The Magic Games We Went To

 The Orlando Magic were having another horribly bad season (5-20) and this allowed us to get cheap, cheap tickets for a handful of games. It's actually fun going to Magic games when there are very little expectations that they'll win. When I go to a Lightning game there's a certain degree of disappointment in a loss because they are so good and have an amazing roster. With the Magic, it is strictly entertaining and a win is just a bonus. 

The first game was on Wednesday December 7 against the Los Angeles Clippers. I don't mind going to a Magic game on a work/school night because we only live about 15 minutes away (right down I-4) from the Amway Center so it's not a long or complicated commute. 

Stock Photo from Google

It was a HORRIBLE start for the Magic who found themselves down 32 -14 at the end of the first quarter. The second quarter was better but they were still down by 9 at halftime. The second half consisted of the Magic making a run to get back in the game only to fall apart and be down once again by 6-8 points. I left at my usual time of 3 minutes left  in the game to walk back to the car. At the time, they were down by about 7 points. Somehow they managed to tie the game and outscore the Clippers in overtime 17-12. We left feeling lucky to see a win. 

Stock Photo from Google

Stock  Photo from Google

Game two was Friday December 9 again the Toronto Raptors. This was a completely different game as the Magic got off to a hot start and a 37-25 lead at the end of the first quarter. This always  makes me nervous because I have been to many games where they blow a big lead. While they didn't dominate the rest of the game, they did manage to pull out another win (113-109).

Stock Photo from Google

Stock Photo from Google

Franz Wagner had a huge night with 38 points!

Stock Photo from Google

Game Three was Sunday December 11 and their opponent was once again the Raptors. The second quarter turned out to be their big quarter outscoring Toronto by 9. The rest of the game was pretty even and they won their 3rd game in a row 111-99! 

Stock Photo from Google

We felt fortunate to see 3 wins.

**They went on to have a 6 game win streak which was just broken tonight with an Atlanta buzzer beater. **

Sea World Christmas

 Ever since moving here 7 years ago, we (CJ and I) set aside the first Friday in December to walk across the street to Sea World and see the Christmas lights. 

This year, because teachers get in free and Jon is now a teacher, he joined us. 

We had a great time as usual. 

The first thing we did was to go on Atlantis. It was only my second time on it. I'm not sure if they changed the policy but I vaguely remember not riding because I didn't want to rent a locker for my stuff. Last night, I was able to just take my backpack while I rode.

Then CJ went on Mako a couple times while Jon and I went through the shark exhibit and walked around looking at all the Christmas things. 

CJ and Jon went on the new roller coaster - Ice Breaker. I walked around enjoying the Christmas atmosphere. There was a cute interactive Rudolph display in the Santa Claus visiting area. 

We walked around some more contemplating why we don't come here more often when we can get in for free.  The boys ended the night by going on Manta while I waited. 

Stock photo from google

These are evidently the only years I wrote a bog post for.

2019

https://livingwithafullhouse.blogspot.com/2019/12/christmas-lights-at-sea-world.html

2016

https://livingwithafullhouse.blogspot.com/2016/12/sea-world-christmas-lights.html

2015

https://livingwithafullhouse.blogspot.com/2015/12/sea-world-christmas-ligthts.html

Movie Countdown 4-1

 4). The Hunt (66% on Rotten Tomatoes)

Plot: A group of strangers wake up with something similar to a horse bit in their mouths and don't know where they are, how they got there, or why they are there. It soon becomes apparent that they are being watched and monitored by a band of people who are hunting humans for sport.  However, not everything goes as planned when one of the women (Crystal) turns the tables on the pursuers. 

This movie had a complex theme and kept you guessing and questioning every new character that appeared. Even at the end when she boarded a private plane after killing the ringleader of the murderous group, you don't know if the pilot and stewardess are part of the "game" and you are left to draw your own conclusion because the movie doesn't define an ending.    I  particularly enjoyed the first shootout in the field, It was suspenseful and humorous at the same time.  

