This 1998 movie stars Edward Norton. And as I mentioned before, he is one of my favorite actors. And American History X shows why.
The movie is a-frickin-mazing. Much of that is due to Norton, who goes through chameleon like transformations, embuing his character at different stages in his life with layers and subtlety. It seems his eyes even change as he characterizes a skinhead leader, who undergoes a change of perspective after three years in prison for the murder of two black gang members.
All the performances were top-notch in this film. From his family to his former teachers. But Norton is perfect. The story and dialogue are as good as it gets.
One thing I found pretty mind-blowing. This film was made in '98. And Norton gives a speech to recruit new skinheads and to prepare them to invade a Korean supermarket that hires, according to him, illegal migrants. The speech he gives, that was probably fairly chilling and racist in '98, could be a standard stump speech today by many Republican candidates trying to militarize our borders. It was frightening. Literally, except for a few curse words, it could have been commentary of Fox News, almost verbatim.
While this movie does have violence, unlike Fight Club, it is shows violence for a reason, and shows hate for a reason. And it is disturbing. But disturbing in a good way...you should be disturbed by it. And the violence is not gratuitous. Every piece of violence is a intricate part of the movie and the characters.
And while I suggested for those uncomfortable with the themes in Fight Club to not see that movie, I think this movie should be seen, and admired. And Edward Norton should certainly be considered one of the best actors we have.
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Movie-The Brave One
I like to admit my prejudices right up front. I like Jodie Foster a lot. I like almost any movie she is in and I think for the most part she picks good, intriguing roles that offer her something new and different.
The Brave One stars Foster as Erica, a radio essayist, the kind you find on NPR, with modulated tones and deep thoughts, mostly about the city she loves and lives in, New York. She is engaged to a doctor and they seem very happy. But then her world is shattered as they are mugged and he is beaten to death, and she close to death.
What follows is a descent into the psychology of a victim. She feels unsafe as she ventures outside, everyone walking near her seems a menace. So she buys an illegal handgun...and we feel that she is justified.
She then almost becomes a victim of another violent crime, and starts to defend herself, this time by shooting and killing her would be assailant. Again, self-defense. But she starts trying to find the bad people, and her descent into victim hood turns into vigilantism.
Terrance Howard co-stars as a police detective who knows Erica and becomes tacitly aware of what she is doing...and giving his tacit approval. Both characters leave much unsaid, but the impression conveyed is this understanding...he knows, she knows he knows...and both actors pull it off very well.
I can understand Erica's behavior, and I think most people watching this can. Faced with a police bureaucracy that does little to actually help (some great scenes addressing this)or make victims feel comforted, faced with fear and violence around her, Erica's choices seem justified.
What the film ultimately does not answer very well is whether those actions are actually justified or not...we do not see enough of the aftermath to judge that, and I wish it had explored that theme a bit more.
Even given that, I think this is a very good movie, and Foster and Howard do a great job.
The Brave One stars Foster as Erica, a radio essayist, the kind you find on NPR, with modulated tones and deep thoughts, mostly about the city she loves and lives in, New York. She is engaged to a doctor and they seem very happy. But then her world is shattered as they are mugged and he is beaten to death, and she close to death.
What follows is a descent into the psychology of a victim. She feels unsafe as she ventures outside, everyone walking near her seems a menace. So she buys an illegal handgun...and we feel that she is justified.
She then almost becomes a victim of another violent crime, and starts to defend herself, this time by shooting and killing her would be assailant. Again, self-defense. But she starts trying to find the bad people, and her descent into victim hood turns into vigilantism.
Terrance Howard co-stars as a police detective who knows Erica and becomes tacitly aware of what she is doing...and giving his tacit approval. Both characters leave much unsaid, but the impression conveyed is this understanding...he knows, she knows he knows...and both actors pull it off very well.
I can understand Erica's behavior, and I think most people watching this can. Faced with a police bureaucracy that does little to actually help (some great scenes addressing this)or make victims feel comforted, faced with fear and violence around her, Erica's choices seem justified.
What the film ultimately does not answer very well is whether those actions are actually justified or not...we do not see enough of the aftermath to judge that, and I wish it had explored that theme a bit more.
Even given that, I think this is a very good movie, and Foster and Howard do a great job.
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Movie-Fight Club
Yes, I had never seen this movie. I avoided it in 1999 because the premise just seemed to violent to me, to gratuitous. But Edward Norton is one of my favorite actors, so I am trying to see some of his older movies.
Edward Norton is great here, but the movie lived up to the impressions I had of it. I did not like this, it just seemed stupid, not only unlikely, but beyond even remotely possible. Fight Club was just violent, stupid and had little redeeming value.
The ending was clever, and I did not really see it coming. But otherwise I just wasn't that into it. Even having Helena Bonham Carter in it did not make it better. And I would enjoy almost anything with that hottie in it! LOL!
I know some find it brilliant film making. And film making is not to make you feel good, and is supposed to disturb you sometimes. But I can't even give it that. To disturb only for the sake of disturbing is almost the definition of gratuitous. And that is the only way to describe this. Gratuitous in every way--in the violence, in the showing off of cleverness by the writers, in the poppycock saying that pose as wisdom coming out of Brad Pitt's mouth.
And this film could not be made now, after 911. Just could not happen.
If you skipped it once because you thought it would not appeal to you, keep skipping it, you were probably right.
Edward Norton is great here, but the movie lived up to the impressions I had of it. I did not like this, it just seemed stupid, not only unlikely, but beyond even remotely possible. Fight Club was just violent, stupid and had little redeeming value.
The ending was clever, and I did not really see it coming. But otherwise I just wasn't that into it. Even having Helena Bonham Carter in it did not make it better. And I would enjoy almost anything with that hottie in it! LOL!
I know some find it brilliant film making. And film making is not to make you feel good, and is supposed to disturb you sometimes. But I can't even give it that. To disturb only for the sake of disturbing is almost the definition of gratuitous. And that is the only way to describe this. Gratuitous in every way--in the violence, in the showing off of cleverness by the writers, in the poppycock saying that pose as wisdom coming out of Brad Pitt's mouth.
And this film could not be made now, after 911. Just could not happen.
If you skipped it once because you thought it would not appeal to you, keep skipping it, you were probably right.
Movie-The Kingdom
This movie from 2007, seems like it will be the standard, Americans go in and save the day against terrorists-Rambo type of movie. But The Kingdom is actually a little more thoughtful than the typical fair, and with Jason Bateman in the cast, a bit more humorous than I would have expected.
FBI agents cajole their way into the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, after a fundamentalist bombing of an American oil workers facility that kills dozens of Americans and some of the FBI's own.
But while there, they are not really allowed to do their work, every move be handled by Saudi Arabian police. This part does give some insight into the politics of the region, forces both of the government and against that have little or no compunction for peace or for the welfare of the people.
But the best part of the movie is when one of these four agents gets taken captive and the other three, with some help from Saudi police, go to rescue him. This was as intense a action sequence as I have seen in some time, with both of us on the edge of our seats. I even had a nightmare about it that night it was so intense.
Jamie Fox is fine as the lead FBI agent, and Jennifer Garner is always good, this time as the token woman and cause of angst to the Saudis. Chris Cooper is one of the best character actor out there. And, as I said, Jason Bateman in an unexpected role, lets his humor shine through in a fairly serious movie.
This was by no means great...but with some thought, some humor and a great ending sequence, it stands apart from the standard of this genre.
FBI agents cajole their way into the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, after a fundamentalist bombing of an American oil workers facility that kills dozens of Americans and some of the FBI's own.
But while there, they are not really allowed to do their work, every move be handled by Saudi Arabian police. This part does give some insight into the politics of the region, forces both of the government and against that have little or no compunction for peace or for the welfare of the people.
But the best part of the movie is when one of these four agents gets taken captive and the other three, with some help from Saudi police, go to rescue him. This was as intense a action sequence as I have seen in some time, with both of us on the edge of our seats. I even had a nightmare about it that night it was so intense.
Jamie Fox is fine as the lead FBI agent, and Jennifer Garner is always good, this time as the token woman and cause of angst to the Saudis. Chris Cooper is one of the best character actor out there. And, as I said, Jason Bateman in an unexpected role, lets his humor shine through in a fairly serious movie.
This was by no means great...but with some thought, some humor and a great ending sequence, it stands apart from the standard of this genre.
