If I Could Do Anything for a Day…

Posted on November 9, 2021 by Robert Lockard, the Deja Reviewer

My team at work likes to do fun things to liven up our meetings. One of those things is to have participants answer a series of questions. At the start of October, a longtime coworker of mine was the first to answer this question, “If you could do anything for a day, what would you do?” He did so lightheartedly, expressing a wish to play at the Augusta National Golf Club. Golf is something he loves to do for fun.

He then picked me to answer the question at the next meeting. When I accepted, I warned everyone, “My answer is going to be quite shocking.” I wasn’t going to give the expected response of going on vacation or achieving some other fleeting fancy. I was going to do something of much more lasting consequence.

Knowing that I wouldn’t be able to express everything I wanted to on a whim, I decided to write down my answer. And now you get to read exactly what I told them. Prepare to be shocked. Continue reading →

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Forgotten Film Gems: Almost an Angel

Posted on November 2, 2021 by Robert Lockard, the Deja Reviewer

In one of Crocodile Dundee’s quieter moments, the titular character waxes philosophical in the presence of his newfound love Sue Charlton. He notes, “I read The Bible once. You know, God and Jesus and all them apostles? They were all fishermen, just like me. Yeah, straight to heaven for Mick Dundee. Yep, me and God, we’d be mates.” Mate is Australian for friend or buddy.

That was a touching moment because it shows that Dundee isn’t just a worldly man. He understands there’s more to life than just surviving. Wouldn’t it be great if there was a whole movie built on that one wonderful bit of dialogue?

As it turns out, there is! It’s called Almost an Angel, and it was also written by Paul Hogan, and he stars in it, too. I remember hearing about it as a kid, but I never sat down and watched it until my wife got curious and checked it out from the library a few weeks ago. It turned out to be way better than I could have expected.

I’d like to share what makes it a forgotten film gem in my eyes. Continue reading →

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No Article Today

Posted on October 26, 2021 by Robert Lockard, the Deja Reviewer

I apologize to my wonderful readers, but I am unable to publish a new article today. I have several written, but my support staff and I are too sick to make use of them. It’s actually just my wife and me doing all of this. It has been a rough week, so that’s why we haven’t had a chance to add a new article. I try to plan ahead for times like this, but even my best efforts fall through sometimes.

I’ll spare you the details of the illness, but I trust I’ll be fit as a fiddle soon.

This is the Deja Reviewer bidding you farewell until we meet again.

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The Sixth Sense Meets Universal Soldier

Posted on October 19, 2021 by Robert Lockard, the Deja Reviewer

Universal Soldier is all about reanimated corpses of soldiers who have to take extreme measures to continue functioning. One way they do that is by covering themselves in ice to cool down their body temperatures.

That got me thinking. The kid in The Sixth Sense is able to see dead people. In that film’s most iconic scene, Cole Sear not only admits to that fact, but he also clarifies the kinds of dead people he sees in Universal Soldier. Continue reading →

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The Quality I Admire Most in James Bond

Posted on October 12, 2021 by Robert Lockard, the Deja Reviewer

I imagine most people admire James Bond for his good looks, charm, wit, strength, and attractiveness to high-class women. Those are all positive qualities. But what I admire most about him is his ability to stay cool in high-pressure situations. Continue reading →

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3 Lessons I Learned from Being Miraculously Healed

Posted on October 5, 2021 by Robert Lockard, the Deja Reviewer

Sometimes I have to go through an extremely painful situation to learn a valuable lesson. This happened once again last month. And I learned three important things from it. Continue reading →

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Upcoming Movies I’m Looking Forward to Watching

Posted on September 28, 2021 by Robert Lockard, the Deja Reviewer

I don’t believe I’ve ever done a list of upcoming movies I’m interested in seeing in theaters. The following are films I can’t stand to wait for. I have to actually go to the theater to enjoy them or I may burst from excitement. Okay, maybe it’s not that extreme, but I’m genuinely intrigued by what these films have to offer. On with the list. Continue reading →

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30 Movies Featuring 2+ Batman Movie Villain Actors

Posted on September 21, 2021 by Robert Lockard, the Deja Reviewer

Batman has one of the best rogues’ galleries in the history of comic books. Joker, Penguin, Riddler, Two-Face, Catwoman, Mr. Freeze, and Poison Ivy are all household names on par with Batman and Robin. Since the 1960s, quite a few actors have put their stamps on these and other villainous characters as they brought them to the screen. These include:

  • Cesar Romero
  • Burgess Meredith
  • Jack Nicholson
  • Jack Palance
  • Danny DeVito
  • Christopher Walken
  • Michelle Pfeiffer
  • Tommy Lee Jones
  • Jim Carrey
  • Arnold Schwarzenegger
  • Uma Thurman
  • Liam Neeson
  • Tom Wilkinson
  • Ken Watanabe
  • Cillian Murphy
  • Rutger Hauer
  • Heath Ledger
  • Aaron Eckhart
  • Ron Dean
  • Eric Roberts
  • Chin Han
  • Tom Hardy
  • Marion Cotillard
  • Jesse Eisenburg

I had a fun thought that many of these actors starred together in other films. And once I started down that rabbit hole, I couldn’t be satisfied until I’d explored it thoroughly. I hunted high and low for obscure movies, and I now present my long list of 30 films to you.

Continue reading →

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Jerry Goldsmith and John Barry Gave Us 2 Iconic Sci-Fi Scores Each in 1979

Posted on September 14, 2021 by Robert Lockard, the Deja Reviewer

I love the work of composers Jerry Goldsmith and John Barry. They produced so many beautiful scores over the course of their careers. So imagine my delight when I recently realized that each of them created two sublime pieces of music for 1979 sci-fi films. Their music has gone on to become absolute classics, and I’d like to share them with you. Continue reading →

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I’m Concerned About the Future of My Alma Mater

Posted on September 7, 2021 by Robert Lockard, the Deja Reviewer

I debated talking about this at all, but I think it’s an important topic to address. I graduated from Brigham Young University more than a decade ago. My parents attended that same school many years before, but they never pressured any of their children to follow in their footsteps. For me, it was a perfectly fine school that challenged me to do better, kicked me in the pants a few times when I didn’t, and ultimately expanded my horizons. I even met my wife there. So I’m eternally indebted to it.

After I graduated, I didn’t look back. College was just a means to an end for me. There was too much to do to worry about my alma mater. Finding a job, getting married, raising kids, and buying a house became my priorities. BYU is part of my past, and I wanted it to remain there. I currently live just one city away from the Provo campus, though I had intended to live in Washington state. A wise wife has a way of changing a man’s plans. Continue reading →

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