weekly email from January 12, 2008

Hello Friends & Loved Ones,

Well, the new year is underway and how many of you (like me) have already forgotten about your new year's resolutions? Oh, still sticking to them? Well, great for you!!!! Let's face it, it's difficult to stick to our resolutions or as I like to call them goals. I will tell you two of my goals for this year; two that I intend to keep anyway. The first one is to continue to be assertive and speak frankly to people. The second one is to go scuba diving or at least learn how to scuba dive. It's something I've been wanting to do for a long time now and will finally, somehow, do this year. I can't keep talking about the skydiving, that is so five years ago. Those two things, not simple things for me, I plan on committing to and doing. I hope that whatever goals you have for this year you are able to stick to and actually get results.

Looking for a DVD this week? My pick is a remake of a 1957 movie. Yes, I'm actually recommending a remake! I saw the original 3:10 To Yuma, starring Van Heflin and the gorgeous Glenn Ford, just last year. The remake, which just happened to be released last year, stars Christian Bale and Russell Crowe.

It's the story of a down-on-his-luck rancher who is trying to keep his family afloat (sound familiar in today's cut-taxes-for-the-rich-society?) who jumps at the chance to help lead a captured fugitive to a prison train. The original had Van Heflin as the rancher and he was truly believable as sad sack rancher Dan Evans who just couldn't catch a break until Ben Wade (the outlaw) "fell" into his lap. Glenn Ford is Ben Wade who is more manipulative and suave than dangerous or scary. The film moves along briskly and is a '50's western well worth seeing (BEFORE THE REMAKE).

In the remake, Russell Crowe plays the desperado Ben Wade. And, like Ford before him, Crowe is suave AND this time also dangerous. Batman portrayer Christian Bale plays Dan Evans and, while he does a decent job as the downtrodden rancher, I didn't totally believe his performance. James Mangold (Walk The Line) directed this remake and he does a great job. The film is brisk and offers some nice and believable changes from the original, including a surprising and realistic twist at the end. I started watching this movie with Heflin and Ford's performances fresh in my mind and I was pleasantly surprised by the outcome. If I'm recommending a western, that's big news.

Until next week, stay safe, stay healthy and stay happy. Pray for each other as I pray for each of you.

love,

paul