Fracture: Hannibal Lecter vs. That Wimp from "The Notebook"

Whenever I see actor Anthony Hopkins, I don't actually see Anthony Hopkins. I see Hannibal Lecter, the creepy murderer he made famous in The Silence of the Lambs. Despite the fact that I only watched the movie once--when it first came out nearly TWENTY YEARS ago, no less--I just can't get past that character when I see Mr. Hopkins. I dare say a lot of people might agree with my sentiments on this one.

As for Ryan Gosling, well, I've never seen him in anything before I watched the movie Fracture over Memorial Day weekend. I thought of him only as "that dude from that cheesy Notebook movie who dated Sandra Bullock and Rachel McAdams."

Therefore, because I was kind of iffy about Gosling as an actor, I had low expectations for Fracture. While I had read very positive reviews of film, it didn't make a huge splash when it was out in theaters.

The premise of the movie, which does not give anything away, is that Anthony Hopkins' character is this brilliant aeronautics guy who kills his wife. Gosling is a prosecuting District Attorney who takes on the case as his last hurrah before heading off to a cushy job at a private law firm. But the case isn't quite as cut and dry as he'd hoped.

My husband called what was going to happen about half-way through, but I'm not sure I would've figured out all of the twists on my own. What annoyed me was the utter uselessness of Gosling's "new boss" character, who seemed to be there for no other reason than to provide eye candy. Other than that, though, I did think it was a good film and I am actually somewhat of a Gosling fan now--he was excellent. And although Hopkins was basically still playing a kinder, gentler version of Hannibal the Cannibal, he was great as well.

If you like law and/or crime dramas with twists, or if you already are a fan of either of the two main actors, I would venture to guess that you'll like Fracture. I certainly think it's worth seeing, and the bonus is that there are no nightmare-inducing freaks holding victims captive in wells. Phew.

- e

My Boston Weekend

As many of my Long Live Locke readers know, I was in Boston this past Thursday through Sunday for my graduate school reunion. Since I have spent the majority of the past nine months at home with my dog every day, typing away in silence, I knew that I would go into some sort of shock if I attempted to participate in ALL of the reunion events for three days straight. I just simply can't be "on" that much anymore.

So instead, my husband and I spent the bulk of the weekend visiting our favorite spots in Boston and Cambridge--it was the first time we'd been back in five years. On Thursday night, we had time before the Lost finale to head over to the North End, which is the city's Italian area. Our favorite restaurant there is Villa Francesca. We are fanatics for their calamari, which is prepared the way they make it in Thailand--perhaps because the owner cooked for the cast of the Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies in the Land of Smiles. (My husband and I spent about a month backpacking in Thailand in 2001, and I pretty much only ate calamari and ice cream--don't ask.)

I was very happy to be reunited with my beloved calamari dish, as you can see.


No visit to the North End would be complete without a stop at Mike's Pastry, one of the several dessert-only shops that line the main drag, Hanover Street. Diabetics, please do not even look at the pictures below, seriously. They contain 100% sugar!



I selected a huge slice of Oreo cake and a black/white cookie "to go" and was happy to walk with the famous Mike's Pastry white box back to the subway. These treats helped get me through the Lost finale... and kept me up all night with a sugar high.


The next day we walked around the rest of the city. The weather was gorgeous, so we decided to take the extremely slow "Swan boats" around the lake in the Public Garden. We got in line right before hundreds of small school kids showed up--phew.

Below is a close-up of one of the Swan boats, and then a wider view of the very pretty lake. I was all excited because not only did we see two real live swans, we also saw a ton of little baby ducklings and some turtles taking in the sun.



We walked around the Boston Common a bit more, and then made our way through Chinatown to find the lunch spot I'd been pining for since May of 2003--Shabu-Zen. If you have never eaten at a Shabu-shabu restaurant, you need to do so as soon as possible--the food is just incredible. Basically you cook your own meat and vegetables and noodles in a boiling pot that's encased in the table in front of you. It is delicious.

