Dinner and a Movie

See This Movie

2005-05-19T22:49:00.000-04:00

Title: Crash

Year: 2005

Writers: Paul Haggis & Bobby Moresco

Director: Paul Haggis

My Take: Paul Haggis, who most of know as the writer of 2004 Best Picture Oscar Winner, Million $ Baby, wrote the script for Crash after he was car-jacked in LA. Haggis, a long-time television writer and producer, uses car crashes as the circumstances around which the lives of an assortment of LA residents revolve. The verneer of the piece is akin to the Avenue Q song, "Everyone's a Little Bit Racist". The racism in the film beats you like Maggie "Baby" Fitzgerald beating up one of those poor defenseless chicks in the 2nd act of last year's Oscar Darling. However, if you look beneath the surface you see that the theme of the film isn't racism or intolerance (important themes to be sure), but how people who feel impotent because they don't have a voice draw attention to themselves through aggression and violence.

The story revolves around an incredible ensemble cast as blacks, whites, latinos, persians, and asians all collide in a melting pot of anger and hostility. The arcs of several characters are as severe as they are amazing to watch. There are several scenes that are simply visceral despite a lack of gore or overt violence. This isn't a film that you leave feeling good about yourself or others, but it explores some very important themes in a very emotional way.

The Verdict: As I said in my review of Hotel Rwanda, "Every so often a film challenges your world view. For me, this was one of those films." This and Hotel Rwanda should be required viewing in our high schools. For me it's a must see and a must own.

True love or insanity?

2005-01-10T19:51:00.000-05:00

Title: A Very Long Engagement

Year: 2004

Writers: Jean-Pierre Jeunet & Guillaume Laurant based on the novel by Sebastian Japrisot

Director: Jean-Pierre Jeunet

My Take: I went to a screening of this film completely deceived by the movie poster, ad campaign, and the title. I was sure I was in for a tear-jerker romantic drama in the vein of Cold Mountain or The English Patient. I've never been more pleased to be completely wrong. Those films are very good in their own way, but I just wasn't in the mood. What I should have put more faith in was the filmography of the director. Delicatessen is a deliciously black comedy about a tenement in post-apocalyptic Paris. City of Lost Children is a brilliant turn as dark and haunting as the grimmest of Grimm's Fairy Tales. And Amelie is, well, Amelie - a magical film that netted over $30 million in U.S. box office despite being French.

A Very Long Engagement did not only surprise, it delighted. That's not to say I didn't cry, there is romantic drama in the film afterall, but the comedy, action (it's a war movie), and fantasy stole the show. Audrey Tautou is a simple French farm girl who waits patiently for her fiance to return from the trenches in World War I. This despite multiple confirmations that he'd been killed for dissertion. This simpleton continues waiting for him, sure that he'll return. She begins an investigation into his disappearance. She begins to find inconsistencies in the stories of eye witnesses. Her hope grows as everyone else, her lawyer and a private investigator included, lose faith in the hunt. That's enough about the story. If you want to know what happens, you'll have to see it.

The cinematography is breath-taking. The use of color to convey the era is brilliant - sepia tones reflect the old photographs we've all seen from the 1920's. Splashes of color within the scene draw the eye to seemingly unimportant objects that at times become important. The sound edits was brilliant as well. The train scenes (she travels from farm to Paris, Paris to farm) are filled with the cacaphony of a steam engine - which at the time would have been far and away the loudest sounds a human would experience so they are the loudest sounds in the film. That is except for the sounds of war. The battle scenes are exquisitely crafted, certainly the most realistic depiction of combat since Saving Private Ryan. Many of the same techniques were used.

The Verdict: Unfortunately, this film was extremely poorly marketed in the U.S. Virtually everyone I've spoken to about it (those who had actually heard of it), had the same impression I did from the U.S. marketing campaign. You'd think they would have attempted to capitalize on the comic nature of the film and mention as many times as possible the the director and actress from Amelie were together again. This is a gem worth seeing on the big screen. Catch it if you can.

Gimme a Paternity Test and a Salmon Steak

2004-12-28T20:27:00.000-05:00

Title: The Life Acquatic with Steve Zissou

Year: 2004

Writers: Wes Anderson & Noah Baumbach

Director: Wes Anderson

My Take: I've been a fan of Wes Anderson since the guy who turned me from movie buff to cinephile handed me Bottle Rocket and said, "Enjoy." The quirky characters, witty banter, and zany stories have made for hours of entertainment. His follow-up films Rushmore, The Royal Tenenbaums, and now Life Aquatic have all followed the same pattern with seemingly ever-increasing quirk, wit, and zane. I would usually attempt to summarize the story in a few words, but this film really denies a brief explanation. It's about a nearly washed up undersea documentarian searching for the shark that ate his best friend. But it's not. It's about that same documentarian coming to grips with his long lost son. But it's not. It's about that same documentarian's failing marriage. But it's not. Ultimately, the film is about life and living with our experiences, which is probably why the film manages to connect on some level despite being bizarre in so many ways.

Bill Murray nails another drama-comedy role on the heels of Lost in Translation. Owen Wilson plays country hick pilot as the long lost son. Angelica Houston is the aging and very wealthy wife. Willem Dafoe appears in an unexpectly comic turn as a 2nd mate who has always longed for the captain's attention. Cate Blanchett is a reporter profiling the documentarian. Jeff Goldblum is one nemesis (the shark is the other). And a quick shout out to Bud Cort who plays a watchdog for the bond company that funds the expedition. For those of you who may not have seen it or don't remember, Bud Cort was Harold in the truly brilliant Harold & Maude.

The Verdict: While I love Wes Anderson and enjoyed this film, I didn't feel as though it were a step forward. The richly dysfunctional Tenenbaum family was perhaps something I could relate to on some level. A boat full of quirky characters was not. That's not to say I wouldn't recommend the film, I would. It's still better than 75% of movies I saw in 2004. But if you're a Wes Anderson afficionado, don't expect progression.

A bottle of red, a bottle of white...

2004-12-02T19:33:00.000-05:00

Title: Sideways

Year: 2004

Director: Alexander Payne

Writers: Alexander Payne & Jim Taylor based on the novel by Rex Pickett

My Take: Alexander Payne's last two films (Election and About Schmidt) have explored, at one level or another, the theme of men questioning their reason for existence in this world. Both were comedies as well. Sideways follows this same formula, and like About Schmidt before it, manages to be a completely original take on the same theme.

Miles (Paul Giamatti) is a struggling writer/middle school English teacher who takes his college roommate Jack (Thomas Haden Church), a former soap star and now voiceover artist about to be married, on a week-long trip to California's Wine Country the week before his wedding. Miles is two-years post divorce and still hasn't managed to get past it. Jack is a 40ish and never-married playboy who's primary goal for the week is one last fling before tying the knot.

Between the music and cinematography, the film simply sings like a 1970s road trip despite being set in the present day. The use of wine as a metaphor for life is a beautiful and subtle use of subtext throughout the film. Miles, who discerns the most subtle differences in wine (he's an enthusiast) and obviously spends a lot of time in introspection, is the complete opposite of Jack, who can't tell the difference between Boone's Farm and Puligny-Montrachet and wouldn't understand himself if he spent a year in therapy. That all of this can be accomplished with comedy is a testament to Payne's film-making talents.

The Verdict: I'm an unabashed fan of Alexander Payne's films. While some thought About Schmidt was overly sentimental or disingenuous, I found it a beautifully subtle kick in the nuts to the entire Baby Boomer generation. As for Sideways, if you've ever been divorced, loved wine, had a hard time relating to a former college roommate, or been caught in a lie, this film is definitely worth seeing. Hell, if you love great films, this is one of them.

A bottle of Scotch for another week of life?

2004-11-17T11:34:00.000-05:00

Title: Hotel Rwanda

Year: 2004

Director: Terry George

Writers: Terry George & Keir Pearson

My Take: I was fortunate enough to attend a private screening of Hotel Rwanda in the MGM Screening Room in Manhattan. Based on a true story, the film centers around the experiences of a Rwandan hotel manager, Paul Rusesabagina, played by Don Cheadle. He's of hutu decent and is married to a tutsi woman. When the hutus begin killing tutsis in a blatant act of genocide, Paul begins harboring tutsis in his hotel. As supplies dwindle and foreign military intervention does not materialize, the situation at the hotel becomes increasingly perilous. I won't divulge any more of the story.

This film, based on the 1994 genocide of nearly one million Rwandans, is particularly appropos at this time, because it clearly demonstrates that the international community is not interested in protecting civilians in countries that lack natural resources. In the wake of the Somalian debacle, the US and its allies were loathe to enter into Rwanda to end the genocide. Today similar atrocities are occurring in Sudan and the international community is again turning a blind eye as hundreds of thousands of Africans are murdered. These are countries without oil or mineral deposits worth exploiting. Instead, comparably minor human rights violations are justification for invasion for resource rich or strategically located countries around the globe. The duplicity is disheartening at best, criminal at worst. It is past time for the West to take a long hard look at its motivation for international intervention. Hopefully this film will help create a groundswell of support for true humanitarian interventions.

Paul Rusesabagina himself was available for a Q&A after the film. There wasn't a dry eye on the place and he received two standing ovations. During my lifetime I've met any number of celebrities, politicians, and professional athletes. Never have I been more proud to shake someone's hand.

The Verdict: Every so often a film challenges your world view. For me, this was one of those films.

