Hmmm... Hadn't thought about the library, but that is a really good suggestion! Our library each year holds a fundraiser sale to purge the shelves and the DVD's are $1, as are the CD's and the books.
The DVD's I was having problems with were from Redbox. Gave up my Netflix disk'ing a long time ago as *somebody* would request a certain title and then take months to view it...meaning it would've been cheaper just to buy the DVD. I've got Netflix streaming, though, and love it...although their movie choices are kind of lame. Their documentaries are superb, however. Especially liked the recent one on Keith Richards which was quite insightful as to the art of music style.
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BURNT:
It's good! It's entertaining and enjoyable, even though Bradley Cooper's character is insufferably bombastic and arrogant in a Gordon Ramsay way. (BTW, does anybody else think Gordon Ramsay looks like a cross between a Cabbage Patch doll and Chuckie? Okay, maybe more Cabbage Patch than demon, but it wouldn't be too hard to create a pretty good stuffed caricature.) Breaking through the pompous shell to let a ray of insight in is the struggle of the movie. A fun supporting cast... You'll miss Uma Thurman if you're not attentive; Emma Thompson has never been frumpier. The joy of watching a DVD is often the Bonus material, and some of the deleted scenes are pure nuggets of gold that should've been left in the film...so do watch them if you rent the DVD, especially the scene where the customer asks for potatoes.
This is not a movie to watch if you're hungry as there's food....lots and lots of pretty food amidst the story line. And the plot and story move at a good pace, so it's not boring. But you do have to enjoy the art of food, otherwise you'll just focus on the characters and get annoyed by their self-absorption.... But I guess it reflects that Michelin-starred chefs can be a tad OCD perfectionists at all costs. DH enjoyed the movie, though, which is amazing considering his tastes run to the exploding helicopters / car chases / fiery explosions / lots of bullets or bimbos fare. So, over all, I recommend it. You probably won't learn any tips of the trade, but you will get a good behind-the-doors glimpse of the world of haute cuisine.
Which reminds me of a birthday not too long ago in Las Vegas when DH and I went to Michael Mina's restaurant to celebrate. I ordered up the lobster/clambake which arrived in a big copper cauldron topped with puffed pastry that you broke open to reveal the beautifully steamed contents beneath. It was a lot of food and gorgeous presentation. Alas, my DH is allergic to shellfish, so he ordered the John Dory....which arrived in a "food as art" form: Three naked fish slivers -- 4" x 1/2" each at most -- on a tray of sauce dots. Total chick food, but even an anorexic super model would've been clamoring for more sustenance. (AND it was a $55 dish!) Sheesh.... Are John Dory an endangered species or something? (We ordered an extra dessert and hit Taco Bell on the way home. It'll be hard to drag DH into another celebrated chef's restaurant.)
The DVD's I was having problems with were from Redbox. Gave up my Netflix disk'ing a long time ago as *somebody* would request a certain title and then take months to view it...meaning it would've been cheaper just to buy the DVD. I've got Netflix streaming, though, and love it...although their movie choices are kind of lame. Their documentaries are superb, however. Especially liked the recent one on Keith Richards which was quite insightful as to the art of music style.
- - -
BURNT:
It's good! It's entertaining and enjoyable, even though Bradley Cooper's character is insufferably bombastic and arrogant in a Gordon Ramsay way. (BTW, does anybody else think Gordon Ramsay looks like a cross between a Cabbage Patch doll and Chuckie? Okay, maybe more Cabbage Patch than demon, but it wouldn't be too hard to create a pretty good stuffed caricature.) Breaking through the pompous shell to let a ray of insight in is the struggle of the movie. A fun supporting cast... You'll miss Uma Thurman if you're not attentive; Emma Thompson has never been frumpier. The joy of watching a DVD is often the Bonus material, and some of the deleted scenes are pure nuggets of gold that should've been left in the film...so do watch them if you rent the DVD, especially the scene where the customer asks for potatoes.
This is not a movie to watch if you're hungry as there's food....lots and lots of pretty food amidst the story line. And the plot and story move at a good pace, so it's not boring. But you do have to enjoy the art of food, otherwise you'll just focus on the characters and get annoyed by their self-absorption.... But I guess it reflects that Michelin-starred chefs can be a tad OCD perfectionists at all costs. DH enjoyed the movie, though, which is amazing considering his tastes run to the exploding helicopters / car chases / fiery explosions / lots of bullets or bimbos fare. So, over all, I recommend it. You probably won't learn any tips of the trade, but you will get a good behind-the-doors glimpse of the world of haute cuisine.
Which reminds me of a birthday not too long ago in Las Vegas when DH and I went to Michael Mina's restaurant to celebrate. I ordered up the lobster/clambake which arrived in a big copper cauldron topped with puffed pastry that you broke open to reveal the beautifully steamed contents beneath. It was a lot of food and gorgeous presentation. Alas, my DH is allergic to shellfish, so he ordered the John Dory....which arrived in a "food as art" form: Three naked fish slivers -- 4" x 1/2" each at most -- on a tray of sauce dots. Total chick food, but even an anorexic super model would've been clamoring for more sustenance. (AND it was a $55 dish!) Sheesh.... Are John Dory an endangered species or something? (We ordered an extra dessert and hit Taco Bell on the way home. It'll be hard to drag DH into another celebrated chef's restaurant.)
