Plaza de Mulas (2003) Syrah. Mendoza - Argentina.
X-mas present from Jon.
Very nice. Starts a little tight, smooths out nicely. Good flavor, and finishes well. Strong, kicks like a mule, leaves you stumbling slightly and reaching for another bottle that isn't there. Label resembles something out of an old Western movie, horses, thatch roof, guy playing a guitar. This is not a peasant's wine, though. Recommended.
Tuesday, December 20, 2005
Monday, December 12, 2005
Reviews - the world of apocalypse and grace
Saving Grace (2000) - Woman's husband dies. Truth of husband's deceit comes crashing down upon woman. The affair. The debts. The cold reality. What to do? Perhaps...seeing as how she is a wonderful gardener and all...perhaps she could make a little money selling drugs? Not that she comes to the conclusion right away, mind you, it just sort of happens. And hilarity ensues. And the ending is odd, but I won't give everything away.
Rating: three of a kind.
Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow (2004) - This is pure pulp entertainment. It is pretty to look at, the story is well executed with enough little twists to keep it interesting, the acting is solid and the effects are spot-on. Worthwhile.
Rating: flush.
Apocalypse Now Redux (1979) - The longer director's cut. This is a brilliant movie to begin with, and while the extended version does not add too much essential, it doesn't detract from the story, either. This movie just drags you into a place that you are thankful not to be in, a vision of hell that is occasionally terrifying in its' beauty.
Rating: royal flush.
Rating: three of a kind.
Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow (2004) - This is pure pulp entertainment. It is pretty to look at, the story is well executed with enough little twists to keep it interesting, the acting is solid and the effects are spot-on. Worthwhile.
Rating: flush.
Apocalypse Now Redux (1979) - The longer director's cut. This is a brilliant movie to begin with, and while the extended version does not add too much essential, it doesn't detract from the story, either. This movie just drags you into a place that you are thankful not to be in, a vision of hell that is occasionally terrifying in its' beauty.
Rating: royal flush.
Sunday, December 11, 2005
If your life was a movie...
The Movie Of Your Life Is A Cult Classic |
 Quirky, offbeat, and even a little campy - your life appeals to a select few. But if someone's obsessed with you, look out! Your fans are downright freaky. Your best movie matches: Office Space, Showgirls, The Big Lebowski |
Thursday, December 01, 2005
cook before eating
I've noticed the label before, but it never really bothered me. Maybe I'm just in one those "moods". The frozen pizza box, and the dire warning: "Cook Before Eating". The frozen eggrolls and Lean Cuisines remind you to "Cook Thoroughly". On the other hand, the vegetables have no advice against eating frozen broccoli, in fact I am reminded not to overcook the corn lest all the nutrients be destroyed. The fish doesn't have any reminders about not eating it while it is still frozen, either, which I think is a dire oversight, a lawsuit waiting to happen.
Some warning labels are appropriate, and I know it's cliche to comment on the loss of common sense in this world, but still...cook before eating?
Some warning labels are appropriate, and I know it's cliche to comment on the loss of common sense in this world, but still...cook before eating?
Sunday, November 27, 2005
Saturday, November 26, 2005
Review: Goblet of Fire
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
This is when the books went from medium to large. So from now on, it is going be quite tricky for the team creating the movie to cover the territory completely enough to satisfy an audience that in some cases tends toward the obsessive. What I will say is that they have made a good start of it. Yes, things get left out, but the core of the book is there, and enough of the periphery is covered to not require too much backtracking through the rest of the series. What gets left out is detailed explanation of some things, such as the workings of the pensieve; there is an extent to which the film relies on the audience being able to fill in the blanks for themselves.
Some of the criticism I have seen talks about the pacing of the movie, and it is true that some parts feel rushed. But it doesn't really detract from the story. We also get a darker tone, but considering the direction of the series from this point forward, it has to be dark. The effects are fluid and generally integrate well into the live action shots. And the casting is spot-on all the way through.
It's pretty much a given that any fan of the books will see this movie, so this review is less about making a recommendation than simply acknowledging that this is a worthy addition to the series, in fact the best so far.
Side note: the kids at this showing were very well behaved, and there was about a half hour's worth of commercials and previews prior to the start. Preview highlight: King Kong. Preview lowlight: Cheaper by the Dozen 2.
Rating: four of a kind.
This is when the books went from medium to large. So from now on, it is going be quite tricky for the team creating the movie to cover the territory completely enough to satisfy an audience that in some cases tends toward the obsessive. What I will say is that they have made a good start of it. Yes, things get left out, but the core of the book is there, and enough of the periphery is covered to not require too much backtracking through the rest of the series. What gets left out is detailed explanation of some things, such as the workings of the pensieve; there is an extent to which the film relies on the audience being able to fill in the blanks for themselves.
Some of the criticism I have seen talks about the pacing of the movie, and it is true that some parts feel rushed. But it doesn't really detract from the story. We also get a darker tone, but considering the direction of the series from this point forward, it has to be dark. The effects are fluid and generally integrate well into the live action shots. And the casting is spot-on all the way through.
It's pretty much a given that any fan of the books will see this movie, so this review is less about making a recommendation than simply acknowledging that this is a worthy addition to the series, in fact the best so far.
Side note: the kids at this showing were very well behaved, and there was about a half hour's worth of commercials and previews prior to the start. Preview highlight: King Kong. Preview lowlight: Cheaper by the Dozen 2.
Rating: four of a kind.
kma fandango
Note to Firefox users: the Fandango ticket site does not seem to work on Firefox. Shame on them.
Tuesday, November 22, 2005
White Apples - Question 1
What three meals from your past would you like to eat again? Describe the three most memorable meals you've ever had -- one breakfast, one lunch, and one dinner. (from White Apples, by Jonathan Carroll).
Difficult question. Some of my most memorable meals I would not choose to have again, for the reasons that made them memorable. The Tony-Paul brawl dinner, for example.
Picnic lunch, road trip with R, 1998; somewhere in Colorado. Relatively warm, but snow all around, drifts hanging over a clear stream.
I'll edit this when I think of other meals.
12.20.05 added:
There was a breakfast, actually a brunch, a few years back with the J & K group, a lot of people from college, over at the Twisted Spoke. I don't remember what I ate, or much of the concrete details, it just sticks out as a moment with a group of people that would soon after be scattered to some extent.
Dinner. What was it we ate? Yummy salad, and perhaps some fish and pasta concoction? It was a couple years ago at Tony and Ron's place near L.A. Memorable for the massive amounts of wine and details of old family stories/skeletons.
Difficult question. Some of my most memorable meals I would not choose to have again, for the reasons that made them memorable. The Tony-Paul brawl dinner, for example.
Picnic lunch, road trip with R, 1998; somewhere in Colorado. Relatively warm, but snow all around, drifts hanging over a clear stream.
I'll edit this when I think of other meals.
12.20.05 added:
There was a breakfast, actually a brunch, a few years back with the J & K group, a lot of people from college, over at the Twisted Spoke. I don't remember what I ate, or much of the concrete details, it just sticks out as a moment with a group of people that would soon after be scattered to some extent.
Dinner. What was it we ate? Yummy salad, and perhaps some fish and pasta concoction? It was a couple years ago at Tony and Ron's place near L.A. Memorable for the massive amounts of wine and details of old family stories/skeletons.
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