Dress in a Black

'American Idol’ 2010 Hits Ratings Low

2010-05-23T01:34:00.000-07:00

“American Idol” wrapped up its eighth season Wednesday night with its lowest-rated finale ever.

Last night’s two-hour results show averaged a 10.0 rating among adults 18-49 from 8-10:07 p.m., according to time-zone-adjusted Fast National numbers from Nielsen Media Research. The show drew 28.8 million viewers, beating only the audience from season one.

“Idol’s” finale, in which Kris Allen upset favorite Adam Lambert to take the crown, posted a 13% decrease from its live-plus-same-day performance in the demo last year, along with a 9% drop in total viewers.

This year’s results portion of the finale climbed 16% over its Tuesday night performance show, a similar difference to last year’s night-to-night climb leading to the finale (+14%).

The year-to-year drops are not a surprise, given the overall declines in primetime ratings and the show’s age. “American Idol,” however, has outperformed TV’s No. 2 show, ABC’s “Desperate Housewives,” by a 72% margin, its widest difference ever.

“Idol” also helped Fox claim its fifth consecutive season as the No. 1 network among adults 18-49.

Shrek Forever After: An Ogre in Midlife Crisis

2010-05-23T00:44:00.000-07:00

Shrek Forever After, the fourth and final Shrek movie, finds our ogre hero living in 3-D but frustrated with his mundane existence as husband, father of three and living legend. Shrek (voiced by Mike Myers) longs to be a real ogre again. He wants to see villagers fleeing before him in genuine terror, instead of treating his home like a tourist attraction. In one of the movie's better gags, a plump little boy keeps insisting, in a helium-inflected growl, that Shrek "do the roar." Shrek wants not to "do" the roar, but to really feel the roar. He wants his old life back, if only for a day.

This being a fairy tale, albeit a modern one, there is a way to make that happen — involving a magical contract proffered by that master of fairyland deceit, Rumpelstiltskin. And this being aShrek film, the resulting adventure is once again lively and clever, although its creative underpinnings — a sort of flea-market pastiche of antique fairy tales, vintage vaudeville and contemporary pop culture — seem rather more shabby than chic. When the first Shrek came out, in 2001, DreamWorks' use of that same triptych of source materials, liberally sprinkled with jabs at Disney, seemed in and of itself original. Nine years later, it's hard not to notice how everything in the movie comes from somewhere else — nicely rearranged, but far from fresh.

That said, sitting down to a fourth Shrek feels no more objectionable than sitting down to the second, or the third — neither of which I recalled in any detail as I sat down to watch this one, despite having seen them in the theater and then multiple times in the living room. This movie doesn't attempt, as the other three did, to advance Shrek's life story, such as it is. It appears to be driven more by capitalism than any storytelling urge, and steers away from a linear narrative in order to circle back to the first movie for a sort of It's a Wonderful Life diversion in which Shrek sees what things in the kingdom of Far Far Away would be like without him.

We learn in prologue that, in the days before Shrek rescued his beloved Princess Fiona (Cameron Diaz) from a dragon-guarded tower, Rumpelstiltskin (Walt Dohm) was this close to convincing her parents to sign away their kingdom to free her. Shrek foiled the plot by saving her. Years later, though, Rumpelstiltskin still wants that kingdom — and at a crucial moment in Shrek's midlife crisis, he shows up with a sympathetic shoulder, too many eyeball martinis and a contract that offers Shrek a day to be an ogre again — in exchange for a day from Shrek's past. Shrek is too far into his cups to realize that it could be the day he was born.

He is soon trapped in an alternate reality — in this week of theLost finale, let's call it a sideways world — in which Fiona has sprung herself from the dragon's keep and blossomed into the ferocious leader of an ogre rebellion — Joan of Arc meets Lara Croft. Donkey (Eddie Murphy, still funny) is a slave to a crew of ogre-hunting wicked witches. And Puss in Boots (Antonio Banderas) is so fat, he can't fit into his boots anymore. And everything hinges — again — on true love's kiss. Whatever: my motivation for seeing Shrek Forever After rested squarely on the shoulders of that fat cat. He was the cream I was looking for, and Banderas delivers, as usual.

But something did interfere with the simple pleasures of a corpulent cat. The Shrek sequels have always served as handy time capsules of the pop culture zeitgeist. Just as Shrek the Thirdhad Justin Timberlake guest-star after he brought sexy back,Shrek Forever After features two recent breakthrough stars, Mad Men's Jon Hamm and Glee's Jane Lynch, playing respectively right-hand man to warrior Fiona and a prominent wicked witch. This kind of timeliness amuses adults but rarely does anything for kids.

Sending Shrek into George Bailey territory does even less for them. "I have some confusions," my child kept saying after attending a screening with me. Me too. I kept thinking, so, in sideways world, Donkey's a slave, Sawyer's a cop, Ben's a school teacher and Kate claims she's innocent — hey, wait a minute, this isn't Lost!

The timing is not the fault of Shrek Forever After; DreamWorks couldn't have known when the year's most talked-about TV show would go into its final season. But that only serves to highlight one of the difficulties with the franchise — at the end of the fourth go-round, this Shrek seems so intent on being in touch with the times that it feels out of touch with itself. Can an ogre jump a shark? I think so.

Oscar Nominations 2009 List

2009-01-24T11:02:00.000-08:00

Forest Whitaker and Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences President Sid Ganis announce the nominations for the 2009 Academy Awards held at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater on Wednesday (January 22) in Beverly Hills, Calif.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Buttonpicked up the most honors, racking up 13 noms including best pic. Slumdog Millionaire followed with 10 nods.

Brad Pitt earned a Best Actor nomination (Benjamin Button) andAngelina Jolie picked up a nod for Best Actress (Changeling). Heath Ledger was nominated for Supporting Actor on the one-year anniversary of his death for The Dark Knight.

The Oscar ceremony will be hosted by Hugh Jackman on February 22 at LA’s Kodak Theater.

Changeling

2009-01-05T20:56:00.001-08:00

Changeling is a 2008 American period thriller directed by Clint Eastwood and written by J. Michael Straczynski. The film begins in 1928 Los Angeles and tells the true story of a woman who recognizes that the boy returned after her son's disappearance is an impostor. After confronting the city authorities, she is vilified as an unfit mother and branded delusional. The events were related to the Wineville Chicken Coop Murders, a kidnapping and murder case that was uncovered in 1928. Changeling explores themes such as disempowerment of women and corruption in political hierarchies. The film was made by Imagine Entertainment and Malpaso Productions for Universal Pictures. Ron Howard was to direct, but scheduling conflicts led to his replacement by Eastwood. Howard and Imagine partner Brian Grazer produced, alongside Malpaso's Robert Lorenz and Eastwood.

Straczynski was told of the case by a contact at Los Angeles City Hall. He spent a year researching it through archived city records before writing the script, most of which was taken from the historical record. The shooting script was not changed from Straczynski's first draft and was his first produced film screenplay. Principal photography began on October 15, 2007 and was completed in November 2007. Filming took place in Los Angeles and throughout Southern California. Visual effects were used to supplement shots with skylines, backdrops and digital extras. Eastwood's noted economical directing style extended to Changeling's shoot; actors and members of the crew remarked upon the calmness of the set and the short working days.

