Mark L. Van Name's Blog, page 249
April 12, 2011
Hanna
I was unreasonably psyched about this movie. I love a good spy flick, and the child assassin theme of this film resonates with a lot of my own work. I also adore Cate Blanchett. The movie was showing 73% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes the day I went. My hopes were high.
Walking out of the theater, I couldn't help but feel dissatisfied. Don't get me wrong: I enjoyed this movie. I had a good time watching it.
I just wanted more.
Director Joe Wright was clearly in love with the face of lead actress Saoirse Ronan, and indeed she had an intriguing and interesting look. It takes an amazing actress, however, to carry that much camera time successfully, and though perhaps Ronan will reach that level one day, she's not there yet. The plot was entirely predictable, but they implemented it stylishly enough that I was willing to forgive a lot of its weaknesses. Blanchett phoned in her performance, and her southern accent mutated faster than the Andromeda Strain, but damn, she is amazing to look at.
In the end, though, I wanted a complete movie, one with a plot whose every move I did not see coming, with characters who were not entirely predictable, and I didn't get it. I did get a pleasant two hours for my money, and usually that's enough for me, but that night it wasn't.
Walking out of the theater, I couldn't help but feel dissatisfied. Don't get me wrong: I enjoyed this movie. I had a good time watching it.
I just wanted more.
Director Joe Wright was clearly in love with the face of lead actress Saoirse Ronan, and indeed she had an intriguing and interesting look. It takes an amazing actress, however, to carry that much camera time successfully, and though perhaps Ronan will reach that level one day, she's not there yet. The plot was entirely predictable, but they implemented it stylishly enough that I was willing to forgive a lot of its weaknesses. Blanchett phoned in her performance, and her southern accent mutated faster than the Andromeda Strain, but damn, she is amazing to look at.
In the end, though, I wanted a complete movie, one with a plot whose every move I did not see coming, with characters who were not entirely predictable, and I didn't get it. I did get a pleasant two hours for my money, and usually that's enough for me, but that night it wasn't.
Hannah
I was unreasonably psyched about this movie. I love a good spy flick, and the child assassin theme of this film resonates with a lot of my own work. I also adore Cate Blanchett. The movie was showing 73% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes the day I went. My hopes were high.
Walking out of the theater, I couldn't help but feel dissatisfied. Don't get me wrong: I enjoyed this movie. I had a good time watching it.
I just wanted more.
Director Joe Wright was clearly in love with the face of lead actress Saoirse Ronan, and indeed she had an intriguing and interesting look. It takes an amazing actress, however, to carry that much camera time successfully, and though perhaps Ronan will reach that level one day, she's not there yet. The plot was entirely predictable, but they implemented it stylishly enough that I was willing to forgive a lot of its weaknesses. Blanchett phoned in her performance, and her southern accent mutated faster than the Andromeda Strain, but damn, she is amazing to look at.
In the end, though, I wanted a complete movie, one with a plot whose every move I did not see coming, with characters who were not entirely predictable, and I didn't get it. I did get a pleasant two hours for my money, and usually that's enough for me, but that night it wasn't.
Walking out of the theater, I couldn't help but feel dissatisfied. Don't get me wrong: I enjoyed this movie. I had a good time watching it.
I just wanted more.
Director Joe Wright was clearly in love with the face of lead actress Saoirse Ronan, and indeed she had an intriguing and interesting look. It takes an amazing actress, however, to carry that much camera time successfully, and though perhaps Ronan will reach that level one day, she's not there yet. The plot was entirely predictable, but they implemented it stylishly enough that I was willing to forgive a lot of its weaknesses. Blanchett phoned in her performance, and her southern accent mutated faster than the Andromeda Strain, but damn, she is amazing to look at.
In the end, though, I wanted a complete movie, one with a plot whose every move I did not see coming, with characters who were not entirely predictable, and I didn't get it. I did get a pleasant two hours for my money, and usually that's enough for me, but that night it wasn't.
