Blood Diamond (2006)

Blood Diamond
Directed by Edward Zwick
Grade: C+

Quite honestly, I don’t really know how to feel about Blood Diamond. It’s a somewhat decent actioner on the surface, although director Edward Zwick once again shows the spoils of war and chaos in a homogenized, over-accessible way – enough gruesome visuals to give it the R rating, yet soft enough to straddle PG-13 territory – bringing about another instance of the Hollywoodization of world events. I find I’m always unpleasantly rattled at the notion of a film attempting to educate me on (or merely introduce me to) world atrocities via the veil of drama only to have the impact of that message watered down enough for the benefit of commercialism. Here we have Sierra Leone circa 1990s – portrayed in a way that’s enough to initially shock, but not so much as to keep mainstream audiences away.

Side note: It’s interesting how chic it has become for Hollywood celebrities to be especially vocal about conflicts like the one in Sierra Leone or, for example, the genocide in Darfur, and yet the films in which these actors perform give you a caricature of the tragedies upon which they profess. Shoot a stomach-churning reality like Spielberg did with Saving Private Ryan, and you’re there to experience a very graphic horror of war – shoot it like Blood Diamond, and there’s a cinematic buffer that’s erected. The seed of danger and terror is planted in your head, but the filmmaker chooses to keep you comfortably distanced. DiCaprio and Hounsou race through the city, playing duck and cover with bullets and RPGs at every turn, but you just never feel like the characters are under any real and unforgiving threat. It’s a mixture of photography, editing, and sound design. Very hectic, fast paced, lots of bangs and booms, but not enough to bring the viewer in through the wall.

And yet, it’s that very formulaic and saccharine presentation that makes Blood Diamond as remotely an entertaining and suspenseful drama as it is. After all, Hollywood narratives are not meant to be documentaries. However, I believe that filmmakers and movie-going audiences alike have developed a better respect for war as backdrop. War is no longer a simple setting, but rather, a complex character. This criticism aside, and save for the completely unnecessary romantic through line between DiCaprio and Connelly and our hero’s uniquely ambiguous accent, Blood Diamond is pretty standard popcorn fare – I’m just not sure that, given the subject matter and the setting, it should be.

Curious as to what Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Connelly are drinking at the bar in Blood Diamond? They are each, in fact, enjoying a bottle of Guinness. And did you know that Sierra Leone was the first country in Africa to receive Guinness back in 1827? Did you also know that you can find some completely amazing yet random information via a Google search? Having no African recipes utilizing Guinness at the fingertips in the Goulash kitchen, I’ve been on the hunt for an interesting African dish that might go great with a Guinness. Lamb always seems to do the trick – and although this dish is primarily South Africa fare, today we are offering up a diamond in the rough – some Blood Diamond Bobotie with a pint of the stronger, foreign-brewed Guinness:

2 pounds ground lamb, very lean
2 onions, chopped
2 Granny Smith apples, peeled and chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
3 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons curry powder
2 ounces flaked almonds
3 ounces raisins
1 teaspoon mixed dried herbs
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 tablepsoon wine vinegar
1 tablespoon mango chutney
Salt and pepper to taste
3 slices good white bread
20 fluid ounces milk
3 eggs

Melt the butter in a large skillet, and saute the onions, apples and garlic. Add the curry powder and mix well. Add the lamb (if your lamb is not lean, brown it in a separate pan and pour off the fat), then add the almonds, raisins, herbs, lemon juice, chutney, vinegar and season to taste.

Soak the bread in the milk until it is saturated, then squeeze out. Add the soaked bread and 1 beaten egg to the meat mixture, and spread in a well-buttered baking dish. Beat the remaining mild with the other 2 eggs, and pour over the meat.

Bake at 375 until mixture is set and the top is lightly brown. Serves 8.

