The Story Line.The Whos are preparing for their Christmas celebration.They're obsessed with buying, giving, getting and decorating.Right from the start Cindy Lou, about 8 years old, observes all this activity and asks her father if it's"right." He brushes her off and says that this is how Whoville celebrates Christmas.During all these busy preparations, the Grinch comes down disguised as one of the Whos.Cindy Lou meets him.When everyone realizes he's been there, they act terrified.Cindy Lou begins to feel sorry for the Grinch; she's determined to learn more about him.She interviews the two older ladies who adopted him when he was a baby.She interviews the Mayor of Whoville.And, she interviews Martha Mae, the girl he liked in grade school.Cindy Lou comes to realize that the other kids at school mocked him, made fun of him and ridiculed him.And, so the Grinch left.He went up the mountain, outfitted a cave and has been there all these years.Every year Whoville elects a Cheermeister to lead the Christmas Whobilation.The mayor wants that honor but Cindy Lou nominates the Grinch.Everyone agrees.She goes up the mountain to invite him.He decides to accept the honor and goes down to the celebration.Once there, the Whoville people are so over-excited, they frantically dress him, feed him, pull, push and shove him.He tries to stop them and actually says, "Stop, too much, too soon." They pay no attention; he becomes angry and destroys the whole town's Christmas.Little did he know that they had "spares" of everything, which they quickly brought out and put up.The Grinch cannot stand the situation.He goes down again secretly on Christmas Eve night and steals everything; he wants to "teach them a lesson." He takes everything back up to his mountain and is going to destroy it when he suddenly hears singing."What?" he thinks.And, shock of shocks.The Grinch realizes that the people of Whoville now know that Christmas is not about buying, getting, giving or decorating.It's about family and friends gathering together and loving each other.It's about feeling content and grateful for what they each have.It's about peace and true "good will" among all.When the Grinch realizes what has happened, he decides to return all of the things he stole to the Whoville people.He does that and finds, a real bonus, that Martha Mae is in love with him.They all have a huge Christmas meal and everything ends happily.Definitely my kind of movie.Now, A Deeper Look.There are quite a few deeper ideas in this movie.But here, we'll deal with the three most important ones.1.The Grinch withdrew from Whoville because his feelings were hurt.Why? His classmates made fun of him.Instead of accepting and including the Grinch even though he was different, the other kids at school mocked and humiliated him.He was so hurt that he shut down his feelings and decided never to feel them again; he thought, forevermore.He withdrew from the town, built his home in a cave on the mountain and he stayed there alone.The Grinch has been angry and bitter ever since.We see him now as the adult Grinch.He's in such a rage and so distrusts anyone from Whoville that he not only shields himself in his cave, but he also scares anyone from Whoville whenever he can.The Grinch is a master at revenge; he has everything it takes. motivation, energy, help (from his dog) and best of all, he's smart!Gosh, we see that bullying the weaker or different ones in Whoville was a common thing back then, just like it is today in our schools and businesses.Nothing much has changed because people who are bullied today feel the same way the Grinch did. they hurt, they don't understand why they're treated badly but they're very clear that they're different, don't fit in and are purposely being shut out.Cindy Lou first meets the Grinch when he comes down to Whoville to cause some trouble.Again, why would he do that, she wonders.He's really disgusted with the Whoville people precisely because they emphasize the craziness of the holiday season. they shop, shop and decorate, decorate.He just wants to wipe out the whole thing.In fact, he says, "Avarice, the avarice never ends.That's what it's all about.The Christmas season is stupid." He goes absolutely crazy and ruins Christmas all over town.2.Enter Cindy Lou, a Pleasing personality, is great at caring for others.She has deep feelings, like the Grinch, and also, like him, she's troubled by all the commercialism about Christmas in Whoville.By now she also realizes that long ago the Grinch was treated badly.So, hoping to cheer him up, she nominates him for the Whoville Cheermeister; he's elected.(One of the great moments in the story is when Cindy Lou nominates the Grinch, she is challenged not only by the mayor but also by other Whos in high power.She stands up to them, showing a lot of courage).Cindy Lou is delighted and hopeful that the Grinch will want to join the community again.She goes up the mountain to ask him to come to the Christmas Whobilation and be the Cheermaster.Even though the Grinch is not kind to her, her caring for him never wavers.Later, even as the Grinch is stealing all of her family's Christmas, Cindy Lou's Pleasing care-taking continues.She mistakenly thinks the Grinch is Santa Claus and she urges him to remember to leave a gift for her friend, the Grinch.