April 11, 2011
Asian Grill
A while back, Greg Cox, the restaurant critic for the Raleigh newspaper, wrote a glowing review of the Asian Grill and awarded it four stars (out of five)--quite a high rating for a hole-in-the-strip-mall place in North Raleigh. It took us a while, but the other night, we finally checked it out.
I'm afraid I have to disagree with Mr. Cox.
Asian Grill probably is the only restaurant in the area to serve authentic Shanghai cuisine, and I'm glad to have that type of food available. Like Cox, I greatly enjoyed the soup dumplings, which resemble traditional dumplings until you bite into them and find a tasty meat soup waiting inside. The savory richness of that meaty soup raised my hopes for the meal. Indeed, if the rest of the food had been that good, tasty, and unusual, I, too, would have awarded the place many stars.
The problem is, the rest of the food was entirely average. It was as tasty as the next Chinese restaurant--but no more. I sampled one of the house specialities, the Shanghai Madness, and though it was pleasant enough, it was just another of those dishes where they toss in various meats and stir fry them and a few veggies in the same brown sauce you can find in a hundred restaurants in North Carolina alone.
Other dishes ranged from good to weak but were generally just like what you could get at any other Chinese restaurant.
If you're near the Asian Grill and just want to grab a Chinese dinner, you'll be fine. If, though, you want something exceptional, reconsider your plans or reset your expectations.
I'm afraid I have to disagree with Mr. Cox.
Asian Grill probably is the only restaurant in the area to serve authentic Shanghai cuisine, and I'm glad to have that type of food available. Like Cox, I greatly enjoyed the soup dumplings, which resemble traditional dumplings until you bite into them and find a tasty meat soup waiting inside. The savory richness of that meaty soup raised my hopes for the meal. Indeed, if the rest of the food had been that good, tasty, and unusual, I, too, would have awarded the place many stars.
The problem is, the rest of the food was entirely average. It was as tasty as the next Chinese restaurant--but no more. I sampled one of the house specialities, the Shanghai Madness, and though it was pleasant enough, it was just another of those dishes where they toss in various meats and stir fry them and a few veggies in the same brown sauce you can find in a hundred restaurants in North Carolina alone.
Other dishes ranged from good to weak but were generally just like what you could get at any other Chinese restaurant.
If you're near the Asian Grill and just want to grab a Chinese dinner, you'll be fine. If, though, you want something exceptional, reconsider your plans or reset your expectations.
April 10, 2011
Mr. Poor Choices
In addition to being a nickname that I resist, Mr. Poor Choices is also the title of the new spoken word/comedy show that I'll be debuting at Balticon this Memorial Day weekend. That Sunday afternoon at 1:00, I'll again take the stage to tell stories and make people laugh. This show will contain some of the greatest hits of the previous two (Science Magic Sex and Wake Up Horny, Wake Up Angry) plus a bunch of new stuff I think folks will like.
We will again have a t-shirt for the show, and I will again be donating all profits from it to Balticon's reading charity. When we have a final design, I'll show it to you here. As always, if you want to order one in advance, let me know after you see the design, and we'll work it out.
I should also note that, as in the past, I recommend this show to those 18 years of age or older. Neither I nor the con has any way to police the large auditorium, but I do use all the words and discuss a variety of adult topics, so I recommend that parents keep their kids away.
Finally, though at some point soon you should be able to find it on the Balticon site, here's the description of the show that they'll be using.
We will again have a t-shirt for the show, and I will again be donating all profits from it to Balticon's reading charity. When we have a final design, I'll show it to you here. As always, if you want to order one in advance, let me know after you see the design, and we'll work it out.
I should also note that, as in the past, I recommend this show to those 18 years of age or older. Neither I nor the con has any way to police the large auditorium, but I do use all the words and discuss a variety of adult topics, so I recommend that parents keep their kids away.
Finally, though at some point soon you should be able to find it on the Balticon site, here's the description of the show that they'll be using.
Mr. Poor ChoicesI hope to see you at the con!
Spoken-word performer and 2008 Compton Crook Award Winner Mark L. Van Name returns to the Balticon stage for a new storytelling and comedy show, Mr. Poor Choices. Combining some of the best of his previous two shows with many new bits, Mr. Poor Choices will keep you laughing for an hour—and provide valuable life lessons.
