you'll remember that it felt like nothing else you've felt or something you've felt that also didn't last

You'll be driving along depressed when suddenly 

a cloud will move and the sun will muscle through 

and ignite the hills. It may not last. Probably 

won't last. But for a moment the whole world 

comes to. Wakes up. Proves it lives. It lives— 

red, yellow, orange, brown, russet, ocher, 

vermilion, 

gold. Flame and rust. Flame and rust, the 

permutations 

of burning. You're on fire. Your eyes are on fire. 

It won't last, you don't want it to last. You 

can't stand any more. But you don't want it to stop. 

It's what you've come for. It's what you'll 

come back for. It won't stay with you, but you'll 

        remember that it felt like nothing else you've 

felt 

        or something you've felt that also didn't last. 

 

[Lloyd Schwartz {1941- }, 3. from 'Leaves', in Goodnight, Gracie]

commuters give the city its tidal restlessness

More accurate than a Buzzfeed quiz; less accurate than your therapist’s raised eyebrow.🤨

 

💻 What’s Your Work-from-Home Alter Ego? 🛋️

 

Working from home has its quirks—

some of us thrive, some of us improvise. 

Take this quiz to identify your WFH alter ego.

---

1. Your desk setup looks like:

    A) Immaculately organized, ergonomic perfection

    B) Couch, laptop, blanket—done

    C) A careful balance of tech gadgets and snacks    

    D) Wherever the WiFi signal is strongest today

 

2. Your go-to Zoom attire:

    A) Polished from the waist up

    B) Pajamas all day

    C) Comfy but presentable    

    D) Constantly changing because laundry is chaos

 

3. Midday break means:

    A) Quick stretch or walk outside

    B) Nap, obviously

    C) Coffee refill + scroll social media    

    D) Tackling house chores while on mute

 

4. Biggest WFH struggle:

    A) Overworking—hard to turn it off

    B) Staying awake

    C) Distractions (internet rabbit holes)    

    D) Background chaos (kids, pets, neighbors)

 

5. At 5pm, you:

    A) Shut laptop, log workout

    B) Realize you haven’t moved in hours

    C) Order takeout    

    D) Keep working, but promise to stop soon

 

Results in the comments! 

 

[quiz generated by chatGPT; the title quotation is by E.B. White, from Here is New York]

never stop fighting til the fight is done

Book Review 

 

Rating * * * *

 

Title: Scarface and the Untouchable: Al Capone, Eliot Ness, and the Battle for Chicago 

 

Author: Max Allan Collins & A. Brad Schwartz

 

Published: this nonfiction book was published in 2018; I listened to the unabridged audiobook (Harper Collins Audio; read by Stefan Rudnicki; 18 hours, 43 minutes) 

 

What is the story? 

    In 1929, thirty-year-old gangster Al Capone ruled both Chicago's underworld and its corrupt government. To a public who scorned Prohibition, 'Scarface' became a local hero and national celebrity. But after the brutal St. Valentine's Day Massacre transformed Capone into 'Public Enemy Number One,' the federal government found an unlikely new hero in a twenty-seven-year-old Prohibition agent named Eliot Ness. Chosen to head the legendary law enforcement team known as 'The Untouchables,' Ness set his sights on crippling Capone's criminal empire.
    Today, no underworld figure is more iconic than Al Capone and no lawman as renowned as Eliot Ness. Yet in 2016 the Chicago Tribune wrote, "Al Capone still awaits the biographer who can fully untangle, and balance, the complexities of his life," while revisionist historians have continued to misrepresent Ness and his remarkable career.
    Enter Max Allan Collins and A. Brad Schwartz, a unique and vibrant writing team combining the narrative skill of a master novelist with the scholarly rigor of a trained historian. Collins is the New York Times bestselling author of the gangster classic Road to Perdition. Schwartz is a rising-star historian whose work anticipated the fake-news phenomenon.
    Scarface and the Untouchable draws upon decades of primary source research—including the personal papers of Ness and his associates, newly released federal files, and long-forgotten crime magazines containing interviews with the gangsters and G-men themselves. Collins and Schwartz have recaptured a bygone bullet-ridden era while uncovering the previously unrevealed truth behind Scarface's downfall. Together they have crafted the definitive work on Capone, Ness, and the battle for Chicago. --from Amazon.com 

What type of language does it use—technical, complex, standard, or colloquial? standard and colloquial

 

Does the level of language make it easy or difficult for the reader to follow? very easy. This is a smoothly-written book.

