That was Saturday, circa 2:30 p.m.
24 hours later. What a difference a day made! And since it was such a nice day out, I took a few more shots of the leaves against the blue sky. Here are two. Admittedly, not my best work, but hopefully an indication of just how nice the weather was yesterday. It was a perfect fall day.
God bless Robert Downey, Jr. The guy has such a style about him, and he’s so good in Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang. Without belaboring the point, I’ll just say this is a terrifically funny movie. I just wish I could remember more than a couple lines of dialogue. You see, Downey says all his lines in such a matter-of-fact, rapid-fire style that it’s all good and you’re laughing too hard to remember much of what’s been said. And fuck if I know what the movie’s actually about (the plot lost me about a quarter of the way in), but it’s just so much fun that you don’t care. I suppose the self-referential thing does get a little bit old — Downey’s narrator makes reference to the audiences in Times Square that are prone to talking back to the screen and to the multiple endings of the third Lord of the Rings film, among other topics — but whatever. There’s so much else to laugh at that this is just a minor quibble. In the end, I can’t quite decide what to rate this one, so I’m going to go with a B+/A-.
It takes someone who knows the New York Jewish culture to make a movie like Prime.
Which is to say that it is a really authentic-feeling, -looking and -sounding movie.
It starts with Meryl Streep, whose performance as a New York Jewish therapist is completely dead-on and perfect (surprise, surprise).
And the writing, by director Ben Younger (who also made Boiler Room, that loud and obnoxious stock trading movie a few years back), is filled not just with the expected gefilte fish and Manischewitz jokes, but with things like a Jewish mother putting red wine in the fridge, overly obsessive Jewish mother-isms like not giving your kids Q-Tips for fear of them being unsafe, the Bubbie — and small, subtle details like a mezuzah on the doorframe. Continue reading
Alright, it’s 4:00. Now the snow is sticking. This is ridiculous.
It’s 2:15 on Saturday afternoon, October 29 and it’s snowing here in Brookline. Hard. I mean, it’s not accumulating, but it’s really coming down.
Someone tell me … WTF??!!??
Did you know that tomorrow is Positive People Day? It has been so declared by an organization called Victory Over Violence. I was reminded of this fact by the folks in South Station this morning who were handing out reminder cards and posters.
So how does one celebrate Positive People Day? Well, aside from the obvious (being a positive person), the group’s web site says you’re supposed to do random acts of kindness: smile (often), give a hug (though it’s not specified to whom), thank someone, pay an unexpected compliment, share a laugh or a kind word, or call your mother or a loved one.
I’m going to do all those things (look out!) and also celebrate all those in my life who have a positive attitude — like Jenn, a loyal and enthusiastic reader of this site who sits at the corner desk in my office near the kitchen and always has a friendly smile on her face (hi, Jenn!) — and who encourage me to have a positive attitude.
I’m not going to question the fact that we even need a Positive People Day, or the randomness of why Underdog is the day’s mascot. Why? Because doing so would run counter to the day’s goals. La-dee-dah, I will just say that this is the most wonderful day of the year. Yahooie!
Welcome to the (doesn’t) suck.
Jarhead (in theaters November 4) is one of the best films I’ve seen all year. It starts out with a really tough first five minutes — you try not to cringe when Jake Gyllenhaal’s head is slammed against a blackboard — and then Bobby McFerrin’s “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” starts playing, and it only gets better from there.
Here’s an easily digestible list of what I liked most about the film: Continue reading
Oh wait … wrong Sox. Oh well.
Now it’s officially, really winter. How long until Spring Training starts?
Want to know what Hurricane Wilma was like yesterday on the Massachusetts coast? (Or at least how one person saw it?) If you’ve got the download speed, the ability to hear sound, and, like, 5 minutes, check out this strange but funny video blog (aka: vlog). It’s a first-hand, eyewitness account by a guy brave enough (or, perhaps more accurately, stupid enough) to venture out with a digital video camera. God bless him. The film is basically storm footage as shot by the Blair Witch Project crew and Saturday Night Live‘s Fred Armisen.
My favorite quote? When the guy says, “It’s kind of like being in Amsterdam, only … only it’s not.”
A warning, though: It starts out sorta slow, but about a minute in (when the sound kicks in and the subtitles start) it gets better. And keep watching when the picture fades to black — there’s more. The ending, when a funny-looking kid walks by, is quick but funny.
What’s with businesses that are sticklers for an extra penny? I was in the Pru on Friday night, and as usual, I decided to grab some dinner from Poulet Rotisserie Chicken because I always figure that of all the options in the food court, this will be the healthiest. (Or, more accurately, it’s just good food.)
I got what I usually do: the combo platter (i.e.: a main dish and two sides — on Friday, that meant basic chicken tenders, mac’n’cheese and steamed vegetables) and a drink. As always, the bill came to $9.01. Now, aside from how wrong it is to pay so much for fast (albeit good) food, the place demands that you pay exactly $9.01. There have been times that I’ve been to Poulet and have paid with a $10 bill and have received 99 cents back as change. And when I’ve tried to pay just $9 (because I either had no change on me or just had, like, a quarter), I’ve been asked for the penny as if I was robbing them blind. There’s no “Have a Penny, Leave a Penny” dish, and after all this time, the place still hasn’t adjusted their prices so people’s bills are exactly $9, or so they’re at least closer to the other side of $9 (i.e.: $8.90-something).
Yes, I’m a sucker for always going back there even though this really annoys me, and I was just lucky I had a penny on me Friday night. But really, what’s with them making me (and everyone else) pay exactly $9.01? Why can’t they just let us pay $9 and be done with it?
Martin's Musings 