Film Review: "Shock and Awe" (2018).

"The Truth Matters" in Shock and Awe. This political drama film directed by Rob Reiner and written by Joey Hartstone. In 2003, as the Bush administration prepares to invade Iraq, skeptical journalists question the administration's claim that Saddam Hussein has weapons of mass destruction.

By early October 2016, Woody Harrelson, James Marsden, Tommy Lee Jones, Jessica Biel, Milla Jovovich, Richard Schiff, and Reiner were cast in a political drama to be directed by Reiner and written by Hartstone, marking their second collaboration after LBJ (2016). At the same time, principal photography commenced, and took place in Louisiana and Washington, D.C.

The film stars Harrelson, Marsden, Reiner, Jones, Biel, Jovovich, and Schiff. The cast delivered powerhouse performances in this straightforward, solid political drama. The best thing the director has going for him is his cast. Reiner has enough spice to keep the viewer alert and attentive with this cast. The cast captures dogged, hardworking approach to politics. They inject pace, energy and colour into a familiar storytelling approach that flicks back and forth across the period. Harrelson and Marsden gave it all they had as the gruff, emotionally needy and politically savvy reporters. It's well-calibrated performances, with Harrelson and Marsden convincingly conveying how Landay and Strobel felt the weight of the world on their shoulders and took on that challenge in mostly admirable ways.

Here the physical and the verbal prevail over the analytic. This ends up placing the film in the category of conventional biopic. There's nothing in the film, and certainly nothing in the scene in question, that conveys anything but the most blasé of platitudes. When the film isn't cracking jokes the film explores Landay and Strobel's desire to inform the public and fears of rejection but doesn't go far enough to ensure compelling results. The film is a consistently compelling history lesson, which puts the spotlight on two men who are forced to navigate the country through one of the most pivotal periods of the last century. There is a richer film here than the generically-told one that Reiner gives us, despite Harrelson's plucky firebrand of a performance. The film isn't a satire like Oliver Stone's serious lampoon of a political scion. It's something less - and weirder. This third-rate but expedient film regrets the decency we've lost and that Reiner is nostalgic for. The film is too conventional and too scattered to add anything of substance or interest to the story. A great, award-worthy performance and some decent dialogue in an otherwise truncated feeling movie. The film captures a tumultuous political era and one of its most profanely colorful leaders with a good deal of insight and emotional torque. Here, Reiner's more like an efficient ride operator, unconcerned about the clankiness of the machinery but certain you'll enjoy the stuff that's supposed to work. Reiner's film fails to do justice to both the men and the fraught times he so fundamentally influenced. A fairly standard-issue political docu-drama that's likely to hold your interest without being especially enlightening or vivid.

Simon says Shock and Awe receives:

Also, see my review for LBJ.

Film Review: "Godzilla: City on the Edge of Battle" ("ゴジラ: 決戦機動増殖都市") (2018).

"The last hope of mankind <Mechagodzilla>, is activated" in Godzilla: City on the Edge of Battle. This Japanese computer-animated science fiction kaiju film directed by Kōbun Shizuno and Hiroyuki Seshita, written by Gen Urobuchi, produced by Toho Animation, and animated by Polygon Pictures. This is the 33rd film in the Godzilla franchise, the 31st Godzilla film produced by Toho, and the second entry in the anime trilogy. It is the sequel to Godzilla: Planet of the Monsters (2017). Haruo and his allies encounter a mysterious aboriginal tribe descended from the humans left behind on Earth 20,000 years ago, and they uncover a mechanized city-sized fortress formed from the long-lost anti-Godzilla weapon called Mechagodzilla.

The second installment in the anime trilogy was announced in a second post-credits scene in the theatrical release of the film revealing the film's Japanese title, poster featuring Mechagodzilla and the film's 2018 release date. The film's Japanese title was revealed as Gojira: Kessen Kidō Zōshoku Toshi (translations varied from Godzilla: Battle Mobile Breeding City to Godzilla: The City Mechanized for the Final Battle), while the English title was later revealed as Godzilla: City on the Edge of Battle. In March 2018, the film's official website revealed a new poster, plot details, and that singer XAI will return to perform the film's theme song The Sky Falls. The English dub was produced by Post Haste Digital. Takayuki Hattori will return to compose the soundtrack, marking it his fourth Godzilla film score.

