Despicable Me 2 teaser trailer.
Rapha Cycling Shoes……..must have.
So effing awesome!!! Want!
Cupa-Rocks Tumblers
We’re kind of purists when it comes to the liquor we imbibe. Adding water to a quality whiskey is as close to sacrilege as you can get in our minds (for the record, water backs are fine). When someone told us that adding oxygen opened up the flavor like it does with wine we thought they were pulling our legs…until we realized that we’d been doing it all along by swirling. This two pack of lead-free, crystal Cupa-Rocks Tumblers takes all the effort out of oxygenating your booze with the assistance of the top-like shape that makes it swirl on its own. $50
YUM!!!
A Sandwich’s Dream: When banh mi becomes soup
A bowl of soup and half a sandwich.
It’s the hallmark American lunch special, a wholesome combination that both fills and soothes. But what if the sandwich were in the bowl of soup?
Tomato soup has not consumed a grilled cheese sandwich at the new Sai Sai Noodle Bar. But the Downtown restaurant’s banh mi ramen (pictured; $11) gives an Asian-accented answer to that question. The characteristic banh mi toppings of pickled carrots and daikon and sliced jalapeños swim alongside slabs of pork belly, grilled bread and noodles in the light vegetable broth.
Only the noodles and pork evoke a bowl of ramen; otherwise, the bowl tastes like its sandwich inspiration–bright with vinegar, interspersed with vegetal crunch and edged with jalapeño heat.
The bread is the only banh mi component that suffers. It might be grilled, but not enough to keep it from quickly turning to mush, obliterating any textural echo of a good Vietnamese baguette’s gum-cutting crunch.
There are noodle soups that are noodle soups at Sai Sai too, including pho and other iterations of ramen. But this moonlighting sandwich has our affections.
Sai Sai Noodle Bar, 501 S. Olive St., Downtown; 213-624-1100 or saisainoodlebar.com
Hunger Games Piece on Good Morning America
Variety’s Review of THE HUNGER GAMES!
The first novel in Suzanne Collins’ bestselling trilogy is a futuristic fight-to-the-death thriller driven by pure survival instinct, but the creative equivalent of that go-for-broke impulse is absent from director Gary Ross’ “The Hunger Games.” Proficient, involving, ever faithful to its source and centered around Jennifer Lawrence’s impressive star turn, this much-anticipated, nearly 2 ½-hour event picture should satiate fans, entertain the uninitiated and take an early lead among the year’s top-grossing films. Yet in the face of near-certain commercial success, no one seems to have taken the artistic gambles that might have made this respectable adaptation a remarkable one.
Relentlessly paced, unflagging in its sense of peril and blessed with a spunky protagonist who can hold her own alongside Bella Swan and Lisbeth Salander in the pantheon of pop-lit heroines, Collins’ latest book cycle seemed a logical candidate for adaptation from the get-go. Narrated in a first-person style that favors swift exposition over descriptive detail, the series also offers a filmmaker plenty of leeway not only in visualizing its dystopian world onscreen, but in tackling the real-world parallels implicit in this grim vision of totalitarian rule.
Bookended by scenes set in a high-tech city, the film quickly immerses the viewer in the mud and grime of District 12, the poorest of the dozen civilian sectors that make up the futuristic nation of Panem. The government maintains order through nationally televised bloodsports known as the Hunger Games, in which two “tributes” from each district, a boy and a girl, must participate in an annual winner-kills-all-and-takes-all bloodbath.
Pluckier and more resourceful than most is 16-year-old Katniss Everdeen (Lawrence), a skilled archer who hunts to provide for herself, her mother (Paula Malcomson) and her younger sister, Prim (Willow Shields). When Prim is selected at random to represent District 12 in the games, Katniss bravely volunteers to take her place and winds up paired with baker’s son Peeta (Josh Hutcherson), with whom she shares a brief, vague history.
Accompanied by some leaden comic relief in the form of a drunken mentor (Woody Harrelson) and a garishly made-up escort (Elizabeth Banks), the two are whisked off to the Capital, an ivory tower of a city imagined as a fantastical explosion of color by production designer Philip Messina and costume designer Judianna Makovsky, among others. There, all 24 tributes are made over, trained for battle and interviewed by a beaming, blue-haired celebrity host (Stanley Tucci) as a prelude to this lethal mash-up of “Survivor,” “American Idol” and, at one point, “Project Runway.”
The questions raised here, regarding the morality of violence as entertainment and the brutality of pitting children against each other, have been addressed before, and to more potent effect, in films like “Series 7: The Contenders” and the shockingly violent Japanese actioner “Battle Royale.” Yet if the satirical and topical elements aren’t exactly fresh, the script (by Ross, Collins and Billy Ray) does give them a few knowing spins. Particularly shrewd are the behind-the-scenes moments when Panem’s President Snow (a quietly malevolent Donald Sutherland) pressures Seneca (Wes Bentley), the keeper of the games, to maintain control of the situation, a subplot that reps one of the few deviations from the novel and lays the groundwork for “Catching Fire,” the next film in the Lionsgate series.
