TV: Battlestar Galactica

This is an awesome show! Nothing like the original series, Battlestar Galactica is about the evolution of humanity and technology.

Earth is a legend, the thirteenth colony of Kobol. The other twelve colonies (planets) contain all known humans. Years ago, humans created an artificially intelligent robot, the Cylon. The Cylon evolved and no longer wanted to be slaves to humans.

There was a war. Then for forty years, the humans had no word of the Cylon. The hope was that they had moved on to their own worlds. But, no. They are about to come back in force. They have evolved more - now there are models who look human along with the shiny metallic versions.

After a nuclear attack on all 12 planets of Kobol, the remaining humans are in a fleet of assorted ships - guarded by only one Battlestar. Galactica. Can they find enough resources and avoid the Cylon long enough to find the mythical planet of Earth? Does Earth really exist?

With excellent casting, acting, action, special effects, and plot - this is my new all time favorite! The series is 4 season long, plus one movie, Razor.

Starring: Edward James Olmos, Mary McDonnell, Katee Sackhoff, James Callis, Jamie Bamber, Grace Park, Tricia Helfer, ...

Movie: Blood Diamond

Blood Diamond, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Djimon Hounsou and Jennifer Connelly, is the story of what the diamond trade did to Sierra Leone.

A diamond smuggler, a fisherman, and a reporter join forces in the midst of civil war. The fisherman, whose family is missing after the raid of his village, finds a huge diamond while working in a labor camp. Instead of giving the diamond to his captors to buy more weapons, he hides it.

The smuggler hears of the diamond and plans to steal it from the fisherman once he is led to its hiding place.

The reporter wants to expose the foreign diamond interests who make the war so lucrative.

Together they will travel through Sierra Leone at the height of danger (1999) to find the diamond and save the fisherman's family.

This is the human story of the diamond trade. It is an excellent film. The acting is superb.

Starring:
Leonardo DiCaprio
Djimon Hounsou
Jennifer Connelly

Movie: Sahara

Sahara based on the book by Clive Cussler is an adventure to rival Indiana Jones. Though I have never been able to read one of his books (and I have tried several times) the stories are entertaining.

Dirk Pitt, Al Giordino, and Rudi Gunn work for retired Admiral Jim Sandecker and make up the NUMA (National Underwater and Marine Agency), a company that sails around the world in search of sunken treasure, usually in the form of historic missing ships.

The NUMA members cross paths with WHO doctor Eva Rojas who is trying to find the source of a new plague in North Africa. Through a series of adventures and follies, they must team up to stop the spread of the deadly plague before it spreads. At the same time, Dirk is convinced that a one-of-a-kind Civil War ship may have ended up in the area.

Staring: Matthew McConaughey
Steve Zahn
Penelope Cruz
and William H. Macy

Movie - Aftershock: Earthquake in New York

I love disaster movies; they are so funny! Seriously, most have such awful special effects that just have to laugh. Some, though have great special effects. This one is pretty good. (Though not quite as good as The Day After Tomorrow.)

What Aftershock: Earthquake in New York has this is missing in most disaster films is a real cast. The makers did not rely soley on the special effects to carry the movie. Stars such as Charles Dutton, Tom Skerritt, Sharon Lawrence, Jennifer Garner, Lisa Nicole Carson, and others make the movie the better than average disaster.

Movie: The Guardian

The Guardian was intense! Of course, I am partial to movies with lots of helicopters.

This is the story of the rescue swimmers of the U. S. Coast Guard. It shows some of the training they go through to become rescue swimmers. There is plenty of footage of ships in trouble in giant waves.

Ashton Kutcher does a great job in the first serious role I have seen him in.

I held my breath for most of the movie!