Andy Labis, Author at Entertainment Ave!

Ghosts of the Abyss

MPAA Rated – G
It’s 1:00 Long
A Review by:
– The Dude on the Right

Ghosts of the Abyss Movie Stats & Links
Starring:	James Cameron, Bill Paxton, and documentary crew.
MPAA Rated:	G
Released By:	Walt Disney Studio Home Entertainment
Release Date:	September 11, 2012
Kiddie Movie:	They might like Jake and Elwood.
Date Movie:	It’s not a snuggle movie, but if she likes a good documentary, watch it with her on the couch.
Gratuitous Sex:	Umm, no.
Gratuitous Violence:	Umm, no.
Action:	Some suspense.
Laughs:	It’s got some cute moments, especially the prank on James Cameron.
Memorable Scene:	Saving Elwood!
Memorable Quote:	Nothing stands out.
Directed By:	James Cameron
Cool Things about the DVDs:	The 3 Disc Blu-ray gives you the 3-D version, the standard Blu-ray, and a normal DVD. The extra featurettes are fun because they are kept short and sweet and to the point.

I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect with “Ghosts of the Abyss.” I vaguely remember when it hit the theaters and being a fan of the movie “Titanic,” I thought it might be an interesting watch, but I never made it to the theater to catch it. With the chance to catch the documentary at home now that it’s been digitally remastered, I was bummed I didn’t have a 3-D TV to watch the Blu-ray 3-D version, but the standard Blu-ray was good enough to see some awesomeness of the Titanic, and combined with James Cameron’s telling stories and using his filmmaking genius to superimpose the real world on the decaying wreckage, he crafts a documentary that tells the last hours of the Titanic and of the world that was taking place on the ship before the disaster struck.

Gone is the fictitious story of Jack and Rose, and in its place are two new stars, Jake and Elwood, the little robot cameras used for much of the filming of the documentary, at least undersea, and even though one might think “Oh wow, I saw it all during “Titanic,” it is very interesting seeing the footage put together and at times, truly think about the actions of the passengers and crew on that fateful night. The documentary follows Jim and the crew, along with Bill Paxton who is along for the ride, on going deep into the Titanic with their little robot “stars,” and does a good job at showing many of the dangers involved in missions to the bottom of the sea. Sure, you won’t see tag lines of “Strap yourself in for wild ride!” for “Ghosts of the Titanic,” but there is some suspense and some action as well, as even I was nervous for the boys trying to secure the submersibles when the arrived back up top to find thrashing seas, and who won’t get a kick when Jim won’t leave Elwood behind as the little guy gets stuck inside Titanic.

Just as exciting as the documentary itself with its visual splendor, I was equally fascinated with the extras on the Blu-ray version, with the “Reflections from the Deep” featurette containing six, well-constructed stories of the “making” of the movie, none of which are too long to bore you but give enough to entertain, and who doesn’t like a good prank, and we find that even James Cameron isn’t exempt from some silly shenanigans.

“Ghosts of the Abyss” is a nice little documentary package about the Titanic. No, not about the movie, but about the ship, and for some beautiful visuals and interesting storytelling as James Cameron is able to do, it’s a solid 4 stars out of 5 for this little documentary, and the extra featurettes aren’t too shabby either.

That’s it for this one! I’m The Dude on the Right!! L8R!!!

Do You Regularly Fly Your Flag?

Different generations, I think, have their “date that will live in infamy” moment, that moment as a country when the horrific happens and everyone agrees that we will never forget, but the truth is that slowly, over the years, it gets forgotten, or maybe left behind would be a better term. I know this may not be the most popular of things to post on this September 11th anniversary, but I still think it’s true. The thing is that time does move on, and for many people living now, that horrific day for the many rest of us that occurred some 11 years ago is a only vague childhood memory, or not even a recollection. They don’t really remember where they were on that day, they may not have even been born, but that doesn’t mean that in the history of America it will be any less of a horrific day than many that have come before and were imbedded in the memories of those that remember it , with the easiest example being The Bombing of Pearl Harbor, but even though it is now listed as “Patriot Day” on the calendar, eventually the anniversary of September 11th will slowly change to just a date on the calendar.

Maybe it will stick around a little longer than Pearl Harbor Day because we watched it play out on TV, but as I related to someone on September 11, 2002, and she asked if we will always treat the day with the same respect as that first anniversary, I told her I saw the projection as this: That first year anniversary will be a solemn day for many, and for the next few years after there will be a little less about it every year. The 5th anniversary will get a decent bump in remembrance, but the big one will be the ten year. After that you’ll see the tributes fade as it becomes a story we will tell our children and grandchildren, reminding them to never forget, but they don’t remember. In fact, it’s the 11th Anniversary of “Never forget,” and granted it’s only 5AM, but in my quick look on the Chicago Sun-Times, Chicago Tribune, and Drudge Report websites, the Sun-Times has a little blurb about about Memorial Services that are planned, and the Tribune and Drudge have forgotten. The WGN morning news had the story after 3 minutes talking about the Chicago Teacher’s strike.

