Reviews Completed on Sunday July 21, 2013

Visual Images and Lettering are from Amazon.com

Red 2 DVD ~ Bruce Willis Intense Suspense "Red 2" is a superb action film that touches on the continuation of most of the characters from the first Red film. My husband and I both agreed that "Red 2" was even better than the first "Red." However, he was undecided at first about who was his favorite character. This was because Bruce Willis and Louise Parker elegantly played a couple very much in love and playing out their relationship among various heists. Lee Byung-hun gave a marvelous performance as a gifted assassin who deep down has a good sense of right and wrong. However, my husband admitted that he enjoyed Anthony Hopkins in the role as Dr. Edward Bailey the most. This was because Hopkins gave an admirable performance as a physicist who is called upon for his talents. My favorite performances were a tie between Helen Mirren as Victoria Winters and John Malkovich as Marvin Boggs. Mirren gives a splendid performance as a trained and true femme fatale who still has a heart for her fellow friends while accomplishing her duties in an efficient manner (there is a comical scene where she is portraying the queen of England). My husband also liked Mirren's performance, but more for her flirty demeanor and her elegant style while doing one of her jobs (there is a scene where she is aiming her gun in a stylish outfit and letting her boyfriend touch her feet). I enjoyed Malkovich's commendable performance as Boggs because he plays a man with the right touch of paranoia who also is a skilled mediator for his fellow colleagues/friends. There are also electrifying scenes in the movie where the characters are shown traveling to England, France, and Russia. "Red 2" is a terrific film for those who enjoyed the first "Red" movie and/or like action films. The following actors/actresses also play important parts in "Red 2": Catherine Zeta Jones as Katya, Brian Cox as Ivan Simanov, David Thewlis as The Frog, and Neal McDonough as Jack Horton. Listen: Trusting Your Inner Voice in Times of Crisis by Lynn A. Robinson Clairvoyance Guide I confess that it is challenging for me to sometimes admit when I need help due to judgement from others. This is especially if what I'm going through is self-inflicted and I'm in the process of wisely figuring out where to get the best help. There is always so much for me to learn. Fortunately, "Listen:Trusting Your Inner Voice In Times of Crisis" by Lynn A. Robinson is a guide for those who are determined to strengthen and tap into their own intuition on helping themselves. This book contains some of the following: Chapter 6: What You Say To Yourself Matters: Healing Information is given on such matters as how to be your own best friend and thinking like a visionary. Chapter 15: Letting Life Be Easy: I'm all too aware that I sometimes unintentionally allow certain circumstances in my life to be harder than it has to be. Healing information is given on such topics as finding the lesson and shifting attitude. Chapter 23: What Dreams May Come: Details are given on how dreams can provide solutions to waking life. There is so much more in this book and "Listen:Trusting Your Voice In Times of Crisis" by Lynne A. Robinson is a great guide for those who are determined to tap into their own intuitive faculties. Armada Lounge, Vol. 6 Music Continuation Of Armada Lounge Quality "Armada Lounge: Vol. 6" is a collection of 38 chillout songs from various artists. "Colours" (Strings & Vocals Mix) by Emma Hewitt, "Carry Me Away" (Live Acoustic version) by Emma Hewitt,"Under The Gun" (feat. Leigh Nash) by Conjure One, and "Surrounded" by BT& Aqualung are some of the satisfying hits available out of the other excellent songs available on this various artist compilation. I am previously familiar with some of Emma Hewitt's music due to Armin Van Burren publicly introducing her on the internet. I am now curious to eventually checkout at least one of her music collections within the next three months. "Armada Lounge: Vol. 6" is fantastic for those who enjoy chillout and/or lounge music with trance and electronica vibes. The World From The Side Of The Moon Phillips Showcase “The World From The Side Of The Moon” by Phillip Phillips contains the popular and satisfying songs that are “Home” and “Gone, Gone, Gone.” “Man On The Moon”, “Get Up Get Down”, and “So Easy” are among the quality songs on this collection.  I like “Gone, Gone, Gone” a lot because the lyrics, in a positive way, symbolize how my husband feels about me.