When James Cameron's Titanic first came out in December 1997, my wife and I joked to our daughter "why are you going to see this movie? it sinks!!!!". Then we finally went to see it in a theatre in May of 1998 (yes, the movie was in theatres that long) and loved it.
Since then, of course, the movie has been the subject of Oscars, adoration, commentary and criticism, much of which was directed at James Cameron's dialog and story-telling ability. This is likely because any other faults are just too minor to be serious. Cameron, known for the Terminator franchise, simply can't write good movies, so the argument goes. The same criticism was put to him when he released Avatar. That may be true but he can write a movie people want to see. Cameron's writing is similar to those movies that are cliched, predictable, cheesy but are so well done it makes people want to see movies. This is the reason why Michael Bay may make movies that makes several million dollars with cheesier dialog but they come nowhere close to Cameron's successes. The man knows how to make a movie. This is why, perhaps, he has the two top movies of all time (in money made) by a huge margin. He also knows how to do 3-D well. Given an estimated budget of $200 million, Avatar made good 3-D possible - incredible for a technology that was cheesy at best in the 1980's. The rush of movies that were converted into 3-D after being shot started with most results being fairly lacklustre (Clash of the Titans, etc). Most of those movies are fantasy-based.
I was slightly concerned about how Cameron could add 3-D to a movie that is 15 years old, let alone a movie that isn't fantasy but tied to the real world. I shouldn't have worried. While many critics have said he did 3-D right with Titanic, I still wanted to see it for myself. This is similar to a film-maker adding colour to a black and white movie. Could it really measure up?
It does. For an estimated budget of $18 million, all I can say is wow. It makes this movie feel like it was just made for 3-D. Certain scenes such as the actual Titanic going over the ocean don't need 3-D; other scenes are typical (subtitles appear floating over movie itself); but the overall impact is just tremendous. Can a love story benefit from 3-D? It can, when done right and those individual scenes were done subtly enough, they were near perfect. When the camera moves through the water, looking at remnants of the ship, the depth contrast is amazing. But as expected, the real fun comes with the action sequences.
I saw this movie in one of Cineplex's new AVX theatres with bouncy chairs. It was a great experience but I'm glad I didn't see it in a full IMAX 3-D. At the end of the movie, I left the theatre actually feeling queasy, not just because I sat through a full hour of watching a ship sink, but because I felt like I was actually in the water, bobbing up and down while waiting for lifeboats. During scenes where depth is important, such as when looking over the rails at the water, you actually feel the grandeur of this ship, much like being at the Grand Canyon - it's simply incredible.
It's only in theatres for a few more days (having grossed an additional $50 million since its re-release - not bad for a 15 year old movie) - but if you have the opportunity, see it.
Monday, April 23, 2012
Friday, April 20, 2012
Gmail Meter - email pattern statistics - definitely recommended
If you are using gMail and ever wondered what your usage is really like, check out gMail Meter.
What does this do? Well, it may help you change your email habits by showing your patterns.
The link from LifeHacker is here
You create a new spreadsheet in Google Docs, name it Gmail Meter and then run a script from the Script Gallery.
Then let the script run. It can take a while to run but you can just let it go, it will send you an email when it's done with all of the stats. What kind of stats? Here's just a smattering of the stats:
Very cool!
What does this do? Well, it may help you change your email habits by showing your patterns.
The link from LifeHacker is here
You create a new spreadsheet in Google Docs, name it Gmail Meter and then run a script from the Script Gallery.
Then let the script run. It can take a while to run but you can just let it go, it will send you an email when it's done with all of the stats. What kind of stats? Here's just a smattering of the stats:
Very cool!
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Jason Mraz: Love Is A Four Letter Word
After trying different songs and styles over the past 4 years, Jason Mraz comes up with an album that is very different from his previous offerings yet still succeeds in delivering a satisfying sound.
If you're looking for the upbeat and fast-paced funk of We Sing, We Dance, We Steal Things, you won't find it here. That may be the biggest problem for his thousands of fans. This album is definitely more subdued than his other efforts. The risqué lyrics and fun wordplay that many fans have come to love aren't on this album - yet the song writing on this album seems more focused on its goal.
The production on Love Is a Four Letter Word is very smooth - lush strings come in to add those touches, the horns are not in your face (with the exception of The Freedom Song) and the harmonies are light and airy. With the exception of voice, guitar and drums, every instrument comes and goes very discreetly, adding their touches when needed but without fanfare. This can both be a blessing and a curse, as it sometimes sounds like the soul of a song has been smothered by the production. Here we find an album about Love that talks about love but never quite hits the emotional peaks and lows that love brings about.
This is typical of most Mraz albums however - songs on a Mraz album rarely sound like they do when performed live. This is perhaps the curse of being an artist who can pull lyrics out of thin air with a melody that lingers - a produced album never sounds "live".
Fans who want to know that Jason hasn't lost his fun live style should buy the Deluxe version which features live tracks of songs that didn't make the album: You F*cking Did It, a song reminiscent of Dynamo of Volition and Like I Never Knew You. That version also includes a demo version of "I Won't Give Up", the first single.
