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...or at least a lot of his films.

I know it's currently the "in-thing" to bash Tom Cruise. Given his couch jumping, face-eating kisses and all around open weirdness lately it might be justified. However, the one thing that gets lost in all of that is that I actually enjoy quite a few of his films. Jerry Maguire, Magnolia, Top Gun, the first two Mission: Impossible films (I didn't get around to seeing the 3rd because I also got sucked into the anti-Cruise juggernaut) are all very enjoyable films to me.

Last night on a total whim Anji and I decided to have a little Tom Cruise double feature. We watched War of the Worlds and Collateral back to back. Both films were pretty enjoyable for what they where. When it comes to reviewing films I always try and look at the type of film (genre, style, cast, etc) to try and determine how I am going to read it. In short, Billy Madison is going to be "reviewed" differently for me than Casablanca. Fair or not, that's how I do it.

In the case of War of the Worlds, I thought it was a fun popcorn movie. I am no fan of Speilberg by any means so the fact that I didn't want to pull the DVD from my player half way through and bury it in under the earth just like the machines in the film was a pretty good sign.

Although, given that Mr. Cruise is a Scientologist I couldn't help but to think that he wouldn't be running from the "machines" as much as he'd be bowing too them, right? I mean after all is that any way for a Level 7 thetan to act? (Look it up if you have to. The beliefs of Scientology are interesting at the very least.)

Collateral and I liked more, but it was just a better scripted, better acted film all the way around. I love Michael Mann's style. If you haven't seen Heat with Pacino and DeNiro I highly recommend it.

I came out of last night's Tom Cruise double feature a little bit encouraged. In the wake of all the TomKat, TomKitten, L Ron Hubbard media frenzy - I can still enjoy Tom Cruise films and I am not ashamed to admit that. Keep em coming, Tom! (the movies, not the babies, torrid affairs and tabloid rumors).

For those of you who don't know, Christopher J. Hanke originated the role of JT in the wonderfully terrible Broadway show, "In My Life" which also starred the wonderful Jessica Boevers. It didn't run long, but I had the pleasure of seeing it last November - and while the show itself was just insane, I had a great time at the theatre and Hanke's performance as JT was very good.

In My Life was the story of a young guy who falls in love with a young girl in Greenwich Village (She works for the Voice). They sing a little, they dance a little. There's a "God" character involved. That's about all we knew for awhile until we found a couple of more plot complications: The young man is a musician with Tourette's syndrome. The other? Simply that the journalist is best by obsessive compulsive disorder. And it's all from the mind and pen of Joe Brooks who gave us Debbie Boone's "You Light Up My Life"

I really thought at the time that he was going to have a healthy career on Broadway.

Well, he's recently taken over the role of Mark in Rent after the very bland and unappealing Matt Caplan left the show after more than 6 year run. (In all fairness I've heard that Caplan was once very good, but I saw him in November of 05 and he seemed bored and I felt his characterization of Mark was really far off base.

Anyway...here is a clip of Hanke performing "What You Own" in Bryant Park.

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Breakfast at Tiffany's has always been "one of those movies" that makes my "I Can't Believe I Haven't Seen That" list.

That changed this afternoon.

She said, "I think I remember the film,

Anji is out of town on business so I am home alone looking for things to do to pass the time, so I filled up the DVD player with 5 movies that I've been waiting to see. Breakfast at Tiffany's was the first on the list.

I'm not going to go into full review mode here or anything. I really enjoyed it and I am glad that I finally saw it. Audrey Hepburn is absolutely delicious in it and it had some really warm and fuzzy moments.

I suppose I should type in a spoiler warning, but really if you cared that much you might have seen the film in the 45 years it has been available for viewing.

And as I recall, I think, we both kinda liked it."

Anyway....

In the final scene where Holly tells the cabbie to pull over and makes the cat get out in the rain I really wanted to punch something. I realize it was an important character choice and it leads up to her realization that she is allowing herself to love Paul and Cat and finally admit it...but still, it made me a bit sad.

I know two little boys in my apartment who are going to get more hugs than they'd like thanks to My Golightly.

And I said, "Well, that's the one thing we've got."

I just had some sugar-free maple syrup flavored oatmeal. You know - trying to lose those last few lbs for New York. Man, was it ever awful.

Anji eats it regularly. I don't see how. I felt like I was eating school paste that went bad.

That is all.

In the last week I've watched: Breakfast at Tiffany's, The Upside of Anger, The Island, Girl with a Pearl Earring, Fame & Lost in Translation.

You can tell Anji is out of town. :)

I am trying to find a pair of the non-lace slip on Chuck Taylor's in black. No one carries my size.

The last place I went to told us, "They only make them up to 9."

Hmmm, then why does the Converse website show me up to 13.5? Just curious.

Assholes.

Firstly, I want to thank everyone who is leaving comments on my blog. I really appreciate hearing from everyone. It's nice to know that someone actually reads the random updates on my pretty uneventful life. :)

It's only 2 days until New York! I'm very excited. Seeing the closing of Sweeney Todd, Christopher Hanke in Rent, and probably performances of The Lt. of Inishmore and maybe [title of show] will be fun. I also can't wait to see Clay and Sara. It absolutely sucks to have your best friends living on the other side of the country. Months go by with out seeing people. I need to start socialize more in LA I suppose.

Anyone have any picture requests in NY? Anyone? Bueller? ;)

A theme is coming soon - I promise. :)

The word forte is one that I use quite often and I notice that people who use it often use it incorrectly and it drives me CRAZY.

Below, I have pasted the definition from dictionary.com:

forte1  /fɔrt, foʊrt or, for 1, ˈfɔrteɪ/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[fawrt, fohrt or, for 1, fawr-tey] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation –noun 1. a strong point, as of a person; that in which one excels: I don't know what her forte is, but it's not music. 2. the stronger part of a sword blade, between the middle and the hilt (opposed to foible). [Origin: 1640–50; earlier fort < MF (see fort); disyllabic pron. by assoc. with forte2]

for‧te2  /ˈfɔrteɪ; It. ˈfɔrtɛ/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[fawr-tey; It. fawr-te] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation Music.
–adjective
1. (a direction) loud; with force (opposed to piano).
–adverb
2. (a direction) loudly.
–noun
3. a passage that is loud and forcible, or is intended to be so.
[Origin: 1715–25; < It < L fortis strong]

—Synonyms 1. talent, skill, excellence, strength, specialty; knack, bent.
—Pronunciation note In the sense of a person's strong point (He draws well, but sculpture is his forte ), the older and historical pronunciation of forte is the one-syllable /fɔrt/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[fawrt] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation or /foʊrt/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[fohrt] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation. The word is derived from the French word fort "strong." A two-syllable pronunciation /ˈfɔrteɪ/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[fawr-tey] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation is increasingly heard, especially from younger educated speakers, perhaps owing to confusion with the musical term forte, pronounced in English as /ˈfɔrteɪ/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[fawr-tey] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation and in Italian as /ˈfɔrtɛ/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[fawr-te] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation. Both the one- and two-syllable pronunciations of forte are now considered standard.

Now, I highlighted the key part. If you are talking about someone having a strong point like being a fast reader or a quick learner that forte would be pronounced "fort". Like Fort Knox. If you are talking about music it should be pronounced "for-tay". Yes, I realize that both pronunciations of the word are now considered standard, but I hate it when we create the standard out of years of being incorrect and ignorant.

If you use this wonderful word, I implore you to use it correctly. :)