Wednesday, October 24, 2018

Smallfoot Exists, Suckers!

I finally had a chance to see "Smallfoot" while it was still in theaters.  I saw some trailers that I hadn't seen before, and I liked hearing the reactions from the kids in the audience.


  • Fun music.  I especially liked "Perfection".  So upbeat and happy!
  • The scroll of Invisible Wisdom.  Ha!  "It's not wisdom, and it's definitely not invisible."
  • It took me almost all the way through the movie by the time I noticed that the yeti do not have noses.
  • I did, though, notice that they all had blue lips, like I would have if I lived in the cold like that.
  • Love the imprint of Migo's face in the snow when the snowball rolled down the mountain.
  • That rap!  Not very good lyrics, but it was Ice, Ice Baby.  Loved seeing the backup singers in the credits, too.  I think I would like backup singers the next time I karaoke.
  • Yetis and bears understand each other, but yetis and humans need to communicate via sign language.  There's your nature lesson for the day.
  • "Let it Lie".  Oh, now I get the title.  "Now you know, now you know, now you know..."
  • Holy wowness!
That was fun.


Monday, October 22, 2018

DLR LotD 10/20/18

Disneyland Resort
Line of the Day

Saturday, October 20, 2018

"Those are some pretty scary-looking nipples there." -- Glenn, at Steakhouse 55 Hallowe'en Tea


She Is Rich in Beauty

I went to the Walt Disney Concert Hall last week to watch Gustavo Dudamel conduct the L.A. Philharmonic for Sergei Prokofiev's "Romeo and Juliet".  This was my first concert to watch in the WDCH, and my ticket was only $20.00, so I was very excited!


I arrived early so that I could take the free tour of the hall, which is open to all ticketholders of the evening's show.  The guide showed us examples of Frank Gehry's different architectural decisions, such as his wanting to expose the structure as much as he could. 



All of the walls are curved, not straight.





 If you are able to walk up the five flights of stairs, you can also walk around outside the top of the hall.


 Lillian Disney loved gardens, and there is a garden that has been established as a State park, so anyone can enjoy it, not just concert goers.  The garden includes 6 types of trees, which all bloom at different times of the year so that whenever you visit, you'll see a tree with flowers in bloom. (One of the tour participants said that the lady who brought all of the trees to the hall saw trees in the gardens of people's homes, and asked if she could purchase them for the concert hall.)    There is a beautiful sculpture made of Delft porcelain called the "Lilly Rose".  Lillian and Walt collected items made of Delft porcelain. 


Closer look at the porcelain
Much of the architecture has elements of water / fish.
One of the only paintings in the hall,
with the blue as the Pacific Ocean

Fish shape above the third level walkway

After the tour, I ate a sandwich from one of the bars, and enjoyed a glass of Sauvignon Blanc as I listened to a talk about Prokofiev and the music being played tonight.

My seat was behind the orchestra, where the LA Master Chorale would normally sit during a performance.  I was really happy to get my seat because I'd be able to watch the maestro's facial expressions as he conducted the orchestra. 




   I was also in a great position to see the "french fry" pipes of the organ up close. 

 We were also behind the percussion section, so I could see some of the instruments that are normally blocked from view by the rest of the orchestra when you watch from the traditional vantage point.
Triangles of different sizes!

I was also in a great position to see the "french fry" pipes of the organ up close.  

I was in Orchestra Geek Heaven!  Even more so when the musicians took the stage, the concertmaster guided them to tune with each other, and Dudamel turned around to face them.  

I am familiar with some of the main themes of "Romeo and Juliet", although I had listened to it in its entirety.  I had also never seen the ballet (I've only seen "The Nutcracker").  The setting for this ballet was very interesting because the dancers didn't have a traditional-sized set, due to the orchestra taking up most of the stage.  The dancers also did not dance throughout the evening; instead, they danced through the major portions of the story, like the ball when R&J meet, the balcony scene, Romeo's fight with Mercutio, and the death scene.  (Oops!  SPOILERS!)  Rather than the traditional tutus and tights, the dancers wore more contemporary clothing, like flannel-looking outfits and modern street clothing, along with sneakers.  I figured it must be difficult to point one's toes in sneakers.  

