TUCSON TAMALE - TUCSON, AZ

This is the second time i've gotten tamales to go from this restaurant and it probably will be the last unless bill specifically and aggressively requests them.

I don't know what all the hoopla and popularity is about these tamales. The masa is way too thick and dry and there is hardly any filling. i've now tried 4 different varieties (the most recent being sausage with potato and green chile chicken) and there is hardly any filling. I have to cut into the tamale about a good inch before i start tasting the filling and even then there is not very much.

You get salsa with the tamales and that was very good; had a kick without being overpowering.

I've never tried their dessert tamales and never will. Not even their chocolate cherry is tempting.

HA LONG BAY - TUCSON, AZ

This vietnamese restaurant has recently moved to tanque verde road near the intersection with sabino canyon road. The building it was in during its former residence (at Broadway and Wilmot) was absolutely beautiful; full of fountains and lots of beads and incense and bamboo and reds and golds. The room also was divided with colorful room dividers into separate small areas which also contributed greatly to its ambience. Now the restaurant is more of a big open space with loads of tables. There are murals and wall hangings and pictures on the wall but its just not the same.

Fortunately, the change in scenery did not impact the quality of the food which was excellent. We shared a bun dish with lemon grass chicken and a small rice platter (which was anything but small) which had well, naturally, a big big mound of rice with a subtle chive based dressing; thin perfectly grilled slices of pork, vegetables and meatloaf.

Everything was tasty and tender and flavorful. There was a tiny egg roll in the bun dish and this wasn't as good as Pho #1's egg rolls and did not hold a jade candle next to a Thai egg roll. But this was minor.

The service was good except everyone seemed TOO efficient. The busboys came by frequently to see if you were through with dishes so they could clear them and several times i felt like i needed to protect my plate.

We definitely will be back.

PRISONERS

This movie stars Hugh Jackman as Keller Dover, a "christian" family man who is humorless and stern and emotionally projects contraction and the discipline of work without much joy. He has 2 children a teen and a little girl of about 7. The Dover family is neighbors and friends with Terrence Howard (Franklin) and his wife and teenager and girl of 7 years.

The girls disappear while outside and can't be found after several hours of panic'd searching. The cops are called in and the team is headed by Jake Gyllenhaal (Det. Loki). A dilapidated trailer is seen in the area and the driver, played by Paul Dano, is a creepy retarded acting almost mute young man.

Because of his demeanor he is considered a prime suspect but after 48 hours in custody no physical evidence is uncovered and he continues to deny any involvement. So he is released but Keller is hellbent on pulling and shoving and torturing the truth out of this young man. Keller is convinced that the police are making a big mistake and have let the abductor go. So Keller kidnaps him and keeps him in an abandoned building he owns and elicits the aid of Franklin, his neighbor, and beats the shit out of this guy.

And when it looks like another round is going to kill him, Keller devises another form of punishment and torture which is absolutely almost too much to watch on this big screen.

This is going on while Detective Loki is slowly uncovering clues and also investigating the wierd comings and goings of Keller who is highly antagonistic and confrontative to the detective. I can't reveal much more without giving away some of the twists and turns and mystery of what actually happened to these 2 girls and by whom.

The acting was totally superb and it was scary to see Keller's neighbors go along with his plan even though initially they are aghast at the cruelty. but they let themselves become convinced because of Keller's continued rock-hard certainty that this boy was involved.

I thought the last 30 minutes wrapped up too many loose ends and explained too many prior little clues shown earlier on way too fast. Also there were some unbelievable scenes that just didn't seem rational. Jake Gyllenhaal's acting was better than Hugh's because Keller's character was all puffed out manhood "i am right and everyone else is wrong" and the world has it in for me. so it was one dimensional.

But this film kept up the tension and suspense all the way through. Bill got so wrought that he had to get in the hot tub when we got home to relax and he still didn't sleep well.

We both gave it an 8 to 8.5.

Alicia's visit - Sep 2013

Click on the link below to see the pictures.

https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/104558674974334182523/albums/5924949294856461217

THE GRANDMASTER

this movie is about Bruce Lee's martial arts teacher and how Ip Man brought his style of kung fu to all of China and popularized it throughout the world. There is also a love story but its second stage to the wonderful (and probably semi-fictionalized) tale of Ip Man.

The movie has brilliant color and costumes, great acting (it's subtitled though with English  explanations as to who the characters were and a little bit about the historical context), some humor, a great immersion into Chinese culture and the invasion by the Japanese in the '30's, stunning visuals with fantastic photography and of course, magnificent kung fu scenes. and the story was interesting.

We both gave it a 9.