 

Did you like this book? I did, albeit from a bestseller/consumer standpoint, more than the historian point of view. 

 

If you could change something, what would it be? I think it's just a limitation of the audiobook format, but I lost the thread now and then given the massive "cast of characters". I needed to go back and forth between internet searches and the book at times, to re-grasp which side certain guys were on. 

 

Eliot Ness

What were your favourite parts? Eliot Ness is more compelling to me than Capone is, so I liked the background and action that was focused on him. 

 

Who stands out, among the characters? Ness, of course—an intellectually curious introvert who could fake extroversion when he had to. Frank Nitti, the logician behind the Outfit. Bugs Moran, the Northsider with a tendency to hide out when things got hot, who narrowly missed being a victim of the St. Valentine's Day Massacre.

 

What is your recommendation? great for fans of true crime, Chicago history, The Outfit and other connections, and of course for investigative law enforcement

 

5 adjectives you would use to describe this text: fast, thorough, fascinating, violent, satisfying

CAVEAT: the introduction of this book is terrible. Loudly and offensively dismissive of other works on these subjects—including the 1987 fictional feature film—that came before. There's just no need for that, especially in a book that takes itself very seriously.

    If any of the blog's readers decide to try the book, please just skip the self-aggrandizing intro, which isn't at all necessary to (and seriously detracts from) this work. 

[book review template 5 adapted from here; the title quotation is attributed to Eliot Ness]

I never asked her what she gave up

When the doctor suggested surgery 

and a brace for all my youngest years, 

my parents scrambled to take me 

to massage therapy, deep tissue work, 

osteopathy, and soon my crooked spine 

unspooled a bit, I could breathe again, 

and move more in a body unclouded 

by pain. My mom would tell me to sing 

songs to her the whole forty-five minute 

drive to Middle Two Rock Road and forty-

five minutes back from physical therapy. 

She’d say, even my voice sounded unfettered 

by my spine afterward. So I sang and sang, 

because I thought she liked it. I never 

asked her what she gave up to drive me, 

or how her day was before this chore. Today, 

at her age, I was driving myself home from yet 

another spine appointment, singing along 

to some maudlin but solid song on the radio, 

and I saw a mom take her raincoat off 

and give it to her young daughter when 

a storm took over the afternoon. My god, 

I thought, my whole life I’ve been under her 

raincoat thinking it was somehow a marvel 

that I never got wet. 

 

[Ada Limón {1976- } 'The Raincoat', from The Carrying]

one cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well

1. What was your favorite snack as a kid, and do you still eat it now? 

    Pate's Cheese Pops, which apparently don't exist even on sentimental-food websites. Kind of like Cheetos but less crunchy and more crispy, and also WAY more coated with cheese powder. (I originally spelled that "power", which comes closer to the truth!) 

 

2. What’s the weirdest food combination you genuinely enjoy? 

    leftover rice with cinnamon sugar and milk. Based on some unsolicited feedback, this is among the strangest combos ever consumed by a human.

 

3. Have you ever eaten something abroad that you wish you could find at home? 

    not "abroad" but in a different region of the country, yeah. Greek chicken, Chicago-style pizza (the thin kind), anything Cuban...

 

4. What’s a food you resisted for years, only to finally fall in love with? 

    I wouldn't have used "in love" to describe it, but it was only after Chris cooked them for me that I even started to realize that green beans are food worth eating. My subsequent affection for them may be more about him than it is about the beans themselves, but vegetables don't discriminate.   

 

5. Write about a family recipe that connects you to your roots. 

    besides those I've written about before... Jello cookies. Basic sugar cookie dough, but with a box of Jello powder replacing some of the sugar. They're vaguely fruity, fun-colored, and deeply reminiscent of Valentine's Day and Christmas of my childhood. 

 

6. If you had to eat one cuisine for the rest of your life, which would it be and why? 

    Italian. It's varied, satisfies my inner carnivore and also the desire for pasta. I probably do eat from that cuisine at least twice a week. 

 

7. What’s the most adventurous thing you’ve ever eaten? 

    besides alligator—which wasn't really all that adventurous, since I didn't have to wrestle him to the death before I ate him—I'd say strip-mall Chinese food in Mississippi. It wasn't my choice, and it was not good. 