Me, I’ll try to remember to put my flag out before I leave for work, but like many times I post on Facebook trying to remind people to fly their flag, I’ll run out the door, get half-way to work, and blurt out “Shit, I forgot to put out my flag.” Sometimes life gets in the way of remembering. And so, on this anniversary of September 11th, my plight is this: Do you regularly fly your flag?

That’s it for this plight! I’m The Dude on the Right!! L8R!!!

Do You Personally Know Someone at Least 90 Years Old?

My Aunt Ang turns 90 today, and she’s the first person I can personally say that I know who has achieved the milestone of making it to 90 years old on this Earth. She’s a spry lady who likes to still mow her own lawn, do the yard work, say “My lands!” a lot, and although her eyesight could be better, if you were to meet her I doubt you would peg her at 90.

I went back to the old homestead in Ohio where her kids celebrated her birthday this weekend, and although a low-key kind of party, there was still a limo involved where she waved to her throngs of fans, or at least the people at the gas station, was able to do a little jig, and did the Polka with my cousin in the kitchen. There weren’t too many story of the old days, just a little recollection of how she met the love of her life, my Uncle John, how the family used to get together for Christmas every year, and some talk of the folks in Chicago my family used to know, but mostly there was talk of things going on in our lives today.

It was the talk of those Christmas parties that I kind of felt a little melancholy because like many families after they develop their own clan of children, and as members spread a little bit further from each other, most of our family get-togethers now focus either around weddings or funerals, and even those are hard to justify to attend with the travel involved to get there. Understandable in these times I guess, but back in the day when everyone lived pretty much about 30 minutes from each other, and were still alive I suppose, it was just a little easier to hold a family party and have everyone attend. Now, though, on the Aunt and Uncle front, the numbers are dwindling and looking forward it will be even a little more challenging to have a get-together. It’s easy to say we, as the cousins, should just plan a family reunion, but like many plans talked about at a party, they don’t always come to fruition. The thing is that in the past, and getting back to the folks we knew in Chicago, they used to treat any reason as a time for good party, rent the VFW, and celebrate getting a new dog, but even they don’t seem to do those parties any longer, and instead of using a good party to find out all of the goings-on of the family, now we know everything thanks to Facebook.There was something nice about the little get-together we had, and somehow this plight that was going to be a celebration of my Aunt turning 90 has turned a little to “dreaming of the old days,” but I have to say that I almost didn’t go, coming up with a lame excuse like money, time, or who-knows-what, but I’m so glad I made it and got to see her dance with my cousin in the kitchen. Now I’m just looking forward to the birthday when she can tell us “My lands, that Willard Scott called me on my birthday. I don’t even know who he is, but he wished me a ‘Happy Birthday!'” So, Happy Birthday to my Aunt Ang, 90 years young and still Polka-ing! And so my plight today is: Do you personally know someone who is at least 90 years old?

That’s it for this plight! I’m The Dude on the Right!! L8R!!!

Are You Planning on Getting a Flu Shot This Year?

Last year I visited my doctor for what I thought was gout but turned out to be a partially torn ligament as well as Osteochondral Injury of the Talus (a.k.a. Ankle OCD), but while there, she also convinced me to get a flu shot. I had read, and she reiterated, that it was supposed to be a horrible flu season and sometimes it’s better safe than sorry. The thing is that I had never gotten a flu shot before, never really had the flu (I’m told you know if you have the flu, rather than a cold, although most people say they have the flu and only have a cold), and as I’m in okay shape and not old, yet, I always skipped getting one mostly out of fear because I would hear of people who had reactions to the flu vaccines. As my doctor and I discussed it, I decided “What the hell?”, rolled up my sleeve, tossed the “bad reaction” dice, and got the shot. All was well, I didn’t have any strange reactions nor get some kind of “phantom” flu, but wouldn’t you know it, it turned out to be a not-so-horrible flu season, there were no stories of a massive flu outbreak, and when all was said and done I questioned my decision and wondered why I got a flu shot.

As flu season is started to creep upon us I’m starting to see commercials for flu shots, or at least I just saw a commercial for a flu shot with this tiny needle so that it doesn’t hurt, and the thoughts of “Should I get a flu shot?” are starting to creep back again. I mean, maybe I didn’t get the flu last year because I had the vaccine, or maybe it’s just because I didn’t get near the influenza virus. Also, I didn’t have a reaction, so I suppose getting the vaccine wouldn’t hurt, especially if I get one with that new shot that’s out there, and maybe I’ll feel a little safer shaking hands with people this winter. And so I plight: Are you planning on getting a flu shot this year?

