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Reviews Written By: A2SXGE7QAO5T7M

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	The X-Files - The Complete Ninth Season (Slim Set)
	"Not very good...and not because of a lack of Mulder."	2009-11-19
spoilers Season nine was lame because the episodes and overall story were lame. Sure, I would have liked to see Mulder, but I was satisfied enough with Dogget and Reyes. I found the overall story to be annoying. Someone dies, but no, he's not dead. He then dies again, but no wait, he's not dead. After a while, I stopped caring whenever someone died or ended up in a coma. However, this wasn't limited to just season 9. The only thing I really cared about was when the Lone Gunman died. Those were probably the only deaths in the series that bummed me out. And that's only because we saw their funeral and knew they weren't coming back. Had we not seen the funeral, I wouldn't have cared since I would have expected them to miraculously come back to life somehow. I didn't like the story of Scully's miracle baby, Mulder's disappearance (though I'm sure the series could have survived without him...though maybe with not such a huge following), the super soldiers, and the alien bounty hunters. This isn't the X-Files from the early days that I came to like. I realize there were probably good reasons for changing the scope of the series, but that doesn't mean I have to like it. I really liked the early seasons where they were regular FBI agents who investigated the unknown. I must admit, I felt the series needed an overall story. Well, I got what I wanted and was very unsatisfied. I still think the overall story would have worked, had they done things differently. I liked the recent movie "I want to Believe", but I really don't think it fixed any of the problems from season 9. If there's a future movie, I hope they make it more like "Fight the Future" and attempt to give season 9 some closure. For example, whatever happened to agents Dogget and Reyes? That's going to take some serious effort, but that's why these people make millions, right? Season 9 is definitely worth watching if you are a big X-Files fan. However, if you are trying to cut back on TV time or aren't a big fan, don't bother watching. If you didn't like season 8, you'll probably like this one less. One more thing, Amazon didn't send me the "Slim set" for seasons 8 or 9. If you are looking for the Slim set to match the rest of the series, you may want to ensure they have them in stock before you order.
	A Game of Thrones
	"This book made me like my other favorites less"	2009-11-03
I'll save us all some time and keep this short since there are tons of other reviews on this already: I have nothing but good things to say about this book. I must say that this is the first time I actually couldn't wait for the next chapter in a book. I don't think I remember a fiction book ever stirring my emotions like this one did. The story is told from the perspectives of several different characters. Each of those characters has their own life and story. While this is a book about battles for a throne, it doesn't waste time with endless details about fighting. Instead, we read more about their personal lives; the good and the bad in all of them. I find myself caring more about their individual lives than the overall story. At a certain point in the book I realized that I didn't even care much what happened in the story. I loved the characters (all of them...even the jerks) and loved the little world the author created. I'm not sure I would recommend this to casual readers since it's so long and requires a lot of attention and commitment. Because of that and quite a bit of graphic content (in many different forms), I would definitely not recommend it for kids or teens. If you're tired of clichéd or childish fantasy, consider giving this a try.
	A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin, ISBN 0553381687
	"This book made me like my other favorites less"	2009-11-03
I'll save us all some time and keep this short since there are tons of other reviews on this already: I have nothing but good things to say about this book. I must say that this is the first time I actually couldn't wait for the next chapter in a book. I don't think I remember a fiction book ever stirring my emotions like this one did. The story is told from the perspectives of several different characters. Each of those characters has their own life and story. While this is a book about battles for a throne, it doesn't waste time with endless details about fighting. Instead, we read more about their personal lives; the good and the bad in all of them. I find myself caring more about their individual lives than the overall story. At a certain point in the book I realized that I didn't even care much what happened in the story. I loved the characters (all of them...even the jerks) and loved the little world the author created. I'm not sure I would recommend this to casual readers since it's so long and requires a lot of attention and commitment. Because of that and quite a bit of graphic content (in many different forms), I would definitely not recommend it for kids or teens. If you're tired of clichéd or childish fantasy, consider giving this a try.
