TV Bites: Quadrophenia

THE SNACK:
Beef Pie & Mash w/Liquor


A version of this post appears on the Criterion Collection site
On June 10, 1974, I was standing on a platform with some friends waiting for the Long Island Railroad train to arrive to take us to see The Who live at Madison Square Garden. I was a high school drop out, my father had just died, my mother's second husband had just run out on her, and nothing much made sense. In the outside world, there was Watergate, Patty Hearst, the Oil Crisis, and terrorists had recently bombed a building in New York. When the train, which may well have been the 5:15 (or close to it), pulled into the station, the trainman stepped out and announced: “Who train! Get on The Who train!” And we eagerly jumped aboard.

Just four years earlier, I had been unwillingly replanted from Manhattan to a small suburb on the southwestern tip of Long Island. We lived a block from the ocean, and since I was a stranger in that strange land, it was there on the beach where I spent much of my time.

I'm sure we could find a more perfect poster boy for teenage angst and alienation, but if we could all go back in time and observe me in my shoddy parka, standing on the edge of a jetty, alone, on a cold and misty twilight, asking big questions to the sea and sand, wondering why nothing ever went as planned, I would definitely be a likely candidate.

Here's an Article/Interview with me at a French Food/Movie site

A few months ago, I connected with a woman in France who writes about film and food, Claire Dixsaut. Claire has written several cookbooks (unfortunately, not available in English) pairing food and movies, including ones on James Bond movies, Mafia movies, and her new book on Chaplain films!


So Claire asked if she could interview me and that I should pick a handful of films, offer a food connection, and why I chose the film. She has translated what I wrote into French and it is now posted on her website, CineMiam. So, if you parlez francais, do check it out!

Mes films préférés: Ron Deutsch, “Chef du Cinéma”
10 Septembre 2012

CinéMiam inaugure aujourd’hui une série d’entretiens exclusifs. À des personnalités du cinéma, des chefs, des cinéphiles gastronomes, nous avons posé une seule question : quels sont vos films gourmands préférés ?

Notre première victime se nomme Ron Deutsch. Il anime depuis deux ans les cours de cuisine ”Chef du Cinéma” où les apprentis cuisiniers planchent sur un menu inspiré d’un film. En ce moment, par exemple, si l’on réside du côté d’Austin (Texas), on peut s’inscrire pour un menu roumain tiré de Frankenstein Junior....

en savoir plus....

TV Bites: Confessions of a Dangerous Mind

THE SNACK:
The Formosa Cafe Sticky Ribs


One more Chinese food recipe! Who knew?

First off, let me get this off my chest.... This was going to be part one of the "Hollywood Celebrity in a Fictional Story" double bill with the second feature to be JCVD. I had seen JCVD at Fantastic Fest before it opened and really, really liked it. But I hadn't seen it since. When I rented to view, I discovered that when it was theatrically released (and on the DVD) they had "Tarantino-ed" it, i.e., they jumbled the timeline of the movie in such a rotten way that I think they completely ruined it. The version I saw was linear, beginning to end. So I decided to pass. It's a real shame. I kind of understand why they probably did it - some idiot told them to move the action sequences forward. But they should have trusted their initial instincts. Sorry, Claude. And what really pisses me off is that I really wanted to make Mussels in Belgian Ale to pair with it. You can do it, but I ain't.

Alright then. Let's move on.... When I was like 10 years old, there was only one thing I wanted to be when I grew up.... a secret agent. I was obsessed with James Bond, Derek Flint, (all one day coming to Chef du Cinema!) and The Man from UNCLE. A life of intrigue, danger, espionage, and mysterious women. Sign me up. I guess that's why I relate to this movie so much.