Welcome back to a less serious post here on Life in Triple G!
First, the necessaries, Wee Baby Jack is still safely nestled within Mommy, we are 5 days out of the due date, and we're getting more and more excited as the days expire.
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Elizabeth and I went the ye olde Redbox last night a perused the offerings presented. One came up on the screen that I had almost forgotten about. I had looked forward to it coming out earlier in the year because it stars both Nathan Fillion and Clark Gregg, as well as being Directed and Produced by the one and only Joss Whedon. what great masterpiece could this possibly be you ask?
Shakespeare's: Much Ado About Nothing
This movie, along with all that was stated above has the advantage of being one of Elizabeth's favorite Shakespeare plays.
So we run home and pop it in the Blu-Ray player and watch as one of the best movies I've seen in a very long time unfolds before us.
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Like all Shakespeare, it took me about 15 - 20 minutes of staring blankly at the screen deciphering each sentence spoken until my brain finally switched over into "Shakespearean." the film is done in black and white with a very minimalist soundtrack, which is a nice retreat from modern day blockbusters that practically shove emotion down your throat with an ultra-charged score (Don't get me wrong, I love me some John Williams and Hans Zimmer, but there really is something special about letting the acting and the story give you all the emotion you need).
For those that don't know, this is one of Shakespeare's comedies, not like Romeo & Juliet, King Lear, or even Julius Caesar; no this is classic slap-stick at it's finest (with a wee bit of drama thrown in). It is about a celebration of sorts, a victory celebration after a fierce battle. the prince and his Officers come home to close friends home and spend some time winding down, and perhaps, falling in love.
Anywho, we open with with Clark Gregg playing the Father(Leonato) and the classically trained Reed Diamond as The Prince, Don Pedro. This is a modern re-telling of the classic, so we are presented with cars and suits, guns, and fine liquors. As the second car door is open, none other than Sean Maher (Simon Tam, Firefly), steps out as the evil Don John, brother to the prince, and all around bad guy. Surprisingly, this is actually his first role as a "bad" guy... although, I must, after this film, I'm sure he'll be in more, as his acting was superb.
As we move through the opening act, or boy meets girl, girl meets boy and so on, we get to the thick of the love story, you are wrapped up in the story, the actors drag you in, hanging off of every word. the cinematography is smooth, clean, refreshing almost. somewhere between a home movie, and big budget production. Again, a hint of piano here, and a splash of guitar there, and the score proves masterful. Then, something amazing happens.
Nathan Fillion.
Fillion plays the blundering Captain of the Guard, or in this versions case, the Police Chief. he plays the role so well, with perfect recitation and comedic timing, with the look in his eyes, and the posture of his being. Nathan Fillion was born to play Shakespeare. His part is fairly small, but every moment on screen, is a moment of pure joy.
The play hits it's low, then it's triumphant high, and all live happily ever after, and my life is all the better for seeing it. (I have to cut off the review suddenly like that, because you have to see it!)
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Much Ado About Nothing was filmed entirely in Joss Whedon's beautiful home, and was completed start to finish in only 12 days, in the middle of production of the Avengers.
With such limitations you might think that production value would suffer, but instead it makes it feel more real, more intimate, more enjoyable.
Nothing at all against Kenneth Branagh, his renditions of Shakespeare stay true to word, and setting, but Joss Whedon and crew make Shakespeare fun, exciting, approachable, and down right gorgeous. I really hope that they do more of his plays, and that this wonderful cast of characters return once more to recite the words of the greatest playwright.
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From the first "thou" to last backwards sentence, Much Ado About Nothing gets a full 10 stars out of 10 from me, and would get an 11, if I allowed myself such ratings.
I will be watching it over and over.
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That was an exceptionally long Movie review.... but I think it was worth it. Now onto yet another easy pasta dish from the kitchen. The beauty here is that you can use this as a guideline and really swap out any of the ingredients for what you have in your pantry!
I call it Mushroom-Chicken Tetrazzini
The Needed:
1-2 Chicken Breasts - cubed into 1/2 - 1 inch pieces
8oz Fresh Mushrooms, Washed and quartered
3-4 Cloves Garlic - peeled and chopped
6oz Frozen Broccoli - Thawed and strained
3oz Frozen Peas - Thawed and strained
1/2 T Italian Seasonings (a mixture of Basil, Oregano, Parsley, Rosemary, Paprika, and Thyme)
Spaghetti noodles
1(15-18oz) Jar Alfredo Sauce
Olive Oil
1C Shredded Italian cheeses
The Procedure:
Pre-heat oven to 400°F
For the frozen greens, I put them in a small colander together, rinsed with warm water, and set aside.
Start water for the noodles, break in half and cook until just before tender (1-2 minutes less than directed for al dente)
Saute Mushrooms and garlic in olive oil until mushrooms are cooked.
Remove Mushrooms, Saute Chicken and spices in the same pan until cooked.
Strain noodles and return to pan.
Add Mushrooms, Greens, and Chicken, stir well.
Stir in Alfredo Sauce
Transfer to a baking dish, I used an 8x10 glass walled dish.
Cover with shredded Cheese and bake for 30 minutes.
And you are done!
I served mine with homemade garlic bread
The Needed:
3T Room-Temp butter
3 Cloves crushed fresh garlic
1t Oregano
dash of salt
Italian cheese
Bread
The Procedure:
Mix up everything but the Bread and cheese
Slice the Bread into 1 inch thick slices. and place on cookie tray
Spread the garlic butter on each slice of bread
Sprinkle cheese atop each slice
As soon as the pasta is done, set the oven to broil
Slide in the bread on the second shelf
Keep the door propped open and keep an eye on the bread
It only takes a couple minutes to toast the bread, and it can go from perfect to blackened in the blink of an eye.
Pill it out once the bread is toasted and the cheese is beginning to brown.
And Voila,
Dinner!
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Thanks for stopping by, I imagine that the next update will will include a family addition... Stay Tuned!
-Joshua Anderson
