The best sandwich I ever had

Let me take a pause from reviewing movies, pop culture, and politics for something really important. Yesterday on my vacation to Seattle, I had the best sandwich I've ever eaten.  

Salumi is just a barely noticeable sliver in a not too prominent building in Seattle's Pioneer Square.   It is owned by celebrity Chef Mario Batali's father Armandino Batali.  It's open four days a week for very short hours, but yesterday eating a sandwich there was life changing.  I  lived in Seattle 16 years before I moved to Boston and never went to Salumi.  If I had gone there I maybe would've never left Seattle.  Ok that's a lie.  The sandwich was really good though. 

Around lunch time,  Salumi is known for having long lines every day it is open.  I arrived at about 1:00, and the line was slightly out the door.   It took me about 30 minutes to get to order.  It was worth it.  I ordered a hot  sandwich called Porchetta. I almost changed my order because the sign  for the Porchetta said that they do not recommend cheese.   Since for me cheese is life, and I want to respect the chef's vision, I almost ordered something else.  That would've been a mistake.  

There is very little seating inside, so I opted to find a place outside on an unusually sunny Seattle afternoon.   From the first bite, I was in heaven and knew they were correct to not add cheese to this perfect sandwich.  

Essentially Porchetta is pork butt that has been rendered and braised in its own delicious fat with Italian spices, carrots, fennel, grilled onions and peppers on a fresh baguette.  My description cannit do it justice.   But trust me after you take one bite and the fatty spiced pork juice starts dripping out, you also will be sold (unless you're vegetarian then Salumi is definitely not for you).  

I only ate half of it and this morning I had the second half.  After heating it up only slightly to not dry out the fantastic bread, I can tell you that this sandwich was just as good on the second day. 

I also ordered a pork meatball on the side which was outstanding.  I will most definitely go to Salumi again.  It's hard to imagine ordering anything besides the Porchetta, but I may also order some of their delicious fresh made cheese and cured meat to go as well. 

If you are visiting Seattle, make Salumi one of your top priority lunch destinations. 

Teeny Tiny Movie Reviews Returns!

This is the deal. I give movies a score from 1 to 10 and the review is as many words. Here we go.  

Zootopia- 8 out of 10

Charming Disney fare with a nice liberal message.

99 Homes- 6 out of 10

Kinda forgot about this movie already.  

The Witch- 5 out of 10

All atmosphere.  Almost no substance

Miss You Already 7 out of 10

Standard tearjerker.  I love Collette and Barrymore

Chi Raq 6 out of 10

Interesting choice for Spike Lee.   Messy

Truth 6 out of 10

Liberal bias in a standard biopic

Lady Sings The Blues 6 out of 10

Props to Diana Ross. Average movie 

The Omen 6 out of 10

1970s horror feels sorta slow now

My Very favorites in 2015 Film: The Winner's Version

Now  that I've finally seen my first 2016 film (Zootopia), it's time to close up on 2015.  Here are my choices for winners in 2015 film.

Best Song in a Film- Til it Happens To You (from the Hunting Ground)
Best Original Score- Music from It Follows
Best Animated Film- Inside Out
Best Costumes in a Film- Carol
Best Set Direction- Mad Max: Fury Road
Best Use of Sound in a Film: The Revenant
Best Visual Effects: Ex Machina
Best Cinematography- The Revenant
Best Acting Ensemble- Spotlight


My Favorite Adapted Screenplays:
Brooklyn
Carol
Creed
The Martian
Room - WINNER

My Favorite original Screenplays
Inside Out - WINNER
It Follows
Spotlight
Spy
Straight Outta Compton

Best Supporting Performance by a Male Actor
Steve Carell The Big Short
Idris Elba Beasts of No Nation
Tom Hardy The Revenant
Mark Ruffalo Spotlight
Sylvester Stallone Creed -WINNER

Best Supporting Performance by a Female Actor
Joan Allen Room
Rose Byrne  Spy
Jennifer Jason Leigh The Hateful Eight - WINNER
Alicia Vikander Ex Machina
Julie Walters Brooklyn

Best Documentary Feature
Amy
Best of Enemies -WINNER
Cobain: Montage of HeckGoing Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief
What Happened, Miss Simone?

Best Director
Lenny Abrahamson Room -WINNER
Peter Docter and Ronne Del Carmen Inside Out
Todd Haynes Carol
Tom McCarthy Spotlight
David Robert Mitchell It Follows

Best Lead Performance by a Female Actor
Blythe Danner I'll See You in my Dreams
Brie Larson Room -WINNER
Rooney Mara Carol
Saoirse Ronan Brooklyn
Alicia Vikander The Danish Girl


Best Lead Performance by a Male Actor
Matt Damon The Martian
Leonardo Dicaprio The Revenant
Michael Fassbender Steve Jobs
Samuel L Jackson The Hateful Eight
Jacob Tremblay Room - WINNER

And my 10 favorite films of 2015 were
Brooklyn
Room
Spotlight


And ranked in Order from 10 to 1 my favorite films of 2015 were:
10.  Straight Outta Compton
 9.  It Follows
 8.  Carol
 7.  Creed
6.  Amy
5.   Best of Enemies
4.   Brooklyn
3.   Spotlight
2.   Room
And my favorite film of 2015 was:

INSIDE OUT.

