Hi all!
So, my new thing for the week: Foie Gras.
Foie Gras is the fattened liver or a duck or goose. I HATE liver!! I made my grandmother stop making giblet gravy at thanksgiving, because the liver chunks are gross-tastic!!
For Valentine's Day, Gabriel took me to Terra. The food was beyond sublime, and as an appetizer, Gabriel ordered the Foie Gras. I was grossed out, but said I would try it. I'm so glad I did!
The chef took a 1/2" thick slice of the liver and quickly pan-seared it, so it was a mite crusty. It was plated with some greens and a peach tarte tatin over what appeared to be port wine reduction. I very hesitantly cut off a bit with my fork, and was astounded at the texture. I was so surprised at the delicate flavor! It was so good! I will order it again somewhere else.
So, new for this week: foie gras, Terra, and their tasty passion fruit mojito.
Go forth and be renewed! And come back and tell me what's new with you! What have you tried that's new to you?
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Monday, February 16, 2009
Something New - a new series of posts!
Hi all! I'm starting a new series of posts. It's called "Something New!"
The story behind this is a fun one, and I decided that I wanted to share with you all. Maybe you'll be inspired to do something new yourself!
A few years ago, just post-divorce, I realized how much I had stagnated. Life was not what I wanted it to be. My ex only wanted me to cook 2 things, and both of them were tomato-based. I essentially had been cooking the same 2 dishes for 9 years. I was overworked, underpaid, and underappreciated. I had no money and few positive life experiences.
After I met Gabriel, we did a few new things. For starters, I was unused to being treated well in a relationship. That was certainly new to me! But we did new things like trying new restaurants, new wines, going new places, and doing new things. I met new people and had new experiences. I heard new music, watched new films, and read new books. I was hooked!
So I made myself a promise: I will do at least one new thing a week! It can be simple or small, but it must be undone previously in this life as Jenna. Sometimes I've fallen short, but I have certainly done many new things!
In the past few years, some of my most poignant new things are:
-Finishing my first novel
-Making my first bread
-Trying Indian food for the first time (Oh, why wasn't this sooner?!?!?)
-Living out of the state of Georgia
-Standing up for myself
-Getting a new cat
-Volunteering at an animal shelter
More recently, I've made my first preserves, tried some new restaurants, and maintained blogs. But these are all new things designed to keep me vibrant and vital! I plan now to share them with you!
Try something new this week! Tell me about it here in the comments!
The story behind this is a fun one, and I decided that I wanted to share with you all. Maybe you'll be inspired to do something new yourself!
A few years ago, just post-divorce, I realized how much I had stagnated. Life was not what I wanted it to be. My ex only wanted me to cook 2 things, and both of them were tomato-based. I essentially had been cooking the same 2 dishes for 9 years. I was overworked, underpaid, and underappreciated. I had no money and few positive life experiences.
After I met Gabriel, we did a few new things. For starters, I was unused to being treated well in a relationship. That was certainly new to me! But we did new things like trying new restaurants, new wines, going new places, and doing new things. I met new people and had new experiences. I heard new music, watched new films, and read new books. I was hooked!
So I made myself a promise: I will do at least one new thing a week! It can be simple or small, but it must be undone previously in this life as Jenna. Sometimes I've fallen short, but I have certainly done many new things!
In the past few years, some of my most poignant new things are:
-Finishing my first novel
-Making my first bread
-Trying Indian food for the first time (Oh, why wasn't this sooner?!?!?)
-Living out of the state of Georgia
-Standing up for myself
-Getting a new cat
-Volunteering at an animal shelter
More recently, I've made my first preserves, tried some new restaurants, and maintained blogs. But these are all new things designed to keep me vibrant and vital! I plan now to share them with you!
Try something new this week! Tell me about it here in the comments!
Thursday, January 29, 2009
As I continue slaving, er, serving, I encounter more celebrities...
Yes. Still serving. Sucks.
But, at my said place of employment, I had 2 sightings at the same time, and my first paparazzi encounter.