Cinema Goulash’s Oscar® Predictions 2009

It’s that time of year again, and here are my picks for tomorrow night’s Academy Awards®:

Performance by an actor in a leading role
Richard Jenkins in “The Visitor”
Frank Langella in “Frost/Nixon”
Sean Penn in “Milk”
Brad Pitt in “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”
Mickey Rourke in “The Wrestler”

Performance by an actor in a supporting role
Josh Brolin in “Milk”
Robert Downey Jr. in “Tropic Thunder”
Philip Seymour Hoffman in “Doubt”
Heath Ledger in “The Dark Knight”
Michael Shannon in “Revolutionary Road”

Performance by an actress in a leading role
Anne Hathaway in “Rachel Getting Married”
Angelina Jolie in “Changeling”
Melissa Leo in “Frozen River”
Meryl Streep in “Doubt”
Kate Winslet in “The Reader”

Performance by an actress in a supporting role
Amy Adams in “Doubt”
Penélope Cruz in “Vicky Cristina Barcelona”
Viola Davis in “Doubt”
Taraji P. Henson in “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”
Marisa Tomei in “The Wrestler”

Best animated feature film of the year
“Bolt”, Chris Williams and Byron Howard
“Kung Fu Panda”, John Stevenson and Mark Osborne
“WALL-E”, Andrew Stanton

Achievement in art direction
“Changeling”, Art Direction: James J. Murakami, Set Decoration: Gary Fettis
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”, Art Direction: Donald Graham Burt, Set Decoration: Victor J. Zolfo
“The Dark Knight”, Art Direction: Nathan Crowley, Set Decoration: Peter Lando
“The Duchess”, Art Direction: Michael Carlin, Set Decoration: Rebecca Alleway
“Revolutionary Road”, Art Direction: Kristi Zea, Set Decoration: Debra Schutt

Achievement in cinematography
“Changeling”, Tom Stern
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”, Claudio Miranda
“The Dark Knight”, Wally Pfister
“The Reader”, Chris Menges and Roger Deakins
“Slumdog Millionaire”, Anthony Dod Mantle

Achievement in costume design
“Australia”, Catherine Martin
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”, Jacqueline West
“The Duchess”, Michael O’Connor
“Milk”, Danny Glicker
“Revolutionary Road”, Albert Wolsky

Achievement in directing
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”, David Fincher
“Frost/Nixon”, Ron Howard
“Milk”, Gus Van Sant
“The Reader”, Stephen Daldry
“Slumdog Millionaire”, Danny Boyle

Best documentary feature
“The Betrayal (Nerakhoon)”, Ellen Kuras and Thavisouk Phrasavath
“Encounters at the End of the World”, Werner Herzog and Henry Kaiser
“The Garden”, Scott Hamilton Kennedy
“Man on Wire”, James Marsh and Simon Chinn
“Trouble the Water”, Tia Lessin and Carl Deal

Best documentary short subject
“The Conscience of Nhem En”, Steven Okazaki
“The Final Inch”, Irene Taylor Brodsky and Tom Grant
“Smile Pinki”, Megan Mylan
“The Witness – From the Balcony of Room 306″, Adam Pertofsky and Margaret Hyde

Achievement in film editing
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”, Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall
“The Dark Knight”, Lee Smith
“Frost/Nixon”, Mike Hill and Dan Hanley
“Milk”, Elliot Graham
“Slumdog Millionaire”, Chris Dickens

Best foreign language film of the year
“The Baader Meinhof Complex”, Germany
“The Class”, France
“Departures”, Japan
“Revanche”, Austria
“Waltz with Bashir”, Israel

Achievement in makeup
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”, Greg Cannom
“The Dark Knight”, John Caglione, Jr. and Conor O’Sullivan
“Hellboy II: The Golden Army”, Mike Elizalde and Thom Floutz

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original score)
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”, Alexandre Desplat
“Defiance”, James Newton Howard
“Milk”, Danny Elfman
“Slumdog Millionaire”, A.R. Rahman
“WALL-E”, Thomas Newman

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song)
“Down to Earth” from “WALL-E”, Music by Peter Gabriel and Thomas Newman, Lyric by Peter Gabriel
“Jai Ho” from “Slumdog Millionaire”, Music by A.R. Rahman, Lyric by Gulzar
“O Saya” from “Slumdog Millionaire”, Music and Lyric by A.R. Rahman and Maya Arulpragasam

Best motion picture of the year
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”, Kathleen Kennedy, Frank Marshall and Ceán Chaffin, Producers
“Frost/Nixon”, Brian Grazer, Ron Howard and Eric Fellner, Producers
“Milk”, Dan Jinks and Bruce Cohen, Producers
“The Reader”, Nominees to be determined
“Slumdog Millionaire”, Christian Colson, Producer

