Uncle P is off to my favorite U.S. city for a brief business trip and then four days of vacation, hanging out with friends (one of whom is a High School friend who will also be vacationing there from California at the same time); visiting museums; playing at the Navy Pier; eating in amazing restaurants; taking the Architectural Tour and assorted other distractions. I hope 4 days will be enough to do all I want to do.
I'll be back on Wednesday night, but since Thursday is my birthday, I probably won't be writing much before Friday. I feel like a jerk for missing Caliban's Revenge's 5th Anniversary post the other day, but I promise to make it up to you, soon.
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Only my sister and people who know both of us will fully grasp the hilarity of the picture to your right. Trust me, she will not find this picture offensive in the least. In fact, she'll email or Facebook me her approval, because Heaven forfend she should ever actually comment on her brother's blog no matter how much he hints, nags or goads. She's as stubborn as our Hungarian grandmother. Then again, I'm as stubborn as our German mother.
So, double good news for the upcoming Memorial Day Holiday. Sis and the BIL are heading North and Uncle P has a 3-day work week followed by a 5-day weekend! Mom and the BIL are no doubt preparing for what they call our 'secret language,' though truth be told, for as much as the brat and I have in common, we have just as much not. Of course, our differences are secondary to both of us. We argue, like all siblings (we had a mini-argument on the phone today) but make no mistake -- we would defend one another with our lives.
We have always laughed together far more than we've been cross with one another, and I'd say that ratio continues to grow toward the laughing as we get older. And truth be told, there are plenty of things that she and I share with no one else in the world: Phrases; quotes; sounds; jokes and bits of nonsense that never fail to make us laugh, often to the consternation of those around us, who sadly have no idea why we're crying or bent over in laughter-induced abdominal pain. And make no mistake, many of those folks have known both of us for many years and still have no idea why we find something as hilarious as we do.
And honestly, we like it that way.
Whether it's down in Florida (yes, I know) or here in PA, I'll never say 'no' to spending time with my little sister. She's pretty great. I hope you and your siblings (if you have them) are as close as my sister and I are. The next three days will be torture...
More, anon. Prospero
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From the Happy Mutants over at BoingBoing comes this review of a film which premiered at Sundance this weekend. Escape from Tomorrow tells the story of a man who, on the last day of his family vacation in Orlando, learns he has lost his job. As the film progresses, the man slowly loses his grip on reality, eventually creating a surreal and nightmarish descent into madness. Of course, the extraordinary thing is that the film was apparently shot without the knowledge or cooperation of the Disney corporation, which has been known to sue daycare centers for copyright infringements and asking Santa to leave their parks. Film critic Drew McWeeny says "It is impossible this film exists... And yet, not only does it exist; but it's fascinating."
Long-time readers know that Uncle P's sister is a self-described "Disney Dork." In fact, last weekend she and the BIL went on their second Disney cruise. And while I personally prefer Universal Studios, I must admit that I have been to Disneyworld at least five times. Which makes Escape from Tomorrow all that much more fascinating to me.
Personal friends know that I adore off-the-wall, experimental and outright bizarre film experiences. Movies like Richard Elfman's Forbidden Zone; David Lynch's Eraserhead; Quentin Dupieux's Rubber; Terry Gilliam's Brazil; David Cronenberg's Naked Lunch andGuy Maddin's The Saddest Music in the the World are very much why I love film so much. They make me feel like I'm not alone in my personally skewed vision of life.
Here's a clip from Escape from Tomorrow, featuring daddy-bear star Roy Abramsohn dealing with his obsession with two French teenagers at a Disney resort pool:
I don't know how director Randy Moore pulled off this film, though I am amazed and excited that he did. McWeeny supposes the movie will never find a distributor and will eventually fall into obscurity, thanks to Disney's phalanx of lawyers. Still, I think that I must see Escape from Tomorrow, if only to satisfy my curiosity and add it to my list of outsider films I've loved or hated.
Trust me, I don't get it anymore than you.
More, anon.
Prospero
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I wish my office chair was as cool as the one in the picture on the right.
I return to the Day-Job tomorrow, after a 10 day "stay-cation,' during which I had all sorts of things planned to do around the house. Needless to say, very few of those plans actually came to fruition. I could blame the heat or my broken toe or any number of other things. Or I could be honest and say I just didn't care enough to get them done. I watched some truly dreadful movies on cable (The Thing (2011); Scream 4; The Help) and even worse talk shows ("The Talk"). I deep-cleaned my kitchen. I cooked some amazing meals (tonight's spinach, feta, bacon and fresh garden tomato omelet among the best). I went to dinner and a movie with my four dearest friends. I attempted a night out with three other gay friends on Friday, but that soon fell apart (for a number of reasons). I cleaned out and lubricated the track to the sliding mirror doors of my medicine cabinet. I turned a year older. I blogged.
I did nothing of any real significance. And I've decided that that's okay. Vacation is really just about not being at work. In that sense, it couldn't have been more of a success. I didn't think about work at all, even when co-workers sent me a 'Happy Birthday' messages on Facebook.