 

[ChatGPT blog meme questions, a set called 🍴 Food & Eating, Plate 1: Nostalgia & Curiosity; the title quotation is by Virginia Woolf, from A Room of One’s Own]

the 1961 Ferrari 250 GT California

Average rating: 6.5, but don't let it fool you. There's some good stuff here!

Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986) - "Ferris Bueller (Matthew Broderick) has an uncanny skill at cutting classes and getting away with it. Intending to make one last duck-out before graduation, Ferris calls in sick, 'borrows' a Ferrari, and embarks on a one-day journey through the streets of Chicago. On Ferris' trail is high school principal Rooney (Jeffrey Jones), determined to catch him in the act."
length: 1 hour, 43 minutes

source: I own the DVD
I watched it because: I've only seen it about 25 times, and I needed a dose to buck me up
IMDB: 7.8/10  -  Rotten Tomatoes: Tomatometer: 83% Audience: 92%
my IMDB: 8/10

MPAA rating: PG-13

notable quote: "I had a grandmother once! Two, actually."

directed by: John Hughes

my notes: it's still laugh-out-loud silly and takes-me-back wonderful. It makes me wistful for a high school experience that I didn't come close to sharing, but that still feels like home.

    Roger Ebert's review is here, with which I—as an adult—fully agree.

overall: highly recommended

 

The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (1962) - "Argentinian patriarch Julio Madariaga (Lee J. Cobb) urges his German-born nephew, Heinrich von Hartrott (Karl Boehm), to give up his Nazi allegiance on the brink of World War II, but the request is refused. Madariaga's debauched grandson, Julio Desnoyers (Glenn Ford), joins the French Resistance, risking his life to fight the Nazis in honor of his grandfather, who died shortly after von Hartrott's Nazi leanings were exposed. The war brings the cousins together for a final showdown."
length: 2 hours, 33 minutes

source: I owned the DVD
I watched it because: Glenn Ford....
IMDB: 6.5/10  -  Rotten Tomatoes: Tomatometer: N/A% Audience: 43%
my IMDB: 3/10

MPAA rating: Approved

notable quote: "'Do you go to Notre Dame regularly?'

    'I went to pray for him. But I think I may have been praying for myself.'"

directed by: Vincente Minelli

my notes: oh my good God, what a strange film. VERY American Glenn Ford (Julio), handsome and earnest, cannot play a convincing Argentinian, nor can he dance. Ingrid Thulin (Marguerite) is wan and lifeless. Yvette Mimieux (as the hilariously misnamed Chi Chi) is bright, eager, and unbelievable as a member of the French Resistance. 

    On the plus side, Paul Henreid (Laurier) and Charles Boyer (Marcelo) bring the whole thing up a notch or two. They can't carry the film with their slight roles, though. The makeup is thick and realistic as frosting, most of the sets cheap, the effects hilariously overblown times ten thousand, and the race and sex discrimination rampant. And the story is just not good. Three stars for Henreid, Boyer, and the eye-popping cheese factor.

overall: not  recommended

Contract Killer {Hitman} {King of Killers} {Sat sau ji wong} (1998) - "When a Japanese tycoon suspects that he may be murdered, he establishes a huge reward fund for the person who will find his killer. When the man is murdered, an out-of-luck con man and a struggling 'newbie' hitman band together in hopes of a big payday, as they work to discover the identity of the 'King of the Hitmen.'"
length: 1 hour, 44 minutes

source: I own the DVD
I watched it because: it's a Jet Li film I haven't seen, and I was in the mood for his sweet face
IMDB: 6.1/10  -  Rotten Tomatoes: Tomatometer: N/A% Audience: 53%
my IMDB: 7/10

MPAA rating: R

notable quote: "The list of Tsukamoto's enemies reads like a Genghis Khan birthday bash!"

directed by: Wei Tung

my notes: it's an action-drama-comedy-thriller whirlwind. Jet Li is fast, ferocious and lovely as Fu, Eric Tsang is fun and adorable as Nick (Ngok), and Simon Yam (a favorite from The Thieves {2012} and Bodyguards and Assassins {2009}) suave and engaging as Officer Chan Kwan.

