Showing posts with label Television. Show all posts

Lawrence of Arabia (Post in Progress)

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Lawrence of Arabia

1962, from television

You should know

For some time, I've been wanting to view the AFI's 100 Greatest Movies of All Time. It recently occurred to me that, since we have a TiVo, all I have to do is plug the names of the movies in, and every few days a new film will be waiting for me. Nice.

So?

This movie is a dramatization of part of the life of D. H. Lawrence. I want to say it was fascinating and full of drama. Parts of it were.

Basically, Lawrence, a British officer, takes it on himself to work with the local Arab population where he is stationed. He takes on their dress and some of their habits -- and, of course, their cause -- and becomes a local hero. The British don’t want to take him seriously, but his unorthodox methods eventually make him the only man for the job when the British and Arabs need to broker agreements.

But, as an epic of its time, the movie was full of panoramic shots of sandy desert dunes or colorful camps. Lovely cinematography, but in every case, after a minute or two of it, I would get distracted -- and the next thing I know, there’s important dialogue happening that I can barely follow. So that didn’t help.

Posted in In Progress, Movie, Television by Laura | 0 comments

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4.5-year index

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Image via WikipediaIt looks like I forgot to do a 4-year index back in April, and these indices do make it easier to find things, so let's get back on track.

Books

Food and drink

Delaware

The Dog House

Massachusetts

Boston Beer Works
Cornwall's Restaurant
Finale
Sabur
S oulFire
Sunset Grill and Tap
Tasca

New Jersey

Cheeburger Cheeburger
Whitman Diner

New York

Bacon-Wrapped Asparagus
Blue Point Brewery
Brooklyn Brewery
Burger Heaven
Cafe Buenos Aires
Croxley's
Grand Lux Café
Hanami Japanese Restaurant
John Harvard's Brew House
Max Brenner
Miller's Ale House
Peter Luger Steakhouse
Red Lobster
Tio Pepe
Trattoria Lucia

Ontario

Fressen
Groucho’s Gourmet Market
Kelsey’s
Naz’s Falafel House
R ichtree Market Restaurant
Smokeless Joe’s
Swiss Chalet
Wayne Gretsky’s

Pennsylvania

Allentown Brew Works
Bistro Cassis
California Pizza Kitchen
Crossroads Coffee
Derek's
Five Guys Burgers and Fries
Flanigan’s Boat House
Irish Pub
Iron Hill Brewery
Kildare's
Macaroni Grill
Manayunk Brewery and Restaurant
Melting Pot
Old Eagle Tavern
Pei Wei Asian Diner
Rock Bottom Restaurant and Brewery
Roller's at Flying Fish
slainte
Sonic
Stoudt's Brewing Company
Zake’s Café

Recipes

Wasabi Pea Tuna Salad

Movies

2006

Alpha Dog
Cars
Clerks II
Lady in the Water
Man of the Year
Monster House
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest
The Prestige
Snakes on a Plane
Superman Returns
X-Men: The Last Stand

2007

300
Amazing Grace
Ghost Rider
The Golden Compass
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
I am Legend
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End
The Simpsons Movie
Spider-Man 3
TMNT
Transformers Wild Hogs

2008

Cloverfield
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
Iron Man
Prince Caspian
Wanted

2009

Star Trek
Up
Watchmen

Internet

Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog

Video

Cast Away
Clerks.
Driving Miss Daisy
March of the Penguins
Much Ado About Nothing
Shattered Glass
Sideways
To Kill a Mockingbird

Music

The Dream of Gerontius
Symphony of 1000

To Do and See

Massachusetts

Sam Adams Brewery Tour

New Jersey

G reen Room Billiards

New York

American Museum of Natural History
Bronx Zoo
Cooper Station Post Office
Rockefeller Center Tour

Ontario

CN Tower
The Guvernment
Steam Whistle Brewing

Pennsylvania

The Barnes Foundation
Ghost Tour of Philadelphia

Television

West Wing Series Finale

Posted in Attraction, Book, Fiction, Food, Graphic Novel, Housekeeping, Movie, Music, Nonfiction, Recipe, Restaurant, Television, Video by Laura | 0 comments

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3.5 year index

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Image by moby74 via Flickr

Books

Fiction

Graphic Novels

Nonfiction

Food

Delaware

The Dog House

Massachusetts

Boston Beer Works
Finale
Sabur
S oulFire
Sunset Grill and Tap
Tasca

New Jersey

Cheeburger Cheeburger
Whitman Diner

New York

Bacon-Wrapped Asparagus
Burger Heaven
Cafe Buenos Aires
Grand Lux Café
Hanami Japanese Restaurant
Max Brenner
Peter Luger Steakhouse
Red Lobster
Tio Pepe
Trattoria Lucia

