Ready for Spring

Snow happens, but as of today the stuff has finally melted away.  It's just been really damn cold.  It's still pretty gray and gloomy but maybe also just that hint of February mud turning to some March sunshine.  Chingu and Mandu are ready to stare out the windows at some birds and wabbits and blue skies.

Wuthering Heights -- Wut I Thunk

Oh my, this is one horny movie.  Over the top?  Yes.  Trashy?  Kinda!  But there's no doubt about the commitment here to really focus on the infernal power of Heathcliff and Catherine's desire -- let's face it, lust -- for each other.  If you're looking for faithfulness to the book you won't find it here, especially in the second half.  But there's something to be said for what the film actually captures.  To put it another way, this movie being ridiculous only confirms that the novel is as well.  It worked for me, but probably won't work for a lot of purists.

Four steamy carriage windows out of five!

"shrieking in several languages"

"At one time or another, most of us have arrived at a gorgeous concert hall with whole afternoon to relax, prior to a leisurely and professional soundcheck in a spectacularly sumptuous hotel room within walking distance. You have the which everything works, everyone can hear everyone, the coffee is fresh, and you can't think of anything to complain about. Then to dinner, in agreeable company, before the short walk back to the dressing room in a gentle and balmy Mediterranean breeze. The sea shimmers in the distance, the crowd seems on fire with anticipation, and a pleasant phone-call home establishes that all is well back at Central Command. The gig is rubbish.

Conversely, the equipment arrives late in some dirty, smelly dump; the backstage sustenance you wouldn't offer a dog, and there's no coffee anyway, hot or cold. The soundcheck is a lot of shrieking in several languages to a background of a wall of electronic feedback, your head is killing you, Iberia lost your suitcase, and they are letting in the punters in seven minutes, so dinner is out of the question. What do you get? A blinding gig."

-- Bill Bruford: The Autobiography

Send Help -- Wut I Thunk

So it's Castway but two people are stranded -- a put-upon office worker and her horrible frat-bro boss.  And it's really hard to talk about it more without spoiling.  This is the definition of a movie that you should see with as little information as possible before going in.  Rachel McAdams doesn't hesitate to go full mousy and a bit gross.  Dylan O'brien plays up his assholish-ness to the hilt.  From there, we go in about five different directions with a truly brilliant script.  At the end you might not like anybody on offer here, but that's the point.  Survival is, indeed, a winner-take-all proposition.

Five conch shells out of five!