Sometimes it's good to just shut-down and relax. And I did plenty of relaxing this past week. I slept in. I watched TV. I didn't think too hard or too much (well, except for Friday morning's horrendous events in Colorado). I didn't even shower on a couple of days. So, I'm marking this particular stay-cation as a success. Though, truth be told, I don't want to go back to work tomorrow.
I really need to win the Publisher's Clearing House $5,000 a Week Forever sweepstakes. Hook me up, will you?
More, anon. Prospero
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But we know this... And sorry for that very disturbing image on New Year's Day, but I have a quandary for which I am asking your help, dear readers and I thought it just might catch your attention.
I have one day left of my holiday vacation and I haven't seen a single movie on my list. So I am determined at some point in the day tomorrow, to see a movie. My "to see" list is always long. My "have seen" list is regrettably short; even more so, this year. I've been able to whittle a few off the list, simply because they are not playing near me, yet. And then I narrowed it down to those playing at my favorite multiplex in nearby NJ. And still, I am having a hard time choosing. And that's where you come in. I need you're help choosing. I've been able to narrow it down to five choices:
The Adventures of Tintin:
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo:
War Horse:
Young Adult:
The Darkest Hour:
Quite a list, isn't it? I'm happy to admit that my tastes are nothing if not eclectic. So, PLEASE take the easy poll, below. If I do go to the movies, I will see whatever movie wins.
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That's Daniel Craig's rather magnificent ass on the poster for director Jon Favreau's latest movie Cowboys & Aliens. Based on the graphic novel by Scott Mitchell Rosenberg, Cowboys & Aliens is one of the summer's most anticipated movies.
In 1873 Arizona, Jake Lonergan (Craig) awakes in the desert, shoeless and memory-less, with a strange metal cuff on his left wrist and a bloody wound in his right side. After a quick and violent encounter with a trio of ne'er-do-wells, Jake makes his way to the dying mining town of Absolution, where he's patched up by the local preacher (Clancy Brown) in time for him to save the local innkeeper, Doc (Sam Rockwell) from a dustup with the drunken son (Paul Dano) of the only man in town with any money. When the sheriff (Keith Carradine) arrives, he recognizes Jake from a wanted poster and promptly arrests him, but not before a mysterious young woman (Olivia Wilde) approaches Jake asking about the "bracelet" he's wearing. Learning his son is on the way to prison, rancher Colonel Woodrow Dolarhyde (Harrison Ford) and his hands ride into town demanding his release. But the brewing showdown is not to be; Jake's cuff starts to beep and light up and the town is suddenly attacked by flying machines that seem to rope people (including Doc's wife and Dolarhyde's son) around their chests and carry them off into the night. Jake also discovers the cuff is a weapon and brings one of the fliers down, releasing a wounded monster into the night. Deciding they need his weapon, Dolrahyde forces Jake to join them in tracking the beast in hopes of recovering the kidnapped townsfolk and the party sets off.
Not being familiar with Rosenberg's original, I had no idea what to expect, though I am a fan of Favreau's. His Iron Man films and the Jumanji follow-up, Zathura were terrific fun, and I hoped that C&A would be, as well. And I am pleased to note that I was not disappointed. Though I was a bit surprised at how much of a Western the movie is, filled with very specific archetypal characters forced by circumstance to work together against forces beyond their comprehension. Happily, Favreau doesn't keep us wondering and gives us a full-on view the aliens early on. The amphibious/insectoid beasties with googly eyes and surprise limbs are creepy and dangerous-looking - not something you want to run into in dark (or even well-lit) alley.
The performances are terrific, across the board and Craig's American accent is dead-on. As a former bad man given the chance for redemption, Jake is almost an anti-hero, driven by revenge more than anything. And before you ask, yes, we get a good look at Craig's well-defined torso, though it's a bit dirty and banged up. Ford's Dolarhyde is also not the most likable of fellows; a man made bitter by his experiences in the Civil War and a disappointing son. Wilde is fine as the tough gal with a big secret and Rockwell is excellent, as always as a former doctor who only wants to run his saloon with his wife in peace. The rest of the supporting cast are on the money and you'll certainly recognize many of them.
Cowboys & Aliens' plot may be a bit preposterous but this a summer Sci-Fi action flick, not The Cherry Orchard. And as a summer Sci-Fi action flick, Cowboys & Aliens succeeds quite nicely. A thoroughly entertaining movie loaded with action, suspense and humor, Cowboys & Aliens was actually better than I had anticipated and I and my companions all left the theater happy. What more can one ask from a summer popcorn movie? *** (Three Out of Four Stars).
Wow! An amazing long weekend in Chicago with two wonderful friends and two terrifically fun movies in one week! The week after my birthday has proven to be even better that the week of. I may have to go back to the real world on Monday, but I had one hell of a vacation! I hope your week was as good as mine!
More, anon. Prospero
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I'm back, Bitches! Miss me? And while I didn't take the photo of the giant Marilyn on Michigan Avenue you see to your right, I did take a few of my own (among many others) and will share soon.
