Not based on any existing comic book, “Hancock” aims to leap beyond the bar described by the dreaded moniker of “comic book movie.” Gone is the origin formula rooted in traumatic events and scientific accidents, along with secret identities and the subsequent assumption of world-saving heroism. Instead: an alcoholic, amnesiac superhero with an abrasive personality and a destructive disregard, not to mention contempt, for the people around him — more Bad Santa than Superman.
Live Music, Fun and Festive — Sevilla Is a Place to Linger All Night
When my friend was attending grad school in Riverside, Sevilla was one of her favorite haunts.
When I would visit her, we always dined there, upstairs in the bar, loading up on tapas and wine, while listening to some Flamenco guitar. A fellow Riverside grad was in town, and itching for some of their alioli and sangria, so we went to Sevilla, but opted for the closer locale in Long Beach.
The Wondrous World of Wall E
“I don’t mean to say that storytelling is overrated (then again, maybe that’s exactly what I mean), but we know it's not necessarily the most important thing in a movie — even a mainstream studio picture. How it feels will always be more significant than the tale it spins. Because it's a movie.” And thus Jim Emerson takes a waffling shot (http://blogs.suntimes.com/) at cinematic storytelling, the view that everything in a movie is meant to serve the “story.” Quoting Roger Ebert, “A movie is not about what it is about. It is about how it is about it,” and pointing to the formulaic nature of many movies, he piles it on:
Wait Until Next Week
Bree Crocetti’s weekly restaurant review , which usually appears in the Thursday edition, will be resumed next week. In the meantime, check out my blog.
Hungry for more? Check out http://triplecreme.blogspot.com/
For the Love of Dance: The Shakti School of Bharata Natyam’s Annual Program
In a lovely moment between performances at the Torrance Cultural Arts Center’s James Armstrong Theatre, as the program shifted gears from Company to student performances, dancers Namitha and Ananya Ananth offered the deepest bow I’d ever seen – a prostration at a worthy individual’s feet, with head and hands to the floor. As unfamiliar as the gesture might be to hand-shakers and huggers, there was no mistaking the great dignity and respect it embodied. Even now, days after the moment, I remain touched by its simple elegance and profound emotion.
The Happening: Something Happens, but It’s Not Good
As the title, “The Happening,” says, something does happen in M. Night Shyamalan’s latest offering: we reach the end of the road for Shymalan’s aspirations of being a latter-day Hitchcock by way of Rod Serling. The cross-pollination of “The Birds” with “28 Weeks Later” and “The Twilight Zone” results in, arguably, the worst film in Shymalan’s portfolio to date and, perhaps, the death of his cachet. The Shymalan brand has lost its luster. A shame.
Animal Is a Tasty Treat, But No Place for a Vegetarian to Dine
I had a great experience at the brand new Animal on Fairfax the other night.
It is not called Animal for nothing. The menu is filled with pork belly, sweetbreads, quail, rabbit, chorizo, steak — and don’t forget the chocolate crunch bar with bacon bits.
Got Funny? Get Smart!
Erik: “You were a bit skeptical going in.”
Fred: “Sure. I liked the teasers for ‘Get Smart,’ but the trailer’s cartoon violence humour turned me off. Oh look. Here’s Smart harpooning himself. Oh look. Here’s a guy getting a piece of paper stapled to his head. This is humour? People getting hurt is funny?”
Erik: “That’s a good point. In the film’s defense, though, I’d say that the bulk of the film’s jokes doesn’t consist of violence inflicted or self-inflicted.”
Fred: “That doesn’t make it right.”
Vegan Fare, and the Neighborhood Ain’t Bad, Either
While on the lookout for new (to me) interesting neighborhood joints, I came across this vegan one. Right across the street from giant karaoke dive Boardwalk 11 on National, The Vegan Joint is a small, cozy little cafe with a huge vegan menu. Heavy on the Asian fare, they offer many soups, salads, wraps, sandwiches, noodles, curries, and fake meats. They use soy fish, soy meat, tofu, soy cheese, “egz” and soy bacon. When I eat vegan, I prefer to stick with vegetables nuts and grains, and pass on the phony meat. I eat meat, so I don't need a substitute.
Who Let the Cats Out of the Mixed Bag?
Six short films, unrelated except for whatever it was that Echelon Studios’ marketing people were smoking when they came up with the title “Shorts for Cats.” It’s a cute idea – catnip affair. Perhaps that’s why the fuzzies slept through the whole thing.