This film features Mechagodzilla, Godzilla's mechanical doppelganger that was first introduced in Gojira tai Mekagojira (1974), and made its most recent appearance in Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S. (2003). Mechagodzilla was originally a weapon constructed by alien invaders, but in subsequent films has typically been portrayed as a human-built weapon created to defend the human race from Godzilla and other monsters. This version of Mechagodzilla combines both portrayals, with it being built by the Bilusaludo aliens but with the purpose of defending the Earth from Godzilla. This will be the first Godzilla film to be a sequel to a prior film in the franchise since Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S. (2003), which was a direct sequel to Gojira X Mekagojira (2002). All films released since then have been set in brand-new continuities and disregard all previous entries in the franchise.

Godzilla: City on the Edge of Battle is a dub, empty popcorn movie that delivers on some of its promises, while boasting the best computer-generated animation of any Polygon Pictures movie made up to that point. There are some problems, such as an uninspired script, underdeveloped ideas, a fairly simplistic plot, and character relationships painted in broad strokes. But when all is said and done, I enjoyed it. It's well-made enough that makes for an entertaining hundred minutes. While this movie seems to be aimed at a younger audience, it was still fun. The fight scenes were exciting and though they took up most of the movie, they never dragged on or got boring. A fun enough action film with enough explosions and destruction to satisfy die-hards and casual fans alike.

Simon says Godzilla: City on the Edge of Battle (ゴジラ: 決戦機動増殖都市) receives:

Also, see my review for Godzilla: Planet of the Monsters (ゴジラ: 怪獣惑星).

Film Review: "Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation" (2018).

"He's going to need a vacation after this vacation." This is Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation. This computer-animated comedy film directed by Genndy Tartakovsky, written by Tartakovsky and Michael McCullers, and produced by Sony Pictures Animation. The monster family embarks on a vacation on a luxury monster cruise ship so Drac can take a summer vacation from providing everyone else's vacation at the hotel. It's smooth sailing for Drac's Pack as the monsters indulge in all of the shipboard fun the cruise has to offer, from monster volleyball to exotic excursions, and catching up on their moon tans. But the dream vacation turns into a nightmare when Mavis realizes Drac has fallen for the mysterious captain of the ship, Ericka, who hides a dangerous secret that could destroy all of monsterkind.

In September 2015, before the release of Hotel Transylvania 2, Sony was "talking about number 3 and moving forward and taking the franchise to the next level." In the same month, Tartakovsky revealed that he would not be returning, due to working on Can You Imagine? Even though the project would later be shelved. Tartakovsky told TheWrap that "two is enough. I have a lot of other ideas, and I kind of have to express them and have them come out." In November 2015, Sony Pictures Animation announced that the third film, under the tentative title of Hotel Transylvania 3. It was also confirmed that Adam Sandler, Selena Gomez, Andy Samberg, Kevin James, David Spade, Steve Buscemi, Keegan-Michael Key, Molly Shannon, and Mel Brooks would return to reprise their roles. In June 2016, Sony and Tartakovsky confirmed that he would be returning for the film, despite previously leaving the series to develop other projects, including the final season of Samurai Jack. According to Tartakovsky, he returned after he got an inspiration from a "miserable" family vacation and major inspiration for the film from the Chevy Chase National Lampoon's Vacation movies as the film would take place aboard a cruise ship. Another idea for the film was to properly introduce Van Helsing. An idea that was dropped from the first film where Johnny was a descendant of Van Helsing, which would have created more conflict between Dracula and Johnny. By early November 2017, the film had been entitled as Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation. Despite having a September 21, 2018 release date, the film was pushed forward two months to allow Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween (2018) to take that date, though that film would later be pushed back a month to October 12th the same year.

The film features the voice talents of Sandler, Samberg, Gomez, James, Spade, Buscemi, Key, Shannon, and Brooks, reprising their roles, with new additions Kathryn Hahn and Jim Gaffigan. Despite giving hilarious performances, one can't help but feel that the series has become a rickety skeleton designed for Sandler and company to drop their litany of cornball punchlines and gags.

While Genndy Tartakovsky's animation is top-notch, Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation doesn't live up to the first two monster mash.

Simon says Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation receives:

Also, see my review for Hotel Transylvania 2 and Samurai Jack.

Film Review: "Sorry to Bother You" (2018).

"Destiny is calling" in Sorry to Bother You. This dark comedy film written and directed by Boots Riley, in his directorial debut. In an alternate present-day version of Oakland, telemarketer Cassius Green discovers a magical key to professional success, propelling him into a universe of greed.

