Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Title: Screenwriting Can Be a Drag
Author: Andrea Carla Michaels and Patrick Blindauer
Theme: Oscar-winning screenplays that feature crossdressing.
  • 4d: 1992 Best Original Screenplay Oscar winner featuring cross-dressing (THE CRYING GAME).


  • 14d: 1982 Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar nominee featuring cross-dressing (VICTOR VICTORIA).

  • 23d: 1959 Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar nominee featuring cross-dressing (SOME LIKE IT HOT).


Well, it must be Oscar week. This is the third puzzle in a row that features Oscar winners past (and also the third 15x16 grid). Today we get films featuring men dressed as women (or in one case, a woman pretending to be a man dressed as a woman). It seems a fairly straight-(no pun intended)-forward theme, which always has me wondering what I missed when I see Patrick Blindauer's name involved. Well, if there is something, I can't see it right now.


The rest:
  • 7a: It runs in the woods (SAP). It's almost maple syrup season around here. Yummm.


  • 15a: Word with gun or dog (TOP). Here's to Lt. Pete Mitchell.

  • 17a: Cruise stopover (ISLE). My first instinct was PORT, but I should have know ISLE was more likely. Nothing to do with Tom Cruise this time.

  • 27a: "Peter and the Wolf" duck (OBOE). This is a classic by Prokofiev, where each instrument plays the theme of a different character.

  • 30a: 1990s computer hit with teleporting books (MYST). This was a groundbreaking puzzle game, and one of the first to appeal to women as much as men.

  • 36a: Rockies manager Hurdle (CLINT). Who? Luckily I had _LINT by the time I came back to this one, which narrowed the choice considerably.


  • 43a: Result of puppy love? (NIP). Cute.

  • 44a: Old Olds (CIERA). You wanted ALERO here, I know you did. But have no fear, it shows up at 58d: Old Olds (ALERO).

  • 45a: City with the burial site of a noted Indian (AGRA). That's Indian from India, not Native American. Agra is the site of the Taj Mahal.


  • 49a: "Jaws" craft (ORCA). Some movie trivia is easier to recall than others. This one I'll never forget. A classic.

  • 51a: Yellow spots' spots (RETINAE). I didn't get this. I guess yellow spots are a vision thing.

  • 55a: "The Mystery of ___ Vep" (IRMA). Didn't know it.

  • 59a: Part of a mean mien? (SNEER).

  • 64a: Race in the library? (ELOI). Common crossword fare. Remember it.

  • 68a: Mix-a-Lot's title (SIR). Don't know that much about rap, but I know this name.

  • 70a: Part of the inn crowd? (ROOMER).

  • 6d: All together (EN MASSE).

  • 10d: Detailed, as instructions (STEP BY STEP).

  • 11d: Lotharios (ROMEOS).

  • 26d: Salt shaker? (SEA). A salt is an old sailor.

  • 31d: Five-ninths of MLXXXIX (DCV). Didn't bother with the math on this one; just filled it in based on crossings.

  • 33d: Plant food brand (MIRACLE GRO). Nice fill.


  • 48d: Givens on "Jeopardy!" (ANSWERS). Robin Givens was on "Jeopardy!"? Well, not that I know of, but anything's possible. I know Robin Quivers has been. Either way, we're not talking proper names here, but the answers which are given such that the contestants can ask the appropriate question.

  • 50d: Signaled on "Jeopardy!" (RANG IN). Continuing the "Jeopardy!" theme.

  • 56d: Calls outside of one's calling area (ROAMS). Fair warning for you US Cellular users out there... your unlimited nights, weekends, and incoming calls don't count if you go to Canada. My wife's been working there for a few weeks and just got dinged with a $400+ cellular bill. Yikes!


Not too easy, but nothing too hard. Just what the doctor ordered for a Wednesday.

Thanks for listening.

- Pete M.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hey, Pete.

This is the last Sun puzzle my name will appear on for a while - hopefully not forever. Thanks to ACME for collaborating with me. Thanks, too, to my other Sun collaborators: Tony O., Francis H., Frank L., and Lee G.

Special thanks to Peter G. for all his hard work and energy. Solvers & constructors have lost a great thing; here's hoping that subscriptions continue to add up so that it might rise again to stand beside the "gold standard" of crosswords.

Finally, thanks to Pete M. and crew for giving the Sun some virtual ink. Blogging is very demanding work, and you've all gone above and beyond the call of duty. Muchas gracias.

Best,
PBlindauer

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