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Movie-Intimate Strangers
Intimate Strangers starts with an intriguing premise. A woman walks into an office she thinks is a psychiatrist and starts telling him about her terrible marriage. But the man she tells her intimate secrets to is actually a tax lawyer, she has made a mistake in which office she entered. And the way the film opens that premise is quite believable.
As you get deeper into this 2004 French movie, you begin to wonder about even that original premise. Did she walk into that office by accident, or did she know he was not a shrink?
A movie about the psyches of the two main characters, the movie centers mostly on this office and the encounters the two have within its walls. What is the truth, why does she keep coming here, even after she knows he is not a shrink? Why does he let her?
And the build up to all these questions is intriguing, but the payoff does not come. The film wanders far from psychological thriller and meanders into psychologically interesting, well, kinda interesting.
The movie opts for ease and quiet, but in doing so loses any steam it has built. It should have had more twists and curves...but gives for a straight line, and so was ultimately disappointing, despite the allure of the two main characters.
As you get deeper into this 2004 French movie, you begin to wonder about even that original premise. Did she walk into that office by accident, or did she know he was not a shrink?
A movie about the psyches of the two main characters, the movie centers mostly on this office and the encounters the two have within its walls. What is the truth, why does she keep coming here, even after she knows he is not a shrink? Why does he let her?
And the build up to all these questions is intriguing, but the payoff does not come. The film wanders far from psychological thriller and meanders into psychologically interesting, well, kinda interesting.
The movie opts for ease and quiet, but in doing so loses any steam it has built. It should have had more twists and curves...but gives for a straight line, and so was ultimately disappointing, despite the allure of the two main characters.
Restaurant-Offshore Tavern and Grill
This is a newer place on Morena Blvd. The past couple of years have seen High Dive, Lot 81 and Offshore Tavern and Grill all open on Morena Blvd.
The Offshore Tavern is a really nice bar, first and foremost, with several beers on tap, a decent wine list, and many well drinks. But they also have a pretty extensive menu. We first ate there this past weekend, we felt like burgers. I got some sliders with garlic tater tots, and Sharlynn got a bigger burger, where you add what toppings you want--she got avocado and mushrooms. And that came with a generous portion of fries. Both meals were good, though my bloody Mary was not so great.
Tonight we went back and were still in happy hour. So good. $2 domestic beers (I got a Sam Adams specialty beer) and $5 well drinks. And the happy hour menu was really good. $2 tacos, we got carne asada and carnitas (I liked the carnitas better, but both were good), about 8 chicken wings (drumettes) for 5 bucks, and also hummus and pita for a few bucks. All told, the bill was about 27 bucks before tip and we were FULL!
The have an outdoor enclosed patio, indoor and bar seating. Good staff and very good service. Try this one for a good happy hour or lunch. They have gourmet macs and cheese too, which I need to try next time!
Morena Blvd will be having the Taste of Morena on June 3, including Sardina's, Lot 81, High Dive and Offshore, among others.
The Offshore Tavern is a really nice bar, first and foremost, with several beers on tap, a decent wine list, and many well drinks. But they also have a pretty extensive menu. We first ate there this past weekend, we felt like burgers. I got some sliders with garlic tater tots, and Sharlynn got a bigger burger, where you add what toppings you want--she got avocado and mushrooms. And that came with a generous portion of fries. Both meals were good, though my bloody Mary was not so great.
Tonight we went back and were still in happy hour. So good. $2 domestic beers (I got a Sam Adams specialty beer) and $5 well drinks. And the happy hour menu was really good. $2 tacos, we got carne asada and carnitas (I liked the carnitas better, but both were good), about 8 chicken wings (drumettes) for 5 bucks, and also hummus and pita for a few bucks. All told, the bill was about 27 bucks before tip and we were FULL!
The have an outdoor enclosed patio, indoor and bar seating. Good staff and very good service. Try this one for a good happy hour or lunch. They have gourmet macs and cheese too, which I need to try next time!
Morena Blvd will be having the Taste of Morena on June 3, including Sardina's, Lot 81, High Dive and Offshore, among others.
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Book-The Time Traveler's Wife
This is an interesting book, while having a premise set in sci-fi, it is really a love story of a couple with some challenges. Henry has a genetic problem, basically he time-travels, usually to the past and to a place/time that has significance for him. Sometimes he even meets with himself in the past. But the person he is most drawn to Clare, his present day wife.
Henry first meets Clare when she is six. He knows she is to become his wife, as far as he is concerned, she is right now. But how he deals with a six-year-old version of his wife becomes difficult. How is explains that he is a time-traveller even more difficult.
The Time Traveler's Wife is an engaging book, though to get used to the shifts in time takes a bit of getting used to in the first hundred pages. After that it is a quick read, and the 500 plus pages turn very quickly.
Audrey Niffenegger, the author also describes Chicago nicely, bringing the reader into that city as a setting for much of the novel. I hope she does not try to use this mixture of genres too much, for it could grow stale.
Though some time shifting sequences did not entirely make sense to me (who knew what, when, how) it is really a story about two people holding onto their love through adversity and uncertainty. And it succeeds on that level very well.
Henry first meets Clare when she is six. He knows she is to become his wife, as far as he is concerned, she is right now. But how he deals with a six-year-old version of his wife becomes difficult. How is explains that he is a time-traveller even more difficult.
The Time Traveler's Wife is an engaging book, though to get used to the shifts in time takes a bit of getting used to in the first hundred pages. After that it is a quick read, and the 500 plus pages turn very quickly.
Audrey Niffenegger, the author also describes Chicago nicely, bringing the reader into that city as a setting for much of the novel. I hope she does not try to use this mixture of genres too much, for it could grow stale.
Though some time shifting sequences did not entirely make sense to me (who knew what, when, how) it is really a story about two people holding onto their love through adversity and uncertainty. And it succeeds on that level very well.
Friday, May 23, 2008
Movie-Arctic Tale
This movie about global warming is beautifully, sometimes amazingly, filmed. But Arctic Tale is really a film for kids, and as such anthropormorphises quite too much for my taste.
Still is is a good film for what it is trying to do, explain what global warming does to animals that live in the arctic. Focusing on a walrus and polar bear cub, the film follows their lives in a north that is changing rapidly.
The movie teaches a sad lesson, but it fails in one respect, it does not connect what happens to these animals to what will happen to us, and that I think is a big key to get even young people to care about the problem.
Still, it is entertaining and as I said, wonderfully filmed.
Still is is a good film for what it is trying to do, explain what global warming does to animals that live in the arctic. Focusing on a walrus and polar bear cub, the film follows their lives in a north that is changing rapidly.
The movie teaches a sad lesson, but it fails in one respect, it does not connect what happens to these animals to what will happen to us, and that I think is a big key to get even young people to care about the problem.
Still, it is entertaining and as I said, wonderfully filmed.
Movie-Open Water
Open Water freaked me out. Not even about the sharks as much as seeing the two main characters abandoned in the open ocean, knowing that they were forgotten.
This '04 movie did great in film festivals and easily returned it's layout. A small film really, despite the vastness of the open sea. It has two main characters floating in the water for most of the movie. It was filmed on DVCam, and so looks documentary like, and has a very real feel to it.
And though its genre is not horror, I felt more horror watching this movie than most movies in the horror genre. That terrible sick tickle in the pit of my stomach. The feeling that I had to turn it off for a few because it made me so tense and it was so upsetting.
Truly, what do you do if your dive boat leaves without you, stranding you out there? Just talking about it i feel itchy.
Really well done, but I will NOT be watching it again! That does not mean you should not watch it, but it was such a visceral experience for me, I prefer to pass on it a second time.
Good movie though!
This '04 movie did great in film festivals and easily returned it's layout. A small film really, despite the vastness of the open sea. It has two main characters floating in the water for most of the movie. It was filmed on DVCam, and so looks documentary like, and has a very real feel to it.
And though its genre is not horror, I felt more horror watching this movie than most movies in the horror genre. That terrible sick tickle in the pit of my stomach. The feeling that I had to turn it off for a few because it made me so tense and it was so upsetting.
Truly, what do you do if your dive boat leaves without you, stranding you out there? Just talking about it i feel itchy.
Really well done, but I will NOT be watching it again! That does not mean you should not watch it, but it was such a visceral experience for me, I prefer to pass on it a second time.
Good movie though!
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Movie-Live Free or Die Hard
Live Free or Die Hard is the latest in the Die Hard franchise. This could have been like the latest Rocky movie, and flick that few noticed and even fewer wanted to see. But instead, it took and older and even more cynical John McClane, and let him do what he does best, mainly, beat up on the bad guys.