Dave Grohl was within 2 feet of me. Dave. Fucking. Grohl. He was there with a really cute kid and a pregnant woman (assuming his wife & kid. I don't get too involved in these nice people's love lives. not my business. I wish them well, though.) There were about 10 people at the table, and all the plebs like you & me started behaving like utter douches. Some people staring with their friends snapping at them not to stare, then others pretending they were above it. No one harassed Dave, though, which is good. I always think you should not interrupt people at dinner, even if they are your hero. Heroes need to eat, too, dammit! but EVERYONE hated the paparazzo who showed up.
Some dude popped up, yanked a camera out of his coat, and snapped a couple of shots before bailing to the other side of the dining room to annoy Cedric the Entertainer, who had also come in for some Chinese food. It was highly surreal. What a douche. I find a way to make a living without being scum, so why can't he?
Dave paid - with the Foo Fighters black Amex. (for those not in the know, the black AmEx requires a minimum spending of $100k/a year. Just on that card. You are a big balla if you have that card. It is made of titanium, and is SO choice.) I never thought I'd see a credit card that listed the cardholder as "Foo Fighters". Fucking weird.
The next table over was mine, and was a birthday party for a girl turning 15. I had to explain to her that the guy everyone was trying not to stare at would not have been able to set foot in the restaurant when she was born because he was so famous. I also realized that the 15th anniversary of Kurt Cobain's suicide is in a couple of months. I remember it really well because it happened when I was on my spring break during senior year in 1994. It was the only time I went anywhere for spring break with friends. Mental math, and the fact that there was a 15 year old in front of me who had been 6 weeks old at the time drove home how long ago that was. It seems like just last week or something. Not so very long ago.
I felt really old for a minute. A quick Google reveals that Dave just turned 40. I then realized that the best part of Dave's life is probably right now: not too obnoxiously famous a la Brad Pitt, but still rich and able to enjoy a relatively quiet night out. Probably gets to spend time with his kid(s), too.
I want to be just like Dave when I grow up. If in 7 years (when I'm 40) I am half so fulfilled, I will be pleased with myself indeed.
*****
That is all for my Los Angeles adventures this week. Tune in next time for more, or check my other blog, A Southerner's Guide to (surviving) Los Angeles.
But, at my said place of employment, I had 2 sightings at the same time, and my first paparazzi encounter.
Dave Grohl was within 2 feet of me. Dave. Fucking. Grohl. He was there with a really cute kid and a pregnant woman (assuming his wife & kid. I don't get too involved in these nice people's love lives. not my business. I wish them well, though.) There were about 10 people at the table, and all the plebs like you & me started behaving like utter douches. Some people staring with their friends snapping at them not to stare, then others pretending they were above it. No one harassed Dave, though, which is good. I always think you should not interrupt people at dinner, even if they are your hero. Heroes need to eat, too, dammit! but EVERYONE hated the paparazzo who showed up.
Some dude popped up, yanked a camera out of his coat, and snapped a couple of shots before bailing to the other side of the dining room to annoy Cedric the Entertainer, who had also come in for some Chinese food. It was highly surreal. What a douche. I find a way to make a living without being scum, so why can't he?
Dave paid - with the Foo Fighters black Amex. (for those not in the know, the black AmEx requires a minimum spending of $100k/a year. Just on that card. You are a big balla if you have that card. It is made of titanium, and is SO choice.) I never thought I'd see a credit card that listed the cardholder as "Foo Fighters". Fucking weird.
The next table over was mine, and was a birthday party for a girl turning 15. I had to explain to her that the guy everyone was trying not to stare at would not have been able to set foot in the restaurant when she was born because he was so famous. I also realized that the 15th anniversary of Kurt Cobain's suicide is in a couple of months. I remember it really well because it happened when I was on my spring break during senior year in 1994. It was the only time I went anywhere for spring break with friends. Mental math, and the fact that there was a 15 year old in front of me who had been 6 weeks old at the time drove home how long ago that was. It seems like just last week or something. Not so very long ago.
I felt really old for a minute. A quick Google reveals that Dave just turned 40. I then realized that the best part of Dave's life is probably right now: not too obnoxiously famous a la Brad Pitt, but still rich and able to enjoy a relatively quiet night out. Probably gets to spend time with his kid(s), too.