I'm looking forward to more great film in 2016!

#freesamsmith (from the clutch of catty queens)

Sam Smith has an Oscar and a bunch of Grammys.   You probably do not. I certainly don't.   And maybe he didn't "deserve" some of those awards. Maybe he didn't deserve the Oscar in particular. But what I know is that he probably didn't force anyone to vote for him with sexual favors, so it is kind of isn't his "fault" that he won some awards.

Sam Smith also misspoke. When he won his Oscar, he misspoke.  Have you ever misspoke? I did.  But just Once.

Sam Smith in a moment of nervousness and being misinformed thought and said that he was the first openly gay man to win an Oscar.   He said it in a statement of support to the GLBT community.   The is during a time when things are better for the gay community, but progress needs to continue.  Positive visibility and support are still needed. But many  of his gay community tribe did not support him back.

You would've thought that Sam Smith had said he was going to kidnap and BBQ one of Angelina's and Brad's children from the reaction that he got.

"How dare he speak and not know his gay history!! Said one voice, "And also Sam Smith use to be FAT!" said another gay history knowing gay.

This is what I know. Sam Smith is 23 (and 21 when he was FAT for you gay historians).  Do you remember when you were 23?  I do.  Very well.  It was the year I started to come out of the closet, and while I know now is a wildly different time, I would not have known my gay history either.  In fact, I'm pretty sure most 23 year old gay people now don't know their gay history much less know a list of openly gay Oscar winners.  It doesn't excuse it.  But maybe let's just lighten up a bit.  Let's stop eating our own.

One thing I do know is that at the age of 23 (and for Sam Smith earlier), I wasn't giving speeches in front of millions and millions of people talking about how proud I was to be gay.   Yeah, it's a different world now than it was back then. It isn't as big of a deal for a 23 year old singer to be out and proud (though there are still many many who are probably closeted at that point in their careers of many kinds.  )   Let's not forget our own histories.   Some of us at 23 didn't have the speck of courage that Sam Smith showed in his Oscar speech.  And if we did, maybe we would have misspoke too? Or maybe not.   But let's lighten up a bit.   Let's practice some kindness.   The Internet is an easy place to be a queen bitch.   Let's stop eating our own.  

#freesamsmith

My favorites in 2015 film.

Now that the Oscars are over, you can finally have what you've been waiting for.  You want to know what I, Dan Rosson, liked best.  So here we go.   In a week I will tell you my very favorite of these choices along with a few other favorites not mentioned here today! All of today$s choices are in alphabetical order.

My Favorite Adapted Screenplays:
Brooklyn
Carol
Creed
The Martian
Room

My Favorite original Screenplays
Inside Out
It Follows
Spotlight
Spy
Straight Outta Compton

Best Supporting Performance by a Male Actor
Steve Carell The Big Short
Idris Elba Beasts of No Nation
Tom Hardy The Revenant
Mark Ruffalo Spotlight
Sylvester Stallone Creed

Best Supporting Performance by a Female Actor
Joan Allen Room
Rose Byrne  Spy
Jennifer Jason Leigh The Hateful Eight
Alicia Vikander Ex Machina
Julie Walters Brooklyn

Best Documentary Feature
Amy
Best of Enemies
Cobain: Montage of Heck
Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief
What Happened, Miss Simone?

Best Director
Lenny Abrahamson Room
Peter Docter and Ronne Del Carmen Inside Out
Todd Haynes Carol
Tom McCarthy Spotlight
David Robert Mitchell It Follws

Best Lead Performance by a Female Actor
Blythe Danner I'll See You in my Dreams
Brie Larson Room
Rooney Mara Carol
Saoirse Ronan Brooklyn
Alicia Vikander The Danish Girl

Best Lead Performance by a Male Actor
Matt Damon The Martian
Leonardo Dicaprio The Revenant
Michael Fassbender Steve Jobs
Samuel L Jackson The Hateful Eight
Jacob Tremblay Room

And my 10 favorite films of 2015 were
Amy
Best of Enemies
Brooklyn
Carol
Creed
Inside Out
It Follows
Room
Spotlight
Straight Outta Compton

Why this 2008 Caucusing for Obama liberal won't be voting for Bernie Sanders on this Super Tuesday.

Let's just get this out of the way! If Bernie Sanders is the Democratic nominee for president in November, I will support him both with my vote and financially.

That being said, I don't think that will be happening.  I hope not.

