On my way to dinner on Tuesday I encountered a rather strange site. I was coming off the highway and getting ready to turn onto Natio. I noticed that there were thousands of crows. They were swarming in the sky. Every branch of every tree was covered with crows. It seemed to just be in that corner of the waterfront. It was really creepy. It was straight out of a Hitchcock film.
I had dinner at Nostrana. I have been trying to go there months. It is always really busy. I thought I might have a better chance on a Tuesday night. It was still busy. Luckily I got a seat at the bar right away. The place has a upscale modern Italian barn feel to it. There is a high ceiling with large wooden beams. There are posters on the walls. There is a big mural of an Italian last supper. The bar has open square shelves that reach to the ceiling. The shelves are filled with bottles. There are also masks hanging from the shelves. The restaurant has a nice atmosphere. It is loud. The service was good. The instant you walk in you smell the food, and it smells good. That's always a good sign. I got a Pizzoccheri dish. It was baked with yukon gold potatoes and thinner lasagna like noodles. It was so good. I love yukon gold potatoes. I would go back. A small note on parking. They do have a parking lot. But it seems to get full rather quickly. There is street parking. I parked in the parking garage of Grand Central Bowling. It is a bit of a walk from there to Nostrana. But it is free and secure.
Monday: Daughters of the Dust (1991)
This takes place in 1902. There are islands off the coast of South Carolina and Georgia. Former African slaves escaped to the islands and formed a small society. They still live in a Gullah culture. They still talk a certain way and believe in African rituals. Their clothes are Victorian in style. A photographer goes to the island with a woman who was raised there. He is going to document most of the people leaving the island for the mainland. There is resistance from the reigning matriarch. I thought this movie was interesting. It is something I did not know about. It is an interesting site to see these women in Victorian clothes walking on a tropical beach. The two things don't seem like they should go together but they work.
Tuesday: Green for Danger (1946)
A strange death happens at a small English hospital. A patient was being put under for surgery. He wasn't responding to the gas, so they switched to just oxygen. Even then the patient was still not responding and died. A detective is sent to investigate. All the doctors and nurses are suspects. When a nurse is killed the detective realizes there is more going on. He has to solve the case before someone else is killed. This is such a good movie. The detective is funny. He is very direct in his approach. He doesn't hide the fact that he think one person did it over others. The murder of the nurse takes place in a dark room. The only light is from the hall and window shutters that are blowing open and closed by the wind. The woman who discovers the body screams then the body is revealed by the shutters flying open to shine light on the body. It is such a cool way to reveal the body.
Wednesday: Wings of Desire (1987)
An angel walks around Berlin observing people. He sometimes helps them. There is a whole network of angels. He comes upon a beautiful trapeze artist at a circus. After seeing her he decides he want to be human so he can be with her. This movie was ok. Not a lot happened. There was just a lot of philosophical thinking and narrating. I don't like foreign films like that. Nothing really happens and most of the dialogue is just philosophical stuff. The first half of the movie was in black and white. There was only color when he felt desire. Then when he is human it is all in color.
Friday: The Rhythm Section (2020)
Stephanie's family was killed in a plane crash. She falls on hard times and becomes a drug addicted prostitute. A reporter finds her. He tells her that there was a bomb on the plane. It wasn't an accident. Stephanie is determined to kill all those responsible. She trains with a former agent. Then she sets out to get her revenge. I thought this movie was ok. Better than I thought it was going to be but not great.
Sunday: Pain and Glory (2019)
This movie follows the life of a Spanish director named Salvador in his later years. He has several health conditions and is in constant pain. One of his films is being re-released. Salvador seeks to reconcile with movie's star before the premiere. While with the actor he decides to try heroin. Then there are flashbacks of his childhood. His family was poor but they made due. He discovers his sexuality. In the present he fights addiction and tries to find a purpose again. This is a good movie. This is the first time I have seen Antonio Banderas in a Spanish film. The movie was shot with an almost documentary realness. Which makes sense because it is about the directors life.
I had dinner at Nostrana. I have been trying to go there months. It is always really busy. I thought I might have a better chance on a Tuesday night. It was still busy. Luckily I got a seat at the bar right away. The place has a upscale modern Italian barn feel to it. There is a high ceiling with large wooden beams. There are posters on the walls. There is a big mural of an Italian last supper. The bar has open square shelves that reach to the ceiling. The shelves are filled with bottles. There are also masks hanging from the shelves. The restaurant has a nice atmosphere. It is loud. The service was good. The instant you walk in you smell the food, and it smells good. That's always a good sign. I got a Pizzoccheri dish. It was baked with yukon gold potatoes and thinner lasagna like noodles. It was so good. I love yukon gold potatoes. I would go back. A small note on parking. They do have a parking lot. But it seems to get full rather quickly. There is street parking. I parked in the parking garage of Grand Central Bowling. It is a bit of a walk from there to Nostrana. But it is free and secure.
Monday: Daughters of the Dust (1991)
This takes place in 1902. There are islands off the coast of South Carolina and Georgia. Former African slaves escaped to the islands and formed a small society. They still live in a Gullah culture. They still talk a certain way and believe in African rituals. Their clothes are Victorian in style. A photographer goes to the island with a woman who was raised there. He is going to document most of the people leaving the island for the mainland. There is resistance from the reigning matriarch. I thought this movie was interesting. It is something I did not know about. It is an interesting site to see these women in Victorian clothes walking on a tropical beach. The two things don't seem like they should go together but they work.
Tuesday: Green for Danger (1946)
A strange death happens at a small English hospital. A patient was being put under for surgery. He wasn't responding to the gas, so they switched to just oxygen. Even then the patient was still not responding and died. A detective is sent to investigate. All the doctors and nurses are suspects. When a nurse is killed the detective realizes there is more going on. He has to solve the case before someone else is killed. This is such a good movie. The detective is funny. He is very direct in his approach. He doesn't hide the fact that he think one person did it over others. The murder of the nurse takes place in a dark room. The only light is from the hall and window shutters that are blowing open and closed by the wind. The woman who discovers the body screams then the body is revealed by the shutters flying open to shine light on the body. It is such a cool way to reveal the body.
Wednesday: Wings of Desire (1987)
An angel walks around Berlin observing people. He sometimes helps them. There is a whole network of angels. He comes upon a beautiful trapeze artist at a circus. After seeing her he decides he want to be human so he can be with her. This movie was ok. Not a lot happened. There was just a lot of philosophical thinking and narrating. I don't like foreign films like that. Nothing really happens and most of the dialogue is just philosophical stuff. The first half of the movie was in black and white. There was only color when he felt desire. Then when he is human it is all in color.
Friday: The Rhythm Section (2020)
Stephanie's family was killed in a plane crash. She falls on hard times and becomes a drug addicted prostitute. A reporter finds her. He tells her that there was a bomb on the plane. It wasn't an accident. Stephanie is determined to kill all those responsible. She trains with a former agent. Then she sets out to get her revenge. I thought this movie was ok. Better than I thought it was going to be but not great.
Sunday: Pain and Glory (2019)
This movie follows the life of a Spanish director named Salvador in his later years. He has several health conditions and is in constant pain. One of his films is being re-released. Salvador seeks to reconcile with movie's star before the premiere. While with the actor he decides to try heroin. Then there are flashbacks of his childhood. His family was poor but they made due. He discovers his sexuality. In the present he fights addiction and tries to find a purpose again. This is a good movie. This is the first time I have seen Antonio Banderas in a Spanish film. The movie was shot with an almost documentary realness. Which makes sense because it is about the directors life.
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