JACK'S BACK and this time it's personal
DATE AND STATUS: Saturday, November 3rd 2012, and I'm feeling naughty!
MY QUOTE OF THE DAY IS FROM ANGELA CARTER: "Hollywood...was the place wherethe United States perpetrated itself as a universal dream, and put the dream into mass production."
Halloween has come and gone and children everywhere are daily checking their haul to see if their siblings and parents have helped themselves to their candy, fortunately for me, I have no children so I have no candy in the house, oh well, I can always go to the grocery store and bring some home.
You'll never know it, but because I wasn't finished writing my review of the film, "The Sand Pebbles," I have had to change and revise this post several times. I am determined that I have revised this post for the last time, as I am going to publish it today.
I can now finally say that I've seen Barbra Streisand in concert. And I'm so glad I did. It was a once in a lifetime experience, and I'm glad I was able to share that experience with my younger brother, Ricky, and with Mac, the two people in this world that mean the most to me.
Sorry, if my candor hurts the feelings of other loved ones of mine, it's not intentional, but Mac and Ricky are the two guys that I spend most of my time with, naturally, that endears them even more to me.
With relation to Barbra Streisand, we saw her at the Air Canada Centre, and when I go back there to see Sarah Brightman, and Lady Gaga ((not together) in concert, I will not go by car as we did for Miss Streisand, that episode turned out to be a nightmare, so next time, I will either drive to Yorkdale and take the subway down, or take the Go Train.
I have a plethora of doctor appointments coming up, which is a good thing because I, literally, am falling apart. And I'm not about to go into all the personal details concerning my health, because there isn't a soul out there that wants to hear about it. And if there is someone out there that wants to hear about it, I'm not sure I want to communicate with them, hmmm. Think about that one, why don't you?
The College of Physicians and Surgeons is moving ahead with my complaint towards a certain doctor in North Bay, gosh, I sure had a lot of documents to sign, which I did in a timely manner. I also heard from the Mayor of North Bay, and the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of North Bay Regional Hospital, both of whom are investigating my claim of unacceptable behaviour from the doctor.
I never thought of myself as a trouble maker before, but I did a good deal of soul searching regarding what transpired while I was in the North Bay Hospital, and in good conscience, I had to complain, if only for the fact that it might prevent someone else suffering similar treatment.
Wow, we certainly have had a lot of rain. It's so depressing, I think I must have a little bit of that seasonal affective disorder (SAD)!
Hurricane Sandy, now known as the storm of the century, is no day at the beach. My goodness. New Jersey is a major disaster area, Manhattan is seriously flooded, we are so lucky that we didn't plan to go there this week.
Early reports show that twenty billion dollars in damage has been attributed to Hurricane Sandy, and that there have been eighteen deaths. Just horrible. We should all say prayers for those poor people in the East.
All we suffered was small blackouts in the wee small hours of the morning. I was trying to transfer a film from vhs to dvd, and I had to do it three times because the power kept going off, but my problems are nothing compared to the multitude of problems facing people directly hit by the hurricane!
I sure hope that Americans remember the damage from this hurricane, and allocate funds to fix their infrastructure. I know it would cost billions, but I believe it would cost alot more if they don't do it!
New York City is just around the corner for Mac and I, and
I'm getting very excited about this trip. I sure hope that the metropolis is cleaned up by then, and that we don't suffer any setbacks. Besides daily going to the theatre,
Darlene, Mac and I are going to visit a FUNK club. I have no idea what a funk club is, but
dear Darlene wants to do it, so we shall do it.
I can't wait to see Darlene, it has been way too long since we last saw each other, and while I'm happy that we shall reunite,
I'm kind of sad for all the time that we lost as friends. It has reminded me to reach out to some of my other friends with whom I've lost contact, and there are so many ways to find these friends.
First, and most popular, is Facebook. This social network enables you to find practically anyone out there who uses a computer. And then there is
Classmates.com who can help you, for a fee, locate your old high school pals.
I, personally, don't subscribe to Classmates,com, but,
I have heard from some of my old cronies from high school who did use this company to locate me. And of course,
there is always the telephone book, but with more and more people not subscribing to a conventional telephone system anymore, this may not be the gold mine that it once was.
One of my favourite actors, Jamie Bell, is engaged to marry an actress i can't stand,Evan Rachel Wood. You may remember Jamie from his auspicious debut in the film, "Billy Elliot."
I know it seems to be taking longer and longer for me to post my blog, and I do apologize for the delay, but at this time, I have so many appointments, not all medically related, that I have to attend to, so based on priority, the blog is taking a back seat, just for now folks, just for now.