3). Joy Ride (74% Rotten Tomatoes)

Plot: A male college student (played by Paul Walker) embarks on a cross country road trip to pick up a girl he is very interested in. In the middle of his jaunt, he rescues his brother who was in jail. The brother decides to play a trick on a lonely truck driver over the CB radio. Using the handle "Candy Cane" he pretends to be a women and proceeds to arrange a "tryst" he knows will never take place. When the trucker, who we only know by CB handle Rusty Nail, figures out he's been set up, he wants revenge and begins a terrifying pursuit of the brothers.

This movie was a nail-biting and edge-of-your-seat thriller. Throughout the whole movie you never see the villain. You only hear his voice and see the truck with heavily tinted windows.  My favorite scene from this movie would have to be the cornfield scene. The trucker chases the three characters (because by now, the girl has joined the "party:) though a cornfield at night. Th truck has a giant searchlight and the driver is on the lookout for suspiciously waving cornstalks. 

2). Lost Boys (85% Rotten Tomatoes)

Plot: In this 1987 movie, two teenage brothers move with their mom to northern California to live with their grandfather. The younger brother (Sam meets a couple of geeky comic-loving friends while the older brother (Michael) gets himself involved with a local gang of vampires and soon finds himself exhibiting vampire-like behavior. Sam concludes that since his brother is not fully a vampire yet, he can be saved from his fate.

My favorite scene from this movie is the dinner scene. Sam invites a local businessman named Max suspecting him of being the leader of the vampire pack and put him through a series of "tests" which he passes.

I love the soundtrack for this movie and the entire 80's vibe it gives off. It had many laugh out loud moments while still maintaining its integrity as a suspenseful vampire movie. 

1). Dr. Sleep (89% Rotten Tomatoes)

In this sequel to The Shining, Danny is now an adult, an alcoholic, and still traumatized by the things the things that happened at the Overlook Hotel. He meets a young girl named Abra who shares his gift of "shining" and they band together to battle a cult who live off the shine (called steam) of innocent children to become immortal. 

I love The Shining and this movie is right up there with it. While it is on the longer side at 152 minutes (300 minutes for the director's cut), it passes quickly and I was never bored. 

My favorite scene is when Abra confronts the leader of the cult (Rose the Hat) using the shine and proves her gift is especially powerful by getting inside of Rose's mind. An all around great movie which culminates with a scene at the Overlook Hotel. 

Movie Countdown 9-5

 9). The Howling (58% Rotten Tomatoes)

After a near fatal experience with a serial killer a woman is sent to remote mountain resort with a bizarre secret - it's inhabited by werewolves. 

Not quite as good as American Werewolf in London in my opinion, but it was still a great movie with amazing special effects. The ending was wonderfully surprising as the woman, who escapes the colony as is now back to her job as a television news anchor, resolves to warn the viewers of werewolves in a special world-wide broadcast. To prove her point, she transforms herself into a werewolf on air. 

8). Piranha (2010) (43% on Rotten  Tomatoes)

Richard Dreyfuss opens the movie as a fisherman who is out on his fishing boat when an earthquake hits splitting the floor of the lake and releasing tons of flesh eating piranhas on a town that is preparing for a load of Spring Breakers.

The best part of the movie is when arrogant and self-centered Derrick who rented a yacht to film a pornographic movie, loses the lower half of his body to a piranha attack. 

7). House of 1000 Corpses (65% Rotten Tomatoes)

In this Rob Zombie film, two couples with a disabled car are picked up by a woman who brings them to her house. Here they meet her family, a cast of twisted individuals with  murder on their mind. 

One of my favorite scenes is when they are at a candle filled dinner table and the family is all wearing hilarious masks. This is the point where the two couples realize they are dealing with a group of people who are "off the beam". 

6). Freaky (83% Rotten Tomatoes)

  A shy, quiet high school girl survives an encounter with the town serial killer. Overnight, the killers mystical dagger causes them to switch bodies. The girl learns she has only 24 hours to get her identity back before she is stuck in that body forever. 

The most hilarious thing about this movie is watching Vince Vaughn act like a withdrawn teenage girl. A very entertaining slasher film. 

5). Lake Placid (47% Rotten Tomatoes)

A massive mysterious creature inhabits a local lake stalking victims. A game warden, local sheriff, and a paleontologist investigate and discover it is an enormous crocodile-like reptile. 