	Meditation for Dummies
	"A very good place to start learning about meditation"	2009-09-23
I learned most of what I know about meditation through this book. I liked the fact that it explained different meditative practices for different cultures and religions. Basically, if you don't belong to any already, you're free to choose whatever works best for you. Sure, there is a lot of fluff in the book (as with all Dummies books I've read), but it is still a very easy read. Once you are ready to move on to more advanced forms of meditation, or you want to learn more about a particular approach (such as Jewish, Christian, etc.), the book has plenty of resources for you. The book is also helpful when it comes to dealing with distractions (such as, not being able to get into a comfortable position, noise from the kids, etc.). The author does give a lot of his personal philosophical views, but IMO, it makes the book easier to read. If you want to skip all the reading and start meditating right away, you can just pop in the CD and get started right away. Step by step instructions are given on the tracks as you meditate. I personally never felt the need (well, at least not yet) to read another book on the subject.
	Storm Front
	"Definitively a fun and easy read"	2009-09-17
I finished this book in just a day or two, which is very rare for me. I didn't think it was great, but I found myself attached to the story and liked the characters. I especially liked Harry Dresden. He was dirt broke since he didn't have much work. But yet, he was a powerful wizard. Aside from getting in trouble with the White Council, he also had mobsters after him. Though he had offers to make lots of money working for the bad guys, he valued his principles more than money. The story at times seemed to be more like something you'd see in a cartoon (albeit, a cartoon for adults) or perhaps even a comic book (and yes, I do realize it is now available as a comic). But still, it's definitely a fun story. It seems to have been written for an older audience as well. The story wasn't very thought-provoking. It was more of a `sit back and enjoy the show' type book for me. Not really my cup of tea, but I still enjoyed it very much.
	UHF
	"Definitely for 'Weird Al' fans only...not that I'm a big fan"	2009-09-10
Yes, this movie is probably one of the worse movies ever made. So what? Why are so many of the 1 star reviewers so bitter about it? This movie, IMO, is very funny (albeit, stupidly funny). If you don't like "Weird Al" type humor, you'll probably hate this movie. If you do like that type of humor, you'll probably love it, though you'll totally understand why so many people think it sucks. The characters are kind of lame, with the exception of Raul Hernandez (lol). There really isn't much more to say about it. If I were a critic, I would give this movie the lowest possible rating. But since I'm not a critic and I enjoy watching this every so often with my kids, I'm giving it 4 stars (giving it 5 stars would be unfair to my other 5 star reviews).
	Blood In, Blood Out
	"American Me: the remake"	2009-09-08
The first question that came to mind when seeing this movie was the following: can they get sued for copying American Me? Personally, I didn't mind them being so similar since there were many things I liked better about BIBO anyway (though I felt American Me was a little better overall). One of the things I appreciated most about this movie was in how the three main characters took different paths in life. One became the head of La Onda, another became a painter, and the other a cop. I was really hoping that the three wouldn't join La Onda (making it even more of an American Me rip off). It was nice to see their three separate stories and how they were all connected somehow. BIBO was pretty violent, but not nearly as graphic as American Me. There are some close calls when it comes to the "prison love" scenes (some VERY close calls), but you don't have the disturbing scenes you'll see in American Me (but still, probably not for kids either way). I understand, these are prison movies...but hey, we're not actually in prison, right? People on the outside kind of already know what happens in prison. I've read a lot of complaints in the reviews about bad acting. I did get a little bothered by a few scenes of overdramatizing (though not much). But still, this is a movie. All movies overdramatize. If they didn't, they would be boring. I don't see why something like that would result in a few 1 star reviews (though most weren't specific as to what they meant by "bad acting"). I mean, we're talking about cholos in the neighborhood and prison anyway. Where is there a need for seriously good acting? If I were a paid critic, I don't know what kind of a rating I would give this movie. But I'm not a paid critic and only a reviewer...and since I liked this movie very much, I'm going with 5 stars. If you liked American Me, you'll very likely like this too. I can't imagine liking one and not the other.
