Thursday, September 29, 2005

Snippets:
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Idea: What we like or dislike is not what it is, but how we see it.
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DVD: Before Sunrise (1995). 101 min. w/ Ethan Hawke, Julie Delpy. Directed by Richard Linklater. Jesse and Celine meet on a train to Vienna, spend one night together in the streets, and exchange their points of view on life, love, and the rest of the world. Dialog heavy, just like 'Before Sunset'. Some great lines, some good ideas. Overall rating: 6 out of 10.
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Video: A Walk through Hoboken with David Hartman and Historian Barry Lewis. In association with the Hoboken Historical Museum. Program by Thirteen WNET New York. Tour of the sites here. Informative history of the little town an the Hudson River.
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DVD: Eyes Wide Shut (1999). 159 min. Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman. Directed by Stanley Kubrick. Jealous physician and his wife, each alone and in their own way, embark on a psychosexual journey. Acting is not bad for a change. Story keeps you attentive. Overall rating: 7 out of 10.
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Video: The World According to John Coltrane (1991). 59 min. Documentary. w/ Roscoe Mitchell (from Art Ensemble of Chicago), Rashied Ali, Tommy Flanagan, Alice Coltrane, Jimmy Heath, Wayne Shorter, La Monte Young. Some great video recordings of Trane. Interviews with fellow musicians.
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DVD: Being John Malkovich (1999). 112 min w/ John Cusack, Cameron Diaz, Catherine Keener, John Malkovich. Directed by Spike Jonze. Gifted street puppeteer Craig Schwartz gets job as a filing clerk on floor 7 1/2, and there discovers a 'portal' to the head of the actor John Malkovich, actually becoming him for a short period of time. He and his pretty office mate start a small business on that unusual find, while his wife reconsiders her sexuality. Intelligent. Original. Funny. Lags a little behind in acting. Overall rating: 7 out of 10.
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Puzzle: Sudoku. Rules: Fill in the grid so that every row, every column, and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 through 9. Can befound in many newspapers.
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Movie: 9/9/05: Broken Flowers (2005). 106 min. w/ Bill Murray (Don Johnston), Jeffrey Wright (Winston). Directed by Jim Jarmusch (Night on Earth). Depressed, rich bachelor after being left by his girlfriend, receives an unsigned letter stating that he has a son. Incited by his neighbor, he visits four of his past girlfriends to find clues on who could be the mother. Rather bizarre movie, depressing at times, but also funny. Could have more effort into the ending. Overall rating: 5 out of 10.
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Music: Kaki King at Joe's Pub, NYC, on 9/14/05. Plays guitar, violently at times. Unique style. Some songs are sheets of music. Performed with drums (Dan) and Harp (Katie). Creative. Has dry humor. Sparse with words. CDs: Everybody loves you (2003). Legs to make us longer (2004).
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DVD: Dark City (1998). 100 min. w/ Rufus Sewell (John Murdoch), William Hurt (Inspector Frank Bumstead), Kiefer Sutherland (Dr. Daniel Schreber), Jennifer Connelly (Emma Murdoch/Anna), Richard O'Brien (Mr. Hand). Directed by Alex Proyas (I, Robot). Alienshold humans hostage and control their memories in a constantly changing artificial city to study their soul. Good special effects. Interesting story, but very dystopic. 'Shell Beach' and the search for it, becomes a symbol of freedom. Kiefer Sutherland is the son of Donald Sutherland. Overall rating: 4 out of 10.
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Shopping: 1.) Jersey Gardens: Outlet mall near Newark Airport (Exit 13A off I-95). 2.) Outlets in Secaucus, NJ, Outlets at the Cove, Harmon Cove Outlet Center, and others.
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Video: Get Carter (1971). w/ Michael Caine (Jack Carter). Directed by Mike Hodges. London gangster Jack Carter travels to Newcastle to investigate the death of his borther, and piece after piece uncovers a pornography ring. British gangster genre movie with sex, crime, deception, and revenge. Nobody wins in the end. Too sluggish over long stretches and story not always easy to follow. Overall rating: 4 out of 10.
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DVD: Adaptation (2002). w/ Nicolas Cage, Meryl Streep, Chris Cooper. Directed by Spike Jonze (Being John Malkovich). Screenplay by Charlie Kaufman. Based on the book by Susan Orlean. Tells the story of the screenwriter Charlie Kaufman who encounters major difficulties to adapt the book 'The Orchid Thief' into a movie script. A movie about its own creation. Innovative idea. Great dialogs. A little bit of everything. Overall rating: 8 out of 10.
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Video: Lost in Translation (2003). w/ Bill Murray, Scarlett Johansson. Directed by Sofia Coppola. Tokyo. A depressed, lonely film star and a much younger, but just as lonely wife of a photographer meet in a hotel and slowly rediscover the fun in life. Movie is very, very slow, but if you if you can apreciate the little details, its quite enjoyable. Acing seems natural. Overall rating: 6 out of 10
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Art: Mathildenhoehe in Darmstadt, Germany (in German). Art Nuveau. Darmstadt Center: Salve!, a 'Caffee E Bar'.
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