Certain songs do feel like they were "required" by the label: Living In The Moment sounds like a throw-away to I'm Yours, Mraz' biggest hit from the last album; Everything Is Sound also sounds like it was based on some of his earlier music, yet toned down. The songs all carry a positive message - it's better to write about love and positivity than hate and negativity - yet a lot of the lyrics show a sincere earnestness that comes with knowing, getting and losing love.
At some times, the album takes on a country feel (Living in the Moment and Frank D Fixer); at other times, it sounds like the roots-rock of the 70s (Who's Thinking About You Now, Be Honest) and sometimes like jazz (5/6). A hidden track "I'm Coming Over" sounds like Paul Simon. Rather than a "party" album, it's a "cruising" album, the kind of album you want to put on for a relaxing afternoon or a dinner party. In fact, the album may garner more fans from the over-30 audience than from the younger generation.
This album doesn't have hits written all over it. While most songs can stand on their own, none sound like break-away hits.
This is a more mature-sounding Mraz, grappling with a universal topic, expressed in a harmless, uneventful way. Yet the album grows stronger and stronger on every listen, with something for everyone. In the end, to borrow a phrase from I Won't Give Up, the album knows "it's worth it".
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Recommended: Colicchio and Sons Tap Room
My review on Yelp
We had a late lunch at the Tap Room the day after Thanksgiving. My wife's comment says it all - "Judge away, Tom, judge away" - a reference to the fact that many people complain about the way Tom judges on Top Chef. The entire experience (service, food, everything) is exactly what a restaurant should be.
A 25$ prix-fixe for lunch (two courses) is a STEAL for a restaurant of this quality.
I had a frise fig and walnut salad (I typically wouldn't enjoy frise) and it was amazing. My wife had the bean soup and fell in love with it. Then I had the ricotta cavaletti with oyster mushrooms. Delicious. My wife had a flat-iron steak (something she doesn't usually eat) and loved it.
The service was spot-on - dishes arrived as soon as we were ready for them, impeccable timing and perfectly casual. Wine was expensive but well worth it. Saw lots of pizza and burgers being eaten which made me very excited to come back.
We had a late lunch at the Tap Room the day after Thanksgiving. My wife's comment says it all - "Judge away, Tom, judge away" - a reference to the fact that many people complain about the way Tom judges on Top Chef. The entire experience (service, food, everything) is exactly what a restaurant should be.
A 25$ prix-fixe for lunch (two courses) is a STEAL for a restaurant of this quality.
I had a frise fig and walnut salad (I typically wouldn't enjoy frise) and it was amazing. My wife had the bean soup and fell in love with it. Then I had the ricotta cavaletti with oyster mushrooms. Delicious. My wife had a flat-iron steak (something she doesn't usually eat) and loved it.
The service was spot-on - dishes arrived as soon as we were ready for them, impeccable timing and perfectly casual. Wine was expensive but well worth it. Saw lots of pizza and burgers being eaten which made me very excited to come back.
Mesa Grill (Thanksgiving) - Not Recommended
Check out my full review on Yelp and Open Table but the Thanksgiving prix fixe was so disappointing that I wonder if I would go back to another Bobby Flay restaurant.
They promoted it as Southwestern Thanksgiving Bobby Flay-style and my wife was crushed.
Service was indifferent (I don't care how busy you are for that) - and the initial course was surprising. The pumpkin soup tasted like overdone pumpkin pie before it was put in the shell. The shrimp and couscous was dry after the sauce disappeared.
Worse, my prawns weren't cooked --- to the point where I had to spit it out. The server even noted it (we were comp'd one prix fixe which we didn't expect) - it was inedible and unfortunately made the entire meal disappointing enough we didn't want to finish it. There were only 6 items on the entire menu - that one of the them was completely undercooked still amazes me.
They promoted it as Southwestern Thanksgiving Bobby Flay-style and my wife was crushed.
Service was indifferent (I don't care how busy you are for that) - and the initial course was surprising. The pumpkin soup tasted like overdone pumpkin pie before it was put in the shell. The shrimp and couscous was dry after the sauce disappeared.
Worse, my prawns weren't cooked --- to the point where I had to spit it out. The server even noted it (we were comp'd one prix fixe which we didn't expect) - it was inedible and unfortunately made the entire meal disappointing enough we didn't want to finish it. There were only 6 items on the entire menu - that one of the them was completely undercooked still amazes me.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Tom Colicchio Interview
If you like Top Chef, you will definitely want to read this interview with Tom Colicchio.
Great interview - full of insight on the Top Chef All Stars Season.
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Not Recommended: Stella Osteria (Ottawa)
The Byward Market in Ottawa is the obvious tourist hot spot in the city, boasting the latest and arguably, greatest restaurants. Stella Osteria has been around for a few years, affiliated with Luxe Bistro and the Blue Cactus.
Rated highly by the local paper and magazines, we had high hopes. The hostess at the front was wonderful and attentive - if she was the standard for their service, the evening would have been wonderful. Sadly, she wasn't.
