While I am a big fan of quite a few Joss Whedon properties, I am skeptical when new work comes from him. I loved Buffy, Angel, and Firefly, but when Dollhouse premiered, it didn't grab my attention enough to get me tuning in. Tonight, I noticed it was on Netflix and decided to give it a go. I have only had time for one episode, but I will be watching more.
The basic premise is that there is an organization that controls the lives and memories of a group of "volunteers" that live there. Their default persona is one of a happy, carefree, and mellow individual. They have no fears, nor wants. They are essentially a blank slate. Rich and powerful people can pay to have these individuals, referred to as "actives", programmed to be whatever they want or need.
Eliza Dushku portrays Echo, the main character. From the little bit of background and foreshadowing we are provided with in this first episode, it is apparent that the show will explore the effect the wiping/programming process has on Echo, as well as the other actives. In the first episode, we see Echo programmed to be two other individuals, one a party girl who wears very short length dresses and the other a negotiator type character. When you include the vacant Echo, you have three different personalities that Dushku successfully portrays.
In addition to Dushku, who you may recognize from her stint on Buffy as Faith, you have another Whedon-verse actor, Amy Acker who played Fred on Angel. Tahmoh Penikett, Helo from Battlestar Galactica, is another fine actor cast in Dollhouse. It's always fun to see actors I have appreciated in other shows doing good work; they provide Dollhouse with some solid acting to ground the show, which is necessary with the outlandish premise.
The first episode doesn't spend much time explaining the science behind the programming, but they do explain where they programming comes from. There is great attention to detail, which further hints at the science behind it all. Often, a science fiction show is better off not getting into specifics of their science. It just gives people something to nitpick. Leaving it vague may be a better gambit for the show.
My expectations were not high going into Dollhouse, but the single episode I watched was intriguing. I will be watching the entire series. I would be remiss if I didn't mention that it felt like an anime. You have beautiful young women being programmed to do extraordinary things; if this isn't already an anime somewhere, I would be shocked.
If you have Netflix, I would definitely give Dollhouse a shot. If you don't like the first episode, you've wasted fifty minutes. If you do like it, there are twenty-six episodes available to you. It's worth the risk. It exceeded my expectations, going darker than I would have expected and demanding quite a bit from Dushku. It didn't feel like a typical Whedon show, so even if you have an aversion to his products, you still may like this one.
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
This Film Is Not Yet Rated
I find film and all its many facets to be incredibly interesting. While I have read articles about films being saddled with harsh ratings, I hadn't really learned much about the actual ratings process until I watched This Film Is Not Yet Rated. I originally watched it a few years ago, when it was released, but I decided to re-watch it tonight. It's still as interesting as the first time.
The film opens on the director of Boys Don't Cry talking about what she went through when her film was rated. She recounts how she felt when she heard the rating. She goes on to discuss what scenes the board had issue with and what deeper meanings she saw in their decisions. There is commentary from a number of other directors throughout the film. These clips provide people for us to identify with, even though they are filmmakers way above our pay grade. Each of us can understand having passion for a project and seeing their reactions to having unnamed people influence the future of the films they worked hard to create help us to realize that the ratings system isn't just a letter slapped on a film for the trailers.
As with any documentary, you must be careful to not take the facts presented in the documentary as gospel. A documentary is created when someone feels passionately enough about a project to film his* research of it. If that filmmaker cares enough to undertake that burden, he will have a view about it that subject. I believe This Film Is Not Yet Rated is pushing an agenda, but the film makes a good case for the viewpoint presented. Kirby Dick, the director, wants you to realize that the ratings process for films is unfair. A group of anonymous parents decides how a film will be rated with no clear guidelines.
After a few clips of different directors talking about the process, the film does a good job of defining the different ratings. He generalizes what types of content may be found in each type of movie. The film also features a detective story-line, as the identities of the rates are sought. Sometimes, during the chase scenes, the documentary gets a little hokey, with amped up sound effects.
If the film falters anywhere, it is in the attempt to explain why films are rated the way they are rated. They implicate multiple reasons for why certain films are "censored" over others. There is no real concrete evidence to support some of the listed reasons, so I can't know how much stock to put in the presented reasons.
If you have interest in films, it's worth taking the time to watch This Film Is Not Yet Rated. Right now, you can catch it on Netflix. Beware, though, as there is a multitude of nudity and inappropriate language. As the film really isn't rated, you have to make your own decision as to whether or not it is safe or worth watching. Also, Jack Valenti has nice cheeks, but that is beside the point.
*Obviously, the filmmaker could be a she, but I'm using the male pronoun.
