2 books and 1 movie

/

Screen Shot 2014-01-07 at 12.20.55 PM  

I won't even go on about how cold it is in Wisconsin. We know it is cold everywhere. I say stay in and read and watch movies! Here are 2 books by Ruth Ozeki that I just read. And enjoyed both. She has another book that is now on my list.

A teenage girl in Tokyo sees no escape from the bullyingof her classmates, and her sense of isolation is deepened by an unhappy family life. Before she takes her own life, Nao is determined to document the life of her great grandmother, a Buddhist nun who is more than one hundred years old. Nao finds comfort in writing in her diary, addressing an imagined reader and friend.

On the other side of the Pacific, Ruth, a novelist living on a small island off the coast of British Columbia, finds a Hello Kitty lunchbox washed up on the beach—possibly debris from the tsunami that struck Japan in 2011. Inside is Nao's diary, and Ruth becomes obsessed with finding out how the story ends. - Wikipedia

 

 

Screen Shot 2014-01-07 at 12.22.50 PM

Odd name, but another good read.

Jane Takagi-Little is a Japanese American journalist who is hired to work for a Japanese production company. The company works with BEEF-EX to promote the use of American beef in Japan by creating a Japanese television show called "My American Wife." Jane works as the host and creative producer for the show, on which every week an American wife is shown living "her life" and cooking meat.

Parallel to Jane's story is the life of Akiko Ueno, a former manga artist who specialized in horror scenes and is reluctantly married to a man working for BEEF-EX. Her husband cares only that Akiko has a baby and forces her to watch "My American Wife" and cook the recipes, believing that it will allow her to conceive. However, as Akiko's independence and sense of self grows from watching the show and cooking for her husband, her complacent life and relationship with her husband becomes volatile. - Wikipedia

 

Screen Shot 2014-01-07 at 1.27.31 PM

 

And then there is this little sleeper movie. We watch a Netflix movie for 10 minutes and move on if it doesn't hold our attention. It is streamable, give it 10 and see what you think.

In a bungled plot to pay back her husband's infidelity, a jilted wife finds herself forced to star as King Lear in a spectacularly terrible production, with her husband's younger lover playing the role of the king's fool.

Stay in. Stay warm. And soon Winter will be half over. I hope.

 

beauty is embarassing by wayne white

/

Screen Shot 2013-12-20 at 10.49.29 AM  

If you like contemporary art, puppets, Peewee Herman or quirkiness you will probably enjoy this documentary Beauty is Embarrassing by Wayne White.

We watched it on Netflix, it is streamable. They say... Get to know Wayne White, one of America's most unusual and arresting artists, with this snappy documentary that traces the ups and downs of his career. The jovial White discusses his art, strums the banjo, plays with puppets and simply enjoys life.

Cast: Wayne White, Mimi Pond, Woodrow White, Lulu White, Gary Panter, Mark Mothersbaugh, Ric Heitzman, Billie June White, Willis White, Paul Reubens, Jonathan Dayton, Valerie Faris, Matt Groening, Todd Oldham, Paul Zaloom
It was a delightful surprise.

slings and arrows

/

Screen Shot 2013-01-31 at 11.57.19 AM  

we like to have a series that we are watching. That way is there is nothing on we can just watch the next one in the queue. This one does not disappoint. There are 18 episodes, 3 seasons.

Slings and Arrows is a Canadian TV series set at the fictional New Burbage Festival, a Shakespearean festival similar to the real-world Stratford Festival.

The blackly comic series first aired on Canada's Movie Central and The Movie Network channels in 2003, and received acclaim in the United States when it was shown on the Sundance Channel two years later. Three seasons of six episodes each were filmed in total, with the final season airing in Canada in the summer of 2006 and in the United States in early 2007.

Review

"A winner: funny, touching" -- E! Online

"Achieves perfect pitch with its mix of dark wit and drama" -- The Washington Post

"One of my all-time favorite television series. Filled with irreverent, hilarious dialogue and heart-felt performances" -- TVGuide.com

"Sophisticated and cutting yet sincere...A" -- TIME Magazine

4 of 5 stars. -- Fort Worth Star-Telegram, July 2007

An exceptionally well crafted, beautifully nuanced and wonderfully smart series. -- San Francisco Chronicle

Backstage masterpiece this one-in-a-million TV show. -- The Phoenix, July 2007

Charming and complex and lovely. -- The New York Times

EW Pick...A -- Entertainment Weekly

Funny, tragic and exhilarating, "Slings" memorably celebrates the nobility of human dreams and the intoxicating impact of live theater. -- Newsday, July 2007

(Thanks Laurie, this is as enjoyable as you said it would be.)

A Cat in Paris & Giveaway

/

 

loved the illustration style and use of color in this little animated film. And it happens in Paris, always a big bonus for me. This is streamable on Netflix.

In this Oscar-nominated animated feature, little Zoe discovers that her cat, Dino, moonlights as the companion to Nico, a burglar with a heart of gold. Soon Zoe is drawn into a thriller filled with gangsters, jewels and the rooftops of Paris. - Netflix

As you know Zinio is giving me 10 free digital magazine subscriptions. You can take a peek here at www.zinio.com.

If you would like to get in on the giveaway you need to do 2 things.

1. Go to https://www.facebook.com/outsidethelinefonts

2. Share this post.

I’ll choose one winner daily and contact you through Facebook.

Each person can only win one magazine but you can up your chances by entering daily.

Enjoy and Happy Holidaze!

doc martin

/

This Doc Martin...

Not my new shoes (Dr. Martens)... OK that was just a chance to show off my new shoes... but aren't these fun? Last year I got the black and white polka dot pair. But I digress.

If you like British TV you may like Doc Martin. Shortly they are starting their 6th season so there is lots to watch. I think this is what I will watch next week as I start to draw my flower border font. I like having something streaming on my computer as I draw.

You can stream the 39 shows. There are 2 feature length movies that are prequels. I would recommend watching those first as they set up the show. Those are on disk though.

Crippled by a sudden -- and altogether inconvenient -- fear of blood, flashy surgeon Dr. Martin Ellingham (Martin Clunes) abandons his bustling London practice and sets up shop as a country doctor in this medically minded British sitcom. At first, he's a source of irritation for the ailing locals, including a pretty teacher (Caroline Catz) who catches his eye. But it doesn't take long for the quirky community to feel like home. - Netflix

(Thanks Chris!)

wisconsin film festival

/

 

Movie time! Time for the Wisconsin Film Festival with over 150 movies on 9 screens. Festival runs from Wednesday April 18th to Sunday the 22nd. A film guide and more info is at wifilmfest.org We have gone in years past and seen some great films and then also some decidedly lackluster. There is certainly a lot to choose from though. We are going to see The Fairy. Looking forward to it.

Eames: The Architect and The Painter

/

  i am a HUGE fan of the Eames'.

I have the House of Cards and a pen (thanks Laurie) and 4 blue fiberglass chairs. I can't get enough info about them. So I am enjoying watching this documentary about them as I draw. You can get it from Netflix either as a disk or you can stream it.

Eames: The Architect and The Painter (2011)

This documentary tells the story of the husband-and-wife team of Charles and Ray Eames, widely considered America's most important designers. Their creations include furniture, photography, interiors, multimedia exhibits, games and much more. http://youtu.be/_YMzmuBBBzo