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Jemarus
My name is Joe. I live in the Southeastern United States, and I like writing stories, drawing, photography, computers, and studying foreign languages - particularly Russian.
POLITICAL BELIEFS:
Politically speaking, I generally consider myself to be moderate. I am against abortion but don't think it is the government's job to restrict women's rights...although I don't think I would have a problem with banning late-term abortions in most cases. Regarding gun control, I think that some regulation is necessary, but too much can also be a bad thing. I strongly feel that people should have the right to arm themselves under reasonable circumstances. As far as the economy goes, I am a little undecided. I strongly favor the free market, but yet, I also feel that those underemployed, unemployed, and impoverished should be taken care of and that everyone deserves the basics in life. I also feel that gays should have the right to marry and that people should respect their lifestyle even if they do not agree with it.
RELIGION/SPIRITUALITY:
I was raised a Baptist, but I now consider myself to be an agnostic and am more spiritual than religious. I think that all religions basically point to the same ideas, although I don't always agree with some of the religious dogma. However, I do have a lot of respect for most religions, and I do not think that being religious is necessarily a bad thing. At this point, I consider myself to be a believer in an impersonal god, although I'm not 100% sure at this time whether God is personal or impersonal, and while I used to not believe in reincarnation, I am more open to the idea of it now.
TELEVISION:
My favorite TV shows are That '70s Show, The Simpsons, King of the Hill, South Park, Family Guy, A Haunting, All in the Family, The Brady Bunch, Married...with Children, Beavis and Butt-Head, Speeders (on TruTV), Malcolm in the Middle, The King of Queens, and Seinfeld.
MOVIES:
My favorite movies are Forrest Gump, The Girl Next Door, My Cousin Vinny, Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club, Pay It Forward, the Back to the Future trilogy, Child's Play 1-3, and Shallow Hal.
MUSIC:
I like Rock and some Country. I also like the Oldies. My favorite artists are the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Firehouse, Colbie Caillat, Liz Phair, the Beatles, Simon and Garfunkel, Madonna, Johnny Cash, Elvis, and Weezer.
BOOKS:
I like Obasan, Living With Our Genes, Tuesdays With Morrie, The Communist Manifesto, Candide, Frankenstein, Siddhartha, Anne of Green Gables, Ryan White: My Own Story, and The Cay.
OLD USERNAMES:
Jemascola
Joe-the-Russian
Redneck-Joe
Guitar1989
Tennessee-Redneck-Joe
Reviews
The Santa Clause (1994)
Wonderful Christmas Film
Ever since I saw this movie for the first time, I have never really lost interest in it. I think it is one of Tim Allen's best movies. The plot is catchy, and I like how it promotes family values. Tim Allen has some very funny lines in this movie, and I like the conflicts he has with Neal. It adds to the story, and it makes the movie all the more interesting. The movie is great to watch during the Christmas season - as well as other parts of the year. What more can I say about this movie? It is a very lovely movie, and it is great for all ages. I strongly recommend viewing this film. It is one of my favorites, and I hope it becomes (or remains) a classic Christmas film.
The Santa Clause 2 (2002)
Enjoyable Sequel
In 2002, I was really glad to hear that a sequel to The Santa Clause was coming out. I enjoyed the first movie, and I was glad to see that the storyline was being further advanced. Unfortunately, I was unable to see the movie when it first came out in 2002, and I didn't get to see it until 3 years later. When I first watched it, I was unsure what to think. I had trouble deciding whether it was better or not as good as the original.
Currently, I feel that both movies have their strong points, although I think I may lean more toward the original. Regardless, this movie was good in its own way. One of the things I liked is that Neal and Scott seemed to have resolved their differences and that they were much friendlier toward each other.
Another thing that I really liked about this film was that the same actors were used to play the major characters. Even more impressive to me was that the characters (primarily Charlie) aged 8 years - the length of time from the first movie to this one. I think those are qualities that make an excellent sequel.
Indeed, this was a good sequel. It was certainly much better than many other sequels. However, the plot was a little bit different and not quite as interesting as the first movie. Then again, sometimes I think it's even better than the original. Basically, it depends on my mood. Nonetheless, I do generally hold a high opinion of this movie. I would recommend seeing it.