	Blood In Blood Out
	"American Me: the remake"	2009-09-08
The first question that came to mind when seeing this movie was the following: can they get sued for copying American Me? Personally, I didn't mind them being so similar since there were many things I liked better about BIBO anyway (though I felt American Me was a little better overall). One of the things I appreciated most about this movie was in how the three main characters took different paths in life. One became the head of La Onda, another became a painter, and the other a cop. I was really hoping that the three wouldn't join La Onda (making it even more of an American Me rip off). It was nice to see their three separate stories and how they were all connected somehow. BIBO was pretty violent, but not nearly as graphic as American Me. There are some close calls when it comes to the "prison love" scenes (some VERY close calls), but you don't have the disturbing scenes you'll see in American Me (but still, probably not for kids either way). I understand, these are prison movies...but hey, we're not actually in prison, right? People on the outside kind of already know what happens in prison. I've read a lot of complaints in the reviews about bad acting. I did get a little bothered by a few scenes of overdramatizing (though not much). But still, this is a movie. All movies overdramatize. If they didn't, they would be boring. I don't see why something like that would result in a few 1 star reviews (though most weren't specific as to what they meant by "bad acting"). I mean, we're talking about cholos in the neighborhood and prison anyway. Where is there a need for seriously good acting? If I were a paid critic, I don't know what kind of a rating I would give this movie. But I'm not a paid critic and only a reviewer...and since I liked this movie very much, I'm going with 5 stars. If you liked American Me, you'll very likely like this too. I can't imagine liking one and not the other.
	King Kong (HD-DVD)
	"Better than the original King Kong"	2009-09-07
The story of King Kong is awesome. As a fan of cryptozoology, I ask myself, would I have preferred they leave Kong alone (aside from rescuing the lady, of course)? Or would I prefer they bring him to America so that we can all behold him? What happens when we discover Bigfoot or any other legendary animal? We'll be happy for a while and excited, but it will eventually become boring without the mystery. Then again, wouldn't we all want to know? I always appreciate thought-provoking movies that make me ask myself such questions. Skull Island was a place untouched by time and technology. We didn't know anything about it and so we assumed it didn't exist. Ah, but it did exist. Are there any such places out there? We assume not. Otherwise, we would already know about it, right? There is no doubt many places out there we know nothing about (though it's anyone's guess as to what types of animals are to be discovered in such places). I liked the original very much, but I felt this remake was far better. King Kong's size was consistent in this version. Skull Island and its inhabitant were far creepier in this version as well. And Jack Black, though I'm not a fan, was great in this movie. I didn't care much for the long King Kong vs. Dinosaur fights. But I still think this movie was great overall.
	American Me
	"Could have been as good as the Godfather..."	2009-09-07
While this is one of my favorite movies, there were many scenes in it that bothered me. I was very pleased to finally see a good movie about Chicanos growing up in America. It's easy to look at these characters and call them stupid. However, one must keep in mind that they grew up in a place where they and their parents were hated because of their skin color. No, it doesn't justify joining a gang and selling drugs. But in the end, who is more wrong? Santana's parents were zoot suiters. I'm willing to bet a lot of people who watched this movie didn't even know what really happened to zoot suiters in those days (not that I'm saying this movie is a history book). I also realize there are always at least two sides to a story. But anyway, the so called "zoot suit riots" were about the "heroic" sailors beating these zoot suiters up (many of them were only kids) and putting them "in their place". The cops were "most helpful" and arrested them (zoot suiters) after they were beaten. Time passes, but little changes. Children were born to them and grew up poor, without hope and with lots of anger. What are they to do? No, they are not victims, but they are also not stupid kids who chose a life of crime when they had so much going for them. What did they have going for them? Santana, Mundo, and JD end up in juvie and eventually prison. They formed one of most powerful prison gangs known as "La Eme". In their mind, they are a success story. They are doing what think is right for their people. They are protecting their people in prison and controlling the drug trade that already existed. Santana eventually meets a woman who he takes an interest in. It is through her that he realizes he is two people. One is the one she loves. He's the innocent one who is like a child and knows little about the outside world. The other is evil and is the head of a powerful gang. And a certain point in the movie, Santana feels there is no hope for him. He's all grown up now and knows nothing more than his life in prison. He even realizes he's not 100% Chicano. I would have liked this movie more than Scarface and The Godfather if it weren't for some VERY disturbing scenes. Don't get me wrong, I realize this is a prison movie. However, IMO, there were a few things this movie should have cut out or shortened. The rape scenes (there were at least 3) were MUCH, MUCH longer than necessary. I think Santana summed this movie up best when he said the following: "You know, a long time ago, two best homeboys, two kids, were thrown into juvie. They were scared, and they thought they had to do something to prove themselves. And they did what they had to do. They thought they were doing it to gain respect for their people, to show the world that no one could take their class from them. No one had to take it from us, ese. Whatever we had...we gave it away..."