*** People who have the Pleasing personality always feel sorry for those who are being mistreated and are hurting.People who have the Pleasing personality always take care of those they care about.And, people with the Pleasing personality never want to believe that others are bad.Cindy Lou certainly fits this description.3.On Christmas morning when the Grinch hears the singing from the town, he says, shocked, "It came; it came! Maybe Christmas means a little bit more." As he says the words, he's realizing that the Whos are having Christmas as they should without all the "stuff." They realize that having each other is more than enough.Then something truly wonderful happens to the Grinch.His heart, which had shrunk to practically nothing, grew and grew and grew in those moments; it grew three sizes right then.Right then, the Grinch had an attack of "feeling." And, he cried.It's such a sweet moment when the Grinch says to Max, "I'm all toasty inside and I'm leaking." The Grinch tells Max that he loves him; Max goes nuts and overwhelms the Grinch with kisses.To which the Grinch says, "That's enough, that's enough, one step at a time." He's still not quite ready for intimate expression.After he realizes that Cindy Lou has come up the mountain to get him, saying, "No one should be alone on Christmas," the Grinch returns everything to Whoville, joins in the celebration.His small heart is not only "not dead," but re-blooms that day.Yes, the Grinch's outer world changed radically Christmas day; the Whoville people welcomed him and he rejoined them.But, the Grinch's inner world, which is by far the more important, changes radically as well.He understands that hearts can soften and hurts can heal.If you're looking for a good, light Christmas movie choose The Grinch.If you're looking for a "great" movie, choose The Grinch.Just be sure to take The Deeper Look.Thanks for stopping by in this busy, busy season, and.I hope you and yours have a wonderful holiday season.Warmest regards until next time,.Joan.
Friday, August 31, 2012
A Deeper Look at "How the Grinch Stole Christmas"
The Story Line.The Whos are preparing for their Christmas celebration.They're obsessed with buying, giving, getting and decorating.Right from the start Cindy Lou, about 8 years old, observes all this activity and asks her father if it's"right." He brushes her off and says that this is how Whoville celebrates Christmas.During all these busy preparations, the Grinch comes down disguised as one of the Whos.Cindy Lou meets him.When everyone realizes he's been there, they act terrified.Cindy Lou begins to feel sorry for the Grinch; she's determined to learn more about him.She interviews the two older ladies who adopted him when he was a baby.She interviews the Mayor of Whoville.And, she interviews Martha Mae, the girl he liked in grade school.Cindy Lou comes to realize that the other kids at school mocked him, made fun of him and ridiculed him.And, so the Grinch left.He went up the mountain, outfitted a cave and has been there all these years.Every year Whoville elects a Cheermeister to lead the Christmas Whobilation.The mayor wants that honor but Cindy Lou nominates the Grinch.Everyone agrees.She goes up the mountain to invite him.He decides to accept the honor and goes down to the celebration.Once there, the Whoville people are so over-excited, they frantically dress him, feed him, pull, push and shove him.He tries to stop them and actually says, "Stop, too much, too soon." They pay no attention; he becomes angry and destroys the whole town's Christmas.Little did he know that they had "spares" of everything, which they quickly brought out and put up.The Grinch cannot stand the situation.He goes down again secretly on Christmas Eve night and steals everything; he wants to "teach them a lesson." He takes everything back up to his mountain and is going to destroy it when he suddenly hears singing."What?" he thinks.And, shock of shocks.The Grinch realizes that the people of Whoville now know that Christmas is not about buying, getting, giving or decorating.It's about family and friends gathering together and loving each other.It's about feeling content and grateful for what they each have.It's about peace and true "good will" among all.When the Grinch realizes what has happened, he decides to return all of the things he stole to the Whoville people.He does that and finds, a real bonus, that Martha Mae is in love with him.They all have a huge Christmas meal and everything ends happily.Definitely my kind of movie.Now, A Deeper Look.There are quite a few deeper ideas in this movie.But here, we'll deal with the three most important ones.1.The Grinch withdrew from Whoville because his feelings were hurt.Why? His classmates made fun of him.Instead of accepting and including the Grinch even though he was different, the other kids at school mocked and humiliated him.He was so hurt that he shut down his feelings and decided never to feel them again; he thought, forevermore.He withdrew from the town, built his home in a cave on the mountain and he stayed