The character Jon McClane never looks to get involved in these things, they just seem to find him. The latest is a home-grown cyber terrorist who uses the nations computers against its own health.
What I liked about this movie...there was little computer special effects and a lot of special effects the old fashioned way...car chases, crashes, explosions and gun play/ It was an old-fashioned sort of movie. And I loved it.
Bruce Willis plays McClane as a "knows the world is messed up" veteran wise-ass. But when push comes to shove, he goes and gets 'em.
Justin Long plays his computer geek, reluctant side-kick,(nice casting) and does a really nice job,, both giving and taking straight lines with Willis.
The stunts were phenomenal, the action really fun. A great summer movie, without animation and over-reliance on computers. And the ending is about as un-computerized as you can get.
For a fun 2 hours, see this movie.
The character Jon McClane never looks to get involved in these things, they just seem to find him. The latest is a home-grown cyber terrorist who uses the nations computers against its own health.
What I liked about this movie...there was little computer special effects and a lot of special effects the old fashioned way...car chases, crashes, explosions and gun play/ It was an old-fashioned sort of movie. And I loved it.
Bruce Willis plays McClane as a "knows the world is messed up" veteran wise-ass. But when push comes to shove, he goes and gets 'em.
Justin Long plays his computer geek, reluctant side-kick,(nice casting) and does a really nice job,, both giving and taking straight lines with Willis.
The stunts were phenomenal, the action really fun. A great summer movie, without animation and over-reliance on computers. And the ending is about as un-computerized as you can get.
For a fun 2 hours, see this movie.
Best Director-The Andrew Awards
The nominated movies are now on a slow pace coming out, but we saw the lat nominee for best director with Julian Schnabel and The Diving Bell and the Butterfly. So without further ado...the Best Director category.
The nominees are taken from the Oscar nominees and are: Julian Schnabel for The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, Jason Reitman for Juno, Tony Gilroy for Michael Clayton, Joel and Ethan Coen for No Country for Old Men and Paul Thomas Anderson for There Will Be Blood.
Joel and Ethan Coen were the winners of the Oscar. But I did not like how they ended the movie at all. I thought it was as if they knew that the movie was running too long and suddenly decided, "Oh we need to wrap this puppy up." Very disappointing. Tony Gilroy---yeah right. I mean the movie was OK, but how it got soooo nominated I will never know. That leaves three.
So the winner for best director of the 2008 Andrew Awards is....(the crowd is hushed in anticipation) Julian Schanbel for The Diving Bell and the Butterfly. (The crowd goes wild! The Coen look like they are about to cry. Paul Thomas Anderson spits).
Look, Juno was great, but did not seem to need that many strong directorial choices.
No Country was fine...but the actors really made that movie.
But in The Diving Bell...every choice was the directors...and every choice was made brilliantly and artistically. How to bring to life the story of a totally paralyzed, locked in man! And yet he did it with artistic integrity, with humor and with point of view. He made the man's one good eye into the camera lens. It was amazing.
All the other directors were fine, but Schnabel painted with a brush that was incomparable in this movie.
Anyone want to argue the choice, let me know?
The last few categories are: Best supporting actress, best foreign film and best animated feature.
The nominees are taken from the Oscar nominees and are: Julian Schnabel for The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, Jason Reitman for Juno, Tony Gilroy for Michael Clayton, Joel and Ethan Coen for No Country for Old Men and Paul Thomas Anderson for There Will Be Blood.
Joel and Ethan Coen were the winners of the Oscar. But I did not like how they ended the movie at all. I thought it was as if they knew that the movie was running too long and suddenly decided, "Oh we need to wrap this puppy up." Very disappointing. Tony Gilroy---yeah right. I mean the movie was OK, but how it got soooo nominated I will never know. That leaves three.
So the winner for best director of the 2008 Andrew Awards is....(the crowd is hushed in anticipation) Julian Schanbel for The Diving Bell and the Butterfly. (The crowd goes wild! The Coen look like they are about to cry. Paul Thomas Anderson spits).
Look, Juno was great, but did not seem to need that many strong directorial choices.
No Country was fine...but the actors really made that movie.
But in The Diving Bell...every choice was the directors...and every choice was made brilliantly and artistically. How to bring to life the story of a totally paralyzed, locked in man! And yet he did it with artistic integrity, with humor and with point of view. He made the man's one good eye into the camera lens. It was amazing.
All the other directors were fine, but Schnabel painted with a brush that was incomparable in this movie.
Anyone want to argue the choice, let me know?
The last few categories are: Best supporting actress, best foreign film and best animated feature.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Movie-The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
This movie, a true story can be difficult to watch. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly tells the story of a man, after having an event similar to a stroke, is locked within his own body. His only moving part...one eye.
This man was the editor of Elle in Paris. He lived a nice life...cars, friends, a type of power. And it was suddenly reduced to one eye. And with that one eye, he tells his life story in writing his auto-biography.
The director tells much of the story from the vantage point of this man's eye. We see the outside world as he sees it. We are privy to his thoughts, but he cannot express those to anyone else until a system is developed for him to communicate one letter at a time.
We feel frustrated and hopeless with him. As his aging father talks with him, a role played wonderfully by Max Von Sydow, we can see a bit of emotion on his immobile face, but we can see his one eye tearing up...and yet just that pierces the viewer's heart.
As I said, this is not an easy movie to watch, especially because it is true. It is a monument to how hard we try to survive, and to find a semblance of happiness in the worst of conditions. In short, it reminds us of the human condition. It reminds us to ding what happiness we can eke out, and not to forsake it.
Not easy to watch, but well worth it.
This man was the editor of Elle in Paris. He lived a nice life...cars, friends, a type of power. And it was suddenly reduced to one eye. And with that one eye, he tells his life story in writing his auto-biography.
The director tells much of the story from the vantage point of this man's eye. We see the outside world as he sees it. We are privy to his thoughts, but he cannot express those to anyone else until a system is developed for him to communicate one letter at a time.
We feel frustrated and hopeless with him. As his aging father talks with him, a role played wonderfully by Max Von Sydow, we can see a bit of emotion on his immobile face, but we can see his one eye tearing up...and yet just that pierces the viewer's heart.
As I said, this is not an easy movie to watch, especially because it is true. It is a monument to how hard we try to survive, and to find a semblance of happiness in the worst of conditions. In short, it reminds us of the human condition. It reminds us to ding what happiness we can eke out, and not to forsake it.
Not easy to watch, but well worth it.
Movie-Code 46
Code 46 is a movie of a not-to-distant dystopian future. A future where sunlight can be deadly and in-vitro, cloning and other genetic manipulations cause a close governmental watch on genetic mingling. Basically, you have to get governmental genetic permission to "liaison" with another person.
I like dystopian tales. And this one is good, though far from great or classic. Starring Tim Robbins, it moves a little slowly and never quite gives us a glimpse of what this future is really like. There seems to be a world or corporate government, and people need permissions to do many things, including travel. there are also viruses in pill form that will make anyone sing in tune, or speak Mandarin fluently. But it never becomes cohesive.
Robbins is a quasi-government agent, and gets involved with a woman he should not be involved with...as she is a genetic match to his mother, a violation of Code 46, hence the title.
There could have been a better cohesiveness to the whole created world. Instead we gets bits and pieces, and by the time we figure it out, I lost some interest in the story itself.
For those who like dystopian stories, this one will do. But others may just get bored or annoyed.
I like dystopian tales. And this one is good, though far from great or classic. Starring Tim Robbins, it moves a little slowly and never quite gives us a glimpse of what this future is really like. There seems to be a world or corporate government, and people need permissions to do many things, including travel. there are also viruses in pill form that will make anyone sing in tune, or speak Mandarin fluently. But it never becomes cohesive.
Robbins is a quasi-government agent, and gets involved with a woman he should not be involved with...as she is a genetic match to his mother, a violation of Code 46, hence the title.
There could have been a better cohesiveness to the whole created world. Instead we gets bits and pieces, and by the time we figure it out, I lost some interest in the story itself.
For those who like dystopian stories, this one will do. But others may just get bored or annoyed.
Monday, May 19, 2008
Restaurant-Kazumi Sushi
While it does not get as much notice as a place like Sushi Ota, Kazumi Sushi is the finest sushi I have had. And I am not the only one--my mother-in-law, who is Japanese and has lived in Japan and visited for prolonged times, says it is as good as any she has had there.
