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 Undawnted, Life Matters When Writing

Tonight on Undawnted...

I did a load of dishes. I fed the birds and cats. I cooked dinner. I will be putting a chicken in the oven later this evening to keep the house warm. Then I will do a load of laundry after that. 

Well, I cannot sit around and write all day! 

Did you know that motivating helps your brain? If you get stuck writing, then take a walk or do some chores. Sunbathing is nice too. That is what I do. 

With a chicken done, then I don't have to worry about cooking large meals for a few days. That is nice when you have 20K more words to write, and you don't want to break your concentration for too long. 

The notes and scenes I will be doing this week will be enough to keep my mind busy. With the paying of my last two bills in the next couple of days, I won't have any money to spend. So, good thing I am a creative writer. Everything I need is in my head. 

After Immortal Spellcaster is at my formatter on the 20th, I will be doing my Movie Reviews. Isn't that exciting? Spoilers too. (I give a warning!) I like to do five in depth reviews a month. I wanted to be a movie critic when I was a teen. Now, I am. I like how that worked out for me. 

Then the blog/book tour will happen at the end of the month. I want to also add in a Book Events through my Sonoran Dawn publishing house. 

December will begin with me finishing up Immortal Spellcaster. The break of doing reviews and tours will allow me to see my manuscript with fresh eyes. Then I will be able to correct any more mistakes that I may find and add whatever word count is left for me to do. 

If done and polished, Immortal Spellcaster will be entered into a Contest. 

Awesome! 

I would love for the story to place. If so or not, I won't know until late into 2022. If the novel is returned without being optioned, then I will do a few more polish runs before publishing it myself. A good release time would be Winter 2022-23, don't you think? 

December will see me expanding my short story, The Reality Hackers. This science fiction story will be made into a Novelette and entered into another contest. 

That is a good story. I just have to have it in the hands of the right people, and of course, no more formatting issues! When you work with old technology and software, crap happens. You have to keep pressing forward. 

I want to have a few novels and short stories published by third-party publishers in the next five years. As well as, I would like to have some original plays and scripts under production.  

This is the life of a writer. Just make sure not to forget about your real life in the process. I don't. I even add some real life experiences in my fiction to make scenes and characters more realistic. Truth is stranger than fiction... and my truth is way stranger than that. 

 Have a great and wonderful day.

Received Pudding, but Got No Milk

Spit in one hand and wish in the other was a common phrase when I was growing up. 

We did not have money growing on trees. I lived on the clearance side of life and still am. Money was to be budgeted and savored, if you wanted something special. KMart layaway during the holidays was a ritual event. 

Those memories were brought to the forefront when I realized that I finally had my pudding mix, but I had no milk in the refrigerator with which to make it into pudding! 

That is okay. Thanksgiving isn't for another week. I think I can manage getting some organic whole milk between now and then. 

It's just comical how life hands you pudding mix and forgets the main ingredient!

Writing a story is much the same thing. You think you have it all figured out and then your character says to you: hey, what about this? Shit! You drop your pencil and walk away. 

You have to devise plan B. Or, C... maybe even G. 

Isn't writing like life? 

Have a great and wonderful day!

Copyright of Corporate Greed

Information about a certain science fiction franchise that was going after fans for fan fiction and fan videos struck a cord with me. 

As a poet and author of original concepts, characters, and works, I am concerned about overreaching fandom and even outright theft. As a fan of many speculative fiction, fantasy, and horror franchises, I must also weigh the good with the bad. What is and is not considered fandom?

Fandom that is good natured is not out to get corporate profits; it is out to make the franchise eternal. That is what corporations forget in their bid to take over the intellectual property rights of the entire world. The copyright laws here in the United States have been changed, changed, and changed again to accommodate the rights of large companies. In this manner, corporate greed instead of being a positive member of society has erased any type of creativity. 

Many franchises would be dead or non-rebootable if it were not for the fandom. Then where would corporate profits be? Corporations are cutting off their nose despite their face. 

Fandom must also realize that if corporations are so hell bent on locking down all creative ventures then why are we supporting that type of dishonesty? 

Fandom needs to realize that independent authors and creators offer another avenue for creativity: actual originality.  It may not be the old standbys: Star Trek, Star Wars, or whatever is en vogue at the time, but at least the smaller independents will appreciate fandom that is supportive. 