Incredibly Long

2004-11-08T17:15:00.000-05:00

Movie: The Incredibles

Year: 2004

Director: Brad Bird

Writer: Brad Bird

My Take: Let me start by saying I'm a sucker for Pixar entertainment. Monsters, Inc. may be my favorite animated feature of all time. I thoroughly enjoyed A Bug's Life, Toy Story, and Finding Nemo. Even the shorts can be really good. I've been looking forward to The Incredibles since I first saw a teaser trailer late last year.

That's why I was so disappointed when I left the theater and did not feel the magic I'd felt with several earlier Pixar films. I think a big part of this was that the film felt overly long (1 hr, 55 minutes). That's a long run-time for an animated feature. The kids around me in the 1,000 seat theater got antsy several times. It was obvious which parts were not holding the children, because they were the parts that weren't holding me either.

The premise was great, the characters were a lot of fun, the dialogue was witty, and the theme was spot on. But there was something missing. I think that something was the sharpness of previous Pixar efforts when it comes to story telling. In the other films I've seen from Pixar there has always been an ever escalating risk in the threat to the character achieving their goals. Nowhere is this better exemplified than in Nemo and Monsters Inc. Things don't get easier for Nemo, they get harder. It doesn't get easier for Mike and Sully to return the little girl, it gets harder.

It's not exactly that things get easier for the Incredible family over the course of the film, but their efforts seem episodic - in and out of the bad guy's lair, eventually returning (without much effort) to civilization for the final showdown. Here in the final showdown a supporting character who hasn't been seen in over an hour, shows up to play a critical role in their battle. To me this film could have been so much better with some judicious revising of the story. Perhaps they'll get the sequel right. Afterall, Toy Story 2 was arguably better than the original.

The Verdict: This film was incredibly entertaining, but ultimately disappointing. If that makes any sense at all.

It's the hottest day of the year...

2004-11-05T18:37:00.000-05:00

You can do nothing, do something, or Do the Right Thing.

I hadn't seen Spike Lee's breakout film in quite some time, but I've been trying to see films that use location as character and this one certainly fits the bill. The Brooklyn neighborhood of Bedford-Stuyvesant should have gotten top billing.

This film primarily reminded me of two things I've known for a while.

1. Spike Lee is not a good actor. Thankfully he's stopped taking a prominent role in his films, opting instead for occasional cameos.

2. Spike Lee is an extremely talented film-maker. His direction and story-telling in this film are top notch. His blending of multiple characters into a cohesive neighborhood shows a Robert Altman-like talent for ensemble film-making.

Even after having seen this film several times before, the end brought tears to my eyes. This really is a powerful film that is stands up well even if the clothing and hairstyles can only be taken as retro rather than current.

That and I've had "Fight the Power" running through my head all day.

An Actual Documentary

2004-11-04T15:21:00.000-05:00

Movie: Capturing the Friedmans

Year: 2003

Director: Andrew Jarecki

Writer: none (are you listening, Mr. Moore, WGA Best Original Screenplay Recipient?)

My Take: This documentary may be the most exclusive look into the dissolution of a family after a traumatic life experience. It seems odd to say that since this film is also an unrelenting exploration into the experiences of a pedophile. This is obviously not light entertainment. This is a film with a purpose and a message.

Mr. Friedman was an avid home movie buff shooting many family events. He passed this love on to his children and it turned out they were there to document the aftermath of his arrest for child pornography and sexually assaulting his students. His youngest son was also arrested. The film documents the case, the relationship between Mr. Friedman and his wife, he and his children, his wife and his children, and the three boys together. There is haunting imagery throughout.

What struck me as most amazing was that this was not Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills, which essentially paints a picture of innocence for those convicted of the crime. Nor is this a film that documents the experiences of an obviously guilty man. This is a film that leaves the audience wondering what the truth really is.

I've often debated with friends about the purpose of a documentary. Michael Moore, god bless him, is an obvious propogandist. Other documentarians are less overt in their biases, but in nearly every documentary there remains some residual bias from the director's point of view. I was extremely impressed with the complete ambivalence that the watcher is left with after this film is complete.

Even more powerful, for me at least, is watching a family self-destruct. The anger and resentment that leads to blindness was on the faces of several of the family members throughout. Even at the time of follow-up interviews, 14 years after the case had been resolved, there had not been a healing of the rifts created in the family. One son in particular was still blind to his father's sins while blaming his mother for nearly everything.

The Verdict: I've seen many disturbing documentaries, but I don't think I've ever had one affect me like this. Nor can I remember one that struck me as so "fly on the wall" without any effort to sway the viewer in one direction or the other... unless the director's intention was to leave everyone scratching their heads. If so, I say "bravo!" Well, I say "bravo" anyway. I have only one request - don't make me watch it again.

Another Burger Contender...

2004-11-02T13:54:00.000-05:00

In my never ending search for the best hamburger in NYC, I gave a venerable institution another try. JG Melon at 3rd Ave and 74th St. has been consistently rated among the best hamburgers in NYC for years. The first few times I tried it, I was underwhelmed, eventually turning to their chili bowl as my meal of choice. Well, this afternoon I gave it another try and I think I may have found the perfect hamburger... or at least a damn good one.

Bacon swiss burger medium - add a couple pickle slices and a couple onions and skip any other toppings. The bacon was crisp and delicious, the cheese was a nice mild compliment to the salty bacon, and the burger was a perfect juicy medium. All that on a toasted bun made for one of the best hamburgers I've had in a very long time.

I'd suggest you try to get there for lunch, because they don't take reservations and the dinner wait can be very long.

Please Vote

2004-11-02T10:35:00.000-05:00

This year more than any other. And let's try to keep it out of the courts, shall we?

Thanks.

Ten Horror Films worth watching - Happy Halloween!

2004-10-31T19:21:00.000-05:00

There may be better horror movies out there, but for my money, I've got a Top 10 favorites for this Halloween. I'm limiting it to my DVD collection, which nixes several classics that I've yet to obtain.

10. Frailty. Bill Paxton's directorial debut is an overlooked gem. A single father comes to believe he's been chosen by God to punish sinners. He does so in front of his young boys. This film is visceral and unrelenting making it a great horror fright.

9. 28 Days Later. Shaun of the Dead may be my favorite zombie movie, but Danny Boyle's horror turn is well worth watching. From the opening sequence, which is unforgettable, to the Lord of the Flies finale, this film is a thrill ride.

8. The Others. Nicole Kidman does horror? Brilliantly. This ghost story in the classic gothic tradition is full of creeps rather than frights, but the story and acting are haunting.

7. Carrie. This and Badlands made Sissy Spacek a star and no wonder - this is probably the most faithful and best executed Stephen King adaptation ever. Brian DePalma may now be the king of b-movies, but he was in his element with this one.

6. The Thing. I haven't had the opportunity to see the 1951 original, but I have a hard time believing that it could be half as frightening as this film. Artic researchers trapped with a malevolent creature? What's not to love?

5. Silence of the Lambs. Some might think of this as more thriller than horror and that's the only reason it falls to 5th place. Of all the movies I've seen in a theater, this one scared me the most. Simply brilliantly writing, directing, and acting. A must see if there ever was one. How often does a horror film win a Best Picture Oscar?

4. Rosemary's Baby. The first 2 hours of this film are my favorite of any horror movie of all time. The last 5 minutes drop it to 4th on my list. Roman Polanski may be my favorite living director and his ability to make an average apartment house terrifying has been proven time and again. This film is an amazing psychological thriller from a time before there was such a genre.

3. Jaws. I still can't go back in the water.

2. Psycho. Take away the big budget, add Alfred Hitchcock, and what do you get? A truly brilliant film that captured the imaginations of a generation with thoughts of seedy roadside motels and cries of, "Mother, mother!"

1. The Shining. If I weren't completely enamoured with the work of Stanley Kubrick, Psycho would stand at number one, but Kurbick's version of Stephen King's mountain caretaker gone bad story is a truly amazing trip through the mind of disturbed man. Why would anyone ever bother making a cabin fever flick again?

Happy Halloween! And feel free to add your own tricks!

Let's go Red Sox!

2004-10-29T13:17:00.000-04:00

I've only been a Red Sox fan for the past 22 years, so I can only begin to imagine the joy of someone older who has rooted for this team their entire life. However, the joy I felt as Edgar Renteria topped a ground ball to Keith Foulke was easily the biggest explosion of emotion I've ever felt over a sporting event.

The Bucs Super Bowl, the Lightning's Stanley Cup, winning a city wide soccer tournament with two goals in the championship game, breaking up a no hitter in high school, attending Hideo Nomo's no hitter in Baltimore, attending Super Bowl XXVIII, attending World Series Game 1 in 1998... all of these pale in comparison to the sheer elation I felt knowing my Boston Red Sox, the team I'd grown up cheering as if my life depended on it, had finally won a World Series.

I will be forever grateful to John Henry, Larry Lucchino, Theo Epstein, Terry Francona, and every guy who appeared in a Red Sox uniform this season...

I heart Random Buddhist Philosophy

2004-10-28T08:08:00.000-04:00

Movie: I *heart* Huckabees

Year: 2004

Director: David O. Russell

Writers: David O. Russell & Jeff Baena

My Take: "An existential comedy" says the tagline. I couldn't agree more. The film meanders all over the meaning of life and proof of our existence. And it was very funny. The comedy in the movie is what saves any shred of decency for me. I'm all for films with a philosophy, but David O. Russell's latest feels like a bag full of Buddhist fortune cookies forced into a three act structure. Throughout the screening I wondered how Charlie Kaufman would have handled the material if paired with either of his usual directors, Spike Jonze or Michel Gondry.