Kazumi is a true sushi chef, as he says, "not just a sushi maker." He also says that there are only about 5-6 true sushi chefs in San Diego...that means a long apprenticeship in Japan, up to 10 years. When he started it was four years before he was allowed even to touch the rice and fish. He worked 9 am until midnight, filling the cases up with ice and learning by listening and watching. Then he started to work with food.
And it shows...this is fine dining. Every cut, every piece of fish is perfect. The highest quality ingredients, the best preparation. You do not find this kind of sushi on every street corner in PB.
And you will pay for it. It is not cheap. But when you can taste, even in his wasabi, the best---well, you are OK with that.
His toro, fatty tuna, simply melts in your mouth. The maguro is the best fish I have ever tasted. On his unagi he has his own eel sauce and it is...perfect, just perfect.
Kazumi's is sometimes a little slower on service, again because of quality. Kazumi does not just let anyone work for him, and I am sure is a tough task-master. So sometimes it is just him behind the bar, making his heavenly morsels. But when you taste this sushi, you know that this is how it is supposed to taste...
Kazumi's is in Hillcrest on 5th, right across the street from Corvette Diner. Treat yourself one night. It is worth it.
Kazumi is a true sushi chef, as he says, "not just a sushi maker." He also says that there are only about 5-6 true sushi chefs in San Diego...that means a long apprenticeship in Japan, up to 10 years. When he started it was four years before he was allowed even to touch the rice and fish. He worked 9 am until midnight, filling the cases up with ice and learning by listening and watching. Then he started to work with food.
And it shows...this is fine dining. Every cut, every piece of fish is perfect. The highest quality ingredients, the best preparation. You do not find this kind of sushi on every street corner in PB.
And you will pay for it. It is not cheap. But when you can taste, even in his wasabi, the best---well, you are OK with that.
His toro, fatty tuna, simply melts in your mouth. The maguro is the best fish I have ever tasted. On his unagi he has his own eel sauce and it is...perfect, just perfect.
Kazumi's is sometimes a little slower on service, again because of quality. Kazumi does not just let anyone work for him, and I am sure is a tough task-master. So sometimes it is just him behind the bar, making his heavenly morsels. But when you taste this sushi, you know that this is how it is supposed to taste...
Kazumi's is in Hillcrest on 5th, right across the street from Corvette Diner. Treat yourself one night. It is worth it.
Sunday, May 18, 2008
TV-Two more finales
Two more season finales to blog about. The Office. Now I am not usually a fan of the one-hour Office episodes...sometimes, when they go over-the-top I can barely take a half hour. And they do the hour ones WAY too much. But this finale was very good. All the characters got to play their roles right. Some of the highlights were the return of Jan, the new HR person believing Kevin is "slow", the non Jim/Pam proposal, Michael going back to Jan after all, and Angela's "acceptance" of Andy's proposal. Also Ryan's arrest had me cheering! The weasel! Very funny episode that never took Michael and Dwight over the top. Looking forward to seeing new developments next season.
Without a Trace was good, and ties up the season nicely. This is still a really good show, but starting to lose something. Next season looks like there will be a shake up with Jack no longer being in charge. But make no mistake, he is still the emotional center of the show, and always will be. Good finale, no cliff-hangers, which again are sometimes over-used. And Poppy Montomery and Roselyn Sanchez are still HOT!
Without a Trace was good, and ties up the season nicely. This is still a really good show, but starting to lose something. Next season looks like there will be a shake up with Jack no longer being in charge. But make no mistake, he is still the emotional center of the show, and always will be. Good finale, no cliff-hangers, which again are sometimes over-used. And Poppy Montomery and Roselyn Sanchez are still HOT!
Movie-Paprika
This 2007 animated (anime) feature from Japan is frea-KY. A little mind-blowing and more than a little conceptual.
Imagine a device that could tap into dreams, to be used for therapeutic reasons. But the machine is actually used to manipulate dreams, and merges people's dreams together...and makes dreams start to invade reality.
Paprika is a little bit super-hero movie, a little bit psychotic LSD trip, a little bit grand fantasy, and a lot great animation. I still am not sure what I think about it entirely, but it is certainly unique and captures the world it portrays wonderfully.
Imagine a device that could tap into dreams, to be used for therapeutic reasons. But the machine is actually used to manipulate dreams, and merges people's dreams together...and makes dreams start to invade reality.
Paprika is a little bit super-hero movie, a little bit psychotic LSD trip, a little bit grand fantasy, and a lot great animation. I still am not sure what I think about it entirely, but it is certainly unique and captures the world it portrays wonderfully.
Movie-The Twilight Samurai
This 2002 Japanese movie is not a traditional samurai flick. It is about a lower caste samurai who would rather not fight, because he would rather care for his two daughters and his aging mother and love them fully. He does not go drinking with his work companions after the work day is done, he is quiet and modest, but his daughters adore him.
He is forced to fight, and it turns out he is quite good. So his clan calls on him again to fight for the clan. He declines, but is finally ordered to fight.
This is a character study of this one man. And of a time period that was seeing the reign of the samurai starting to slip away in Japan. This man know it will happen, and would love to simply be a farmer...but he has his family and their honor to think of too.
Really nice surprise of a movie. You come to really respect this samurai and the choices he makes.
The lead performance is very good, and the supporting cast is great. Would recommend this for something a little bit different.
He is forced to fight, and it turns out he is quite good. So his clan calls on him again to fight for the clan. He declines, but is finally ordered to fight.
This is a character study of this one man. And of a time period that was seeing the reign of the samurai starting to slip away in Japan. This man know it will happen, and would love to simply be a farmer...but he has his family and their honor to think of too.
Really nice surprise of a movie. You come to really respect this samurai and the choices he makes.
The lead performance is very good, and the supporting cast is great. Would recommend this for something a little bit different.
Saturday, May 17, 2008
TV-Catching up
Catching up on all the TV we missed while we were away. Highlights for the week were 2-1/2 Men and CSI. The writers of both shows switched places for a week and the result was very good TV. Both shows were funny a neither took away from the elements that make these shows watchable. They both stayed true to who they are.
Upfronts happened this past week, with the networks debuting their Fall TV schedules. Some of the shows I watch are not coming back, like Back to You and New Amsterdam. And that is OK with me. But the one I will really miss is Aliens in America. It is one of the funniest shows out there, and just did not get enough viewers, even on the CW. Very few of the new shows seem very interesting to me. This past Fall we sampled about 16 shows. I do not see sampling more than 5-7 this year, maybe even fewer. Which is OK...like I need to watch more TV huh?
The season finales for Medium and My Name is Earl were quite good, both ending on up-notes after some angst for the characters during the season. Earl was very funny, as it showed in the past that Earl and his brother used to wait outside an Amish like community for the time young women come ot of the closed community for a month to exprience the outside world. Earl had easy work showing them the world from his perspective.
The season finale of CSI was disturbing. And as much as I do not like the phrase "Jumped the Shark", (it is sooo over-used) this might have been the moment for this show. I knew Warrick was being written out, but it just seemed too contrived the way they ended it. If either William Peterson or Marg leave this show, I will probably stop watching.
Upfronts happened this past week, with the networks debuting their Fall TV schedules. Some of the shows I watch are not coming back, like Back to You and New Amsterdam. And that is OK with me. But the one I will really miss is Aliens in America. It is one of the funniest shows out there, and just did not get enough viewers, even on the CW. Very few of the new shows seem very interesting to me. This past Fall we sampled about 16 shows. I do not see sampling more than 5-7 this year, maybe even fewer. Which is OK...like I need to watch more TV huh?
The season finales for Medium and My Name is Earl were quite good, both ending on up-notes after some angst for the characters during the season. Earl was very funny, as it showed in the past that Earl and his brother used to wait outside an Amish like community for the time young women come ot of the closed community for a month to exprience the outside world. Earl had easy work showing them the world from his perspective.
The season finale of CSI was disturbing. And as much as I do not like the phrase "Jumped the Shark", (it is sooo over-used) this might have been the moment for this show. I knew Warrick was being written out, but it just seemed too contrived the way they ended it. If either William Peterson or Marg leave this show, I will probably stop watching.
3 Magazines
May's Playboy was very good, with a great interview with Fareed Zakaria, the columnist for Newsweek, The Washington Post and a show on CNN. He is considered one of the best commentators on world events. It is a great interview...very insightful and very smart. Also a good piece of fiction by Ron Carlson and the baseball preview made it a very readable issue.
Zoonooz for May was...Zoonooz. Good article on the polar bears.
