Theme: "Anemic Vérité" - Anemic is anagram of "Cinema", so "Cinéma Vérité". The first word of a well-known movie title is anagrammed. The title in LA Times' website is "Anemic Veriteacute". I suspect the software can't handle acute accent marks, hence "acute" at the end of the title.
23A. Film about the appliance supervisor at Sears? : RANGE MANAGEMENT. "Anger Management".
31A. Film about a small chicken that won't stay away? : BANTAM RETURNS. "Batman Returns".
48A. Film about a sculpture that defies description? : THING AT THE MUSEUM. "Night at the Museum".
63A. Film about a smooth-legged fellow? : NAIR MAN. "Rain Man". "K-mark sucks".
65A. Film about a deli specializing in heros? : SUB STOP. "Bus Stop". So we have two 7's as theme entries. I had thought the minimum letter count for Sunday theme is 8.
82A. Film about following a pack up a mountain? : ASCEND WITH WOLVES. "Dances with Wolves".
97A. Film about fans of confessional rock music who enjoy spicy food? : EMOS LIKE IT HOT. "Some Like It Hot".
110A. Film about a prince's affair with actress Fletcher? : HAMLET AND LOUISE. "Thelma & Louise".
Very tight theme. All popular movies. Not easy to come up with a set of theme entries that make perfect surface sense and entertain.
Love these two long Downs:
5D. Potential powerhouse not to be "awakened" : SLEEPING GIANT. Napoleon called China a "Sleeping giant". It's so true during the Opium Wars. Lots of people just smoked opium & slept and slept.
56D. It may decide an election : CROSSOVER VOTE. Only primary election, right?
Also love these theme "pitch" clechos (clue echos) from Peter/Rich:
29A. Inability to make good pitches? : TIN EAR. Question mark hints that it's not about baseball pitches.
62. Pitcher Jesse with a record 1,252 regular-season appearances : OROSCO. His last MLB appearance was with the Twins in 2003. He was actually drafted by the Twins.
69D. Pitcher's goal : SALES ORDER. I feel a question mark is needed in the clue.
112D. Pitcher's asset : ARM
Across:
1. Abbey denizens : MONKS. I always associate monks with Buddhism.
6. Bar lineup : BREWS
11. Black __: covert missions : OPS
14. Take for a spin? : TWIRL. Nice clue.
19. "The Tempest" spirit : ARIEL
20. Weird Al Yankovic spoof of a Michael Jackson hit : EAT IT. Not a Weird Al fan.
21. With 43-Across, cocktail made with Curaçao : MAI. And 43. See 21-Across : TAI.
22. Asian princess : RANEE. Dennis just mentioned the overwhelming poverty his wife Linda encountered during a private bus ride to Agra. She saw lots of tents, mud huts, etc.
26. Woodard of "Cross Creek" : ALFRE
27. Shelf-clearing sale : CLOSEOUT
28. Baltic capital : RIGA
30. Rover's reward : PAT
34. Milk: Pref. : LACTI
38. Volleys : SALVOES. Thought the plural is just SALVOS.
40. Make __ of: jot down : A NOTE
41. In need of liniment : ACHING
44. Lab medium : AGAR
45. Feature of a two-ltr. monogram : NMI (No Middle Initial). Hence the two word 84D. Still competing : IN IT. Instead of "Monogram ltr." INIT to avoid dupe.
53. Sent the same 97-Down to : CC'ed. And 97. Modern letter : EMAIL
54. Tributes : HOMAGES
55. More learned : WISER
56. "SNL" alum Oteri : CHERI
57. Gravy absorber : SOP
58. "Since __ Eyes on You": Faith Hill song : I LAID. Guessed.
61. It means nothing : ZERO
67. Well-harmonized : IN SYNC
70. La __ Tar Pits : BREA
72. Deli offerings : MEATS
73. Fed. property manager : GSA (General Services Administration). I thought it stands for Girl Scouts of America.
76. Prepare chestnuts : ROAST. I missed the freshly roasted chestnuts in Xi'An.
77. Inclined : ATILT
79. Less respectful : SASSIER
81. Not working : IDLE
86. Salem-to-Reno dir. : SSE
87. Educ. for tots : PRE-K.
88. Lennon collaborator : ONO
89. Olay competitor : AVEENO. Lots of natural oat extract in their products.
90. Prepare in a pan : SAUTE. I stir-fry. In hot oil.
92. Placing in direct competition : PITTING
96. Richard who played the garage attendant in "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" : EDSON. A bit obscure for my taste.
