  "Les Miserables" is a musical adaptation based on Victor Hugo's classic novel set in 19th-century France, in which a paroled prisoner named Jean Valjean seeks redemption.

"Les Miz" carries a special place in my heart as it is not only my 3rd favorite musical of all-time ("Assassins" & "Ragtime" trump it) but it is the first musical I ever saw live on Broadway in New York back in August 1992, which is why this movie is my most anticipated film of 2012 (20 years later).  I consider the music and lyrics by the team Schonberg & Kretzmer flawless and I'm sure any non-musical theatre lover would still recognize the plays standout hit, "On My Own" sung by relative unknown Samantha Barks as Eponine in the film, but I think this is a solid choice as Samantha played the same part in "Les Miserables in Concert: 25th Anniversary"

But the other stars of the film will not be so unfamiliar.  Playing the lead of Jean Val Jean is none other than Wolverine himself, Hugh Jackman, who has not only been on Broadway multiple times and even starred in a musical on Broadway ("The Boy From Oz") but showed his singing chops to the world when hosting the Academy Awards, which, ironically, is also where Anne Hathaway showed her outer voice talents, who will be playing the intrical part of Fantine and who is the star of the new trailer.  I have to say that with roles like Catwoman and Fantine, I have a feeling 2012 will be the year of the Hathaway.

The cast of the film version of "Les Miz" also has "Mama Mia" triple-threat Amanda Seyfried as Cosette, Russell Crowe as Javert (this one scares me a little as I don't think I've ever heard him sing and he can't fake his way through "Stars") and then Sacha Baron Cohen and Helena Bonham Carter as the Thenardier's, who are two of my favorite characters and the perfect choices for these roles, and just so happen to have been in a musical together in the recent past:  "Sweeney Todd".  Cohen showed he could hold a note, while Carter's singing was less than desirable but the great thing about the Thenardier's is that you don't have to be great singers.  It does help, but the flamboyancy of the parts would allow any actors to get away with "character singing".  And I must also add that I harbor a little jealousy towards Cohen because he will be playing the role I've dreamed in days gone by.  Although I've squashed my acting bug long ago, my desire to play Master Thernardier on stage is a lot like the cockroach from "Wall-E".  But that is one for the bucket list.

So here it is in all its amazing glory:



I do have to also add that Colm Wilkinson, Broadway's original Jean Val Jean, has a small role as the Bishop of Digne (near the beginning of the film and ironically only interacts with Jean Val Jean).  Some fanatics may complain about Hugh being cast over Colm, but I just want to say this - it's been over 25 years since he originated the role.  Colm's a bit too old to be playing the part.  Remember "Rent - The Movie"?  'Nough said.

The Marvel-ous Avengers



This Friday, May 4th, the 2012 summer tent pole season kicks off with the highly anticipated, massive undertaking, The Avengers, and if this movie is a precursor of what is to come this summer, it will be a summer never to forget.

Iconic Marvel Super Heroes Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Thor, Captain America, Hawkeye and Black Widow answer the call to action when Nick Fury, director of the international peacekeeping agency know as S.H.I.E.L.D., initiates a daring, globe-spanning recruitment effort to assemble The Avengers team to defeat an unexpected enemy threatening global safety and security.

Despite pulling together the ultimate dream team, Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) and longtime confidant Agent Coulson (Clark Gregg) must find a way to convince the Super Heroes to work with, not against each other, when the powerful and dangerous Loki gains access to the Cosmic Cube and its unlimited power.

Now before I go any further, let me just say that although I really, really enjoyed this film, I am not obsessed with it.  Quite frankly, it wasn't until after the first third of the movie was over, did I really start enjoying the film.  I understand the need to set up the "The Avenger Initiative" but as I watched it on the screen, I found myself asking, "Isn't that what Iron Man, Iron Man 2, Hulk, The Incredible Hulk, Thor and Captain America did?"  But once the whole set up was out of director Joss Whedon's system, that's when the movie started to shine.  Not only did Mr. Whedon display some of the biggest, baddest, relentless action sequences I think I've ever seen on film, but he also managed to dig deep within each of the main characters idiosyncrasies and show us why The Avenger Initiative shouldn't work.  Having never read a "The Avengers" comic book, I assume these conflicts were created by Mr. Stan Lee, but I still have to give kudos to Joss Whedon for not discarding them and giving each character their own journeys and defining moments.  For what could have easily been another Iron Man vehicle for A-lister Robert Downey Jr., The Avengers truly is an ensemble work.

