A Vietnam veteran lives next to a cemetery. He spends his time listening to loud Classic Rock, drinking beer, and having fun with his grandkids. But his neighbors are getting tired. They only want to rest in peace.
A short film by Edmundo Barraza
***Note.
The three kids in this short film are my grandchildren, their ‘mom’ is my daughter, and the guy behind the camera is my son. I am the ‘grandpa’, of course.
A Biology professor encounters a cockroach on his chalkboard, struggling to get rid of it, instead, he begins to communicate with the bug. He names the bug Cuca – short for Cucaracha in Spanish. The close alliance seems to improve until someone makes a terrible mistake. 10:24 min. #CUCA #ShortFilm
The Sandy Hook Tragedy
The sign along the northbound lanes of the 99 Freeway, a few miles from Fresno, CA. read: “Guns . . . Next exit.” Another one claims, “Gun Shows Today” (With the American Flag as the background) Children 12 and under are free.
Aren’t you proud to be an American?
I believe we should re-examine our love affair (sick romance, actually) with guns. They don’t protect us from stupid acts. Guns are toys in America. Guns are a dangerous hobby. Guns are a macho accessory. America needs to restrain gun access and ownership, period.
The NRA (National Rifle Association) is brainwashing America through fear and division. All the Osama Bin Ladens of the world love the NRA. Why do we need terrorists, if we are killing ourselves with our millions of guns? (There are 400 million non-military firearms in America.) In six years, sixty thousand people were murdered in the U. S. by firearms.
The second amendment no longer applies as it is written and should be repealed. The second amendment was introduced in 1789, over two hundred years ago. It needs to be amended, corrected, or improved. If all members in Congress were allowed to bear arms they would kill each other and Congress wouldn’t exist. It is time to change our sacred Constitution.
The NRA is one of the most influential lobbying groups in America. They have enormous power over politicians. They pay the politicians to remain silent. The NRA is a controlling mafia. The NRA has no reason to exist. The NRA reminds me of the tobacco industry (those lying bastards) NRA represents money, not protection. My views on the NRA and my distaste for the organization are clear. I know this organization is damaging our country. I express my little opinions with passion, and it’s inevitable that some of you, will passionately disagree with them (my opinions.)
If everybody had a gun every simple argument would often end with death. If gun ownership is supposed to be civil liberty, it is doing the opposite, it’s enslaving us.
Our hearts are broken; our minds divided, and our souls claim peace and change.
From a recent tragedy emerged a lost, sick individual, and from it, it also emerged many loving, protective teachers and amazing forgiving parents. The world is full of anonymous heroes. I know that America is resilient and strong, but I still don’t know if human resiliency is a virtue. But one thing’s for sure; we must never forget tragedies like this.
I’m sure all children in the world are sharing this thought with me now . . . “Guns suck!”
There are many mentally unbalanced persons in the world, and they will always exist. Things are not much different from thousands of years ago.
Cain and Abel are still with us. The only difference is that instead of bones, we now use guns.
God Save America. (From Americans)
Edmundo Barraza Visalia, CA. 12-16-2012
We made this commercial to participate in the “Doritos Crash the Super Bowl” contest. (25 seconds) Don’t forget to subscribe. #DoritosCrashtheSuperBowlContest#BilingualKids#DoritosCommercial IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm9216447/?…
A nymphomaniac recycles her lovers as she sends them to hell one by one. Direction and Screenplay by Edmundo Barraza and Enrique Martin-Valdepeña. Based on a short story by Edmundo Barraza. 6:32 #ShortFilm#LIBIDO IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm9216447/?… Don’t forget to subscribe.
What are the chances of being proposed twice by different men with the same ring? Don’t forget to subscribe. 8:25 #TheLostRing#ShortFilm#Drama IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm9216447/?…
At their father’s funeral, two brothers claiming they ‘wished it had been me’ find themselves shocked when their wish is granted. They argue about who should be the one to really die until the grim reaper appears and they are forced to decide. Don’t forget to subscribe. 3:23 #MySoulToKeep #ShortFilm
IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm9216447/?ref_=pro_nm_visitcons
Un hombre desesperado, el único que queda vivo en su familia trata de encontrar una manera de salir de su miseria. 10:46 #Collapse#ShortFilm#Lockdown#SubtítulosEnEspañol
IMDb — https://www.imdb.com/name/nm9216447/?… Don’t forget to subscribe.
IN ENGLISH
A desperate man, the only one left in his family, tries to find a way out of his misery. He saw the end approaching fast. He thought he owned his life, and he felt lonely. But no one is alone in this world. (made during lockdown) 10:46 #ShortFilm#Collapse#Lockdown IMDb — https://www.imdb.com/name/nm9216447/?… — Don’t forget to subscribe.
This is for my mom and all good mothers in the world.