Riley describes the film as "an absurdist dark comedy with aspects of magical realism and science fiction inspired by the world of telemarketing". The screenplay was inspired by his own time working as a telemarketer and telefundraiser in California and his need to put on a different voice to find success. In 2012, Riley finished the screenplay, and with no means to produce it, recorded an album of the same title with his band The Coup, inspired by the story. In 2014, the screenplay was originally published in full as part of McSweeney's issue 48. By late June 2017, it was announced that production would go forward on the film with Riley as director. In addition, Lakeith Stanfield, Tessa Thompson, Omari Hardwick, Terry Crews, Danny Glover, Steven Yeun, Armie Hammer, Forest Whitaker, David Cross, Lily James, Patton Oswalt, and Rosario Dawson were cast. At the same time, with a budget of $3.2 million, principal photography commenced, and wrapped in late July. Filming took place in Oakland, California.

The film stars Stanfield, Thompson, Hardwick, Crews, Glover, Yeun, Hammer, Whitaker, Cross, James, Oswalt, and Dawson. Stanfield lives it up as Cassius Green and swaggers into a staggering performance. Deplorable, hysterical, phenomenal. Stanfield runs away with Cassius, magnetic as he trains to hunt, brutally funny when high on greed, he turns on his "white" voice. Stanfield and Cross make an oddly perfect two sides of the same coin, as their dryly humorous performances throw contrast to the film's real comedic bread and butter, all of the eccentricities flying around them.

Riley roars back to the screen with the film, an almost two-hour show stuffed with dark humor, gross-out gags and one awesome performance by Stanfield. Riley has written a marvelously comedic script, with howlingly funny bits of dialogue. But perhaps its most magnificent accent is the delightful Stanfield in perhaps his best film yet. When the film focuses on Cassius' business and stays in the workplace, it is at its best, taking viewers on an exhilarating ride. But, oddly, the biggest problem with this film about excess and over indulgence is that it feels too excessive. Riley crafts a pithy script, laced with salacious one-liners, and he illuminates the best and the worst of the human race. While Riley's debut effort resembles The Wolf of Wall Street in its absurdist tone and progressively exhausting succession of wild occurrences, it's Do the Right Thing that is clearly the film's closest cousin. It is a good film but it's also polarizing. A viewer is either going to love it or hate it. The reason being not because the film itself is bad - it's an A+ effort on all fronts - but because the story is repulsive.

Simon says Sorry to Bother You receives:

Film Review: "Ant-Man and the Wasp" (2018).

"Real heroes. Not actual size." They are Ant-Man and the Wasp. The superhero film directed by Peyton Reed, written by Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers, with Paul Rudd, Andrew Barrer, and Gabriel Ferrari, based on the Marvel Comics characters, and produced by Marvel Studios. It is the sequel to 2015's Ant-Man, and the twentieth film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). As Scott Lang balances being both a Super Hero and a father, Hope van Dyne and Dr. Hank Pym present an urgent new mission that finds the Ant-Man fighting alongside The Wasp to uncover secrets from their past.

Talks for a sequel began three months after the release of Ant-Man. Reed, Kevin Feige, and Michael Douglas expressed interest in returning for a sequel or prequel. Douglas expressed the desire to have his wife Catherine Zeta-Jones play Janet Van Dyne, and Evangeline Lilly had Michelle Pfeiffer on her wish list to play Janet. Sharon Stone was considered for Janet as well. In October 2015, Marvel Studios confirmed the sequel, titled Ant-Man and the Wasp, with a scheduled release date of July 6, 2018, with Rudd and Lilly returning to reprise their roles. The film was placed in Marvel's packed Phased Three lineup, and subsequently moved the release dates of Black Panther (2018) and Captain Marvel (2019). A month later, Reed was officially returning to direct. In the same month, Adam McKay, one of the original writers, expressed interest in returning. Reed mentioned that pre-production would "probably" start in October 2016, with filming scheduled for early 2017. Two of the original writers, Gabriel Ferrari and Andrew Barrer, signed on to write the script along with Rudd, with writing starting "in earnest" in January 2016. In early November 2016, pre-production began. In February 2017, Douglas was confirmed to return. At San Diego Comic-Con 2017, the cast was rounded out with Hannah John-Kamen, Randall Park, Walton Goggins, Judy Greer, Laurence Fishburne, and Pfeiffer. Reed was inspired by the films After Hours (1985), Midnight Run (1988), and What's Up, Doc? (1972) for the look and feel of the film. Filming took place from August to November 2017, at Pinewood Atlanta Studios in Fayette County, Georgia, as well as Metro Atlanta, San Francisco, Savannah, Georgia, and Hawaii. In June 2017, Reed confirmed that Christophe Beck, the original composer, would return to score the film.