Pay It Forward (2000)
Absolutely Wonderful
This is one of the best movies I've ever seen. It is very deep and well-made. It conveys a beautiful message and has well-developed characters and a well-developed plot. What more can I say about this movie, it's terrific! Another thing that I really like about this movie is that it is not afraid to stick to reality. When Trevor died at the end, I agree with everyone, that indeed, it was very sad, but a positive angle of the ending is that the movie shows realism. Many times, people expect the "they all lived happily ever after" conclusion, but this movie is unique because it does not do that. Things like this happen in real life, so this movie was bold to do such a thing. Without a doubt, this is a wonderful movie. It has a strong hold on your emotions at parts, and the actors are wonderful in my opinion. This movie is great, and I think that everyone should see it.
That '70s Show (1998)
Great Show!
Now I feel that this show was one of the better ones on TV. Even though the characters can be bitter toward each other at times, the creators of the show scripted it in a way that makes it funny and entertaining, rather than outright bothersome and annoying. Each and every one of the characters are funny to watch, and it's funny to see them get involved in some sort of misfortune. Unlike many shows today, the creators of this one knew how to take elements of comedy and use them correctly. I'm pleased to see that there's at least a few good recently-made shows that are still on TV. Indeed, I enjoy watching this show and like all the characters and episodes. It's a very enjoyable show and refreshing from much of the crap they air now. I would definitely recommend this show, although I would recommend it for more a mature audience, rather than for little kids, as the content is too raw for children to be exposed to.
The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy (2003)
Terrible Show
I am just baffled as to why this show is so popular. This show is one of the poorest animated series I've ever seen. Characters such as Mandy are bitter and painful to watch, while the rest are lacking in basic intelligence, like Billy for instance. Sometimes, an idiotic character in a show is a good thing, but this show overdoes it, and that aspect doesn't work for it. It just degrades the quality of this cartoon even more. This show has no integrity, either, as its values are corrupt and poor, and after watching an episode, what has one actually learned from this, or what purpose has this show made? It tries to aim at comedy, but most of it is unintelligent comedy, which they overuse quite often. What's even worse is the graphics. This cartoon has some of the poorest animation I've ever seen, and that is another turn-off for this show. This show bothers me very much, and I don't see why people enjoy it so much. To me, this show has no redeeming qualities whatsoever, and it's nothing special from any other show on TV. If anything, it is much worse and should be ignored in favor of other shows that have much higher quality production values. I think that this show should be canceled, or if not, the creator should give this show a massive "face lift" to provide the show with a more positive aura.
Drake & Josh (2004)
Just like classic Nickelodeon
I must admit that I am very impressed by this show. I have watched it many times, and it reminds me just like the old shows of classic Nickelodeon. Many of the new shows that they air on Nickelodeon now are pure garbage if you ask me, but this show is very redeeming and refreshing. I enjoy watching it after coming home from school. It gives me hope that there might just be a chance at bringing back the style of classic Nickelodeon.
This show is of high-quality, which many of Nickelodeon's new shows aren't. Many of the new shows are just poor copies of other overused ideas. "The X's," for instance, has nothing special about it, because it is about yet another superhero family without a twist to it. It is just like countless other boring superhero animated shows. This show is special because it has references and allusions to the outside world, which many shows these days just don't do. Also, many shows feature a rather goofy, idiotic father, which is extremely overused and not funny any longer. From what I've seen, the father is not really goofy at all. Josh seems to be the goofiest one in the family, and I feel that it works positively for this show.
If you haven't seen this show, you should watch it because it is one of the best of Nickelodeon's new shows, let alone the best of any new shows that the main stations have aired within the last few years or so. There just might be hope for good television yet.
Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends (1984)
A Great Show For All Ages
Even though Thomas the Tank Engine is aimed at children, adults can enjoy it just as much as kids. That is because unlike many children's shows today, Thomas the Tank Engine does not dumb the show down to ridiculously low levels. Children of all ages, even infants, can learn lots of things by watching this show...possibly even more so than the dumbed-down kids shows they have now. All the characters are fantastic, and the setting looks so realistic and well designed. Although the show's golden years are probably over, its new episodes are still relatively decent. May Thomas the Tank Engine live on for generations and generations!
