A Fine Romance

25 Jun

No doubt the title of the new film (500) Days of Summer (which hits theaters in mid-July) has to sound like a bit of a fantasy for all of us here in Boston, where it’s been a pretty bad summer so far weather-wise, what with the rain and cooler temperatures that have lasted into late June.

The tough news to share is that this movie does not offer sunshine and warmth; it’s actually a bit of a cold shoulder.

But the good news is that should the weather stay miserable, (500) Days offers a decent alternative to walking around town with an umbrella. Continue reading →

iLove It

24 Jun

It’s official: I’m in love.

Oh, don’t act so surprised. You had to see this coming. After all, a person doesn’t wait three hours for something he’s going to dislike.

Yes, that’s right, I love my new iPhone. I love how nice it looks. I love how fun it is. I love how convenient it is to check email on the go. I love the seemingly unlimited battery life (at least compared to my old lame-ass Motorola phone). I love being able to take spur-of-the-moment videos. I really love listening to and watching baseball games live, thanks to the MLB At Bat app. I love having more memory capacity than I know what to do with. I love checking Facebook whenever and wherever I am, and updating my status accordingly. I love most everything about the iPhone 3GS, and I’m baffled as to how I was able to live without an iPhone for so long. Continue reading →

2.5 Years and 3 Hours Later

20 Jun

I remember the first time I learned about the iPhone. It was January 2007 and I was in Las Vegas at the Consumer Electronics Show in the press room. Details about the new Apple device, which was not actually on display there in Vegas, spread like wildfire, and just like that, everything else at CES was rendered insignificant.

But as much as I wanted an iPhone when they hit stores that summer, I knew I should wait for the second version. Continue reading →

You’ll Shoot His Eye Out, Kid

17 Jun

Unlike most people, I actually like jury duty.

I just find the whole process fascinating, and there’s always a good story to tell when the trial’s over.

However, until this week, I had never actually had the chance to sit on a jury and deliberate.

I came close, in 1996, when I was seated on the panel in a drug entrapment case in New York City. It was really cool, but after sitting through three days of arguments, I was sent home because I was only an alternate.

I was totally bummed.

So much, in fact, that I called the courthouse the next day to find out what the verdict was (innocent, just as I would have voted).

Three years ago, I was called to Foxborough for jury duty on a random Monday in August and hoped for the best … but, well, it was a random Monday in August, so there were no cases to try and I was sent home.

Fearing the same fate

When I received my summons to appear this week in Woburn, I anticipated the same fate. I even sent an email to coworkers telling them that I’d be back on Tuesday.

After all, what could possibly be going on in Woburn? Continue reading →

Money Train

14 Jun

It’s just another day in New York City when the message comes in that a subway car has been taken hostage.

And so begins The Taking of Pelham 123, a remake of the 1974 film that starred Walter Matthau.

In this update, Denzel Washington is subway dispatcher Walter Garber, and John Travolta is the mastermind behind the crime, a man who identifies himself only as “Ryder.” Also in a high-profile role is James Gandolfini, who plays the lame duck mayor and at one point says he won’t call a press conference because “I’m not running for president. I left my Giuliani suit at home.” Continue reading →

Chocolate Goodness

13 Jun

There’s a certain freedom that comes from knowing that as much as I may want to lose weight, it’s more fun to not even try.

So that’s why when I saw on the Travel Channel or the Food Network or some other channel earlier this year that there was a Chocolate Bar at the Langham Hotel here in Boston, I knew I’d get there sooner or later. Thankfully, Nina felt the same way I did, so we went with her husband today to celebrate my birthday, his birthday, and their anniversary in gluttonous style. Continue reading →

About Last Night

8 Jun

I’ve been to Las Vegas twice, but thankfully, I’ve never experienced anything quite as crazy as what you’ll see in The Hangover.

This movie — a sort-of cross between Very Bad Things and Dude, Where’s My Car? — is about a bachelor party gone very wrong, and how the morning after, three guys attempt to piece together what happened the night before (and find the groom, who has gone missing).

The unlikely trio of Bradley Cooper (Alias), Ed Helms (The Office), and Zach Galifianakis (Between Two Ferns) generate plenty of laughs — to spoil any of them would just be cruel, although there are a bunch of clips available on the web that ruin a few surprises.

No matter. Continue reading →

One Degree Closer?

7 Jun

I was reading the new issue of Entertainment Weekly this weekend, and in a Q&A with actress Kyra Sedgwick, who is, of course, married to Kevin Bacon, I saw this exchange:

Do you pay attention to your press?
My husband is a Google Alert guy. He has one on himself and me. I’m like, Dude, I don’t want to know what people are saying.

So I just wanted to test that out. If you’re reading this, Kevin or Kyra … Hi there! How’s it going?

Lots to Celebrate

7 Jun

It wasn’t me who coined the phrase “The Day of All Days,” but whatever you call it, the day is here again.

Today is my birthday — number 35.

Jeez, I’m getting old.

Thankfully, I don’t feel 35. And of course, I don’t act like I’m 35.

Today especially, where I’m all about attention and celebrating, just like I was when I was seven. Continue reading →

Touch of Grey

6 Jun

I’ve been fascinated by the story of the Beales for only a short time now — ever since I watched the movie Grey Gardens on HBO — and when I heard that there was going to be a production of the Broadway adaptation here in Boston at the Lyric Stage Company, I decided to check it out (with my friend Nina).

I’d never seen the Tony Award–winning show when it was on Broadway, never had much interest, but hey, why not see it now? The story remains fascinating to me, and thankfully, this production (which ends today) kept the mystery alive. Continue reading →

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