MOVIE REVIEW: The Muppets (2011)

I'm not ashamed to admit I've been a Muppets fan as long as I can remember. Something about their endearingly warm, wackiy and (literally) fuzzy personalities brings out the inner-child in me, but doesn't condescend my intelligence. I actually remember a time when the Muppets were a presence on Sesame Street (before Disney bought them out). I also remember seeing The Muppet Christmas Carol in the movie theater nearly 20 years ago; it actually taught me a rudimentary understanding about death that was frank but safe enough for a child to understand (it was also the first Muppet project after Jim Henson passed on). So it was with great excitement and baited anticipation I embarked on seeing The Muppets.

The story opens with a puppet named Walter, all he wants to do with his life is fit in the human-dominated world he lives in with his human brother Gary. One day, Walter catches the premiere of The Muppet Show and becomes the troupe's #1 fan. Flash-forward 20-30 odd-some years later, and Walter and Gary are on their way to L.A. to visit the now-dilapidated Muppet Studios, taking Gary's earnest but oft-neglected girlfriend, Mary. After discovering a billionaire oil-magnate plans to tear down Muppet Studios and build an oil drill. Alarmed, Walter tracks down Kermit the Frog and convinces him to round up the rest of the gang for a reunion telethon in order to save Muppet Studios, musical-numbers, self-discovery, and hilarity ensue.

I think Jason Segal hit the nail right on the head in an interview I read where he expressed that the magic of the Muppets involves avoiding cynicism in humor by making people laugh without the humor occuring at someone else's expense. This was a welcome change from what I expected out of the usual Muppets fare, in that there is a slight dramatic element with the Muppet characters often expressing feelings of abandonment, and willingness to be accepted. The audience is virtually channeled through Walter; the Muppets' main cheerleader who wants nothing more than them to succede, and in the process, discovers his purpose in life. The message is timeless: follow your dreams and never give up in what you believe in. It's the sentimentality the film exuded that basically made it so enjoyable for me. On the other hand, the musical numbers are Oscar-worthy, and the slapstick, sight-gag-based humor is relatively fresh. Often times the plot became a little predictable, maybe even a little derivative of past Muppet-efforts, but that didn't stop me from enjoying what was a welcome face in the fall film scene.

8/10

Peace,
- Jon

Food for Thought: Kimchee Chicken Noodle Stew

Yes, that's right. I'm at it again with the new recipes, and it's quite a lot of fun. This latest entry in my Anglo-Italo-Asian cooking repertoire features kimchee, or what is otherwise known in Korea as pickled cabbage that's been fermented in chili oil. It's something that I've been meaning to try, and I wasn't disappointed by the results:

- 1 Box of rice noodles (or pasta)

- 1 jar of kimchee

- 2 chicken breasts (chopped and cooked with a drizzle of Sriracha chili sauce and some black pepper)

- 2 cups of chicken broth

- 1/2 an onion (chopped)

- A handful of chopped shiitake mushrooms

- 2 scallions (green onions)

- 2 tablespoons of soy sauce

- Olive oil

Cook the noodles according to the instructions. Coat the bottom of a large pot with the olive oil, cook the onion until it browns (this picture is actually of the chicken...)

Add the kimchee and reduce to a simmer. Add the chicken, chicken broth, and soy sauce, cook for about 10 minutes and let it simmer for another 20 minutes.

Toss with the noodles, garnish with the scallions, and serve.

This is a nice, savory dish that is accented by a nice, spicy bite at the end. Granted, it wasn't as hot as I'd expected it to be, but it was a nice variation on cuisine I had not tried before.

Mangia!
- Jon

Food for Thought: Arrabiata Sauce

Arrabiata, it's Italian for "angry style", and it's the spiciest sauce you'll find on their restaurant menus. This was another improvisation on an established dish that I came up with while the Republican Debate was on. Don't worry, those two things are not mutually exclusive!

Arrabiata traditionally uses red chili peppers, but unfortunately, my faithful supplier, Wegmans, ran out. So I used green chili peppers this time around. I guarantee, if you keep everything here as I've outlined, you'll be very satisfied.

- Prepare with the ingredients from my Pomodoro Sauce

- 2 Red chili peppers

- A generous dash of cayenne pepper

- A few drops of hot sauce

Chop the peppers and add them to the vegetables in the Pomodoro sauce. While the sauce is cooking, add the cayenne pepper and hot sauce.

Continue to cook as directed and serve with your favorite pasta.

