It is that time of year when I stack up the Oscar nominated films at the top of my Netflix queue. Much to my surprise, I have already seen a few of them.
I have seen Up and District 9 in the best movie category (and am watching Inglourious Basterds right now). And soon getting The Hurt Locker. I have seen Julie & Julia where Meryl Streep is nominated as best actress. And in the animation category, not only Up but Coraline too.
I always look forward to seeing not only the main nominated films, but the best foreign, animated and documentary films as well.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Movie- The World
A slow moving film, though not quite boring, The World (2004) is about a Chinese amusement park, that has replicas of many of the globe's landmarks---The Eiffel Tower, the great pyramids, NY City etc---called The World. It focuses on a few workers there and the mundanity of the lives they lead working in such a place, for low wages and no room for promotion (unless you sleep with management).
It is not a film that moves quickly, and there is good and bad in that. The movie has the time to explore the workers lives in more depth, and it is not emotionally manipulative at all, letting the few times of emotion be very real. However, it is also at times hard to keep interest, because really, how exciting are our lives, if someone filmed us eating our meals and going through our day to day stuff?
The place where The World is filmed has to be a real tourist attraction, and seeing it is interesting and amusing. You can imagine the tourists visiting the Leaning Tower of Pisa and the Sphinx all in a few hours. But that does not save this movie from being almost, though not quite, boring.
It is not a film that moves quickly, and there is good and bad in that. The movie has the time to explore the workers lives in more depth, and it is not emotionally manipulative at all, letting the few times of emotion be very real. However, it is also at times hard to keep interest, because really, how exciting are our lives, if someone filmed us eating our meals and going through our day to day stuff?
The place where The World is filmed has to be a real tourist attraction, and seeing it is interesting and amusing. You can imagine the tourists visiting the Leaning Tower of Pisa and the Sphinx all in a few hours. But that does not save this movie from being almost, though not quite, boring.
TV-Heroes Finale
Why am I still watching this show???
Heroes had fallen so far from what it was I am giving up on it at last. The finale was tedious and slack, with so little awe, that I just went away wondering why it is still on. The storyline petered out long before the final hour, and it just came unglued.
Now you have always had to suspend belief a bit to enjoy the show, but it was such a fun ride, I was willing to do that. But the gaps in this unenergized series now glare as bright as a nova. Just sad.
NBC is doing so badly that they will probably bring Heroes back next season, though on any other network it would be gone. My idea would be to do away with almost everyone and come up with a new cast of characters leaving in one or two of the old ones. Maybe that would help it regain its energy, ideas and fun. Barring that, I will not be watching anymore.
Heroes had fallen so far from what it was I am giving up on it at last. The finale was tedious and slack, with so little awe, that I just went away wondering why it is still on. The storyline petered out long before the final hour, and it just came unglued.
Now you have always had to suspend belief a bit to enjoy the show, but it was such a fun ride, I was willing to do that. But the gaps in this unenergized series now glare as bright as a nova. Just sad.
NBC is doing so badly that they will probably bring Heroes back next season, though on any other network it would be gone. My idea would be to do away with almost everyone and come up with a new cast of characters leaving in one or two of the old ones. Maybe that would help it regain its energy, ideas and fun. Barring that, I will not be watching anymore.
Book- Death of the Fox
A book about the reign of Elizabeth I and her trusted ally Sir Walter Raleigh, Death of the Fox was a book that I thought I would like more, but I did not enjoy it nearly as much as I wanted to.
Historical fiction in one of the genres that is the equivalent of baked pasta for me...it is the comfort food of books. And I love the Elizabethan era. But George Garrett tells the story of the rise, fortunes and final downfall of Raleigh in a disjointed, oblique way, and I must admit, it did not grab hold of me until almost the end of the over 700 page book.
Now Garrett is doing more than just telling Raleigh's story, he is trying to show how England was in that time, and how much it advanced during the reign of Elizabeth I. In doing so he uses many different narrative voices, and this is where he lost me. Because some of these voices are first person, but seem to belong to disembodied beings, I had no idea where the narrative was emanating from, or why that voice took over the narrative.
While he does succeed in illustrating England, he would have grabbed me more by sticking to the story of Raleigh, because that story in and of itself is fascinating. How he rose to be the most trusted advisor to the queen, but after her death he was not at all trusted by her successor, James (of course James hardly trusted anyone). I would have liked to see more of the relationship of Elizabeth and Raleigh, instead of getting too few and too only hinted at views, of their relationship.
While I was looking forward to that baked pasta, it seems like it was subbed for with tofu. And while good for you, I really wanted it to be comfort food. Death of the Fox did not do that.
Historical fiction in one of the genres that is the equivalent of baked pasta for me...it is the comfort food of books. And I love the Elizabethan era. But George Garrett tells the story of the rise, fortunes and final downfall of Raleigh in a disjointed, oblique way, and I must admit, it did not grab hold of me until almost the end of the over 700 page book.
