Sunday, August 7, 2016

Sunday Snapshot

Cute scruffy little Calypso
Currently reading:

The Spirit Chaser by Kat Mayor: 🔥🔥🔥💩

The Queen of the Tearling by Erika Johansen: A Robin Hood type! Hmmmm...

Movies:

I seem to be on a bit of a romcom kick.

the decoy bride
The Decoy Bride, starring David Tennant and Kelly Macdonald

Two words: David Tennant.

You need more words? Um, okay. Well, Kelly Macdonald is absolutely adorable as "the decoy bride," a woman who moves back to her childhood home in the Outer-outer-outer Hebrides and is roped into pretending to be a film star to distract the paparazzi from the star's wedding. Also, Michael Urie (whom you might remember from Ugly Betty) completely steals the show as the film star's manager, who's determined to give her the wedding of her dreams NO MATTER WHAT. To be honest, the movie felt a little long, but I did laugh a few times and loved the ending. Also: DAVID TENNANT. I mentioned him, right?

eagle vs shark
Eagle vs Shark, starring Loren Taylor (or Horsley?) and Jemaine Clement

The highlight of Lily's day working at a fast food restaurant is when Jarrod comes in for lunch. Unfortunately, as she finds out, Jarrod is an asshole. After they sleep together he takes her to visit his family, an objectively awful group of people who are like the Royal Tenenbaums but without any charm or likability. Oh, and PS, he has a daughter who lives with them. Surprise!

I'm of two minds with this movie. On one hand, it's probably the most Jane Austen-esque contemporary love story I've come across in years (Taylor would make an excellent Anne Elliot), and it is charming and sweet... eventually. On the other hand, getting there is a long damn walk full of scenes that are either boring or painfully awkward. But I guess you could say the same for Austen, so.

high strung
High Strung, starring Keenan Kampa and Nicholas Galitzine

I am not going to tell you this movie is "good," because that would be a lie. The acting is terrible and the dialog is a mess. That said, this might arguably be THE GREATEST MOVIE I HAVE EVER SEEN. There are dance-offs in the subway, a Will Smith lookalike, dueling violins, a talent contest at the end where Everything Happens, and a foodie character named PopTart. I have no idea what the foodie character's purpose in this movie is, other than to make 1 meal, but whatever. Filed under Cheesy Movies Tasha Likes.

today's special
Today's Special, starring Aasif Mandvi, Naseeruddin Shah, Jess Weixler

Samir is the sous chef at a fancy-pants Manhattan restaurant, but when he's passed over for a promotion, he quits and decides to go to Paris to learn from Les Grands Messieurs. When he goes to his parents' dingy Indian restaurant to inform them of his decision, however, his dad has a heart attack and Samir has to stay and keep the restaurant afloat until his dad's back on his feet. This movie is billed as a romcom but it's not, really, unless you count the bromance between Samir and the chef he hires, Akbar. I would have enjoyed it more if it made more sense. Samir's a sous chef, so presumably he knows something about cooking and running a kitchen, yet he doesn't know even the very basics about Indian food. Like I don't know a lot about German food, but I think I could probably fake my way through certain dishes, you know what I mean? And I didn't even go to culinary school! I was also irritated by the ending: Oh, congratulations, you fancied up affordable meals and now you can charge $50 for what used to cost $10, and tasted better.

But other than those two things it was a cute, feel-good movie.

This week in heidenkind:

A bit of a lull in the regular work schedule this week, so I had a chance to finish proofreading the paperback version of The Introvert's Guide to Drinking Alone, and it's now available for purchase on Amazon! You can doodle on it, make origami, use it to prop up a slightly uneven table leg... the possibilities are limitless! Buy yours today!

Also, the Olympics! Of course, it's the summer Olympics, so not quite as exciting as the winter Olympics, but still.

Bonus:

This octopus art (#octoart?) exhibit in Qatar looks really cool.

gallery al riwaq, 2016, Huang Yong Ping, Sea Monster Installation
Huang Yong Ping, Sea Monster, Gallery al Riwaq, Qatar, 2016
Photo by Wen-You Cai of Cai Studio, via Steampunk Tendencies.



Have a great week, everyone!


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