Look for my review of the Raven's new lineup next week. :-P

I was interested in Hurt Locker until I saw that it was directed by the director of Point Break.

I AM AN FBI AGENT!

No, you are not.

Great review Bucky!

For some unknown reason, I watched Momma Mia on HBO a couple of Saturdays ago. I never liked ABBA, nor Meryl Streep much, yet I watched the movie anyway. I guess I'm a glutton for punishment. Maybe I enjoyed hearing that old 70s half disco stuff again ( I HATED disco back in the day), but like Bucky,
my god, that voice.

FL Rob, I also saw a bit of Mamma Mia on TV in the hotel in NYC last week (we don't have cable at home). I don't hate Meryl Streep like so many seem to, but I do dislike Abba (and disco). Nonetheless, I found the few scenes I saw of Mamma Mia rather amusing.

I'd like to see Julie and Julia, but I don't enjoy the modern movie theater experience (read: sound too loud (and sometimes distorted), obnoxious patrons). I think I'll wait until it comes out on DVD.

Bucky, I take it you did not want to see this movie, so I'm curious if there was something else playing at the cinemaplex that you would have rather seen?

I'd pay to see Amy Adams read the phone book. If you missed her breakthrough role in "June Bug," it's worth renting the DVD. Okay movie. Spectacular (and ultimately heart rending) performance.

No, RoCK, there wasn't. I wanted to go fishing.

That wasn't really a review...it was an email to EL, and she asked if she could post it. If I knew I was going to do a review, I would have paid more attention. And I if I knew I was going to do a review for D@L, I would have made notes about the food items available at the concession stand. (I had movie theater nachos. GACK! but what are you gonna do?)

MAG - I thought Amy Adams' breakthrough role was in that Leonardo DeCaprio movie where he played the counterfeiter.

She is from this area, so maybe it was a bigger deal here than it was elsewhere.

Been in love with Amy Adams since June Bug. Yes, MAG that certainly was a stunning entrance for her. You just knew that she woulod be a star instantly. It reminded me of Emily Watson in Breaking the Waves, in that you wondered if maybe there was really something wrong wiht the actor.

She was nominated for an Oscar for June Bug. Even though she has a distinctive look (gotta love a redhead) she disappears into roles and you barely recognize her. She was the hot chick on The Office episode where she was selling purses (Season 2 or 3). Before you get on me, the episode is entitled "The Hot Chick"

Spielberg can't direct women. Or men for that matter.

OMG, someone else above was impostoring you while you were on your 25 mile bike ride!

Odd. More like 23.

a 23 mile bike ride?

That is quite a feat considering you probably didn't leave Little Italy. How many laps up and down High Street does it take to reach 23 miles?

Thank you dear Girl. I'm not quite sure who Mr Darcy was, one of those boring chick novels that gets made into a movie every two years. Tristram Shandy sits sadly on my bookshelf unread. I'm not really following what's going on here; too much intrigue. I can translate though and Mr Darcy the cad is propositioning sweet little YumPo with a giant clam and a hand roll. I suspect a person who mocked my lack of sports trivia knowledge is behind my sudden interest in the Ravens. Who cares. I need two fingers of Bourbon right now. Bartender!

I never walk out of Little Italy. Cars, bikes and motor boats don't count. 23 miles is kind of lame compared to previous years.I did 120 miles one day a few years ago from here to York and back but that was on my road bike with 1 inch racing wheels. This was my heavier wide tired commuter bike. Less efficient vis-a-vis the ergs.e

Seems lately like RoCK and OMG are in the early stages of a Bromance.

Not I, Owlie. I have no problem mocking your lack of sports knowledge under my usual name.

Not to worry. I'm quite tired and confused. It probably was a bad idea to do a brutal gym workout this morning with only three hours of sleep, not eat all day exceot for bee pollen, take a longish ride and stop at the supermarket and fill my backpack with about thirty pounds of mostly liquid items. But I feel bouyant and am ready to get my road bike on the NCR trail for our ride to PA tomorrow. On to Aqaba!!!

Bourbon and bee pollen, now there's a power cocktail. A Bumble Bourbon, perhaps?

Bromance with Owlie? Hmmm, I'm looking for someone I can watch sports with, so absent that I'll probably just say with the wife.