Betty White has a short but entertaining role in this film as a local hermit whose husband had been killed by the creature a couple years prior and who has been feeding it ever since. Of course, not a fan of the scene itself as a blindfolded cow is devoured after she leads it to the edge of the water. 

Movie Countdown 14-10

 14). Funhouse (39% Rotten Tomatoes)

And yet another 80's slasher film. This one, however, is unique in that all the main kills occur in one place - inside the Funhouse. In this film, four teenagers decide it would be fun to sneak inside the Funhouse and stay there overnight. It becomes anything but fun when they witness a murder in the room below through a crack in the floor. They are discovered and then stalked by a deformed person. The action doesn't really begin until about 45 minutes into the movie. The first half of the movie is all about them doing things at the carnival, and because you know two girls had been  murdered at this carnival a year ago, this part of the movie sets up many possible suspects - from a hobo wandering the carnival talking about God to the fortune teller they manage to offend to the odd looking barker at the Funhouse. This film was good entertainment. 

13) Friday the 13th II (48% Rotten Tomatoes)

Guess what?  Another 80's slasher film. A bunch of young counselors show up for training at a summer camp. They spend some time getting to know each other and then, as night descends, some of them go off to have a drink while the rest stay behind. This is when Jason picks off the kids one by one in completely gruesome, and sometimes hilariously funny ways. Again, a nice watch which doesn't require a detailed plot. 

12). Halloween H2O (49% Rotten Tomatoes)

I never understood the meaning of the title...I mean, what does water have to do the movie? I recently discovered that the 2O part stands for 20 years after the original Halloween. I assume the H stands for Halloween. 

Laurie Strode, still traumatized by the events 20 years earlier, is now a mother to a teenage son (something that changes in subsequent Halloween movies to a daughter) and is the dean at a prestigious boarding school. The school staff and students leave campus for an overnight camping trip leaving Laurie at the school with a security officer, her boyfriend, and unbeknown to her, four students who ditched the camping trip which, of course, includes her son. 

In typical slasher film style, Michael finds a way to enter the gated school and starts his murderous rampage.   The end of the movie features Laurie decapitating Michael - but no need to fret, he comes back for 6 more movies.

11). House of Wax (42% Rotten Tomatoes)

This movie was slow to start but the horror escalates quickly once it has begun. The movie begins as two carloads of college students from Gainesville attempt to travel to Baton Rouge for a football game. They camp out overnight only to wake up and discover one of the cars had been tampered with while they slept and will not start. One carload of students decide to drive on to the game while one girl goes along with her boyfriend to the nearest "town" for an auto part. 

The town seems to be abandoned until they look in the church and see what appears to be people attending a funeral. As the plot continues to develop you learn that there are no people in this town because everyone has been killed and then made into wax figures. After learning this, the girl and her brother, who has returned with the rest of the students after an unsuccessful attempt to make it to the game, and goes into town looking for her. The draw of this movie is definitely the gruesome murder of Paris Hilton. 

The special effects in the movie are cool, especially when the House of Wax Museum (which is made out of wax) catches fire and melts. 

10). Blair Witch Project (56% Rotten Tomatoes)

A fictional disguised as a documentary, three young adults begin to film thinking they would debunk the legend that a wicked witch lives in a local woods. The film, which is recorded in a vlog manner, begins harmless enough as the three interview locals on their beliefs about the Blair Witch. They enter the woods, end up getting lost, and aimlessly wander as they become terrified after hearing twisted sounds in the night. 

The actors do an incredible job staying in the vlog character and are very believable. This low-budget film is a great watch.

Movie Countdown Cont.

 19). The Thing (92% Rotten Tomatoes)

Honestly, the only reason I didn't rate this movie higher was that many dogs were hurt, mutilated, and killed. Otherwise, I really enjoyed it. This John Carpenter film had tense moments and great special effects. 

My favorite scene was when the remaining crew decided to test their blood to determine if any of them were infected. 

I normally don't like nondescript endings but in this movie, it worked as you are left to guess if both two remaining men are infected, neither is, or if one is and one isn't. 

