Friday, May 16, 2008

Play time, kids.


An early start tonight, I think, in anticipation of the long weekend. As always — in the comments, if you please.

1) Favourite "Road Movie" and why.

2) Favourite "Swords & Sandals" film (thanks Red) and why.

3) And just to change things up, favourite pasta dish ... and why.

Me first.

1) Kevin Smith’s Dogma ... which just tickles this lapsed Catholic schoolgirl endlessly. Come on — tell me this isn’t brilliant. I dare you. The fact that it threw that hypocritical fuckwit William Donohue from the Catholic League into full-metal ragegasm just endears it to me that much more.



2) 300 ... which is an almost perfect cinematic representation of Frank Miller’s graphic novel. And yes, I’m perfectly aware that for the most part, it’s complete and utter crap (PSA should be along any minute now to kick my ass over it). And no, I don’t care because I think it’s one of the most gorgeous films I’ve ever seen. And Gerard Butler is really, really, REALLY easy on the eyes.

3) My mother’s homemade lasagna. I’ve mentioned before that my dad is Italian and my mom is Irish (drinking and/or arguing with me is always fun) and when my parents got married, my mom didn’t know how to cook. So my nonna (my Italian grandmother) and my aunts taught my mom to cook like a true Italian girl. She makes her own pasta and then proceeds to layer it with meat sauce and freshly grated Mozzarella and Pecorino Romano cheeses in a pan that’s about 6 inches deep. The pasta is wafer thin so there’s about 20 layers of perfection to be had. It’s sooooo not good for you but it is beyond delicious. Hmmmmmmm. Is anyone else hungry?

Now your turn.

15 comments:

Frank Frink said...

And getting into a drunken argument with you is, no doubt, a happy sunshine, balloons and rainbows picnic without ants. Right? ;-)

I'll have to check back later, maybe muuuuuuch later with replies. I really hate MicroShit today. Big hate on.

WILLY said...

1. Easy Rider, because it made me cautious of assholes in pickup trucks
2. 300 because you are right, it is the best so far
3. Spaghettini a oilio because it is low in fat, they can cook it fast and you don't have to take a chance on inferior sauce
4. I think candlesticks always make a nice gift because I have to get back to work

Chimera said...

1) So far, Lord of the Rings. Because it's a whole series of movies, with plots and subplots and some damn fine special effects woven into a terrifically vetted script that was honored by some fine acting.

Thirteenth Warrior a close second.

At least, until I've seen Dogma. That looks like fun! Where have I been that I've never heard of it till now?

2) Two of 'em: Spartacus because I love biographies. And Quo Vadis because I love fantasies.

3) Your mother's homemade lasagna, because you made my tummy rumble by describing it. What time is dinner?

LuLu said...

Poor Frank ...

Any time after 6:00, Chimera - my momma's flexible.

Lindsay Stewart said...

1) Withnail and I. A gentle and tender exploration of the travails of a pair of young gentlemen seeking fulfillment and... ah fuck it. The entire film is an outrageous,swaggering bunch of fuckery. If you are medically required to take the marijauna for your condition, consider upping your dosage before pressing play.

2) Harryhausen's Jason and the Argonauts because of teh awesome! Not a computer in sight and these cinematic wizards crafted thrilling entertainments that amazed. This was the stuff of matinee heaven, back when theaters didn't feature 12 kinds of fast food crap and double digit dollars for admission. We used to go to the old Fox and sit in the balcony for a cartoon or two, maybe a short and one or two features. If they had dared to show commercials there's have been a riot. I miss the old movie palaces as much and more than I detest the strip mall megaplex shiteholes.

3) Zoodles? I will always love a good spaghetti bolognese or a good lasagna.

Test said...

Road movie - Hard Core Logo

Swords and Sandals movie - The Princess Bride

Pasta - spaghetti and meatballs

Frank Frink said...

Ok, I'm back from putting MSN in a headlock and giving it a tombstone piledriver, But I only have a few minutes and then I'm gone until morning.

1) Some great 'Road' choices already, and all movies I love. There's also, cornball as they are, the Bing & Bob series. I do loves me some Bing & Bob. And some Dorothy Lamour.

Just to throw something different out there - Bruce McDonald's 'Road' trilogy: Roadkill; Highway 61;, and to a lesser extent Hard Core Logo. Quirky, offbeat, eccentric, surrealistic. If I'm being honest, four things that FF is all about - the quirky, offbeat, eccentric, surrealistic. Plus great punk rocker cameos - Joey Ramone, Jello Biafra, Art Bergmann etc.. And I know people involved in all three.

