Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed
Big Screen — Movie commentary
Blurt — Music's inside track
Booze News — San Diego spirits
Classical Music — Immortal beauty
Classifieds — Free and easy
Cover Stories — Front-page features
Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes
Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts
Feast! — Food & drink reviews
Feature Stories — Local news & stories
Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore
From the Archives — Spotlight on the past
Golden Dreams — Talk of the town
The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it
Letters — Our inbox
Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites
Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans
Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists
Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news
News Ticker — News & politics
Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated
Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna
Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated
Poetry — The old and the new
Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers
Reading — The hunt for intellectuals
Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails
San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds
SD on the QT — Almost factual news
Sheep and Goats — Places of worship
Special Issues — The best of
Street Style — San Diego streets have style
Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves
Theater — On stage in San Diego this week
Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative
Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work
Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego
Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads
Your Week — Daily event picks
Paul Blart: Mall Cop
OK, Mall Cop was questionable as we went into the full house. I saved my reservations until after the movie and I was pleasantly surprised, although the beginning of the movie with the "hypoglycemic overweight" Mall Cop, Paul Blart (Kevin James) was quite odd to say the least. However Paul Blart was a real trooper and the biggest doofus you have ever seen. He did things that made you want to hide under a blanket and pretend you weren’t there, that's how creepy some of his antics were. Now most of you who have seen the previews pretty much know the mall was taken over by a bunch of thugs and Paul Blart defended the mall single handedly. That’s where the fun begins and I say well worth the effort. I could tell the whole audience enjoyed Mall Cop as I am sure you will too. An actually fun movie 2 1/2 stars out of 4.— January 21, 2009 4:10 p.m.
Australia
If you can still catch this movie please do so. Enchanting on all fronts, starring Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman with a new kid, Brandon Walters, an 11 years old indigenous boy from Broome who grabbed the hearts of many in the theater. Baz Luhrmann writer, producer and director made magic happen with this movie with dynamic scenes and touching interactions. This is a sweeping romance between Nicole’s part and Hugh’s part which touches and intertwines with the Aborigines of Australia. Filmed entirely in Australia it reminds me of an old American western movie, and very similar in many ways. You won’t regret seeing the movie “Australia” 4 stars out of 4— January 7, 2009 10:56 p.m.
The Reader
"The Reader" is a movie now playing at the Hillcrest and my take is Amazing. There are touches of coming of age for the boy part in this movie played by David Kross. Then you have Kate Winslet who I would say one of her best parts yet. She did an absolute excellent job of it. You might call her part as being a child predator or sorts. In pops the nude and sexual scenes which director, Stephen Daldry of "Billy Elliot" fame, did not spare in the slightest. Rated R for that reason. The sensual scenes with Michael Berg (David Kross), the fifteen year old, and Hanna Schmitz (Kate) are done superbly with a sensitivity that draws you into the movie even deeper. As the movie rolls along you begin to see the real Hanna and what her past entails and how the boy Michael reacts to all of it. This movie takes place in post World War II Germany. I highly recommend it for the more mature individual; I am quite sure you will thoroughly enjoy it and well worth the price of admission. 4 stars out of 4.— January 7, 2009 10:26 p.m.
The Comeback Clint
Gran Torino from what I hear is Clint Eastwood's last acting movie. Time will tell on that one. This was an excellent movie. I won't tell you how it ends. Touching in more ways than one. In the Clint Eastwood style while trying a few different slants. The family next door is not the ideal family as far as Walt Kowalski (Clint's part) is concerned. But watch the movie and find out the procession of events that change all that. Pretty amazing. I know you will love it. Of course the Gran Torino is a flawless prop everyone loves including the audience. Can't miss this one gang, it's a must see. 3 1/2 stars out of 4 is my take.— January 7, 2009 10:03 p.m.
None
The Day the Earth Stood Still in IMAX is quite stunning. Keanu Reeves and Jennifer Connelly did a great job of it and I thought this was one of Jennifer Connelly's best performances. First off there is no way anyone can compare the classic 1951 movie with this one. The original can't be beat ever. I personally rank it at the top of my list of best movies of all time with Michael Rennie, Patricia Neal and of course Billy Gray among others. The simplicity and storyline was solid in that 1951 classic. Now zoom to 2008 and what do you get? A supped up flashy rendition with the basic script changed to a point that really disappointed me. In the original, Klaatu came to earth to warn earthlings of immanent annihilation if they didn't stop all the wars especially with the nuclear weapons. The current day version claimed they would destroy all earthlings now, because they were destroying the earth. Give me a break, that is so lame I could puke. We all want a clean planet but kill everyone to achieve it is illogical and just plain stupid. The next point they totally missed was the part about Klaatu wanting only to talk to all the leaders of the world and not just one leader (the USA). But that never happened, there was no message to all the leaders of the world or anything close. As for the day the earth actually stood still, didn't happen until the end of the movie and then the movie ended. Again stupid! Plot is messed up on this one and that is sad. So I don't compare the two movies because they can't be compared, two different animals. If you ever get to see the original 1951 The Day the Earth Stood Still please do so. I have it on DVD, so I know it's out there. My total rating for this movie is 2 1/2 stars. I do however think it is worth seeing. Exciting and action packed. Oh by the way tell Gort, "Gort, Klaatu barada nikto."— December 14, 2008 4:22 p.m.