Ontario

Fressen
Groucho’s Gourmet Market
Kelsey’s
Naz’s Falafel House
R ichtree Market Restaurant
Smokeless Joe’s
Swiss Chalet
Wayne Gretsky’s

Pennsylvania

Bistro Cassis
California Pizza Kitchen
Crossroads Coffee
Derek's
Five Guys Burgers and Fries
Flanigan’s Boat House
Macaroni Grill
Pei Wei Asian Diner
Roller's at Flying Fish
slainte
Sonic
Zake’s Café

Recipes

Wasabi Pea Tuna Salad

Movies

2006

Alpha Dog
Cars
Clerks II
Lady in the Water
Man of the Year
Monster House
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest
The Prestige
Snakes on a Plane
Superman Returns
X-Men: The Last Stand

2007

2008

Cloverfield
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
Iron Man
Prince Caspian
Wanted

2009

Star Trek
Up
Watchmen

Internet

Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog

Video

Cast Away
Clerks.
Driving Miss Daisy
March of the Penguins
Much Ado About Nothing
Shattered Glass
Sideways
To Kill a Mockingbird

Music

The Dream of Gerontius
Symphony of 1000

To Do and See

New Jersey

G reen Room Billiards

New York

American Museum of Natural History
Bronx Zoo
Cooper Station Post Office
Rockefeller Center Tour

Ontario

CN Tower
The Guvernment

Pennsylvania

The Barnes Foundation
Ghost Tour of Philadelphia

Television

West Wing Series Finale

Posted in Attraction, Bar, Book, CD, DVD, Fiction, Food, Graphic Novel, Housekeeping, Movie, Museum, Music, Nonfiction, Recipe, Restaurant, Television, Theater, VHS, Video by Laura | 0 comments

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About

Friday, June 12, 2009

You can get reviews of the newest and hottest books, movies, and restaurants anywhere, but where do you go to hear about chain restaurants, library finds, several-year-old DVDs, or even tourist traps? Just because it's old or ever-present doesn't mean it's not new to you -- and you deserve to read the reviews in advance even then. So if it's new to me, I'll tell you what I think.

Who am I? I'm Laura, a married New Yorker and sometime cube monkey. Old posts follow me from being in a long term, often long-distance relationship, and through my engagement. They also follow me from when I lived in Philadelphia (where I grew up), and on several vacations, as my now-husband and I love travel and good food. As for occupation, you can go back to when I was in grad school, and watch me put up with periods of unemployment and cube-monkey-ism.

If you look over to your right, you'll see a Twitter feed. Feel free to follow me -- among other things, I post there when I post, and when I update old blog posts. And if you want to know a bit more about me, personally, check out my other blog at Life is (not) Boring -- or, if you're really patient with sporadic updates, check out my thoughts on writing at Writers Write.

And enjoy browsing! I'd love to know your thoughts on some of the things I've tried and shared -- especially if they've changed since I've been there. Thanks!

Posted in Attraction, Book, CD, DVD, Food, Housekeeping, Movie, Museum, Restaurant, Television, Theater, tour, Video by Laura | 0 comments

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John Adams

Friday, March 13, 2009

Cover of John Adams

John Adams

2008, on DVD

You should know

Call me strange, but John Adams has always been one of my favorite founding fathers (note: the previous link is not safe for work). Also, having grown up in Philadelphia, I have a built-in fascination for the American Revolution. I've already read David McCullough's 1776, as well as the most recent edition of the letters of John and Abigail Adams, which I still need to review.

When I first heard about the HBO miniseries, I was curious. When it got such acclaim, from critics, fans, and awards ceremonies, I was dying to see it. I tried to get my hands on the book (that's how I came across 1776). But it faded back to a vague "ought to see it some day" until this year's inauguration, when a friend of mine commemorated the date by posting a link to the scene where Washington takes the oath of office.

I was sold. And then, a few weeks later, Chris got me a copy of the DVDs for Christmas.

Update 1/13/10: I've now read the book, and it is excellent.

So?

Overall, excellent. A compelling, entertaining miniseries that really made you feel for the hero without making excuses for his mistakes. You can understand everything he does, even when you think -- or know, thanks to history -- that he's wrong.

If you're not familiar with the miniseries, even by reputation, it's the story of the life of John Adams, from the opening shots of the American Revolution (after which he defended the British soldiers in court) to his death on the 50th anniversary of the birth of our nation. In between, he bristles as a statesman, flails as a diplomat, gets in his own way as a father and husband, becomes President, and outlives most of his family. Oh, stop it; it doesn't count as a spoiler if it's part of the historical record.

Paul Giamatti really impressed me; I pretty much forgot it was him soon after the action started; likewise Laura Linney. The two of them really brought forth the dynamic you'd expect to see between John and Abigail Adams. You can really tell that they love each other very much, they frustrate the heck out of each other, and they are intellectuals equals and partners who keep each other going through this amazing, tumultuous, frightening, wonderful age.