18). Bride of Chucky (47% Rotten Tomatoes)

Typical Chucky movie...pretty weak plot with lots of humorous moments and some kills here and there. 

We watched this movie at the beginning of our Christmas break so my excited mood and attitude could have had something to do with the my opinion of the movie. ha ha

17). Creepshow (68% Rotten Tomatoes)

A 1980's humorous horror anthology consisting of four short stories and I enjoyed all of them. This movie featured some big name actors from the time in Ted Danson, Leslie Nielson, Adrienne Barbeau, Hal Holbrook, and even writer Steven King. 

16). The Craft (65% Rotten Tomatoes)

This movie is about four teenage girls who are into thee occult and witchcraft so they form their own coven. Eventually they get carried away with their power and start to go after innocent people. One of them attempts to stop them and the other three turn on her Neve Campbell (Scream) stars.

15). Tremors (75% Rotten Tomatoes)

Gotta be honest...not a big Kevin Bacon fan so that may be why I didn't enjoy the movie more.  A 1990 horror comedy. Along with bacon, the movie features Reba McEntire and Michael Gross as a likable married couple who, along with other members of a small desert community try to fight off giant worm-like monsters that liv underground, are attracted my movement, and like to feast of human flash. 

I Love Them Now - A Countdown 24-20

Growing up I couldn't watch a horror movie at all...even the trailers on TV freaked me out. I still remember my very first horror movie - Halloween II. I don't remember who I saw it with but I know, with an R rating, I was not old enough to see it. 

It affected me for a very long time and I thought "horror movies are not for me."

Fast forward multiple decades and now horror movies are probably my favorite. I am so happy I have a son who is as into them as I am. 

Our movie nights in August and September are devoted to horror as we gear up for Halloween and HHN.

So now I am ranking all the horror movies that we have watched on Friday evenings over the past couple years. 

24). Child's Play II (49%)

I don't remember much about this movie so that says a lot right there.  I had to look online for a recap. Two years after the original Child's Play, a company decides to re-create the doll bringing back the soul of serial killer Charles Lee Ray. After a few kills, Chucky finds his way back to Andy who is now living in foster care. 

It's a typical 80's (although released in 1990) slasher movie with a shallow plot and lots of kills.  

23). Nightmare on Elm Street 4 - The Dream Master (43% Rotten Tomatoes)

This was another typical 80's slasher film as Freddy comes back to invade the dreams of teenage kids. Pretty unforgettable for me. 

22). Friday the 13th (63% Rotten Tomatoes)

Many years after a murder takes place at Camp Crystal Lake, counselors are attempting to fix it up and reopen the doors. Mrs. Voorhees has other plans. Yet another 80's slasher film with a plot that is weakly developed and one kill after another. 

I found out after the fact that the snake used in the movie (which really served no purpose to the plot) was actually killed in the filming. I'm not a fan of snakes, but I think that is a terrible thing to do.

21). Freddy vs. Jason (50% Rotten Tomatoes)

This movie had a rather comical plot. After many years, Freddy has lost most of his power as the citizens of his town are no longer afraid of him. He enlists the help of Jason Voorhees and manipulates him into killing so the people of his town will become afraid and he will regain his power. And while his plan worked, Freddy soon discover that Jason cannot control himself and is killing all of Freddy's intended victims himself. 

What ensues is a battle between the two evil murderers. In the end, who won was uncertain. Jason emerges from the water with Freddy's severed head so you first think he won. However, Freddy winks and you can hear laughter in the background. 

The plot was strong and humorous enough to make the film work. 

20). Evil Dead II (89% Rotten Tomatoes)

Ash and his girlfriend take a vacation to a remote cabin in the woods. They find and play a recording of an incantation that unleashes an evil force. His girlfriend is possessed almost immediately and Ash has to kill her so the rest of the movie is pretty much Ash alone trying to survive. 

However, just because it's low on the list doesn't mean I didn't like it.  There are crazy special effects in this movie that, as my son put it, "feels like a 90-minute acid trip."  That in combination with the wild slapstick humor made it overall an enjoyable watch. 

Last 2022 HHN POST

 The last evening, I walked around for about a half hour just taking pictures...I love how the actors are always willing to jump into character and pose for a picture.