I'm only just home from work, and I've been pulling some crazy hours. But I tell you what I've found... home is so much sweeter for having been away from it so much.
Everything looks cosier, more welcoming, more soothing.
For the last couple of days we experienced a rise in temperature, kind of warm for the time of year, but I know soon it will be cool again, and especially so at night. That's when I put the fire on.
Yes...
My DVD fireplace!
It's so great. It looks realistic, it has fire-crackling sounds, and I find it very soothing. I burn a pressed-balsam incense cone sometimes, and if I lay on the sofa reading, seeing the fireplace out of the corner of my eye, and smell the subtle, wood-smoke scent, I could swear I was laying in front of the real thing.
It doesn't burn down. I'm not sure what kind of loop it's on, but the fire is always cheerfully burning at the same rate. There are other fireplace DVDs you can buy where the fire starts out low, builds quickly to a furious roar, settles and finally, an hour or so later, is just embers. That would be cool. But they costs twice as much, and I like my steady burn.
There is also an option on it for playing holiday music alone or with the crackling fire sounds. All classics, sung by Rosemary Clooney and Bing Crosby. I've not played that yet.
Oh yes, and last Christmas, the place got a bit warm. One of my guests said, "Could we turn off the DVD fireplace, it's making me feel hot." I loved that.
Friday, September 21, 2007
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Quote of the Day
"Aye lassie, he'll warm ye forever in the white heat of his heather-powered, Scottish brand of single-malt passion!"
Me, in a bit of a state, 2005.
Me, in a bit of a state, 2005.
Quote of the Day
"I tried to forget you... I thought I had."
Ciaran Hinds as Captain Frederick Wentworth in Persuasion (1995).
....................................... THUD. Ow.
Ciaran Hinds as Captain Frederick Wentworth in Persuasion (1995).
....................................... THUD. Ow.
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
At Last... Some Fiction
I've been a very slow reader this year. No particular reason.
Right now, on a friend's recommendation, I'm reading Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal by Christopher Moore. It's a great premise: what happened to Jesus in those 30-odd years not covered by the official Gospels? Enter the narrator Levi who is also called Biff, a smart-arse, sarcasm-inventing sidekick who, 2,000 years ago, loved Jesus as a friend while recognizing that his playmate was also the Son of God. He is resurrected into the present day by the archangel Raziel, and commanded to compose a new Gospel, his own remembrances of Jesus's life. It covers where Jesus travelled (with Biff of course) and where and how he learned to be the Messiah, a very new and revolutionary spiritual leader.
It's irreverant, absurd and mocking to everything BUT Jesus and the faith he inspired and the basic beliefs of Christianity. As a reviewer noted, it can be read by Christians without offense, and it might even bring non-believers into the fold. If you have some biblical knowledge, you can delight in the puns and double-entendres. Otherwise it's just a really good read.
And I can't help being intrigued by an author some of whose other works are titled Island of the Sequined Love Nun, Bloodsucking Fiends and The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove.
Right now, on a friend's recommendation, I'm reading Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal by Christopher Moore. It's a great premise: what happened to Jesus in those 30-odd years not covered by the official Gospels? Enter the narrator Levi who is also called Biff, a smart-arse, sarcasm-inventing sidekick who, 2,000 years ago, loved Jesus as a friend while recognizing that his playmate was also the Son of God. He is resurrected into the present day by the archangel Raziel, and commanded to compose a new Gospel, his own remembrances of Jesus's life. It covers where Jesus travelled (with Biff of course) and where and how he learned to be the Messiah, a very new and revolutionary spiritual leader.
It's irreverant, absurd and mocking to everything BUT Jesus and the faith he inspired and the basic beliefs of Christianity. As a reviewer noted, it can be read by Christians without offense, and it might even bring non-believers into the fold. If you have some biblical knowledge, you can delight in the puns and double-entendres. Otherwise it's just a really good read.
And I can't help being intrigued by an author some of whose other works are titled Island of the Sequined Love Nun, Bloodsucking Fiends and The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove.
Quote of the Day
"Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit drinking."
Lloyd Bridges as Steve McCroskey in Airplane! (1980).
One of the greatest comedies... ever.
Lloyd Bridges as Steve McCroskey in Airplane! (1980).
One of the greatest comedies... ever.
Everybody Can Stop Panicking
I found them!
And so can you... in the lower level of the St. Lawrence Market, south end, in that fabulous bulk place. They have all three Lindt Creation 70% bars: caramel, cherry-chili, and orange. $4.49 a bar.
Regarding Callebaut chocolate, they only carry the semi-sweet mini and white mini chocolate chips. But they're going to ask their supplier about the larger dark-chocolate Callebaut chips.
Well... I'll sleep easier tonight.
And so can you... in the lower level of the St. Lawrence Market, south end, in that fabulous bulk place. They have all three Lindt Creation 70% bars: caramel, cherry-chili, and orange. $4.49 a bar.
Regarding Callebaut chocolate, they only carry the semi-sweet mini and white mini chocolate chips. But they're going to ask their supplier about the larger dark-chocolate Callebaut chips.
Well... I'll sleep easier tonight.
Dark Brown Food/Drink Substances in the News!
1. Here is a happy picture from yesterday evening: a can of Guinness poured into my 007 glass, waiting to be savoured. And savour it I did. The creamy head, the smooth, heavy brew. I wonder if Bond ever drank Guinness? I bet he didn't.2. HELP!!! I found today that earlier in the year, a limited amount of Guinness-flavoured Marmite was created. HELP!!! I need to try this! While I scour the internet for details, please let me know if you have any information. Guinness + Marmite...................... THUD.
3. The debate is raging out of control! Apparently, Paddington Bear is part of a new advertising campaign to promote Marmite. Now we all know that Paddingtons's favourite food is marmalade. He always keeps a jar in the suitcase he carries around, in case of emergencies. So for the Paddington image to be used to promote Marmite is seen as a betrayal by his fans and yet a triumph for Marmite-lovers everywhere. I - like so many I am sure - fall into both categories. He's growing up, his tastes are evolving. And why can't he love both marmalade and marmite? And as he was born in darkest Peru, you have to wonder if the makers of Marmite aren't saying "Hey, you don't have to be born in the British Isles to like it." The slogan remains the same though: "You either love it or hate it." See the little marmite jar beside him and the marmite-cheese-lettuce sandwich in his paw? Okay, I'm having that for breakfast. My mouth is watering.
UPDATE: Breakfast was wonderful. By the way, in the ad Paddington uses the new squeezy bottle of Marmite to drizzle over his bread. I advise not to drizzle so boldly if you are new to Marmite. As I have said before, a thin smear is all you should try the first time.
3. The debate is raging out of control! Apparently, Paddington Bear is part of a new advertising campaign to promote Marmite. Now we all know that Paddingtons's favourite food is marmalade. He always keeps a jar in the suitcase he carries around, in case of emergencies. So for the Paddington image to be used to promote Marmite is seen as a betrayal by his fans and yet a triumph for Marmite-lovers everywhere. I - like so many I am sure - fall into both categories. He's growing up, his tastes are evolving. And why can't he love both marmalade and marmite? And as he was born in darkest Peru, you have to wonder if the makers of Marmite aren't saying "Hey, you don't have to be born in the British Isles to like it." The slogan remains the same though: "You either love it or hate it." See the little marmite jar beside him and the marmite-cheese-lettuce sandwich in his paw? Okay, I'm having that for breakfast. My mouth is watering.
UPDATE: Breakfast was wonderful. By the way, in the ad Paddington uses the new squeezy bottle of Marmite to drizzle over his bread. I advise not to drizzle so boldly if you are new to Marmite. As I have said before, a thin smear is all you should try the first time.
Sunday, September 16, 2007
Lindt-alert
A colleague (and fellow chocoholic) came to me last week with a new discovery: Lindt Creation bars. The one she gave me is the Caramel version. Each square is a 70% dark chocolate shell with a thin layer of caramel and truffle filling.
I'm eking it out carefully. We have a piece every few days. Apparently there are other flavours, which I have determined must be hunted down immediately! Don't worry everyone... I'm on the case.
I'm eking it out carefully. We have a piece every few days. Apparently there are other flavours, which I have determined must be hunted down immediately! Don't worry everyone... I'm on the case.
Saturday, September 15, 2007
Quote of the Day
"Are you a good witch, or a bad witch?"
Billie Burke as Glinda, the Good Witch of the North in The Wizard of Oz (1939)
I say this line quite often as a bad Billie Burke impression in an attempt to amuse/annoy my dad, for whom this movie ranks up there with his top three.
"Are you a good weetch? Orrr a bed weetch?"
As a little girl I loved Glinda's puffy pink dress with all the sparkles: the height of glamour as far as I was concerned. I would have never believed then - and still find it hard to believe - that she was 54 at the time. Billie Burke had married Florenz Ziegfeld of the famous Follies and had retired from acting, but - with the Wall Street crash of 1929 and the loss of their wealth - was forced to return to her career, to the delight and relief of munchkins everywhere.
Billie Burke as Glinda, the Good Witch of the North in The Wizard of Oz (1939)
I say this line quite often as a bad Billie Burke impression in an attempt to amuse/annoy my dad, for whom this movie ranks up there with his top three.
"Are you a good weetch? Orrr a bed weetch?"
As a little girl I loved Glinda's puffy pink dress with all the sparkles: the height of glamour as far as I was concerned. I would have never believed then - and still find it hard to believe - that she was 54 at the time. Billie Burke had married Florenz Ziegfeld of the famous Follies and had retired from acting, but - with the Wall Street crash of 1929 and the loss of their wealth - was forced to return to her career, to the delight and relief of munchkins everywhere.
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Quote of the Day
"When they land we blow up the roof. They spend a month sifting through rubble, and by the time they work out what went wrong, we'll be sitting on a beach, earning twenty percent."
Alan Rickman as Hans Gruber in Die Hard (1988)
Still my favourite action movie and the film that taught me that a good thriller needs a great villain. Alan Rickman was IT with his melifluous German accent, his well-cut suit and his posse of follicly-blessed, glamorous Euro-thugs.
Alan Rickman as Hans Gruber in Die Hard (1988)
Still my favourite action movie and the film that taught me that a good thriller needs a great villain. Alan Rickman was IT with his melifluous German accent, his well-cut suit and his posse of follicly-blessed, glamorous Euro-thugs.
Sunday, September 9, 2007
15 Great Love Scenes in Film
For this list, I have picked scenes that I love. Some ring true, some are fantastical, some subtle, some explicit, some gently romantic, some erotic, some tender, some torrid. It's personal and highly subjective. I also decided to only pick scenes where I enjoyed both actors equally. In no particular order...
THE BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY (1995)
Francesca (Meryl Streep) and Robert (Clint Eastwood) dance - and finally kiss - in her kitchen, with Johnny Hartman singing on the radio in the background.
Eastwood takes a badly written, hopelessly overrated book and makes a beautiful film out of it. Meryl Streep, the ultra-WASP, is perfectly convincing as an Italian woman. Truly, she is a goddess! Both actors showed that it is never too late to fall powerfully, IRREVOCABLY (in-joke for some of my colleagues) in love.
THE YEAR OF LIVING DANGEROUSLY (1982)
Guy (Mel Gibson) and Jill (Sigourney Weaver) banter over after-lunch drinks in the stifling heat of a Indonesian noon. They are caught in a rain storm, run for his car and collapse with laughter, giddy from the chemistry and the alcohol.
This was Mel Gibson before his roles utilized his native (yet strangely unnatural) American accent. As a young, ambitiously raw Australian journalist in Indonesia in the early 60s, he's compelling and exciting and a great foil for Sigourney Weaver's cool English diplomat. During the promotion of this film, she was apparently very impressed by Mel's lack of self conciousness that she was a fair bit taller than him.
THE YEAR OF LIVING DANGEROUSLY (1982)
Guy (Mel Gibson) has crashed the embassy ball and persuaded Jill (Sigourney Weaver) to break curfew and go somewhere where they can be alone. As they drive through the dark streets of the countryside surrounding Jakarta, she tosses away his cigarette and distracts him with kisses; they smash through a checkpoint to the spray of machine-gun fire; and revel in the erotic excitement of their dangerous actions.
The music of Vangelis was brilliantly used here. It's an excerpt called "L'Enfant" from his Opera Sauvage.
CASABLANCA (1942)
At the airport, Rick (Humphrey Bogart) is determined to get Elsa (Ingrid Bergman) on the plane with her husband Laszlo. He assures her that as painful as their separation is now, they have the memories of their love affair, and reminds here that their personal problems are nothing compared to what is at stake.
Bogart speaks those oft-quoted lines (the entire scenes is oft-quoted, what a piece of writing!) in a rapid-fire manner. But in his eyes you see all the love and longing he is careful not to indulge too openly. Elsa is the weaker one here; she wants to stay, but Rick knows they have to do the honourable thing. Which of us has ever been so self-sacrificing? This final scene always leaves me gob-smacked. Humphrey Bogart was a small man and seemed prematurely aged and worn. But there was always something very powerful about him. I always feel that if you were in trouble, he'd be the man you'd want around. I have no idea how he did it. His large, dark eyes spoke volumes and, for me, the actor's eyes are everything. I suppose whatever he had was real screen presence.
NOW VOYAGER (1942)
With humour and firmness, Jerry (Paul Henreid) finally breaks through Charlotte's (Bette Davis) bitter protective shell and she melts into a man's arms for the first time in years.
Bette Davis could be hard as nails and soft as butter; not beautiful, but with poise and elegance in the way she moved. Every scene with these two is a love scene. And she is splendid in all of them, evolving as the film progresses, with Henreid as a handsome, charming foil to her shifting moods. And in this moment, on the hotel balcony they share, you experience Hollywood's coy and effective suggestion that the scene might end with a kiss, but the night has just begun.
ROMEO + JULIET (1996)
Romeo (Leonardo di Caprio) and Juliet (Claire Danes) meet for the first time at a costume party at her family's magnficent home.
Director Baz Luhrmann stays true to the spirit of the Shakespeare play. The language suffers somewhat, but who cares when young infatuation/love is so beautifully portrayed by young actors who express all on their faces - nothing is hidden. The scene starts as they view each other through the water of a giant fish tank, and ends with them falling into the pool, a perfect watery environment in which to succumb to primitive, sensual discovery.
LONE STAR (1996)
Sam (Chris Cooper) and Pilar (Elizabeth Peña) rekindle their past love affair with a spontaneously sweaty love-making that leaves them both gasping. When she can speak again, she ask "What do we do now?" in reference to other complications in their lives. As the blood rushes back to his head he whispers... "More?"
The teenage love between these two characters has haunted them for years. They were separated forcefully then, and now they reunite as different people who have evolved with life experiences... but the attraction and chemistry is still there. These characters feel so real, and you are longing for them to make it work.
