I had made a decision not to long ago to not seek a second term as President of an association I belong to. It was a well thought out decision with lots of thought put into it. I thought I would be okay with it and could deal with it. I was kind of wrong.
The nominating committee released their nominations tonight and I admit that that it stung me. I didn't think it would hurt me much but it did. I felt a sting in my heart and a little sadness. This was my choice, a hard one, but one I had to make. I know that in time it won't feel as bad as it does now.
That's it. I have been dealing with many things and that was what my evening ended with. I think the nominating committee did a good job finding candidates and I wish those nominated much success.
Sunday, April 7, 2013
Saturday, April 6, 2013
It's a doozy: The Host, New Eats, Film Noir
I haven't taken time to sit down and write so I figured a Saturday night when I'm half tired already is perfect. Not really, I'm more than half tired, I'm really tired. I am awake enough though to write my thoughts for the last few things. So in this post I will talk about three movies and a hole in the wall place to eat. Sounds like fun right.
First up, I saw The Host a week ago when it first came out. I have never read the book by Stephenie Meyer, I have it, just haven't actually taken time to read it. So I went in blind knowing nothing. I found it humorous when Melanie would have conversations with Wanderer in her head, it took me awhile to get over it and deal with it. The acting, was at times, cheesy. The story was interesting though, alien beings coming to Earth and using humans as hosts for their living. Small insurgent groups exist that are fighting to regain control and live in hiding. I just don't know, I think the book might be better, I'll have to read it to find out. My mom did say that the movie was not quite like the book, the story was the same, but she believed the ending was different. I'm kind of glad that we went to the matinee and didn't pay full price. That's a plus.
Flash forward to this past Friday, I know you can. I had lunch with a long time friend that I hadn't seen in quite a while. We decided to meet up near his place in Culver City. At first we had no idea what or where we were going to have lunch. I have just started using Yelp so went there to check out restaurants in the area. I came up with a list of four places. We agreed on Victor Jr's, a pizza place on Washington in downtown Culver City. I love pizza so most are OK with me and this place has OK pizza. I would eat it if it were an option. The downfall, not a lot of seating. There's a small bar inside and about four tables outside. The tables and chairs make for a crammed area so you either have to hope no one is there or be super skinny to fit. Other than that, not a bad place. I think either take out or delivery would be a better option though. Pizza and movies are always good together.
That brings me up to last night. My sister had read in the paper about the Egyptian Theater showing some classic movies, in particular Friday night kicked off their month long Film Noir festival. It is presented by American Cinematheque and the Film Noir Foundation. The first film we got to see was Try and Get Me, which had a young Lloyd Bridges. The film was originally released as The Sound of Fury and was a flop. Try and Get Me is the original name of the picture.
The film is timeless to me. It revolves around a man trying to do good, find a job, support his family, that is lured in to a way to make easy money. People today are in the same boat. The money he brings in is good until his partner decides that they need one big score to be set-up for good. It is a botched kidnapping. Then the media gets a hold of the story and turns a couple of simple and one major crime into a spree and condemn the men before a trial is even on the calendar. A character named Vito is kind of the conscious (I called him the Jiminy Cricket character) trying to convince his media friend to be easy and not pass judgement because it will give rise to mob rule. The film's ending is poignant because the mob rule wins over the legal system.
I have to say that one of the best parts of the film was Lloyd Bridges. My favorite scene is of him in the lock up of the jail. Hanging on the bars and looking like a stark raving mad man. I can see how he could make the transition to comedy, since to me that scene was kind of humorous with this acting. Overall a good film and the copy that was shown was wonderful.
The second film (yep a double feature) was Hell Drivers. This movie was exciting and dangerous. It also has a host of actors that soon would become stars in their own right including Sean Connery and David McCallum (Ducky from NCIS or to others they would know him from a show called The Man from U.N.C.L.E.). I had to lean over and ask Tony if he had spotted anyone of the guys, there are more, and I had not realized which one was Sean Connery, he looked way different and I couldn't even recognize his face. I knew David McCallum as soon as I saw him, his eyes and smile haven't changed (and yes I do have a small crush on him).