It stars Rudd, Lilly, Peña, Cannavale, Greer, Harris, Dastmalchian, Fortson, and Douglas reprising their roles, with Goggins, John-Kamen, Park, Fishburne, and Pfeiffer. The cast, despite their best efforts, gave comically-insufferable and cliched performances that relied upon one too many cliches and jokes to flesh out their characters. Pfeiffer's screen time as Janet was criminally limited, hopefully it will be extended the next time round.

Everything tolerable about Ant-Man, a mere three years ago, has vanished with its sequel. In its place, Ant-Man and the Wasp has substituted noise, cliches, multiple villains, irrelevant stunts, misguided story lines, and insufferable jokes. It isn't as tolerable as its predecessor.

Simon says Ant-Man and the Wasp receives:

Also, see my reviews for Ant-Man and Avengers: Infinity Wars.

Film Review: "Leave No Trace" (2018).

From the director of Winter's Bone comes Leave No Trace. This drama film directed by Debra Granik, adapted by Granik and Anne Rosellini, and based on the novel My Abandonment by Peter Rock. Will and his teenage daughter, Tom, have lived off the grid for years in the forests of Portland, Oregon. When their idyllic life is shattered, both are put into social services. After clashing with their new surroundings, Will and Tom set off on a harrowing journey back to their wild homeland.

The film stars Ben Foster, Thomasin McKenzie, Jeff Kober, and Dale Dickey. The strong performances by McKenzie and Foster kept things from becoming overdramatic. McKenzie effectively shows the fear, need and hope at war within Tom, how the false high of being clean for a week can fade when she realizes the second week isn't going to be any easier. In moments of confrontation, McKenzie is as fearsome as Jennifer Lawrence in Winter' Bone, taking on monsters to protect the small and the vulnerable. If there were an ounce of taste left in Hollywood, Foster and McKenzie would be front-runners for the Best Actor and Actress Oscars.

The film boasts a breakout performance by McKenzie and an exceedingly unhappy storyline. It's a movie you "appreciate" more than you "enjoy." Though it can often be a long, opaque slog through the woods, the primary appeal of the film is how convincingly it conveys the strange, orthodox logic of this parallel universe. The film takes us down an unexpected path with riveting skill and a refreshing lack of easy answers. You can feel the chill of the Oregon winter and the dull ache of the characters' poverty in Granik's film. The film is so pitch perfect and realistic, it seems you are there with these people, watching their lives unfold before you as it happens. Call me a sucker for punishment but I find myself drawn to these harrowing tales, and the film is certainly one of those. The film achieves what only the best independent films have: making life, at its most unvarnished, a journey. With locations and characters that feel so authentic, yet mysterious, it creates its own genre: anthropological horror. The film emerges with an aura of authenticity so strong as to be mesmerizing, thanks to a superior script brought to life with infallibly natural performances. Beautifully shot across the vast, bleak landscapes of rural Oregon, Granik's minimalistic tale of strength and determination is a deeply moving experience, propelled by the amazing performances of McKenzie and Foster. The film is a glimpse into the private lives and dirty secrets of people trying to claw their way to a better place. Granik and Rosellini's adaptation is a simple affair, allowing McKenzie's grim determination to keep you hooked. And it works. Beneath the fierce naturalism of the stark chilly/beautiful imagery and tough performances is a rural noir in an unforgiving world and Granik tells the story with great skill.

Simon says Leave No Trace receives:

'Once Upon a Time in Canada' Chapter 46.

Hot night last night. The workload still isn’t getting any better, so I had to eat and relax for the night quick. I did manage to have some time to breath as soon as I got home, but not too long after I got the usual call from Michael to hang out with him. Just getting home without anything to eat, I agreed to go out on another one of his adventures, on the condition that we get food first.

But finding a place to eat took a little while. I was getting ‘hangry’ by this point, and Michael could sense from not even a meter away, so decided to think of an idea quick. Then he did. He called up our friend Belinda to see what she was up to for the night, and, it turns out, she wasn’t doing much and that we could come over for a little while. But we really needed to grab food first. Since we were heading towards Belinda’s place, ultimately, we decided to grab some burgers, fries and root beer from A&W. For Michael, it was the best place to go. At this point, it was the same for me.