Now Garrett is doing more than just telling Raleigh's story, he is trying to show how England was in that time, and how much it advanced during the reign of Elizabeth I. In doing so he uses many different narrative voices, and this is where he lost me. Because some of these voices are first person, but seem to belong to disembodied beings, I had no idea where the narrative was emanating from, or why that voice took over the narrative.
While he does succeed in illustrating England, he would have grabbed me more by sticking to the story of Raleigh, because that story in and of itself is fascinating. How he rose to be the most trusted advisor to the queen, but after her death he was not at all trusted by her successor, James (of course James hardly trusted anyone). I would have liked to see more of the relationship of Elizabeth and Raleigh, instead of getting too few and too only hinted at views, of their relationship.
While I was looking forward to that baked pasta, it seems like it was subbed for with tofu. And while good for you, I really wanted it to be comfort food. Death of the Fox did not do that.
Movie- Cote d'Azur
Cote d'Azur (2005) is a fun little European sex romp as a family of four arrives at their vacation home in France. The daughter immediately takes off on a motorcycle with her leather clad boyfriend. The son hangs out with his gay friend while deciding if he is gay or not (he's not), the mother's lover shows up for frequent quickies, and the father tidies up the place while deciding if he is gay (he is).
While not remarkable, it is light and fun, with some unexpected turns. Cote d'Azur is a nice diversion.
While not remarkable, it is light and fun, with some unexpected turns. Cote d'Azur is a nice diversion.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Movie- Tony Takitani
Tony Takitani (2004) was a boring movie. While visually it had a bit of appeal, the story was dull, the plot plodded and most everything else was medicocre. It was not a film I would ever try to see again. I would watch reality shows before rewatching this.
I won't even describe it anymore, it is THAT boring.
I won't even describe it anymore, it is THAT boring.
Restaurant-Chopstix
For years, decades in fact, Sharlynn and I would rely on Noodle House of Otomayan. the small place on Convoy that would reliably serve up Japanese noodle soups, and from about 1982- 2003 we would go there and order two Nabeyaki Udons and an order of gyoza, and be so happy and full and pay less than $20.
And when it closed, there was a void....not only from nostalgia (I remember driving back from a trip the two of us took to SF in about 1984 and stopping there for dinner), but a void of good noodle soup.
We may have found the closest replacement yet for that establishment, which closed when the family choose to retire. And it right across the street from where our former place used to be. It is Chopstix at 4633 Convoy, a small, no frills place, that makes really good Nabeyaki Udon and gyoza, so reminiscent of our old haunt. And best of all, two bowls of the noodle soup and an order of gyoza came to under $20!!!!
Chopstix has nice menu of Japanese food and soups. It is not expensive, but hardy, as Japanese country cooking is and it was nice that they served the tempura shrimp on the side, so you could put it in the broth when you wanted to, and it would not get prematurely soggy.
While not at all fancy, Chopstix was deeply satisfying...and I do not think it was just nostalgia!
And when it closed, there was a void....not only from nostalgia (I remember driving back from a trip the two of us took to SF in about 1984 and stopping there for dinner), but a void of good noodle soup.
We may have found the closest replacement yet for that establishment, which closed when the family choose to retire. And it right across the street from where our former place used to be. It is Chopstix at 4633 Convoy, a small, no frills place, that makes really good Nabeyaki Udon and gyoza, so reminiscent of our old haunt. And best of all, two bowls of the noodle soup and an order of gyoza came to under $20!!!!
Chopstix has nice menu of Japanese food and soups. It is not expensive, but hardy, as Japanese country cooking is and it was nice that they served the tempura shrimp on the side, so you could put it in the broth when you wanted to, and it would not get prematurely soggy.
While not at all fancy, Chopstix was deeply satisfying...and I do not think it was just nostalgia!
Sunday, February 21, 2010
TV on Netflix- True Blood, Season 1
Alright, I have quite a few people I know who LOVE LOVE LOVE True Blood (2008). My niece, my friends Kelli and Sharon among others. And while I liked True Blood, I was not drawn into it as those people were. Nor was I drawn into like I was those other HBO shows of The Sopranos and Six Feet Under. True Blood, while quite good, did not reach those heights of sublime television.
It is original TV, I will give it that. Adding to the vampire mythos (which seems to be rampant right now), True Blood's main character is Sookie Sackhouse, a waitress at a bar in in an out of the way Parish of Louisiana. Sookie is a bit unusual before any vamps appear on the scene...she can read minds.
In True Blood's world, vampires can now exist without drinking blood from humans...they can survive on a synthetic blood, called True Blood. So vamps are now trying to "come out" and be part of society, at least many are. And Bill Compton walks into Sookies' bar and orders True Blood from her, and instantly there is chemistry.
