Movie: Revenge of the Sith (8.5 of 10)

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8.5 out of 10

Saved

Maybe will frow from

Going back now, Star Wars wouldn't be a 5. But, in historical perspective


Most of the movie closes the loops on man

The last scene of Episode Three shows the Death Star being built. It isn't small

One thing that I
*the difference in time f
that's some slow building

http://www.themovieblog.com/archives/2005/05/revenge_of_the_sith_review_by_richard.html

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/features/special/star_wars/

http://aintitcool.com/display.cgi?id=20157

DVD: Rolling Stones , Rock & Roll Circus (3.00 Stars)

This might be something that you may have missed.

Rolling Stones' Rock & Roll Circus was a concert filmed in December 1968 but was never expected to be released because The Stones weren't happy with the quality. By 1996, the historical relevance of the performance outweighed the reluctance for release and the title made its way to CD and video. The concert featured performances from John and Yoko, The Who, Jethro Tull and Taj Mahal and the expanded DVD version is expected to include additional behind the scenes footage, additional songs from Taj Mahal and an alternate take on Lennon's 'Yer Blues'.

Another website sets Rock & Roll Circus up for you as follows:

For those who have yet to see Rock and Roll Circus and need a short primer on the film, it is simply this. Set in a circus atmosphere with live performances by Jethro Tull, The Who, the gorgeous Marianne Faithfull, Taj Mahal, The Dirty Mac (a convergence of talent featuring Eric Clapton (Cream), Mitch Mitchell (Jimi Hendrix), Keith Richards, and John Lennon), and, of course, The Rolling Stones and interspersed with trapeze acts and fire-eaters, this show embodied the emerging spirit of 70s rock.

Don't misinterpret the 3.00 Star Rating as a reason for you to rent this. The reason that I rented this (from Netflix, of course) was because I wanted to see a couple of things in it that I heard Jay Mohr discuss on Opie & Anthony a couple of weeks ago. The 3.00 rating is based solely on my opinion of what I saw and what I was looking for -- some Stones, some history, The Who's performance, and Yoko Ono's cat wailing.

I didn't dislike it, but I didn't like it as much as many of the discussions and reviews on the web. Obviously, this guy enjoyed the entire production more than I (but also provides some more explanation of what you will find in it):

The reappearance of The Rolling Stones' Rock and Roll Circus is a shining moment in our musical history. This live audience extravaganza, conceived by Mick Jagger and performed in 1968, was intended for TV broadcast. It never made it. Due to perceptions and bad judgement, this excellent film lanquished on shelves for years until 1995, when it finally made it to VHS.

In it you see a picture perfect performance by Jethro Tull with Ian Anderson's signature posturing and delivery as well as the band's play of "Song For Jeffrey." It is followed by a performance of The Who with their "A Quick One While He's Away", a smoking R&B performance by Taj Mahal of "Ain't That a Lot of Love", and a bewitching song by Marianne Faithfull, "Something Better."

In the next performance, John Lennon's Dirty Mac (hmmm...Dirty Mac) raises the bar and sets the stage for 70s rock by a free-styled blues-rock set that begins with "Yer Blues" and finishes with the avant garde styled "Whole Lotta Yoko" with Yoko Ono who rattles the stage with her vocals set to a jam for the ages by the assembled super-group.

Following are six Stones tunes that begin with "Jumping Jack Flash", includes a grand performance of "Sympathy For the Devil", fills with "Parachute Woman", a great acoustic and slide guitar performance of "No Expectations", "You Can't Always Get What You Want", and closed by "Salt of the Earth." All in all, this show runs 63 minutes.

On this DVD version of this essential title, the extras make this a set to be desired. The wealth of additions contained on this DVD make this title the gem that it already is but even more so on DVD. There is an 18-minute interview with present day Pete Townshend (who talks about Chip Monck's circus design. You'll remember Chip Monck largely for his involvement with Woodstock), 3 more performances of Taj Mahal that has never been seen, two Julius Katchen classical piano performances not included in the original film, a quad screen split of the "Yer Blues" performance by Dirty Mac, and a Wyman introduced Clowns slapstick sketch that brings to mind The 3 Stooges in several ways. There is also a brief camera moment with John and Mick with a little homo-erotica as they fun around.

