The Food Dish Known as Ratatouille Originated in Nice, France

A few entries back I offered up a humble review of the film Love Actually, but it’s been a while since it hit the theatres, and I would not like at all to imply that the college-goer is bound solely to the films in one’s own and one’s friends’ DVD collections; quite on the contrary! The Strand theatre just off of Sandusky offers the avid film-goer a good variety of the newly released variety in a beautifully restored historic theatre. OWU also uses the theatre to show films for the university, including the three shown for the annual National Colloquium, which, in a very broad manner of speaking, is a class/program the university puts on in which a general theme is selected, and the speakers are invited in to speak on it in addition to a few films pertaining to the matter being shown. Last year’s theme was ‘the citizen scientist,’ and I believe that this coming year’s has to do with cities and urban sprawl, but I am not entirely positive on that.
Speaking of recent films, I have had the excellent opportunity to see two films that are still out in the theatres: Pirates of the Carribean: At World’s End and Ratatouille! The latest addition to the Pirates series delivers an interesting end to the situation set up in Dead Man’s Chest, and even leaves an obvious hint of the next adventure that Jack, Will, Elizabeth, and company have in store. I, however, did not flock to see Johnny Depp as many a fan surely did, but rather cheered for Bill Nighey, the brilliant British screen actor playing the role of Davy Jones. In the previous film Nighey’s character was presented always fully digital, but a human form of the usually octopus-faced, pincer-armed Davy gets a few seconds of a fully human form. Overall a satisfying watch, and despite the blatant fan-service, it still managed to keep attention, and I give a nod of approval for all of the hat-tipping to true pirates of the day. Ratatouille, the latest in the growing pile of highly praised Pixar films, easily lived up to my expectations before deftly surpassing them. My personal favourite of the film is not the cute, fluffy star, but rather the tall, gaunt food critic Anton Ego, a.k.a. “The Grim Eater.” Ego strolled on screen and immediately won my heart with his dour personality and gorgeous animation; he may have the most beautifully stylized and animated fingers and hands that I have ever seen. Funny, inventive, and well executed, Ratatouille is definitely a must-see as far as movies of 2007 go.

German Phase: Das kommt mir Spanisch vor! (mostly pronounced how it looks, but say the ‘v’ in vor like it’s an ‘f’) A simple and useful phrase that is most accurately translated as ‘It’s Greek to me!’ However, when this good old Shakespearean phrase hits the Deutsch, Spanish is the language of choice to show how impossible to understand something is for one!

Pictures! A quick shot of the front of the Rave movie theatre in Polaris, a pic of Anton Ego, a capture of my 87 year-old neighbor trying his hand at archery for the first time on my long bow, and even a view of the Strand’s welcoming board thinggummer!