Everything else goes here, including discussion of parks outside of Carowinds and any off-topic discussion
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By PhantomCat
#43676
For Colored Girls **** -receives 4 colored stars
Rated R Runtime is 2 hours
Directed by Tyler Perry.
Based on the 1975 award winning Broadway play, For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow Is Enuf by Ntozake Shange.

Star studded cast: Kimberly Elise, Janet Jackson, Loretta Devine, Whoopi Goldberg, Thandie Newton, Anika Noni Rose, Kerry Washington, Phylicia Rashad, and Macy Grey.

What appears to be yet another female empowerment film of complex characters, I invited you to look deeper. While all twenty poems from the original play tend to interrupt the story at times because they are not all easily deciphered, the battered African-American women represent women of all nationalities facing the same shattering issues today: abortion, incest, rape, domestic violence, and others. This film is not just for colored girls. It is a worth wile view but don’t expect to be entertained. This one is more therapeutic.

Hats off to Hill Harper who performed an excellent portrayal of Donald, the only promising male role model in the film, which is sad. All men are not the same; therefore, all men are not dogs. And for the women who continue to say that, if you’re supposed to be so much smarter than men, why do you continue to pick the dogs to have relationships with. As one character told another in the movie, “You’re going to have to accept some responsibility here in order to get better.” Colored Girls is also reminiscent of Oprah’s 1989, Women of Brewster Place, where positive, upstanding men of true integrity are also of rarity - thus my reason for giving Colored Girls only 4 stars. Overall, the acting in Girls is superb in this updated film version of the play. I’ve never seen the play but my guess is that director, Tyler Perry either wrote Janet Jackson’s character, Jo, into the script or added to it as there were no identified HIV cases in the 70s.

Be prepared for two hours of sadness, and a few shocks along the way. Tyler Perry is starting to add more bombshells and shock value to his serious films, and this one tops all of his creations and only tightens its grip.

I would appreciate more male empowerment films out of Hollywood. Women are not the only ones who need positive words of education for inner strength to unlock and break free from their inner demons. I’m tired of having to identify with a female character who’s issues closest match my own. By the way, I identified most with Thandie Newton’s Character, Tangie – forever using numerous sex partners to try and fill the horrible bottomless pit feelings of misery, loneliness, insecurities, and feelings of undeserving of true intimacy with one person, all caused by childhood mental and physical abuse. She learned she was worth so much more than a dangerously useless, lust-filled lifestyle, that she is a person, just as important as everyone else in the world, and that she is worthy of not only giving respect but also deserving of receiving it as well, and so have I learned. After acting out of this neglectful past for years, this was a lesson I had to grow into and learn from the hells it caused me. I Thank God I didn’t end up with AIDS while learning it.

When I was whoring around I felt like I was really living, wanted, appreciated. But when I saw my bed pets out in public with their families and friends, acting as if they didn’t know me, the pain deeply pierced my soul many times. It even followed me home to disturb me even more. It spoke volumes as to who I was and the life I was living. I had become the bed pet of many secret desires – the one nobody would ever introduce to people of importance in their lives. I was their dark secret. The adorable pet that was to be played with only once or many times, before it was tossed out with the trash from its recreational use in dark backrooms when no one else was around. Only to be appreciated, when no one else was watching, in the dead of night…

Some of our biggest battles within start in our childhoods, rejection, insecurities, fears of living, fears of dying, forever clinging our lives through, unless we get the true help we so desperately need. Man can offer great help, but some issues run so dark and so deep and are so intertwined with other issues, that only God can set us totally free. Amen.
Last edited by PhantomCat on November 22nd, 2010, 3:14 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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By PhantomCat
#43780
UNSTOPPABLE - based on true events -5 Star Event
Rated PG-13 -Run Time: 1 hr 38 min -Genre: Action/Adventure/Suspence
Director: Tony Scott
Staring: Denzel Washington, Chris Pine, Rosario Dawson, Ethan Suplee

It happens all the time and chances are it’s happened to you. You’re supervisor wants something done quickly and to try and please him/her you forsake all the formalities of each step and jump to the main issue. It’s exactly what happened when a railroad worker is pressured to remove a long train from its present track. He takes it upon himself to place the engine controls on idle, jumps off the train and runs ahead to switch the track, and had planed to jump back on, all without first securing the air-break lines. But while he’s off the train and running ahead of it the idle controls switch to full steam ahead and this is where the fun starts. But this is no ordinary train; it’s full of explosive materials and its gaining speed.

On my way to the theater I questioned my original desire to see this film, and how could a movie about a runaway train be that entertaining? I followed my aspiration and the answer was so overwhelming I was glad for the ending. When sound effects, crafty camera angles, and great acting combine with a great musical score, you too will be holding on for the ride of your life. Even the corporate rail officials meetings and phone conversations are intense. The only relief is when scenes switch to family members away from the tracks. Now here’s a steroid train worth waiting in line for.
All Abroad!
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By PhantomCat
#43781
Paranormal Activity II -2 Stars
Rated R -Run time: 1 hr 31 min -Genre: Horror
Director: Tod Williams

As the story develops, we learn that a past relative as made a deal with the devil for riches in exchange for the first born male. And who finally has a little boy after the deal was made generations later, the family who the film is centered.

