Dreambiscuit

Jack Jones: Where Love Has Gone. Another great album by the greatest male vocalist ever.

In my opinion movies can and do make me understand history better, but any responsible audience has to discern for itself what’s accurate and what isn’t. Hollywood loves to take creative liberties and re-write history according to what it’s trying to promote. Trying to name specific movies for historical accuracy is a complex task, and honestly I’m not sure I can offer any specific titles that are truly 100% accurate. ‘Schindler’s List’ (1993) is a strong example of historic accuracy, although in many cases the reality was probably even worse than the movie portrayed. War movies like ‘Midway’ (2019) show a lot of accurate material but not enough of it. So I wouldn’t call it a perfect representation. ‘Tora, Tora, Tora’ (1970) covers a lot of details about Pearl Harbor and seems to make an effort to keep it accurate, or at least a thorough portrayal of events, where ‘Pearl Harbor’ (2001) was such a mess of directorial gimmickry it was difficult to understand what they were trying to say. ‘The Man Who Never Was’ (1956) is a pretty close presentation of the British ruse to mislead the Nazis into acting on false information; it gives the circumstances and their outcome according to well-known history. ‘Enigma’ (2001) was a detailed story about the breaking of the Enigma code in WW2, and stuck to the facts without diluting them with unnecessary modern opinion, which is what made ‘The Imitation Game’ such a failure. ‘Fat Man and Little Boy’ (1989) is another good example of historical record related to J. Robert Oppenheimer’s story, and goes into the Manhattan Project in far greater detail, whereas the movie ‘Oppenheimer’ (2023) is more about character development, with many gratuitous scenes added merely to sell tickets. Lots of historical movies can cover basic facts, with the ultimate interpretation of those facts left to the viewer. ‘Spartacus’ (1960) tells a historic story but omits or alters many of the facts, like the fact that Spartacus actually did escape to freedom from Rome but kept coming back to fight, which is what brought him to an end. In the movie he just wanted to get out of the country and never return, but never made it. ‘The Passion of the Christ’ (2004) is an accurate depiction of the facts but takes a minor liberty (the crows on the thief’s cross) and added some scary thematic elements in a literal context. But at least it covers the historical information. So, all in all, movies can inspire the viewer to do more research on their own, or compare with similar respectable movies on a subject, but I believe they absolutely can teach history, even if they only kick-start inspiration.

I saw the whole series back in the day and I liked it. My favorite characters were Fuli and Bunga, and, while I can’t recall the individual episodes clearly anymore, I do remember really liking an episode based on Fuli. I can’t recall the name of the ep, but anything that’s based on her was good for me. She was an interesting and textured character. Bunga was just fun comic relief, but he worked well for his role. It might be worth another look at the series to refresh the memory.

The Lorelei by Jack Jones. Perfect control, pitch and interpretation. And this isn't even my favorite of his by a long shot.

Be afraid. Be very afraid. It’s sad that what should be a matter for excitement only brings dread of the inevitable disappointment. Why not make it an animated movie in the same style as the 2010 My Little Pony: The Movie? It seems Hasbro is dead-set against doing what the fans clearly want, which is to make another G4 movie in the classic style. Hasbro gave Equestria Girls far more attention and promotion than MLP, and for all the wrong reasons. So if they’re going to go off the rails again doing everything except what the fans want, I’m not optimistic. I fear another fiasco like the live action Barbie movie about to rear its ugly head. Another great franchise bites the dust.

