I’ve added a guide section (look to the left) and inaugurated it with a Barbecue and Grilling Equipment Buyer’s Guide. You can leave comments on guide pages just like any other post. I hope you find it useful.
Monthly Archives: November 2008
Forbidden Cinema
What is your fascination with my forbidden closet of mysteries? -Chief Wiggum
When I was 9, I remember seeing the trailer for The World According to Garp, thinking it looked awesome.
I was a huge fan of Robin Williams due to Mork & Mindy, which was in its third season when the movie premiered. In addition to the fun and wacky antics the trailer showed, I was especially intrigued because it was rated R – apparently for something involving sex. I really wanted to see this movie. Of course, there was no way my parents would let me watch it.
Tonight, 26 years later, I finally watched it. I’m sure I had many opportunities to do so in between, but something kept me from it. I think I knew it couldn’t live up to the hype my 9 year old brain had generated. Even though I tried to lower my expectations, I was disappointed. It’s based on a John Irving novel that was a major best seller at the time, and after reading some comments by those who’ve seen/read both (including Ebert’s review), it lost a bit in the translation and didn’t add anything to make up for it. It’s less fun and sexy and more slow and tragic than I could have ever imagined from watching the trailer. Not bad, per se, but not something I’d recommend to anyone who hasn’t read the book.
Not long after being denied Garp, I was shooed out of the room during a bestial orgy scene in The Howling. I remember pouting like crazy. Of course, I was allowed to watch the rest of the film, including a scene where a werewolf, in human form, is shot in the forehead, then reaches into the bullet hole and pulls out some brain whilst spouting the line, “Let me give you a piece of my mind.” Violence? No problem.
Other sexually charged films I was desperately curious about (and which still remain on my yet-to-see list) are Cat People (the 1982 remake) and The Unbearable Lightness of Being (which I’ve begun reading). I distinctly remember passing the latter in the video store again and again, never having the guts to attempt a covert rental. The remarkable thing – other than the early 80’s being a big era for such films – is that these are films many adults wouldn’t fully comprehend (or at least only superficially). I imagine there were a few 9 year olds in 2001 maddeningly curious about Mulholland Drive, a film I’m still not sure I get. Perhaps it’s best that I waited…
No Hummers
Relax, I haven’t become a tree hugger, nor am I swearing off oral sex. My problem is that every damned time I go to the men’s room, there’s somebody in the other stall humming.
And it’s not always the same guy, either. Different people. It’s really disconcerting when you’re trying to pinch a loaf and there’s someone 2 1/2 feet away just getting to the bridge of “My Heart Must Go On.” I mean, really now. Is this necessary? I can still detect (how could I not) what smells like you’ve dragged a rotting corpse into the stall with you, and I can still hear, over the humming, what sounds like a fireworks display, or like you’re violating the aforementioned rotting corpse. Enough, already!
On that note, I’m off to find the Times and a set of earplugs.
The 1972 Fischer – Spassky Times for Game 15
This article lists the times taken for the moves of game 15 of the 1972 Fischer – Spassky World Chess Championship Match.
Game 15, August 17-18, 1972
Spassky Fischer
White Black
(ar) (0:04)
1. e4 (0:00) c5 (0:04)
(Spassky left after making his first move and returned 3 minutes after Fischer made his move.)
(ar) (0:03)
2. Nf3 (0:03) d6 (0:05)
3. d4 (0:03) cxd4 (0:05)
4. Nxd4 (0:03) Nf6 (0:05)
5. Nc3 (0:03) a6 (0:05)
6. Bg5 (0:04) e6 (0:05)
7. f4 (0:05) Be7 (0:05)
8. Qf3 (0:05) Qc7 (0:05)
9. 0-0-0 (0:07) Nbd7 (0:05)
10. Bd3 (0:07) b5 (0:10)
11. Rhe1 (0:07) Bb7 (0:12)
12. Qg3 (0:07) 0-0-0 (0:43)
Continue reading The 1972 Fischer – Spassky Times for Game 15
The 1972 Fischer – Spassky Times for Game 9
This article lists the times taken for the moves of the 1972 Fischer-Spassky World Chess Championship Match.
Game 9, August 1st, 1972
Spassky Fischer
White Black
(ar) (0:10)
1. d4 (0:00) Nf6 (0:12)
(When Fischer appeared, Spassky had already left and did not come back until 4 minutes after Fischer's move.)
(ar) (0:04)
2. c4 (0:04) e6 (0:13)
3. Nf3 (0:05) d5 (0:14)
4. Nc3 (0:06) c5 (0:22)
5. cxd5 (0:07) Nxd5 (0:22)
Continue reading The 1972 Fischer – Spassky Times for Game 9
The 1972 Fischer – Spassky Times for Game 16
This article lists the times taken for the moves of game 16 of the 1972 Fischer – Spassky Match.
