Movie Review: The Shrimp on the Barbie... Have Shrimp? Will Travel

Australians will tell anyone that shrimp in Australia are called prawns and barbie is slang for barbecue. So, for American audiences, the title of the film became “The Shrimp on the Barbie.” Except in Europe, where the title was changed, since Mattel owns the brand: Barbie. If you want to sound cosmopolitan, be sure to say when visiting Australia to "throw another prawn on the barbie."

In this movie, the shrimp, or prawn, on the barbie is Carlos, an American transplant in Australia, who jumps from one fire to another in this romantic comedy.

*****

The Shrimp on the Barbie

Down on his luck and working in a Mexican restaurant in Australia, an American tourist is hired by an icy heiress to pose as an obnoxious new boyfriend in an attempt to make her father accept her current boyfriend.

IMDB

*****Spoiler Time*****

The Breakdown

Poor Carlos (played by Cheech Marin), he moves from America to Australia to hit it big: financially. His girlfriend stayed behind as he chased his dreams to become stable and secure, in order to marry her. After he flies Downunder, he discovers that his prospects go from bad to worse. Not only is the mansion that was supposed to be awaiting him a bust, but so is the Mexican restaurant he is employed at as a waiter. Soon, he receives a Dear John letter from his girlfriend, who is set to marry his best friend. To top it all off, he screws up a high-profile birthday at the restaurant.

Depressed, Carlos is desperate to help his boss save the restaurant from foreclosure, he ends up taking a deal from Alexandra Hobart (played by Emma Samms), a rich, entitled woman whose only goal is to marry Bruce. Her father sees that her taste in men has declined, but drives a hard bargain with Alexandra: give up Bruce and the next boyfriend, no matter how terrible, he will approve. This sets into motion Alexandra recruiting the bad waiter, Carlos, from her father’s birthday party for assistance for the sum of five thousand dollars.

Carlos sees a way to save the restaurant. Alexandra sees a way to beat her father at his own game. On the periphery, her father (played by Terrence Cooper) overhears a conversation between Carlos and Alexandra about their deal, and sets them up as well as Bruce.

In the end, Alexandra realizes that the sensitive Carlos has more redeeming qualities as a man than the exuberant and crude Bruce. With her new perspective, she admits to her father what she had done. He in turn hands her the photographs that show the real Bruce in action: sleeping with her best friend and beating up Carlos.

After showing their mutual friends the photos at Bruce’s birthday party, Alexandra rushed to the Mexican restaurant to apologize to Carlos. Unfortunately, Carlos packed his things and bought a return ticket to American. Alexandra rushes to the airport, but the plane has already taxied out. Her father calls the president of the company and has Carlos escorted to the terminal.

The pair is reunited. With the help of her father’s investment in the Mexican restaurant, it is saved. Carlos sees his dreams of helping his friend, gaining financial improvement, and finding love come true.

*****
The Review

Carlos: Who died and made you Darth Vader, huh?

The Shrimp on the Barbie is an underrated and understated film. It will never win an Academy Award, but this 90s film has its merits. The characters grow and change into better people, except for the two antagonists, of course.

The protagonists come to some personal revelations. Carlos learns that with perseverance he can achieve his goals. Alexandra learns that not everything that glitters is gold. Diamonds in the rough can be more precious. Her father learns that his daughter is a grown woman who may need guidance, but not his manipulation, and refried beans are good!

And, watch out for Joeys! They pack a mean punch.

Purchased from Prime Video.

Note: This film was released at 86 minutes with a PG-13 rating. The video version features a minute of additional footage (including nudity) and is rated R.

*****

The Tally

My review will be posted on Prime as well as IMDB.

Prime... 4.5 (4) out of 5 stars

IMDB... 8.5 (8) out of 10 stars

Have a great and wonderful day.

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On My Poetry Forum for Review: Eggnog Dreams

Eggnog Dreams is a holiday classic in the making.

This poem is in the creative comedic vane as Lampoon's Christmas Vacation and Dr. Demento. Eggnog Dreams will be a part of the chapbook called: Oracle. This spirited holiday poem will be located on Undawnted's YouTube Channel. Read it for yourself and leave a comment. 

 

If you like strange humor and morality plays, then you will love this fable-inspired poem, especially the ending!

Have a great and wonderful day. 

______

 

Undawnted's YouTube Channel offers poetry shorts to full-fledged poetry feature films in our Poetry Slam section. This new playlist will give you more of the rhymes you crave.

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Storytelling: What is Love? Can We Read Our Way to Fulfillment or Should We Demand a Refund?

As a writer, I am faced with making life choices for my characters and how love affects their lives. 

Do they have Eros, or erotic love? A fancy, an admiration? Or is their love quest something deeper? Perhaps even unrequited? 

How a writer views love in their own reality often reflects how characters in their imagination view the concept. Have you been thwarted by love? Been love sick? Maybe even a hopeless romantic? 

Eroticism can be written and sold like an old hooker in the night. No one sees. No one cares. The reader just needs a fix like an addict. Sex, please. Served in fifty shades of something.

RomComs are always fun to watch on the screen. For some reason, we [the audience] do not get tired of the retelling of Shakescpeare's Taming of the Shrew. 

Then there is the unrequited variety. We see someone from across the room we would like to hold and cherish but never do. We sit in our own delusion while life passes us by. That can be so dissatisfying to the audience. 

