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Friday, March 16, 2012

The Miracle Worker 1962 edition Review...

Hello, today I am going to be reviewing the 1962 version of the movie The Miracle Worker starring Anne Bancroft & a young Patty Duke. Its about the story of Helen Keller (Duke) & her teacher a young blind woman named Annie Sullivan (Bancroft).  Helen Keller was both blind and deaf due to being stricken with Scarlet fever when she was a baby, I thought it was comparable to being Autistic in some ways as those with Autism are similarly in there own world as well.  You see the parents had pondered throwing a young Helen into an asylum, (that`s where those with Autism went to back as well, which is why there are lot of people in denial that Autistic adults exist today but that is another story). However they brought in 20 year old Annie Sullivan from Boston who was also blind as child but had some sight restored after numerous operations to help her.  To make the story short Annie Sullivan’s related similar experiences helped tremendously (as Annie was blind and had some sight restored through many operations) to help with Helen, so In my view the its best for Autism parents to let those on the spectrum help out to there children like Annie did with Helen, sure times have changed but this story has not.
In conclusion this is wonderful movie and thumbs up! Worth the buy if you see the dvd sometime

Directed by Arthur Penn, and starring Anne Bancroft as Annie Sullivan & a young Patty Duke as Helen
Rated G for all see





Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Stop SOPA

Hello everyone, I want everyone to know I do NOT support SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act),PIPA (Protect IP Address Act) & related bills,because not only as a blogger, but as an Autistic person who is a visual thinker as well who needs to link stories,videos etc to make my points. This bill is threat to those outside the U.S. by the greedy MPAA,RIAA, & there rich business lobbyist friends,this bill is all about power,money & control of information both the U.S. & around the world . These organizations will end up flooding the courts with frivolous lawsuits  and even innocent people will be caught in the middle as well. Here are some links as to why it's dangerous,which in turn they have links to what these bills are & petition to stop it (U.S. only). Thank you...


http://money.cnn.com/2011/11/16/technology/sopa/index.htm
http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2012/01/18/sopa-internet-blackout/?hpt=hp_c2
http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2012/01/20121169929629872.html
http://sopaboycott.com/
https://wwws.whitehouse.gov/petitions/%21/petition/veto-sopa-bill-and-any-other-future-bills-threaten-diminish-free-flow-information/g3W1BscR?utm_source=wh.gov&utm_medium=shorturl&utm_campaign=shorturl
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:SOPA_initiative/Learn_more
https://www.google.com/landing/takeaction/#utm_campaign=en&utm_source=en-oa-na-us-site=611622&utm_medium=oa
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2012/01/how-pipa-and-sopa-violate-white-house-principles-supporting-free-speech
http://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/story/2012/01/18/wikipedia-dark-wednesday.html
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2012/01/17/f-sopa-canada.html
http://sopablackout.org/learnmore/
http://www.michaelgeist.ca/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-16609057
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-16612628
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-16604990











Sunday, December 25, 2011

A Better,Faster,Stronger Review of 6 Million $ Man & Griff the Invisible

Hi! Haven’t you ever dreamed of being a superhero?  As one on the Autism spectrum I admit I am a bit of daydreamer & dreaming of being a superhero got me through all the rough times growing up & now, which is why I am doing a double shot review of The Six Million Dollar Man Season 1 & Griff The Invisible.

First review is of the Six Million Dollar Man Season One starring Lee Majors as Col. Steve Austin. This is one of the crown jewels in my dvd library.  Growing up this is one of my favorite shows I had the dolls,shoes, etc  when I was a child. This show was on dvd for years over in Europe & finally both the entire series & season one were on hold with Time Life only for about year & now since the hold is over stores are now selling season one. For the bionic fan in your life this is a must have, it has a ton of guest stars, including William Shatner in Burning Bright episode which I find is one of the highlights as he acted like someone on the Autism spectrum after his mind became supercharged from electricity in space,& in the next episode in The Coward his Star Trek co star George Takei shows up, & of course this then wife the late Farrah Fawcett who appeared in the episode Rescue of Athena One.  This action packed dvd set has the first three pilot movies & thirteen episodes, all uncut & a nice companion piece to its spin off The Bionic Woman seasons one to three already on dvd as well.  I am looking forward to whenever the stories release the other seasons of the series.



