Dreambiscuit

Not very many Thanksgiving movies out there @ZiggWheelsManning, but I have about three or so in mind; Paul Blart: Mall Cop (2009), Unknown (2011) and Free Birds (2013), although the lattermost is pretty lame and has worn out its welcome. This is the first movie I saw on a big screen, at some sort of special event when I was little. It was magical. Here's my latest: Hollywood Ending (2002) Another funny, absurd and sharp comedy from the mind of Woody Allen. As usual, he brings great wit and originality to the screen and delivers. Not my favorite of his movies, but certainly a good quality movie. 7.5/10 Barbie: Mariposa (2008) A great Barbie animated movie. But they’re all great, up to ‘Barbie: Big City, Big Dreams,’ when Mattel decided it wasn’t about entertainment anymore, but politics. But the older classic Barbies are without equal, and Mariposa is sublime. 8.5/10 (Thanks for the idea, @TheRockARockster!)

The Imagineering Story. The early episodes of this limited series being the best, it covers the history of Disney Imagineering from the early days of Walt Disney through the regrettable modern era.

Silent Zone (2025) A typical zombie flick with a little more quality than the usual of its kind. Predictable as can be, but it’s hard to be surprising when every zombie movie is essentially the same. But I enjoyed it. 6.5/10 World War Z (2013) Yeah, another one. But far better than the usual and actually possessing a plot with an original outcome. I’d love to see sequels to this. 7.5/10

A live streaming Sunday Mass from Fr Mike Schmitz. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jeGsYpElrmY The Nutcracker – A Christmas Ballet in Two Acts. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6tsVHpaiLrA&list=RD6tsVHpaiLrA&start_radio=1 I’m always looking for a new Nutcracker to add to the yearly line-up. This one looked promising.

I had some Crystal Light. Someone in the ER told me it might be good against kidney stones so after some convincing research I started drinking a lot of it.

It continues to be about the same here in Anaheim; mid 60s and a few scattered clouds. Quite pleasant actually.

Grateful, humble, happy. I just came out of two and a half weeks of difficult health problems and I’m grateful and happy to be on the other side of that. I’m also feeling humbled by what I learned from the perspective it gave me. Thank God I’m better now and for the learning process it was on many levels.

Absolutely nothing. No news is good news.

I had a dream about applying bicycle gears to wheelchairs, so people who were wheelchair-bound could easily shift gears to go up and down inclines more easily. It seems like a simple concept that would help a lot.

I slept through most of it, but once I got up at 8pm I had dinner, took out the trash, cleaned the place up and generally tried to get things back to normal after a long time of neglect.

I don’t drink hot water as a rule, but I did drink some warm water recently, for health reasons but not for enjoyment.

Luke Skywalker, Qui-Gon Jinn, Yoda. Or if things really got dicey I’d just have Indiana Jones take out the threat with a well-aimed shot.

Kielbasa on a roll with sauerkraut, and a Brioche muffin with pumpkin butter for dessert.

The Headless Horseman (Ichabod and Mr. Toad), Grim Grinning Ghosts. Night on Bald Mountain. Toccata in Fugue in D Minor. That's all I can think of right now. I have more of a viewing list than a listening list.

Nice, Zigg, it has some nice boppin' to it.

This is quite good, Sparks. You just gave me my laugh of the day.

Truly, if we all had endless time on our hands! You've done so much amazing stuff Silky, now you just do you. Be happy and we'll be happy too. We never forget our dear friends and you're so close to so many hearts here. There aren't enough hugs in all of Equestria!

I watched a Rudolph Nureyev production of The Nutcracker from 1968. I heard that he’d taken it in some unusual directions, as so many do. But if you’re going to present your own take on a classic, do it well and make sure it delivers the story clearly. Many aspects of this rendition failed to do so. I always marvel at how something as perfect as The Nutcracker can so often be poorly done. In Nureyev’s case I won’t say it’s poorly done exactly; just very, very imperfectly. Of the countless renditions of this classic ballet only one has done it right, and that’s the Mikhail Baryshnikov masterpiece, and it’s flawless.

Another beautiful rendition by my main man, Jack Jones.

I remember the MLP Facebook page from way back when I was still using FB, but I recall it as being somewhat inactive anyway; not a lot of traffic. I’d far prefer to come here to the forums anyway, so whether they fixed it or not, it’s of little impact on me.