Angelina Jolie was cast in the lead partly because Eastwood felt her face fit the period setting. Several actors had campaigned for the part. Jeffrey Donovan, John Malkovich, Jason Butler Harner, Amy Ryan, Michael Kelly, Colm Feore and Peter Gerety are also featured. Most of the characters were based on their real life counterparts, while some were composites. Changeling premiered at the 61st Cannes Film Festival on May 20, 2008, where it was met with critical acclaim. It had its North American premiere on October 4, 2008 at the 46th New York Film Festival, and was released wide in North American theaters on October 31, 2008 after a limited release that began on October 24, 2008. It was released in the United Kingdom on November 26, 2008, and will open in Australia on February 5, 2009. Changeling's wide release was met with a more mixed response than at Cannes. The acting and story were largely praised, with criticism focusing on its conventional presentation and lack of nuance.

2009-01-05T20:40:00.000-08:00

Decode

Alexandra Cahill of Billboard.com gave the song a reasonably satisfactory review by stating that "vocalist Hayley Williams captures the tension and urgency between undead protagonist Edward and mortal love interest Bella with an impassioned, yet restrained performance". They also described the song as "expertly crafted follow-up Decode promises to stake a claim at modern rock and top 40 radio". ^[3]

Entertainment Weekly said of Decode being a step away from Paramore's "bouncier punk-pop sound for a more sprawling, Evanescence-like romanticism".

Christina's Keeps Getting Better Review

2009-01-05T20:16:00.000-08:00

Back when Christina Aguilera released "Genie in a Bottle" and "What A Girl Wants", amidst the wave of teen pop that was so successful at the time, the more astute music critics among us talked about what a great talent she could become. When she began wailing like Mariah Carey (check My Kind of Christmas for the very definition of over-singing), we began to write about how she was misusing the great talent she had. When she threw herself whole-heartedly into the knicker-flashing, Redman-featuring, downright filthy Xtina personality, the easily shocked quarters of the tabloid press began talking about 'a great talent wasted'.

Are you noticing a theme yet?

In her own way, Christina Aguilera has maneuvered to a point where she is an artist in the same tradition as pop music's greatest auteurs - David Bowie, Madonna, and Kate Bush all act as precedents for the way she allows her charisma and ability to guide her through a series of different personalities and genres, all while remaining essentially Christina. By this point, she's done swing, she's done stark, skyscraping ballads, she's done hip-hop, she's done teen pop, she's done hard rock, she's been sexually aggressive, she's been empowering, she's been defiant, she's been tender, and she's almost always managed to maintain quality control. And she only really has three major albums under her belt. It's time we started recognizing and respecting that, and started realizing that, for all the times she's been compared to the likes of Britney Spears and Mariah Carey, there is simply nobody in music right now that you could seriously place alongside her.

Which makes it quite handy that her first greatest hits album has arrived right now. Obviously, this album has arrived at this point largely because Aguilera's career is currently on sabbatical, to allow her to enjoy motherhood and spend quality time with her new-born son; one suspects that somebody like Aguilera, who is so ambitious and obviously wants to be a long-term concern, ideally wouldn't have wanted this to come out now. Still, in defence of Keeps Getting Better, one thing it isn't is rushed - there are two new tracks, and her two biggest hits have been re-made for this album. Not re-recorded, re-made; "You Are What You Are (Beautiful)" is practically unrecognizable from the original, its robotic vocal and pristine electronic production calling to mind The Knife. It would be baffling to attempt to choose one over the other, so radically different are the two versions. "Genie 2.0" is given a similar electronic makeover, placing it in a similar territory to The Eurythmic's "Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)", but in this instance, the qualitative comparison is easy - this new version is awesome. Place these two songs next to the two new tracks - the retro-futurism of "Dynamite" and the Xenomania-esque "Keeps Gettin' Better" - and you realize that Keeps Getting Better: A Decade of Hits actually tells two very different stories at once - Christina the pop singer is dead, long live Electro Christina. She couldn't signpost her new direction any more clearly if she announced the title of the next album as 'HAI GUYS KRAFTWERK WERE PRETTY COOL LOL I KNOW RITE?'. At any rate, these four tracks are more than enough to build anticipation for what could be a very, very good album.

Which leaves the retrospective part of the album. Like most greatest hits records, it's essentially a lap of honour, which the amusing sub-plot that the title Keeps Getting Better is a perfect summary of how the album plays, chronologically. While the early pure pop stuff still sounds okay - even if the shine is taken off the original "Genie In A Bottle" by the remake - and there are a couple of mis-steps immediately following them (why in God's name is Ricky Martin anywhere near this compilation when she did a far better duet with Nelly?), the quality steadily increases from that point on, as it moves from the good ("Dirrty"), to the great ("Fighter"), to the excellent ("Ain't No Other Man", "Candyman"), to the breathtaking ("Hurt"). There are two notable absentee I can think of, in "Can't Hold Us Down" and the aforementioned Nelly duet, "Tilt Ya Head Back"; one assumes both are missing because of licensing difficulties involving the featured artists. "The Spirit Within" isn't included on the US version either, but seeing as it's her most boring single, it's not exactly a big loss. Otherwise it's as expected, and that means it's very good.

Another Christina Aguilera greatest hits album will no doubt arrive in the future that does a better job of summarizing her career and defining her as an artist. Surely, she has a lot more in her that we haven't seen yet, and it might take a two-disc monolith like Best of Bowie to capture for future generations just who she was. For now this is just about as good a stop-gap as you could imagine; more than that, it's the best thing to bear the Aguilera name so far.

Is Horrible 'Valkyrie' Tom Cruise's Nazi Apologia?

2009-01-05T19:38:00.000-08:00

Say what you will about Tom Cruise’s acting in other movies; in "Valkyrie," which opened yesterday, he is awful. Amid British and European actors, Cruise stands out like a sore thumb. He doesn’t even attempt a German accent, his mannerisms are all from his "Jerry Maguire" era, and his earnestness suggests at best some kind of fictional American soldier trying to infiltrate the Luftwaffe. You knew it would be bad, and it is.

I’m more concerned that “Valkyrie” could represent a new trend in filmmaking: Nazi apologia. We know already what Valkyrie is about: a group of German soldiers who tried to assassinate Hitler in 1944 and failed. Cruise plays Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg—referred to in this film constantly as “Stauffenberg”—as if to make him sound less German or something.

On top of that, there is the matter of the uniforms and the set design. Suddenly, we have German officers in World War II who are not wearing arm bands. Their swastikas are now small tokens on chests of medals. They look more like airline pilots than Nazi soldiers. When they meet, it looks like they’re at a lovely retreat in the Adirondacks. Director Bryan Singer is so sparing with his Nazi flags, swastikas, etc that you’d think the Nazis hardly existed. What’s everyone so upset about anyway?

Because in “Valkyrie” Singer opens the door to a dangerous new thought: that the Holocaust and all the other atrocities could be of secondary important to the cause of German patriotism. Not once in “Valkyrie” do any of there “heroes” mention what’s happening around them, that any of them is appalled by or against what they know is happening or has happened: Hitler has systemically killed millions in the most barbaric ways possible to imagine.

It’s kind of galling to allow now, in 2008, that von Stauffenberg et al were either totally unaware of this, or that they felt their mission superceded it. In “Valkyrie,” at the expense of making a joke, they are almost like Franz Liebkin, author of Mel Brooks’s fictitious “Springtime for Hitler.” His famous line in “The Producers” is: “War? What war? We vas in the back. We didn’t see a thing!”

