I cannot wait to see this.
Archives for posts with tag: movie
When done well, sci-fi is one of my favorite genres for movies and television. Blade Runner, Battlestar Galactica (new), and Gattaca are among my favorite movie and television titles.
My husband and I were browsing Netflix’s Watch Instantly titles a few nights ago, and despite having seen Moon when it first came out on DVD, we decided to watch it again. It’s a fantastic movie. Directed by Duncan Jones (who happens to be David Bowie’s son — I promise this has nothing to do with my glowing review!), the movie centers on Sam Bell (played by the awesome Sam Rockwell), an employee contracted by Lunar Industries to extract helium-3 on the Moon to be used for clean energy back on Earth. Because of an issue with the communications system, Sam is only able to communicate to and from Earth through recorded messages. His three-year contract is two weeks from ending and he’s eager to get home to his wife and daughter. But it’s at this time that he starts to hallucinate, and ends up in a serious accident while out on a routine lunar run. He briefly wakes from being unconscious to hear GERTY, the robotic assistant, in what Sam believes to be a live conversation with Lunar Industries. It is then that Sam becomes suspicious of what’s going on and…I won’t tell you anything else because it would give away key plot details.
But trust me, it’s a good movie.
My husband and I saw Inception yesterday and it was incredible. You know a movie is good when you’re still thinking about it a day later. I’m a big fan of Christopher Nolan and he does not disappoint with his latest endeavor.
I won’t go into too many details because my friend Paul’s blog, Cultural Wormhole (I promise I’ll get that second Breaking Bad review to you soon, Paul!), offers a wonderful review of the movie. But in addition to his comments, I felt that the movie was the perfect balance between great writing and great special effects. Too many movies today rely on CGI to carry the movie, which to me looks fake about 90 percent of the time. I was also glad to see that it wasn’t in 3D. 3D is great for animated movies or for lighthearted action movies, but not for everything.
A few of the negative reviews that I’ve read about the movie have said that it’s too complicated or convoluted for most viewers, but I completely disagree. The movie isn’t hard to follow if you pay attention to it. One of the many reasons why Christopher Nolan’s movies are so great is that they are very layered; you catch something new every time you watch it.
So if you’re looking for an excuse to play hooky from work, this movie is it.
In an effort to save money, my husband and I have been having date night at home. And because we’re big dorks, we’ve decided to match our meals with our movies.
This past week, we sat down to watch Akira Kurosawa’s classic 1954 action drama, Seven Samurai. And let me tell you, it’s an amazing movie. Yes, it’s long, but it’s a must-see for any fan of the cinema.
As for the food, I settled on yet another recipe from the Vegan Yum Yum cookbook. I know, I know, it seems like every recipe that I make is from there, but what can I say? I was looking for an Asian-inspired dish that was both cheap and delicious, and the Seven Spice Udon recipe certainly fit the bill. (Get it? Seven Samurai and Seven Spice Udon — clever, huh?)
I did have to make a separate trip to my local Asian food market to pick up the Japanese Seven Spice (also called Nanami Togarashi or Shichimi Togarashi), but the spice mixture is what makes the dish. And it’s cheap; I picked up a jar for $1.99. It’s a mixture of chili pepper, orange peel, black and white sesame seeds, Japanese pepper, ginger, and seaweed. And a bit of a warning: it packs some heat, so don’t get too carried away with it as I did when I first made the dish. It was painful.
Also, I modified the recipe a bit to include more veggies, and in doing so, I increased the tamari and vinegar amounts. I also added sesame seeds for garnish and a little more texture.
Seven Spice Udon
Ingredients:
8 to 9 ounce package of udon noodles
2 to 3 tbsp oil (I used toasted sesame oil)
10 Brussel sprouts, shredded
5 small carrots, sliced thinly
1 ¾ tsp Japanese Seven Spice
4 tbsp low-sodium tamari or soy sauce
3 tbsp brown rice vinegar
sesame seeds for garnish (optional)
Directions:
Cook the udon noodles according to the directions. Drain, rinse with cold water, and add a little sesame oil to coat and prevent them from sticking together.
Heat half of the oil in a non-stick sauté pan and add the Brussel sprouts, carrots, and ¼ tsp of the Japanese Seven Spice to the pan and cook for a couple of minutes, or until just tender. Take out and set aside.
In the same pan, heat the rest of the oil and add the cooked udon noodles. Let them cook for a few minutes over high heat until they start to form a crispy noodle pancake.
Turn the noodles and add the vegetables, tamari, rice vinegar, and remaining Seven Spice.
Top with sesame seeds and serve.
I could easily see myself craving this dish on a regular basis. I made it in about 15 minutes, which is less time than it would take to order take-out. Next time, I might also add some shelled edamame for extra crunch.
Enjoy!!