	King Kong (Three-Disc Deluxe Extended Edition)
	"Better than the original King Kong"	2009-09-07
The story of King Kong is awesome. As a fan of cryptozoology, I ask myself, would I have preferred they leave Kong alone (aside from rescuing the lady, of course)? Or would I prefer they bring him to America so that we can all behold him? What happens when we discover Bigfoot or any other legendary animal? We'll be happy for a while and excited, but it will eventually become boring without the mystery. Then again, wouldn't we all want to know? I always appreciate thought-provoking movies that make me ask myself such questions. Skull Island was a place untouched by time and technology. We didn't know anything about it and so we assumed it didn't exist. Ah, but it did exist. Are there any such places out there? We assume not. Otherwise, we would already know about it, right? There is no doubt many places out there we know nothing about (though it's anyone's guess as to what types of animals are to be discovered in such places). I liked the original very much, but I felt this remake was far better. King Kong's size was consistent in this version. Skull Island and its inhabitant were far creepier in this version as well. And Jack Black, though I'm not a fan, was great in this movie. I didn't care much for the long King Kong vs. Dinosaur fights. But I still think this movie was great overall.
	King Kong [Blu-ray]
	"Better than the original King Kong"	2009-09-07
The story of King Kong is awesome. As a fan of cryptozoology, I ask myself, would I have preferred they leave Kong alone (aside from rescuing the lady, of course)? Or would I prefer they bring him to America so that we can all behold him? What happens when we discover Bigfoot or any other legendary animal? We'll be happy for a while and excited, but it will eventually become boring without the mystery. Then again, wouldn't we all want to know? I always appreciate thought-provoking movies that make me ask myself such questions. Skull Island was a place untouched by time and technology. We didn't know anything about it and so we assumed it didn't exist. Ah, but it did exist. Are there any such places out there? We assume not. Otherwise, we would already know about it, right? There is no doubt many places out there we know nothing about (though it's anyone's guess as to what types of animals are to be discovered in such places). I liked the original very much, but I felt this remake was far better. King Kong's size was consistent in this version. Skull Island and its inhabitant were far creepier in this version as well. And Jack Black, though I'm not a fan, was great in this movie. I didn't care much for the long King Kong vs. Dinosaur fights. But I still think this movie was great overall.
