Movie Reviews

As I am now writing film reviews for examiner.com, I will no longer (not that I had been for a while now anyway) be posting movie reviews here, at least not in full. I will try to remember to post a bit of each and a link to the examiner page. Please, if you like them, become a subscriber. This job pays, but not much. The more subscribers and viewers I get, the more I make, which, as I said, is not much. Thanks.


The Sorcerer’s Apprentice: Nicholas Cage could use some of the old magic

When a review begins with describing a movie as “not bad,” that usually means the movie is also not good. “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice,” is not bad. If anyone goes into this film with high expectations, disappointment will likely ensue. However, if expectations are tempered, the film will not necessarily be a rewarding venture but at least an amusing one. CLICK TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE


Oscar buzz through July 2010

It is never too early to start thinking about the Oscars. Sure, awards season is still months away, and generally speaking, the majority of contenders do not release (wide) until November or later. Still though, most years see a few films sneak in that released early. If promoted right, they regain the momentum that ran out early in the year.

That being said, what films have emerged so far in 2010 that might still be in the talks when the nominations come out? CLICK TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE


Inception: Christopher Nolan’s latest masterpiece

Christopher Nolan has solidified himself as one of Hollywood’s premier storytellers. His reinvention of Batman put him on the short list, for at least those who never had the pleasure of seeing “Memento”, and his second act of “A Dark Knight” secured his position. How does one follow such a success? Inception, by definition, means a beginning. If this is still just the beginning for Nolan, audiences beware. CLICK TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE

What have we been up to lately . . .

1. Working - @Costco and @Penrose Library Ref Desk

(Too exciting to post a picture)

2. Mini Golfing with Kim & Clarke

3. Rooting for the Rockies

. . . and Ubaldo even through the cold rain

4. Attempting (successfully) to hit a FAST ball (85 mph) - He can still do it!

5. Going on an amazing hike with Chris, Rachel, and Tessa

6. Sipping free beer at Coors - the largest brewery in the world

7. Putting together fun stuff for Del Rio . . . Check out the first concert of the summer

8. Enjoying delicious mini cupcakes with Rachel - Mint and Peanut butter chocolate featured below

Things have been going great. We just sold our bed on craigslist so we are crashing on the futon, but almost all our furniture is gone! Two more weeks until we leave and we still have things to accomplish like another Rockies game, a day at Elitch Gardens, a camping trip, and more. Looking forward to sharing more adventures soon.

Graduation, Craigslist and New Adventures

It has been way too long and way too much has happened. The big news is that I graduated June 4th from DU with my Masters! It was a wonderful celebration. I was honored to have both Mom and Dad out to visit and Grandma Major too. Spending time with them in Denver was a real treat. It feels really amazing to be done with school. The last two years were a lot of hard work, but to have accomplished it is wonderful.

Now that I have a Masters in International Studies - what is next? I am excited to say . . . after a long and great discussion with Rob and Jolee Wallace I will be heading back to work at Del Rio Vineyards. This time I start with a focus on online and social media marketing, but the job is not limited and will provide the potential for a variety of endeavors. Scott and I will be heading back to Oregon on the first of July. We are staying here for the rest of June. The time gives us a chance to see a bit more of Colorado with camping and hiking trips planned. I am also working a few hours at the library and Scott is continuing to work at Costco, hoping to still secure a transfer to the Medford store. We will be sad to say goodbye to Denver. We have made many new friends who we will miss dearly but hope to host in their visits to the west coast.

Speaking of Graduation . . . here is a long over due congrats to Scott. Scott graduated with his MBA in Marketing in March. He is currently working at Costco and doing really well. He is also excited to head back to Oregon. We are really looking forward to spending time with the fam.

As we are planning the trip home we have decided to take only what will fit in our two cars. The mission has been to get rid of all our stuff (or our big stuff) and so far we have been pretty successful. It was hard to see our kitchen table go, but we got $125 for it. It is so much fun using Craigslist in Denver. Things can go really fast. I think we will be able to fit everything.

More posts and pictures to come as we enjoy our last few weeks in Denver.

Farewell

Lindsey has been bugging me to write a new blog post for a while now because we have some major changes coming up in our lives. She said, “Please write a blog about what is going on with us.” Well, here is my blog post. LOST has ended.