Amazon.com has some more commentary for perusal.

Movie: Closer (5.5 of 10)

5.5 out of 10

I guess that May is Natlie Portman month! She is in almost everything that we are watching (not to mention that Revenge of the Sith is on its way).

I thought that I was going to be more 'disturbed' by this movie than I was, but the cheating in which the characters engaged (and definitely the consequences associated with their actions) wasn't nearly as realistic as the cheating (& consequences) in Unfaithful. When characters in Closer cheated on each other the partner of the cheatee didn't hurt nearly as much as they would in the real world.

It is weird to say this...but, Julia Roberts was bad casting and should not have been in this movie. I never thought that I would say that a movie would have been better without Julia Roberts, but there is no doubt that a different actress would have been more believable in her promiscuous and morally dis-attached character. It is almost like Roberts was hell-bent on trying to do something that didn't match her sweetheart image.

The same could probably also be said about Portman, but Portman's performance underscores her versatility and re-inforces her place as one of the premiere actresses of today. I was shocked that she actually was as convincing as she was in this role as Roberts' performance missed the mark.

As a rental, I guess Closer was good enough. I like the reviews done in May and June located here, which are a tad more forgiving than this review, which is also pretty accurate.

"From the start, Closer makes no attempt to hide its unlikely plot and wholesale absurdity. Characters behave completely irrationally, uttering the worst dialogue imaginable. "Why won't you let me love you!?" "I love you and I need a piss." Who talks like this!? No one. Not even British people."

One piece of dialogue that I did like a lot was when Jude Law's character tells Natalie Portman that he didn't know how "it" happened. (You can figure "it" out pretty easy by now). Portman calls bullshit and says that there is "always a moment!" (paraphrased) always one particular opportunity/choice when you could turn away or when it just happens.' I related to that and thought that it articulates the decisions that we all have made in the past and have to make on a daily basis as it relates to certain behaviors.

Rotten Tomatoes is one of my favorite movie discussion websites and presents similarly inconsistent perspectives on the movie as I probably have in this entry.

Movie: Finding Neverland (7 out of 10)

7 out of 10

I think that I may have initially under-rated Finding Neverland, and over time it might grow to a 7.50. BUT...it started both slow and a little too weird.

We weren't sure if we were going to like it in the first 20 to 30 minutes. I guess some of the beginning was necessary for the rest of the movie, but I think that it could have moved a little more smoothly as it was too disjointed (more so in the early part of the film). It seemed like some of the 'fantasy shots' felt forced...almost like, "Johnny Depp is in this movie, so we have to try to be a little more artsy & weird".

Movie synopsis found here.

Although the story, adapted from a play by Allan Knee, feels indulgent and oversimplified at times -- especially when it comes to the many fanciful (and wonderfully staged) illustrations of Barrie's "Peter Pan" plot ideas that spring from playing with the Davies boys -- "Neverland" makes up for any shortcomings with intricate, intimate performances from its exceptional cast.

As much as most of the drooling critics will want to focus the bulk of their praise on Johnny Depp, they would be making a big mistake to praise Depp over Kate Winslett.

Winslett may very well be the best actress of the current day. Of course I am not making this claim based solely on this performance. Winslett's strength is her versatility; she can pull anything off -- from an amazing performance in Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind to last year's singing/dancing/comedy on Saturday Night Live. She's just pretty enough to play an attractive female character if needed, but not too gorgeous to where she can't play any other character but a hot chic.

Winslett's range and versatility are rivaled by Natlie Portman and Nicole Kidman, and not many others. Now that I think about it...had Winslett been cast in Julia Roberts' role opposite Portman in Closer, I bet that movie would have been much better.

Rotten Tomatoes: Quote Page

Wine: Gainey 2001 Chardonnay (2.75 Stars)

Had Gainey Vineyard's 2001 Chardonnay tonight. This wine is not to be confused with the Vineyard's Limited Selection Chardonnay.