M3GAN 2.0 (2025) *SPOILERS AHEAD* I went into this movie with high hopes but low expectations, considering some of the press I’ve heard about it. But to my surprise it was really pretty good. It wasn’t a re-tread of the first movie, but almost a different genre; going from horror to more of a sci-fi theme. The movie kept me enthralled almost all the way through, which surprised me because I’d heard that they were trying to make M3gan into a good guy, which I didn’t like, and I don’t think most moviegoers did either. But to be honest I didn’t mind it as long as they kept M3gan’s attitude, which they did for the most part. I don’t mind if she joins the good guys against a common enemy as long as she retains the attitude that made M3gan so ‘endearing’ in the first movie. Unfortunately, by the end of the movie she went a little too good, which pretty much takes away everything that makes M3gan who she is. She can be good or bad but that doesn’t mean her personality has to change; she can still be a little sh*t and do good things. I can see a definite Terminator 2 vibe going on here, but let’s face it, M3gan is best when she’s bad. The movie got a little bogged down at the end too; some convoluted story elements that lost a lot in translation. In the long run, the creators of this movie got too ambitious, and released it against all the biggest movies of the summer. The previous movie did well in January, and this one would have had similar success without the competition. I hope the failure at the box office doesn’t spell the end of this series, because it has so much potential, but time will tell. 7.5/10 How to Train Your Dragon (2025) *MORE SPOILERS* Watching this, I found myself wondering, how can a movie that’s almost a scene-for-scene, word-for-word remake of the glorious original, be such a total pile of crap? Dean DeBlois directed both the original animated movie (along with Chris Sanders) as well as this live action version (without Sanders). And yet, despite the fact that every scene is almost an exact duplicate of the original, right down to the smallest details, the new movie completely lacks all the sharp, clear storytelling of its predecessor, and its characters are completely devoid of charisma or talent. They apparently cast their movie from the vast talent pool of the local high school and left it at that. With the exception of Stoick the Vast, played by Gerard Butler in both movies, the cast was flaccid and desperate. I guess when they decided to make their ‘Vikings’ more socially and racially diverse, they typically destroyed the integrity of the performances and deference to the characters. and the rest of the movie tanked along with it. The result was joyless, dull and irritating, with many of the scenes ranking as pale shadows of the original animated counterparts. I’m not even sure why they re-made the original, considering it had the most realistic CG animation of any animated film I’ve seen, and looked better than the live action version. If this was just a (successful) money grab, fine. But Get Chris Sanders back because Dean DeBlois was not the apparent talent behind the first, if this new movie is any indication. 4/10 The More the Merrier (1943) This is a great screwball romantic comedy with an excellent cast, and story all expertly orchestrated together. The writing is sharp, the direction inspired, and the acting hilarious. This still ranks among my favorite screwball comedies and it was nice revisiting it. 9/10

Sugar cookies by far for the win! I love sugar cookies and they are so much fun to decorate. Gingerbread can be decorated too, but sugar cookies taste better and they’re more traditional in my family. At Christmas we have sugar cookies, but also chocolate chip, and date nut chocolate chip.

I've come across some nice vintage Star Wars toys. It's always exciting to make a find, but harder to afford them these day because everyone has a price guide and they charge the maximum every time. 'Tis sad. But I still enjoy the hunt!

Having two daughters. That's gonna be pretty hard top for me.

I like the hugs, smile, and party. They’re probably my most used. As much as I like Delighted Giggle, you ponies are gonna have to step up your game and get me giggling, 'kay?

My tongue is burning just from looking at those skewers! But oh so good!

Yay Travissimo! This is so cool! You're such an important part of the forums and now you're taking it to a cool new level! You're the pony for the job my dear friend! Congrats!!

My experience was similar to what I’d imagine a descent into hell would be; miserable, hopeless and seemingly without end. The classes were poorly taught, the teachers indifferent if not completely evil, and I was uniformly despised by most of the other students, a feeling that was more or less mutual. I was bullied, ridiculed and the teachers did nothing to alleviate the miserable conditions, but in many cases exacerbated them. Ah, the wonders of education; the only thing I learned was how to dodge victimhood, which was accomplished only after my parents took me out of that hell and home-schooled me. That’s when my education truly began and learning became natural, fascinating and addictive.

I avoid the news like its radioactive, which it more or less is. If I want to read fiction I’ll pick up a nice book. But subjecting myself to a bunch of fabricated BS manufactured by frustrated people who have no job integrity, even when their falsehoods can easily be disproven, is an obvious waste of time. I don’t watch or read the news; if I need to get the bullet points I usually pick it up verbally from an acquaintance.

No I do not know anyone involved with that, and if I did know anyone involved with it and that person was unrepentant I’d promptly and permanently disassociate myself from them. If someone is so irrational and frustrated with their life that they think it’ll give them some gratification to go all the way into darkness, they’re ignorant and misinformed about the reality of such action. Evil isn’t going to give them anything they want, or fill any gaps in their lives. Evil is self-serving and doesn’t give a shit about anyone or anything but its own evil goals, which are only to spread more negativity, pain and hopelessness to the world. Why would anyone seek negativity, lack of peace, or spiritual suicide? It’s a character flaw that I can only speculate is based on frustration and a total lack of perspective of the bigger picture. Evil is literally a road to nowhere.