The next category is my favorite one besides the Taming of the Shrew, and that is the hopeless romantic. I agree with Jane Austen's assessment that every girl should marry up. I qualify that statement with a handsome, generous soul with means and connections. If a girl is going up in the world, she might as well go all the way. Shouldn't we say? 

No matter the love genre, a writer needs to write the characters as people and not as literary devices just for a boring sex scene. We want the meat and potatoes! The audience expects a well rounded couple for a good old fashioned romp! Ups and downs, heartache and pain, finally the reward for the faith and fidelity of their hearts. 

Unless of course you just want to stare at him or her from across the room for the rest of your life?

If you want to experience the beginning of a budding romance, then check out my first book in the vampire series, Nocturnal Redemption: In the Eye of the Beholder. 

Ryan Blackburn is a mythology professor. She has studied and built her life around her family legend: the protectors of humanity from the creatures that walk the night. One slight catch: she actually meets a pack of werewolves and a lone vampire on his nightly rounds. Her legends weren't so mythical after all.

In the coming days and weeks, Ryan is lured into the vampire's world called: The Lair. A slow but strong bond is formed between the vampire captain, Jeremy, and Ryan. Just as the politics that brought them together could easily tear them apart. 

Will Jeremy and Ryan choose each other? Or, will they go their separate ways? 

So when you write about love in your stories... what color of love are you? Black and white? Gray? 

We have to remember when we write about the heart, that we must write that the love story is the heart of the matter. And what matters is how the readers see us reflected in our respect for the affairs of the heart. I want to mirror the hopeless romantic in all of us. Love is a gift. When two people find love then we should nurture their inquisitiveness. No one is ever satisfied with a love that is unrequited. 

We as writers have to be the love Santa for a love starved populace. We have to write that great love story to keep our love Santa from getting stuck in the chimney of life. What did you expect? Cupid wasn't helping this along anyway...

Speaking of which, Valentine's Day is only 46 more days away!

Have a great and wonderful day.

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Inspiration for Booklets

What inspires the writer inside? 

I was asked this question recently. What inspires me to write my booklets? Mainly it is frustration. 

Surprising? It should not be. 

When I chat with people online or read comments at the end of articles, I get frustrated with the lack of information in respondents' remarks. From the complete lack of knowledge on current events, science, or just using common sense, I can see that people are not looking into for that which they speak, but parroting what they hear on television or reading online. 

That is frustrating. 

So I have been mad and upset when I try to inform people of what is fact versus fiction. [Insert laughter here.] Believe me, that is the truth of the matter. So I came up with this concept. Instead of using the direct approach, I should use the educational approach. 

People do not want to read long, heavily footnoted books. People want a quick read that can be done after dinner, before school, or during lunch at work. My booklets fit those scenarios. 

Under 50 pages so far and with a bibliography of online resources, usually from the historical or original document, my booklets can be easily read, discerned, and researched by anyone. Problem solved. 

So the next time I go online and read propaganda, I can paste the url to one of my booklets and educate people. No more frustration. No more anger. No more propaganda. 

I love it when a plan comes together! 

Have a great and wonderful day.

A New Life; A New Path

I love my Rune set.

Runes are a great way to figure out where you are on your spiritual journey. I started this blog/website to begin anew. That is what the Runes told me. 

I am to begin a new path.

That is what I like about spiritual divination. I'm not looking for winning lottery numbers, even though that would be nice; I'm seeking knowledge. Knowledge of myself, my path, and the universe.

The Rune I pulled is of completion. My old life, old ways of doing things have come to an end. That is why I have a few projects to do as my priority. Books I need to edit and send out into the publishing world, personal business, and medical issues.

All have culminated into the now.

But I also must ground myself and meditate. Free from external and negative influences, I will prevail.

Positive energy, humor are my guides now. I wonder if the universe means I should watch more Jeff Dunham or Lewis Black? Hmm...

Have a great and wonderful day!

Blood Oath; Blood War Debut

In the past I have written many stories, but none so experimental as Blood War. 

Crime drama, family story, comedy, and horror all rolled into one piece. I like taking an established genre and mixing in other elements. That is how Blood War began.

I have placed the story on a writer's forum for critiques. The positive feedback I received was amazing. I never knew readers were so hungry for new. 

Over time, I have edited, added, and polished the story to fit within the definition of a horror novel. The additions have created a better story that I named: Blood Oath; Blood War. I cannot wait to publish this emotive and provocative story.

To read more about this novel and my other writings, please go to the Fiction page.

I hope to publish the book this coming October 1st.

*****
Blood Oath; Blood War is: In the Name of Blood find the novel in the Long Fiction section.

Just Laughing at Myself

It could be worse, I tell myself.

Then I look at the world around me and think: nah, this situation is totally out of control.

It's difficult to sit back and do nothing. Since I have a disability that precludes me in participating in life in general, I have to discover how to change the world but still keep my sense of humor. 

It's difficult.

I'm glad I have my other blogs. One I get to be the objective observer. The other I get to be as humorous, sarcastic, and brash as I want to be. I come back here to see the world through the glasses of a temperate personality.

All are aspects of myself. Although, I do love to be humorous, it's my style. I enjoy making people laugh as well as see a different perspective. 

Today, I want everyone to find humor in serious situations they find themselves in. if you can lift your spirits and the energy around you, then you can begin to make the changes in your life that you want to see. 

Higher vibrations lead us out of our problems. 

So have a great and humorous day. I think I'm going to put on my Lewis Black and Jeff Dunham DVDs so I too can see the forest through the trees.