Here are a few shots of the counter and our meal, before we got to cooking...




Afterward we were full, but not TOO full, so we hiked over to Faneuil Hall for dessert.

Finally... you can't go to Boston without at least cruising by Cheers, right? So that's what we did.



NORM!

- e

Sex and the City

(As always, there are no spoilers in this review.)

After the utterly depressing Lost finale Thursday night, I needed something to cheer myself up the following day. So even though we were in Boston for my graduate school reunion, my husband and I took a break from visiting all of our old haunts to take in the Sex and the City movie. I am happy to report that it was just what I needed to get me back in a good mood.

While I haven't actually read any reviews of this film because I didn't want plot points to be given away beforehand, I had heard that reactions were mixed. After seeing it for myself, I am really, really confused as to how anyone who watched the HBO series could possibly not like the big screen version.

The movie (all two-and-a-half hours of it!) was exactly what I had hoped it would be. It stayed true to the characters that long-time fans had come to know and love over six seasons, there was an actual plot line, and I both laughed and cried. Jennifer Hudson (of American Idol and Dreamgirls fame) was pretty much the only new character, and I thought she did a good job and added a young, funny perspective to the story without seeming too forced.

As for the crowd... I saw a 2:45 PM show and the theater was packed, and it was the kind of audience where people felt comfortable letting their reactions be known... there were several "Oh no he didn't!"s and "What!?!"s and "Nooo!"s that added to the experience--in a good way. (And for the guys out there... my husband was one of about five men in the theater. But he liked it, too.)

For those of you who have never seen the TV series or didn't follow it closely, this probably won't be your favorite movie, but I do think they made an effort to quickly get all viewers up to speed on who each character is and some of the more critical back stories. But a few seconds of voice-overs are never going to compare to years of getting to know the major characters and all of their quirks, so you might not have the strong reactions that others in the theater are having. That being said, if you're looking for a summer movie that doesn't involve superheroes or explosions and is, at its core, about the power of friendships, then I think you'll enjoy Sex and the City.

I'm personally just happy to hear that it knocked Indiana Jones out of the #1 spot. Hee hee.

Finally... for those of you who have seen it and want to comment, feel free to discuss spoilers in the comments section. Below is a non-spoilery trailer that is only 45 seconds. And don't worry... not all scenes are what they seem...

- e

Does This Count as a Taco? You Be The Judge.

So as you know, I was in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico a few weekends ago for a wedding. My previous trips to Mexico took me to Cancun (during spring break in college), Cozumel and Chichen Itza (both on stops during cruises).

I wasn't sure what to expect in Playa Del Carmen, but I'm happy to report that I really liked it. It was a very quaint town that had one major street where most of the tourists hung out--5th Avenue--but it wasn't overtly touristy. There were tons of great restaurants, boutique shops and small hotels and it was all very welcoming.

We stayed at the Porto Playa condominiums, which I would highly recommend. They were only one block from the beach and right next to 5th Avenue, and the units were built by local artists using cool stones for the walls and floors. The picture to the right is the interior of the complex... it's like a jungle!

And of course, how could a wedding on the beach not be beautiful? The weather was perfect, the bride was absolutely stunning, and the scenery couldn't get much better. Here is a picture of the wedding site pre-ceremony, and then of the awesome band who played. They liked getting their picture taken...



When not enjoying wedding-related festivities, we explored the town and took in LOTS of Mexican cuisine. We even had guacamole made right at our table one night:


The real drama on the trip, however, occurred when the group I was with debated what qualifies as a "taco." See, I've never had a taco. You know when you have to tell an "interesting fact" about yourself in work groups or for break-the-ice games sometimes? Well, usually I say "Madonna went to my high school." But if I'm with people that already know that little tidbit, then I say "I've never had a taco."

This truly, truly seems to astonish people. (I haven't had salsa, coffee, a burrito, or several vegetables ever, either, while we're at it.) But anyway, this time while in Mexico, my husband was determined that I finally have the quintessential Mexican staple.

