Never judge a movie by its publicity.
An image of four nude, smiling twentysomethings sprawled around the title "The Bubble" suggests yet another raunchy, slapstick teen movie. But this flick is quite the opposite, so much so that the all-Hebrew dialogue with English subtitles seems like an afterthought.
Drama, politics and a modern-day Romeo and Juliet (played by two young gay men) provide the material for director Eytan Fox's gem, set in Tel Aviv.
The opening scene is gritty, set at a barren checkpoint somewhere between Tel Aviv and the Palestinian city of Nablus, where Israeli guards toting semiautomatic weapons bully a busload of Arabs, checking out potential suicide bombers. Among the Arab men is Ashraf (Yousef "Joe" Sweid), who catches the eye of a young Israeli soldier, Noam (Ohad Knoller), as the soldier rushes to the aid of a pregnant woman delivering a breech baby. The baby is stillborn, setting off the angry mob of Arabs, who blame the baby's death on the innocent soldier. In all the chaos, Noam loses his ID card on the roadside.
Unsurprisingly, Ashraf finds and miraculously returns it on the same day Noam returns home from his monthlong stint as a guard (after an undisclosed period of time, as time seems to fly in this movie with few transitions). So begins their puppy love saga.
Noam's two peace-loving roommates, Yelli (Alon Friedmann) and Lulu (Daniela Wircer) warily accept Ashraf into their apartment and their lives, but quickly decide they really do like the guy. Through all the roommates' torrid love affairs — and a few sex scenes (though tactfully done) — the city of Tel Aviv remains their oyster, or rather, "bubble." It is clear that living in Tel Aviv has sheltered them from the stark world of two countries at merciless war that surrounds the city.
Though the acting is consistent, the plot lacks conflict until the final 20 minutes, other than the danger that Ashraf braves being a gay Palestinian in Tel Aviv, which is only hinted at subtly. The very end might as well have been from a different movie: suicide bombings, death and destruction, none of which made appearances in the previous 90 minutes.
Though a lack of transitional tact and restrained conflict keep "The Bubble" from being spectacular, it is still certainly a movie that far outdistances its own publicity.
Monday, October 29, 2007
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Ode to Pete
I cannot believe that through all the times I’ve been downtown, I’ve never been to Pete’s Piano Bar. Well, until last weekend, I had never been. Let me just say that after spending my entire Saturday night there, I will definitely go back (and I think I can honestly say that it was one of the best nights out I’ve ever had in downtown Austin).
Most of the crowd that populated the barroom was in the 25-45 year range, which is a breath of fresh air from the 18-21 year-olds running around 6th street. Everyone was in high spirits, singing along to each song that the two dueling pianists played. The two guys behind each piano were young (probably mid to late twenties) and easily got the crowd involved in the piano jams. For those of you who haven’t been to a dueling piano bar, here’s the concept:
People write their song requests on cocktail napkins, wrap the napkins around some money (I’d say the average is probably five to seven bucks) and go up to the stage and place it on the piano. The two pianists have fish bowls overflowing with cash, but it is all well deserved. Some people give them up to twenty bucks to hear a song, in which case, they immediately bump it up to the next song on the playlist and announce rather loudly (and very gratefully) that they received such a generous tip. These guys know just about every song imaginable and it’s safe to say that they definitely do each song justice.
Occasionally they bring people from the surrounding tables up to the stage to sit on the piano as they serenade the bar goer. Saturday night, they brought a bride-to-be up to the stage, along with all of her bridesmaids and members of the bachelorette party, and they all visibly had a great time singing (or rather, shouting) to Joan Jett’s “I Love Rock and Roll.”
The bartenders hustle to make drinks for patrons (and they’re more than willing to make any and everything) and do so with a smile. The bar itself is a little run down and has a saloon-like feel to it, which adds to the nostalgia. Tables fill up rather quickly, but there is an upstairs bar area that looks down over the two grand pianos. It’s easy to meet people in this place, as everyone is in a good mood and often compliment each other's song choices.
Pete’s Piano Bar is a guaranteed good time for all.
