Brave - good for the whole family

Brave is the latest collaboration between Disney and Pixar – once again proving to be a match made in heaven.  I’ve now seen it twice – yes, I did enjoy it very much but the real reason was to take other family member who missed our first outing.  The whole gang enjoyed the show – although I think my 6 year-old niece was the most spell bound.  Some people still equate animation with just children, but Pixar always delivers a good movie for everyone.

The basic story is a common one – as a child grows up, he/she is confronted with the harsh realities which will end their idyllic childhood.  Princess Merida is that child.  Faced with the prospect of marriage, she rebels.  As have many a teenager, she makes poor choices.  The consequences of her choices define much of the movie.  While it may sound like a story you have heard before, I assure this one has a few twists, turns, and laughs to make it all worthwhile. Some of you may even find you are fighting back a tear or two, remembering your own battles to grow up. 

 The actors voicing the characters handle the material deftly.  Kelly Macdonald – best known to American audiences as the servant girl in Nanny McPhee – is the young princess Merida.  The always funny Billy Connolly brings his talents to King Fergus.  Academy Award winner Emma Thompson is touching as the mother, Queen Elinor.  The 3 clan leaders are voiced by an amazing trio – Robbie Coltrane, Kevin McKidd, and Craig Ferguson.  Talent is not lacking in this movie.

Go see the movie, and take your mom.

The Dark Night Rises

No review of this movie can begin without first pausing to remember those harmed in Colorado and the impact on our nation.  This movie will forever have an asterisk next to its name.  Sadly… not unlike its predecessor.  … … … …

A little history, in the late 1980s, the Batman franchise at DC Comics was floundering.  The storyline – which stretched back to the 1930s had been everywhere and done everything.  The concept of Batman had evolved and changed with the times (hence the campy Batman of the 1960’s – a truly guilty pleasure).  Frank Miller, a talented and opinionated artist brought a new life to Batman in the form of The Dark Night.  Over next few years he released new story lines in serial comic books and graphic novels.  This Batman explored human psychology – why we do what we do.  Batman was always a different kind of hero, one with a troubled past yet an enviable life.  Batman sometimes made mistakes.

In recent history we saw Tim Burton recharged the story with two fabulous adaptations with Batman played by Michael Keaton (a nice surprise I might add).  The two that followed, well let’s just say they have their place…just not high up on the list.  Christopher Nolan’s reboot of the movie franchise clearly owes much of its life to Frank Miller and those who followed him. Chris and his brother Jonathan have written a marvelous screenplay to bring this tragic trilogy to its rightful conclusion. Nolan’s vision pops off the screen, a thrilling ride of emotions and powerful images.

Christian Bale does a phenomenal job once again in the cowl.  Bale's talent was first obvious in 1987, when at only 12 he impressed Steven Spielberg enough to win for the pivotal role in Empire of the Sun.  However, he is not alone.  Christian Bale’s performance is enhanced with one of the most talented casts Nolan could dream to assemble.  Gary Oldman – perhaps our best character actor ever – returns as Commissioner Gordon. Michael Caine is subtle yet indispensable as Alfred.  And of course, Morgan Freeman reprises his role as Lucius Fox.  A new addition includes Anne Hathaway as Selina aka Catwoman.  There have been too many screen version of Catwoman to discuss at length in this review, but let’s just say they each brought something unique to the role (and just scrap the whole Halle Berry movie).  Hathaway is strong, beautiful, and yet still vulnerable – just as she was in many versions of the comic books.  I think she does a very good job.  Joseph Gordon-Levitt – another former child actor who has been making a lot of noise on the big screen over the last few years – plays Blake, the cop how never gives up.  Then there is Bane, played so well by actor Thomas hardy, I could not see the man who played the frail Shinzon in Star Trek Nemesis.  He so transformed himself (the costume helps) that I could see him as the devil himself.  I loved him in this role.  Yes, there are many other amazing actors but simply not enough time to discuss them all.