MOULIN ROUGE (2001)
Lifting from a series of schmaltzy and not-so-schmaltzy love songs of the past 20 years, Christian (Ewan McGregor) convinces the courtesan Satine (Nicole Kidman) that they should be lovers. She succumbs, and the scene ends with her comment "You're going to be bad for business."
Another outrageously self-indulgent and hopelessly romantic movie by Baz Luhrmann. Some of it is hard to take, but this scene - operatically over-the-top and speaking to romantics everywhere - is made possible by the charm of the two stars. The camera loves Nicole Kidman's face like it did the stars of old Hollywood.
THAT HAMILTON WOMAN (1941)
As the year turns from 1799 to 1800, Lord Nelson (Laurence Olivier) has stolen away with Lady Emma Hamilton (Vivien Leigh). The clocks chime midnight and he is kissing her atop a Neopolitan balcony, with fireworks exploding in the bay below. "Now I've kissed you through two centuries."
The stars were at the height of their physical beauty (even when Olivier as Nelson has lost an arm and an eye, he's still pretty gorgeous) and the sets and costumes are sumptuously satisfying. And these two - married in real life - had real chemistry on screen and that often isn't the case. There is a use of paste-encrusted organza in this film, a sort of sparkly veil on some of Leigh's costumes, that always seemed the height of glamour to me as a little girl. It still does.
PAT AND MIKE (1952)
Even as sports-trainer Mike (Spencer Tracy) is tucking his prized lady-athlete Pat (Katherine Hepburn) into bed, you can read through his gruffness and her melting eyes, and with no kisses or touches yet, that they have fallen in love.
Here is another couple who had great off- and on-screen chemistry. Both the script for this movie and Adam's Rib (1949) - in which Spencer and Tracy depicted lawyers married to each other - were written by another married couple, Ruth Gordon and Garson Kanin, who were inspired in their writings by their own relationship.
FALLING IN LOVE (1984)
Molly (Meryl Streep) and Frank (Robert de Niro) borrow a friend's apartment for the afternoon to finally consumate their relationship.
I won't describe the scene any further as it would be wrong to do so until you have seen it. This movie didn't do as well as it might have at the box office or with the critics. A straightforward love story of two suburban, American thirty-somethings was a surprise to most audiences who were used to seeing the two stars in more seemingly challenging roles. Both were/are famed for playing extremes of tranformation. But how challenging is it to play extraordinary love felt by everyday people? They do it wonderfully.
PERSUASION (1995)
Anne (Amanda Root) has read Frederick's (Ciaran Hinds) letter, and has come to find him in the last moments of the film.
This is the best of the Jane Austen adaptations in my opinion. A lack of make up (shiny noses!), and a great deal of natural lighting effects create a very real world. You can almost smell the sea, the interiors, and the cold ham on the lunch table. Amanda Root transforms in the film from pinch-faced, disappointed spinster to radiant lover, with a flush in her cheeks and a glow in her eyes - the marks of love very cleverly applied. Ciaran Hinds is drool-worthy as Captain Frederick Wentworth. Sigh. I would have included Sense and Sensibility (1995) here, as I love Emma Thompson's sobbing/honking joy at Hugh Grant's declaration of love, but I'd rather she'd ended up with someone more like Alan Rickman's character, so can't really list it.
THE PIANO (1993)
George (Harvey Keitel) makes love to Ada (Holly Hunter) as she plays the piano.
I only saw this movie once, when it was first released, so I don't remember huge amounts. But when Keitel stroked his fingers up Hunter's bare arms, I found myself holding my breath so as not to miss a second. A simple scene breathtakingly choreographed and very erotic.
OUT OF SIGHT (1998)
Karen (Jennifer Lopez) and Jack (George Clooney) teasingly undress for each other in a hotel room.
The first time these characters meet, pressed up against each other in the trunk of a car, there is the most magnificent chemistry. But really I have to go with this scene, when finally they consumate that chemistry. It was also my first experience of seeing JLo's magnficent bottom. It's a scene-stealing posterior, even when you have a getting-naked George Clooney too. Two gorgeous people heating up the screen. Someone put them in another movie together, please!
LA BELLE ET LA BÈTE (1946)
In the final moment, the Beast (Jean Marais) has transformed into a handsome young prince with the look of Avenant, Belle's former suitor. Belle (Josette Day) is understandably discombobulated. He tells her he will take her away to his kingdom, and asks if she is frightened. With a growing glow of possibility in her eyes, she replies "I like being frightened... with YOU."
Not so much a scene, as a moment. Jean Cocteau described his film as a fairy tale for adults. The imagery, surreal and deeply romantic, is unforgettable and has been homaged in many films since.
THE BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY (1995)
Francesca (Meryl Streep) and Robert (Clint Eastwood) dance - and finally kiss - in her kitchen, with Johnny Hartman singing on the radio in the background.
Eastwood takes a badly written, hopelessly overrated book and makes a beautiful film out of it. Meryl Streep, the ultra-WASP, is perfectly convincing as an Italian woman. Truly, she is a goddess! Both actors showed that it is never too late to fall powerfully, IRREVOCABLY (in-joke for some of my colleagues) in love.
THE YEAR OF LIVING DANGEROUSLY (1982)
Guy (Mel Gibson) and Jill (Sigourney Weaver) banter over after-lunch drinks in the stifling heat of a Indonesian noon. They are caught in a rain storm, run for his car and collapse with laughter, giddy from the chemistry and the alcohol.
This was Mel Gibson before his roles utilized his native (yet strangely unnatural) American accent. As a young, ambitiously raw Australian journalist in Indonesia in the early 60s, he's compelling and exciting and a great foil for Sigourney Weaver's cool English diplomat. During the promotion of this film, she was apparently very impressed by Mel's lack of self conciousness that she was a fair bit taller than him.
THE YEAR OF LIVING DANGEROUSLY (1982)
Guy (Mel Gibson) has crashed the embassy ball and persuaded Jill (Sigourney Weaver) to break curfew and go somewhere where they can be alone. As they drive through the dark streets of the countryside surrounding Jakarta, she tosses away his cigarette and distracts him with kisses; they smash through a checkpoint to the spray of machine-gun fire; and revel in the erotic excitement of their dangerous actions.
The music of Vangelis was brilliantly used here. It's an excerpt called "L'Enfant" from his Opera Sauvage.
CASABLANCA (1942)
At the airport, Rick (Humphrey Bogart) is determined to get Elsa (Ingrid Bergman) on the plane with her husband Laszlo. He assures her that as painful as their separation is now, they have the memories of their love affair, and reminds here that their personal problems are nothing compared to what is at stake.
Bogart speaks those oft-quoted lines (the entire scenes is oft-quoted, what a piece of writing!) in a rapid-fire manner. But in his eyes you see all the love and longing he is careful not to indulge too openly. Elsa is the weaker one here; she wants to stay, but Rick knows they have to do the honourable thing. Which of us has ever been so self-sacrificing? This final scene always leaves me gob-smacked. Humphrey Bogart was a small man and seemed prematurely aged and worn. But there was always something very powerful about him. I always feel that if you were in trouble, he'd be the man you'd want around. I have no idea how he did it. His large, dark eyes spoke volumes and, for me, the actor's eyes are everything. I suppose whatever he had was real screen presence.
NOW VOYAGER (1942)
With humour and firmness, Jerry (Paul Henreid) finally breaks through Charlotte's (Bette Davis) bitter protective shell and she melts into a man's arms for the first time in years.
Bette Davis could be hard as nails and soft as butter; not beautiful, but with poise and elegance in the way she moved. Every scene with these two is a love scene. And she is splendid in all of them, evolving as the film progresses, with Henreid as a handsome, charming foil to her shifting moods. And in this moment, on the hotel balcony they share, you experience Hollywood's coy and effective suggestion that the scene might end with a kiss, but the night has just begun.
ROMEO + JULIET (1996)
Romeo (Leonardo di Caprio) and Juliet (Claire Danes) meet for the first time at a costume party at her family's magnficent home.
Director Baz Luhrmann stays true to the spirit of the Shakespeare play. The language suffers somewhat, but who cares when young infatuation/love is so beautifully portrayed by young actors who express all on their faces - nothing is hidden. The scene starts as they view each other through the water of a giant fish tank, and ends with them falling into the pool, a perfect watery environment in which to succumb to primitive, sensual discovery.
LONE STAR (1996)
Sam (Chris Cooper) and Pilar (Elizabeth Peña) rekindle their past love affair with a spontaneously sweaty love-making that leaves them both gasping. When she can speak again, she ask "What do we do now?" in reference to other complications in their lives. As the blood rushes back to his head he whispers... "More?"
The teenage love between these two characters has haunted them for years. They were separated forcefully then, and now they reunite as different people who have evolved with life experiences... but the attraction and chemistry is still there. These characters feel so real, and you are longing for them to make it work.
MOULIN ROUGE (2001)
Lifting from a series of schmaltzy and not-so-schmaltzy love songs of the past 20 years, Christian (Ewan McGregor) convinces the courtesan Satine (Nicole Kidman) that they should be lovers. She succumbs, and the scene ends with her comment "You're going to be bad for business."
Another outrageously self-indulgent and hopelessly romantic movie by Baz Luhrmann. Some of it is hard to take, but this scene - operatically over-the-top and speaking to romantics everywhere - is made possible by the charm of the two stars. The camera loves Nicole Kidman's face like it did the stars of old Hollywood.
THAT HAMILTON WOMAN (1941)
As the year turns from 1799 to 1800, Lord Nelson (Laurence Olivier) has stolen away with Lady Emma Hamilton (Vivien Leigh). The clocks chime midnight and he is kissing her atop a Neopolitan balcony, with fireworks exploding in the bay below. "Now I've kissed you through two centuries."
The stars were at the height of their physical beauty (even when Olivier as Nelson has lost an arm and an eye, he's still pretty gorgeous) and the sets and costumes are sumptuously satisfying. And these two - married in real life - had real chemistry on screen and that often isn't the case. There is a use of paste-encrusted organza in this film, a sort of sparkly veil on some of Leigh's costumes, that always seemed the height of glamour to me as a little girl. It still does.
PAT AND MIKE (1952)
Even as sports-trainer Mike (Spencer Tracy) is tucking his prized lady-athlete Pat (Katherine Hepburn) into bed, you can read through his gruffness and her melting eyes, and with no kisses or touches yet, that they have fallen in love.
Here is another couple who had great off- and on-screen chemistry. Both the script for this movie and Adam's Rib (1949) - in which Spencer and Tracy depicted lawyers married to each other - were written by another married couple, Ruth Gordon and Garson Kanin, who were inspired in their writings by their own relationship.
FALLING IN LOVE (1984)
Molly (Meryl Streep) and Frank (Robert de Niro) borrow a friend's apartment for the afternoon to finally consumate their relationship.
I won't describe the scene any further as it would be wrong to do so until you have seen it. This movie didn't do as well as it might have at the box office or with the critics. A straightforward love story of two suburban, American thirty-somethings was a surprise to most audiences who were used to seeing the two stars in more seemingly challenging roles. Both were/are famed for playing extremes of tranformation. But how challenging is it to play extraordinary love felt by everyday people? They do it wonderfully.
PERSUASION (1995)
Anne (Amanda Root) has read Frederick's (Ciaran Hinds) letter, and has come to find him in the last moments of the film.
This is the best of the Jane Austen adaptations in my opinion. A lack of make up (shiny noses!), and a great deal of natural lighting effects create a very real world. You can almost smell the sea, the interiors, and the cold ham on the lunch table. Amanda Root transforms in the film from pinch-faced, disappointed spinster to radiant lover, with a flush in her cheeks and a glow in her eyes - the marks of love very cleverly applied. Ciaran Hinds is drool-worthy as Captain Frederick Wentworth. Sigh. I would have included Sense and Sensibility (1995) here, as I love Emma Thompson's sobbing/honking joy at Hugh Grant's declaration of love, but I'd rather she'd ended up with someone more like Alan Rickman's character, so can't really list it.
THE PIANO (1993)
George (Harvey Keitel) makes love to Ada (Holly Hunter) as she plays the piano.
I only saw this movie once, when it was first released, so I don't remember huge amounts. But when Keitel stroked his fingers up Hunter's bare arms, I found myself holding my breath so as not to miss a second. A simple scene breathtakingly choreographed and very erotic.
OUT OF SIGHT (1998)
Karen (Jennifer Lopez) and Jack (George Clooney) teasingly undress for each other in a hotel room.
The first time these characters meet, pressed up against each other in the trunk of a car, there is the most magnificent chemistry. But really I have to go with this scene, when finally they consumate that chemistry. It was also my first experience of seeing JLo's magnficent bottom. It's a scene-stealing posterior, even when you have a getting-naked George Clooney too. Two gorgeous people heating up the screen. Someone put them in another movie together, please!
LA BELLE ET LA BÈTE (1946)
In the final moment, the Beast (Jean Marais) has transformed into a handsome young prince with the look of Avenant, Belle's former suitor. Belle (Josette Day) is understandably discombobulated. He tells her he will take her away to his kingdom, and asks if she is frightened. With a growing glow of possibility in her eyes, she replies "I like being frightened... with YOU."
Not so much a scene, as a moment. Jean Cocteau described his film as a fairy tale for adults. The imagery, surreal and deeply romantic, is unforgettable and has been homaged in many films since.
Saturday, September 8, 2007
Be Warned my Friends
It's up to you if you care to waste your $10 or so, or to lose two hours you'll never get back. Today I saw Shoot 'Em Up, and it is one of the worst movies I have ever seen. I won't go into detail, only to say that we nearly left but ultimately sat it out. Clive Owen looks great. There you go.
Friday, September 7, 2007
Quote of the Day
"Well, Rick is the kind of man that... well, if I were a woman, and I were not around, I should be in love with Rick. But what a fool I am talking to a beautiful woman about another man."
Claude Rains as Captain Renault in Casablanca (1942)
Thursday, September 6, 2007
Quote of the Day
"Wasn't no harm in him. You'd give him a flower, he'd keep it forever. "
Linda Manz as Linda in Days of Heaven (1978)
This movie has haunted me since I first saw it in the early 80s. The story tells of a pair of lovers (a young Richard Gere and Brooke Adams) in the early 1900s, who - posing as brother and sister - travel to Texas to work as harvesters for a rich farmer, Sam Shepard. Néstor Almendros won an Oscar for his photography. Drumheller, Alberta, stood in for the Texas panhandle and did it proud. There are so many unforgettable images: the wind tossing the sheafs of wheat in the sunset; time-lapse photography of the wheat growing underground; the great threshers during harvesting; the faces of the actors - Shepard, Gere, Adams, Linda Manz - in still, silent moments; the buffalo on the snow-covered prairie; an underwater shot of a trout swimming by a discarded, ornate wine glass. The sound is beautifully used too. Long moments of silence... the wind in the wheat, the slamming of wooden screen door, and the eerie use of Saint-Saëns "The Aquarium" from Carnival of the Animals in the opening credits, against sepia-toned vintage photography of the period.
