This is nacho mama’s chapstick! This is Wisconsin, and we need more cheese products. 

From our cheese-coated lips to God’s ear…. this is what we’ve been waiting for.

Popularity: 1% [?]

I don’t mean to be insensitive to Farrah Fawcett, her family or any teen boy whose ever got “romantic” with her pin up, but is all this protest really necessary?

Some seem to be up in arms that Farrah was not included in the “In Memoriam” section of the Oscars on Sunday.

So the question is: did they leave her out on purpose? The answer appears to be yes. A rep for the Academy Awards has said they can’t include everyone.

I won’t try to debate whether she should, or should not have been included. She was an actress, so I think she would qualify.

Also, what about Bea Arthur, Billy Mays, Alania Reed Hall (Susan from Sesame Street), Ed McMahon, Don Hewitt (60 Minutes producer), Henry Gibson and Ricardo “Fantasy Island” Montalban!

They didn’t make the cut either. I think this is a situation where you can’t please everybody, because it’s such a subjective topic.

I say if you want to remember Farrah, go rent Logan’s Run, The Cannonball Run or the original Charlie’s Angel’s on DVD. I’m sure she’d want to be recalled for her life, rather than her death.

Popularity: 2% [?]

     Although Fletch did not give up meat for Lent, members of his family did.  So he’s kind of a vegetarian by default these days.  And he’s run through his repertoire of veggie-only dishes.  Enter my Spicy Pepper Potato Soup to save dinner tonight!  Here’s the list of ingredients for a two person serving (just double up for a family of four!)…

2 cups diced potatoes

1 poblano pepper, diced small

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 jalapeno pepper, diced small (no vein or seeds unless you all like it hot!)

1/2 white onion, diced

1 tbsp minced garlic

1 tbsp oil (olive or veg–your choice)

1 14oz can vegetable broth

1 cup milk

1 tbsp flour 

1/2 cup shredded cheese (again, your choice but cheddar rocks)

Toppings–more shredded cheese, chives, green onions, crackers

Heat the oil in your soup pot and add the potatoes, garlic, peppers and onion.  Saute for a few minutes and season with cracked pepper and your spices of choice.  Add the can of broth and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low.  Simmer for 30 minutes.  Take a wooden spoon and smash the diced potatoes against the side of the pot.  This soup is not meant to be pureed; it’s a bit chunky.  Simmer another 30 minutes or so.  Continue seasoning with pepper, garlic and onion powder–whatever floats your boat.  Put your flour in your cup of milk, stir to slightly dissolve.  Slowly add milk and flour mixture to soup.  Simmer another 15-20 minutes, stirring pretty frequently.  Add cheese.  As soon as it melts, serve it up topped with what you like!

Popularity: 1% [?]

… you might have warned me not to do as a kid. Or maybe not.

On Saturday, the day of sunshine and 40 degrees, I was itching to get my bike out of the garage and to go for a ride. So, out it came with a flat tire I swear it didn’t have the last time I rode it, probably in October. No matter.

I pumped up that tire and rode out the driveway, quickly accelerating through my gears until- whoa- I felt that wind chill. Now isn’t that interesting? At slow speed, with no wind and bright sun, it felt great to ride, but at speed greater than 10 mph, the windchill was a bit too much for me.

So, I decided to take a low-speed ride instead, across Lake Wingra.

Now, I’ve ridden around Lake Wingra a million times, winding around through the Arboretum, Vilas Park, and down Monroe Street. But on this day, a rare one when the ice was solid enough to ride on and the temperature was warm enough to make it enjoyable, I rode across Lake Wingra, and back, and didn’t tell my mommy I was going to do it.

When I mentioned it to a friend he said that when he was a kid he skated across Lake Mendota without telling his parents. He said, “hey, it was the 70’s and helicopter parents didn’t yet exist.” True that. We just did stuff and maybe talked about it later. Maybe not.

If you want to send the URL of the video to my mom, go ahead. Easier to ask forgiveness than permission, right?