 The wrap-up: if you liked the first two Christopher Nolan Batman movies, you will like this.  I recommend it for fans of action movies, comic books, and big explosions.  But this movie is not for everyone.  It may be too violent for some people, and too loud. 

Mothers

As May is for celebrating mothers and as Prometheus will open June 8^th, I thought a discussion of Alien (the first movie) is in order.  You didn’t know Prometheus is a prequel to the original Alien movie? That’s because they give a handful of clues yet never directly say that in any of the marketing.  Two hints – directed by Ridley Scott and a 2-second shot in the trailer (a creature in a chair is seen which resembles the dead creature found by Nostromo crew). Dum, dum, duuuuum.

Ok, why mother’s day?  Well, the alien queen has often been referred to as the mother of all mothers (I know, bad joke).  So, here is my (hopefully brief) review of the first Alien movie.  First disclaimer – I don’t even consider the 2 Alien vs. Predator so-called prequels (they have nothing really to do with the series although the first one was surprisingly penned by the original writer.  Second disclaimer – I really like the first two and kinda iffy on the last two.

Alien was released in 1979, during the rebirth of Sci-Fi.  Thanks to the success of Star Wars, fantasy movies moved out of the b-movie graveyard and into first class hits.  The story came from the brain of Dan O’Bannon, a writer, director, and so much more.  He worked on the special effects for Star Wars, wrote Dark Star, adapted Total Recall, and directed Return of the Living Dead (just to name a few credits).  His vision was then shaped by meeting H.R. Giger. Today most people know the name, even if only for his design work on Alien.  It was coming together…

Ridley Scott (now Sir Ridley Scott) was still a relatively new director.  He wasn’t even the first choice for director. Nearly a dozen names were tossed into the ring until he finally got the job.  Now he is famous, but he hadn’t yet directed Blade Runner, Gladiator, Thelma & Louise, Legend or Black Hawk Down.  It was his idea to move the story more towards the horror side of sci-fi.  He made bod choices, including selecting a woman to be the central character.

The characters as sketched out by O’Bannon were never assigned a gender (he was busy fleshing out the alien character and the story).   Thanks to that quirk of fate, we have Sigourney Weaver as Ripley, the Warrant Officer and central character.  She was primarily a theatre actress before Alien so she was unknown to most movie goers.  She is joined by Veronica Cartwright as navigator Lambert.  English actor John Hurt (known to today’s audiences as Mr. Ollivander in the Harry Potter series) plays Executive Officer Kane.  Another English actor, Ian Holm (Bilbo Baggins in the Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy) plays science officer Ash (who has a secret).  Yaphet Kotto – fresh off a villainous role in James Bond’s Live and Let Die – joins as Chief Engineer Parker.  The cast is rounded out with Tom Skerritt as Captain Dallas and Harry Dean Stanton as engineer Brett.

Our story begins when the crew of the Nostromo is awakened by the ship (Mother) to investigate a ship nearby.  It begins deceptively slow – banter among the crew, nothing exciting.  Now I don’t want to give away too many spoilers – it doesn’t help that many bits have made their way into popular culture.  I will say that if you are squeamish, don’t watch this movie.  It you dislike being scared or having creepy aliens stalk you, avoid this movie.  However, compared to today’s horror films, this is so tame. But the one scene I must talk about…THE scene.  The crew is enjoying a meal when suddenly Kane goes into convulsions.  Now Kane had just been released from sick bay…but no one realized he been impregnated by the alien.  The forced cesarean delivery (eruption?) is a shock – and not just to the audience.  I’ve heard a story where Ridley Scott gives the cast a basic run down of what is going to happen…but leaves out a lot of details.  So when you see Veronica splashed with blood and screaming her head off, that is more real than you might think.  On one hand – wow he really captured one hell of a performance; on the other hand, what a cruel trick.  However, from that point on the roller coaster has begun.  It is a very freaky ride. I personally don’t think I could ever watch it at night again (and I know what to expect).