A Q&A with the director afterward did nothing to dispell my feelings about the failings of this film. I knew it wouldn't be when the first question the director asked the audience (a reversal in itself) was "Do you believe like Dustin Hoffman's character or like Isabelle Huppert's character?" As if there are only two choices. The collective vibe from the room felt like, "Um, neither?"

While Huckabees was an admirable undertaking, the script could have used with another rewrite and the acting could have been more naturalistic. In his well-documented attempts at getting the actors to feel a certain way, David O. Russell managed to get shoddy performances out of nearly his entire cast. The characters were inconsistent, wooden, and wholely unbelievable with the exception of the character played by Mark Wahlberg.

The Verdict: If you're into Buddhist philosophy, by all means, see the film. If you're into David O. Russell's film-making, by all means, see the film. If you're expecting a quirky intelligent comedy that makes you leave the theater with a different world view, see something written by Charlie Kaufman.

If your country turned Commie would you leave?

2004-10-25T16:03:00.000-04:00

Movie: Memories of Underdevelopment

Year: 1968

Director: Tomás Gutiérrez Alea

Writers: Tomás Gutiérrez Alea & Edmundo Desnoes based on the novel by Edmundo Desnoes

My Take: A middle-aged man stays in Havana when all of his family and friends escape to the North - Miami, Florida - after Fidel Castro takes power in Cuba. He attempts to make a life for himself in this new society, providing a running commentary on the effects that underdevelopment have had on Cuban culture. This film is essentially a running monologue for the lead character, but it remains compelling both for what he has to say and the visuals of a Communist Cuba with beautiful black and white cinematography shot shortly after the Bay of Pigs and Cuban Missile Crisis. This was the first Cuban film released in the U.S. after Castro's take over and stands as both a relic of different times and an innovative film in it's own right.

The Verdict: If you have an interest in the Cuban perspective of America circa 1968, see this film. If you don't, see it anyway... if you can find it. Currently available on VHS, but not DVD.

Keep it Under a Bushel

2004-10-24T19:15:00.000-04:00

Restaurant: Beacon Restaurant

Where: 56th Street btw 5th Ave and 6th Ave, Midtown West.

Dinner: Wood Roasted Oysters, Grilled Filet Mignon, and Wood Roasted Bass

Drink: Gin & Soda

Price: $130 (for 2)

My Take: An unassuming exterior on a deserted (after 6pm) street in midtown yields to an impressive dining room complete with a large bar along one side and an exposed fire-grilled kitchen in the rear. Given the dour exterior, I was surprised at the bustle inside. This gave me high hopes.

The first sign that things were not quite right was that we were seated without menus. Several minutes later the waiter arrived to take a drink order, but still without menus. Menus were eventually granted, but not for the first 15 minutes at table. Observing the room (steps down to the kitchen level separate this room from the main dining room), I realized that there was one waiter for at least ten tables. This was going to be a long meal.

Waiter visits continued to be infrquent, but the food did eventually arrive. The oysters had a rich flavor with a tart finish. I'd certainly order them again. That is if I were willing to return to the restaurant, which I'm not. The fish was dry and the filet was chewy. Neither of those are words you want to accompany $30 entrees.

Dessert was skipped in hopes of returning home before midnight.

The Verdict: With the number of high end restaurants in this city, it amazes me how many stay open despite only adequate food and marginal service. Given the size of this restaurant, they must do a good business to afford the rent. They won't get any more help from me.

Off to Highbury

2004-10-23T11:09:00.000-04:00

Movie: Fever Pitch

Year: 1997

Director: David Evans

Writers: Nick Hornby based on the book by Nick Hornby

My Take: A school teacher (played brilliantly by Colin Firth) who is more interested in the Arsenal Gunners football (soccer) team than in teaching his kids. He eats, sleeps, breathes football. The film is part rom/com, part coming of age, and very well done. His team hasn't won a title in 18 years and they're on the verge of a championship. He's waited his whole life for this. The trouble is that he's begun a relationship with another teacher and she doesn't understand his obsession. Should he choose the team or the girl?

The Verdict: As a lifelong soccer player and a fan of Arsenal since I discovered UK football, I really enjoyed this film. I can only imagine it having been even better if it were about an obsessed Boston Red Sox fan as his team is on the verge of winning the World Series. Fortunately, I won't have to wait very long for that one. Fever Pitch starring Jimmy Fallon and Drew Barrymore hits theaters next year.

We interrupt this broadcast...

2004-10-21T14:47:00.000-04:00

At the risk of alienating my NYC readers, I must pause in my restaurant and film reviews to share the smallest of joys I recently experienced.

It all started in 1982 when my father sent me a care package while taking a sabbatical at Harvard University. He was earning a masters degree in biostatistics to make himself even more over-educated than he already was. Inside the care package was a pack of baseball cards. By the time I got to visit him in Boston later that year, I had become an enormous baseball fan. But I grew up in a non-baseball State, let alone City. So my loyalties were undecided.

Shortly after arriving in Boston, where I spent part of nearly every day scrounging through my father's apartment to find 35 cents to buy a fresh pack of baseball cards (they even came with a gum stick back then), my father took me to Fenway Park for my very first major league game. Hall of Famer Dennis Eckersley started that day against the Kansas City Royals. Hall of Famer Carl Yastrzemski was in his final season in a Red Sox uniform and Hall of Famer Wade Boggs was in his first. My favorite player immediately became Dwight Evans, the Red Sox right fielder with a cannon for an arm and a handlebar moustache. They won easily that day as well as the next time I went a few weeks later against the Toronto Blue Jays.

Little did I know then that it would be 20 years before I'd return to Fenway.

1986 brought the most heartache I've ever felt as a Red Sox fan. To be so close to winning the World Series and then lose in absolutely indescribable fashion - I maintain to this day that the ball between Buckner's legs took a mystery hop sideways. I cried myself to sleep after games 6 and 7 and have hated the New York Mets ever since. Only after every single member of that team had left the Mets could I even watch them play a game on television. They remain my least favorite team.

In that regard, I'm not a Yankee-hating Red Sox fan like you often find. Do I like the Yankees? No. But I don't hate them. I admire Joe Torre and Derek Jeter and I genuinely like Bernie Williams having met him once in a hospital hallway. After last season's extra-inning loss on Aaron Boone's home run, I decided that I was reaching the hate level for the Yankees, but I was also proud of the Red Sox for taking it to 7 games against a team with a much bigger payroll and a better pitching staff.

This season hopes were high when the Sox won most of the early season match-ups with the Yankees, but then the Red Sox just seemed to lose it. They fell far behind the Yankees in the standings and were even out of the Wild Card spot for quite some time. Only a late season surge brought them back tight with the Yankees and secured the Wild Card spot. This season I only made it to Fenway twice - for the home opener, which they lost to the Angels (who they swept in the AL Division Series) and for a game in September, which Orlando Cabrera won on an extra-inning home run - the second season in a row I'd seen the Sox win a late season home game in extra innings with a HR.

Sweeping the Angels and watching the Yankees pitching struggle late in the season made me overconfident about their chances in the AL Championship Series. When NY won the first two games at Yankee Stadium, I got really worried. When the Yankees won game 3 19-8 in Fenway Park, I lost faith. My only hope was that they'd somehow avoid a sweep. They pulled out game 4 in extra innings, but I still thought it was only a matter of time. At least it wouldn't be a sweep. When game 5 reached extra innings the smallest seed of faith was planted. I knew extra innings favored the home team and that we'd have Schilling pitching game 6. Sure enough, Sox won game 5 in the 14th inning and Schilling pitched a gem in game 6 to tie everything up.

My perennial pessimism assured me that the Sox had burnt all of their reserve energy in making the come back from a 3 games to 0 deficit in the series and that game 7 would be a laugher for the Yanks. I was proud of the Sox for forcing a game 7, something no team down 3-0 had ever done in the history of baseball (a best of 7 format has been in use since 1905).

When Ortiz homered in the first inning to give the Sox a 2-0 lead I began to hope for a miracle. Damon's grand slam convinced me that we had a shot. 6-0 to the Yanks in game 7 sounded too much like the 5-0 lead we'd had last year in game 7 and we all know how that turned out. When the score reached 8-1 and the Yankees remaining outs began dwindling, I began believing that it just might happen. Terry Francona's inexplicable decision to bring in Pedro Martinez dashed those hopes as the mighty Yankees scored two quick runs and the Yankee Stadium crowd erupted with energy. I was screaming at the television in anger and disgust. Derek Lowe had given up 1 hit and 1 run in 6 innings. Let him continue pitching until some else got a hit off of him. Even if it was a home run, it'd still be 8-2 and he'd have gotten some more valuable outs.

It turned out not to matter, but it made for a much more stressful end to the game than I needed. My heart rate was sky high throughout. I was on the edge of my seat. I couldn't relax for a minute. If I did something during an inning the Sox had success, I made sure to do the same thing during the next inning. I became a superstitious nut.

When the final out was made, a ground out by Ruben Sierra to Pokey Reese, I broke down sobbing. I cried with relief, with joy, with 18 years of pent up disappointment over the 1986 loss. It was several minutes before I composed myself. I realize they still have to win 4 of the next 7 games against whoever the NL throws at them, but if you'd have told me 18 years ago that it'd take this long to get back to the Series, I would have laughed at you.