Seriously, if, as it’s suggested even by a writer like William Shirer (back in 1960, and a bit naively), that von Stauffenberg was put off by “anti-Jewish pogroms” that “first cast doubts in his mind about Hitler,” why did it take him roughly six years to do so something about it? The damage, as history bears it, was grievously done.

But Shirer also notes in “The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich”: “…when the war came, he threw himself into it with characteristic energy, making name for himself as a staff officer…in the campaigns in Poland and France.” What do we think he was doing then: organizing bake sales or helping to direct millions to the ovens?

This may not be so surprising coming from Singer, who counts among his films the onerous “Apt Pupil,” which fictionalizes the Holocaust and concentration camps. Maybe it’s because he’s relatively young in perspective to the Holocaust, but with these two movies Singer seems to be taking the subject matter in a strange direction post-"Schindler’s List," "Shoah," "The Last Days," and countless other works that brought the truth of the Holocaust into focus at last on film.

Singer has said in interviews: “I think it's very important for us and for history to know that not all Germans were Nazis and that some paid with their lives for opposing Hitler.” Frankly, this is a mistake. Is he really suggesting that the extermination of 6 million people was carried out without the complicity of these so-called non-Nazi Germans? Because that opens the door to a lot of other questions. I can only think of the Holocaust survivor in James Moll’s amazing documentary, “The Last Days,” who confronts her Hungarian neighbors 50 years later. “Didn’t you wonder what happened to us?” she asks.

“Valkyrie” is frustratingly stupid in this regard. Hitler is not frightening anymore. He reminded me of Leo G. Carroll in “The Man from UNCLE,’ a doddering fool with a British accent and a nice suit. He actually addresses his German radio audience in English. Singer and screenwriter Christopher McQuarrie make the rest of the Nazis just so out upon and sympathetic. The purpose of all this de-Nazification of course is to trick us into thinking ‘These are the good guys’ when there weren’t any good guys at all. The real story of “Valkyrie” is that is infighting among the enemy.

That much is completely forgotten in Singer’s film. It’s quite unlike another film out right now, Stephen Daldry’s “The Reader.” In this one, no one gets off the hook. Kate Winslet’s unsparing portrayal of a concentration camp guard never asks for sympathy. In “Valkyrie,” Singer works overtime trying to get us to feel something for the Nazis played by Bill Nighy, Tom Wilkinson, Kenneth Branagh, all nice guys and friendly faces we know from other movies. But you know what? The characters they played were German army just as brutal as Hitler, Goebbels, and Himmler. If they’d succeeded in killing Hitler, there was no guarantee anything would have changed. And that wasn’t their point anyway.

As far as “Valkyrie” itself goes, Singer soft pedals the Nazi aspects as much as possible. Then he turns it into a “Mission: Impossible” movie, complete with a version of “M” who shows von Stauffenberg’s gang different kinds of weapons and gadgets. As the group carries out its mission, Singer does build suspense. But frankly, when the assassination attempt fails, the movie simply conks out. There’s no place for it to go. Cruise, et al proceed thinking they’ve succeeded. But the audience knows they haven’t, we know what’s coming, and the insurgents seem kind of deluded and naïve.

Cruise can’t decide how often to wear von Stauffenberg’s eye patch, so sometimes he pretends to have a glass eye. Sometimes he uses the glass eye a calling card—a rather unexplored and loony subplot. His American accent gets very bad, to the point where he’s dropping g’s—as in “What are you gonna do?” He is completely miscast. Also, for some reason they’ve teased his hair. At his diminutive size, he more resembles Charlie Chaplin from “The Great Dictator.”

It’s a tribute to Nighy and some of the other actors that I could follow or care about their characters. But frankly, when the violins come out at the end of the film, and Singer flashes their written fates on the screen, I felt nothing for them and anger for him. The idea that you’re supposed to feel anything but revulsion for all these people is astonishing to me.

Keira Knightley in 'My Fair Lady' remake...What?!

2008-11-09T17:06:00.000-08:00

Recently I re-watched one of my most favorite movies ever, My Fair Lady. It is the first musical that I absolutely, truly loved. I fell in love with Audrey Hepburn's character. I wanted to BE Audrey Hepburn. Over the years I've watched the film again and again and I still love it. It's a classic.
Then I stumbled upon a months old story and I wondered why I hadn't read about it sooner. Why the heck is Keira Knightley acting in a remake of it?!?
I usually look at remakes with a wary eye. OK, I look at remakes with a disdainful eye, especially if the film is a classic. Look what they did to another Audrey Hepburn classic, Charade. They got Mark Wahlberg to play Cary Grant's role (what were they thinking?!) and Thandie Newton as Audrey. That was a box-office and critical disaster. Psycho redux didn't do all that well either. Honestly, no matter what film directors of today are thinking--homage, attempting to redo a classic for modern times--whatever! DON'T DO IT. They're classics for a reason. If you want to 'show' these old movies in a new way so kids can get into them...don't. I was 12 when I first watched My Fair Lady and Roman Holiday. My parents got me to watch them and in the end, I became a bigger classic film nut than my parents ever were. No one needs an update on these films--they're good as they are. Hell, My Fair Lady is better than good. It's a beautifully made film with a top-notch cast. It's funny, heart-warming and romantic--more than many movies of today contain, if you ask me.
movies.yahoo.com
And honestly, Keira Knightley? WHY? No one can match Audrey's Eliza Doolittle in class, beauty and charm. No one. No one can match Audrey, really. Honestly, I feel like no one can match any of the actors from the 1964 version in any remake of the film. God, I don't even want to image who Henry Higgins is going to be.
Knowing me, I will go watch the remake so I can make all sorts of comparisons and spiteful remarks after watching it. It'll be even worse if it's a modern take on the film. It just can't be remade!
UPDATE: Just read that apparently, Brad Pitt and George Clooney aren't friends anymore because both wanted to be Henry Higgins. AND Brad wanted Angelina as Eliza Doolittle. ICK. And possibly, Daniel Day-Lewis might be Higgins. As amazing an actor Lewis is, him as Henry Higgins? Oh Hollywood, you kill me. Literally.
Are there any remakes of classic films that have irritated you? Any classic films you'd like to see remade? Leave us a comment!

Britney Spears’ ‘Womanizer’ video unveiled

2008-10-09T05:10:00.000-07:00

The first look at Britney Spears’ anticipated video for her latest single, “Womanizer,” has been unveiled.
In the video, Spears portrays multiple personas including a girl in a revealing bathrobe, a leather-clad tattooed waitress and a racy office employee seen straddling a co-worker.
Spears’ new album is produced by the Atlanta production team, The Outsyders, and also teams the pop star with producers Max Martin, Dr. Luke, Danja, Bloodshy and Avant.

Gemma Arterton, Olga Kurylenko New Bond Girls

2008-10-09T04:23:00.000-07:00

(FROM HOLLYWOOD REPORTER) – British newcomer Gemma Arterton and Ukrainian actress Olga Kurylenko have been cast as the two female leads in the next installment of the James Bond franchise. Arterton will play Agent Fields in the Marc Forster-directed movie, which is still known only as ''Bond 22'' and is currently filming in London for Columbia and MGM for a Nov. 7 release. Kurylenko will play Bond's love interest. Daniel Craig will reprise his role as Agent 007. Arterton, 21, is a graduate of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts. Her past movies include a remake of the comedy St. Trinian's, recently released in the U.K., and Guy Ritchie's RocknRolla, which is scheduled for release in October. Kurylenko recently co-starred in Hitman and with Elijah Wood in a segment for Paris, Je T'Aime. They join a cast that includes Judi Dench, Giancarlo Giannini, Mathieu Amalric, Jeffrey Wright, and Jesper Christensen. Plot details are being kept under wraps, but the new movie is said to pick up where Casino Royale left off.

