From my living room playlist

Like a lot of people, I am the type of person who cannot stand absolute silence. While in the living room, I often turn on the TV and it's quite easy to find a semi-interesting program on US cable TV with tons of channels. The alternative is of course listening to music. That's usually my "accompaniment" for breakfast time. I alternate between the Opera channel from Music Choice (iOS app exclusive channel) and the Audiophile Classical channel from Shoutcast. And if nothing is good "on the air", I can always count on Spotify, on which I have setup a bunch of playlists: one for Alto Sax, one for Metal, and a very special one with violin music only (which I could play when other family members are there too!) I am listening to this playlist just now and it was the first time I listened to "Prince of Clouds," a double violin concerto composed by Anna Clyne for this album and performed by Jennifer Koh and her mentor Jamie Jaredo. In fact, the whole album featured 4 pieces of double violin works, starting with the seminal one by Bach. I like this "concept" a lot! I hope someone who do a "Three x 4" using Beethoven's Triple Concerto as its model!

Now my goal is to listen to enough classical music on Spotify that it will create a Daily Mix for me (we have 3 family members listening to the same account at different times. 1 playlist is Cantopop. 1 for "US" pop. 1 Metal and for some reason Spotify made 2 jazz mixes for me)

電影馬拉松

近年很少去戲院的我在去年底竟然去了三次！看的包括Da Vinci Code作者Dan Brown小說改編的Inferno（前年去意大利時一直在讀）, 源於漫畫人物的Doctor Strange, 以及迪士尼破紀錄地賣坐的動畫Moana。承接這道戲癮，今年在家中試用Netflix，又看了一大堆新舊戲：

• The Magic of Belle Isle：這是一套有點超現實的電影，皆因劇中有一段老年黑人男子同中年白人女子愛情故事，發生在底特律附近一個不差的社區。不過由老戲骨Morgan Freeman飾演該男子又作別論，角色是一位才氣橫溢的作家（及前職業棒球手因傷殘轉行）女主角則是出道時以飾演「艷女」聞名的Virginia Madsen，近年也成為演技派。作家因喪妻意志消沉避世於該地，三女之母則在辦離婚中，幾個聰明伶俐又有奇想的小朋友和老人家互相啟發，總算讓人看得心頭暖暖。
• A Mile in his shoes：這也是一套勵志式電影，以飾演電視版超人聞名的Dean Cain在片中的角色是一支半職業棒球隊的領隊兼球探，在開車前往物色球員途中抛錨，意外地認識一名農村少年，該少年有自閉症但特別擅於投擲水果，領隊視他為棒球投手可造之材！在相當保護其子的父親不太情願的情況下，領隊把少年帶入球隊，其才華得到發揮，當然亦招妒中詭計，但總算在挫折中成長。
• Captain America 3 Civil War：本片的主線是Avenger成員分裂互揪，因為各國政府認為他們屢次闖禍，必須受約束，以Iron Man為首一派同意，以美國隊長為首一派則反對。這個主題在動畫及漫畫我均已看過，所以不感陌生，反而覺得真正大戰來得太遲，原來已是電影尾聲！當然埋下伏筆拍下一集了。
• Arrival：本帖多套電影中這套最為出色。女主角是一位語言學家（想起老友妹妹！）透過同外星人接觸，受他們語言影響了思考，學會預知未來的秘技。到結尾觀眾會發現全片情節並非順序發生，實在巧妙。值得一提：電影改篇自得獎科幻小說Story of your life，作者是美國華裔Ted Chiang（姜峯楠）
• Horrible bosses：片中三位波士豈止horrible，簡直就是變態！Kevin Spacey飾演一間企業高層，下屬為搏升職被「駛到盡」卻不獲公平回報；Colin Farrell飾演一間生產商的二世祖太子爺，父親是良心老闆但急病去世由他接替，他在公司胡天胡帝亂炒下屬；Jennifer Aniston飾演一個脅迫下屬和她做愛的中女牙醫。這三個組成的卡士實在有來頭，其實主角是要向他們三人報復的下屬，演員的名氣遠遜其「波士」，本片笑位頗多成績不俗，相信令三位男主角「升價」不少。
• Jaco：去年提過這套關於低音結他鬼才Jaco Pastorious的電影，將另文專述。