I stumbled upon this book and found it not only extremely informative, but a thoroughly enjoyable read about an extremely successful life of relentless creative pursuit. Really inspiring to learn about Henson and his team’s never ending energy, enthusiasm and joy in making the world a better place through their unique skills.
Classic Signs
Here’s my 2 favorite classic video-related signs. Long live these local Minnesota businesses!!
Muppets!
Need a mental break from all the tension, angst, rhetoric, division and incivility we’re inundated by today? One word: Muppets. Who doesn’t like Muppets? I hadn’t seen The Muppet Movie in forever. What just pure original fun, joy, lunacy, humor and creativity. The Steve Martin cameo may be his finest work. On the Muppet side, can’t say enough about how something as simple as Kermit achieves such significant levels of depth and expression. And yes, Sam, this film does have “socially redeeming value.”
Tom Cruise Stunts
The last couple Mission Impossibles, American Made, Edge of Tomorrow, Oblivion…Tom Cruise is really turning out some excellent movies and he’s not messing around. He’s going all out on his own stunts and it really does amp up the final product. I certainly applaud the dedication.
Practical Effects
An American Werewolf in London is a favorite movie I’ve screened many times. After several years, I decided to see how it holds up. This movie blew me away in my youth with how scary and funny it was. What really stands out now, after being barraged by SO much CG is the (spoiler alert) werewolf transformation done entirely with practical effects. It took 6 months to prepare for, a week to film and resulted in the first Academy Award for best Makeup. CG is great, but the more it can supplement the practical, the better the effect.
The Minneapolis Chain of Lakes
One of my favorite Minneapolis features is the stunning chain of lakes. Walking, swimming, sailing, fishing…whatever the waterfront activity, hard to believe you are in the shadow of downtown.
Uncut Gems
Relentlessly paced, relentlessly gritty, relentlessly manic story of relentless self destruction. It relentlessly immerses you in this world and will forever alter your opinion of the acting range of Adam Sandler and Kevin Garnett. Stunning performances across the board.
This...whatever this is
Fauda
This show is intense. Really, REALLY intense. Stunning camera work and action scene editing.
Ford v Ferrari
Too bad I didn’t see this in the theater with BIG sound. The racing scenes are incredibly well shot. Factor in really cool looking 60s race cars and it revs up another notch. Also, Christian Bale is an absolute master at physically transforming himself to truly embody a character.
The Writing of Jo Nesbo
After the untimely passing of Stieg Larsson cut short his excellent Millennium Series (the continuation of the series with a different author just isn’t the same), I was going through Nordic Crime Fiction withdrawal. Norway’s Jo Nesbo and his outstanding Harry Hole (pronounced Hoo-leh) series was the perfect antidote. Many of these books get so intense I’ve found myself reading through the night. I just finished binge-reading his latest, Knife…and when I got to the end, I started reading it again. Worth the sleep deprivation.
This Picture!!!!
I happened to pass this giant inflatable Godzilla perched over my favorite Golden Valley, MN store, so I took a quick picture. It wasn’t until I reviewed this photo several hours later that I noticed the bird. I had NO idea it was there when I took the picture. Possibly my finest work.
Heron Rookery
I had no idea that right in the shadow of downtown Minneapolis on two islands in the Mississippi exists this natural wonder—a heron rookery. Look at all those nests! Mesmerizing to watch these great blue herons gracefully swoop and hover about.
Garden Moai
There are some purchases that might seem frivolous at the time…but later, you wonder how you ever got by without them.
Ahhh, spring…
Narcos
During the lockdown, my last 3 series are Better Call Saul, Ozark and Narcos: Mexico, season 2. I’m learning a lot about trafficking and laundering. Every season of Narcos has been simply awesome. Right up there with The Crown for stunning, gorgeously cinematic filmmaking. Then, factor in the remarkable performances, the writing, the music and just how authentic it looks and sounds—it’s a great payoff…but still, crime doesn’t pay.
Better Call Saul
This show moves at its own very unique pace and rhythms. Love the look, love the style. It continually sucks me in and compels me to go check out Albuquerque. It’s a prequel, but the actors are obviously aging in real life, so not sure how many more seasons this can go, but for now It’sAllGood,Man.
GLOW
I was a huge fan of wrestling in the ‘80s, so what’s not to like about this series about wrestling set in the ‘80s. Well, it’s about a lot more than wrestling. Always interesting, entertaining and daring.
The Ira Levin Library
Ira Levin’s first novel debuted in in 1953. His final book was released in 1997. In that 44 year span, he only wrote a total of 7 novels. In this case, quality far surpasses quantity. After stumbling across a copy of Rosemary’s Baby, it didn’t take me long to cruise through the rest of his work. Some of the best suspense, thriller, Sci-fi literature I’ve ever read. Levin has a tremendous grasp of story, absolute precision plotting and language. No surprise almost all of his books were adapted into very successful feature films. His novel This Perfect Day, written in 1970, really can’t be more ahead of its time. Like The Matrix…but 20 years before The Matrix.
Semi-Frozen Waterfall
The glorious Minnehaha Falls in South Minneapolis is worth checking out in any season. It is especially interesting to see in the middle of winter when it is frozen…and then early spring in its partially thawed state.
Geno's Steaks
I’ve never had a Philly cheesesteak before and from what I know, Geno’s is one of two places where it is rumored to have originated. The other place claiming that title is Pat’s King of Steaks—right across the street from Geno’s. I can’t say this cuisine has captured my imagination like a Chicago Dog, but I’m always game for local specialties and unique dining destinations. In a game time decision, Geno’s won me over with the neon.