My experience with tripe is a lot like yours @Fluttershutter; boiled for what seemed like forever, and it still tasted like a piece of tasteless rubber. I didn’t like the alleged flavor, consistency or texture. And the whole thing just seemed unappetizing. For all the work that goes into it, it’s just not worth it.

I had some Cheeseburger Pie. Just imagine the lovechild of a cheeseburger and a quiche and you get the idea.

Boston/ Logan Phoenix/Mesa Gateway Chicago/O'Hare, Denver International, Seattle Tacoma International, Portland International, McCarran, (Las Vegas) LAX, Dallas/Ft. Worth, Sanford, FL, Orlando International, Springfield/Branson National Airport.

I received a package in the mail and whoever delivered it wrote “Have a nice day” with a big smiley face next to it on the label, and that made me smile from ear to ear. Sometimes the little things can make a big difference. And also, it's @TheRockARooster's birthday!!! Yay!

I got a package today; I bought a pair of shoes online. I love to get stuff on Saturday!

Being into Imagineering I tend to be biased toward Disney stuff, like Little Mermaid, Atlantis, Finding Nemo, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Pirates of the Caribbean, etc, etc. But if I could only choose one, pirates are pretty obviously a perfect choice because that’s a theme that can work above or below the water. Mermaids are also a good choice for the same reason. Combining both would have appeal for both boys and girls.

My faves: Madame Medusa, Mad Madam Mim, Cruella DeVille, Gaston, Mother Gothel, Yzma, Syndrome, Captain Hook, Ursula. Honorable mentions: Shere Khan, Evil Queen, Wicked Stepmother. Tinkerbell.

There are quite a few great characters, but I wouldn’t call all of them ‘heroes.’ So, narrowing it down to specific heroic content I’ll toss out just a few here: Beast (overcame his own flaws and made the ultimate sacrifice), Bernard (Hey, he’s just a janitor, and a mouse, but he really steps up!) Copper (Stepped in front of a shotgun to shield his pal), Bambi (He faced a lot of hardship and dealt with Ronno, very gutsy), Flynn Ryder (Willing to die to keep Rapunzel from a life of captivity), Woody (This is a toy you can really count on, no matter what).

Karate Kid Legends (2025) SPOILERS AHEAD. Solid, entertaining installment to the series. The characters were likeable and the story was to the point. It was predictable and very bare-bones, but that’s a lot better than some of the bloated movies out there. Considering Daniel LaRusso was returning to his New york origins for the first time in the entire series, it seems there could have been more story built up around that, but again, no big deal. The fighting scenes were fast and pretty cool, and despite the absence of rules in some of the ‘sports’ in this movie, it was still enjoyable. A cameo at the end also made for a very entertaining touch. 7.5/10 Minecraft (2025) I was surprised that this was a good as it was. I liked it. The cast was a lot of fun and the plot wasn’t overly ambitious at the cost of enjoyability. Jack Black is so crazy, he reminds me of Cjrist Farley in this movie, and I have no problem with that. There are a few comedic touches that pushed the boundaries of good taste and appropriate content, but overall I had fun watching this movie. 7/10 Ice Road 2: Road t the Sky/Vengeance (2025) The first Ice Road movie was just another toss off actioner from Liam Neeson’s growing collection. But this sequel was something special, meaning it was SO BAD that I almost died laughing while watching it. I can let some things go in the name of suspension of disbelief, but this movie was a masterpiece of inept filmmaking second to none. I loved it, I hated it, and I’m gonna give it some credit just for the laughs. 1/10 The Accountant 2 (2025) Started out okay, just like the previous Accountant movie, but it likewise descended into self-appreciating stupidity so bad that plot, character development and logic was simply discarded after a while. It wasn’t cute, funny or clever, no matter what its creators may have thought. 2/10 K-Pop Demon Hunters (2025) This was a pleasant surprise. I didn’t think the animation style was going to cut it, but the humor and characters were all solid. Very fun movie! 7.5/10