I want to be just like Dave when I grow up. If in 7 years (when I'm 40) I am half so fulfilled, I will be pleased with myself indeed.
*****
That is all for my Los Angeles adventures this week. Tune in next time for more, or check my other blog, A Southerner's Guide to (surviving) Los Angeles.
Monday, January 12, 2009
Friday, December 12, 2008
In which life has happened...
Good God, life just happened and I've forgone blog-posting! Thanks to Richard for reminding me!
Um, ok, Finished the novel, kitty (Schmendrick) went missing, kitty was found, renamed (now Count Albus von Schmendrick) after his third brush with death. Yes, third. In four months. He's only about 7 months old total. He's a cuddle monster with a furry death wish, and he's scared of Isis, our queen cat. She needs only a short name to embody her majesty. Be afraid!
I injured my back while reaching for a doorknob. Yes, it is possible. Keep up on your spinal health, kiddies. Sake works wonders for easing stress. Use it.
I read Mists of Avalon for the first time. Funny, it broke a lot of rules that I've been told you shouldn't break when writing a novel.
I saw the Twilight movie. It wasn't awful if you're a fan of the book. If you're not a fan of the book, then it was awful. The girl who played Bella did a great job. Robert Pattinson is lucky he reminds me of Gabriel, who is hottness itself. Yeah, that's right. It's spelled hottness, bitches! Some of the characterizations and casting I totally didn't get. The guy who played James seemed miscast. Some of the clothing was a bit, er, vampy. It was almost campy vampy if you follow me. As in not very fresh in approach to vampire fashion. It looked sorta lame. The girl cast as Rosalie is ten thousand percent NOT what I pictured. The guy who plays Jasper is equally so. I mean, he's supposed to be from the Civil War as in from the 1850's, not Civil War as in the Marvel Comics crossover megalith from earlier in the year. I couldn't tell if he looked 2008 or 1798, but he sure as hell didn't look 1858. Ah, no.
However, the script was ok, and the few variations from the book were actually well done, with respect for the text (unlike that HORRID Eragon film. Gah!), and in keeping with the tone and fanbase. The special effects were kind of awful. The cameo of Stephenie Meyer in the film was cute and unexpected. I doubt I'll get the DVD's but I'll probably see the next film when it comes out.
Currently reading book 2 of the Darksword Trilogy (Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman RULE!). I'm enjoying it!
Reread Watchers by Dean Koontz. Such a great fucking story, even 22 years later. It barely seems dated. I read it with a new appreciation, since I now live in SoCal, where the book is set. I'm familiar with most of the places in the book, so it felt cooler somehow.
Read Water for Elephants. Great book, highly suggest it. It's a unique telling of a man's life in the circus and his relationships with people and an elephant. It was riveting! Totally unlike anything I'd ever read.
Bettie Page died today at the age of 85. Long live the Queen of Curves!!!
Finally saw Juno. It was cute. It wasn't as punishingly punny as I thought it would be, thank God. Turns out the writer has another film coming out in the next month, and the poster for it looks exactly like the HBO series True Blood poster. Hmmmm.
Speaking of True Blood, I read all the Sookie Stackhouse / Southern Vampire novels by Charlaine Harris. Go for them. All 8 of them. NOW. I just wish Sookie would pick someone to fuck consistently.
True Blood was a kinda awesome show, but ended kinda poorly. I couldn't figure out where the hell they got half the season from, expounding on nonexistent shit from the novels. Still, they were fun to watch. And you get to see boobs, most notably of Anna Paquin and (very briefly) Michelle Forbes. (yes, Ensign Ro. THAT Ensign Ro. You wanted her boobs, you got 'em. But if you blink you'll miss it.)
I finally watched the last 3-part episode of the last season of LOST. For Fuck's sake, I have no idea how I'm gonna wait 6 more weeks to find out what happens!!! AAAAARARRRRRRRGGGGHHHHHHHH!!!! Come on, January 21st....
Uh, I think that's it. Working on the rewrite, holiday parties, workworkwork... c'est tout.
Until next time!