Now open on Mondays
421 East 6th Street
Austin, TX 78701
Phone: (512) 472-PETE (7383)
Fax: (512) 472-7390
Mon-Sat, 6:30 pm-2:00 am
Showtime at 8:00
Manager - Tim Lopinto
www.petesduelingpianobar.com
Most of the crowd that populated the barroom was in the 25-45 year range, which is a breath of fresh air from the 18-21 year-olds running around 6th street. Everyone was in high spirits, singing along to each song that the two dueling pianists played. The two guys behind each piano were young (probably mid to late twenties) and easily got the crowd involved in the piano jams. For those of you who haven’t been to a dueling piano bar, here’s the concept:
People write their song requests on cocktail napkins, wrap the napkins around some money (I’d say the average is probably five to seven bucks) and go up to the stage and place it on the piano. The two pianists have fish bowls overflowing with cash, but it is all well deserved. Some people give them up to twenty bucks to hear a song, in which case, they immediately bump it up to the next song on the playlist and announce rather loudly (and very gratefully) that they received such a generous tip. These guys know just about every song imaginable and it’s safe to say that they definitely do each song justice.
Occasionally they bring people from the surrounding tables up to the stage to sit on the piano as they serenade the bar goer. Saturday night, they brought a bride-to-be up to the stage, along with all of her bridesmaids and members of the bachelorette party, and they all visibly had a great time singing (or rather, shouting) to Joan Jett’s “I Love Rock and Roll.”
The bartenders hustle to make drinks for patrons (and they’re more than willing to make any and everything) and do so with a smile. The bar itself is a little run down and has a saloon-like feel to it, which adds to the nostalgia. Tables fill up rather quickly, but there is an upstairs bar area that looks down over the two grand pianos. It’s easy to meet people in this place, as everyone is in a good mood and often compliment each other's song choices.
Pete’s Piano Bar is a guaranteed good time for all.
Now open on Mondays
421 East 6th Street
Austin, TX 78701
Phone: (512) 472-PETE (7383)
Fax: (512) 472-7390
Mon-Sat, 6:30 pm-2:00 am
Showtime at 8:00
Manager - Tim Lopinto
www.petesduelingpianobar.com
Long winter... and spring... ahead
The "Sex and the City" movie doesn't come out until May.
MAY.
I want it now.
MAY.
I want it now.
Monday, October 15, 2007
This show creates quite a bang
“The Big Bang Theory” is CBS’s newest comedy showcasing just how inept two brilliant young physicists can be when it comes to women, street smarts and real life.
Johnny Galecki (made famous as David on “Roseanne”) plays Leonard, a genius in love with the way-out-of-his-league blonde bombshell neighbor Penny (Kaley Cuoco of “8 Simple Rules”). Leonard’s roommate, Sheldon (Jim Parsons) seems to have an even smaller grasp on the way the real world functions and doesn’t seem to understand Leonard’s hopeless crush, but both are genuinely nice guys. Penny, a waitress at the Cheesecake Factory, lives up to her blonde roots, yet seems to have a soft spot for her geeky neighbors.
Most of the sitcom takes place inside Leonard and Sheldon’s apartment, where the two guys usually have company in the form of their two nerdy friends, Raj and Howard. Raj physically cannot speak to women and Howard is quite the opposite, considering himself the ladies man, though his bowl cut and always skin-tight pants suggest otherwise. The guys are usually found sitting around the coffee table playing computer games on their laptops, playing “Dance Dance Revolution” (while hurling wordy insults at each other from their impressive vocabularies), or contemplating all things Penny.
Though the four physicists converse in “nerd speak,” using massive words and logic to explain the simplest things, it is surprisingly easy for the audience to follow along (and in turn, laugh hysterically at the thinking processes these guys go through). Last week’s episode had a perfect example of this when Leonard, crushed at the thought that Penny had a new boyfriend and trying to move on, asked one of the female physicists (played by Sara Gilbert- Darlene from “Roseanne”- an amusing casting choice) from work out on a date.
______________
Leonard: Leslie, I would like to propose an experiment.
Leslie: Hang on, I’m trying to see how long it takes a 500-kilowatt oxygen-iodine laser to heat up my Cup O’ Noodles.
…………………..
Leonard: Anyway, I was thinking more along the lines of a bio-social exploration with a neuro-chemical overlay.
Leslie: Wait, are you asking me out?
Leonard: I was going to characterize it as the modification of our colleague-slash-friendship paradigm, with the addition of a date-like component, but we don’t need to quibble over terminology.
______________
Penny makes a great addition to the foursome of nerds, as most of her facial expressions and reactions to their genius jargon are what an average person’s might be. She is sweet and charming: the perfect balance for her neighbors.
The show is hilarious and must be watched by all.