I just had a regular burger with onion rings and a root beer to save myself from further stomach grumbling and starvation. It wasn’t the best thing I’ve had, but it was filling enough to do the trick. Eating down that burger with those onion rings and root beer was certainly better than eating McDonalds, Wendy’s or Burger King. I will say that.

I needed some time to eat and digest the food before we made our way to Belinda’s. Based on previous experience, eating North American fast food, eating and shoving it down my throat doesn’t exactly paint a pretty picture afterwards. I was worried it would cause me a problem or two, but it ended up find, luckily.

After finishing up, we finally made our way to Belinda’s. Her house was less than five minutes away by foot. The A&W was located on the corner of Church and Broadview, where as she was on Dundas and Broadview. So… no biggie. After we made it to the front door, we spent our time with Belinda. Catching up with each other’s lives, you know, the typical stuff. After some time talking for most of the night, we wrapped it up and made our way home. No reason to stay longer as both Belinda and I had work the next morning.

Also, see Chapters 45 and 47.

Film Review: "Sicario: Day of the Soldado" (2018).

"'No Rules this time" Gear up for Sicario: Day of the Soldado. This action thriller film directed by Stefano Sollima and written by Taylor Sheridan. It is the sequel to 2015's Sicario. The drug war on the U.S.-Mexico border has escalated as the cartels have begun trafficking terrorists across the US border. To fight the war, federal agent Matt Graver re-teams with the mercurial Alejandro.

"Soldado MF /Sol.'Da.Do/. (Dia do Soldado) used to describe a Latin-American soldier; In Spanish and Portuguese, Soldado means Soldier." In September 2015, after the release of Sicario, Lionsgate commissioned a sequel centering on Benecio del Toro's character, Alejandro Gillick, with a script penned by Sheridan, and Denis Villeneuve initially set to direct. However, due to scheduling conflicts with Arrival (2016) and Blade Runner 2049 (2017), Villeneuve could not return to direct. Jeremy Saulnier was considered to replace Villeneuve, but declined due to scheduling conflicts with Hold the Dark (2018). In April 2016, the producers said del Toro, Josh Brolin and Emily Blunt would return. However, in November 2016, del Toro and Brolin were confirmed, but Blunt was no longer attached. By Early June 2016, Sollima was hired to direct what was now titled Soldado. In late October, Lionsgate lost the distribution rights from Black Label Media after a disagreement. Ultimately, Columbia Pictures won the rights. By January 2017, Catherine Keener, Isabela Moner, David Castaneda, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, Jeffrey Donovan, Elijah Rodriguez, Matthew Modine and Ian Bohen joined the cast. Principal photography began in early November 2016 in New Mexico. After Jóhann Jóhannsson's death in February 2018, Hildur Guðnadóttir took over as composer, after collaborating with Jóhannsson on the first film as cello soloist.

The film features del Toro, Brolin, and Donovan reprising their roles, with Moner, Garcia-Rulfo, and Keener. The cast, both old and new, gave intense performances that takes their characters into new and uncertain territories. Del Toro gives it his all and turns in another stellar performance as the enigmatic Mexican attorney-turned-hitman. Along with del Toro is the morally-ambiguous Brolin, who seems to have taken somewhat of a backseat given his character's place in the story, and thus has made it less interesting.

Sicario: Day of the Soldado didn't seem quite so lively, quite so fresh, or quite so intellectually interesting as its predecessor. The film is composed of situations, not plots. The fact that this film is constructed to endorse the exercise of murderers, to emphasize killer bravado and generate glee in frantic manifestations of war is, to my mind, a sharp indictment of it as so-called entertainment today. The film is not great film-making. But it is fun enough. Don't miss it. This is to say, don't miss it if you can still get the least bit of fun out of muted action and politically-cliched drama with its melodramatization and exaggeration on America's desperate war on cartels with morally-ambiguous and sinister characters on both sides driven to a grand, gritty, illogical and improbable point.

Simon says Sicario: Day of the Soldado receives:

Also, see my review for Suburra and Sicario.

Film Review: "Upgrade" (2018).