Um, ok, Finished the novel, kitty (Schmendrick) went missing, kitty was found, renamed (now Count Albus von Schmendrick) after his third brush with death. Yes, third. In four months. He's only about 7 months old total. He's a cuddle monster with a furry death wish, and he's scared of Isis, our queen cat. She needs only a short name to embody her majesty. Be afraid!
I injured my back while reaching for a doorknob. Yes, it is possible. Keep up on your spinal health, kiddies. Sake works wonders for easing stress. Use it.
I read Mists of Avalon for the first time. Funny, it broke a lot of rules that I've been told you shouldn't break when writing a novel.
I saw the Twilight movie. It wasn't awful if you're a fan of the book. If you're not a fan of the book, then it was awful. The girl who played Bella did a great job. Robert Pattinson is lucky he reminds me of Gabriel, who is hottness itself. Yeah, that's right. It's spelled hottness, bitches! Some of the characterizations and casting I totally didn't get. The guy who played James seemed miscast. Some of the clothing was a bit, er, vampy. It was almost campy vampy if you follow me. As in not very fresh in approach to vampire fashion. It looked sorta lame. The girl cast as Rosalie is ten thousand percent NOT what I pictured. The guy who plays Jasper is equally so. I mean, he's supposed to be from the Civil War as in from the 1850's, not Civil War as in the Marvel Comics crossover megalith from earlier in the year. I couldn't tell if he looked 2008 or 1798, but he sure as hell didn't look 1858. Ah, no.
However, the script was ok, and the few variations from the book were actually well done, with respect for the text (unlike that HORRID Eragon film. Gah!), and in keeping with the tone and fanbase. The special effects were kind of awful. The cameo of Stephenie Meyer in the film was cute and unexpected. I doubt I'll get the DVD's but I'll probably see the next film when it comes out.
Currently reading book 2 of the Darksword Trilogy (Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman RULE!). I'm enjoying it!
Reread Watchers by Dean Koontz. Such a great fucking story, even 22 years later. It barely seems dated. I read it with a new appreciation, since I now live in SoCal, where the book is set. I'm familiar with most of the places in the book, so it felt cooler somehow.
Read Water for Elephants. Great book, highly suggest it. It's a unique telling of a man's life in the circus and his relationships with people and an elephant. It was riveting! Totally unlike anything I'd ever read.
Bettie Page died today at the age of 85. Long live the Queen of Curves!!!
Finally saw Juno. It was cute. It wasn't as punishingly punny as I thought it would be, thank God. Turns out the writer has another film coming out in the next month, and the poster for it looks exactly like the HBO series True Blood poster. Hmmmm.
Speaking of True Blood, I read all the Sookie Stackhouse / Southern Vampire novels by Charlaine Harris. Go for them. All 8 of them. NOW. I just wish Sookie would pick someone to fuck consistently.
True Blood was a kinda awesome show, but ended kinda poorly. I couldn't figure out where the hell they got half the season from, expounding on nonexistent shit from the novels. Still, they were fun to watch. And you get to see boobs, most notably of Anna Paquin and (very briefly) Michelle Forbes. (yes, Ensign Ro. THAT Ensign Ro. You wanted her boobs, you got 'em. But if you blink you'll miss it.)
I finally watched the last 3-part episode of the last season of LOST. For Fuck's sake, I have no idea how I'm gonna wait 6 more weeks to find out what happens!!! AAAAARARRRRRRRGGGGHHHHHHHH!!!! Come on, January 21st....
Uh, I think that's it. Working on the rewrite, holiday parties, workworkwork... c'est tout.
Until next time!
Friday, November 14, 2008
Continuing the QoS and Star Trek Rant...
Ok, to finish with a few thoughts:
What really bothers me about the new Star Trek movie is how airbrushed it is, as shown by this example. It's not dirty enough, and these boys look like they're about 19. Quinto doesn't look only 2 years younger than me. He's too smooth.
I've really been thinking how my love for Spock got me into that godawful marriage. I thought I found cool, beautiful, and brilliant, but I found hateful and abusive instead. However, this is certainly not to imply that I believe Spock to be abusive. That was just the emotional thing on the show that made him distant. The coolness was real, not manufactured. That, and my ex is a violent douchebag. And Spock/Leonard actually has a nice ass. Not so much the case with my ex...