Sookie is played by Anna Paquin who does a nice job. But all the acting is sometimes a bit wooden...maybe that is the vibe they are going for, but it does not always work for me. And while I like the idea of the vampires and all, there are way too many supernatural beings popping up in this series. Sam is a changeling Sookie can read minds, Bill an others are vamps, and we get the idea in Season 2 there will be even more strange creatures. I wish they had stuck to one or two, the vamps and a mind reader, that would not stretch my credulity so far.
One of things I did not like about it was how much it hit you over the head with the idea that the prejudice humans show to vampires is quite like that which heterosexuals show to homosexuals, or that whites showed to blacks for decades (yes I know it still occurs, but I am talking pre-civil rights era). I would like that point (an it is valid) to be a little more subtle, instead of hitting me over the head almost every episode. Yes, I almost scream, I get it, really I do, now shut UP!
Yes, I will continue to watch True Blood, I did actually like it. But it is not one of those where I am waiting with bated breath for the next season to come out.
The extras on the DVD series were great...ads for True Blood, PSA's both for against vampires, all of which were quite funny.
It is original TV, I will give it that. Adding to the vampire mythos (which seems to be rampant right now), True Blood's main character is Sookie Sackhouse, a waitress at a bar in in an out of the way Parish of Louisiana. Sookie is a bit unusual before any vamps appear on the scene...she can read minds.
In True Blood's world, vampires can now exist without drinking blood from humans...they can survive on a synthetic blood, called True Blood. So vamps are now trying to "come out" and be part of society, at least many are. And Bill Compton walks into Sookies' bar and orders True Blood from her, and instantly there is chemistry.
Sookie is played by Anna Paquin who does a nice job. But all the acting is sometimes a bit wooden...maybe that is the vibe they are going for, but it does not always work for me. And while I like the idea of the vampires and all, there are way too many supernatural beings popping up in this series. Sam is a changeling Sookie can read minds, Bill an others are vamps, and we get the idea in Season 2 there will be even more strange creatures. I wish they had stuck to one or two, the vamps and a mind reader, that would not stretch my credulity so far.
One of things I did not like about it was how much it hit you over the head with the idea that the prejudice humans show to vampires is quite like that which heterosexuals show to homosexuals, or that whites showed to blacks for decades (yes I know it still occurs, but I am talking pre-civil rights era). I would like that point (an it is valid) to be a little more subtle, instead of hitting me over the head almost every episode. Yes, I almost scream, I get it, really I do, now shut UP!
Yes, I will continue to watch True Blood, I did actually like it. But it is not one of those where I am waiting with bated breath for the next season to come out.
The extras on the DVD series were great...ads for True Blood, PSA's both for against vampires, all of which were quite funny.
Movie- The Beautiful Country
The Beautiful Country (2004) is a moving film, dealing with a lot of things sub-textually, while not distracting, but being organically part of the plot.
The film's main character is Binh, living in the country with relatives, but an outcast in Vietnam, because he is half American, fathered during the Vietnam War. A young man now, Binh will be put out of his relative's house as she remarries, so he asks about his mother in Saigon. And as he finds some leads, he sets off with almost nothing to find her.
One of the sub-texts is that of the effects of war, not just the death, suffering and destruction that occur during the war, but the long term after effects, such as many children without fathers, rejected in their own land. War does not stop its destruction at the end of the fighting.
Binh finds his mother, and they are joyfully reunited, but the joy is short lived, as Binh cannot seem to fit in, and a tragedy occurs that sets him on an even longer journey, that of finding his father in America.
The journey is difficult with more tragedy in its wake. As Binh finds a woman to share his journey, and loses his small brother to illness on it. And the themes of this movie come out even more, the theme of assumptions vs. reality. The woman, played excellently by Ling Bai, should be considered a bad person. But Binh sees more, goes past the assumptions so many others have of her, and at least for a time, finds love.
Another place where theme and plot mesh perfectly is in the telling of the immigrant experience, which has not appreciably changed since my ancestors came over from Ireland and Italy. It is people seeking something better in this country, whether it is knowledge, or freedom or simply an economic opportunity. And in this, Binh's tale is timeless.
The theme of assumptions vs. reality come together again as Binh does find his father, played heart wrenchingly by Nick Nolte. Because all this time, both Binh and his mother thought the man she had wed just abandoned her, but the truth is far more tragic, and oh so human.
The Beautiful Country is an excellent film, where theme and plot overlie each perfectly, adding to each other in an intrinsic way.
It is a film that plays out in your head long after you have watched it. It is sad and warm and a lovingly crafted movie.
The film's main character is Binh, living in the country with relatives, but an outcast in Vietnam, because he is half American, fathered during the Vietnam War. A young man now, Binh will be put out of his relative's house as she remarries, so he asks about his mother in Saigon. And as he finds some leads, he sets off with almost nothing to find her.
