A taste of the 50s ..
There can be few experiences as downright unpleasant as stopping to eat or drink at a motorway or trunk road service area (Heston Blumenthal's A303 Little Chef experiment is, I'm assured, an exception). 
Whilst making my regular cross-country treks taking ChaCha from paternal to maternal custody I've been tempted, (but never succumbed) by the retro attractions of Nelsons, an American style diner at Kingsclere on the A339 twixt Basingstoke and Newbury. Recently ChaCha and I, both peckish and with time to kill decided to check it out.
There's something deeply attractive for me, (a huge fan of American Graffiti and Happy Days) in the deep red of the leatherette booths, the pastel blues and pinks, the jukebox soundtrack and the idea of pulling up in a white
T'bird and ordering a $5 shake.
The experience at Nelsons didn't really stack up to my dreams, (how could it?) but it was kitsch retro fun, good food, well and visibly cooked, smiles with the service and a really pleasant alternative to the drab conglomerate ubiquitous corporate pitstop.
It must be tough to make a living out of somewhere like Nelson's Diner, it's been through 4 incarnations since I first noticed it and I suspect that reflects ownership. If you get the chance to break a journey there I'd recommend it.
Labels: Stuffy Oakwood Nelson's Diner
Watching the watchmen................................ Movie Review
It's fair to say that Mrs Stuffy did not share my enthusiasm for sitting through 3 hours of dystopian Sci Fi, based on a comic (I refuse to play the "graphic novel" card, it's a comic!).
The first few bone-crunching minutes did little to reassure her but, as the tale unfolded both of us were neatly lassoed and drawn into the very human world of the Watchmen. It's a tough tale to tell and the story skips around in time and place like a time-travelling skippy thing but despite this and (contrary to the opinions of some other reviewers) we had no problem keeping on track, and intrigued.
I was astounded by the visual impact, (shades of Blade Runner in the city-scapes) and captivated by the dialogue, particularly the Rorshach segments, painfully well played by Jackie Earle Haley (with echoes of Bogart's Phillip Marlowe, or Marv in Sin City).
The acting was good throughout and occasionally great, Billy Crudup deserves a mention as does the aforementioned Jackie Earle Haley who, on losing his mask, turned in a compelling performance. I loved the cruel humour of the prison scenes, the sheer imagination and beauty of the CGI on Mars, the wit and twists of the montage showing how history moved away from our own familiar timeline.
It's a hell of a story, beautifully told with a sad inevitability about it's resolution. I understand that the author, Alan Moore, has distanced himself from the film, that's a shame, based on our reaction it's his loss.
I commend it to your eyes and minds.
Would you like a haiku?
A tale for dark times
Sweeping, brave and intense
black, bloody and bold
Labels: Films haiku Stuffy critic, Oakwood, Watchmen
A fine example of growing old gracefully, Clint Eastwood does it again
Clinton Eastwood Jr is now 79 years old and based on Gran Torino is still right at the top of his game. This 
is a well-crafted film, Clint's iconic performance is compelling and thought provoking, the supporting cast, mostly unknown to me, play it perfectly, Thao vang lor in particular shines.
I'm not sure why I found myself identifying so strongly with a misanthropic old bloke with an aptitude for self-righteous violence but I enjoyed it muchly. It's a moving film, it made me laugh and it made me think. It's rumoured that this is Clint's last film, if so he's taking his final bow to a very well deserved standing ovation, (and a tear or two from Mrs S)
A Haiku you say ?
oh very well
The man with no name
has made a film with no flaws
sweet, sour, tour de force
NB: For the benefit of Angelica who does pick me up on the occasional discrepancy with the syllable count in these efforts, I should perhaps explain that I compose them in Japanese then translate the Kanji into English, my apologies for any errors, for Angelica's delectation here's the original.
名前無しの人 欠
陥の甘く酸っぱい離れ業無
しでフィルムを作った
Signs of the times - on understanding the customer
I spotted this the ot
her day, methinks someone needs a little help in understanding either the meaning of the word loyalty or the meaning of the word customer.
Yes, it was in a Costa Coffee outlet.
...
Whilst making my regular cross-country treks taking ChaCha from paternal to maternal custody I've been tempted, (but never succumbed) by the retro attractions of Nelsons, an American style diner at Kingsclere on the A339 twixt Basingstoke and Newbury. Recently ChaCha and I, both peckish and with time to kill decided to check it out.
T'bird and ordering a $5 shake.