In this movie our main character is a recent parolee from prison who takes a job driving for a corrupt company (kind of sounds like many of the large companies today). Again a man trying to do right that ends up in a bad situation. There's a sort of romance in the movie too. I love how in old movies they had to be careful with kissing scenes so they wouldn't get censored. The film is really about the drivers and overcoming the corruption and those involved in the corruption to win and of course the hero gets the girl and the crowd cheered when the bad guys went down.
I know it is a long post but I had so much to get in because I haven't been keeping up. I'm sure many have had that problem. Just have to keep coming back and keep with it.
One more thing, I would like to recognize Roger Ebert who passed away on April 4 from cancer. I haven't read many of his books, Tony has though, but I remember watching him on TV and giving reviews of movies with the famous thumbs up or down. His insight and genius will be missed by many movie lovers around the globe.
First up, I saw The Host a week ago when it first came out. I have never read the book by Stephenie Meyer, I have it, just haven't actually taken time to read it. So I went in blind knowing nothing. I found it humorous when Melanie would have conversations with Wanderer in her head, it took me awhile to get over it and deal with it. The acting, was at times, cheesy. The story was interesting though, alien beings coming to Earth and using humans as hosts for their living. Small insurgent groups exist that are fighting to regain control and live in hiding. I just don't know, I think the book might be better, I'll have to read it to find out. My mom did say that the movie was not quite like the book, the story was the same, but she believed the ending was different. I'm kind of glad that we went to the matinee and didn't pay full price. That's a plus.
Flash forward to this past Friday, I know you can. I had lunch with a long time friend that I hadn't seen in quite a while. We decided to meet up near his place in Culver City. At first we had no idea what or where we were going to have lunch. I have just started using Yelp so went there to check out restaurants in the area. I came up with a list of four places. We agreed on Victor Jr's, a pizza place on Washington in downtown Culver City. I love pizza so most are OK with me and this place has OK pizza. I would eat it if it were an option. The downfall, not a lot of seating. There's a small bar inside and about four tables outside. The tables and chairs make for a crammed area so you either have to hope no one is there or be super skinny to fit. Other than that, not a bad place. I think either take out or delivery would be a better option though. Pizza and movies are always good together.
That brings me up to last night. My sister had read in the paper about the Egyptian Theater showing some classic movies, in particular Friday night kicked off their month long Film Noir festival. It is presented by American Cinematheque and the Film Noir Foundation. The first film we got to see was Try and Get Me, which had a young Lloyd Bridges. The film was originally released as The Sound of Fury and was a flop. Try and Get Me is the original name of the picture.
The film is timeless to me. It revolves around a man trying to do good, find a job, support his family, that is lured in to a way to make easy money. People today are in the same boat. The money he brings in is good until his partner decides that they need one big score to be set-up for good. It is a botched kidnapping. Then the media gets a hold of the story and turns a couple of simple and one major crime into a spree and condemn the men before a trial is even on the calendar. A character named Vito is kind of the conscious (I called him the Jiminy Cricket character) trying to convince his media friend to be easy and not pass judgement because it will give rise to mob rule. The film's ending is poignant because the mob rule wins over the legal system.
I have to say that one of the best parts of the film was Lloyd Bridges. My favorite scene is of him in the lock up of the jail. Hanging on the bars and looking like a stark raving mad man. I can see how he could make the transition to comedy, since to me that scene was kind of humorous with this acting. Overall a good film and the copy that was shown was wonderful.
The second film (yep a double feature) was Hell Drivers. This movie was exciting and dangerous. It also has a host of actors that soon would become stars in their own right including Sean Connery and David McCallum (Ducky from NCIS or to others they would know him from a show called The Man from U.N.C.L.E.). I had to lean over and ask Tony if he had spotted anyone of the guys, there are more, and I had not realized which one was Sean Connery, he looked way different and I couldn't even recognize his face. I knew David McCallum as soon as I saw him, his eyes and smile haven't changed (and yes I do have a small crush on him).
In this movie our main character is a recent parolee from prison who takes a job driving for a corrupt company (kind of sounds like many of the large companies today). Again a man trying to do right that ends up in a bad situation. There's a sort of romance in the movie too. I love how in old movies they had to be careful with kissing scenes so they wouldn't get censored. The film is really about the drivers and overcoming the corruption and those involved in the corruption to win and of course the hero gets the girl and the crowd cheered when the bad guys went down.
