Welcome to Jankenpon…and thank you for visiting. I hope you enjoy playing rock, paper and scissors, too.
You can experience Jankenpon by reading the 30 most recent posts below. After scrolling to the bottom of this page, click on “Older Entries” to read previous posts. You may also view posts by Category or by month, by clicking on the appropriate link in the “Browse” section on the right.
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In honor of the 82nd annual Academy Awards, being held today in Los Angeles, CA, here is my list of the TOP 10 BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY of all time.
NUMBER 1: Barry Lyndon; Cinematographer John Alcott, Director Stanley Kubrick (1975)
The remaining 12 (oops, could stop at just 10, unfortunately) are, in alphabetical order:
* Day of the Locust; Cinematographer Conrad Hall, Director John Schlesinger (1975)
* Days of Heaven; Cinematographer Nestor Almendros, Director Terrence Malick (1978)
* The English Patient; Cinematographer John Seale, Director, Anthony Minghella (1996)
* Fanny and Alexander; Cinematographer Sven Nykvist, Director Ingmar Bergman (1982)
* Godfather Part II; Cinematographer Gordon Willis, Director Francis Ford Coppola (1974)
* The Last Emperor; Cinematographer Vittorio Storaro, Director Bernardo Bertolucci (1987)
* Manhattan, Cinematographer Gordon Willis, Director Woody Allen (1979)
* Out of Africa; Cinematographer David Watkin, Director Sydney Pollack (1985)
* Reds; Vittorio Storaro, Director Warren Beatty (1981)
* Tess; Ghislain Cloquet and Geoffrey Unsworth, Director Roman Polanski (1979)
* The Thin Red Line; Cinematographer John Toll, Director Terrence Malick (1998)
To to go the official Oscars site from the Academy of Motion Picture and Sciences, click here.
Above: Marisa Berenson as Lady Lyndon and David Morley as Bryan Patrick Lyndon, in Barry Lyndon.
To purchase Barry Lyndon on DVD, go to Amazon.com by clicking here.
To go to previous posts of things on MY TOP 10 LIST, click here.
With the annual movie award season now at its peak, I thought this would be a good opportunity to select my TOP 10 MOVIE ACTORS (which changes from time to time), in alphabetical order:
* Jeff Bridges
* Robert DeNiro
* Gerard Depardieu
* Robert Duvall
* Colin Firth
* Gene Hackman
* Dustin Hoffman
* Ian McKellen
* Paul Newman
* Tom Wilkinson
To go to previous posts of things on MY TOP 10 LIST, click here.
“Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.”
“All of us might wish at times that we lived in a more tranquil world, but we don’t. And if our times are difficult and perplexing, so are they challenging and filled with opportunity.”
–Aragorn (played by Viggo Mortensen), The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002), Written by Fran Walsh, Phillipa Boyens, Stephen Sinclair, and Peter Jackson; Directed by Peter Jackson
Although this list changes periodically, here are my TOP 10 FAVORITE THINGS TO EAT, in no particular order:
* Tenzaru soba (cold buckwheat noodles served with dipping sauce and shrimp tempura)
* Banh mi (Vietnamese sandwiches made with french-style bread and filled with pickled carrots and turnips, cucumber, cilantro and chicken)
* Chicken lau lau (steamed Hawaiian-style chicken and fish wrapped in taro leaves)
* Caprese con Mozzarella di Bufala (Mozzarella, tomato and basil)
* Hazelnut gelato
* Shrimp etouffee
* Oden (simmered vegetables, fishcake, eggs, and other ingredients in a broth, typically sold in the wintertime)
* Cioppino (seafood stew)
* Chirashi sushi (chef’s selection of sashimi served over sushi rice)
* Har gow (as well as other types of dim sum)
* Stone crab
* Boiled peanuts
* Fish and chips
Okay, I snuck in a few additional items.
If you had to pick just ten things to eat, what would you include on your list?
To go to previous posts of things on MY TOP 10 LIST, click here.
“Pick the day. Enjoy it - to the hilt. The day as it comes. People as they come… The past, I think, has helped me appreciate the present - and I don’t want to spoil any of it by fretting about the future.”
“For all my years in public life, I have believed that America must sail toward the shores of liberty and justice for all. There is no end to that journey, only the next great voyage. We know the future will outlast all of us, but I believe that all of us will live on in the future we make.”
For fans of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s stage musical, The Phantom of The Opera, the good news is that “Love Never Dies,” the sequel to the 1988 winner of 10 Tony Awards, is set to begin previews this week at London’s Adelphi Theatre.
According to Broadway Buzz, “The sequel takes place in Coney Island, where the mysterious Maestro who runs the local theater announces a one-off concert with legendary Parisian soprano Christine Daaé. After Daaé arrives in New York with husband Raoul, Victome de Chagny and son Gustave, their subsequent meeting with the Maestro sends the cataclysmic events that happened at the Paris Opera a decade ago crashing back into their lives.”
Previews begin on February 22, 2010, in preparation for an official opening on March 9, 2010. A Broadway version of the production is targeted to open in November 2010 (theatre to be announced).