Speaking of bourbon and the wife, we are drinking Buffalo Trace Bourbon Cream Liqueur tonight. It's only available at the distillery in Frankfort, KY. Oh it's very good.

You all are missing the point. Hockey starts soon!

Shoot the puck!

meryl streep irritating? she happens to be the greatest actress in the world. the voice she uses in the film is uncannily like that of julia child!! or you didn't know?! I.D.I.O.T!!!!

Seems lately like RoCK and OMG are in the early stages of a Bromance.

Early stages? We're at second base in Bromance. Do you think you're the only Republican I have a crush on, BG? Why last Sunday we went roller blading and read passages from Friedrich von Hayek and MIlton Friedman to each other. We're organizing a free market frolf league.

It's co-ed but probably not Reagan Republican enough for you.

Uh alluhrey, you assume that Bucky knows who Julia Child is. This is the naif who first tasted yogurt at our prodding in his 80s and thought that meatballs were made of sausage. B>)

And RoCK, does our shared love of ice dancing mean nothing to you? Harumph. We should do an NFL season opener guest post theme. Are you with us JL? Hey, maybe EL will do a theme week of football and food week when the gridiron season starts for real in September! Yeah!!! I've got gridiron fever!!!! Yeahhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ravens rule!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I saw the movie today with my wife. We both liked it a lot. Meryl Streep was great.

Owlie, you had me at Hayek.

As to your love of football, I'm sure you are looking forward to the Ravens kicking many homeruns this year.

Anyway, yes, I'm write something. I have a few ideas, and some of them even deal with food.

what the freakin hell? A movie review on a food blog that has nothing about the movie or food or about the food in the movie about trhe most iconic figure in American culinary history? Here's my review of Saving Private Ryan: the sand looks itchy.

Where's ,my Pulliitser?

Joe, you sound disappointed. Did you come a long way for nothing?

Bucky please tell me you deliberately left out mention of the film's long sections of gratuitous violence and full nudle affrontery.

Not for nothing, but Amy Adams is actually a blonde, and great.

Joe Picina wrote: So what was the freakin movie about?

That wasn't clear from my review? Sheesh...there goes my Pulitzer.

It was about Julie Powell and Julia Child.

And just to clarify about Meryl Streep...I liked her in Romancing The Stone. But that's about it.

jl - there was, predictably, gratuitous violence involving boiling water and three live lobsters. They were also nude, so, there you go. You should be a movie reviewer with instincts like that.

I think Meryl Streep dd a great job in this movie. The voice is the same as the original Julia Child. I also think that Maryl Streep did a great job in Mamma Mia! A funny movie with the brilliant songs from ABBA!

Put me down as a big fan of both Meryl Streep and Amy Adams--I would go to see either one in just about anything (and you can see them both in last year's Doubt). Amy Adams was supposed to have her big breakthrough in Catch Me if You Can, but it was a relatively small role, so I think it's fair to say that Junebug was her breakout movie. For those who haven't seen a Disney movie since they were kids, I can recommend Enchanted which sends up those old fairy tales delightfully (plus you get Amy singing and dancing). Two of the songs were nominated for Oscars. I particularly like the "Happy Little Working Song" in which the adorable little critters she summons to help clean up the city apartment turn out to be rats, pigeons and roaches, instead of the usual Disney mice and birds.

And just to clarify about Meryl Streep...I liked her in Romancing The Stone.

Wasn't that Kathleen Turner?

bra1child wrote: Wasn't that Kathleen Turner?

Was it? Really? Humpf. Maybe all these years...

Was there a sale on Goofy yesterday?

Play nice boys and girls or you'll get a time out at Ixia.

Was there a sale on Goofy yesterday?

Apparently so and, as usual, I stocked up in case there was a snowstorm.

Just wanted to throw in a high recommendation for "Doubt" here. As long as you are in the mood for a serious, moody, and slow-paced movie. All three leads (Streep, Adams, and Phillip Seymour Hoffman) give amazing performances.

Matt, you think Amy is a natural blonde.

may have just died the carpet to match the drapes!

Amanda C-

FWIW, Kathryn Bigelow didn't _write_ "Point Break", so you can't really blame her for bad dialog. (I didn't see the film, BTW.)

And what's with Amy Adams' haircut in "Julie & Julia"? Horrible, at least in the trailers.

