How I Knew Arnold Was One of the Good Guys

(#17) Watch 25 Classic Movies

1. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
2. A Streetcar Named Desire
3. It's a Wonderful Life
4. Some Like it Hot

5. The Terminator
6.  Terminator 2: Judgement Day

My first thought as the movie started was, I wonder if there has been a noticeable change in graphic quality between 1984 (first movie) and 1991 (this movie). While 1991 graphics were still mildly laughable to us today, there had clearly been an upgrade- it was even sort of part of the story line.


Arnold Schwarzenegger played the same "model" Terminator that he played in the first movie, only this time John Connor from the future converted him to be a force of good. The new model of terminators, the "T-1000," is a cyborg made out of liquid metal, so he can change into the shape of anything that he touches, and the can pass himself through metal gates, etc. He is quite literally a new model- they didn't have the technology to portray him on film back in 1984. The perfect marriage of form and function.

A little more convincing, right?

Secondly, upon realizing that Arnold plays a good guy in this movie (this had not been ruined for me so I had a genuine reaction of fear when Arnold grabbed John Connor. Sorry if I am now ruining it for the next person) I wondered if it had anything to do with the actor himself.

Schwarzenegger was a relatively new actor in Hollywood at the time, though he had his big break a few years before, and perhaps the character's number of lines and robotic demeanor were developed in part to accommodate his level of comfort. Then by 1991 he was a more popular actor and wanted to play the part of the hero and show off his skills a bit more.

I also noticed that 1984 Schwarzenegger had no qualms about full frontal nudity, while 1991 Schwarzenegger, though naked in a scene, was carefully edited for modest. Coincidence?

Structurally I thought this movie was well developed. As in the first movie, the time travel is not too confusing. Potential logical slip-ups are addressed directly. For example, Ronnie and I wondered aloud why the T-1000 didn't just liquid himself up some clothes when he showed up naked, only to have the Terminator immediately say in the movie that he has to touch things in order to mimic their properties. 

As I mentioned in my first review, I chose to watch Terminator 2 also because many people have said that it is better than the first one.

I feel I can validate that this movie is more important in pop culture than the first for two reasons: 1) I had always thought that the Terminator was a good guy and was surprised when he was the villain in the first, meaning that the Terminator as good guy is the more prevalent image. And 2) many of the Terminator's famous lines including "Come with me if you want to live" (said by Kyle Reese in the first movie, not Arnold) and "Hasta la vista, baby" were said in this movie and not the first. The most famous line from the first movie- "I'll be back"- is featured here again. Meaning, again, this is the movie that is better remembered by the masses.

Not to mention the graphics are better, Arnold is more hilarious, and there is more action and less weird time travel romance. 
 
So yeah I'd say this one definitely deserves its own place on my list.

"I Have So Much to Say I Better Split This into Two Entries." AKA: Why I Hate George Martin

(#2) Read 25 books

1. Room by Emma Donohue
2. Tender is the Night by F. Scott Fitzgerald
3. Dreams from My Father by Barack Obama
4.A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin
   A Clash of Kings by George R.R. Martin
   A Storm of Swords by George R.R. Martin

   A Feast for Crows by George R. R. Martin
5. A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving
6. The Shack by William Young
7. The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides

George R.R. Martin is the worst kind of writer. He gives the rest of us a bad name. 

He gets you right where he wants you- and then he just screws around for 1,000 pages. So thanks for ruining the last month of my life.

If you remember my review of A Storm of Swords, I was pretty pumped after finishing it. The ending was huge and I had no idea what was going to happen from there. The answer is- a whole lot of nothing. 

Martin kills off several main characters in book three, but there are still some interesting story lines developing with some of my favorites- Jon Snow, Daenrys, Tyrion Lannister. Unfortunately none of these characters are in the book at all.

Instead, we are introduced to a whole series of new characters- after we spent about 3,000 pages getting attached to the old ones. We get to meet Pate the pig boy, featured in only the first and last twenty pages. We get to meet everyone on the Iron Islands, though since Theon is now missing we really have no connection to these people at all. We get to meet everyone in Dorne, even though until now we only had a vague idea of what/where Dorne was (sorry, I should have consulted my map).

Every character has at least three names- Ser Firstname, Ser Lastname, and Nickname Related to Skill or Deed. Multiply that by 100+ characters (I am not exaggerating) and it gets a little hard to figure out. Ser Gerold and Ser Dayne are one in the same; and they are both also referred to as Darkstar. Not to mention the similarity of names: Asha, Alayne, Aeron, Aemon, Aerys. All the Freys are literally named Walder Frey.

Cersei Lannister is probably the main character of this novel. She is the only character who has been with us from the beginning who is still involved in the story line that the other three books were about.

Cersei has always been evil. We have seen her human side from time to time- her love for Jaime (however twisted) and for her children. Her relatively kind treatment of Sansa (as least compared to Joffrey). In this book, we see Cersei's unfortunate downward spiral. Though she resented her father's control of her, the reader can now see that Tywin Lannister was the one actually running the kindgom after Joffrey's death. Cersei absolutely falls apart under the pressure, though she herself doesn't realize she is being undone until the end of this novel.

Brienne of Tarth is another main character. I was vaguely interested in her story line when this book began, and though she wasn't in book one at least she wasn't as new as others. Unfortunately Brienne's story is incredibly boring and pointless. She is looking for Sansa Stark (which might be interesting if we didn't already know where Sansa was) literally just by riding down the kings road and asking everyone she sees if they have seen a young woman fitting Sansa's description. And then, even more unfortunately, we are introduced to and forced to become acquainted with every person that she meets, who we will then never see again (or possibly see 1,000 pages later and be expected to remember).

I have literally been known to shout WHO CARES??? while reading one of Brienne's chapters. Just ask Ronnie.

Samwell Tarly is another narrator whose story I was invested in. Unfortunately he spends the entire novel on a ship, bound for Oldtown. He doesn't get there until there are about 100 pages left. The rest of his time is spent describing himself vomiting and describing Gilly's son shitting all over himself constantly. He does manage to lose his virginity amongst all the poop and puke, though, so I guess good for him.

Besides all of this meaningless wandering, a la Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, the book is also riddled with hints and clues that I not only don't pick up on, I don't realize until 100s of pages later that I've missed something.

Don't get me wrong- there are still many aspects of this series that I am heavily invested in, and I will most likely finish the series in hopes that stories will be resolved. And there were certainly exciting moments in the book. It was just a huge disappointment after book three, and I definitely got the feeling that Martin was jerking me around for longer than he needed to just to make sure he milked the series for all it was worth.

Speaking of jerking around- the end of the novel. I had peeked ahead in frustration (are we EVER going to hear from Jon or Daenyrs) and was much looking forward to a chapter at the end of the novel entitled "Meanwhile, Back on the Wall." Those that have read the novel are probably chuckling at me in pity at this moment.

The chapter was a note from George R.R. Martin, explaining that he just had soooo much to tell in this story that at the last minute he decided to split this book in half- by geography. In other words, the story in A Dance with Dragons details what is happening simultaneously with the other characters that we missed in this novel. In other words, the story won't be moving forward at all until at least book six.

The worst part is he says it like he's doing us a favor.

And then he takes six years after releasing this book to come out with the next one. The one that he had supposedly already written.

WHAT. EVER.

I need a break from Westeros after this one. I don't think I'll be returning until after my reading list for this year is complete.

If anyone out there has read book five, give me hope that it is worth it.

You Can Take the Red off of a Radish, But I Still Won't Like It

(#13) Taste 25 Foods I've Never Tasted Before


1. Pattypan Squash
2. Beets
3. Eel
4.Wahoo
5.Lychee
6.Quinoa
7. Raw Oyster
8. Octopus
9. Duck

10. Daikon

Realizing that I am very far behind on tasting 25 new foods this year (before May 22) caused a minor panic, especially because we have committed to going vegan for the month of January. More on that later.

Anyway, there was only one place to turn- the produce section.

Luckily there were several odd-looking vegetable choices to choose from. I'll probably be back there later this week. The one I chose for this entry was daikon.

Daikon is a kind of radish, sometimes known as a white radish. It is used a lot in Asian cooking and looks sort of like a white carrot.

Ronnie and I only recently discovered that we hate radishes, so I came into this challenge with a bit of skepticism (as I often do, to be honest). But daikon is one of those things I constantly see chefs using on cooking shows, so I wanted to give it a try.

After I had purchased the daikon I read an article about how to cook them which mentioned that they should be firm and not rubbery. Woops. Mine was definitely a little rubbery.

I chose to cut it into strips and throw it into a stir-fry (since it is an Asian vegetable after all). I cut it thick enough so that we could still taste it. But not too thick, because I could already smell that peppery radish smell that I hate as I was slicing it.

I added it to the pan with some raw broccoli and about a half-inch of water to steam it before actually frying it. Then I added some soy sauce, teriyaki, and sriracha, and fried it up with some tofu and some other vegetables.

As you can see in the picture they kind of went limp upon cooking. Maybe I cooked them too long, who knows. But they absorbed the flavor of the sauce pretty well and didn't have much flavor on their own. Kind of like a softer water chestnut.

There are two possible conclusions to draw from this experiment: 1) That cooking radishes gets rid of their bitter, peppery taste or 2) That the bitter, peppery flavor comes from the red skin of the radish.

Or, a third option: there are plenty of other vegetables out there and I probably won't be eating radishes in any form very often.

Lets go with that one.

I'll Be Back...to Review Terminator 2

(#17) Watch 25 Classic Movies

1. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
2. A Streetcar Named Desire
3. It's a Wonderful Life
4. Some Like it Hot

5. The Terminator

My first thought as Arnold Schwarzenegger appeared on the screen was, "Why have I seen Kindergarten Cop but not The Terminator?" But really that is what this list is meant to do- correct all my little cultural faux pas. 

Awesome:

Less awesome:

My second thought was, it is 2013 and we are not yet at war with machines, so this movie got it totally wrong. That's good news. 

I'm going to assume that most people are generally familiar with the plot- the Terminator (a cyborg) is sent to kill Sarah Connor so that her son won't grow up to be salvation of humans in the future. Kyle Reese, a soldier from the future, is sent back in time to save Sarah by Sarah's future son John. Then of course they fall in love in a matter of hours and Kyle becomes the father of Sarah's future son (mind blown! classic time travel). 

This movie is classic in many ways. First of all, it is an interesting time piece of the 1980s, both in how they acted and how they saw the future. When Sarah slips into a techno club to avoid the man who is following her (who turns out to be Reese), I said to Ronnie "Isn't it funny that this is how they actually dressed? They're not wearing costumes to represent the 80s. This is actual 80s." Not to mention the prevalence of payphones, the lax gun-purchasing laws and the idea that in just 40 short years we would be at war with robots.

By the way, we are now closer to the robot era (2021ish) than we are to 1984. Think about THAT.

It is also a classic because of the lines. "I'll be back," of course. And "Come with me if you want to live." Several others that I associated with this movie I was surprised to find out actually happened in Terminator 2. More on that later in my next movie entry.

Also, God bless 1980s graphics, but I could not have sat through a whole movie with that skinless cyborg who shows up at the end. I mean, come on. We all know its not real.    

I'm so terrified...that people actually thought this looked real in the 80s.

All in all, the movie was pretty awesome, but I'm sure you all already know that since I'm the last person on Earth to see it. I thought the time travel was tastefully done, fairly straightforward and not too scientific. Arnold was the perfect villian, the slow-moving yet deliberate type. And Sarah was actually a pretty decent heroine- reluctant at first, but calm and capable throughout the film. 

I've heard that the Terminator franchise is actually one of those rare series where people actually prefer the second installment. So that review will be coming up shortly. 

Some Like it Hot- and By Hot They Mean Naked

(#17) Watch 25 Classic Movies

1. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
2. A Streetcar Named Desire
3. It's a Wonderful Life
4. Some Like it Hot

Ronnie and I watched this movie a few weeks ago but, in addition to being busy planning the engagement party, I haven't reviewed it because I have been really mulling over how I feel about Marilyn Monroe.

Part of me really wants to love her. Why? I'm not sure. I guess just because most people love her. She is applauded for being an a-typical representation of beauty (being a size 14), but that is just a function of the time she lived in, when it was not considered beautiful to be stick-thin. She wasn't really doing it to make a statement.

After watching Some Like it Hot I was even more intrigued by why so many people love her. Because honestly I've seen better acting. And better singing. And as a matter of fact I've seen more beautiful women. She was dressed kind of sluttily, was that the reason?

And we wonder why men find her attractive...

I finally got some more insight a few days ago after watching My Week with Marilyn. It was an enjoyable if somewhat forgettable movie, with Michelle Williams doing a great job as Marilyn. It helped explain the hype that she caused everywhere she went, probably perpetuated by her famous lovers and later by her tragic death. It also helped me see her through others' eyes. There was just an indefinable quality that made everyone love her- the way she "lit up the screen," as some said.

Michelle vs Marilyn. Not bad.

It also gave me hope for something that would make me respect Marilyn more- that deep down she was still just Norma Jeane, playing the part of a famous actress in her everyday life. She spoke softly because men found that appealing. She pretended to need someone by her side, to not really know what she was doing, so that people would always be rushing to help her. She played the dumb blonde because that was what people wanted from women at the time. In a way, that makes her more likable to me as a role model. She knew what she had to do to get ahead, and she did it. And she had everyone pretty much fooled.