To go to the official website of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Love Never Dies, click here. To purchase advance tickets to the West End Show, click here.
The official London Cast Recording will be released on March 9, 2010 and can be purchased, in advance, from Amazon.com by clicking here.
Above: View an interview with Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber in which he introduces Love Never Dies by clicking the Play button. Below: Watch a “preview” of one of the principal songs from Love Never Dies, featuring Ramin Karimloo, as the Phantom, by clicking Play.
Happy Fat Tuesday to all Jankenpon friends and visitors. Please join Jankenpon in wishing the people of New Orleans a wonderful Mardis Gras celebration.
Support the City of New Orleans in its ongoing recovery efforts by planning your next visit to this great American city. To learn more about New Orleans and to get visitor information and tips, visit the New Orleans Online website by clicking here.
“When we recall the past, we usually find that it is the simplest things - not the great occasions - that in retrospect give off the greatest glow of happiness.”
Today’s video is a 1990 live performance of “My Funny Valentine,” by the legendary Sarah Vaughan (1924-1990), who was affectionately known as The Divine One.
February 14, 2010 marks the start of the Lunar New Year, which is the most important celebration for many Asian cultures. 2010 is the Year of the Tiger and for those persons born in 1914, 1926, 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, or 2010, this is an auspicious year for you.
“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma - which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of other’s opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.”
“To awaken each morning with a smile brightening my face;
to greet the day with reverence for the opportunities it contains;
to approach my work with a clean mind;
to hold ever before me, even in the doing of little things,
the Ultimate Purpose toward which I am working;
to meet men and women with laughter on my lips and love in my heart;
to be gentle, kind, and courteous through all the hours;
to approach the night with weariness that ever woos sleep
and the joy that comes from work well done– this is how I desire to waste wisely my days.”
“If a man be gracious and courteous to strangers, it shows he is a citizen of the world, and that his heart is no island cut off from other lands, but a continent that joins to them.”
This handsome, classic Manhattan was served well-chilled with two cherries, at Faz Danville, located at 600 Hartz Avenue, in Danville, CA. The restaurant features a large, spacious dining room, a handsome adjoining bar, and private and semi-private dining areas for larger groups. Dinner is served nightly, and lunch is available on weekdays only.
To read more about Faz, which has other locations in Sunnyvale and Pleasanton, CA, go to their official website by clickinghere.
Above: A partial view of the large dining room at Fax Danville. Below: A view of the counter overlooking the open oven where bread is continuously being prepared.
To go to previous posts in the “Where is That Drink” series, click here.
“Faith is not simply a patience that passively suffers until the storm is past. Rather, it is a spirit that bears things- with resignations, yes, but above all, with blazing, serene hope.”
Conde Nast Traveler released its annual Gold List for 2010, which lists the top-rated hotels according to the readers of Conde Nast Magazine. The list is available online through the Concierge.com website, where you can filter the list according to a variety of categories, including:
* Best Rooms
* Best Service
* Best Food
* Best Location
* Best Design
You can also browse hotels by geographic area.
To go to the official Gold List 2010 page on Concierge.com, click here.
To subscribe to Conde Nast Traveler Magazine (12 issues for $12), go to their official website by clicking here.
TripAdvisor.com, the online community for travelers, announced its 2010 Travelers Choice Awards, which includes the top-rated choices in various categories, including:
* Bargain
* Romance
* Luxury
* Best Service
* Relaxation and Spa
* and more…
To read the rankings in all of the categories, go to the official Travelers Choice Awards 2010 page on TripAdvisor.com by clicking here.
“Whatcha got ain’t nothin new. This country’s hard on people, you can’t stop what’s coming, it ain’t all waiting on you. That’s vanity.”
–Ellis, played by Barry Corbin, to Llewelyn Moss, played by Josh Brolin, in “No Country for Old Men,” directed by Joel and Ethan Coen (1977), Paramount Pictures
“No Country for Old Men” is included in my list of TOP 10 FAVORITE MOVIES, which you can read by clicking here.
“No matter how I look at the issue, I cannot escape being troubled by the fact that we have in place a policy which forces young men and women to lie about who they are in order to defend their fellow citizens.”
– Joint Chiefs Chairman Adm. Mike Mullen (B. 1946), 2/2/10, speaking before a Senate panel urging the lifting of the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” USA armed forces policy.
Today’s video is another hilarious spoof from the creative minds at Saturday Night Live, featuring characters depicting Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and Senate newcomer Scott Brown (R, Massachusetts), among others. Go SNL!
“It’s toughest to forgive ourselves. So it’s probably best to start with other people. It’s almost like peeling an onion. Layer by layer, forgiving others, you really do get to the point where you can forgive yourself.”
The New York Times has made available on their website a list of “The Best 1,000 Movies Ever Made,” which includes links to the full review that appeared in the print edition of The New York Times.
To go to the complete list, click here. To order a paperback version from Amazon.com, click here.
Today’s song is the classic, A Place in the Sun, written by Stevie Wonder and recorded in 1966.