there alone.The Grinch has been angry and bitter ever since.We see him now as the adult Grinch.He's in such a rage and so distrusts anyone from Whoville that he not only shields himself in his cave, but he also scares anyone from Whoville whenever he can.The Grinch is a master at revenge; he has everything it takes. motivation, energy, help (from his dog) and best of all, he's smart!Gosh, we see that bullying the weaker or different ones in Whoville was a common thing back then, just like it is today in our schools and businesses.Nothing much has changed because people who are bullied today feel the same way the Grinch did. they hurt, they don't understand why they're treated badly but they're very clear that they're different, don't fit in and are purposely being shut out.Cindy Lou first meets the Grinch when he comes down to Whoville to cause some trouble.Again, why would he do that, she wonders.He's really disgusted with the Whoville people precisely because they emphasize the craziness of the holiday season. they shop, shop and decorate, decorate.He just wants to wipe out the whole thing.In fact, he says, "Avarice, the avarice never ends.That's what it's all about.The Christmas season is stupid." He goes absolutely crazy and ruins Christmas all over town.2.Enter Cindy Lou, a Pleasing personality, is great at caring for others.She has deep feelings, like the Grinch, and also, like him, she's troubled by all the commercialism about Christmas in Whoville.By now she also realizes that long ago the Grinch was treated badly.So, hoping to cheer him up, she nominates him for the Whoville Cheermeister; he's elected.(One of the great moments in the story is when Cindy Lou nominates the Grinch, she is challenged not only by the mayor but also by other Whos in high power.She stands up to them, showing a lot of courage).Cindy Lou is delighted and hopeful that the Grinch will want to join the community again.She goes up the mountain to ask him to come to the Christmas Whobilation and be the Cheermaster.Even though the Grinch is not kind to her, her caring for him never wavers.Later, even as the Grinch is stealing all of her family's Christmas, Cindy Lou's Pleasing care-taking continues.She mistakenly thinks the Grinch is Santa Claus and she urges him to remember to leave a gift for her friend, the Grinch.*** People who have the Pleasing personality always feel sorry for those who are being mistreated and are hurting.People who have the Pleasing personality always take care of those they care about.And, people with the Pleasing personality never want to believe that others are bad.Cindy Lou certainly fits this description.3.On Christmas morning when the Grinch hears the singing from the town, he says, shocked, "It came; it came! Maybe Christmas means a little bit more." As he says the words, he's realizing that the Whos are having Christmas as they should without all the "stuff." They realize that having each other is more than enough.Then something truly wonderful happens to the Grinch.His heart, which had shrunk to practically nothing, grew and grew and grew in those moments; it grew three sizes right then.Right then, the Grinch had an attack of "feeling." And, he cried.It's such a sweet moment when the Grinch says to Max, "I'm all toasty inside and I'm leaking." The Grinch tells Max that he loves him; Max goes nuts and overwhelms the Grinch with kisses.To which the Grinch says, "That's enough, that's enough, one step at a time." He's still not quite ready for intimate expression.After he realizes that Cindy Lou has come up the mountain to get him, saying, "No one should be alone on Christmas," the Grinch returns everything to Whoville, joins in the celebration.His small heart is not only "not dead," but re-blooms that day.Yes, the Grinch's outer world changed radically Christmas day; the Whoville people welcomed him and he rejoined them.But, the Grinch's inner world, which is by far the more important, changes radically as well.He understands that hearts can soften and hurts can heal.If you're looking for a good, light Christmas movie choose The Grinch.If you're looking for a "great" movie, choose The Grinch.Just be sure to take The Deeper Look.Thanks for stopping by in this busy, busy season, and.I hope you and yours have a wonderful holiday season.Warmest regards until next time,.Joan.
Vampire Kisses 8 Best Reviews Of Vampire Kisses 8: Cryptic Cravings
Vampire Kisses 8 See Vampire Kisses 8: Cryptic Cravings Details
List Price : Price :
as of 2012-08-31 11:35 PM
Product Description
The eighth title in Ellen Schreiber's bestselling Vampire Kisses series. The morbidly monotonous Dullsville has finally become exciting, now Raven is madly in love with her hot vampire boyfriend Alexander, and a crew of vampires has taken residence in Dullsville's old mill. Raven discovers Jagger's plan to open a new club, The Crypt, right here in Dullsville. But is it her dream come true, or her worst nightmare? Can Raven convince Jagger to make the Crypt the morbidly magnificent dance club it could be, safe for mortals and vampires alike? With cryptic secrets and cravings, this eighth installment in the Vampire Kisses series is a romantic and mysterious thrill ride. Also available by Ellen Schreiber: Vampire Kisses 1: The Beginning Vampire Kisses 2: Kissing Coffins Vampire Kisses 3: Vampireville Vampire Kisses 4: Dance with a Vampire Vampire Kisses 5: The Coffin Club Vampire Kisses 6: Royal Blood Vampire Kisses 7: Love Bites Once in a Full Moon