overall:  recommended

The Thin Man Goes Home (1944) - "Famous retired detective Nick Charles (William Powell) takes his wife, Nora (Myrna Loy), and their dog, Asta, to visit Nick's parents in their small, quiet town. Determined that Nick's father respect Nick's profession, Nora urges him to find a crime to investigate, unaware that Nick's presence has already frightened spy Edgar Draque (Leon Ames) into action. After Nora buys a painting for Nick's birthday and the artist is murdered, Nick discovers that the murder is connected to espionage."
length: 1 hour, 40 minutes

source: I own the DVD (series)
I watched it because: I've seen lots of newer movies lately and wanted to balance with a good older one
IMDB: 7.3/10  -  Rotten Tomatoes: Tomatometer: 75% Audience: 79%
my IMDB: 8/10

MPAA rating: Approved

notable quote: "I was just thinking about a little gal by the name of Alice Brody. We used to come out here often on hot summer nights and play on her banjo."

directed by: Richard Thorpe

my notes: madcap, verbose, and sincerely tricky. It's sweet to see Nora's devotion and pride for Nick's work, and also to see Nick's affection and care for Nora—couched as it is in teasing and clearly feigned unconcern. Nick's expression while watching Nora dance with the wonderfully talented Bert May is fantastic and revealing. And what a dance!

overall:  strongly recommended

 

[the title quotation is from Ferris Bueller's Day Off]

learning to let go should be learned before learning to get

1. If you were to finish the phrase "I have been blessed because..," how would it end? 

    "...my family is wonderful, and still close."

 

2. If you were to found a spiritual retreat, where would it be located? 

     in a quiet spot near inland water

 

3. If you were to name a single thing that can destroy a soul, what would it be? 

    venality 

 

4. If you were to identify one aspect of your behavior that masks your insecurities, what would it be? 

    snarky humor 

 

5. If you were to finish the sentence "My destiny has always been..," how would it end? 

    "...to be a lawyer." 

 

6. If you were to choose a time when your imagination was at its best, when would it be? 

    March-April 2017, when I invented an alternate reality that persisted off and on for years 

 

7. If you were to change your life in one way to make it "more Zen," how would you do it? 

    prioritize moving over sitting, water over food, and find a middle way

      

[from If: Questions for the Soul; the title quotation is by Ray Bradbury, from Farewell Summer]

beauty is twice beauty and what is good is doubly good

Maru Mori brought me 

a pair 

of socks 

which she knitted herself 

with her sheepherder’s hands, 

two socks as soft 

as rabbits. 

I slipped my feet 

into them 

as though into 

two 

cases 

knitted 

with threads of 

twilight 

and goatskin. 

Violent socks, 

my feet were 

two fish made 

of wool, 

two long sharks 

sea-blue, shot 

through 

by one golden thread, 

two immense blackbirds, 

two cannons: 

my feet 

were honored 

in this way 

by 

these 

heavenly 

socks. 

They were 

so handsome 

for the first time 

my feet seemed to me 

unacceptable 

like two decrepit 

firemen, firemen 

unworthy 

of that woven 

fire, 

of those glowing 

socks. 

 

Nevertheless 

I resisted 

the sharp temptation 

to save them somewhere 

as schoolboys 

keep 

fireflies, 

as learned men 

collect 

sacred texts, 

I resisted 

the mad impulse 

to put them 

into a golden 

cage 

and each day give them 

birdseed 

and pieces of pink melon. 

Like explorers 

in the jungle who hand 

over the very rare 

green deer 

to the spit 

and eat it 

with remorse, 

I stretched out 

my feet 

and pulled on 

the magnificent 

socks 

and then my shoes. 

 

The moral 

of my ode is this: 

beauty is twice 

beauty 

and what is good is doubly 

good 

when it is a matter of two socks 

made of wool 

in winter. 

 

[Pablo Neruda {1904-1973} 'Ode to My Socks', from Neruda & Vallejo: Selected Poems]

Sunday is the golden clasp that binds together the volume of the week

More accurate than a Buzzfeed quiz; less accurate than your therapist’s raised eyebrow.🤨

 

🍳 What’s Your Ideal Sunday Morning Ritual? 🛌

 

Sundays can set the tone for the whole week. 

Some people crave productivity, others want slow, cozy vibes. 

Answer these quick questions to discover your ideal Sunday ritual—

and maybe pick up a new idea to try next weekend.

