I love this movie !

I know I'm usually the one pushing one book or another but I am in love with this movie. I'm not sure how i found out about it but I'm seriously thinking of telling Netflix it got lost in the mail.

It's a french film called The Crimson Rivers. Apparently it was a huge french book which this is a " version" of. The liner notes say its an atmospheric thriller . That is putting it mildly. The Scenery,and the school that its shot in are really almost as interesting as the story. I've watched it twice, and i have to say, i saw some Netflicks comments that said don't watch it dubbed in English, and boy were they right. If you watch it in English it sounds like a bad cop flick, and its just to weird, but in French its sublime.

I watched the " extras " and i have never ever seen such bitchiness from an Actor before on any extra material. I'm kind of surprised they even included it ! What a cry baby, the movie is fantastic, but i guess actors are actors,,,,,but it was really kind of funny to see what they thought about the production. If you think the movie is a bit confusing apparently the book is about twice as complex. I doubt in America you would ever find such honest comments about the work. The director starts out by saying the second day it snowed wrecking any continuity of the shoot and how they were writing the script somewhat around the weather. You have to love that, even thought I'm sure that does happen here in the US, no one would ever say that. I just though it was really funny to see the director, the producer and the B character kind of go at it in the clips . They could have been an ethnic family For god sake, and of the actor i would say pretty accepting of his comments! More like " yeah our whiny kid brother ! "

Then there is Jean Reno, who I am totally in love with. I can't really remember the names of the other things I've seen him in, but i love those deep tortured detectives ! I may say this way to much, but it would be great if he could be my neighbor. Wouldn't that be great to have a fabulous french actor next door, go out there and get your paper , say " hey good morning Jean, come have coffee, tell me what it was like filming in the Alps ". OK most likely not going to happen, but just in case I'm going to brush up on all his work.

So do put this on your list of movies to rent , I'm for sure buying a copy. When the mood strikes for a dark , architectural mystery in an absolute frigid climate, this is the one I'm going for !

Just what you need when you want a little bit of winter in August !

Regional Food Nostalga

Call me crazy,( but i know at least one other person in the Northeast who feels this way..).......there is nothing like Poland Spring Water !
When i get to an airport that has that familiar green label i know I'm on my way to the homeland.

That made me start to wonder is it a regional thing? Do you tend to get nostalgic and love the things you can not have? At least once on a trip home I will try to get to a Stop and Shop and just walk the Portuguese Food aisle with the reverence i usually reserve for the cosmetic dept at Barney's.

A few weeks ago i went to a Gallery show where the photographers' comments said his inspiration was "GOYA ". My first thought was the Portuguese Food brand? Turns out it stands for Get Off Your Ass ( and do something) in the art world.

That's very different from the packets of " seasoning" that my mother put in everything from scrambled eggs to pork dishes. It wasn't until i was in my 40's and begging for someone to ship them to me that i started to think, what's really in there ?
They are small packets filled with obviously paprika and turmeric, because no matter what you make its all the same shade of " Portuguese orange ". I think really its nothing but colored MSG, but damn if it does not add magic to whatever you put it in ! In my middle years i kind of scorned it but in recent years as I've gotten less snobby and actually started to miss the ethnic foods they tried to push on me as a kid, I've hauled out the old GOYA and been very happy to have them.
The strange thing is GOYA is actually pretty strong in all Ethnic markets, but i think there must be some very selective demographic research going on there because although they may own an aisle in the markets around town they don't waste any shelf space with the one or two Portuguese people in the area !

So today's Eye Spy I Buy moral is don't skip those unknown food aisles in your market, the several dollars you spend could be just the excitement your menu needs
and you can get a basket of stuff for the price of a few " real saffron" buds.
Course you may be begging for water because of all the salt, but what the hell, if it was good enough for my momma, then its good enough for me !