It was Terrence Malick's second film and it's been hailed as the first art film to come out of the U.S.A., whatever that means. He wasn't to make another movie for 20 years. I can't say enough about this film. I couldn't bear to not see it on a regular basis so it was one of the first DVDs I bought.
Linda Manz as Linda in Days of Heaven (1978)
This movie has haunted me since I first saw it in the early 80s. The story tells of a pair of lovers (a young Richard Gere and Brooke Adams) in the early 1900s, who - posing as brother and sister - travel to Texas to work as harvesters for a rich farmer, Sam Shepard. Néstor Almendros won an Oscar for his photography. Drumheller, Alberta, stood in for the Texas panhandle and did it proud. There are so many unforgettable images: the wind tossing the sheafs of wheat in the sunset; time-lapse photography of the wheat growing underground; the great threshers during harvesting; the faces of the actors - Shepard, Gere, Adams, Linda Manz - in still, silent moments; the buffalo on the snow-covered prairie; an underwater shot of a trout swimming by a discarded, ornate wine glass. The sound is beautifully used too. Long moments of silence... the wind in the wheat, the slamming of wooden screen door, and the eerie use of Saint-Saëns "The Aquarium" from Carnival of the Animals in the opening credits, against sepia-toned vintage photography of the period.
It was Terrence Malick's second film and it's been hailed as the first art film to come out of the U.S.A., whatever that means. He wasn't to make another movie for 20 years. I can't say enough about this film. I couldn't bear to not see it on a regular basis so it was one of the first DVDs I bought.
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
Triple Chocolate Brownies
Here are the triple chocolate brownies I made this weekend (Nigella Lawson's recipe). I added some ganache in white and brown chocolate drizzled over the top. They are the ultimate in gooeyness. My happy discovery (in Bulk Barn) was Callebaut dark chocolate chips. I've always bought Callebaut in block-form. These chips are the best. Just eating them on their own is pleasure - creamy, dark, smooth. Mmmmmmmmmmm.
The triple chocolate comes from the Callebaut chips which are melted into the basic batter, then the PC Decadent White Chocolate Chips and the PC Decadent Chocolate Chunks. The latter two I also used melted with cream to make the ganache.
The triple chocolate comes from the Callebaut chips which are melted into the basic batter, then the PC Decadent White Chocolate Chips and the PC Decadent Chocolate Chunks. The latter two I also used melted with cream to make the ganache.
Sunday, August 26, 2007
Quote of the Day
"If I'd been a ranch, they would have named me The Bar None."
Rita Hayworth as Gilda Mundson Farrell in Gilda (1946)
Rita Hayworth as Gilda Mundson Farrell in Gilda (1946)
The Female Jungle EXPOSED!
A hell of a tagline for a classic 50s melodrama The Best of Everything (1959).
*SPOILERS LAY AHEAD!* This movie is set in the world of New York publishing, where a successful woman editor aged 54 is still referred to as "a girl" and pitied for the years she spent hanging on to her affair with the boss, hoping against hope he - or some other man - might save her from the hellish existence of her brilliant career. In fact, she may as well be dead. So might a young actress who is dumped by her caddish director and hurls herself from the fire escape. You'd be better off dead if you were preggers too. Basically, the moral here is, get married and get thee to Connecticut! ... or die trying.
It's full of fantastically toe-curling lines and cool outfits. Even cooler is that it was just referenced in the sixth episode of my new favourite show, Mad Men (which I am enjoying a lot). Don's wife Bets is reading it (the show is set in 1960) and has seen the film. Bets found Joan Crawford's eyebrows as scary as I do. I think that's the only possibly thing I might have in common with Bets. Oh, plus we both lust after Don. Yeah, that's the ticket.
*SPOILERS LAY AHEAD!* This movie is set in the world of New York publishing, where a successful woman editor aged 54 is still referred to as "a girl" and pitied for the years she spent hanging on to her affair with the boss, hoping against hope he - or some other man - might save her from the hellish existence of her brilliant career. In fact, she may as well be dead. So might a young actress who is dumped by her caddish director and hurls herself from the fire escape. You'd be better off dead if you were preggers too. Basically, the moral here is, get married and get thee to Connecticut! ... or die trying.
It's full of fantastically toe-curling lines and cool outfits. Even cooler is that it was just referenced in the sixth episode of my new favourite show, Mad Men (which I am enjoying a lot). Don's wife Bets is reading it (the show is set in 1960) and has seen the film. Bets found Joan Crawford's eyebrows as scary as I do. I think that's the only possibly thing I might have in common with Bets. Oh, plus we both lust after Don. Yeah, that's the ticket.
Saturday, August 25, 2007
Why I Was So Happy today
Laying on my bed, a book flopped open and forgotten by my side, curtains billowing with a cool breeze, a half-eaten plum in my hand, J. J. Cale playing in the background, completely seducing me. Sigh...
Quote of the Day
"Not much meat on her, but what's there is choice."
Spencer Tracy as Mike Conovan referring to Katherine Hepburn as Pat Pemberton in Pat and Mike (1952)
Spencer Tracy as Mike Conovan referring to Katherine Hepburn as Pat Pemberton in Pat and Mike (1952)
Blue Plums
As much as the nights are gradually cooling, Ontario summer fruit is still coming in. Here are the blue plums. Mmmmmm! I plan to eat at least half, and maybe make a flan with the other half Yum yum. I took lots of photgraphs with them today, unsure if they looked like mysterious eggs or marbly rocks. They are the most incredible colour, enhanced by their dusty appearance.
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Quote of the Day
"If it's in focus, it's pornography, if it's out of focus, it's art."
Linda Hunt as Billy Kwan in The Year of Living Dangerously (1982)
Linda Hunt is the only actor to win an Oscar for playing a character of the opposite sex. Not cross-dressing, not changing sex, but just being. For me this movie stands out for having the most fantastic sexual chemistry in two scenes. The first is when Guy (Mel Gibson in his former, more normal life) takes Jill (Sigourney Weaver) on an interview and they get caught in the rain. The second is when he accosts her at the embassy ball, followed immediately by the car drive through the dark streets, as they flout the curfew in the excitement of their impending night together. That's it! My next top ten list will be Top Ten Love Scenes in Movies! Yay! My mind is churning....
Linda Hunt as Billy Kwan in The Year of Living Dangerously (1982)
Linda Hunt is the only actor to win an Oscar for playing a character of the opposite sex. Not cross-dressing, not changing sex, but just being. For me this movie stands out for having the most fantastic sexual chemistry in two scenes. The first is when Guy (Mel Gibson in his former, more normal life) takes Jill (Sigourney Weaver) on an interview and they get caught in the rain. The second is when he accosts her at the embassy ball, followed immediately by the car drive through the dark streets, as they flout the curfew in the excitement of their impending night together. That's it! My next top ten list will be Top Ten Love Scenes in Movies! Yay! My mind is churning....
Third (or Fourth) Time Not So Lucky (CONTAINS SPOILERS!)
SPOILERS IN THIS POST! BE WARNED!
I went to see The Invasion because of (a) Nicole Kidman, (b) Daniel Craig and (c) because the first two Invasion of the Body Snatchers movies were fantastic.
(a) Nicole Kidman's number one fan is the camera. It loves her in a respectful, adoring way, in a way it hasn't loved anyone since the divas of old Hollywood, possessors of a type of glamour that has mostly disappeared. She's a good actress but more than that, she's iconic, unreal and mysterious. I almost always enjoy her. In this film, she's gone a bit odd. She looks incredible, her body like a long, lithe whip. Her face is a little puffy although I did see a crease above her brow at one point so either the botox is wearing off, or she has eschewed botox in preference to the Isabelle Adjani school of acting, i.e. show no expression whatsoever and offset aging as long as possible. Her lips look enhanced and her makeup is heavy, rather Marilyn Monroe-like. All this is not that important... EXCEPT...
*SPOILER ALERT*
EXCEPT... she's kind of alien-like already. As Barbara said to me, Brooke Adams in the 1978 version had the kind of quirky, expressive, female appeal that made the possibility of losing that personality to an unfeeling alien so terrifying. With Nicole I was thinking... hey, maybe it's not such a stretch. I still think she's fascinating, I just wish someone else had played this part. She also had, as a prop, the dead giveaway in any Hollywood movie that you are about to have a happy ending, and that was the tow-headed, dimpled blond son who just HAD to survive the infectious, saliva-spewing aliens. Oh yes, and they spewed alright. Right into everyone's mouths. Gosh... it's hard to be frightened when all you're thinking is "yuck."
(b) Daniel Craig. rrrrrrrrrrrRRRRRRRRRRrrrrrrrrrrrrrr... I liked him in this. He was sexy, rumpled, British, brave, strong, silent... mmmmmmm. Wow... he has this moment when he's wearing a turtle neck under a buttoned wool jacket and I was reminded of Steve McQueen in Bullitt (1968). I was too young to remember the impact Steve must have had but I'm sure everyone was thinking "ooh, sports coat and suede shoes... he's so rebellious!"
(c) The first two versions of this story were fantastic. To my surprise tonight, on http://www.imdb.com/, I found that a third version was made in 1993. I had no idea. I've never seen it, but I know the first two versions were terrifying. Completely terrifying, with spine-tingling endings and fabulous actors.
Hey, I'm still glad I saw it. That's star appeal for you. Plus I got to catch up with Barbara and that's always a treat.
I went to see The Invasion because of (a) Nicole Kidman, (b) Daniel Craig and (c) because the first two Invasion of the Body Snatchers movies were fantastic.
(a) Nicole Kidman's number one fan is the camera. It loves her in a respectful, adoring way, in a way it hasn't loved anyone since the divas of old Hollywood, possessors of a type of glamour that has mostly disappeared. She's a good actress but more than that, she's iconic, unreal and mysterious. I almost always enjoy her. In this film, she's gone a bit odd. She looks incredible, her body like a long, lithe whip. Her face is a little puffy although I did see a crease above her brow at one point so either the botox is wearing off, or she has eschewed botox in preference to the Isabelle Adjani school of acting, i.e. show no expression whatsoever and offset aging as long as possible. Her lips look enhanced and her makeup is heavy, rather Marilyn Monroe-like. All this is not that important... EXCEPT...
*SPOILER ALERT*
EXCEPT... she's kind of alien-like already. As Barbara said to me, Brooke Adams in the 1978 version had the kind of quirky, expressive, female appeal that made the possibility of losing that personality to an unfeeling alien so terrifying. With Nicole I was thinking... hey, maybe it's not such a stretch. I still think she's fascinating, I just wish someone else had played this part. She also had, as a prop, the dead giveaway in any Hollywood movie that you are about to have a happy ending, and that was the tow-headed, dimpled blond son who just HAD to survive the infectious, saliva-spewing aliens. Oh yes, and they spewed alright. Right into everyone's mouths. Gosh... it's hard to be frightened when all you're thinking is "yuck."
(b) Daniel Craig. rrrrrrrrrrrRRRRRRRRRRrrrrrrrrrrrrrr... I liked him in this. He was sexy, rumpled, British, brave, strong, silent... mmmmmmm. Wow... he has this moment when he's wearing a turtle neck under a buttoned wool jacket and I was reminded of Steve McQueen in Bullitt (1968). I was too young to remember the impact Steve must have had but I'm sure everyone was thinking "ooh, sports coat and suede shoes... he's so rebellious!"
(c) The first two versions of this story were fantastic. To my surprise tonight, on http://www.imdb.com/, I found that a third version was made in 1993. I had no idea. I've never seen it, but I know the first two versions were terrifying. Completely terrifying, with spine-tingling endings and fabulous actors.
Hey, I'm still glad I saw it. That's star appeal for you. Plus I got to catch up with Barbara and that's always a treat.
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Quote of the Day... in Honour of Chocolate
"And it [chocolate] melts, God forgive me, it melts ever so slowly on your tongue, and tortures you with pleasure."
Elisabeth Commelin as Yvette Marceau in Chocolat (2000)
Elisabeth Commelin as Yvette Marceau in Chocolat (2000)
Great Balls of Chocolate
I was at Soma again this week, my favourite chocolatier, located in Toronto's historic and overly trendy Distillery District.For a long time there, my favourite chocolate of all was their bar of Madagascar. I still buy the truffles on occasion, but the beans are all gone and they can't tell me when they will next receive a shipment. So a couple of months back I tried the Conacado, which immediately became my new favourite. This week I found out that that has gone too!
So I bought a bar of Hispaniola, described as a "dark 70% chocolate made with organic Fairtrade certified cacao from the Dominican Republic. Earthy with notes of dried fruit, cranberries and tobacco."
Mmmmm, I"m looking forward to cracking it open. In the meantime I googled "Soma" and it turns out that the word is associated with a ritual drink early Persian cultures, known for its psychidelic attributes. But the origins were distinctly not chocolate-based. In Aldous Huxley's dystopian Brave New World, Soma is a drug used by the government to keep the populace drugged and controlled through instantaneous pleasure-giving qualities. Yep... sounds like chocolate to me! And if you haven't yet tried the "drink of the gods" as served by Soma, you really must. It surprises me every time I have it. Warm, thick, spicy, head-clearing and rush-inducing. I bought a bag of the drink mix to make at home. I'll do that when the cooler weather hits.
And if chocolate Lindt balls appeal to you.... imagine golf-sized ones! Here is a picture of my usual blue-foil wrapped dark Lindt ball... and the golf ball sized one. A golf-sized ball of chocolate... need I say more?
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Top Ten Things that Exceeded My Expectations... PG Version
Here are classic experiences/foods/movies that I heard about for years, that I feared would not live up their legend, but in fact - when at last I tried them - exceeded all expectations:
10. Colston Bassett stilton
9. Vermont
8. Pickwick Papers
7. The Maltese Falcon
6. George Eliot
5. tiramisu
4. New Mexico
3. Citizen Kane
2. Casablanca (the movie)
and...
1. New York City
10. Colston Bassett stilton
9. Vermont
8. Pickwick Papers
7. The Maltese Falcon
6. George Eliot
5. tiramisu
4. New Mexico
3. Citizen Kane
2. Casablanca (the movie)
and...
1. New York City
Quote of the Day
Brigid: I haven't lived a good life. I've been bad, worse than you could know.
Spade: You know, that's good, because if you actually were as innocent as you pretend to be, we'd never get anywhere.
Mary Astor as Brigid O'Shaughnessy and Humphrey Bogart as Sam Spade in The Maltese Falcon (1941).
(There are few things that exceed all expectation after many years of just hearing about them. This movie is one of them for me.)
Spade: You know, that's good, because if you actually were as innocent as you pretend to be, we'd never get anywhere.
Mary Astor as Brigid O'Shaughnessy and Humphrey Bogart as Sam Spade in The Maltese Falcon (1941).
(There are few things that exceed all expectation after many years of just hearing about them. This movie is one of them for me.)
I Need More Sand in the Desert!
You might have caught this movie on late night tv years back. It doesn't seem to get much attention and I don't know why.
