Friday, June 30, 2006
"Endearing Memories"
8:15pm
Pensive Gray Wolf
Afterwards, we were craving Italian food, so we went to Ciao Bella. It's been a while since we'd been there. I enjoy not only the food, but also the atmosphere. Although I did not pull my sketch book out, I tried to observe my surroundings closely as if I were drawing them. (I will be able to do this much better when I get those new eyeglasses!) But I could still catch some details. I especially enjoyed the way the sun shone on some red poppies, making strong shadows. After a tasty salad and some mussels in tomato and garlic sauce, I had some Italian ice, three flavors, blackberry, raspberry and lemon. It was so light and refreshing, after a heavy meal. I asked, did they make the dessert there? Yes, they make all their desserts. If I am ever poor and destitute, I will still have happy memories of these lovely meals we've shared.
Saturday, July 1, 2006
"Satisfying Evening"
10:28pm
I decided enough of this crap, we ought to go to the movies. Besides, they were having a nice shindig at Main street cinema, with a benefit for the Humane Society. Entertainment and critter concerns besides, what's not to love? Alas, I couldn't find my glasses. The new old ones. I'd brought the circa 1987 ones out of the drawer earlier, but lost them. Julia and I were getting panicked. But she found them, and we managed to leave in time. Fortunately, the tickets weren't sold out, and we managed to get reasonably decent seats. I'm glad that it was a packed house. "The Devil Wears Prada" was a funny movie. Anne Hathaway was absolutely charming, and Meryl Streep was wicked beyond belief, but she got a little more human towards the end. Yuck, what a strange artificial world the fashion business must be. Although Anne (aka 'Andrea') did look lovely in those stylish clothes. It ended happily, too, which I always like. (Yeah, I like that...)
Afterwards, we went to the Fry's to get groceries and an unexpected surprise greeted us. What magic! From the parking lot, we had a lovely view of a fireworks display. It was a big one, lots of lovely exploding 'flowers'. It was strange, though, the people we saw paid no attention at all to what was going on in the sky. They just went about doing their little robotic tasks.
What was even weirder, some evangelist had assembled a church group service in the parking lot. For the first part of the fireworks, I could hear the preacher's yammering and then a gospel song. I suppose none of those people turned their heads to look at the display, either.
When we got home, after putting away the groceries, we each sat down with a bowl of rainier cherries, each one tastier than the one before it. Yes, a very satisfying evening, after all.
Sunday, July 2, 2006
"Odd Peaches and Moles"
9:45am
They are called white DONUT peaches...
Later this morning, I felt in the mood for a spontaneous drawing. This mole about to emerge from his shell resulted:
He's almost 'suited up'...
Wednesday, July 5, 2006
"Power Plant"
9:42pm
I was thinking of a possible title, when Julia walked by and said:
"I know what THAT is, it's a POWER PLANT!"
I'm inclined to believe the second report more. A walk from the theater area (actually Ah So restaurant) to the vitamin store and back near to the car left us boiling, so I tucked into the Penney's store. I did this last year, too, after enjoying Depp on the big screen. Yes, while there cooling off, I saw an Hawaiian type shirt and bought it. This one has golden tones in a quiet floral pattern:
Right after getting in the door, both of us flopped on the bed, exhausted from the heat. Julia's still sleeping.
But you want to know about the movie, right? As soon as I saw "Pirates" was on, I did not even look at Main Street offerings. Wow! the similarities to the Set mythos! Did they consciously do this? Jack Sparrow fights the 'APEP', all right, a giant tentacled thing they call 'Kracken'. A debate over its name ensues: "It's a mythological beast, and I'll name it what I want to", says one sailor. Apep by any other name is still Apep, and it's clear this giant beastie is about Destruction.
Also, there's a debate about whether Jack is evil or good. Elizabeth says good. In a discussion about freedom to do what one wants she says to Jack, "but you will want to be admired, so you will choose the good". (Actually it's a bit more complicated than that. It isn't about being 'admired', but pride of self that stems from the heroic impulse, but this is a MOVIE.) He did, he was gonna run away, but he returned, for whatever his selfish little reasons.
Near movie's end up into the mouth of the Apep/Kracken he goes...
Yes, there will be a sequel. The shamanic witch doctor lady with the blue teeth, (must eat nothing but blueberries and black beans and never brush her teeth), gives the crew clues that Jack can be found.
How AWFUL that we must wait! "At World's End" is currently 'in filming' and will show this time next year. The consensus at rottentomatoes.com is "Gone is Depp's unpredictability and much of the humor and originality of the first movie."
I'd say there is more of a sense of 'fun' in the first movie. But overall, I like the movie and its many weird special effects, the fishifying crew of Davy Jones ship. It's fun watching Will Turner's father metamorphise, and Davy Jones smoking a pipe, with smoke coming out of his tentacles, and him at that giant organ, and that weird make up on Sparrow when he's on the Island, about to be cooked...
It's fun. it's just the original is THEE classic and has more of a freshness to it. I read an interview with Depp, and he said how he had to fight the producers to get his weirdness into the first movie. That weirdness having succeeded so marvelously, they now were encouraging him to be weird, be more weird. Oh yes, watch for the 'knuckle sandwich, minus the bread...