I would love to see Meryl do a movie based solely on Julia's autobiography. From what little I've seen in previews and from the reviews, she IS Julia. I shouldn't be surprised.

Just one last thing: the Steelers will be triumphant. I will take on anyone who cares to disagree. RoCK, I respect you and think highly of you, but in this case, my dear, you will be disappointed.

Lissa, we can discuss hockey later. I have to polish Lord Stanley's Cup.

I find Meryl Streep annoying, not as much as before. I don't understand why people think she's such a great actress. You can see the gears. I think Naomi Watts is amazing. Her performances in 21 Grams and Mulholland Drive were amazing. Her two performances in Mulholland Dr are some of the best ever on film.

I have no interest in seeing anything that gooes through the Nora Ephron craptastic machine. Dreck.

Point Break? You put Swayze and Keanu together and you're going to get magic.

I'm waiting for the Rachel Ray movie.

YumPo, you are cruising for a cross check!

"Julia Child Memories" is on PBS right now. August 8 2pm - 5pm

Wow Bucky, and you represent the Baltimore Sun? Is that a real paper?

YumPo, While I respect the Steelers and Pens, I can't not respect a city that puts french fries in their sandwiches.

I do, however, love the fish sandwich at Wholey's

Kathryn M., why on earth would you think Bucky represented the Baltimore Sun?

RoCK, I think you may have lost count of your negatives.

Hal, I'm often accused of being a negative person, and sometimes I am accused of being a double negative person.

But never a nattering nabob of negativism? :-)

Wow Kathryn M.

Drop in and snark a little.

maybe someone who has actually seen the movie could provide some input here

Snacknapper, perhaps you could see the movie and provide some input here, rather than getting grumpy 'cause someone else hasn't done the hard work for you.

false advertising in the title. there is no review. pass.

Snacknapper, you obviously aren't a regular reader of this blog. Bucky did indeed see the movie, but to expect a conventional review from Bucky shows a massive lack of unfamiliarity with Dining@Large.

All of that is fine, one doesn't have to be a regular reader to participate here. But it isn't in terribly good taste for an incidental reader to complain snarkily because things aren't like they want them to be.

I actually spent money and rented Mamma Mia. Boy! Was that awful.

Eve,
For some unknown reason, I watched Momma Mia on one of the HBOs a couple of Saturday nights ago. Yeah, it was terrible.

For RoCK and Owl, here is a t-shirt you guys can wear when you watch the Ravens games this season:

YBYSA shirt

I used to sit across from the fabulous journalist Will Englund (sadly no longer with the paper), and we used to have great fun 'reviewing' movies we had never seen. (Not for publication, of course -- just so you know, Kathryn M. and others.)

Anyway, I think the Sandboxers would be great at that.

What mystified me about Mamma Mia was how often people were singing noticably off key, usually flat.

There is technology to fix that these days, many pop and rap artists use it (in fact, there is a rap world war going on now about it). I have never seen a movie musical with so many people singing so off key. It was painful to watch/listen to.

Oh BG, that didn't stop you from dancing around the living room. BTW how is it possible for a rapper to be off-key since they don't, you know, uh sing?

Not everyone can have a beautiful voice like you, my dear.

there is a rap world war going on now about it

Are even the Swiss rappers choosing a side in the epic throwdown? On an issue like this there can be no neutrality.

OMG, you are forgetting T-Pain

RoCK - are you deliberately trying to be square? There is actually little neturality on the issue... Jay Z threw out the challenge to those who use it, and now the others are fighting back... it was "rap world" war... perhaps my punctuation was lacking.

Poor translucent Bourbon Girl. Just because you see it on E News doesn't make it true. And you either rap or you sing. T-Pain processes his voice through a lot of craptastic filters to make it sound unlike his voice and like a goat under a bucket. I believe that instead of "rap" you want to say "hip-hop". Glad to see you're enjoying the subscription to Vibe Magazine that I got you for your birthday

OMG, thank you so much for correcting my terminology with such sublime snark. So sorry, I actually meant "hip-hop." But the phenomenon and dispute I just described is real nonetheless, whether I used the perfect terms or not, as OMG admits in describing T-Pain.

What did someone else say in another comment about belittling as a form of bullying? Classic straw man attack with a twist. Good times.

BG, for a Republican you sure do know a lot about the rap music.

