The loss of our good friend
The Times newsroom suffered a major blow yesterday with the loss of our good friend Tim Greening.
He was a quiet person, but his quick dry wit could always make you laugh. On late nights at the office, when dinner breaks were out of the question, Tim would be on hand with a menu and a few bucks if needed. He was generous and an instant friend to everyone.
When I was comfortable designing pages on the copy desk, Tim was the first person to encourage me to write. He coaxed me into writing Dinner Dates and offered encouragement and advice each step of the way. Of course, it was easy advice to take from someone who made it look so easy. Tim's columns make you laugh out loud. He was a treasure and will be missed.
Here's one of my favorites, "Get out your decoder ring for the dark con of movies" on Dec. 23, 2006.
I knew I was in trouble just a few minutes into the movie "The Da Vinci Code," which I watched earlier this week, when a character said something along the lines of "Ah, yes, the Fibbanucci numbers."
"Not the Fibbunacci numbers!!" I exclaimed.
And then "the Priory of Scion." And "Opus Dei."
Of course, I had no idea what the Fibbanucci numbers are, and, frankly, I still don't. But I was worried that it's not enough for me to have to figure out a Da Vinci Code, now I have to decipher the Fibbanucci numbers and scion priories and opus deis?
And then I think I fell asleep. Because "The Da Vinci Code" is DULL. Dull, dull, dull. Secret societies mean nothing of you don't give a flip.
Not exaggerating: It took me three days to get 36 minutes into the movie, an average of 12 minutes a day, and a fourth day to finally finish it. (Maybe those are the Fibbanucci numbers.)
There's so much talent involved, as I watched, it made me think "Look how much money and talent it takes to bore me."
Yet, it is the current biggest box-office hit in the world for 2006. I can only credit its success to the fact that moviegoers worldwide love a scene where a French actor looks into the camera and asks, "Quoi?" (It means "Why?" I agreed. "Why did I rent this? Why didn't someone warn me?")
The cast includes one of my favorite actors, Sir Ian McKellen, and two of the most popular actors in the world, Sir Tom Hanks and Sir Jean Reno (speaker of the "Quoi?") It also features one of the most beautiful actresses in the world, Sir Audrey Tatou, and was directed by one of Hollywood's most successful directors, Ron Howard, a.k.a. Sir Opie Cunningham.
To the film's credit, it has a few things going for it: Tatou, in my opinion, is truly among the most gorgeous women ever to appear on film "” I think she has a certain Ingrid Bergman quality. That carried me for a while.
And Tom Hanks' horrendous haircut is a thing of beauty, if only because it makes me feel good about my own bad haircut.
And Howard's direction makes it the most successful film about world religion ever directed by a cast member from "The Andy Griffith Show." (A close second is the little-known production of Don Knotts' "Barabbas.")
I also liked that so many clues were found behind fleurs de lis, which means Da Vinci was a New Orleans Saints fan. That's cool!
But still, how did this "Da Vinci" book sell seven billion copies, and how did this movie make $7 billion?
My main problem: The premise of "The Da Vinci Code" is that some of the greatest philosophical and religious mysteries in human existence boil down to the Hanks character being able to solve a centuries-old Jumble anagram. One that no one was able to solve before.
Mmmmm. Yeah. My own mother does 12 crossword puzzles a day, but all these centuries, no one could rearrange the Da Vinci anagrams? What's the sequel going to be like "” more mysteries of the universe come down to who can finish a Soduku puzzle?
So all I remember from the movie is that Sir Hanks and Sir Tatou run all over the place "” in a car the size of a skateboard "” to escape some self-flagellating albino monk who has sworn to give his life to protecting the big Jumble answer. (Silly monk "” the answer always runs with the next day's puzzle!)
Somewhere along the line, they come across the super-sized version of the Little Orphan Annie decoder ring from "A Christmas Story" which they also have to protect from the self-flagellating albino.
Which holds the secrets of the universe.