This website says:

The aromas of this Chardonnay are fruit-centric and in high volume. Baked apple is the core character, but lovely contributions of perfume, marzipan and butter fill out the presentation. The wine enters the palate cleanly and, as the aroma foretells, delivers fruit in a big way. Here there are more citrus flavors than were evident in the nose. The acid is keenly balanced to create a freshness and fullness at the same time. Enjoy this Chardonnay as an aperitif or paired with any number of seafood or poultry dishes.

I thought that this wine fell a little short. With all the fruit and robustness of today's Chardonnays, I didn't taste the "fruit in a big way" as described above. I didn't find all the fullness that was advertised.

I did like the balance and smoothness of the wine; it was fresh and the acid was controlled. But, in general I thought it fell a little short, in particular for a $15 bottle in today's California Chardonnay glut.

On Winejudging.com this wine was a bronze medal winner in the $13 to $25 category. If you take a look at the link then you will see how many wines that are listed on it. With all of those opportunities to try moderately priced Chardonnay...then I've got no compelling reason to recommend this one unless you are looking for something safe and smooth.

Ferrell's Return to SNL Falls Short

Will Ferrell's return to Saturday Night Live as a host last night was a disappointment. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't a total bomb...but it was disappointing.

Ferrell seemed to be his usual self, but I felt that the writing on the show let us down. I know that the creative-types behind the show didn't want to hide behind Ferrell and his broad cast of popular characters...but, maybe they should have.

The writers tried way too hard to come up with skits that were different, but just didn't work. In fact, a couple of them - even in the first 30 minutes of the show - were horrible. That's the problem -- there is no excuse to have any bombs in the first 35 minutes of a Ferrell show. The pepper-mill skit and the Jaguar skit were good, but there certainly were no additions to Will Ferrell's Top 20 SNL moments. Even the tried and true Jeopardy skit failed to succeed (when compared with past Jeopardy's). This sketch has been on hiatus for years...so, could they really not come up with anything better than what they wrote last night?

Ultimately, the show was better than it has been recently, but that is not saying very much:

But Saturday Night Live has never suffered as badly in comparison to past years as it has this season, which marks its 30th on the air. Ever since Will Ferrell took his antics to Hollywood three years ago, SNL has been in a slow, painful swoon. And this season, it has finally hit rock bottom, with an enormous, awkward thud. Each show has been worse than the last, each skit as funny as a death sentence.

Exciting Developments

In a surprising, but very welcome development, Fox has announced that it will renew the critically acclaimed comedy, Arrested Development, for another two years. Almost simultaneously, NBC has announced it is renewing The Office. Hallelujah!!

This link does a good job of discussing both situations.

Together, these two shows comprise half of my Top Four Comedies on Prime Time Network Television:

(1) Arrested Development

(2) The Family Guy

(3) The Office

(4) Scrubs

Movie: Friday Night Lights (5 of 10)

5 out of 10

This movie is no where near being a powerhouse sports movie. Heck...just in the "Football genre" Friday Night Lights would be ranked much closer to something like Cuba Gooding Jr's Radio than it would an all-time favorite like Rudy, Remember the Titans, or The Longest Yard.

I don't get where all of the praise came for this movie. It certainly wasn't 'bad'...but, I am glad I saw it as a rental.

Wine: Fetzer Echo Ridge 2001 Gewürztraminer (4.50 Stars)

The Gewürztraminer grape is a spicy, white wine grape popular in the Alsace Eastern France, a territory that switched back and forth between German and French claims over the centuries). It is a very old grape variety, discovered by the Romans over 2000 years ago in the village of Tramin, in Austria's South Tirol. The prefix, Gewürz, is of German origin and it means "spiced."

Forget that Fetzer Vineyards is a larger producer at which many of the new, wannabe wine drinkers like to turn their noses...this wine was fantastic.

This wine certainly wasn't as dry as what you may expect from an average Gewurztraminer. It is lush and fruity. I found a apricot, melons, and peach with some spice. Its robustness just enhances its refreshingness. This wine would be good with shellfish and poultry, but would also serve Thai foods or similarly spicey foods very well.