Made in 1966, it's known as Caccia alla volpe in Italian... or After the Fox. Directed by Vittoria de Sica, written by Neil Simon with music by Henry Mancini... it's a 60s dream team behind the camera, with Peter Sellers, Victor Mature, Britt Ekland and Martin Balsam starring.
Peter Sellers is Aldo Vanucci, a famous Italian crook, called the Fox, who poses as a New Age Italian cinema director called Federico Fabrizi in order to pull off the heist of his lifetime. His sister, played by Britt Ekland is his star-struck sister, Gina, who calls herself Gina Romantica. Victor Mature plays Tony Powell, a kind of spoof of himself, as an aging Hollywood leading man, clinging to his youth and a chance to rebuild a career in Fabrizi's new film (which doesn't really exist of course).
The public meeting of the two stars of Fabrizi's "film" has Vanucci introducing them as follows:
"Eenternationally handsome Tony Powell, meet your beautiful co-starrr, Gina Rrrromantica!"
You'll recognize the origins of the scene in Austin Powers: Goldmember, when Austin talks to Foxy, through the dubbing of Nathan Lane. Vanucci does the same thing, but in reverse, talking to a hot Italian bird to get information from a henchman.
It spoofs American tourists, Italian mamas, New Age cinema, caper movies and the willingness of the public to be fooled by the white heat of celebrity. And the great de Sica plays himself in a brief cameo on-set, declaiming "I need more sand in the desert!"
Made in 1966, it's known as Caccia alla volpe in Italian... or After the Fox. Directed by Vittoria de Sica, written by Neil Simon with music by Henry Mancini... it's a 60s dream team behind the camera, with Peter Sellers, Victor Mature, Britt Ekland and Martin Balsam starring.
Peter Sellers is Aldo Vanucci, a famous Italian crook, called the Fox, who poses as a New Age Italian cinema director called Federico Fabrizi in order to pull off the heist of his lifetime. His sister, played by Britt Ekland is his star-struck sister, Gina, who calls herself Gina Romantica. Victor Mature plays Tony Powell, a kind of spoof of himself, as an aging Hollywood leading man, clinging to his youth and a chance to rebuild a career in Fabrizi's new film (which doesn't really exist of course).
The public meeting of the two stars of Fabrizi's "film" has Vanucci introducing them as follows:
"Eenternationally handsome Tony Powell, meet your beautiful co-starrr, Gina Rrrromantica!"
You'll recognize the origins of the scene in Austin Powers: Goldmember, when Austin talks to Foxy, through the dubbing of Nathan Lane. Vanucci does the same thing, but in reverse, talking to a hot Italian bird to get information from a henchman.
It spoofs American tourists, Italian mamas, New Age cinema, caper movies and the willingness of the public to be fooled by the white heat of celebrity. And the great de Sica plays himself in a brief cameo on-set, declaiming "I need more sand in the desert!"
Monday, August 13, 2007
Big Boy
For those of you who didn't believe that Tibby can reach the kitchen counter... here's photographic evidence of our domestic tiger in all his magnificence.
And check out that crazy tail. It always curls back over his back. I think part of it is that he's very proud of his bottom. Any opportunity to show it off is taken. Some people ask if his tail was injured and it has to stay that way, but no, he can move it back, he just chooses not to. I think he might be 75% domestic short-hair feline, 25% curly-tailed dog. He certainly comes when he is called, never scratches or bites, and is a perfect doggy-cat in every way.
And check out that crazy tail. It always curls back over his back. I think part of it is that he's very proud of his bottom. Any opportunity to show it off is taken. Some people ask if his tail was injured and it has to stay that way, but no, he can move it back, he just chooses not to. I think he might be 75% domestic short-hair feline, 25% curly-tailed dog. He certainly comes when he is called, never scratches or bites, and is a perfect doggy-cat in every way.
Our 21-pounder...
Sunday, August 12, 2007
Quote of the Day
"All he ever wanted out of life... was love. That's the tragedy of Charles Foster Kane. You see, he just didn't have any to give."
Joseph Cotton as Jedediah Leland in Citizen Kane (1941)
Joseph Cotton as Jedediah Leland in Citizen Kane (1941)
Saturday, August 11, 2007
Kouign-Amann
First off, let's discuss how to pronounce it, before I even explain what it is!
Apparently, "kouign-amann" is pronounced "coon-yah-MAHN". It's a Breton word (now there's a language that sounds intriguing) that means "butter cake." Yummy!
This yeast-risen cake from Brittany has a few, simple ingredients (no doubt the local butter and flour is very special), but it is in the making that it becomes magic.
A colleaugue of mine was vacationing in Brittany recently with her husband. They'd heard about this cake, famously representative of the region, and decided to buy one at a shop that is yet further famous for producing the kouign-amann. They bought a half-cake, knowing that it is best enojoyed slightly warmed with coffee, and figuring that it would provide several days' worth of treats. Well... they tried a piece on the journey back to their digs, and the cake didn't survive. Apparently it's one of the best things they have ever eaten.
I've found a recipe... and I'm going to try it when the cooler weather hits. Watch this space! Mwah-ha-ha-ha-ha-haaaa. I love trying new stuff!
Apparently, "kouign-amann" is pronounced "coon-yah-MAHN". It's a Breton word (now there's a language that sounds intriguing) that means "butter cake." Yummy!
This yeast-risen cake from Brittany has a few, simple ingredients (no doubt the local butter and flour is very special), but it is in the making that it becomes magic.
A colleaugue of mine was vacationing in Brittany recently with her husband. They'd heard about this cake, famously representative of the region, and decided to buy one at a shop that is yet further famous for producing the kouign-amann. They bought a half-cake, knowing that it is best enojoyed slightly warmed with coffee, and figuring that it would provide several days' worth of treats. Well... they tried a piece on the journey back to their digs, and the cake didn't survive. Apparently it's one of the best things they have ever eaten.
I've found a recipe... and I'm going to try it when the cooler weather hits. Watch this space! Mwah-ha-ha-ha-ha-haaaa. I love trying new stuff!
A New, like, Post
So... we've all got used to the young 'uns and not so young 'uns saying "like" a lot. I have found myself doing it to.
So imagine my surprise to find that those of my generation (i.e. in our prrrrime) are now using "like" in WRITTEN CORRESPONDENCE.
From an e-mail sent to me by an extremely erudite and dear friend:
"It cost, like, $3."
This actually made me laugh out loud. But nothing is more grotesque than when I use it inadvertently, with an English accent no less! UGH! I'm trying to curb this habit.
So imagine my surprise to find that those of my generation (i.e. in our prrrrime) are now using "like" in WRITTEN CORRESPONDENCE.
From an e-mail sent to me by an extremely erudite and dear friend:
"It cost, like, $3."
This actually made me laugh out loud. But nothing is more grotesque than when I use it inadvertently, with an English accent no less! UGH! I'm trying to curb this habit.
Quote of the Day
"I'll admit I may have seen better days, but I'm still not to be had for the price of a cocktail, like a salted peanut."
Bette Davis as Margo Channing in All About Eve (1950)
Bette Davis as Margo Channing in All About Eve (1950)
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
The Simpsons Movie
Well, it was too hot to walk, so I just sat in front of a fan and gazed out the window for a while. Then I made a marmite sandwich and some tea and listened to the Sunday omnibus edition of the Archers. Then, in an attempt to cool off, I went with Mark to see The Simpsons Movie. We had a pact we had to see it together, as no conversation we have ever had has not mentioned the Simpsons it seems. It's a bit like Seinfeld, almost any element of life can be related to an episode of either the Simpsons or Seinfeld.
The cinema wasn't too cool, but just cool enough. With a big popcorn and an almost empty brain, I sat down to watch. We laughed ourselves silly... especially the first half. There were some great lines, great scenes and the animation was gorgeous - interesting to see it on a wide screen, and the colours were very rich.
There were just glimpses of many charactes, and Mr. Burns and Smithers had a very small scene indeed, but I suppose there was just a limit to how much they could do. I hope they do another one, and judging by the success of this, I bet there will be.
I love Matt Groening and J.K. Rowling. Wow, the Simpsons movie and HP7 in one day. I tell you, my inner child is very happy indeed.
The cinema wasn't too cool, but just cool enough. With a big popcorn and an almost empty brain, I sat down to watch. We laughed ourselves silly... especially the first half. There were some great lines, great scenes and the animation was gorgeous - interesting to see it on a wide screen, and the colours were very rich.
There were just glimpses of many charactes, and Mr. Burns and Smithers had a very small scene indeed, but I suppose there was just a limit to how much they could do. I hope they do another one, and judging by the success of this, I bet there will be.
I love Matt Groening and J.K. Rowling. Wow, the Simpsons movie and HP7 in one day. I tell you, my inner child is very happy indeed.
Monday, August 6, 2007
Harry's Destiny Fulfilled
No spoilers here.
I just finished Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.
I had a good cry. It was wonderful, even better than I had even anticipated. Just thinking about the pressure on J.K. Rowling to complete the series... I can't imagine. And yet I think it's the best book of the lot.
I'm going to walk a bit, let it sink in. Sigh...
I just finished Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.
I had a good cry. It was wonderful, even better than I had even anticipated. Just thinking about the pressure on J.K. Rowling to complete the series... I can't imagine. And yet I think it's the best book of the lot.
I'm going to walk a bit, let it sink in. Sigh...
HP7 Countdown Nears its End
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is nearing completion... countdown sequence continues... 98 pages and counting.
And for those of you who have read the book... SOB!
Sunday, August 5, 2007
Welcome to my 100th Post!!
I can't believe it's 100 already. Well, I suppose I can. I think this calls for a celebratory glass of Guinness. Thanks for reading!
Audrey Fildes
This picture was taken by Cecil Beaton in 1944 and the subject is actress Audrey Fildes (Kind Hearts and Coronets, 1949). I met Audrey when I was 21 and she was in her 60s. She had had a fascinating path: grand-daughter of Sir Luke Fildes, R.A., she became a successful stage actress, working with Alec Guinness and John Gielgud among many others. By 28 she had retired to marry and have children. She emigrated early to Canada with her family and that is where I met her years later. It was a while before I found out about her theatrical background. Instead she had spent several years studying and working in the restoration of picture frames. I have to admit I'd never thought much about them, but I have never looked at them the same way since and realize to this day the importance of frames, and their restoration for the sake of the picture they offset.
So dribs and drabs of her earlier life were only carefully meted out as she didn't live in the past. I had no idea Cecil Beaton had photographed her and I am working on finding a good-sized version of this picture. She took an interest in broadening my horizons, taking me to see Bertolucci's 1900 (1976), Germain Greer in conversation, extolling the benefits of love affairs and the extreme importance of kegel exercises. I believe Kind Hearts and Coronets was just one of two films she made. She didn't like the process, and said that filming was like one long rehearsal; she never had the idea of something complete as she did in the theatre. She never regretted leaving her acting career behind at 28 and didn't consider going back to it. We lost touch after her 70th birthday, which we celebrated together. She died not long after which, in hindsight, was far too young.
So dribs and drabs of her earlier life were only carefully meted out as she didn't live in the past. I had no idea Cecil Beaton had photographed her and I am working on finding a good-sized version of this picture. She took an interest in broadening my horizons, taking me to see Bertolucci's 1900 (1976), Germain Greer in conversation, extolling the benefits of love affairs and the extreme importance of kegel exercises. I believe Kind Hearts and Coronets was just one of two films she made. She didn't like the process, and said that filming was like one long rehearsal; she never had the idea of something complete as she did in the theatre. She never regretted leaving her acting career behind at 28 and didn't consider going back to it. We lost touch after her 70th birthday, which we celebrated together. She died not long after which, in hindsight, was far too young.
"N" is for Neville, who Died of Ennui
I love the Gashlycrumb Tinies by Edward Gorey. And in particular I love Neville, illustrated to the right. A workmate of mine had the entire alphabet of disaster on his wall. I need to hang Neville on my wall, a small framed ode to ennui and the dangers that lurk therein.
A friend of my close acquaintance insists that "ennui" should be pronounced "ENN-you-eye" and is threatening to start a momement to bring this about. This idea never fails to make me fall about laughing. Time for a marmite sandwich I think.
A friend of my close acquaintance insists that "ennui" should be pronounced "ENN-you-eye" and is threatening to start a momement to bring this about. This idea never fails to make me fall about laughing. Time for a marmite sandwich I think.
HP7... Getting so Exciting I can Hardly Stand it
Countdown sequence to completion of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows continues ... countdown sequence: 200 pages and counting.
J.K. Rowling is a goddess! I can't understand where she comes up with all this stuff - the names, the detail, the heart-pounding excitment. When this movie is made, it will be roller-coaster of a ride. I'm not the world's biggest wuss, but really, sometimes I have to wonder. When I read Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban I got so frightened by the Dementors that I got quite nervous reading it alone at night. It's amazing how these books pull me in. This afternoon in broad daylight, I retreated to my bedroom to read, shut the door, and curled up on the bed (no feet hanging off the end, goodness knows what's circling underneath) and still felt nervous. It's like being a kid again, and I suppose that's part of her brilliance and why as many adults as kids read these books.
And I take back my quibble about the Death Eaters as I'd clean forgotten that Ron is supposedly still with his family, except for right about now when they know he isn't. I won't say any more, being sensitive to spoilers.
J.K.: I'm not worthy, I'm not worthy!
J.K. Rowling is a goddess! I can't understand where she comes up with all this stuff - the names, the detail, the heart-pounding excitment. When this movie is made, it will be roller-coaster of a ride. I'm not the world's biggest wuss, but really, sometimes I have to wonder. When I read Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban I got so frightened by the Dementors that I got quite nervous reading it alone at night. It's amazing how these books pull me in. This afternoon in broad daylight, I retreated to my bedroom to read, shut the door, and curled up on the bed (no feet hanging off the end, goodness knows what's circling underneath) and still felt nervous. It's like being a kid again, and I suppose that's part of her brilliance and why as many adults as kids read these books.
And I take back my quibble about the Death Eaters as I'd clean forgotten that Ron is supposedly still with his family, except for right about now when they know he isn't. I won't say any more, being sensitive to spoilers.
J.K.: I'm not worthy, I'm not worthy!
Saturday, August 4, 2007
HP7 Comment... and the Countdown Continues
So, in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, the Death Eaters are willing to torture Scrimgeour to death but... all our dear friends and allies are just vigorously questioned? How come, if they know how much Harry loves the Weasleys, etc. wouldn't they torture them, knowing it would pull him out of hiding?
Then... you wouldn't have much of a plot I guess. I'm so enjoying it!
Countdown sequence to completion of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows ... 387 pages and counting.
Ooh, I bought a contact lens case that is the exact colour of my bathroom walls: lavender lipstick.
Then... you wouldn't have much of a plot I guess. I'm so enjoying it!
Countdown sequence to completion of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows ... 387 pages and counting.
Ooh, I bought a contact lens case that is the exact colour of my bathroom walls: lavender lipstick.