I have been shopping around for Christmas cards, I know its still early, but because we will be leaving for
Florida in approximately three weeks, I like to get this little chore done, although, it probably would be cheaper to mail the
Christmas cards from the
United States, hmmm, maybe I should rethink this activity.
Want to know the films coming out this Christmas?
This is a list of the movies coming out this
Christmas season.this is an overview of the
films that are getting the most buzz and anticipation. These are the films that are expected to earn the most at the box-office.
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
Life of Pi
Zero Dark Thirty
Jack Reacher
Django Unchained
Les Misérables
Playing for Keeps
So which one of these movies are you most excited about? Feel free to leave your thoughts and messages at the comments section at the end of this blog. Thanks.
Django Unchained - The fact that
Quentin Tarantino directed this film makes it highly anticipated.
Every release of a Tarantino movie is an event in itself. The man is a master in his profession.
Tarantino is not a prolific filmmaker, but when he makes one,
he makes sure that it's a really good film. Mr. Tarantino is another version of director Terrence Malik who puts out a movie every once in a blue moon. But damn, the movies he creates are instant classics.
Besides being helm ed by Tarantino, another good reason why "
Django Unchained" is a must-watch is its cast. It has three very talented actors leading the cast in
Jamie Foxx, Leonardo DiCaprio and the always entertaining Tim Roth.
A lot of people thought that Foxx and DiCaprio are bad choices for the roles given to them but such thoughts were squashed when the trailer for the film finally came out. Both actors looked like they fit their roles after all.
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey marks the arrival of the first installment in another Middle Earth movie trilogy by director Peter Jackson. Jackson is the genius behind The Lord of the Rings series which were adapted from J.R.R. Tolkien's novels. The director aims to replicate this previous success with The Hobbit trilogy.
The Hobbit follows the adventures of hobbit Bilbo Baggins, Gandalf the Grey and the Thirteen Dwarfs as they journey to reclaim a kingdom which was lost to a merciless dragon named Smaug. Along the way, they will encounter all sorts of characters, beasts and monsters.
Life of Pi - There is no doubt that this is among the most highly-anticipated pictures coming out in December. First, it's based on a best-selling adventure novel so it already has an established fan base even if the film didn't even come out in theaters. And second, award-winning director Ang Lee is directing it. What could possibly go wrong with this film?
Life of Pi is about a young boy being stranded in the middle of the ocean after the freighter he was riding sunk. He is the only survivor, along with a Bengal tiger, a zebra, an orangutan, and a hyena.
Jack Reacher Starring Tom Cruise, Robert Duvall, Rosamund Pike, and Richard Jenkins, Jack Reacher is an adaptation of a novel by author Lee Child. The novel is called One Shot and the film was previously titled the same as the novel but it was later changed to Jack Reacher. The book is the 9th installment in the Jack Reacher book series. The movie will be the first film adaptation from the series.
Zero Dark Thirty - Kathryn Bigelow is back with another war thriller in Zero Dark Thirty. Her last film, The Hurt Locker is considered to be among the best films of 2009. The film was nominated nine times at the Academy Awards and went on to win six of these including Best Picture and Best Director. Can Bigelow follow up this success with Zero Dark Thirty? We'll find out when the film comes out by the end of this year.
The film revolves around the manhunt for Osama Bin Laden after the attacks on the World Trade Center in 2001. The film follows the story of the special operations forces whose mission is to capture and kill the terrorist leader. former professional athlete with a weak past tries to redeem himself by coaching his son's soccer team, only to find himself unable to resist when in scoring position with his players' restless & gorgeous moms.
Playing for Keeps - former professional athlete with a weak past tries to redeem himself by coaching his son's soccer team, only to find himself unable to resist when in scoring position with his players' restless & gorgeous moms.
Playing for Keeps, originally known as Playing the Field, is directed by Italian filmmaker Gabriele Muccino, of the films The Last Kiss, The Pursuit of Happyness, Seven Pounds and Kiss Me Again previously. The screenplay was written by Robbie Fox (Shooting Elizabeth, So I Married an Axe Murderer). Film District / Millennium Films is releasing Playing for Keeps in theaters everywhere on December 7th later this year.
Les Miserables - Tom Hooper (The King's Speech) is directing Les Miserables an adaptation of the successful stage musical based on Victor Hugo's classic novel set in 19th-century France, in which a paroled prisoner named Jean Valjean, (Hugh Jackman) seeks his redemption. Alain Boubil adapted his own work with Claude-Michel Schonberg, who also wrote the stage musical,Herbert Kretzner and William Nicholson. The film also stars Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway, Amanda Seyfried, Helena Bonham Carter, Sacha Baron Cohen and Eddie Redmayne and will hit theaters everywhere on December 25th, Christmas Day, this winter. Excited yet?