Oh, and whatever SciFi Winona Ryder has ever been in has SUCKED. Fantasy she's good with. But she's wearing a kryptonite strap-on dildo for sci-fi, and this shit's gonna hurt.
We'll have to see.
OK, so the Bond movie... Bad ass! Daniel Craig is officially my favorite Bond! The Jack White/Alicia Keys song was ok, and rocking. The villain could have been stronger, but I thought the plot was excellent. I get the feeling they're gearing up for something pretty nuts for the next film. The film was action-packed, and I'm trying to remember when I've seen a better posse walk - especially since Bond has no posse! And I like the depth that this new Bond has. He's not a "fuck 'em all, and let M sort 'em out" kind of Bond. Yeah, he gets busy. He's Bond. But it wasn't flashy or gratuitous. It wasn't like Roger Moore who schkeezed on every skirt that passed.
I love Judi Dench as M even more now. She is made of iron. I wanna bet that plucky and awesome, and she's got a few years on me. I'd trade!
Just once, though, I'd love it if they got a Bond girl who wasn't a size 4 or smaller. Just once. Juice is where it's at, yo! Bring the jiggle!
On Daniel Craig, I am continually startled at how he moves with speed and grace AND strength. I'm not into blondes, but DAMN! Just Damn!
Go on and see it kiddies! :D
What really bothers me about the new Star Trek movie is how airbrushed it is, as shown by this example. It's not dirty enough, and these boys look like they're about 19. Quinto doesn't look only 2 years younger than me. He's too smooth.
I've really been thinking how my love for Spock got me into that godawful marriage. I thought I found cool, beautiful, and brilliant, but I found hateful and abusive instead. However, this is certainly not to imply that I believe Spock to be abusive. That was just the emotional thing on the show that made him distant. The coolness was real, not manufactured. That, and my ex is a violent douchebag. And Spock/Leonard actually has a nice ass. Not so much the case with my ex...
Oh, and whatever SciFi Winona Ryder has ever been in has SUCKED. Fantasy she's good with. But she's wearing a kryptonite strap-on dildo for sci-fi, and this shit's gonna hurt.
We'll have to see.
OK, so the Bond movie... Bad ass! Daniel Craig is officially my favorite Bond! The Jack White/Alicia Keys song was ok, and rocking. The villain could have been stronger, but I thought the plot was excellent. I get the feeling they're gearing up for something pretty nuts for the next film. The film was action-packed, and I'm trying to remember when I've seen a better posse walk - especially since Bond has no posse! And I like the depth that this new Bond has. He's not a "fuck 'em all, and let M sort 'em out" kind of Bond. Yeah, he gets busy. He's Bond. But it wasn't flashy or gratuitous. It wasn't like Roger Moore who schkeezed on every skirt that passed.
I love Judi Dench as M even more now. She is made of iron. I wanna bet that plucky and awesome, and she's got a few years on me. I'd trade!
Just once, though, I'd love it if they got a Bond girl who wasn't a size 4 or smaller. Just once. Juice is where it's at, yo! Bring the jiggle!
On Daniel Craig, I am continually startled at how he moves with speed and grace AND strength. I'm not into blondes, but DAMN! Just Damn!
Go on and see it kiddies! :D
In which I rant about the new Star Trek trailer and gush over Quantum of Solace...
Ok, so it worked out where Gabriel and I got to see Quantum of Solace, the new James Bond film last night at midnight. I was pumped about the trailers, too, since the new trailers for both Watchmen and Star Trek were to be included also.
The trailer for Watchmen wasn't up. Goddammit. I'm reserving judgement on what I perceive to be an unnecessary sin of Hollywood, but I accept that it is unstoppable. So I want to see the trailer. Is that too much to ask, you AMC fuckers??? Word to the wise: if there is a highly anticipated movie, and the studios release that its trailer is to be put before a certain film, PUT IT THERE! Assholes. A lot of fans were expecting to see this trailer. I am perturbed that I did not get to.
