Film: “Spiderman 3”

I went to watch Spiderman 3 at the South Common theatres last night. It was quite a festive atmosphere for the younger set, with an inflatable jump house set up just outside the theatre, comic books and Spiderman-balloon animals offered inside, and even a costumed Spiderman available for photographs in the lobby.

We bypassed the peripheral fun in favor of lining up early to secure good seats. Though I tend to build up unwarranted expectations when waiting is involved, the movie didn’t disappoint. I failed in my attempt to avoid all reviews before the screening, but I do agree with Mack’s opinion that the critics were unnecessarily harsh on the third installment. I didn’t have a problem with what they deemed to be an abundance of villiains, and if anything, my favorite scene in the movie was the eleventh hour partnership between Spiderman and New Goblin (admittedly, I have a soft spot for redemption storylines).

As expected from the Spiderman franchise, there were stunning visual effects, and the requisite Sam Raimi everyman hero humor (but who else thought Parker’s bang-tastic street dance went on a tad long?). As for the new cast additions, Topher Grace did surprisingly well in his turn to the dark side, and James Cromwell’s bit appearance was a waste for someone of his acting caliber. And oh, the crying – the movie might as well have been subtitled S3: Waterworks Edition.

All in all, it was a good night at the cinema. Spiderman 3 definitely deserves its place as the first blockbuster of a sequel-filled summer movie season.

Theatre: “Dreamland Saturday Nights”

May and I then attended a matinee of David Belke’s remounted Dreamland Saturday Nights at the Varscona. From the website:

“When two lonely hearts meet at an old time repertory cinema, they discover that where one sees colour and romance in a search for love and adventure, the other analyses lighting, direction and camera angles. The play follows the growth of their relationship over a series of Saturday nights as they watch old movies together, eat popcorn and fall in love – with a little help from their friends, Bogart, Davis and Astaire.”

Just as nostalgic as the description portrays, the play was a classic Belke romantic comedy. I loved the use of old trailers and concession advertisements to set the tone as the audience seated themselves (though Shadow Theatre’s own trailers could have been better put together – I thought they were fake until I looked in the program). The set was as functional as it was pretty – the designer found great replicas of theatre seats and a concession stand to accompany the whimsical pastel colored swirl backdrop, evoking the desired feeling of innocence and push for simpler times. The stage also incorporated a clever sheer movie ‘screen,’ to distinguish between the film realm and reality.

Like most Belke plays, the supporting cast stole the show. Patrick Howarth, the only actor who appeared in the original, was fantastic. His impersonations were spot-on (and he can dance!), with his Jack Nicholson imitation garnering the most laughs. Aimee Beaudoin, playing the “wicked” gold digger, was so fabulous in her oozing indifference and cruelty that I was left wondering how it could have been possible that I’d never seen her before. In particular, her maturity as an actress shone through in her Bette Davis masquerade. Angela Christie was well-cast as Dorothy, the cute and shy female lead, but I’m still unsure about Chris Bullough. Although better this time around than in Teatro’s House of Cats earlier this season, he didn’t completely convince me that he was remotely torn about his decision of tearing down the Dreamland. The program didn’t list the original cast, but as Chris Fassbender was a Belke favorite while he was still in town, I couldn’t help but think Fassbender’s ability to juggle quirkiness with heartfelt sincerity would have better suited the role.

As a classic movie fan, I’m embarrassed to say I couldn’t recognize all of the allusions (the buck stopped with Citizen Kane and Empire Strikes Back for me), but I could relate to Dorothy’s sentiment of wanting to have a bit of both Oz and Kansas in her life. So despite its shortcomings, Dreamland Saturday Nights was an enjoyable piece of fantasy, comedy, and romance.

Not for the Impatient: Two Rooms Restaurant

For a pre-play brunch, I suggested to May that we try Two Rooms Cafe (101, 10324-82 Avenue), located in the historic Dominion Hotel. Hosting only seven tables, the restaurant is charming but small. With a warm decor – brown with stone accents, decorative cases, and a water wall – the dining room melded perfectly with the open-concept kitchen (or second “room”).

I was happy that the waitress still let us order from the 9am-12pm breakfast menu at 12:15. May selected the Cinnamon Kissed French Toast, while I chose the Indian-spiced Tofu Scramble. Given the decent staff-to-customer ratio, and the small number of tables to begin with, who knew our meals would take over 40 minutes to prepare?

May was disappointed with her dish, which ended up being much too sweet, overloaded with an intense amount of raspberry puree. My tofu scramble was all right – I’ve never had turmeric in a breakfast dish before, and it did add an interesting kick to the eggs. The potatoes were noticeably good, soft and well-seasoned.

At the end of it, May and I both agreed that we’d be more likely to head back to Murrieta’s than Two Rooms.

Cinnamon Kissed French Toast

Indian-Spiced Tofu Scramble

Satisfyingly Authentic: B-Bim-Baab Restaurant

My fellow Europe-bound companions and I had dinner at an off-the-beaten path Korean restaurant in a southside business park. B-Bim-Baab (9543-42 Avenue) came with Annie’s recommendation of authenticity and quality, and as the rest of us soon discovered, she was spot on.

With dated furniture of the Pagolac variety and aged carpeting, it was clear the decor wasn’t the main attraction of B-Bim-Baab. We decided to split four dishes, and after some discussion, ordered the Dolsot B-Bim-Baab (rice and egg, among other ingredients served in a Hot Stone Bowl), Tofu Yachae Bokum (pan fried tofu stir fried with vegetables), Charp Chae (clear potato string noodles stir fried with seasoned black mushrooms and vegetables), and Chicken Tang Su Yuk (crispy chicken with sweet and sour black bean sauce, tossed with slices of green pepper, red peppers, onions, and pine apples).

The very polite and petite waitresses were quite attentive over the course of dinner, though there was an accident involving chili sauce and Annie’s white hoodie. The dishes arrived one after the other, and all contained generous servings. My favorite dish was probably the B-Bim-Baab, if not only for the novelty of the Hot Stone Bowl. The egg added a creaminess to the sticky, crunchy rice for a texture previously unbenowst to me.

When we left, we were surprised how busy the restaurant was, given it was Friday night, and its location in the ‘middle of nowhere.’ But like El Rancho in the northside, this can be considered another of Edmonton’s ethnic gems.

Restaurant interior