Dystopia, Sandwiches, Pets...oh my! (reviews & news)

DYSTOPIA! - Children of Men (mini-review)
Finally, finally, finally saw "Children of Men." First blush: A perfect 5 stars out of 5. The nitpicking I have with it is so inconsequential I won't both with specifics. It's just about a perfect film. Hard to watch at times, but at the same time hard to look away. At turns you're nauseous with dread and disgust, with its more violent acts seeming only more so given their eerie possibility. Other moments are transcendently poetic and uplifting. Alfonso Cuaron, working from the novel of the same name, creates an prescient vibe that makes you feel as if you're watching documentary footage from two decades hence. A message of hope pervades the sadness and the madness, as well as the final scene. Yes. 5 out of 5.

SANDWICHES! - She's the breadwinner, I'm the breadslicer
And my latest job is… kitchen guy at the Essential Baking Company's Wallingford café. For those who ain't knowin', I got a job working in the kitchen of the café where Miriam works (she's upstairs doing HR for the baking company peeps; I'm downstairs constructing sumptuous meals for hungry patrons). Seriously, try the Portabella Reuben. It's ta die for. Housekeeping had its perks (bizarrely enough), but the allure of health insurance sealed the deal. Hel-lo, co-pays!

FINALES! - Two shockers in less than a month. Yowsa.
This is also late, but the season 3 finale of LOST was nothing short of mindblowing, gutsy, and an object lesson in how to satisfy the fans and leave 'em wanting more. For my money, it was up there with "Who shot JR?" and Newhart's "the entire series was a dream" finale in terms of memorable-ness (unforget-ability?) Again, get the Season 1 and 2 DVDs on sale somewhere and watch 'em. (Season 3 comes out this September. Pre-order now, for the love of whatever.)

Speaking of finales… interesting (and persuasive) bit of Sopranos hypothesizing here: A former TV writer goes into great detail in his own blog about how not only did Tony Soprano get whacked after the series-ending blackout to end all blackouts, and not only does every bit of the scene have a clue pointing to whodunnit, but that there are also about a dozen allusions to a traditional Catholic funeral scattered throughout said scene. He might be onto something.

TALKING PETS! - Really, the only reason to watch AFV.
Finally, if you haven't already, do yourself a favor and check out these YouTube videos of talking dogs and talking cats.The coup de grace is the final cat -- you must, must, MUST wait for the final cat, a freaked-out little guy that sounds exactly like Bob from Twin Peaks. "Oh Long Johnson. Oh Don Piano. Why I eyes ya." These words will simultaneously haunt you and make you giggle privately to yourself till the end of your days.