As the Joaquin Phoenix cluster-f**k comes to an end, the actor (whose hoax was some indictment of the media, celebrity and "consumers") appeared on Dave Letterman to explain.
Definitely watch this through to the end, when Dave gets in the last dig!
In case you haven't seen his appearance on Late Night in "character," you can watch the train wreck here.
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Sunday, August 22, 2010
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
I was definitely late to the party, but a few weeks ago I finished reading The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and really liked it. It started a little slow (it starts off with a long chapter of exposition) but then really gets going to the point where you don't want to put the book down.
Big thanks to S-Q for the suggestion!
By chance I was able to see the Swedish film adaptation of the book, and I thought it was really well-done. They had to depart from the book in certain ways but I think how they altered the story made sense. Here's a trailer:
I'm about to start the second book in the trilogy, and look forward to seeing the film adaptation of it.
But what I'm reallllly excited about is that David Fincher is directing an "American" adaptation of the novels starring Daniel Craig. With the exception of Christopher Nolan, I don't know of a better choice to make a series of films based on these dark, noirish books. Sadly Fincher's first film of the series won't release until 2011, but I'm sure it will be worth the wait!
Big thanks to S-Q for the suggestion!
By chance I was able to see the Swedish film adaptation of the book, and I thought it was really well-done. They had to depart from the book in certain ways but I think how they altered the story made sense. Here's a trailer:
I'm about to start the second book in the trilogy, and look forward to seeing the film adaptation of it.
But what I'm reallllly excited about is that David Fincher is directing an "American" adaptation of the novels starring Daniel Craig. With the exception of Christopher Nolan, I don't know of a better choice to make a series of films based on these dark, noirish books. Sadly Fincher's first film of the series won't release until 2011, but I'm sure it will be worth the wait!
Mmmm... Mexican food
I'm not sure if it's because of my impending move to the East Coast, but lately I've been partaking in as much Mexican food as possible. I love Mexican food; it is the ultimate comfort food - the spices, the warmth, and the tequila or Mexican beer to go with it... even in hot weather it is so delicious.
Last night I had the most amazing meal at La Super Rica Taqueria in Santa Barbara. The building looks almost like a shack with a covered patio in the back, so you might dismiss the place if you didn't know better.
La Super Rica only serves tacos and tamales, and both are amazing. The tortillas for the tacos are made on site and are grilled right before they are served. There are about 20 different types of tacos, and you can order lots of different kinds (each small plate comes with two corn tortillas and enough meat, cheese, or veggie goodness to fill each tortilla).
The first taco we tried was a sauteed mushroom taco - which probably sounds weird but if you like sauteed mushrooms you would die for this taco. The mushrooms were sauteed in butter and cream (so you know, totally healthy), and it was probably the most delicious thing I've tasted in years.
We also tried a chorizo and queso taco. The chorizo was cut into bite-size pieces and grilled, then served with cheese over it (which melted from the heat of the chorizo). This was served in a bowl so that you could scoop up the buttery sauce the chorizo and cheese were sitting in... I don't know what was in that sauce, but it had to be butter, and some of the oil/juices from the chorizo, and some of the cheese. It was soooo yummy.
We arrived right at the dinner rush and during our time there (about 2 hours) there was a constant line out the door as people waited to order and enjoy the food. It was such a great experience and I'm so glad I had the chance to check it out!
Last night I had the most amazing meal at La Super Rica Taqueria in Santa Barbara. The building looks almost like a shack with a covered patio in the back, so you might dismiss the place if you didn't know better.
La Super Rica only serves tacos and tamales, and both are amazing. The tortillas for the tacos are made on site and are grilled right before they are served. There are about 20 different types of tacos, and you can order lots of different kinds (each small plate comes with two corn tortillas and enough meat, cheese, or veggie goodness to fill each tortilla).
The first taco we tried was a sauteed mushroom taco - which probably sounds weird but if you like sauteed mushrooms you would die for this taco. The mushrooms were sauteed in butter and cream (so you know, totally healthy), and it was probably the most delicious thing I've tasted in years.
