Spent my last weekend in Boston before my excursion to SF this week alternately out and about, then plopped in front of the television. Friday night Veronica and i headed to Kendall Square to check out Laurel Canyon. I didn't know a whole lot about the movie other than Lou Barlow and the rest of Folk Implosion (version 2.0) had parts in it. The film stars Christian Bale (ick ... didn't care for him in Swing Kids, and haven't liked him since) and Kate Beckinsale as an engaged couple moving from Boston to Los Angeles for Bale's psychiatry residency. Beckinsale apparently already has an M.D., but is wrapping up a Ph.D. in zoology or something similar. They are forced to stay with Bale's eccentric record producer mother, played by Frances McDormand in the only decent performance in the movie. The gist of the film is Bale's refusal to partake in the free-wheeling lifestyle of his mother, while his fiancee becomes more and more fascinated by this world to which she's never been exposed. The movie has some decent messages to convey, but they're delivered with all the subtlety of a hydrogen bomb. At no time during the film was i able to delude myself into believing that real people would ever act this way. Watching Lou and co. "acting like a rock band" is the most entertaining part of the movie. Oh yeah, and seeing Frances McDormand's boobs.

Saturday morning V took me to get a real, non-Supercuts haircut, pics coming soon. After that we headed to Newton to give Johnny's Luncheonette, a nice diner we found a few weeks ago, a second try. I had one the best Reubens i've consumed in recent memory. We drove home after that, all the way to our parking lot where the idiot delivery man who shares the lot backed into our driver's side door as we were pulling in. My poor Honda. The door now has a sizeable dent, although it still functions adequately. Now i get to go through the thrills of filing an insurance claim. We had a rather low key evening after that. Damn Boston drivers.

V and i took a walk on Sunday, over to New Balance and around Brighton. After we came home and V collapsed in bed, i tried watching the first installment of the new USA miniseries Helen Of Troy. Not good. As i recall, Helen was kidnapped (and raped, if memory serves) by Paris, prince of Troy. Her husband Menelaus then gathered the armies of Greece to sack Troy for Paris's acts. The USA version however wants us to believe that Helen and Paris were starcrossed lovers. Well, i guess it's more suitable for TV, but that doesn't make it right. So after 10 minutes i lost interest, and instead turned to Ben-Hur, the 1959 Charlton Heston epic. A movie like this makes the Laurel Canyons and Helen of Troys quiver in their mediocrity.

So now i'm at work, waiting for 4pm to roll around so i can hop on the T and head to the airport.