'Laskar Pelangi' Indahnya Warna Persahabatan Bocah Belitong

2008-10-01T03:32:00.000-07:00

Jakarta, Kisah film 'Laskar Pelangi' yang diangkat dari novel karya Andrea Hirata tak hanya soal pentingnya pendidikan. Warna-warni pershabatan 10 bocah Belitong dalam film ini juga cukup menarik dan bisa membuat penonton tertawa dan menangis.Film ini dibuka dengan adegan ketika hari pertama Ikal (Zulfanny) berangkat ke sekolah, namun ia harus menggunakan sepatu perempuan karena tak mampu beli sepatu sekolah. Sayang sepatu perempuan yang dipakai Ikal kurang mewakili desain sepatu tahun 70an.
Di hari pertama Ikal sekolah juga jadi hari yang penting untuk kelanjutan pendidikan di SD Muhammdyah di desa Gentong, Belitong. Pada hari itu Ibu Muslimah (CUt Mini) dan Pak Harfan (Ikranagara) harus berhasil mengumpulkan 10 murid supaya sekolah tersebut tidak ditutup.

Satu demi satu murid pun mulai terkumpul. Sayang hingga waktu yang ditentukan, kedua guru itu hanya berhasil mengumpulkan 9 murid. Hingga akhirnya tibalah Harun (Jeffry Yanuar) dengan ditemani ibunya. Ia pun berlari melewati padang rumput menuju ke sekolah yang bangunannya hampir roboh itu untuk menjadi penyelamat masa depan kesembilan murid yang sudah gelisah. Sepuluh murid pun sudah terkumpul, mereka pun mendapat julukan Laskar Pelangi oleh Ibu Muslimah.Tantangan demi tantangan harus dihadapi oleh Ibu Muslimah, Pak Harfan dan Laskar Pelangi untuk bisa terus sekolah. Namun berkat kecerdasan dan bakat yang dimiliki para Laskar Pelangi berhasil mendorong semangat sekolah mereka.Kisah dalam 'Laskar Pelangi' yang mengangkat pentingnya pendidikan dibalut dalam cerita warna-warninya persahabatan di antara 10 murid SD Muhammadiyah itu. Masing-masing murid tersebut memiliki keunikan tersendiri. Warna-warni film 'Laskar Pelangi' juga terlihat dengan adanya berbagai hal yang bisa dilihat dalam layar lebar produksi Miles Film ini. Ada kisah cinta monyet, perjuangan orangtua dan indahnya persahabatan.Menonton 'Laskar Pelangi' bisa membuat kita tertawa sekaligus menangis. Apalagi akting para pendatang baru yang memerankan Laskar Pelangi tak mengecewakan, mereka sangat natural. Hal itu bisa jadi karena mereka sebelumnya sudah menjalani latihan akting selama tiga bulan.Dalam film garapan Riri Riza ini ada satu penambahan tokoh yang tidak ada dalam novel. Tokoh tersebut adalah Pak Mahmud yang diperankan Tora Sudiro. Menurut Riri penambahan karakter itu untuk memperkuat penyampaian pesan fim ini.Setting yang dibuat oleh Eros Eflin selaku penata artistik untuk film 'Laskar Pelangi' cukup menggambarkan nuansa tahun 70an. Ditambah dengan syuting yang dilakukan di Belitong, sehingga benar-benar tertangkap suasana lokalnya. Secara keseluruhan film 'Laskar Pelangi' patut mendapat acungan jempol.

Archipelago Restaurant. Exploring the Exotic.

2008-09-16T04:48:00.000-07:00

ARCHIPELAGO Restaurant invites you on a sensory dining journey amid the glow of golden Buddhas, dwarf palm trees and giant peacock feathers. The exotic tease of an undiscovered fragrance and the sensuous indulgence of tantalising global cuisine awaits you.

Our hallmark exotic dishes like crocodile, peacock and kangaroo feature comfortably alongside standard classics like chicken, fish, lamb and an array of inventive vegetarian options. This ensures ARCHIPELAGO's pre-eminence as London's culinary portal to world cuisine.

Whether it's a memorable romantic night out or a fun and adventurous evening with friends, ARCHIPELAGO delivers an evening to remember.

Popcorn: An Oscar-worthy Snack

2008-09-16T04:40:00.001-07:00

(Family Features) - Whether you are hosting a dazzling Hollywood-style gala or a small gathering with close friends and family for the 79th Annual Academy Awards show on Sunday, Feb. 25, one movie-favorite food — popcorn — is a must-have, Oscar-night treat. Most wouldn't view a movie without those large fluffy kernels, and the Oscars should be no different.

Red Carpet Party Pops — a festive and fun popcorn treat — is a clear winner for any celebration. The party pops are made with JOLLY TIME Blast O Butter — the only popcorn to be called "Ultimate Theatre Style Butter Microwave Pop Corn" and a top choice for movie night. Add some luscious, creamy melted caramel to lend the "stick" needed to shape these chocolate truffle-style treats. Top them off with a drizzle of sweet chocolate and pretzel "handle," and these party pops bring pizzazz to any party.

These yummy pops are a new twist on an old favorite and will make Oscar night, or any movie night with your family, a sweet treat.

Red Carpet Party Pops
Makes: about 6 dozen

1 3.5-ounce bag JOLLY TIME® Blast O Butter Microwave Pop Corn, popped
2 cups thin pretzel sticks broken into 1/2-inch pieces*
1 14-ounce package caramels, about 48, unwrapped
2 tablespoons water
Butter or margarine
About 72 whole thin pretzel sticks
1 cup (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
Line 3 large cookie sheets with waxed paper; set aside. Spray inside of large mixing bowl with nonstick cooking spray.
Pop popcorn according to package directions. Open bag carefully and pour popcorn into large bowl; discard any unpopped kernels. Add broken pretzels to bowl; stir well.
In large microwave-safe bowl, microwave caramels and water, uncovered, on high 2-1/2 to 3 minutes or until melted and smooth, stirring every minute. Pour over popcorn and pretzels; stir until evenly coated. Let stand 5 minutes.
With buttered hands, shape popcorn mixture into 1-1/4-inch diameter balls; form each around a whole pretzel stick leaving bottom half of stick extending beyond popcorn ball to form "handles." Place on cookie sheets. Let popcorn balls stand until firm, about 15 minutes.
Melt chocolate chips according to package directions. Let cool 2 minutes; pour into a sandwich-size resealable plastic food storage bag. Squeeze out air; seal. Cut off small corner of bag. Holding by pretzel stick "handles," squeeze chocolate decoratively over popcorn balls. Return to cookie sheet. Let stand until chocolate is set, 1 to 1-1/2 hours. Store in tightly covered container.
*Break pretzels into 1/2-inch pieces before measuring.

