DVD Review--Novocaine

I wasn't sure what to think about this movie at first, but as it turned out I enjoyed it quite a lot. Steve Martin is, as usual, terrific in this goofy, very dark comedy about dentistry, obsession, drug use, murder, and semi-cannibalism. The plot was just twisty enough to entertain me (I'm pretty dumb about those things, so it doesn't take much), and everything about the story was appealingly off-kilter.

Also starring Laura Dern and Helena Bonham Carter.

Original theatrical release--2001

DVD Review--Phantom of the Opera

I was hoping this big romantic epic musical would be, well, big and romantic and entertaining, but the only adjective it lived up to for me was musical. The music earwormed me, but the characters and plot slid right by.

I'm not sure what didn't click for me overall--this movie is very pretty. Mostly, I think, it was the heroine, standing around dewey-eyed and with her mouth partially open, while the "hero" groped her, kidnapped her, and pranced about feeling aggressively sorry for himself. The fact she was being fought over by the King of Sparta (Gerard Butler, 300) and Nite Owl (Patrick Wilson, Watchmen) didn't help, but if I'd been more involved in the proceedings I wouldn't have noticed.

New Starbucks Tea Lattes

I'm a bit of a Starbucks addict, although I manage to keep my fixes to twice a week. Tuesdays I have my staple venti half-caf caramel macchiato, but on Thursdays I've been trying the new tea lattes.

My favorite of the bunch is the London Fog. I never would have thought an Earl Grey latte would be tasty, but it is. The black tea latte is just that--black tea. Nothing all that special but quite tasty if you enjoy your tea with a lot of milk. Next comes the vanilla rooibos. Rooibos has a good, sweet flavor, but it always has an odd aftertaste for me, almost like it has artificial sweetener in it, even when it doesn't. Last is the green tea, which to me tastes oddly grassy. And is super, super green...

Then there's the longstanding staple Chai latte, which I've always loved. Starbucks makes it with a nice, peppery flavor (well, actualy Tazo does, and Starbucks uses Tazo tea) that can really perk you up on a cold or dreary day.