Enchanted

After seeing the previews for Enchanted, I went with low expectations. I assumed I would see the same fairy tale clichés common to princess/prince movies: princess/prince falls into peril, princess/prince saved by prince/princess who overcomes insurmountable odds, prince and princess fall in love…. Oh yeah, and along the way princess/prince learns important life lessons about who she/he is and that she/he needs to follow her/his dreams to find true happiness and love. All these clichés were there in one way or another but they were presented in such a fresh way that also cleverly poked fun at them that the movie ended up being a real delight. I found myself laughing out loud numerous times. Patrick Dempsey as the disillusioned family law attorney was terrific. James Marsden as the prince played each cliché to annoying and hilarious perfection. However it is Amy Adams as the princess Giselle who completely steals the show. Her portrayal of the princess lost in New York City was a charmer. I hope we get to see her in many other movies. With her new success in the family market, I hope she doesn’t seek out more supposedly “serious” roles that will allow her to display her “true capacity” as an artist (i.e. the rated R market with all that entails -- though she may have already played such roles for all I know). Jane read in the LA Times that Adams grew up in a Mormon family in Colorado but that the family left the church when her parents divorced and that the church has not had much bearing on her faith. We took the whole family to the show and I felt it was appropriate for them all. I don’t remember any swearing. There was one exchange where Dempsey’s girlfriend complains about his “rules” in not letting her spend the night at his apartment (which was actually a good thing but may raise questions for kids). At one point, Giselle accidentally falls on top of the Dempsey character in her towel after getting out of the shower. There were some cartoon-type action sequences and a dragon that might be scary to young children. I would have been happier with a bit more modesty in the dresses worn by Adams which were similar to what you would see in a Pride and Prejudice type period piece. 4 Beavers.

Review of August Rush by Allen IV

[Thanks to Allen IV for this review --ACO]

I saw August Rush. The storyline and plot were good, but the visual and audio parts of the film were very amazing. For example, when August Rush (the main character) stumbles into New York City for the first time, the filmmakers did a great job in making the audience feel like they were in the city and were very small and insignificant. The loud metallic noises were intensified and the camera views were quick and shaky making the audience feel very nervous for August. The points of view and settings were well thought out. The way that the filmmakers used noise and sound to narrate the story was very unique. One problem was that the movie dragged on a little and was a bit too long. Overall I think that it was a great movie -- worth the ten dollars.

Laguna Niguel 4th Ward Gets New Bishop

I was released last Sunday as Bishop, along with my counselors Alan Keddington and Mark Pay. The new bishop is Scott Shreeve with Matt Eyre and Ray Damiano as counselors. Scott was the bishop of the Laguna Hills 2nd ward before recent boundary changes placed his home in the Laguna Niguel 4th ward.

People have asked if I feel lighter or if I feel free. The short answer is "no." I still feel the same worries and concerns and desires for people's lives that I felt before. The only difference is that now it will be somebody else's responsbility to direct ward efforts with respect to strenghtening those families. I will still be able to (and should continue to) work as an individual (or as part of whatever calling I receive) to bless their lives. I suppose all of us who have been to the temple should have those same feelings -- we should all feel the concern that our bishops, stake presidents, and church president feel and act in our own individual ways to remedy those concerns. From a practical standpoint, in the future I will not be privy to the confidential problems that people face. The resulting ignorance will perhaps mean a lessening of stress for me.


Alan Keddington, Allen Ostergar, Mark Pay

Beaver Alert! Allen IV gets accepted to BYU for Fall 2008

Rise and shout the Cougars are out -- and a beaver is in! Allen IV learned on November 16, 2007 that he was accepted to attend BYU-Provo starting in the fall of 2008. Is he a bodacious beaver or what?!

Look for this happy face at the Cougareat!

New York Pizzeria vs. New York Upper Crust Pizza – Best Slice of Pizza in Orange County

It is the end of AYSO soccer season. I coached Ruth’s team – the Red Rubies. At the first practice of the season, one of the seven year old girls asked if she could throw her ball at me. I said “no” but she threw it at me anyway. I batted it away. As she walked toward her ball to retrieve it she turned, glared at me, and said, “I’m going to kill you…. I’m going to kill you, with a knife!” I knew then that it was going to be a difficult season. Fortunately that girl never brought a knife, the team pulled together, and we had a great time.

We held our team party at New York Pizzeria on the corner of Aliso Creek and Moulton. Unfortunately, I can’t recommend their pizza. We ordered a cheese pizza and a combination (the New York special). Both pizza’s were soggy in the middle which made it hard to pick them up and not as pleasing to eat. We had to eat half the slice (assuming that you start eating from the middle rather than from the crust end) with a knife and fork until we got past the soggy part. That’s just not how Pizza should be eaten. 2 Beavers for New York Pizzeria.

Around the corner, on the other hand, is New York Upper Crust Pizza (on Greenfield and Rancho Niguel). I recently wrote about the best Hamburger in Orange County. You are now going to hear about the best slice of Pizza. From time to time I order pizza by the slice for lunch. Their Greek pizza is simply heavenly. There is no tomato sauce on this pizza -- just mozzarella, feta, artichoke hearts, tomatoes, garlic and a green herb (basil I think). No sogginess here. The crust is thin (the way I prefer it) and is perfectly done every time. They also have stuffed pizzas (that include a crust on top). If you go, try the dough knots, a variation of garlic bread made with olive oil and garlic. By the way, Martha agrees with me about the Greek pizza being the best, so I must be right. Ordered by the slice, it is the best slice of pizza I have ever had. 5 Beavers for the Greek pizza. 4 Beavers for the worker who always gives Martha extra food and a big smile. He’s got the fever!