So, if you haven’t seen the original Alien movie yet, consider this…do you like sci-fi? Do you like other Ridley Scott films?  Do you like a good scare?  Then you just might like this ride.

Vampire Movies and Anne Rice

While flipping through the channels today, Spike was playing “Interview with the Vampire” while SyFy had “Queen of the Damned” on.  I would recommend the first movie, but not so much the second.

First disclaimer, I am a fan of Anne Rice.  I have read most of her books, from every genre – enjoying the emotion she puts into her stories.  Second disclaimer, I have an avid interest in the vampire genre: legends, books, movies, comics, etc. I find the stories fascinating: as a Slav, a history buff, and a sci-fi/fantasy fanatic.

So back to the movies.  Movies are never a faithful representation of a book, but Interview is one of the better one (duh, Rice had a hand in screenplay).  This is the story of Luis, a 200-year old vampire and former plantation owner.  He is elegant and thoughtful, not a brainless beast.  Brad Pitt does gives one his best early performances.   He tells this story to a young Daniel Mallory, played by Christian Slater.   Luis struggles with his metamorphosis – he cannot accept what he must do to survive.  He hates his life –actually before and after his turning.  His despair is born of tragedy - one many can understand.  Can it be of any surprise to hear how Anne Rice wrote this story – almost in a frenzy – right after losing her little daughter to leukemia?  But it is the strong character of Lestat which drives this story and that of the series.  To this day, I am not completely satisfied with Tom Cruise’s performance.  I do not believe he has the acting skills to pull off this character and is not the vibrant creature I found on the pages of the book.  However, the movie over all is interesting.  We meet the child vampire of Claudia (played by the very young Kirten Dunst) who is reminiscent of Rice’s own daughter Michele.  The characters becomes creepy as we realize the person inside is grown up but in the body of a child, doomed.  We also meet the interesting vampires of Santiago (Stephen Rea) and Armand (Antonio Banderas).  The coven is full of petty vampires - no better than the humans they look down upon - infighting, back stabbing, vindictive.  We circle the globe in 200 years and see the world change though Louis’ eyes.  It is an interesting tale.  So if you enjoy vampire tales, I would recommend “Interview with a Vampire” for a screening.

Queen of the Damned is a different story.  First it is a horrible adaptation – borrowing fragments from Rice’s two novels, the Vampire Lestat and Queen of the Damned.  It leaves so much out, and not just to fit within the time frame.  It screws with characters and their motivations.  It takes a fascinating tale and squeezes it into a bowl of crap.  About the only thing I liked in this movie was Stewart Townsend as Lestat.  He has the emotional range and charisma to play this complex and ever-changing character.  Unfortunately the gimmicky choice to have a pop-star – Aaliyah – play Akasha is sad, made more tragic by her death before the release.  A talented signer, she was way out of her league and showed no understanding of the character or the history.   Frankly, read the books, great story.

Dark Shadows - fun, fun, fun not in the sun, sun, sun

Dark Shadows

I truly enjoyed this movie.  As a huge fan of the original series, I found Tim Burton and his cast captured the essence of this over the top soap opera.  First aired in 1966, we meet the Collins clan, Elizabeth (the matriarch), her daughter Carolyn, Roger (Elizabeth’s brother), and Roger’s young son David.  They are joined by orphan Victoria Winters – who turns out to be a surprise key.  Nearly a year later we meet Barnabas, the cursed Collins ancestor…and a vampire.  So fast forward 1,500 episodes later and you have a cult hit with everything you might want (werewolves, zombies, ghosts, time travel, and of course the vampire).