100. Over simplified? : O'ER. Love the clue.
102. Christie's Miss : MARPLE
103. Prompter lead-in : TELE
104. Improved, as one's skill level : ELEVATED
109. Bill's "Groundhog Day" co-star : ANDIE (MacDowell)
113. Not moving : INERT
114. AQI monitor : EPA. AQI = Air Quality Index. Thought of Barry G, who no doubt thought of Barry Silk with this clue.
115. Up from Méjico : NORTE (North)
116. Vagabond : TRAMP
117. Early strings : LYRES
118. Urge : YEN
119. Evil spirit : DEMON
120. Assuages : EASES
Down:
1. Cleo's lover : MARC. It's Mark Anthony, no? Marc Anthony is J-Lo's ex.
2. Like some surgery : ORAL
3. Kid in Cádiz : NINO
4. Brewpub supplies : KEGS
6. Humdingers : BEAUTS
7. Lewis Black delivery : RANT
8. Cockpit approx. : ETA
9. Old powdered apparel : WIG
10. Caterer's can : STERNO
11. Pair of horseshoes? : OMEGAS. Because the horseshoes are omega-shaped?
12. Carrier founded in 1927 : PAN AM
13. Watch kids : SIT
14. Arnold, notably : TRAITOR. Benedict Arnold. CHEATER fits too. For California's Arnold.
15. Squirrel's treat : WALNUT
16. Subtle case crackers : INFERENCES
17. Aired again : RE-RAN
18. Looks like a rake : LEERS. Don't leer. Just look!
24. Extinct kiwi cousin : MOA
25. Tiny pest : MITE
29. Hr. some stores open : TEN AM
31. Humdrum : BLAH
32. Miller's "__ From the Bridge" : A VIEW
33. Brand on vermicelli : RAGU
34. Wooden slats : LATHS
35. Sound in an allergist's office : ACHOO
36. Congo River area denizen : CHIMP
37. Brown of publishing : TINA. Editor-in-Chief of Newsweek. She founded "The Daily Beast". She came to the US the same time as Anna Wintour, Editor-in-Chief for Vogue.
39. ABA member : ATT
42. Language that gave us "slogan" : GAELIC. New trivia to me.
44. Oxygen-dependent bacterium : AEROBE. New word for me.
46. Former Ford div. : MERC
47. Peculiar: Pref. : IDIO. Idiosyncrasy.
49. Romanov title : TSAR
50. "Les __" : MIZ
51. Consumes : USES
52. Blood bank supply : SERUM
53. Word with house or shop : CHOP
59. Return remark : I'M BACK
60. Puccini's "Vissi __" : D'ARTE. From the opera "Tosca". New to me also.
62. Ontario's second most populous city : OTTAWA
63. Where "F" means "Ford" : NYSE. I like this clue too.
64. Reprimand to a dachshund? : NEIN
66. Miss America accessory : SASH
67. Bearded flower : IRIS. Hi there, Blue Irish!
68. Some okays : NODS
71. Municipal rep. : ALD
73. Yields : GIVES
74. "I __ reason ..." : SEE NO
75. Bad lighting? : ARSON. Lots of fun clues for ARSON.
78. "... __ tango" : TWO TO
80. Holiday card drawing : SLED
82. Bandleader Shaw : ARTIE
83. Strive for : SEEK
85. Cargo unit : TON
87. Young hens : PULLETS. I used to speak some basic French. Now J'ai tout oublié.
91. Aim (to) : ASPIRE
92. Nursery rhyme merchant : PIEMAN. "Simple Simon met a pieman..."
93. "__ have to do" : IT'LL
94. Words after "ever after" : THE END
95. Parachute color? : GOLDEN. Golden parachute.
98. 12-time All-Star Ramirez : MANNY. Dreaded hair.
99. L'__ du Tour: French cycling event : ETAPE. I prefer this clue to the "Military camp".
101. Slippery swimmer : EEL
104. Opposite of ecto- : ENTO
105. Claimed psychic detection : AURA
106. Reunión attendees : TIAS. Argyle is having a family reunion this weekend.
107. Edward's adoptive mother in the "Twilight" series : ESME
108. Bank acct. additions : DEPS
110. "You, there!" : HEY
111. Water tester : TOE
Answer grid.