Okay, my top choice may not be a Halloween movie but I simply can't omit it. Movies: Beauty and the Beast (1991) This is my main Halloween viewing event, even though it doesn’t seem like a perfect fit. Monster House (2006) Simply perfect and so much fun. Young Frankenstein (1974) A great comedy to break up all that gloom and doom. Ed Wood (1994) Again, not a specific Halloween movie, but it works very well. Zombieland (2009) The zombie genre needed a humorous touch and this is the film that made it happen. M3GAN (2022) As these kinds of movies go, it really scores for me. The Monster (1925) This is a silent movie that I really like, and it fits perfectly with the season. Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad (1949) Perfect for mood and atmosphere, not to mention great music and humor. Liar Liar Vampire (2015) Nickelodeon makes some good movies and this one works pretty well. The Boy Who cried Werewolf (2010) Another solid Nickelodeon movie that’s pretty fun to watch. Goosebumps (2015) Honestly I’m not a huge fan of Goosebumps, but the movies seem to have just enough to make them work. Goosebumps Haunted Halloween (2018) Same deal here as the first. Orphan (2009) A little different from the typical horror movie. The Village (2004) Not specifically a Halloween movie but it fits the atmosphere and has some real suspense. Hide and Seek (2005) Again, not specifically Halloween based, but it has a good vibe that seems to fit. Kinda creepy and if you see the alternate endings on the dvd you'll see some great stuff they should have used in the theatrical release. Specials and shorts: Bun-Bun (2003) Just an obscure 15 minute short subject but great dark comedy fun. Tiny Toons Night Ghoulery (1994) As with all things Tiny Toons, this is great stuff. Toy Story of Terror (2013) Like most Toy Story shorts, this is a great one. It’s the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown (1966) Sublime for atmosphere and the feeling of really being out on Halloween night. Pure fun. Monsters vs Aliens (animated series): Curse of the Man-Beast/It Came from Level 0. Monsters vs Aliens: Night of the Living Carrots and Mutant Pumpkins From Outer Space. And of course the MLP Halloween eps, Luna Eclipsed, Castle-Mania, Bats! and Scare Master. I made a full viewing list for Halloween last year but I misplaced it, so I’m sure there are plenty missing from this assortment here. I’ll add them if I find the list or think of any additional ones.

As far as current shows, I’m not really a dedicated fan of any of them. There are shows I watch on occasion but nothing I obsess over, so all of them would be casual. If this refers to all-time shows there are many, and too many to list here. But I don’t think I’ve been a dedicated fan of any TV show since MLP came out.

Fantastic 4 (2015) Yup, this is the one all the Fantastic Four fans seem to universally despise. I liked it. It doesn’t get bogged down or overextend its plot the way most modern superhero movies do. It was light, fun and entertaining. Maybe I’ll watch Avatar: The Last Airbender (2010) as a follow-up. Get the tar and feathers ready, folks! 7.5/10 Fantastic 4: First Steps (2025) I liked the retro look of it and the female Silver Surfer. Otherwise it got bogged down with a lot of clichés and outstayed its welcome. By the time it ended I was sick of it. And I didn’t like the idea of a pregnant woman going into dangerous missions. The most heroic thing she can do is protect the life uniquely entrusted to her. 6/10 The Hunt for Red October (1990) A solid movie that always seems to deliver, no matter how many times I see it. Great musical score by Basil Poledouris too. 8.5/10 Princess Protection Program (2009) Simple and undemanding, this movie is easy and fun to watch. When a princess from an obscure kingdom is transplanted into a typical Louisiana high school to hide out, she learns how to act common while her benefactress friend hopefully learns how to find her inner princess. Not sure the message gets through perfectly but it works overall as a relaxing movie. 7/10 Primitive War (2015) This movie seemed so long for a story that should have been told in an hour and a half, tops. Soldiers fight dinos in Vietnam; interesting premise. But this movie was predictable, lacked personality and ultimately wasn’t any fun. 4/10 The Sound of Music (1965) One of the best movies ever made. 100/10

I Would Like to Travel the World by Guy Gaucher, chronicling some of the modern miracles attributed to the intercession of St. Therese of Lisieux. It also details the processes of her becoming a Doctor of the Church as well as healings and conversions associated with her worldwide relics tour. As with all books associated with ‘One of the greatest saints of modern times’ it’s a great read and hard to put down.

Therese. My patron saint, and such a lovely name. Olivia. The name of my second daughter, and one of my favorite girl names, so I’m gonna borrow it. Julie. I’ve always liked this name. Veronica. Elegant, pretty and fun. Wendy. Whimsical and accessible. First used in Peter Pan, and a Darling name…get it? Dar…nevermind.