ellen_datlow

Visited friends Paul and Pam in the wilds of New Jersey (not really, but sometimes it feels like that, especially when taking the bus to or from and it's raining/snowing or in this case, sunshiny and bright and the bus home just did not come).

Anyway, Paul and I watched the DVD of Serenity that I brought with me. I don't remember who recced it but puhleeeze... I'd probably have liked it better if I hadn't been led to believe that it was good. No, it's not good. It's got plastic actors a dumb as shit plot, really bad special effects... other than that, it was kind of enjoyable ;-).


Yardsaling in the morning (after cat emergency with Pam running to the vet because one of the five cats had a hold in her side--I didn't see it, but luckily, it turned out the vet did not have to stitch it up--antibiotics and warm compresses should do the trick) and we hit about 8 including last but definitely not least, an antique store that apparently has a yard (well, yeah, antiques on their front lawn as well as inside)--I found some good stuff there...nice old bottle, two pretty little butter pat dishes (I'm guessing that's what they are) from Bavaria...and an old small, hardcover book from a series called Pocket Library of the World's Essential Knowledge Outline of Science, part I book from 1929.

Earlier, for 50 cents I found a hardcover of Gulliver's Travels illustrated with woodcuts by Fritz Eichenberg published by Junior Heritage (I collect books illustrated by Eichenberg) plus two small picture frames at 10 cents and 5 cents that I can use to frame old postcards --which I have already done. I should have bought the other two --oh well.

Home that afternoon--or rather evening because as mentioned above the 2:29 bus did not show up. P&P kindly drove me to Pompano Lake to catch a different bus there at 3:29...so I got home around 5pm...in time to do a spot of work then watch:

Deadwood season 2, disc 4--yayyy. I love it.

Then, La Vie en Rose, the biopic about Edith Piaf that won the Academy award for Marion Cotillard, who deserved it, playing Piaf marvelously. Alas, she is the best thing about the movie, which is an utter mess. Bad bad script that meanders back and forth in time so much that I was left wondering if they had the dates correct for Piaf's different ages. Looking at her bio in Wiki, I notice that the movie started when she was about 3 years old, but the movie Edith looks much older than three when the movie begins, hence for me... part of the confusion. Also, too many characters running in and out of her movie life as the time switches back and forth. Mysteriously, the movie skips the entire German occupation and her part in it (I gather there are questions about her behavior during this period).

And today I went to see Tropic Thunder with two friends. I loved it--it's very funny, and opens with some very offensive bits that I don't want to give away to those who haven't seen it but you'll know them when you see them). Terrific satire and Robert Downey, Jr. is brilliant. Everyone's good in it, including Tom Cruise, who is always best acting the part of a schmuck. Go see it. And prepare to be offended.