Manolo’s Shoe Blog

Bret says, We’ll get hot by the refrigerator.

Jemaine says, we’d be getting crazy if one of us was lucky enough to be born a lady.

Jemaine says, but you’d probably still have to keep your normal job.

Manolo says, it is Tuesday, time to see what the Manolo is…

Reading…

Watching…

Listening to…

The Manolo must admit that he came away from the American Gangster movie dissatisfied and more the little disappointed.

The first and most prominent problem is that not for the single instant did the Manolo buy that Russell Crowe (of whom the Manolo is the giant, huge fan) was the tough Jewish street cop from New Jersey. Firstly, his accent was terrible, nearly as bad as the “southern” accents of Nicole Kidman and Jude Law in Cold Mountain. And secondly he just did not look right, or act right, in the part. In short, he was miscast.

The second problem is that much of the middle part of the movie is boring. It drags as we endure both the tedious Russell Crowe, family-courtroom-drama sub-plot, and yet one more small scene of Denzel Washington acting resolutely criminal and earnest at the same time. Boring!

For the Manolo, the only time the movie really comes alive is when Josh Brolin appears as the corruptest of corrupt cops. He crackles with sparkling menace and is the only unpredictable thing in this terribly predictable movie.

Yes, there were good things, such as the sets and the costumes and the music and some of the secondary characters, but otherwise, this is not the movie you will long remember, which is odd, as the source material, the article “The Return of Superfly, in the New York Magazine, is wonderfully memorable.

Manolo says, there are two very nice discussions underway at the Teeny Manolo regarding books for childrens, the topic which has elicted very strong, but politely stated opinions from our internet friends. Last week, it was Glinda’s list of books for the younger childrens, this week, it is her list of books for the older childrens.

As with the list of the best children’s movies, the Manolo thinks that Glinda has done the admirable job, but that there are omissions here in need of mention. For the example, the Manolo loved From The Mixed-up Files Of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler and Treasure Island, and anything by S.E. Hinton, especially The Outsiders. (Oh, how the young Manolo identified with Ponyboy!)

Go now, and add your voice to this important discussion.

Manolo says, it is Tuesday, time to see what the Manolo is…

Reading…

Listening to…

Watching…

It is now official, the Manolo’s new favorite television show is The Flight of the Conchords. It is delightfully absurd, and the music is quite good.

Of course, you must judge for yourself, as this excerpt below is perhaps the funniest thing the Manolo has seen all year.

Brilliant!

Manolo says, Glinda at the Teeny Manolo reads the Us Weekly Magazine so that we do not have to.

E-list “celebrity” Trista Sutter (the Bachelorette, just to remind anyone who may have watched the show) is on a mission to lose weight. You see, only three months ago, she became a mother. But according to her, “I’m definitely not pleased when I look in the mirror.” Trista, weighing in at a whopping 116 pounds and size four, wants to lose that pesky baby weight, stat!

In an interview with US Magazine, Trista reveals how she especially dislikes

my belly. It has a layer of fat, which, of course, your body has to put on, but it’s blubbery and I hate it. I want to be able to go bathing suit shopping for a vacation and not feel totally disgusted… I just don’t feel good in a lot of my clothes.

Trista, Trista. Can I sit down with you for a second? We need to have a conversation. Go ahead and get comfy, because this might take a while.

Naturally, Glinda attempts to set her straight.

Meanwhile, at the Manolo for the Big Girl, Plumcake takes the more practical approach.

Manolo says, yes, these Finnish dancing shoes are silly, but the Manolo loves them, for they remind him of one of his favorite poems, Theodore Roethke’s My Papa’s Waltz.

The whiskey on your breath
Could make a small boy dizzy;
But I hung on like death:
Such waltzing was not easy.

We romped until the pans
Slid from the kitchen shelf;
My mother’s countenance
Could not unfrown itself.

The hand that held my wrist
Was battered on one knuckle;
At every step you missed
My right ear scraped a buckle.

You beat time on my head
With a palm caked hard by dirt,
Then waltzed me off to bed
Still clinging to your shirt.

And now you must click on this link and listen to the poet read it.

P.S. From the Manolo internet friend Rachel and from the Manolo’s friends at the Boing Boing

Manolo says, the Good Glinda, blogger extraordinaire at the Teeny Manolo has posted her list of the Top Twenty Movies for the Kids. Many of these are choices with which the Manolo cannot disagree (The Iron Giant, in particular, is the brilliant and touching piece of film making).

However, the Manolo believe that this list is too slanted to the films of the past 30 years. What of the Old Yeller (the Manolo’s eyes well up at the very mention of this movie), or the National Velvet, with young Elizabeth Taylor, or the other great children’s classics of the 1940s and 1950s?

You must go now and contribute your voice to this important discussion.