Vampire Kisses 8: Cryptic Cravings Reviews
Vampire Kisses 8 : Vampire Kisses 8: Cryptic Cravings Reviews
| 12 of 14 people found the following review helpful  A slow, painful descent, By Rayne L.A.F. "- Rayne" (My Sanctuary) - See all my reviews This review is from: Vampire Kisses 8: Cryptic Cravings (Hardcover) I've been reading this series since they first came out. Year after year, I pre-order a hardcover version, not because the writing is amazing or because the storyline is riveting, not even because the characters are deep and round. No, I like this series because is fun and kind of silly, besides the fact that in high school I used to be the outcast goth chick wishing for my Alexander to come. But, as hard as I try not to take Vampire Kisses seriously, I simply can't ignore all the things that are, not wrong, but simply absent from this story.We could begin with the fact that the author is not really good at writing. Seriously, 'His grip was strong, like that of as handsome athlete"? My 11 year old cousin who has never picked up a book in his life can write better similes and metaphors than that. And someone really needs to find Schreiber a thesaurus. The word 'nefarious' is not the only one in the dictionary that defines something bad. She used it more than 30 times and 5... Read more 7 of 8 people found the following review helpful  Another fluffy installment in the series that changed my life, By This review is from: Vampire Kisses 8: Cryptic Cravings (Hardcover) Also appears on The Screaming Nitpicker.Jagger and Luna are back and this time, they want to open a club in Dullsville called the Crypt. Raven, seeing a place where she can finally belong in Dullsville, is excited about it and yet cautious; if Jagger makes the club a place for humans and vampires both, all the vampires coming to Dullsville could cause trouble and put Alexander's secret in danger. Raven and Alexander work to find out what Jagger has planned for the Crypt in case he's up to no good yet again. Meanwhile, Luna and Sebastian's relationship is blooming and Raven wishes more than once that Alexander would just turn her already. But is she ready to give everything up for her love? I may as well admit now that this review is totally biased. The Vampire Kisses series changed my life and made me love reading, which led me to reviewing books and aspiring to become an author. I couldn't be critical of something so meaningful, beloved, and fluffy even if I... Read more 2 of 2 people found the following review helpful  Review: Cryptic Cravings, This review is from: Vampire Kisses 8: Cryptic Cravings (Hardcover) This series really is a guilty pleasure for. For a teen vampire book, it's really very immature at times. I doubt it has very much cross over appeal and think it better fits pre-teens, etc.I was really hoping that Raven would begin to act her age after the events of the last book. Within the first couple pages, I saw that I was wrong. I think no matter what her age, Raven will always been immature. It's how the author wrote her. In this installment, she really made me roll my eyes a lot. She was so wishy-washy on the idea of the club. It was like it was really hard for her to see all sides of the equation. I was also amazed that it's book 8 and it's just now being voiced that Trevor might actually like her. Really...I've know this since book 1. I like Alexander, and actually won't mind a book (or even a couple chapters) told from his point of view. I still wonder how it's possible that there are things that Raven doesn't know about him. He also... Read more |
› See all 20 customer reviews...
Movie Review - The Philadelphia Story (1940)
A romantic comedy classic directed by George Cukor and adapted to the screen by Donald Ogden Stewart from Philip Barry's Broadway hit play.Although Cary Grant and Jimmy Stewart share top billing with Katherine Hepburn, this is clearly Hepburn's movie.The story revolves around her profound transformation from an "ice queen" to a warm human being who discovers what true love is -- which proves to be her ultimate salvation.The movie opens with a scene of marital disaster -- that legendary scene in which Cary Grant (playing the C.K.Dexter Haven), before leaving his home for good, palms Katherine Hepburn's face and pushes her down to the floor.But that does not happen before Hepburn (playing Tracy Lord, Dexter's wife), drives him mad by throwing out his pipe set and breaking his golf club as Dexter is trying to get into his car and leave the unhappy marriage behind.It must have been such a sacrilege to break an honorable man's pipes and wooden golf clubs back in the 40s.These days real men neither smoke smelly pipes nor own wooden golf clubs.They don't shove their wives rudely on to the floor either.Fast forward to two years later.Tracy is about to marry her new sweetheart George Kittredge (played