From Wikipedia, "Osteria" in Italian literally means a place where the owner "hosts" people.
Food is generally regional and prepared with local recipes, and often served at shared tables. We've been to Mozza Osteria in Los Angeles - that felt exactly as described above. I'm not sure if the owners of Stella truly have that in mind, because the experience didn't hit that tone at all.
Food
First off, the portions are very large. It would be enough to only have three appetizers for a table of four. It was impossible to put all four plates on the table and still eat comfortably. We started with appetizers. The Caesar salad was over-acidic and served in the equivalent of a kitchen bowl. The "Stella special" fried zucchini is an interesting spin on an old roadhouse classic, using wide thin slices rather than sticks but otherwise was nothing new. The seafood platter wasn't very good - with the batter appearing sickly white instead of a golden brown. One exception was the prosciutto di parma platter which was wonderful. It combined aged prosciutto with fig, pecans and parmigiana.
Because the platters are so large, it would have been enough to stop there. Instead we opted for something a little smaller, some light pasta.
The pasta isn't fresh or home-made - which for an Italian restaurant should be considered a crime. The spaghetti bolognese comes with a single large meatball, made with breadcrumbs and extremely dry. The carbonara was very heavy with garlic, to the point where one of our companions felt it was burnt. The egg on top was done well but when placed in the large bowl, it was lost. The vegetable ziti featured a whipped goat cheese which brought a unique taste, although not quite becoming to the dish. Both the bolognese and ziti had a layer of oil at the bottom of the bowl. I didn't have the black cod but it wasn't received with great enthusiasm.
Service
The service was pretty poor. The waiter was indifferent and inattentive. He was somewhat friendly when he was there but didn't make us feel welcome. Initial drink orders took forever to arrive and when they did, they were wrong (gin and soda, really?!?!?). The selection of beers on top isn't huge but not impressive. With two choices of Nero d'Avola, the waiter didn't offer the choice but immediately assumed the most expensive. If the basic service to that point had been great, I could have appreciated it - but it wasn't. At times, I felt they wanted to rush us out of the restaurant because they were getting busier, but the slowness of the actual service contradicted that impression. Even getting the bill was a chore.
Dinner for four with two bottles of wine came to $269.
Overall
In your own city, heading into the Byward Market should be a special occasion, coming away with the feeling of getting away from your regular day with an exceptional evening. Stella's didn't hit that mark; in fact, it fell way off the mark.
Rated highly by the local paper and magazines, we had high hopes. The hostess at the front was wonderful and attentive - if she was the standard for their service, the evening would have been wonderful. Sadly, she wasn't.
From Wikipedia, "Osteria" in Italian literally means a place where the owner "hosts" people.
Food is generally regional and prepared with local recipes, and often served at shared tables. We've been to Mozza Osteria in Los Angeles - that felt exactly as described above. I'm not sure if the owners of Stella truly have that in mind, because the experience didn't hit that tone at all.
Food
First off, the portions are very large. It would be enough to only have three appetizers for a table of four. It was impossible to put all four plates on the table and still eat comfortably. We started with appetizers. The Caesar salad was over-acidic and served in the equivalent of a kitchen bowl. The "Stella special" fried zucchini is an interesting spin on an old roadhouse classic, using wide thin slices rather than sticks but otherwise was nothing new. The seafood platter wasn't very good - with the batter appearing sickly white instead of a golden brown. One exception was the prosciutto di parma platter which was wonderful. It combined aged prosciutto with fig, pecans and parmigiana.
Because the platters are so large, it would have been enough to stop there. Instead we opted for something a little smaller, some light pasta.
The pasta isn't fresh or home-made - which for an Italian restaurant should be considered a crime. The spaghetti bolognese comes with a single large meatball, made with breadcrumbs and extremely dry. The carbonara was very heavy with garlic, to the point where one of our companions felt it was burnt. The egg on top was done well but when placed in the large bowl, it was lost. The vegetable ziti featured a whipped goat cheese which brought a unique taste, although not quite becoming to the dish. Both the bolognese and ziti had a layer of oil at the bottom of the bowl. I didn't have the black cod but it wasn't received with great enthusiasm.
Service
The service was pretty poor. The waiter was indifferent and inattentive. He was somewhat friendly when he was there but didn't make us feel welcome. Initial drink orders took forever to arrive and when they did, they were wrong (gin and soda, really?!?!?). The selection of beers on top isn't huge but not impressive. With two choices of Nero d'Avola, the waiter didn't offer the choice but immediately assumed the most expensive. If the basic service to that point had been great, I could have appreciated it - but it wasn't. At times, I felt they wanted to rush us out of the restaurant because they were getting busier, but the slowness of the actual service contradicted that impression. Even getting the bill was a chore.
Dinner for four with two bottles of wine came to $269.
Overall
In your own city, heading into the Byward Market should be a special occasion, coming away with the feeling of getting away from your regular day with an exceptional evening. Stella's didn't hit that mark; in fact, it fell way off the mark.
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