Now I feel confident about the World Series. The Red Sox have shown that they are a very special team - coming back down 3-0 to a team with a payroll more than $50 million more than the Sox shows the kind of character that you can't quantify with salaries or statistics. They may lose another tear-jerker to the Cardinals or the Astros, but this Sox fan finally believes in miracles. And if this year doesn't work out, there's always 2022.

And Dewey is still my favorite baseball player of all time.

Another contender for Best Burger in NYC?

2004-10-20T13:06:00.000-04:00

Restaurant: Corner Bistro

Where: 4th Street and Jane St, West Village.

Dinner: burger and fries

Drink: McSorley's Dark Ale

Price: $26 (for 2)

My Take: After attending a private screening of David O. Russell's new film, I Heart Huckabees, (review coming tomorrow) I stopped by Corner Bistro. This had been recommended to me as the best burger joint in NYC. Based on the name alone I had expected a richly decorated restaurant with a trendy menu that happened to make a great burger. My premonition couldn't have been more wrong. This is a dive bar in the spirit of McSorley's in the East Village. While it lacks the sawdust floors and rich history, it's got the same beer on tap and has a very limited menu. Waits are usually quite long, or so I was told by the couple in line behind me, but on a rainy Tuesday night at almost 10pm, it took 10 minutes to be seated.

The generously sized hamburgers (guessing a 1/2 lb) are juicy as can be. Served on paper plates, my plate was soaked in juices within two bites. It was served with lettuce, tomato, onion, and pickle chips with ketchup and mustard on the table. The bun was of usual variety - nothing special about it, but the burger was fresh and satisfying, particulary since I hadn't eaten in nearly 10 hours. The fries were crispy and hot - again, no frills.

The Verdict: I can't say this is the best hamburger I've had in NYC. That claim still belongs to Hi-Life on the Upper East Side. However, if you're in the West Village or Chelsea looking for a buger, you could do much worse than this hole in the wall just a few blocks south of 14th Street and Hudson.

Kinky Sexy Funny

2004-10-19T10:17:00.000-04:00

Movie: Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down!

Year: 1990

Director: Pedro Almodovar

Writers: Pedro Almodovar & Yuyi Beringola

My Take: Ricky, played by a young Antonio Banderas, is released from a nut house after having been deemed cured by a judge. He immediately tracks down his favorite porn star, played by the beautiful Victoria Abril, kidnaps her and ties her up. He claims that he'll let her go as soon as she falls in love with him. With no ransom note and no clue as to where she's gone, her friends and family are at a loss. The Helsinki Syndrome plays out in absurdism, which Almodovar loves to toy with.

This film received an NC-17 rating by the MPAA no doubt in large part thanks to one particularly steamy bedroom scene and another scene in which Abril enjoys a motorized plastic frogman in her bathtub. The film received 14 Goya nominations (Spanish Oscars), but won none (Ay Carmela took 13 that year).

The Verdict: Not Almodovar's best work, but it's got a very nice dark humor and is very sexy.

Don't fuck with Ol' Saint Nick

2004-10-18T10:57:00.000-04:00

Movie: Bad Santa

Year: 2003

Director: Terry Zwigoff

Writers: Glenn Ficarra & John Requa

My Take: A safe cracker poses as a shopping mall Santa Claus to crack department store safes every Christmas Eve. It's a clever premise and it only gets better from there. This hard drinking, hard talking, hard living Santa played flawlessly by Billy Bob Thornton (truly inspired casting) is every parent's worst nightmare. He's crude, dirty, mean, ugly, and has no motivation. His arc is short and minimal and even that centers around stuffed animal. Supporting turns by Tony Cox, Bernie Mac, and John Ritter (RIP) add richness and plenty of comedy.

I normally don't like child actors in films and this kid is no exception. His primary role appears to be as a foil for Santa's age-inappropriate comments and the kid's dialogue delivery could barely be less believable, but he's got the look and creates plenty of laughs on his own by just being a big dumb kid who won't leave this Santa alone.

The Verdict: If you're a fan of dark comedy, this is a film for you. Non-stop inappropriate humor and a very dark world view. Gotta love it!

The Open Road

2004-10-17T11:03:00.000-04:00

Title: The Motorcycle Diaries

Year: 2004

Director: Walter Salles

Writers: Jose Rivera based on books by Che Guevara (Notas de viaje) and Alberto Granado (Con el Che por America Latina)

My Take: This was a "must see" for 2004 as soon as I heard about it. I've got a soft spot for Latin American cinema and I'd be extremely impressed with Gael Garcia Bernal. in Amores Perros (one of my 10 favorite films of all time) and Y tu mama tambien. At only 25 years old, I think he's got a very bright future.

The first thing I noticed about The Motorcycle Diaries is that the film is simply beautiful. The cinematography is very much an ode to South America, as it should be given the entire film is based around Che Guevara and Alberto Granado's pan-South American motorcycle trip that took them from their homeland of Argentina along the western length of the continent to Venezuala. It was a life-changing experience for both men and this is readily apparent throughout the film. Guevara's transformation is more apparent, but Granado certainly didn't emerge untouched.

Perhaps the most impressive part of this film is that it was shot on location - the film's cast and crew retraced the steps of Guevara and Granado, interacting with residents of same villages and towns that the intrepid cyclists had ridden through on their journey 50 years before. Their travels and the film crew covered over 10,000 km and the resulting film is magnificent as a result. From lost love to poverty to lust to confusion to moments of clarity to compassion to rage to self-sacrifice, this film touches on many, many parts of the human condition and all in a believable and undramaticized way.

The Verdict: This will be joining my DVD collection shortly. I hope to see it in the theaters again before it rides off into the sunset.

Angels over Italy

2004-10-15T10:39:00.000-04:00

Restaurant: Angels Restaurant

Where: 1st Avenue between 62nd and 63rd.

Dinner: Gorgonzola Bread, Lasagna, & Penne al Forno.

Drink: Pinot Grigio by the glass.

Price: $40 (for 2)

My Take: The first thing you notice about Angels upon entering is that the place is decorated with angels everywhere - even angels painted into the cloud mural on the ceiling. Angels doesn't have that old school Italian NY eatery where you'd expect to see a mob boss eating a bowl of spaghetti and meatballs, but it does have an authentic feel to it nonetheless.

This may be because when visiting on a weekend night, there were 3 enormous parties of Italian Americans dining rather happily and boistrously. The party closest to my table must have had 15 or 16 Italians with thick Brooklyn accents. They were extremely loud, which I didn't mind at all - it's nice to see people enjoying themselves. This did, however, upset one of the, no doubt, Upper East Side residents. This woman, probably in her 40s or 50s, asked if her party could be moved. As she was escorted to a table in another part of the restaurant, she paused near the long table of revelers and shouted, "Go back to Bensonhurst!" This resulted in tables being pushed aside and several of the men standing to argue with this woman and her party. These were not small guys - NYPD or FDNY most likely. At one point I was almost sure that one of the 40 year-old partiers was going to take a swing at the 75 year-old father of the offended woman. Cooler heads prevailed, so I didn't get to see a big fight in an Italian restaurant, but it was certainly the most entertaining altercation I've seen in all my dining experiences.

On to the food... if you order one thing on the Angels menu, make it the Gorganzola Bread. This is a loaf of Angels garlic bread resting in a shallow dish of melted gorganzola cream sauce. It's truly divine (as if could resist that adjective at a place called Angels). The lasagna has more cheese than anything else and the Penne al Forno was tastly enough, though I'm not a big fan of their tomato sauce. The upside is that the portions are enormous, so several meals (yes, more than two) may be possible out of one entree. Other than the garlic bread, I'd have to say that the food is average or a little above average for Italian. This is unfortunate, because there is so much to like about this restaurant. I think they'd do well to find a smoother, tastier red sauce, but that's just one guy's opinion. There's no arguing with the business this place draws in.

The Verdict: A no frills, enormously portioned, good value Italian eatery on the Upper East Side.

Why has god forsaken us?

2004-10-12T13:01:00.000-04:00

Title: City of God

Year: 2002

Directors: Katia Lund & Fernando Meirelles

Writers: Braulio Mantovani based on the novel by Paulo Lins

My Take: This film had been described to me as "a Brazilian Pulp Fiction" and "you've got to see it, you'll love it." Well, one out of two ain't bad. This film had no more to do with Pulp Fiction than Kevin Smith's been able to escape Jay and Silent Bob. However, I loved City of God for being a rich, vibrant, relentless, unsanitized look at life in a Brazilian slum. It wasn't always pretty even if the cinematography was often amazing. The subject matter, the escalation of a gang war between rival drug lords, builds over the course of the film to an inevitable conclusion. The protagonist, a pot-smoking loafer named Rocket with one overriding dream - to become a photographer - is not your usual "good guy" trying to save the world from the bad guys. He's just trying to peacefully coexist under extremely difficult circumstances.

Verdict: This is definitely a must see, but don't expect to go through the film being entertained without it's graphic nature challenging your views on things. This isn't pulp entertainment in any sense of the word. This film was made to make you think and it does. Extremely well.