Of course, Robert Downey, Jr. as Iron Man/Tony Stark is pure casting genius, but I have to say the shining star for me was Mark Ruffalo as Hulk/Bruce Banner.  No offense to Edward Norton or Eric Bana who previously bulked up computer-graphically for the roles (both of whom I admire as actors), and I'm no Hulk expert, but it feels like Mark Ruffalo is the only one of the three actors to get it right.  What Mark did in this film the previous actors did not do in theirs was give the Bruce Banner character a calmness and meekness that contradicts everything about his alter-ego.  I would see another Hulk movie if Mark Ruffalo were cast in the title role.

Now, just be warned that when going to a Joss Whedon film, expect to get a whiff of Joss Whedon's special brand of cheese.  For me, there was more than one too many weak tag lines and bad one-liners.  I realize they are written with the general public in mind, but for this particular viewer, they felt like forced attempts at humor where this audience member's funny bone is tickled more by the brilliantly subtle, tongue-in-cheek humor of the original Iron Man movie.  However, that being said, there is one hysterical moment between the Hulk and Loki (Tom Hiddleston) that had the entire audience cheering, clapping and laughing to the brink of tears, and that includes myself.

Again, I really, really enjoyed this movie and any criticisms I have are trivial.  And just a heads up, there is an added scene, which suggests a sequel but this time you don't need to sit through the entire credits to watch it.  It occurs after the "primary" end credits.  I even sat through to the very end in case there might have been a second added scene (I can dream) but there wasn't any.  So if you drank too much coke and have been holding it in since the middle of the film - ready to burst - go ahead an run to the bathroom.  You won't miss anything.

You're welcome.

And did I mention relentless action?

UPDATE:  I have been informed that although not on the media screening I attended, there is indeed a 2nd added scene at the end of the credits.  Sorry for the confusion.

FINALLY! A Superhero I Can Get A Little Obsessed About

I know I'm going to get a lot of slack for this, but I was not a fan of 'Thor'; and I know I'm NOT going to get any slack for this, but I was not a fan of 'Green Lantern' either.  I was beginning to worry.  Not since the first 'Iron Man' movie have I walked out of the movie theatre, grateful for the movie adaptation of a comic book… until now.

'Captain America: The First Avenger' is not a perfect movie; however, it has many of the right elements that make this film a fun and exciting two hours.  After being deemed unfit for military service, Steve Rogers volunteers for a top secret research project that turns him into Captain America, a superhero dedicated to defending America's ideals.

First, let me get the piece of bad criticism out of the way first, which in reality, isn't all that bad.  My biggest let down was that 'Captain America' was missing that "Wow" factor.  Sure, it had great action!  Sure, it had great special effects!  Sure, it had a big musical number with music and lyrics by Disney's Hercules team, Alan Menken and David Zippel!  But it was missing that extra bit of "zing" that catapults a good movie into a great movie.  This would be partly, if not wholly due to the Captain's relationships with the people around him.  His relationship with the girl, the best friend, the villain… all well acted but lacking in chemistry with star attraction (pun intended).

That aside, there are many, many fantastic details about this film.  Director Joe Johnston (Jurassic Park 3, The Rocketeer) creates a rich and detailed world set at the height of World War II.  I, personally, am obsessed with Hollywood's reenactment of the World War II area, with 'Where Eagles Dare' being one of my favorite films, if it is done right.  'Captain America' does it right with detailed costuming (love Captain America's final costume) and art direction, I even noticed some of the extras acting with the mindset of a person from the 1940's, as if they had an acting coach to tell them how their action would have been performed back then.  The look of the film would also not be possible if not for Shelly Johnson's wonderful cinematography.  But I think the other star of the film would be the special effects.  The team behind transforming Chris Evan's flawless physique into a short, scrawny beat-upable pip-squeak for many, many scenes was an amazing achievement.