I know it is a long post but I had so much to get in because I haven't been keeping up. I'm sure many have had that problem. Just have to keep coming back and keep with it.
One more thing, I would like to recognize Roger Ebert who passed away on April 4 from cancer. I haven't read many of his books, Tony has though, but I remember watching him on TV and giving reviews of movies with the famous thumbs up or down. His insight and genius will be missed by many movie lovers around the globe.
Thursday, March 28, 2013
Oz the Great and Powerful
I got to see a movie! Yay! I went with my sister to see Oz the Great and Powerful on Wednesday. This was a film I was hoping I would get to see mainly because when I was little I watched The Wizard of Oz over and over and over. Then again I tended to watch things a lot if I really liked them.
The movie is really neat and pays homage to the author L. Frank Baum and the 1939 MGM film. Of course because certain elements of the 1939 film are copyright protected things in this film had to be changed. The movie however is based on the original works with some minor glints of the 1939 film. The most obvious things that I noticed were a lack of ruby slippers (copyright 1939 film) and that the wicked witch has flying baboons instead of monkeys. The best thing is that the film starts off in a sepia tone and then transitions to color just like The Wizard of Oz. Very cool.
The acting was wonderful, although all the close-ups of James Franco's face made me twitch along with his eyebrows. Come to think of it there were a lot of tight face shots of everyone and I couldn't quite figure out why but I am not a director so I'm sure that there was a point I don't know. I will tell you that I did not see the film in 3D.
I was able to make a distinction between what Disney was offering and not keep comparing to a film I loved when I was little. They each stand on their own. This movie is a beautiful trip to Oz that is searching for a leader. The original Wizard is dead, having been given poison. There's a prophecy that another Wizard will come and restore order. The first thing that has to be figure out is which of the three witches to believe and Oscar (Oz) finds out the hard way which is the one to trust. What follows is a story of learning to believe in yourself and use the skills you have to do what you can to make a difference. Aided in his self discovery Oz finds true friends with Finley (a flying monkey in a bell-boy suit) that offers his allegiance.
I would highly go see this movie. If you can stand to see it in 3D go for it, but if not it doesn't lose anything watching it in a standard film format. It will be interesting to see if they make another one and carry forward with the story. Just go in with an open mind and forget everything you know and enjoy the film for what it is.
Here's the link for the film on IMDB: Oz the Great and Powerful.
The movie is really neat and pays homage to the author L. Frank Baum and the 1939 MGM film. Of course because certain elements of the 1939 film are copyright protected things in this film had to be changed. The movie however is based on the original works with some minor glints of the 1939 film. The most obvious things that I noticed were a lack of ruby slippers (copyright 1939 film) and that the wicked witch has flying baboons instead of monkeys. The best thing is that the film starts off in a sepia tone and then transitions to color just like The Wizard of Oz. Very cool.
The acting was wonderful, although all the close-ups of James Franco's face made me twitch along with his eyebrows. Come to think of it there were a lot of tight face shots of everyone and I couldn't quite figure out why but I am not a director so I'm sure that there was a point I don't know. I will tell you that I did not see the film in 3D.
I was able to make a distinction between what Disney was offering and not keep comparing to a film I loved when I was little. They each stand on their own. This movie is a beautiful trip to Oz that is searching for a leader. The original Wizard is dead, having been given poison. There's a prophecy that another Wizard will come and restore order. The first thing that has to be figure out is which of the three witches to believe and Oscar (Oz) finds out the hard way which is the one to trust. What follows is a story of learning to believe in yourself and use the skills you have to do what you can to make a difference. Aided in his self discovery Oz finds true friends with Finley (a flying monkey in a bell-boy suit) that offers his allegiance.
I would highly go see this movie. If you can stand to see it in 3D go for it, but if not it doesn't lose anything watching it in a standard film format. It will be interesting to see if they make another one and carry forward with the story. Just go in with an open mind and forget everything you know and enjoy the film for what it is.
Here's the link for the film on IMDB: Oz the Great and Powerful.
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Trying New Things (or better yet new food)
Yesterday I went and tried a new restaurant with my sister, Elizabeth. I don't usually go new places which was evident during this trip because I was wide eyed and looking at everything. It dawned on me that I really don't try new places all that often. Then as we talked my sister reminded me that I had tried two new places this month.
