Summer movies

There are some movies, it's fair to say, that Todaysfrase would never see if they weren't playing in Montauk's movie theater (for enough weeks that they gradually become more and more enticing). "Tropic Thunder" falls into this category.  I thought that it would be incredibly stupid.  So it wasn't hard to resist during the first week of its run.  But eventually, sometime during the second week, I succumbed and, TF-ers, I am happy to report that it's remarkably funny.  I urge you to see it.  Like "Iron Man," it is a very fun if brainless summer flick.

One of the best parts of "Tropic Thunder" is a hilarious performance by Tom Cruise -- who I didn't even recognize until I was practically hit over the head  by my movie companions.  (Yes, I was not as with-it as I might have been.  To be perfectly honest, I completely failed to appreciate that the spoofy beginning of this movie was indeed the beginning of the movie and not just another couple of awful previews.  That was a nice touch.)

Since this reminds me of just how good Cruise can be when he's not talking about you-know-what or acting in duds like "Lions for Lambs,"  I'd like to take this opportunity to recommend another film,  "Magnolia."  One of my alltime favorites, it has many great things going for it, most especially a terrific soundtrack by Aimee Mann and a superb, over-the-top performance by Cruise as a woman-hating self-help guru.   Add it to your Netflix list if you haven't yet seen it.

Montauk, good and bad

It occurs to me that, since I'm currently here in the heart of the very hot Hamptons, I'm failing the ever-expanding community of TF-ers by not providing recommendations of places to go or avoid.  So here are three:

Purl By the Sea.  Some of you may be stunned to learn that Todaysfrase is a passionate knitter. (Okay, this may not be quite as stunning as learning about some of John Edwards' passions, but I confess it, all the same.)  Purl By the Sea is an amazingly well-stocked knitting store, with a wide range of gorgeous and unusual yarns including my current favorite, Manos del Uruguay, which is a pure Peruvian kettle-dyed cotton -- I know, I know, that's more than I needed to tell you.  But, trust me, it's great.  Best of all, there's a 25% off sale going on throughout the month of August.  That's irresistible.

Purl By the Sea is owned by the woman who used to own Montauk's Four Oaks deli during its heyday as a purveyor of truly great home-made baked goods.   They're pretty mediocre, now.  But I will confess that I would trade PBTS with all its kettle-dyed yarns for the recipe to Four Oaks' long-gone prune danishes.   The owner tells me that she doesn't have that recipe anymore, though, so I have accepted the necessity of moving on.

The place to avoid, under any and all circumstances, is a loathsome (trendy, but truly loathsome) place called Surf Lodge.  Because this new restaurant/bar clearly has a team of publicists flacking for it morning, noon, and night, Surf Lodge is filled to over-capacity all the time. But it is the total antithesis of everything that makes Montauk great.  Women go to it wearing high heels and cocktail dresses.  Rumor has it that people get chosen from the waiting line based on what they look like.  That says it all.   If you come to town and decide to give this a whirl, you're probably not born to be a TF-er, after all.   That thought hurts me.  It really hurts me.

I can't believe that's the case, though.  So instead, I'll tell you about a secret place (a fairly secret place) that's worth a detour:  The Walking Dunes.  If you're heading east, between Amagansett and Montauk, turn left at the Hither Hills tennis courts (if you get to Cyril's, you've gone too far).  Take the road until it dead ends.  This is a breathtaking place for a small hike, with dunes that shift each year along with the winds.  The dunes are surrounded by Napeague Bay and the Long Island Sound.  You'll love it here.  

TF-ers, any recommendations from you?  I'm always looking for new ideas.