Just thought I’d post some thoughts on a few movies I’ve watched over the past week.The Bourne UltimatumI love the Bourne trilogy, and the third might be the strongest of the set. Jason Bourne is my new role model – he’s extremely intelligent, focused, driven, and can kill people in a variety of innovative ways. He is also extremely resilient, surviving several car crashes that would kill a lesser man. Of course, the fact that he’s involved in multiple accidents leads me to question his driving abilities, but every hero has to have a weakness (for me, it’s pastries).SuperbadAfter the first 20 minutes, I thought this might be the funniest movie ever (narrowly edging out Sophie’s Choice). I felt it lagged a bit in the middle, but it picked up for the final act. I’d love to include my favourite quotes, but I’m trying to keep this blog family-friendly (can I write “Blow J” in a family-friendly blog?)It probably comes as no real surprise that I was a total geek in high school, and I could completely identify with Seth and Evan’s attempts to find an in with the cool crowd and get some lovin’ before heading off to college. Superbad ranks as my second-favourite end-of-high-school movie, coming in right behind Dazed and Confused.Incidentally, it features the best opening credits ever, and the soundtrack is totally funky.The LookoutThe Lookout was released earlier this year to great reviews, but it had a short life in theatres. It’s a thrilling heist movie on a small scale, and it’s the kind of well-crafted film that deserves a wider audience. It stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who most people will recognize as the kid on Third Rock From the Sun. It turns out he’s a great actor, and his portrayal of the damaged lead character is really nuanced and compelling.The other reason to check it out is to see Sergio DiZio, one of our good friends from Toronto. He plays Deputy Ted, a good-natured small-town cop. I hope I’m not giving too much away by saying it was really cool to see Sergio engaged in a big shoot-em up.The Lookout was just released on DVD, so check it out – highly recommended.
Monthly Archives: August 2007
A Day Out With Thomas
If you don’t have kids, then you may not be familiar with Thomas the Tank Engine (unless you read the recent stories about the toy being recalled due to lead paint). However, if you have a little boy (or two), then you’re probably an expert on Thomas and his friends James, Henry, Edward, and the other 80-odd engines that work on the Island of Sodor. Based on a series of short stories written 50 years ago, it’s become a multi-faceted brand, with television shows, toys, books, DVDs, and even a feature-length movie starring Peter Fonda and Alec Baldwin that is laughably bad.
Personally, I think the Thomas toys are great. I’ve been building tracks for the boys for several years now, and there are times that think I’m doing it more for me than for them. So, when we found out the actual Thomas the Tank Engine was coming to Ottawa, it was a no-brainer that we’d get tickets.
Yesterday’s event was actually pretty cool. As you’ll see in the picture below, there was an acutual train engine that looks like Thomas, complete with a steam whistle and moving eyes. There were six coaches for passengers, and the train left each hour for a 25-minute trip. The only disappointing part was the route – the trainyards are in a pretty industrial part of town, so the view out the window was mostly of strip malls and distribution centres. Regardless, the boys loved it. In addition to the ride, there were train sets to play with, inflatable play structures, singers, a magician, clowns, movies, and of course a huge retail section that sold everthing from railway sets to Thomas toothbrushes.
According to the local paper, about 16,000 people were expected to attend the four-day event. At $18 a pop, Thomas will probably need an extra coach to haul all that money back to the Island of Sodor.
The boys look like they’re in danger of being run over by a maniacal train.
The boys with Sir Topham Hatt, the dictatorial ruler of the train system. Incidentally, he was originally known as the Fat Controller.
I think some people were pretty surprised to see a giant blue engine pulling coaches through the suburbs.
Vacation Photos
Earlier this week we completed our 12-day, 2,024 km jaunt through Southern Ontario, with stops in Ancaster, Kitchener, Thornbury, Grimsby, and Cobourg (among others). The trip included a wedding (Tara and Martin), a birth (Kyle and Sue), a baby shower (Evan and Johanna), and lots of time catching up with family and friends.Here are a few pics from the past couple of weeks…
Having mastered piano, K is moving on to guitar.
Outside the church following Tara and Martin’s wedding.
Same pose, different background.
It was hard to get A out of the pool most days.
The boys with Uncle Kyle, Aunt Sue, and new cousin Ian (age 4 days).
Celebrating my birthday with a little hike at Webster’s Falls.
Shameless Birthday Plug
I know it’s a cliché to lament the passage of time on your birthday. I don’t have a lot to complain about – I’m firmly in my mid-30′s, with a great family, good health, fun job, and all the trappings of a solid middle-class existence.I’m not that excited, though, by the reality that I am as close to 50 today as I am to 20. And while the trip from 20 to 35 was a fun-filled voyage, with young love, marriage, the arrival of children, travel to exotic locales, and the odd bender with friends, the trip from 35 to 50 seems likely to consist of an expanding waistline, receeding hairline, and the hardening of arteries, joints, and opinions.I am no longer part of the coveted 25 to 34 year-old demographic that marketers love. Instead, I’m now part of the 35 to 44 year-old club, a much less influential group.So, other than the reminder that the cold hand of death is just that much closer to resting on my shoulder, today’s a great day.
Say Uncle
My brother Kyle and his wife Sue had their first baby earlier today. Ian Avery Dearlove arrived at 3:16 am, weighing in at 7 pounds 10 ounces. It sounds like things went well, and the family is catching up on sleep at home.
We’ve been preparing Aidan and Kieran for the arrival of their cousin for months now, but Aidan had an interesting response to the news:
Me: Aidan, Uncle Kyle and Aunt Sue had a baby boy this morning.
Aidan: (Angry voice) Oh, it was supposed to be a girl!
Me: What’s wrong with a boy?
Aidan: We already have two of those. (Big pout)
He’s right – males continue to dominate our side of the family. My dad was the oldest of three brothers. My dad then had two boys, B and I have two boys, and now Kyle and Sue have a boy. Of course, B is the oldest of four sisters, so overall things are fairly balanced.
Luckily we’re vacationing in Southern Ontario, so we’re just a 30 minute drive away. We’ll give the new dad and mom a few days to recover, then we’ll visit for a first peek at our nephew / cousin. Cute pics to follow…