As mentioned previous, even though I did not feel a lot of chemistry between Chris Evans and his supporting cast, I did think there was no bad acting.  Everyone did what was needed of them.  The all-American looking Chris Evans made a fine Captain America, Hayley Atwell (The Duchess) was good when as the tough-as-nails Sergeant Peggy Carter, Sebastian Stan (Black Swan, The Covenant) was fine as the best friend, Bucky Barnes, and Tommy Lee Jones (The Fugitive, Men in Black) was his typical snippy self as Colonel Chester Phillips; however, I did think there were two performances that stood out above the others.  Hugo Weaving (The Matrix, V for Vendetta) as the sinister Red Skull who sets out an evil and diabolical quest that would make Hitler look like the recipient of the Good Samaritan of the year award, and Stanley Tucci (The Lovely Bones, The Devil Wears Prada) as Dr. Abraham Erskine, who is the one actor that I feel really connects with Chris Evan's.

All in all, I definitely recommend 'Captain America: The First Avenger despite its shortcomings.  And if you're the type who, when leaving a movie theatre, like to feel the passion and vigor of American patriotism, there is no shortage of that here.  Come on, it is called Captain AMERICA.  What else did you expect?

Oh! And apparently there is a "teaser trailer" after the credits for The Avengers, although I cannot comment about this as Paramount decided NOT to add it during our screening.  Bastards.

The Return of a Timeless Classic

Welcome to my first ever movie review, although it may be my only movie review because I never planned on doing film reviews until I was invited to watch an advanced screening of Disney's Winnie the Pooh.

Walt Disney Animation Studios returns to the Hundred Acre Wood with "Winnie the Pooh.", featuring the timeless charm, wit and whimsy of the original featurettes, in this all-new movie which reunites audiences with the philosophical "bear of very little brain" and friends Tigger, Rabbit, Piglet, Owl, Kanga, Roo… and last, but certainly not least, Eeyore, who has lost his tael… tail.

Upon taking my seat to watch a film with a handful of my most beloved childhood characters returning to the big screen, I was excited; however, a bit skeptical that the creators of this new animated feature would not keep entirely true to the overall essence and imagining that author A.A. Milne, and original Disney animators created some 35 years previous.

Within the first ten minutes of the film, but after the very cute short film The Ballad of Nessie, all of my skepticisms were washed away in a wave of pure honey delight.  What I found myself watching was every bit as much of a classic Winnie the Pooh tale as if Disney had created it while making the original tales 35 years ago then sealed this print in their vault until this weeks release in 2011.  The film not only has the same watercolor look while created in today's digital age, but the same play on words that, quite literally, fall off the page.  There is even a clever take on the classic Abbott & Costello bit, "Who's on first?", but instead of "who", a word that I may or may NOT tell you.

Executive Producer, John Lasseter (CEO, Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios) and directors Don Hall (artist, Tarzan & Brother Bear) and Stephen Andreson (artist, Emperor's New Groove & Chicken Little) were faced with the challenge of improving on a classic when they took on a film with characters known worldwide.  The directors stated that the trick was keeping the treasured classic qualities while adding contemporary touches that would enhance the fun for today's audiences.

I have to say that the contemporary nuances were so subtle and unobtrusive that I actually found myself questioning if I had just seen or heard something that I would deem contemporary.  However, there was one moment that was all too obviously taken from today's film standards by adding a bonus scene after the final credits rolled up into oblivion.  I had not anticipated this in the slightest coming from this film and immediately thanked, applauded, patted myself on the back, for not leaping out of my seat during the end credits to go use the facilities.  I highly recommend staying until the house lights come back up and the screen goes dark.

So, being my first film review ever for this blog, I am more than delighted for it to be Disney's "Winnie the Pooh", a fantastic new blast from the past filled with charm, humor and imagination that will be a real treat for any parent, grandparent, Aunt, Uncle, 5th generation cousin, which grew up with the original featurettes, while entertaining today's youngster generation.  I seriously cannot rave enough about this film nor thank the creators enough for… well, creating it.  The 2011 version of Winnie the Pooh will surely be a little obsession of mine for years to come.

Recommendation:  Definitely "bother"