24 posts tagged “review”
Happy Friday! Today is just going to be one of those days if you know what I mean. I woke up early and felt good. I had time to not rush (or so I thought) and then I had to figure out what to wear. Have you ever had one of those mornings where your clothes just feel all wrong? I literally spend 30 minutes trying on, what felt like, 30 different outfits. I was trying to explain this to Tall Guy but he did not get it. I do not think guys understand this at all. Things were too big, too tight, wrong color, wrong material - eventually I had to pick something but now I feel smelly. That's T.M.I. I know but what can you do?
So, I'm just going to write about the movies I have watched over the past month.
I did love Cate Blanchett's continuing protrayal of the "Virgin Queen" and Samantha Morton was great as "Mary Stuart Queen of Scots." I love Clive Owen but I really did not see the point of "Bess" and "Sir Walter Raleigh's" relationship except to show what Queen Elizabeth was missing. I know that is important but I just did not care about it when I was watching this movie.
The cinematography was incredible though and watching the extras, I learned a lot about the production designer, Guy Dyas. Did you know that the main ship represented 3 to 4 different ships? One side was the Spanish armada's main ship and the other was Sir Walter Raleigh's ship. Then the interior represented other boats. I thought that was pretty great. Though, I did think it was strange that the bulk of the extras were mainly about how fabulous Guy Dyas is. I'm sure he is but it was still kind of weird to me.
2. Reign Over Me - I really enjoyed this. It is pretty emotional though and at some points I could not get past Adam Sandler's screaming because it reminded me a little too much of "Happy Gilmore." Don Cheadle was again amazing. I liked that they too a different approach to 9/11. It is really sad and I would watch it alone if you are an emotional freak like me.
4. Deja Vu - Don't get me wrong. I love Denzel Washington. But this movie sucks.
Wow, I honestly felt like I watched more than these over the past month but I guess not. Oh well. Happy Friday!
Michael Pollan goes into depth about the food industry and nutritionism in this book. Just like he does with The Omnivore's Dilemna and The Botany of Desire, he explores the food chain and how the changes that have occurred for profit and for increasing output has greatly affected what we put into our bodies. For example, he goes into depth about how the feeding of grains to cows and other ruminants has increased the amount of Omega-6s in their bodies. When they used to be raised in the fields, eating what they are supposed to eat (grass and other plants) the Omega-3s, which the industry is now supplementing in everything from eggs to cereals, was high. How has this change in content affected the animals and the people who eat the animals? I will just say let's look at the animals that were abused and the major meat recall in in the packing plant in California.
Pollan calls for an "escape" of the Western diet. He writes, "...the challenge we face today is figuring out how to escape the worst elements of the Western diet and lifestyle without going back to the bush." But how do we do that? Well, when he says this is a manifesto, it is! It is difficult but what I took from it is that I just need to do the best that I can do because it is impossible to maneuver through the supermarket when every thing has claims about being good for you or containing this kind of antioxidant or more Omega-3s. Here are a list of rules, but I hope you still go and read this book, even thought I am listing them.
- DON'T EAT ANYTHING YOUR GREAT GRANDMOTHER WOULDN'T RECOGNIZE AS FOOD
- DON'T EAT ANYTHING INCAPABLE OF ROTTING (sorry Ambookgeek - no Twinkies :P)
- AVOID FOOD PRODUCTS CONTAINING INGREDIENTS THAT ARE (A) UNFAMILIAR, (B) UNPRONOUNCEABLE, (C) MORE THAN FIVE IN NUMBER, OR THAT INCLUDE (D) HIGH-FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP (my friend once embarked on a week long personal food challenge - do not eat anything with HFCS - it was nearly impossible. Corn is subsidized which means it's in practically everything we eat even if we don't know it and it's under other names and other derivatives. If you think about it, it truly blows the mind)
- AVOID FOOD PRODUCTS THAT MAKE HEALTH CLAIMS. If you read about it the FDA and the food industry, they make it easier and easier for food producers to slap claims on their products. This for me is difficult because as an ignorant eater, I would read the packaging and think, "great! I need to buy this. It's good for me" and I think that is how a lot of people shop and look at food.
- SHOP THE PERIPHERIES OF THE SUPERMARKET AND STAY OUT OF THE MIDDLE. I love cereal. I doubt I am going to not buy my Special K with chocolate or fruit and yogurt bits, but maybe I'll eat less of it.
- GET OUT OF THE SUPERMARKET WHENEVER POSSIBLE. I am a big fan of the Farmer's Markets. It's actually a pretty fun outing when you do go, you buy good food and you get some exercise by checking out all the food stalls.
- "SHAKE THE HAND THAT FEEDS YOU" - I loved this quote. Get to know your farmers at the farmer's market.