The highlight was the latest issue of Nat Geo...all about China. What a fabulous issue about the country as it is now, showing the greatness and the warts of this ancient land. And as much as you might root for ordinary Chinese, you also end up wondering if national policies will ruin the world even faster than U.S. policy regarding pollution and the environment. I was also left wondering if all of the history of China is being cast off, and will that eventually be a terrible thing for that nation. For instance, elderly are now being put into rest homes with more frequency, something that would not have been thought even a couple of decades ago.
Anyway, it was a great issue, and a great map insert of China to boot.
Zoonooz for May was...Zoonooz. Good article on the polar bears.
The highlight was the latest issue of Nat Geo...all about China. What a fabulous issue about the country as it is now, showing the greatness and the warts of this ancient land. And as much as you might root for ordinary Chinese, you also end up wondering if national policies will ruin the world even faster than U.S. policy regarding pollution and the environment. I was also left wondering if all of the history of China is being cast off, and will that eventually be a terrible thing for that nation. For instance, elderly are now being put into rest homes with more frequency, something that would not have been thought even a couple of decades ago.
Anyway, it was a great issue, and a great map insert of China to boot.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Montreal, Last Day and Poutine
It is our last full day in Montreal and I have not yet had poutine. This is a regional dish that I feel I have to try. It consists of french fries doused in gravy and topped with cheese curd. That is the purist version and the one I want to try. There are many adaptations of this, including using just cheese not cheese curd, and veggie versions, Italian versions, many different types...but I was going for the classic.
And the place to go from all accounts was a little diner called Patati Patata. This is a SMALL place near Little Italy, with most orders there done as take out. But we wee lucky enough to find two seats at the counter and I ordered classique poutine.
It was nice. Just a kind of comfort food. Sharlynn was not as impressed with it, but there is no accounting for taste. I will admit she was not feeling the best that day, so will give her the benefit of the doubt, given that she is still talking about Schwartz's smoked meat.
I will want to try variations on the it next time I am in the area. Other than that we hung around Vieux Montreal, going into galleries we had bypassed before. WE had a last dinner of those delicious crepes,and generally had a mellow day.
The next morning, we slept in, and then ate a breakfast at St. Paul's Cafe. And packed and went to airport. It was again a long travel day, but all went well, except at the very end. Trying to get our luggage there was an over 50 minute delay getting it to us. That sucked. The excuse? "We are understaffed." Ummm...did you not know this jet was coming in at this time...because I knew it months ago!
Otherwise, a really great trip. We would go back to Montreal...still so much we did not see...the Biodome, Olympic site, the islands and the casino...
We would recommend it to anyone. It is very European in attitude, and we were greeted in such a friendly manner. So much to see and do, and a lot of fun to be had.
While the dollar is still so bad against the almost everything else, it is about 1-to-1 in Canada.
One note...to buy booze, even wine in for your hotel room, you have to go to store called SAQ's. There are a ton of them, one was two blocks from our hotel, but you have to plan ahead a bit.
What a great trip! One of our best ever
And the place to go from all accounts was a little diner called Patati Patata. This is a SMALL place near Little Italy, with most orders there done as take out. But we wee lucky enough to find two seats at the counter and I ordered classique poutine.
It was nice. Just a kind of comfort food. Sharlynn was not as impressed with it, but there is no accounting for taste. I will admit she was not feeling the best that day, so will give her the benefit of the doubt, given that she is still talking about Schwartz's smoked meat.
I will want to try variations on the it next time I am in the area. Other than that we hung around Vieux Montreal, going into galleries we had bypassed before. WE had a last dinner of those delicious crepes,and generally had a mellow day.
The next morning, we slept in, and then ate a breakfast at St. Paul's Cafe. And packed and went to airport. It was again a long travel day, but all went well, except at the very end. Trying to get our luggage there was an over 50 minute delay getting it to us. That sucked. The excuse? "We are understaffed." Ummm...did you not know this jet was coming in at this time...because I knew it months ago!
Otherwise, a really great trip. We would go back to Montreal...still so much we did not see...the Biodome, Olympic site, the islands and the casino...
We would recommend it to anyone. It is very European in attitude, and we were greeted in such a friendly manner. So much to see and do, and a lot of fun to be had.
While the dollar is still so bad against the almost everything else, it is about 1-to-1 in Canada.
One note...to buy booze, even wine in for your hotel room, you have to go to store called SAQ's. There are a ton of them, one was two blocks from our hotel, but you have to plan ahead a bit.
What a great trip! One of our best ever
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Montreal, Continued
We ate our breakfast in the hotel room from our booty from the Jean Talon market. It was so good. The bread was YUMMY!
As it was raining a bit this day, we decided it was a perfect time to visit the Underground City. Montreal has about 18-20 miles of shops, restaurants and other stuff underground, linked my the Metro tunnels. We had a walking map in one of our guidebooks, and so set off on a tour.
So many of these places were malls underground. Very weird, but when you consider the very hot summer weather and numbingly cold winter weather, it makes sense, We pretty much did not explore each separate mall too much, but the number of malls was amazing.
One of the strangest parts was one of the mall's food court. Take Fashion Valley and Horton Plaza's food courts, and combine them. Then double that. That is probably still smaller than this food court. It had any kind of ethnic food you could want. It was amazing. We came back to this and had lunch actually. I had a very good tortellini with a tomato pesto sauce, and Sharlynn had a quite decent yaki soba. We shared, and had a quite nice meal. Better than the sushi, and under 15 bucks. I can see why so many business people were eating there.
One of the malls was constructed under an Anglican church that we had visited on Monday, the church being the seat of the Anglican community in Montreal. The church actually entered into a partnership with the developer to build this mall. You see, the actual structure of the church was sinking. But they did not have the money to fix it, so this was the solution. And what was amazing, is the church stood above the construction of the mall underneath...virtually floating while construction was going on below. Seeing the images, it was freaky. And apparently, the church stayed functioning while the work was going on. I know what I would have been praying for...not to fall into the huge pit beneath me, that's what!
Neither of remember what we did for dinner this night...isn't that weird? But Sharlynn was worn down, and wanted to just rest, so I decided to go to another strip club. I know I know, pervert. OK, yes, I am. But i won't get back to Montreal for awhile, so I decided to really take in the sights.
I tried one I had read about that sounded intriguing, but when I got to the door, they asked for 50 bucks. And looking at the girls there...well, let's just say that would have been diminishing returns. So again I went to place we saw on one of our walks.
This one offered nude full contact dances. So, of course I had to try it. I mean c'mon...on Friday I will try poutine, a regional dish, so why should I not try other regional dishes...heh heh...I thought that up on my own. High five Paul!?!
It was a fun experience, but I did not stay too long...just enough for a few dances from a few girls. But funny to say, it was a nice experience. The place was more local, and mellow...like a neighborhood bar. The girls were hot, and no pressure at all. It was nice.
I left and called Sharlynn to tell her I was headed home. She gave me the requisite hard time, all in fun, but I reminded her that there were no triple G's at this club. We laughed. I was soon back with my love. We would wake up for our last full day in Montreal tomorrow.
As it was raining a bit this day, we decided it was a perfect time to visit the Underground City. Montreal has about 18-20 miles of shops, restaurants and other stuff underground, linked my the Metro tunnels. We had a walking map in one of our guidebooks, and so set off on a tour.
So many of these places were malls underground. Very weird, but when you consider the very hot summer weather and numbingly cold winter weather, it makes sense, We pretty much did not explore each separate mall too much, but the number of malls was amazing.
One of the strangest parts was one of the mall's food court. Take Fashion Valley and Horton Plaza's food courts, and combine them. Then double that. That is probably still smaller than this food court. It had any kind of ethnic food you could want. It was amazing. We came back to this and had lunch actually. I had a very good tortellini with a tomato pesto sauce, and Sharlynn had a quite decent yaki soba. We shared, and had a quite nice meal. Better than the sushi, and under 15 bucks. I can see why so many business people were eating there.
One of the malls was constructed under an Anglican church that we had visited on Monday, the church being the seat of the Anglican community in Montreal. The church actually entered into a partnership with the developer to build this mall. You see, the actual structure of the church was sinking. But they did not have the money to fix it, so this was the solution. And what was amazing, is the church stood above the construction of the mall underneath...virtually floating while construction was going on below. Seeing the images, it was freaky. And apparently, the church stayed functioning while the work was going on. I know what I would have been praying for...not to fall into the huge pit beneath me, that's what!