Not included in the list of films expected to clean up at the box office, is "The Guilt Trip" a film I will definetly see as it stars Barbra Streisand.
Now you don't have to go to the cinema to see some new Christmas movies, good ole television is also offering some movies that I personally want to see, including: Home Alone Five, Christmas Heart,Christmas in Connecticut (remake) Wonderful Time, Three Day Test, and Random Acts of Christmas.
Next week will be tres exciting for our American friends as they move towards electing, or re-electing their next President. Of course, I am hoping that Barack Obama gets back into office, but Mr. Romney certainly does have momentum, and this truly bothers me.
I really think Mr. Romney will set things back for alot of minority groups, especially women, if he does what he says he is going to do,
the chief thing which is aboloshing abortion.
Abortion is still such a sticky subject. I, personally, am against abortion, however, I firmly believe that it is not my decision to make.
Abortion is first and foremost the decision of the pregnant woman, and
whoever else the prospective mother includes in her decision making. It is the woman's body, and she will have to live with the decision she makes regarding her body, but she has the right to make that decision, and nobody else should interfere with her decision, NOBODY!
Well, the time has come for my take on the film "The Sand Pebbles." I have known about this movie since I was a child, but for some reason, I put off seeing it. What a colossal mistake! Let me tell you about it.
This is a long movie, so pop an extra big bowl of popcorn and avoid drinking fluids. Ensure the kiddies are well taken care of, and pvr your favourite television shows as you just may miss them while you watch this epic film.
"The Sand Pebbles" is a roadshow movie that many find too long, but in the true character of the genre, director Robert Wise uses the movie's length to create a multi-layered composition of great story, beautiful scenery, interesting characters, and a soundtrack, definetly dated, but still emphasizes the drama and the action.
The movie speaks of a realistic issue that parallel today's international problems. It has an American slant, but does not necesasrily paint the controversy with a pro-American brush. It is a story of hopeless love and friendship (I love this genre) surrounded by the danger and terror of a raging people.
While I'm not sure of the intended message of the film, other than possibly being a reflection of what America was going throught at the time, it definetly carries an anti-war sentiment that sticks a dagger straight into the heart of America's foreign policy. While filled with somewhat dated melodrama, and sometimes simplistic and cliched dialogue, the movie is worthy of all the Academy Award nominations it garnered.
Steve McQueen received his only Academy Award nomination for his performance in this epic-scale war drama.
In 1926, as China teeters on the edge of political revolution in the midst of a civil war, the USS San Pablo, is ordered to patrol the Yangtze River to represent and protect American interests. While the San Pablo may be an American ship, much of the labour is actually performed by Chinese locals willing to work for American money, while stern but inexperienced commanding officer Captain Collins (Richard Crenna) frequently drills his charges, unsure what else to do.
A machinist's mate with just under a decade of navy service behind him, Jake Holman (Steve McQueen) is assigned to the San Pablo and immediately makes enemies among the crew, he prefers to do his own work rather than farm it out to others, and the one Chinese man who works by his side, Po Han (Mako), is treated as an apprentice rather than a servant.
Holman also falls in love with an idealistic American missionary (Candice Bergen), while his shipmate Frenchy (Richard Attenborough) falls for a Chinese girl and, with marriage plans in mind, kidnaps her to prevent her from being auctioned off.
As Holman's methods and attitudes continue to anger his comrades, they find themselves increasingly odds with the Chinese, especially after Frenchy's girlfriend becomes pregnant and Po Han is captured by revolutionary forces and branded a traitor, and hauled off the ship, strung up, and tortured with swords in a searing scene. (I found this scene quite traumatizing, it is graphic and has seared a permanent home in my psyche.)
With the crew poised to repel boarders, and under intense pressure, the Captain attempts to negotiate for Po-Han's release with offers of American money; his efforts are fruitless. Po-Han begs for someone to kill him. Holman disobeys orders and ends Po-Han's suffering with a fatal rifle shot.
The San Pablo is stuck in port at Changsha for the winter due to low water levels. It must deal with increasingly hostile crowds surrounding it in numerous smaller boats. The Captain fears a possible mutiny.
Frenchy has saved a Chinese woman, Maily, played by Emmanuelle Arsan, from prostitution by paying her debts. Frenchy marries Maily and sneaks off the ship regularly, but dies of pneumonia one night. Holman searches for him and finds Maily sitting stunned by Frenchy's corpse. Kuomintang (Chinese nationalists) burst in, beat up Holman, and drag Maily away.
Holman returns to the ship. The next day, several Chinese float out to the San Pablo in small boats, and demand the "murderer" Holman be turned over to them. Apparently, the nationalists killed Maily and blamed Holman, trying to provoke an incident. Holman informs the Captain what really happened. When the Chinese demand for Holman is refused, they blockade the San Pablo.
