Two for Tuesday: Movies

Two ducks in Los Angeles 

Last Friday my friend and I saw Coyote vs Acme at the Bella Terra theater in Huntington Beach. (Dinner first at the Cheesecake Factory, which is always delicious, even if you don’t have dessert.) We really liked it! Just good nostalgic fun with no profound messages, except maybe a reinforcement of the thrill of the chase being superior to the catch. (Sometimes.) If you aren’t that familiar with the old cartoons however, you might not find the movie super enjoyable. Apparently, the film was inspired by a 1990 article in the NYT, which you aren’t even allowed to read as a gift article if you don’t have a subscription. Whatever. They suck.

Saturday I went up to Los Angeles in a carpool to see Project Hail Mary with other friends. These peeps have a super big TV screen, so we had the pleasure of that along with the comfort of being in a private home. I’m glad I read Andy Weir’s book first because otherwise I might have been confused at some points, especially during the backstory scenes. I really enjoyed seeing how the alien was depicted onscreen after imagining him via Andy’s words on the page. It was an excellent movie, and we all loved it. I highly recommend the book and the film. 

Unfortunately, my alien-themed cupcakes, while cute, tasted awful. Pillsbury is usually great, but the pistachio cake mix, along with the frosting, was just plain yuck. I don’t understand how they messed up so dramatically, but I had a bad feeling as soon as I opened the box and took a sniff. Since sometimes my sense of smell is off, I made them anyway (baked late Friday night and frosted Saturday morning). I definitely do not recommend this product.

I also saw The Phantom of the Opera musical at the Segerstrom Center in Costa Mesa on Sunday (told you I’ve been busy, not to mention working some OT for month-end). The tickets were a birthday gift from my daughter and son-in-law. We were all unfamiliar with the story, but the singing and costumes were gorgeous, so it was a lot of fun even if we didn’t follow 100% of what was going on. One of my close friends was at the same showing, but her seat was nowhere near us, so we couldn’t chat.

A musical version of The Great Gatsby is scheduled for next May at Segerstrom, and I hope to see that too. I am familiar with this story! I only read the book like five times and watched two versions of the movie. 

Two for Tuesday: Romance

Two ducks in Los Angeles (my photo)

1. First Dates at the Cat Café by Rachel Rowlands. Cute love story with lots of kitties, coffees, and sweets. The book was properly written in past tense, third person, with alternating POV chapters and no jumping timeline. (Why can’t more books be written this way?) Both main characters were very likable and more layered than average, focused on their careers rather than obsessed with romance, which was refreshing. My main issue was that the MC’s, especially Nathan, were reactive rather than taking action, and that became a bit tedious. Grace was too concerned with her parents’ opinions for a 27 year old. Overall, however, this was an enjoyable read. Three stars. (Not spicy.)

2. Matzah Ball Blues by Jennifer Wilck. This was a good story, but I can’t go over three stars because nothing really grabbed me about it. We have two main characters who experience growth and change yada yada and of course we know they will end up together because it’s a romance novel, but there is nothing particularly interesting about the process. The most interesting part of the story is the financial fraud that Caroline discovers at the JCC, which in another book might result in death threats or something exciting, but in this case the whole thing is politely resolved while Caroline learns how to make brisket. Yawn. (Smidge of spice.)

Maybe I am too burnt out to fairly review romance novels these days. In fact, I can’t imagine giving any formulaic book five stars now… maybe four if it’s really different from the usual. I think I need another long break from romances and possibly from all genre writing. Well, except for the “required” book club books, which will have to suffer from my ennui as I rate them.

Again, I don’t understand other people’s ratings. They seem to believe that any book they finish automatically deserves four stars. But why? This just skews the whole rating system. I give four stars when I LOVE a book and five if it was so fabulous that I might reread it. If a book gave me new insight or inspiration, sure, four or five stars are deserved. But a run of the mill romance or thriller? Nah. (Unless it was written by a friend, hah.)

Two for Tuesday: Huntington Beach

Brown sugar cinnamon latte at Grim in HB (my photo)

1. On Sunday, I had a very early coffee meetup with two friends at Grim Garden in Huntington Beach (Warner and Newland). What an adorable little place! The whole café is "grim" (dark) themed, complete with an open vertical coffin in which you can pose for pictures (see my Instagram @lightm0tifs). There are green plants everywhere, giving it a tea party vibe. My friends loved their iced drinks, but I have to have something hot first thing in the morning (even if it's already 80 degrees out), so I ordered their special brown sugar cinnamon latte. It was so yummy! They had pastries too, which looked delicious, but I didn't try one. (I have a bunch of wonderful cookies at home due to my decorating class on Saturday morning ~ also on my IG.) Grim gets a 10/10 from me, and I would definitely return.