Nutrients per serving: (1 pop): 70 calories, 2g total fat, less than 1mg cholesterol, 150mg sodium, 12g total carbohydrates, 1g dietary fiber, 1g protein

Bale Raos, The Unique Restaurant With The King's Cuisine

2008-09-16T01:27:00.000-07:00

With a vision of preserving a culinary and cultural asset using the various traditional foods of Kraton Yogyakarta and in turn promoting this image to tourists and locals alike the restaurant Bale Raos was established. Bale Raos is a unique restaurant with a unique menu providing alternative cuisines to both Jogjanese and tourists alike.

Bale Raos is the only restaurant that serves the favorite cuisines of Sultan Yogyakarta, from HB VII until HB X. All the ingredients of the cuisine are made from traditional spices and concoctions.

Bale Raos provides several different menu options.
As Appetizer there are Tomat Soup (HB IX favorite menu), Timlo Soup (HB X favorite menu), Lidah Soup, Red Bean Soup, etc. As the Main Courses there are Sayur Klenyer (HB IX favorite menu), Daging Lombok Kethok (HB VII-IX favorite menu), Semur Ayam Panji (HB VII favorite menu), Semur Piyik (HB VII favorite menu), Gecok Ganem (HB IX favorite menu), Dendeng Ragi (HB IX favorite menu), etc.

Bale Raos has special offers on the menu such as Bebek Suwar-Suwir (HB IX favorite menu), Roti Jok (HB IX favorite menu), Dendeng Age (HB VIII favorite menu), etc.

Finally for Dessert Bale Raos serves traditional desserts with unique names and tastes like Manuk Nom (HB VII and HB VIII favorite menu), Semlo (HB IX favorite menu), Tapak Kucing, Prawan Kenes (HB VIII favorite menu), Jadah Manten (HB VII favorite menu), etc.

Bale Raos is located close to the Yogyakarta Sultan Palace, precisely at Magangan Kulon Street number 1, Kraton Yogyakarta. Its position is in the rear of the Kraton, next to Sarinah (batik and handycraft center). The building is like Joglo which reminds us of Javanese culture and its noble courtesy.

Britney Spears' next album, 'Circus,' hits stands on Dec. 2

2008-09-16T01:05:00.000-07:00

Britney Spears has set a date ... for her new album.

"Circus," the pop star's sixth studio album, will hit stores on Dec. 2 - her 27th birthday, Spears' label announced on Monday.

Among others, the singer enlisted the help of electronica producer Guy Sigsworth for her album, who previously partnered with Madonna and Alanis Morissette.

The new announcement comes as part of a steady comeback by the star, who is still under her father's conservatorship, after a rocky year and a half in which she lost custody of her two sons.

Spears began attracting positive attention again in May after looking like her old self during a shopping trip with pals. Since then, she's steadily stepped back into the limelight with select public appearances.

Spears also nabbed three awards at the MTV Video Music Awards on Sept. 7, taking home trophies for Video of the Year, Best Female Video and Best Pop Video.

Her last album, "Blackout," has sold 890,000 copies in the U.S. to date.

Spears' first single off her latest offering, "Womanizer," is scheduled to start airplay on Sept. 22.

"Chinese face"Zhang Ziyi graced the cover of ELLE

2008-09-15T05:08:00.000-07:00

Zhang ziyi shoots her new photos for ELLE magazine. No doubt this "Chinese face" is welcomed by all fashion magazines all over the world.

This is the sixth time she covers ELLE magazine. Zhang ziyi express confidence,brave,optimistic,and tolerance of Chinese female.

In the Mood for Love: Masterpiece from Wong Kar Wai

2008-09-12T04:49:00.000-07:00

Actress Zhou Xun is set to dominate city cinema screens in the days to come and will show the many facets of love through three vastly different roles.

In The Equation of Love and Death (Li Mi de Caixiang), which opens on Sept 19, she plays a taxi driver who spends four years searching for her missing boyfriend; in The Painted Skin (Hua Pi) which kicks off later this month, she plays a pretty ghost who thinks she can control love; and in the romantic comedy Not All Women are Bad (Nuren Buhuai) which opens in December, she plays Fanfan, a girl exploring a "love elixir" to find Mr Right.

So, what is love? The roles Zhou plays provide the answers.

In The Equation of Love and Death

Li Mi's life revolves around the search for her missing boyfriend and she drives through Yunnan's zig-zag mountain roads, showing her boyfriend's photo to every passer-by, in a desperate bid for some clue.

The character reflects Zhou's own search for love. Director Li Shaohong, who has teamed up with her in many projects, says Zhou is someone who has been molded by her relationships and acting experience.

When in her early 20s, Zhou left her hometown in Zhejiang province to follow her boyfriend, then a rock singer, to Beijing.

She made a living by singing at small bars, earning about 150 yuan ($22) every night before Chen Kaige picked her up for some minor roles in his projects. But Zhou does not see herself as a beipiao, or someone who leaves his or her hometown for Beijing with dreams of stardom.

"They come to Beijing for a career break, I came for love," she says. "That's totally different."

The Painted Skin

Her devotion to the person she loves matches that of the character she plays. Her relationships, unlike most stars, are never low-key. Every time she falls in love, she makes her boyfriend known to the media and her fans.

"Li Mi's passion for love is similar to mine," she says. "I have that part too - sometimes it is hidden somewhere inside my heart, sometimes it jumps out I am happy I still have that part. By sharing my experience, I can help more people believe in love. Even if only one or two couples are moved by us, it would be a good thing."

But her wide publicity of her relationships has caused her deep hurt. While she was still with her last boyfriend, actor Li Yapeng, now husband of diva Faye Wong, she told the media that he satisfied all her fantasies about men.

They soon broke up.

Zhou was plunged into a depression for nearly two years. She seldom laughed or even talked during that period, but never spoke harshly about Li or the relationship. When she met her current boyfriend, Taiwan stylist Li Da-chih, she was once again her sweet and chirpy self. She even named one of her songs in her last album, Da-chih.

Tolerance in love is something she shares with the character Xiaowei, in the action thriller The Painted Skin.

Xiaowei is a jealous and mean vampire who falls in love with a human being. She finally realizes love is more about tolerance than control, after seeing the relationship the man shares with his wife.

Keira Knightley's baby wish

2008-09-12T04:37:00.000-07:00

Keira Knightley wants to get pregnant so people won't think she is anorexic. 'The Duchess' actress - who is often criticised for her slim figure - believes she would get a break from her detractors if she had a baby.

She said: "That's a good reason to have a kid. They won't say I'm anorexic any more. S**t, I've got to have a child."

The 23-year-old actress - who recently revealed she has been feeling "jumpy" after a passer-by jumped out and screamed abuse at her while she walked alone near her London home - also claims the constant questions about her weight are "not appropriate".

She added: "I can't win. One week I'm anorexic and now my curves are too big. I mean really? It's a joke. What's next? Am I too tall, too short? Well, I'm sorry I'm me. "It's so predictable to be asked about it, but to me it's not appropriate."

The star's actor boyfriend Rupert Friend - who she met on the set of 'Pride and Prejudice' - recently revealed he is in no rush to have children and is not planning to propose to Keira any time soon.

Paparazzi get duped by look-alike Spears at LAX

2008-09-12T04:33:00.000-07:00

LOS ANGELES – Cameras flashing and films rolling, a crowd of paparazzi surrounded a police escort, trying to get the perfect shot of Britney Spears' little sister as she left the Los Angeles International Airport.

