BARBENHEIMER or BOPPENHEIMER or OPPENBARB?

Yesterday I provided details on the official cocktail of Wimbledon, which is Pimm's Cup. Well, what do they eat there? Strawberries and Cream, plus Scones. So today I watched a nearly 5-hour match between Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic. A rollercoaster of a great final. First game to Djokovik, 6-1. Third game 6-1 for Alcaraz. Fifth to Alcaraz for his first Wimbledon championship. I took photos on my TV screen. The King was not there, but Kate was.

If you were wondering why the first photo at the top, tennis was actually my game when I was younger. If not for my high school victories, Stanford might not have accepted me.

This coming Friday, July 21, is looming as a special day for cinephiles, as two films, Barbie and Oppenheimer, are opening. Why so? You can't find two more divergent over-hyped productions premiering on the same day. Makes for a once-in-a-lifetime double-bill for the uber adventuresome. I can't imagine even considering paying to see Barbie, but under this circumstance, maybe, adding a fine lunch with a lot of wine in between. AMC reported that 20,000 fans have already reserved tickets for both on this first day.

Barbie is a pink cotton-candy fluff of a movie satire, but has sold more than a billion dolls, while Oppie could well lead to the end of humanity. I previously posted on both this month, Barbie on July 1 and Oppie on July 10. Should it be Barbenheimer or Boppenheimer or OppenBarb? While I still fear returning to theaters, this might be the breakthrough excuse to re-enter this entertainment portal. Perhaps even popcorn, too.

Barbie, directed by Greta Gerwig, is rated PG-13, while Oppie, directed by Christopher Nolan, has an R. Barbie has been secretive about the whole production, except that Mattel has gone merchandise mad with pink products. Oppie had a documentary preview on CNN. Barbie had a budget of $100 million, Oppie $180 million. No ratings yet from Rotten Tomatoes.

Oh, one more thing, today is National Ice Cream day. Read where you can can get free products. We have half a dozen "free" ice cream varieties ever day where I live.

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