"The Big Bang Theory"
Monday nights 8:30 ET on CBS
Johnny Galecki (made famous as David on “Roseanne”) plays Leonard, a genius in love with the way-out-of-his-league blonde bombshell neighbor Penny (Kaley Cuoco of “8 Simple Rules”). Leonard’s roommate, Sheldon (Jim Parsons) seems to have an even smaller grasp on the way the real world functions and doesn’t seem to understand Leonard’s hopeless crush, but both are genuinely nice guys. Penny, a waitress at the Cheesecake Factory, lives up to her blonde roots, yet seems to have a soft spot for her geeky neighbors.
Most of the sitcom takes place inside Leonard and Sheldon’s apartment, where the two guys usually have company in the form of their two nerdy friends, Raj and Howard. Raj physically cannot speak to women and Howard is quite the opposite, considering himself the ladies man, though his bowl cut and always skin-tight pants suggest otherwise. The guys are usually found sitting around the coffee table playing computer games on their laptops, playing “Dance Dance Revolution” (while hurling wordy insults at each other from their impressive vocabularies), or contemplating all things Penny.
Though the four physicists converse in “nerd speak,” using massive words and logic to explain the simplest things, it is surprisingly easy for the audience to follow along (and in turn, laugh hysterically at the thinking processes these guys go through). Last week’s episode had a perfect example of this when Leonard, crushed at the thought that Penny had a new boyfriend and trying to move on, asked one of the female physicists (played by Sara Gilbert- Darlene from “Roseanne”- an amusing casting choice) from work out on a date.
______________
Leonard: Leslie, I would like to propose an experiment.
Leslie: Hang on, I’m trying to see how long it takes a 500-kilowatt oxygen-iodine laser to heat up my Cup O’ Noodles.
…………………..
Leonard: Anyway, I was thinking more along the lines of a bio-social exploration with a neuro-chemical overlay.
Leslie: Wait, are you asking me out?
Leonard: I was going to characterize it as the modification of our colleague-slash-friendship paradigm, with the addition of a date-like component, but we don’t need to quibble over terminology.
______________
Penny makes a great addition to the foursome of nerds, as most of her facial expressions and reactions to their genius jargon are what an average person’s might be. She is sweet and charming: the perfect balance for her neighbors.
The show is hilarious and must be watched by all.
"The Big Bang Theory"
Monday nights 8:30 ET on CBS
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
And the winner is...
Hung!
Tonight's "Top Chef" announcement wasn't very surprising, although I was really pulling for Dale or Casey to win (since CJ was booted out a few episodes ago). We've heard all about his excellent knife skills and I'm sure his food is delicious... blah, blah, blah.
Whatever.
Congratulations, Hung (I guess). Now change your attitude. Arrogance is not a positive quality.
Tonight's "Top Chef" announcement wasn't very surprising, although I was really pulling for Dale or Casey to win (since CJ was booted out a few episodes ago). We've heard all about his excellent knife skills and I'm sure his food is delicious... blah, blah, blah.
Whatever.
Congratulations, Hung (I guess). Now change your attitude. Arrogance is not a positive quality.
Library Etiquette 101
Warning: I'm venting here.
What part of "Please turn cell phone ringers off and conduct all calls in the student lobby" is such a mystery that people fail to follow these rules? The sign in the library, which, by the way, is posted on every column, wall, and desk throughout the establishment, does not say "It's okay, you can conduct some of your calls here inside the library while people are working quietly. You won't disturb them. Trust us!" Yet something still gets lost in translation.
I am disappointed and slightly appalled that St. Edward's students so often completely disregard the fact that other people are working around them who don't want to be disrupted. I always follow the rule: put my cell phone on vibrate and keep it in my pocket. I'll still know if someone's calling and I can go out to the student lobby and take the call if I feel it necessary.
Yesterday, I was working at a table with 12 other computers, all occcupied, when the girl across from me got a phone call.
"Hello?" Nope. She wasn't whispering. In fact, she wasn't even talking in a normal tone of voice. She was a notch under yelling.
"Oh! Heyyyy girrrrl! Yeah, I'm still coming over... yeah, I'll pick it up. You wanted Bacardi Peach, right?... I know! That's my favorite too!... Nah, I'm still in the library... Oh, no! It's cool! Nobody cares... Okay, I'll call you back when I get outta class. Bye, girrrl!"
I wanted to punch her in the face, but not more than the girl who interrupted me at that very same table today. I was on a roll writing my American Dilemmas paper this time.