The attention to detail was also amazing. Apparently, many if not most of the sets were constructed and filmed on a sound stage, with green screens in the background so that matte paintings could be inserted for cityscapes, palace interiors, and so on. This surprised me; there were scenes where I actually recognized a given block in Philadelphia or Boston.

Some episodes were more compelling than others. Seeing Adams's adventures in France was more interesting than seeing him disown his son for drunkenness. I'm sure some disks will get more play than others when it comes to re-watching. But as a whole, the series is good, quality entertainment.

Rating

See it

Whether you get your hands on the DVD, manage to find it on hulu, or wait and see if HBO reruns it, go see it.

The rest of the Internet

The IMDb and Wikipedia pages.

Jack Rakove at the Washington Post fills in some blanks he found in the minseries.

Robert Bianco at USA Today liked the miniseries, except for Giamatti's Adams.
Barry Garron at Reuters, on the other hand, was quite impressed with Giamatti.

David Ansen at Newsweek remarks on how the costumes and sets impact the plot.
Heather Havrilesky at Salon remarks on the bits that are boring or graphic, but still enjoys it.
Edward Cline at Capitalism Magazine was pleased with the miniseries, but felt it failed to live up to its potential.
Maureen Ryan at the Chicago Tribune was pleased with the miniseries.

Posted in Chris, DVD, Nonfiction, Television, Video by Laura | 0 comments

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As Seen on TV

Thursday, January 17, 2008

As Seen on TV: 50 Amazing Products and the Commercials That Made Them Famous
By Lou Harry and Sam Stall, 2002, paperback

You should know
This summer, I went to a book fair at the library with a fellow blogger. One publisher at the book fair had a promotion where if you signed up for the mailing list, you got a free book, plus you were entered into a drawing for more and better books.

This was my free book.

Also, I have at different points in my life owned and used a Foreman Grill (essential), Oxy-Clean (great, just be careful), and a Chia Pet (unimpressive, though supposedly you can use them to grow edible sprouts and herbs...).

So?
Warning: links play loud jingles.

Is Liquid Leather worth the money?¹

The book is basically a catalogue of infomercial products, from the stupid (GLH Formula Number 9, page 42) to the benignly useless (Chia Pet page 88) to the near-essential (George Foreman's Lean Mean Fat Reducing Grilling Machine, page 16). Some of them work almost too well (OxiClean, page 116), while others (AbTronic, page 54) don't work at all. We're also treated to an interview with Ron Popeil, a brief biography of Richard Simmons, a behind-the-scenes look at QVC, and a list of celebrities who have lent their names to various as-seen-on-TV products.

Each item is profiled with its current availabilty, pros, and cons, described, and then teased, using quotes and "unauthorized" uses (use the Buttoneer to apply a corsage, or the Pocket Fisherman to tease your cat). Essentially, it's a trivia book.

Rating
Read it... but don't pay full price.
I like trivia. I like books of trivia. But considering how short ths book is, and how much of it is photos and graphics, I just don't find it to be worth $16.95. Still, as a free book -- or a library book, or a book from the discount rack -- it's a fun read.

The rest of the Internet
Warning: some of these are NSFW
Ron Popeil's Wikipedia page.
Caveat emptor: you can buy all kinds of As seen on TV items.
Cracked.com lists the 10 most laughably misleading ads.
Matt Dinniman at Fireflies in the Cloud also pokes fun at as-seen-on-TV ads.

^{1Yes, but only if you know what you're doing.}

Posted in 2002, Book, Nonfiction, Television by Laura | 0 comments

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Shattered Glass

Monday, May 15, 2006

Cover of Shattered Glass

Shattered Glass

2003, On VHS, taped off Movies on Demand

You should know

I’ve taken two classes at NYU with Adam Penenberg, the reporter who broke the Glass case. He has told the story repeatedly, so I knew it well before I saw the movie. We studied Glass’s “Jukt Micronics” story in Penenberg’s Press Ethics class (you can find my own class blog entries at that link).

So?

The movie opens with information about the New Republic and a voiceover by the Stephen Glass character, who gives decent but cynical advice to a class of high school students. We then watch Glass devolve from the savvy prodigy he appears to be into the hysterical mess he becomes upon getting caught. In the process, he overworks himself and cuts corners to make himself look better. He charms his coworkers, rallying their support so that when the truth comes to a head, they blame their editor for having a vendetta against Glass. Office politics make it easy for Glass to get away with things, and a brand-new form of media – online reporting – is what ultimately brings him down.

