Pride & Prejudice - Saturday: Movie and a Birthday Dinner

First the statistics. All told there were 5 men at this movie (counting my son and myself). The men were out numbered 10 to 1. The average age for the women was estimated to be around 45 years. For some strange reason, the owner of the theater group attended this showing. (I didn't ask him why. I think he took his Mom.)

In some ways this film felt truer to the period. The people weren't as pristine as in the A&E version. We liked the "country dancing". (No we did not get up and dance along with the film.)

It was nice to see a film with good actors, but not famous names. Looking on IMDb, we saw that some had played in Charles II: The Power & the Passion.

High points of the movie:

• "Oddball" Donald Sutherland not totally sucking as Mr Bennet
• Mr Collins' sermon (Even my few were not that bad.) Did he really say that?
• Mr Collins not being as weasly, just totaly fish out of water in all his settings
• The "dance" of the characters as they wandered though the ball, always just missing each other
• The wounded puppy dog looks of Darcy
• The painful shyness of both Mr Bingley and Jane Bennet ("My sister won't even tell me" remarks Elizabeth)
• Darcy talking Binkley through what he needed to say to propose. (You say ... then Miss Bennet responds ...) Priceless.
  

Oh, and I want a long coat like Darcy.

Both Lydia and Wickham seemed underplayed in this version, though Lydia does bounce a lot.

Dinner after the movie was at the usual place. Greek Chicken, three Rigatonis, Capellini, and Vegitarian Lasagne. Afterwards we went home for cake and ice cream.

Previews: Glory Road (due out Jan 13th) is not a remake of the Heinlein tale of a Knight Errant, but about college basketball. Oh Well.

We got to see the Nanny McPhee preview on the big screen. (Due out Jan 27th) We can't wait. Emma Thompson both wrote the screen play and is the main character.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - Black Friday: Movie and Leftovers at Home

We do not go shopping on the "Day After Thanksgiving" (period).

We go to movies. This year we waited until the daughters were home from college to see the latest Harry Potter.

We missed all the fun stuff from the book, like Fleur meeting the older Weasley boy, the screwy clothes at the World Quiddich Tournament, and Hermione's teeth suddenly getting nice for the dance.

Daniel Radcliffe still looks like a younger version of my son. Hence all the squealing last week about "Naked Harry" the day after the movie came out. Not that the scenes showed any more than one would see if he were in swimming trunks, but its the thought that counts.

The scenes about the boys awkwardness asking the girls to the dance were a hoot as was the dancing. It wouldn't be so painful if I couldn't remember 9th grade, but I was more of a Harry at that time than a Ron.

Followed by a repeat of Thanksgiving Dinner.

No new interesting previews.

Furry Friends

And More Snow

More Snow (and er Freezing Rain)

We're looking at 2-3 inches by tonight, but then again it may turn to freezing rain and leave us with ice for the morrow. We curently have a bit over an inch of snow. The streets are slippery and the squirrles are cavorting on the bird feeders.

House has a new companion

This evening's House MD was hard to watch. What he did to his ex-wife in the last episode and this one makes my skin crawl. And yet, he does have redeeming qualities like those which drew him to his new companion.

I missed most of last year so this was the first I saw his apartment front door. Does House really live at 221B Baker Street? Who does he think he is? Sherlock Holmes? Too cute.

Thirty Five Years Ago Today

I dislocated my right knee helping to push a car out of a snow drift. It was after a concert celebrating the life of President Kennedy. Fortunately the injury occurred after our run of "Arsenic and Old Lace" was over, so I wouldn't have to hobble around the stage. Nin wasn't even born yet.

Forty two years ago, I was sitting in Mrs Hahn's class (funded by the National Defense Education Act) when our Principal came in and told us that the President had been shot. We set up a television in the school lobby and turned it on just in time to see Walter Cronkite announce that President Kennedy had died. Needless to say, school was let out for the rest of that cold, wet, and overcast day.

Ith was just a wee bairn and probably doesn't remember much of that weekend. My brother and I spent the weekend at my Grandparents because they had a color TV and a better antenna.

Look What We Found

Wilst digging around in the picture collection to find the appropriate one for a "baby picture" ad for our son's high school graduation yearbook, we found the following picture from 1984 or so:

Yes, I have more hair. No, there is no sugar donut mark on my mustache. Yes, I am ¾ my current weight. And, yes, those are the old rimless glasses that match my passport.

Thats What I Get For Answering Honestly

From Ith

...and which lesser Harry Potter character are you?

Here I was expecting that I would be Neville. (He must be too major a character.)

Walk The Line - Friday Night: Dinner and a Movie

Dinner at the usual place: Apple Baked Pork Chops and Rigatoni. Are you noticing a pattern here?