Best animated short film
“La Maison en Petits Cubes”, Kunio Kato
“Lavatory – Lovestory”, Konstantin Bronzit
“Oktapodi”, Emud Mokhberi and Thierry Marchand
“Presto”, Doug Sweetland
“This Way Up”, Alan Smith and Adam Foulkes

Best live action short film
“Auf der Strecke (On the Line)”, Reto Caffi
“Manon on the Asphalt”, Elizabeth Marre and Olivier Pont
“New Boy”, Steph Green and Tamara Anghie
“The Pig”, Tivi Magnusson and Dorte Høgh
“Spielzeugland (Toyland)”, Jochen Alexander Freydank

Achievement in sound editing
“The Dark Knight”, Richard King
“Iron Man”, Frank Eulner and Christopher Boyes
“Slumdog Millionaire”, Tom Sayers
“WALL-E”, Ben Burtt and Matthew Wood
“Wanted”, Wylie Stateman

Achievement in sound mixing
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”, David Parker, Michael Semanick, Ren Klyce and Mark Weingarten
“The Dark Knight”, Lora Hirschberg, Gary Rizzo and Ed Novick
“Slumdog Millionaire”, Ian Tapp, Richard Pryke and Resul Pookutty
“WALL-E”, Tom Myers, Michael Semanick and Ben Burtt
“Wanted”, Chris Jenkins, Frank A. Montaño and Petr Forejt

Achievement in visual effects
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”, Eric Barba, Steve Preeg, Burt Dalton and Craig Barron
“The Dark Knight”, Nick Davis, Chris Corbould, Tim Webber and Paul Franklin
“Iron Man”, John Nelson, Ben Snow, Dan Sudick and Shane Mahan

Adapted screenplay
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”, Screenplay by Eric Roth, Screen story by Eric Roth and Robin Swicord
“Doubt”, Written by John Patrick Shanley
“Frost/Nixon”, Screenplay by Peter Morgan
“The Reader”, Screenplay by David Hare
“Slumdog Millionaire”, Screenplay by Simon Beaufoy

Original screenplay
“Frozen River”, Written by Courtney Hunt
“Happy-Go-Lucky”, Written by Mike Leigh
“In Bruges”, Written by Martin McDonagh
“Milk”, Written by Dustin Lance Black
“WALL-E”, Screenplay by Andrew Stanton, Jim Reardon, Original story by Andrew Stanton, Pete Docter

UPDATE (2/22): Unfortunately, I won’t be live blogging the awards ceremony like last year – I’ll be attending Concord, NH’s first official Oscar® evening at Red River Theatres (despite the heavy snowstorm predicted for tonight!) I may, however, be tweeting throughout the evening (www.twitter.com/cinemagoulash). I’ll be sure to provide a post-ceremony wrap-up with reaction!

Stray Dog (1949)

Nora inu (aka Stray Dog)
Directed by Akira Kurosawa
Grade: B+

I believe there’s a point in every filmmaker at which the restrained, cautionary artist within him is sent packing, banished at the eleventh hour, leaving said filmmaker with a sudden clarity and vigor rivaled only by sex – or a great French Toast platter. Suddenly, said filmmaker finds he can breathe – fully – and on his own. It’s a heavy release, with all of the preconceived laws of the craft, notions of his duty to the art, or his worries of the expectations of others are cast out, leaving the filmmaker with the one thing that absolutely defines his style and shapes his vision: the language.

Nora inu is one of the earlier works by Akira Kurosawa, and one that bridges an acclaimed master of cinema with that of a beginning auteur. There’s so much in this work that is reserved and controlled, perhaps for fear of becoming something too much too quickly, and you can almost sense an emerging artist painting by numbers who desires nothing more than to smash his palette into the canvas, just to see what takes shape. This is a different Kurosawa – a young and clinical filmmaker – astute, but still unrefined. And, when you watch a film like Nora inu, you can’t help but feel as if Kurosawa is standing on the edge of something big.

Nora inu is a well-acted, straight-laced crime drama that follows the rules of the road, albeit in a rather dry and lackluster manner. The story lunges from the gate, not wasting any time revealing the reason as to why we are here: A wet-behind-the-ears police detective has just had his gun lifted by a pickpocket on a crowded bus, and now he must hunt down the thief before the weapon is used in any offense. Kurosawa does play around with composition and pacing, though cautiously, and is helped along by an equally youthful and eager Toshiro Mifune. Yet, the film is steady and plays out its clues and benchmarks with full disclosure, like slowly flipping through a deck of playing cards – one after the next.