One of the sub-texts is that of the effects of war, not just the death, suffering and destruction that occur during the war, but the long term after effects, such as many children without fathers, rejected in their own land. War does not stop its destruction at the end of the fighting.
Binh finds his mother, and they are joyfully reunited, but the joy is short lived, as Binh cannot seem to fit in, and a tragedy occurs that sets him on an even longer journey, that of finding his father in America.
The journey is difficult with more tragedy in its wake. As Binh finds a woman to share his journey, and loses his small brother to illness on it. And the themes of this movie come out even more, the theme of assumptions vs. reality. The woman, played excellently by Ling Bai, should be considered a bad person. But Binh sees more, goes past the assumptions so many others have of her, and at least for a time, finds love.
Another place where theme and plot mesh perfectly is in the telling of the immigrant experience, which has not appreciably changed since my ancestors came over from Ireland and Italy. It is people seeking something better in this country, whether it is knowledge, or freedom or simply an economic opportunity. And in this, Binh's tale is timeless.
The theme of assumptions vs. reality come together again as Binh does find his father, played heart wrenchingly by Nick Nolte. Because all this time, both Binh and his mother thought the man she had wed just abandoned her, but the truth is far more tragic, and oh so human.
The Beautiful Country is an excellent film, where theme and plot overlie each perfectly, adding to each other in an intrinsic way.
It is a film that plays out in your head long after you have watched it. It is sad and warm and a lovingly crafted movie.
Monday, February 15, 2010
Movie- The House Bunny
So The House Bunny is NOT in the same class as Citizen Kane...hell, the House Bunny is not in the same class as The Hangover. That being said, it really is not terrible either.
Starring Anna Faris as the Playboy bunny who gets kicked out of the mansion (via nefarious plans of a rival bunny), the movie is about perceptions, misconceptions and judgments.
Shelley (Faris) has to find a new place to live when she gets kicked out, and she finds a college with a wayward sorority that is about to lose its charter. The girls are misfits, and do not fit in, but Shelley can help. She starts making them up, starts putting on events and starts teaching them how to be social, not social misfits. And it is a lesson these girls sorely need.
But Shelley becomes too good a teacher, and the girls start becoming vacuous airheads, where formerly they held at least some intelligence, despite their anti-personas. So where is the line?
I think that question is what redeems this flick. It asks for a compromise, not selling the sorority sisters out to some mindless sex appeal, but not ignoring the idea that you also have to have some social skills and make the most of the appearance you do have, to make it in this world. And The House Bunny answers that in a reasonable manner...and while it may be a bit predictable, it is also kinda fun.
Faris is fine in the titular role, and the appearance of Hef and the original Girls Next Door adds to the authenticity of the film. All in all a fun and entertaining movie, if much less than a great movie. But who can watch Citizen Kane every night?!
Starring Anna Faris as the Playboy bunny who gets kicked out of the mansion (via nefarious plans of a rival bunny), the movie is about perceptions, misconceptions and judgments.
Shelley (Faris) has to find a new place to live when she gets kicked out, and she finds a college with a wayward sorority that is about to lose its charter. The girls are misfits, and do not fit in, but Shelley can help. She starts making them up, starts putting on events and starts teaching them how to be social, not social misfits. And it is a lesson these girls sorely need.
But Shelley becomes too good a teacher, and the girls start becoming vacuous airheads, where formerly they held at least some intelligence, despite their anti-personas. So where is the line?
I think that question is what redeems this flick. It asks for a compromise, not selling the sorority sisters out to some mindless sex appeal, but not ignoring the idea that you also have to have some social skills and make the most of the appearance you do have, to make it in this world. And The House Bunny answers that in a reasonable manner...and while it may be a bit predictable, it is also kinda fun.
Faris is fine in the titular role, and the appearance of Hef and the original Girls Next Door adds to the authenticity of the film. All in all a fun and entertaining movie, if much less than a great movie. But who can watch Citizen Kane every night?!
Movie- Departures
Departures, from Japan, was nominated for an Oscar last year and won in the Best Foreign Film category.
Wow! What a great movie! Departures (2008) was a fantastic movie out of Japan, and deserves all the honors it can get. It is sad, funny, thoughtful and intense. About Daigo, a cellist in an orchestra who suddenly finds himself out of work. He and his wife return to his hometown in the country, and he stumbles upon a new career, that of a nakanshi, one who prepares the dead for burial.
Daigo is not comfortable with this new job, but he watches his mentor, who prepares the dead with ritual and care...he treats the dead with dignity and reverence, and maybe love. And as Daigo watches this, he becomes more caring too...not just about the dead, but about the living.
The line between death and life is so slim...and it is really evoked in this fantastic film. The ritual they use to prepare the dead, helps to both blur that line, and to make it secure...to let the living be alive, yet accepting of the death of the loved one, and to be able to express their sorrow and sadness.
