The "Family" Blog

It’s been hinted/told to me that the family blog has become Amy’s blog again. I’ve been told that with the boys giving quotes for Amy to use in some of the blogs, they are actually contributing more than I am. So I have been asked/bullied into contributing material to the blog again.

So without further ado, let me present to you my current and ongoing contribution to the Holma-Ritualo Blog is…the pictures. Nearly every picture on the blog from day one was taken by me. So if you think about it, I’m usually contributing 2-3 items for every one post that Amy does. Just think how boring this blog would be if it wasn’t for all of my hard work. Sure, Amy’s words paint a pretty vivid picture of what was going on or what the boys look like now, but it’s my images that really give this blog some, shall we say, pizzazz. So, sit back, read the blog regularly and enjoy all of my hard work.

I’ve just been told/berated by a certain someone who was reading over my shoulder that my taking pictures that she then has to download to the computer before uploading them to the blog and then edit them to fit into the text, doesn’t constitute “contributing” to the family blog. So after serious consideration/deciding what would be the next easiest thing to do, I’ve decided to start doing movie reviews again.

It’s been awhile since I last did a review so I’m going to start fresh. I’m moving all of the previous reviews from the left hand column and adding them to the end of this post so they will be available to read if you missed them the first time. The new reviews will now be posted in the left hand column starting with the most recent movie I’ve seen, Youth in Revolt.


Recount

An HBO movie about the legal battles that took place in Florida during the 2000 Presidential election that help determine the winner.

A well made film about a somewhat complicated and possibly boring story. There were two things in particular the film makers did that I liked. The first thing was the way they combined actual news footage with the actors to tell the story. The second thing was the way the movie was shot. It was shot using a lot of hand held cameras which gave it a documentary feel. Combined with the news footage and the quality acting, it made if feel very real.

That said, I still wouldn’t recommend this movie. Even with the current change in administration it’s still a little too fresh in our memories to relive this period of political history. And if you were a Bush supporter, you won’t be real happy with the portrayal of your political party. The Republicans weren’t necessarily vilified but there was a definite bias.

So unless you’re a Nadar supporter or just enjoy that feeling of anger building up in your gut, I’d stay away from this one.



Slumdog Millionaire

Slumdog Millionaire is the story of Jamal, an orphan from the slums of Mumbai, who is accused of cheating when he is nearing the top prize of India’s version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. It’s with flashbacks during the police’s interrogation that you see how Jamal’s life history provided him with the answers to these nearly impossible questions.

Slumdog Millionaire is winning or being nominated for virtually every movie award out there this year. It just recently won the Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture – Drama, and was nominated for Best Picture by the Academy Awards. I can honestly say that I agree with them. I’m sure this is making all the film critics out there breathe easy knowing that I feel they made the right decision. But anyway, this is a great movie. You really care about the characters. You feel like cheering for Jamal’s triumphs and shuddering at the horrors he goes through. It’s very well done from the direction to the acting.

It’s a great film but I can’t imagine India’s tourism board is all that happy with it. I’ve always felt that India is one of those countries I’d never want to travel to, and this film only validates those feelings. It feels like you could actually get hepatitis just by watching this movie.

If you’re a germaphobe I’d recommend staying away from Slumdog Millionaire, but if you’re up to date on your tetanus shots and want to see a good film, go see it.



Caddyshack

This isn’t a new movie. It’s a movie everyone has seen and usually loves and considers a comedy classic. Over the years I’ve seen bits and pieces of it but I’ve never seen the entire thing from beginning to end. So when I saw the DVD at the library I had to get it. I had to see what all the fuss was about.

As I said before, a lot of people consider Caddyshack to be a classic, one of the funniest movies ever. I think the people that feel that way are probably people who saw it for the first time around the time it came out (1980). Comedies are like that. I don’t think they hold up as well 20,30 years down the road for a first time viewing. I think for someone who saw it when it was new and loved it, could still love it and think it was funny today. That’s because it reminds them of the first time they saw it. When, “Did someone step on a duck” was new and funny. I had heard that line so many times by so many different people that when I heard Rodney Dangerfield say it it seemed more like Dangerfield doing an impression of my dad than the other way around.

I’m glad I saw it but if I was in the mood to watch something funny and was looking for something to see, Caddyshack wouldn’t ever cross my mind. In case you’re wondering, I would go for something like 40 Year Old Virgin, SuperBad, Role Models or anything by Kevin Smith