Then, something thrilling happens as we enter into the third act of the film. It’s almost as if something in Kurosawa gives way and a completely new filmmaker emerges. One minute the film is decidedly procedural – the next minute we’re watching twenty minutes of cinema that is uncharacteristically stylistic – one might say Hitchcockian, even. The shot design now carries an obvious sense of purpose, and Kurosawa’s rhythm follows a sharp cadence, as if his pulse has quickened. We catch an early glimpse at the Kurosawa to come – a director who will layer his action with daring camera movement, flesh out his look with stunning production value, and place emphasis on his actors through bold facial expressions and unhindered performances. Ultimately, the last twenty minutes of Nora inu are quite unlike the ninety minutes that precede it.

Don’t get me wrong – it’s not that the first two-thirds of the film are weak, not by any stretch. However, Stray Dog could have been a film from any given director, but it’s the last third of the film that are recognizably Kurosawa, signature Kurosawa, the filmmaker we know from his post Rashomon (1950) works. He sneaks himself in towards the end of the picture, almost as if saying, “Alright, I’ve played by the rules for the majority of the film. Now we’re going to wrap things up my way,” rightly offering up a whirlwind climax upon which the rest of the film has been gradually building. The shift in style caps the film wonderfully, and to see it unfold is like discovering Kurosawa for the first time all over again.

Japanese cuisine is on the menu today and Cinema Goulash is plating two different options: The first is a recommendation by the lovely Goulash Wife, whose guilty pleasure comes in the form of some sushi at Moritomo here in Concord. This local Japanese restaurant is usually the eatery of choice for my wife’s occasional girls-only lunch with friends. I’ve never had a lot of sushi, although some recent Food Network programs featuring sushi and the fixings have piqued my curiosity, so I’ll have to give it a try and report back. Moritomo Japanese Restaurant is located at 32 Fort Eddy Road in Concord, NH. In addition, after taking a gander at a variety of Japanese recipes on the web, I came across this scrumptious-looking dish: Baked Onion Chicken Thighs with Umeboshi and Shiso. You’ll find the recipe here.

Another toot of the horn…

Here’s a buffet-sized thank you for the shout-out from the folks at Roundtable Pictures! Lars Trodson and the gang have posted a nice blurb about Cinema Goulash on their site (www.roundtablepictures.com).

Roundtable has been busy with film commentary and filmmaking of their own, and their site includes links to their short films “The Listeners” and “A Bootful of Fish.” Always enjoyable to see this kind of independent filmmaking happening in our own backyard. I encourage you to stop by to see what they’ve got cooking over on the seacoast.

Sa-lute!

Cinema Goulash sampled on NH.com

A little publicity is always great, and today props go to Morgen Thiboult over at NH.com for giving Cinema Goulash a shout-out today.

Always a top-notch site to find all things New Hampshire, Cinema Goulash will soon have a link off of the New Hampshire Bloggers page – where we’ll certainly be in good company. But what’s more, Morgen posted a nice write-up about this blog, which was spotlighted on their main page. Morgen said she’d also have to try our offering of Queenie’s Smoked Gouda Mac & Cheese with Baby Peas (from our review of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button). Maybe she’ll tell us what she thought of it (the food and the film…)

Anyway, thanks to Morgen for the post and support!

Silent film "The Crowd" (1928) to screen Jan. 19

The Crowd (1928), regarded as one of finest Hollywood films of the silent era, will be screened with live music on Monday, Jan. 19 at 7 p.m. at the Palace Theatre in Manchester, NH.

The Crowd, directed by King Vidor, chronicles the fortunes of young couple struggling to survive in 1920s New York. Combining humor and melodrama, The Crowd centers on a tragic turn of events that strains the couple’s relationship to the breaking point, forcing them to fight to keep their ever-diminishing dreams alive in a soulless urban society. One screening only on Monday, Jan. 19 at 7 p.m. at the Palace Theatre, 80 Hanover St. in Manchester.

