Wednesday, December 5, 2007

2nd\NE Quadrant 12\10 '07

The Approval Matrix: Week of December 10, 2007



"Do Not Open:
An Enclyopedia of the Worlds Best Kept Secrets"














Book Description: In the groundbreaking tradition of DK's New York Times bestseller Pick Me Up, this book uses the same irreverent style to explore all the things THEY don't want you know about. From the Mona Lisa's hidden past to the history of Area 51, Do Not Open explores lost worlds, unravels secret codes, and lets readers step through the looking glass to see if they can handle the truth! (Amazon)

". . . a colorful book filled with unexplained mysteries, bizarre anecdotes through the ages, great escapes, codes, optical illusions, hoaxes, and explanations of secret systems and complexes." (Boingboing.net)


Sarah Murray's
"Moveable Feasts"



















Editorial Review From Publishers Weekly: Murray, a Financial Times contributor, takes a look at the literal journey of food through multilayered essays of the history of food transportation. From the banana export business of Central America to the creation of the barrel (which ... contributed a new dimension to the art of winemaking), the dozen chapters each start with a straightforward item-the shipping container, a tin can, a tub of yogurt, etc.-and delve into topics of greater significance like globalization, empire building, localized farming and food aid programs. For example, her essay on the amphora, a container used to carry olive oil throughout the ancient Roman Empire, not only depicts the social and economic importance of olive oil in Roman times but also leads into the contemporary debate of regional designation of origins for foods like Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese or Newcastle brown ale. Erudite and thoroughly researched, this is a fascinating read for both foodies and those who love how the minutiae of life often provide a fresh lens with which to view the world. (Amazon)


Laura Linney in Les Liaisons Dangereuses

Roundabout Theatre Company presents Laura Linney and Ben Daniels in a new Broadway production of the romantic drama, Les Liaisons Dangereuses, by Christopher Hampton; directed by Rufus Norris. The limited engagement begins preview performances on April 11, 2008; opening May 1, 2008 at the American Airlines Theatre (227 West 42nd Street).

Emmy Award winning actress Laura Linney will star as "La Marquise de Merteuil" opposite Ben Daniels making his Broadway debut as "Le Vicomte de Valmont."

"The definitive battle of the sexes springs to life in this Tony Award-nominated classic [Les Liaisons Dangereuses] by Christopher Hampton. For long-time friends and occasional lovers Vicomte de Valmont and Marquise de Merteuil, love is simply a game of chess. But in a few false moves, they're about to find themselves locked in the ultimate checkmate. Filled with seduction, betrayal, and plenty of illicit passion, this dark comedy paints the pre-Revolutionary French aristocracy in all its cynicism and decadence," explain press notes. (Broadway World)



"The Savages"























Plot Synopsis: A sister (Linney) and brother (Hoffman) face the realities of familial responsibility as they begin to care for their ailing father.

"'The Savages'...left me with a sense of acute pleasure, even joy. It's the pleasure of a true-to-life tale told by a director and actors who've sunk so deep into their movie together you wonder how they ever surfaced." -- The New York Times, Manohla Dargis

Trailer







"The Diving Bell And The Butterfly"
























Plot Summary: Elle France editor Jean-Dominique Bauby, who, in 1995 at the age of 43, suffered a stroke that paralyzed his entire body, except his left eye. Using that eye to blink out his [best-selling French memoir] memoir, Bauby eloquently described the aspects of his interior world, from the psychological torment of being trapped inside his body to his imagined stories from lands he'd only visited in his mind. (IMDb)

["The Diving Bell And The Butterfly"] is the latest subject for American artist and filmmaker Julian Schnabel and the result won him best director at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival. (VOA News)

Andrew Sarris of the New York Observer said in his review of "The Diving Bell And The Butterfly,""Astonishingly lyrical and profoundly moving."

Trailer

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