New movie about Nazis... I was watching amazing Brit actor after amazing Brit actor crawl across the screen. My interest was piqued. And then Tom Cruise, er, cruised onscreen, and I got the feminine equivalent of dickshrivel. He's a wonderful actor, yes. Why he can't bother to have the same accent as anyone else in the film, I don't know. But he's gone too weird. I have a hard time watching him, and the campy-looking eye patch in the flick. It's called Valkyrie, by the way. It reminded me of other stuff that was fantastic once you scraped the turd off the top and ignored its existence.
There was a new Adam Sandler film that I won't be seeing.
But the new Star Trek trailer was first. It's a reboot of the Original Trek from the sixties. As someone who abhors the constant retconning in comics (where the writers decide to start over and pretend that a lot of history just doesn't exist so that they can skip the whole creativity part), I reject the idea.
J.J. Abrams touches something and it turns to gold, usually, so we'll see. If this flick ends up being successful, I imagine we'll be subjected to more of them with random new directors. I shudder at the thought of Michael Bay or Jonathan Frakes at the helm.
The writers have written for Alias (which I never watched), but also committed the sin of writing the new Transformers movie (which kinda blew goats, though that's not all the writers' faults), MI:III (moderately ok). Worse, most of that Hercules and Xena shit was their doing. GAH! Those were so campy and awful and inaccurate, I hardly have hope for Star Trek. The dudes who wrote The Island? Come on, that's hardly amazing enough cred for Trek!
So, the trailer shows Kirk as a kid, then teen in Iowa. Ok, not bad. Chris Pine looks ok as Kirk, although Kirk was never the attractor for me. I'd need to see the film and an old Trek episode next to each other to see. But he's got the posing, arrogance, and posturing right.
Not sure if I buy the kid from "Harold and Kumar go to White Castle" as Sulu.
Didn't see hair or hide of Karl Urban as McCoy, at least not a devoted shot as such.
There was, however, a devoted shot of Uhura getting undressed, white bra and all. Zoe Saldana is quite pretty, but way too thin to be Uhura. It's like they succumbed to current skinny-model trends in the retcon. Grrrr... She's a fine actress, but not what I was hoping for. I'm sure she'll do fine, it's just the stereotyping that if you're attractive, you must also be skinny. I hate that. But here's Nichelle Nichols as Uhura Statuesque and voluptuous. A little big for a film star today. You'll see what I mean when you see all of Zoe's ribs and abs when she's taking her shirt off. Covering her face, even. You know, Nichelle once told Dr. Martin Luther King that she wanted to leave the Trek show while it was filming. He told her she shouldn't, because what she was doing for African-Americans was important. The idea of a black female Lieutenant on a flagship for the entire world was an important one, especially since she couldn't have sat in the front of the bus at the time. Star Trek was pivotal in gradually turning racism on its ear. Pop culture laid the groundwork for fighting racism, and Gene Roddenberry (bless him!) saw the future as it should be: raceless. If they reduce Uhura to T&A in this film, I shall be disappointed, just because it ignores the character as a turning point in the Civil Rights Movement of the sixties. More than disappointed. Angered.
Oh, and the last bit: Spock. Oh, where to begin? I suppose you'd have to begin with me as a child to understand my point of view. Small girl, poor, in suburbarural Atlanta in a mixed-race tiny town. At home, white people doing white things. Family of firemen, truckers, dentists and artists. Music everywhere. Broke-down cars and banana pudding, farming at my grandparents' place, and at that damn Christian cult several times a week. And poor. Deciding to feed us or the dog poor. Turning on the oven for heat poor. Living in grandpa's old house poor. Library books, network tv on a tiny black and white set (in the late seventies, color had been out a WHILE), and my imagination as toys poor. I was happy, so I'm not complaining.
But when you compare that to the show, my mind was blown. I was around other races, so Uhura and Sulu were real to me. I had black friends and asian friends. I had white friends, full of bluster like Kirk, and full of earnest help like McCoy. But I'd never seen ANYTHING like Spock. Not just the ears and brows, but the soul, the aching clarity of the self. A man trapped between two worlds (I don't think I had any mixed-race classmates), brilliantly intelligent, strong, tall, secure. He was the first man I fell in love with. Not a sexual love, since I was too little to think that way yet, though he is certainly very attractive also. Not Leonard, either, since I didn't have the fortune to know him. But Spock, the character. I wanted a man like him.