2. In the afternoon, I decided to go to a romance novel pop-up event in HB (Warner and Bolsa Chica), despite taking a break from the genre at the moment, especially from contemporary romance. I recently received a set of Regency romances that I will read soon. Anyway, back to the pop-up... there were several books I might have been interested in, but the prices, eeeek! I didn't realize that it's normal to charge $30 for a new book! Yes, they are pristine, and some even have the highly desired sprayed edges, but I'm happy to read a library book that's been paged through a hundred times and return it. I don't have space in my place to hoard books, and I keep only special or meaningful ones, which excludes most romances.

I went inside the pizza place where some local romance authors had their own books for sale. Same thing: I might have bought a few if they weren't so expensive. I felt kinda bad just looking and leaving, but oh well. Back outside, I browsed the "merch," some of which was cute, but I don't need a hat or a book bag. There were cheaper "mystery date" books that I could have gambled on at $12 each (covered in wrapping paper with an enticing blurb taped on), but I didn't end up getting anything at all. To be fair, some of the (uncovered) books were “only” $22.50, but still. I am not saying that authors don't deserve these prices for their books... I just can’t afford it at the pace I read. 

When I read a romance or a thriller novel, I gobble it up like a package of candy. I can read a 300 page book in a day! Contrast that with a deeper, crunchier read, which I savor and take my time with, maybe even make some notes… those type of books I do pay more for and keep on my shelves. I don’t expect them to appear in the KU program either. No offense to any romance or thriller writers ~ these books can be very fun reads ~ but I am not paying $30 for one.

See you at the next T4T!

Two for Tuesday: Nonfiction

Two ducks in Los Angeles (my photo)

As I mentioned earlier, I’m trying to get out of my reading rut of thrillers and romances by choosing other genres and even nonfiction when the mood moves me. Here are two reviews of nonfiction books I read in July.

1. When the Earth Had Two Moons by Erik Asphaug. As a layperson, I enjoyed this book very much. Some of the science (ok, most of it) was over my head, but I still managed to learn a lot from the way the author tried to make it more easily digestible with metaphors and such. Sometimes the language became quite poetic! It definitely heightened my curiosity to read further on the topic and also made me more aware of the crucial need to fund space exploration. Four stars.

2. Marley & Me by John Grogan. I didn’t expect to cry at the end of this book because honestly Marley seemed like such an annoyance to put up with. I could not have handled having this giant destructive dog in my home, even with a man around to do most of the wrassling. The descriptions of the constant drool were enough in themselves for me to nope out. Kudos to Grogan for making most of the misadventures sound funny and ultimately heartwarming. When Marley’s decline began, I did get the feels, especially because it all reminded me of the loss of my own pets, one of which was relatively recent (RIP Gatsby). Overall, this was a very enjoyable read, including the teary parts. Four stars. 

PS: Marley & Me was made into a movie in 2008 starring Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston. It was good, but the book was better.

Two for Tuesday: Dramas

Two ducks in Los Angeles (my photo)

I enjoyed a couple dramas on HBO recently, so I will share them with you now.

1. Knox Goes Away (2024) stars Michael Keaton, who also directed, Al Pacino (always great), and James Marsden (love him from 27 Dresses, Enchanted, etc.). This film asks the question: what if a hitman got dementia? If Knox hadn't been a hitman, he would have made a tragically romantic hero whose mind is dissolving with disease. But he is, in fact, a murderer, so that complicates things. Knox and his friend Xavier (Pacino) come up with a system to deal with the dementia while at the same time helping Knox's son Miles (Marsden) beat a murder charge himself. Suzy Nakamura plays a police detective who has to deal with coworker sexism while trying to solve the case. The movie held my interest throughout.

2. Juror #2 (2024) stars Nicholas Hoult and is directed by Clint Eastwood. Juror Justin (Hoult) realizes he may have accidentally committed the crime that’s being tried, and he has to decide what to do. We watch him wrestle with his conscience throughout the film. Toni Collette plays the prosecutor, and I have to revise my opinion of her. I’ve avoided her for years because of that absolutely awful movie Hereditary, but I didn’t notice that she was in this movie at first. She was great! All the acting was top-notch, and the story was twisty and unpredictable, in the best of ways. If Juror #2 were a book, I would be tempted to give it 5 stars.