The Crowd is part of the Palace Theatre’s first-ever “Silent Film Blockbusters” series, which aims to show best quality prints of silent classics on the big screen with live music. See for yourself the films that made audiences first fall in love with the movies! Palace screening includes live music by local musician and composer Jeff Rapsis. General admission, $7 per person; proceeds to benefit the Palace Theatre. For tickets and more info on The Crowd and other films in the series, visit www.palacetheatre.org or call the Palace box office at (603) 668-5588.

Classic movies deserve some classic eats, and if you’re in the Manchester area, it doesn’t get anymore classic than the famous Red Arrow Diner on Lowell Street. It’s been a staple for local diners, diner enthusiasts, and visiting politicians alike since 1922. From their famous breakfast items (served all day) to their traditional Blue Plate Specials (served on a blue plate, no less). Take yourself back in time by grabbing a bite before seeing this silent film classic. You can find more information online at www.redarrowdiner.com.

Kitchen's Open: A Goulash Pairing Update

In my rush to post thoughts on a handful of films at the turn of the New Year, it was brought to my attention (thank you, dear readers) that I had neglected to provide any food or wine pairings with my recent film reviews. Yes, it’s true. Four posts go by and not a single morsel of food or a drop to drink. Maybe I was too busy writing to eat. Or, maybe I was fasting – hoping to lose a few of those resolution pounds. Or, maybe I just wasn’t hungry. Well, now that I have happily put commentary to paper, as it were, I have taken the evening to go back through those posts and open the Goulash kitchen for some late-night leftovers. If you’ve already read the reviews, I invite you to grab your knife and fork and sample the tasty food and wine pairings I’ve now plated at the end of each of the recent posts. On the menu:

September (1987) – Curtis Winery 1999 Heritage Cuvée

The Day the Earth Stood Still (2008) – Klaatu’s Rum Barada Nikto Cake

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008) – Queenie’s Smoked Gouda Mac & Cheese w/ Baby Peas

Slumdog Millionaire (2008) – Vicky Bhogal cooks up a fusion of Indian/British cuisine.

Happy New Year, and thank you for your continued readership.

September (1987)

September
Directed by Woody Allen
Grade: B

September is a particularly underrated film, in my opinion. While not as robust and delicious as Hannah and Her Sisters (1986), neither is it nearly as sour or pretentious as some have made it out to be, comparing its tone to that of his 1978 downer (although still a great film) Interiors. Six characters are gathered for the weekend at a summer home in Vermont, all of whom, in Woody Allen fashion, are romantically connected to each other in some way and, as usual, have a hard time keeping their feelings (and hands) to themselves. Infidelities pile upon insecurities, relationships change, and lives take on new directions.

It is a simple and short film (82 minutes) and reads more like a stage play than traditional cinema. There are still trademark scenes of extended dialogue, many times covered in one continuous shot, that allow the actors to perform and the camera to follow without any editing to manipulate the story. Of course, philosophy and philandering are common bedfellows in almost any Allen film, and September is not without its cerebral side, with writer and artist-types pondering their lives through a veil of self-important intellectualism. It’s smart people with romantic issues. But, isn’t that just what makes a Woody Allen film great? You can also always count on great music, and the only musical score in the film, aside from the opening and closing credits, comes from the jazz records that are spun or the piano that is played while at the house.

I was surprised that I hadn’t seen this film already, and found myself taken in by it immediately. The only drawback to the film is that it isn’t long enough, which forces the story to move along – quickly – and I can understand why some viewers have felt like it was a train wreck of love affairs and emotional disasters as the script, like the characters in the house, are confined to such small quarters. However, this is the Woody Allen I love, and I admire any film that can be so unconventionally clean and free from rapid-fire scissors and still hold interest. September is about people, and sometimes you just need to sit, shut-up, and listen to people – watch them, even – without being dragged through a film by the collar like someone cramming the Smithsonian in a day. It’s a fine, little gem.

The month of September holds special meaning for my wife and I, as it does for most Americans. I’m partial to fall, and as a New Englander, September ushers in a rich time of year signifying change – not only in the foliage around us, but in ourselves, as well. For some reason, I’m particularly inspired by autumn. However, September also brings my wife and I back to the time when we were living in Los Angeles, the memory of the worst terrorist attack on American soil, and our subsequent escape, albeit temporary, from the fallout of that event.