But once the games begin and the contenders are released into a densely forested arena, rigged with “Truman Show”-style cameras for maximum coverage and trackability, the film clings to Collins’ text as if it were itself a survival guide. Readers may find themselves mentally checking off plot points as Katniss looks for water; flees fires; makes strategic use of a wasps’ nest; tries to suss out whether Peeta loves her, wants to kill her or both; and uses her many years of hunting experience to evade, outwit and inevitably destroy her attackers.
Whatever its earlier shortcomings, the picture really should have spread its wings at this stage, morphing into a spare, stripped-down actioner fueled by sheer adrenaline and nonstop harrowing incident. That intention is evident enough in the darting handheld camerawork and quick cutting style favored here by the filmmakers, including d.p. Tom Stern and editors Stephen Mirrione and Juliette Welfling. Yet while the individual setpieces are well staged, they also feel a bit too neatly scheduled within the story’s framework, and the frequent toggling between the arena and Seneca’s control room only undercuts the momentum.
Lawrence, who auditioned brilliantly for this role with her even rawer turn in “Winter’s Bone,” again projects a heartrending combo of vulnerability, grit and soul while convincingly playing several years her junior. The camera remains so glued to her every expression and gesture that no one else, save perhaps Lenny Kravitz as Katniss’ suave professional stylist, is given the opportunity to hold the screen against her.
The film does achieve a strong surge of emotion when Katniss forms an alliance with young tribute Rue (winning newcomer Amandla Stenberg), culminating in a stirring sequence that pauses to acknowledge the sheer, impossible inhumanity of the situation. Yet after this high point, things settle into a more prosaic, anticlimactic rhythm, and the central drama, pivoting on the nature of Katniss’ and Peeta’s relationship, never sparks to life.
What viewers are left with is a watchable enough picture that feels content to realize someone else’s vision rather than claim it as its own. Any real sense of risk has been carefully ironed out: The PG-13 rating that ensures the film’s suitability for its target audience also blunts the impact of the teen-on-teen bloodshed, most of it rendered in quick, oblique glimpses; whether this is the morally responsible decision is open to debate. Weirdest of all: Hunger, the one constant in Katniss’ hard-scrabble life, barely even seems to register.
Ross, a reliable craftsman directing his first film since 2003’s “Seabiscuit,” makes a point of delineating between the haves and have-nots: While the Capital is an overlit, f/x-heavy wonderland, the bleak, desaturated images of rural-industrial poverty in District 12 could have been influenced by the photographs of Dorothea Lange. Given such wildly disparate parts (one scene suggests “Little House on the Prairie” invaded by Stormtroopers), the look doesn’t entirely cohere, though auds will gladly suspend disbelief. Complementing James Newton Howard’s orchestral score, the unusually lyrical, C&W-steeped soundtrack, boasting contributions from Arcade Fire, Maroon 5 and Taylor Swift, nicely suggests an America mired in an uncertain future.
“You can never plan the future by the past.”
Piece about Hunger Games on the Today show today!! :)
That looks yummy!
More info today about Marilyn….
New York’s her dish
America’s newest hot restaurant critic, Marilyn Hagerty, has been touring New York’s top eateries after she became an overnight sensation when her review of the new Grand Forks Olive Garden went viral. Marilyn, 85, wrote a charming review in her North Dakota hometown paper, the Grand Forks Herald, with lines including, “My first visit to Olive Garden was during mid-afternoon, so I could be sure to get in.” After it went viral with more than 100,000 hits, Hagerty flew here to be a guest on “Piers Morgan Tonight,” “Today” and “The Early Show.” Anderson Cooper booked her on his show as well and sent her for lunch yesterday at Crown, where she dined on chef John DeLucie’s beet salad, scallops and chocolate soufflé. Sources said she loved the food and asked to take her leftovers with her as she went to tape the show. Hagerty has also dined at four-star Le Bernardin and three-star Dovetail, and we eagerly await to read how she thinks they match up to Olive Garden. Hagerty, who will appear on “Anderson” with DeLucie on March 20, also invited the chef to join her at Olive Garden the next time he’s passing through Grand Forks.
Have you ever heard of North Dakota food critic Marilyn Hagerty? Me either. But I just followed a NYTimes piece about her. Apparently she became a bit of a sensation when she reviewed the local Olive Garden. Her son, James, writes for the Wall Street Journal and wrote an article about his mom’s new found celebrity. And this is the NYTimes piece about her recent trip to New York and her review of a hot dog from a street vendor. I think she’s damn funny!
“A friend is a gift you give yourself.”
Art on A Wire
My friend Jenn’s new business has officially launched online!! Check out her jewelry!! Brilliant! :)
Deciding to ride your bike without a helmet is a beacon of hope for those in need of new organs
Via someecards
THIS is what my sweetheart sends me today!!! :)
Anything that starts with “the best pastrami in LA” is ok in MY BOOK!!
