Meanlevee

One of my favorite genres of movies is the kind where Jackie Chan plays a character with outrageous Kung Fu skills, for no discernable reason. Sometimes he plays a cop, or a martial artist with formal training, and it at least halfway makes sense, but other times he is a TV chef, or something. Imagine if Iron Chef Chen Kenichi managed to accidentally run afoul of some organized criminals and proceeded to beat the Hell out of everyone for 70 minutes worth of action set pieces. Bang a gong, we are on! Jackie Chan's Thunderbolt (1995) does fall under the Mr. Nice Guy category of regular joe protagonists who kick wholesale ass, but there is only two fight scenes in the movie (they're pretty long, though). This is because it's a racing movie, thriller, crime drama, and a love story. This movie does things I've never seen before. It starts out with a music video/montage showing Jackie's character Foh mastering his trade as an expert mechanic at the Mitsubishi plant in Jap...

  ...I've got another puzzle for you! I'm always watching movies. About a month ago I treated myself to a good ol' New Year's Eve romantic comedy classic: When Harry Met Sally. Near the end of the film, after the third-act breakup, there is a scene wherein Harry is trying not to think about blowing it with the love his life, so he is settling in for the night with the "best cookie in the world" according to him. And this got me really wondering--what is a Mallomar anyway? Billy Crystal with Mallomars. Well, it's a Nabisco marshmallow and graham cracker cookie coated in chocolate--so pretty close to a S'more. Okay then. These are always mentioned on TV and movies as a throwaway reference; I don't have any numbers, just trust me. It must be fairly popular because, after Oreos, and maybe Fig Newtons, I can't think of a store-bought cookie brand that gets namedropped more frequently, but I've never had one. I've never seen them in a store...

  Where do these dogs come from? They're not in the film. I had no idea Ginger Rogers was such a comedic talent. She is, after all, the Dancing Woman; She and Fred do ballroom/jazz style dancing, or at least that's what I've been given to understand. In this film, however, she's cracking wise in a delightful deadpan delivery, and dances for less than 30 seconds (somewhat awkwardly with an older gentleman). None of this today, thanks. Fifth Avenue is a famous thoroughfare in Manhattan, New York City's wealthiest borough, which had been greatly developed in the preceding decade. To be a Fifth Avenue girl is to be ritzy, urbane, and of the city. The titular character Mary Gray is a common woman between jobs and regularly thumbs her nose at Fifth Avenue types as she eats inexpensive sacked food at Central Park, which is adjacent. All this comes to bear. I'm alright, Jack, keep your hands off of my stack. I felt I had to look this up to be sure I understood the title...

Marry My Husband (Japan) I'm begging you to watch this madcap supernatural time-travel revenge drama about a woman's quest to trick her evil husband and best friend into marrying each other. I saw the Japanese version last November and it was a really good, manic high. I got about half way through the Korean/original version of the show before fatigue finally started to set in, but I plan to finish it, in time, because there are some differences that make it interesting. The title grabbed me, I guess. I was on Prime video perusing recommendations for twenty-something minutes and I saw this juicy title and this thumbnail for what looks like a Japanese romance drama--which it is, of course, just look at the immaculate makeup and clothing--and I was too curious to put it in watchlist purgatory.  This show shares some DNA with the daytime soap opera in its romantic intrigue, scheming men and women, and melodramatic flourish. I don't want to reveal much of the plot, but the set ...

  Gimmick promotion for the Screaming Skull offering a free coffin if you die of fright.   I finally saw Uncut Gems, the other day. As the credits rolled, I turned to my wife in excitement and asked her "is this movie more anxiety inducing than [redacted]?". She said no, but it was fairly close. To me, this movie even tops Bad Lieutenant (1992) in the realm of characters digging a hole for themselves with high-stakes gambling. It made me feel sick how badly main character Howard Ratner was screwing up his life. I had a great time.  But my wife and I agreed that it wasn't quite the most nerve-racking movie. I have a good idea what is, but nobody else seems to have a clue. Combing through listicles and various web-posts, I did not see my pick mentioned, and I did not see my second pick mentioned. I saw some very dubious choices--great films, to be sure--but nothing that makes me sweat, or stay my breath for a significant amount of the runtime. Somebody even listed La Strada...

 Really quick--I improvised a potato soup the other day that I was pleased with. I have long been chasing the skillset of an outstanding home cook that measures by eyeball and conjures recipes from the heart and imagination. After many years of practice, I can do this, and you can too! I encourage you to try this at home with minimal shopping. If you can, use what you have on hand. Throwing a little something together with whatever is sitting in your refrigerator is a special power you can also acquire. Use substitutions, if necessary. Here's what you do: Get a few Yukon Gold potatoes and cut them in half lengthwise, then slice into bite-sized pieces. You needn't peel Go ahead and completely dice one of the Yukon Golds. This is my special trick! Peel some russet potatoes and cut them to a size consistent with the YGs. Blending two types of potatoes is another cool trick, but not mandatory Boil all potatoes At this point, you could just stop and make mashed potatoes, if you like...