	BioShock
	"My favorite video game of all time"	2009-09-07
I'm not a huge fan of video games. I simply don't have the spare time needed to get into them. However, Bioshock was one of those games that I just couldn't stop playing. It wasn't just about me wanting to beat the game; it was about actually having fun each and every time I've played it. I stayed up late a night playing this game, caring little about whether or not I ever beat it. In fact, when I finally did beat the game, the ending sort of came as a surprise and a bummer (only because I was hoping it would never end). And so after that, I started a new game and wondered if there would be a Bioshock 2 (this was a long time ago). The story of Bioshock is awesome. I'm a fan of books and keep thinking that a Bioshock book series would be awesome. The story of an underwater city as well as the struggles for power is fascinating. Make no mistake about it; Bioshock is very brutal and spooky. It's like watching a horror movie (one that is actually scary) each and every time you play the game. I don't normally get my kicks off of shooter games. And so, the storyline is the most important part of the game for me. Though you have little choice but to gun down zombie-like people in Rapture, you can choose to rescue the little sisters. You can harvest them in order to make your game easier, but you can also suffer a little by doing the right thing (depending on what your view is on that). Your choice will also affect the ending of the game. I would be willing to stand in line will all the other geeks the night Bioshock 2 is released. No doubt about it.
	Scarface Deluxe Gift Set - Scarface (1983) & Scarface (1932)
	"One of those rare times that I cheer for the bad guy"	2009-09-07
Scarface is probably my favorite movie. It's very rare that I ever end up liking the bad guy of a movie, but this was one of those rare occasions. But Tony wasn't really a bad guy, was he? He was dirt poor and did what he felt he had to do to enjoy life. Following the rules meant he would work as a dish washer. Breaking the rules meant he would have more cash than he could possibly spend. But here's what I liked about Tony. Even though he was a thug, and he definitely was, he had a soft side. He was saddened by the fact that he couldn't have kids. He wasn't a womanizer. When an associate of his asks Tony to carry out a hit, in exchange for getting him out of trouble, Tony refuses. He refuses because carrying out this hit meant innocent children would be killed. Tony is many things, but he won't be responsible for the death of innocent children. Instead, he shoots his associate before the hit was carried out. Tony wanted to make peace with his mother and take care of her and his sister (since his father ran out on them when they were kids). She refused because she knew what he was. I don't feel sorry for Tony, but I did find him to be a likable person. If he could have made lots of money legitimately, he would have done so. Aside from that, aren't his oppressors criminals too? No, because his oppressors are the ones who get to make up the rules! By what authority? By the authority granted to them by the fact that they have bigger guns. Scarface is extremely violent and has more curse words than any other movie I can think of. However, it's a great movie and a great story. Tony gets what's coming to him in the end. He chose to live by the sword and so he died by the sword. But in the end, I can't help but ask myself who the real bad guys are. Don't get me wrong, he was a bad guy and deserved what he got. But was he the only real bad guy in this story? He was only in business because there were cops out there accepting bribes. It's as they say, "don't hate the player, hate the game." If Scarface were a real person, I would have no sympathy for him. But since this is only a movie, I guess it sort of justifies it...at least in my mind.
	Scarface (Platinum Edition)
	"One of those rare times that I cheer for the bad guy"	2009-09-07
Scarface is probably my favorite movie. It's very rare that I ever end up liking the bad guy of a movie, but this was one of those rare occasions. But Tony wasn't really a bad guy, was he? He was dirt poor and did what he felt he had to do to enjoy life. Following the rules meant he would work as a dish washer. Breaking the rules meant he would have more cash than he could possibly spend. But here's what I liked about Tony. Even though he was a thug, and he definitely was, he had a soft side. He was saddened by the fact that he couldn't have kids. He wasn't a womanizer. When an associate of his asks Tony to carry out a hit, in exchange for getting him out of trouble, Tony refuses. He refuses because carrying out this hit meant innocent children would be killed. Tony is many things, but he won't be responsible for the death of innocent children. Instead, he shoots his associate before the hit was carried out. Tony wanted to make peace with his mother and take care of her and his sister (since his father ran out on them when they were kids). She refused because she knew what he was. I don't feel sorry for Tony, but I did find him to be a likable person. If he could have made lots of money legitimately, he would have done so. Aside from that, aren't his oppressors criminals too? No, because his oppressors are the ones who get to make up the rules! By what authority? By the authority granted to them by the fact that they have bigger guns. Scarface is extremely violent and has more curse words than any other movie I can think of. However, it's a great movie and a great story. Tony gets what's coming to him in the end. He chose to live by the sword and so he died by the sword. But in the end, I can't help but ask myself who the real bad guys are. Don't get me wrong, he was a bad guy and deserved what he got. But was he the only real bad guy in this story? He was only in business because there were cops out there accepting bribes. It's as they say, "don't hate the player, hate the game." If Scarface were a real person, I would have no sympathy for him. But since this is only a movie, I guess it sort of justifies it...at least in my mind.