The American crew fears for their safety and demand that Holman surrender to the Chinese against the Captain's orders. Order is not restored until the Captain fires across the bow of one of the Chinese junks.
With spring at hand, the Captain decides to risk an attempt to leave. The San Pablo sails away from the Kuomintang blockade and receives radioed orders to return to the coast. The Captain defies these orders and elects to evacuate idealistic missionary Jameson, played by Larry Gates, and his school teacher assistant Shirley Eckert, played by youthful, gorgeous Candace Bergen from their remote mission up the Yangtze River.
To reach the missionaries, the San Pablo must fight through a boom made up of junks carrying a massive rope blocking the river. The San Pablo returns their fire and boards one of the junks. Close-range fighting results in the deaths of several sailors and Chinese.
Holman heroically cuts the boom with an axe under fire while other sailors return to the San Pablo. He is attacked and kills a Chinese man with the axe. It turns out that the man, the leader of a Nationalist student group, was known to Holman as a student of Eckert. The ship then proceeds upriver, leaving the smoking wrecks behind.
Arriving near the mission, the Captain leads a patrol of three sailors, including Holman, ashore. Jameson resists rescue, claiming that it is the Captain's actions that have endangered him, not the Chinese.
Jameson shows the Captain a document claiming that he and Eckert have renounced their US citizenship. and are therefore not under the Captain's authority. The Captain tells him the paper will not matter.
The Captain orders Holman to forcibly remove Eckert and Jameson, but Holman refuses the order and announces his intent to stay at the mission with them. The Captain tells Holman angrily that this is desertion.
The argument is interrupted by nationalist soldiers who attack the mission and kill Jameson with paper in hand as he approaches them pleading for his life. The Captain takes a large Browning Automatic Rife (BAR), orders the patrol to return to the ship with Miss Eckert, and remains behind to provide covering fire.
As the patrol leaves, the Captain is killed, ironically leaving the normally rebellious Holman in command. Holman returns and recovers the rifle. He orders the remaining two sailors to leave with Eckert and takes the Captain's place to cover the escape.
In the ensuing shootout Holman kills several soldiers before he himself is fatally shot just before he can rejoin the others. His final words are, "I was home... What happened? What the hell happened?!"
Eckert and the two remaining sailors are shown successfully escaping to the ship, and the San Pablo is shown cruising off to apparent safety. The title of the film is for the ship as it is nicknamed the "Sand Pebble" and its sailors refer to themselves as "Sand Pebbles"
"The Sand Pebbles" was a 4 year project for Robert Wise. His association with the movie began in 1962 while he was in London. At the time, he had been working with the Mirisch organization and he was sent galley proofs of the Richard McKenna novel. Mirisch decided not to carry out the project, but left the film rights with Wise.
The movie rights to the book were originally sold to United Artists for $300,000. The movie rights were later acquired by Twentieth Century-Fox when Robert Wise was given the go-ahead with the project by Darryl F. Zanuck in September 1962. The search for suitable filming locations, script and other problems would set the project back three years.
The role of Jake Holman was originally offered to Paul Newman, who declined, and Steve McQueen was paid $650,000 to star in "The Sand Pebbles."
The "San Pablo" was constructed in Hong Kong for $250,000 (making it the costliest prop ever built for a motion picture at the time). Wise estimated that it would have cost $1 million to construct the ship in the U.S.
Principal filming on The Sand Pebbles began November 22, 1965 and completed in May 1966. Wise led a Hollywood cast and crew numbering more than one hundred to Keelung, Tam Sui and Taipei on the island of Taiwan, for initial photography.
An additional location in Hong Kong followed with two months of production at the 20th Century-Fox studio in Beverly Hills, California. In August 1966, additional scenes were shot aboard the USS Texas near Houston (see #14). Due to many unforeseen problems, the film ran $3 million dollars over budget. In spite of this, Director Robert Wise delivered the final movie (scheduled for a Christmas release) on time. The film went on to gross $27 million.
The film company endured an earthquake, several storms and a hotel fire. In addition they were "interested and disturbed bystanders" during a 3 day riot. The crew worked under close scrutiny and security because of the military conflict between Formosa (Taiwan) and Mainland China.
Upon completion of The Sand Pebbles, the San Pablo was temporarily saved from the scrap heap by an American construction firm which had a contract to rebuild bridges in Viet Nam. The San Pablo eventually changed ownership once again, relocated to Indonesia and renamed the "Nola D". Her fate is detailed in "The Demise of the san Pablo."
So there's my review of "The Sand Pebbles," I apologize for posting it so late, but I really have been busy. Don't give up on me as you see, I always, eventually get out my blog, remember, better late than never.