Neither of remember what we did for dinner this night...isn't that weird? But Sharlynn was worn down, and wanted to just rest, so I decided to go to another strip club. I know I know, pervert. OK, yes, I am. But i won't get back to Montreal for awhile, so I decided to really take in the sights.
I tried one I had read about that sounded intriguing, but when I got to the door, they asked for 50 bucks. And looking at the girls there...well, let's just say that would have been diminishing returns. So again I went to place we saw on one of our walks.
This one offered nude full contact dances. So, of course I had to try it. I mean c'mon...on Friday I will try poutine, a regional dish, so why should I not try other regional dishes...heh heh...I thought that up on my own. High five Paul!?!
It was a fun experience, but I did not stay too long...just enough for a few dances from a few girls. But funny to say, it was a nice experience. The place was more local, and mellow...like a neighborhood bar. The girls were hot, and no pressure at all. It was nice.
I left and called Sharlynn to tell her I was headed home. She gave me the requisite hard time, all in fun, but I reminded her that there were no triple G's at this club. We laughed. I was soon back with my love. We would wake up for our last full day in Montreal tomorrow.
Movie-Iron Man
Yes, we went to a movie, since I was still on vaca yesterday. And Iron Man was pretty good, a good one to see in the theater. Now it could have been hokey, but with Robert Downey Jr. in the lead, it had a great actor grounding it, in a way a less talented actor could not have done.
Downey plays Tony Stark, a weapons manufacturer that gets kidnapped in the middle east and has his view of the world turned upside down. In escaping he creates his first Iron Man prototype, and keeps working on it after his return to the USA.
Now it is based on a comic book, so there is a large element of the fantastic here...can anyone really be that much of a genius? But we know this is the genre, and with Downey exemplifying the good and bad in his character, it comes off.
Hi is supported by Gwenyth Paltrow as his assistant, and Jeff Bridges as his adversary/partner. Both are good, with Bridges especially standing out.
The star is the Iron Man suit, and this is really cool. Great effects, and a good idea to keep showing Downey's face as he flying around in the suit.
A fun summer flick, great production values and really nice performances. And that does not always happen in super hero movies.
Downey plays Tony Stark, a weapons manufacturer that gets kidnapped in the middle east and has his view of the world turned upside down. In escaping he creates his first Iron Man prototype, and keeps working on it after his return to the USA.
Now it is based on a comic book, so there is a large element of the fantastic here...can anyone really be that much of a genius? But we know this is the genre, and with Downey exemplifying the good and bad in his character, it comes off.
Hi is supported by Gwenyth Paltrow as his assistant, and Jeff Bridges as his adversary/partner. Both are good, with Bridges especially standing out.
The star is the Iron Man suit, and this is really cool. Great effects, and a good idea to keep showing Downey's face as he flying around in the suit.
A fun summer flick, great production values and really nice performances. And that does not always happen in super hero movies.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Montreal, Continued
Our next day in Montreal was another walking day...quite a bit of extra walking due to my mistake.
We started out with breakfast at Chez Suzette, the crepe place. Split a savory and a sweet crepe. So good. Really, the best crepes we have had, bar none. And then we set off on the Metro to explore some further reaches.
Montreal has great public transit, and it is easy to use. Our plan was to go out to Little Italy and walk back. While in Little Italy, we would go to this great open air market, the Jean Talon market. Not only does it have great food items there, but there stores surrounding it have cheese, bread, meat and sweet specialty shops.
So we got on the Metro, got to our stop and started walking. I had our route set, and we walked one nice avenue and then headed south to head to Little Italy...ahem I mean, what I thought was south. It actually wasn't, it was north. Through some nice neighborhoods, but REALLY north. For about 2 hours. Once Sharlynn asked me if I was sure (and I had been) that we were going the right way, suddenly I was quite unsure, and stopped to ask. CRAP!!!!
So we headed the other way and then stopped at a bus stop. But a cab came by first, and discretion being the better part of valor...we went in the cab to Little Italy. But my mess ups did not stop there.
We were walking south again and got to Schwartz's deli. This place is really known for its smoked meat sandwiches, so we went there for lunch. Sharlynn was a bit skeptical, but we shared a sandwich that was just piled with smoked beef, and it was fantastic. Not at all salty, just really flavorful with a great mustard on it. They are also famous for their black cherry soda which was delicious.
So I ask about Little Italy and Jean Talon market as we leave. Turns out, it was the direction we just came from...OK, I am getting grumpy now, but Sharlynn says lets walk. About 20 minutes later we stop again and ask. The guy says, that is a looooong way away.
We caught another cab.
We get to the Jean Talon market finally, and it is really nice. So many fresh veggies and fruit. We stop by a cheese shop and get some great white cheddar and some mild Swiss. We go and get great fresh bread. We go another place and get unique Chardonnay and chestnut salamis. And some fresh berries and bananas.
We are bushed, and head to the Metro to head back. We will have a great feast for breakfast tomorrow with these items.
We clean up, and head out to our bar. We our sweet bartender friend again, and have few drinks, and then head to Le Bourlingueur, a French restaurant near the area.
Now this place was really good. We both had different lamb dishes and they were fantastic. It is small, and quiet, but just the thing after a long day of walking and getting lost.
Again tired but happy, we made our way back to the hotel for some wine and a good nights sleep.
We started out with breakfast at Chez Suzette, the crepe place. Split a savory and a sweet crepe. So good. Really, the best crepes we have had, bar none. And then we set off on the Metro to explore some further reaches.
Montreal has great public transit, and it is easy to use. Our plan was to go out to Little Italy and walk back. While in Little Italy, we would go to this great open air market, the Jean Talon market. Not only does it have great food items there, but there stores surrounding it have cheese, bread, meat and sweet specialty shops.
So we got on the Metro, got to our stop and started walking. I had our route set, and we walked one nice avenue and then headed south to head to Little Italy...ahem I mean, what I thought was south. It actually wasn't, it was north. Through some nice neighborhoods, but REALLY north. For about 2 hours. Once Sharlynn asked me if I was sure (and I had been) that we were going the right way, suddenly I was quite unsure, and stopped to ask. CRAP!!!!
So we headed the other way and then stopped at a bus stop. But a cab came by first, and discretion being the better part of valor...we went in the cab to Little Italy. But my mess ups did not stop there.
We were walking south again and got to Schwartz's deli. This place is really known for its smoked meat sandwiches, so we went there for lunch. Sharlynn was a bit skeptical, but we shared a sandwich that was just piled with smoked beef, and it was fantastic. Not at all salty, just really flavorful with a great mustard on it. They are also famous for their black cherry soda which was delicious.
So I ask about Little Italy and Jean Talon market as we leave. Turns out, it was the direction we just came from...OK, I am getting grumpy now, but Sharlynn says lets walk. About 20 minutes later we stop again and ask. The guy says, that is a looooong way away.
We caught another cab.
We get to the Jean Talon market finally, and it is really nice. So many fresh veggies and fruit. We stop by a cheese shop and get some great white cheddar and some mild Swiss. We go and get great fresh bread. We go another place and get unique Chardonnay and chestnut salamis. And some fresh berries and bananas.
We are bushed, and head to the Metro to head back. We will have a great feast for breakfast tomorrow with these items.
We clean up, and head out to our bar. We our sweet bartender friend again, and have few drinks, and then head to Le Bourlingueur, a French restaurant near the area.
Now this place was really good. We both had different lamb dishes and they were fantastic. It is small, and quiet, but just the thing after a long day of walking and getting lost.
Again tired but happy, we made our way back to the hotel for some wine and a good nights sleep.
Book- A Lost Lady
This short novel from Willa Cather makes me again realize why she is one of my favorite authors. Her writing is clear, lyrical and perfect. There is so much underlying the words, that you cannot help but feel the emotions.
A Lost Lady is mild, yet rich. It is about a couple, and older man and younger woman. He has been a captain of industry, with the railroads. They are rich, and are the biggest people in the town. The entertain out of town guests and hold lavish dinner parties and travel all around.
But the story is not about them, but about how they are perceived as they go through stages of their life. Like My Antonia, the narrator is an adult, who knew these people when he was young, and his impressions and how he records the impressions of others, is what makes this book vivid and alive.
One of Cather's small wondrous works.
A Lost Lady is mild, yet rich. It is about a couple, and older man and younger woman. He has been a captain of industry, with the railroads. They are rich, and are the biggest people in the town. The entertain out of town guests and hold lavish dinner parties and travel all around.