Popularity: 2% [?]

Rated PG – 1h48 -

It looks like Alice, but it’ missing some of the heart and some of the wonder. The film tries to make up for a lesser story with great visuals. This didn’t feel like Alice In Wonderland should have felt.

In Tim Burton’s version, Alice is a teenager. Faced with the prospect of grown up decisions, she follows the White Rabbit into the forest and falls down the rabbit hole. Believing she is having her recurring dream, Alice begins to realize she has returned to the familiar Underland, and reunited with some familiar friends. She is then charged with the quest of ending the Red Queen’s reign.

As I recall, original story is filled with characters taunting and misdirecting Alice on her way home. The imagery is dark and the ideas are a little scary. This story is seemingly happier, even with the Red Queen and her constant requests for beheadings.

What is fun about his is the cartoon-esque hallucinogenic world that Burton creates. He had help from one of the visual designers from Avatar, and Wonderland is fantastic looking.

The characters, some old, some new, seem to be there more out of a convenience. They are clever and interesting to look at, but it felt as if Alice could have made her way through without the advice of the hooka-smoking caterpillar. Isn’t he supposed to be a key player?  Johnny Depp as The Mad Hatter was a treat.

Another problem is Alice’s journey, which resolves in a gigantic climactic battle. Isn’t Alice on a journey of finding herself, while finding her way home? Why does she need a dragon to slay? I guess it helps pack the film with some more action.

This movie leaves you feeling like you saw something impressive, just not a better version of the story. Something is missing. By the way, the 3D format did nothing to improve on the story, and serves more as a distraction.

Popularity: 2% [?]

Rated R – 2h3 -

At the beginning of Brooklyn’s Finest, we have a snitch talking to a dirty undercover cop about truth and justice. He talks about how even the law recognizes that in some cases, committing a crime can be forgiven if it’s done for a greater good. Think of the man who steals bread to feed his starving family. That’s the idea that Brooklyn’s Finest tries to convey.

The film features three unconnected New York Police officers, who paths unknowingly cross. Tango (Don Cheadle), a deep undercover drug agent with heavy underworld connections. Eddie (Richard Gere) is just a few days from retirement and Sal (Ethan Hawke) is the drug raid cop in need of money in order to support his family.

All three are on the edge, seemingly facing situations that are more than they can handle. You don’t get the feeling that things are going to work out well for them either.

This is a solid trio of actors. They all make their case that life fighting crime can be gritty, unrewarding and takes a serious personal strain on the officer. Corruption is a slippery slope.

The thing is, we’ve seen this all before and the story gets lost in the cliché of it all.

Ethan Hawke was the notable one here. His character Sal busts up drug houses for a living. He sees untold amounts of drug money piled up like laundry, tempting him on a daily basis. Sal is also a father of several kids, has twins on the way and a wife that is ill from mold in their decrepit house. He’s the most justified for thinking about stealing the bread, and he’s the most conflicted about his strife.

Outside of Sal’s story, the film falls short of the thrilling expectations you desire from this level of acting skill.

Popularity: 1% [?]

What would it take-no, who would it take to have a sex tape leaked on the internet that would not cause a scandal?

Yeah, this would be it.

Don’t worry- it IS safe for work viewing.

Popularity: 2% [?]

Got spring on the brain with today’s awesome weather…

Popularity: 2% [?]

Scene From The Hurt Locker

Really, other than one category this year, the picks are pretty clear to me.

I think it’s a toss up in the Best Actress category between Sandra Bullock for “The Blind Side” and Meryl Streep in “Julie and Julia.“

Here’s the link to the Oscar ballot if you wanna play at home and below are my picks in the major categories. I’ve also included with the nominees, who will win and who I think should win. They’re not always the same.