The only con that I can find here can be your personal tolerance for sweetness. I can see some people finding it too sweet -- but only on a cold, winter day.

As I researched this wine online for this entry, I found that Fetzer's Echo Ridge Gewurztraminer is consistently good no matter what year of vintage. The 2002 and 2003 vintages both won a lot of awards and were highly acclaimed.

This guy's blog has a nice recommendation:

There are some wines that you know are going to taste wonderful simply by the smell they offer up from the glass. This is certainly one. With a small swirl the scent of lemons and citrus rose up and filled the room. The first sip brought even more citrus flavors and a residual sweetness that almost made you want to down the entire glass at once. Fight this temptation and sip. Your will be rewarded. I served this bottle refrigerator cold and it was very refreshing. It tasted like cold spring water on a hot summer day, but with the added enjoyment of fruit, sugar and spice. I highly recommend you pick up a few bottles if you are wine drinker. If not, this wine might just change your mind. It is approachable, fun, slightly sweet and a perfect wine for sipping on the patio as the temperatures rise. I plan on making this my summer "house wine” this year.

I was going to give this wine a great 4.25 Stars. Then I realized that this wine is less than $10 no matter where you buy it; many online discussions list it as cheap as $5.99 at Costco and Sam's. Winejudging.com, rated this wine as silver award winner in the below $15 category...but it was noticeably less expensive than all of the other gold and silver medal winners. That kind of balanced value proposition makes this wine an almost PERFECT find and earns it 4.50 Stars.

Drink: The Perfect Margarita

By the time that this Blog has a few years under its belt (God willing), I wonder how many entries will have this exact same title?

The recipe included in this article comes from the July/August edition of Cigar Aficionado that I was (belatedly) sifting through this evening on the back porch. The article cites the conventional, simple version of the Margarita:

"Two parts Tequila, one part freshly squeezed lime juice and one part Cointreau is a trusty ratio, but feel free to experiment as different Tequilas call for variations. Put the ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice, shake well and pour into a glass; ice is optional. To salt the rim of the glass, moisten it with water or lime, then dip it down onto a plate of sea salt."

Personally, I find that I am more attracted to Margarita recipes that also include Grand Marnier in addition to, or even as opposed to its orange-liquer relative, Cointreau.

Grand Marnier is a high-end orange flavored liqueur. It is made from Cognac flavored with the peel of bitter Haitian oranges, spices, and vanilla. About.com says that:

"Grand Marnier®'s origins date to 19th century France. Bitter orange peels are added to a cognac brandy base along with spices and vanilla. It is then sweetened with a sugar syrup to produce an orange-flavored liqueur and aged in oak barrels to mellow the liqueur before bottling. Grand Marnier® boasts of being the first liqueur to be exported from France. This liqueur is amber in color with a distinct orange flavor which lends itself to many cooking applications. There are a number of orange liqueur products on the market, including Cointreau®, which has an equally long history but is clear in color. "

The other piece of this article focuses on Tequila:

"Devotees of the spirit of the agave plant know that the variations between producers and grades of Tequila are as vast as they are with fine Bourbon, Scotch and rum. Just as superior Bourbon will produce a better Manhattan, premium Tequila makes for a great Margarita. The three grades of Tequila, defined by age, are Blanco (aged less than 60 days), Reposado (aged more than 60 days but less than one year) and Anejo (aged at least for one year)."

As an alternative to Cointreau and Grand Marnier, I would suggest using a new product recently released by Petron. It is a Petron Citron orange liqueur that is priced about 50% less than these other brand names and works just as well.

The article discusses nine high-end tequilas (in very short blurbs) that included Herradura Respado. Herradura Reposado, made by the third largest tequila maker in the world, is "rested" for 11 months in used oak barrels (the longest Respado in the industry), giving it a rich gold color and hot oaky finish. It is described as, "a silky smooth experience and can be enjoyed straight in a snifter or mixed in a premium cocktail."