Mary's Mandatories -- The Trouble with Nostrils

[We welcome the sage advice of Mary Falck as a new feature to Ostergar Family Reviews. We look forward to many more. --ACO]

Welcome Beavers to my new column! I am Dr. Mary and I graduated from Spot For Dorks University in 1983. So anyways, I publish a column every so often in Ostergar Family Reviews.

Ok. According to recent hard studies, the laws of science have proved that flaring your nostrils is a frequent occurrence that happens often to the Ostergars. If you are an Ostergar, or have been around Ostergars, and this happens to you, here is my advice:

At night, you should put some orange juice on your toothbrush and sleep with it in your mouth. It usually works……

Ballard Street -- Guest Review by Martha Ostergar

I love the comic strip Ballard Street by Jerry Van Amerongen. It’s quirky and at times strange but it makes me laugh more often than not. (Maybe that has something to do with my quirky and strange brain?) I visit this website everyday and every time I open the link, there’s always a bit of that “Christmas Morning Anticipation.” I just can’t wait to see what he’s come up with! It’s not everyone’s cup of tea but I hope some of you enjoy it. 4 1/2 beavers out of 5. Love, Martha.

http://www.comics.com/creators/ballardst/

Allen's Top Ten Movies of All Time (At Least for This Week)

Here are my top ten movies of all time. It's difficult to put them in order. And they may change next week if I remember more.

1) Sound of Music (Sit down and watch five minutes of this movie, at any part of it, and you will be hooked. Too bad the radiant Julie Andrews can't be everybody's governess.)
2) Ben Hur (Epic pageantry -- everything about this movie is Big! Ramming speed!)
3) Batman Begins (I think Batman strikes such a cord in me because he has no super powers. He makes me feel like, "Hey, I could do that if I had that cool belt and car." Gary Oldman as the good cop was awesome -- he's the same guy who plays Sirius Black in the Potter movies.)
4) Raiders of the Lost Ark (Adventure, romance, Nazi's get toasted. It doesn't get much better.)
5) Its a Wonderful Life (Depressed? Watch this. Dave O., let's hear it: "Merry Christmas Mr. Potter!)
6) Persuasion (With Amanda Root. That scene at the end when the girl finally gets her man is one of the most touching/moving scenes of film.)
7) The Incredibles (How can a cartoon blow you away like that?)
8) Nacho Libre (Eeets thee best! Get that corn outa my face! I hate all the orphans in the whole world! Beeg keess, leetle keess, leetle hug, beeg hug. Summon your eagle powers and watch this. It gets quoted over and over and over in our family.)
9) The Great Escape (Based on a true story -- American and British spirit and ingenuity against the Nazis. Steve McQueen's memorable motorcycle scene is a classic.)
10) Casablanca (Play it again and again, Sam. I love the part when Claude Raines saves the day.)

Have I missed any? Send me your lists or additions and I will post them. Josh Harmon? What's your view from an industry insider's position? (And don't tell me Citizen Kane -- that movie was lame.)

Luciana Souza -- Duos

Whether or not you've been to Brazil or know anything about its people or culture, there is something about its music that is inherently pleasing to the ear. Its soothing rythms penetrate directly to the senses, evoking palm fronds waving gently in a warm ocean breeze, white sand beaches, and juices of exotic fruits dripping down your chin. Brazilian female vocalists, expecially in the Bossa Nova style, typically sing with very little vibrato, requiring them to move through their phrasing with an exactness that only adds to the pleasing sound. I recently purchased the CD "Duos" by Luciana Souza who follows this tradition with wonderful results. As the title suggest, there are only two musicians that perform on each of the songs: Luciana sings with a single guitarist (her own father on some of the songs). There is no overproducing of the music here. With no percussion, background strings or base line, Luciana's voice is completely exposed -- and that is a very good thing. Her voice is extraordinary. I am sure that what I hear as I play the CD in my car is the same sound I would hear if I were sitting with Luciana and her guitarist in a café in Rio. Though she remains restrained, there is an underlying power carrying this music that is missing with airy "girl-next-door" voices such as Astrud Gilberto's that helped popularize Bossa Nova music (though I love that sound too). I listened to this CD 5 or 6 time straight through without getting tired of it. I also felt myself suddenly wanting to write poetry and do nice things for my wife.

Duos was released in 2002 and Luciana has since released a follow up called "Duos II" that I am excited to purchase (or get for Christmas... hint, hint). This year she has a new album called "The New Bossa Nova" that appears to feature some American song classics with what is no doubt a very Brazilian interpretation. I will be catching her in concert in San Diego on March 1 and report further then. (Sara and Jaron, she is performing at Duke University on January 8.) 4 Beavers for "Duos." You can check out Luciana's cool website at http://www.lucianasouza.com/flash.html.

Nancy Recommends Gingers -- "Tastes So good You'll Forget It's Good For You."

Thanks to Nancy Ostergar for the following review:

Want something delicious and healthy…Ginger’s is your answer. A small, unassuming café is doing a great little business as part of Christopher’s Herb Shop on 188 S. Main Street in Springville, Utah. They now serve lunch and dinner. You can usually park right on the street, but they do have a small off-street parking lot. They serve yummy organic soups, sandwiches (on their own bread), vegetarian & vegan dishes, smoothies sweetened with agave, and they make their own salad dressings. They use mostly raw ingredients. You can purchase their salad dressings and homemade crackers, desserts, etc. The menu is printed on the wall and they have daily specials too. Since Allen’s by-pass surgery, we have to choose our eating out experiences wisely (we are food snobs too). We love Ginger’s.
http://www.gingersgardencafe.com/