*Britney Spears ringtone* and then:
"Hello?" Once again, almost shouting.
I write.
"Where are you?"
Trying to ignore her, I delete the last few words I've written in an attempt to focus.
"Where are you?"
She's getting into my head now.
"Where are you?
Oh my God, SHUT UP.
"Where are you?"
Everyone has stopped working at this point and is staring at her. A very polite older man, probably mid-fifties, pipes up:
"Excuse me, miss, but could you please take your call outside? I completely lost my train of thought!" He smiles.
She rolls her eyes and hangs up on her caller.
"Ugh, whatever." She gathers her things and storms out, causing a scene.
As if she hasn't been rude enough already.
And don't even get me started on the idiot in the computer lab yesterday. She even discussed (very) loudly with her friend how the last time she was in there, unable to keep her freaking mouth shut, a woman asked her to please be quiet. Someone else overheard her this time (and really, how could we not?) and asked her if she could do so again. Her response?
"Ugh! What is the deal?! Get your own freakin' computers people and work from home. That's what I do!"
Disgusting.
What part of "Please turn cell phone ringers off and conduct all calls in the student lobby" is such a mystery that people fail to follow these rules? The sign in the library, which, by the way, is posted on every column, wall, and desk throughout the establishment, does not say "It's okay, you can conduct some of your calls here inside the library while people are working quietly. You won't disturb them. Trust us!" Yet something still gets lost in translation.
I am disappointed and slightly appalled that St. Edward's students so often completely disregard the fact that other people are working around them who don't want to be disrupted. I always follow the rule: put my cell phone on vibrate and keep it in my pocket. I'll still know if someone's calling and I can go out to the student lobby and take the call if I feel it necessary.
Yesterday, I was working at a table with 12 other computers, all occcupied, when the girl across from me got a phone call.
"Hello?" Nope. She wasn't whispering. In fact, she wasn't even talking in a normal tone of voice. She was a notch under yelling.
"Oh! Heyyyy girrrrl! Yeah, I'm still coming over... yeah, I'll pick it up. You wanted Bacardi Peach, right?... I know! That's my favorite too!... Nah, I'm still in the library... Oh, no! It's cool! Nobody cares... Okay, I'll call you back when I get outta class. Bye, girrrl!"
I wanted to punch her in the face, but not more than the girl who interrupted me at that very same table today. I was on a roll writing my American Dilemmas paper this time.
*Britney Spears ringtone* and then:
"Hello?" Once again, almost shouting.
I write.
"Where are you?"
Trying to ignore her, I delete the last few words I've written in an attempt to focus.
"Where are you?"
She's getting into my head now.
"Where are you?
Oh my God, SHUT UP.
"Where are you?"
Everyone has stopped working at this point and is staring at her. A very polite older man, probably mid-fifties, pipes up:
"Excuse me, miss, but could you please take your call outside? I completely lost my train of thought!" He smiles.
She rolls her eyes and hangs up on her caller.
"Ugh, whatever." She gathers her things and storms out, causing a scene.
As if she hasn't been rude enough already.
And don't even get me started on the idiot in the computer lab yesterday. She even discussed (very) loudly with her friend how the last time she was in there, unable to keep her freaking mouth shut, a woman asked her to please be quiet. Someone else overheard her this time (and really, how could we not?) and asked her if she could do so again. Her response?
"Ugh! What is the deal?! Get your own freakin' computers people and work from home. That's what I do!"
Disgusting.
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
Promo for "Depends" adult diapers
"The Big Bang Theory" is the most hilarious show on tv right now. Or quite possibly that's ever been on tv.
No, I've seen far too many episodes of "Friends" to make such a snap judgment.
But seriously, you probably have to wear a diaper when you watch the show because it will make you wet your pants laughing.
"The Big Bang Theory"
Monday nights at 7:30 central on CBS
No, I've seen far too many episodes of "Friends" to make such a snap judgment.
But seriously, you probably have to wear a diaper when you watch the show because it will make you wet your pants laughing.
"The Big Bang Theory"
Monday nights at 7:30 central on CBS
Sports, Beer & Movies
Meeting men, watching sports, drinking beer, and quoting the occasional movie line, oddly enough, go together very well. I suppose it’s quite obvious that men gathering to drink beer and watch a football game has been the great American pastime for years, but it is also quickly becoming the twenty-to-thirty something single girl’s dream at Logan’s on Sixth.