The reason that this name registered with me was because I bought a bottle last August on our way back from Mexico that I hadn't opened yet. (...and I was very happy that I did when I started surfing the internet and found that the average cost of a bottle was around $50.) So, I promptly walked into the kitchen, cut some limes, and created an afternoon Margarita. After tasting the Herradura, I realize that I will be having quite a few more heading into the summer season.

Related Links:

1. Tequila Blog
2. Tequila-Stuff.com
3. About Tequila

BetFair Removes The Middle Man

I was getting through some of my old Cigar Aficionado magazines this afternoon and ran across an interesting article about a company named Betfair.com

Betfair removes bookies from the gambling equation. Started by a couple of guys - one a former JPMorgan derivatives trader in the United Kingdom - the company serves as an electronic exchange where individuals can (anonymously) offer bets to other gamblers in the network. The structure allows for all sorts of arbitrage and hedging opportunities for the more experienced, patient, and sophisticated "gambler".

The whole article is good. The following is a summary from the middle of the piece:

"That project has grown into Betfair, a revolutionary system that has taken gambling by storm in the United Kingdom. It is a peer-to-peer betting service, which works online and allows bettors to wager with one another rather than with a bookmaker. This takes the middleman—the bookie—out of the equation. Lines are set by the gamblers, with people logging on to Betfair's easy-to-navigate site and offering odds or point spreads, hoping for takers. Let's say, for instance, that the Dallas Cowboys are playing the New York Giants and you think the Cowboys should be favored by four. You post that you are willing to give those points. If somebody else on the site wants to make the bet, they will be matched against you and the wager is made. This happens with split-second timing, and, of course, it's anonymous; you don't know with whom you're betting. Everybody has funds, in the system, to back their wagers, and transactions are reconciled immediately after the game is completed.

The incentive to offer more attractive deals to the other gamblers—let's say, giving five or six points instead of four—is that you will get your bet taken quicker. This makes for a more efficient market, as gamblers, rather than bookies, who have ulterior motives (like balancing their books), refine the numbers. As used by straight-ahead bettors, who simply want to place wagers, Betfair allows for the negotiation of more favorable odds and lower commission costs (2 to 5 percent per bet) than those charged by bookies.

For sophisticated players, it becomes considerably more interesting. "There are those who use Betfair for trading their positions," says Black, explaining that he has devised the system to function just like an equities market. "If you back a horse that is 10-1 and lay it [bet against it] at 8-1, you can't lose"—you have essentially bought low and sold high, a strategy known as middling. "If the horse wins, you make the difference between the two wagers.

And you can position yourself so that no matter what happens, you make money: you back it for 50 quid and lay it for 55 quid. That way, if you lose, you win five pounds. If you win, you walk away with 60 pounds. That's what we call a green book." But, as with the stock market, there is a potential downside: 'The danger is that you can get into a position and not be able to get out of it because the price keeps going further and further down.'"

Back From Jamaica, man

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San Souci Resort & Spa

Built in the 1970s, Sans Souci has long been known for its physical beauty and romantic setting, with two pristine beaches set into a private, 27-acre hillside garden. Nicknamed “the Jewel of Jamaica”, the resort has hosted numerous celebrities over the years and is a favorite among honeymooners. It is also a tremendously popular destination among Americans for small weddings and renewal of vows ceremonies.

If you want more information on San Souci, then Trip Advisor is a great place to start. This link serves as a great 'portal-like' starting point that links to reviews and summaries at travel sites like Fodor's, Frommer's, and others.

At the time that I am writing this, there are 10 reviews of San Souci on the main page, with 7 posters giving the resort a perfect 5 out of 5 rating, 2 posters giving a 4 of 5, and one disgruntled traveler providing a 2 of 5 rating.

Just before we went on the trip, we
the following is from the reosort's newsletter

OCHO RIOS, JAMAICA (January 5, 2005) – Sans Souci Resort & Spa, the
oceanfront, all-suites, All-Inclusive resort, here, has been named again to
Conde Nast Traveler Magazine’s 2005 Gold List of “best places to stay” as
revealed in the publication’s January issue.