So I ORDERED something that was called a taco, but I really don't think it counts. It was literally just a small flour tortilla with chunks of chicken on it (and I smeared some guacamole on it). That's it! No lettuce, tomatoes, or any kind of sauce. When I think of a taco, I think of it at least with shredded lettuce and diced tomatoes (which I also don't eat) covering some sort of meat in a shell. So I maintain that I still haven't eaten a real taco.

What is your take? Here is a picture of the momentous occasion (or of me just eating a tortilla with chicken on it... you be the judge!).


- e

(P.S. I am heading out on another trip, so I will be unable to post again until Monday.)

Flower Power

You know how painting a room a different color can drastically change the feel of the space? I learned this past weekend that adding greenery to an area can do the same thing. (I know many of you are probably thinking "Duh!")

My husband and I have lived in our condo for the past five years, and at no point in time did we ever do anything with our small deck, besides set a $20 lounge chair out in which to read every once in a while. Since we don't have a car, we hardly ever go out the back entrance, which leads to where our parking spot is in the alley behind our place. A few times a day, for less than a minute each time, we'll let our dog out via that rear door, but that's about the extent of our exposure to our "backyard."

Now that I'm writing from home all day, however, I thought it might be a nice change of pace and scenery if I could go out onto the deck and work during the warmer months. I could get some fresh air, and I figured my dog would enjoy it, too. So when my husband's parents visited over Memorial Day weekend, we put them to work helping us pick out some flowers for the back (and then planting and potting them). Let's just say my husband and I aren't too handy or good with that kind of thing on our own.

So we got a rental car, and since it was a pretty small one, we made a few trips to Home Depot (we would've gone to Bed Bath & Beyond, but we didn't have enough time...) to pick out the goods. Below is the end result... just remember... NOTHING was out here before. And for those of you not living in a city, perhaps this will make you appreciate your big yards a bit more!




The funniest thing is that after dropping my in-laws off at the airport Monday morning, my husband and I decided that we should get some nicer lounge chairs with cushions to add to the newly decorated deck. We bought two that we really liked... and then couldn't fit them in the small car! D'oh! We literally tried every way possible, but they had big curved iron armrests that wouldn't bend. So I had to wait at the store with one of them while my husband took the other home and unloaded it and then came back for me. Below is the deck with the added chairs... as you can see, that's about all that can fit out there!


Then, wouldn't you know it... the weather took a turn for the worse. My aunt called to warn me about the flowers getting frost damage, and since we didn't have any lightweight sheets to cover everything with, we hauled the entire stock inside. What we didn't realize is that about ten bazillion bugs also followed us. You should've seen our ceiling with all of the little bugs buzzing around--I was freaking out! Here is the "indoor garden"...


Needless to say, we slept under the covers last night and covered our dog with blankets in order to avoid the bugs... and I'm happy to report that we survived until morning. Lesson learned!

Now if the weather would just warm up again so I could go out and enjoy the fruits of our labor...

- e

Glowing in the Dark with Kanye

Saturday night my friend CM and I went to the United Center (where the Bulls play, for you non-sports fans) to see the second night of Kanye West's Glow in the Dark Tour here in his hometown.

We arrived a little after 7:30 PM, and Lupe Fiasco, the first of three opening acts, had already come and gone.

Next up was N.E.R.D., who I wasn't too familiar with, but I have to say that they put on an excellent show. They were probably the most energetic performers I've ever seen, and I've seen a ton of concerts. At one point, the rapper Common was shown on stage, and everyone just went nuts. They also brought several audience members up on stage at a few different points, and it had the effect of making their part of the concert seem like a really fun house party. Needless to say, I was really impressed with how upbeat they were, and their thirty minutes on stage was definitely one of the highlights of the show.

Unfortunately I cannot say the same for Rihanna, who was the last of the opening acts. Perhaps it was because she was wearing sky high leather boots that she thought she might fall over in, but she didn't really dance at all and it seemed like she was just bored or tired. And although she is an excellent singer, during some of her faster songs you could tell that they were playing a track with her voice in the background, because she would move her mouth away from the microphone several times and you'd still hear her singing. On her slower songs, however, it was definitely completely live.