The dark wood bar top paired with the brass rails around the multilevel (though still single-story) barroom give the place an atmosphere of a slightly more sophisticated sports bar than the average one on Sixth Street. Dark colored carpeted floors and tiled walkways throughout the bar also add to the classier aspects of the establishment. The clientele also don’t appear to be the average downtown bar-crawlers. Most of the men are dressed in slacks and a polo or button-down shirt, appearing as if they recently left the office, and the women dress nice but casual in dresses, skirts, or jeans and a tastefully sexy top. Everyone mingles with each other over the music, which ranges from 80s, 90s, and today, as the place gets packed by 10:30 pm, mostly with a “Big Beer” in hand (probably around 32 ounces).
And if rubbing elbows with other people won’t get you a conversation started, the movie clips that interrupt commercials from different sports games displayed on the giant flat screen televisions will do the trick. Last week when I was there, the music was paused and the showing of ESPN’s “SportsCenter” was replaced by a Dennis Leary acoustic music video of his famous song comparing people to a certain bodily orifice. There’s nothing quite like a crowded bar full of mostly well-dressed frat boys and stylish young businessmen belting out that song in unison. I met the group of five guys standing next to me at the bar immediately following this occurrence because they were shocked that “Chicks know this song?!”
The bartenders themselves keep the patrons coming back every week (or every night, in several cases) because of their die hard service. The men and women behind the bar are always busy hustling from one end to the other with multiple “Big Beers” in each hand, which is pretty amazing considering even the most willing and able double-fister can only hold up to two. The average drinker requests beer from this bar, although I must say that I have had a dirty martini from a bartender named Sean that was to die for. The always smiling wait staff and bartenders are more than willing to bend over backwards to make sure that each customer is having a great time and never thirsty. The bar top and stools around the bar are surprisingly clean, as well as the restroom facilities, and the tables and chairs throughout the bar. Like I said, the wait staff hustles not just to grab drinks for customers but also in keeping the place clean, which is a huge plus.
Whether people are downtown for dancing or drinking, Logan’s is the perfect place for a pit stop drink or for camping out for the night for the ladies and the fellas.
200 E 6th St # A
Austin, TX 78701-3648
Phone: 512-236-0300
The dark wood bar top paired with the brass rails around the multilevel (though still single-story) barroom give the place an atmosphere of a slightly more sophisticated sports bar than the average one on Sixth Street. Dark colored carpeted floors and tiled walkways throughout the bar also add to the classier aspects of the establishment. The clientele also don’t appear to be the average downtown bar-crawlers. Most of the men are dressed in slacks and a polo or button-down shirt, appearing as if they recently left the office, and the women dress nice but casual in dresses, skirts, or jeans and a tastefully sexy top. Everyone mingles with each other over the music, which ranges from 80s, 90s, and today, as the place gets packed by 10:30 pm, mostly with a “Big Beer” in hand (probably around 32 ounces).
And if rubbing elbows with other people won’t get you a conversation started, the movie clips that interrupt commercials from different sports games displayed on the giant flat screen televisions will do the trick. Last week when I was there, the music was paused and the showing of ESPN’s “SportsCenter” was replaced by a Dennis Leary acoustic music video of his famous song comparing people to a certain bodily orifice. There’s nothing quite like a crowded bar full of mostly well-dressed frat boys and stylish young businessmen belting out that song in unison. I met the group of five guys standing next to me at the bar immediately following this occurrence because they were shocked that “Chicks know this song?!”
The bartenders themselves keep the patrons coming back every week (or every night, in several cases) because of their die hard service. The men and women behind the bar are always busy hustling from one end to the other with multiple “Big Beers” in each hand, which is pretty amazing considering even the most willing and able double-fister can only hold up to two. The average drinker requests beer from this bar, although I must say that I have had a dirty martini from a bartender named Sean that was to die for. The always smiling wait staff and bartenders are more than willing to bend over backwards to make sure that each customer is having a great time and never thirsty. The bar top and stools around the bar are surprisingly clean, as well as the restroom facilities, and the tables and chairs throughout the bar. Like I said, the wait staff hustles not just to grab drinks for customers but also in keeping the place clean, which is a huge plus.
Whether people are downtown for dancing or drinking, Logan’s is the perfect place for a pit stop drink or for camping out for the night for the ladies and the fellas.
200 E 6th St # A
Austin, TX 78701-3648
Phone: 512-236-0300
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