	Scarface
	"One of those rare times that I cheer for the bad guy"	2009-09-07
Scarface is probably my favorite movie. It's very rare that I ever end up liking the bad guy of a movie, but this was one of those rare occasions. But Tony wasn't really a bad guy, was he? He was dirt poor and did what he felt he had to do to enjoy life. Following the rules meant he would work as a dish washer. Breaking the rules meant he would have more cash than he could possibly spend. But here's what I liked about Tony. Even though he was a thug, and he definitely was, he had a soft side. He was saddened by the fact that he couldn't have kids. He wasn't a womanizer. When an associate of his asks Tony to carry out a hit, in exchange for getting him out of trouble, Tony refuses. He refuses because carrying out this hit meant innocent children would be killed. Tony is many things, but he won't be responsible for the death of innocent children. Instead, he shoots his associate before the hit was carried out. Tony wanted to make peace with his mother and take care of her and his sister (since his father ran out on them when they were kids). She refused because she knew what he was. I don't feel sorry for Tony, but I did find him to be a likable person. If he could have made lots of money legitimately, he would have done so. Aside from that, aren't his oppressors criminals too? No, because his oppressors are the ones who get to make up the rules! By what authority? By the authority granted to them by the fact that they have bigger guns. Scarface is extremely violent and has more curse words than any other movie I can think of. However, it's a great movie and a great story. Tony gets what's coming to him in the end. He chose to live by the sword and so he died by the sword. But in the end, I can't help but ask myself who the real bad guys are. Don't get me wrong, he was a bad guy and deserved what he got. But was he the only real bad guy in this story? He was only in business because there were cops out there accepting bribes. It's as they say, "don't hate the player, hate the game." If Scarface were a real person, I would have no sympathy for him. But since this is only a movie, I guess it sort of justifies it...at least in my mind.
	Scarface (Full Screen Anniversary Edition)
	"One of those rare times that I cheer for the bad guy"	2009-09-07
Scarface is probably my favorite movie. It's very rare that I ever end up liking the bad guy of a movie, but this was one of those rare occasions. But Tony wasn't really a bad guy, was he? He was dirt poor and did what he felt he had to do to enjoy life. Following the rules meant he would work as a dish washer. Breaking the rules meant he would have more cash than he could possibly spend. But here's what I liked about Tony. Even though he was a thug, and he definitely was, he had a soft side. He was saddened by the fact that he couldn't have kids. He wasn't a womanizer. When an associate of his asks Tony to carry out a hit, in exchange for getting him out of trouble, Tony refuses. He refuses because carrying out this hit meant innocent children would be killed. Tony is many things, but he won't be responsible for the death of innocent children. Instead, he shoots his associate before the hit was carried out. Tony wanted to make peace with his mother and take care of her and his sister (since his father ran out on them when they were kids). She refused because she knew what he was. I don't feel sorry for Tony, but I did find him to be a likable person. If he could have made lots of money legitimately, he would have done so. Aside from that, aren't his oppressors criminals too? No, because his oppressors are the ones who get to make up the rules! By what authority? By the authority granted to them by the fact that they have bigger guns. Scarface is extremely violent and has more curse words than any other movie I can think of. However, it's a great movie and a great story. Tony gets what's coming to him in the end. He chose to live by the sword and so he died by the sword. But in the end, I can't help but ask myself who the real bad guys are. Don't get me wrong, he was a bad guy and deserved what he got. But was he the only real bad guy in this story? He was only in business because there were cops out there accepting bribes. It's as they say, "don't hate the player, hate the game." If Scarface were a real person, I would have no sympathy for him. But since this is only a movie, I guess it sort of justifies it...at least in my mind.