Daigo does not come easily into this career, and it does not come without some costs...but he does make the calling his own. His story, with his wife, and father who abandoned him, makes a nice counterpoint to the story of his new vocation. But they are also very intertwined...like life and death.
This movie was excellent. Some reviewers felt a bit manipulated with their emotions, but I did not feel that way at all...we are discussing death here. It cannot help but be emotional. Death is an emotional time. But I did not feel like the movie took advantage of this unnecessarily at all. Departures felt true and heartfelt, but not like overblown melodrama. It is a movie well worth watching.
Wow! What a great movie! Departures (2008) was a fantastic movie out of Japan, and deserves all the honors it can get. It is sad, funny, thoughtful and intense. About Daigo, a cellist in an orchestra who suddenly finds himself out of work. He and his wife return to his hometown in the country, and he stumbles upon a new career, that of a nakanshi, one who prepares the dead for burial.
Daigo is not comfortable with this new job, but he watches his mentor, who prepares the dead with ritual and care...he treats the dead with dignity and reverence, and maybe love. And as Daigo watches this, he becomes more caring too...not just about the dead, but about the living.
The line between death and life is so slim...and it is really evoked in this fantastic film. The ritual they use to prepare the dead, helps to both blur that line, and to make it secure...to let the living be alive, yet accepting of the death of the loved one, and to be able to express their sorrow and sadness.
Daigo does not come easily into this career, and it does not come without some costs...but he does make the calling his own. His story, with his wife, and father who abandoned him, makes a nice counterpoint to the story of his new vocation. But they are also very intertwined...like life and death.
This movie was excellent. Some reviewers felt a bit manipulated with their emotions, but I did not feel that way at all...we are discussing death here. It cannot help but be emotional. Death is an emotional time. But I did not feel like the movie took advantage of this unnecessarily at all. Departures felt true and heartfelt, but not like overblown melodrama. It is a movie well worth watching.
Moive-Thumbsucker
OK, this movie was better than how it sounds on paper. Thumbsucker (2005) is about Justin, a sixteen (or so) year old, who still sucks his thumb when under stress.
Yes, it is his crutch, and that is what this movie is about, crutches. Because his father ridicules him, and others mock him, Justin finds a way to get off his thumb, via doctor's prescription, but soon finds he has another crutch,,, maybe a more socially acceptable one, but ultimately a more harmful one in a Ritalin like prescription.
While this movie is not GREAT, it does offer some thought into what crutches we find acceptable and what we do not. If someone takes prescribed sleeping pills every night, does that make him less dependent that the guy who smokes out at night to help him sleep? These are the kinds of questions the movie makes us ask. And it goes even deeper.
Do we use as a crutch our own behavior...maybe uncommunicativeness, to help us cope with pain in the past, with unfulfilled dreams perhaps? Do we love food because of the comfort it gives, the stability? Do we work ourselves to death to avoid having real feelings or admit that the we are in a bad relationship?
Thumbsucker is a thoughtful film, maybe a bit light on actual story. But the questions it poses are legitimate, and it may do us well to consider them. Maybe a thumb is not so bad after all.
Yes, it is his crutch, and that is what this movie is about, crutches. Because his father ridicules him, and others mock him, Justin finds a way to get off his thumb, via doctor's prescription, but soon finds he has another crutch,,, maybe a more socially acceptable one, but ultimately a more harmful one in a Ritalin like prescription.
While this movie is not GREAT, it does offer some thought into what crutches we find acceptable and what we do not. If someone takes prescribed sleeping pills every night, does that make him less dependent that the guy who smokes out at night to help him sleep? These are the kinds of questions the movie makes us ask. And it goes even deeper.
Do we use as a crutch our own behavior...maybe uncommunicativeness, to help us cope with pain in the past, with unfulfilled dreams perhaps? Do we love food because of the comfort it gives, the stability? Do we work ourselves to death to avoid having real feelings or admit that the we are in a bad relationship?
Thumbsucker is a thoughtful film, maybe a bit light on actual story. But the questions it poses are legitimate, and it may do us well to consider them. Maybe a thumb is not so bad after all.
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Moive-Quantum of Solace
The newest James Bond feature film and the second movie to star Daniel Craig, Quantum of Solace (2008) did not garner as many rave revues as Casino Royale. But I think it continued to add to the Bond mythos, and accentuate why Craig was a great choice to play Bond.
One of the things that started in Casino and continued in Quantum is the dis-use of gadgets. This Bond is skilled at driving, fighting and many other things, but he does not rely on gadgets that can do ridiculous things, and I like that. He is tougher and moodier than some Bonds before him, and maybe not quite as refined--- he is just learning how he likes his martinis. But after all, he is a killer.