The first new eatery I tried was for lunch with my sister (we eat a lot together when she is off a day from work) and was in Burbank. The place is called Dino's Pizza. It is pretty much a hole in the wall type shack on a corner. They offer pizza and other yummy items I'm sure. We had pizza and some amazing garlic cheese bread. I love pizza; I also believe that it should be one of the main food groups. Seriously, it has grains (the crust), vegetables (the tomato sauce), dairy (the cheese), and then any other assortments of meat, vegetable and cheese options. See a major food group all on its own. We had a delicious pepperoni pizza and I would totally go back again. There two downsides. The first is the parking, the lot is shared with a mechanic so when both are open the parking is very limited. Second, there is not a huge seating area if you plan to eat there. We went late in the afternoon so it wasn't too bad but I can imagine that it could get packed at busy times of the day. Here's their website if you want to check them out or if you are local go try it Dino's Pizza Burbank.
Yesterday was another opportunity to try a new place. We live close to a shopping center that has two restaurants. One of them is called Cici's Café. This place always has people in the parking lot waiting on the weekends. We were lucky today as there wasn't a crowd and got seated quickly. The menu was incredible, pages and pages of various types of pancakes, French toast, waffles, crepes, and many other foods. I know you're thinking wow what an opportunity to branch out and try something new. Not quite. I had French toast that had cinnamon and powder sugar, pretty much regular French toast with a side of bacon. Elizabeth opted for the traditional pancakes with a side of original café sausage. The French toast was delicious. The pieces of bread were huge, I melted butter on the toast, poured the syrup and dug in. To say it was great doesn't describe it. You have to try it. I can't say anything about the pancakes because I didn't try them, but they were as huge as my French toast. The bacon was like any ordinary bacon. The sausage my sister got was good though.
Finally last night was another attempt at trying something new. My mom, Tony and I went to try Dickey's Barbecue Pit. It was weird to say the least. I went in expecting a sit down restaurant but was surprised to see it was more like a Subway. You start at one end and tell the person what you want and they reach into a large refrigerator and pull out your choice of meat and open the plastic wrap. I had a two meat meal and tried the sliced beef brisket and old recipe polish sausage. The sides I chose were macaroni and cheese and fried onion tanglers. The brisket was OK and the polish sausage was on the spicy side. The macaroni and cheese was just bad and the onions were good. Overall, it was interesting, but I'm not sure I'll go back real soon. Depends on how adventurous I feel. Go ahead and check out their website and give them a try Dickey's Barbecue Pit.
Now I'm wondering where I will try next time. Of course not sure how long it will be before I try something new.
The first new eatery I tried was for lunch with my sister (we eat a lot together when she is off a day from work) and was in Burbank. The place is called Dino's Pizza. It is pretty much a hole in the wall type shack on a corner. They offer pizza and other yummy items I'm sure. We had pizza and some amazing garlic cheese bread. I love pizza; I also believe that it should be one of the main food groups. Seriously, it has grains (the crust), vegetables (the tomato sauce), dairy (the cheese), and then any other assortments of meat, vegetable and cheese options. See a major food group all on its own. We had a delicious pepperoni pizza and I would totally go back again. There two downsides. The first is the parking, the lot is shared with a mechanic so when both are open the parking is very limited. Second, there is not a huge seating area if you plan to eat there. We went late in the afternoon so it wasn't too bad but I can imagine that it could get packed at busy times of the day. Here's their website if you want to check them out or if you are local go try it Dino's Pizza Burbank.
Yesterday was another opportunity to try a new place. We live close to a shopping center that has two restaurants. One of them is called Cici's Café. This place always has people in the parking lot waiting on the weekends. We were lucky today as there wasn't a crowd and got seated quickly. The menu was incredible, pages and pages of various types of pancakes, French toast, waffles, crepes, and many other foods. I know you're thinking wow what an opportunity to branch out and try something new. Not quite. I had French toast that had cinnamon and powder sugar, pretty much regular French toast with a side of bacon. Elizabeth opted for the traditional pancakes with a side of original café sausage. The French toast was delicious. The pieces of bread were huge, I melted butter on the toast, poured the syrup and dug in. To say it was great doesn't describe it. You have to try it. I can't say anything about the pancakes because I didn't try them, but they were as huge as my French toast. The bacon was like any ordinary bacon. The sausage my sister got was good though.