We also tried a chorizo and queso taco. The chorizo was cut into bite-size pieces and grilled, then served with cheese over it (which melted from the heat of the chorizo). This was served in a bowl so that you could scoop up the buttery sauce the chorizo and cheese were sitting in... I don't know what was in that sauce, but it had to be butter, and some of the oil/juices from the chorizo, and some of the cheese. It was soooo yummy.
We arrived right at the dinner rush and during our time there (about 2 hours) there was a constant line out the door as people waited to order and enjoy the food. It was such a great experience and I'm so glad I had the chance to check it out!
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Rent it or see it?
I've fallen out of the habit of going to the movies for everything I want to see, and only make time for films that I've been dying to see or that must be seen on a big screen (such as Inception or Casablanca).
Other films I'm interested in I put in my Netflix queue, which I now realize may take me several years to get through. At least it's cheaper (in theory) and it's a way for me to keep a list of the films (and TV shows) I'm interested in checking out at some point.
I have been strangely drawn to two new comedies lately, though. I have to admit, I'm a sucker for mass marketing when the ads involve Will Farrell. Maybe these aren't as good as they seem, so they'll go on my queue but I could probably be coaxed into the theater to see at least one of them...
Other films I'm interested in I put in my Netflix queue, which I now realize may take me several years to get through. At least it's cheaper (in theory) and it's a way for me to keep a list of the films (and TV shows) I'm interested in checking out at some point.
I have been strangely drawn to two new comedies lately, though. I have to admit, I'm a sucker for mass marketing when the ads involve Will Farrell. Maybe these aren't as good as they seem, so they'll go on my queue but I could probably be coaxed into the theater to see at least one of them...
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
So bad it's good
OK, confession time. I've totally become a fan of some really trashy TV.
I thought I would share some of my favorite shows with you hoping you give them a try and get corrupted along with me. Here goes!
First up: Hitting Rock Bottom During Bar Exam Studying with You're Cut Off
This show was an hour-long train wreck that made you want to puke most of the time. Take a gaggle of spoiled rich bitches, cut them off from their benefactors (who are either their parents or spouses), make them live and work together in a tract home in the San Fernando Valley, and let the chips fall where they may. Most of the show involved bad hair extensions, tiaras, and bitching about housework.
On one episode they were forced to go camping and I have to admit, I would not have acted any better than any of those girls. I'm sure I would have handled it pretty much the same - bitch about the experience nonstop, get drunk, pass out, and leave the next morning.
Bonus: One "character" on the show posts YouTube videos responding to the episodes after they aired. Here's a classic example:
All the episodes are available here.
Next Up: The old brilliant bad-for-you standby, Big Brother!!
When my parents told me several years ago that they watched this show I completely judged them, rolled my eyes, and concluded that by watching this trash, they were contributing to the downfall of our society.
Then, after spending a summer at my parents' house during season 7, the infamous "Big Brother All-Stars" season, I completely, totally, fell head over heels in love with the awfulness that is this show.
Go ahead and judge me, I will defend my love for this show until the end of time, even considering the fact that it is on THREE TIMES EACH WEEK and I TiVo the mother-effer.
You know what draws me in? I'm fascinated by how the stupidest people ever assembled can actually be so conniving. The drama is excellent and they end up surprising me with their strategery each season. I should note that I only watch the broadcast episodes; I do not subscribe the the 24/7 internet video feed..... yet.
And then: Keeping it a little Klassier with Top Chef and Project Runway!
Are these shows considered trashy? They are truly the high-end of the reality show crapfest, right?!
Top Chef is in D.C. this year and despite the corny tie-ins to the city (e.g., a "Cold War" challenge requiring chef-testants to create a winning cold dish), I love this show. Chefs are drinkers, full of drama, and full of passion, and they love food. These are people you (for the most part) would want to hang out with!
