Casino Royale, Starring Daniel Craig

4-Star Movies, Action Comments Off
Dec 312006

casino-royale1.jpg Let me start off by saying that I’m not exactly a James Bond fan. I’ve seen a couple of the more recent movies with Pierce Brosnan in the lead, but missed everything before that. I’ve never read an Ian Fleming book, and was never interested in the heated debates over which actors were or were not fit to play James Bond.

I’d of course heard that there would be a new Bond this year and, though I didn’t know anything about him, I’d seen pictures of Daniel Craig around the Internet. I thought to myself, “He doesn’t look like a suave, sophisticated spy,” and thought he wouldn’t make a good James Bond. How wrong I was!

I only went to see Casino Royale because my husband wanted to see it, so I wasn’t expecting much out of it. At first, it looked like my low expectations were warranted. There was an extended chase scene after the opening credits that, while at times was exciting, isn’t the way to start a movie, IMO. I wanted to meet Bond first, and then see him in action. There were some cool stunts during that sequence, but it lasted too long.

After that, however, the movie really took off. In the previous Bond films I’d seen, the plot was always so twisted and convoluted that I couldn’t really understand what was going on. Luckily, that wasn’t the case with Casino Royale. Most of the time, I knew precisely what was happening (and why), and that added immensely to my enjoyment of the film.

I won’t go into plot details here, but I do want to say that Daniel Craig was fantastic in this movie! I thought he made a great James Bond and I’ll freely admit that I was way too quick to judge him. I liked what he did with the character here and am looking forward to seeing him in future 007 movies. I also loved Eva Green as Vesper Lynd. She wasn’t the typical Bond girl in that she was witty and intelligent in addition to being beautiful.

Overall, Casino Royale was a fun, exciting movie that is well worth seeing in the theater. I give it 4 stars out of 5 and I’m sure you’ll like it too!

Posted by Editor at 4:46 am

Performance Review Software

Products Comments Off
Dec 302006

I think most people who work outside the home would agree with me when I say that getting your annual review is one of the most important events of the year. After all, most companies base compensation and promotion decisions at least in part on these reviews.

I had one supervisor in particular who was always late turning in my review — sometimes by 6 weeks or more. She really could have used some kind of employee review software to help speed up the process. At least my raises were retroactive to the date when my review was supposed to be turned in, but still…. it would be nice to get these things on time!

Posted by Editor at 10:47 pm

ESPN GamePlan Customer Service Phone Number

Services, Websites Comments Off
Dec 302006

A month ago, I wrote about how much ESPN GamePlan sucks. I couldn’t access live games when I wanted, and it wasn’t much easier to get to the archives. Plus, there were a bunch of minor annoyances that I didn’t cover in my last post, like how if I happened to move my pointer outside the GamePlan screen, the damn thing would shut off!

It seems that a lot of subscribers have had trouble with ESPN GamePlan, so my experience was certainly not an isolated incident. A couple of them were kind enough to post the ESPN customer service number for me, which I’m now sharing with you. Please use it if you’ve had problems with GamePlan.

ESPN GamePlan Customer Service Phone Number:
1-888-549-3776

I really like the GamePlan concept, but ESPN needs to know about all the bugs. Even if you can’t get a refund, maybe your input can help the development team come up with a better version for the ’07 season.

Until then, I wouldn’t bother signing up for the Bowl Game package if I were you!

Posted by Editor at 10:21 pm

Oliver Twist -- Roman Polanski Version

3-Star Movies, Drama 1 Response »
Dec 302006

olive-twist.jpg It’s been more than a decade since I read >Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens and I’ve forgotten all the details of the book, so when I sat down to watch the 2005 big-screen adaptation directed by Roman Polanski, I had nothing to compare the film to. I basically remembered a few of the major characters’ names, but nothing more.

I thought this would make the film less enjoyable to me, but actually the opposite was true. I read that a lot of fans were disappointed with this particular adaptation because it omits several key storylines and plot points. I didn’t notice the omissions, however, and so was able to take the film at face value.