Friday, August 3, 2007
HP7 Countdown Sequence Continues
Stand by for countdown sequence to completion of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows... 480 pages and counting...
[What a great start! Lots of action. Love the humour, the double-entendres, all the characters... loving it much more than expected!]
Food and Film
A long weekend and I'm up early. It was very hot last night, but with no a/c I was lucky enough to sleep like a baby. Before I hurl myself on the unsuspecting day, here are two movies which involve food that I saw this week, in delicious state-of-the-art, surround-air-conditioning.
Ratatouille is an animated film about a little rat who longs to be a chef. It's not so much fall-about laughing humour, more a gentler sort. The scenery is amazing - it's the kind of animation where you are distracted by how rich it is and by questions of how they did it. For that alone I'd go back and see it again. Voice casting has changed so much in animated movies since I was a kid. It's much more star-based now, but either way, it seems more care is taken over the voices and I think the current standard is better. If you like endearing little Disney heroes and/or food and/or Paris, you'll like this movie.
No Reservations is a remake of a German film called Mostly Martha (2001), which I loved, so I was a bit leery about the new film. Catherine Zeta-Jones plays a withdrawn, uptight, NY executive chef whose life is turned upside down when she has to raise her orphaned niece, played by the delightful Abigail Breslin, Olive in Little Miss Sunshine (2006). Aaron Eckhart is the handsome, outlandish, untamed chef brought in to manage Zeta-Jones' kitchen as she takes time off to help her grieving niece adjust. Of course tension flares in the best romantic tradition when Zeta-Jones comes back to find the rigid discipline in her kitchen relaxing in the charming presence of the new hunky male chef. I really like Zeta-Jones, although would have preferred if she'd been a touch more uptight. I think Eckhart was so badly cast. He was big and noisy with no real sense of rebellion. I think they were trying to make him Italian, while remaining American. I much preferred him in Possession (2002) where he was an American in a role originally written for a Brit, and - therefore - much more lowkey. He's a handsome man with big features and big presence, so it's preferable to me that he tone it down a bit. And there was a lot of cliche let loose in this movie, like the hero playing "Nessun dorma" (to illustrate that he loves all things Italian and is likely a passionate sort - d'oh!); the pillow fight that ends in feathers everywhere (really? this is fun?), the hero's designer stubble (surely we're past this... ouch), and the over-use of tiramisu and Puccini in general. Bob Balaban plays Zeta-Jones' therapist and has a great apartment - I think that was my favourite bit. Actually Zeta-Jones has a great apartment too and she looked wonderful. So I guess the look of the movie was my favourite bit. I just wish they'd thrown out the cliche, and surprised me a bit more. I'd have loved it then. I'll probably rent Mostly Martha again - it's refreshing and, for the romantics out there, when the guy finally kisses the girl over the saucepan, I melted. I remember it well, I held my breath and melted. Just like the heroine.
Ratatouille is an animated film about a little rat who longs to be a chef. It's not so much fall-about laughing humour, more a gentler sort. The scenery is amazing - it's the kind of animation where you are distracted by how rich it is and by questions of how they did it. For that alone I'd go back and see it again. Voice casting has changed so much in animated movies since I was a kid. It's much more star-based now, but either way, it seems more care is taken over the voices and I think the current standard is better. If you like endearing little Disney heroes and/or food and/or Paris, you'll like this movie.
No Reservations is a remake of a German film called Mostly Martha (2001), which I loved, so I was a bit leery about the new film. Catherine Zeta-Jones plays a withdrawn, uptight, NY executive chef whose life is turned upside down when she has to raise her orphaned niece, played by the delightful Abigail Breslin, Olive in Little Miss Sunshine (2006). Aaron Eckhart is the handsome, outlandish, untamed chef brought in to manage Zeta-Jones' kitchen as she takes time off to help her grieving niece adjust. Of course tension flares in the best romantic tradition when Zeta-Jones comes back to find the rigid discipline in her kitchen relaxing in the charming presence of the new hunky male chef. I really like Zeta-Jones, although would have preferred if she'd been a touch more uptight. I think Eckhart was so badly cast. He was big and noisy with no real sense of rebellion. I think they were trying to make him Italian, while remaining American. I much preferred him in Possession (2002) where he was an American in a role originally written for a Brit, and - therefore - much more lowkey. He's a handsome man with big features and big presence, so it's preferable to me that he tone it down a bit. And there was a lot of cliche let loose in this movie, like the hero playing "Nessun dorma" (to illustrate that he loves all things Italian and is likely a passionate sort - d'oh!); the pillow fight that ends in feathers everywhere (really? this is fun?), the hero's designer stubble (surely we're past this... ouch), and the over-use of tiramisu and Puccini in general. Bob Balaban plays Zeta-Jones' therapist and has a great apartment - I think that was my favourite bit. Actually Zeta-Jones has a great apartment too and she looked wonderful. So I guess the look of the movie was my favourite bit. I just wish they'd thrown out the cliche, and surprised me a bit more. I'd have loved it then. I'll probably rent Mostly Martha again - it's refreshing and, for the romantics out there, when the guy finally kisses the girl over the saucepan, I melted. I remember it well, I held my breath and melted. Just like the heroine.
HP7 Countdown Sequence Underway
Begin countdown sequence to completion of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows... countdown sequence... 607 pages... and counting.
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Question of the Day: Bond Casting
Well, I've given this some thought. What part would suit me the best in a Bond movie?
Well, to start with, I don't think I'd be a good Bond girl. I'd probably make too many suggestions about diffusing the explosive device, none of them educated, but quite opinionated. And whatever Bond I would be with would find that annoying.
I like my comforts too much to do a lot of squid-wrestling and I wouldn't want to be the kept chippy of some of those nasty old Bond villains. I'm not athletic and you have to be willing to be tossed around in a rather violent way and to be dicing with death every five minutes - exhausting to think about.
I'm not an "M" in training as I'm way too soft hearted. I couldn't be Miss Moneypenny, pining endlessly for Bond. No thank you.
I considered being a kind of cohort of one of the evil guys, but not really my line either, I'm too fair and I'd be seeing the good guy's point of view.
Then I thought, what about one of those scientists in the background, with the clipboard and the blueprints for the explosive device? I could wear a nifty white coat and amusingly unattractive thickly framed glasses that would do nothing to detract from my background-scenery-sort of ravishability.
But then I came to the conclusion that the IDEAL role for me in a Bond movie would be that voice that comes in towards the end. The female voice that is broadcast loudly all over the secret lair as the imminent explosion or detonation is counted down.
"Estimated time to detonation sequence... fifteen minutes and counting..."
YES! I could just call it in. I could call in the part from my bed, eating bon bons, yawning (no-one could see), but I could just do the voice over - brilliant!
"Estimate time to detonation sequence.... twelve minutes and counting...."
So.... the question of the day is... what part would YOU best be suited for?
Well, to start with, I don't think I'd be a good Bond girl. I'd probably make too many suggestions about diffusing the explosive device, none of them educated, but quite opinionated. And whatever Bond I would be with would find that annoying.
I like my comforts too much to do a lot of squid-wrestling and I wouldn't want to be the kept chippy of some of those nasty old Bond villains. I'm not athletic and you have to be willing to be tossed around in a rather violent way and to be dicing with death every five minutes - exhausting to think about.
I'm not an "M" in training as I'm way too soft hearted. I couldn't be Miss Moneypenny, pining endlessly for Bond. No thank you.
I considered being a kind of cohort of one of the evil guys, but not really my line either, I'm too fair and I'd be seeing the good guy's point of view.
Then I thought, what about one of those scientists in the background, with the clipboard and the blueprints for the explosive device? I could wear a nifty white coat and amusingly unattractive thickly framed glasses that would do nothing to detract from my background-scenery-sort of ravishability.
But then I came to the conclusion that the IDEAL role for me in a Bond movie would be that voice that comes in towards the end. The female voice that is broadcast loudly all over the secret lair as the imminent explosion or detonation is counted down.
"Estimated time to detonation sequence... fifteen minutes and counting..."
YES! I could just call it in. I could call in the part from my bed, eating bon bons, yawning (no-one could see), but I could just do the voice over - brilliant!
"Estimate time to detonation sequence.... twelve minutes and counting...."
So.... the question of the day is... what part would YOU best be suited for?
Internationally Read Ace Girl Spy
I checked my blog statistics today on Google Analytics. I have had readers from:
Canada
Colombia
Denmark
France
Germany
Greece
Italy
Malaysia
Mali
Portugal
U.K.
U.S.A.
Which all feels very cool.
Canada
Colombia
Denmark
France
Germany
Greece
Italy
Malaysia
Mali
Portugal
U.K.
U.S.A.
Which all feels very cool.
Sunday, July 29, 2007
Big Dinner!
Last night we had the dinner for the Oscar Night winners, which can be explained more here.
Last week Laura and I met, watched Big Night, and planned the menu. We were cooking for the three guys and Dave and Mario offered to host.
So we all gathered at 5:30 yesterday evening and chatted first... then started the movie. We took a break half way through for the first two courses. Then after the movie, we had the last two courses. A lot of food... it's a good thing we stretched it out. The guys didn't crow too much about their win, which was a mercy. This was the menu:
*****
ASSAGGINO:
Risotto di Pesce
(Shrimp and Truffle Risotto with Seared Scallops)
PRIMO
Timballo del Gattopardo
(Timbale of Pasta for the Prince of Salina)
SECONDO
Arista di Maiale alla Fiorentina con Asparagi e Pomodori
(Florentine Roast Pork with Rosemary, Asparagus and Tomatoes)
DOLCE
Tiramisù
(Tiramisu)
*****
More descriptions of each course (click on the picture for a much bigger version):
Risotto di Pesce (Shrimp and Truffle Risotto with Seared Scallops, first picture.)
Pretty much as it's described. This was the only dish we served hot.
Timballo del Gattopardo (Timbale of Pasta for the Prince of Salina, second and third pictures.)
Also known as a timpano, this contains more types of meat than I've ever put in one dish before. The ingredients include: pork loin, veal loin, pork ribs, pancetta, prosciutto, beef meat balls, pork sausage, peas, hard-boiled eggs, mozzarella, parmigiano, marjoram, rosemary, basil, bay leaves, cinnamon, onion, garlic, pasta and of course, all wrapped in an interestingly-sweet pastry. The recipe is from Valentina Harris' Italia Italia cook book. She's a wonderful writer and chef and teacher. I might make this again for Christmas, but definitely this is only a special occasion dish, as it takes - no kidding - three days to make.
Arista di Maiale alla Fiorentina con Asparagi e Pomodori (Florentine Roast Pork with Rosemary, Asparagus and Tomatoes, fourth picture.)
This was so delicious. Instead of just coating the pork, Laura rolled the flavours into it. The picture doesn't show the whiteness of the pork - I photographed the wrong angle - but you can see with the tomato and asparagus, that we kind of paid homage to the Italian flag. All the food - except the risotto - was room temperature meaning it was just easier to serve and enjoy ourselves, also we could sit outside and not feel too hot.
Tiramisù (Tiramisu, last picture.)
Laura used a recipe from a baking class she took a while back with James. I think I took the same class a year or two later, but we never made this. She made the lady fingers from scratch and it was the tallest Tiramisu I'd ever seen. Utter bliss... creamy, tasty, smooth, soft heaven. Thank goodness there were left overs of this too! I love Italian desserts - never too sweet!)
The guys provided the wine and we had a lovely time with lots of good conversation, ranging over every topic imaginable! The evening ended at 12:30 a.m. And all I'm saying is.... next year I'm winning the Oscar ballot! Hee hee.
Last week Laura and I met, watched Big Night, and planned the menu. We were cooking for the three guys and Dave and Mario offered to host.
So we all gathered at 5:30 yesterday evening and chatted first... then started the movie. We took a break half way through for the first two courses. Then after the movie, we had the last two courses. A lot of food... it's a good thing we stretched it out. The guys didn't crow too much about their win, which was a mercy. This was the menu:
*****
ASSAGGINO:
Risotto di Pesce
(Shrimp and Truffle Risotto with Seared Scallops)
PRIMO
Timballo del Gattopardo
(Timbale of Pasta for the Prince of Salina)
SECONDO
Arista di Maiale alla Fiorentina con Asparagi e Pomodori
(Florentine Roast Pork with Rosemary, Asparagus and Tomatoes)
DOLCE
Tiramisù
(Tiramisu)
*****
More descriptions of each course (click on the picture for a much bigger version):
Risotto di Pesce (Shrimp and Truffle Risotto with Seared Scallops, first picture.)
Pretty much as it's described. This was the only dish we served hot.
Timballo del Gattopardo (Timbale of Pasta for the Prince of Salina, second and third pictures.)
Also known as a timpano, this contains more types of meat than I've ever put in one dish before. The ingredients include: pork loin, veal loin, pork ribs, pancetta, prosciutto, beef meat balls, pork sausage, peas, hard-boiled eggs, mozzarella, parmigiano, marjoram, rosemary, basil, bay leaves, cinnamon, onion, garlic, pasta and of course, all wrapped in an interestingly-sweet pastry. The recipe is from Valentina Harris' Italia Italia cook book. She's a wonderful writer and chef and teacher. I might make this again for Christmas, but definitely this is only a special occasion dish, as it takes - no kidding - three days to make.
Arista di Maiale alla Fiorentina con Asparagi e Pomodori (Florentine Roast Pork with Rosemary, Asparagus and Tomatoes, fourth picture.)
This was so delicious. Instead of just coating the pork, Laura rolled the flavours into it. The picture doesn't show the whiteness of the pork - I photographed the wrong angle - but you can see with the tomato and asparagus, that we kind of paid homage to the Italian flag. All the food - except the risotto - was room temperature meaning it was just easier to serve and enjoy ourselves, also we could sit outside and not feel too hot.
Tiramisù (Tiramisu, last picture.)
Laura used a recipe from a baking class she took a while back with James. I think I took the same class a year or two later, but we never made this. She made the lady fingers from scratch and it was the tallest Tiramisu I'd ever seen. Utter bliss... creamy, tasty, smooth, soft heaven. Thank goodness there were left overs of this too! I love Italian desserts - never too sweet!)
The guys provided the wine and we had a lovely time with lots of good conversation, ranging over every topic imaginable! The evening ended at 12:30 a.m. And all I'm saying is.... next year I'm winning the Oscar ballot! Hee hee.
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
"Nobby" Hegel and Non-Naturalistic Ethics
This has to be my favourite comedy clip of all time, the the famous soccer match between the German and Greek philosophers, courtesy of the genius of the Pythons.
The commentary by Michael Palin is played absolutely straight and is brilliant.
The commentary by Michael Palin is played absolutely straight and is brilliant.
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
The Big City
I was on the subway this morning and a seemingly-harmless, but very crazy man approached me. He disappeared before long, very alone in his odd world.
