Cinematical Reviews A Good Year

by Erik Olsen on

I am a devoted, passionate fan of Ridley Scott’s films. Sorry to say, but like many guys, I have watched Gladiator, oh, probably 10-15 times. I can’t say why exactly I so love this film, other than the fact that there is something about it that is very stirring to my genetic heritage with it’s scenes of vigorous carnage and dudes battling it out with spears, clubs and all manner of killing instruments.

There is also a heart-lifting underdog theme in the film that just makes me all giddy. But that aside, it seems as though my favorite director has got a new film out based on, of all things, a Peter Mayle novel. Sounds squishy, doesn’t it? Well, according to this fine review of the new film, called A Good Year, over at Cinematical, it is squishy. The film is about some hard-driving stock-broker who has to choose between the vigorous city life of London and a mega-bucks career and the possibility of living the easy life (and running a vineyard) in Provence (Mayle’s familiar territory).

Definitely NOT your typical Ridley Scott fare. As Cinematical puts in “A Good Year seems a little too delicate a soufflé for Scott, who seems to be more of a meat-and-potatoes director.” OK, fine. But does that mean you shouldn’t see it? Well, the film does star Russell Crowe, so even if its a big soft around the mid-section, it probably still worth it.

GADLING’S TAKE FIVE: Week of October 29

by Adrienne Wilson on

The moment you have all been waiting for has arrived at last. An unforgettable week… The most amazing things in blogging history, right here, now… It’s Gadling’s Take Five!!! A little too dramatic? I agree. Let’s just get to what you missed.

5. Star Locator:
Here’s a gear piece for all camp-loving individuals who like to stare off into starry nights, but have trouble finding popular constellations like Orion’s Belt. Maybe you just want to take a glimpse at Mars… Now you can do so with this handy dandy gadget, but you’ll have to visit this one yourself. It’s really rather cool!

4. On Stebastopol:
I’ve never heard of Stebastopol and if someone had asked me prior to reading this piece I would have told them it was in Estonia somewhere. Who says travel bloggers know it all? Stebastopol is mentioned here by Erik who passed through not too long ago and also mentioned by Outside Magazine. They say it’s one of the great towns to live in… Hmm…

3. Get Paid to Travel to Iran:
Someone please sign me up for this promotion! How bad I want to travel to the country of Iran I cannot say, but it looks as though they are making more efforts to bring tourists from the West on in to show them they aren’t as dangerous as the media makes them seem. Travel agents – encourage people to travel to Iran and you could be making some extra cash.

2. Bad English:
This is a book all of us might want to pick up, because in my mind bad English is everywhere, including in English speaking countries. Get your quick laughs about goof-ups found across the globe, but I urge you to spell check yourself and make sure your grammar is on point. You’ll probably find that some foreigners are better at grammar usage than you. I have from time to time.

1. Most Dangerous U.S. Cities:
Pack a glock if you find yourself headed to St. Louie, Flint, or Detroit anytime soon. These three just ranked tops in most dangerous U.S. cities. Okay, don’t pack a glock or any kind of weapon, but do look at the list to see why all the violence. You may be surprised where your own city ranks.

Guidebook Writers

by Erik Olsen on

Ever needed a bona fide travel guidebook writer to help you with your mangled prose? Or to craft a brochure for your lovely new condo villa in the Caribbean? Or to write an article about a beach you really love? Well, apparently there is a group that can help you do this. Called guidebook writers.com, this site offers the services of a scribe to help you do whatever it is you need to do with the help of a guidebook writer. To be hone set, I just thought it was a rather interesting service. Nice to see travel guidebook writers, folks who are hardly in it for the money, picking up some extra cash.

Bad English

by Neil Woodburn on

As more and more of the world translates their own language into English to accommodate international guests, travelers routinely come across bad grammar and butchered English that is often quite amusing.

I, for one, certainly appreciate the attempt at English, but will always chuckle inside when something is glaringly wrong.

Naturally, someone else has been as entertained as I, and has collected humorous examples from around the world and placed them in a book.

Lost in Translation: Misadventures in English Abroad by Charlie Croker looks to be one of those books you pick up when you’re bored for a five-minute read and a quick laugh.

The Telegraph highlights some of the more amusing examples from the book — although after reading the first few, it began to feel more like a forwarded email than an actual book. Nonetheless, here are a few to give you an idea of what to expect:

“The manager has personally passed all the water served here.”

“Customers who find our waitresses rude ought to see the manager.”

“You are welcome to visit the cemetery where famous Russian and Soviet composers, artists and writers are buried daily except Thursdays.”

Get the idea? Funny, I suppose, in brief amounts, or when brain dead from jet lag.

Bryson Interview on NPR

by Erik Olsen on

Sure, he’s hawking his newest book, a memoir about his childhood called The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid, but it’s still an enjoyable experience to hear my favorite travel writer Bill Bryson interviewed. I actually have a copy of A Short History of Nearly Everything in audio book, which he reads himself, and I like his soft, avuncular Britishy twang (even though he was born in the US, Bryson lived long enough…like Paul Theroux…in Britain, that he has an accent). Anyway, in this interview on NPR Bryson reads a bit from the book and talks about growing up in Iowa where, one might guess, it helped to have a vivid imagination.