Quantum is pulse pounding action. I watched it on my new BluRay, and from the opening car chase and foot chase scenes, which shook the couch, I was exhausted! I think some critics did not like it because it has too much action, but that was OK to me...not all the films need to have the brooding of Casino, and this film continued to create Bond, to evolve him from Casino to this. And continued to show that Bond does not trust anyone, and is a force and a law unto himself.
Quantum was good, and it was fun. the chase scenes were amazingly choreographed, and as usual, the women were HOT! Daniel Craig can stay as Bond as long as he wants as far as I am concerned.
One of the things that started in Casino and continued in Quantum is the dis-use of gadgets. This Bond is skilled at driving, fighting and many other things, but he does not rely on gadgets that can do ridiculous things, and I like that. He is tougher and moodier than some Bonds before him, and maybe not quite as refined--- he is just learning how he likes his martinis. But after all, he is a killer.
Quantum is pulse pounding action. I watched it on my new BluRay, and from the opening car chase and foot chase scenes, which shook the couch, I was exhausted! I think some critics did not like it because it has too much action, but that was OK to me...not all the films need to have the brooding of Casino, and this film continued to create Bond, to evolve him from Casino to this. And continued to show that Bond does not trust anyone, and is a force and a law unto himself.
Quantum was good, and it was fun. the chase scenes were amazingly choreographed, and as usual, the women were HOT! Daniel Craig can stay as Bond as long as he wants as far as I am concerned.
Visit to Long Beach
A few weeks ago we took a drive up to Long Beach to see our friends Paul and Wendy. The move to Long Beach was fairly recent for them, going from Huntington Beach, to LB. We had planned to see them earlier, but with family crisis, we just did not make it.
The drive was fairly easy, but finding their place was bit more challenging. The are deep in an enclave that is really nice, with some huge, multi-million dollar homes right around them. They have a guest house, at the back of a bigger house, and it is very cute, designed in a very Frank Lloyd Wright style.
Their location is excellent, just a 5 minute walk from the town center, where there is a street loaded with restaurants, bars and unique shops (not the usual tourist crap). And just a 5 minute jog from the beach. We walked down to one restaurant, had an excellent lunch, walked the streets window shopping, stopped for a huge brownie at a pastry shop, stopped for another drink, and headed back.
It was fun hanging out and seeing where they live. And visiting with the two dachshunds, Frankie and Beans. They have since made two trips down here for dim sum and poker night, so we need to make another drive up there soon. There is a sushi bar that looked REALLY good that we will have to try!
The drive was fairly easy, but finding their place was bit more challenging. The are deep in an enclave that is really nice, with some huge, multi-million dollar homes right around them. They have a guest house, at the back of a bigger house, and it is very cute, designed in a very Frank Lloyd Wright style.
Their location is excellent, just a 5 minute walk from the town center, where there is a street loaded with restaurants, bars and unique shops (not the usual tourist crap). And just a 5 minute jog from the beach. We walked down to one restaurant, had an excellent lunch, walked the streets window shopping, stopped for a huge brownie at a pastry shop, stopped for another drink, and headed back.
It was fun hanging out and seeing where they live. And visiting with the two dachshunds, Frankie and Beans. They have since made two trips down here for dim sum and poker night, so we need to make another drive up there soon. There is a sushi bar that looked REALLY good that we will have to try!
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Movie-The Hangover
Many times movies like The Hangover (2009) disappoint me. But I am happy to say that The Hangover did not...this was a very funny, and smartly written movie. Starring Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis and Justin Bartha as four men who take a trip to Vegas for a bachelor party, the movie stays away (mostly) from the usual cliches, and in fact, pokes fun at them.
The guys are in Vegas, and we see them having toast before they hit the town. We next see them waking up in their completely trashed suite the next morning, not remembering a damn thing that happened the night before. Now the usual movie of this sort would just go to flashbacks right here, but not The Hangover. The men wake up to clues all around them...a live chicken, a tiger in the bathroom, a missing tooth and a baby in the closet. As they realize that the groom to be is missing, they set off in search of him, and the car that is brought to them is a police car. "What the hell did we do last night?" And they follow the clues to get some answers. And we follow in hilarious lockstep with them.
Galifianakas plays the soon to be brother-in-law misanthrope. And he is brilliant in the role. The other three men are quite good too (and Sharlynn REALLY enjoyed watching Bradley Cooper. An excellent performance by Heather Graham, the stripper that is so honest about who she is, that we get past that she just uses stripping to hook up for her escorting practice.
The journey the guys make to find their friend is not straight forward...they find pieces of their story in non linear fashion, and work to put it all together. And the effect is just plain funny. I think the movie will go down as a comic classic of this decade. And it has so many funny throwaway lines, that it will also be one of the most quoted movies for some time:
“Whose baby is that?”
“Check its collar or something.”
Stu: “Am I missing a tooth?
Alan: I’m sure you get this a lot, but is this really Ceasar’s Palace?
Hotel Clerk: What do you mean?