I was very confused that she didn't sing "Shut Up and Drive" or "Hate That I Love You," two of her bigger hits. But maybe that would've expended too much of her non-existent energy. My verdict after she went off stage is that Rihanna is not ready to command large audiences just yet... she's not much of a performer.

Finally, Kanye went on stage at 10 PM (mind you, the starting time on the ticket was 7 PM... so even with three opening acts... that was pretty late!). Unfortunately, we were seated in the ultimate last row of the arena... as in, the highest possible row available. We still had a good view of the stage, but being that high up made it impossible for us to see the majority of the big screen behind Kanye, which was pretty key to experiencing the full effect of the show. There were two other large screens on each side of the stage that remained zoomed in on Kanye the majority of the time, but when they did pan back to capture the full spectacle, I could tell that if we had been a little bit lower, the view would've been much cooler.

Still, I enjoyed it. At first I was a little bit worried when Kanye, alone on stage, started talking to "Jane," his spaceship. It was pretty hokey, and I looked at CM (who had seen Indy 4 with me) and said, "Here we go again..." But if anyone could pull a "space opera" off, it is Kanye, who remained alone on stage for 1.5 hours as his songs loosely pieced together a tale about him trying to return to Earth and bring the planet some much-needed creativity. He really put his heart and soul into the show, especially during "Hey Mama," which seriously brought me to tears.

During the encore, he finally broke a huge grin when singing "Homecoming," since, after all, he was "coming home again" to Chicago.

I can't write about this concert without also mentioning the unintentionally hilarious "book," Thank You and You're Welcome, that everyone was given upon exiting the arena. When you open it to the middle, you are greeted with the phrase, "Believe in your flyness... conquer your shyness." LOVE IT! Anyway, the whole thing is like a mini-self help guide or something, but it was written in true Kanye style. I said to CM that the whole concert was much "happier" than I expected it to be, so I guess being sent off with a memento filled with positive sayings and stories provided a fitting end to the experience. I guess if this rapping thing doesn't work out for Kanye, he could always become a life coach: "You're good enough, you're smart enough, and doggone it, people like you!"

- e

Indy 4: The Movie That Should Not Have Been Made

(No spoilers in this review.)

You have no idea how much it pains me to say that I saw Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull last night (and was first in line for the 9:45 PM show... arriving nearly 2 hours in advance, for that matter), and it was awful. So much so that I sat--stunned--in my seat at the end of the movie and felt extreme bitterness welling up inside of me. So much so that I stayed awake in bed last night, going over the movie in my head and getting upset all over again. So much so that I am even more angry about it today. How could they take TWENTY YEARS to come up with the idea for this movie and still have all of the same big names as in the past attached to its creation and have it be so horrible? I'm at a loss for an explanation.

So what was so bad? Where do I begin? Since I don't want to give anything away as I know tons of people are going to see it no matter what, I will have to be a little bit vague here. At a high-level, here's what I hated:
- The overall storyline. It was very convoluted and not well thought-out. The movie was two hours long, and at no point did I feel any tension or excitement. About half-way through, I was bored--and remained that way. They could've cut out almost all of the scenes at the very beginning--we didn't need that much set-up. In fact, one whole part where Indy is in a "fake town" seemed, in retrospect, totally pointless.
- The special effects. I will say that some of them were OK, but then others were just so unbelievably bad that I had a hard time believing I was watching an Indiana Jones movie released in the year 2008.
- The extra-ridiculous scenes. And how many of them there were. I knew there was no saving the movie after witnessing the "Shia of the Jungle" sequence, as my friend CM called it. I was seriously embarrassed by what I saw, but even more embarrassed for the actors. And the climactic scene at the end did not belong in this movie. It belonged in another movie that I am greatly looking forward to this summer (that's a hint), but NOT in this movie. The several animal scenes didn't belong, either. In fact, some of them were straight-up stolen from Caddyshack.
- The bad acting. Shia was by far the best actor in the movie (yes, I'm biased), but even he didn't do that well. Harrison Ford--well, it was like he was playing a different character 75% of the time. Cate Blanchett? Umm, let's just say that Galadriel cannot pull off a Russian accent.
- Shia's haircut. On top of everything else, I didn't even get to indulge my Shia crush, because he looked like The Fonz, and it was just not right.