Why? Or should I say, "Quoi?"
He was a quiet person, but his quick dry wit could always make you laugh. On late nights at the office, when dinner breaks were out of the question, Tim would be on hand with a menu and a few bucks if needed. He was generous and an instant friend to everyone.
When I was comfortable designing pages on the copy desk, Tim was the first person to encourage me to write. He coaxed me into writing Dinner Dates and offered encouragement and advice each step of the way. Of course, it was easy advice to take from someone who made it look so easy. Tim's columns make you laugh out loud. He was a treasure and will be missed.
Here's one of my favorites, "Get out your decoder ring for the dark con of movies" on Dec. 23, 2006.
I knew I was in trouble just a few minutes into the movie "The Da Vinci Code," which I watched earlier this week, when a character said something along the lines of "Ah, yes, the Fibbanucci numbers."
"Not the Fibbunacci numbers!!" I exclaimed.
And then "the Priory of Scion." And "Opus Dei."
Of course, I had no idea what the Fibbanucci numbers are, and, frankly, I still don't. But I was worried that it's not enough for me to have to figure out a Da Vinci Code, now I have to decipher the Fibbanucci numbers and scion priories and opus deis?
And then I think I fell asleep. Because "The Da Vinci Code" is DULL. Dull, dull, dull. Secret societies mean nothing of you don't give a flip.
Not exaggerating: It took me three days to get 36 minutes into the movie, an average of 12 minutes a day, and a fourth day to finally finish it. (Maybe those are the Fibbanucci numbers.)
There's so much talent involved, as I watched, it made me think "Look how much money and talent it takes to bore me."
Yet, it is the current biggest box-office hit in the world for 2006. I can only credit its success to the fact that moviegoers worldwide love a scene where a French actor looks into the camera and asks, "Quoi?" (It means "Why?" I agreed. "Why did I rent this? Why didn't someone warn me?")
The cast includes one of my favorite actors, Sir Ian McKellen, and two of the most popular actors in the world, Sir Tom Hanks and Sir Jean Reno (speaker of the "Quoi?") It also features one of the most beautiful actresses in the world, Sir Audrey Tatou, and was directed by one of Hollywood's most successful directors, Ron Howard, a.k.a. Sir Opie Cunningham.
To the film's credit, it has a few things going for it: Tatou, in my opinion, is truly among the most gorgeous women ever to appear on film "” I think she has a certain Ingrid Bergman quality. That carried me for a while.
And Tom Hanks' horrendous haircut is a thing of beauty, if only because it makes me feel good about my own bad haircut.
And Howard's direction makes it the most successful film about world religion ever directed by a cast member from "The Andy Griffith Show." (A close second is the little-known production of Don Knotts' "Barabbas.")
I also liked that so many clues were found behind fleurs de lis, which means Da Vinci was a New Orleans Saints fan. That's cool!
But still, how did this "Da Vinci" book sell seven billion copies, and how did this movie make $7 billion?
My main problem: The premise of "The Da Vinci Code" is that some of the greatest philosophical and religious mysteries in human existence boil down to the Hanks character being able to solve a centuries-old Jumble anagram. One that no one was able to solve before.
Mmmmm. Yeah. My own mother does 12 crossword puzzles a day, but all these centuries, no one could rearrange the Da Vinci anagrams? What's the sequel going to be like "” more mysteries of the universe come down to who can finish a Soduku puzzle?
So all I remember from the movie is that Sir Hanks and Sir Tatou run all over the place "” in a car the size of a skateboard "” to escape some self-flagellating albino monk who has sworn to give his life to protecting the big Jumble answer. (Silly monk "” the answer always runs with the next day's puzzle!)
Somewhere along the line, they come across the super-sized version of the Little Orphan Annie decoder ring from "A Christmas Story" which they also have to protect from the self-flagellating albino.
Which holds the secrets of the universe.
Why? Or should I say, "Quoi?"
posted by Stephanie Netherton at 11:44 AM
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