I’m watching the Kate Winslet remake of Mildred Pierce, and I find myself completely fascinated by the cooking scenes. I love watching her chop up the raw chicken, plate the waffles, bake the biscuits, serve the food, clear away the plates. The attraction is nearly unbearably primal. I want to touch it, taste it, watch it over and over.
I felt the same way about Eat Drink Man Woman – but then, who didn’t?
1. A damaged, but generally earnest protagonist. Usually plucky.
2. A romantic interest. Usually equally damaged, equally plucky.
3. A crooked politician. Usually ridiculous.
4. A greedy villain. Sometimes a developer, sometimes someone else with money to lose. Usually willing to do the dirty work.
5. The muscle. An amoral force of nature out for his own, though initially employed by the politician or the villain. Sometimes ends up inadvertently assisting the protagonist. Usually deformed in some way.
6. An animal. Usually exotic.
7. Various other characters, such as gold-diggers, ex-spouses, con-men, policemen. Usually seedy, but not always.
We’re watching Striptease, which is based on one of his books. It’s enjoyable, though the translation of Hiaasen’s cyncially comical tone is mediocre. One notable exception: Burt Reynolds is phenomenal as the Hiaasen politician.
It’s King Curt to you!
Last weekend, we hiked up Kelso Dunes in the Mojave Desert. No booming sand, unfortunately, since it rained the day before we went.
Then, I turned 32! Other than a marked uptick in my level of general annoyance with most other human beings, the passage of my 31st year of life was unremarkable. Nice dinner with the family, new plants in the garden.
And new birthday stuffs, including a set of Pre-Code Hollywood films. I’ve watched one out of the six movies, and was mildly entertained. The actual printed Hays Code, however, was good for some serious guffaws:
Pictures shall not infer that low forms of sex relationship are the accepted or common thing.
Adultery, sometimes necessary plot material, must not be explicitly treated, or justified, or presented attractively.
In general passion should so be treated that these scenes do not stimulate the lower and baser element.
[Seduction or Rape] are never the proper subject for comedy.
Sex hygiene and venereal diseases are not subjects for motion pictures.
Law, natural or human, shall not be ridiculed. By natural law is understood the law which is written in the hearts of all mankind, the great underlying principles of right and justice dictated by conscience. By human law is understood the law written by civilized nations.
Revenge in modern times shall not be justified. In lands and ages of less developed civilization and moral principles, revenge may be sometimes presented.
Because of its evil consequences, the drug traffic should not be presented in any form. The existence of the trade should not be brought to the attention of the audiences.
[Dances] with movement of the breasts, excessive body movements while the feet are stationary violate decency and are wrong.
Pretty awesome. :)
America’s two great contributions to music: jazz, and glam rock. BAHAH!
Watched “The King’s Speech” a couple nights ago. Colin Firth was great, Geoffrey Rush (as always) magnificent, but it felt just…done before. It didn’t help that they ended with the same Beethoven piece that closed “Immortal Beloved”. Plus, Gary Oldman > Colin Firth, so that’s that. It gets an A-.
I’ve taken to watching movies while I exercise. It helps me not be bored. I started with “Morning Glory” this weekend. I loved it. Patrick Wilson: YES, please! Also, I think Rachel McAdams is adorable. It gets a B+.
“Music and Lyrics” finished tonight, and it was a largely mediocre romcom, and I don’t really care for Drew Barrymore. However, I find Hugh Grant time and again manages to push through my vague dislike for him and deliver a good performance. You know what they say: it’s hard to feel antipathy for a guy when he’s willing to put on tight ’80s pants and gyrate for you. I cried at the end. It gets a B.
I’m rounding the corner on the end of The Illiad. Excited I’m going to be done with it; I keep seeing Brad Pitt everywhere. I’m no Homer purist, but really? My brain gets a fail.
…take three!
I stayed up until 4:00 AM watching it on Saturday, spent another five hours finishing it on Sunday to finish it the first time ’round, then started it all over again to finish it around 9:00 PM.
And I’ve started it again. I don’t think I’ve enjoyed a show so much since…well…a long time. :)
For everything good that happens, something bad will happen; our purchase offer was accepted, thus – what? What terrible thing lurks in the future? My insides are properly knotted – even more than when I got married. It’s the slow pace of it – how I sit here blogging when I could be underwriting my own loan, appraising my own property, closing my own purchase. But I can’t do any of these things. They are all out of my hands. This is best, most excruciating nightmare I’ve ever had: I am about to buy a really, really big toy, and I DON’T GET TO BE IN CONTROL.
It’ll all be fine, I’m fine.
Curt’s watching XXX. This movie is completely ridiculous. We’re almost through all two hours of it, and I’ll bet Vin Diesel’s going to parachute out of at LEAST two more planes. It could be a drinking game.
Filing receipts and updating Quicken while watching Zombieland. This will most likely become another one of my weekend favorites. It joins the following list of movies I watch regularly while tidying up ’round the Ponderosa:
Nothing like a little survival horror / dysfunction to start a great weekend. :)
Today was good, because I was alive, and nothing really bad happened to anyone I know.
There. There’s a little perspective.
Now I can say this: today sucked ASS. So much that I think there should be more S’s in that word. ASSSSSSSS.
It was hot, which sucked. I also learned that I suck at fixing mechanical things. SSSUCK. I tried to change the flat tires on our bikes today. It took me nearly four hours in all, during which time I was hot, got terribly dirty, and inflamed my thumbs trying to get the tires back on the rims. And they are still not fixed. They are merely mostly-fixed, as I couldn’t see well once the sun went down. ARGH! There is nothing more suck than not being able to finish a task when the end is so freaking near! SSSSSSS!
Then, the Dodgers lost to the goddamn Phillies, and I hate them. I hate the Phillies. I knew I would hate the Phillies again when my boys played them, and sure enough: I hate them again. Goddamn Phillies. Goddamn Pirates. I hate the Flyers, too. Goddamn all of Pennsylvania’s sports teams! /shakes fist