Learn why you shouldn't:Tell a teacher your career goal is to be a piece of lingerie.And many more.
Throw a friend at gunpoint in your trunk in front of a crowd of senior citizens.
Ask a hotel night clerk for a pair of girl's underwear.
Not to mention the hamsters!
Join us Sunday at 1:00 p.m. for an hour of laughter in the Valley Ballroom!
Warning: Kids should wait to learn some lessons! This is an adult show, so no one under 18 should attend.
April 9, 2011
Source Code
There's something irresistibly compelling about the idea of second chances. Part of it may be the utter impossibility of them in the real world. We can get the opportunity to make amends, or to try again, but we cannot ever go back and start afresh. Except, of course, in the zillions of books and movies, including Source Code, that explore time travel with this very goal in mind.
I am, as you might expect, an absolute sucker for them.
Thus, I expected to find Source Code at least interesting and probably enjoyable, and indeed it was. I'm glad I saw it, I liked it, and I recommend it to those in the mood for an interesting SF story.
I wasn't sure, however, whether it would be intelligent, internally consistent, well-acted, or, in general, well-crafted. On that front, I have to report mixed results.
The acting was strong. Jake Gyllenhaal delivered the leading man goods in a scruffy but adorable style that worked well with what the story required of his character. Michelle Monaghan was adequately appealing in a role that gave her little room to shine. The best performance of the film came from Vera Farmiga, who did almost all of her work while sitting in a chair and playing a character one of whose jobs was not to show any sign of significant emotion. After Up in the Air and this, her name alone will now tempt me to try a movie.
The visual composition of the film was good enough, which sufficed given that most of it occurred in a relatively small number of sets.
The movie falls down, however, on the intelligent and internally consistent fronts. I'm completely willing to suspend my disbelief for its version of physics, but the twist that led to the "surprise" ending (you had to have been asleep not to have seen it coming from the first ten minutes) just didn't mesh well with what they'd presented before. Plus, we have a lingering problem that the movie hopes you never notice: what about the guy whose body Gyllenhaal took over? That completely innocent dude is dead, a casualty of this particular conflict, and the filmmakers just hope you don't notice.
Despite those weaknesses, however, I still enjoyed it. It's not in the class of The King's Speech, and yes, once again, I had to turn off part of my brain to enjoy it, but I'm willing to do that for many movies. The hero saves the day, he and the romantic lead get a chance to build a new life, and we have a good time watching it all happen.
I am, as you might expect, an absolute sucker for them.
Thus, I expected to find Source Code at least interesting and probably enjoyable, and indeed it was. I'm glad I saw it, I liked it, and I recommend it to those in the mood for an interesting SF story.
I wasn't sure, however, whether it would be intelligent, internally consistent, well-acted, or, in general, well-crafted. On that front, I have to report mixed results.
The acting was strong. Jake Gyllenhaal delivered the leading man goods in a scruffy but adorable style that worked well with what the story required of his character. Michelle Monaghan was adequately appealing in a role that gave her little room to shine. The best performance of the film came from Vera Farmiga, who did almost all of her work while sitting in a chair and playing a character one of whose jobs was not to show any sign of significant emotion. After Up in the Air and this, her name alone will now tempt me to try a movie.
The visual composition of the film was good enough, which sufficed given that most of it occurred in a relatively small number of sets.
The movie falls down, however, on the intelligent and internally consistent fronts. I'm completely willing to suspend my disbelief for its version of physics, but the twist that led to the "surprise" ending (you had to have been asleep not to have seen it coming from the first ten minutes) just didn't mesh well with what they'd presented before. Plus, we have a lingering problem that the movie hopes you never notice: what about the guy whose body Gyllenhaal took over? That completely innocent dude is dead, a casualty of this particular conflict, and the filmmakers just hope you don't notice.
Despite those weaknesses, however, I still enjoyed it. It's not in the class of The King's Speech, and yes, once again, I had to turn off part of my brain to enjoy it, but I'm willing to do that for many movies. The hero saves the day, he and the romantic lead get a chance to build a new life, and we have a good time watching it all happen.
