In case you didn’t hear me earlier, my favorite reality show on TV - Top Chef - returned tonight.

There were at least 5 occasions where I turned to Alli and said, “I LOVE THIS SHOW!!!!” Here’s why:

1. The first Quickfire Challenge. I totally predicted that it would be a deep-dish pizza challenge. I was shocked at some of the concoctions and kind of surprised that the didn’t pick an actual winner. No immunity for anyone.
2. Andrew. Christian Siriano would call this dude a Big Hot Fierce Mess. He swears. He’s a hothead. He’s the reason they have reality TV. Just an utter train wreck.
3. The Guest Judges. First, you have Rocco DiSpirito. This guy is thinking, “I had a show about a restaurant. It failed because I was a jerk. Now I’m judging these fools who can’t tell a Chicken Piccata from a Chicken Marsala.” Then, you have Anthony Freaking Bourdain. The original rock star chef. I love that guy. These dudes bring credibility to an already awesome show.
4. The Elimination Challenge. LeAnn Wong (of Season One) is now the food producer on the show and it’s her job to come up with all the challenges. She does a terrific job and I thought this challenge was a great one to start off the season. I liked the head-to-head aspect of it, especially, pitting my #2 up against his nemesis from the Quickfire. Loved it. Plus, the simplicity of the challenge really gave them all a chance to shine since they were all focusing on classic dishes.
5. Padma Lunchmeat. One of the best quotes of the night. Nice one, Alli.

Seriously people. Take the Food Network and reality shows. Mash them together and you get Top Chef. You cannot lose here, folks.

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I realize that it is very nerdy in a designer way, but that’s why it is awesome.

The description from Veer:

Coffee, like Helvetica, is an acquired taste. To satisfy both habits, this white ceramic mug features four weights of the timeless font – in corresponding caffeinated shades – and a sensibly squared handle. Holds 15 ounces of your favorite beverage but, like the typeface that adorns it, has bottomless potential.

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So, given that I’m a massive Beatles fan, I was predisposed to like this movie. Lots of Beatles music, romantic, emotional - all the things that I adore.

I was overwhelmed.

Ever since I saw the trailer several months ago, I have been wanting to see this movie. It’s been out in limited release since the middle of September, finally making it to the Olathe 30 AMC as a part of their AMC Select movies. Alli and I made a date last night and caught the 7:45 showing, which was amazingly full. And it wasn’t full of people like me or even my parents who grew up with the Beatles and this era. Mostly it was teenagers who were rowdy before the movie and I was very close to getting upset. But once the movie started, I was drawn in and they shut their mouths and watched what I texted to my brother after as “the best movie I’ve seen in 5 years”.

That’s not to say that you should run out and see it. This movie is not for everyone. But it was most definitely for me.

Directed by Julie Taymor, most famously known as the director of Frida and the woman who brought The Lion King to the stage. She probably has more notoriety on Broadway, but that made her perfect to direct what was essentially a musical.

Across the Universe brought me back to when I first watched the movie Hair with Treat Williams and Bevery D’Angelo. It’s really a combination of that and Rent, except with better music and a plot that seems like it actually could have happened to someone.

Set during the ’60s, Across the Universe follows Liverpool-transplant (natch) Jude (played amazingly by Jim Sturgess) as he immerses himself in the psychedelic and anti-war counter-culture of the Vietnam era. He meets a spoiled Princeton student named Max and they galavant across the US with a mish-mash of company from a Jimi Hendrix lookalike to a girl named Prudence. And all of it set against the backdrop of only songs by The Beatles.

There are some fantastic cameos by Bono and Eddie Izzard. Bono’s character is based on Ken Kesey, while Eddie Izzard’s…well, you really just need to see the movie to understand his.

The film is filled with vibrant and energetic scenes, but is not so saturated as to seem cartoonish. Amazingly, the music, while all composed by members of The Beatles, is all sung by the main members of the cast. This isn’t the first movie to do that, but having to live up to The Beatles is no small task. Each of the main cast members responds extremely well, including Evan Rachel Wood, who has a surprisingly good voice, although her Lucy character could have been played by any number of actresses.

Ultimately, Across the Universe is a love story about Jude and Lucy, but it is set against the violence of the mid 1960’s, when The Beatles were at their most popular. The music is brilliant, but with Lennon and McCartney composing all of it, you can’t really go wrong.

It bears repeating that this movie isn’t for everyone. It is politically-charged and you’ll find plenty of places to draw the comparisons between the war we are in currently and the war we were in back then. There is plenty of alluded to drug use. Still, it resonated with me in such a strong way that I couldn’t help but call my dad after the movie ended and he was already asleep and say to him (after all, it was he who made me love The Beatles): “Dad, I don’t care if you’re sleeping right now. You should wake up, put on clothes and go to the next showing of Across the Universe. You shouldn’t wait. It’s that good.”

Now, if you’re not a fan of the music of The Beatles, I probably wouldn’t recommend it. But if so, you should RUN - not walk - to see this movie.

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I should have reviewed this a long time ago (in a galaxy far, far away…)

Star Wars Episode three was…
Dark. Dark. Dark.

Anyone heard this before?

The truth is that after all the reviews that I read, I can’t do this much justice. So first, I’ll direct you here, to Jason Kottke’s review, which sums up my sentiments pretty well.

There are SPOILERS, so if you haven’t seen and don’t want to know, don’t read on. Otherwise, feel free!

Continue reading this post »

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