Couldn’t pass up a second time to see this movie on the big screen. It worked on every level for me. Story, writing, characters, direction, innovative, fun, funny, action-packed, original…and off-the-charts, never-seen-before, jaw-dropping animation. A total work of art. Great new take on the friendly neighborhood Spider Man.
The Gateway Arch
The Gateway Arch in St. Louis, MO is super impressive. Brilliant design. Extremely simple, clean and graceful. Really a powerful sight. Very interesting whatever angle you see it from near or far. Also, an unbelievable engineering feat.
City Museum, St. Louis
City Museum in St. Louis, MO defies explanation. It’s like one of those indoor habitrail-like mazes…but times a factor of a billion. A mad, creative, artistic vision. No maps, no rules…other than don’t get trapped. Inside, outside, between walls, in the ceiling—there are tunnels and areas to explore all over the place. Kids can have the run of the place. Adults, beware—it can get awfully claustrophobic. Pretty much impossible to discover everything here in a day. Never seen anything like it.
Iowa's Largest Fryin' Pan
It’s not the World’s Largest Frying Pan, but it is Iowa’s Largest Fryin’ Pan. Before you disregard this roadside attraction, keep in mind what the accompanying literature says: a 10 inch frying pan holds 6 eggs, 4 pork chops and 1 pound of bacon; Iowa’s Largest Fryin’ Pan would hold 528 eggs, 352 pork chops and 88 pounds of bacon. So…that.
Hippos!
One of my favorite things about my job are the unique places I get to go and the interesting people I get to meet. Earlier this week, a shoot granted me the opportunity to spend a day and a half in Hutto, TX—the Hippo Capital of Texas. As legend has it, in 1915 a circus train stopped in Hutto and a hippo escaped. The hippo settled in a local creek and it took a great effort to have it removed. Hutto embraced the hippo theme, there are hippo statues all over the town and now we all benefit. Go Hippos!
Minnesota Wild
I’m from the State of Hockey, but have attended very few NHL games. Last night, I had the opportunity to sit 4 rows from the glass at the Minnesota Wild game. Super unique, visceral perspective. You feel the game as much as you see it. Great experience. Drop the puck!
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
Just finished the series finale of this show. Outstanding comedy in the mold of 30 Rock. There is a joke about every 1.2 seconds. Super funny. Very entertaining. Thanks again, Netflix.
My Plow Pile
Roma
A very different film experience. I gotta say, refreshing. A master class in cinematography, camera movement, the long take and staging. Very interesting how the shots were so meticulously planned and shot yet I thought it all felt very spontaneous and real.
The Trailhead - Theodore Wirth Park
First time snow tubing at The Trailhead at Theodore Wirth Park. Outstanding! Absolutely amazing urban winter wonderland. Gotta put the Twin Cities February snowfall record to good use. Bring it on, winter.
Lego Movie 2: The Second Part
Absolutely love the first Lego Movie. Have watched it numerous times with my kids and notice something new every time. Pretty much works on every level for me. Awesome characters, awesome story, awesome script, awesome visuals, awesomely creative, fun and unique…everything is awesome! The Second Part not so much. To me, felt more like just a bunch of stuff happening. Can’t say I’m the target audience, but I just could never get into it. Best part for me was the closing credits. Very funny. At least it ends on a high note.
Wisconsin Badger Basketball
I’m a big fan of BigTen NCAA basketball and from my perspective, it doesn’t get any better than Badgers/Gophers at Williams Arena. I was gifted tickets to this season’s matchup at the last minute and was fortunately able to attend. Despite my proud Minnesota roots and Minnesota professional sports allegiance, I’m a Wisconsin alumni and a big fan of the way they run their basketball program. I was quite pleased by the final outcome. Let’s Go Red.
My Igloo
I like winter, I like snow, and I like building snow forts. This year, rather than going the traditional route and using the plow pile to carve out a family-sized snow cave, I decided to give igloo-making a shot. With temps in the mid/upper 30s on Super Bowl Sunday, the snow was like wet cement. Extremely malleable. This structure came together quite well. That night and ever since, the temps went below zero. The wet snow completely froze and now this habitat is practically more sturdy than my actual house. If we get any more snow, I might build a second floor. I think this is going to be in my yard until mid-July.