But the story is not about them, but about how they are perceived as they go through stages of their life. Like My Antonia, the narrator is an adult, who knew these people when he was young, and his impressions and how he records the impressions of others, is what makes this book vivid and alive.
One of Cather's small wondrous works.
Montreal, Continued
We slept in the next morning and got breakfast at the same place, Cafe St. Paul. Our legs were a bit sore from all the walking yesterday, so we decided to explore the area we were staying, Vieux Montreal, where the city started.
Walking the cobblestone streets, we explored all around this historic area. Plenty of unique shops, restaurants and historical sights. Also with Notre Dame Basilica, just a amazing piece of liturgical architecture, and somewhat gaudy to modern sensibilities, but a sight to behold for certain.
We also explored the Old Port area, so ended up walking for several hours still. By the time later afternoon came around, I needed a drink, so we went into Brandy, a bar associated with a restaurant called The Keg. We met our favorite bartender, Christine there. Just a nice young lady, so sweet and and easy on the eyes too. She chatted with us for quite awhile as I had cold martinis, and Sharlynn had red wine. She suggested a sushi place close by, Tatami, as the best sushi around. And Sharlynn thought it sounded good, so that was where we would go for dinner.
After again stopping by the hotel to clean up and have a little down time, we headed out for Tatami. The place has fish tanks for the tables, a very unique display. And as we were seated, we were impressed with the decor. But as I looked around, it became less impressive. In the corner stood an open trash bin, and metal cart loaded with dirty dishes and a portable coat rack with empty hangers on it. It seemed more fitting for a take out Chinese place than with good sushi dining.
We ordered eda mame for appetizer and a plate overflowing with them came...WAY too much, and not salted either. The lure of the place was innovation, we had been told, you could even eat the flowers the decorated the plates. We ordered a few promising looking rolls, and after a loooooong wait, we got our food.
Now the presentation was so-so. A flower stem sticking out of every section of the roll did not really make it innovative. And then we ate. We were both disappointed, and I saved my comments for when we left. And my comment was "Sushi Deli is better and a third of the cost." And Sharlynn readily agreed. A disappointment for sure. I would pass it up if you go to Montreal.
After that, we headed to the hotel, to chill and sleep.
Walking the cobblestone streets, we explored all around this historic area. Plenty of unique shops, restaurants and historical sights. Also with Notre Dame Basilica, just a amazing piece of liturgical architecture, and somewhat gaudy to modern sensibilities, but a sight to behold for certain.
We also explored the Old Port area, so ended up walking for several hours still. By the time later afternoon came around, I needed a drink, so we went into Brandy, a bar associated with a restaurant called The Keg. We met our favorite bartender, Christine there. Just a nice young lady, so sweet and and easy on the eyes too. She chatted with us for quite awhile as I had cold martinis, and Sharlynn had red wine. She suggested a sushi place close by, Tatami, as the best sushi around. And Sharlynn thought it sounded good, so that was where we would go for dinner.
After again stopping by the hotel to clean up and have a little down time, we headed out for Tatami. The place has fish tanks for the tables, a very unique display. And as we were seated, we were impressed with the decor. But as I looked around, it became less impressive. In the corner stood an open trash bin, and metal cart loaded with dirty dishes and a portable coat rack with empty hangers on it. It seemed more fitting for a take out Chinese place than with good sushi dining.
We ordered eda mame for appetizer and a plate overflowing with them came...WAY too much, and not salted either. The lure of the place was innovation, we had been told, you could even eat the flowers the decorated the plates. We ordered a few promising looking rolls, and after a loooooong wait, we got our food.
Now the presentation was so-so. A flower stem sticking out of every section of the roll did not really make it innovative. And then we ate. We were both disappointed, and I saved my comments for when we left. And my comment was "Sushi Deli is better and a third of the cost." And Sharlynn readily agreed. A disappointment for sure. I would pass it up if you go to Montreal.
After that, we headed to the hotel, to chill and sleep.
Monday, May 12, 2008
Montreal-Night
So, we left Chez Suzette and went back to the hotel to clean up, rest and decide how our night would go.
After I took a shower and power snooze and Sharlynn relaxed, we discussed our options, where to go for dinner etc. And we decided that this night was the night to check out the strip club scene! Good times! LOL!
I had done considerable research on the subject, and found there were two types of clubs, no contact and full contact. Well duh! Which would you go to? Really, why even have no contact? So we were off to Super Sexe, a highly rated club full of anticipation.
Super Sexe was super dull! About 5 girls in all, nothing going on. It was a snooze. I was beginning to think that maybe the scene was overrated. So we split there and headed up Rue Catherine to another place I had spotted on our walk earlier, The Downtown Club.
Wow, it was like night and day. This place had energy. Lots of hot scantily clad women, very friendly and welcoming. Good sound system. Friendly bartenders (also very cute women). Things were looking up. And as we sat down we looked up at the stage. This woman had the largest implants I have ever seen. I mean they looked like blimps on her chest...and not just any blimps, they looked like frickin' Hindenbergs up there...it was soooo ridiculous. They must have been triple GGG. I almost burst out into laughter. Thankfully, the rest of the girls either had no implants or at least were VERY reasonable about the size.
The stage show is OK, but the real kicker is the full contact lap dances...And yes, it is pretty much self-explanatory. An almost naked woman does seductive lap dances and you are able to run your hands over 95% of her body, and she rubs on you too! We both went together with one dancer and got a few REALLY REALLY nice dances. Then we went with another dancer and got a few more. In between we were having more drinks and having a great time. And then Sharlynn got her Jack Nickelson eyes. You know, the ones that say she is over the edge and out of control.
Well, remember triple GGG? Sharlynn was amazed by these things and had to get a closer look (and feel). So she went to get some dances just for herself with this walking lower back problem. As she said, "It was like watching a train wreck...I just had to see what was happening."
She reports that the skin was so tight, even between the breasts, that it felt hard, and the flotation devices themselves were pretty cement like. She was astounded and just could not believe what she was seeing (and feeling).
Well, that last dance put us out of there. We had had some really good dances from very attractive women, an experience that is very Montreal. And Sharlynn did not get whiplash with the last one thank goodness.
There are quite a few of these clubs around this area, some better than others from what I hear, and quite interesting rules. Montreal is even giving consideration to legalising prostitution.
By that time it was late, and all the restaurants in our area were closed, so we had to order room service at 12:30 am. Ah well, it was worth it. A fun fun night.
After I took a shower and power snooze and Sharlynn relaxed, we discussed our options, where to go for dinner etc. And we decided that this night was the night to check out the strip club scene! Good times! LOL!
I had done considerable research on the subject, and found there were two types of clubs, no contact and full contact. Well duh! Which would you go to? Really, why even have no contact? So we were off to Super Sexe, a highly rated club full of anticipation.
Super Sexe was super dull! About 5 girls in all, nothing going on. It was a snooze. I was beginning to think that maybe the scene was overrated. So we split there and headed up Rue Catherine to another place I had spotted on our walk earlier, The Downtown Club.
Wow, it was like night and day. This place had energy. Lots of hot scantily clad women, very friendly and welcoming. Good sound system. Friendly bartenders (also very cute women). Things were looking up. And as we sat down we looked up at the stage. This woman had the largest implants I have ever seen. I mean they looked like blimps on her chest...and not just any blimps, they looked like frickin' Hindenbergs up there...it was soooo ridiculous. They must have been triple GGG. I almost burst out into laughter. Thankfully, the rest of the girls either had no implants or at least were VERY reasonable about the size.
The stage show is OK, but the real kicker is the full contact lap dances...And yes, it is pretty much self-explanatory. An almost naked woman does seductive lap dances and you are able to run your hands over 95% of her body, and she rubs on you too! We both went together with one dancer and got a few REALLY REALLY nice dances. Then we went with another dancer and got a few more. In between we were having more drinks and having a great time. And then Sharlynn got her Jack Nickelson eyes. You know, the ones that say she is over the edge and out of control.
Well, remember triple GGG? Sharlynn was amazed by these things and had to get a closer look (and feel). So she went to get some dances just for herself with this walking lower back problem. As she said, "It was like watching a train wreck...I just had to see what was happening."
She reports that the skin was so tight, even between the breasts, that it felt hard, and the flotation devices themselves were pretty cement like. She was astounded and just could not believe what she was seeing (and feeling).
Well, that last dance put us out of there. We had had some really good dances from very attractive women, an experience that is very Montreal. And Sharlynn did not get whiplash with the last one thank goodness.
