MORE FILMS AND FOOD

I was just scrolling through Netflix to find more 100-rated series, and stumbled across one each from Germany and Iceland.  I've only watched the first episode of each, but will of course continue.

Biohackers, rated 100/82 by Rotten Tomatoes, into season 2, is a German techno-thriller about a freshman medical student at the University of Freiburg, there mostly to personally investigate the doings of a young female professor who, it turned out, was into illegal genetic experimentation.  Each of the seasons has six episodes of 45-minute duration.  If so inclined you can just about complete the cycle in two nights.  Wikipedia provides a fairly complete explanation of each episode.

Travel played a role in my identifying with this program, for it was a quarter century ago when I was on an around the world trip that I met Phil Bossert in Freiburg and visited this university, for, I think this is where he got his PhD.  However, we were there because he was starting a wine company to import German wines from a company in Freiburg and we tasted 50 wines in two days, including a RED champagne, which I thought would be a best seller in China.  France makes only a small amount of red champagne that you probably never had, and these are more like rose'.  This deep-red champagne was from Germany using Pinot Noir in a very special way.  That photo is actually from Ukraine.  My next stop was Edinburgh to golf at St. Andrews.

Katla is the first Netflix original series from Iceland.  The cinematography was exceptional, and everything else outstanding, but somewhat eerie.  Rotten Tomatoes rated it 100/78.  This season #1 has 8 episodes.

The backdrop was a small town in southern Iceland which was suffering from the subglacial volcanic eruption of Katla.  People who have died began appearing in the village.  Comments like "beguiling mystery about heartbreak," "ominous supernatural mystery," and slow moving and haunting against a beautiful landscape can be cited.

It then occurred to me that perhaps I had too much depended on Rotten Tomatoes on what to watch, so at random I recorded two films, Kalifornia and Eurotrip, saw them, and then went to  check RT.  

RT gave the 1993 Kalifornia pretty bad 59/64 scores.  Excellent cast, with Brad Pitt, Juliette Lewis and David Duchovny.  Rated R, it was gory.  One reason for the ratings.  The acting by Pitt and Lewis, especially her, was outstanding.  This was also a travelogue, taking you to various parts of the USA, and you can guess the termination point.  Reviewers said pretentious, messy and horrifying.  Both they and the audience didn't like it because of the subject matter, serial killers.  I thought it was a very entertaining film, winning two awards at the Montreal World Film Festival.  

But it bombed at the box office, grossing only $2.4 million.  However, Roger Ebert heralded the performances of Pitt and Lewis as among the best he had ever seen.  So much for Rotten Tomatoes as the gauge to watch or not.

The 2004 Eurotrip, an R-rated sex comedy and travel production, got 47/75 scores, which means reviewers did not like it, but audiences were at least somewhat satisfied.  You get to see London, Paris, Amsterdam, Bratislava, Berlin and Rome.  It was funny, truly, with an over the top Hollywood ending.  Good cameos by Fred Armisen, Jeffrey Tambor, Arthur Frommer (they use his book) and Matt Damon. Maybe I shouldn't all that closely adhere to Rotten Tomatoes reviewers.

The reason I'm blogging on this subject today is to educate two members of my Wednesday night table.  At one time we had seven, but are now at four, mostly because three of them are in various stages of incapacity, but hopefully will return.  So anyway, this past Wednesday  I brought these two bottles of South Korean shoju to share, mostly because I kept seeing them on the Netflix series, and was influenced to drink them.  Unfortunately someone had a bottle of Haleiwa soju (26% alcohol--15 Craigside went there on an outing) and another a Heitz Cellars Cabernet, one of my very favorite wines.  You can't find a HC Cab less than $50 a bottle, and anything even slightly more vintage is past $100.

During the discussion, we happened to focus on the various Netflix Korean series, and how they are the modern version of those that replaced Japanese soap operas that were popular on local television.  Two on the table never bothered to watch the new Korean ones even though they subscribe to Netflix.  A fourth person is an even bigger fan, and I've had several postings on this subject.  Here is one from last month.  

I indicated that in all those modern Korean shows, whenever drinking occurs, these two soju bottles literally capture the scene.  Of course the company pays to advertise their project, but after a while it works, and one gets obsessed with these bottles.  So the homework for the neophytes is to watch at least one series this week, for I will be bringing them back to the table this week.  Here is a behind-the-scenes look at Crash Landing on You for them to get a flavor of what to expect.

This is one compilation of the best Korean series, with a warning:  THEY ARE HIGHLY BINGEABLE AND DANGEROUSLY ADDICTING!  Also sappy.  Vincenzo and CLoY are included.  Most of the others are not yet rated by Rotten Tomatoes.  A good one to start with is Something in the Rain, where I can guarantee that Tammy Wynette's Stand By Your Man will become your favorite song of the year.  Except that this song is being sung by Carla Bruni.

Dekanta provides you an opportunity to spend your money on Japanese whiskies.  

Yes, the price starts at $3700 and goes up to $130,000.  Per bottle.  It gets higher with Karuizawa:

I last night had more of the ahi gift, this time with Japanese wagyu beef from Miyazaki.  It looks small, but the reason is that the onion is really large:

Finally, here is what I am seeing from my computer.  A scintillating day in Honolulu.  Note that the shower trees and now in bloom.

-