by John Howard) who is a very proper gentlemen crazy for the appearances.Since Tracy comes from a blue-blood upper-crust family, her marriage is exactly the stuff the tabloids thrive on.Back then, the gossip-monger photo tabloid of the day happens to be the "Spy Magazine".Spy's unscrupulous Editor Sidney Kidd decides to send a cracker jack team of photographer Elizabeth "Liz" Imbrie (played by Ruth Hussey) and the writer from the other side of the tracks with serious literary ambitions, Macaulay "Mike" Connor (James Stewart) to cover this high-society event with as many scandalous details and photographs as possible.It is interesting to note that the "Editor Sidney Kidd" character is very similar to the one Cary Grant himself has played in another film released the same year, HIS GIRL FRIDAY (1940).However, the Editor needs a ruse to slip Liz and Macaulay into the Lord mansion in the northern suburbs of Philadelphia (hence the name of film) in the eve of Tracy's marriage.Enter Dexter, who is itching to get back even with Tracy.Tracy's brother Junius is employed by the U.S.Embassy in Buenos Aires.With Kidd's direction, Dexter introduces himself to Mike and Liz as the Spy Magazine's Buenos Aires Bureau Chief and a friend of Junius.That will be their cover story to slip into the Lord estate.Questionable plot point. Dexter is actually coerced into this role by Kidd's blackmail.If Dexter refuses to cooperate, Kidd threatens to publish the full story of a potentially damaging illicit affair involving Tray's father Seth Lord (John Halliday).So why should a divorced man care about the reputation of his ex father-in-law? Is it because Dexter has not lost faith in his eventual reunion with his ex-wife and thus tries to protect the reputation of a family that he hopes to rejoin in the near future? Could be.Otherwise the blackmail does not really make sense.Both Tracy and her parents are surprised to see Dexter back in their house and Mike and Liz's cover are soon debunked.However, due to an unexpected development Mike is not chased right away from the Lord estate - Tracy and Mike are drawn to one another in a summer romance that does not go further than a few kisses and a midnight dip in the swimming pool.But it is enough to propel the story towards both Dexter's and George's reactions.The Tracy-George-Mike-Dexter love quadrangle evolves within the larger context of Tracy's personal transformation.No less than three men (Dexter, her father Seth and Mike) tell her in no uncertain terms the kind of royally spoiled and controlling personality she has.The indictment, issued by different parties but delivered the same way, forces Tracy to rethink who she is and where she is heading in life.She wants to be happy but doesn't know quite how and now realizes that her "ice queen" attitude and sense of entitlement might be a part of her misery.Cary Grant's Dexter is portrayed with much gentle humor (as usual with almost all Grant roles).But this Dexter fellow is nothing if not persistent and self-assured.He is like a farmer waiting for the golden fruit to fall into his lap when its ripe.Nothing fazes him - neither Tracy's upcoming marriage with George, nor her brief involvement with Mike.He is a character who mostly listens, observes, and reacts with a know-it-all snicker that I have not seen in any of his other movies.When George pulls out of the marriage at the last moment, Tracy proposes to Mike.Dexter still keeps his cool as a guy who has seen the future and the future belongs to him.When Mike turns her down because he feels their brief fling (and the immense social gap between the socialite Tracy and the working stiff Mike) is not a good enough reason for marriage, Dexter is the only groom candidate left standing.At the end of the movie, Tracy's character transformation is complete.She realizes the number of hearts she has broken in the past with her tempestuous temperament and decides what matters most in life is love and living in peace with the one who truly loves her and has never forgotten her - Dexter.The following scene in which she makes full peace with her father Seth pretty much summarizes the gist of her transformation..Tracy Lord. How do I look?Seth Lord. Like a queen - like a goddess.Tracy Lord. And do you know how I feel?Seth Lord. How?Tracy Lord. Like a human being.Seth Lord. Do you know how I feel?Tracy. How?Seth Lord. Proud.Given the reputation of this film as one of the classics of Hollywood history one wonders why a slightly above average romantic comedy with some smart and funny dialog is accorded such privileged status.My answer is, yes, there are many films out there shot during the 40s that are equally funny (and equally removed from the daily concerns and background of an average middle class movie fan) but rare indeed is the one in which we see such a touching character arc.It is Katherine Hepburn's fantastic performance that speaks to us at an emotional level and makes us root for her "deliverance from herself.".If it weren't for Hepburn, this is a 5-out-of-10 product.But Hepburn's scintillating and convincing performance lifts it to a solid 8.-----------------------------------------------------------.