Then later, on the street, some distance ahead of me, an old woman tripped on a paving stone and fell into a puddle. The younger man with her went beserk, grabbing her bag and throwing it to the floor in what looked like a temper tantrum. All around people were sitting on walls eating ice creams, or in cars eating hamburgers and only one other woman ran up - as I did - to help out. The man was still picking up her bag and flinging it hard to the ground. I knelt down and did the usual, "can you move, are you feeling okay" and finally - alone - picked her up. She whispered apologetically "My son doesn't have much patience with me." As I helped her dry off, he went nuts again. I was about to whirl around and give him a piece of my mind, when it occured to me that he wasn't quite playing with a full deck. I felt clutched with sadness at their situation. She assured me that flinging her bag around was the worst he would do.
On the streetcar later, the Don Jail was surrounded by sirens, firetrucks, the works... plus the news trucks. And further down the street, a huge fight had broken out outside Jilly's (possibly our nicest strip joint in town, relatively speaking) and people were busy trying to subdue others.
I wondered what the hell was going on. Then I saw a couple standing at a street car stop, on the other side of the road. She was behind him, her arms around him, her cheek pressed against his back. A woman on the street car was chucking her son under the chin and he - very much at the age where he would hate PDAs - was still able to enjoy his mum's affection. At another streetcar stop I saw a quite elderly couple flirting with each other. He was practically toothless, she was practically shapeless, and they were both radiant in their wrinkliness. I came home and had a cup of tea and a painkiller (my back trouble was not aided by picking up the old lady, but for crying out loud, who thinks of stuff like that at that moment?) and thought how happy I was to live right in the city, with all its stories. My idea of personal hell on earth: gated communities.
Then later, on the street, some distance ahead of me, an old woman tripped on a paving stone and fell into a puddle. The younger man with her went beserk, grabbing her bag and throwing it to the floor in what looked like a temper tantrum. All around people were sitting on walls eating ice creams, or in cars eating hamburgers and only one other woman ran up - as I did - to help out. The man was still picking up her bag and flinging it hard to the ground. I knelt down and did the usual, "can you move, are you feeling okay" and finally - alone - picked her up. She whispered apologetically "My son doesn't have much patience with me." As I helped her dry off, he went nuts again. I was about to whirl around and give him a piece of my mind, when it occured to me that he wasn't quite playing with a full deck. I felt clutched with sadness at their situation. She assured me that flinging her bag around was the worst he would do.
On the streetcar later, the Don Jail was surrounded by sirens, firetrucks, the works... plus the news trucks. And further down the street, a huge fight had broken out outside Jilly's (possibly our nicest strip joint in town, relatively speaking) and people were busy trying to subdue others.
I wondered what the hell was going on. Then I saw a couple standing at a street car stop, on the other side of the road. She was behind him, her arms around him, her cheek pressed against his back. A woman on the street car was chucking her son under the chin and he - very much at the age where he would hate PDAs - was still able to enjoy his mum's affection. At another streetcar stop I saw a quite elderly couple flirting with each other. He was practically toothless, she was practically shapeless, and they were both radiant in their wrinkliness. I came home and had a cup of tea and a painkiller (my back trouble was not aided by picking up the old lady, but for crying out loud, who thinks of stuff like that at that moment?) and thought how happy I was to live right in the city, with all its stories. My idea of personal hell on earth: gated communities.
The Nightingale
This song was used in the 1990s series, Twin Peaks. It's written in the style of a 50s torch song, very romantic, but - more than anything - slightly eerie and very haunting, especially as sung for the soundtrack by Julee Cruise.
The nightingale
It said to me
There is a love
Meant for me.
The nightingale
It flew to me
And told me
That it found my love.
He said one day
I’ll meet you
Our hearts will fly
With the nightingale.
The nightingale
He told me
One day
You will be with me.
The nightingale
Said he knew
That your love
Would find my love one day.
My heart flies
With the nightingale
Through the night
All across the world.
I long to see you
To touch you
To love you
Forever more.
The nightingale
It said to me
There is a love
Meant for me.
The nightingale
It flew to me
And told me
That it found my love.
He said one day
I’ll meet you
Our hearts will fly
With the nightingale.
The nightingale
He told me
One day
You will be with me.
The nightingale
Said he knew
That your love
Would find my love one day.
My heart flies
With the nightingale
Through the night
All across the world.
I long to see you
To touch you
To love you
Forever more.
Monday, July 23, 2007
There's a Half-Naked Man in my Bathroom!
He claims he has a movie coming out this week. Refused to put on his rather iffy-looking blue pants until I promised to attend an opening-week showing. How could I refuse?I think he was lured here by the porkchops.
Saturday, July 21, 2007
Sweet, Scary Dragons
I don't actually have tchotchkes... those useless little ornaments that serve no purpose. What I do have are the occasional useful whimsies. Like this one. This dragon (left) holds incense sticks in his mouth, and when he's not... he just has a permanent look of surprise on his face.
He was the official "muse" when our department at work created this dragon cake, to depict Fafner, the terrifying dragon in the Ring of the Nibelung. The picture is blurry unfortunately, but kind of scary in its blurriness I think!
The cake was built with no plan on paper, we just winged it really, and it took one day to do (and one evening to bake lots of chocolate cake!) We made the form from carved pieces of cake. Rolled fondant was then coloured green, and carefully laid over the cake base. It was hand dusted to create shadows and texture. The background mountain was made of painted, crumpled paper, with a covered flashlight in the cave to provide the glow of the hidden gold. The details on the dragon, ridges, claws, eyeballs, tongue etc. were shaped from fondant too, as was the dragon's naked victim, Mime (seen on the right). The tongue glistens thanks to piping gel. The earth was sugar, chocolate cake crumbs and food colouring. We then eviscerated him, as the story required, and filled his torn up side with trifle. Lots of red goo! Everything about the dragon and his victim was edible and was designed to appeal particularly to the young among us. I seem to recall several 11-year-old boys being very impressed. Can't go wrong with the blood and guts with that age.
He was the official "muse" when our department at work created this dragon cake, to depict Fafner, the terrifying dragon in the Ring of the Nibelung. The picture is blurry unfortunately, but kind of scary in its blurriness I think!
The cake was built with no plan on paper, we just winged it really, and it took one day to do (and one evening to bake lots of chocolate cake!) We made the form from carved pieces of cake. Rolled fondant was then coloured green, and carefully laid over the cake base. It was hand dusted to create shadows and texture. The background mountain was made of painted, crumpled paper, with a covered flashlight in the cave to provide the glow of the hidden gold. The details on the dragon, ridges, claws, eyeballs, tongue etc. were shaped from fondant too, as was the dragon's naked victim, Mime (seen on the right). The tongue glistens thanks to piping gel. The earth was sugar, chocolate cake crumbs and food colouring. We then eviscerated him, as the story required, and filled his torn up side with trifle. Lots of red goo! Everything about the dragon and his victim was edible and was designed to appeal particularly to the young among us. I seem to recall several 11-year-old boys being very impressed. Can't go wrong with the blood and guts with that age.
The Fossil Mystery, Part Three
By popular request (well... one cowboy's request), here is my fossil, photographed from all angles. The theories so far are that it is either a fossilized corral, or a femur.UPDATE: As I said, it measures about 2.25" across at its widest and 2" in height at its tallest.
I just weighed it: 6 ounces.
Friday, July 20, 2007
My First Esther Williams Movie!
I watched On an Island With You (1948) tonight, with Esther Williams as a Hollywood swimming star who is engaged to her co-star, Ricardo Montalban. The cast is rounded out by Cyd Charisse, who has two good dance numbers with Ricardo, who - surprise, surprise - is a pretty good dancer! Also Jimmy Durante and Xavier Cugat.
*SPOILER ALERT* It's a goofy film. Peter Lawford plays a navy pilot who is hired as a technical adviser on a film that is being made on some unnamed exotic island. He has met Esther once several years back when she was an entertainer for the troops. He's convinced he's in love with her, but she's not interested. So... he kidnaps her and takes her back to the island 500 miles away where they met. Yeah, he's pretty much a stalker! At least, that's the way it feels with Lawford playing it. If only he could have done it with more panache, more bold intent. But he kept peering at Esther as though she were an accounting anomaly. So... ultimately he was just off. Well, in the end Ricardo and Cyd fall in love and Esther - for some goofy reason - decides to go off with Peter.
This was my first Esther Williams film, although I've seen lots of clips. She made some great titles, I mean... read these: Pagan Love Song, Skirts Ahoy, Neptune's Daughter, Dangerous When Wet, and Million Dollar Mermaid. And, from what I've seen tonight, she probably inspired the invention of waterproof makeup. As for the gowns..................... THUD. They were designed by Irene, and the ones for Cyd Charisse - particularly - are inspired.
There's also a cute scene with a little girl auditioning for assistant director Jimmy Durante. She gives her little speech in a perfect English accent and he storms off saying "Too British!"
She turns to her grandmother and says "Can one be too British?" Mark - you'd have loved her delivery!
*SPOILER ALERT* It's a goofy film. Peter Lawford plays a navy pilot who is hired as a technical adviser on a film that is being made on some unnamed exotic island. He has met Esther once several years back when she was an entertainer for the troops. He's convinced he's in love with her, but she's not interested. So... he kidnaps her and takes her back to the island 500 miles away where they met. Yeah, he's pretty much a stalker! At least, that's the way it feels with Lawford playing it. If only he could have done it with more panache, more bold intent. But he kept peering at Esther as though she were an accounting anomaly. So... ultimately he was just off. Well, in the end Ricardo and Cyd fall in love and Esther - for some goofy reason - decides to go off with Peter.
This was my first Esther Williams film, although I've seen lots of clips. She made some great titles, I mean... read these: Pagan Love Song, Skirts Ahoy, Neptune's Daughter, Dangerous When Wet, and Million Dollar Mermaid. And, from what I've seen tonight, she probably inspired the invention of waterproof makeup. As for the gowns..................... THUD. They were designed by Irene, and the ones for Cyd Charisse - particularly - are inspired.
There's also a cute scene with a little girl auditioning for assistant director Jimmy Durante. She gives her little speech in a perfect English accent and he storms off saying "Too British!"
She turns to her grandmother and says "Can one be too British?" Mark - you'd have loved her delivery!
Damn you, Summer Fruit!
Summer fruit has me in its limpet grip.First it was the strawberries. Now the cherries. I mean... look at them: firm, juicy, sweet.
I ate too many today. How many is too many? I'm not sure. I just know they're all gone. Go ahead... take the huskies, leave me here to die. Ugh... too many cherries.
And today I saw the Ontario peaches are in. I'm in trouble now.
Damn you, summer fruit and your fabulous fruitiness! DAMN YOU!!!!
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Mad Men
It's been literally years since I followed a t.v. series. Tonight on AMC, I watched the premiere episode of Mad Men, from the producer of The Sopranos. It's about advertising in NYC in the 1960s. It's got a great, great script and characters that have got my attention. I can't wait for next week!
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Recent Movies
The Good German (2006) was one of those experiences where I wanted it to affect me more than it did. I love Steven Soderbergh's films, always have. The choice of filming it in washed out, grainy black and white, was jarring at first. But even after I got used to it, it felt gimmicky. I mean, I know that when the story took place, this is the kind of film that would have been available if someone was making a documentary, or some such. The film quality isn't that velvety silver screen sort of black and white: it's very naturally lit and grainy in texture. I just wanted it to look real. But that's a choice, an experiment, and it was interesting. Emotionally I was there until the end, where it kind of fell apart for me. The homage to Casablanca just served to emphasize the triumph of that film and the iffiness of The Good German. It's like when I saw Rent in NYC. I believe this musical would have stood a better chance of working if its composer had lived to edit it through it's growing pains. But I just sat there, and as the strains of Puccini's La Bohème were woven into the score, it just left me wishing I was at the opera instead. And that doesn't happen every day! Having said all that, The Good German stars Toby Maguire (who knew he had such range! I do now), George Clooney, and... the chameleon-like, ravishingly talented, and timelessly beautiful Cate Blanchett. People talk about George Clooney being our new Cary Grant. What a rough comparison for any man to live up to. But if we ever had a true star, a magical presence on screen today, it's Goddess Cate.
As much as The Good German hasn't stayed with me, Little Children (2006) has. It's one of those films that just sneaks back into my conciousness every day or two since I saw it three weeks ago. Director Todd Field started out acting. The first time I really noticed him was in Ruby in Paradise (1993) with Ashley Judd. Now he's making films, the only other one I've seen being In the Bedroom (2001). Little Children is searing and discomforting, with an assortment of emotionally scarred characters, who seem as helpless most of the time as the vulnerable children in their care or their community. I won't go on, I'm still digesting it. Kate Winslet, Patrick Wilson, Noah Emmerich and Jennifer Connelly are all superb with an Oscar-nominated performance by Jackie Earle Hayley, who is about as removed from his character in Breaking Away as he can be.
Le Placard (The Closet, 2001) is delightful French film with a very satisfying array of French actors. Daniel Auteuil is Pignon, a mild-mannered accountant who discovers that he is about to be fired from his job at a condom factory. His wife has left him, his teenage son despises him and he is about to chuck it all in. His neighbour, the wonderful Michel Aumont, comes to his rescue, of sorts. He suggests to Pignon that if he subtley let slip that he his gay, his company won't dare fire him, fearing sexual harrassment issues. The plot is a bit of stretch, but this is comedy, with some serious undertones. Michèle Laroque, who was so charming in Ma Vie en Rose (1997), is Pignon's gorgeous boss; Gerard Depardieu is the thuggish, rugby-playing colleague who torments Pignon; Jean Rochefort (who I loved in Le Mari de la Coiffeuse - The Hairdresser's Husband, 1990), is the director of the company; and the always suave Thierry Lhermitte is a mischevious co-worker. Both my thumbs up and all my toes!
Well, here's an example of a master-director, Billy Wilder, filming a movie in 1959, setting it in the late 20s, and going with black and white, a very risky venture at a time when - if you were starring Marilyn Monroe, you wanted that blond bombshell in Technicolour at the very least! And apparently that blond bombshell needed some persuading. Thank goodness it worked. With Some Like it Hot (1959), words ALMOST fail me. I don't know how many times I've seen this movie, and yet it remains fresh, delightful, eternally funny. According to the trivia notes on imdb.com, a preview audience laughed so hard in the scene where Jack Lemmon announces his engagement that a lot of the dialogue was missed. It had to be re-shot with pauses (and the maraca gimmick) added. Marilyn Monroe is enchanting. It's a dreadful thing when starlets have tried to imitate her over the last forty-odd years. There is no-one like her, there never can be. She was radiant, innocent, sexy and funny. ("Real diamonds? They must be worth their weight in gold!") Tony Curtis was at the height of his matinee-idolness and even in drag he is oddly attractive. Jack Lemmon is most likely - in drag - the most unattractive woman imaginable. The script is brilliant. What can I say? If you haven't seen it, run to the video store tonight!