I was working on the Universal Studios lot on September 11, 2001, and it wasn’t long after the attacks that the movie studios in Los Angeles were placed on heightened alert as there had been some sort of intelligence that had come through about the possible bombings of one or more studios. From then on, every morning as I drove through the gates off of Lankershim Boulevard, my car was inspected by guards and bomb-sniffing dogs before I could continue onto the lot. It was indeed a scary time – and a strange feeling has long lingered as I remember waking to my ringing phone that fateful Tuesday morning – and the attacks were already over. One of the World Trade Center buildings had already collapsed. Many had died and the West Coast was just waking up.

Along with the additional security throughout Southern California came a frightening rumor that there would be an impending attack on Los Angeles on September 22, symbolically eleven days after the first attacks. My wife and I, at this time just two years before we would marry, decided that it was time to get away from it all, if only for a day. And, on that Saturday, September 22, 2001, at her suggestion, we drove north to the Santa Ynez Valley and spent the day doing what my wife simply loves to do – visit wineries – and we prayed that we would not find downtown Los Angeles in ruins upon our return.

We visited four different wineries that day, including our favorite, Cottonwood Canyon. On a side note, we call September 22 our “Wine Country Day”, and regularly ship a couple of their crisp, white wines to our home for what has become a wonderful tradition. Our favorite Cottonwood varietal is their Estate Chardonnay (you can read my post about it here, paired with Peter Greenaway’s film The Belly of an Architect.) However, one of the other wineries we stopped at that day was Curtis Winery, which is about a quarter-mile down the road from the famous Firestone Vineyard. Curtis is where I found my second favorite wine (although my first-place red), their 1999 Heritage Cuvée, a robust red with cherry and plum aromas, but what makes this wine a favorite is the broad smoky-peppery finish. That’s a trait that I now routinely look for in red wine, as it always takes me back to that day. Oh, what a smell or a taste can do for a memory.

Like the film of the same name, September has something unique in it that speaks in hushed tones and asks you to take a moment to reflect – on a good many things. An excellent wine can certainly do that as well.

Find more info about Curtis Winery on their website at www.curtiswinery.com.

The Day the Earth Stood Still (2008)

The Day the Earth Stood Still
Directed by Scott Derrickson
Grade: C-

Slick visuals and an ultra-kinetic screenplay is the real motive behind the 2008 remake of the 50’s classic, The Day the Earth Stood Still. It’s a half-decent/half-dimwitted do-over that wastes no time getting started (we get literally two minutes and thirty seconds of development of our main character, Helen, before we are vehemently thrust into the action) and director Scott Derrickson gives his remake a larger-than-life, truly cinematic, ready-for-IMAX feel. Unfortunately, like many quick-launching movies before it (see Jumper), Derrickson’s film comes out of the gate looking like a first-rate finisher, yet takes a wincing face-plant as it attempts to clear the last couple of hurdles. It’s style over substance, but who’s surprised? It’s enough to make anyone close their eyes and yell “Klaatu Barada Nikto” at the screen (the famous phrase, by the way, is never spoken in the new film – seems the new Klaatu can control his entire arsenal by way of Jedi Mind Trick.)

Keanu Reeves is again cast perfectly in another role that asks him to be as still as a house plant. In the original film, Klaatu was a handsome, charismatic – and most importantly, diplomatic – gentleman that any girl would want to bring home to mother. Here, the filmmakers are convinced that alien life forms are unemotional, drab beings that rarely blink and speak in low, monotone, and threatening utterances. Michael Rennie: 1, Keanu Reeves: 0.

Spoiler alert: The demise of the Earth even takes a biblical turn as the aliens choose to rid the world of the human race with microbot locusts, but not before using their spacecraft pods as makeshift arks to store away samples of all other animal species, with the plan of repopulating the Earth with God’s creatures after the planet has been cleansed of people. This further clarification of the rules of engagement does benefit the new version of the film, if only slightly, and leaves the classic movie, as great as it is, looking almost too simplified. But, complexity does not necessarily make a great film, and for all that the new version has going over the classic, it pales in comparison by what it lacks. The 1951 film had charm and held dear its underlying message that humans were on track to destroy themselves and their planet, and if they could not change their ways, other worlds should step in to rectify the situation. In the 2008 film, that message is thinly rolled out like a pie crust, but is never really baked – resurfacing occasionally like a pest to remind us of what the film hopes to lay at stake. The result is that, despite all the military action taken, there is really never any true concern or remorse by Earth’s people that they are about to be eradicated by no fault but their own. Only Secretary Regina Jackson (Kathy Bates – who is still looking fab, by the way!) shows the smallest hint of regret, but there was more apocalyptic, woe-is-me sorrow and fear emoted in films like Deep Impact (1998) or even, dare I say, Independence Day (1996) than in this actioner. There are quick shots of people around the world rioting in the streets, etc., but that hardly constitutes as a cause for change.

