Saturday, December 31, 2005

Happy New Year 2006

Happy New Year everyone! 2006 is here!

Be Safe and Drive Safe!

Bid farewell to 2005 and look forward to 2006.

Thanks for the memories.

Don

Wednesday, December 28, 2005

Eye Spy LA Event - Stone Heart: Everyone Loves a Journey West in Griffith Park

Eye Spy LA Event - Stone Heart: Everyone Loves a Journey West in Griffith Park: "SACAJAWEA �In the end, my oars were wings. In the end, I am Bird Woman who knew how to fly.�

February 17 through March 12, 2006
Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm
Saturdays and Sundays Matinees at 2pm
Tuesday and Thursday Student Matinees

Cast
Sacajawea- Thirza Defoe (Ojibwe, Oneida)
York- Jed Reynolds
Lewis and Clark- Tim Glenn
Director- Randy Reinholz (Choctaw)
Dramaturg- Bryan Davidson
Lighting Director- Craig Wolf
Music Composer/Performer- Patrick Shendo-Mirabal (Jemes, Taos Pueblo)
Biographies and images available upon request.

Stone Heart: Everyone Loves a Journey West will begin a nationwide tour starting at the National Museum of the American Indian in New York City and Washington DC in April 2006.

Panel Discussion for Stone Heart: Everyone Loves a Journey West
Sunday, February 19
2 � 5 pm
Sacajawea�s Voice
A conversation with award-winning author and playwright Diane Glancy (Cherokee) and Virginia Scharff, Professor of History, University of New Mexico, and Women of the West Chair, Autry National Center. In conjunction with Diane Glancy�s play, Stone Heart: Everyone Loves a Journey West, which begins at 2 p.m. Meet the cast and producers at a reception and join the panel immediately following. To RSVP, call 323.667.2000, ext. 354.

About the Playwright
Diane Glancy (Cherokee) is a celebrated author and playwright. Her quest to discover the real story of Sacajawea has turned into a five-year labor of love, visiting the rivers and camps where Sacajawea traversed and slept. Authoring a novel and now a play based on countless hours of research and viewing copies of the original Lewis and "

Tuesday, December 20, 2005

DVD Review The Polar Express (2004)

Touching story!

The Polar Express will be a Holiday classic. Tom Hanks and Robert Zemeckis hit a homerun with this all digital film. The story will hit the hearts of every child and adult.
You will believe after watching this classic.
Basically the plot is about a boy who questions whether Santa Claus is real. He hops aboard the Polar express to the North Pole to find Santa Claus’s home on Christmas Eve. A cast of categorized kids are along for the ride of their life.
I watched this movie with my kids. (Nine, seven and two) I was skeptical of the all digital characters at first, but that quickly faded as the story developed. The nine year old questioned the funny looking kids too, but I said it was a movie magic and that was the end of the questions. They were hooked. I especially was surprised by my two year old who sat through the entire film. Now that is movie magic.
I got hood winked into feeling the emotions of the kids on the train. Before long I was shedding a tear along with my kids. I BELIEVE I have to give this DVD a must buy.

Saturday, December 10, 2005

DVD Review for Nate and the Colonel (2003)

Improving with experience! 4 of 5 stars.

Canyon Press Entertainment’s second full length feature is positive step forward from their previous release Red Blood. Nate and the Colonel was written and directed by Paul Winters (Colonel Ben “Bloody” Loftin) Paul is also the producer for Canyon Press. This film received the “Best Feature Film” from the 2004 American Indian L.A. Film & Television Awards.

Nate and the Colonel stars; Paul Winters, Ricco Ross (Nate), Mark S. Brien (Hunting Thunder), Al Harrington (Standing Elk), Carlos Milano (Maj. JJ. Haskell), and David Midthunder (Kills the Enemy). When Confederate Colonel Loftin steals a huge gold shipment from the Union Cavalry headed by Major Haskell all bets are off trying to retrieve it. Maj. Haskell makes the gold retrieval his life long retirement after the Revolutionary war is over.

Major Haskell kills the wife of Colonel Loftin looking for the gold. The Colonel and his lifelong slave Nate head out west to look for revenge. Along the way they save an Ojibwe elder Standing Elk which will help them in the end of there conquest.

This visual stunning film is focused with positive energy and understanding of Native American traditions. I felt it could have been shorten in time length. Ricco Ross does an outstanding acting job with his character Nate. The dress and Native American teepees could have been better constructed. I am betting because of budget concerns that certain items get cut. If this film had backing by a big Hollywood production company it could have made more impact at the cash register.




Thursday, December 08, 2005

Lottery Program For Problem Gamblers

Problem gamblers can now ban themselves from hitting the jackpot. The Iowa Lottery Board approved a lifelong "self ban" policy on Tuesday. If players sign up, they're saying no to winning in Iowa....forever. But not everyone thinks it's a good idea.
Judd Saul is a former gambling addict and says, "Everyday you wake up and you think about it. It's a habit. It's as dangerous as drugs are." It's been four years since Judd Saul kicked his gambling problem. He's the type of person the Iowa Lottery Board hopes to reach with its new policy. The idea is to sign a contract banning yourself from future jackpots. It's a life-long ban on the big wins. Those signing the contracts would still be able to collect prize money, as long as it isn't over $600.
"Let's have somebody sign a piece of paper saying they don't win $600, but let's put slot machines in everybody's faces in every gas station in Iowa," Saul says. "This is the biggest oxymoron I've ever seen put out by a government organization, it's terrible."
Jewel Cooper is a counselor at the gambling treatment center at Allen Hospital in Waterloo. "I'm glad that they're trying to put a policy into affect to help detour the people who really have problems gambling," she says. But, she says it's only a baby step in the right direction. "Compulsive gamblers will tell you, 'I knew I wasn't going to win and if I was going to win I'd put it all back in. I was there to be in action and that's the dangerous part of this."
Iowa lottery officials say no other U.S. lottery has such a policy. The ban includes all lotto products, like instant scratch games, pull tabs, and touch play games. It's all about taking away the incentives. But the question is...will anyone sign up?
The contracts should be available on the Iowa Lottery's website in a couple of weeks. The hope is to have them in retail stores too. The signed agreements have to be notarized.

Saturday, December 03, 2005

DVD Review for Red Blood (2001)

Starting Point! 2 of 5 stars.

Is this movie a classic? That’s what Canyon Press Entertainment is calling this movie. They are the producer, distributor and writer for this Native film. This was their first full length feature. Canyon Press “produces and distributes feature films with distinctly American themes, usually pertaining to the West and Native American subjects.”
Red Blood is about Native American comic Jimmy White Cloud. (David Midthunder) Jimmy is unknowingly given a notebook that belongs to some New York mobsters. Jimmy is being hunted down by the hit men for that “numbers” notebook, so he decides to head back to his rez somewhere in Arizona.
The rez is where Jimmy is in his element and the mobsters are not. Jimmy’s grandfather (Lee White Star) is a medicine man with special powers. Jimmy also finds solace on his rez. He meets a rez snag in Sally Meets the Moon. (Victoria Regina) But will the mobsters follow him and take the rez?
This movie is a low budget film and it shows. The acting is not very creative and the writing is just plain bad. The positive scenes were of reservation life and some scenes of tribal politics that is probably unknown to the general public. The rez bar was a very accurate portrayal. But the gun toting natives are somewhat hilarious.
This film is a starter film. Hopefully Canyon Press will learn from the reviews of this film. As with a lot of low budget films there are some crossover jobs from acting to behind the scenes. I have to give Royce Gracie (Joey) some recognition for his special appearance. He is the five-time Ultimate Fighting Champion.