2) Guess we're talking the broad definition of 'Swords and Sandals' and not the film buff's more narrow definition of pepla?

In that case, Spartacus. Kubrick & Trumbo. Awesome cast - Olivier, Simmons, Laughton, Ustinov, Herbert Lom, even Woody Strode in a brief role. Kirk Douglas' scenery chewing ('I am Spartucs!). A slave rebellion against the evil empire. The 'oysters or snails' scene cracks me up (they got away with it).

3) I really want to say, 'A can of Scari-os' just because I love saying, 'A can of Scari-os' (what were the names of the five pasta shapes? It's a trick question). But, no.

Not so much the pasta as my Dad's sauce. He made the bestest pasta sauce. I know that sounds all wrong, we're not even remotely Italian. Never really found out his secret. It must have been something like the Colonel's secret blend. Whatever meat went in it was always freshly, personally ground. We had one of those old handpcranked meat grinders. Remember it all being a huge production when I was a kid.

Best pasta I've ever eaten has to be the Ravioli di Aragosta con Insalata di Crescione
(Lobster Ravioli with Baby Watercress Salad) at Umberto's Il Giardino in Vancouver. It's actually a lobster and salmon mousse mixture. Mmmmmm... just about anything at Il Giardino is heaven on a plate.

Pale said...

Road Movie:Thelma and Louise. Although I never got the whole Brad Pitt thing....Hes Hot? Ew.

Sword and sandals? Not much for the genre. Intolerance had some nice scenes in Babylon. :)

Pasta: Fettuccine Alfredo. Homemade sauce.
Butter, cheese. Cream. Garlic. More butter, cheese, cream.
With warm sourdough, spread with more butter. With more garlic.
KILLA!
My family prefers my lasagna. Go figure.

Prole said...

1) Highway 61. Mostly because it stars a barber. But also because it's a quirky, cool story with lots of weirdos including Satan.

2) 300. Because of the hotness, the action, the look/style, and Queen Gorgo is a total badass.

3) Pasta is not a favourite, but I make a pretty delish red sauce with fresh herbs and about 2 lbs. of meat in it.

Red Canuck said...

1) Midnight Run. An early comedic role for DeNiro, and great chemistry with the always sardonic Charles Grodin.

2) Can't comment here, as I've yet to see a swords & sandals movie I really liked. The Conan flicks had good "camp" value, though.

3) Pesto pasta, fo' sho'! Although, your mom's lasagna sounds pretty good too...

KEvron said...

1) the emperor of the north. so gritty, you can taste the creosote.

2) sanjuro (ha!). fine, so yojimbo is a classic, but the sequel has better laughs and some bitchin' bloodletting.

3) i'm still pissed that ragu canceled their "mama's meat sauce" line. convenient and a great value.

KEvron

Balbulican said...

1) Repo Man. Because Repo Man's ALWAYS intense. And because Harry Dean Stanton's in it.

2) Life of Brian. It's got swords, AND sandals, and my old Latin teacher pretending to be a Centurion.

3) My personal adaptation of the Silver Palate Spaghetti-Sauce-With-Hot-Italian-Sausage, mutated over the last ten years or so into quite a different beast.

Balbulican said...

"The 'oysters or snails' scene cracks me up (they got away with it)."

I don't think they DID get away with it. Wasn't that scene originally deleted, and only restored in the 1991 re-release?

Frank Frink said...

Mmmmmm.. I think you're right on that Balby. Come to think of it there were actually three versions, two re-releases (1967, 23 minutes shorter & 1991, 23 minutres cut from 1967 restored with 14 or 15 additional minutes).

So, yep, didn't get away with it in 1960 or 1967. And I'm guessing the 1991 version isn't shown on US networks. I must have been watching Superchannel or Showcase.

Red Tory said...

1) Planes, Trains and Automobiles . As someone who absolutely hates traveling, or at least the process of traveling, the movie really speaks to my own antipathy in that regard. And it’s hilarious, of course. The scene where they get pulled over by the highway cop in their burnt-out wreck of a car is priceless. “Do you feel this vehicle is safe for highway travel?” asks the cop. “Yes I do. Yes, I really do,” answers Dell with plucky confidence. “I know it’s not pretty to look at, but it’ll get you where you want to go.”

2) Ben Hur. Even though I’m not a fan of Charlton Heston, it’s a marvelously spectacular film and quite perfect in almost every respect. Trivia side note: It was released two days before I was born. Kubrick's Spartacus would be a close second.

3) My wife’s lasagna is pretty hard to beat — even better when re-heated the next day. Fettucine alfredo with fresh crawfish is also a favourite, partly because I associate it with New Orleans.