C.C.
23A. Film about the appliance supervisor at Sears? : RANGE MANAGEMENT. "Anger Management".
31A. Film about a small chicken that won't stay away? : BANTAM RETURNS. "Batman Returns".
48A. Film about a sculpture that defies description? : THING AT THE MUSEUM. "Night at the Museum".
63A. Film about a smooth-legged fellow? : NAIR MAN. "Rain Man". "K-mark sucks".
65A. Film about a deli specializing in heros? : SUB STOP. "Bus Stop". So we have two 7's as theme entries. I had thought the minimum letter count for Sunday theme is 8.
82A. Film about following a pack up a mountain? : ASCEND WITH WOLVES. "Dances with Wolves".
97A. Film about fans of confessional rock music who enjoy spicy food? : EMOS LIKE IT HOT. "Some Like It Hot".
110A. Film about a prince's affair with actress Fletcher? : HAMLET AND LOUISE. "Thelma & Louise".
Very tight theme. All popular movies. Not easy to come up with a set of theme entries that make perfect surface sense and entertain.
Love these two long Downs:
5D. Potential powerhouse not to be "awakened" : SLEEPING GIANT. Napoleon called China a "Sleeping giant". It's so true during the Opium Wars. Lots of people just smoked opium & slept and slept.
56D. It may decide an election : CROSSOVER VOTE. Only primary election, right?
Also love these theme "pitch" clechos (clue echos) from Peter/Rich:
29A. Inability to make good pitches? : TIN EAR. Question mark hints that it's not about baseball pitches.
62. Pitcher Jesse with a record 1,252 regular-season appearances : OROSCO. His last MLB appearance was with the Twins in 2003. He was actually drafted by the Twins.
69D. Pitcher's goal : SALES ORDER. I feel a question mark is needed in the clue.
112D. Pitcher's asset : ARM
Across:
1. Abbey denizens : MONKS. I always associate monks with Buddhism.
6. Bar lineup : BREWS
11. Black __: covert missions : OPS
14. Take for a spin? : TWIRL. Nice clue.
19. "The Tempest" spirit : ARIEL
20. Weird Al Yankovic spoof of a Michael Jackson hit : EAT IT. Not a Weird Al fan.
21. With 43-Across, cocktail made with Curaçao : MAI. And 43. See 21-Across : TAI.
22. Asian princess : RANEE. Dennis just mentioned the overwhelming poverty his wife Linda encountered during a private bus ride to Agra. She saw lots of tents, mud huts, etc.
26. Woodard of "Cross Creek" : ALFRE
27. Shelf-clearing sale : CLOSEOUT
28. Baltic capital : RIGA
30. Rover's reward : PAT
34. Milk: Pref. : LACTI
38. Volleys : SALVOES. Thought the plural is just SALVOS.
40. Make __ of: jot down : A NOTE
41. In need of liniment : ACHING
44. Lab medium : AGAR
45. Feature of a two-ltr. monogram : NMI (No Middle Initial). Hence the two word 84D. Still competing : IN IT. Instead of "Monogram ltr." INIT to avoid dupe.
53. Sent the same 97-Down to : CC'ed. And 97. Modern letter : EMAIL
54. Tributes : HOMAGES
55. More learned : WISER
56. "SNL" alum Oteri : CHERI
57. Gravy absorber : SOP
58. "Since __ Eyes on You": Faith Hill song : I LAID. Guessed.
61. It means nothing : ZERO
67. Well-harmonized : IN SYNC
70. La __ Tar Pits : BREA
72. Deli offerings : MEATS
73. Fed. property manager : GSA (General Services Administration). I thought it stands for Girl Scouts of America.
76. Prepare chestnuts : ROAST. I missed the freshly roasted chestnuts in Xi'An.
77. Inclined : ATILT
79. Less respectful : SASSIER
81. Not working : IDLE
86. Salem-to-Reno dir. : SSE
87. Educ. for tots : PRE-K.
88. Lennon collaborator : ONO
89. Olay competitor : AVEENO. Lots of natural oat extract in their products.
90. Prepare in a pan : SAUTE. I stir-fry. In hot oil.
92. Placing in direct competition : PITTING
96. Richard who played the garage attendant in "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" : EDSON. A bit obscure for my taste.