Chicago was amazing. After the day job event was over, I moved across town to a hotel in the city's "Gold Coast," a beautiful neighborhood of brownstones and manicured gardens very near Lake Michigan. The Ambassador East is currently undergoing a major renovation, so the entrance and elevators were made inconvenient at times, but my room was lovely and austere, with Danish furnishings and a strangely laid out bathroom (the toilet was set diagonally in the corner). After settling in and having a quick bite at PJ Clark's (yes, just like in NYC), I set out for a Saturday night on the town with two friends I'd only ever known online.
"Are you crazy?" I can hear you asking. Surely you know the answer to that question by now. But when one of them is Chicago personality Stephen Rader and the other is sort of a step-sibling of a dear college friend, I knew I was pretty safe. My biggest concern was not how I would get on on with either of them, but rather how they would get on with one another. Silly me. They had me in common, for one, and a million other people for another. Turns out that Stephen and Patrick moved in the same circles for years, without ever actually meeting until last Saturday. And they got along famously. And I with them. And we had ourselves a grand time in a old-fashioned night of bar-hopping in Boystown.
We started at the quiet and dark Cocktail on the corner of Roscoe and Halsted. After an hour or so of hilarious conversation, we moved next door to the trendier Sidetrack, which was filled with beautiful boys and plenty of poseurs. More drinks and laughs led us to move on, and while I couldn't name the other three places we ended up visiting; I can tell you that the seedier they got, the more fun we had, ending up at a bar that was having a Trailer Trash Drag Night where all the staff dressed in the trashiest, John Watersesque garb they could find. By the time Patrick poured me into a cab at 2:30 AM, Uncle P had had one of the most fun evenings I can remember in a very long time.
Sunday, I surprisingly awoke with no hangover and set out for brunch, again at PJ Clark's (it was close and relatively inexpensive). After a hearty meal of eggs, bacon and potatoes, I got into my head that I could walk to Millennium Park and set out to do just that. Walking along Michigan Avenue's "Magnificent Mile" I passed stores by Chanel; Gucci; Pucci; Cartier; Omega; Hermes; Armani... I might as well have been on New York's Fifth Avenue, but with a Chicago attitude. Finally reaching the park, I took my picture at the Cloud Gate (referred to by locals as "The Bean," saw a free afternoon concert (by a very fun jazzy blues trio whose name I cannot remember for the life of me) at the Frank Geary-designed amphitheater and watched children frolic in the hilarious Crown Fountain. Exhausted, I took a cab back to my hotel and crashed for the rest of the day.
Yesterday I visited the Navy Pier and the amazing Chicago Field Museum of Natural History before meeting Patrick again for another trip to Sidetrack for their Monday Broadway Karoake Video Night, which was more akin to attending a showing of The Rocky Horror Picture Show than karaoke anywhere else, especially during the extended Mommie Dearest remix video. At a very tired Patrick's suggestion, I then headed out on my own to Big Chicks, where I met delightful young man named Tim who spent the night flirting with me and proclaiming "F***ing Philly!" once he learned where I was from. Once again poured into a cab (this time by Tim, who said "You can't walk from frm here -- It's too dangerous!"), I returned to the Ambassador East for my last night in the Windy City.
I won't go into the details of flying home on US Airlines, except to say that any of you who have flown on USAir know just how awful they are. Dear D met me at the airport to take me home and while I will be glad to sleep again in my own bed, I am already missing what is quickly surpassing New York as my second favorite US city (San Francisco is hard to beat...). I know I'll visit Chicago again (I already have offers from two folks -- I'll leave it to your imaginations as to which two -- for a place to stay). And there are still plenty of things I want to do and see there. And I certainly understand why so many folks I know have moved there. I just don't think I could handle winter there. Brrr!
Pictures, anon (and all that jazz). Prospero
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I am off tomorrow morning to Chicago; partly for day-job business and partly for fun. I'll be home Tuesday night, but won't have much (if any) internet access while I'm away. In case you're wondering why - I despise laptops and can't justify the price of a tablet right now, though I imagine a tablet will be my next major electronics purchase in the next year or so.
Anyway, I already have plans to get together with the fabulous Stephen Rader and a few other friends while there. If Chicago is still standing after Rader and I get together, it's only because Stephen Rutledge wasn't able to join us.
I've been to the Second City twice - once for a few hours and once for two nights, neither of which was enough time to really explore and have fun. This time I'll have a few extra days to see the sights and carry on (and hopefully catch the Chicago Cash Cab). I want to visit Navy Pier, the Bean, the (formerly) Sears Tower, and maybe catch a show and visit a museum or two. We'll see what time allows. I just hope the heat has moved East by the time I get there... Not that I wish it on my friends and family here, but you know what I mean. No city is fun when it's too hot to walk a block without becoming soaked in sweat.
I'll be back on Tuesday night, no doubt with a tale or two to tell (and hopefully three or four I can't possibly share). I'll let you know if it's anything like this:
Not that that's the kind of club Uncle P will be visiting while there (wink,wink, nudge, nudge).
More, anon. Prospero
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