The title character in this Polanksi version is played by Barney Clark, who chooses to make Oliver appear as a victim throughout the film. I always had an image of Oliver as being slightly more cunning than that, but I guess I was wrong. Anyway, Oliver is an orphan who falls in with a gang of pickpockets headed by an old man named Fagin (Ben Kingsley), who in turn reports to the evil Bill Sykes. Oliver can see that this type of life is wrong, but he’s got no place else to go and would hardly be able to survive in London on his own.

Then one day he is falsely accused of stealing books from a shop, which brings him into contact with Mr. Brownlow (Edward Hardwicke), who is to be his savior. Oliver goes to live with Mr. Brownlow and finallly gets a taste of the good life. But Fagin and Sykes are worried that Oliver will spill the beans about their operation, so they track him down. Once they see how wealthy Mr. Brownlow is, they try to rob him.

One thing leads to another, and Oliver falls back into Bill’s clutches. But Dickens’s stories usually have happy endings, so you can guess how this one turns out.

Like I said, I thought this was an enjoyable film on the whole — as long as you’re not going to sit there the whole time comparing it to the original book. The part that stood out the most for me was Ben Kingsley’s performance. He was simply amazing as Fagin! For some odd reason, though, he reminded me of Geoffrey Rush in this movie….

I give Roman Polanski’s Oliver Twist 3 stars out of 5. I know it bombed at the box office, but it’s actually a pretty good movie. Check it out!

Posted by Editor at 8:30 am

Finding Orlando Hotels

Websites 1 Response »
Dec 302006

There’s no question that Disney World is one of the top attractions in Florida, and as such, many families head to Orlando for vacation each year. Since there are so many Orlando Florida hotels to choose from, it can be hard to select the right one before you go, especially if you’ve never been to that city before.

How can you overcome this problem? By visiting a website that specializes in Orlando vacations and by searching their database to find hotels that match your criteria. The more criteria you can specify (such as specific location, price range, amenities, etc.), the more precise your results will be and the better your chances of finding great lodgings for your vacation.

Posted by Editor at 2:16 am

Nintendo DS

Products Comments Off
Dec 292006

nintendo-ds-silver.jpg I bought a Nintendo DS a few months ago specifically so that I could play the New Super Mario Bros. game. I was sure that I’d find other uses for the DS, so I wasn’t worried about wasting my money for a single game. Here’s what I think of the DS thus far.

I want to say that I also have a PSP, so comparisons with that system are inevitable. At first, it took me a little while to get used to the dual screen on the DS. I couldn’t figure out why it was necessary to have two screens like that, and I’ll admit that it bothered me. But once I got used to it, I actually started to like the layout.

The DS screen seems a lot smaller than the PSP screen. I don’t have actual measurements in front of me, so I can’t give you numbers, but the difference is noticeable, especially after playing exclusively on the PSP for so long. This is a negative, as far as I’m concerned because I like nice, big screens.

The graphics on the DS aren’t nearly as sharp as they are on the PSP (judging from the Mario Bros. game), so this is another area where the PSP has an edge.

Despite these shortcomings, I really like the DS because of the Mario Bros. game. It’s just so much fun to play! Plus, I like the fact that I can buy software other than games for the DS (cookbooks, dictionaries, etc.).

Overall, I’m very satisfied with my purchase. The Nintendo DS may not look as sleek and cool as the PlayStation Portable, but it’s still a fun little system!

Posted by Editor at 7:56 am

Estimate Painting Costs Online

Websites Comments Off
Dec 292006

One of the most frustrating things about home improvement projects is coming up with a reasonable estimate to ensure that you have enough money to cover the cost of seeing the project through all the way to the end. I personally find it very difficult to estimate painting costs, which is why I like this online estimator tool that someone told me about. Obviously it’s not something that I’ll need to use very often, but it’s a cool site to know about. Plus, there are 12 CertaPro outlets in my area, so I’ll be able to use them when I’m ready to paint.