Langer’s Delicatessen-Restaurant: The best pastrami in LA (if not the country)
“That’s what you want.”
So said our waitress, Joan, as we oscillated between ordering a plain pastrami on rye or the #19 at our most recent visit to Langer’s Delicatessen.
Joan’s dictate, delivered with the brusque, knowing efficiency of a veteran waitress, was to order the latter: pastrami with cheese, coleslaw and Russian dressing on thick-crusted rye (pictured; $14).
It’s the Westlake restaurant’s most popular sandwich, and a sign declares it so in the waiting area. Outside, another sign, affixed to the lamppost at Alvarado and 7th, labels the intersection Langer’s Square.
The city’s recognition of this Jewish deli, opened in 1947, and customers’ love of the #19 sum up the restaurant’s standing nicely: Langer’s is one of Los Angeles’ grand dining institutions, and despite its massive menu, pastrami is its siren song.
There are meat slicers in the kitchen, but the brined, smoked, pepper-crusted briskets are never submitted to the whirl of their blades. Instead, each thick slice is cut with a knife, a laborious task that preserves the meat’s soft texture and halo of spiced crust.
Is adding more than mustard to such excellent pastrami sacrilegious? Maybe. But we’re not going to argue with Joan.
Langer’s Delicatessen-Restaurant, 704 S. Alvarado, Westlake; 213-483-8050 orlangersdeli.com
Have you ever heard of North Dakota food critic Marilyn Hagerty? Me either. But I just followed a NYTimes piece about her. Apparently she became a bit of a sensation when she reviewed the local Olive Garden. Her son, James, writes for the Wall Street Journal and wrote an article about his mom’s new found celebrity. And this is the NYTimes piece about her recent trip to New York and her review of a hot dog from a street vendor. I think she’s damn funny!
Townies: When the Drag Queens Go, the Neighborhood Follows
Good read especially for many of us who now need crayons and butcher paper in restaurants but long for the good old days of lots of time, alcohol and drag queens everywhere. :)
Nostalgia for an edgier, sleazier South Beach.
This whole Kony 2012 campaign from Invisible Children has become quite controversial. What are your thoughts? Here’s the video along with a couple of conflicting opinions below.
Kony 2012
Argument against: Visible Children
Invisible Children’s Rebuttal
Thoughts?
I LOVED Meson G…one of my old faves!! They had these amazing floor to ceiling sheer curtains. Oh, and of the course the FOOD - amazing! :)
The Foundry on Melrose has a new menu
The Foundry on Melrose is currently looking both forward and backward.
The backward bit: The restaurant's new menu is an ode to the shuttered Meson G, where The Foundry’s chef, Eric Greenspan, worked in 2004. And the future, well, his name is Nick Russo, and he is The Foundry’s new chef de cuisine.
Grilled cheese fans, don’t panic. Wholesale changes have been made across the menu, but favorites like The Foundry’s grilled cheese and tots are still offered.
The new dishes are wide-ranging in their influence and include Chinese pork-belly pancakes with black-vinegar gastrique ($5 a piece), and skirt steak served over Puerto Rican mofongo ($14). The latter was one of our favorite dishes: The meat and plantains were assertively seasoned, and substituting short ribs formofongo’s traditional pork was smart and appetizing.
If that dish represents the promise of this new configuration, the leaden smoked-salmon knishes ($4 a piece) proved that there are still kinks.
One section of the menu is labeled “Uniquities,” a bothersome nonword redeemed by the unique dishes listed beneath it. Guinness risotto ($11) with pears, blood sausage and bits of crisped yellow cheddar is the least Italianate version of the dish we’ve encountered, but its slightly sweet richness works surprisingly well.
The Foundry on Melrose, 7465 Melrose Ave., Mid-City; 323-651-0915 orthefoundryonmelrose.com
haha sukers
This looks really fun!!
In The Zone: Just a Giant Indoor Trampoline
The Pointer Sisters. Van Halen. Kenny “Sky” Walker. All visionaries in the field of jumping. But even they didn’t think to throw dodgeball into the mix…
Behold the springy splendor of Sky Zone, a little 31,000-square-foot spread of trampoline madness, soft-opening this Saturday.
First, you’ll have to get yourself to Gardena. You’ve done weirder things for exercise. What you’ll see when you arrive: something like a giant basketball court. Four of them, actually. Except with a bouncy floor. Oh, and slanted bouncy walls.
So you can come here and just… jump a lot. They encourage that. Once you’re all warmed up, you could even take a “SkyRobics” class. (We said could.)
But you’ll probably want to focus on what they’re calling 3D dodgeball. It’s like regular dodgeball, except since you can bounce way up into the air, and run up the walls to do backflips… your dodges are going to be a bit more impressive.
Most of the time, there’ll be dodgeball pickup games happening on three of the courts. Or you can call ahead if you and Stiller are forming a private league.
No need to call the pirate.