RIP Superman

2004-10-11T13:54:00.000-04:00

While Christopher Reeve will never be mistaken for a great actor, he will always represent iconic hero Superman to a generation of people around the world. His tragic riding accident and untimely death were both sad moments for our country, but his tireless efforts as an advocate for betterment of the health of those suffering from spinal cord injuries was more heroic than anything he accomplished on the silver screen. The world was a better place with him in it.

Fahrenheit 9/11

2004-10-10T23:55:00.000-04:00

How anyone can watch this film and vote for George W. Bush is beyond me. I was in tears during the opening credits. Perhaps memories of 9/11 hit closer to home for those of us who lived in Washington, DC or NYC, but that is a day I never want to relive. I'm thankful to Michael Moore for having the decency to play the audio over a black screen rather than show us, for the thousandth time, an airliner full of Americans striking a building full of Americans. The way this administration parlayed the evil of September 11, 2001 into a grasp for oil is downright criminal.

Clueless meets Heathers?

2004-10-09T10:46:00.000-04:00

Title: Mean Girls

Year: 2004

Director: Mark S. Waters

Writers: Rosalind Wiseman, Tina Fey

My Take: This film starts with an excellent hook - a home schooled girl's first day of high school. That's instant comedy material and the film has some extremely funny moments. Her voice over explanation of why she was home schooled was a great little segment, particularly the gun-totting bible thumpers. That reminded me of something out of a classic Christopher Guest comedy.

Lindsay Lohan as the lead, is sweet, believable, and quite easy on the eyes. I'm allowed to say that, right? I mean, she's 18 now. She ultimately saves this movie for me, because without someone so believably naive and kind-hearted, the film would have fallen flat. The comedy was uneven, the antagonists never hinted at any goodness, and many of the reactions other students had to the actions of the central characters were unbelievable. But I spent much of the time watching this laughing at Tina Fey and Tim Meadows and the "uncool kids" that Lindsay's character befriends. This often felt like a Saturday Night Live skit, which makes sense since Lorne Michaels produced and Tina Fey was one of the writers.

Verdict: This ultimately fell far short of Heathers as a dark teen comedy and I can't say I was more than a little disappointed when I realized that Mark S. Waters also directed the brilliant House of Yes, which he's never followed up with another dark independent comedy choosing instead to direct a string of light teen girl comedies. Oh well.

My Favorite Restaurant in NYC...

2004-10-08T13:42:00.000-04:00

is a tiny little Japanese place on the Upper East Side. I went there last night to celebrate a pretty big life accomplishment which I might blog about at some future date.

Anyway, when I say "tiny little" I mean "tiny little". The place has 6 tables - seating for 22 diners. When I called for a reservation for two on a Thursday night, my choices were 5:30pm or 8:15pm. I opted for 8:15pm and was seated by 8.

What makes this place so special really revolves around four things.

First, the intimacy. This tiny space with exposed brick walls and a picture window looking out onto a quiet Upper East Side street, makes for a leisurely dining experience, unlike many of the massive "best" restaurants around town.

Second, the service. There are 6 servers for 6 tables and all of them cater to the needs of each table equally. At one point or another last night, all 6 servers brought menus, plates, drinks, or food to our table.

Third, the menu. The menu is as diverse as it is intersting. All sorts of foods I've never tried before appear throughout the menu and I'm reaching the point where I'm willing to order many of the more esoteric choices, because...

Fourth, the food. The food is simply amazing. The sushi is always extremely fresh. They serve blue fin tuna and blue fin toro, which if you haven't had blue fin toro, you haven't had sushi. It's extremely expensive, but it melts in your mouth and has a simply remarkable taste. Other treats have included seared tuna, grilled squid, salmon and cucumber in spicy sauce, sauteed soft shelled crab, sauteed whole shrimp, broiled sea bass, and many other delights. And the sake and desserts as just as good.

This place truly is amazing.

Verdict: I'd tell you the name, but then it'd be even harder to get a reservation. Trust me, I'm not hurting them - they took their name out of zagat, because they'd gotten too busy.

Cuba Libre!

2004-10-05T10:37:00.000-04:00

Restaurant: Havana Central

Where: 22 East 17th Street - just off Union Square between Broadway and 5th Ave.

My Take: Growing up in Tampa, Cuban food is as normal as hot dogs, pizza, and apple pie. I was actually surprised when I went away to college and the cafeteria never served black beans and rice or Cuban sandwiches. It took a while, but I finally found a place in NYC that serves good Cuban food. This isn't to say it's the best Cuban restaurant in town - its the only one I've tried. However, the food is consistently good, which compliments the location (Union Square is always fun) and festive decor.

I'd suggest starting with the BBQ Riblets. They are delicious with the mango habanero ginger sauce (not too spicy). Follow that up with a Cuban Sandwich prepared with quality ingredients. For those of you unfamiliar, a Cuban Sandwich is a pressed hot sandwich made with smoked ham, roasted pork, swiss cheese, pickles, and mustard. The sandwich is served with sweet potato fries, which while perhaps not traditionally Cuban, are tasty nonetheless. I'd also suggest the Havana Corn-on-the-Cob-Maiz. A corn cob is rolled in cheese and spices and cooked to perfection. It may be the tastiest corn dish I've ever had.

Verdict: Unlike the cigars, Cuban sandwiches are not prohibited by law. Neither should be, but for now, enjoy the sandwiches (and the cigars if you can find them).

Average Joe Turned Criminal?

2004-10-04T15:01:00.000-04:00

Title: Das Experiment

Year: 2001

Director: Oliver Hirschbiegel

Writers: Don Bohlinger, Christoph Darnstädt, Mario Giordano

My Take: Someone had recommended this German film to me probably a year or two ago, but I finally managed to catch it through Netflix (great resource for hard to find classic, independent, and foreign films) this weekend.

This psychological thriller follows a young cab driver who volunteers to be part of a scientific experiment based loosely on the Standford Prison Experiment. 20 healthy male volunteers are randomly chosen to be guards or prisoners for 2 weeks. Each will receive a nice paycheck at the end. Things start out normally enough, but the subjects quickly adapt to their roles. The prisoners become antisocial and the guards get drunk on the power. I won't give away any more, because discovering what will happen next is half the fun of this film.

The Verdict: If you like psychological thrillers, you'll love this flick. It's a wild ride.

We've got crabs!

2004-10-03T13:17:00.000-04:00

Restaurant: City Crab & Seafood Co.

Where: 19th & Park Ave.

My Take: I've been to City Crab relatively often since a friend of mine bartends there. Besides the obvious benefits, he knows the menu like the back of his hand. And he's yet to steer me wrong. Hopefully, I can impart some advice to others who may decide to visit this massive seafood house (2 stories) just north of Union Square.

Having lived both Florida and close to the Eastern Shore of Maryland, I've got pretty selective tastes when it comes to seafood. City Crab has yet to disappoint.

Start with the Buffalo Shrimp. I've yet to find better in the city, and frankly, I don't really need to try, because these are fabulous. If you don't do shellfish or spicy foods, the Seared Tuna Carpaccio is delicious as well. The raw bar also has an impressive selection.

As for entrees, the Maryland Crab Cakes are excellent and it's hard to go wrong with the lobster or one of their daily fish specials. But my favorite meal at City Crab was their Summer Sunday Blues special, which takes me back to summer afternoons on the Eastern Shore - a pile of fresh blue crabs listening to live blues. The special is over for 2004, but hopefully they'll bring it back next year.

Verdict: If you're looking for fresh seafood done well without a lot of fan-fare and reasonable prices, City Crab is a good choice. It'll never be considered one of the best seafood restaurants in the city since they don't have a celebrity chef and will never be mistaken for gourmet, but it sure beats Red Lobster or similar.

Who'd live in Jersey?

2004-10-02T22:16:00.000-04:00

A friend of mine, who I trust when it comes to flims, was rabidly excited about Garden State prior to it's release. I tend to try to see films without having much prior knowledge of the plot or story so that I am more easily surprised by the twists and turns, something that trailers all too often reveal in hopes of getting butts in the seats. All I knew of this one was that it presumably took place in New Jersey, at state we New Yorkers like to make fun of (both fairly and unfairly).

I ended up seeing Garden State before he did and I came away extremely impressed with the job that Zach Braff, who I'd only known from his role on Scrubs, did with this film. It was very well shot, the story was interesting enough for being a "finding yourself" kind of movie, and the acting never took me out of the film even though I knew this was a sit-com actor playing a dramatic role.

I wasn't blogging then, so I didn't write a review, but when my friend finally got around to seeing it (he was busy making his own movie), he was so moved by the film, he's decided to completely rewrite one of his own scripts to "feel more like Garden State." You see, his is also a "finding yourself" story, only the comedy was much more overt, which may have detracted from the theme of the film. I, for one, applaud him for realizing that more laughs aren't always better.

Go see Garden State. Funny, touching, poignant, real. You won't be disappointed.

Play it again, Sam.

2004-10-01T21:31:00.000-04:00

Restaurant: Hi-Life Bar & Grill

Where: Upper East Side - 1st Ave @ 72nd St., S.E. corner.

When: Frequently.

Meals: hamburger, turkey chili, cobb salad, cutting board filet.

My Take: Hi-Life feels like the kind of place Bogart would hang out in. Dark wood, black vinyl booths, a huge fish tank, and a prominent bar. The bar clientel, at least when I've been there, has been older than your average frat boy, but by no means codgers. Diners are usually mixed from 20-somethings to why aren't you in Florida? The wait staff is exclusively female.