Three's Company (1976)
One of the Better Classics
I started watching Three's Company 5 years ago, and I still enjoy it today. This is one of the best shows I've ever seen. It is well-scripted and very funny. The gang gets into all kinds of crazy adventures. I would recommend watching this show for sure it's great. All the characters are well-supported and funny as well. The setting is appropriate as well. This show is a great classic, and it should remain popular and well-liked for many more years by future generations. Who couldn't like this show? It's very funny as I said and deserves to get high-ratings whenever possible. Some episodes were a bit lacking and formulaic, but for the most part, it's a great show. Definitely watch it.
Family Guy (1999)
Hit and Miss
Family Guy is an animated cartoon created by Seth MacFarlane and first aired in 1999. MacFarlane voices many of the Family Guy characters, though there are other voice actors. The daughter, Meg, is voiced by Mila Kunis, the older son, Chris, is voiced by Seth Green, and the mother, Lois, is voiced by Alex Borstein. In my opinion, MacFarlane has surprised me, and has proved himself to be wonderful at providing different voices. I was amazed when I found out how many voices he performed. To that, I give him two thumbs up.
The show itself is funny at times. When I first saw it, I laughed at some of the randomness and crazy jokes. But lately, I've been thinking...is it really that funny? I have re-watched many episodes, and a lot of them are rather pointless, mainly season 4. Seasons 1-3 were the best at combining randomness with a good plot-line. It actually had some rather creative ideas, like the "big-ass piñata" for instance. I laughed at that. Season 4 overdoes it way too much, as well as other things.
One of the problems I have with season 4 is its flashbacks and cutaways. Even more annoying is the "regular speech." It was funny for an episode or two, but they use it as a basis for its comedy, which is not a good thing. It seems that many episodes of season 4 have this now, and I have no clue how long it will last. In these situations, I usually am frustrated and desperate to move on.
Another thing that has been done incorrectly is its overuse of slapstick. For season 4, that seems to be the basis of its comedy, which again, is a bad thing. The throwing up thing was mildly funny, but it lost its touch after about 5 or 10 seconds worth of throwing up. Okay, we get it, they're throwing up, it's funny, you don't need to show us anymore, we get the point! Finally, another thing I am absolutely tired of is all the "Meg bashing." Seriously, what did she ever do to get picked on so much? I mean, she might not supposed to be popular, but it's even worse to be picked on. A lot of Family Guy fans will criticize me for having this opinion and rebuttal by saying it's funny. To me, it's not funny. It is tasteless and lacking in any point. Do people really think it's funny to pick on someone that hasn't done anything wrong? I don't, and there's nothing funny about that. I mean seriously, where's the humor? What's supposed funny about it? I think she is cute and should get revenge in season 5.
Something else to consider about this show is Seth MacFarlane himself. He has been criticized by many, and he often takes jokes too far. The Elizabeth Smart joke was not funny and just horrible.
This show is good, but I think it should clean up its act and make improvements here and there. Would I recommend viewing it? I would recommend seasons 1-3 and maybe some episodes of season 4. But some of the last episodes, Petergeist and Untitled Griffin Family History, are among THE WORST Family Guy episodes EVER, so I would not recommend those.
Wee Sing in the Big Rock Candy Mountains (1991)
Great for little kids
When I was little, my parents got this movie for me to watch. I really liked it, and I watched it over and over again. Even when I was in 3rd grade I still watched it from time to time. Recently, I watched it again, just for the sake of nostalgia, and though the show was not aimed for my age group (I'm in my late teens), I still found it entertaining and educational. This show teaches good lessons about imagination and getting along well with others. Some parts I found quite entertaining. Also, this show does not have any bad content, so you can leave kids alone with this show and not worry about them picking up any bad language or whatnot. I would recommend this.
Full House (1987)
A great, wholesome, family show!
Full House was a great series. It had wonderful family values, as well as a lot of humor. The characters were nice and very interesting. They were all funny in their own ways, and I hated to see the show end. As for family values, it teaches good morals and disciplines without getting overheated and angry. It also shows that a good family loves and cares for each other.
It is also a great show because it varies the scenes and story lines. It never seems to get boring. Even now, I still like Full House. The kids have very funny lines, especially Michelle. Everyone in the show seems to be very funny. Since it has humor, family values, and interesting settings and plots, I would definitely recommend Full House.