Off Topic The Review Thread

Saw it last week, good film although I thought the scene in the camp near the end was a bit overblown.

 

Twin Peaks the return for me is the best TV I have seen
Yes it's doesn't follow any current TV formula but takes you on a wonderful journey

 

Yes, that was a powerful scene, Interesting switch just prior to that when the FBI agent knocked on the trailer door, then switching events to the boyfriend in the shower, who answered the door to the native girl, before those other red neck oil rig workers and security staff arrived back drunk as skunks. Some firepower that security unit had - of course that sort of incident would never happen up here in Canada. Storyline was apparently based on actual events - will have to research that more . I went because all the reviews seemed good.

MRQE is a great website to check out movie reviews, ahead of going out, so you don't end up wasting two hours of your life at a crappy movie:-.

http://www.mrqe.com/movie_reviews/wind-river-m100119393

 

Went to see The Play That Goes Wrong the other day. It's a kind of slapstick farce - a little bit Python, a little bit Brian Rix and a little bit Rik and Ade. Very clever and very funny. Recommended for a fun night out without having to think too much.

 

In New York? You old sophisticate you, hanging around on Broadway.

 

Well yes, it was in New York, but it's still on in London. Great fun.

On a more cerebral level, I went to MOMA as recommended by your good self. Mrs Stroller preferred to go shopping, so I had to get round the museum in the time it took her to get around Macy's. Not ideal of course, because it's not something to be rushed, even for someone like myself who is left cold by some modern art. The Pollocks and Rothkos do little for me, but being so close to works of such scale was impressive in itself. The massive three-panel Water Lilies was stunning but not because of its scale. I think my favourite piece though was an Edward Hopper called Gasoline. Definitely somewhere to go back to.

 

Last time I was in New York I went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in Central Park, which is just intimidatingly big. If you ever make it to Chicago the Chicago Institute of Art is my favourite art gallery anywhere, everything from old masters all the way to the modern stuff, including loads of very famous pictures I assumed were in European galleries - and Hopper's Nighthawks, lonely people in a diner. And doable in a long morning. I would be delighted to live in New York (Manhattan) or Chicago (downtown/Lakeside/North) for a few years.

 

I can recommend the Whitney in NYC, modern American artists, brand new building and an English curator

 

We we're going to go to the Met, but planned it for Sunday which turned out to be very wet, so the queues were off-putting. I've only been to Chicago once, a very long time ago, and museums were not on the agenda then. Enjoyed the town though.

The Yankees game was a great experience. I was kind of rooting for the Red Sox, but the Yankees pitcher barely allowed them a hit and NY wound up winning 9-2 after scoring six runs in the sixth innings. Yankee Stadium (which also hosts the New York City soccer team) holds about 50,000 and it was a sell-out for this game. Baseball would definitely be my US sport of choice.

 

The same theatre production company in London also do Peter Pan Goes Wrong and A Play About A Bank Robery, both are disappointing compared to The Play That Goes Wrong.

 

That's a shame, I would have considered going to see their other productions.

 

After trying them all over the years Ice Hockey has become my favourite. Love the NY Rangers. Baseball tooo long and boring. The museum I like the best is the Frick, small but lots of great stuff. Of course next Monday is the 9/11 anniversary down here.

 

I think people who like cricket would enjoy baseball. My problem with ice hockey is not being able to follow the puck.

 

I'm usually fine until the third beer starts to go down.

 

By the way Qprny meeting in a bar on 33rd tomorrow for the game.

Football Factory
6 West 33rd Street, New York, New York 10001

 

Back home now and going to the game tomorrow. If I was still in NY that would have been good. Are you going?

 

If I can get up in time, maybe!

 

Yesterday I had a snack at the Wahaca place in Bristol, against my better judgement given a previous disappointment in their Westfield branch, but my daughter likes it. Once again I bored her by telling her it should be spelt 'Oaxaca' if it really wants some Mexican authenticity. And once again I had to add copious amounts of chilli sauce to their pulled pork tacos (soggy) and chicken and avocado (tastes of the grill it was cooked on. No avocado spotted) to get them to taste of anything much. The churros with caramel sauce were very tasty though, but I thought they were Spanish. Service decent ambience ok. I was driving so tequila was avoided.

I just don't get this place. It's not definitively bad. It pretends to be Mexican street food, but the Mexican street food I've had (admittedly a long time ago) tastes much better than this. And I ate a lot of it. Anybody else got any comments on it?

I think it fits the description I saw in the paper today of a lot of things - it's 'premium mediocre'. Not necessarily a bad thing. It was used to describe Alex Oxlade Chamberlain.

 

We've got a couple of Taco Mazama in Glasgow (there's also some in Edinburgh next time you're up that way) - I assume they are a similar dining venue, specialising in street food as opposed to full-on dining, and experiences range wildly dependant upon time of day you visit, but generally very good. My son absolutely loves Mexican food, so we pop in when in town - just don't go if it's busy as a couple of times the food has been cold and bland, wheras when it's quiet and they have a bit of time the food is very tasty. Probably just above "Premium mediocre" !!

 

All those places which are essentially fast food joints pretending not to be fast food joints - Nando's, Wagamama, etc are premium mediocre. Any chain, including all those genuinely crappy Jamie Oliver ones, are by definition mediocre, premium medicocre in some cases. Which is sometimes exactly what you what - you want something predictable but in an environment a step up from KFC. Though not very often in my case. And of course I am refining the definition as I write, I'm very taken by the concept. The article it came from quoted Thierry Henry (definitely premium) saying 'the thing I would ask Alex (Oxlade Chamberlain) is - what exactly is it that you are really good at?'.

Has anyone been to Plum and Spilt Milk near St Pancras? I am going for Sunday brunch in a couple of weeks, and as I am going direct from Heathrow after a red eye flight from the US it better be ****ing good, otherwise I will end up snoring face down in my starter.