I eat at Hi-Life a couple times a month. It's near the office and not that far from home so I find myself there for lunch and dinner. I had to give a nod to a restaurant in the neighborhood and I decided on Hi-Life since the it serves the best hamburger I've had in NYC. Admittedly, I haven't eaten at many of the "best burger" places, but Hi-Life makes a good one. It's a little inconsistent. Sometimes it's amazing and other times it's a little over done. I tend to order my burgers medium hoping for a nice pink juicy patty. Hi-Life usually delivers.

I've had several of their other menu choices as well and I can unreservedly recommend the turkey chili (cheap, healthy, and very tasty), cobb salad, and the cutting board filet, which is a petite (4 oz?) filet sliced over a bed of greens with an asian dipping sauce and a side of new potato salad. This has been fantastic every time I've had it. One of my favorite meals among local restaurants and pretty cheap ($10.95) given that the burger and salads can run $9 or so.

Verdict: If you find yourself in the 70s on the East Side and don't have a reservation to Atlantic Grill, you could do much worse.

The Forgettable

2004-09-30T13:19:00.000-04:00

Title: The Forgotten

Year: 2004

Director: Joseph Ruben

Writer: Gerald DiPego

My Take: I went into this knowing nothing other than it was about a mother who had lost her child and was now being told that the child never existed. I hadn't seen the trailer or TV spots, which were apparently compelling enough to bring in $22 million in it's opening weekend. I was part of that $22 million.

The first act creates this rich character played by Julianne Moore, a grieving mother, who is broken, depressed, and potentially psychotic (imagining a child she never had). I had strong feelings for her. I wanted her to find comfort somewhere, anywhere. Her husband, played adequately by longtime ER actor, Anthony Edwards, provides no comfort. She turns to a neighbor played by Dominic West, a former hockey player and current alcoholic. She wants answers, he wants sex. Neither get either. From there things get very weird.

In the end this felt like a two-part episode of The X-Files, which was a fun show, but given the strong, dramatic first act, it was a let down when the film devolved into a "someone is watching" plot device. The rich character developed in act one is subverted by external forces and we only see glimpses of her turmoil throughout the rest of the film. She's too busy running and hiding.

There were several moments when I was scared nearly out of my seat, but I think this was primarily because I hadn't seen the trailers, which apparently spoil these moments. Many of the plot turns and character decisions were paper thin or irrational, so I had a hard time sympathizing or believing that the film would progress in the manner in which it progressed. For me, the key to a good story is when characters make surprising, yet ultimately inevitable choices that lead to the resolution of their adventure. This film doesn't do that.

The Verdict: An unsatisfying and forgettable film even if Julianne Moore was wonderful as a grieving mother. If you like her acting, it might be worth seeing. Otherwise, pick something else.

King of the Papayas

2004-09-29T17:21:00.000-04:00

Restaurant: Papaya King

Where: Upper East Side - 86th St between 3rd and Lexington Aves.

When: 20 minutes ago.

Meal: dog with kraut

Drink: none

Total bill: $1.65

My Take: My Super Duper Weenie suggestion of the other day got me to thinking that I should give the NYC hot dog establishments another try. This afternoon I happened to be in the area running errands, so I stopped by Papaya King for another round. I already think these are the best hot dogs I've had in NYC and this visit did nothing to disabuse me of that notion. I'll certainly give Nathan's and Gray's Papaya another go just to be fair. The King's dogs are served on toasted buns with a wide variety of toppings. I opted for the simple kraut dog, because it's really not that long until dinner. It took the edge off my afternoon and reaffirmed my preference for Papaya King when it comes to hot dogs around here.

I know stopping by a hot dog street vendor when visiting NYC is one of the things tourists like to do, but I'd suggest planning your day around a visit to one of these actual eateries. It'll be a great hot dog experience and you'll save yourself from eating a dirty water dog of unknown origin, quality, or freshness. Buyer beware.

Verdict: Wonder when I can get back out to Super Duper Weenie? Seriously, though, this is a nice, cheap snack.

Worst Movie of 2004 - a revised opinion

2004-09-28T13:50:00.000-04:00

My apologies. I completely blanked on THE worst movie of 2004 when posting about Club Dread the other day. I would have a hard time imagining that anything could possibly be worse than The Punisher. Somehow at the time of seeing it, I managed to give it 4 out of 10 stars on IMDB. How silly of me. This movie is so bad that it makes the original 1989 Dolph Lundgren version shine.

At least in the 1989 version, the city scape was the gritty, urban, crime-ridden city in which this gritty, urban, criminal fits. In the 2004 version, the whole thing takes place in Tampa, Florida and the Caribbean. This is completely at odds with the comic books. I'm no comic book fan. I haven't read one since high school at least, but this is one horrible adaptation. In the original film (and I'm assuming the comics), The Punisher is a badass with a score to settle. He takes no mercy on his victims and kills as needed. He is revenge personified. In the new version he relies on stupid human tricks to play his enemies against one another, doing little to punish some of the worst baddies in the film. He goes to great lengths to create new armament and then does relatively little with it. He goes through all of this trouble to build this tank-car only to have it blow up shortly after finishing the project. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

The director only makes things worse during the director's commentary by complaining that the $30 million budget was too low. Hello! Robert Rodriguez made Desperado for $8M, pal! He defended Tampa as a location because he couldn't afford to shoot in a major city. The original Punisher cost only $10M to make and it was shot in an urban environment. But somehow $30M wasn't enough for this guy. What a joke.

The ultimate indictment of the "quality" of this film? I'd rather buy Club Dread than watch The Punisher again.

Lobster so fresh...

2004-09-26T20:42:00.000-04:00

Restaurant: Abbott's Lobster in the Rough

Where: 117 Pearl Street, Noank, Connecticut

When: Saturday, September 25th, 2pm.

Meal: Clam Chowder & a Hot Lobster Roll - A 1/4 lb of pure lobster meat (more than is found in a small lobster) with melted creamery butter, mounded on a toasted bun.

Drink: Iced Coffee

Total bill: Around $30 (for 2 people)

My Take: I know my restaurant reviews are supposed to be for NYC, but I've spent the past week on vacation on Cape Cod so I'll throw out a few restaurants I tried while out of town. On the way back into town, I stopped at Abbott's. This was not my first visit to Abbott's and it definitely won't be my last. This isn't the easiest place to find - Noank is a little town near Mystic, CT, but the trip is worth it. I'd seriously consider driving up for the day just to eat their hot lobster roll. It's a delight. Their lobster salad roll is the best I've had in Connecticut as well, though it's a step down from what I've had in Maine and on the Cape.

For those of you unfamiliar, a lobster roll is a lobster sandwich - pulled lobster meat either mixed with mayo or special sauce and celery on a traditional lobster roll (think of a tuna fish salad replacing the tuna with lobster - served on a hot dog bun) or heated with butter and served on a toasted hamburger roll.

Their other menu items can be hit or miss. I've had their crab cakes, which don't hold a candle to Maryland jumbo lump cakes, and their signature clam chowder and lobster bisque, which were both poor examples of these usually tasty bowls of soup. I suspect their lobster dinner is very good, but I have not yet confirmed this suspicion.

Another benefit to Abbott's is the seaside location. While dining you sit on picnic tables and watch the sailboats and yachts cruise by. Idyllic on a sunny day.

Verdict: Stick with the two delicious lobster rolls and you won't regret the choice. The hot lobster roll is a must. The other is very good.

Instant Cult Classic

2004-09-25T19:18:00.000-04:00

Title: Shaun of the Dead

Year: 2004

Director: Edgar Wright

Writers: Simon Pegg & Edgar Wright

Favorite Line: There are so many clever bits of dialogue throughout this film, it's hard to pick just one. Also, most of them are brilliant within the context but would be lost written in a blog, so I'll go with the obvious choice... just after Shaun explains to his girlfriend and her flatmates that his best friend Ed can be a bit crude, he walks up to the table and says, "Can I get any of you cunts a drink?" These sorts of set-ups and pay-offs throughout the film make the dialogue a lot of fun. I think I'd benefit from a repeat viewing since the thick British accents were not always easy to catch and lines were often shouted over background noises.

My Take: The blending of horror and comedy in this film exceeds, in my opinion, previous efforts such as the Evil Dead Trilogy or Scream, which are excellent in their own right. This is probably because I'm a huge fan of British humor to begin with and tossing in the zombie genre only adds to the laughs. The deadpan lines and perfect pacing of this film are simply great. There are two long tracking shots in particular that were perfectly timed and no doubt technically challenging and they both develop Shuan's character extremely well. The frights were subtle for the most part and the gore, while sometimes excessive, was often comical, lessening it's impact. The film certainly deserved it's R rating, but it's a light R compared to some horror I've seen. The characters are fun to watch and the interactions between Shuan and Ed spell instant cult classic.

I found the denouement of the principal challenge (surviving the zombies) to be somewhat disappointing, but the wrap up afterward was fun in it's own right.

Verdict: My new favourite zombie movie.

Get your red hots!

2004-09-24T19:16:00.000-04:00

Restaurant: Super Duper Weenie

Where: 306 Black Rock Turnpike, Fairfield, Connecticut

When: Saturday, September 18th, 2pm.

