for as much as i hate war, i'm sort of a fan of non-spielberg stories that deal with war. renowned director samuel fuller's novel the big red one is one of my favorite books, but i've yet to see the film by the same name. three kings, stalag 17, apocalypse now (obviously)...i love all three films. generation kill is possibly my favorite tv miniseries. it's not like i've ever been in the military or anything. the closest i've ever come was saying to my mother back in high school, "really? so i have to fill out that selective service card or i go to jail? well, ok then. i guess i'll sign it." to be honest, i'd have likely fled for canada if they'd ever reinstated the draft. i'm the first generation in my family who hasn't gone to war or at least been in the military. i'm pretty sure my high-school aged brother doesn't have military ambitions, so maybe the military tradition in my family will skip a generation.
...but i like war films. friday night, after i returned home from a short evening with two friends down 5th ave at bar reis & reis 100 (the bar's newly opened sandwich shop, where i totally had a white anchovy, pickled carrot & daikon, spicy mayo & cilantro sandwich. BAM!), i decided to watch a movie. i was in the mood for a lil comedy, so i queued up tropic thunder, the comedy about a group of actors shooting a war picture that turns into the real thing. it's taken me so long to see it because for me, the film had ended up in the same category as the crying game & its secret ninja penis, in that one aspect of the movie--academy award-nominated robert downey jr playing a black man--often became the main story surrounding the film. the cast is stellar beyond downey jr, with ben stiller (who i like) & jack black (who i tolerate) & a cast that includes nick nolte, steve coogan, kenny powers danny mcbride & friggin' tom cruise.
as the story goes, downey jr, stiller & black's characters are part of a group of prima donna actors shooting a vietnam war film directed by steve coogan's character, written by nick nolte's character & produced by tom cruise's. to be honest, i didn't even know it was cruise until at least half way through the movie, although i suffered some serious "who the hell is that guy" feelings every time he came on screen. the film shoot's going horribly, so the director & writer decide to shake things up by dropping the actors into the jungle, miles away from the set & their trailers. the director takes charge & coogan's character really explodes on the screen as the war picture becomes MORE REAL THAN THEY'VE BARGAINED FOR. hilarity ensues.
i liked it so much that i've decided to go back & watch a few war films this summer, most of which i've yet to see. how the lineup plays out thus far:
ON LIST:
- three sam fuller war pictures--the big red one, fixed bayonets! & the steel helmet
- renoir's la grande illusion
- jarhead (the only war movie i own)
- the deer hunter
POSSIBLY ON LIST:
- quentin tarantino's inglorious basterds
- the hurt locker
- in the army now, with pauly shore
NOT ON LIST:
- saving private ryan
#108 - tropical cherries.
snack: cherries
drink: samuel smith organic cherry ale
cherries are probably my favorite fruit. when i was but a wee lad, i'd eat those bright red maraschino ones right out of the jar. ice cream with a cherry on top? i'd have ice cream with four cherries on top & four others hidden within the ice cream itself. i can't say that i ever remember eating a non-maraschino cherry as a kid though. now that i'm an adult (of sorts), i'm trying to overhaul the diet a bit these days & that includes eating nothing but natural snacks for a little bit, hence the bowl of cherries. i'm so glad that i eventually discovered non-jarred & juice immersed cherries, because, pit & all, they're a damn tasty fruit...now if i could just get down that sexy cherry stem-tying thing. actually, screw that. i don't need cherry stems to prove my dexterity.
it turns out that cherries don't have a very long shelf life. tonight, i went back to finish them off & those mofos had already started molding & turning into wine & whatnot. boo cherries. now i'll have to get more of you tomorrow to get my fill. if you're not careful & i'm not stuck to my mattress come 8am, i might even get feisty & chop yo ass up into a morning smoothie along with no less than four other fruits. your own mother won't even recognize you.
since i was going all tropical & fruity, i opened up a bottle of samuel smith organic cherry ale to accompany the cherries. along with the raspberry & strawberry varieties, it's one of sam smith's three fruit beers, which are brewed with actual fruit juice. it's absolutely amazing tasting--think the flavor of a cider, but not as watery & bitter. it's a flavor similar to what you'd get from a syrup-infused berliner weisse, sans wheatiness. paupers take note: it's not a beer for the indigent & downtrodden. i forked over $8.50 for a 18.7oz bottle & i'd do it again, since the ale & cherry combo created an orgasmically pleasurable & fruity explosion in my mouth.
also, in other recent work/cherry-related developments, i'm now heading up the site for john mellencamp's fan club--"club cherry bomb." i grew up with "hurts so good" and "jack & diane" & "pink houses," but they've mostly just been a part of the larger mass of 80's songs in my head. coincidentally, npr's fresh air had an interview with him on friday, timed to coincide with thursday's start of the dylan/mellencamp/willie nelson tour of minor league ballparks. after listening to the interview & mellencamp performing a few songs acoustic, i have a better appreciation for his music & for his take on things. when asked what he learned from the experience of his song "this is our country" being used in chevy silverado ads, he had this to say: "i learned that an artist shouldn't have to do this. this is not what my songs are about...but i also learned that chevrolet was a better record company than columbia." amen, john. amen.