A legend passed today. My childhood hero, Evil Knievel. Godspeed to you, Evil and your crazy American flag covered motorcycle.
In his prime:
To a Mobie bound geriatric.
See you on the other side, you crazy diamond. See you on the other side…
Month: November 2007
Painting
At long last–no sooner could this day come–Project Bury Navajo white is almost complete. I say almost with great hesitation. There’s some touch up work in my office still, a few corners and the outlet plates. Plus the matter of the kitchen. But I’m getting ahead of myself…
Here’s a quick pictorial:
Before painting, it’s important to prep. Oedipus likes to start with a DVD.
Two coats of Coffee Au Lait later, the same bedroom says, “Enter and relax.” Note the Navajo white trim at the baseboards. Also Electra now rules the bed.
Hmm. Navajo white hallway. Yes floor to ceiling, it’s really better than a color. Glowing eyeballs on the left side are courtesy Oedipus.
A quick pit stop in the bathroom. Brandie new, with matching towels and mats.
Don’t look too closely at the kitchen walls. Krusty the Clown secretly replaced the nice yellow I imagined in the paint store with a shade right from Homer Simpson’s makeup kit.
After a good meal of Doh-nuts, enjoy a bottle of vino and kick back in the reading alcove. Considering doing this area in a light gray. Maybe.
The office needs a bit of work still, but the Ashley Beige fits well here. Believe it or not the CRT monitor is 7 years old, and the ghetto tower box even older. Next year I upgrade to a less decrepit system.
And last, the most impressive color in the palette. Living room by Norwood Spruce. And yes, the space does need furniture.
American Gangster
The state of the American box office lately straddles the line between tragic and unfortunate. Besides the Bourne Ultimatum, Transformers and Disturbia this year’s releases were–ahem, dare I say it–crappy and uninspired.
And so for much of 2007, I gave up on seeing movies in the theater. DVD’s were cheaper and more convenient, plus spared me from the hordes of whack-a-dus treating a darkened room with reclining seats as if they were watching the Super Bowl on a La-Z-Boy in their living room. Hence the paucity of movie reviews this year.
I set this malaise aside for American Gangster and was not only entertained, I was wowed.
Frank Lucas, a criminal mastermind who came to power at the tail end of the Vietnam War smuggling pure heroin from the Far East and unloaded smack twice as pure as the competition on the streets of Harlem. He made a lot of money, wrecked countless lives, and eventually spent 15 years in a federal prison, turning State’s evidence against former cronies.
But Frank Lucas was also a momma’s boy, who attended church every Sunday with his family, and handed out turkeys at the Holidays. He bought his mother a house the size of a football field and ran with dignitaries and sports legends. Plus his Momma chewed him out in front of other people.
Richie Roberts, a detective no one would work with because he ignored conventional wisdom on tracking the flow of narcotics. If there was anyone who could take down a drug dealer above the Mafia, it was his team. The work took a toll on his private life; he was an absent husband and father. These were complex men on a collision course. Which makes a film based on true events of his life so interesting.What works about American Gangster:
1) Casting. Absolutely critical. If it was anyone but Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe, this movie would not work as well.
2) Pacing. Never a dull moment.
3) Story Arc. Though the director takes liberties with actual events, the dramatic license pays out handsomely. The conflict sizzles on the screen.
Recommendation: If you like crime movies, this is a must, plus own on DVD.
To the wire
Had some good news from Kerry about The Last Track this morning. December 11th is the delivery date for her final polish, which means it’s going to be down to the wire for getting the manuscript back to the agent before leaving for Moscow.
That’s all right, though. I’m up to the task.
It will happen.