The huge downside is not knowing what the eff their dishes taste like, but in some cases that's OK. I'm not exactly curious about eating duck balls.
Project Runway is surely the flamingly glamourous drag queen of reality TV, no? Love, love, love it. I've always said, we could all use a Tim Gunn in our lives.
Is there any need to justify my love of this show? Absolutely not. If you haven't seen it, please climb out from under your rock and check it out immediately. It's brilliant.
I thought I would share some of my favorite shows with you hoping you give them a try and get corrupted along with me. Here goes!
First up: Hitting Rock Bottom During Bar Exam Studying with You're Cut Off
This show was an hour-long train wreck that made you want to puke most of the time. Take a gaggle of spoiled rich bitches, cut them off from their benefactors (who are either their parents or spouses), make them live and work together in a tract home in the San Fernando Valley, and let the chips fall where they may. Most of the show involved bad hair extensions, tiaras, and bitching about housework.
On one episode they were forced to go camping and I have to admit, I would not have acted any better than any of those girls. I'm sure I would have handled it pretty much the same - bitch about the experience nonstop, get drunk, pass out, and leave the next morning.
Bonus: One "character" on the show posts YouTube videos responding to the episodes after they aired. Here's a classic example:
All the episodes are available here.
Next Up: The old brilliant bad-for-you standby, Big Brother!!
When my parents told me several years ago that they watched this show I completely judged them, rolled my eyes, and concluded that by watching this trash, they were contributing to the downfall of our society.
Then, after spending a summer at my parents' house during season 7, the infamous "Big Brother All-Stars" season, I completely, totally, fell head over heels in love with the awfulness that is this show.
Go ahead and judge me, I will defend my love for this show until the end of time, even considering the fact that it is on THREE TIMES EACH WEEK and I TiVo the mother-effer.
You know what draws me in? I'm fascinated by how the stupidest people ever assembled can actually be so conniving. The drama is excellent and they end up surprising me with their strategery each season. I should note that I only watch the broadcast episodes; I do not subscribe the the 24/7 internet video feed..... yet.
And then: Keeping it a little Klassier with Top Chef and Project Runway!
Are these shows considered trashy? They are truly the high-end of the reality show crapfest, right?!
Top Chef is in D.C. this year and despite the corny tie-ins to the city (e.g., a "Cold War" challenge requiring chef-testants to create a winning cold dish), I love this show. Chefs are drinkers, full of drama, and full of passion, and they love food. These are people you (for the most part) would want to hang out with!
The huge downside is not knowing what the eff their dishes taste like, but in some cases that's OK. I'm not exactly curious about eating duck balls.
Project Runway is surely the flamingly glamourous drag queen of reality TV, no? Love, love, love it. I've always said, we could all use a Tim Gunn in our lives.
Is there any need to justify my love of this show? Absolutely not. If you haven't seen it, please climb out from under your rock and check it out immediately. It's brilliant.
Monday, August 2, 2010
Morcheeba
Morcheeba is a band that I really like but I rarely listen to... which is OK because I feel like I get to rediscover them each time I hear them.
They were on Morning Becomes Eclectic today, and performed a song that I think is one of their best:
Speaking of re-discovering something good, I watched Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels today - I haven't seen it in years! Such a good one.
They were on Morning Becomes Eclectic today, and performed a song that I think is one of their best:
Speaking of re-discovering something good, I watched Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels today - I haven't seen it in years! Such a good one.
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Random samplings and musings
Inception was brilliant. I had to see it twice this week.
If you have not seen the film, you might want to skip the rest of this paragraph. If you have seen it, and realized the Edith Piaf connection, click here and read the article/watch the video. Hans Zimmer scored the film and he is amazing.
I'm trying to unravel the bar exam-related webs that have formed in my brain; sleep is helping, as are movies and books, too. I've been reading The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and I am liking it! I think I'm the last person on the planet to have read it, but that's OK.