Best Picture
Avatar
The Blind Side
District 9
An Education
The Hurt Locker - WILL WIN/SHOULD WIN
Inglourious Basterds
Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire
A Serious Man
Up
Up in the Air

Notes: There is no denying the strength, power and intensity of The Hurt Locker.  It may not be the most well known of the nominations, but it stands above them all.

Best Actor
Jeff Bridges for Crazy Heart – WILL WIN/SHOULD WIN
George Clooney for Up in the Air
Colin Firth for A Single Man
Morgan Freeman for Invictus
Jeremy Renner for The Hurt Locker

Notes: It was a tough call to rule out George Clooney’s performance of Up In The Air.  The story hit home, but Jeff Bridges wins.  He literally transformed into his character.   Colin Firth went to the bottom of the well, showing how one’s sexual orientation had to be masked in the 1950s.

Best Actress
Sandra Bullock for The Blind Side WILL WIN
Helen Mirren for The Last Station
Carey Mulligan for An Education
Gabourey Sidibe for Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire
Meryl Streep for Julie & Julia  SHOULD WIN

Note: This is a hard call.  I didn’t really like The Blind Side, but it’s turned out to be a fan favorite.  I would have watched a whole movie of Meryl Streep portraying Julia Childs.

Best Supporting Actor
Matt Damon for Invictus
Woody Harrelson for The Messenger
Christopher Plummer for The Last Station
Stanley Tucci for The Lovely Bones
Christoph Waltz for Inglourious Basterds WILL WIN/SHOULD WIN

Notes: If not for Christoph Waltz as the bad guy in Inglorious, this would have been a lesser movie.  Stanley Tucci also deserves credit in this category, but not for his work in The Lovely Bones.  He should have been nominated for playing Julia Childs’ husband in Julie & Julia.

Best Supporting Actress
Penélope Cruz for Nine
Vera Farmiga for Up in the Air
Maggie Gyllenhaal for Crazy Heart
Anna Kendrick for Up in the Air
Mo’Nique for Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire  WILL WIN/SHOULD WIN

Notes: Admission of guilt.  As of press time, I still haven’t seen Precious.  I am solely going on my fellow critics review of her work and the fan outpouring of support she’s received.

Best Director
Kathryn Bigelow for The Hurt Locker WILL WIN/SHOULD WIN
James Cameron for Avatar
Lee Daniels for Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire
Jason Reitman for Up in the Air
Quentin Tarantino for Inglourious Basterds

Notes: I giggle that James Cameron will be beat out by his ex-wife.  This is a good lesson for Jason (Son of funny movie god – Ivan) Reitman.  Get a couple movies under your belt and you’ll have your Oscar soon.

Best Original Screenplay
The Hurt Locker: Mark Boal WILL WIN/SHOULD WIN
Inglourious Basterds: Quentin Tarantino
The Messenger: Alessandro Camon, Oren Moverman
A Serious Man: Joel Coen, Ethan Coen
Up: Bob Peterson, Pete Docter, Thomas McCarthy

Notes: All of these movies deserve credit for their originality.  They all have their own charm and special touch.  All are worthy, but I would like to see Quentin Tarantino win sometime soon.

Best Animated Feature
Coraline
Fantastic Mr. Fox
The Princess and the Frog
The Secret of Kells
Up – WILL WIN/ SHOULD WIN

Notes: Fantastic and The Princess and the Frog are both great examples of creative animation.  Up was simply a better example.

Happy Oscaring!

Popularity: 3% [?]

     I’ll just take Adam’s word for it.  Of the ten movies nominated for best picture this year, I’ve seen two.  The Quentin Tarantino one, because I’m a huge fan of his (heck, my last dog was named Jackie Brown after his flick of the same name).  And I saw Up, the only animated nominee.  Loved them both but neither are getting the kind of talk, press, airtime that Avatar and The Hurt Locker are generating.   

     Adam, on the other hand, has seen ALL the nominated films and that’s why I defer to his pickin’ tomorrow morning.  He’ll tell us who should win and who will win (’cause sometimes those titles aren’t the same).

Popularity: 2% [?]