Posted by Editor at 6:32 am

Personal Favorite: Sandalwood Rose Foam Bath

Products 1 Response »
Dec 292006

sandalwood-rose.jpg Bath and Body Works is one of my favorite stores. I can’t go to the mall without stopping in to check out all the latest bath and aromatherapy products. I just love taking baths, especially in the winter. This is a habit I picked up from living in Japan part of the year (where I have an awesome, state-of-the-art self-heating tub, I might add) and it has really grown on me over the years.

Anyway, one of my favorite Bath and Body Works products is the Sandalwood Rose foam bath. This is an excellent foam bath that truly works wonders in helping me relax after a long day of hunching over my keyboard. It feels great and smells great, and I can’t imagine taking a bath without it!

If you like soaking in baths, you simply must check out this Sandalwood Rose Foam Bath. It’s the best!

Posted by Editor at 6:24 am

GradeSaver/ClassicNotes

Websites Comments Off
Dec 292006

I often read literary classics, but since I’m not in school anymore and since I wasn’t a lit major, I’m always worried that I’ll miss out on significant passages, symbolism, etc. in the books I read. Therefore, I started using the Classic Notes portion of the GradeSaver.com website. [I am in NO WAY endorsing the practice of purchasing essays; I am writing this review specifically about the notes section of that site.]

Classic Notes provides free, comprehensive summaries and analyses of numerous classic novels from authors such as Dickens, Faulkner, Austen, Shakespeare, and more. What I do is read a few chapters out of whatever book I’m trying to get through, then go to the Classic Notes website to read the corresponding summaries just to make sure that I’m clear about what’s going on in the book. This practice allows me to get so much more out of what I’m reading!

I really like the way the Classic Notes website is set out. It’s easy to search for novels by either title or author, and you can quickly navigate through the different sections of the summaries. In addition, there are usually a couple of multiple choice quizzes for each novel, so you can check your understanding and retention of the material after you’ve finished reading the book.

Classic Notes is a wonderful resource for anyone who wants to get more enjoyment out of the classics when they don’t have a literature professor to guide them. Excellent site!

Posted by Editor at 5:52 am

The A.B.C. Murders by Agatha Christie

Books Comments Off
Dec 282006

the_abc_murders.jpg I’m moving right along on my quest to read all of Agatha Christie’s mystery novels in chronological order. I recently finished The A.B.C. Murders, her 18th novel, which was published in 1936. This book featured Hercule Poirot and his faithful friend, Captain Arthur Hastings. Here’s my take on the novel.

The basic plot of The A.B.C. Murders is as follows: One day Poirot receives a letter that specifies a date on which “something bad” will happen in a certain town. The writer, identified only as “A.B.C.,” taunts Poirot and tells him to stop the crime if he can.

Poirot thinks the letter should be taken seriously, so he and Hastings go to Scotland Yard to show it to Inspector Japp. The inspector waves it away, saying that Scotland Yard receives numerous letters in the same vein nearly every single day. It’s probably just a crackpot out to mess with Poirot. The Belgian detective feels that something isn’t quite right with the letter, but listens to Japp in the end and tries to forget about it.

But then something does happen on the date specified in the letter. A woman is murdered under mysterious circumstances, and the only clue found at the scene was an ABC railway guide. This was obviously done by the “ABC” of Poirot’s letter, so Poirot and Hastings join the investigation.

A few days later, Poirot receives another letter, again specifying a day and place. The police are unable to stop the killer, so they end up with another dead body. With two murders to examine, Poirot can see a pattern emerging: the killer is choosing victims based on the first letter of their surname. He killed an “A” first, and then a “B”. Poirot and the police can guess what’s coming next.

The rest of the novel deals with the details of the investigation as Poirot races against time to prevent the murderer from making his way through the entire alphabet. As you probably know, Poirot always gets his man, and this novel was no exception.

I enjoyed The A.B.C. Murders very much. I thought I knew who the killer was, but then Christie pulled one of her trademark surprises at the end and I was caught completely off guard. Even though Poirot managed to solve the case based on the flimsiest of evidence and clues (which many readers have grumbled about), I still thought this was an engrossing story. Not one of Christie’s best, perhaps, but a top 10 selection out of the 18 that I’ve read thus far.

Overall, I can definitely give this book a solid recommendation.

Posted by Editor at 10:43 pm
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