Just one snag: The woman wasn't Jamie Lynn Spears.

In what appears to be a case of the old switcharoo, airport police on Wednesday duped paparazzi at the crowded terminal by leading an unidentified woman — wearing sunglasses and looking away from cameras — down an escalator and through a hallway while the real Jamie Lynn and her baby girl safely left the airport from another area.

Police denied any trickery and said they were not escorting the woman.

"All (the officers) did was follow the crowd down to the baggage area," said Sgt. Jim Holcomb of the Los Angeles airport police. "The people they were following assumed that this was Spears because she was blonde."

Despite the denial, a video posted by TMZ showed several officers tucked in tight around the woman, some giving paparazzi repeated warnings to "keep backing up" and "keep moving."

Several in the crowd greeted the woman with, "Hello, Jamie," and "How's the baby?" and later learned she was a decoy.

Holcomb said it's against department policy to provide security for celebrities, but officers were willing to do it after the Spears family asked for an escort for Jamie Lynn, her baby, her mother and her older sister Britney, who ended up being a no-show.

"If there's extenuating circumstances, we can do what we need to do," Holcomb said. "If there was no baby — hey, you're on your own. You're an adult."

He said police were concerned with the possibility of shoving in the crowd of 100 photographers and about 50 Delta Air Lines employees waiting for the group.

Holcomb said celebrity treatment is nearly impossible to get at the airport.

"A lot of times someone will call and tell us that they're coming in with a bunch of cars. They just want to park at the curb, and we always say, 'No,'" Holcomb said. "They want recognition, some attention paid to them."

Holcomb said the incident is under review, but added that such debriefings are not unusual.

"I think someone got the best of the paparazzi this time," Holcomb said.

A message left with Jamie Lynn Spears' publicist was not immediately returned Thursday night.

The 17-year-old actress, the younger sister of pop singer Britney Spears, starred in Nickelodeon's "Joey 101" and won a Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Award for Favorite TV actress in 2006.

Little Caesars Voted Best Value

2008-09-12T01:19:00.000-07:00

A new report has ranked Little Caesars as the best value in the quick service (fast food) industry.

The report is part of Sandelman & Associates Quick-Track research studies which tracks consumer behavior and attitudes for all major fast food chains. Surveys for the report were conducted among more than 84,000 quick service restaurant customers in 70 major markets across the US.

Little Caesars was also ranked highest among pizza chains for "Convenience of Locations" and "Speed of Service."

"Customers are telling us that Little Caesars Pizza is the best value in America," said Brian Pattison, vice president, midwest operations, Little Caesar Enterprises, Inc. "This recognition...clearly validates our market position as the value leader."

Little Caesars built more stores in the U.S. in 2007 than any other pizza chain and today is the largest carry-out chain internationally with restaurants on five continents.

Little Tokyo di Ramen Sanpachi

2008-09-10T06:08:00.000-07:00

Ketika pertama kali temanmakan.com datang ke lantai dua Gedung Kamome di Jl. Melawai Raya, kami sempat tidak yakin akan keberadaan restoran ini. Plang nama restoran yang sebenarnya sudah terpampang di pintu masuk tidak kami sadari. Terang saja, karena memang tidak ada dari kami yang paham huruf kanji.

Lantai pertama gedung tersebut adalah supermarket yang khusus menyediakan produk-produk Jepang. Ketika naik ke lantai dua, dengan mudahnya restoran Ramen Sanpachi (yang artinya ‘tigapuluh delapan’) ini dijumpai. Ucapan ‘Iraseimase’ yang artinya ‘Selamat Datang’ menyambut kedatangan kami. Tiba-tiba, kami serasa berada di Tokyo sebab hampir semua pengunjung yang ada saat itu adalah orang Jepang.

Jangan heran jika Anda bingung saat membaca menu. Selain menu ramen, masih banyak sederet menu lain seperti yaki gyoza, shumai, wantan soup, kani shumai, maboh don, tenshin don, dan lainnya. Untungnya, pihak restoran menglasifikasi menu-menu makanan yang halal dan yang non-halal (mengandung babi). Klasifikasi tersebut berupa simbol warna pada setiap menu makanan. Warna merah berarti mengandung babi, warna kuning berarti Anda dapat mengganti komposisi makanan tersebut dengan babi, dan warna biru berarti makanan tersebut sama sekali tidak mengandung babi. Selain itu, untuk beberapa menu—pada ramen khususnya—Anda dapat menentukan tingkat kepedasan makanan dengan range 1-10. Semakin tinggi angkanya, tentu semakin pedas.

Pilihan kami jatuh pada Miso Ramen dan Zigoku Ramen. Kedua menu tersebut termasuk dalam kategori warna kuning. Ketika pesanan datang, kami sempat kaget melihat porsinya yang besar (sepertinya kami bisa merendam muka dalam mangkuk itu).

Miso Ramen terdiri dari mie, kol, wortel, jagung manis, dan daging sapi giling. Rasanya? Hmm..oishiii (enak!). Ramennya lembut, kuahnya tidak terlalu kental namun gurih. Sedangkan, Zigoku Ramen terdiri dari mie, irisan daun bawang, jamur kuping, irisan cabai, dan potongan telur. Kuahnya lebih berwarna merah. Rasanya cukup enak, walaupun rasa pedasnya cukup terasa mencekik tenggorokan (padahal tingkat kepedasan yang kami pesan hanya 2!).

Kenyang makan ramen, kami mencicipi kaki gouri sebagai penutup. Kaki Gouri ini adalah es serut yang tingggi sekali berlumur sirop strawberry, tidak jauh berbeda dengan es campur. Hanya Kaki Gouri lebih ‘sederhana’. Anda juga dapat meminta tambahan susu kental manis jika mau. Selain kaki gouri, menu lain yang menjadi menu dessert adalah Annin Tofu, modern chocolate farfait, vanilla dan chocolate ice cream. Untuk minuman, menu yang tersedia ada aneka softdrink, oolong tea, beer, wine, cream soda, dan tentu saja sake.

Sebenarnya, tanpa harus memesan minum dan dessert, Anda sudah puas dan kenyang makan di sini. Pihak restoran sudah menyediakan air putih dan free refill. Tak hanya itu, kejutan lain setelah kenyang makan ramen, Anda akan dihidangkan komplimen dua potong jelly mungil yang dingin, kenyal, dan manis. Sedaaap! Harga makanan dan minuman di restoran ini memang agak mahal. Rata-rata harga makanan berkisar antara Rp38.000- Rp50.000. Harga minuman berkisar antara Rp5.000- Rp120.000 (untuk sake). Sedangkan harga dessert berkisar dari Rp10.000- Rp15.000.

Restoran dengan kapasitas sekitar 25-30 seats ini didominasi warna merah. Ada sekitar 10 single seats yang mengelilingi dapur yang terbuka. Dapur ini menjadi sentral restoran. Di samping pintu masuk, ada rak buku tempat penyimpanan majalah dan komik berbahasa Jepang yang sengaja disediakan bagi para pengunjung untuk mengisi waktu ketika menunggu pesanan makanan. Televisi yang ada menayangkan acara-acara dari negeri Sakura. (UM5/02)

Rosso, Gairahnya Italia Utara

2008-09-10T05:06:00.000-07:00

Tempat bersantap yang sekadar menyediakan berbagai pilihan pengisi perut sepertinya sudah bukan lagi jamannya. Bahkan, untuk manusia yang hidup di era milenium seperti kita, konsep tempat makan yang nyaman untuk bersantai, melepaskan penat, membebaskan diri dari keseharian sekaligus gaul, sepertinya juga sudah lewat masanya. Orang selalu mencari yang lebih; tidak hanya asal bisa makan enak, tidak cukup bisa melihat dan terlihat..., tapi ingin yang lebih dan lebih lagi.