Movie Review - Meet Joe Black
With an all-star cast including Brad Pitt, Anthony Hopkins, and Claire Forlani, Meet Joe Black is a movie about death and the value of life.The film is approximately three hours and fifteen minutes long, is fairly slow at times, but has an excellent plot.Filming is done in the big business hub of New York City where Anthony Hopkins plays a character named Bill Parrish who is a billion-dollar CEO of a news company.The story begins in Bill Parrish's lavish New York City apartment, where he wakes up at night with pain in his chest and arm.He goes to the restroom where he splashes water on his face and wonders what is happening, meanwhile hearing a voice that simply says, "Yes." Bill does not recognize that he may be having heart problems and continues with his daily life as chairman of the board at his news corporation.Next, we see Bill's two daughters enter the picture.Susan, Bill's favored daughter, stops by for breakfast before leaving for the hospital where she is a resident in internal medicine.Bill's other daughter, Allison, does not appear to have a job but stays busy planning Bill's sixtieth birthday party on Bill's estate.She is planning an extraordinary party including flaming archers, large band ensembles, well-known vocalists, and politicians of all types.Bill makes it clear that he could care less about the party and several times in the movie makes Allison upset about his lack of interest.On Susan's way to work, she stops by a coffee shop near the hospital where she runs into a nameless young man played by Brad Pitt.The young man strikes up a conversation with Susan since he is new in the city, and they end up having coffee together and telling one another how they like each other.They regretfully walk away and do not get each other's contact information.While the young man is crossing a busy intersection on his way to work, he turns around while thinking about Susan and is killed when he is struck by two cars.This part of the movie is extremely well-done and is certain to take the viewer by surprise.Meanwhile, Bill is planning on selling his company to a media mogul.He is uncomfortable with the idea of selling his life's work to a man whose intentions are unclear, and he becomes even more uncomfortable when he realizes that he is dying.While at his office the next day, the voice he hears causes him to drop to his knees and clutch his chest while sweating, at the mercy of the voice.The voice tells him that the "yes" he has been hearing is the answer to Bill's question, "Am I dying?".That same night, Bill Parrish, his two daughters, Allison's husband Quince, and Susan's boyfriend Drew meet for dinner at Bill's home.Drew is Bill's right hand man and it is believed that when Bill is gone one day, Drew will be taking over Parrish Communications.Dinner is just getting started when Bill hears the voice again, saying that he is at the front door and wants to be let in.Bill's maid lets the man behind the voice into Bill's home and meets Bill in his library.This part of the movie is full of tension and awkwardness, and the viewer realizes that as powerful as Bill Parrish is in the real world, there is still an ultimate power ruling his life.Parrish talks to the voice, which is standing behind a bookcase in his large library, and the voice tells him to quiet down and listen to what he has to say.Eventually, the voice reveals himself as the young man that Susan liked from the coffee shop, but with a completely different personality.It is not completely obvious at this point, but "Death" has taken over the body of the young man from the coffee shop in order to enter Bill Parrish's life.Parrish is in fact having heart problems and is set to die in the near future, and "Death" has taken the young man's body so he can learn about life from a man who lives life to the fullest."Death" wants to take a vacation from helping people die and wants to see what life is like from one of the best humans alive.Bill Parrish asks what they should do about "Death" being in his life, and the young man says that he will be staying at Bill's home, eating dinner with his family, and going to work with him every day.Basically, he wants to do everything Bill does so he can see how an exceptional human lives.It becomes obvious at dinner that the young man does not understand how humans live as he is overwhelmed by the maids bringing him food and by the comments Parrish's family makes to him.Bill must introduce the young, nameless man to his family, and comes up with a name of Joe Black, a fitting name for "Death".When Susan arrives at dinner and realizes that the young man from the coffee shop has returned to her life, she is blown away, and so is her boyfriend, Drew.Joe Black realizes that she knew the young man from the coffee shop who is now dead, and that he is not the same person she was hoping for.She becomes frustrated and does not understand why he is acting differently, but Joe manages to conceal his true identity.Drew makes the comment that he does not like how Susan and Joe look at each other and breaks off his relationship with Susan.Joe tells Susan that he does not like how Drew talked to her in a rude way, and the two end up kissing in Bill's entry room.At this point, Bill realizes that Susan is falling for Joe Black and gives a warning to his daughter that Joe is not who she thinks he is.Susan listens but does not seem to care, as she makes love to Joe several days later near Bill's indoor swimming pool.Not only does Bill have major concerns about his daughter falling in love with Death, but now he has retracted his willingness to sell his company.He tells his board of directors, with Joe by his side, that his company is not for sale.Parrish does not give any concrete reasons for his decision and does not leave it open for discussion.Drew, is extremely suspicious of Joe at this point, and Joe and Drew start an unpleasant relationship with each other.Drew does not know that Joe is an all-knowing being and his wit will never match up to Joe's personality and knowledge of everything in the world.Drew becomes so suspicious of Bill Parrish and his reliance on Joe that he holds a