I blame George Lucas for this monstrosity. Spielberg has enough other movies in his roster that you can be pretty sure that he wasn't behind the horribleness of this movie (though he must have signed off on it). But George Lucas? Besides American Graffiti... the man is kind of known for cheesiness and not-so-great films.

What? you say. What about Star Wars? Well, I do love the Star Wars franchise, but the cold hard fact is that if you saw those movies for the first time as an adult, there's a good chance you would think they were crap and wouldn't understand what all the fuss was about. Like it or not, a big reason why those movies were so successful is because they were geared toward a younger audience who could deal with a lot of goofiness, bad dialogue and sub-par acting. They came to us from the same man who made Howard the Duck and Captain EO, need I remind you.

So I blame Lucas for Indy's downfall. As my husband said, "They were just trying to do too much" in it, and it was "over-the-top." My husband didn't hate it as much as I did, but then again, he's not as big of a nerd as I am, either. He felt that the movie was simply meant for younger audiences... not jaded thirty-somethings. (And while many of the reviews I have seen have been mediocre to overly kind, here is one that I agree with, though it contains spoilers.)

I will end by saying this... the theater wasn't even sold out (though I know the movie is still going to do well and rule the box office for a while), and there were like two people who clapped weakly at the end. I think most people left the theater just as highly disturbed as I was.

If nothing else, I hope my scathing review of this movie has sufficiently lowered the expectations of those of you who have not yet seen it, so that you will perhaps be pleasantly surprised after you check it out. But as for me, well... I wish I never saw Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, because now my memories of Indy are tainted forever. (Yes, I'm being dramatic, but I'm still really mad, OK?!?)

- e

(Comments for this post CAN and SHOULD include information about the movie, because I'm interested to hear from those of you who saw it. So if you don't want to be spoiled, don't read the comments.)

Proof!

When I was in Japan for The Man several years ago, I told my family and friends about how these "pushers" were employed to cram everyone into the subway cars during rush hour.

Now I just noticed that a video of this crazy process made Anderson Cooper 360's "The Shot" on CNN.com. Observe for yourself! (If you'd rather see the video with Anderson's commentary, click here.)

Luckily for me, I was already well inside the car when the pushers started their routine. But there was a really tall guy near me whose head started bleeding because a metal advertising sign hanging from the top of the car kept banging him across the forehead, and he was too crammed in to be able to move his arms or body or head in order to get in another position.

Makes your commute look a little bit better, doesn't it?

- e

I Want David Cook To Win... But Then Again, Not Really.

So we've arrived at the American Idol Season Seven Finale. After it's over, the only shows I watch that haven't gone on summer break yet are Top Chef and Best Week Ever. I guess I'll finally get to catch up on all of my magazines...

But before Idol ends tonight, I just want to declare that I definitely like David Cook the best. By far. No contest. However, after thinking about it for a little while (and after logging at least 40 votes for him last night), I realized that it would actually be BAD for his career if he won.

See, the title of "American Idol" doesn't really do much for you if you're a rock singer. It would make DC lose "street cred" if he won the competition known for sending pre-teen girls into crying fits over the likes of a floppy-haired Sanjaya. (Speaking of Season Six, the two finalists last year--Jordin and Blake--absolutely pale in comparison to the Two Davids... it's almost embarrassing how much worse last year was.)

Anyway, I stopped calling to vote for David Cook (though the fact that I was actually getting through probably doesn't bode well for him anyway) after I realized that the crown of "American Idol" fits better for Bound-for-Disney Boy. Plus, I really don't want to think of what his dad would do if his meal ticket didn't seal the deal.

