These are not travel guides.
Movie Review: Amistad (1997)
This is a Spielberg drama that takes place in the 19th century. A group of slaves takes control of their ship and they land in America. They are immediately placed in jail and a series of court dramas ensues. Various parties (such as the Queen of Spain, the owners of the boat, and the American navy offices who boarded the ship) all claim that the slaves are their property. Djimon Hounsou (from Gladiator) is brilliant as the unofficial leader of the slaves. Mathew McConaughey is less convincing in his role as an attourney. While not as powerful as Schindler's List this is still a strong movie about some of the deplorable things humankind has done in it's not-too-distant past. The scenes showing the horrendous treatment the slaves endured during their trip from Africa to Cuba are especially haunting. 7.5/10
Movie Review:
Last Life in the Universe (2003)
This is a mesmerizing movie about a Japanese man living in Bangkok and the Thai woman he befriends. There is also a complicated mix of Yakuza hitmen, vendettas, car accidents, and halucinations. This movie leaves a lot of questions unresolved at the end of the movie so people who like movies that are all neatly tied up by the end may be disappointed here. In fact, I think 3 different endings were shown at the end leaving the viewer to choose which one he or she prefers. This is just my impression though and I may be wrong. This is really one of those movies that requires multiple viewings. 9/10
Book Review:
The Pleasure of Finding Things Out: The Best Short Works of Richard P. Feynman
Feynman won a nobel prize for his work in quantum electrodynamics. He also worked on the Manhattan Project and contributed to the official government report on the destruction of the space shuttle challenger. This collection of short stories reveals Feynman's brilliance, love of safecracking, and a great admiration for his father who instilled in him a desire to understand how things work. It was a little strange to read about how this great, but very funny man, was celebrating at the news of the 'success' of the atomic attacks on Japan.
This is a Spielberg drama that takes place in the 19th century. A group of slaves takes control of their ship and they land in America. They are immediately placed in jail and a series of court dramas ensues. Various parties (such as the Queen of Spain, the owners of the boat, and the American navy offices who boarded the ship) all claim that the slaves are their property. Djimon Hounsou (from Gladiator) is brilliant as the unofficial leader of the slaves. Mathew McConaughey is less convincing in his role as an attourney. While not as powerful as Schindler's List this is still a strong movie about some of the deplorable things humankind has done in it's not-too-distant past. The scenes showing the horrendous treatment the slaves endured during their trip from Africa to Cuba are especially haunting. 7.5/10Movie Review:
Last Life in the Universe (2003)
This is a mesmerizing movie about a Japanese man living in Bangkok and the Thai woman he befriends. There is also a complicated mix of Yakuza hitmen, vendettas, car accidents, and halucinations. This movie leaves a lot of questions unresolved at the end of the movie so people who like movies that are all neatly tied up by the end may be disappointed here. In fact, I think 3 different endings were shown at the end leaving the viewer to choose which one he or she prefers. This is just my impression though and I may be wrong. This is really one of those movies that requires multiple viewings. 9/10Book Review:
The Pleasure of Finding Things Out: The Best Short Works of Richard P. Feynman
Feynman won a nobel prize for his work in quantum electrodynamics. He also worked on the Manhattan Project and contributed to the official government report on the destruction of the space shuttle challenger. This collection of short stories reveals Feynman's brilliance, love of safecracking, and a great admiration for his father who instilled in him a desire to understand how things work. It was a little strange to read about how this great, but very funny man, was celebrating at the news of the 'success' of the atomic attacks on Japan.
posted by Jason at 2:04 PM
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