The last show that I watched with as much enthusiasm as LOST was Seinfeld. I was 14 when the final episode of Seinfeld aired, and I remember being teary eyed during the pre-show montage of the series with Green Day’s Good Riddance playing in the background. More than a decade later, another show has come to an end, again leaving me wanting more. It was a sad occasion watching the 270 minute finale event but one that was ultimately extremely satisfying.

For the past 6 years, LOST has been the best show on television, consistent in engrossing plot and superb acting. No, every week has not been perfect, but as a whole, the 6 seasons are nothing short of phenomenal. Ok, enough praise without explanation.

If I had been told that the finale would leave so many questions unanswered, I would have expected about a 90% chance of disappointment. However, it turns out that most of the questions did not need to be answered. In fact, even with how the show ended, the main question that had been asked from the beginning, “What exactly is the island,” remained debatable. From what I have read and heard since the airing, a mere 24 hours gone, my thoughts on the message that the ending was trying to convey have for the most part been confirmed. I’ll not go into any details for those who have yet to watch. Shame on you though if you fall into that category.

What the fans got was a LOST movie event to bring to a close the stories about the these wonderful characters. Because in the end, amid all the mysteries, subplots, love triangles and quantum physics, LOST was ever about the characters. People do not support a show the way LOST has been supported without becoming attached to the characters. Jack, Sawyer, Locke, Kate, Hurly, Sayid, Charlie (always was my favorite) Ben and everyone else became our friends. They became our enemies and our companions.

We loved them far more than we ever loved the show, so it is fitting that the writers found a way to bring back all the characters, even the ones we had already said goodbye to, without some laughable gimmick. For those of you that are television fans, you know what I mean here too. Many finales find some sort of ploy to bring back all the familiar faces whether it be small group reminiscing or some lame trial with everyone who has ever been on the show serving as witnesses. For those shows that were great, like Seinfeld, we forgive the ending because of the road that brought us there.

LOST requires no forgiveness, just our praise for 6 wonderful years of exceptional television right up until the final fade out. I will miss the show, and though I will watch it again in full with my wife my brother and probably any friend I ever make who has not seen the show including the children I will eventually have, nothing will ever be able to replace the moments each week of watching the latest episode, hoping for some answers. Thank you, LOST. That is all I can say. Thank you.

Slideshow

Eating pita chips and hummus on my day off. Enjoying playing with iphoto and imovie.

Here is a slideshow of Mom and Dad's wedding. Hope you enjoy! Love you both tons!

Jody & Nick's Wedding

The trip to San Diego was quick, but we were able to spend some great time with friends. Thursday was low key as we strolled around the Gaslamp district and enjoyed a yummy lunch/dinner with Brandi and Sherri. Friday we hit the town enjoying a delicious meal in Little Italy. Our mission was to eat at a restaurant called, Zagarella's, however, sadly it was closed. But the meal we did have was great. The four of us then traveled down to SeaPort Village and enjoyed a relaxing stroll. The weather was a perfect 70 degrees and the ocean air was incredibly calming. The evening ended with a fun rehearsal dinner in Old Town. Saturday we were joined by Carly and Brian. We piled in their rental car for a quick trip to Coronado island. The beach was beautiful, with gold flakes sparkling in the sand. It looked as though God had dropped a little glitter on Coronado. Then it was off to the wedding. Jody and Nick were married in the Sky Box on the fifteenth floor of a building overlooking PETCO park. It was a high class affair. Dancing, food, and conversation were thoroughly enjoyed.

Here are a few pics to enjoy!

A view from the top of our hotel!

Enjoying the rehearsal dinner.

Getting ready for a fun night.

Mr. & Mrs. Nick Olson

We had a wonderful time. It was a quick trip. I wish we could have stayed and enjoyed the beautiful city longer. Back to the books. I have only three weeks left of school!

Connor is Here!

We are so excited for Matt, Jenny, and Jack as they welcome a new addition to the family. We wish we could be there, but we send our love to the whole family. We are looking forward to a trip home to meet Connor in July.

Stats:
7 lbs 7 oz
19.75 in.