Game 16, August 20th, 1972
Fischer Spassky
White Black
(ar) (0:09) (ar) (-:01)
1. e4 (0:09)
(Spassky appeared a minute before play was to begin. When Fischer arrived and played his move, Spassky had gone. He returned two minutes later.)
(ar) (0:02)
1. e5 (0:03)
2. Nf3 (0:09) Nc6 (0:03)
3. Bb5 (0:09) a6 (0:03)
4. Bxc6 (0:10) dxc6 (0:03)
5. 0-0 (0:10) f6 (0:04)
6. d4 (0:10) Bg4 (0:06)
7. dxe5 (0:10) Qxd1 (0:06)
8. Rxd1 (0:10) fxe5 (0:06)
9. Rd3 (0:16) Bd6 (0:06)
10. Nbd2 (0:20) Nf6 (0:07)
11. Nc4 (0:27) Nxe4 (0:11)
12. Ncxe5 (0:29) Bxf3 (0:25)
Continue reading The 1972 Fischer – Spassky Times for Game 16
The 1972 Fischer – Spassky Times for Game 17
This article lists the times for the moves of game 17 of the 1972 Fischer – Spassky World Chess Championship Match.
Game 17, August 22th, 1972
Spassky Fischer
White Black
(ar) (0:05)
1. e4 (0:00) d6 (0:05)
2. d4 (0:02) g6 (0:05)
3. Nc3 (0:06) Nf6 (0:09)
4. f4 (0:07) Bg7 (0:09)
5. Nf3 (0:07) c5 (0:24)
6. dxc5 (0:12) Qa5 (0:24)
7. Bd3 (0:13) Qxc5 (0:25)
Continue reading The 1972 Fischer – Spassky Times for Game 17
The 1972 Fischer – Spassky Times for Game 18
This article lists the times taken for the moves of game 18 of the Fischer – Spassky World Chess Championship Match.
Game 18, August 24-25, 1972
Fischer Spassky
White Black
(ar) (0:08)
1. e4 (0:08) c5 (0:02)
2. Nf3 (0:09) d6 (0:02)
3. Nc3 (0:09) Nc6 (0:03)
4. d4 (0:09) cxd4 (0:03)
5. Nxd4 (0:09) Nf6 (0:03)
6. Bg5 (0:10) e6 (0:04)
7. Qd2 (0:10) a6 (0:04)
8. 0-0-0 (0:10) Bd7 (0:05)
9. f4 (0:10) Be7 (0:06)
10. Nf3 (0:12) b5 (0:06)
11. Bxf6 (0:13) gxf6 (0:07)
12. Bd3 (0:18) Qa5 (0:30)
Continue reading The 1972 Fischer – Spassky Times for Game 18
The 1972 Fischer – Spassky Times for Game 19
This article lists the times taken for the moves of game 19 of the 1972 Fischer – Spassky World Chess Championship match.
Game 19, August 27th, 1972
Spassky Fischer
White Black
1. e4 Nf6
2. e5 Nd5
3. d4 d6
4. Nf3 Bg4
5. Be2 e6
6. 0-0 (0:04) Be7 (0:05)
7. h3 (0:06) Bh5 (0:06)
8. c4 (0:08) Nb6 (0:08)
9. Nc3 (0:08) 0-0 (0:08)
10. Be3 (0:16) d5 (0:27)
11. c5 (0:22) Bxf3 (0:27)
12. Bxf3 (0:43) Nc4 (0:27)
Continue reading The 1972 Fischer – Spassky Times for Game 19
The 2008 Anand – Kramnik Times for Game 1
This article lists the times taken for the moves of game 1 of the 2008 World Chess Championship Match between Viswanathan Anand and Vladimir Kramnik in Bonn, Germany.
Game 1, October 14th, 2008
Kramnik Anand
White Black
1. d4 (1:59) d5 (1:59)
2. c4 (1:59) c6 (1:59)
3. Nc3 (1:59) Nf6 (1:59)
4. cxd5 (1:59) cxd5 (1:59)
5. Bf4 (1:59) Nc6 (1:58)
6. e3 (1:59) Bf5 (1:57)
7. Nf3 (1:58) e6 (1:56)
8. Qb3 (1:56) Bb4 (1:54)
9. Bb5 (1:55) O-O (1:53)
10. Bxc6 (1:48) Bxc3+ (1:52)
11. Qxc3 (1:48) Rc8 (1:52)
12. Ne5 (1:48) Ng4 (1:46)
13. Nxg4 (1:41) Bxg4 (1:46)
14. Qb4 (1:40) Rxc6 (1:42)
15. Qxb7 (1:36) Qc8 (1:26)
Continue reading The 2008 Anand – Kramnik Times for Game 1