Rating

Worth a rental
To be honest, I’m glad I wasn’t aware of this movie when it was in theaters; I don’t think I would have paid $10 to watch it. Since I knew the whole story going in, I found Stephen Glass to be less a tragic-but-sympathetic character and more a smarmy, manipulative jerk. Also, Penenberg is not fully developed; time constraints obviously don’t allow it, but it still would have been interesting to see more of the reporter I know show through (and Steve Zahn looks nothing like Penenberg)

While we’re on the topic of Steve Zahn, his character and Peter Sarsgaard’s looked way too similar. It was, at times, too hard to tell who was yelling at Glass.

It was fun to see Anakin Skywalker kiss up to Chief Wiggum (or Apu, or Moe, or Comic Book Guy, or pretty much anyone else in Springfield).

Overall, I enjoyed the movie. You may enjoy it more if you don’t know the whole story before the film starts. But if you don’t, I highly recommend researching it after you see the movie. It’s a good story, and deserved to be a movie. This movie, though, was never a blockbuster, and that seems right.

The rest of the Internet

The official Shattered Glass website.
Rotten Tomatoes gave it good ratings.

Posted in 2003, Movie, New York, Television, VHS, Video by Laura | 0 comments

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West Wing finale

Sunday, May 14, 2006

Cover of The West Wing (The Official Companion)

The West Wing Series Finale

NBC, Sunday, May 15, 8PM

You should know

I’ve been watching The West Wing since about the second season, and own the first two seasons on DVD. Obviously, I’m going to talk about the episode, so if you haven’t seen it yet, and don’t want to be spoiled, you should walk away now.

I’ll wait.

Ok.

So?

It’s the last stages of the transition. Santos has to move in; Bartlett has to move out. Will Bartlett pardon Toby? (Yes) Is Charlie the son Bartlett never had? (Yes) Will CJ regret her choice to leave the White House? (No) Are Josh and Donna still together, and ready to be chiefs of staff? (Yes and yes) Did Sam show up? (Yes, for about 10 seconds) Was Leo fondly remembered? (Yes, and if you didn’t guess what the gift was, shame on you) Also, Aaron Sorkin showed up and Richard Schiff did not.

Rating

A tidy end, but not up to early-season standards.
I watched this episode with my parents, who have been watching off and on since season one. I asked them what they thought. Mom expected more, but couldn’t articulate what. Dad thought it “fizzled.” I have to concur.

As you can see from my micro-recap, it was largely predictable. That’s ok, because it means that it met most of the minimal requirements: return of Rob Lowe, poignant moments between Bartlett and Charlie, cute parallelism between the two First Couples, Josh and Donna naked in bed, tribute to Leo.

Still, the first episode of this season featured a nice “three years later” scene that revealed a few things that. In a perfect world, the episode would have followed up, maybe with another three-years-later scene. In the last few episodes, we saw Danny and CJ get together, and since Toby went to the ceremony in the flash-forward, it was pretty obvious he was going to be pardoned. Will got thrown into the Congress race we already knew he’d win. Still, we’ll never know why Toby did it, or if Will and Kate stayed together, or what exactly the deal is with Zoey and Charlie. Ok, fine, these are petty things compared to, say, the war that Bartlett set up for Santos (another bit of parallelism). But the show is about people running politics, so I want to see what happens to the people and the politics.

All in all, the predictability was a bit of a letdown, but any shockers would have been a lot worse. John Wells avoided the helicopters, for which I am grateful.

If you’re a loyal viewer, you’ve seen it. If you bailed out when Aaron Sorkin did, I’d recommend watching the finale, although you might be a bit lost. But if you’ve never cared about this show, this episode is not going to draw you in the way M*A*S*H might have in its day.

The rest of the Internet

The official West Wing website.
The unofficial continuity guide.
Television Without Pity. Their recap should say be up within a week and I'll add it here when it is.
Land of Lime comments on Barlett's reading choices in the finale.
Kelly at Byzantium's Shores liveblogged the episode.
Jeff at Minutiae gave a great review.

Posted in Dad, Mom, Television by Laura | 1 comments

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Wednesday, July 13, 2011

You should know

So?

Related articles

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Books

Fiction

Nonfiction

Food and drink

Delaware

Massachusetts

New Jersey

New York

Ontario

Pennsylvania

Recipes

Movies

2006

2007

2008

2009

Internet

Video

Music

To Do and See

Massachusetts

New Jersey

New York

Ontario

Pennsylvania

Television

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Books

Fiction

Nonfiction

Food

Delaware

Massachusetts

New Jersey

New York

Ontario

Pennsylvania

Recipes

Movies

2006

2007

2008

2009

Internet

Video

Music

To Do and See

New Jersey

New York

Ontario

Pennsylvania

Television

Friday, June 12, 2009

Friday, March 13, 2009

You should know

So?

Rating

The rest of the Internet

Thursday, January 17, 2008

Monday, May 15, 2006

You should know

So?

Rating

The rest of the Internet

Sunday, May 14, 2006

The West Wing Series Finale

You should know

So?

Rating

The rest of the Internet

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