Meal: New Englander, Chicagoan, French Fries

Drink: Boylan's Root Beer

Total bill: Around $12 (2 people)

My Take: People rave about Nathan's Famous and Gray's Papaya around NYC. Many natives are Nathan's loyalists and an occasional transplant will prefer Gray's thanks to The Sopranos. I personally prefer Papaya King's dogs, but we're not here to talk about NYC dogs. We're here to talk about a little hot dog place in the middle of Connecticut that deserves some props.

People might hate me for this, but I prefer Chicago style dogs to anything served up on NYC. The combination of celery salt and hot peppers makes for a very tasty sandwich. The Chicagoan at Super Duper Weenie (you gotta love it for the name alone) is a passable example of this dog. I've had better, but I've had much, much worse. They leave off the hot peppers, probably because New Englanders don't go for spicy foods.

Their New Englander was truly an interesting dog - sauerkraut, onions, relish, mustard, and bacon on the dog. Pretty tasty if you ask me. I'd get it again and I'll definitely be back to Super Duper Weenie.

Verdict: A little place in suburban Connecticut does better dogs than NYC? Say it ain't so!

Gay Laundry

2004-09-23T17:49:00.000-04:00

Title: My Beautiful Laundrette

Year: 1985

Director: Stephen Frears

Writer: Hanif Kureishi

Favorite Line: Setting it up, Tania and Omar are cousins. She desperately wants to escape her upper class life and at one point agrees to marry Omar, who she now dislikes, because he appears to be turning into her father - focusing on money more than life. The main problem with the whole marriage concept is that Omar's gay and in love with Johnny (Daniel Day-Lewis).

Nasser: I thought you two were getting married.

Omar: Yes, any day now.

Tania: I'd rather drink my own urine.

Omar: I hear it can be quite tasty with a slice of lemon.

My Take: This film made Daniel Day-Lewis a star - or rather he showed the glimpses of the actor that would win an Oscar for My Left Foot and be nominated twice more. He's a young tough gay who befriends a young Pakistani who renovates his uncle's laundromat. The film takes a thoughtful look at Pakistani life in London, racism between the London working class and immigrants, and homosexuality from a Pakistani perspective.

This was also the film that turned Stephen Frears from UK TV director to Hollywood feature film director. He's been referred to as the father of independent cinema, which I'm sure he would be the first to admit is an inappropriate title. He, in fact, considers himself a yeoman director, finding source material or scripts that interest him and then doing everything he can to make a movie from the story rather than trying to force his own point of view on the material.

He had big budget success (Dangerous Liaisons) and failure (Hero), but seems most comfortable with small independent dramas (Dirty Pretty Things) and comedies (High Fidelity).

Verdict: Beginning to look dated, but still worth a watch if you're interested in the social topics explored or if you're fan of Daniel Day-Lewis or Stephen Frears.

A Decadent Filet

2004-09-22T17:25:00.001-04:00

Restaurant: Beehive Tavern

Where: 406 Route 6A, East Sandwich, Massachusetts

When: Saturday, September 18th, 8pm, 20 minute wait for table for 2.

Meal: Black Forest Filet, Lobster Pie

Drinks: Gin & Soda, Bee Sting Martini

Total bill: Around $70 (2 people)

My Take: Saturday was the long drive to Cape Cod for a long overdue vacation. Having vacationed in this same area last year, I'd looked forward to revisiting the Beehive Tavern for 12 months. On my previous visit, I'd eaten here several times with consistently good results with the seafood offerings - lobster roll, lobster dinner, fried clams, etc.

On this evening my attention was drawn to the specials board which offered a grilled filet mignon served in port sauce with blue cheese butter. Sound decadent? Sound rich? Sound delicious? It was, it was, it was. I love a good filet. It may be my single favorite meal. I've had individual meals that have topped my love for filet, but I rarely have a filet dinner that I'm disappointed in. This one may have topped them all. I don't know if I was just really hungry or if the combination of the sweet port and filet flavor coupled with the tart blue cheese butter was just what I wanted. All I know is that I was in heaven for the 20 or so minutes that I managed to make that steak last.

The other dish was a lobster pie, which was essentially about a pound or so of pulled lobster meat baked under a breadcrumb crust. It was delicious in it's own right. I certainly would have written a glowing review of that dish had it been my only entree. Alas, the filet made the lobster pale in comparison.

Another quick note is to praise the Bee Sting Martini, which was quite tasty even if I can't remember exactly what was in it.

Verdict: If/when you go to Cape Cod, don't miss out on the Beehive Tavern. The food and service easily outpaced the dining experience at Dan'l Webster Inn, thought to be the premier restaurant in the Sandwich, MA area.

Worst Movie of 2004

2004-09-21T16:47:00.000-04:00

Since I posted about the worst restaurant in NYC yesterday, I think it's only fair to post about the worst movie of 2004. Now, I haven't seen every movie released this year, but I've probably seen 50 films in the theater this year and I'd have to say Club Dread is the worst. I'm sure there are worse and I may even see one of them by the end of the year, but this one was pretty bad.

I had high hopes after Super Troopers, but Club Dread just felt too scattered. The comedy was funny enough, but the story needed a lot of work. Maybe they should have a story guy rewrite their next effort before going into production.

I must say my favorite parts of the film were the performance of Bill Paxton as Coconut Pete (a Jimmy Buffett wannabe) and the Oral Roberts University co-ed nympho. That had me laughing aloud several times.

In a final effort to soften the blow, this was not nearly as bad as several films I'd seen in 2002 and 2003, so it's not as if this is the worst film I've seen in ages. It just wasn't very good. I mean, it was no Legally Blonde 2 or Rules of Attraction (neither of which I'll link for fear that someone might actually look into seeing them). This one doesn't even get consideration for worst movie I've ever seen, but I'll save that for another entry.

Mafia ties? No other explanation...

2004-09-20T16:00:00.000-04:00

Restaurant: Nello's

Where: Madison Avenue btw 62nd and 63rd

When: Wednesday, August 11th, 6pm

Meal: Chilean sea bass in a lobster cream sauce and a house salad.

Drink: Evian water.

Total bill: $180 (2 people)

My Take: The location of this restaurant was very nice - upscale Upper East Side on Madison Avenue. What's not to love, right?

Well, that would be the food, service, prices, and cleanliness.

I've been to plenty of high rent restaurants in NYC and elsewhere. This isn't a matter of sticker shock. Hell, the two of the first three restaurant reviews I wrote for this blog were Nobu and Peter Luger's and both bills fairly outpaced this one.

Food: The sea bass could be described one way - truly tasteless. If there was any semblence of flavor evident in this dish, they forgot to put it in my serving. I could have (and might have preferred) eating a bowl of gruel. It was that bad. After the first bite, I starred enviously at the diners entering and exiting the dive coffee shop across the street. How I longed for something with flavor - any flavor at all.

Service: If there is one thing I can't stand, it's a snobby waiter. His or her livelihood largely depends on treating the customer well. I don't mind a busy waiter, I don't mind an abrupt waiter, but a waiter who looks down his nose at a customer is the worst kind. I simply refuse to be treated like I'm bothering them. Restaurants that cater to this kind of behavior from their wait staff have no worries about me coming back for a repeat visit. There are too many great places to eat in this city to worry about going back to a place that makes you feel inferior.

Prices: $12 for a liter bottle of Evian. $18 for a house salad. $42 for a tasteless piece of bass. Need I say more? For the same money, I could have eaten like a king at hundreds of other restaurants throughout NYC. Robbery anyway you cut it.

Cleanliness: It had rained heavily earlier that day and the restaurant is on the ground floor of a low-rise building so it's not as if they can do much about leaks that may occur. That's really the job of the building's super. However, when a steady drip of water soaks a table would you really seat a customer at a table anywhere near that mess? Not only did we get seated (in a nearly empty restaurant) next to this table, but another gentleman was seated at the table and upon his first request to be moved, the waiter asked him to remain seated and put a towel over the man's shoulder (upon which the drip was dripping). I was truly amazed.

This was easily the worst dollar for quality transaction I've ever been a part of. In fact, it was this experience that convinced me to start writing about my experiences at NYC restaurants.

Verdict: Needless to say, this restaurant is the worst I've tried in NYC. If this blog does just one thing, I hope it helps close this place down.

Best steak in NYC?

2004-09-18T13:02:00.000-04:00

Restaurant: Peter Luger 178 Broadway in Brooklyn, NY

When: Friday night 9:45pm dinner reservations for 10.

Meal: What else? The Porterhouse.

Drink: gin & soda

Total bill: $800 (10 people - $80/each)

My Take:

Since before I even moved to New York City I've been hearing:

"Peter Luger's has the best steak in the city."

"You have got to go there."

"It's amazing."

Well, it took over two years, but I finally went. From talking to others about it I knew there'd be brusque service, few menu choices, and delicious porterhouse. I was not disappointed on those fronts. Where I was disappointed was on the overall quality of the meal. The steak was delicious, but very fatty as were the smoked bacon tips. This wasn't the complimentary fat that you often get on steak or pork. This was invasive fat that gives you a mouthful of nasty mushy heart-clogging animal padding to chew on.

The plus side of this meal is that this is a NY institution - around since 1887 with the patina of age and success. That's always a nice thing to feel when dining. You know that you're sitting in the same dining room that many many famous and successful people sat over the course of the history of the restaurant. I wouldn't say that was worth the price of admission, but it compensated for the somewhat disappointing meal.