Finally last night was another attempt at trying something new. My mom, Tony and I went to try Dickey's Barbecue Pit. It was weird to say the least. I went in expecting a sit down restaurant but was surprised to see it was more like a Subway. You start at one end and tell the person what you want and they reach into a large refrigerator and pull out your choice of meat and open the plastic wrap. I had a two meat meal and tried the sliced beef brisket and old recipe polish sausage. The sides I chose were macaroni and cheese and fried onion tanglers. The brisket was OK and the polish sausage was on the spicy side. The macaroni and cheese was just bad and the onions were good. Overall, it was interesting, but I'm not sure I'll go back real soon. Depends on how adventurous I feel. Go ahead and check out their website and give them a try Dickey's Barbecue Pit.
Now I'm wondering where I will try next time. Of course not sure how long it will be before I try something new.
Saturday, January 26, 2013
So Many Movies I Want to See
There are so many movies out that I want to see. Times wasting away, I mean January is almost over. I figured I would share a list of the films I hope to see soon.
There will be more and I may miss some because they may not be in theaters long. I always find it interesting that some movies come and go so quickly. Fingers crossed that I can get to some of these and share my thoughts on them.
- Lincoln
- Mama
- Gangster Squad
- Broken City
- Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters
- Movie 43
- Warm Bodies
- Identity Thief
- Side Effects
- Beautiful Creatures
There will be more and I may miss some because they may not be in theaters long. I always find it interesting that some movies come and go so quickly. Fingers crossed that I can get to some of these and share my thoughts on them.
Monday, January 21, 2013
Les Miserables
I have waited quite awhile to write about this movie. I saw it over a week ago. I had to give myself time to come down from the heady high I was in. So before I go any further let me give you some history about me.
I've been told that when I was little I saw a commercial for CATS (the musical) and said I want to do that. I took dance classes, voice lessons, and was even a theater major in college. I had done a lot of shows when I was little all of various kinds. In college I was more behind the scenes then in front of an audience. It never bothered me. One of my favorite experiences in college was being a stage manager for a play. I was absolutely in heaven with what path I had chosen.
In my early preteen and teen years I saw numerous musicals. From CATS to The Who's Tommy. I loved everyone of them. I even saw The Phantom of the Opera on stage in Los Angeles over 100 times (I loved the music and the story). I never got to see Les Miserables . . yet. So for me this film was my first time to experience the action with the music. I know it can't be compared because film is far different from live theater so I won't even go there. I just felt you should know my history.
The opening of the film is when Jean Valjean is in prison, him and the others are pulling a badly damaged ship into a dry dock for repairs. This is also the first time we see Javert overseeing the prisoners. From there we see him released but marked as a prisoner on parole. He would never know a life without this mark. He travels and ends up in a church, taken in by the priest. The first act of kindness he has received. A major turning point in his life. The best part about this is that Colm Wilkinson is the priest, he has portrayed Valjean in numerous cities. A real treat, at least for me.
I could go on with the whole story but I don't want to be a bore. Overall the story is one of rebuilding a life, making a promise, keeping that promise, and just paying forward all the kindness that Valjean was shown that one night at the church. At least that's what he had hoped until his identity becomes known and he is once again on the run from the authorities to keep his promise to Fantine.
Hugh Jackman was amazing! If you saw him host the Oscars with Anne Hathaway then you know this man is talented. He brought the character to life, you always could see in his eyes and body language that he remembered where he came from and where he wanted to be. What he hoped he could be to Cosette. His voice is crystal, overwhelming with emotion, and beautiful. He is reminiscent of the actors that came before him, those that could sing, dance and act.
Anne Hathaway was extremely beautiful even at the lowest point of her life, her Fantine exuded brilliance, life, despair and pride. I saw her interviewed by Jon Stewart on the Daily Show before I had seen the movie and she discussed the filming of her song I Dreamed a Dream. It couldn't be more perfect that way it is presented in the film. She makes you feel that passion that any mother would have to protect her child at all cost.
I heard of some instances where critics did not enjoy or like Russell Crowe's performance as Javert. I would disagree with them. He is the part. He is authoritative, passionate and is duty bound to his position in the government. I thoroughly enjoyed his performance, his voice dark, heavy and gravelly. I loved his rendition of Stars. I think he was perfectly cast and fulfilled his role as well as many others he has had.