Well, I should admit that I too have a taste for the hip hop.

Why I even own a cassette of the duet of Aerosmith and Run DMC performing "Walk this Way"

In addition, I know all the words to the Sugar Hill Gang's "Rapper's Delight". You see I am wonder Mike and I like to say hello.

too much Julie, not enought Julie---long!

Just playing BG. If I wanted to bully you I would just reach back into my memory and use examples from the past, like the mean thing you said to me while watching T-Pain on SNL. I meant no harm. I wish you peace dear. Only peace. I will tone down the playful for you or better yet just stop.

Rapping is rapping, hip-hop imcludes that but it's hard to define when there is actual singing. The way that people process their voices to sound artificial is kind of pathetic to me. It's a novelty that I don't want to hear more than once. I think it's cowardly, because you can't hear someone's true voice. (Beyonce, stop multi-tracking your voice for the same reason). What's the difference between the metalic echo compression effect and, say, Alvin and the Chipmunks? Yeah, I said it.

I don't care to get involved in this latest hip-hop kerfuffle. Back when I went by Notorious B.O.B., I had a run in with Jay Z (or was that Jay C?). It's hard to take charges of inauthenticity seriously in a that realm given its reliance on copying other people's music. I say let the market sort it out. If people want to buy crap, then so be it. Puff Diddly built an empire on it. I need to get ready for our big adventure today, so without further ado I will drop it like it's hot.

Good morning slackers.

I was cheating on Dear Leader and looked at Baltimore Mag's food blog, The writer said this about the movie:
I saw the movie Julie & Julia last night with Cindy Wolf, executive chef at Charleston restaurant, at an early screening at the Landmark Theatre.

I will let you comment on the propriety of this. CW is not just exec chef at Charleston ...

It seems in line with perceptions about BMag's writing and editorial process and their advertisers.

We can add "Notorious B.O.B." to OMG's long list of alternate identities. Somehow this one fits.

You are up very early today, Owl--or is it that you are staying up very late?

Up early. Aiming for balance and harmony in my life.

Nice catch, Owl Meat, on Baltimore Magazine's Suzanne Loudermilk rambling on about her chat with Cindy Wolf at a "Julie and Julia" screening. Made me think of former NY Times critic Ruth Reichl who alternately disguised herself as a bag lady, suburban matron and flower child lest -- heaven forfend -- any restauranteur or chef should discover her true identity. Our own Ms. Large dwells in cheerful anonymity. Which is a drawback for those of us who'd like to meet her (or better yet, dine with her) but protects the candor of her reviews.

I can't access the Baltimore Magazine site. My IT department put a trite and banal filter on my internet connection. In addition to Baltimore Magazine, I'm also denied access to People, Us Weekly and Tiger Beat.

RoCK, that's what your iPhone is for.

RoCK, that's what your iPhone is for.

Ha! The Man can't keep you down. Wait a minute, RoCK IS the Man.

I think I might be delirious but I'm heading out for a ride.

I wasn't aware that Tiger Beat was still being published. It may be the only magazine in the U.S. with more exclamation points per issue than Baltimore Eats.

I drew a blank on Tiger Beat so I looked it up,. What a disappointment. I was imagining a Princeton alumni magazine with an S&M twist.

I was imagining a Princeton alumni magazine with an S&M twist.

I love it! Too funny!

I think Baltimore Eats toned down the enthusiasm points after we kicked them around. Some see exuberance, some see screaming.

I take that back, This month's featured article is

Blueberries!

Some years ago, when Julia Child was in town to be honored by the American Institute of Food and Wine, the group ate lunch at The Ambassador Dining Room. During the meal, Julia expressed appreciation for the food and asked if she could meet the chef. The owner conveyed this request to the cook.

Now the cook rarely left the kitchen to come out to the dining room. Furthermore, he had never heard of Julia Child and only knew she was someone famous. Naturally shy, and not feeling presentable with his reddened, sweat-drenched tandoori-roasted face and turmeric-spattered uniform, he declined to appear.

After the owner explained the cook's reluctance to Julia, she graciously told him that it was OK, that she understood perfectly, and anyway, having chefs come out to be greeted was an American custom.

I say,
Where is my pullet sir?

RayRay, I recommend the pullet surprise.

Point to Hal.