That’s it for this plight! I’m The Dude on the Right!! L8R!!!

Are You Interested in the iPhone 5?

As I have developed some apps for the iPhone it’s easy to admit that I am an Apple guy and love my iPhone. I eagerly await their media events, loved it when they webcast one a few years ago, and yes, there I am trying to find the best live-blog feed so as to find out the truth about all of the Apple rumors that have been swirling around for weeks so I can dream of owning the hottest, new product. As Apple is having their next media event on Wednesday, September 12th, I will find myself trying to find some quiet time by myself to diligently follow Mr. Cook and his helpers as they tell the people in the hall about the products, and they in turn relate his announcements to me, all about the latest and greatest in the Appleverse, including what is supposed to be the iPhone 5 but also supposedly won’t be about a smaller iPad, an announcement the rumors say will happen in October. The thing is that most of the excitement of the events are going away, what with the abundance of leaks that are prevalent prior to the actual event with pictures of parts, specs, and computer mock-ups so that when the version that is announced, it just can’t live up to the pre-event hype that is generated. Personally I was hoping that the iPhone 5 will have 128 gig of memory, and flexible screen that won’t break, it will be waterproof, and you can set Siri to “mean” so that she will yell at you when you say stupid stuff to her, but I have a feeling I’m just going to see a redesign to make the phone “taller” and iOS 6 will become a reality instead of a Beta.

Alas, it doesn’t matter much anyway, as even if this phone is waterproof, can turn dog poop into gold, and will Make Me Smile (Oh, wait, it will Make Me Smile), in any case, as I bought an iPhone 4s a year ago, the AT&T contract budget won’t let me upgrade my phone to the new one for a year. That’s not to say I’m not interested in the iPhone, because I am. I’m curious to hear the presentation on why the phone is “taller” instead of just proportionally larger; I’m curious to hear about the new iPods (although I’m not really sure why); and I’m hoping to hear about new iMacs coming down the pike, but I suppose that one might wait for an October event. And I plight: Are you interested in the iPhone 5?

That’s it for this plight! I’m The Dude on the Right!! L8R!!!

Did You Know the VMA’s Were Last Night?

The VMA’s were last night. Yes, you might remember them, the MTV Video Music Awards, those awards still on MTV for those things, music videos, that they really don’t play any longer. I forgot about them, and I’m supposed to be “entertainment.” With my line-up of the results show for America’s Got Talent (I think Howard Stern made the right decision letting the painter dude and his cronies, David Garibaldi and His CMYKs, go through), watching Dan manipulate the masses and slowly securing his place as the best player ever on Big Brother, and then having to sit through President Obama’s speech because I was too lazy to change the channel when I was going to bed (It was a good speech, but that’s sort of what he is known for), remembering the VMA’s just slipped my mind.

I guess Rihanna won the big award and shocked everyone with her short hair and long dress, or so read a quick headline when I Googled “video music awards” this morning, and I also guess there wasn’t anything crazy that happened because, well, there also weren’t any headlines of “Craziness Engulfs the VMA’s,” so in terms of news I’m guessing within about 6 hours, no one will really care, but I care. Okay, I really don’t care about what happened at the VMA’s, but I care, and I plight today: Did you know the VMA’s were last night?

That’s it for this plight! I’m The Dude on the Right!! L8R!!!

Did You Ever Play Farmville?

Farmville 2 has hit the Facebook universe, and I know Zynga is really hoping it brings some gusto back to it’s brand, but I have to say that other than the characters being cute, and the 3-D is nice and all but a little slow, I quickly “unplugged” the app from my Facebook account after about 5 minutes of playing and probably won’t be back. Not a good sign.

I was a big Zynga guy. From Farmville to the Cafe game, from Cityville to Empires and Allies, and from Cityville to Castleville, I’ve wasted countless hours collecting crops and trying to expand my “Ville” or fight the “enemy,” only to get frustrated by the increasing need to “add neighbors,” and not wanting to add people I really didn’t know to my friend’s list. Being selective left an instant stall in how big I could grow things, and eventually led to many thoughts of “Why am I wasting my time with this?” Luckily I never got into the “buying coins” thing, although I do admit I did buy a Zynga gift card as a gift for someone, but that was about it.

