The Last Exit to Babylon

Shark Attack in the Mediterranean (2004)

Submitted by corwin on Thu, 2 Jul 2009 4:24pm

Ever since Jaws first left me with the sure knowledge that we are, in fact, going to need a bigger boat, I've loved shark attack movies (and books). Despite the fact that I know going in that most Jaws ripoffs are huge steaming piles, I still watch them. Occasionally, I am pleasantly surprised, as was the case with Samuel L. Jackson's motivation speech cut short by a surprisingly early death in Deep Blue Sea, but more often I am left with something that would find it difficult to compare favorably to Jaws: The Revenge.

Shark Attack in the Mediterranean, unfortunately, fell into the latter category.

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Legend of the Bog (2009)

Submitted by corwin on Thu, 2 Jul 2009 12:48pm

0.90 Bolls

Once in a while, I rent a movie based solely on the title and box art. The Redbox has definitely fed right into this habit. I'll wander up to the machine and glance over the selection until a movie or two catches my eye. Thus did I end up taking home Legend of the Bog, starring Vinnie Jones.

When I got through the previews to the DVD menu, I could already tell I was in trouble. Scenes of a big, bald man in what looked like a sack cloth tunic running across the countryside while the least appropriate music for a horror movie played dominated. I started to wonder if this was a Lifetime Movie Network film about a misunderstood man living in the bogs, rather than the horror/action movie the cover promised.

Knowing I was in for some pain as I hit play, my first thought when the FBI warning came up was that it should say something along the lines of "Any duplication, authorized or otherwise, will result in a taint on your very soul which can never be absolved." I grabbed my laptop and decided to share the pain by typing my thoughts into Twitter as the movie progressed.

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Art Camp

Submitted by corwin on Thu, 2 Jul 2009 10:34am

Family

Brianna and her panda puppet

This summer, instead of keeping Brianna in a single day care as we have done in the past, we decided to sign her up for a series of different week-long activities. She's had a blast so far with the Chalice Camp our church offers, Girl Scout day-camp out at Cookieland, and, last week, art camp at ArtzPlace Oklahoma.

Art is one of her greatest loves, and she got to try her hand at a variety of different media. The did collages, worked in clay, made masks, and even made puppets like the one seen here. On Friday, they had a short presentation for the parents, followed by time for us to wander through looking at everyone's art from the week. We had a fun, and I took lots of pictures.

I really enjoy watching and encouraging her creative side, and am glad she had the opportunity to visit ArtzPlace this summer.

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A Dog and Her Girl

Submitted by corwin on Wed, 1 Jul 2009 10:11pm

Family

Last week, Brianna and I had some time for quiet relaxation at home, sprawling out to enjoy some Mythbusters. Angel decided to get in on the family time as well, and jumped up to grab some snuggle time. I was afraid they'd get up if they saw me try to get out my regular camera, so I snapped a couple shots with my phone.

I think we're all really happy to finally have a couch in the family room again.

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Mega Shark vs. Giant Octopus (2009)

Submitted by corwin on Mon, 8 Jun 2009 9:04pm

-0.80 Bolls

Once in a while, a movie comes along for which I am the target audience. Mega-Shark vs. Giant Octopus was just such a movie. It was obvious to me from the title alone that the fine people at The Asylum sat down one day and asked themselves the all important question: what would corwin like to sit down and watch? They clearly know my long-standing love of giant shark movies, and the way I'll run head-long into a "versus" movie. And, in a stroke of marketing genius, they took a like from Snakes on a Plane and gave it a title from which anyone can immediately tell if they want to see it. And from the moment I heard of Mega-Shark vs. Giant Octopus, I wanted to see it!

Technorati Tags: debbie gibson lorenzo lamas Movie Reviews Movies octopus shark the asylum

Lights! Camera! Action!

Submitted by corwin on Wed, 20 May 2009 2:32pm

This week, my daughter's school put on a musical performance called "Lights! Camera! Action!" It featured songs from the movies, and in between each song was a brief spoken part introducing the next number. All the kids had a lot of fun, and Brianna even had one of the speaking roles.

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Teriyaki Chicken Stir-Fry

Submitted by corwin on Mon, 4 May 2009 7:07pm

This was supposed to be this week's Sunday dinner, but by the time Brianna and I left the Zoo, we were both pretty dead on our feet, so we went out to eat instead. With plenty of fresh ingredients in the fridge, I knew I had to cook tonight, however. I couldn't let that deliciousness go to waste.

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Free Comic Book Day 2009

Submitted by corwin on Fri, 1 May 2009 2:58pm

Comics

Don't forget that Free Comic Book Day is tomorrow! On the first Saturday in May, comic book stores all over the world give away comics to any any all takers. It's a great way to introduce someone to the rich world of comic books, or rekindle your own interest. If you don't take my word for it, maybe you'll listen to Hugh Jackman:

Got to the Free Comic Book Day website for more information and a list of participating stores in your area.

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"Posh" Pigs in a Blanket with Wilted Spinach Salad

Submitted by corwin on Thu, 30 Apr 2009 7:13pm

For tonight's dinner, I decided to fix some "posh" pigs in a blanket. In an effort to be somewhat healthy, I grabbed a recipe for a wilted spinach salad with warm feta dressing from Epicurious.

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Jensen Ackles: The Reason to Watch Supernatural

Submitted by corwin on Tue, 28 Apr 2009 9:47am

I love the show Supernatural. One of the many reasons I enjoy it so much is actor Jensen Ackles, who plays older brother Dean Winchester. It's like he was born to play that role. Here he is having some fun on the set: