It’s been a while since I’ve added any Christmas paper art. And with the lovely feedback I’ve been receiving these past few weeks, I thought I’d add some more. This most recent batch is based on some mid-century Christmas snow boxes. Specifically, Ivory Snow and Boxed MICA flakes. Enjoy!
Here’s an article I wrote for Mouseplanet.com back in the early 2000s about Walt Disney’s Empress Lilly restaurant, called “The Queen of Lake Buena Vista“.
Jason’s Rating: 8.35 / 10 (About my rating system.)
“Look. Just because your truth, isn’t the true truth, doesn’t mean there is no truth, Ruth.”
There are not nearly enough science fiction comedies. Really, we see them pop up once every other year, and they are hit and miss. Another great sci-fi comedy that comes to mind is “Galaxy Quest” which really is right in the same family as “Paul”. If this type of movie has a sub-genre, I’d call it the ‘self aware sci-fi comedy’. By that, I mean the story takes place in our reality with the primary characters knowing science fiction to be just that… fiction. But then, that perception is turned on its head and sci-fi becomes reality. The comedy, at least in part, comes from this dynamic.
“Paul” starts as UK uber-geeks Graeme and Clive (Simon Pegg and Nick Frost) are visiting the United States to experience Comic-Con and then voyage across the UFO badlands of New Mexico and Nevada in a rented motor-home. Their sci-fi fantasy trip soon turns into sci-reality when they meet Paul (voiced by Seth Rogen) a grey alien on the lamb from the US Government. As they evade man in black, agent Zoil (Jason Bateman,) they encounter an evangelical woman named Ruth (Kristen Wiig) who joins their quest.
The cast is spot-on. I’ve been a fan of Pegg and Frost since seeing “Hot Fuzz” (then retroactively, “Shaun of the Dead” and “Spaced”). I especially like the fact that their rolls are sort of reversed from what we’ve seen in other films. This time around, Pegg plays the more impetuous role, while Frost plays it rather controlled and introverted. Bateman’s deadpan performance as Zoil (with an odd but funny payoff to his name, late in the film) is also enjoyable and a nice change of tone from his usual characters. And of course, Seth Rogen as the title character, Paul, is, well, he’s Seth Rogen. But I really like Seth Rogen, and frankly that’s what I expected.
This is truly a geek film, making a wide variety of sci-fi and comic book references, some of which will be apparent to the masses, but with many more geared toward a nerdier demographic. That said, it’s totally approachable to mainstream audiences. I love this movie and it will be a frequent rewatch for me. 8.35 stars, based on Jason’s Movie Rating System.
[amazon_enhanced asin=”B0050PYNO4″ /] [amazon_enhanced asin=”B004ZAAOS4″ /] [amazon_enhanced asin=”B004QNVQY6″ /]
Jason’s Rating: 9.3 / 10 (About my rating system.)
“The fool! The meddling idiot! As though his ape’s brain could contain the secrets of the Krell!”
When comparing and contrasting 1950s science fiction films, there are several qualities that are tantamount. Which film had the best flying saucer? Which had the scariest monster and the coolest robot? Which ethereal soundtrack is the most identifiable? Given these criteria, it’s hard to imagine a 50s sci-fi film better than “Forbidden Planet”. From the moment you see the C-57D cross your screen, you know that this is not your typical B-movie flying saucer dangling from a string.
“Forbidden Planet” is visually striking… in fact, it’s nothing short of astounding, given the constraints of the time. Of course they were backed by MGM dollars and an intention to make a real movie, not just Saturday matinee fare, but still, the scope of the visuals here is breathtaking. Watch the scene in the belly of the Krell machines. Or the C57’s crew fighting the invisible yet illuminated ID monster. The melting of the white hot laboratory door. These scenes could hardly be done any better today even with the use of CGI. Beyond the quality of the effects, this film is the absolute epitome of mid-century Populux futurism. Gorgeous cantilevered structures, boomerang furniture and radiating disks. And Robbie the Robot… what can I say about Robbie? He is simply the coolest robot that has ever been conjured on film or paper.