At one point, the side doors opened, and a smaller ensemble played music from the wings of the stage.  Actually, I think it happened at two points, but I only noticed the music the second time.  I saw the doors open, and thought the dancers would enter the stage, but they didn't, so I guess that was the first time the small ensemble performed.  

An actual cameraman appeared on stage, and when he backed up into the wings, the dancers followed, and video was shown above me (behind the orchestra) and above the sound booth for us to see the dancers continue to dance in the backstage area.  It was amazing to see how they used the different areas of the WDCH for the dancing.  I was most impressed with the balcony scene, as Juliet led Romeo from behind my section into the garden where we had toured earlier. 

Where part of the pas de deux took place
The pas de deux was made even more gorgeous because of the beautiful natural scenery of the garden and the amazing architecture.  It was like the hall itself was a character in the ballet.  I loved it!  The death scene was appropriately performed by the dancers in the area below the stage as Romeo danced with a presumed-dead Juliet.  It was kind of odd but sad as she was lifted up like a rag doll.  Romeo brought her back to the stage and killed himself, then when Juliet woke up, she danced a beautiful solo and we got to see her facial expressions during bits of it, which was a nice touch.  

I recognized some of the musicians from seeing them perform at the Hollywood Bowl, like the trumpet soloist and the violin soloist from the John Williams concert.  I delighted in seeing the bow used in different ways, not just with the horsehair side, but also with the wood, as well as pizzicato.  I wished that I was the one playing all of those beautiful runs, difficult as they probably were.  I smiled when the percussionists got to play the triangle and the snare drum and the tympani...OK, every time they played.  

I was very aware that due to my seat almost straight across from the conductor, people in the audience could see me and it made me try to stay alert, even in the sleepy parts.  I was glad when the family seated next to me left at intermission because I don't know if they were aware of the people seeing us nor did they seem particularly educated about how long it takes to perform a ballet.  I wished that the women in front of me hadn't left because I needed to cover my legs lest I flash the audience if I uncrossed my ankles. This would have been OK had it not been hot due to the lights beamed on the orchestra. Whew, I was warm!

I had a wonderful time and look forward to the next time I get to experience a concert in the hall.  Maybe from a traditional view...but I'd be happy to see it from that same seat, too.   

Bravo!

“I have more care to stay than will to go.” -- Romeo, Romeo and Juliet

Sunday, October 21, 2018

Never Stop Doing Right

Cindy had an extra ticket for a special screening of "The Hate U Give", and I was a willing recipient!  Yay for free popcorn and drinks, too.


  • OK, I never knew that Tupac's Thug Life was an acronym for "The Hate U Give Little Infants F*cks Everybody.  Now I do, and you do, too!
  • Amandla Stenberg does a fantastic job in this movie, covering all of the emotions of her character.
  • "Sounds like Hailey saw 'Straight Outta Compton' again last night."
  • K.J. Apa reminds me of a young version of Ty Burrell.  Oh, that's where I've seen him!  He's Archie on "Riverdale".  I've only seen one episode.
  • "Hoedom is universal."
  • "We've been together our whole lives, so we've still got time."
  • "Don't let anybody make you be quiet."
  • "If you don't see my blackness, then you don't see me."
  • "Did Sekani know?"
  • Russell Hornsby was also great as Starr's dad.  Actually, they all did a great job!
  • "I would tell him to put his hands up."  Chilling.  The world is just wrong.
  • I've been craving fried chicken ever since I saw the scene in the restaurant.
  • I'm going to need to see Anthony Mackie as Falcon before I like him again, because he was not a nice person in this film.
Great, great movie with a powerful message. I'm adding the book to my reading list. Thank you, Cindy!

Sunday, October 14, 2018

One Giant Leap

After getting some much-needed work done (yes, on a Sunday - ugh!), I rewarded myself by watching "First Man" in IMAX.