They’d have us to believe this is a true story – just like part I – but this shabby attempt at make a horror film left me wondering why I had wasted my money. Much of it was shot by an unsteadied, handheld camcorder. There are some good scares and camera tricks but not enough to save it. The only thing stable about this film was the footage captured by the still, hidden cameras placed throughout the home, and thank god for them, the camcorder shots had starting making me dizzy. All the actors were unknowns and very good, but the script was of another spirit. In the time of a crisis while looking around the house for missing loved ones, who grabs a camera to film as they panickly search each room? Honestly now…It’s so obvious that director Tod Williams was inspired by The Blair Witch Project, another low budget, no music, camcorder tale.
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By PhantomCat
#43782
Social Network -based on actual events -3 Stars
Rated PG-13 -Run time: 2 hours -Genre: Drama/Comedy
Director: David Fincher
Cast: Jesse Eisenberg, Justin Timberlake, Brenda Song, Joseph Mazzello

This is the very interesting account of how FaceBook came to exist, and teaches a highly important business practice to know who you share your ideas with, and to watch out for those snakes who want to weasel their way into your company and under your skin to cause you to kick original members out. It could come back around with a nasty and expensive bite attached.

Rest up before you see this one or you could fall asleep. There is much important dialogue that does not repeat. Scenes cut often from the present to the past and back again. You will be lost if you don’t pay close attention. I found the court case without a jury to be very interesting as I’m not used to seeing that in films. As scenes switch quickly without warning, it will first appear that the court case is actually a meeting at a college.
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By PhantomCat
#43783
RED -5 Star Event
Rated PG-13 -Run time: 1 hr 51 min -Genre: Action/Adventure
Director: Robert Schwentke
Cast: Bruce Willis, Morgan Freeman, John Malkovich, Helen Mirren


When aged and retired, top secret CIA agents learn they are on a hit list, they form their own band of stealthy attacks to get the answers they need, and to kill whoever they need to kill. It becames necessary to break into their former agency, the CIA, for a highly secured classified file. As they work to clear their own names, they discover dark governmental dealings that were never meant to be known.

Film deals not only with these trained assassins but exposes their boring and complex lives because of the fact that their training to always be secretive and safe never left them but interfered with their trying to live normal lives.
#43792
I agree, however I did like the first one. To me the second one was like "Really I have seen all this done before??!!" The only part that was something new was the "Oh well the first one makes sense now." Other than that I should've waited for it to come to DVD instead of paying so much to see it at the theater which in England is twice the price as Greenville, NC.
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By PhantomCat
#43794
RollerCoasterMommy07
I agree with you. I felt like I waisted my time and money. It's that last of the Halloween 2010 movies still lingering around but will soon disappear, making way for another more deserving film.

JamminJ
Thanks, point taken.
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By PhantomCat
#43807
RollerCoasterMommy07

Tell me about it. I haven't seen any of the Saw flicks and don't really care to. Seeing people tortured for an hour and a half is not on my list of entertainment favorites.

Are you into any of the romantic comedies? Some of them look promising. I hate I missed Letters to Juliette.

I'm presently reading The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold. A young teen is raped, murdered, and telling her 328 paged story from Heaven. She talks about family, the trials and triumphs of growing up, having been killed, appearing to family members at different times, her murder case, etc. Not exactly a love story but very interesting. They tell me a movie was made based on the book but it is a lot different. Why do directors run off to lala world and create a totally different story? Why don't they just stick to the original manuscript? Many books have been mutilated on the big screen. If my novel is ever turned into a film, I'll do all I can to make sure they don't change the story. I want my work to stay intact.
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By RollerCoasterMommy07
#43814
I watched the saw the Saw movies up until jigsaw died. Now it just seems to be a competition of how much gore they can get into a movie.

I love romantic comedies. I started to watch Letters To Juliette on my plane ride back home, but I was traveling with my 3 year old so getting anything out of it was pretty impossible. I want to see The Lovely Bones. My friend that read the book said the movie was a disappointment (but typically when they turn books into movies they tend to irritate me if I have read the book). Although I haven't read the book so I should be good. If you see the movie let me know how it is. It's hard to find anything over here, I'm currently living in England, and they are way behind the States and sometimes don't get the same movies that are back home.

P.S I really enjoy reading your movie reviews.
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By PhantomCat
#43816
RollerCoasterMommy07 wrote: P.S I really enjoy reading your movie reviews.

Well, thank you very much. I don't know if you've seen the earlier ones or not. You may have to turn back a page or two.

I didn't know you were in England. You have got to show us the way to the free healthcare your country enjoys. We're supposed to be getting it in the states but it's still new and we really don't know whats going on with it right now. People are still paying health care provider companies, and are still being charged by hospitals. I know a woman who worked at Carowinds with me this past summer who said she refuses anything extra hospitals try to give her. During her last visit for migraines she rejected their offers of socks, blankets, extra pain pills, anything she felt she didn't need. She said they will place a charge on everything, causing the bill skyrocket. She called home and told them to bring her extra blankets, socks and other supplies needed.
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By RollerCoasterMommy07
#43821
Your welcome..No the only movies I have seen since I have been here is PA2 and Skyline (which sucks don't waste your money).

Yea I moved here in June my husband is in the USAF and is stationed over here. I had no clue that they were trying to get the free health care thing back in the States. Hopefully they will get all the kinks worked and and it will be true. Healthcare is so darn expensive and I never understood why you pay and pay and pay insurance companies to go to a dr. maybe once a year and you still have to pay a huge deductible. With all the money you pay the insurance company that year they should cover it, so you are really losing money. It's all a ripoff.

So you work at Carowinds? I know I'm behind but I don't know anybody from this site. You are the first person that has actually talked back to really anything I have said except the RideWarrior guy. What do you do there?
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By PhantomCat
#43836
I've worked as a ride associate, running the attractions, helping people on and off. The park is now closed for the winter season.

That RideWarrior certainly is a nice guy. I like him. I'm sorry no one has responded to you but us.

How did you discover this site?