The jury is still out on how I feel about her. But, on to the movie.

Some Like it Hot was one of those movies I expected not to enjoy, because I thought the humor would be totally lost on me. I was pleasantly surprised. Not North by Northwest surprised (seriously that movie has some of the funniest movie moments of all time) but I did enjoy it.

It is easy to forget that the jokes that now seem cliche were actually being done on film for the first time during this era. The cross-dressing, the classic chase scene,  the coincidentally winding up two feet away from the gangsters you fled the state to avoid...etc. These are moments that have since been imitated but at the time were still fresh. So you have to give the film-appreciators nod to them for that.

It was named the greatest American comedy of all time by AFI. They're the experts, so I'll take their word for it. I will say that it was funnier than I expected. I'm not big on comedies as it is. Give me a good tearjerker any day.

So there it is...my first Marilyn Monroe movie experience. Several more of her movies could be considered classics... maybe I'll watch another one before the year is up.

The Virgin Suicides- It's Even Darker than it Sounds

(#2) Read 25 books

1. Room by Emma Donohue
2. Tender is the Night by F. Scott Fitzgerald
3. Dreams from My Father by Barack Obama
4. A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin
    A Clash of Kings by George R.R. Martin
    A Storm of Swords by George R.R. Martin
5. A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving
6. The Shack by William Young
7. The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides

“Chucking her under the chin, he said, "What are you doing here, honey? You're not even old enough to know how bad life gets." And it was then Cecilia gave orally what was to be her only form of a suicide note, and a useless one at that, because she was going to live: "Obviously, Doctor," she said, "you've never been a thirteen-year-old girl.”

I saw the movie version of this novel several years ago and found it very memorable and very haunting. I decided to read the book after seeing Jeffrey Eugenides speak (on the day that I mostly met a famous person). Several members of the audience stood up during the Q&A just to say that this was their favorite book, they had read it over and over, etc. So I was intrigued. 

I was about five feet from Jeffrey Eugenides before Ronnie realized it was him. 

I was not disappointed. The movie has merit in itself, but the book is what will really stay with me. 

The Virgin Suicides is the story of the Lisbon girls, five sisters in a small town in Michigan. Cecelia is 13, Lux 14, Bonnie 15, Mary 16, and Therese 17. The story is told from a unique perspective- first person plural, through the eyes of an unidentified group of young boys in the town who observe the Lisbon girls from afar. The story begins when Cecelia, the youngest, attempts suicide. She recovers from the attempt but later tries again and succeeds, in a very public way which the boys are witnesses to.

From that time on the boys witness the effect the suicide has on the family. Already subject to conservative Catholic parents, the girls become more and more sequestered from civilization until eventually Mrs. Lisbon pulls them out of school. Towards the end of the novel, the boys are unsure how the Lisbons are even eating as they seem to never leave the house or receive any deliveries. A smell of staleness also begins emanating from the house and seems to fill up the whole neighborhood.

The boys continue watching and the girls know that they are being watched. Eventually they are able to get in touch with each other by playing records over the telephone. The girls then get a note to the boys to meet them at the house the next night. They are planning an escape together.

I won’t reveal the ending for those who haven’t read it and haven’t seen the movie, but I will tell you that the title is not meant to mislead in this case. And if you have seen the movie but haven’t read the book, there is one surprise element towards the end that makes it- if possible- even more gruesome.

The story of the girls is really the story of the struggles of American teens in the 1970s. It is never clear why the girls commit suicide, though the circumstances seem especially poignant- for example the state removing all the trees from the street where the girls live. As the boys speculate:

“In the end, the tortures tearing the Lisbon girls pointed to a simple reasoned refusal to accept the world as it was handed down to them, so full of flaws.”

It is also unclear whether Cecelia’s death caused the other girls’ actions or whether they had planned it out together from the beginning. But the five girls seem to be the only ones able to understand one another and are outsiders to their parents, the boys narrating, and the entire town.

Eugenides does an excellent job with this narrative. Though the narrator is never named, you feel you know the boys and understand their perspective well. And though you view the Lisbon girls from afar, you feel as sympathetic towards them and fascinated by them by the end as the entire town is. He is a master with language, which was evident when we saw him speak live.

The book is certainly dark and not for the faint-hearted. But there are also moments of levity, and it never veers into the melodramatic. And if you can get past the gore you will find yourself in the middle of something really profound. 

All in all, this was a memorable read and I would recommend it. I can’t wait to dive in to some of his other works.