Movies we saw this week

Under fun:

Persepolis (2007)


This is the movie version of Marjane Sartrapi's autobiography that was originally published in an animated novella format. I recall reading the first installation (courtesy of our local public library!) and I was quite impressed how sophisticated her work is on many levels. The animation is very stylized and charming. Sartrapi has a way of analyzing Iran's messy stew of politics, religion and its warring factions--- and deftly relating them to growing up in the mid-sixties.

The movie was pretty good. It retained a lot from the first novella and the animation is stunning. You can tell that Sartrapi retained a lot of control with the animation process. Any CG was very subtle. The movie continues on with her emigrating to Vienna and the challenges of finding herself.

I admit that the movie was a bit depressing. Or maybe bittersweet is the better term.


Annie Hall (1977)

DJKung was surprised that I have not seen this movie at all. He considers this Woody Allen's best work. I know that its influence in the industry is simply huge.

This movie was verry funny. I can't believe how timeless the humor was, especially all the neuroticism involved. Great movie!

Slumdog Millionaire (2008)




This movie has been getting some serious buzz since its release. DJKung, Ozzie Wan and Faschiester and I dug Slumdog. The book it is based on, Q&A by Vikas Swarup (props to my local library!) was similarly fast-paced. The movie does diverge from the book, and has a stronger emphasis on the love story and sibling rivalry. Overall a great story.

The cinematography was lush and juicy, with lots of interesting angles, but nothing too discombobulating. The "Who Wants to be a Millionaire" host, Anil Kapoor, was deliciously creepy and slimy.

Cafe Cianci

Under food:

Cafe Cianci
Montclair, NJ

Cafe Cianci is a convenient spot in Montclair for whiling away some time before your movie at Claridge Cinemas plays. After some hearty fare at Tinga, we were in the mood for some dessert.

DJKung and I went for the crepes with Nutella and bananas. It wasn't bad, but the banana slice were unripe and quite hard.



















Ozzie Wan and The Faschiester are big tiramisu fans. They found the tiramisu to taste suspiciously like Whole Foods', which they said made the best tiramisiu. Last I heard, they did a taste test but remained undecided.

Tiltillate Your Tastebuds at Tinga's

Under food:


Tinga Taqueria
215 Bellevue Avenue
Montclair, NJ 07043
(973) 509-8226
(other NJ locations available)
www.tingausa.com

Ozzie Wan and The Faschiester recommended Tinga for an early dinner while we waited for Slumdog Millionaire's next showing in Montclair. They've been regulars of this joint over the last two years, and it's easy to see why. The portions are reasonably priced, huge and tasty. It sure hit the spot.

Tinga in Montclair is a tiny restaurant that seats maybe twenty, at most. I love how warm and cozy the interior is. Their setup requires you to place and pay for your order at the counter, although they do bring the food to your table. Try not to fill up on the complimentary tortilla chips, because you won't finish your food!

Orange soda.

Veggie tacos. Their taco entrees come in a soft shell inside a hard shell. You get a sauce on the side with this (remoulade?) which was lovely. Ozzie Wan realllly likes this sauce.

Left: veggie nachos. This was a pretty hefty serving with lots of cheese and beans. Right: veggie burrito with rice and beans.

Right: we also ordered the catfish tacos. The fish is pan-cooked, and not deep-fried as with your typical fish tacos. This comes with a tomato salsa, rice, black beans and a smoky chile ancho (mayo-based?) sauce.

DJKung also ordered some ribs. (Blogger keeps posting it sideways---whyyyy?!) This came with a side of yellow rice and black beans (not pictured) I tried a bit of the sauce and it was pretty smoky, like mole. DJKung said the meat was on the lean side, but still fallling-off-the-bone tender. Later at home, Chibby remarked that the ribs were excellent.

DJKung and I left Tinga nice and full, with plenty of doggie bags for the furs and for work. Wish it was closer to us so we can stop by more often!

Leapin' Furs at Lenape Trail

Under furs:

Lenape Trail
Montclair, New Jersey

I know that we've been rather remiss in the "furs" section of this blog. We've wanted to post Lenape Trail since we started the Ultimate Fun Club. It has our unanimous approval.

Lenape has lots of nice trails and some prime viewing spots. It has a wide, graveled central trail which most of the hikers stick to, and a lot of single-track, meandering trails that are kept well-blazed.

This was taken during the summertime. Chibby and Babams can't wait to be off!

These pictures were taken last week. Without the foliage and the underbrush, you can see more of the layout of the trails.

Left: fungus growing on a dead tree trunk. Right: unknown black growths (nests?) on some branches.

Being rather well-trod by people and furs alike, and pretty much because it is right next to several backyards, Lenape does not have an overabundance of unusual critters. We've seen chipmunks, birds (hawks, woodpeckers and little black birds), and the rare squirrel. I don't even think there are deer in the area.

These boys sure like dippin' their paws in the cold mountain water!

Depending on how you like your hike, Lenape Trail gets jam-packed on weekends, with all the furs out socializing. There are some bikers on the little trails, sometimes. The main trail takes maybe 30 to 45 minutes, depending how briskly you walk. The outermost trails take an hour, is more rugged, and more scenic.

Green Papaya

Under food:

Green Papaya Restaurant
Hackensack, NJ

We were curious about Green Papaya because it bills itself as a fusion Thai/Malaysian place. The menu certainly looked exciting. We ordered a variety of items.

Roti chanai. The chicken curry dip was not as spicy as we would have liked. I liked the roti, which was light and fluffy. DJKung preferred his roti lighter and paper-thin.

Fried calamari, cut in thin strips and fried. It was crispy, but a bit bland.

Crispy fried tofu. Green Papaya touts their tofu made on-site, and we tasted the difference. The tofu was silky and light on the palate. It went well with the brown sauce.

Vegetable pad thai. The noodles had a nicely seared taste, but I found the spice a bit skimpy.

Beef rendang. DJKung found the cut to be rather lean and dry. He also felt that it could have been spicier.

String beans belachan. This was a tasty stir fry with the pungent belachan (dried shrimp paste) sauce.

The owner, Mary, was really warm and friendly. She stopped by our table to say hello. Green Papaya has been open for two years now, and most of the clientele that evening knew her by name.

The menu was indeed promising. From the way the food is prepared, I'm guessing that the kitchen staff is either Chinese-Singaporean or Chinese-Malaysian in origin. However, it seemed that the kitchen toned down the seasoning to cater to a more American palate.