Near Death [1989]
1. From the film: 75% of all medical expenses are incurred in the last 21 days of life.
2. At 1’clock in the morning she gets a DNR.
3. “The question is: Are we managing her chance at life, or are we managing her death?”
Monumental. Amazing.
Wet Hot American Summer [2001]
1. Grappling tube socks.
2. Doggy style, pony style …
3. “This isn’t the time or the place to discuss it. Beth, meet me at the picnic table in ten seconds. I’ll tell you all about it.”
Mad Mad: Fury Road [2015]
1. Milk bank.
2. “Aunt Harriet used to call them anti-seeds. Plant one and watch something die.”
3. Fat foot on the gas pedal.
First: what the heck is a DCP? In a nutshell, a DCP (Digital Cinema Package) is a specially formatted hard drive containing the movie which is used by a digital projector to, well, show the movie in a theater. In other words, a DCP is to digital what a film print is to analog. If you’re interested, here’s a quick primer.
My colorist Nicholas Coyle has also been overseeing the creation of the DCP for Pause of the Clock, and he’s just sent me this update:
I just tested the DCP at the SIE Film Center, which is a non-profit theater in Denver (all thanks to a friend who is a projectionist there). It looked and sounded amazing. The theatrical setting is perfect for this film, and the intricacies and subtleties of everything about the film really shines on the big screen.
Exciting! And check this out:
@randomcha Just tested the DCP for Pause of the Clock. It looked and sounded incredible on the big screen. pic.twitter.com/yvBTTp0cHW
— Nicholas Coyle (@preservefilm) June 16, 2015
So when those film festival acceptance calls start rolling in …
Total Eclipse [1995]
1. He helps himself to three books and a crucifix.
2. Unconvincing thrusting. Later, unconvincing mustache.
3. “You don’t care about my habits!”
“No, and neither should you!”
Kisses [2008]
1. Dangling sleeves on his huge coat.
2. As she blows him a kiss, a brief flash of color.
3. “You were right. There isn’t a devil. Just people”
The Princess of Montpensier [2010]
1. He doesn’t remember her smile.
2. She remarks that his brother sleeps soundly.
3. He washes his face from a giant bowl set on a table.
Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown [1988]
1. She insists that she prefers mambo. He agrees. “It’s the right music for this decor.”
2. Recipe for gazpacho.
3. Streaming hair helmet.
Over at Chicagoist, I review the new documentary about Saturday Night Live. Bottom line? It’s rather shallow and cursory, and doesn’t do justice to its subject. Entertaining? Yes. But you’re better off staying home and rewatching the 40th anniversary special.
Another Paul McGee classic (though I don’t know when he’s mixed one up lately), the Golden Eel is my new go-to aperitif. If you like Negronis and are ready to branch out, this is the drink for you. The smooth-and-prickly collision of flavors will activate your taste buds in time for dinner without weighing you down.
GOLDEN EEL
Combine in an old fashioned glass with a giant ice cube. Stir. Garnish with a large orange peel.
You can absolutely use another gin (such as Beefeater, McGee’s original spirit of choice for this cocktail), and you can definitely use genuine Jeppson’s Malört (I happen to prefer Letherbee’s take on the bitter wormwood spirit). But the orange peel is by all means essential, tempering the drink’s astringent qualities ever so slightly.
It’s simply a beautiful cocktail.