Lately, for economic reasons, I've been on a bit of a pasta kick. But I'm not complaining in the least! It's one of my favorite foods, and there may be a few more sauces I'll post in the near future.

This sauce came out with what I'd describe as a "medium" level of heat/spicy. It's enough that it won't offend anyone who doesn't like spicy, but also strong enough for those like me who are addicted to it. It's ideal with penne, but obviously, I didn't feel it was necessary.

Mangia!
- Jon

Food for Thought: Amazing Adobo Black Bean Chipolte Chili

This concoction that I whipped up on a whim may have a silly-sounding name, but I only made it that way because it not only happened to be amazingly-good, but the word "Amazing" completed the acronym I thought up to help make the dish easier to rememer - "AABBCC". Okay, it still sounds dumb, so let's just call it "ABC" and move along...

- 1 box of rice

- 2 cans of black beans

- 1/4 lb of ground beef (or just a solid handful, vegans may substitute with tofu, or whatever)

- 1 small can of chipolte peppers in adobo sauce

- 1/2 an onion, chopped

- 4 cloves garlic, chopped

- 1 small can of diced tomatoes

- 2 bay leaves

- A handful of chopped cilantro

- Olive oil

Coat a large skillet with olive oil and fry the onions and garlic until they become soft. Add the chipolte peppers and beef. Stir-fry for about 10 minutes.

In a separate, large pot, cook the black beans, tomatoes, bay leaves, until they start to boil. Reduce heat about halfway and add the beef/adobo sauce mixture. Return to a boil and cook for another 10 minutes, adding the cilantro after about 5 minutes.

Cook rice according to instructions, top rice with the chili, serve, and enjoy.

Fast, easy, delicious. My kind of meal. This isn't anything extravagantly spicy, but it has that nice, smoky kick with the aftertaste that many will associate with chipolte. Also, I didn't have any available, but shredded cheese will go nicely with this (I recommend pepper jack, but only because I'm a masochist when it comes to hot or spicy food).

Mangia!
- Jon

Eulogy To My Grandmother

In spite of the circumstances, I’ll always remember this year as one of the most eventful ones for my family, at least from my perspective. Even though I will miss my grandmother, I know she is in a better place; free from the suffering she had experienced with difficulty.

It has been eight years since I recall a loss from my father’s side of the family. While eight years may not seem like a long time, remembering events that have happened up until this point makes us realize it is. For that, I feel very fortunate. And I feel fortunate that we are together here as a family.

We won’t be around forever, but we can always be certain our family will. And our family will be there to take us with them. I’ve seen our family grow with cousins, and extend with in-laws. Family is the essence of humanity. It’s not about who makes more money, or who has a better house, it’s about being with the people you care about. It’s about what truly matters. And that’s why long after we’re gone; we will go on forever, because our family will remember us. And we’ll remember Grandma Sue.

I’ll always remember, when I was little, my grandmother and I used to read Shel Silverstein poems. To the best of my memory, we never had one favorite; we liked reading them all. So I selected one I thought reflected how we both enjoyed the simple things in life…

Where the Sidewalk Ends

Shel Silverstein

There is a place where the sidewalk ends
And before the street begins,
And there the grass grows soft and white,
And there the sun burns crimson bright,
And there the moon-bird rests from his flight
To cool in the peppermint wind.

Let us leave this place where the smoke blows black
And the dark street winds and bends.
Past the pits where the asphalt flowers grow
We shall walk with a walk that is measured and slow,
And watch where the chalk-white arrows go
To the place where the sidewalk ends.

Yes we'll walk with a walk that is measured and slow,
And we'll go where the chalk-white arrows go,
For the children, they mark, and the children, they know
The place where the sidewalk ends.

MOVIE REVIEW: Super 8 (2011)

Hi everyone, I know this is long overdue, but understand: I was quite busy in between the time I saw this and am currently sitting down to write this review. But in a nutshell - I finished moving into my new apartment and passed my Contracts final for law school! It only took half the week for my professor to disclose the results whilst I waited as a nervous wreck. But enough about me...

Super 8, as evident by it's name, is a love-letter from the production/direction team of Steven Spielberg and J.J. Abrams to amateur filmmaking. In the late 70s, young Joe Lamb is doing makeup and special effects for his friend, Charles' zombie film, when a mysterious UFO crashes into an adjacent trainyard. Narrowly avoiding death, Joe and his pals investigate the wreck and discover the trappings of a government conspiracy, and a strange object with an unexplained purpose. When the mysterious alien begins rampaging around the neighborhood, Joe and friends must band together in order to figure out why the creature came to Earth and what they can do to stop it.