Bukan Shangrila namanya jika tak mampu menangkap gejala tersebut. Lebih dari hanya menangkap gejalanya, jaringan hotel bintang lima dengan basis di Hong Kong ini malah sudah langsung hadir dengan solusinya. Rosso Restaurant and Lounge; itulah yang dihadirkan Hotel Shangrila-Jakarta, sejak November 2006. Konsepnya: temukan kembali gairah Anda (REDiscover the passion).

Dengan pendekatan yang dapat dibilang berani, Rosso menjamin dapat membangkitkan spirit para tamu sedini mungkin. Dari kejauhan saja, sudah tampak ambang restoran berwarna kemerahan yang menggelorakan semangat. Saat melangkah masuk apalagi. Walaupun tidak total, namun warna merah yang benderang terlihat hampir di segala penjuru. Sekitar 5 set meja makan tepat di tengah ruangan yang dikelilingi semi-sofa berbentuk bulat yang keseluruhannya berwarna merah semakin mempertegas betapa besar kepedulian Rosso pada gairah para tamunya.

Rosso dalam Bahasa Itali memang berarti merah; sebuah warna yang tidak hanya identik dengan keberanian, tapi juga kehangatan, keceriaan, gairah dan semangat. Itulah sebabnya mengapa Zanghellini & Holt Associates, perancang interior asal Hong Kong yang menangani Rosso banyak memilih merah serta warna-warna cerah lain pada rancangannya ini.

Memiliki tempat yang berkelas dengan interior modern yang mempesona belum cukup bagi Rosso. Apalagi, hidangan yang dipilih adalah Italian Food, yang bisa dikatakan bukan barang baru bagi masyarakat Indonesia. Persaingan yang ketat tentu juga merupakan tantangan lain.

Beruntunglah Shangrila-Jakarta memiliki Alessandro Santi. Kepala Chef kelahiran Persaro, wilayah Marche ini memang sudah cukup malang-melintang di dunianya. Pada usia 15 tahun ia sudah menjadi junior chef di kotanya. Karir kemudian membawanya ke berbagai penjuru dunia, seperti Melbourne (Australia), Miami (Florida, AS), Monte Carlo (Monaco) dan Myanmar. Secara pribadi, ia juga pernah dipercaya menghidangkan masakannya untuk Pangeran Albert dari Monaco, Naomi Campbell, Jennifer Lopez, Tina Turner serta sejumlah pembalap Formula 1.

Sesuai daerah kelahirannya di Utara Italia, Alessandro mendefinisikan kreasi kulinernya sebagai karya yang “ringan, sederhana, rendah kalori serta mudah dimakan dan dimengerti.” Ia pun percaya bahwa pemilihan bahan dasar yang tepat sudah menyelesaikan separuh pekerjaan. Sisanya, harus diselesaikan dengan semangat dan dedikasi.

Dapur Buntut: Berani Tampil Beda!

2008-09-10T05:04:00.001-07:00

Apa jadinya kalau cuma punya modal nekad di tangan? Bakalan hancur berantakan atau justru melayang tinggi mengawang-awang? Nah, untungnya...Koki dadakan yang nekad satu ini dapet nasib melayang tinggi...Bagaimana ceritanya?

Dapur Buntut merupakan restoran buntut sapi mungil yang buka sejak tahun 2004 lalu. Dengan nuansa warna hijau dan beberapa pigura klipingan mengenai restoran ataupun aktivitas pribadi sang pemilik, restoran ini menunjukkan rasa keterbukaan. Pengunjung seperti sedang datang ke rumah seorang teman.

Duduk di meja-meja kecil yang disediakan, tangan langsung bergerak meraih daftar menu. Waahh...ternyata banyak juga menu yang disediakan, tidak hanya menu buntut. Sebagai pembuka, temanmakan.com mencoba Kroket Belanda yang tersedia dalam 3 rasa, yaitu smoked beef, cheese, dan beef blackpepper. Isi kroket yang digoreng berbalut tepung ini ternyata cukup padat. Rasa keju dan blackpepper yang menyerang mulut terasa sangat berbeda.

Sambil membolak-balik daftar menu, ada satu jurus jitu yang dibocorkan sang pemilik resto. Konon katanya, menu sup buntut akan terasa jauh lebih nikmat jika diberi tambahan perasan jeruk nipis dan sambal cabe hijau. Jadi penasaran...

Maka menu Sup Buntut Karamel dan Sup Buntut Tulang Lunak pun terhidang di meja. Sup Buntut Karamel merupakan menu buntut yang diberi lumuran karamel dan lada hitam. Rasa manis dalam menu buntut mungkin tidak dapat ditemukan di tempat lain, tapi jangan takut dulu. Lada hitam yang juga dicampur dalam bumbu akan menetralisir rasa manis yang berlebihan. Sedangkan Sup Buntut Tulang Lunak sangat sesuai dengan namanya. Diambil dari bagian ujung buntut yang merupakan tulang-tulang kecil berbalut daging lembut, menu ini sungguh menggoda. Bagaimana tidak, dalam satu suapan daging dan tulang-tulangnya bisa dikunyah sampai lembut di mulut...YUMM!!

Tidak hanya menu buntut, menu Iga Panggang pun patut diacungi jempol. Dari penampilan tidak ada yang istimewa, tapi menu iga ini dipanggang dengan sangat hati-hati sehingga dagingnya menjadi empuk namun tidak hancur. Bahkan, ketika ‘diserang’ dengan sendok garpu, daging iga menyerah dengan mudah. Apalagi kalau dilumuri oleh saus barbeque yang banyak...Rasanya satu porsi tidak akan pernah cukup!

Ada satu hal yang mungkin terlihat sepele, tapi jangan sepelekan kentang dan sayuran yang ada di Dapur Buntut. Kedua jenis menu tambahan ini diolah sendiri sehingga sayurannya pun memiliki bumbu dan rasa yang nikmat. Apalagi kentangnya. Selamat tinggal kentang beku dan kunyahlah kentang goreng segar!

Dapur Buntut buka setiap hari mulai pukul 11 siang sampai dengan 11 malam. Khusus di akhir pekan, restoran ini akan tutup lebih malam. Hati-hati kehabisan, karena jika sedang ramai maka stok buntut pun akan ludes dengan cepat. Pecinta buntut? Buruan ke sini. Tidak suka buntut? Cobain duluuuuu....

Ulat Sagu: Sumber Protein yang Berdenyut2

2008-09-09T04:35:00.000-07:00

Ini cerita tentang salah satu sumber protein yang sangat baik, terlepas dari rupanya, untuk kita. Nama latinnya Rhynchophorus ferruginenus atau lebih dikenal sebagai 'ulat sagu‘. Ulat ini adalah larva dari kumbang merah kelapa. Sebagai sumber protein ulat sagu bisa dijadikan bahan subsitusi pakan ternak atau juga lauk bergizi yang bebas kolesterol. Kandungan protein ulat sagu sekitar 9,34%, sedangkan pakan berbahan utama ulat sagu sekitar 27,77%. Selain kandungan protein yang cukup tinggi, ulat sagu juga mengandung beberapa asam amino esensial, seperti asam aspartat (1,84%), asam glutamat (2,72%), tirosin (1,87%), lisin (1,97%), dan methionin (1,07%).