secret meeting with the board of directors.Allison's husband, Quince, who is also on the board, reveals that Bill has left some of his decision making up to Joe since there is so much on his mind.Knowing that Bill is letting a stranger make decisions for him, the board votes to give Bill an astounding amount of money to resign after his sixtieth birthday party.Bill has no choice in the matter and leaves the boardroom distraught and completely saddened.The story now focuses on Bill's lavish birthday party.All of his closest friends are there in their tuxedos and gowns and spirits are very high.However, Bill has had an argument with Joe and now knows that his life will end after the party.The argument was about Joe falling in love with Susan.Bill says that Joe is an awful attempt at being a person and does not want Joe to bring Susan with them to the dark side.Bill says that if Joe has a heart and is actually a decent person, Joe will go and reveal to Susan who he really is and see what she thinks.Joe walk out of Bill's office where we assume Bill is finishing up his will and testament, and goes straight for Susan.She is scared by what Joe reveals to her and Joe begins to see that he has been selfish and Susan should stay alive.The last few hours of Bill's life are sad yet well-spent.He is forced on stage at his own party to make a speech and tells his crowd that he has a special memory with everyone there.The speech is short and very melancholy since Bill is too preoccupied to deliver a moving speech.After the speech he kisses Allison and Susan and returns to his home office.He asks his son-in-law, Quince, to invite Drew over for a last-minute talk.Drew is flattered by the invitation, but when he arrives to the office, he sees Bill and Joe and knows that he has entered a bad situation.Bill curses at him and tells Drew that he knows how Drew was planning a secret partnership with the man buying Bill's company.Drew was going to break up Bill's company piece-by-piece and ruin his life's work in order to make himself and the board of directors truly rich.Bill gives Drew the option of resigning and never showing his face again, or hiring lawyers and forcing Drew to go to prison.Drew wisely decides to resign and begins to wonder how Bill and Joe knew so much about his immoral plans.The last part of the movie takes the viewer through every emotion.First, Joe tells Drew that he is from the IRS and had a bad feeling that Drew was striking up a bad business deal.Through research, Joe says that he figured out Drew's plans, which is why Drew decided to resign and avoid prison.He realized that the battle of wit and intelligence between himself and Joe was over, and Drew had been defeated badly by an IRS agent.With Bill's company safe and back in the board of directors' hands, he feels comfortable enough to return to the party and say his final goodbyes.Joe says goodbye to Susan and tells her that he will always love her.Susan and Joe both become very emotional as Joe walks away.Bill kisses Allison and then finds Susan and asks her for a dance.They have a beautiful time together in Bill's last moments, and Bill tells her that no matter what happens, not to worry.Susan seems to understand that her father may be dying and starts to cry even more.She leaves to watch the fireworks spectacle and Bill leaves to catch his breath.Bill Parrish climbs a bridge and a grassy hill to meet Joe and get the process of dying underway.Bill has said goodbye to the two most important people in his life, Allison and Susan, and can now die in peace.Bill tells Joe that he admires how Susan showed a kind of love toward Joe that Bill had always dreamed of.He saw that Susan was truly in love and happy and that made Bill happy.Joe tells Bill that he admires Bill as a person and is thankful for his time on Earth.They walk casually over the hill into darkness where Bill dies, but Joe does not.Susan sees the two most important men in her life walk over the hill and starts up the hill herself.She sees Joe come back up the hill and start walking towards her.Susan is not sure what is going on, but when Joe approaches her, she see that the young man from the coffee shop is back.Joe ended up taking Bill's life, but he also gave life back to the young man's body who he took in the beginning of the film.To show that he is reasonable and actually has a good heart, Joe feels that making Susan happy for the rest of her life would be a fair trade off for taking Bill's life.The movie ends with Susan and the man from the coffee shop walking hand-in-hand toward the fireworks which are bursting dramatically over Parrish's estate.The plot of this movie is incredibly in-depth and interesting.The idea that "Death" comes to Earth to experience life in a young man's body is truly unique.Martin Brest does a fantastic job directing this high-budget movie with his all-star cast.The movie will make you laugh with Joe's innocent antics, cry at the end when everyone must say goodbye as Bill heads toward his death, and even become angry at Drew for attempting to destroy Bill's billion-dollar corporation.This move is a must-see, and due to the complexity of the story and the emotional plot, it is rated a 5 out of 5.
Vampire Kisses 8 Vampire Kisses 8: Cryptic Cravings For Sale
Vampire Kisses 8 See Vampire Kisses 8: Cryptic Cravings Details
List Price : Price :
as of 2012-08-31 11:35 AM
Product Description
The eighth title in Ellen Schreiber's bestselling Vampire Kisses series. The morbidly monotonous Dullsville has finally become exciting, now Raven is madly in love with her hot vampire boyfriend Alexander, and a crew of vampires has taken residence in Dullsville's old mill. Raven discovers Jagger's plan to open a new club, The Crypt, right here in Dullsville. But is it her dream come true, or her worst nightmare? Can Raven convince Jagger to make the Crypt the morbidly magnificent dance club it could be, safe for mortals and vampires alike? With cryptic secrets and cravings, this eighth installment in the Vampire Kisses series is a romantic and mysterious thrill ride. Also available by Ellen Schreiber: Vampire Kisses 1: The Beginning Vampire Kisses 2: Kissing Coffins Vampire Kisses 3: Vampireville Vampire Kisses 4: Dance with a Vampire Vampire Kisses 5: The Coffin Club Vampire Kisses 6: Royal Blood Vampire Kisses 7: Love Bites Once in a Full Moon
