Totally Awesome Awesomeness

I don't plan to start reviewing movies here, but I feel compelled to post about the movie we watched last night (which also gives me an excuse to post a picture of our awesome dinner)...

For those of you who don't know, Center Stage is one of the greatest movies ever made. For a couple years when we were housemates, Steph and I had each seen bits and pieces of this movie on TV and thought it seemed cheesy and fun, but it wasn't until we rented the DVD (including extended dance sequences!) that we realized how totally and completely awesome it really is. I would guess we've each seen this movie over 50 times, and I'm still not even close to being tired of it. Needless to say, we were both pretty psyched to hear that a sequel (Center Stage: Turn It Up) was being released. We won't be able to get the DVD until late January, but Oxygen aired a slightly edited version last week which Steph was wise enough to record on her DVR, so last night we got a sneak preview.
If I were to say that this movie was totally amazing I would probably be accused of stretching the truth, but I will say it was much better than I'd dared to hope. The acting is fairly sketchy since the cast members (other than Peter Gallagher) were chosen for their ability to dance, but I found the plot to be refreshingly unpredictable at several points. Sure, the movie was totally cheesy and clichéd, but it was totally cheesy and clichéd in a really fabulous way... Plus, we got to see Cooper and Jonathan again! I can't wait for the DVD release so I can get me some extended dance sequences...

Speaking of dancing, the movie finished up just in time for Dancing with the Stars, a show that I'd never seen before but had been curious about ever since I heard that my beloved Warren Sapp had joined the cast. I've gotta say, it warmed the cockles of my cold, cold heart to see Sapp out there dancing his ass off and charming the heck out of the crowd. I suspect he's over-matched by Lance Bass, but I'm holding out hope that he can win...
In culinary news, we had some fantastic ahi sashimi for dinner, thanks to the big hunk of super-fresh fish we bought off of the dude on the pier at Avila Beach. Served up on sushi rice with a sprinkling of scallions and toasted sesame seeds, then seasoned some spicy mayo* (bottom picture) and a drizzle of soy sauce to taste, this was some seriously good dinner (and it actually paired perfectly with the $5 Trader Joe's Viognier we drank with it, not wanting to open a fancy wine when there was so much spiciness involved). Good stuff...
*To make your own spicy mayo, combine mayonnaise with a hearty squeeze of Sriracha and a few drops of sesame oil to taste.