I felt this movie was a synopsis of the many story lines found in the original - many episodes were rolled up into one movie.  Yes, Burton makes a few changes, but it works.  Barnabas (Johnny Depp) Collins tells us his life story.  He shows us how he once had everything and lost it all because of one woman’s need for revenge.  Then fast forward 200 years to 1972 where we meet Maggie Evans/Victoria Winters (Bella Heathcote), a girl with a secret.  She is traveling to Collinsport to be the governess for the Collins family.  There we meet Elizabeth (Michelle Pfeiffer), who oversees a very dysfunctional family.  Her daughter Carolyn (Chloe Moretz) is a typical teenager full of angst and a bit mouthy (and another secret).  Elizabeth’s worthless brother Roger (Johnny Lee Miller) lives with them and his son David (Gulliver McGrath) who sees ghosts.  Helena Bonham Carter plays Dr. Julia Hoffman (the family shrink) in typical over the top fashion.  Barnabas’ foil is Angelique (Eva Green) the serving maid/witch who was dumped 200 years earlier by Barnabas.  Her revenge is complete; she ruins the Collins family for years – both personally and professionally.

There are plenty of laughs - it is a comedy.  There are even some inside jokes for fans of the series. Original cast members Jonathan Frid, Lara Parker, David Selby and Kathryn Leigh Scott all make an appearance. Frid recently passed away, so it was a moment to smile and reflect. Other cameos include Burton favorite Christopher Lee and Alice Cooper as the 70’s iconic performer…Alice Cooper. The end result is a good tribute to the original for us fanatics and a hoot for newbies.  Yes, you will have to like campy movies and Tim Burton’s quirkie-ness.  This movie is not a romantic comedy, action adventures, or thought provoking epic.  Go see it and just enjoy the ride.

The Avengers - best Comic Book Movie EVER

The Avengers

Disclaimer: I read comics as a kid…I love comics…I love movies based on comic books. But you don’t have to love comics to love this movie.

The Avengers was a Marvel comic book began in the early 1960’s, bringing together many of the great Marvel characters.  The early years included Thor, Ironman, Hulk, Ant-Man and Wasp fighting Thor’s brother Loki.  Over the decades the line-up changed and at various times also included well-known names such as Captain America, Hawkeye, Spiderman, Captain Marvel, She-Hulk, and the Black Widow.  The comic is still in circulation today with new episodes.  I see a rise in sales after the world enjoys this movie.

This movie brings together some big names…Roberty Downey Jr. as Tony Stark (Iron man), Chris Evans as Steve Rogers (Captain America), Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner (Hulk), Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Jeremy Renner as Clint Barton (Hawkeye), Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury, and Scarlett Johannson as Natasha Romanov (Black Widow).  Stark is the perfect hot-shot ego-driven billionaire.  Captain America is still sweet and drool-worthy. Bruce is intelligent and the hulk is great with some very cool moments, Thor is still a walking Shakespearean moment of epic proportions.  Hawkeye is an interesting character, but I don’t want to add spoilers.  Nick Fury is very complex, never quite sure what he’s thinking, or plotting.  I like the character of the Black Widow (even though I am not a fan of the actress).

This movie tells why and how the group comes together.  Their focus is Loki, played splendidly by Tom Hiddlestson, who is again trying to find a kingdom for his ego.  There is action, humor, a couple of teary-eyed moments, and one hell-of-a end battle.  I loved every second of the 2 hours and 23 minutes.  My whole party was pumped by the end (and you must stay for the tag after the credits).  I don’t wanna give many details because simply it would spoil it for you.  Go see it.  If none of the above is enough, the writer and director is Joss Whedon – yes, the one of Buffy/Angel/Firefly fame.  His touches can be found in every line and every laugh.  OMG – just go see it.

John Carter - bad title but a good movie

John Carter

The movie John Carter is based on the Edgar Rice Burroughs serialized stories on Barsoom (his name for the Planet Mars).  During the 19^th and early 20^th Centuries, it was common to publish your stories in weekly magazines or newspapers.  Only upon completion is the book format released.  ERB’s first Barsoom story – published in 1912 – was called the “Princess of Mars.”  Why Disney did not select that name is up for debate.  Unfortunately, their choice of title and insufficient marketing are two prime reasons it is not doing well at the box office.  Regardless, I would recommend any fan of science fiction to take the time to see the movie.  ERB, better known these days for his Tarzan stories, was a prolific American science fiction writer who has influenced many of today’s film makers (including a young George Lucas) and science fiction writers (such as Ray Bradbury and Arthur C. Clarke).