---

1. When your alarm goes off on Sunday, what do you do first?

    A) Hit snooze—sleep is sacred 

    B) Reach for coffee before I can think straight 

    C) Open my planner and glance at the week ahead     

    D) Scroll social or news, catching up on the world  

 

2. Your breakfast vibe is:

    A) Lazy pancakes or waffles 

    B) A perfect latte and a croissant 

    C) Eggs, toast, and something green     

    D) Honestly… leftover pizza works just fine  

 

3. What’s your favorite kind of Sunday soundtrack?

    A) A chill acoustic playlist 

    B) Jazz or lo-fi beats 

    C) A motivational podcast     

    D) Something nostalgic or guilty-pleasure pop  

 

4. Which activity feels most like a Sunday?

    A) Staying in bed with a book or Netflix 

    B) Hitting the farmer’s market 

    C) Planning the week (meal prep, to-do lists)     

    D) Spontaneous plans with friends/family  

 

5. How do you prefer to close out the weekend?

    A) Early bedtime with fresh sheets 

    B) A homemade dinner and a glass of wine 

    C) A workout or yoga session     

    D) Binge-watching until the clock wins  

 

Results in the comments!

 

[quiz generated by chatGPT; the title quotation is from Henry Wadsworth Longfellow]

every human creature is constituted to be that profound secret and mystery to every other

Book Review 

 

Rating * * * *

 

Title: Book 1: The Last Refuge

    Book 2: Two Time

 

Author: Chris Knopf

 

Published: The Last Refuge, a mystery novel, was published in 2005; I listened to the unabridged audiobook (Blackstone Audio, Inc.; read by Stefan Rudnicki; 11 hours) 

    Two Time, a mystery novel, was published in 2006; I listened to the unabridged audiobook (Blackstone Audio, Inc.; read by Stefan Rudnicki; 10 hours) 

 

What is the story? 

    The Last Refuge: Sam Acquillo's at the end of the line. A middle-aged corporate dropout living in his dead parents' ramshackle cottage in Southampton's North Sea, Sam has abandoned friends, family and a big-time career to sit on his porch, drink vodka and stare at the Little Peconic Bay. But then the old lady next door ends up floating in her bathtub and it seems like Sam's the only one who wonders why. Despite himself, burned-out, busted up and cynical, the ex-engineer, ex-professional boxer, ex-loving father and husband finds himself uncovering secrets no one could have imagined, least of all Sam himself. Meanwhile, a procession of quirky characters intrudes on Sam's misanthropic ways. A beautiful banker, pot-smoking lawyer, bug-eyed fisherman and gay billionaire join a full complement of cops, thugs and local luminaries, and likes to which you never knew inhabited the hidden corners of the storied Hamptons: haves, have-nots and want-to-have-at-all-costs. Some deadly. Like Dr. Gernard Rieux in Camus' The Plague, tragedy has given Sam Acquillo an excuse to go on living, if for no other reason than to satisfy his curiosity, and maybe buy a little time before succumbing to the existential despair that has brought him to the brink. --from Audible.com 

    Two Time: Sam Acquillo, ex-boxer, ex-corporate executive, and accidental hero of The Last Refuge, can't seem to stay out of trouble. All he really wants to do is hammer a few nails into his ramshackle cottage, drink a great deal of vodka, and hang out with his dog, Eddie Van Halen. But when a car bomb outside a trendy waterfront restaurant kills a prominent financial consultant, injuring Sam and his lawyer friend, he is drawn into the investigation. Where the police have met roadblocks, Sam makes inroads with his trademark wit, instinct, and charm. Set against the backdrop of Southampton, Long Island, Two Time is full of moody sunsets, beachfront properties, and beautiful people with an extraordinary amount of money and very dangerous secrets. --from Audible.com

What type of language do they use—technical, complex, standard, or colloquial? standard/colloquial. Sam is education and intelligent, but with the ability to speak like a normal guy.

 

Does the level of language make it easy or difficult for the reader to follow? very easy

 

Did you like these books? I did! Mystery is not my favorite genre, but I was in the mood for something engaging, not too complex (after the book reviewed last Thursday, I needed something less intellectual!), and part of a series that I might get into. This one, set in an area of the country I don't know much about, seems to fit the bill.

 

If you could change something, what would it be? the main character, Sam, is kind of an obnoxious, oblivious guy. He has some good friends and supporting characters, and doesn't always deserve their loyalty or efforts. I hope that over the course of the series he grows up a little.

 

What were your favourite parts? there is a dog named Eddie Van Halen, a mixed-breed who enjoys fetching tennis balls from the bay, taking rides in the car (even just in the driveway), and having his head scratched. He has a heightened sense for danger that is believable and contributes to the story. Book dogs can be way more enjoyable to me than are the real, live version.