Super 8 is pretty much The Goonies meets War of the Worlds (or maybe even E.T.), but that is to say the film takes the best elements of those films, and perhaps even other works of Spielberg and melds them into a charming pastiche of science fiction, filmmaking and retro appreciation, and family drama. The latter is what the film initially appears to set itself up as. Once the "invasion" occurs though, it's a completely different ball game that may seem a little jarring to some, but makes sense once you factor in a lot of the exposition that was elaborated upon earlier. I don't really have much else to say about the actual film itself without spoiling what would be crucial plot details that manifest in many parts of the film throughout, but I will say it's an incredibly enjoyable romp that takes drama and action and weaves them both in the ways that only Spielberg is experienced in doing. A solid addition to the summer movie lineup.

8/10

Peace,

- Jon

MOVIE REVIEW: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011)

Hello friends! Sorry for my prolonged absence. I intended to write this long reflection about growing up and going off to law school, but much to my dismay, life beat me to it. Nevertheless, since I'm obviously going to be posting a lot less frequently nowadays, I'll try and write a proper reflection piece to officially put my blog on hiatus. In the meantime; last night, I got to see my first theatrical film in over a month. It is with baited anticipation, I give you: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2.

Picking up off the shores where Harry, Ron, and Hermione mourn the loss of Dobby the house elf, the trio work their way back to Hogwarts in an effort to find the last of the Horcruxes; artifacts which upon destruction, weaken the power of the sinister Lord Voldemort. While reuniting with his fellow classmates; now ready for battle against the Dark Wizards, Harry discovers more insight into his own prophecy, and the ties that bind him towards it.

Part 2 is a fitting conclusion to a series that, for the better part of my adolescence, has dominated my pop culture psyche. The pace is brisk and appropriate, and the performances are adequate. It is perhaps the most action packed out of the entire series. Many viewers may get some vibes of the battle scenes from Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, or at least I did. My biggest complement I can give to the last two films of the series is how the production team finally managed to wise up and treat the stories with the maturity and grittiness they deserve. The final confrontation between Harry and Voldemort is exceptionally well-done, you get a tangible sense of relief after the tension of the fight, knowing that justice for the wizards has finally been served.

Now, here's the tricky part. In spite of my complements of the film as a strong series-ender; as a standalone film, well, it's not anything extraordinary. Unlike Part 1, which totally took me by surprise with it's appropriately executed twists and pathos (I consider it The Empire Strikes Back of the series, not the maudlin travesty that was Half-Blood Prince). Part 2 is entirely based off of continuity and minimal exposition; with the plot simply going from Point A to Point B. And as interesting as the expositional scenes were, too frequently did they interupt the kinetic and exciting frenzy of the action. A little frustrating for me, since the book was so much more fluid and epic with it's treatment of the plot.

(SPOILER ALERT)

Lastly, Part 2 suffers from one nearly-fatal blow: The epilogue. The story advances to 19 years after the events of the main plot, as we see the pre-adolescent progeny of Harry Potter and pals board Platform 9 3/4 on their way to Hogwarts. However, the production team has made the peculiar descision to have the original actors (who are in their early 20s) portray middle-aged versions of their roles, with embarrasingly negligible make-up work that failed to give the illusion that they've matured. Sorry make-up artists, but the actors still looked 20! Pairing them up with other actors who were probably no more or less than 8 or 9 years younger than them in real life just looked awkward and unrealistic. After such excellent attention to detail in the rest of the film, how could they drop the ball on something so noticeable?

What irks me even more is the fact that the Harry Potter series is a moneymaking juggernaut. There's no excuse, especially in this economy, why the rich, fat-cat producers couldn't settle for an Academy Award-winning make-up artist, or CGI maestro. Hell, they could've even cast some age-appropriate, well-established Anglo actors like Daniel-Day Lewis (as Harry), Simon Pegg (as Ron), Nicole Kidman (as Hermione), et al. to do cameos, paid them each £600,000 and called it quits. It would've been a much more refreshing and realistic choice, but in the end, it is what it is, and unfortunately left a bad tase in my mouth.

In the end though, while an unsurprisingly flawed film adaptation. Part 2 is a solid ending to a rollercoaster-ride of a notable fantasy series.

7/10

Peace,
- Jon