	Scarface
	"One of those rare times that I cheer for the bad guy"	2009-09-07
Scarface is probably my favorite movie. It's very rare that I ever end up liking the bad guy of a movie, but this was one of those rare occasions. But Tony wasn't really a bad guy, was he? He was dirt poor and did what he felt he had to do to enjoy life. Following the rules meant he would work as a dish washer. Breaking the rules meant he would have more cash than he could possibly spend. But here's what I liked about Tony. Even though he was a thug, and he definitely was, he had a soft side. He was saddened by the fact that he couldn't have kids. He wasn't a womanizer. When an associate of his asks Tony to carry out a hit, in exchange for getting him out of trouble, Tony refuses. He refuses because carrying out this hit meant innocent children would be killed. Tony is many things, but he won't be responsible for the death of innocent children. Instead, he shoots his associate before the hit was carried out. Tony wanted to make peace with his mother and take care of her and his sister (since his father ran out on them when they were kids). She refused because she knew what he was. I don't feel sorry for Tony, but I did find him to be a likable person. If he could have made lots of money legitimately, he would have done so. Aside from that, aren't his oppressors criminals too? No, because his oppressors are the ones who get to make up the rules! By what authority? By the authority granted to them by the fact that they have bigger guns. Scarface is extremely violent and has more curse words than any other movie I can think of. However, it's a great movie and a great story. Tony gets what's coming to him in the end. He chose to live by the sword and so he died by the sword. But in the end, I can't help but ask myself who the real bad guys are. Don't get me wrong, he was a bad guy and deserved what he got. But was he the only real bad guy in this story? He was only in business because there were cops out there accepting bribes. It's as they say, "don't hate the player, hate the game." If Scarface were a real person, I would have no sympathy for him. But since this is only a movie, I guess it sort of justifies it...at least in my mind.
	American Me
	"Could have been as good as the Godfather..."	2009-09-07
While this is one of my favorite movies, there were many scenes in it that bothered me. I was very pleased to finally see a good movie about Chicanos growing up in America. It's easy to look at these characters and call them stupid. However, one must keep in mind that they grew up in a place where they and their parents were hated because of their skin color. No, it doesn't justify joining a gang and selling drugs. But in the end, who is more wrong? Santana's parents were zoot suiters. I'm willing to bet a lot of people who watched this movie didn't even know what really happened to zoot suiters in those days (not that I'm saying this movie is a history book). I also realize there are always at least two sides to a story. But anyway, the so called "zoot suit riots" were about the "heroic" sailors beating these zoot suiters up (many of them were only kids) and putting them "in their place". The cops were "most helpful" and arrested them (zoot suiters) after they were beaten. Time passes, but little changes. Children were born to them and grew up poor, without hope and with lots of anger. What are they to do? No, they are not victims, but they are also not stupid kids who chose a life of crime when they had so much going for them. What did they have going for them? Santana, Mundo, and JD end up in juvie and eventually prison. They formed one of most powerful prison gangs known as "La Eme". In their mind, they are a success story. They are doing what think is right for their people. They are protecting their people in prison and controlling the drug trade that already existed. Santana eventually meets a woman who he takes an interest in. It is through her that he realizes he is two people. One is the one she loves. He's the innocent one who is like a child and knows little about the outside world. The other is evil and is the head of a powerful gang. And a certain point in the movie, Santana feels there is no hope for him. He's all grown up now and knows nothing more than his life in prison. He even realizes he's not 100% Chicano. I would have liked this movie more than Scarface and The Godfather if it weren't for some VERY disturbing scenes. Don't get me wrong, I realize this is a prison movie. However, IMO, there were a few things this movie should have cut out or shortened. The rape scenes (there were at least 3) were MUCH, MUCH longer than necessary. I think Santana summed this movie up best when he said the following: "You know, a long time ago, two best homeboys, two kids, were thrown into juvie. They were scared, and they thought they had to do something to prove themselves. And they did what they had to do. They thought they were doing it to gain respect for their people, to show the world that no one could take their class from them. No one had to take it from us, ese. Whatever we had...we gave it away..."