I only mention the three, but truly everyone in the film is incredible. It could not have been cast any better. It brought together many of the talented performers in Hollywood that have the ability to hold their own and come together to be a cohesive cast that brought this musical from the stage to the arena of film.
I'm still hoping that one day I will get to see Les Miserables on the stage and I'm sure I will the next time it is in Los Angeles.
And as I always do, here is a link to the IMDB page of the movie Les Miserables.
I've been told that when I was little I saw a commercial for CATS (the musical) and said I want to do that. I took dance classes, voice lessons, and was even a theater major in college. I had done a lot of shows when I was little all of various kinds. In college I was more behind the scenes then in front of an audience. It never bothered me. One of my favorite experiences in college was being a stage manager for a play. I was absolutely in heaven with what path I had chosen.
In my early preteen and teen years I saw numerous musicals. From CATS to The Who's Tommy. I loved everyone of them. I even saw The Phantom of the Opera on stage in Los Angeles over 100 times (I loved the music and the story). I never got to see Les Miserables . . yet. So for me this film was my first time to experience the action with the music. I know it can't be compared because film is far different from live theater so I won't even go there. I just felt you should know my history.
The opening of the film is when Jean Valjean is in prison, him and the others are pulling a badly damaged ship into a dry dock for repairs. This is also the first time we see Javert overseeing the prisoners. From there we see him released but marked as a prisoner on parole. He would never know a life without this mark. He travels and ends up in a church, taken in by the priest. The first act of kindness he has received. A major turning point in his life. The best part about this is that Colm Wilkinson is the priest, he has portrayed Valjean in numerous cities. A real treat, at least for me.
I could go on with the whole story but I don't want to be a bore. Overall the story is one of rebuilding a life, making a promise, keeping that promise, and just paying forward all the kindness that Valjean was shown that one night at the church. At least that's what he had hoped until his identity becomes known and he is once again on the run from the authorities to keep his promise to Fantine.
Hugh Jackman was amazing! If you saw him host the Oscars with Anne Hathaway then you know this man is talented. He brought the character to life, you always could see in his eyes and body language that he remembered where he came from and where he wanted to be. What he hoped he could be to Cosette. His voice is crystal, overwhelming with emotion, and beautiful. He is reminiscent of the actors that came before him, those that could sing, dance and act.
Anne Hathaway was extremely beautiful even at the lowest point of her life, her Fantine exuded brilliance, life, despair and pride. I saw her interviewed by Jon Stewart on the Daily Show before I had seen the movie and she discussed the filming of her song I Dreamed a Dream. It couldn't be more perfect that way it is presented in the film. She makes you feel that passion that any mother would have to protect her child at all cost.
I heard of some instances where critics did not enjoy or like Russell Crowe's performance as Javert. I would disagree with them. He is the part. He is authoritative, passionate and is duty bound to his position in the government. I thoroughly enjoyed his performance, his voice dark, heavy and gravelly. I loved his rendition of Stars. I think he was perfectly cast and fulfilled his role as well as many others he has had.
I only mention the three, but truly everyone in the film is incredible. It could not have been cast any better. It brought together many of the talented performers in Hollywood that have the ability to hold their own and come together to be a cohesive cast that brought this musical from the stage to the arena of film.
I'm still hoping that one day I will get to see Les Miserables on the stage and I'm sure I will the next time it is in Los Angeles.
And as I always do, here is a link to the IMDB page of the movie Les Miserables.
Saturday, January 5, 2013
Laid Up
Well it seems that my plans to see a movie every week has to be put on hold.
I had to get a tetanus shot on Wednesday and then saw my doctor Friday. I was told to elevate my foot as much as possible because of the bite. That means no walking or really normal sitting for awhile.
I hope to go next week. So many good movies out and I want to see them. For now I'll survive with my DVDs and Netflix.
I had to get a tetanus shot on Wednesday and then saw my doctor Friday. I was told to elevate my foot as much as possible because of the bite. That means no walking or really normal sitting for awhile.
I hope to go next week. So many good movies out and I want to see them. For now I'll survive with my DVDs and Netflix.
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