 

Who stands out, among the characters? besides Eddie, I'm a fan of Burton Lewis, Sam's friend who happens to be an attorney and a billionaire (among other things) and Joe Sullivan, of the the Southampton PD.

 

What is your recommendation? generally recommended to fans of modern fiction and mystery, and specifically for those with an interest in New York and its class system, in engineering, and in psychology

 

5 adjectives you would use to describe these texts: fun, intriguing, irreverent, alcoholic, cool

 

[book review template 5 adapted from here; the title quotation is by Charles Dickens, from A Tale of Two Cities]

a little hope, a little whimsy before

I love the hour before takeoff, 

that stretch of no time, no home 

but the gray vinyl seats linked like 

unfolding paper dolls. Soon we shall 

be summoned to the gate, soon enough 

there’ll be the clumsy procedure of row numbers 

and perforated stubs—but for now 

I can look at these ragtag nuclear families 

with their cooing and bickering 

or the heeled bachelorette trying 

to ignore a baby’s wail and the baby’s 

exhausted mother waiting to be called up early 

while the athlete, one monstrous hand 

asleep on his duffel bag, listens, 

perched like a seal trained for the plunge. 

Even the lone executive 

who has wandered this far into summer 

with his lasered itinerary, briefcase 

knocking his knees—even he 

has worked for the pleasure of bearing 

no more than a scrap of himself 

into this hall. He’ll dine out, she’ll sleep late, 

they’ll let the sun burn them happy all morning 

—a little hope, a little whimsy 

before the loudspeaker blurts 

and we leap up to become 

Flight 828, now boarding at Gate 17. 

 

[Rita Dove {1952- } 'Vacation', from On the Wing: American Poems of Air and Space Flight]

there must be quite a few things a hot bath won’t cure, but I don’t know many of them

1. In a movie of your life, what soundtrack would convey the mood of today's events? 

    something soporific. I'm doing the most ungodly boring make-work, periodically escaping to blog and keep my head on straight.

 

2. What was the last molehill that you made into a mountain? 

    I work with a bully. Last week, he pushed the wrong button and I snapped. It was not entirely a response to the direct provocation but more of a general You Need to Fucking Stop It resetting of boundaries. His response, though not unexpected, was precisely as annoying as always. Now that it's out of my system, though, and he's had a few days to absorb it, our interactions have been slightly more collegial. 

3. What would you like your spirit animal to be? 

    wolverine. "The wolverine is noted for its strength, cunning, fearlessness, and voracity, and the species is renowned for its ability to face down and fight larger predators that are more than twice its size." That seems like a good vibe to channel (sometimes).

 

4. If you had to answer questions on your specialist subject, what would the subject be? 

    European neutrality in World War II, highly advanced alphabetizing, poetry about grief and sadness, or estate planning and settlement.

 

5. Have you ever been disappointed by a hotel room that looked nothing like the brochure? 

    yep. It was small, over-warm, awkwardly laid out, and noisy. Its ideal location and the steak in the hotel restaurant made it totally worthwhile anyway.  

 

6. What would you do if you saw a colleague steal something from your workplace? 

    under the current circumstances, that act would be at least a firing offense (regardless of what was stolen) and could be a felony. For me to do anything except report it would also be a firing offense and could be a felony, even more egregious than the act itself. 

    Every other job I've worked, though, has involved some of that. "Broken" cookies shouldn't just be thrown out, right? Walking out with a pen behind your ear, making a few copies on the company copier, a cheese curd off the plate before it goes to the table... none of that seems like a huge deal. We all know, though, that it adds up, and it has even more of an effect in attitude than it does in the direct cost. I think I mentioned it once or maybe twice. I never saw anything that really poked my conscience, though.  

 

7. When was the last time you shared a bath with someone? 

    four years, give or take. One of the all time great moments in history.

 

[from 3000 Unique Questions about Me; the title quotation is by Sylvia Plath, from The Bell Jar]

go, go! Join the others!

Average rating: 7.25

Kept Husbands (1931) - "After rescuing two workers during a steel mill accident, Dick Brunton (Joel McCrea) is invited to the home of his boss, Arthur Parker (Robert McWade), as a show of thanks. There, Parker's daughter, Dot (Dorothy Mackaill), takes a liking to him and sets out to win him over. Dick and Dot marry, and he receives a promotion, thanks to Dot's pleading with her father. Soon, though, Dot becomes preoccupied with her social life, giving little attention to Dick, who begins to doubt her fidelity."
length: 1 hour, 16 minutes

source: streamed on Tubi
I watched it because: I'm fascinated by Joel McCrea
IMDB: 5.8/10  -  Rotten Tomatoes: Tomatometer: N/A% Audience: 23%
my IMDB: 6/10

MPAA rating: Approved

notable quote: "'Makes things easier for you....'