My wife thought that this would be a chick flick because of Joaquin Phoenix, but it was like all the guys came back from deer camp to see this movie. In fact there was the distinct flavor of spilled gasoline on workboots in our end of the theater.

The movie covers twenty years, marriage and divorce, drug addiction and arrest, and many groupies in Johnny Cash's early years. It covers the obvious physical interaction between John and June in their relationship and one can see the small cuts of the scenes that describe the foundation of their love like the 10 second cut involving the Friendship Baptist Church.

Oh, and I loved Momma Maybelle with the shotgun helping to run off the drug dealer.

Alex Baldwin does not play a villain in this movie either. Robert Paterick (T-2000) plays Johnny Cash's hard drinking father.

New previews: Tristan & Isolde due out Feb 3rd.

Update: Did anyone else notice Acidman as one of the inmates in Folsum Prison.

More Deer

Saw a deer on the way to work this morning. He was standing beside the road (in one of the more rural sections of my drive) just watching the traffic. He was standing in a corn field waiting to cross the road back to a thicket of trees.

Although this area is "rural" it is within the corporate boundary of a city, so it is off limits to hunting. Yes it is posted, but I don't think the deer can read the signs.

Update: He must have made it as I saw no evidence of an accident the next day.

Let It Snow

First snow. Six to eight inches over last night and we are seeing amateur hour on the roads.

In driving around the last two days I have seen six deer beside the road from accidents. The worst was a form of Steak Tartar from a run-in with a semi. You can tell that it is deer hunting season.

Her Majesty' Spymaster

Interesting book about Francis Walsingham. Walsingham was Elizabeth I's Principal Secretary, a position much like our current Secretary of State. Compared to today, the government of Elizabethan time was quite libertarian, but that was unbalanced by the lack of restrictions on public violence as was experienced by Catholics and Protestants alike.

I was also interesting to see how politics affected the organization of the Book of Common Prayer and how the Church of England experienced the same upheaval as the Roman Catholic church did after Vatican II when liturgy was converted from Latin to the vernacular. The Church of England had the same response, but 400 years earlier.

I'm What?

Via Ith

Your Heart Is Blue

Love is a doing word for you. You know it's love when you treat each other well. You are a giving lover, but you don't give too much. You expect something in return. Your flirting style: Friendly Your lucky first date: Lunch at an outdoor cafe Your dream lover: Is both generous and selfish What you bring to relationships: Loyalty

What Color Heart Do You Have?

Yes, but I'd spend too much time looking at the HTML to see how they set the color of the heart. Fools, it wasn't a background overlay, but only a different colored image.

Don't believe a word of the above. They didn't have an answer that could honestly describe "a movie depiction of my love life" from my teens and twenties. The only choices they provided were:

• Deep and dialogue driven
• Sweet and touching
• Artistic and philosophical
• Quirky and offbeat
• A funny romantic flick with a twist
• Dramatic with an unpredictable ending

Note that this omits:

• Action Adventure and
• Slasher Films

Not that either of those match me, but I'm only sayin'.

How do you describe "Waiting for Godot" crossed with "Finnian's Wake" crossed with "Princess Bride"? No matter. It wasn't a pretty sight anyway.

Tonights cool sight. Vint Cerf getting the President's Metal of Freedom (on CSPAN) along with "Sonny" Montgomery who was responsible for the Montgomery G.I. Bill. (Along with a few others.) This occurred on Wed, Nov 9th. See Official Citations.

Friday Night: Dinner and no Movie

Dinner at the usual place - Lasagne and Rigatoni

No movie tonight. Pride and Prejudice is out in limited release until Nov 23rd and we aren't about to drive 3 hours just to see a flick. Another busy day tomorrow with cleaning and stuff. Still need to get the bikes and pool stuff put away before winter.

Frederica Mathewes-Green does have a nice review of Pride and Prejudice in NRO though.

Nanny McPhee

Colin Firth and Emma Thompson.

Already out in the UK. Due out in the US on Jan 27th.

Click the name above to view the trailer via Apple.com or visit IMDB.

Alec Baldwin is not a villain in this movie either.

Hammered Dulcimer Workshop

These workshops were presented by Rick Thum who is one of the workshop presentors at the Original Dulcimer Players Club Funfest held each July in Evart, MI at the Osceola County Fairgrounds.

Four hours of workshops, a potluck, followed by concert by Rick.



Meanwhile I worked in the back.

Friday Night: Dinner and no Movie

Dinner at the usual place - Steak and Rigatoni

No movie. We have to be up early to drive to a Hammered Dulcimer Workshop.

Clearly you've never been to Singapore

Captain Jack Sparrow rides the waves tonight on ABC. It must be sweeps week.

I expect that Ith and Nin will be watching and hoisting a mug to Dear Old Captain Jack.