Two for Tuesday: Movies Again

 

Two ducks in Los Angeles (my photo)

1. Two if By Sea (1996). This romcom stars Sandra Bullock (Roz), one of my favorite actors, and Denis Leary (Frank). Yaphet Kotto (RIP) plays a detective (O'Malley), and you might remember him in the dual roles of Dr. Kanaga and Mr. Big from Live and Let Die, as well as many other roles over the years, Bill Bennett directs. Frank is a small-time Boston thief who steals a $4M painting he plans to hand over to "Phill the Shill," a big-time criminal who is presumed dead by most in law enforcement, except for O'Malley (who has a personal vendetta against Phill). Roz is a bookstore clerk and Frank's long-suffering girlfriend, who wants Frank to give up his criminal ways and become a legit citizen/ husband/ father, but in the meantime she helps him because she's a lot smarter than he is.

Frank decides to make a long weekend out of the art thievery escapade, so he and Roz end up crashing at an unoccupied house in a ritzy area, where Roz meets a wealthy, handsome neighbor who falls in love with her, and she considers dumping Frank. There are some funny side characters, including Michael Badalucco, who has been in a zillion movies. I wouldn't say this is great romcom, but there are some laughs, and Sandra is always enjoyable. I watched this on Netflix over the July 4th weekend.

2. Ladies First (2026). This movie would have been hilarious on July 4, 1986, but it felt dated as a new movie. It stars Sasha Baron Cohen and Rosamund Pike, and it's directed by Thea Sharrock. Charles Dance costars, and you may remember him as Tywin Lannister in Game of Thrones. I certainly do! The acting is top notch, but the premise that a misogynistic bully male boss hits his head and is magically transported to a parallel world where women are in charge feels a bit "been there done that" to me. There are many funny moments at first, but they soon grow repetitive and stale. We get it, OK: everyone wants to be respected, yada yada. The idea that a man would feel bad about being treated like a sex object by women doesn't really work because I don't think most men would feel bad! The movie should have focused more on gender-based pay disparities, which isn't dated because it's still happening, but I guess that's not as funny as penile implants. 

Usually, I don't bother reviewing movies I don't like, but I did watch Ladies First to the end and figured it deserved a bit of a write-up since it's new and being hyped on Netflix.

Two for Tuesday: Movies

 

Two ducks in Los Angeles (my photo)

I watched a few movies over the holiday weekend and will present two reviews here. I don’t generally review movies I dislike or don’t watch until the end, so these are ones I enjoyed, at least somewhat. 

1. Fatale (2020), a psychological thriller directed by Deon Taylor, starring Michael Ealy and Hilary Swank. This movie received mixed reviews with many on the negative side, and maybe if I had seen it in a theater I would have been disappointed, but I didn’t, so I wasn’t. The basic premise is similar to Fatal Attraction, where a married man tries to have a no strings attached one-night stand, but… complications ensue. In Derrick’s case, his hookup in Vegas didn’t stay in Vegas, but instead turned out to be the detective who is assigned to his home invasion. Whoops. Oh, and it turns out she’s an unhinged lunatic who tries to frame him for murder. Some of the twists are predictable, but others are fun, and overall it kept my attention. (Netflix.)

2. Speaking of Michael Douglas (Fatal Attraction), by amazing coincidence he starred in the second movie I watched on Netflix: And So It Goes. This 2014 romcom was directed by the late, great Rob Reiner and also starred Diane Keaton. It’s not your typical romantic comedy since the protagonists are in their 60s, but it contains the usual elements of a grumpy real estate guy, a sad but sweet heroine, a precocious child who charms everyone, and a bunch of semi-wacky side characters, including RR himself. The excellent acting made up for the cliched storyline, and I enjoyed it.

Happy Tuesday!

Tanka Tuesday: Make Mine a Double

Pocket watch on the beach (AI image)

Forgotten moments 

Wash up on the shore of dreams

Blurry memories 

Battered by the changing tides

Unstable as sand castles 

No one knows the truth 

Even photographs can lie

Mona Lisa smiles 

Stories shift with retelling 

The foundation slides away 

~*~

Double tanka written for Tanka Tuesday Challenge #71 hosted by Willow and inspired by a recent death in my family.

Two for Tuesday: Triolets

1

If it’s awkward, then it’s cute meet

Spill your coffee all down his shirt 

Trip and fall over your own feet 

If it’s awkward, then it’s cute meet

Your face will blush red as a beet

Clumsiness is the way to flirt

If it’s awkward, then it’s cute meet

Spill your coffee all down his shirt

2

I’m not fond of second chances

Once the lovers have bid adieu

When I’m browsing through romances

I’m not fond of second chances 

Even in changed circumstances

Please set them up with someone new 

I’m not fond of second chances 

Once the lovers have bid adieu