I would hope that David Cook would end up more successful overall in his singing career, despite not winning the AI competition. Maybe he was thinking the same thing last night, when he acted a bit subdued for someone who was supposed to be pulling out all of the stops.

So I'm resigned to the fact that, especially after the love-fest from the judges last night, David Archuleta of the Eternal Dopey Smile will be victorious. (But in a sinister way I'm still hoping that David Cook wins, if for no other reason than the possibility of seeing an "instant reaction" shot on Archuleta's dad's face. Take off that stupid cap already!!!)

One last thing, if they do not bring back this guy for tonight's show, then I will protest.

- e

Oh-Oh, Oh-oh-oh... NKOTB is Back!

I forgot to Tivo The Today Show while I was in Mexico the past few days, but thanks to the power of YouTube, I was able to see the reunited New Kids on the Block performance from Friday. The video is not the best quality in the world, but you get the gist of what went down:

I used to be a huge NKOTB fan... I even went to one of their concerts back in the day. My friend DY and I got the tickets for free, so how could we refuse? But seriously, I would've paid for it if I had to. I don't remember much about the show except that I thought it was good, and that my eardrums were annihilated from all of the girls screaming.

Now those same girls are thirty-somethings and were in the crowd at the concert in New York... kind of funny. I contemplated getting tickets for the New Kids' upcoming tour, but they're playing at my most-hated concert venue here in Chicago (Allstate Arena), so for now I'm going to pass (unless I somehow score free tickets again).

Their new single, "Summertime," isn't half bad. The best is that they still are doing their boy band moves, which is key. It's a much smarter strategy for them to just embrace who they are (and used to be) than to try to show that they're all "mature" by refusing to do the choreographed dances and things that made them famous in the first place. All that would do is alienate their remaining fan base.

Here is the band performing "Summertime" on The Today Show:



I really hope they are going to release a video for this song! I'm going to need to hear it a few more times before I decide whether or not to shell out $.99 for it on iTunes. (I'm betting that I will, though.)

- e

Wish You Were Here...

Greetings from the 95-degree weather hotness that is Playa Del Carmen, Mexico. I left the Windy City yesterday for a long weekend across the border... some friends are getting married here tomorrow. We are really enjoying this quaint little town... but for now I am safely under a poolside umbrella (the one in the picture, for real!) so that I don't turn bright red within five minutes.

More when I return,
- e

The Latest from Coldplay

I have a soft spot in my heart for Coldplay, as my wedding song was "Yellow," off of their first album (not the most traditional wedding song in the world, I realize). My husband and I saw them in concert before they were really popular, and then took off on a two-month-long backpacking trip through Asia, at the end of which my husband proposed (let me hear it: "Awwwww....").

We saw them again a few years ago for their "X & Y" tour, but had really crappy seats off of the side of the stage in the nosebleed section, so that bummed us out.

Now they're back with another album, "Viva la Vida," and will be hitting the road again soon. I'm going to try to get tickets, but in the meantime I've pre-ordered the new CD and got the title track in advance off of iTunes. I also downloaded another song, "Violet Hill," when they did a promotion a few weeks back on their web site.

I have to admit that "Violet Hill" scared me... I didn't like it at all at first. I was like, "This is what they're giving away for free to get people to buy the rest of the album--yikes?!?!" But I knew I was going to buy whatever they put out anyway, so I still did the pre-order (the full album is released in mid-June). The good news is that "Viva la Vida," while pretty different from the other Coldplay songs I know and love, is very cool. There is no video for the song yet, but some dude uploaded himself and a friend playing it and they did a pretty good job, if you want to get a feel for the song in its entirety:

"Violet Hill" has actually grown on me, too. I don't feel like either of the songs has a real chorus, so perhaps that's what's throwing me. But I'm anxious to hear the rest of the album. "Yellow" was my favorite from "Parachutes," "The Scientist" was my fave from "A Rush of Blood to the Head," and "Fix You" was the best off of "X & Y."

They better have another power ballad in store for me or I will be upset!