Added characters and storylines can’t properly expand upon what was already done correctly in the original film, and Derrickson’s worst mistake is putting the responsibility of the “extermination” in the hands of Klaatu, since the character was initially intended to be a messenger with a warning. But warnings don’t lend themselves to cataclysmic events created through computer graphics. Warnings rarely justify ripping apart football stadiums or disintegrating people into clouds of extra-terrestrial insects. In Derrickson’s vision of the film, he chooses to make Klaatu the executioner rather than the diplomat. He is to finish what has already been decided, and sees the good in humans only at the last minute. Oddly, the “good” is seen through a rather feeble resolve in the relationship between Helen (Jennifer Connolly) and her stepson Jacob (Jaden Smith). So, other worlds have long decided to wipe out the planet Earth, but one alien sees change in a race of people via some clever words by a mathematician (John Cleese) and a fifteen-second hug by a woman and child he hardly knows? This is the catalyst that forces him to be the hero and stop what has been started? It’s a far different play on the character than Michael Rennie’s ambassador who leaves the planet virtually unharmed and having given its leaders a firm scolding. I suppose you could argue that the same scolding has happened here, although in a much more uncharacteristically violent fashion. However, what makes today’s audience different than that of 1951 is that they’ve paid their admission with the expectation of collateral damage. They’ve come for the sci-fi eye candy of destruction. They’ve come for the endgame rather than the significance of the meaning, and filmmakers now happily oblige by squeezing destruction into the story, changing the overall gist of characters and material. Blech.

Honestly, 2008’s The Day the Earth Stood Still is more about bully bettering bully than it is about a quest for peace. The 1951 film was fed by the threatening environment of the Cold War, and here, Derrickson has also fed thinly veiled current events into his remake, particularly the notion that the United States is just one big browbeater – but there’s always someone who’s bigger, isn’t there? Interestingly enough, while there are alien pods set all over the world, the damage is done on American soil. So, is the warning in Derrickson’s film really one for the world, or just the U.S.?

The comparisons between the original film and its 2008 counterpart are cause for some interesting discussion, but it doesn’t change the fact that 1951’s The Day the Earth Stood Still is by far the better film of the two. Like Spielberg’s icky retooling of War of the Worlds (2005), these remakes are being paraded around, masquerading as classics re-introduced to an X-Box generation when the classics are already there, just waiting to be rediscovered.

Besides, without a Theremin, it just isn’t the same.

Forget the meat and hold the veggies. This version of The Day the Earth Stood Still is certainly no main course or even an appetizer – it’s a sickly sweet dessert that deserves as much alcohol as we can find, just to put us out of our misery. So, in an effort to put the brakes on something that just takes itself way too seriously, today we are serving up Klaatu’s Rum Barada Nikto Cake:

Ingredients -
8 tb butter; softened
1/2 cup super fine sugar, plus 1 tablespoon
2 eggs; beaten
1 cup flour*
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
3 tbsp. rum
2 tbsp. apricot jam; strained
Candied cherries
Candied angelica; cut into leaves

Vanilla Filling
4 tbsp. butter
1/4 cup super fine sugar
2 tbsp. rum
1 egg yolk
1/2 cup almonds or Cadju nuts**
2 tbsp. heavy cream
1 piece (large) candied ginger; finely chopped

Instructions -
*sift 3 times with baking powder
** ground and mixed with a few drops of almond extract
Beat the butter and 1/2 cup of sugar together to a pale cream. Beat in first the beaten eggs, then the sifted flour, baking powder and vanilla extract. Put the mixture into a buttered and floured tube cake pan and bake in a preheated 350 deg. F oven for about 30 minutes, or until the cake is pale golden brown on top and begins to ease away from the sides of the pan.

Cool the cake for 10 minutes in the pan, then turn it onto a wire rack placed over foil to cool completely.