"Not Man. Not Machine. More." Prepare for Upgrade. This cyberpunk action body horror film written and directed by Leigh Whannell. A brutal mugging leaves Grey Trace paralyzed in the hospital and his beloved wife dead. A billionaire inventor soon offers Trace a cure - an artificial intelligence implant called STEM that will enhance his body. Now able to walk, Grey finds that he also has superhuman strength and agility - skills he uses to seek revenge against the thugs who destroyed his life.

In March 2017, with a budget of $3 million, principal photography commenced, and took place in Melbourne, Australia for thirty days under the original title STEM. Post production took place in Sydney.

The film stars Logan Marshall-Green, Betty Gabriel, Harrison Gilbertson, Melanie Vallejo, Benedict Hardie, Linda Cropper, and Simon Maiden. Prior to this role, we have always known Marshall-Green as a somewhat average Joe guy, but no so much the action hero; he seems to be trying to split the difference at times. But there's an undeniable thrill when Marshall-Green beats the crap out of some bad guys, and ultimately kill them. The film has sealed Marhsall-Green's reputation as a tough guy.

Upgrade is a little, solid, morbid, stylish exploitation, if not morally suspect, vigilante revenge thriller. The violence is excessive and the plot predictable, although there is some style to director Winner's approach. Its poisonous incitement to technologically-enhanced law enforcement is the vulgar exploitation hook on which this film is awkwardly hung. A compulsively watchable bit of 70's sci-fi action thriller nostalgia, a curious counterpart to Charles Bronson and an icon of urban-brand justice. Whannell's recourse to caricature when dealing with the law and crime, and his virtually overt sympathies with the confused, violent Marshall-Green, make for uncritical, simplistic viewing. This somewhat enjoyable techno-porn revenge flick has an eerie kind of fascination, even though its message is cliched. Chilling revenge pic that retains every bit of its power to thrill. Even those who disagree with its knee-jerk vigilante ideology have a hard time denying its impact because the film digs deep and works on an almost subconscious level. Sumptuously photographed and scored, the movie is an excellent capsule of '70s filmmaking - thrilling, thought provoking and sending us off with a wink at the end. The exploration of Trace's emotions is sophisticatedly handled by Whannell, making this a cut above the usual pilot. He is Steve Austin and Paul Kersey combined into one, and a kick-ass artificial intelligence software is an almost incomprehensibly farfetched yet plausible idea: how could anyone not watch this film? The story of mechanic Grey Trace, who survives a mugging thanks to bionic implants that enhance his speed, strength, and vision, this action-packed proto-superhero revenge thriller would make Austin and Kersey proud. So yes, this film is teenage-driven. Still, there were some interesting complexities that continue to give the show some resonance. For sci-fi kitsch, it ranks second to none, and while we can no longer take it as seriously as it clearly takes itself, that doesn't mean it lacks in entertainment value.

Simon says Upgrade receives:

Also, see my review for Insidious: Chapter 3.

'Once Upon a Time in Canada' Chapter 45.

I spent today, and last week, working my ass off. The work was hell! But, starting from tomorrow, I had two days off in a row, so I wasn’t complaining. I came home, took a nice, cool shower, and had a nice meal. I’ve already done what I needed to do the previous days before, so I didn’t have much else to do. I was just reduced to watching a movie or two before I would head out with the gang to Woodbine Beach for the Canada Day fireworks. I got my camera ready.

With the fireworks, I can make my day better by hanging out with my friends and do what I love. When making my way there, I rendezvoused with Belinda. The two of us rode the 506 streetcar to Woodbine (by the last third of the trip, we had to walk because the streetcars wouldn’t go any further because of over crowding). The trip was a little long. It all comes down to what you’re doing. You know the old time is relative principle. Belinda and I just talked about what we’ve been up to. But even though we talked, the longer the trip seemed to take. So much for time is relative.

"Let’s walk the rest of the way." That was what was on our minds when we had to walk to the beach since the streetcar couldn’t go any further. Other than the fact that the area was becoming over crowded, not quite sure why, but we walked on anyway. From where we were, that would give us only a couple of minutes to make it there before it would get really crowded. A few hundred kilometres is pretty decent. In other news, we finally made it, and were able to find the rest of the gang and find a spot before it was too late. With a spot secured, it was time to get out the camera and be ready to take some shots.

I took as many shots as I could when those fireworks lit the dark night sky. This time, with my new Canon 6D camera, I was able to get some terrific shots. That was all for the day. I want to bore you with the details. After that, we all just headed home. "I think I’ll just go to sleep," that was the first thing on my mind when I made it back home.

Also, see Chapters 44 and 46.