April 8, 2011
Panciuto redux
Our first meal at Panciuto was so good that we were certain we would have to visit it again soon. I had to know if we'd gotten lucky or if Chef Aaron Vandemark's work was really that good. Only a week later, we were back. The answer quickly became obvious: the food at Panciuto truly is excellent.
The menu looked largely the same as the previous week, with only a few dishes being completely new, but everything except the two desserts--both again excellent--had changed in small but important ways. The bruschetta used different greens and cheese and though delicious was definitely different from its predecessor. Topping the carpaccio this time were fried oysters, a touch I expected to hate. I'm really not an oyster person, but I had to try them just to see what Vandemark would do. I'm very glad I did. The oysters were the best I've ever tasted and had the mouth feel of foie gras. Amazing.
This second trip included a larger group, and every person enjoyed every single dish. The service can't keep up with the food, but sadly, I've come to see that as a given in local restaurants. It's not that the service is egregiously bad, mind you; it's not. It simply does not do justice to the food.
As far as I'm concerned, Panciuto is now firmly set as one of the top restaurants in the Triangle. If you live in Raleigh or Cary, the rather long drive can be off-putting, but just allocate the time and make the trip. You'll be glad you did.
The menu looked largely the same as the previous week, with only a few dishes being completely new, but everything except the two desserts--both again excellent--had changed in small but important ways. The bruschetta used different greens and cheese and though delicious was definitely different from its predecessor. Topping the carpaccio this time were fried oysters, a touch I expected to hate. I'm really not an oyster person, but I had to try them just to see what Vandemark would do. I'm very glad I did. The oysters were the best I've ever tasted and had the mouth feel of foie gras. Amazing.
This second trip included a larger group, and every person enjoyed every single dish. The service can't keep up with the food, but sadly, I've come to see that as a given in local restaurants. It's not that the service is egregiously bad, mind you; it's not. It simply does not do justice to the food.
As far as I'm concerned, Panciuto is now firmly set as one of the top restaurants in the Triangle. If you live in Raleigh or Cary, the rather long drive can be off-putting, but just allocate the time and make the trip. You'll be glad you did.
April 7, 2011
Telling the story you want to tell
A while back, my friend, Eric, won a StorySLAM competition at The Monti. Eight people compete. Each goes on stage and tells a story for five minutes. Three groups of judges award them points. The winner is the person with the most points. I didn't get to see the stories that evening, but I did later hear Eric's story online, and he did a swell job with it. (I'd give you the URL, but I can't find it online any longer.)
Earlier tonight, the Monti held its championship event, in which eight winners, including Eric, competed. I was able to attend this one.
I had a grand time. All eight storytellers delivered commendable performances. Humor generally reigned supreme this evening, but a few of the talks, including Eric's, were on the more serious side.
Eric didn't win this time. As I said, humor was in favor this evening, and though his talk contained many funny moments, it also held many serious ones.
Eric knew going in that he was unlikely to win if he told this story, but it concerned something that had just happened, and the event was important to him. He decided to tell the story he wanted to tell, no matter what. He did it well, and he deserved the loud ovation he received.
Any of us who tell stories face choices all the time, and many of those choices have the potential to affect the tales we tell. I don't think it's at all a problem to choose to work in a particular area, such as a genre or sub-genre, but I do believe that when it comes to the actual story itself, you will do your best work only when you tell the story you want to tell. I'm proud of Eric for doing just that, and I'm glad I got to see him do it.
Earlier tonight, the Monti held its championship event, in which eight winners, including Eric, competed. I was able to attend this one.
I had a grand time. All eight storytellers delivered commendable performances. Humor generally reigned supreme this evening, but a few of the talks, including Eric's, were on the more serious side.
Eric didn't win this time. As I said, humor was in favor this evening, and though his talk contained many funny moments, it also held many serious ones.
Eric knew going in that he was unlikely to win if he told this story, but it concerned something that had just happened, and the event was important to him. He decided to tell the story he wanted to tell, no matter what. He did it well, and he deserved the loud ovation he received.
