Sunday, May 29, 2011

Day #21,711

Movie #1689: The Frightened City (1961, John Lemont)

Quite a triple feature today: Canadian documentary, Mexican blasphemy and English crime drama. This one stars a pre-Bond Sean Connery as an enforcer for the mob. Quite entertaining as the English backdrop makes for a nice change of pace from the usual Hollywood fare.

Movie #1688: Viridiana (1961, Luis Bunuel)

a veritable "last supper" full of sinners

I think if I were a Catholic I would understand more about why this is so blasphemous. Viridiana is ordered by her mother superior to leave the convent to visit her ailing uncle. On the outside, Viridiana meets nothing but sinners (just as the church says) until she finally becomes one herself.

Movie #1687: The Strangest Dream (2008, Eric Bednarski)

It's a National Film Board Of Canada documentary about Joseph Rotblat, the only scientist to quit the Manhattan Project before the atomic bomb was completed.
One interesting thing I learned from this is that the military had already told the scientists that the bomb was not being created as a deterrent to the Japanese - the bomb would be used to deter the Russians. I didn't realize that they knew that at such an early stage.
The second half of the film is about the Pugwash conferences which is how the NFB comes in since Pugwash is in Nova Scotia and the conference was first funded by Cyrus Eaton.
One problem with the film is a lot of the visuals displayed behind the audio are not identified so you're not sure what you are seeing. Otherwise, an excellent film.

Farewell Poker Tour tournament #12: $215 2 to 7 Triple Draw (PokerStars weekly)
This should be my last $215. I leave for Vegas next Sunday.
1st Break (4:55 PM): already down to 3,020 chips (from 4,000). That puts me in 13th place (out of 16 players). We're moving at a pretty fast pace (94 hands played already).
BUST (5:23 PM): Well, that didn't take long. I couldn't draw anything.

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