Author: Devanshu Mehta

The Age of Galifianakis

~ Devanshu Mehta ~ Leave a comment

A few months ago, I hadn’t even heard of him. Now, in the span of a few weeks, I have seen him in three movies.

Zach Galfianakis, your time has come.

“I’m on your side! I hate Godzilla! I hate him too! I hate him! He destroys cities! *Please*! This isn’t your fault. I’ll get you some pants.”

Last summer, he was in The Hangover. And while I went on record as not finding it too funny, I will also say that everything that I did like had to do with this guy. He’s channeling John Belushi, specifically Blutarsky, but there is a quiet desperation behind that beard that suggests potential for a Steve Carrel in Little Miss Sunshine or Jim Carrey in Eternal Sunshine in his future.

I didn’t know they gave out rings at the Holocaust.

Then, in December, he had a brief part as one of the sorry souls Clooney leaves behind in the recessionography Up in the Air. And then this month, he was the unkempt boyfriend of Michael Cera’s mother in Youth in Revolt.

And now, thank heavens, he has a full plate. Later this year, he’ll appear with Steve Carrell in Jay Roach’s (Austin Powers, Meet the Parents) Dinner for Schmucks. Then Todd Phillips’ (The Hangover) next with Robert Downey Jr and Jamie Foxx. And as Humpty Dumpty in Puss in Boots. No, I didn’t make that last one up.

How’d he die?
World War II.
Died in battle?
No, he was skiing in Vermont, it was just during World War II.

In any case, let’s hope he doesn’t continue to be known as “that dude from The Hangover”, and people can actually say his name. Especially trailers for his own movies. Yes, I know that trailer was a joke.

The Hangover

~ Devanshu Mehta ~ 3 Comments

I finally watched The Hangover this weekend, and I am underwhelmed. If it hadn’t been so oversold as the funniest movie since.. ever, I might have written the following as a review:

Hey, here’s a movie that’s kind of funny. Almost as good as director Todd Phillips’ Old School. And that dude Zach Galifianakis is a star.

As things stand now, I have to say I just didn’t find it that funny. Go watch Old School. It’s not great, but it’s better than this.

But I’ll still say Galifianikis is a star.

Travelog: Thatcher St, Boston Mass.

~ Devanshu Mehta ~ 4 Comments

If you’ve been to the North End in Boston, you might know what’s on Thatcher street. It’s the venerable Pizzeria Regina. If you’ve never been there, but have eaten at one of the many Reginas they have in mall food courts, I weep for you. The food court Regina is an abomination, the original is an experience. It’s a tiny little place, and you wait outside snow or shine. The gruff, businesslike waitstaff are there only to serve you the best pizza– not to ask you how your day was honey, or to hope you’ll have a good weekend.

Here’s the line outside (click for larger version):

Kitchen Confidential

~ Devanshu Mehta ~ Leave a comment

Kitchen ConfidentialTwo things are changing the way I eat, or at the very least, changing the way I think about food.

The first thing was the documentary Food, Inc. which we watched on new year’s eve. I’m not one for new year’s resolutions, but this movie will help you come up with half a dozen. From simple ones like “Eat food” (as opposed to gook), to more challenging ones, like “eat healthy, cheap, local, green, fair and wise”. Five out of six is good enough too.

The other thing that changed the way I think about food– specifically restaurant food– is Anthony Bourdain’s excellent book Kitchen Confidential. Bourdain has worked his way up from the most unseemly corners of the restaurant industry to the… most unseemly corners of the restaurant industry. To hear him tell it, all the corners are unseemly, and so is everything in between.

This is not a story about the horrors of hygiene around food, though there is some of that. It’s about the characters that the restaurant industry attracts, the traits needed to make it in the business, and war stories from behind enemy lines. To hear him tell it, the restaurant kitchen is a pirate ship, with all manner of highly-skilled, foul mouthed, burly thugs, who can give abuse in six languages and take it in nine. As long as they’re some variant of Spanish.

Bourdain is at his best when he’s exploding myths and letting us in on insider secrets, and directing his highly opinionated attacks at himself or restaurant industry standards. Or when he walks us through the day in a life of a high volume, high priced kitchen. The biographical bits are not the best part, but they do provide context to the rest of the story.

I did this one as an audio-book, and it pays off. Anthony Bourdain’s own words benefit from his delivery, especially in the chapters on a day in the life of his kitchen or the parts about the language.

Music Pick: Hombre Lobo by Eels

~ Devanshu Mehta ~ Leave a comment

More than a decade ago, I had fallen in love with “Novocaine for the Soul” by the alternative rock band, the Eels. It was one of my favorite tracks on my “MTV Alternative Nation: Volume 2” (or was it 1?) audio cassette! I kind of lost track of them over the years, though I have caught a couple of their songs (“My Beautiful Monster” and “Cancer for the Cure”).

Now I’ve rediscovered them with their latest album: Hombre Lobo. This is a short album, only four tracks, but each one of them is great. Especially “Beginner’s Luck” and “That Look You Gave That Guy“.

That look you give that guy, I wanna see,
Looking right at me.
If I could be that guy, instead of me,
I’d never let you down.

Music Mondays is a regular post where I feature new music that I’m listening to.