Decency?

If I see the embedded graphic in my email once more:
"Dear Homeowner: you have been pre-approved..."
I will puke up my lungs.

My message to spammers: Dear Sirs, have you no decency?

A Chick Flick for men

Alternative headlines:
Like Frasier, only not funny
or:
Dysfunctional people talking

Review of the movie "Sideways"

Have you ever seen Anywhere But Here with Natalie Portman and Susan Sarandon? That may be the ultimate "chick flick" outside of Ingmar Bergman. Two hours of a mother and a daughter arguing. Yum.

"Sideways" is like that. Only with men. Puzzling.
It is well done, and the start is promising, very quirky. But it soon started to try my patience, and by the middle of the film I was thinking "OK, but what is it about?!"

The issue with this kind of film is that the characters have no external problems. They only have the problems in their own heads. And it does not make for very exciting story telling. You keep yelling at them: "Just make up your mind!" or "Get off your butt!"

Sure, we may all have our problems in our heads, but other people's silly neuroses just aren't very interesting.

Don't get me wrong, I don't demand a lot of action, just a story. For instance one of my all-time favorite movies is Postcards From The Edge, and that is a very talky movie. But it has a story, and the dialogue is fabulous, quirky, and very funny.

If you tend to like French cinema, you'll surely love Sideways, so go for it.

color

I've suddenly at the tender age of mumble mumble become interested in home decoration. Who woulda thunk it?

I recently acquired a couple of gorgeous items, to wit the vase and bowl pictured here. Not cheap items, but what with some success and no smoking or drinking, I can afford it. :)
My home is already largely in dark blue and yellow/orange, so they fit well. But the intensity of the colors of the glace in real life has to be seen. Gorgeous.

"The Wire"

I have now watched the cop show The Wire on DVD, the first season.
It is very engaging, and very realistic, and rather unusual.
One example: they don't use music to tell you what to feel about the scene. (I didn't even notice until it was mentioned in the commentaries.) I am pleased about that, for I get irritated when a show or film plays "scary" or "romatic" music to manipulate you. It just lacks subtlety. Not so on The Wire.
The show is based to a very high degree on the experiences of police in Baltimore. One of the co-writers was a cop for 20 years.
Just see if you can watch several episodes without using the F-word all the time and pronouncing "all right" like "a-ight". :)
I am much more of a comedy fan than a thriller-fan (or whatever), but this one is recommended.