Gold List resorts were selected by more than 20,000 subscribers of the
popular international magazine and rated on their excellence in rooms, service,
food, location and activities. Sans Souci Resort & Spa earned the highest
rating among Jamaica’s resorts and hotels for its cuisine and was also among the
very best in service, rooms and activities.

Sans Souci received an overall rating of 85.1, second to Couples Swept Away
with an 85.3. Sandals Dunn’s River Resort & Spa finished third at 84.3
followed by Grand Lido Negril at 83.2, Ritz-Carlton Rose Hall at 81.9, Sandals
Negril 80.0 and Royal Plantation, Ocho Rios at 77.1
Sans Souci has received
several hospitality industry honors in the past few months including Conde
Nast’s ratings as “Top 10 in the Caribbean”, a 4-Diamond designation, a Gold
Apple from Apple Vacations by Spa Finder Magazine as having one of the best
resort spas in The Caribbean/Atlantic Region.

...DEVELOPING...

Star Wars Everywhere

Star Wars Everywhere...in endorsements

"Chewbacca is busy recording ringtones for Cingular Wireless. Yoda is using the Force to lure a Diet Pepsi away from a fellow dinner patron. And Darth Vader is preparing to fight a boy armed with a light-up SaberSpoon from a Kellogg's cereal box."

Movie: Collateral (7 of 10)

7 out of 10 Stars

What is it with the name Vincent? Do all hit men in movies have to be named Vincent?

Ratings System

Ratings System used on the blog:

5 Stars - Hall of Fame. A "Classic" . As good as it gets.

4.5 Stars - As good as it gets but lacks some component (maybe just the passing of time) to put it into the Hall of Fame.

4 Stars - Fantastic. Don't pass it up.

3.5 Stars - Very Good.

3.0 Stars - Good to Average. "It's a rental"...but worth enjoying.

2.5 Stars - Average. But, in today's world there is probably enough to do to dedicate your time to something else.

2.0 Stars - The top level of bad.

1.5 Stars - Does it really matter what level of bad?

1.0 Stars - Horrible. The bottom level of bad.

0 Stars - Hated with such disdain that the people associated with this production actually provide some level of credence to the concept of genocide.

Movie: Garden State (6.5 of 10)

6.5 out of 10

Garden State had something for both Jennifer and I -- she had Zach Braff...and I had Natalie Portman. Not a bad deal!

Through his work as Dr. John "J.D." Dorian on NBC's Scrubs, Braff has become a favorite of both of us due over the last couple of years. Garden State is Braff's big screen debut as a lead, and he owns most parts of the project as writer, director, and feature actor.

Portman's performance was highly reminiscent of her character from Beautiful Girls. You couldn't help but wish that she was on the screen for two hours (or, even better, wonder/wish that she happened to live next door to you). She is warm, fearless, and full of a quirky energy. Heck, she is one of the only women to ever blatantly play a Yankee (in Beautiful Girls and Garden State) and come across as loveable!! In this film Portman feels almost as young as she was in Beautiful Girls, which was far too young for Braff's character.

I liked the movie and I'm glad that I saw it. But, I might have been a tad more excited to see it than I was satisfied after I saw it. Initially, I was going to go with a 3.25 Star rating, but the film was unique. Since such a limited peer group exists for intelligent romantic comedies, I felt as though I should bump the rating a little for originality. At least they tried to be different.

This film is not conventional. It is kooky and quircky...but, it was you expect from Zach Braff...which is why we watched, and enjoyed it.

Related Sites:

1. Yahoo!: Garden State Movie Info
2. Rotten Tomatoes: Garden State
3. Zach Braff's Garden State Blog

Blog's Beginning

What better way to consumate a new blog than to link an article about....blogging?!?

Stephen Baker and Heather Green have authored the cover story for May 2, 2005's Business Week Magazine titled, "Blogs will Change your Business."

The article focuses on the unlimited business applications and overall power of blogs. It is an interesting piece that is wrought with hyperlinks ('blog form'); even the hardcopy form of the magazine is written with blue text to represent hotlinks.

Business Week Blogs
Business Week Blog: Blogspotting
Business Week Blog: Brand New Day
Business Week Blog: Deal Flow