I've also been enjoying some yummy food and drinks:
Sam's Cafe is "southwestern" food, meaning that it combines mexican, southern, and even some native american flavors into the menu. I had the most amazing blackened shrimp quesadilla - it had goat cheese (c'mon), red bell peppers and roasted corn. Heaven on a plate. The margaritas are awesome too!
I recently went to Grimaldi's Pizzeria in Scottsdale to celebrate a friend's birthday. The pizza was good, don't get me wrong, but the stories of how the owner ships water from NY to specially make the pizza did not convince me. This pizza is labeled as "NY Pizza" but it isn't; it's California-style pizza with a thin crust. True NY pizza is really street food and you can't get feta cheese and kalamata olives on it, OK?
It was tasty, but not as good as Pizzaiolo in Oakland or Dove Vivi in Portland.
Went to the old [healthy] standby, Pita Jungle with a friend today. Yummy hummus and our waiter was either from the UK or Australia. I'm leaning toward the latter but the crowd made it hard to hear him.
Tonight I'm going to Cyclo with some friends tonight. This is my second try with Vietnamese food. My first attempt was at a place in Berkeley and while I can't remember the name, I remember it being very bland. I think Cyclo is supposed to be tasty. Looking forward to it!
Next Saturday I'm heading to Rokerij with with a big group of friends to celebrate the end of school, *passing* the bar exam, and moving out of AZ. Should be tasty - it looks like it is American with some southwestern/Mexican flavors infused there and about. Yummmmmm.
I've been discovering and re-discovering music recently. "Audience" by Cold War Kids is worth checking out (even if it did come out 8 months ago). And I just realized I owned "Sweet Disposition" by The Temper Trap - I had no idea.
Lastly, Cat Power and Nick Drake have really helped me the last couple of months.
If you have not seen the film, you might want to skip the rest of this paragraph. If you have seen it, and realized the Edith Piaf connection, click here and read the article/watch the video. Hans Zimmer scored the film and he is amazing.
I'm trying to unravel the bar exam-related webs that have formed in my brain; sleep is helping, as are movies and books, too. I've been reading The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and I am liking it! I think I'm the last person on the planet to have read it, but that's OK.
I've also been enjoying some yummy food and drinks:
Sam's Cafe is "southwestern" food, meaning that it combines mexican, southern, and even some native american flavors into the menu. I had the most amazing blackened shrimp quesadilla - it had goat cheese (c'mon), red bell peppers and roasted corn. Heaven on a plate. The margaritas are awesome too!
I recently went to Grimaldi's Pizzeria in Scottsdale to celebrate a friend's birthday. The pizza was good, don't get me wrong, but the stories of how the owner ships water from NY to specially make the pizza did not convince me. This pizza is labeled as "NY Pizza" but it isn't; it's California-style pizza with a thin crust. True NY pizza is really street food and you can't get feta cheese and kalamata olives on it, OK?
It was tasty, but not as good as Pizzaiolo in Oakland or Dove Vivi in Portland.
Went to the old [healthy] standby, Pita Jungle with a friend today. Yummy hummus and our waiter was either from the UK or Australia. I'm leaning toward the latter but the crowd made it hard to hear him.
Tonight I'm going to Cyclo with some friends tonight. This is my second try with Vietnamese food. My first attempt was at a place in Berkeley and while I can't remember the name, I remember it being very bland. I think Cyclo is supposed to be tasty. Looking forward to it!
Next Saturday I'm heading to Rokerij with with a big group of friends to celebrate the end of school, *passing* the bar exam, and moving out of AZ. Should be tasty - it looks like it is American with some southwestern/Mexican flavors infused there and about. Yummmmmm.
I've been discovering and re-discovering music recently. "Audience" by Cold War Kids is worth checking out (even if it did come out 8 months ago). And I just realized I owned "Sweet Disposition" by The Temper Trap - I had no idea.
Lastly, Cat Power and Nick Drake have really helped me the last couple of months.
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Weeds Season 6 Trailer
If you haven't seen season 5 of Weeds (the most recent season on DVD) then to avoid spoilers you shouldn't watch the trailer below.