As much as The Good German hasn't stayed with me, Little Children (2006) has. It's one of those films that just sneaks back into my conciousness every day or two since I saw it three weeks ago. Director Todd Field started out acting. The first time I really noticed him was in Ruby in Paradise (1993) with Ashley Judd. Now he's making films, the only other one I've seen being In the Bedroom (2001). Little Children is searing and discomforting, with an assortment of emotionally scarred characters, who seem as helpless most of the time as the vulnerable children in their care or their community. I won't go on, I'm still digesting it. Kate Winslet, Patrick Wilson, Noah Emmerich and Jennifer Connelly are all superb with an Oscar-nominated performance by Jackie Earle Hayley, who is about as removed from his character in Breaking Away as he can be.
Le Placard (The Closet, 2001) is delightful French film with a very satisfying array of French actors. Daniel Auteuil is Pignon, a mild-mannered accountant who discovers that he is about to be fired from his job at a condom factory. His wife has left him, his teenage son despises him and he is about to chuck it all in. His neighbour, the wonderful Michel Aumont, comes to his rescue, of sorts. He suggests to Pignon that if he subtley let slip that he his gay, his company won't dare fire him, fearing sexual harrassment issues. The plot is a bit of stretch, but this is comedy, with some serious undertones. Michèle Laroque, who was so charming in Ma Vie en Rose (1997), is Pignon's gorgeous boss; Gerard Depardieu is the thuggish, rugby-playing colleague who torments Pignon; Jean Rochefort (who I loved in Le Mari de la Coiffeuse - The Hairdresser's Husband, 1990), is the director of the company; and the always suave Thierry Lhermitte is a mischevious co-worker. Both my thumbs up and all my toes!
Well, here's an example of a master-director, Billy Wilder, filming a movie in 1959, setting it in the late 20s, and going with black and white, a very risky venture at a time when - if you were starring Marilyn Monroe, you wanted that blond bombshell in Technicolour at the very least! And apparently that blond bombshell needed some persuading. Thank goodness it worked. With Some Like it Hot (1959), words ALMOST fail me. I don't know how many times I've seen this movie, and yet it remains fresh, delightful, eternally funny. According to the trivia notes on imdb.com, a preview audience laughed so hard in the scene where Jack Lemmon announces his engagement that a lot of the dialogue was missed. It had to be re-shot with pauses (and the maraca gimmick) added. Marilyn Monroe is enchanting. It's a dreadful thing when starlets have tried to imitate her over the last forty-odd years. There is no-one like her, there never can be. She was radiant, innocent, sexy and funny. ("Real diamonds? They must be worth their weight in gold!") Tony Curtis was at the height of his matinee-idolness and even in drag he is oddly attractive. Jack Lemmon is most likely - in drag - the most unattractive woman imaginable. The script is brilliant. What can I say? If you haven't seen it, run to the video store tonight!
Son of... I Sense a Theme Here
I thought I had gathered together all the examples, but a good friend has pointed out that more than once, I have a current theme running through my more lurid writings. From a selection of my tandem tales (writing exercises written with various good and talented friends):
From Springtime in Zurich:
Dr. Dietrich Jurgen opened the large window of his spacious office and gazed at the twinkling waters of Lake Zurich in the distance, now bathed in the light of the late-afternoon sun. He closed his eyes and breathed a sigh, running a hand over his fine wide forehead and back over his chestnut hair. His sideburns were slightly touched with gray. His deep green eyes were tired and seemed to have lost forever the bright gleam that had set him apart from his fellow students at university. There in Vienna he had been recognized early on as a brilliant mind and a great thinker and it was widely believed that he would surely contribute profoundly to his chosen field of psychiatry.
*****
Jurgen sighed again, picked up his coffee and walked back to the window.
*****
Emerging at last from the bathroom, Jurgen wrapped a towel about his lean hips and leant against the window jam of his bedroom, looking out over the walled, oleander-lined garden, a cigarette dangling from one hand. It was still too early to begin his rounds.
*****
Moments after Magda had left, Dietrich stood by the window, gazing out at the gathering darkness. He kept picturing her lovely form in repose, her hands resting lightly in her lap, the way the lamplight cast a shine upon her dark mane, and her rosy lips as she told her tale.
*****
Dr. Jurgen smiled, held her close for a moment longer, then arose and went to stand by the window. The stars twinkled down in the velvet night sky, and inmpulsively he threw open the french doors which led to the terrace and led Magda out.
From Bramwell Pemberton, Gentleman Spy
Bramwell Pemberton stepped out of his shower and wrapped a towel loosely around his lean hips. Leaning against the window sill, he lit a cigarette and gazed thoughtfully over the view that stretched before him. He hadn’t been in Buenos Aires four hours, and already three people were dead. War was Hell, and they were calling this the war to end all wars. In a gesture of frustration Bram (as he was known to his friends) ran a hand through his hair, letting the unruly curls fall becomingly on his noble brow. There was a knock on the door.
From The Grimoire of Pengannon Castle
Seth emerged from his bath and walked over to the tall sash window of his hotel room, a towel loosely wrapped around his lean hips. Leaning against the jam, he lit a cigarette, folded his arms, and gazed broodily out onto the rain slicked streets. He was more irritable than usual. He hated the city and especially the people who populated it. Bankers were the worst.
From Trouble in Paradise
Taichu woke suddenly. His body and every nerve in it were alert. He espied the full moon outside the window, and taking up his watch from the rickety nightstand, saw that it was 3:30 a.m. He had only been asleep a half hour. Standing up, he crossed to the window. The moon slanted in and across his lithe, well-toned, naked body.
*****
"No. Goodnight!" barked Banner, pushing the old fellow firmly from the room and shutting it behind him. He locked the door, and flung his small suitcase and trenchcoat on the bed. Then shaking a cigarette out its packet, he lit up and leant against the window jam, gazing out at the street below.
*****
He reached out a powerfully whip-corded arm and pulled back the thinning curtain from the window above his bed. The surly yellow sky bespoke a dank humidity and an intolerable heat for the time of morning. Cursing silently he rose up, and - standing - stretched his lean, well-muscled form. Pulling on a shirt, he crossed to the window across the room and stood there, his arms folded, a lit cigarette greeting the new day.
From The Curse of Castle Kinvara
Arsalan Musulmani took a sip of the dark, aromatic Arabic coffee and placed the porcelain cup upon the window-ledge. He looked broodingly out the window upon the lavish formal gardens surrounding the house. Tall date palms swayed gently in the midday breeze, their fronds billowing like large green fringes.
*****
Arsalan tied a towel about his lean hips and went to stand by the window, opening the lattice a little to gaze off into the high mountains. The sun was now setting a golden glow upon the land and Arsalan the warrior felt his soul soften and his body tremble with sensual anticipation as he remembered the form of the woman he had purchased that very morning.
From The Vampires of Scorpio Hall
Once alone, Snape cast off the long black cloak stretched his long, powerful limbs. He sat briefly on the huge canopied bed but a restlessness bestirred him and he got up again and walked over to the leaded diamond-paned window which looked onto a gloomy, deserted courtyard. An old stone fountain, dry and dusty, stood in the centre.
I needed a good laugh and I can't really watch myself dancing.
From Springtime in Zurich:
Dr. Dietrich Jurgen opened the large window of his spacious office and gazed at the twinkling waters of Lake Zurich in the distance, now bathed in the light of the late-afternoon sun. He closed his eyes and breathed a sigh, running a hand over his fine wide forehead and back over his chestnut hair. His sideburns were slightly touched with gray. His deep green eyes were tired and seemed to have lost forever the bright gleam that had set him apart from his fellow students at university. There in Vienna he had been recognized early on as a brilliant mind and a great thinker and it was widely believed that he would surely contribute profoundly to his chosen field of psychiatry.
*****
Jurgen sighed again, picked up his coffee and walked back to the window.
*****
Emerging at last from the bathroom, Jurgen wrapped a towel about his lean hips and leant against the window jam of his bedroom, looking out over the walled, oleander-lined garden, a cigarette dangling from one hand. It was still too early to begin his rounds.
*****
Moments after Magda had left, Dietrich stood by the window, gazing out at the gathering darkness. He kept picturing her lovely form in repose, her hands resting lightly in her lap, the way the lamplight cast a shine upon her dark mane, and her rosy lips as she told her tale.
*****
Dr. Jurgen smiled, held her close for a moment longer, then arose and went to stand by the window. The stars twinkled down in the velvet night sky, and inmpulsively he threw open the french doors which led to the terrace and led Magda out.
From Bramwell Pemberton, Gentleman Spy
Bramwell Pemberton stepped out of his shower and wrapped a towel loosely around his lean hips. Leaning against the window sill, he lit a cigarette and gazed thoughtfully over the view that stretched before him. He hadn’t been in Buenos Aires four hours, and already three people were dead. War was Hell, and they were calling this the war to end all wars. In a gesture of frustration Bram (as he was known to his friends) ran a hand through his hair, letting the unruly curls fall becomingly on his noble brow. There was a knock on the door.
From The Grimoire of Pengannon Castle
Seth emerged from his bath and walked over to the tall sash window of his hotel room, a towel loosely wrapped around his lean hips. Leaning against the jam, he lit a cigarette, folded his arms, and gazed broodily out onto the rain slicked streets. He was more irritable than usual. He hated the city and especially the people who populated it. Bankers were the worst.
From Trouble in Paradise
Taichu woke suddenly. His body and every nerve in it were alert. He espied the full moon outside the window, and taking up his watch from the rickety nightstand, saw that it was 3:30 a.m. He had only been asleep a half hour. Standing up, he crossed to the window. The moon slanted in and across his lithe, well-toned, naked body.
*****
"No. Goodnight!" barked Banner, pushing the old fellow firmly from the room and shutting it behind him. He locked the door, and flung his small suitcase and trenchcoat on the bed. Then shaking a cigarette out its packet, he lit up and leant against the window jam, gazing out at the street below.
*****
He reached out a powerfully whip-corded arm and pulled back the thinning curtain from the window above his bed. The surly yellow sky bespoke a dank humidity and an intolerable heat for the time of morning. Cursing silently he rose up, and - standing - stretched his lean, well-muscled form. Pulling on a shirt, he crossed to the window across the room and stood there, his arms folded, a lit cigarette greeting the new day.
From The Curse of Castle Kinvara
Arsalan Musulmani took a sip of the dark, aromatic Arabic coffee and placed the porcelain cup upon the window-ledge. He looked broodingly out the window upon the lavish formal gardens surrounding the house. Tall date palms swayed gently in the midday breeze, their fronds billowing like large green fringes.
*****
Arsalan tied a towel about his lean hips and went to stand by the window, opening the lattice a little to gaze off into the high mountains. The sun was now setting a golden glow upon the land and Arsalan the warrior felt his soul soften and his body tremble with sensual anticipation as he remembered the form of the woman he had purchased that very morning.
From The Vampires of Scorpio Hall
Once alone, Snape cast off the long black cloak stretched his long, powerful limbs. He sat briefly on the huge canopied bed but a restlessness bestirred him and he got up again and walked over to the leaded diamond-paned window which looked onto a gloomy, deserted courtyard. An old stone fountain, dry and dusty, stood in the centre.
I needed a good laugh and I can't really watch myself dancing.
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Mysterious Fossil - UPDATE
Update on fossil mystery:
I spoke to the ROM and they told me that the fossil ID sessions are once every two or three months and that there are none in the summer because.... the scientists are "out in the field." How exciting! Digging up dinosaur fossils no doubt and testing the viability of doomed new theme parks off Costa Rica. I wonder if any of them look like Sam Neill?
I spoke to the ROM and they told me that the fossil ID sessions are once every two or three months and that there are none in the summer because.... the scientists are "out in the field." How exciting! Digging up dinosaur fossils no doubt and testing the viability of doomed new theme parks off Costa Rica. I wonder if any of them look like Sam Neill?
Monday, July 16, 2007
Corona Borealis
It is true that I love star-gazing, although I don't know much about it. It is also true that several years ago, at a cottage, two very saucy fellows decided to rename the constellations in my honour, after several items of jewelry that I might like.
So it is hardly surprising that my favourite constellation (thank goodness you're being spared another top ten list) is Corona Borealis, the Northern Crown. Mmmmm... my very own tiara!!
The image was lifted from a website and then played around with by me, but I'm sure they won't mind!
This small constellation is shaped like... well more like a horseshoe than a tiara. It's located between Hercules and Bootes, kind of nestled up against the Milky Way, and visible between February and October I believe.
It's very small but very distinct. You don't lay there next to a haybale going "Andromeda, my eye!"... It's very apparent what you are seeing and like all constellations, once you can identify it, it's like seeing an old friend in a crowd... a very, very large crowd. And by the way, since when did anyone think that that was Orion's BELT?
So it is hardly surprising that my favourite constellation (thank goodness you're being spared another top ten list) is Corona Borealis, the Northern Crown. Mmmmm... my very own tiara!!
The image was lifted from a website and then played around with by me, but I'm sure they won't mind!
This small constellation is shaped like... well more like a horseshoe than a tiara. It's located between Hercules and Bootes, kind of nestled up against the Milky Way, and visible between February and October I believe.
It's very small but very distinct. You don't lay there next to a haybale going "Andromeda, my eye!"... It's very apparent what you are seeing and like all constellations, once you can identify it, it's like seeing an old friend in a crowd... a very, very large crowd. And by the way, since when did anyone think that that was Orion's BELT?
Sunday, July 15, 2007
Big Popcorn, Empty Brain... and Son of Big Popcorn, Empty Brain
I saw the original Die Hard about 13 times. It had what made any good thriller good - a great villain in Alan Rickman, accompanied by a glamorous, follicly-blessed posse of Euro-trash villain/super-model blokes. They were silly. He was fabulous. Live Free or Die Hard was just what I was looking for the night we went to see it. The fourth in the series doesn't have a good villain, but it had enough references to the original to make me smirk between chewing my nails. The best part had to be the casting of young Justin Long who played a similar role (hapless computer nerd) in one of my favourites: Galaxy Quest.
The new Harry Potter movie is fun... as long as you have read the book. So much has to be left out, so really what you are going for is a visual representation of what you have been imagining, and - as usual - you are not disappointed. I'm very loyal to the series, so I'm hanging in there till the bitter end! But, to nitpick, I wish now that another villain could have been fought in these last two movies, saving Voldemort for the last, say, two stories. I mean, it's just another "ahh... we live to fight another day, Harry Potter" kind of ending. Come on already! Imelda Staunton is a creepy Dolores Umbridge, who seems to be channeling Margaret Thatcher if she had received fashion advice from Elizabeth II. A stand-out for me was the eerily remote Evanna Lynch as Luna "Loony" Lovegood. I was convinced I'd seen her before, so was my dad when we compared notes, but it seems that this is the first professional tv/movie job this young lassie has had. The rrrrrrrrrrRRRRRRRRRrrrrrrrrrr factor was overwhelmingly satisifed with Jason Isaacs worth the price of admission alone, reprising his role as Lucius Malfoy; and Gary Oldman very focused and magnificently committed (no pun intended) as Sirius Black.
