didn't see you in September

Did a whole month really go by without a single post?  Yikes!
While I can't promise to be better, I can promise to catch up.  I swear I have no less than SEVEN half-finished entries.  Oh dear.  Check back, post-Oct 3rd!

gettin' my kicks

On Tuesday, we leave for the one of the last great road trips: Route 66!  Spanning nearly 3000 miles  (that's 4500 kms for the rest of the world) and taking us the better part of eleven days, we'll be departing Chicago and going west until we hit Santa Monica pier.  With so many detours in between, we broke Google Maps, you can see our major pit stops (read; where we bed down) in that picture up top.  This is the first adventure for AnCe, Nish, Jadek and myself - four people, one car.  Should be interesting at the very least.

Now Playing: One Day

I'm not usually one to watch girly movies in a theatre, unless it's Oscar season and they're on the list.  DK asked to see One Day so I went.  First of all, it was kinda nice to see a movie where things didn't blow up without a boy.  You know, so if I get all choked up, I don't feel embarrassed.  Secondly, there were two young ladies in front of us who were so obnoxiously immature I actually felt compelled to tell them to "shut it or leave" (they shut it).

Anyway: movie.  It was okay - these things are either sad or funny, sometimes both, rarely neither.  And, predictably, I knew what was going to happen less than a minute into the movie.  I really need to stop watching so many movies - most things don't even surprise me any more.  Hathaway and Sturgess are great, though I expect nothing less from these two.  Everyone else plays their parts.  Script wends its way through the emotional roller coaster of a romance.  All in all: a rental.  3 out of 5 stars.

Now Playing: Columbiana

We're hanging out and Jadek says "want to watch a movie" and I'm all "yeah sure, what's out" and he goes "I dunno, nothing I can think of" so we Google it and he's like "what about Columbiana" and I'm like "yeah, I remember that - Luc Besson I think - I like him."

And that's how we came to watch Columbiana on a Saturday afternoon.  Zoe Saldana, Cliff Curtis, and Jordi Mollà put in their lines and put their bodies through the paces.  Honestly, for a revenge flick, this wasn't too bad at all.  Saldana really pulled off an amazing catsuit for the first hit of the movie, which was choreographed beautifully.  If they had been going for an Eartha Kitt vibe, Saldana would have made an excellent Catwoman.

The story is much of what I've come to expect from Besson, though I would have preferred his directing to Megaton's style.  The action was great - inventive and quick.  The opening running sequence with Amandla Stenberg's amazing abilities was reminiscent of Run, Lola, Run (one of my faves) and put her on a list of future action stars (along with Chloe Grace Moretz and Saoirse Ronan).

Unexpectedly fun: 3 out of 5 stars.

Now Playing: Conan, the Barbarian

Normally, I think I may have passed on watching Conan, the Barbarian - I didn't watch the original, don't really enjoy plotless violence, and, well, it just didn't look very good. There was, however, one very compelling reason for me to go out and watch this: Jason Mamoa. I mean, just LOOK at him. Kripes. I like him with dreads, I like him cleanshaven, with short hair or long; I like him in SciFi, Fantasy and random airport footage; I like that he’s muscly in all the right places and has dimples to boot. I think he’s just about the yummiest thing I’ve seen since… since… I can’t remember the last time I drooled over a Hollywood actor! So, that’s why I went to watch Conan.

What was the movie about? I can’t really remember – it had a lot of plot holes, so it was pretty much incoherent. With a better script writer and director, it would have been halfway decent. The actors (not just mo!mo!ahhhhh….) weren’t too bad at all – pretty much wasted on a poor script. Sadly, I have to give it only 1.5 stars out of 5.  As compensation, here are some pics!

On Stage @ Stratford, 2011

The annual pilgrimage to the Bard's House happened this past weekend, with AnCe and her sister V.  Nish, who is currently in the exotic climes of Madagascar, had to give up her tickets, which was both sad and regrettably.  This would mark my first non-Nish Stratford.  As has become tradition, we checked into Ellerby's for the weekend.  Olive is her usual cheerfully spry self and gave us our key on the "Hope Diamond" because we were such pretty girls.  *giggles* she really is the cutest.  This would also mark my first non-sharing Stratford weekend, as I usually end up splitting a room with Nish.  So, I had a double all to myself (which meant one thing... NO PANTS!).  Unpacked, freshened up and ready to hit the town!  Weather was perfect: sunny, cool breeze, almost no humidity. 

Before we left, we made passing introductions with Ted, who was staying in the single at the end of the hall.  He would prove to be excellent fun at the breakfast table. 

Shades on, stepping out!

Friday lunch in Pazzo Pizzeria (a Soprano Pizza for me!)

Titus Andronicus in Tom Patterson: a little gore and guts in the afternoon!  Notably WillyShakes' bloodiest play, it did not disappoint in drama and death.  Near the end of the third act, there was a great gasping and wheezing sound near back left seats.  What I thought to be a rude patron snoring turned out to be someone having a seizure.  Yet another first: they stopped the play in the middle of a most dramatic scene!  Actors left, house lights came up, ambulance arrived.  Much hullabaloo ensued an patron is just fine.  All I could think was that there was no way the actors would be able to pick up where they left off - all that tension had been deflated... but no!  These guys aren't pros for nothing and we were right back into it.  All in all, much fun.

Friday dinner @ Boar's Head Pub (Mushroom and Steak Pot Pie)

Now Playing: Rise of the Planet of the Apes

Confession: I've watched neither the original nor the Tim Burton "remake" of Planet of the Apes; in fact, everything I know about this iconic movie comes from The Simpsons. So, when I first saw the trailer for Rise of the Planet of the Apes, there was a comical moment where I turned to Jadek and actually said "what is this, Planet of the Apes?" ...and then it was.  Clearly, I was going to watch it.  I will admit that I was a little leery of yet another remake; however, some franchises just beg to be rebooted - old doesn't necessarily mean gold (despite it rhyming).  I am happy to report that this is not a remake.  

I was pleased to hear see Andy Serkis got some work - he is his usual awesome self.  And I know that the apes were all CGI, yet they were very real and totally convincing.  The human actors weren't bad either: loved John Lithgow (unsurprisingly) and James Franco.   

Plot-wise, I thought the movie was pretty genius.  It actually answered the main questions I've always had: how did the apes kill the humans?  how did the apes get so smart?  how long did it take for the human/simian roles to switch?  I was really satisfied at the end and if this is the beginning of a new franchise, all the better.  Go watch it - a great summer movie.  3.5 out of 5 stars.