Dixie Fix

It's Movie Watching Weather!

If you -- like me -- try to see all the nominated films for best picture, it will be harder this year. I think there will be 10 movies instead of 5, so an early start is imperative. I've seen some, and here are some quick comments on them.

Avatar: You owe it to yourself to see this on the big screen, in 3D. I am not a science fiction fan and long movies usually bore me, but this is so exceptionally beautiful I didn't notice. You will have to pay $9 for a matinee in Nevada County because of the cost of the glasses, but hey, that's half of the "big city" price! Go. See. It.

Up in the Air: Some are saying this is the movie of the year. I wouldn't go that far, but I loved it anyway! George Clooney is perfect as the black-hearted "fire for hire" corporate jerk. Lots of messages here. And, it's not a downer.

Invictus: This understated film starring Matt Damon and Morgan Freeman is like being on the sidelines of history, seeing Mandela's life-affirming decisions as he leads his country. I felt this could be the movie of the year but don't think the academy will agree.

Inglorius Basterds: You can rent this one now. For someone who doesn't like war movies this held my interest and the acting is amazing.

Precious: I'm waiting for this one, and have a bet with a couple friends that it will finally come here, to the regular theaters. Some of my friends say it is "too black" for Nevada County and that, if anything, it will be at Magic or Nevada Theatre. If so, I'll bite the bullet and drive to see it, because I think it is an important film and will probably play a major part in the Academy Awards. It may not be pretty to look at, but as a society we need to look. We can't heal any wounds unless we know how and why they were inflicted.

That's it for movies...I'm reading "The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society" and loving it. Thanks, Stacy Hart, for passing it on.

I'm taking Monday off, so check back Tuesday afternoon. Bill Holman will have to read something else tomorrow morning while he's sipping his tea.

The Lure of Costco & the Mystery of the Missing Music

I know, it's not local, but you can't beat the prices on just about everything! (Even if you have to buy 1,500 of one thing -- the bulk packaging is a riot.) I love to look in people's carts and see what THEY are buying...did we miss a bargain? I saw a guy with a giant dog bed (our dog's size) in his cart and so I went wandering the aisles looking for the dog beds. Not by the dog food, of course, that would be too logical. When I found them, they were stacked in a big box and had a pattern that looked like the upholstery in my dentist's office...a sickly baby blue print. But I started rooting through the box and down toward the bottom were some cool prints in browns and beiges. Into the cart, at a bargain $18.95. When we were in line 2 different people on either side of us asked about the dog bed. One guy said he didn't see that color and I told him he had to dig deep. Both left and came back with brown dog beds. Jackson was a bit reluctant to get on it at first (didn't have his good smells? Even though I wash his other one). So, I laid down on it, and Jackson laid down right beside me and put his paw around my side!

Why doesn't Costco carry CD's any more? Is it because everyone (except me) downloads music? Does anyone know?

What do you buy at Costco? And why?

Pondering 'The Imposter'

That's the new Matt Damon movie that is billed kind of like a comedy. But it isn't. Except for the end, when everything comes together and you realize in retrospect how funny it really was. Half way through I turned to Denise & Phil and said, "Huh?" and they both said "Huh?" but it's one of those movies that comes together toward the end. Interesting, after it was over Denise and I both agreed we probably wouldn't recommend it, but now I have had several conversations with people who also saw it and it seems better now than right after I watched it. If that makes sense. (Kind of like the camping trip when it rains and you're miserable but somehow it looks fun 20 years later?)

Don Baumgart was bemoaning the closure of Bunce's -- a true "dive bar" if there ever was one. And Nikko Wu says that the old Didi Bai (on R&R Hwy; Himalyan food) is closing today. Too bad. Their food was good, but that's a location that's easy to forget about. Wasn't it once Chinese food?

It's very sad to read the foreclosure notices and realize you know a lot of the people. I wonder what the "new normal" will be?

Should You Go See Disney's 'Earth'?

Spoiler alert...if you don't want to know the outcome of one of the animal families followed in this documentary, stop reading.

I was excited to see 'Earth' on a gigantic screen with surround sound. Love animals. Love movies about animals.

Disney follows a Polar bear family, some elephants and other migrating animals and mammals. The scenery is spectacular, the filming top notch.

But I did not go to that film to see a father Polar bear die right before my eyes. That, after watching him slowly starve to death throughout the entire movie. I didn't see the point of that final scene when he lies down and closes his eyes.

The theater was packed with children. In fact, I heard a little girl about 4 ask her mom why the Polar bear didn't get up. Uh...he's really, really sleepy?

Another disturbing scene shows a pride of lions attacking a baby elephant.

I know the animal kingdom is brutal, survival of the fittest, etc. But Disney? In a family movie?

Another thing...this 2 hour movie could have been 1 hour. It really dragged on, and with James Earl Jones sloooow narration, seemed to travel at a snail's pace.

I think Disney missed the boat on this one.

By the way, a matinee in The OC is $10.50..so enjoy the Getz's bargain pricing.

Country Rose Leased; 'Milk,' Louisiana

I'm excited that this closed restaurant is going to have a new life as a "Northridge-Style" family friendly, inexpensive place. Watch the paper go up on the windows as the extensive remodeling begins. Did you know it was called 'Blazes' in the 1800's?

Milk -- wow! It's always interesting to see a movie when you lived through that time. It certainly gave me a new perspective on the whole gay rights movement and that the murders were a lot more than that. Sean Penn was amazing and managed to convey Harvey Milk's charisma and charm. I forgot he was Sean Penn until the movie was almost over!

Thanks to Ken Newton I am cooking -- as we speak -- his Gen-U-wine red beans and rice from New Orleans. It's amazing the connections that come from this blog and the Internet.

Conspiracy Theories, Etc....

Does anybody REALLY think the Getz's have an agenda about what movies they show at their theaters? I know the Getz's and they are decent reasonable people who are running a business and they make business decisions based on what films will do well. I think it's unfair to suggest that they have some secret plan in mind. The LAST thing we need to do in Nevada County is to boycott ANY business!! I've been to a lot of small towns that don't even have 1 movie theater and I think we're lucky to have as many as we do. Most of our businesses are struggling right now and I think supporting them is the right thing to do.

I highly recommend the Open Studios art tour...if you only go to 1 place, check out the AS IF art studio on Idaho Maryland in Grass Valley. There are about 8 artists there, so you can see a lot. Kathy Wronsky's FABULOUS animal portraits are on display..she has a space there, as does Eileen Blodgett, who has a new series of paintings that are very intriguing.

Went to lunch last weekend at Taste of Thai in GV...no lunch menu! We were disappointed to pay dinner prices and it's no surprise we were the only table with customers at 12:30 on a Saturday.

Is this weather TERRIFIC or what?! Fall in the Foothills is great!!