In 2008 I made a tough choice and decided not to caucus for Hillary Clinton and gave my support to Barack Obama when I lived in Washington.   It was a tough choice because I knew both of them would make an excellent presidents.  I feel I have been correct in my choice aside from a few disagreements in policy (education and his terrible education secretary specifically), I think Barack Obama has been an excellent president.  The history books will be kind to his presidency and not so much to the racists who disrespected  him and the do nothing obstructionist Congress he had to deal with during much of his presidency However, had Hillary won in 2008 I believe she also would've had a successful presidency.  In 2008 we were lucky to have at least two strong choices for President of the United States.

2008 is NOT 2016.  I'm not feeling the Bern.

The thing is I've known about and have liked Bernie Sanders  for many years (which is more than I can say for some of his obnoxious followers)     I used to listen to a liberal radio station called Air America.   Every Friday, host Ed Schultz would host a chat with Bernie Sanders about current issues.  Bernie Sanders is a smart, caring man.  Bernie Sanders has a lot of great ideas.   I am glad Bernie Sanders is running for president because he brings in conversations to the race that otherwise might not be happening.  But I don't think Bernie Sanders would make a good president.

As I said Bernie Sanders has great ideas.   However, I am not convinced that he can bring many of his ideas to fruition.   To me Bernie Sanders is a bit like that friend you may have had in high school or college who smoked a lot of weed.  When he smoked, he would pontificatr about these great ideas he had to change the world, but then when the buzz wore off  he needed a nap and sometimes forgot he even had the ideas.  The revolution was over!

That may be a bit of an exaggeration, but I am not convinced that Bernie can make any of his ideas happen if he is president.   President Obama has brought far less radical ideas to an obstructionist Congress and had them shot down. Now granted I believe there is a lot of underlying racism as to why this Congress has behaved toward Obama as they have, but there is no way Congress is going to let any of Sander's ideas fly.  No way.  Not one.  I also don't think he has the leadership skills or charisma to negotiate with them to accomplish anything.

Out of all of the candidates both Republican and Democrat who are still running for President only one has the skills and understanding of the U.S. political system to get things done and that person is Hillary Rodham Clinton.   I think she will be President, and if she is elected she will be an excellent President.  She will take on the strong  legacy that President Obama will leave her and continue to make it grow.   She will be a much better president for public school teachers and students than even President Obama was.  I trust that she will work hard to accomplish the things she believes in.

I believe that after the caucuses in Nevada and the primaries in South Carolina  Bernie Sanders, a great man, is running on borrowed time.   When I vote in the  Massachusetts primary on Tuesday for Hillary Clinton, I hope my vote brings the Sanders candidacy one vote closer to its end so that Hillary Clinton can start running for President against the person she really needs to be running against, the Republican candidate for the President of the United States and for the future of our country.

My Definitely Not Confident Oscar Predictions

My movie super bowl is finally here! The Oscars  this year have more unpredictable categories than usual.  So without further ado here are my nominations

Best Picture: This category is usually said and done at this point, but not this year.  There is a three way race for this and either The Revenant, The Big Short, or Spotlight could win. 

Will Win: The Revenant

Should win: Room

Should have been nominated: Inside Out

Best Actor: Done and done

Will win: Leonardo DiCaprio

Should win: of the nominees probably Leo, but I could make the case for Michael Fassbender

Should have been nominated Jacob Tremblay Room

Best Actress: Also fairly done

Will win: Brie Larson Room

Should win: Brie Larson Room 

Should have been nominated: Rooney Mara Carol. In this category.  

Best Supporting Actor: Probably not the sure thing some people think

Will win: Sylvester Stallone

Should win: probably Sylvester Stallone, one of Hollywood's greatest comebacks ever, but I'd cheer hard for Mark Ruffalo winning.  

Should've been nominated: Idris Elba. He's so good in Beasts of No Nation  And this one nomination could have softened the whole #Oscarsowhite controversy 

Best Supporting Actress: a lot of fraud in this category with at least two leads up for a supporting award.  

Will win: Alicia Vikander The Danish Girl, but she's a lead. She's one of the two Danish Girls. 

Should win: I like Rooney Mara's performance the best, but Jennifer Jason Leigh has the best supporting role.  

Should've been nominated: Joan Allen Room

Best Director

Will win: Alejandro González Iñárritu The Revenant

Should Win: Lenny Abrahamson Room

Should've been nominated: Todd Haynes Carol

Best Original Screenplay

Will win: Spotlight

Should Win: Inside Out

Should've been nominated: There is no huge injustice here

Best Adapted Screeplay

Will win: The Big Short

Should win: Room

Should be nominated: no major snubs here either.  

Others that I predict will win

Best Animated feature: Inside Out

Cinematography: The Revenant

Costumes: Carol

Documentary: Amy

Documentary Short: Claude Lanzmann: Spectre of the Shoah

Editing: The Revenant

Foreign Language Film: Son of Saul

Makeup and Hair: Mad Max Fury Road

Original Score: The Hateful Eight

Original Song: Til it Happens to You

Production Design: Mad Max: Fury Road

Animated Short: Bear Story

Live Action Short: Day One

Sound Editing: Mad Max: Fury Road

Sound Mixing: Mad Max: Fury Road

Visual Effects: The Revenant