	Scarface (Widescreen Anniversary Edition)
	"One of those rare times that I cheer for the bad guy"	2009-09-07
Scarface is probably my favorite movie. It's very rare that I ever end up liking the bad guy of a movie, but this was one of those rare occasions. But Tony wasn't really a bad guy, was he? He was dirt poor and did what he felt he had to do to enjoy life. Following the rules meant he would work as a dish washer. Breaking the rules meant he would have more cash than he could possibly spend. But here's what I liked about Tony. Even though he was a thug, and he definitely was, he had a soft side. He was saddened by the fact that he couldn't have kids. He wasn't a womanizer. When an associate of his asks Tony to carry out a hit, in exchange for getting him out of trouble, Tony refuses. He refuses because carrying out this hit meant innocent children would be killed. Tony is many things, but he won't be responsible for the death of innocent children. Instead, he shoots his associate before the hit was carried out. Tony wanted to make peace with his mother and take care of her and his sister (since his father ran out on them when they were kids). She refused because she knew what he was. I don't feel sorry for Tony, but I did find him to be a likable person. If he could have made lots of money legitimately, he would have done so. Aside from that, aren't his oppressors criminals too? No, because his oppressors are the ones who get to make up the rules! By what authority? By the authority granted to them by the fact that they have bigger guns. Scarface is extremely violent and has more curse words than any other movie I can think of. However, it's a great movie and a great story. Tony gets what's coming to him in the end. He chose to live by the sword and so he died by the sword. But in the end, I can't help but ask myself who the real bad guys are. Don't get me wrong, he was a bad guy and deserved what he got. But was he the only real bad guy in this story? He was only in business because there were cops out there accepting bribes. It's as they say, "don't hate the player, hate the game." If Scarface were a real person, I would have no sympathy for him. But since this is only a movie, I guess it sort of justifies it...at least in my mind.
	Scarface
	"One of those rare times that I cheer for the bad guy"	2009-09-07
Scarface is probably my favorite movie. It's very rare that I ever end up liking the bad guy of a movie, but this was one of those rare occasions. But Tony wasn't really a bad guy, was he? He was dirt poor and did what he felt he had to do to enjoy life. Following the rules meant he would work as a dish washer. Breaking the rules meant he would have more cash than he could possibly spend. But here's what I liked about Tony. Even though he was a thug, and he definitely was, he had a soft side. He was saddened by the fact that he couldn't have kids. He wasn't a womanizer. When an associate of his asks Tony to carry out a hit, in exchange for getting him out of trouble, Tony refuses. He refuses because carrying out this hit meant innocent children would be killed. Tony is many things, but he won't be responsible for the death of innocent children. Instead, he shoots his associate before the hit was carried out. Tony wanted to make peace with his mother and take care of her and his sister (since his father ran out on them when they were kids). She refused because she knew what he was. I don't feel sorry for Tony, but I did find him to be a likable person. If he could have made lots of money legitimately, he would have done so. Aside from that, aren't his oppressors criminals too? No, because his oppressors are the ones who get to make up the rules! By what authority? By the authority granted to them by the fact that they have bigger guns. Scarface is extremely violent and has more curse words than any other movie I can think of. However, it's a great movie and a great story. Tony gets what's coming to him in the end. He chose to live by the sword and so he died by the sword. But in the end, I can't help but ask myself who the real bad guys are. Don't get me wrong, he was a bad guy and deserved what he got. But was he the only real bad guy in this story? He was only in business because there were cops out there accepting bribes. It's as they say, "don't hate the player, hate the game." If Scarface were a real person, I would have no sympathy for him. But since this is only a movie, I guess it sort of justifies it...at least in my mind.