After a long day at work on a public holiday, I was looking forward to finally seeing Children of Men and going out to a nice dinner.
Unfortunately my favorite restaurant in Wenatchee (McGlinns) has, for some stupid-ass reason, decided to stop offering veggie burger substitutions on their burger menu. WTF?!? THEY'RE FROZEN!! How hard is it to keep a box of frozen veggie burgers in your freezer for those times you have vegetarian guests? Is that really too much to ask? Sheesh. It's inexplicable shit like this that causes me to abandon local haunts in favor of sanitized chains like Applebees. Hey, they may be a chain, but at least they don't f#@%-over their vegetarian clientele.
As for the movie... it was pretty freakin' amazing. I was blown away at some of the more shocking turns (of which there are several). It is now readily apparent why Children of Men is garnering such critical praise... it's relentless. And beautifully acted. And wonderfully shot. And skillfully directed. It's not a feel-good film by any means, but it is a film that will make you think. And feel. Just watching Children of Men is thoroughly exhausting, but in a good way. If you can handle the violence and a few meandering scenes, it's worth checking out.
Anyway, if you will now excuse me, I'm choosing to retire on this Martin Luther King Jr. Day by listening to a few of his speeches. So many of his words are as profoundly stirring today as they were when he spoke them, and I don't know whether I should be happy or sad about that. Happy, because it just goes to show that great words withstand the test of time. Sad, because if I were asked to name a "Martin Luther King Jr." for our day, I could not. Why is it that America's greatest voices all seem to come from the past?
Bleh. I'd feel a little less depressed about that if there was a new Veronica Mars on tomorrow night, but she doesn't return until the 23rd.
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Completely agree about Children of Men, I watched it on Sunday. My dad didn’t get it at all but I really enjoyed it from start to finish.
I miss Veronica Mars too.
Boo to restaurants not serving us vegetarians 🙁
Boo to no inspiring current-day speakers.
Also boo to the fact that the one night I have wanted to go out in some time happens to be a Monday and a holiday so no where was open. Okay fine that has nothing to do with your post, but I have no one to go to a movie with so seeing Children of Men was not an option. Maybe I will just go see it by myself tomorrow.
I cant wait to see that movie.
As for someone like that nowadays, I see it due to the fact that while several people mean well, they all end up turning an issue into political BS and only seem to enjoy getting themselves on tv to bitch about it.
I had a friend who went to see Children of Men and was so blown away she really couldn’t form thoughts about it.
Glad you survived the migraine… they suck!
The Applebees near my husband’s work dropped their vegetarian offerings. I had a choice of chips and cheese or a grilled chicken salad hold the chicken. Hopefully it was just that location… but I’ve now learned to check before going.
What about Jon Stewart? I think that history will remember him very kindly…truly a voice for our snarky, cynical generation.
I have been wanting to see Children of Men! I loved Y Tu Mamà Tambièn. Cuaròn’s a great director. It’s a shame his movies never get released locally (except for the Harry Potter one, of course). I’m hoping the theaters book this one so I don’t have to drive to Tulsa for it.
Have you ever heard Sarah Silverman’s MLK joke? She is absolutely hilarious and if you have never watched “Sarah Silverman: Jesus is Magic”, you should. Here’s the quote:
“Guess what, Martin Luther King, I had a fuckin’ dream, too! I had a dream that I was in my living room. It wasn’t my living room but it was, like, playing my living room in the dream. And I walked through to the backyard and there’s a pool and as I’m diving in, there’s a shark coming up from the water… with braces! So maybe you’re not so fucking special! Martin Loser King!”
I’d sit through a reading of the phone book if Clive Owen was doing it.
I was over the top pissed off when T.G.I. Fridays stopped offering their veggie burger substitues. Then they replaced all the vegetarian friendly items on their menu with items overflowing with meat. Bastards.
At this point, if a restaurant isn’t veg-friendly, they can suck it, I’m not going. I’ve been to fancy STEAKHOUSES that specially created veg meals for me, yet other places where they refused to even remove bacon from a salad. I’ll keep my money to myself and do my own cooking.
I heard Children of Men was amazing. I haven’t seen it yet, but I’m sure I’ll like it. It seems like it’s my bag, and I trust my friend who told me about it (she just went to see it again last night).
I miss Veronica Mars, too. And Heroes. And Battlestar Galactica! Thank goodness for The Office and Earl.
maybe the fact that “ugly betty” won for best comedy show and america won will cheer you?
I had the pleasure yesterday of explaining Martin Luther King Jr. to my son for the first time yesterday.
I told him about how MLK lived in a time when people looked at someone and thought they could tell if you were good or bad or smart or whateve just by your skin.
He wrinkled up his little nose and said “well that’s silly. Everyone knows that’s not true”
And I realized that The Dream, at least part of it, had been realized.
So – take heart. 🙂
My movie buddy and I really want to see Children of Men. And I loooooooooooooove Julianne Moore. Um, and Clive Owen too. I just love Julianne …um, more? Ha ha.
But, I need to watch Orgazmo or some other crazy-funny movie first. Blood Diamond drained me of intense movie energy for about the month.
I used to order veggie burgers with bacon because 1) they were good and 2) I like to mess with waiters.
And PLEASE don’t eat at Applebee’s, or as I call it, Crapplebee’s. I have eaten there ONCE and it was HORRIBLE.
Ick.
And you are right, there are no American MLK’s anymore. Americans have been cowed into submission. Barak Obama is pretty awesome but he works from within the system….
I really want to see Children of Men as well as Last King of Scotland. The latter because I read the book years ago when it was first published and it remains one of the better fictional-yet-based-on-factual-events books ever.
Children of men was not a great success here… But just for the girls, I want to show the french bill…
http://a69.g.akamai.net/n/69/10688/v1/img5.allocine.fr/acmedia/medias/nmedia/18/36/31/42/18674404.jpg
All girls will want to see Children of men with this bill !!! 😀
P.S. J’ai fait un rêve et dans ce rêve j’ai vu que je regardais Veronica Mars !!!
(I had a dream and in this dream I saw that I watched Veronica Mars!!!)
Saw Children of Men on Sunday. And yes, it totally rocked the casbah. I don’t think I’ve seen a movie so visually exhilarating in…well, ever.
I wanna see that movie too but as always movies comes to Sweden way too late. Julianne Moore rocks!
children of men is added to my list of movies. i still have to see dreamgirls and blood diamond. i am so behind!
as for dr. king and his speeches, i know what you mean. his shoes have still not been filled. i have a few of his speeches on my ipod, so i can listen to them whenever i need a little motivation.
Children of Men came out in Britain some time ago, I saw it with my girlfriend. It’s quite violent at times but a good film nonetheless, and a happy ending of sorts.
In a way, as a Brit it’s worse watching the film as I was familiar with some of the locations that were used – and changed dramatically – in the film. 28 Days Later had the same effect for me.