Vampire Kisses 8: Cryptic Cravings Reviews
Vampire Kisses 8 : Vampire Kisses 8: Cryptic Cravings Reviews
| 12 of 14 people found the following review helpful A slow, painful descent, By Rayne L.A.F. "- Rayne" (My Sanctuary) - See all my reviews This review is from: Vampire Kisses 8: Cryptic Cravings (Hardcover) I've been reading this series since they first came out. Year after year, I pre-order a hardcover version, not because the writing is amazing or because the storyline is riveting, not even because the characters are deep and round. No, I like this series because is fun and kind of silly, besides the fact that in high school I used to be the outcast goth chick wishing for my Alexander to come. But, as hard as I try not to take Vampire Kisses seriously, I simply can't ignore all the things that are, not wrong, but simply absent from this story.We could begin with the fact that the author is not really good at writing. Seriously, 'His grip was strong, like that of as handsome athlete"? My 11 year old cousin who has never picked up a book in his life can write better similes and metaphors than that. And someone really needs to find Schreiber a thesaurus. The word 'nefarious' is not the only one in the dictionary that defines something bad. She used it more than 30 times and 5... Read more 7 of 8 people found the following review helpful Another fluffy installment in the series that changed my life, By This review is from: Vampire Kisses 8: Cryptic Cravings (Hardcover) Also appears on The Screaming Nitpicker.Jagger and Luna are back and this time, they want to open a club in Dullsville called the Crypt. Raven, seeing a place where she can finally belong in Dullsville, is excited about it and yet cautious; if Jagger makes the club a place for humans and vampires both, all the vampires coming to Dullsville could cause trouble and put Alexander's secret in danger. Raven and Alexander work to find out what Jagger has planned for the Crypt in case he's up to no good yet again. Meanwhile, Luna and Sebastian's relationship is blooming and Raven wishes more than once that Alexander would just turn her already. But is she ready to give everything up for her love? I may as well admit now that this review is totally biased. The Vampire Kisses series changed my life and made me love reading, which led me to reviewing books and aspiring to become an author. I couldn't be critical of something so meaningful, beloved, and fluffy even if I... Read more 2 of 2 people found the following review helpful Review: Cryptic Cravings, This review is from: Vampire Kisses 8: Cryptic Cravings (Hardcover) This series really is a guilty pleasure for. For a teen vampire book, it's really very immature at times. I doubt it has very much cross over appeal and think it better fits pre-teens, etc.I was really hoping that Raven would begin to act her age after the events of the last book. Within the first couple pages, I saw that I was wrong. I think no matter what her age, Raven will always been immature. It's how the author wrote her. In this installment, she really made me roll my eyes a lot. She was so wishy-washy on the idea of the club. It was like it was really hard for her to see all sides of the equation. I was also amazed that it's book 8 and it's just now being voiced that Trevor might actually like her. Really...I've know this since book 1. I like Alexander, and actually won't mind a book (or even a couple chapters) told from his point of view. I still wonder how it's possible that there are things that Raven doesn't know about him. He also... Read more |
› See all 20 customer reviews...
Thursday, August 30, 2012
Understanding Dog Behavior and Language
Childhood fears, I had many.Most of them were easy for me to get rid of. vampires, witches, bats, the stranger.But getting rid of my fear for dogs was never easy.Because in my childhood, dogs were real. they were stray, they were fierce, they would bark, and they would bite.My husband's TV entertainment of dog shows on TV was my cure.Gradually as I started to understand dog behavior and language, I started to get very interested in dogs, even wanted one for a pet.Maybe a season of watching The Dog Whisperer did it.By then I was seeing dog fangs as smiles, short barks as greetings.Jumpiness as play, sniffs as kisses.Or the loud barks from the neighbor's fence as "hey guys, I want to run with you!" Maybe.On the trail where my husband and I run, no longer do I take cover behind his back when I see a dog.I would happily pet the friendly ones with their tails wagging and bodies wiggling.Great dog body language.Like two basset hounds named Bonnie and Clyde.And Hannah and Sophia, two pugs, a tan and a black.They liked me because I was always ready with the petting-greeting for them.Dogs who seemed to look like charging up to me, I'd confidently meet with my two palms spread out to them.It's like telling them I got nothing to hurt them.I think that was one of the principles of dog psychology I learned from Millan, the Dog Whisperer.And then I realized off-leash or on, dogs didn't scare me anymore.I figured I must be speaking dog-language through my body language.I also learned from Millan that dogs are by nature dominant yet very sensitive to human feelings and emotions.That if they sensed that you are afraid, they will try to dominate you and take advantage of that fear.They attack, they lunge at you to exercise their dominance over one who's not their master.Same principle is supposed to work among dogs.Maybe that's why none of the dogs who used to sniff at me didn't sniff anymore.No fear here.Move on.Nice world indeed when humans and dogs co-exist, even love and respect and protect one another.Here's a thought. in our world today, are humans behaving like their wild canine counterparts towards their fellow humans? Dominance and fear - are we being more like wild dogs and our trained dogs being more like humans?Can't there be world peace?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)