- e

Yeah, Well, I Think My DOG Could Paint That!

This weekend I watched a very interesting independent film: My Kid Could Paint That. It's the story of Marla Olmstead, who, at the age of four, received worldwide attention for her "modern art." To be totally honest, what drew me to the movie was its title, because I have found myself uttering similarly-themed comments whenever I'm in a contemporary art gallery. I actually like modern art, but some of it really makes you go, "Come on, are you kidding me?"

The best is when it's like a blank wall or a bent spoon or something totally absurd that's trying to be passed off as this deep statement. Call it what you want, I call it a scam. All that being said, my tastes definitely lean more toward clean lines and bold blocks of color, than say, an Impressionist painting.

What I liked about My Kid Could Paint That was that it was pretty objective--it lets the viewer make up his own mind about what's going on after presenting both sides of Marla's amazing story. The two sides being: 1) Yes, Marla is a gifted painter and deserves all of the money and success she's gotten, or 2) She barely had anything to do with the art, someone else must have done the bulk of the work.

It's not ruining anything to say that I believe that if something fishy was going on, Marla's mother truly did not know about it. I mean, she even offered to take a polygraph test (which didn't end up happening, but I wish it would've). Her dad, well... I'm not so sure about his intentions.

Below is the trailer for the movie... it gives a good synopsis of the debate that develops over the course of the film. I really liked My Kid Could Paint That and would recommend it to anyone who seeks out documentaries. It's not entertaining, per se, but if you're in the mood to hear an interesting true story that will make you think a little bit, then you'll probably like it.

And if you do rent the DVD, then make sure you watch the special feature where they show the Q&A session at Sundance and talk about some of the things that happened after film was shot.

This movie gave me a great idea. I'm going to let my dog run around in the wet dirt outside and then have him tramp all over a big canvas and give the resulting piece a catchy name and see if the Museum of Contemporary Art here in Chicago will take it. Think they'll buy it?

- e

e's Favorite Things: VH1

As you know, I've been complaining about the lack of good stuff on TV for quite some time now. But there is one channel that never lets me down... and that's VH1.

The funny thing is, back in 1985 when VH-1: Video Hits One (as it used to be known) went on the air, I remember thinking that it was "the MTV for old people." I didn't watch it much back then... but now, I love it. So either I've gotten older (which I refuse to believe), or VH1 has gotten a lot cooler. OK, so maybe it's a little bit of both, but unlike its sister channel MTV, VH1 at least still plays music videos. You know, the reason d'être for both stations back in the day. Granted, you can't find videos during prime time, but they're still around if you look for them (especially during the "getting ready in the morning" hours).

Also, when VH1 does play TV shows instead of videos, I usually don't change the channel. With the exception of Flavor of Love and anything having to do with Scott Baio, I am a big fan of most programming on VH1--from Rock of Love to I Love the 80s to Best Week Ever (my all-time favorite) to Bands Reunited to Behind the Music to any of the "The Greatest..." or "All Access" episodes. What other channel can you name where you like almost everything they air? Nothing tops VH1 on my list. (And you can still catch one of my other favorites, Pop-Up Video, on VH1 Classic.)

Sometimes they branch out into more serious subjects... like in their "Rock Docs." I watched one of them on DVD without even knowing it was produced by VH1: I Trust You to Kill Me. It's a documentary on the band Rocco Deluca & The Burden (you may know their song "Colorful"). I loved it... and it's a must-see for any 24 fans out there who are desperate for a Kiefer fix (he was their random promoter and is hilarious in the film).

The next "Rock Doc" actually airs tonight... the first of a four-part series called "Sex: The Revolution." I've seen some clips, and while they're all a little risqué, I definitely intend to tune in, or at the very least Tivo the four installments and watch them after all of my regular shows go off the air within the next week or two.

I'm so glad I don't pay extra for HBO (especially now that Sex & the City and Six Feet Under are over), VH1 is obviously where it's at!

Gotta go... Awesomely Ridiculous Celeb Moments is on...

- e