INTERMISSION: INSURANCE THOUGHTS

At my age, it's probably a good idea to be looking at cheap term life insurance quotes. Nobody lasts forever, as much as we may want to, and I don't want my family burdened with the same financial difficulties I had when my husband passed away. I want them to be able to bury me and pay off any debts I might have at the time of my demise.

Here's the deal: I am not alone in this thinking. Millions of people my age are now considering some kind of life insurance since we can't really afford any kind of health insurance that would prolong our lives. Yeah. It's a pretty grim outlook for those who are past childbearing age but have not yet reached retirement age.

Technorati Tags: insurance

GRAN TORINO

Clint Eastwood is still as tough a figure as you'd want in Gran Torino (2008; R). From the gravelly voice to the weathered face to the tough-as-nails grit in his soul, Walt Kowalski is everything you'd expect an Eastwood character to be -- and more.

Having just lost his precious wife, and having been fairly distant from his children and grandchildren for years, Walt discovers that his Asian neighbors aren't the people he thought they'd be in his racially biased mind. He was a Korean War veteran who carried a burden of guilt for his own actions during wartime, and he was not willing to forgive himself. Through a series of incidents, including the teen Hmong boy attempting to steal his mint condition 1972 Ford Gran Torino car, he learns that he himself has more depth and courage than he could ever have imagined.

Walt is a fix-it man. He levels his neighbors washing machine so it doesn't rock when it's being used, and he repairs everything from the kitchen drain to the Danze faucets in both his own house and his neighbor's. The Hmong boy tries to make reparations for his misdeed by doing chores for Walt, and through this week of amends they become close.

Walt tries to be a fix-it man in the boy's and his sister's lives.

No spoiler from me. Watch this movie. It really is an amazing story, but know that the character Walt uses all kinds of foul language and racial slurs throughout the film.

Technorati Tags: Clint Eastwood,movie,Gran Torino

THE MIST

Well, if you want the heebeejeebies scared out of you, The Mist (2007; R) is the movie to see. I just watched it and it's now getting dark outside. I'm thinking I'll turn on ALL the lights in the house and hope we don't get fog tonight!

This is Stephen King at his scariest. Lots of "jump" scenes along with enough mystery and pure terror to startle the most stoic of souls. This story combines the great "what ifs" of a government experiment gone terribly wrong and how people will respond to a terrifying incident that both divides and unites people. It explores the baser, more evil side of the human mind with the way it addresses proposed "solutions" to rid a community of this evil presence.

Keep the lights on while you watch it or you'll probably have a stroke when your cat jumps on the couch beside you!

Technorati Tags: movie,Stephen King,The Mist

THE NINTH GATE

Another Johnny Depp movie, but not just any Johnny Depp movie. A thriller, to be sure, The Ninth Gate (1999; R)tells us about a dealer in rare books who finds himself fighting demons both real and imaginary as he seeks to learn whether certain limited editions of the devil's bible are real or not.

Deep secrets and revelations abound in his journey to locate and interview other book owners, some of whom may or may not possess an authentic version of the evil book. He isn't a particularly physical person since he really only acquires and sells rare books, but you'd think he'd been working out with Kettlebells when he faces off with one of the more psychotic characters in the movie.

Technorati Tags: The Ninth Gate,Johnny Depp

Billy Mays passes

We've lost another celebrity. Billy Mays, who made his name in marketing through infomercials, was found dead in his home today. You know him. He pitched OxyClean and Orange Clean, convincing us all of the effectiveness and safety of those products. And, he was right.

We loved his enthusiasm and energy when it came to selling his wares. Only 50 years old, he still had a great potential to woo us over to other products that would have helped us daily.

We'll miss him.