This movie is not a faithful representation of the book, and for the most part, this is good.  ERB, like many of the white upper-class of his time, could be patronizing and racist. As those views are thankfully no longer main-stream, they will not fit in a theatrical version released in 2012.

We learn the story of John Carter through his nephew – Edgar Rice Burroughs – and the diary he left behind.  The basic story (without giving too much away) is John Carter, a Confederate Captain, is transported to Mars where he encounters tall green creatures, warring factions of humanoids, and god-like entities called Therns.  John Carter is played well by Taylor Kitsch.  However, I would never believe he was from Virginia for one moment.  While Virginians do not have a thick drawl like Texas, they are still Southerners.  Once I could get based that idiosyncrasy, he was fine in the part.    Lynn Collins (Silverfox in X-men Origins: Wolverine) did a good job as the intellectual Princess, Dejah Thoris.  She also was very good with a sword – would give Xena a run for her money.  Willem Defoe and Thomas Haden Church voice the rival Tharks (green martians).  The cast also includes Ciaran Hinds (Dejah’s father), Dominic West (the would-be ruler of Mars and groom to Dejah), and Mark Strong (as the manipulative thern).  Daryl Sabara – best known as Juni in Spy Kids – plays ERB. 

The effects are fabulous.  CGI characters, such as the Tharks, fit smoothly within your frame of vision.  The story is a nice mix of action, adventure, love, and loss.  I’ve read some complaints about the story being “too old” suggesting something written a hundred years ago would have no relevance.  If that were true, why do we still perform Euripides or Shakespeare?  In this movie, the themes of self-destruction, greed, love, and war are still relevant. So, if you enjoy sci-fi stories, go, watch this movie, have fun.

Our vacation 2012

We drove out of Reno a little after 7am on New Year’s Eve. A few hours into our otherwise uneventful drive I saw the first “pass” sign.  Along 395 is several mountain passes and ski resorts.  Signs on 395 let drivers know which of these passes are open.  Having driven this way several times over the past 10 years, it was almost shocking to see every pass was open. While I was thankful to have no ice on the road…but the peaks had no snow.  This has been an unusual winter.  The news keeps saying this December was the driest since 1833.  Sadly, beautiful.

So fast forward about 10 hours (with breaks and lunch) and we drove into the parking lot of the Mango restaurant and Ultra Lounge.  Wouldn’t you know it…their computer monitor blew up moments before we got there.  So while I got a tour of the place Russ was crawling under desks and in cabinets Oh, William found a quiet little corner to enjoy a cheeseburger and play video games. We decided to delay our drive to Burbank the next morning so Russ could fix their system (when the restaurant was not open).

The following morning we went out in search of a monitor.  It was a Sunday, and January 1^st, so the only open store was Walmart.  There was only two options – it was the week after the Christmas rush so we were lucky to find anything.  Russ saved the day and we enjoyed brunch at the restaurant.  We then decided to spend the day in Palm Springs and stay with Mo & Glo one more night. With the Rose Bowl and parade moved to Monday we suspected Magic Mountain would be busy.  So instead we drove around Palm Springs, something we had not done in a few years despite all of our trips down.   We went to the Air Museum which is dedicated to the aircraft and pilots of World War II.  I was annoyed by the guy who insinuated the Army did not have real pilots in Vietnam but I chose to walk away.  We also finally saw Sherlock Holmes at the Mary Pickford Movie Theatre.  Although Mary never lived in Palm Springs (she lived in her Hollywood home PickFair until her death) her second husband Buddy Rodgers did.  He moved there after her death.  All the mementos were left to his widow who built this theatre and had a room with pictures, costumes, and other Pickford souvenirs.  We drove around and then retired for the night at Mo & Glo’s.