Ulat ini hidup di batang sagu yang membusuk. Biasanya ia akan muncul pada batang pohon yang telah selesai dipangkur. Membusuknya batang pohon akan memancing kedatangan kawanan kumbang untuk bertelur di sana. Nah, ulat yang berasal dari telur yang menetas itulah yang akan menjadi santapan lezat orang Kamoro, Papua.

Setiap perempuan Suku Kamoro diwajibkan mencari sagu setiap hari. Sagu tetap menjadi pilihan utama makanan pokok masyarakat ini meski mereka telah mengenal beras. Pada sagu yang berbentuk lontong, sebelum dimasak harus dibelah terlebih dahulu untuk memasukkan ulat sagu sebagai isinya. Selain terasa lezat, masyarakat Kamoro juga meyakini ulat sagu bisa menjadi makanan suplemen untuk kesehatan mereka. Proteinnya yang tinggi serta tidak mengandung kolesterol dan lemak dapat menjadi penambah tenaga.

Orang Kamoro meyakini ulat sagu, yang dalam bahasa setempat disebut 'koo‘, mengandung banyak vitamin. Semakin banyak menyantap ulat sagu, akan semakin sehat dan besar serta perkasa pula tubuh mereka.

Ulat sagu ini juga dapat dimakan dengan cara dibakar. Ulat sagu itu ditusuk seperti satai lalu dipanggang, atau dimasukkan ke dalam bola sagu yang kemudian dibakar sekitar setengah jam hingga ulat matang di dalamnya. Hidangan yang disebut 'manggia‘ ini ternyata sungguh lezat. Tubuh ulat sagu yang melumer meninggalkan rasa gurih nan legit di lidah. Sedangkan bagian kepalanya yang renyah mengingatkan kita pada rasa kulit ari jagung yang terbakar saat dibuat berondong (pop corn).

Selain dibakar, ulat ini pun nikmat dibuat sambal ulat sagu yang pedas dan asam menyegarkan. Bahkan, kalau suka, dimakan mentah atau hidup-hidup pun jadi!

Bentuknya sangat lucu. Badannya gendut berwarna putih, sedangkan kepalanya berwarna coklat tua mengilap. Kalau berjalan, terlihat seperti sedang menari perut. Menurut mereka yang pernah mencicipinya, setelah digigit di dalam mulut, mengalir juice dari dalam ulat yang terasa manis dan kulitnya yang renyah. Rasanya mirip dengan buah lengkeng dan tekstur kulitnya mirip dengan buah leci atau rambutan.
Masyarakat pribumi di Sarawak dan Sabah menyebutnya sebagai ulat mulung. Di Pasar Tamu Serian, ulat mulung ini dijual seharga 20 sen seekor atau RM30 sekilogram.

Di Kabanjahe, Sumatera Utara, ulat sagu disebut 'kidu'. Bondan Winarno dan William Wongso termasuk yang pernah mencicipi kidu. Menurut Bondan, rasanya seperti santan, gurih. Di daerah Blora, ada tempat makan yang menyajikan menu “cah kangkung ulat sagu”. Rasanya pedas dan gurih. Di Tanah Grogot, Kalimantan Timur, ulat sagu diolah menjadi 'gulai ulat sagu'. Ulat sagunya gemuk-gemuk dan besar.

Penasaran pingin nyoba? Di Bandung juga ada kok. ”Ulat sagu goreng kering”, di lapo/RM Medan, jl. Siliwangi. Satu porsi Rp. 47.000, isi 8 ekor ulat. Katanya sih, rasanya gurih seperti ayam goreng dibalut tepung.

Sejujurnya, saya sukar membayangkan rasa hewan berwarna putih yang tubuhnya seperti tak henti berdenyut itu. Apalagi bila harus menyantapnya hidup-hidup seperti kebiasaan orang Kamoro!

Butuh Protein? Makanlah Rayap!

2008-09-09T04:30:00.000-07:00

Kita semua sudah tahu yang namanya rayap, serangga perusak bangunan maupun bagian bangunan atau peralatan berbahan dasar kayu. Hal ini erat kaitannya dengan kemampuan makannya yang sangat cepat. Yang belum banyak kita ketahui adalah, bahwa sejumlah jenis rayap sesungguhnya mengandung protein tinggi yang dapat dijadikan sebagai sumber bahan makanan alternatif bagi manusia.

Ahli rayap yang juga Guru Besar Institut Pertanian Bogor, Prof Dodi Nandika, menyatakan, dari penelitiannya ada dua genus rayap yang mengandung protein tinggi, yakni Macrotermis spp dan Glyptotermes spp. ”Padahal, di Indonesia ada sekitar 300 spesies, dimana 233 spesies itu ada di pulau Jawa, Sumatera, dan Kalimantan. Bayangkan potensinya. Ini sesungguhnya berkah tersembunyi dari sifatnya yang lebih kuat sebagai perusak kayu, ” kata Dodi.

Menurut Dodi, pemanfaatan rayap sebagai sumber protein tinggi dapat dilakukan mulai dari makanan yang sifatnya sederhana, seperti aneka penganan seperti rempeyek rayap, hingga mengolahnya menjadi permen.

Rayap sudah lama dimanfaatkan sebagai bahan tambahan untuk pakan ayam. Mengingat jumlahnya yang besar di Tanah Air, tidak sulit menemukan rayap di sekitar tempat tinggal warga. Jika perlu, rayap juga diternakkan.

Sejauh ini masyarakat umum hanya kenal rayap sebagai hewan perusak. Dengan kemampuan makan 0,02 miligram bubuk kayu per ekor per hari dan hidup dalam koloni yang mencapai 1-2 juta ekor per koloni, rayap dapat dikatakan sebagai musuh utama manusia. Apalagi kondisi Indonesia yang tropis, dengan kelembaban 70-90%, sangat mendukung perkembangan rayap.

Perubahan iklim ditengarai ikut mempercepat perkembangan rayap yang pada akhirnya memperparah kerusakan bangunan dan peralatan manusia yang terbuat dari kayu. Berdasar penelitiannya dua tahun terakhir, misalnya, 55% bangunan di Jakarta sudah rusak oleh rayap, di Semarang 41% dan Surabaya 36%.Kerugian finansial yang harus ditanggung secara nasional diperkirakan mencapai 3,73 juta dollar AS.

”Diperkirakan sekitar 30% sekolah rusak di Indonesia ini terutama oleh serangan rayap yang menjadi-jadi dan seakan dipermudah dengan konstruksi dan penggunaan bahan kayu berkualitas rendah, ” kata Dodi.

Nah, dengan membudidayakan rayap berarti kita turut membantu mengurangi persentase kerusakan sekolah-sekolah di Indonesia. Makin banyak yang membudidayakan, makin baik. Siapa tertarik?

Saya Kebab's No.3...

2008-08-03T17:31:00.000-07:00

posting pertama daku memenuhi tugas TI

The Owner of Princess Bu" like to say a few words...

2008-08-03T17:23:00.000-07:00

I'm the owner of the most prettiest dog ever in the world...