I do have to say that as my Facebook world has shifted from my laptop to my iPhone that the Facebook game thing has faded quite a bit for me, but that doesn’t mean I’m not still a Zynga user as I can be a Words With Friends kind of guy, and still like it when the Scramble game gives me some fanfare when I get lucky and defeat my wife, but still wonder at their decision to buy Draw Something as that game quickly got old with its insistence on “buying” just about everything. I did try the Farmville thing on my iPhone with their app, and I think I would have gotten sucked in had I found it early on in my Zynga love, but by the time it hit I had come to my senses and figured my life would be better lived if I didn’t waste me time building a virtual farm that would only leave me sad that I didn’t have any friends.

In any case, with Farmville 2 now out, my daily plight reflects back to the original: Did you ever play Farmville?

That’s it for this plight! I’m The Dude on the Right!! L8R!!!

Are You Ready for Some Football?

The NFL season opens this week, and my excitement level is about half. Having lived in Chicago more than half of my life now, I have become a Chicago Bears fan, however, having grown up near Cleveland, the Browns are always near and dear to my heart. Luckily the chance of the Browns playing the Bears in the Super Bowl is such a far-out reality that my true allegiance will probably never be tested, but I will find myself cheering on both teams an any given Sunday. This year there was some initial hope for the Bears, but then Brian Urlacher ended up injured and the team just didn’t look that great in the pre-season (Maybe Jay Cutler’s new baby with K-Cav, I mean Kristin Cavallari, is keeping him up at night), and the Browns, well, I don’t pay attention to them as much as I should, usually I’m just hoping they can win a few games a season and make it look good, but from what I could follow from some Facebook friends, it looks like it might be a long season for the Browns fans again.

The thing is I’m a sucker for believing, once the season gets going, that somehow, someway, one of my teams will make it to the Super Bowl. I will watch the games, check the standings, and until they are mathematically eliminated, always have some glimmer of hope and usually waste the three-ish hours of a Sunday yelling at the TV (Although the yelling has toned down quite a bit since I’ve gotten married) that Cutler will make that miraculous play, or the Dog-Pound will have a reason to go crazy. Then, low and behold, there will inevitably come that play in the game where I will turn into my mom, throw my arms up in disgust, and say “That’s it!”, knowing, in my head, the game is over, only thirty seconds later thinking “Maybe there’s a chance.” It’s like a self-inflicted torture every Sunday, of highs and lows, and praying the opposing team is stupid and will kick the ball to Devin Hester for another amazing kick-off return.

Such is football, and such will be Sundays for a while, and such is today’s plight: Are you ready for some football?

That’s it for this plight! I’m The Dude on the Right!! L8R!!!

Did You Have a Good Summer?

Summer is over here in the northern hemisphere of this globe we call Earth. Sure there is that entire “Fall doesn’t officially begin until the Autumnal Equinox on September 22nd” thing, but for the most part, with Labor Day complete and it now being September, it’s Fall. You wouldn’t know it today here in Chicago with the temperature supposedly going to reach 90 degrees, but hey, it’s been a really hot few months, so why stop now? As are most seasons if we had a good one we look back and wonder where the time went, or generally look forward to the next seasonal phase, hoping a new start is beginning because the previous one seemed so lousy. So this plight is pretty straightforward: Did you have a good summer?

That’s it for this plight! I’m The Dude on the Right!! L8R!!!

Do You Have to Work on Labor Day?

I was going to have today’s plight be about pregnant ladies, poking fun at the word “labor” in Labor Day, but I decided against it. I’ve used that joke for years, put in my head by radio dude Steve Dahl, but then I just didn’t like where that plight was going, ending up with “Do you know anyone pregnant on this Labor Day?” Maybe I’ll use it next year, but the more I was thinking about Labor Day and it’s reason for being, the more it also occurs to me that for those we are mostly celebrating, as the day is a holiday “that celebrates the economic and social contributions of workers,” the workers are also those getting screwed by actually having the day off. Sure, it’s a supposed boom for the retail sector, but in the agreements I’ve read with many a union, Labor Day is a day that work is forbidden except in the cases saving life or property, or with permission by the union. The thing is, most union folks are paid by the hour, only when they work, so by actually forcing union people to take the day off they are actually being punished by getting one day less in pay, and if you want the math, the base rate for a Laborer in Chicago is about $36.30/hr, so by forcing a Laborer in Chicago to not work on Labor Day and to have a barbecue instead, that dude (or dudette for that matter) is losing about $290.04 in an 8-hour day, and that doesn’t even include all of the benefits paid to the union by the company he or she works for. Yup, by my calculation, Labor Day is actually screwing over most of the people we are supposed to be celebrating!

In the end, though, I’m happy with Labor Day, and the three day weekend it gives me, but I do remember some of my days in retail when I always thought it sucked because I had to work. Retail workers have to work and most of them probably don’t want to, and Laborers would rather work but can’t because the Union won’t let them, which leads me to today’s plight of: Do you have to work on Labor Day?

That’s it for this plight! I’m The Dude on the Right!! L8R!!!