The new Harry Potter movie is fun... as long as you have read the book. So much has to be left out, so really what you are going for is a visual representation of what you have been imagining, and - as usual - you are not disappointed. I'm very loyal to the series, so I'm hanging in there till the bitter end! But, to nitpick, I wish now that another villain could have been fought in these last two movies, saving Voldemort for the last, say, two stories. I mean, it's just another "ahh... we live to fight another day, Harry Potter" kind of ending. Come on already! Imelda Staunton is a creepy Dolores Umbridge, who seems to be channeling Margaret Thatcher if she had received fashion advice from Elizabeth II. A stand-out for me was the eerily remote Evanna Lynch as Luna "Loony" Lovegood. I was convinced I'd seen her before, so was my dad when we compared notes, but it seems that this is the first professional tv/movie job this young lassie has had. The rrrrrrrrrrRRRRRRRRRrrrrrrrrrr factor was overwhelmingly satisifed with Jason Isaacs worth the price of admission alone, reprising his role as Lucius Malfoy; and Gary Oldman very focused and magnificently committed (no pun intended) as Sirius Black.
Mysterious Fossil
No, I'm not referring to myself.I found this fossil on a riverbed a couple of winters ago, in south-western Ontario. You see it there photographed from the side and from overhead. It measures about 2.25" across at its widest and 2" in height at its tallest. Click on the picture for a much larger view.
It has a lovely honeycomb pattern except it's way too small to have been made by bees, so obviously another type of insect created it.
I recall that the Royal Ontario Museum had a twice-weekly fossil ID service some years ago. So... watch this space...
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
And Speaking of Trees
I was walking today (not a very long walk) along a beautiful trail. The sun was so intense. And so whenever I came across a large tree, I paused under it where a perfect breeze cooled me off. There is nothing like the shade of a tree. I suppose as the leaves are stirred by the breeze, they in turn build on the strength of the breeze.
The character of King Xerxes - in Handel's opera Xerxes - sings to his favourite tree, in a beautiful Largo, sort of a love song to it. Yes, it's a little odd, but it works. The words are as follows:
Ombra mai fu
di vegetabile,
cara ed amabile,
soave più.
The literal translation is:
Never was shade
of dear and amiable vegetable
More sweet.
Dmitri Hvorostovsky, the wonderful Russian baritone, is seen here singing the aria.
In a very different take, Jennifer Larmore, an American mezzo-soprano, made a video of it, sung very slowly (too slowly IMO), in which the ravagement of the environment is a moving backdrop to the words.
My favourite YouTube version has to be this one, by American counter-tenor David Daniels. He sung in a production done here in Toronto, but he played Arsamenes, Xerxes' brother.
I love it any way I can get it.
Jack Pines and a Fat Cat
If you were to ask me to name my favourite tree (and I know you were all planning to bring this up casually in conversation), I would answer confidently and decisively: The Jack Pine! I love these trees. They stand taller than most around them. And they have a wind-tossed irregular shape that speaks to me of refusal to comply to any sort of rule. My sort of vegetation. I like all trees. I am a self-confessed tree-hugger when out on a hike. I love the rough bark and their strength and height.There have been few times in my life where I have lost my temper, I mean really lost it. One such time was when I was googling images of jack pines and found pictures of ... wait for it ... bonsai versions of them. I saw red. This was tantamount to footbinding baby girls or something!!! How could anyone do this??? I went nuts, called Ange, and vented. After giving me my head for a few minutes, she told me to pull myself together, and, in one of her many creative bursts of talent, wrote a brief short story involving me, and a hero called Jack Pines, who was based loosely on a handsome fisherman I had actually met in Maine many years ago. As for the fictional acocunt, I remember it involved a wharf (as all Ange's stories do) and a debacle at a seedy bar, frequented by rough characters. I was momentarily soothed... momentarily.
Anyway, above my desk (pictured) I have a framed print of Stormy Weather, Georgian Bay, by Frederick Varley (c. 1920). There are four more pictures of jack pines around it. I find it so soothing to look at, redolent of the Canadian wilderness and that refusal to be conventional.
As for Tibbles, he had his annual check-up. What a drama king, you'd think we were killing him by putting him in his travelling box. He had a great check-up once he was there. He is in amazing shape for his age (11) and the nurses all love him for his gentleness. We asked some advice on his diet as he has put on some weight. Yes, he's now 22.5 pounds!!! His food intake portions have been small all this time. Now they will remain small but he'll be on calorie-reduced cat food. Also, no more yoghurt (long story!) I'll keep you updated on his progress.
Pennies from Heaven
A long time ago
A million years BC
The best things in life
Were absolutely free.
But no one appreciated
A sky that was always blue.
And no one congratulated
A moon that was always new.
So it was planned that they would vanish now and them
And you must pay before you get them back again.
That's what storms were made for
And you shouldn't be afraid for...
Every time it rains, it rains pennies from heaven.
Don't you know each cloud contains pennies from heaven.
You'll find your fortune falling
All over town.
Be sure that your umbrella is upside down.
Trade them for a package of sunshine and flowers.
If you want the things you love
You must have showers.
So when you hear it thunder
Don't run under a tree.
There'll be pennies from heaven for you and me.
Lyrics by Johnny Burke, music by Arthur Johnston
A million years BC
The best things in life
Were absolutely free.
But no one appreciated
A sky that was always blue.
And no one congratulated
A moon that was always new.
So it was planned that they would vanish now and them
And you must pay before you get them back again.
That's what storms were made for
And you shouldn't be afraid for...
Every time it rains, it rains pennies from heaven.
Don't you know each cloud contains pennies from heaven.
You'll find your fortune falling
All over town.
Be sure that your umbrella is upside down.
Trade them for a package of sunshine and flowers.
If you want the things you love
You must have showers.
So when you hear it thunder
Don't run under a tree.
There'll be pennies from heaven for you and me.
Lyrics by Johnny Burke, music by Arthur Johnston
Sunday, July 8, 2007
Stratford 2007
Summer in south-western Ontario is beautiful as usual. And the renowned Stratford Festival (in the beautiful little city of Stratford) is one of the great pleasures to be had. Aside from the theatre, there is the setting along the Avon River and especially the part of the river that has been damned, creating the small, shallow Lake Victoria. Driving along the lake yesterday we saw a mother duck and a flock of little ducklings all in a row behind her were crossing the road. Waddle, waddle. So cute you could spit. And the cygnets are at their classic ugly-duckling phase - downy but turning whiter each day. There are lots of ducks, swans, willow trees to be enjoyed as you walk or drive around the lake. There will be pictures posted here once I get home and download them.
The shows have been variable, but I'm so happy to have seen them. It's been a long while since I've had such a glut of live theatre.
From the worst - in my opinion - to the best:
The Merchant of Venice
Indescribably awful. I'm not sure if they decided to play up the anti-semitism in order to make Shylock more sympathetic of out of some misguided bloody mindedness, but it was appalling. The language suffered horribly, most of it unintelligible. Graham Greene mumbled his way through Shylock. He's a tricky one to cast, no doubt, and I suppose the powers that be thought it might be palatable to have a representative of one put-upon people represent another. He was entirely incomprehensible. "fff oo cut ushhh, do we no' blee?" The design was ugly and matched the petulant performances. I can only assume the designer suffers from a terror of going through life un-noticed. Portia came across as a suburban spinster offsetting age with a bad blonde rinse and a series of God-awful outfits that did absolutely nothing for her. Her Bassanio was like a 15-year-old school boy who looked upon her like he'd never seen a woman before. I won't go on, it's too depressing.
The Comedy of Errors
Deeply unfunny. Directed by Richard Monette in his swan song year. Well, the swan's dead but it won't lay down. It was hammed up in the most dreadful, church-basement-community-theatre way. In-jokes and additional bits of dialogue like "hey dude!" left most of the audience cold. Embarrassingly weak.
My One And Only
This wasn't as good as Anything Goes last year, but it was fun. Cynthia Dale was lovely in the lead (rough English accent though, why did she have to even try?) and the rest of the cast were enthusiastic and energetic and charming. I think it just doesn't work as well as a show. Cole Porter has a wit and energy that works so well theatrically. The limpidly lovely Gershwin songs just didn't seem to hang together, and with actors who have to dance as well as sing... well, something had to suffer and it was the singing. And I reckon you can't do that with Gershwin. It was sweet though, and the final curtain call moment when they are all dancing on top of the plane's wings actually brought tears to my eyes... that kind of fantasy, good-times, nostalgic moment. I'm being a fuss-pot so this gets my thumbs-up!
King Lear
Surprisingly good. Brian Bedford had balls to direct and star in this two years after Captain von Trapp did it to such acclaim. The costumes were thankfully simple and classic (not that I mind other takes, but at least this design wasn't fighting for attention). I could understand everyone (WOW). Bedford was a realistic, pathetic Lear, and brought to mind my theory of the old king, that he is suffering from early-stage dementia, hence the mood swings and extremes of emotion. The fool (Bernard Hopkins) was a little to "regular", a little too like the rest of the court to suggest someone who could have got away with the things he said. I like an odd, eccentric fool. Rather like myself!
Othello
Really strong! Again, not that I need costumes of the period, but there was no attempt to do anything but play this straight. Fuck - that can be such a breath of fresh air. As an actor friend of mine had told me the previous week, in this production the characters are BEING, they are not carrying on and showing off. It's also the first time I've enjoyed the staging of a production at the Tom Patterson. I find that space very awkward most of the time. My only quibble I guess is that I found Philip Akin as Othello just a bit frenetic. His switch from calm, strong general into wildly jealous husband was very sudden and threw me off. Jonathan Goad was a fabulous Iago, Lucy Peacock a wonderful Emilia and Claire Jullien a lovely Desdemona. They were ALL good!
Oklahoma
FAN-FUCKING-TASTIC!!!!! I was not looking forward particularly to it, feeling somewhat resentful that, in a festival that is supposed to pay homage first and foremost to Shakespeare, the musicals get most of the attention. Well this one has it all. Donna Feore as choreographer and director, has done a wonderful job. The set was brilliant, with large light boxes of different shapes running across the stage, that reflect the amazing lights and represent the huge, endless skies of the prairies. The dancing was superb (all on a small set for its purposes), the acting delightful. The singing suffered a tad, as - again - you are requiring the performers to do it all, but that's nit-picking. The amplification sometimes seemed a bit much, but I got used to it. The performers carried the songs off with such zeal and gusto and the music... wow! I forgot how it is just one delightful song after another. Curly was a manly leading man, not classically handsome, but he had IT. Laurie was just delightful: flirtatious and capricious without being shrewish or silly, as is so often the case in musical theatre. I highly recommend it!
So that's it... for now. Not sure if I'll get out to any more shows this year, but if I do, you'll read about it here.
The shows have been variable, but I'm so happy to have seen them. It's been a long while since I've had such a glut of live theatre.
From the worst - in my opinion - to the best:
The Merchant of Venice
Indescribably awful. I'm not sure if they decided to play up the anti-semitism in order to make Shylock more sympathetic of out of some misguided bloody mindedness, but it was appalling. The language suffered horribly, most of it unintelligible. Graham Greene mumbled his way through Shylock. He's a tricky one to cast, no doubt, and I suppose the powers that be thought it might be palatable to have a representative of one put-upon people represent another. He was entirely incomprehensible. "fff oo cut ushhh, do we no' blee?" The design was ugly and matched the petulant performances. I can only assume the designer suffers from a terror of going through life un-noticed. Portia came across as a suburban spinster offsetting age with a bad blonde rinse and a series of God-awful outfits that did absolutely nothing for her. Her Bassanio was like a 15-year-old school boy who looked upon her like he'd never seen a woman before. I won't go on, it's too depressing.
The Comedy of Errors
Deeply unfunny. Directed by Richard Monette in his swan song year. Well, the swan's dead but it won't lay down. It was hammed up in the most dreadful, church-basement-community-theatre way. In-jokes and additional bits of dialogue like "hey dude!" left most of the audience cold. Embarrassingly weak.
My One And Only
This wasn't as good as Anything Goes last year, but it was fun. Cynthia Dale was lovely in the lead (rough English accent though, why did she have to even try?) and the rest of the cast were enthusiastic and energetic and charming. I think it just doesn't work as well as a show. Cole Porter has a wit and energy that works so well theatrically. The limpidly lovely Gershwin songs just didn't seem to hang together, and with actors who have to dance as well as sing... well, something had to suffer and it was the singing. And I reckon you can't do that with Gershwin. It was sweet though, and the final curtain call moment when they are all dancing on top of the plane's wings actually brought tears to my eyes... that kind of fantasy, good-times, nostalgic moment. I'm being a fuss-pot so this gets my thumbs-up!
King Lear
Surprisingly good. Brian Bedford had balls to direct and star in this two years after Captain von Trapp did it to such acclaim. The costumes were thankfully simple and classic (not that I mind other takes, but at least this design wasn't fighting for attention). I could understand everyone (WOW). Bedford was a realistic, pathetic Lear, and brought to mind my theory of the old king, that he is suffering from early-stage dementia, hence the mood swings and extremes of emotion. The fool (Bernard Hopkins) was a little to "regular", a little too like the rest of the court to suggest someone who could have got away with the things he said. I like an odd, eccentric fool. Rather like myself!
Othello
Really strong! Again, not that I need costumes of the period, but there was no attempt to do anything but play this straight. Fuck - that can be such a breath of fresh air. As an actor friend of mine had told me the previous week, in this production the characters are BEING, they are not carrying on and showing off. It's also the first time I've enjoyed the staging of a production at the Tom Patterson. I find that space very awkward most of the time. My only quibble I guess is that I found Philip Akin as Othello just a bit frenetic. His switch from calm, strong general into wildly jealous husband was very sudden and threw me off. Jonathan Goad was a fabulous Iago, Lucy Peacock a wonderful Emilia and Claire Jullien a lovely Desdemona. They were ALL good!
Oklahoma
FAN-FUCKING-TASTIC!!!!! I was not looking forward particularly to it, feeling somewhat resentful that, in a festival that is supposed to pay homage first and foremost to Shakespeare, the musicals get most of the attention. Well this one has it all. Donna Feore as choreographer and director, has done a wonderful job. The set was brilliant, with large light boxes of different shapes running across the stage, that reflect the amazing lights and represent the huge, endless skies of the prairies. The dancing was superb (all on a small set for its purposes), the acting delightful. The singing suffered a tad, as - again - you are requiring the performers to do it all, but that's nit-picking. The amplification sometimes seemed a bit much, but I got used to it. The performers carried the songs off with such zeal and gusto and the music... wow! I forgot how it is just one delightful song after another. Curly was a manly leading man, not classically handsome, but he had IT. Laurie was just delightful: flirtatious and capricious without being shrewish or silly, as is so often the case in musical theatre. I highly recommend it!
So that's it... for now. Not sure if I'll get out to any more shows this year, but if I do, you'll read about it here.
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