100. Over simplified? : O'ER. Love the clue.
102. Christie's Miss : MARPLE
103. Prompter lead-in : TELE
104. Improved, as one's skill level : ELEVATED
109. Bill's "Groundhog Day" co-star : ANDIE (MacDowell)
113. Not moving : INERT
114. AQI monitor : EPA. AQI = Air Quality Index. Thought of Barry G, who no doubt thought of Barry Silk with this clue.
115. Up from Méjico : NORTE (North)
116. Vagabond : TRAMP
117. Early strings : LYRES
118. Urge : YEN
119. Evil spirit : DEMON
120. Assuages : EASES
Down:
1. Cleo's lover : MARC. It's Mark Anthony, no? Marc Anthony is J-Lo's ex.
2. Like some surgery : ORAL
3. Kid in Cádiz : NINO
4. Brewpub supplies : KEGS
6. Humdingers : BEAUTS
7. Lewis Black delivery : RANT
8. Cockpit approx. : ETA
9. Old powdered apparel : WIG
10. Caterer's can : STERNO
11. Pair of horseshoes? : OMEGAS. Because the horseshoes are omega-shaped?
12. Carrier founded in 1927 : PAN AM
13. Watch kids : SIT
14. Arnold, notably : TRAITOR. Benedict Arnold. CHEATER fits too. For California's Arnold.
15. Squirrel's treat : WALNUT
16. Subtle case crackers : INFERENCES
17. Aired again : RE-RAN
18. Looks like a rake : LEERS. Don't leer. Just look!
24. Extinct kiwi cousin : MOA25. Tiny pest : MITE
29. Hr. some stores open : TEN AM
31. Humdrum : BLAH
32. Miller's "__ From the Bridge" : A VIEW
33. Brand on vermicelli : RAGU
34. Wooden slats : LATHS
35. Sound in an allergist's office : ACHOO
36. Congo River area denizen : CHIMP
37. Brown of publishing : TINA. Editor-in-Chief of Newsweek. She founded "The Daily Beast". She came to the US the same time as Anna Wintour, Editor-in-Chief for Vogue.
39. ABA member : ATT
42. Language that gave us "slogan" : GAELIC. New trivia to me.
44. Oxygen-dependent bacterium : AEROBE. New word for me.
46. Former Ford div. : MERC
47. Peculiar: Pref. : IDIO. Idiosyncrasy.
49. Romanov title : TSAR
50. "Les __" : MIZ
51. Consumes : USES
52. Blood bank supply : SERUM
53. Word with house or shop : CHOP
59. Return remark : I'M BACK
60. Puccini's "Vissi __" : D'ARTE. From the opera "Tosca". New to me also.
62. Ontario's second most populous city : OTTAWA
63. Where "F" means "Ford" : NYSE. I like this clue too.
64. Reprimand to a dachshund? : NEIN
66. Miss America accessory : SASH
67. Bearded flower : IRIS. Hi there, Blue Irish!
68. Some okays : NODS
71. Municipal rep. : ALD
73. Yields : GIVES
74. "I __ reason ..." : SEE NO
75. Bad lighting? : ARSON. Lots of fun clues for ARSON.
78. "... __ tango" : TWO TO
80. Holiday card drawing : SLED
82. Bandleader Shaw : ARTIE
83. Strive for : SEEK
85. Cargo unit : TON
87. Young hens : PULLETS. I used to speak some basic French. Now J'ai tout oublié.
91. Aim (to) : ASPIRE
92. Nursery rhyme merchant : PIEMAN. "Simple Simon met a pieman..."
93. "__ have to do" : IT'LL
94. Words after "ever after" : THE END
95. Parachute color? : GOLDEN. Golden parachute.
98. 12-time All-Star Ramirez : MANNY. Dreaded hair.
99. L'__ du Tour: French cycling event : ETAPE. I prefer this clue to the "Military camp".
101. Slippery swimmer : EEL
104. Opposite of ecto- : ENTO
105. Claimed psychic detection : AURA
106. Reunión attendees : TIAS. Argyle is having a family reunion this weekend.
107. Edward's adoptive mother in the "Twilight" series : ESME
108. Bank acct. additions : DEPS
110. "You, there!" : HEY
111. Water tester : TOE
Answer grid.
C.C.
