The Menu (2022)

Rotten Tomatoes

The Menu (2022): Famous chef hosts guests at his restaurant on a remote island, where evil surprises await. The foodies make too easy targets and a suspension of disbelief is needed throughout but manage that and this makes for a delicious black comedy from starter to dessert. B+

The Wonder (2022)

Rotten Tomatoes

The Wonder (2022): Ireland, 1862. Girl hasn't eaten in 4 months yet remains healthy. Miracle? Fraud? English nurse is brought in to investigate. Mystery with a satisfactory resolution. Florence Pugh plays the nurse well, but lacks a strong opposing character to play against. B-

Banshees of Inisherin (2022)

Rotten Tomatoes

Banshees of Inisherin (2022): Two lifelong friends have a falling out. Things deteriorate from there. Ireland, 1923. Loneliness. Lack of opportunity. Quiet. Slow. Both the setting and the movie. More like a short story. A mood piece. A character study. Excellent acting by all. B+

All Quiet on the Western Front (2022)

Rotten Tomatoes

All Quiet on the Western Front (2022): German. Life of WWI recruits from enthusiastic enlistment to weary armistice. Violent, gory, relentless madness of war. Not exciting as much as mind-numbing. Anti-war gem if not for unfortunate touches of German blame-shifting for WWII. B-

POTD: The Night Watch

From 2022 07 03 Amsterdam

Today's photos-of-the-day are from the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. The first photo shows "The Night Watch" by Rembrandt van Rijn from 1642. It's the best known painting in the Rijksmuseum's vast collection of Old Masters. Almost everyone is familiar with it. But how many photos ever show what people see when they stand with their backs to the famous painting? The second, bonus photo does just that. I think the building itself is an Old Master. Follow me for other unusual views of famous places. ;-)

Bonus photo after the jump.

POTD: Woman Standing in Front of Van Gogh's Sunflowers (X2)

From 2022 07 03 Amsterdam

Today's photos-of-the-day are from the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam. On the left is Isaac Israels's painting from 1920, "Woman Standing in Front of Van Gogh's Sunflowers". It inspired my own photo shown on the right. How did I do?

Two Month Countdown

Money makes the world go around
The world go around
The world go around
Money money money money money money
Money money money money money money
Get a little money money money
A mark, a yen, a buck or a pound
That clinking clanking clanking sound
Is all that makes the world go around
It makes the world go around!

Source: Cabaret.

The mid-term elections are over. Did you think you'd get a break from election campaigning? Silly you. The former guy's announcement from Florida says otherwise. Closer to home, Friday will be exactly two months from January 18, 2023, the first day for Texans to file for a place on the General Election Ballot for local political office. If you are considering a run for school board or city council, you've got a lot of work to do before then. You can't afford to wait until after the holidays to get started.