Verdict:

I've had better steak in NYC and I've had much better steak in other parts of the country. Peter Luger is either resting on it's laurels (the website brags, Rated NY No. 1 Steak House for 20 Years in a Row!) or their old school style missed it's mark with this guy who didn't grow up gnawing on the bones my parents brought home from the famous Lugers. Perhaps I built it up too much in my mind, but I wouldn't go back.

"You're cute."

2004-09-17T15:27:00.000-04:00

Title: The Big Sleep

Year: 1945/1946

Director: Howard Hawks

Writers: William Faulkner, Leigh Brackett, & Jules Furthman based on the novel by Raymond Chandler.

Favorite Line:

The text below represents, to me, just about the finest discussion of sex between two characters in censor-era Hollywood. Simply magnificent example of "they're not talking about what they're talking about." To catch you up, Vivian is Vivian Sternwood (Lauren Bacall), daughter of General Sternwood, who has hired private detective Philip Marlowe (Humphrey Bogart), to take care of some dirty work.

Vivian: Speaking of horses, I like to play them myself. But I like to see them workout a little first, see if they're front runners or come from behind, find out what their whole card is, what makes them run.

Marlowe: Find out mine?

Vivian: I think so.

Marlowe: Go ahead.

Vivian: I'd say you don't like to be rated. You like to get out in front, open up a little lead, take a little breather in the backstretch, and then come home free.

Marlowe: You don't like to be rated yourself.

Vivian: I haven't met anyone yet that can do it. Any suggestions?

Marlowe: Well, I can't tell till I've seen you over a distance of ground. You've got a touch of class, but I don't know how, how far you can go.

Vivian: A lot depends on who's in the saddle.

Delivered by Bogart and Bacall, this dialogue is simply amazing.

My Take:

I'm an unapologetic fan of film noir. The mood, texture, narrative, characters, and dark themes of these films make them my kind of cinema. The Big Sleep is among my favorites and is certainly my favorite noir detective story. Philip Marlowe is every bit the shady down-on-his luck private dick that Sam Spade is in The Maltese Falcon or JJ Gittes in Chinatown (a color noir if there ever was one).

The blend of comedy and menace in this film makes it a true classic. Combining the talents of Bogart, Bacall, Hawks, Chandler, and Faulkner created a rare circumstance under which a brilliant film could be made. The studio leapt at the project hoping to reignite the energy that this team created with To Have and Have Not (replace Chandler with Hemingway as the "story by"). They exceeded this expectation by a great deal. To Have and Have Not is an excellent film that I've watched several times, but The Big Sleep is the true gem from this team.

This is perhaps my favorite performance by Bogart. He was genius in so many films, but his chemistry with Bacall on the set of this film really made him sing. The DVD release is a treat, because the original 1945 release of the film is on one side of the disc and the 1946 re-release of the film on the other side. The film was re-edited once Bogart and Bacall became an item off screen in order to capitalize on their romance. The re-edited film is the classic everyone remembers, but it's nice to know that Warner Bros. has some sense of history.

It's hard to imagine that this was only Bacall's third film (To Have and Have Not was her first, which is just as amazing). She was in her early twenties at the time and held her own with a screen legend 25 years her senior.

The opening sequence of this film puts Philip Marlowe in the greenhouse of the mansion of General Sternwood. In their 5 minute conversation, you learn everything you could possibly need to know about the Sternwoods, Marlowe, and the "little problem" that General Sternwood is concerned about. This isn't to say that anything is given away later in the story, but this kind of exposition is often so ham-fistedly handled in many films that it would leave you cringing if they took 5 minutes to sit down and lay out all of the "rules" of the world of the film. However, Faulkner pulls this off brilliantly by making their conversation as natural and interesting as possible. Great, great stuff.

The story itself is full of twists and turns and unexpected events. Nothing is ever as it seems right up until the end. Marlowe outwits the authorities and the criminals on his way to uncovering the truth behind the events that get the story rolling (is that vague enough while getting you interested in seeing it?). Every time I watch it I am still surprised by how it all turns out.

Verdict:

Do yourself a favor. If you haven't already, discover film noir and discover The Big Sleep. You'll thank me later.

Petite Abeille

2004-09-16T13:17:00.000-04:00

Restaurant: Petite Abeille at 134 W Broadway

When: Lunch.

Meal: Natalie's Tuna Sandwich

Total bill: $7

My Take:

This is the best tuna salad sandwich I've had in my entire life. And that's saying a lot, because I had previously bestowed this honor (as if it's really a big deal what one guys thinks) on a sandwich from a carriage house in Salisbury, England. I really never expected me to change my mind on this one.

What makes Natalie's Tuna Sandwich unique is that it is spicy. Even though I'm a fan of spicy foods, I'm not sure which spice they use to jazz up this sandwich, but it really makes for a delightful meal.

Verdict:

If you live or work downtown and haven't discovered Petite Abeille, check it out. They also have locations on Hudson and 14th Street.

Napoleon Dynamite Will Blow Up

2004-09-15T23:03:00.000-04:00

Title: Napoleon Dynamite

Year: 2004

Director: Jared Hess

Writers: Jared and Jerusha Hess

Favorite Line: If you vote for me all of your wildest dreams will come true. (in a monotone Mexican accent)

My Take:

This is what independent comedy is all about. Take a clever character, some wacky friends, a silly situation, and let them have fun. Napoleon Dynamite is a high school geek in rural Idaho with absolutely nothing going for him. The film is incredibly funny throughout. The situations alone are humorous, but Napoleon himself is one of the funniest characters I've seen in a movie in a long, long time.

These guys made a short film, turned it into a $400,000 feature and as of September 12th had grossed $30,294,397. Not a bad feature debut.

Most of the people I talk to haven't even heard of it, let alone seen it. People who have heard of it say, "Isn't that the stupid kid's movie they're advertising on MTV?"

Verdict:

Well, now you've heard of it and I'm telling you - go see it. As word of mouth spreads, this could be the My Big Fat Greek Wedding of 2004 (this is much funnier). It won't pull in $241 million, but it'll be the runaway hit nobody expected.

I've already seen it twice.

Nobu

2004-09-14T16:56:00.000-04:00

Restaurant: Nobu in Tribeca at Hudson and Franklin

When: Tuesday, September 14, 2004: 8:45pm reservation for 2 (2 week wait).

Drinks: Matsuhisa Martini and Mango Martini

Meal: $80 omakase (Chef's choice)

Total bill: $260 (two people)

My take:

For those of you unfamiliar, this is a Japanese-Peruvian restaurant in Tribeca co-owned by Drew Nieporent and Robert DeNiro (yes, the actor). Chef Nobuyuki Matsuhisa has created what many believe to be the best Japanese restaurant in NYC. The prices and month-long reservation waits reinforce this belief, but the proof is in the sushi so I had to check it out for myself.

On the advice of a friend who I trust almost implicitly with restaurant recommendations, I opted for the omakase ("I'm in your hands" in Japanese) menu. My only choices after that were which omakase level ($80, $100, or $120) and what to drink. I opted for the $80 omakase since I hadn't been here before and the Matsuhisa Martini, which blends Level Vodka with sake and a cucumber garnish.

The first course was the Monkfish Pate with Caviar. This pate came resting in a bowl of wasabi broth, which the waiter warned was overpowering if consumed as more than a light compliment to the fish. He was right, but fortunately I enjoy wasabi. At first bite I knew this was going to be one of the best sushi nights of my life. The fish was so amazingly fresh. It exceeded my expectations from the very start, because I didn't even realize that fish could taste fresher than the freshest I'd tasted. Did that make sense? I hope so.

The second course was the Sashimi Salad with Matsuhisa Dressing. The tuna sashimi was very lightly seared and absolutely delicious. This was easily the best Asian salad dressing I've ever tasted. Though it may be sacrilege to say, this salad was my favorite course.

The White Fish with Ponzu was amazing as well. The Rock Shrimp Tempura was probably my least favorite, but this might have been because it followed quickly on the heals of three excellent sushi appetizers and the deep fried cooked shrimp was a shock to the system.

Broiled Black Cod with Miso is the signature dish and it was no disappointment. Black cod is soaked in a miso broth for a minimum of 3 days and then broiled. The fish is amazingly succulent - almost like candy. This is arguably the best cooked fish I've had in my life and I grew up in Florida and often vacation along the New England coast. Ironically, it still wasn't my favorite course of this meal.

A wonderful bowl of Miso Soup with Clams preceded the main course - the Sushi Platter with tuna, salmon, yellow-tail, fluke, and surf clam. Each was amazing. The yellow-tail was my clear favorite, but I wouldn't turn down any of them if offered again.

Verdict:

At $130 a person, this was the most expensive meal I've yet had in NYC, but if you can afford those prices and like sushi, this is an experience worth having. Even if that price point is too high, I think you can piece together an excellent meal a la carte for substantially less coin.

Food and Film

2004-09-14T16:42:00.000-04:00

I'm planning on dedicating this blog to two things very near and dear to my heart. Every once and a while you might get a good rant or rave about life in NYC, but for the most part I'll try to stick to the themes.

Dinner: As an NYC resident I've got access to an amazing number of restaurants. I've had some amazing meals and some absolutely abyssmal experiences and I'm hoping to get the word out on both fronts.

Movie: I've also got access to a lot of movies that never gain wide theatrical release and I work part-time as a secret shopper for a national theater chain so I get to see a lot of movies for free each month. Many of these films are not worth watching, but every once and a while a gem sneaks through that I wish I could tell the world about.

And that's what this blog will be all about - food and film.