Staff/Contact Info Advertise Classified Ads Submission Guidelines

 

MY SUN DAY NEWS

Proudly Serving the Community of
Sun City in Huntley
 
News & Features Columnists Editorials Hang Your Hat Obituaries My Huntley News

December 4, 2014

Tom Sansom

Income/expenses preparedness

This is the fourth in an ongoing series of columns about building a Roadmap for your executor/heirs to follow in the event you are incapacitated or not here to guide them. The Roadmap should contain a litany of necessary information and need not be shared with anyone until needed. The only ABSOLUTE is to be sure your executor knows it exists and where to find it.

FURY: not for the faint of heart but heartfelt nonetheless

“Ideals are peaceful, history is violent.” So sayeth Staff Sgt. Don Collier, commander of the tank unit named Fury, as they slog their way through the last days of the war in Europe, headed for Berlin.

Common-sense preparations

This is the third in a continuing series on building a Roadmap for your executor/heirs to follow in the event you are not there to guide them.

Organizing electronic access

Our last column began the discussion of preparing a “Roadmap” for your executor or heirs to follow in the event you are unable to assist with managing your personal affairs. I should add that this map could well be an asset for a surviving spouse in the event they are not the one who manages that aspect of your lives.

Gone Girl – where oh where can she be?

Several months back, looking for something to read, I Googled the New York Times best-seller list and up popped the book “Gone Girl.” I’d not heard of it but sales of over 6.5 million copies and months on the list convinced me to give it a try. When I finished reading, I realized that author Gillian Flynn had crafted a mystery quite unlike anything else I had read before.

Planning for the worst-case scenario

The sudden and unexpected loss of a family member several years ago set the wheels in motion for a comprehensive look at how my wife and I manage our personal “business” affairs. After the accidental death of one of our son-in-law, I sat down with my daughter to help her sort through the finances, as her husband had taken care of all aspects of that part of their lives.

This is Where I Leave You, and good riddance

The audience certainly enjoyed this movie. Billed as a comedy, there was plenty of laughter throughout from those in attendance. Unfortunately, much of the humor was based on profanity and/or sexual innuendos, which limited the enjoyment for your frequently cynical movie critic.

Boyhood: An unusual look at life

This is an extraordinary film and in many respects worthy of the four star accolades awarded it by most main stream movie critics. Unfortunately Richard Linklater, the creator, writer and director, chose to stuff the story full of unneeded, unnecessary, and useless profanity, which, for many, will diminish this otherwise brilliant piece of work.

The Hundred-Foot Journey – a trip worth taking

It’s been a while since I walked out of the theatre with a smile on my face, but it was hard not to after watching this one. Steven Spielberg’s 51st movie continues his remarkable streak of terrific films, and while this one may not rival his mega hits, it is a solid evening’s entertainment.

LUCY: weak minded

“It’s the neuroscience myth that just refuses to go away. No, you do not use only ten percent of your brain. In fact, scientists say most of your brain is active all the time.”

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, a post- apocalyptic failure

On April 1, 2014 Oakland University, located in Rochester, Mi., announced a new Bachelor’s Degree in “Post-Apocalyptic Survival Studies,” no doubt driven by the number of major motion pictures depicting that scenario. Fortunately, it was an April fool’s joke, but it wouldn’t surprise me if someday soon, they go forward with it.

The Edge of Tomorrow: An out of the box thriller

If you love wild and wooly science fiction, with outrageous plots, lots of action, death and destruction, or if you just happen to like Tom Cruise movies, then this might be a three star rating for you.

Godzilla, buckle your seatbelt

This is a great “popcorn movie.” No social agendas, no lingering concerns, just a great action/adventure film. From the opening moments there is no rest as this story quickly unfolds, and you are hooked.

‘Million Dollar Arm’ – a little overpriced

Two new releases hit the suburban theatres last Thursday, just in time for this week’s column. One of them was Million Dollar Arm, the other was Godzilla. A no brainer right? Well, I’m not sure.

‘The Railway Man’ – a great ride

Several things about this movie before delving into the storyline. First, it is brilliantly produced, written, directed, and acted. The technical details, such as sets, costumes, and cinematography are all Oscar level in my opinion, and they only add to an already impressive production.

‘Heaven is for Real’ – book it

The audience applause at the end of this movie confirmed that I wasn’t the only attendee who appreciated this amazing story. At the beginning of the film the following words appear on the screen: “Heaven Is For Real, Based on A True Story.”

‘Noah’ floods the screen with special effects, little else

There have been countless articles written about this movie, dating back a year or more, most of them about the controversy surrounding the script. Since the biblical account, narrated in the Book of Genesis chapters six through nine, is short on detail, it left the writers a great deal of leeway in building the story.

‘The Grand Budapest Hotel’ a colorful look at dark comedy

I picked an early Monday afternoon matinee to see “The Grand Budapest Hotel” at a cinema where parking is almost impossible, and the theatre was packed. The cashier told me most showings over the weekend were sold out.

‘3 Days to Kill’ just makes it across the line

I’ve never seen a Kevin Costner movie that I didn’t like, even the ones panned by critics. Somehow his persona on screen makes even mundane movies acceptable – at least to me. This is most assuredly one of those cases.

Unrequited love not enough to warm up confounding ‘Winter’s Tale’

The first 20 to 30 minutes of this movie are difficult to follow. Jumping quickly from one century to another, there seems to be neither rhyme nor reason to what we’re seeing. Things are complicated further by mumbled lines and whispers between the actors, compounded by their British accents.