Alan: Did Ceasar really live here?
Hotel Clerk: No
Alan: Didn’t think so
Doug: I always wondered why they were called roofies. Cause you're more likely to end up on the floor than the roof. They should call em groundies.
Alan Garner: Or rapies.
and so many others.
The Hangover is smart and damn funny. It is a movie I will buy, as I think it will keep me laughing well into my 80s.
The guys are in Vegas, and we see them having toast before they hit the town. We next see them waking up in their completely trashed suite the next morning, not remembering a damn thing that happened the night before. Now the usual movie of this sort would just go to flashbacks right here, but not The Hangover. The men wake up to clues all around them...a live chicken, a tiger in the bathroom, a missing tooth and a baby in the closet. As they realize that the groom to be is missing, they set off in search of him, and the car that is brought to them is a police car. "What the hell did we do last night?" And they follow the clues to get some answers. And we follow in hilarious lockstep with them.
Galifianakas plays the soon to be brother-in-law misanthrope. And he is brilliant in the role. The other three men are quite good too (and Sharlynn REALLY enjoyed watching Bradley Cooper. An excellent performance by Heather Graham, the stripper that is so honest about who she is, that we get past that she just uses stripping to hook up for her escorting practice.
The journey the guys make to find their friend is not straight forward...they find pieces of their story in non linear fashion, and work to put it all together. And the effect is just plain funny. I think the movie will go down as a comic classic of this decade. And it has so many funny throwaway lines, that it will also be one of the most quoted movies for some time:
“Whose baby is that?”
“Check its collar or something.”
Stu: “Am I missing a tooth?
Alan: I’m sure you get this a lot, but is this really Ceasar’s Palace?
Hotel Clerk: What do you mean?
Alan: Did Ceasar really live here?
Hotel Clerk: No
Alan: Didn’t think so
Doug: I always wondered why they were called roofies. Cause you're more likely to end up on the floor than the roof. They should call em groundies.
Alan Garner: Or rapies.
and so many others.
The Hangover is smart and damn funny. It is a movie I will buy, as I think it will keep me laughing well into my 80s.
Saturday, February 6, 2010
2 Magazines
The December National Geographic was a fascinating mix of the exploration of the galaxy, and the brutality that continues on our own world. The article "Are We Alone" searches the cosmos for earth like planets. And the search is getting more and more precise and instuments get more finely tuned. I do believe that we will find a few earth like planets in my lifetime, and maybe even sign of life on another world. It is not science fiction, it is statistics, the laws of probability and science. But we have much still to learn on our own world, as "The Other Tibet" illustrates. The repression in Tibet by China shows that mankind is probably not ready for the discovery that we are not a unique planet, the other forms of life do exist. We will probably find that another reason to commit atrocities against each other. And the article on the Hazda people, modern day hunter-gatherers, really shows the despite our progress in many areas, we still lack a serenity that these "primitive" people seem to have mastered.
The December issue of Playboy had some good articles. The interview with James Cameron, that I read before the debut of Avatar was especially revealing...he had little doubt that it would be a huge success, and he was VERY correct. I have to admit, Chelsea Handler makes me laugh, and she is HOT! Her guide to surviving the holidays with family made me laugh out loud. With advise like "An inebriated guest is an entertaining guest--an abundance of booze makes everybody a little less critical of the terrible food they are being served." I LIKE her! And while I personally am not a fan of Vladimir Nabokov, I recognize that he is one of the literary giants of the 20th century, and for Playboy to get an exclusive preview of his last novel, that has been in a vault for many years, is a testament to how literary this magazine is. It has, and continues, to publish short fiction from some of the greatest writers around.
The December issue of Playboy had some good articles. The interview with James Cameron, that I read before the debut of Avatar was especially revealing...he had little doubt that it would be a huge success, and he was VERY correct. I have to admit, Chelsea Handler makes me laugh, and she is HOT! Her guide to surviving the holidays with family made me laugh out loud. With advise like "An inebriated guest is an entertaining guest--an abundance of booze makes everybody a little less critical of the terrible food they are being served." I LIKE her! And while I personally am not a fan of Vladimir Nabokov, I recognize that he is one of the literary giants of the 20th century, and for Playboy to get an exclusive preview of his last novel, that has been in a vault for many years, is a testament to how literary this magazine is. It has, and continues, to publish short fiction from some of the greatest writers around.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Movie- Valkyrie
I had heard some unfavorable reviews of Valkyrie (2008) when it hit theaters, and I am not a big Tom Cruise fan to begin with, so it was with a fair amount of caution that I watched Valkyrie, not expecting too much.
And it is good that I went in with low expectations, because that way, the movie did exceed them. The story is powerful and true, and the filming is really nicely done. It is about the close success of an assassination of Adolph Hitler and coup of his government...the closest anyone came to stopping the Nazi horror, before Hitler ended his own life and ended the dreams of the Third Reich.