Weeds is ridiculous and absurd, and the matriarch of the family is one of the most effed-up characters on television. Nevertheless, this show is an amazing train wreck and season 5 was like crack cocaine. It looks like season 6 will be just the same:
PS: I love Andy!!
Weeds is ridiculous and absurd, and the matriarch of the family is one of the most effed-up characters on television. Nevertheless, this show is an amazing train wreck and season 5 was like crack cocaine. It looks like season 6 will be just the same:
PS: I love Andy!!
Sunday, July 11, 2010
The Ultimate "B Movie"
Every five years it seems there is someone commemorating Jaws, which hit theaters in 1975. It factors into my life in a weird way - my mom went into labor after seeing it at the drive-in with my dad!
Here's a trailer for a new documentary about the making of the film:
Here's a trailer for a new documentary about the making of the film:
Friday, July 9, 2010
MTV's 120 Minutes
Why did MTV stop playing music videos? Was it the internet? Whatever the reason, it's sad that the station I knew as MTV during my pre-teen and teen years is lost to history.
Especially sad was the loss of 120 Minutes, two hours of "alternative" music that normally wasn't played during waking hours.
Well guess what? I was browsing the interwebs today and found The 120 Minutes Archive - every show online and available for viewing!
Truly amazing stuff here. Enjoy.
Especially sad was the loss of 120 Minutes, two hours of "alternative" music that normally wasn't played during waking hours.
Well guess what? I was browsing the interwebs today and found The 120 Minutes Archive - every show online and available for viewing!
Truly amazing stuff here. Enjoy.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Movie, foodie, drinkie
I had really low expectations for this based on the trailer but I have to say, I laughed my ass off. There were several moments when I thought, "wow, they are going there? Really?" Yeah. Russell Brand is hysterical and kind of hot.
GET HIM TO THE GREEK: Movie Trailer - Watch more top selected videos about: Get_Him_to_the_Greek, Jonah_Hill, Russell_Brand, Nicholas_Stoller, Sean_Combs, DeRay_Davis, Rose_Byrne, Elisabeth_Moss, Colm_Meaney
Last night I went to Carlsbad Tavern with a couple of friends and although the food was tasty and the two pomegranate margaritas I downed were yummy, I thought it was overpriced for what it was. Nevertheless, a place I'd return to for happy hour, fo sho.
GET HIM TO THE GREEK: Movie Trailer - Watch more top selected videos about: Get_Him_to_the_Greek, Jonah_Hill, Russell_Brand, Nicholas_Stoller, Sean_Combs, DeRay_Davis, Rose_Byrne, Elisabeth_Moss, Colm_Meaney
Last night I went to Carlsbad Tavern with a couple of friends and although the food was tasty and the two pomegranate margaritas I downed were yummy, I thought it was overpriced for what it was. Nevertheless, a place I'd return to for happy hour, fo sho.
Friday, June 18, 2010
Blog Re-vamp
I'm mixing it up a little on this ole bloggy-blog.
I had spent considerable space here discussing law school and some of the good and bad experiences that came along with it, and I've decided to cleanse the blog of all of that and focus instead on life outside the school/work setting.
I want to find more time for fun with friends and family, so I hope to have more stories about that and less (or nothing) about the trials and tribulations of school, work, or bar studying! Life is too short and we spend too much time at work to write about it on our free time, no?
I hope to start things off sometime this weekend with a post about dinner & drinks with friends at Carlsbad Tavern in Scottsdale. Yum!
I had spent considerable space here discussing law school and some of the good and bad experiences that came along with it, and I've decided to cleanse the blog of all of that and focus instead on life outside the school/work setting.
I want to find more time for fun with friends and family, so I hope to have more stories about that and less (or nothing) about the trials and tribulations of school, work, or bar studying! Life is too short and we spend too much time at work to write about it on our free time, no?
I hope to start things off sometime this weekend with a post about dinner & drinks with friends at Carlsbad Tavern in Scottsdale. Yum!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)