- EAT MOSTLY PLANTS, ESPECIALLY LEAVES
- YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT EATS TOO
- IF YOU HAVE THE SPACE [THE MEANS], BUY A FREEZER
- EAT LIKE AN OMNIVORE
- EAT WELL-GROWN FOOD FROM HEALTHY SOIL
- EAT WILD FOODS WHEN YOU CAN
- BE THE KIND OF PERSON WHO TAKES SUPPLEMENTS - This is interesting - people who take supplements tend to have healthier lifestyles. So just be more active and watch what you eat (at least that's what I took from this)
- EAT MORE LIKE THE FRENCH, OR THE ITALIANS, OR THE JAPANESE, OR THE INDIANS, OR THE GREEKS - a return to food culture and tradition
- REGARD NONTRADITIONAL FOODS WITH SKEPTICISM
- DON'T LOOK FOR THE MAGIC BULLET IN THE TRADITIONAL DIET
- HAVE A GLASS OF WINE WITH DINNER
- PAY MORE, EAT LESS - quality over quantity, which could be easier for some people. I came from a huge family and feeding a lot people factors into things
- EAT MEALS
- DO ALL YOUR EATING AT A TABLE
- DON'T GET YOUR FUEL FROM THE SAME PLACE YOUR CAR DOES
- TRY NOT TO EAT ALONE
- CONSULT YOUR GUT
- EAT SLOWLY
- COOK, AND IF YOU CAN, PLANT A GARDEN
Some of the benefits I see aside from eating better and diversifying what I eat is a return to enjoying time with my family and my friends. Exploring my city by checking out various farmer's markets. Learning about what vegetables and fruits really are in season. Meeting interesting people who love food and eat! Because, let me say, living in L.A., it's one of the worse places to eat because people don't really do it. That's a stereotype and I'm sure I can find a place where people enjoy food.
What I want is to have moments like I had when I went to Absinthe with Mister JT, Felicious & Daku. We sat for hours talking, eating and enjoying our cocktails and we were not the only ones doing that. Everyone there was! Everyone was accompanied by someone or a group and they all just enjoyed their food.
Let's return to enjoying eating and being informed about what is happening to food before it hits our tongues.
See you at the Farmer's Market!
So, here is my first and probably only attempt where you will see my mug in a video. Next time, it will be a robot or monkey or something object i own. You even get to hear my voice! Lucky People :)
This is Melle & I heading to Chinatown's Chinese New Year Parade which I wrote about earlier.
The Flip Video is a pretty easy device to use. A USB connector is attached to it so you do not have to fiddle around with cords. It is very basic with a large record button and 4 arrows (top & bottom for zooming in and out) and right and left for going through the video clips). It can record up to an hours worth of videos. The quality of the videos is pretty clear except I think I made it too large for this post because when I first played it back it was very pixelated. It reads as a separate device when you connect it to your computer and it is very easy to download clips to your computer. I also like that you can connect it straight to your t.v. if you wanted to.
In addition to all those easy to use features, it comes in a with a pretty little velvet satchel!
It is a pretty fun little video camera. I had a lot of fun using it this weekend. So, here is a video that is a few minutes too long of our trip to Chinatown.
Enjoy!
I love Nick Hornby so I was happy to read that he was writing a ya book. Slam has received really great reviews and I agree with them.
I love that this book had a kid who talked to his Tony Hawk poster, that he was a young father, that the protagonist struggled to do the right thing and that it was pretty plausible.
It is definitely worth picking up. It's entertaining, funny, heart-warming. There is a lot of reference to skateboarding that I think boys and girls would enjoy.
Javier Bardem as "Anton Chigurh" scared the crap out of me. The only movie I have seen him in is "The Sea Inside" which is about euthanasia and he is amazing in it. The way he looks at his victims, his disturbingly sickly pallor, and that weird bowl haircut only added to his intensity and evilness.
I was really impressed by Josh Brolin. I have never really been struck by Josh Brolin's acting. He has always just been that guy in the movie that never really made an impact on me (except in Goonies of course :)) But lately, I am becoming more and more impressed by him. I loved him in Planet Terror and now I loved him as Llewelyn Moss. He was definitely my favorite character in this film.
It was intense, suspenseful and for me, not all that predictable. Definitely go and see it if you have not. I jumped in my seat and covered my eyes a couple of times during this movie.
The other night I borrowed "Red Dawn" (1984) from the library (that's right people you can borrow movies from the public library - but I also work here so maybe I should just be quiet). What I remember from the movie was basically one line, "Wolverines!" Then I forgot every thing else about it. I remembered that I did like this movie, probably because it was at during the "second Cold War." Also, I grew up as a Navy brat and at that time was pretty obsessed with the military.
I put the dvd in and in the first 10 minutes a high school was attacked, the lone black teacher was dead and so was a fellow student. I did not remember this at all. Then there is a mix of very slowly spoken Spanish and Russian and bad American dialogue. Then the violence continues. In one scene, there is a line up of Americans and they start singing the Star Spangled Banner over the Russian national anthem or something and then they are gunned down, while one of the Wolverines watches in horror. In another scene, they kill one of their friends because he is a traitor.