There are quite a few of these clubs around this area, some better than others from what I hear, and quite interesting rules. Montreal is even giving consideration to legalising prostitution.
By that time it was late, and all the restaurants in our area were closed, so we had to order room service at 12:30 am. Ah well, it was worth it. A fun fun night.
Montreal, The Trip, Day 2
Ahhhh, our first full day in Montreal. I forgot to mention that I had come down with a bit of a cold, so was a bit stuffed up and coughy, but slept well and woke up feeling pretty good.
What to explore today? So many choices. Sharlynn thought we would be good to go a little further away, so we decided to walk Rue le Saint Catherine, the main avenue of Montreal, with arts, shopping and a lot more.
Before we left the hotel, we found a little breakfast cafe around the corner called Cafe St.Paul's (for Rue le St. Paul) which our hotel was on. A nice breakfast, nothing fancy and pretty cheap, with good strong coffee. We would eat there several times, and I highly recommend it.
After asking at the hotel, they advised to not do the Metro, and instead just walk. So we did. On the way we stopped by Montreal's few blocks of Chinatown. and then went on to St. Catherine.
It is an exciting street. A huge arts center with all kinds of venues and museums at the east end, and shops, restaurants, historic churches and strip clubs galore. Yes, this is Montreal. This also a long street, going for a few miles. We meandered, going from side to side as things elicited interest from us. The churches were amazing. The shops were varied. The restaurants intrigued. And the strip clubs intrigues even more.
Now Montreal has a rep for good strip clubs. With full contact lap dances that run quite inexpensive compared with say, Vegas. So, I was marking these out as we walked- in between the churches that is. As we came to a certain part of St. Catherine, Sharlynn pointed out the road that led to the mountain, Mont Royal. "Let's do that walk," she enthused. After coughing a bit, I agreed reluctantly.
Mont Royal is not really a mountain, but a pretty steep hill, with A LOT of stairs that lead to the top, and great open parkland all around. A true metropolitan park, with tons of grassy area that Montrealers were enjoying.
Now we did get a great view of the city, but I was pooped from this extra excursion, especially considering the long walk back to come. But it was fun, and as I said, great views of the city, changing at each level we stopped at.
The weather was great, and Montrealers were out enjoying the 65 degree sunny day. As we walked back to hotel, we realized how far we had walked out, and knew that this was a 4-5 hour walking day. But it felt good, despite the lingering cold. As we returned to Vieux Montreal, we needed to get a bite. So we stopped at Chez Suzette, a nice crepe place, and split had some of the best crepes we ever ate. We needed our strength for the night to come.
What to explore today? So many choices. Sharlynn thought we would be good to go a little further away, so we decided to walk Rue le Saint Catherine, the main avenue of Montreal, with arts, shopping and a lot more.
Before we left the hotel, we found a little breakfast cafe around the corner called Cafe St.Paul's (for Rue le St. Paul) which our hotel was on. A nice breakfast, nothing fancy and pretty cheap, with good strong coffee. We would eat there several times, and I highly recommend it.
After asking at the hotel, they advised to not do the Metro, and instead just walk. So we did. On the way we stopped by Montreal's few blocks of Chinatown. and then went on to St. Catherine.
It is an exciting street. A huge arts center with all kinds of venues and museums at the east end, and shops, restaurants, historic churches and strip clubs galore. Yes, this is Montreal. This also a long street, going for a few miles. We meandered, going from side to side as things elicited interest from us. The churches were amazing. The shops were varied. The restaurants intrigued. And the strip clubs intrigues even more.
Now Montreal has a rep for good strip clubs. With full contact lap dances that run quite inexpensive compared with say, Vegas. So, I was marking these out as we walked- in between the churches that is. As we came to a certain part of St. Catherine, Sharlynn pointed out the road that led to the mountain, Mont Royal. "Let's do that walk," she enthused. After coughing a bit, I agreed reluctantly.
Mont Royal is not really a mountain, but a pretty steep hill, with A LOT of stairs that lead to the top, and great open parkland all around. A true metropolitan park, with tons of grassy area that Montrealers were enjoying.
Now we did get a great view of the city, but I was pooped from this extra excursion, especially considering the long walk back to come. But it was fun, and as I said, great views of the city, changing at each level we stopped at.
The weather was great, and Montrealers were out enjoying the 65 degree sunny day. As we walked back to hotel, we realized how far we had walked out, and knew that this was a 4-5 hour walking day. But it felt good, despite the lingering cold. As we returned to Vieux Montreal, we needed to get a bite. So we stopped at Chez Suzette, a nice crepe place, and split had some of the best crepes we ever ate. We needed our strength for the night to come.
Magazines
April/May issue of Plenty was good. Always get good ideas on how to reduce our carbon footprint from this magazine, and it is always interesting. Main articles had to do with new car technologies and how China is trying to manipulate the weather for the Olympics.
April National Geographic was great. I especially like the articles on design engineers taking their cue from nature to try to create products (that is how Velcro was imagined). Fascinating stuff that goes from concept to creation. And really makes you look at everything around you in a slightly different light. Also loved the article about chimps and tool making, especially the making of spears for hunting. Pretty mind blowing, especially following the issue on animal intelligence.
April Zoonooz. Ehhh. It was Zoonoooz, what can you say? Killed some time on the flight.
April National Geographic was great. I especially like the articles on design engineers taking their cue from nature to try to create products (that is how Velcro was imagined). Fascinating stuff that goes from concept to creation. And really makes you look at everything around you in a slightly different light. Also loved the article about chimps and tool making, especially the making of spears for hunting. Pretty mind blowing, especially following the issue on animal intelligence.
April Zoonooz. Ehhh. It was Zoonoooz, what can you say? Killed some time on the flight.
Montreal, The Trip, Day 1
Will be blogging a bit about our trip to Montreal, taking you through some day by day stuff we did.
Sunday we leave...a pretty early flight, but considering it is about 10 hours of travelling and a 3 hour time difference, the early part is fine.
We took Northwest airlines, and the flight was great...1st into Detroit, where we had about an 1 1/2 hour layover, then to Montreal. We got to the hotel about 8:30, pretty pooped, and just wanted a meal a shower and a bed. Since we did not know our area at all, we ate at the hotel, The S Restaurant at the St. Sulpice Hotel. This place actually got rated pretty well in some Montreal guides.
Well, it was an expensive meal. The menu was all pricey, and the wine pricier. But as worn out as we were, we weren't going to complain. We both had different cuts of steak, mine with a gorgonzola sauce. For the price, it coulda been better...too much gristle, thought the sauce was nice. Sharlynn like her filet minon. Service was spotty, forgetting my martini, not giving us silver service twice.
After dinner we walked a block or two to see if there was anyplace we could go for breakfast in the morning, and found a shop open were we got a bottle of wine. We stayed in Vieux Montreal, the old area with cobblestone streets and just that little walk made us look forward to the next day of exploring this charming city.
Sunday we leave...a pretty early flight, but considering it is about 10 hours of travelling and a 3 hour time difference, the early part is fine.
We took Northwest airlines, and the flight was great...1st into Detroit, where we had about an 1 1/2 hour layover, then to Montreal. We got to the hotel about 8:30, pretty pooped, and just wanted a meal a shower and a bed. Since we did not know our area at all, we ate at the hotel, The S Restaurant at the St. Sulpice Hotel. This place actually got rated pretty well in some Montreal guides.
Well, it was an expensive meal. The menu was all pricey, and the wine pricier. But as worn out as we were, we weren't going to complain. We both had different cuts of steak, mine with a gorgonzola sauce. For the price, it coulda been better...too much gristle, thought the sauce was nice. Sharlynn like her filet minon. Service was spotty, forgetting my martini, not giving us silver service twice.
After dinner we walked a block or two to see if there was anyplace we could go for breakfast in the morning, and found a shop open were we got a bottle of wine. We stayed in Vieux Montreal, the old area with cobblestone streets and just that little walk made us look forward to the next day of exploring this charming city.
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Montreal or Bust
I am back from a trip to Montreal, and will be blogging about the trip, books, magazines, TV and movies as I get over jet lag and get things back in order here.
It is a great city, and a lot of fun. I look forward to sharing my thoughts about the city and its restaurants, attractions and activities.
It is a great city, and a lot of fun. I look forward to sharing my thoughts about the city and its restaurants, attractions and activities.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
,%20Without%20a%20Trace.jpg){kind=link}