The Lost World - Arthur Conan Doyle
Arthur Conan Doyle is one of my favorite authors and I remember enjoying this book many years ago, but had forgotten most of the key points. I just finished reading it again—this time with my kids. It was written in 1912, so the language isn’t altogether kid-friendly, but it is an incredible adventure story (basically the template all future adventure stories are based on)…so once they got into it, they were into it. It’s about an expedition to a heretofore undiscovered plateau in the remote jungles of South America. The plateau is cut off from the rest of the world and evolution as we know it. Here, the explorers encounter dinosaurs, other prehistoric creatures, Missing Links and all sorts of other crazy monsters. Next up: Jules Verne.
Paisley Park
When Prince passed away, it really hit me that I knew nothing about his music other than Purple Rain. I have since made a great effort to listen to all his albums chronologically and really get to know this Minnesota legend. Starting with For You (1978), I’m currently up to Xpectation (2003). I’ve enjoyed every moment of this tour through this prodigious music library. I’m now convinced he’s the greatest musician of all time. A goal was realized when I was gifted a Paisley Park Tour. It did not disappoint. A great look into his creative and musical playground…and home. Extremely well maintained. Very cool that he built it here in the first place and then wanted to share it with the masses. Thank you for a funky time.
Film Riot
I never miss this two episodes a week web series on filmmaking. I’ve been a very loyal fan for over eight years. Not only is there often essential information, but it’s inspiring, entertaining and fascinating to see how host Ryan Connolly has honed his filmmaking talents. It’s only a matter of time until he is directing a major feature. Thanks for taking us along for the ride!
Moby Dick
I just finished it! In my opinion, the first and last 100 pages move well…but the middle was not, in my opinion, a quick read. No. Not at all. Glad I did it though. Previously, I stumbled upon the book In the Heart of the Sea which is the non-fiction narrative of the Whaleship Essex. The Essex tragedy, I learned, was Melville’s inspiration for Moby Dick. Since In the Heart of the Sea got me very interested in whaling (just reading about it, not actually hunting whales…I’d never do that), I knew it was time for me to tackle this great American novel. Challenging, yes…but in the end, I did enjoy my sojourn into the watery part of the world.
Ozark
Just finished season 2. Thoroughly enjoyed it. Very dark, tense, gritty. Would totally work for me if that’s the end of the series. Will welcome it back if there’s a season 3. I continue to be blown away by original Netflix programming. The writing, the directing, the cinematography, the casting, the acting. Makes it easy for me to be cable-free. Network TV is now pretty much exclusively for NFL and the occasional national sports broadcast.
The Big Fish Supper Club
I’ve been wanting to check this place out for years. Dreams really do come true. On a family trip to Bemidji, MN we took the detour to Bena, MN on the shores of Lake Winnibigoshish to not only pay homage to, but also dine at this fine institution. It did not disappoint. The Big Fish is one of the all-time great roadside attractions and as a Supper Club, the food and atmosphere was excellent. Great service, very friendly. I had the Surf and Turf. 4 stars.
Werner Herzog Masterclass
I’ve enjoyed taking a number of the Masterclass classes at masterclass.com, but my favorite is Werner Herzog Teaches Filmmaking. I was only peripherally aware of him going into the class. Not only did I learn that he is an extremely prolific filmmaker, but I found his philosophies and approach extremely refreshing and something I could really identify with. I can’t say I’ll take all his teachings to heart (like never using storyboards or shot lists—he claims they are “for the weak”), but the man knows how to commit to a vision and he doesn’t over complicate things with his approach: works with minimal crews, no mobile phones allowed on set, always gets the first shot of the day by 9AM, doesn’t shoot unnecessary coverage, etc. In a profession where you’re always up against the clock and can face expected and unexpected challenges from any direction, he’s a true inspiration of how to get stuff done…like portaging a giant steamship over a mountain in a remote South American jungle…for real…who needs special effects?:
