I think it was good going in not knowing much though. It made the reveal of what the film was about a lot more exciting. The film is about how now they can cure all diseases, because there are people that are created to be donors. So the film follows 3 kids that are donors and how their lives are growing up knowing that ultimately they will have to donate their organs and die. At the same time it’s a love story, but it’s very bleak. I thought it was absolutely amazing. It’s very subtle, there’s not a gigantic build; it’s slow, and contemplative. It’s really beautiful.
Some of my favorite parts of the film are parts that were actually really funny, when the 3 are transitioning into life outside of their boarding school and watching a sitcom. Oh my god, the sitcom is ridiculously written well! Or when they go to the diner to get lunch and they all order the same thing, even though they role played life in the real world for so long.
It’s also just a really great love story, and I love the song they use as the titular song. It’s really brilliant. I could wax on.
During the Q&A Ishiguro spoke a lot about making these characters that are like core human beings. They’re stripped. They don’t have issues of dealing with status or material. They are pure characters. I think that was just really interesting and I think not only is that amazing to do with characters, but how great that would be if we were able to do that with ourselves. What if we never bothered to care about anything except the people around us and emotions that are real. That really struck me.
Alex Garland was asked why didn’t the donors try to escape from the reality facing them, but he said that was just a Hollywood cop out. Everyone always escapes, but that’s not really what happens. People are stuck in shitty marriages, born into extreme poverty, and so on and escape isn’t always an option. In this story the characters just don’t because that isn’t what would really happen. And I love that. It’s not what you’d normally see, and it’s not what you want to see. Ishiguro added that these characters are manufactured to die, and it’s not different from us, that’s a reality we all have to face and these characters just face it sooner than they want.
Garland also talked about how using less money can sometimes foster filmmaking, but if you have too much it can stifle you like what happened with his other screenplay, Sunshine, which I love.

Also the performances rule.

The banana creme pie was so good. We had to wait to find a spot, but it was totally worth it. Everyone was really nice too. A woman from Kansas chatted me up about my KU shirt. I took some pictures for a couple who had just enjoyed a meal. It was really great.

The interior is amazing. It looks like it hasn’t changed since 1947, when the menu was from. It had a Scottish tartan wallpaper, but there was nothing Scottish about this place.

I’m sick.

This one is at 3001 Figueroa in LA.

Only in LA

This recipe is from my favorite bake book, The America’s Test Kitchen Family Baking Book. Buy it!

Make the cream first! I made the mistake of not and I didn’t finish the éclairs until the end of the day! You can also make the shells ahead and keep them in a ziploc baggy. Good luck

Éclairs
Makes 8

Pâté À Choux
2 Large Eggs
1 Large Egg White
6 Tablespoons Water
5 Tablespoons unsalted Butter (cut into half inch pieces)
2 Tablespoons Milk
1.5 Teaspoons Sugar
.25 Teaspoon Salt
.5 cup Flour

Filling and Glaze
2 Cups Pastry Cream (following)
3 Tablespoons Half and Half
2 Ounces Chocolate
1 Cup Powdered Sugar

1. For the Pâté À Choux: Adjust oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 400 degrees. Grease a large baking sheet and line with parchment paper. Fit a pastry bag with a 1/2-inch tip. Beat the eggs and egg white together in a small bowl.

2. Bring the water, butter, milk, sugar, and salt to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Remove saucepan from heat and stir in flour until incorporated. Return to low heat and cook, stirring constantly using a smearing motion, until mixture looks like shiny, wet sand, about 3 minutes (it will register 175 to 180º on an instant read thermometer).

3. Immediately transfer the hot mixture to food processor. With machine running, pour the egg mixture through the feed tube in a steady stream and process until incorporated, about 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and continue to process until a smooth, thick, sticky paste forms, about 30 seconds.

4. Fill pastry bag with the Pâté À Choux and pipe into eight 5 by 1-inch logs, spaced about 1 inch apart. Smooth the surface and shape of the logs with your finger.

5. Bake pastries for 15 minutes, then with opening the door of the oven reduce temperature to 350º and continue to bake until fairly firm and golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes longer.

6. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and cut a 3/4-inch slit in the side to release the steam. Return to oven and turn oven off, prop oven door open with the handle of a wooden spoon. Let the pastries dry until the center is just moist (not wet) and the surface is crisp, about 45 minutes. Transfer pastries to a wire rack and cool completely.

7. For the filling and glaze: Use the tip of a small knife to cut 3 small Xs along the top of each pastry. Fit a pastry bag with a 1/4-inch plain tip and fill the bag with pastry cream. Pip the pastry cream into the pastries through each X until éclairs are completely filled.

8. Microwave the half-and-half and chocolate together in a small microwave safe bowl, whisking often, until the chocolate begins to melt, 20 to 30 seconds. Whisk in the powdered sugar until smooth. Place parchment paper under wire rack with éclairs and spoon the warm glaze evenly over the tops, being sure to cover holes. Let the glaze set for 20 minutes.

Pastry Cream
Makes 2 cups

2 cups half-and-half
.5 Cup Sugar
1.5 teaspoons Vanilla
Pinch Salt
5 Large Egg Yolks
3 Tablespoons Cornstarch
4 Tablespoons Unsalted butter cut into 4 pieces

1. Bring the half-and-half, 6 tablespoons of sugar, and salt to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally.

2. Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks, cornstarch, and remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar together until smooth.

3. Whisk about 1 cup of the simmering half-and-half mixture into the egg yolks to temper. Then slowly whisk the tempered egg yolks back into the simmering half-and-half mixture. Reduce heat to medium and continue to cook, whisking constantly, until the pastry cream is thickened and a few bubble burst on the surface, about 30 seconds.

4. Off the heat, whisk in butter and vanilla. Transfer pastry cream to a bowl and press plastic wrap directly on the surface. Refrigerate the cream until cold and set, about three hours. The cream keeps for 3 days.

I used this recipe from About.com:

Ingredients:

Clean rose petals or herbs (grown without pesticides)
Water
Ice

Preparation:

You can make rose water (or any other herb) and extracts at home with a bit of time and patience.

Place a heavy glass ramekin into a deep stockpot. Fill the ramekin 3/4 full with water to weigh it down. Place rose petals or herbs around the exterior of the ramekin in the bottom of the pot and cover with water halfway up the side of the ramekin. Place a shallow soup bowl on top of the ramekin. Bring the water and rose petals to a boil. Lower heat to simmer.

Place a stainless steel bowl on top of the stockpot. It should be large enough to seal the pot, but shallow enough so that its bottom is above the top level of the soup bowl. Fill the top bowl with ice.

Simmer the mixture 3 to 4 hours, depending on the amount. As the mixture boils, the heat rises and hits the cold bowl, causing it to condense and drip down into the inner bowl. Replace ice as needed as it melts.

When done, the small bowl will contain the rose water (or herb water). It will have a layer of rose oil (or herb oil) that is the essential oil or extract. The oil may be separated from the water.

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I used it to make Turkish Delight for my ailing friend Victoria. But I have so much left over I need to buy little bottles to bottle it!

I decided I had to go. I paid the $1 to go in and walked the path. I took my pictures and tried to figure out what exactly the THING? Was supposed to be. Was it the mummy thing, was it a dried up old indian? I asked my brother when I got to Tucson and he didn’t really have an answer. The Thing is an enigma. It can be whatever you want it to be.

But according to roadsideamerica.com you can ask the owner for $5 and find out what the THING? is.