The next morning we drove west to Anaheim…to the happiest place on earth.  We get to our hotel, the Paradise Pier (cheapest of the three resort hotels).  It is beach themed but Mickey and friends are every where.  We really had God on our side, they had a room ready even though check in wasn’t normally for another 4-5 hours.  The room was fabulous.  It was a standard room but a few feet bigger than even Marriots we usually stay at.  It had two queen beds and a couch/day bed…a microwave and fridge.  The view was of our Disneyland Hotel and our pool.  The pool included a basic pool, kiddie pool, hot tub, and mega slide.  After exploring the hotel we decided the boy could go swimming while I run a load of laundry.  I met a great gal from Australia and we chatted away about life, kids, and Disneyland. Our next stop was Downtown Disney.  We explored William’s favorite store – Ridemakerz  - which had grown from a hole in the wall shop two years ago into a huge monster (which rivals the Build-A-Bear nearby).   Then we went searching for the park entrance through the Grand California (the ubber-fancy Disney hotel).  All who stay in the resort can cut through to the California Adventure.  It’s getting dark and chilli, so we head over the Hollywood Back Lot and Monsters Inc.  We get out in time for that part of the park to turn into the nightclub seen in Tron Legacy.  Very cool.  The best part was Flynns…the arcade from the movies.  Inside was 80’s music blasting (Journey, anyone) along with the classic 80’s arcade games (Donkey Kong, PacMan, etc).  And each game was only a QUARTER!  We also popped into the Disney Animation which is a fascinating area with rooms filled with various tributes to Dinsey animation.  After awhile we headed over to Disneyland itself.  I just about cried when we went through the gates.  Wow.  We played for the next several hours…Big Thunder Railroad, Indiana Jones, Jungle Cruise, Haunted Mansion, Pirates, and I can’t remember what else.  The night ended with Captain EO Tribute – which is simply Captain EO back in the theatre where it was in 1986 (Honey I Shrunk the audience was here for 20 years until MJ’s death).  I wasn’t a fan in the 80s and still not much of one.  We finally head back to room at midnight and ordered room service (we were starving).

  

Tuesday was a slow start.  I woke up but the boys were dead to the world.  We decided to sleep in and head over later.  We cut through to California Adventure first again.  We went though the new Little Mermaid ride.  Just as in the Haunted Mansion, you ride a doom buggie through a ride under the sea.  I am not a fan of the film (I hate the how they changed the ending) but I promised a dear friend I would do it for her (so I did).  Then the boys went and did the California Screamin’ roller coaster while I stood in line for Toy Story (where they joined me afterwards).  We also did the Goofy’s Fly School (formerly Muhalland Drive) and the Grizzly River Run.  The boys went through the Redwoods, earning their Wildeness Explorer patch (from Up’s Russel). In Disneyland we did most of the traditional dark rides in  Fantasyland – Snow White, Mr. Toad, Pinocchio, Alice.  Well we only got part of the way through Alice.  The ride stopped and we had to walk down the ride and a back staircase.  Quick humorous…Alice threw a tantrum.  Between Tuesday and Wednesday we saw everything we wanted to and then some.  We also did Autopia, Innovations, Buzz Lightyear,  Railroad, Monorail, Peter Pan, Matterhorn, Sleeping Beauty’s Castle, Splash Mountain, Winnie the Pooh… we enjoyed Big Thunder RR, Indiana Jones, and Jungle cruise many times.  We did finally fit in Star Tours, but the new 3D technology made me ill, forcing me to give it up.  That nearly killed me. 

 