Letters
Instead of banning plastic supermarket bags in the city, how about regulations on plastic bags? What about dog and cat poop? What about the convenience of plastic bags and all the uses so many of us have found for plastic bags. What is the trade off? What is forever? Lets get back to reality of life and who we really are. The reality is we are here now and we must live our lives now. In order to do that we need plastic bags. Yes, plastic bags who environmentalists state will never die. That is Bull my friend, everything in the universe dies in one form or another. Little bits of tiny plastic bits created as time diminishes a plastic bag. That is reality.— December 6, 2008 8:54 a.m.
Struggle and Strife
Milk is a must see for members of the gay community, many younger gays just don't know who Harvey Milk was or who George Moscone was either, nor for that matter Dan White? For back in the 1970s when all this really happened was part of the beginnings of gay activism. A time when gays were beat, killed and harassed by no, not gay haters, but the police, sheriffs, and any other law enforcement segment. Gays were afraid to be who they were in public or public places and this movie reflects part of that era. Casting of this movie was right on with Sean Penn as Harvey Milk the looks were quite stunning to say the least. Josh Brolin as Dan White was an excellent match. James Franco's part as Milk's lover fitted well. Emile Hirsch gave a good performance as a young gay activist. There were some actual scenes of San Francisco during that time in the movie which added a realness to it. What actually went thru the mind of Dan White and why he killed Supervisor Harvey Milk and Mayor George Moscone, God only knows. You can see the push of Harvey Milk in his pursuit to free gays from being persecuted. His long hard fought destiny to become supervisor of San Francisco finally came to fruition in 1977 when he became the first openly gay man to be elected to public office in California. Dan White could not handle Harvey Milk and his drive to push gay agendas, nor the support of George Moscone. Finally Dan White reached his limit and went off the deep end by killing both of them. 3 1/2 stars is well deserved in this movie, well done by director Gus Van Sant.— December 1, 2008 7:29 a.m.
Canes
All I can say is "SUPER" about this place. First time we had been there and we will be back. With any restaurant there are two things that are most important, one being the food and the other being the service. BINGO on both! First off the service was on top of everything. Our waitress treated us like we were the only ones there, we wern't. The food in the menu looked inviting even before we ordered. I got the Enchiladas Del Mar which had snow crap and shrimp inside with rice and beans, all I can say is WOW! Excellent. My other two guests had a Burrito Grande with carne asada and loved it. The Pollo ChimmiChanga was the other, both looked just as inviting as mine did. This place "Canes" is something else. We ate on the patio balcony which is on the roof right along the boardwalk on Mission Beach, spectacular view and friendly atmosphere. They have inside stairs and outside stairs for easy access. This place is also poppin' with live music gigs at night and lots of action. You can tell the management knows what they are doing. Bubbling friendly service from our waitress was tops. Give it a try, I know for sure we will be back.— November 25, 2008 9:23 a.m.
Tyler's Taste of Texas
OK, Tyler's Taste of Texas is kind of a home town restaurant, kind of a country feel to it. The cooking can be good and can be questionable. I've had both. I really don't care to go back unless I am pursuaded by family. Personally I don't see the charm. Do you like canned peas, and other canned vegies? I know I don't. But I wouldn't mark it off your list just yet. I would say give it a try if on 2nd Avenue just off the freeway 8 on your right. I give it a 5 out of 10.— November 14, 2008 5:15 p.m.
Irredeemable Bond
The new Bond 007 Film, Quantum of Solace is indeed worth it. The two films of the past I loved were Thunderball and Goldfinger in that order. I really think this current 007 film does a very good job of it and Daniel Craig is well suited for the roll of James. The action is not all guns and blowing things up, but some might think that. It had it's moments of calm, short lived but enough to carry you to the next shootem up scene. Well mixed with an assortment of excitment in various scenes from one location to another, from a ballroom to a dog fight in the mountains, a car chase, then the desert. I would say tone it down a little here and there with a few more quiet scenes, so you can catch your breath just a little. This movie was all Daniel Craig with all the shooting and killing and stunts. Everyone in my group liked it, the big complaint was the sound was a bit overboard. I give this one 3.5 stars. I hope you give it a try.— November 13, 2008 9:47 p.m.