I came to life this very instant. What an amazing feeling to be able to expand my tiny chest with pride and happiness for the first time, my new world is inside my mom. My mom and dad made me out of pure love. I’m the center of the universe. I’m perfect and innocent, free of sin. I wish I can continue like this until my last breath.
I already believe in God because I know He made me. After all, He allowed my parents to create me. This is truly a miracle to suddenly appear in paradise, the most perfect place in the world . . . my mom’s womb. I’m the king inside my mom, spoiled with immense love, constantly fed, floating in space, and always protected. I will show her my love every day of my life. She gave me life and I will give my life…
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My one hundred favorite movies of all time.
*** I made this list in 2012. I’ve been adding more movies once in a while.
The reason I don’t have a list of my favorite movies on my Facebook page, it’s because just like in the subjects of religion and politics, no one agrees. It’s just a matter of taste and preference. In the subject of movies, everybody is an expert and a critic. But we all agree on one thing . . . nobody’s right. I know my list could be absurd and even ridiculous to everyone else.
Each magazine picks different movies. Each critic has different choices. It’s the same thing with every person. My favorite movies might be dumb choices to everyone else. If I see your list, I might disagree with some of your favorites. That’s why we call ourselves individuals. In the end, all lists are useless because every single mind is different.
The best thing on this Earth might be the individual mind and the assertion that no two minds are alike.
The bible of universal films is the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences or Oscars. (What an arrogant and inflated title) Most people don’t agree with many of their choices. If you are going to trash the ‘experts’, I can’t imagine what you would do with my list. (But I can guess.)
I saw my first movie when I was seven years old, and I was hooked forever. I still remember many details about the movie and even the surroundings of the ‘movie theater’. (The exterior wall of a church was the screen.)
For many years, one of my favorite programs was Siskel and Ebert at the Movies, they later renamed it, Ebert and Roeper. I watched it religiously every Sunday. I thought they were very smart, so smart, that even when one had a thumbs down and the other a thumbs up, I would agree with both of them after they gave their reasons. They made me love the movies even more. And I also enjoyed the end-of-the-year program dedicated to the worst movies of the year. It always gave me great pleasure the fact that I never saw any of the worst films they listed.
Sight and Sound, a respected and revered British film monthly prints every ten years the list of the ten best films of all time, chosen by hundreds of critics from all over the world. It is as close as you can get to fairness and perfection, and still, half the world wouldn’t agree. The 2012 list includes one Japanese film, one Italian, one from Russia, two are French, and five from the USA. Of the ten, three are silent films. The list of the top fifty films from the same magazine shows a universal choice of languages and genres. Out of the top ten movies, I’ve seen eight.
I don’t like Musicals, where everybody is dancing and singing and jumping around and fighting with fake knives. Or when a lady is singing on top of a grassy mountain, followed by a bunch of nerdy, rich kids. That’s not my choice of a good movie. I would not pay to see that. To me, Lawrence of Arabia was a four-hour documentary about sand. I love England but not their movies about kings and queens and boring things. I didn’t like The English Patient or Chariots of Fire that much. Also, if it’s too romantic, I’ll skip it.
So there you have it, now that you know what I don’t like, you can slaughter my choices, you can mock my list and ignore and condemn my preferences.
Wouldn’t it be nice if we could retire the great movies to a “Movie Hall of Fame”? For example, pick the ten best of every decade and put them in the Hall of Fame, and do the same every ten years.
On another subject, I wouldn’t feel so sad when finally Blockbuster disappears. How can they have fifty copies of Eat Pray Love and only one of City of God?
I can easily add another hundred movies to my list of favorite films. I can put them all in random play and be happy for the rest of my life, and I wouldn’t feel like I’m wasting my time. The common denominator in all these films is a great story. The story is the heart of the movie. First of all, we should thank the writers.
These movies shaped my life and inspired me to be a good person. (I’d like to think I am.) I love and enjoy life because of these movies. By the way, probably half of them had made me cry.
Without any order or preference, here’s my list:
When they ask me, “If you were alone on a deserted island, what movie (or book, or album) would you take?” I’d answer, “None.” I need at least a hundred. Not just one. It’s like asking a mother which of her two children she prefers. (Oh, I forgot about Sophie’s Choice!)
You might say, “oh, but you missed this one, or that one” And I’ll respond, “Yeah, I know, but they belong in your list.”
So, why put a shortlist of my favorite movies on my Facebook page, if all my friends are going to disagree with my choices. So why not put a longer list on my blog, and let the entire world (ha, the entire world) know about my disparate preferences.
EDMUNDO BARRAZAVisalia, CA. 08-14-2012
Lucy knows she’ll break up with her possessive, jealous boyfriend soon. Maybe, after her next session with the group of women with paranormal abilities. Her unique skill is the power to see auras around people. 10:44 min. #ParanormalPeople#Paranormal#ShortFilm Don’t forget to subscribe. https://pro.imdb.com/name/nm9216447?s…
Paranormal People just received an award from Boden International Film Festival in Sweden.