I know, media reflects the times but it still frightens me when these images and films are still relevant and even reflect the current state of country (well, at least for some people). We just change the names and countries. In "Red Dawn," it was the Cubans and Russians, now it's the Iraqis and possibly Iranians.
I wonder if this movie inspired some teenagers to go and enlist to help beat the war against communism. Is there anything coming out now that would instill the same kind of patriotism and fervor to join in and fight this war? I am not sure, maybe that movie "The Kingdom" which I have not watched.
I read Redzilla's post about denial and I hope what he wrote is true, that people have reached the point where they are sick and tired of the declining state of this country. I hope we get out of these wars. I hope the economy improves. I hope.
Watching the movie, I started wondering how closely it mirrored the novel. Did the lines come from the novel and if so, who said them? What parts were cut-out? Was any thing added?
It was nice to have read the book finally. There were events that they altered and they gave certain dialogue to other characters but it did not take away from the story. It was a wonderful read. I enjoy Jane Austen's characters and appreciate the fact that her female characters are so opinionated and strong. I wish I had read the book before watching the 2005 movie version because I kept picturing the actors from the film. For example, in the novel, Jane, the oldest Bennet daughter, seems a little chubby and not as active as Elizabeth, but in the movie, she is not. Also, I was shocked at the relationship between Mr. Bennet and Mrs. Bennet was not as cordial or affectionate as it seems in the movie. There is a moment where Austen alludes to the fact that Mr. Bennet may have other women and barely tolerates his wife.
The relationships between all the characters are a bit confusing but Austen captures the complications between friends and acquaintances with all the drama and jealousies and affection that occurs between people in the "real" world. For example, the annoyance, love, bickering and concern between the 4 Bennet sisters occurs between my self and my siblings.
I can now see why this novel is so popular. It does live up to its positive reviews. It is definitely worth reading or at least revisiting if you have not read it in awhile.
I finally was able to watch "Lust, Caution" by Ang Lee yesterday.
(I love the Arclight, but sometimes it is impossible to see a movie there. I tried twice last week to go and each time, there was some sort of event going on or the parking lot was full or it was just mad crowded. There is also this irritating flicker going on with this computer monitor that is kind of grating on my nerves...)
It was a pretty good movie. I really enjoyed the acting, the costumes, the story, the cinematography, the music. I am actually still processing it. I was speechless when we left the theatre because there were so many things that went on it in. It is a three hour movie but it did not feel as if it was that long.
It is set in 1942 Shanghai. Wong Chia Chi (Wei Tang), a quiet, shy girl, becomes part of a resistance movement against the Japansese occupation. She changes into a sophisticated society woman who must seduce Mr. Yee (Tony Leung). Mr. Yee is an assassination target for the resistance. Wong is pushed to her limit and is torn between her loyalty to the resistance and possible allegance to Mr. Yee.
This film is very graphic and intense. There are scenes that could be viewed as pornographic. I think, it adds to Wong's story though. It does have an NC17 rating.
I am not sure if you can see my Shelfari review but here is a link.
This book is what I would call Ecological Science Fiction.
Blake Nelson starts off with a news report about a nuclear hybrid missile being lost at sea. Throughout the book, he inserts news reports to keep the reader updated on what is being printed. I have no doubt that if that was a real news story, it would be buried in the corner of Section A of the newspaper.
The main protagonist, is Emily, a teen, visiting South Point in Cape Cod, from Indianapolis. Her best friend, Reese, is a girl from Boston and a bit Goth. They usually spend the summers hanging out at the beach and scoping for boys and hanging out at the local pizza parlor, but this summer all of that is going to change.
Though the missile is lost off the coast of Nova Scotia, it is affecting things as far south as Cape Cod. Strange things start happening in South Point. For example, people are reporting seeing strange people peering into their windows, dogs are barking uncontrollably all night long. These events are not too odd but in a place like South Point, where nothing really happens, it is making the tourists and locals nervous. The strangest thing that happens is when a strange organism washes up on the shore. From this point on, things start happening, Emily and Reese get sucked into and witness really strange events.
The book is very fast paced and I, for one, could not put it down. There are car chases, the Feds, small town cops, strange weather occurrences, a break-in, a rescue - it is a truly fun book, but it also makes you think about humans
effect on the planet and on the creatures on this Earth. It is not a super eco-book, say like Carl Hiassen's "Hoot" or "Flushed Away" but it does fall along the lines of making a person think about how say, weapons testing or all this processing of various materials, affects ourselves and the planet.
Nelson introduces the story with this quote from Goethe -
"We all walk in mysteries. We are surrounded by an atmosphere about which we still know nothing at all. We do not know what stirs in it or how it is connected to our intelligence."
That made me think and I think it will make you ponder some things as well.