“The World From The Side Of The Moon” by Phillip Phillips is good for those who like “Home” or adult contemporary songs. “Hazel”, “Wicked Game”, and the live version of “Home” are also pretty good. Spirited Away DVD ~ Hayao Miyazaki Travels In One Spirit Land"Spirited Away" involves the journey that a young girl named Chihiro embarks on after finding her parents transformed into pigs. She also travels through an even more unusual spirit world and dealing with the witch who was responsible for what happened to her parents. "Spirited Away" reminds me of "Howl's Moving Castle" (which is also a good film)."Spirited Away" is a great anime movie with supernatural/spiritual themes. My Little Pony - The Movie DVD ~ Danny DeVito Test Of Ponyland "My Little Pony: The Movie" features the plot of Ponyland coming under the target of a witch named Hydia and her daughters Draggle and Reeka. Hydia and her daughters live in a volcano and simply want to unleash mischief after the ponies had successfully turned the land into a happy place. At first Hydria succeeds and unleashes a purple gunk on the Ponyland castle. The ponies are helped by three kids and are gifted with an estate named "Paradise" by what appears to be a forest elder. "My Little Pony: The Movie" is a cheery film safe for all ages. The Strawberry Shortcake Movie: Sky's the Limit DVD ~ Strawberry Shortcake Movie-Skys the Limit Strawberry Shortcake's Goal "The Strawberry Shortcake Movie: The Sky's The Limit" follows that efforts of Strawberry shortcake and her friends trying to do what is possible to prevent from having to leave where they call home. They end up embarking on a trip to accomplish this mission. This sunny film also has colorful graphics. We Are Smug [Explicit] Hotshot Music "We Are Smug" by Darren Hayes does contain some songs with good hooks such as "Good Dress", "Words That I Can't Say", and "Riot". I actually wanted to like these songs a lot because of Darren Hayes strong vocals with this experimental collection. The only reason why I reluctantly give it three stars is due to the feeling that his musical soul seems to be less prevalent on "We Are Smug"(his melodic spirit is more strongly evident in his 2011 Secret Codes and Battleships). However, I do plan on keeping an eye on the future releases of Darren Hayes music and would recommend "We Are Smug" for diehard fans of his music. Angel Heart (Special Edition) DVD ~ Mickey Rourke Does A Man/Woman Do Good and Evil Due To Influence From Spirits? I admit that it is not always easy for me to publicly rate something two stars or less. This is only because I strongly believe in karma, which also is related to the type of reviews that a man or woman puts out publicy. I understand that diehard fans of this movie and/or those who disagree with my viewpoint may give at least one unhelpful vote, but I feel it necessary to speak about the movie. "Angel Heart" is a supernatural type of movie that touches on the nature of good versus evil. The casting of Mickey Rourke as Harry Angel, Robert Deniro as Louis Cyphre, and Lisa Bonet as Epiphany Proudfoot was well done. The positives: Mickey Rourke brilliantly played a detective who goes about getting the answers to his questions in very unconventional ways. Rourke's complicated but convincing portrayal as Harry Angel reminds me of the strong complexity that he showed as a villain in Iron Man 2. Rourke also did a good job in expressing shock at some of the events in the movies, part of me also wanted to believe he had nothing to do with many of the events that transpired. Robert Deniro did an incomparable job of portraying a man who is not how he appears to be and a tricky character to pin down. Deniro's gift of portraying multiple personas reminds me of his intensity in The Bronx Tale and Stardust movies.Deniro also distinctively plays a Cyphre who convinces Harry Angel that he is truly an ally. Lisa Bonet does a notable job in portraying a woman who is doing the best that she could in going on in her life without her mother while also tending to her son. The reason why I give "AngelHeart" two stars despite the terrific acting is due to my uneasiness with the painting of the Proudfoot character as only promiscuous and mainly focused on her occult lifestyle. There is nothing wrong with those who choose unconventional lifestyles, but I was hoping that Bonet's Proudfoot character would have been portrayed in a more positive light. Yes, she was at least wonderfully portrayed as a caring mother. However, it would have been nice if other facets of her were more frequently revealed in the movie. I felt as if the movie was unintentionally portraying that Proudfoot deserved what happened to her as a result of crude stereotypes. Maybe a remake and/or sequel could feature either Proudfoot or one of her descendants as a female of many interests who loves life and is highly spiritual. The remake and/or sequel could also feature what happened to Harry Angel and/or one of his descendants in the afterlife. I only say this because I do believe in reincarnation, and believe that a formerly evil spirit is eventually released from the darker non-physical realms if they are remorseful and are determined to spiritually evolve. However, there are some fans of horror films that may enjoy "AngelHeart."