Any of us who tell stories face choices all the time, and many of those choices have the potential to affect the tales we tell. I don't think it's at all a problem to choose to work in a particular area, such as a genre or sub-genre, but I do believe that when it comes to the actual story itself, you will do your best work only when you tell the story you want to tell. I'm proud of Eric for doing just that, and I'm glad I got to see him do it.
April 6, 2011
We should all feel this way every day
A friend recently acquired some old family photos. She showed me a few of them, including the one below of her. My reaction was immediate and visceral:
Wouldn't it be great if you felt that way every day?
I love the unabashed joy in the expression, so I asked her if I could take a picture of it with my phone and put it here. She agreed, so I'm sharing it with you. As always, click on it to see a larger, higher-resolution image.
I don't mean, by the way, that you should have that feeling all the time; that much laughter would physically hurt. It would, though, be a most excellent thing to feel that happy at least once every day. I fear most adults don't, and I confess to not doing a very good job myself of pursuing joy. Something to change, methinks.
(Bonus points, of course, go to those who can identify the friend.)
Wouldn't it be great if you felt that way every day?
I love the unabashed joy in the expression, so I asked her if I could take a picture of it with my phone and put it here. She agreed, so I'm sharing it with you. As always, click on it to see a larger, higher-resolution image.
I don't mean, by the way, that you should have that feeling all the time; that much laughter would physically hurt. It would, though, be a most excellent thing to feel that happy at least once every day. I fear most adults don't, and I confess to not doing a very good job myself of pursuing joy. Something to change, methinks.
(Bonus points, of course, go to those who can identify the friend.)
April 5, 2011
Another TED talk I loved
I am clearly a sucker for the talks with performances, but this talk from a bit over a month ago really worked for me. If all the talking in the beginning bugs you, wait for the scenes of the virtual choirs; they are worth it.
It touched me deeply. I hope it works for you, too.
It touched me deeply. I hope it works for you, too.
April 4, 2011
Keeping the Children No More giveaway program going
As many of you are probably aware, last year I announced a program in which I said I would be donating all of my income from sales of the hardback of my last Jon and Lobo novel, Children No More, to Falling Whistles to help rehabilitate and reintegrate war-affected children. If you weren't aware of this program, you can learn more about it on the Children No More Web site.
I've decided now to change that program.
I'm going to donate to Falling Whistles everything I earn from all sales of all editions, electronic and print, hardback and paperback, of the novel.
This decision is going to cost me a fair amount of money. I had originally planned to keep the proceeds of the ebook and paperback sales because, well, it's nice to get some compensation for the year's worth of work that goes into writing a novel. I decided, though, that I could afford to live without the money, and the cause could definitely use it.
I won't repeat here all the information on the site I mentioned above. You can read it there. What I will repeat is this: we should not use children as soldiers, and we should help those poor kids whom others have used in this horrible way.
The paperback of Children No More goes on sale on July 5th of this year. Here's my request of all of you: Help promote it. Buy copies. Get others to do it. If you don't want to support the book, donate directly to Falling Whistles.
As we say on the site,
Lose yourself in other worlds, do a good deed in this one.
I've decided now to change that program.
I'm going to donate to Falling Whistles everything I earn from all sales of all editions, electronic and print, hardback and paperback, of the novel.
This decision is going to cost me a fair amount of money. I had originally planned to keep the proceeds of the ebook and paperback sales because, well, it's nice to get some compensation for the year's worth of work that goes into writing a novel. I decided, though, that I could afford to live without the money, and the cause could definitely use it.
I won't repeat here all the information on the site I mentioned above. You can read it there. What I will repeat is this: we should not use children as soldiers, and we should help those poor kids whom others have used in this horrible way.
The paperback of Children No More goes on sale on July 5th of this year. Here's my request of all of you: Help promote it. Buy copies. Get others to do it. If you don't want to support the book, donate directly to Falling Whistles.
As we say on the site,
Lose yourself in other worlds, do a good deed in this one.
