Monthly Archives: October 2009

Arsenic and Old Lace

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Video posted to YouTube by davinci5152

This is a Halloween tale of Brooklyn, where anything can happen and usually does.” among the opening titles to the Frank Capra movie, Arsenic and Old Lace.

Set in Brooklyn, New York (the center of the universe) in 1941, this Halloween movie is the funniest of all time.  The snip above doesn’t begin to give an idea of the hilarity to come. Starring Cary Grant and Priscilla Lane, it is based on a Joseph Kesserling play, which ran from January 1941 through June 1944.  Jean Adair, Josephine Hull, and John Alexander who starred in the play were released to act their parts in the movie.  And, no – I don’t remember that – my mother told me. Boris Karloff played the evil brother in the play.  The play’s biggest draw, he could not be released for the movie. Hence, in the movie version the evil brother is played by a gruesome Raymond Massey.  Some of the fun and several quirky quips in the movie reference that switch.

The story is about a theatre critic (Mortimer Brewster) who is also a critic of marriage.  He finally succumbs to the charms of the young woman who lives in Brooklyn right next door to his two aunts and a cemetary (Gravesend maybe?). The aunts, as it happens, very kindly murder lonely old men and bury them in the basement  of their home.  The “weapon” of choice is elderberry wine laced with arsenic. The aunts are helped with the burial chores and ceremonies by Mortimer’s brother Teddy, who thinks he is Theodore Roosevelt.  When Mortimer discovers a body in the window box and evil brother Jonathan arrives on the scene ready to kill Mortimer and put the aunts at risk, hysteria breaks loose.

Added value for Brooklynites and/or B-ball fans: You get a glimpse of the old Brooklyn Dodgers in the opening scene.

You can watch the entire move at hollywoodclassics4. 

I’ll take humor over horror any day . . .

BRIGHT STAR, Movie Review

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Video posted to YouTube by watchCulturetainment

Bright star, would I were stedfast as thou art -

Not in lone splendour hung aloft the night

And watching, with eternal lids apart,

Like nature’s patient, sleepless Eremite,

The moving waters as their prieslike task

Of pure ablution round earth’s human shores,

Or gazing on the new soft-fallen mask

Of snow upon the mountains and the moors -

No – yet still stedfast, still unchangeable,

Pillow’d upon my fair love’s ripening breast,

To feel for ever its soft fall and swell

Awake for ever in a sweet unrest,

Still, still to hear her tender-taken breath,

And so live ever – or else swoon to death.

Bright Star by John Keats

Along with my best movie-and-cultural events buddy, Smiley Jo, I finally got to see Jane Campion’s Bright Star today. I’d like to see it again. What could have been a run-of-the mill and trite Regency romance, turned out to be well-considered and engaging. From the costumes, to the changing of the seasons that was a beautiful and meaningful backdrop to the story, to the world-class cast and script, it is probably about as perfect as any movie can hope to be.

Bright Star is based on the lives of poet, John Keats and the young woman he loved, Fanny Brawne.  There are two particularly bright stars in the movie.  One is Abby Cornish, whose performance I found mesmerizing.  Ms. Cornish plays the part of Fanny Brawne.  Coming from a rather straightened background, Brawne has a certain savvy and spunk and is in love with that raw intensity we bring to first love, young love.   Abby Cornish’s rendering is – quite simply – true.  She is brilliant and heart-rendering. The second bright star is Ben Whishaw’s recitation of Ode to a Nightingale, which is played as the closing credits run. This alone is worth the price of admission and the major reason I’d like to see the movie again.

John Keats’ life and career were cut short when he died at twenty-four. The romance between him and Fanny Brawne was never physically consummated. Given his poverty and health issues (TB) and the mores of the time, they couldn’t marry. They were separated before his death. Because of his illness a group of friends pooled their resources to send him to Italy in the hope that the balmy climate would restore him and prolong his life. Keats knew he would die there and so did Fanny; hence, the most exquisite love scene.  It’s a long and tender good-bye. They lie on the bed in his room, fully clothed and facing each other, reciting La Belle Dame San Merci to each other.

I did not find Bright Star to be an emotionally manipulative movie.  It’s quite honest. If you have the opportunity to see it, do.  I don’t think you will be disappointed, especially if you are a lover of poetry.

Wintry Corn Chowder with Cheddar, Gluten-free

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Public domain illustration via Wikipedia.

When the corn’s all cut and the bright stalks shine

   Like the burnished spears of a field of gold;

When the field-mice rich on the nubbins dine,

   And the frost comes white and the wind blows cold;

Then it’s heigho fellows and hi-diddle-diddle,

For the time is ripe for the corn-stalk fiddle.

The Corn – Stalk Fiddle by Paul Laurence Dunbar, African-American Poetry of the Nineteenth Century: An Anthology ed. Joan R. Sherman

broth_o_veg_lg

Photograph of store-bought gluten-free broth.

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Photograph of my “secret” ingredient, salt-and-gluten free.

This tasty rendition is not only wheat-and-gluten free, but it’s low-fat.  It can easily be adapted to a dairy-free diet by leaving out the optional cheddar. Lifetime brand cheeses are the only fat-free cheeses I have found to date that do not have high-fructose corn syrup in them.  I can usually find them at Whole Foods or at specialty grocers.

I use new potatoes (red potatoes), which are waxy and seem hold up better.  I think they also have a more appealing texture in soup.  Among other good things, I believe waxy potatoes have a lower glycemic index than starchy potatoes do. None-the-less, I suspect that between the corn and potatoes, this recipe has a fairly high glycemic index. So, if you are dealing with diabetes, you’ll want to have a moderate portion and balance it with other foods, a green dinner salad and a protein. Do your homework!  Here’s a good informational site: David Mendosa: A Writer About Diabetes.

I should probably preface this by saying that we like this lighter chowder inspired soup; but, it is not like a traditional chowder.  No cream, so not as rich.  Red potatoes do not thicken in the same way that white ones do.  And, the turkey bacon gives it a flavor reminiscent of pea soup.

Wintry Corn Chowder with Cheddar, Gluten-free

The recipe

serves 3-4

Put the broth in a small pot and heat until near boil. Reserve. In a stock pot, sauté the bacon in the olive oil and Smart Balance until the bacon is browned and beginning to crisp.  Remove from pot and set aside.  Over moderate heat, add the onions, garlic, celery, and bell pepper and sauté until the pepper and celery soften, and the onion starts to become transparent. Add the flour stirring well to incorporate it into the oil. Slowly add the broth, stirring well as you do so. Add the potatoes, Bell’s Poultry Seasoning, and parsley.  Simmer until the potatoes are cooked through (approximately 12 minutes) and tender, but not falling apart. Stir frequently. Add the corn. Stir well.  Simmer for about three minutes. Add the creamer and the cheese. Salt and pepper to taste. Heat through and serve. Note: This is even better on the second day.