Thursday was our tour day.  We did the Adventures by Disney “Lights, Camera, Magic” day tour.  This tour is only being offered on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays from Dec 26 through March 3^rd (?). We met at the Grand California lobby at 8am.  After enjoying coffee, tea or hot cocoa, we all hopped in the (very nice) bus and headed to the Disney studios in Burbank.  Corri and Chrstian were fabulous guides and made the entire trip fun.  We walked along the buildings, going into the theatre, down the halls of the original animation building, through the basement lined with many cabinets filled with artwork and masters.  Several buildings from the original studio were brought here when it moved.  More modern buildings have since been added.  You can see the hospital where Disney dies from the studio.  We peeked into the ink room.  Walt only hired women to work the ink rooms – thinking women had a better eye for color.  One of these ladies became his wife.  We visited the Hollywood Records Office where I learned that they not only produced the works of Selena Gomez but also Queen!   We went through the Frank G Wells Building which houses the archives.   There we saw the stone version of Mr. Tumnus and the wardrobe from the first Narnia movie released by Disney.  They had hundred of books, scripts, models, and other cool items.  On one shelf was the animatronic bird Disney bought in New Orleans.  He bought two, taking the second one apart.  He used this technology to develop his animatronics in Disneyland.  We also got to see the original animation camera setup which allowed an almost 3D effect in movies such as Snow White.  In front of the new animation building (while features the 7 dwarves holding up the roof) is the Disney Legends Courtyard.  The handprints of the award recipients (such as Dick van Dyke, Julie Andrews, animators) line this courtyard.  There is a statue of Walt and Mickey found in every park.  In the parks it is surrounded by a small fence.  Here we could get on the statue and take pictures.  There is also a statue of Roy Disney with Minnie Mouse and a large version of the actual award given.  The actual studios were all in production and we were unable to take a closer look.  We then had lunch in the commissary.  Russ had Walt’s world famous chili.  After lunch we were able to shop in the studio store – primarily available only to studio employees.

Sadly we went back onto the bus to leave.  But our next stop was Hollywood.  We were able to walk along, looking at the stars (on the ground) and we went to Graums Chinese Theatre to look at the handprints.  We also received a behind the scenes tour of the Kodak Theatre – where the academy awards have been held since 2001.  We did a driving tour of Beverly Hills and Hollywood.  We saw the original Comedy Store, the original House of Blues, Chateau Marmount (where Belushi died), the Laugh Factory, and Rodeo Drive.  The boys were car-watching a spotted several vehicles, debating their costs engines, and manufacturers.  We ended the day at Gladstones in Malibu where we enjoyed a snack and the sunset.  The trip would not be complete without LA traffic and sure enough it took two hours to get back to Disney.  We watched Lilo and Stitch on the bus, napped, and chatted.  In addition to the fantastic places we went to, we also received cool Mickey pins, our own Hollywood Stars, cupcakes from Sprinkles, the original issue of the D23 club magazine, a picture frames, and a thumb drives full of pictures.

Fab-u-lous.

When we got back to the hotel I was not feeling so hot (again). So, we meandered through Downtown Disney and finished our shopping.  And called it an early night.

Friday morning we got up early and went straight to Space Mountain.  I told the boys to go (there was no wait) and I popped over to get Fast Passes for later.  When the boys came out we did debate me going on the ride.  I wasn’t feeling very well (sinus issues) so we all agreed that might be pushing it.  We went into the California Adventure early (via the hotel guest only entrance).  While waiting for the Hollywood Backlot to open we went into Soarin’ California.  Then the boys did the Tower of Terror twice with Muppets 3D in between the trips.  We had lunch in the park and head back to the room for a break.  Heading to DisneyLand for one last hurrah, we did all of our favorite rides again – Splash Mountain, Pirates, Big Thunder, Indiana. We found the Club 33 door (and took pictures).   I think we may have done a few dozen other rides but now it is all a big (happy) blur.  We sauntered back to the hotel around midnight.

The next morning we pack and headed back to Palm Springs.  We meet my cousin Mina Grace for lunch…where I proceeded to talk for 3 or 4 hours.  It was wonderful seeing her again after 15 years.  We finally started on out way home after 4pm.The wind was pretty horrendous – later that night the freeway was closed due to wind damage.  After driving for 4 hours we decided it was best to stop for the evening.  We found a great Marriot in Ridgecrest, enjoyed some really good pizza, then tuckered in for the night.  After breakfast we started our trek again.  When we finally got home we unpacked and just about died. J  It’s taken about a week to recover (although the sinus problems are lingering).  This was a wonderful and amazing trip.