The story is based on Shakespeare’s “The Tempest”, though how closely it parallels, I really can’t say. The character of Morbius, played by Walter Pidgeon, is certainly Shakespearean, given the highs and lows of his accomplishments and tragedy. A young, and not very comedic Leslie Nielsen, plays Commander J. J. Adams, captain of the C-57D. He and his crew have been dispatched to check on a deep space colony on Altair IV which hasn’t been heard from in years. Adams and his shipmates (including Doc Ostrow, played by veteran character actor Warren Stevens) discover that the only remaining members of the colony are Dr. Morbius and his daughter Altaira, played by heavenly sprite, Anne Francis. Without getting too deep into the plot, things get complicated when a crewman is murdered and secrets of the planet’s ancient but extinct civilization come to light.
The acting isn’t particularly strong, with the exception of Walter Pidgeon, who always captivates me. The story more than compensates, and has me riveted every time I watch. The last forty minutes of the film are particularly suspenseful.
The soundtrack deserves an honorable mention as well. Completely electronic, yet utilizing no theremin, oscillator circuits and a ring modulator were used to create the electronic tonalities. (On a side note, I had a professor at the University of Miami, who piped in this soundtrack over the editing shack speakers. I’m pretty sure I was the only student who appreciated his sense of humor.)
This is one of my favorite films, and if you appreciate the sci-fi genre, it’s required viewing. 9.3 stars, based on Jason’s Movie Rating System.
[amazon_enhanced asin=”0374424454″ /] [amazon_enhanced asin=”B0019NB9A2″ /] [amazon_enhanced asin=”B000QZYM58″ /] [amazon_enhanced asin=”B00450MWSE” /]
The food truck craze has hit Orlando and is delivering a lot of delectable eats to the locals. In a town dominated by chains, it’s refreshing to see so many local independent food mongers plying their trade in this way. This isn’t carnival food either. These trucks are delivering some really high quality food. Everything from Luther Burgers to Korean BBQ Tacos. On a daily basis, these trucks are parked at strategic spots around town, but several evenings a week, they gather at specific spots to take a unified stand. These events bring in a lot of local traffic. My wife and I have hit the Lake Lily Round-Up (Tuesday nights) twice, and today we were at the big round-up in the back of the Fashion Square Mall parking lot.
Personally, I prefer Lake Lily Tuesday nights to the Fashion Square Round-up. It’s true that while there were even more food trucks at Fashion Square than what I’m used to, the Lake Lily location is just a much smoother jive, and includes a good deal more comfortable dining space (if you walk around to the other side of the lake.) What follows after the cut are some photos of the trucks. I only got photos of about half of them, unfortunately. Missing are the Korean Taco Box trucks, The Brisket Bus, The Crooked Spoon, and others.
A friend of mine, William Flood, has a very cool site called Neon Roadside. Bill’s site focuses on a variety of mid-century themes, including Airstream trailers, neon signage and retro architecture, all fortified by photos from his travels. Watch his stuff with interest.
Incidentally, if you like the logo and banner work for Neon Roadtrip, that’s a little of my handiwork. Feel free to drop me a line if you dig my style and would like some work done.
This is another bunch of ads from the Orlando Sentinel food sectionals from 1972. Check the original article here. Above is an advert for Sweden House. My love for “All You Can Eat Buffets” knows know boundaries. Of course, back then it was called a “Smorgasbord”. I’m not sure which is the classier moniker. These places were all over Florida in the 60s and 70s. I hope they had Swedish meatballs. If Ikea had all you can eat meatballs, they’d have to wheel me out on one of those HÅVET chair beds.
I have a collection of Pan Am advertising music called “The Music of Pan Am”. I took one of the songs, “Question: Is the Going Great” sung by Sammy Davis Jr. and mashed it up with scenes from the Pan Am PR film, “6 and a Half Magic Hours”. The song isn’t a direct advertisement for Pan Am, but does use part of the arrangement. This is essentially a pop version for Sammy Davis Jr. On the whole, it’s perfect ‘jet set’ cool.
I found this menu for Aunt Hattie’s Chicken in the Woodpile on eBay a few years ago. It’s especially neato because it’s autographed by Edward “Uncle Ed” Boore, husband of Aunt Hattie and founder of the restaurant. Aunt Hattie’s was opened in 1939 by Ed and Hattie Boore who had previously run a fruit stand. It closed in 1985. The full history of the restaurant is recounted by Scott Taylor Hartzell in this excellent St. Petersburg Times article.
Read more
Pumperniks was a Saturday afternoon staple for my family when I was growing up in Miami. It’s the first place I ever ate Matzo ball soup and a brisket sandwich. The experience of eating this food for the first time was enough to make me consider converting to Judaism. Read more