Irma Vep (TV 2022)

Rotten Tomatoes

Irma Vep (TV 2022): A TV series that remakes a 1996 movie of the same name, itself about the remaking of a 1916 French classic. Expect a lot of inside the movie industry references. Also a mentally unstable director and wild antics on and off set. The movie borders on the surreal. C+

Max

#VeryTardyReview

POTD: Beehouse Dijiwa Ubud

"Way down bumpy roads,
Dinner's joy in Bali's heart.
Wonderful retreat."
—h/t ChatGPT

From 2023 04 06 Bali

Today's photo-of-the-day is from Beehouse Dijiwa Ubud in Bali, Indonesia. We didn't stay in this "private paradise surrounded by amazing rice paddies, lush greeneries, and view of Mount Agung." But we had dinner here on our last night in Bali. Just getting to the restaurant was a nighttime adventure down a narrow, bumpy road that our driver never hesitated on, although I suspect he scratched his car on one tight squeeze. I wish I could remember what we had to eat, but like everything about our stay in Bali, I do remember that it was wonderful.

POTD: Pura Taman Ayun

"Taman Ayun's heart,
Bali's heritage enshrined,
UNESCO's love signed."
—h/t ChatGPT

From 2023 04 06 Bali

Today's photo-of-the-day is from Taman Ayun Hindu Temple in Bali, Indonesia. Pura Taman Ayun is a quiet oasis of Balinese temples and gardens with water features. In 2012, Pura Taman Ayun was added as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

Ferrari (2023)

Rotten Tomatoes

Ferrari (2023): Biopic of a point in the life of Enzo Ferrari and his wife and dead son and mistress and his son with her...it's complicated even for Italy in the 1950s. B-

In-flight

Funny Woman (TV 2023)

Rotten Tomatoes

Funny Woman (TV 2023): Dramedy about a Blackpool beauty queen in London in the 1960s, trying to succeed in a TV comedy. There are modern jokes about being gay or Black or Pakistani in London, but even those jokes seem as dated as the slapstick and jokes about sexism on a 1960s TV show. C+

Sky Max via PBS

#VeryTardyReview

Black Bird (TV 2022)

Rotten Tomatoes

Black Bird (TV 2022): Convicted drug dealer in prison accepts offer to entice a suspected serial killer to confess. Nice tight psychological study. Two questions were with me throughout: "Will they catch him?" and, "Will there be a plot twist?" B+

Apple TV+

#VeryTardyReview

Spaceman (2024)

Rotten Tomatoes

Spaceman (2024): Adam Sandler in his most restrained acting ever, plays an astronaut on a solo mission to Jupiter, going slowly crazy from loneliness and the breakup of his marriage back on Earth. Spoiler: it also has a giant alien spider...therapist? Less sci-fi than character study. B-

Netflix

POTD: Rice Terraces of Tegalalang

"Rice terraces stretch
Up, down, along the valley.
Swings high above."

—h/t ChatGPT

From 2023 04 06 Bali

Today's photo-of-the-day is from Tegallalang, Bali, a popular tourist site because of its beautiful rice terraces and countless photo ops.

A bonus photo is after the jump.

POTD: Tanah Lot

"Bali at twilight,
Low tide unveils rocky path
to Tanah Lot's grace."
—h/t ChatGPT

From 2023 04 06 Bali

Today's photo-of-the-day was taken at Tanah Lot, a spit of rock off the west coast of Bali, Indonesia, that is home to a Hindu temple. The temple can only be reached on foot at low tide. The sun setting in the ocean behind the temple makes it a popular site for photography.

Future of High-Speed Rail is in Richardson's Hands

Artist rendering, D Magazine

The future of high-speed rail in Texas is in Richardson's hands. Overstatement? Sure, but it's not completely wrong, either. The "hands" I'm referring to belong to our own Richardson City Councilmember Jennifer Justice. She's a member of the Executive Board of the North Central Texas Council of Governments. NCTCOG allocates billions of federal dollars for transportation projects. In contrast, the Richardson municipal budget is about $400 million. A hot project under consideration by NCTCOG right now is an elevated high-speed rail line through the City of Dallas going west to Ft Worth and southeast to Houston.