Now on to Griff the Invisible, starring Ryan Kwantan (Dead Silence) & Maeve Dermody, this little number from Australia I thought was a great movie, and worth a rental. Griff is a bit a daydreamer, as he is an office worker by day & crimefighter by night & they both have will little “differences” only someone on the spectrum might understand. When I seen the commercial for it I thought it might relate to all of on the Autism spectrum. I have Asperger’s/High Functioning Autism for info on that see my main blog www.spectrumtimes.blogspot.com .  Until he meets a girl named Melody his brother has been dating who has “differences” of her own as she is obsessed with Science (she is the daughter of the local hardware store Griff goes to as well). The dvd comes with deleted scenes,music video,making of and a QR phone code additional online stuff (didn’t watch that part of the dvd). There is a nod for bionic fans with the ch ch ching sound! These two characters prefer there own world rather than the so called “normal” world sort of like someone on with Asperger’s might act. Its rated PG 13 for some language & violence.





Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Zoey's Pick of the Week...

Hi everyone just wanted to let you know my pick of the week & a very highly recommended movie is called My Name is Khan, about a young man With Aspergers/HFA who tries to make his away across America to meet the president & inspire hope at the same time! Please get it today! As I thought this should be an appropriate movie as this movie has 9/11 story in it & his encounters with racism at the time because he is also a Muslim.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Name_Is_Khan
http://www.mynameiskhanthefilm.com/
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1188996/

Saturday, August 6, 2011

My Brainy Review of Limitless..(This review is all my opinions,may have some spoilers)

Hello all! What you do if you could think  your way out of any situation like MacGyver? If you could use all your brain power? after all they say we only use 10-20% of our brain power! The movie I am reviewing is Limitless starring Bradley Cooper (A Team), Abbie Cornish & Robert DeNiro (A movie heavy hitter).  By the way I wanted to post that doing drugs never solves anything this is just a movie review ok? Thank you! :)


It all starts when out of luck Eddie Moora (Cooper) after going through a major writers block for his next book & his girlfriend dumps him & he is behind on the rent (poor schmuck),  bumps into his shady ex brother in law Vernon Gant who's work is lets say dealing shall we say some questionable merchandise. Vernon gives him the drug known as NZT-48 & when Vernon is dead.   Anyways even at first he has his doubts he takes it to see what will happen & boy does it ever blow his mind! LOL! He even acts much like someone on the positive side of Aspergers/High Functioning Autistic with his fact ramblings (I have been know to be a walking encyclopedia myself) & like my hero Temple Grandin starts literally thinking in pictures,heck he starts to think in stereoscopic video always anticipating his next step & plus he gets so smart he can learn things at super speed like Data from Star Trek.  With the new things he learns he rises to the top of the business world catching the attention of Carl Van Loon (DeNiro) a big business mogul whom he takes Eddie his wing.  However when there are times he runs out of the precious drug  & lets just say that coming down is not fun for anyone (with all do respect to those who are really are fighting real addictions, please be aware this is just a review of the movie and I respect & commend those fighting the real thing,thank you)  Also Eddie has to be constantly on his guard as there are bad guys & assassins all around trying to get the drug also.  While trying to find ways to get more of it himself & stay ahead for business with Van Loon.  Sorry I can't give away the ending you will have to watch for yourself!  The dvd comes with an alternate ending,deleted scenes,director commentary, & Man Without Limits special. By the way blu ray is not necessary as the regular dvd will do if on a budget.   


In conclusion this movie is a big thumbs up! I will also post some links for more info about the movie.  Thank you for coming by!