A Place in the Sun
Like a long lonely stream
I keep runnin’ towards a dream
Movin’ on, movin’ on
Like a branch on a tree
I keep reachin’ to be free
Movin’ on, movin’ on
‘Cause there’s a place in the sun
Where there’s hope for ev’ryone
Where my poor restless heart’s gotta run
There’s a place in the sun
And before my life is done
Got to find me a place in the sun
Like an old dusty road
I get weary from the load
Movin’ on, movin’ on
Like this tired troubled earth
I’ve been rollin’ since my birth
Movin’ on, movin’ on
There’s a place in the sun
Where there’s hope for ev’ryone
Where my poor restless heart’s gotta run
There’s a place in the sun
And before my life is done
Got to find me a place in the sun
You know when times are bad
And you’re feeling sad
I want you to always remember
Yes, there’s a place in the sun
Where there’s hope for ev’ryone
Where my poor restless heart’s gotta run
There’s a place in the sun
Where there’s hope for ev’ryone
Where my poor restless heart’s gotta run
There’s a place in the sun
Where there’s hope for ev’ryone…”
To download a MP3 version of this song from Amazon.com, click here.
“The most valuable things in life are not measured in monetary terms. The really important things are not houses and lands, stocks and bonds, automobiles and real estate, but friendships, trust, confidence, empathy, mercy, love and faith.”
– Bertrand Russell (1872-1970)
To go to previous entries in the “Today’s Quote” series, click here.
“I believe in human dignity as the source of national purpose, human liberty as the source of national action, the human heart as the source of national compassion, and in the human mind as the source of our invention and our ideas.”
“Let children walk with Nature, let them see the beautiful blendings and communions of death and life, their joyous inseparable unity, as taught in woods and meadows, plains and mountains and streams of our blessed star, and they will learn that death is stingless indeed, and as beautiful as life.”
Today’s video is another wickedly funny video from the hilarious guys at JibJab, called “Never at Year Like ‘09,” which offers a hilarious look back at 2009.
The feet are pausing at the “Top of the Rock” on the 70th Floor outdoor Observation Deck at Rockefeller Center, New York, to admire and absorb the stunning views of Central Park and Midtown Manhattan. Top of the Rock is situated on the 70th Floor of the iconic General Electric Building in Rockefeller Center and was reopened in 2005, after undergoing a $75 million renovation. Although the deck at the Top of Rock is not as high as the Observation Centers at the Empire State Building (located on Floors 86 and 102), the views from the Top of the Rock are considered by many to be more impressive, since it includes a sweeping view of Central Park and the Upper East and Upper West sides, as well as Midtown Manhattan.
The Top of the Rock is open to visitors from 8:00 AM to midnight, 365 days of the year. The entrance is located on 50th Street, between 5th and 6th Avenue. Tickets may be purchased online, in advance, through the official Top of the Rock website, which can be accessed by clicking here.
Above: A view of the 69th Floor outdoor deck, which is encased with clear glass panels to provide unobstructed views of the city, as seen from the 70th Floor deck at the Top of the Rock. Below: A commanding view of Central Park taken from the 70th Floor of the Top of the Rock.
Above: A northeast view, looking toward the Upper East side, from the Top of the Rock. Below: A view of the Empire State Building, located on Fifth Avenue, between 33rd and 34th Streets, and Midtown Manhattan.
Above: A view of the Upper West Side and the twin towers of the Time-Warner complex, located at Columbus Circle.
To go to previous posts in the “Where are the Feet” category, click here.
The journey to The Big Apple gets underway with a non-stop flight on United Airlines PS (Premium Service) Flight 892 from SFO to JFK in their attractively-appointed B757-PS, which features three cabins of service– First, Business and Economy Plus. The PS service between LAX-JFK and SFO-JFK are the only domestic United flights that use the B757-PS aircraft and which offer full First Class Service.
Above: United’s Premium Service aircraft are specially outfitted B-757’s with three interior cabins. Below: The First Class cabin has 12 seats with lie-flat beds and generous legroom.
Below: The lunch service starts with a chilled appetizer(asparagus with shaved parmesan cheese, and couscous) and a mixed green salad with sesame ginger dressing, and a glass of wine.
“Guard well within yourself that treasure, kindness. Know how to give without hesitation, how to lose without regret, how to acquire without meanness.”
Although 2009 will likely not be remembered as a great year for movies, there were some very good films, along with a couple breakthroughs, as well. Since many of the films that are expected to be the front-runners for the annual awards season have not yet opened in the San Francisco Bay Area, here’s an incomplete list of my TOP 10 FAVORITE FILMS of 2009.
TOP 10 FAVORITE FILMS OF 2009 (in alphabetical order):
* A Single Man
* An Education
* Avatar
* Crazy Heart
* The Hurt Locker
* Julie and Julia
* Sin Nombre
* Up
* Up in the Air
* (The remainder are still to be determined– check back)
What were your favorite films of 2009? To review my Top 10 Favorite Films of All-Time, click here.
Jankenpon is a collection of observations and images on a variety of topics that interest me. Please come back often to check it out and to leave feedback and comments.
David on March 7th, 2010