Enter my doom. I once told my girlfriends in high school that my male ideal had a big nose. Tall, dark hair, preferably mussed, broad-shouldered, narrow waist. Brilliantly intelligent. They looked at me like I was nuts and gave me Tom Cruise movies to watch (remember the aforementioned feminine dickshrivel? There ya go). If I saw a man like that, I wanted. If he were distant, I wanted more. I totally missed the point that Spock is completely distant emotionally, and would never open up. Hoo, boy.
Every relationship got me closer to that ideal until my disaster of a marriage with the most "perfect" man: He was actually a cesspool of imperfections. That unavailable thing reeled me in like a goddamn trout. I didn't see the hell I was wrapping myself into. And hell it was. I was a tool. In the words of Nick Cave, "I feel like a vacuum cleaner - a complete sucker!" Glad to be out of that!
It took me forever to see my problem. It also took me forever to find out Leonard was Jewish. Apparently, a lot of Jewish men have big noses and dark, mussed hair. Oh. Funnily enough, I'm with a sexy man of Jewish descent. He's like a mix of Spock and Joe McIntyre from New Kids: Big nose, mussy hair, blue eyes, rosy cheeks. I'm in heaven.
So, you can see the loaded history for me with Spock. The boy had damn well better be right if he's going to play young Spock. And he looks like Leonard is the thing! But I don't know if that cool brilliance is there from the trailer. I am completely unconvinced that anyone can deliver that. The times were so poignant and the costs so much, that there is only one Spock.
I am unenthralled. I hope I'm wrong.
And I'm late for work! GAH! I'll pop back in for the Quantum of Solace bit later....
The trailer for Watchmen wasn't up. Goddammit. I'm reserving judgement on what I perceive to be an unnecessary sin of Hollywood, but I accept that it is unstoppable. So I want to see the trailer. Is that too much to ask, you AMC fuckers??? Word to the wise: if there is a highly anticipated movie, and the studios release that its trailer is to be put before a certain film, PUT IT THERE! Assholes. A lot of fans were expecting to see this trailer. I am perturbed that I did not get to.
New movie about Nazis... I was watching amazing Brit actor after amazing Brit actor crawl across the screen. My interest was piqued. And then Tom Cruise, er, cruised onscreen, and I got the feminine equivalent of dickshrivel. He's a wonderful actor, yes. Why he can't bother to have the same accent as anyone else in the film, I don't know. But he's gone too weird. I have a hard time watching him, and the campy-looking eye patch in the flick. It's called Valkyrie, by the way. It reminded me of other stuff that was fantastic once you scraped the turd off the top and ignored its existence.
There was a new Adam Sandler film that I won't be seeing.
But the new Star Trek trailer was first. It's a reboot of the Original Trek from the sixties. As someone who abhors the constant retconning in comics (where the writers decide to start over and pretend that a lot of history just doesn't exist so that they can skip the whole creativity part), I reject the idea.
J.J. Abrams touches something and it turns to gold, usually, so we'll see. If this flick ends up being successful, I imagine we'll be subjected to more of them with random new directors. I shudder at the thought of Michael Bay or Jonathan Frakes at the helm.
The writers have written for Alias (which I never watched), but also committed the sin of writing the new Transformers movie (which kinda blew goats, though that's not all the writers' faults), MI:III (moderately ok). Worse, most of that Hercules and Xena shit was their doing. GAH! Those were so campy and awful and inaccurate, I hardly have hope for Star Trek. The dudes who wrote The Island? Come on, that's hardly amazing enough cred for Trek!
So, the trailer shows Kirk as a kid, then teen in Iowa. Ok, not bad. Chris Pine looks ok as Kirk, although Kirk was never the attractor for me. I'd need to see the film and an old Trek episode next to each other to see. But he's got the posing, arrogance, and posturing right.
Not sure if I buy the kid from "Harold and Kumar go to White Castle" as Sulu.
Didn't see hair or hide of Karl Urban as McCoy, at least not a devoted shot as such.