Rating: PG 13/14A US & Canada respectively


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Limitless
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1219289/


Trailer: 



Sunday, January 2, 2011

A "Dream"y Review of Inception

Welcome to jungle! hope all of you have had a great New Year's among all of holiday season! While its fresher in mind here is movie I got for my stash to review that I think all of us on the spectrum might get others to see about what its like to be a dreamer, like those of the spectrum have. The movie is called Inception   (Link 2) directed by Christopher Nolan & an all star cast including Leonardo DeCaprio & Ellen Page. If you could control your dreams what would you do? Be royalty? own the world? be rich? lol!  This movie is not the first in the dream state style movies will run down some earlier style "dream" movies: 

Nightmare on Elmstreet series
Brainstorm (1983)
Dreamscape (1984)
Matrix franchise
The Fountain 
 
lots more out there I am sure!

Trailer: (movie from Warner Bros dvds)




But back to the review! This movie has you dropping the logic to think outside the box,which I do quite often, & how most of us with Asperger's think as well! This movie peels away the layers & has more layers than an onion! LOL!  You view the movie & often are thinking is this real or dream? It also had a lot of Matrix style talk & effects in the movie as well, & the dream within a dream & certainly had you guessing right until the very end of the movie,of course one criticism is that this film often requires more than viewing you need at least 2, to figure WTH is going on.The movie starts off as a dream (you get the pieces why as you watch the film), I thought Leonardo was excellent as he as going through similar emotions to one of his previous flicks Shutter Island, & Ellen Page ( & Michael Caine also has a cameo!) was also great as well,they both push there acting envelopes in this one.

The root of the story is that after a job taking things from dreams, he is threatened by the person who he did that to & has to implant an idea which is a lot trickier than taking something away & a really a first in the dream style movies. Lots of action in it that is for sure,& the drama has you guessing...Well I recommend to buy it (like at the Blockbuster video used bin for it to drop in price, and you don't really need blu ray,reg dvd will suffice) rather than rent it,to understand the movie fully & give an 8 out 10 because well its not a fully all in one place movie...

Some links of note: 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Near_death_experience

Now I have got to go back to sleep, goodnight..zzzzzzz...... ; )

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Temple Grandin Review

screenshot from DVD (HBO Home Video)

Hi everyone!, this is my quick review (& my first on this blog) of the movie Temple Grandin, I thought this is a great movie, a must for anyone who likes inspirational movies.  Ms Grandin has Autism which is a lifelong communications & neurological condition. The movie stars Claire Danes, who played Ms.Grandin & she did a wonderful job too,with her mannerisms & speech. In fact, it shows those of us on the Autism spectrum (I have Aspergers,which is a mild form of Autism) don't need a "cure" to make it in the world,she adjusts & inspires with an incredible brain as she is. She is a strong advocate for acceptance as am I.  You see her as she goes through college, stands up the sexist men in the ranch & farm industries (she was truly ahead her time as this was the 70's), & she did anything she had to do, to make her point known. I would love to meet her someday, however in 6 degrees of seperation,my mom & older sister(mother of Autistic boys herself) met Ms Grandin at one of talks & my oldest sister once when she needed an advocated for my nephews (when I lived in Saskatoon,SK Canada) had Maureen Jolly advocate for them on a case once.(she is sister to actress Catherine O'Hara who played Ms.Grandin's Aunt in the movie.  Ms.Grandin is truly an inspiring person, & puts Jenny McCarthy to shame as Ms.Grandin is living proof that mind of those with Autism is smarter & more brilliant than you think!  Just because you parents/caregivers see the dark or bad side the symptoms associated with Autism doesn't mean we are bad people. Its a communication issue & we need your understand as we all here to stay whether you agree with us or not. Please buy this movie & spread the news that there is some good in the world of Autism,please don't let cult groups like Generation Rescue & websites like Age of Autism etc,slam those (or try to "cure"/lobotomize) those with Autism & its colorful spectrum. I will add more links about Ms.Grandin & her webpages for her please visit them, & ask Ms.Grandin to come to your area,she is also a brilliant inventor as well. Glad this movie won a few Emmy's this year as well! Thank you! :D

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temple_Grandin
http://www.grandin.com/
http://www.templegrandin.com/
http://www.women-inventors.com/Dr-Temple-Grandin.asp
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temple_Grandin_%28film%29
http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/t/temple_grandin.html