    'I know, but easy things aren't much good.'" 

directed by: Lloyd Bacon

my notes: I was expecting this to be a little dated (see, e.g., the freakin' title) but not quite to this degree. The female lead needs a good, hard spanking and a month in rehab. The Charlie character deserves a punch to the throat. 

    Still, McCrea was terrific as the eager, bright and innocent Dick Brunton. His versatility as an actor means he's a credible football player, a factory worker, an engineering designer, and a reluctant bon vivant. He carries the film.

overall: only most mildly recommended

 

Kids from Shaolin {Shaolin xiao zi} (1984) - "A young man from a Shaolin‑trained family falls in love with a woman from a rival Wudang lineage. Their families clash over ancient kung‑fu traditions, but the couple persists, ultimately uniting to defeat a treacherous bandit gang threatening both clans and restoring peace."
length: 1 hour, 39 minutes

source: I own the DVD
I watched it because: I've not seen it before, and was curious about one of Jet Li's earliest movies
IMDB: 6.2/10  -  Rotten Tomatoes: Tomatometer: N/A% Audience: 71%
my IMDB: 6/10

MPAA rating: TV-14

notable quote: "Monkey boy, where's your chivalry?"

directed by: Hsin-Yen Chang

my notes: I can't figure out what this movie is trying to do. Maybe it's all the child actors. Maybe it's the musical numbers. Maybe it's the heavy dose of Three Stooges influence. I can't figure out if it is comedy, action, Shakespearean archetype...? The setting is amazing, but easily missed with all the strange, grinning fight scenes. Jet Li is profoundly skilled, energetic, enthusiastic. It is fun to watch him just working out, much less in a choreographed fight. This one's not my favorite, but I'm still glad I got to see it.

overall: mildly recommended

 

Death at a Funeral (2007) - "Chaos reigns when members of a dysfunctional family gather to bury a loved one. Son Daniel (Matthew MacFadyen) anticipates a face-off with his famous brother Robert (Rupert Graves), while cousin Martha (Daisy Donovan) and her fiance Simon (Alan Tudyk) are desperate to make a good impression on her father. In the midst of the family turmoil, a mystery guest threatens to bring the deceased's skeleton out of the closet."
length: 1 hour, 30 minutes

source: I own the DVD
I watched it because: I wanted to see a reliable comedy
IMDB: 7.3/10  -  Rotten Tomatoes: Tomatometer: 63% Audience: 79%
my IMDB: 8/10

MPAA rating: R

notable quote: "Tea can do many things, Jane, but it can't bring back the dead."

directed by: Frank Oz

my notes: this movie is painfully funny. I've seen it a few times and still lose it laughing. There is something about the contrast between the quiet, straight-laced, painfully formal and the wacky, out of control, lunatic...it's hilarious.

overall: highly recommended

Red Cliff (2008) - "In ancient China, the emperor of the Han Dynasty allows General Cao Cao (Fengyi Zhang) to declare war against the rebellious southern provinces, with the intention of unifying the entire country. Cao's large army quickly advances, killing civilians and soldiers alike. To resist Cao, the southern warlords form an alliance led by Viceroy Zhou Yu (Tony Leung Chui-wai). Outnumbered, Zhou relies upon elaborate formations and unorthodox strategies to fight against Cao's overwhelming forces."

length: 2 hours, 28 minutes

source: I own the DVD
I watched it because: it's one of Tony Leung Chui-wai's most highly-rated and critically acclaimed films, and I am very interested in this director's work
IMDB: 7.3/10  -  Rotten Tomatoes: Tomatometer: 89% Audience: 78%
my IMDB: 9/10

MPAA rating: R

notable quote: "Even weak blades of grass become strong when woven together."

directed by: John Woo

my notes: a massive historical epic, this movie blew my mind. It is visually stunning, harrowing, romantic (and sexy!), the music is marvelous, the setting outstandingly beautiful. The cinematography should have won every Oscar available and more besides. Love!

overall: very highly recommended

 

[the title quotation is from Death at a Funeral]