With a small-pronged fork, prick the cake all over on the underside, and here and there on the top and sides. Dissolve the remaining 1 tablespoon of sugar in 2 tablespoons of water and add 2 tablespoons or the rum. Spoon this mixture over the surface of the cake so that it runs into the pricked holes. Place the cake on a serving dish.

In a small saucepan, thoroughly mix the apricot jam and the remaining rum. Set the mixture over very low heat and stir very gently until it is hot and clear. Use a clean, dry pastry brush to coat the whole of the outside crust of the cake–including that of the center cavity–with the apricot mixture. The cake should now have a clear jellied appearance.

Chill the cake thoroughly in the refrigerator.

To make the filling, beat the butter until soft. Add the sugar, and cream the mixture together for a few minutes until light and fluffy, then, if using, beat in the rum by degrees. Beat all together until the mixture is pale in color and thick. Add the egg yolk, mix well, then add the ground nuts and cream and beat again for a few minutes. If the chopped ginger is used, it should be added now. Chill the mixture in the refrigerator, then pile it up in the hollow center of the cake, round the top nicely.

Fill a pastry bag with any remaining mixture and with a large No. 5 closed star tube, pipe a neat decoration on top of the cake around the edge of the center filling. Decorate the bottom edge of the cake in the same manner. Garnish the cake with cherries and angelica leaves, and arrange a cluster of cherries and angelica leaves on top of the center filling. Refrigerate until required, and serve Ice-cold.

NOTE: Cadju nut is another name for cashew nut.

If made some time before it is to be used, the barada should be covered over with parchment paper while it is chilling in the refrigerator. Makes one 8-inch tube cake.

Recipe found at www.make-cake.com.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Directed by David Fincher
Grade: B-

Eric Roth, the screenwriter of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, won an Oscar for his screen adaptation of Winston Groom’s Forrest Gump, and has now revisited his Oscar-winning game plan by penning a seemingly ingenious script under sneaky pretenses. Here, fifteen years later, Roth (who I’ve always thought to be a very talented and prolific screenwriter) looks to recapture the “Gump” buzz by swapping out handicaps, love interests, and epic journeys through the decades without notice. Unfortunately, even when combined with David Fincher’s sharp direction and vision, the end result is a rather enjoyable, albeit a somewhat overly long and predictable film that trips over its own many uncanny resemblances.

The most damning flaw in the film, however, is Cate Blanchett, cast in a role that comes off as far too self-centered and uncaring; not the type of thing you want in a leading lady and supposed love interest (not to mention that there is utterly no chemistry between Blanchett and Pitt – at least not enough for us to really give a crap about them.) The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is peppered with some genuinely heartwarming devices that fit snugly into the overall scheme of things, but those are countered by a fistful of moments that rise to the occasion, only to be punctuated by some truly mouth-gagging spoon-feeding from Fincher. Worth a single viewing, but don’t be led to believe you’re seeing anything fresh and new. Disappointingly straddles a fine line between B- and C+. The first half of the film is the strongest and it overall falls short in too many places for me to lift it up any higher in good conscience. And while its technical achievements take filmmaking to a completely new level (more on performance capture some other time), breathtaking and innovative visual effects cannot alone shoulder the weight of an entire film where story holes persist and chemistry lags too far behind. It did, however, provide the wife and I with an enjoyable (and rare) post-Christmas, sans Goulash tot movie night out.

In The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, what was old is new again (or vice versa), and in the Cinema Goulash recipe box we’ve gone digging for something with a little of both. Cheese gets better with age, and my favorite is Smoked Gouda. Now for the new – hmm. Got it! Today the Goulash is going to offer up what we call Queenie’s Smoked Gouda Mac and Cheese with Baby Peas:

1 (16 ounce) package seashell pasta
1 10-ounce package of frozen baby peas (2 cups)
2 1/2 tbsp. butter
2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups milk
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground white pepper
8 ounces smoked Gouda cheese, shredded
1/2 teaspoon Garlic salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly grease a 10 inch casserole dish. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain. Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the flour and cook until a roux forms. Stir in the peas, milk, salt, garlic salt, and pepper; cook, stirring constantly, until sauce is smooth and thick and coats the back of a spoon. Remove from heat and stir in cheese. Combine cooked pasta and cheese sauce; transfer to prepared dish. Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes, or until heated through.