There was, however, a devoted shot of Uhura getting undressed, white bra and all. Zoe Saldana is quite pretty, but way too thin to be Uhura. It's like they succumbed to current skinny-model trends in the retcon. Grrrr... She's a fine actress, but not what I was hoping for. I'm sure she'll do fine, it's just the stereotyping that if you're attractive, you must also be skinny. I hate that. But here's Nichelle Nichols as Uhura Statuesque and voluptuous. A little big for a film star today. You'll see what I mean when you see all of Zoe's ribs and abs when she's taking her shirt off. Covering her face, even. You know, Nichelle once told Dr. Martin Luther King that she wanted to leave the Trek show while it was filming. He told her she shouldn't, because what she was doing for African-Americans was important. The idea of a black female Lieutenant on a flagship for the entire world was an important one, especially since she couldn't have sat in the front of the bus at the time. Star Trek was pivotal in gradually turning racism on its ear. Pop culture laid the groundwork for fighting racism, and Gene Roddenberry (bless him!) saw the future as it should be: raceless. If they reduce Uhura to T&A in this film, I shall be disappointed, just because it ignores the character as a turning point in the Civil Rights Movement of the sixties. More than disappointed. Angered.
Oh, and the last bit: Spock. Oh, where to begin? I suppose you'd have to begin with me as a child to understand my point of view. Small girl, poor, in suburbarural Atlanta in a mixed-race tiny town. At home, white people doing white things. Family of firemen, truckers, dentists and artists. Music everywhere. Broke-down cars and banana pudding, farming at my grandparents' place, and at that damn Christian cult several times a week. And poor. Deciding to feed us or the dog poor. Turning on the oven for heat poor. Living in grandpa's old house poor. Library books, network tv on a tiny black and white set (in the late seventies, color had been out a WHILE), and my imagination as toys poor. I was happy, so I'm not complaining.
But when you compare that to the show, my mind was blown. I was around other races, so Uhura and Sulu were real to me. I had black friends and asian friends. I had white friends, full of bluster like Kirk, and full of earnest help like McCoy. But I'd never seen ANYTHING like Spock. Not just the ears and brows, but the soul, the aching clarity of the self. A man trapped between two worlds (I don't think I had any mixed-race classmates), brilliantly intelligent, strong, tall, secure. He was the first man I fell in love with. Not a sexual love, since I was too little to think that way yet, though he is certainly very attractive also. Not Leonard, either, since I didn't have the fortune to know him. But Spock, the character. I wanted a man like him.
Enter my doom. I once told my girlfriends in high school that my male ideal had a big nose. Tall, dark hair, preferably mussed, broad-shouldered, narrow waist. Brilliantly intelligent. They looked at me like I was nuts and gave me Tom Cruise movies to watch (remember the aforementioned feminine dickshrivel? There ya go). If I saw a man like that, I wanted. If he were distant, I wanted more. I totally missed the point that Spock is completely distant emotionally, and would never open up. Hoo, boy.
Every relationship got me closer to that ideal until my disaster of a marriage with the most "perfect" man: He was actually a cesspool of imperfections. That unavailable thing reeled me in like a goddamn trout. I didn't see the hell I was wrapping myself into. And hell it was. I was a tool. In the words of Nick Cave, "I feel like a vacuum cleaner - a complete sucker!" Glad to be out of that!
It took me forever to see my problem. It also took me forever to find out Leonard was Jewish. Apparently, a lot of Jewish men have big noses and dark, mussed hair. Oh. Funnily enough, I'm with a sexy man of Jewish descent. He's like a mix of Spock and Joe McIntyre from New Kids: Big nose, mussy hair, blue eyes, rosy cheeks. I'm in heaven.
So, you can see the loaded history for me with Spock. The boy had damn well better be right if he's going to play young Spock. And he looks like Leonard is the thing! But I don't know if that cool brilliance is there from the trailer. I am completely unconvinced that anyone can deliver that. The times were so poignant and the costs so much, that there is only one Spock.
I am unenthralled. I hope I'm wrong.
And I'm late for work! GAH! I'll pop back in for the Quantum of Solace bit later....
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
