A blog of benign neglect

Some more food shows...

Lately, while still watching 'Top Chef' and 'Dinner Impossible' pretty regularly -- Note: I am totally of "Hell's Kitchen", which went absolutely down the drain -- I also followed this show on BBCAmerica... It has what "Hell's Kitchen" lacks: People that you actually believe can cook - not weird comic figures in kitchen whites! I also liked that they were quizzed on concept, restaurant economics etc. And while it has some of the typical reality show effect (dramatic breaks, hard critic) it was interesting to watch...

If I am really down and feel absolutely gross, I watch this one and gleefully chuckle when the lard tubbies are set on a health food diet... makes my own spare tire look really good. Is a little bit disgusting though, too! Just enough to scare you into considering the salad and the whole grain bread...

The tried and true...

Each morning I steal one hour to sloth in front of the TV with my cup of coffee... dropped the kid off at school, husband not yet awake...
I am kind of picky what I watch: It has to be engaging to hold my attention, yet mindless enough to let me plan the rest of the day... and so I rediscovered ER!
The reruns start at 7:00, so I have 2 episodes to watch (fast forwarding through credits and commercials) every morning. TNT just started it from the beginning again.
I forgot how good that show is, how innovative the camera work was in 1994, how dark George Clooney's hair was and all the characters that came and went during the years - 'Grey's Anatomy' seems oddly bland and silly against it!

The complete Jane Austin on PBS

...and yes, I will review each and every one of them!

Let's start with 'Persuasion': Hmm, some how it seemed very condensed and although I liked Sally Hawkins as Anne Elliott and Rupert Renry-Jones made a very cute Captain Wentworth, I liked the 1995 version with Ciaran Hinds (yum!) and Amanda Root better because these two really looked a little better for the wear...

The real fun is that we don't have a 'Jane Austen book club, but a Jane Austen Couch Potato Club: Each Sunday I meet with some neighbors and we watch, discuss and comment... no drooling, since we have one guy with us!

Jane Austin II: Northanger Abbey

The Jane Austin Coach Potato Club liked it... the nice Tilney brother was casted well, the gothic scenes were quite funny and although the movie straight a little form the book (love interest of the Tilney sister!) it felt well-rounded... good one!

Catch: BBC's 'Jane Eyre' (2006)

Really good, liked it very much - good plain Jane and very, very nice Rochester. In case Toby Stephens does remind you of somebody... Dame Maggie Smith is his mom!

Another of my pre-teen crushes dead...

He started my life-long phantasy about tall guys with deep voices.The galley scene in Ben Hur is was my 'Princess Lara in the gold bikini' and the "Ten Commandments" were a religious experience for me!
Later on, when I turned more worldly and sarcastic, I watched his movies with mirth and giggles.

I guess now somebody will prey the gun out of your cold dead hands, Mr Heston!

Kingdom of Heaven

Also everybody says it's one of Rideley's weakest movies, but it oddly touches me. I watched the director's cut with the side story of Sybilla killing her son which was cut from the TV version and made Sybilla somehow look like a shallow ditz.
Overall the movie captures the absurdity of the situation well: a European kingdom in the near east, crusaders vs saracens, knightly ideals... plus good photography and sound track!

Project Runway...

Nothing has wowed me yet when it comes to the fashion...
I do like the Elisa, spitmarkeress though... and Kevin (nice beard!), Rami (nice package!) and Steven (best gay friend)...

Kitchen Nightmares...

hmmm, why does every middle aged women - be it waitress or mother of the owner -- find Gordon Ramsey irristable? Kind of disturbing!

Project Runway...

C. and I watched and judged... I think it will be an interesting season although I thought the first challenge was kind of boring - too much silver platter!