A group of military officers were the driving force of this coup, and relied mostly on Col. Claus von Stauffenberg (Cruise), a man loyal to Germany and the army, not necessarily to the Nazis or Hitler. He comes into the group of assassins as a hero of the Reich having been injured in Africa and losing an eye and part of a hand. But he sees the road Germany is going down, knows that they will lose the war, and cannot stand to see what it will have to endure because of the atrocities committed. So he joins, and eventually leads the cabal.
Now the story has some power, and like I said, it is suitably filmed, but it lacks something also. It seems to be lacking a tension that would be suitable. While glossy, it is not nitty gritty very much, and I think this is needed also. Cruise does not help this lack, because though he does an adequate job, he has no nit nor grit to him. Also lacking...the German language. It really seems like more authenticity could be had here by having this film in German, at least mostly.
Valkyrie exceeded my expectations, but my expectations were really low. I don't know if that is a good thing or bad, and feel much the same about this film.
And it is good that I went in with low expectations, because that way, the movie did exceed them. The story is powerful and true, and the filming is really nicely done. It is about the close success of an assassination of Adolph Hitler and coup of his government...the closest anyone came to stopping the Nazi horror, before Hitler ended his own life and ended the dreams of the Third Reich.
A group of military officers were the driving force of this coup, and relied mostly on Col. Claus von Stauffenberg (Cruise), a man loyal to Germany and the army, not necessarily to the Nazis or Hitler. He comes into the group of assassins as a hero of the Reich having been injured in Africa and losing an eye and part of a hand. But he sees the road Germany is going down, knows that they will lose the war, and cannot stand to see what it will have to endure because of the atrocities committed. So he joins, and eventually leads the cabal.
Now the story has some power, and like I said, it is suitably filmed, but it lacks something also. It seems to be lacking a tension that would be suitable. While glossy, it is not nitty gritty very much, and I think this is needed also. Cruise does not help this lack, because though he does an adequate job, he has no nit nor grit to him. Also lacking...the German language. It really seems like more authenticity could be had here by having this film in German, at least mostly.
Valkyrie exceeded my expectations, but my expectations were really low. I don't know if that is a good thing or bad, and feel much the same about this film.
Monday, February 1, 2010
TV Season- Chuck
I am so glad Chuck is back on the air. One of the few bright spots in NBC's lineup, Chuck is by turns funny, action-packed, sexy, touching and romantic. How it does all these things, and all pretty damn well, is beyond me. But it does.
And this is not last year's Chuck either. With last year's finale changing the game, Chuck is no longer just the dopey guy with the Intersect in his head that can flash on things and provide info. Oh no, the new Intersect in his head still has him flashing, but gives him the abilities to do many things, like kick ass in a fight, and play Flamenco guitar (I know, that sounds strange, but it worked in the episode).
The show makes me laugh more than many straight comedies, and the sexiness is provided in large part by Yvonne Strahovski, who plays Chuck's CIA handler, Sarah Walker. She had a scene with another HOOOOT female spy changing into their undercover HOOOOT clothes....STEAM-Y!
The one thing that Chuck could lose is the Buy More gang. They are a real distraction to the meat of the show, and while absurd, are rarely funny. My idea would be to have Chuck run the Nerd Herd computer division of the Buy More off site. And Morgan could still be in at as liason for the main store to Chuck. Get rid of Buy More except in VERY small doses...keep Morgan...all is good.
Zachery Levi is perfect as the imperfect Chuck, who wants to be a spy, but has a heart too big to be cold blooded.
This should be a show NBC builds around...but knowing their track record, the will cancel it and replace it with the newest Knight Rider.
And this is not last year's Chuck either. With last year's finale changing the game, Chuck is no longer just the dopey guy with the Intersect in his head that can flash on things and provide info. Oh no, the new Intersect in his head still has him flashing, but gives him the abilities to do many things, like kick ass in a fight, and play Flamenco guitar (I know, that sounds strange, but it worked in the episode).
The show makes me laugh more than many straight comedies, and the sexiness is provided in large part by Yvonne Strahovski, who plays Chuck's CIA handler, Sarah Walker. She had a scene with another HOOOOT female spy changing into their undercover HOOOOT clothes....STEAM-Y!
The one thing that Chuck could lose is the Buy More gang. They are a real distraction to the meat of the show, and while absurd, are rarely funny. My idea would be to have Chuck run the Nerd Herd computer division of the Buy More off site. And Morgan could still be in at as liason for the main store to Chuck. Get rid of Buy More except in VERY small doses...keep Morgan...all is good.
Zachery Levi is perfect as the imperfect Chuck, who wants to be a spy, but has a heart too big to be cold blooded.
This should be a show NBC builds around...but knowing their track record, the will cancel it and replace it with the newest Knight Rider.
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