As fans and creators, we must support one another financially as well as emotionally. We must also start a movement to change copyright laws to include everyone, not just corporate monopolies and profits. If we don't, what will be left in a few decades for us to create when all public domain is locked away?  

I think the key is to stop patronizing with money and fandom those franchises that treat their fans like criminals. 

Fandom may not be perfect, but we are not out to "thieve" anything if it is in the spirit of cooperation that is mutually beneficial to the life of a franchise.

Herding Cats

That is what my week has felt like.

I know you cannot herd cats. I have some. Herding is not an option.

Humans however... I had to write a person's lawyer about their negative albeit criminal behaviors. Why can't some people act like adults? You're guess is as good as mine. Then there's going to the store. When you are ill and disabled, a store a mile away seems like a continent away. I feel that I need to find an online solution to grocery shopping. 

Of course the Disneyland measles outbreak. Everyone is panicking. You and your unvaccinated kids are going to make us sick? That's logic. I swear people do not listen to themselves speak or write. If you are vaccinated, what's the worry? Or do people leaving the sham that is vaccinations actually know something you are too afraid to admit to yourself?

Research Linus Pauling Institute, research done on megadoses of IV Vitamin C. The cure for measles and West Nile Virus already exists, but that would take too much money away from large corporations. 

 Well, we are supposed to receive some type of rain here in the desert. The amounts keeps changing, lower and lower, as the planes are seen spreading something above the clouds. Great another toxin to detox. Like I don't have enough illness to go around. 

Okay, I am exhausted again. 

Time for some rest. Nothing on television tonight so I might fall to sleep with Youtube on. 

How about you?

Have a great and wonderful night!

Paying It Forward

Every once and awhile, we come across a creative and generous soul that is selfless, honorable, and compassionate.

Too often in our current time, we find ourselves surrounded by people of faith and wealth that are neither solvent in their hearts as they are not faithful to their commitment of their own religion. We see these individuals on television telling us what is wrong with the world, who is the convenient scapegoat. These morality imposters cry foul as they take more than we can give and still want more when we are broken.

Common ideas are not what makes her tick. She takes action where others fail humanity. For she follows her own compass: true north to where the soul hides its deepest, darkest horrors, yet she does not falter in the face of challenges. She embraces human fragility and seeks to uplift it. Not many individuals can withstand seeing the earth shattering banality of what humans are capable of doing to one another and remain steadfast in their dreams to correct such negativity.

But, she does.

This illustrates a true spiritual warrior. It is beyond the simple foolishness of faith. It is beyond the idle temptations of corruptions like money, power, or influence. For these depravities are child’s play to someone who understands the working of the inner universe, the inner sanctum of humanity, she is above them.

Yet, she has been called upon to shoulder a huge burden in addition to her endless service: cancer. Sometimes a spirit warrior takes on the ills of the physical world wholeheartedly as part of their soul contract. This symptom is what is cured in others by her courageous heart.

Cancer has manifested in her body in order to keep the darkness from seeping back into the human collective consciousness. In her illness, she again spares us.

Everyone who has come into contact with her knows her true spirit: it is breathtaking. I am honored and humbled just by knowing a person like her exists, but to know her in person can make this writer go speechless.

I think it’s time the currency of faith, hearts, and souls should manifest to take that which she has cured in all of us and we should cure in her. In our act of gratitude, we will not only save her, we save ourselves.

She cannot do conventional cancer treatment for HER2 does not respond to chemotherapy or other conventional protocols. She must use specialized medical care that costs a lot of money and is not covered by any insurance company.

If you could repay this spirit warrior for her service and dedication to humanity with anything that you can spare, please donate to the MJ Christian fund:

http://settingthemfree.org/cause/mary-jo-christian/

Let’s appreciate this spirit warrior while she is still here to receive our gratitude.

Thank you.

Budgets, Budgets, Budgets

It seems that every week I am going over my budget.

What did I buy? What did I pay? What has gone through? What hasn't?

Sometimes I just want to throw my ledger out, but then I realize that after all that is said and done I have a few bucks at the end of the month. I can't do anything with a few dollars unless I add it to whatever I have left for next month.

So then I'll have two bucks! hahaha!!!

Writing is a lot like my budget. You put in some more; you take out some more. You have to find a balance or you end up with a bankrupt story. 

Now back to dreaming about what I can do with my stash.

Have a great and wonderful day.