Top of the B-List
From the monthly archives:
Very very funny and interesting report about a night out to see a movie in mainland China. The best part was about the loud conversations going on all over the theatre in Cantonese, especially the guy on his cellphone. A very different experience, indeed. The entry on buying pirated DVDs is also great. (via boingboing)
{ Comments on this entry are closed }
Slate’s wine columnist Mike Steinberger weighs in on Sideways, perhaps my favourite film of 2004. Though he generally likes it, he can’t help but display some typical wine geek insecurity. He worries that Paul Giamatti’s portrayal of Miles Raymond, a character who is, in his words, “a bit of a wine asshole” will reflect badly on all wine lovers. He implicitly worries that people might think the character’s arrogance and selfishness somehow flow out of his being a wine connoisseur. Mike, relax! Miles is a character in a movie. He’s not representing everyone who loves wine. He’s not representing all middle-aged men. And no, Mike, he’s not representing you.
Although I do consider myself a wine lover, I’m not obsessive, and the thing I liked most about the film is that it’s not particularly about wine at all. It’s about life, with all its disappointments and its pleasures. And it’s about the crazy broken people who live it.
UPDATE: About an equal number of people get it and don’t get it on the eGullet Forums. When someone says the movie isn’t believable because a “true wine geek wouldn’t…”, I just had to roll my eyes.
{ Comments on this entry are closed }
I was signing up for some online games at EA Sports Big and I was asked if I wanted to sign up for some optional offers. Here was one of them: “Learn about Saudi Arabia’s fight against terrorism. Get weekly updates from Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia regarding current issues such as war on terrorism, oil supply, reform in the Kingdom and Mid-East peace.”
Do you think that’s strange? I think that’s strange.
{ Comments on this entry are closed }
Here’s an excellent introduction to the magic of Bollywood, including a whole lot of free MP3s. (via boingboing)
{ Comments on this entry are closed }
![Wine Report 2005 [cover image]](http://www.liffordwineagency.com/newsletter/2004/11/celebrate/images/wr_2005.jpg)
Wine Report 2005, by Tom Stevenson. (Dorling Kindersley, 432 pages, 2004). $20.00.
This annual guide was one of my favourite finds last year. Its aim, as described by editor Tom Stevenson, is to “provide a one-stop update on what has happened in the world of wine over the previous 12 months.” In my review of last year’s guide, I likened it to “a compendium of the best magazine writing of the year on wine.” In this, its second year of publication, Stevenson has reassembled his gang of experts to send in their reports on all the world’s wine regions, along with their opinions on the local issues affecting the wine industry in each place. There have been a number of changes, the most significant being the addition of two more regional chapters, one for Luxembourg as well as one for Belgium, the Netherlands and Scandinavia. Future editions will see additional chapters on Morocco and Algeria, and even unknown wine producing countries such as Zimbabwe, Malta and Ireland are promised, if and when Stevenson can find the experts.
Though this just arrived less than a week ago, I know I’ll be immersed in it for many months. This would be an ideal “stocking stuffer” for the not-quite-novice wine enthusiast who is curious about more than just what bottle to buy. At the end of each regional chapter, each expert lists the best wine producers in their region, as well as the up-and-comers, along with lists of “Best-Quality Wines,” “Best Bargains,” and most interestingly, “Most Exciting or Unusual Finds”. It’s refreshing to read an annual guide that’s not solely focussed on discussing specific wines. Instead, this dense little book is content to educate and let the reader explore the store shelves, restaurant wine list, or agent’s price list(!) on their own.
{ Comments on this entry are closed }