  • Great sound effects.  I felt like I was in the spacecraft / aircraft, it was incredibly realistic.
  • Very nice shot of the reflection of the horizon on Armstrong's helmet in the first scene.
  • I knew that some men died in NASA's efforts to finally get to the moon, but I hadn't thought of how it must effect the other astronauts whenever it happened.  They were very brave to carry on toward the goal.
  • Claire Foy did a great job of being the strong wife, afraid for her husband and for her kids.
  • "Your dad's going to the moon."  "Ok.  Can I go play outside?"
  • "Somebody got a Swiss Army knife?"
  • Even Ryan Gosling's fingers are sexy.  There.  I said it.  Also, he's a great actor, and I cried along with him after the funeral.
  • I especially liked the part of the score when they were piloting the Eagle: it was very intense, unlike the rest of the score, which was subdued.
  • Love that they showed part of JFK's speech.  This video was shown in my leadership training earlier this year, exemplifying a leader with vision.  "We choose to go to the moon."  Quite inspirational.
  • "We make all the mistakes down here so that we don't make them up there!"
  • "Roger, Tranquility, we copy you on the ground. You've got a bunch of guys about to turn blue. We're breathing again. Thanks a lot."
I wish that I could hear from my parents what they thought of the moon landing.  I asked them about it, and they said we had just immigrated and didn't own a TV or a radio.  I wish I could've told y'all that I was listening / watching along as a baby, but no.  I'll just have to make do with movies like this one, as well as the real footage.  What an amazing feat.

Friday, October 12, 2018

Check-In Time

This morning, I decided to see "Bad Times at the El Royale" after work tonight.  

  • I knew this movie would be violent, but I still jumped at the sound of the first gunshot.  
  • "What is this, some kind of pervert hotel?"
  • I thought at first that Jon Hamm was going to be like Don fake Draper, then I realized that he was a good guy, and then I got sad.
  • "Why have a bell?"
  • For those of you that get confused, this Jeff is Bridges.  Not the other one.  He does a fine job, as usual, but I did want to hear him sing along when Darlene sang.
  • Yes, I am willing to watch Chris Hemsworth walk around shirtless.  I will make that sacrifice.
  • How?  How did this intense movie make me cry near the end?  
  • I love hearing good singers sing a cappella.  Cynthia Ervio was great!
  • I also enjoyed Lewis Pullman's Miles.  I couldn't figure out his deal at first, then it made sense to me and I liked him more. 
  • Rose was creepy.  She didn't even cry about her sister, and she was wearing boots with what looked like a nightgown.
  • Ah, there's the portion of the score we heard at the LOST concert, when they did an encore.  Nice.
  • Loved hearing the different reactions from the audience throughout the film, because they mirrored my *gasp*, giggles, and "WHAT?!?!"
I enjoyed this movie, despite the creepy girl.  Great acting, great music, and lots of surprises.

Sunday, October 7, 2018

Celestial Birth

The much-anticipated new "A Star Is Born" opened this weekend!  I wasn't able to see it until today, but was able to snag a seat to watch it in Dolby.

  • I already knew Lady Gaga could sing, but WOW! She can act, too.  Splendidly.
  • How is this possible?  Bradley Cooper was already an amazing actor.  Now he's directing, writing, producing this movie, singing, AND writing songs?!?!  He just couldn't stick with handsome?  AND he's Rocket?  WHAT?
  • I love that Gaga was able to get her Little Monsters community into the film.
  • "I think you might be a songwriter.  Don't worry, I won't tell anybody.  But I'm not very good at keeping secrets."
  • "I'm wearing my Jackson titties!"
  • Tears.  So. Many. Tears.  Some happy as dreams were achieved, some sad.
  • Sam Elliot, I wanted to hear you sing, too.
  • "The one I idolized was you."  Dammit, I'm crying again.
  • "Music is essentially 12 notes between any octave.  12 notes in the octave repeats.  It's the same story told over and over.  All that the artist can offer the world is how they see those 12 notes."
  • One of the first things I did when I got home was purchase the soundtrack on Amazon.  I really liked all of the songs.
Sigh.  I think it's better if I just keep listening to the soundtrack, and not watch the movie over and over because I might get dehydrated from all of the tears.  Loved it, though.

DLR LotD 10/07/18

Disneyland Resort
Line of the Day

Saturday, October 7, 2018

"He tells his friends, 'My head will be in Genie's crotch tonight.'" -- Sherry, to Cindy, during Paint the Night