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jamesqShort, because Spokane was really just a way station.
Good:
Other:
Solid performances from the entire cast. I'd recommend it, except the run has passed, and when is anyone reading this going to be in Spokane. This is the first time I've seen Man of La Mancha live, which seems odd, given my lj-name. The lead, in particular, inhabited both Cervantes and Quixote as two distinct characters linked by a common imagination. And he had a great set of pipes too! I really like this story, I just wish it had a few more memorable songs.
Star Trek Beyond
First, I think this was the nicest movie theatre I've ever been to. Seriously, check it out.
The movie was decent Star Trek. I think they still suffer from having Earth-shattering stakes. You don't need to threaten millions of lives if we care about the characters themselves. they're own stakes are good enough if we care about them. It's why Deadpool and The Wolverine were the best X-movies.
Anyway, this had a bit of that, but not as bad as earlier efforts.
Where it stands out is in the performances of the leads and the character growth of Kirk and Spock. They both really grow in this. I especially like the idea that The Enterprise is more than the ship - it's really a shorthand for the crew. The Enterprise is the crew, and that's why it's important to Kirk. The vessel is just, well, the vessel. The ship may be lost, but as long as the crew survives there is still hope. I think that message is the best part of the movie. I'm happy that, ham-handed as that message was, they didn't state it out loud - instead counting on the audience being smart enough to get it.
Downsides: The villain was pretty generic and didn't really have a rational motivation. Also, as names go, Balthazar Edison doesn't hold a candle to Stacker Pentecost. The film is very dark and for that reason I recommend seeing it in 2D - that way twice as much light is actually hitting your retinas.
It was solid Star Trek, and not the shit-show that Into Darkness was.
My breakfast view before leaving Nelson.
The journey:
The art in my room. I damn near stole it. Will try to find a print at some point, but that's made difficult by the contact information being out-of-date.
Just wanted to share these two murals.
The next morning I got up and left for Portland.
Good:
- Wonderful drive.
- Spokane is pretty.
- Got to see a good play and a decent movie, both on the same day.
- Sapphire Lounge (the hotel bar) makes a delicious flatbread.
- Hotel Ruby is a nice example of what I think of as Hipster Motel. You know, an old school hallways-on-the-outside motel from the 50s or 60s that happens to now be in a gentrified area, so it's now upscale, within the limits of the architecture. Excellent, knowledgeable staff, unique art on the walls, better-than-average room furnishings. Hotel Ruby had all of that.
Other:
- Customs was professional, and somewhat more attentive to detail than I expect, though they're always that way, so I really should change my expectations.
"Do you have any alcohol or tobacco?"
"I have a mickey of rum for personal use."
"Is it Cuban rum?"
*thinking* it's emergency rum, so it's a mixture of rums from near-dead bottles. Does it have any Havana Gold in it? Would I even remember if it did?
*out loud* "No." - Riverfront Park remains a jewel in Spokane. There were lots of people enjoying it when I went at dusk. Though I seem to have been the only person not playing Pokemon Go.
Solid performances from the entire cast. I'd recommend it, except the run has passed, and when is anyone reading this going to be in Spokane. This is the first time I've seen Man of La Mancha live, which seems odd, given my lj-name. The lead, in particular, inhabited both Cervantes and Quixote as two distinct characters linked by a common imagination. And he had a great set of pipes too! I really like this story, I just wish it had a few more memorable songs.
Star Trek Beyond
First, I think this was the nicest movie theatre I've ever been to. Seriously, check it out.
The movie was decent Star Trek. I think they still suffer from having Earth-shattering stakes. You don't need to threaten millions of lives if we care about the characters themselves. they're own stakes are good enough if we care about them. It's why Deadpool and The Wolverine were the best X-movies.
Anyway, this had a bit of that, but not as bad as earlier efforts.
Where it stands out is in the performances of the leads and the character growth of Kirk and Spock. They both really grow in this. I especially like the idea that The Enterprise is more than the ship - it's really a shorthand for the crew. The Enterprise is the crew, and that's why it's important to Kirk. The vessel is just, well, the vessel. The ship may be lost, but as long as the crew survives there is still hope. I think that message is the best part of the movie. I'm happy that, ham-handed as that message was, they didn't state it out loud - instead counting on the audience being smart enough to get it.
Downsides: The villain was pretty generic and didn't really have a rational motivation. Also, as names go, Balthazar Edison doesn't hold a candle to Stacker Pentecost. The film is very dark and for that reason I recommend seeing it in 2D - that way twice as much light is actually hitting your retinas.
It was solid Star Trek, and not the shit-show that Into Darkness was.
My breakfast view before leaving Nelson.
The journey:
The art in my room. I damn near stole it. Will try to find a print at some point, but that's made difficult by the contact information being out-of-date.
Just wanted to share these two murals.
The next morning I got up and left for Portland.