Monday, February 27, 2012
Wal-Mart: A Grocery Store Adventure
I am a big fan of both Sam's Club and Wal-Mart; these are facts. I have lived in my happy little bubble for quite some time. I've watched some shows preaching the evil of Wal-Mart and thoroughly enjoyed Penn and Teller ripping apart the Wal-Mart haters on Bullshit! Recently, primarily after moving to South Carolina, my fuzzy feelings toward Wal-Mart have begun to be less fuzzy.
It started shortly after moving here, when I realized that the nearest Wal-Mart was always busy and rarely stocked. Because Mark and I don't use much sugar (he mainly uses it in his tea), we like to buy the little canister of sugar. I have seen the space at the Seaboard Wal-Mart where it is supposed to be, but I've never seen it actually there. I found it one time at the Carolina Forest Wal-Mart and have been refilling that one since I bought it. That's pretty sad. Maybe I should get a glass canister for sugar....
Anyway, sugar aside, the Seaboard Wal-Mart is constantly busy. One night, we waited in line for fifteen minutes. There were two lanes available, and the lines were ridiculous. At the fifteen minute mark, we still were multiple people back from the registers. Mark called the store and asked for a manager. He told the manager about the situation, and the manager called up all available associates to the front to ring register. We know he did this, as it came over the loudspeaker. Suddenly, there were five lanes open, and we were able to check out. With Mark working in retail and myself working with the public, we both know there are times that lines are out of your control. Based on the manager's reaction, it wasn't out of his control. At the same time, that is the only time I've seen lines that bad. I could give them a pass for that, and I have. I often visit the other Wal-Marts, but I have been getting groceries at the Seaboard location for the most part.
Unfortunately, I think that's about to change. While Wal-Mart gives me the most bang for my buck, it turns out that they don't carry everything I need. Now, this may seem obvious to you fancy chef type cooking people, but this is something I am just figuring out. I've mentioned this before, but I am making a recipe each week that Mark chooses.
This week, I am supposed to make Thai Curry Coconut Pork Chops. Before heading off to Wal-Mart, I made a list of items that I needed to purchase. I used to make lists all the time and had gotten away from it. To make sure I don't forget the items from Mark's weird recipe choices, I need lists again.
First up, I need center cut bone-in pork chops. That doesn't sound so hard. I know where the meat case is, but lo and behold, there are no center cut bone-in pork chops. They have a lot of other pork chops, but they don't have the cut I need. This could be a case of just being out of stock, but I can't even find a sticker for them. I did, however, find them at Bilo, and that makes me sad.
That's okay, I'm sure Wal-Mart will have the Cattleman's Golden Honey Barbecue Sauce that this recipe demands. Wrong again. They have a lot of different barbecue sauces, but they don't have ANY Cattleman's, let alone the flavor I actually need. I realize I could sub a different yellow barbecue sauce, but I'm trying to follow the recipe the first time I make it. I was in luck though, as Bilo had that too.
I don't know if Bilo has cream of coconut, as I haven't looked yet. I do know, however, that Wal-Mart does not have it. It's possible they do, and I just had no clue where it was located. I looked in all the places that made sense, but I was growing frustrated due to the other items that were unavailable. I should have found an employee and asked, but I get the distinct feeling that they would have looked at me as if I had grown two heads. That is not a very kind opinion for me to have, and I am sorry. I will work on being a better person as soon as I pick up the other ingredients I need.
Next on the list is curry powder. Now, I know not everyone uses it everyday, but I would expect Wal-Mart to have curry powder. It appears that there is a spot for not one, but two kinds of curry powder. Excellent, my day is looking up. On second thought, all the curry powder is gone! It is completely out of stock.
At this point, I know I have to visit another grocery store to make the recipe that Mark has chosen, but I'm going to swing by the fruit and veggies up front to see if I can find ginger root. I've already looked back by the spices, and they didn't have the root back there. See, I need to peel the root and then grate it for these stupid pork chops. Big surprise, there is no ginger root at Wal-Mart either.
Regardless of my frustration, I still love Wal-Mart. I will continue to shop there, as it gives me the best prices on some of the basic items I buy. I've just learned that for my new cooking experiments, I will be visiting a grocery store with a bit more snobbery, perhaps the Piggly Wiggly out in Market Common. I really miss Wegmans.
It started shortly after moving here, when I realized that the nearest Wal-Mart was always busy and rarely stocked. Because Mark and I don't use much sugar (he mainly uses it in his tea), we like to buy the little canister of sugar. I have seen the space at the Seaboard Wal-Mart where it is supposed to be, but I've never seen it actually there. I found it one time at the Carolina Forest Wal-Mart and have been refilling that one since I bought it. That's pretty sad. Maybe I should get a glass canister for sugar....
Anyway, sugar aside, the Seaboard Wal-Mart is constantly busy. One night, we waited in line for fifteen minutes. There were two lanes available, and the lines were ridiculous. At the fifteen minute mark, we still were multiple people back from the registers. Mark called the store and asked for a manager. He told the manager about the situation, and the manager called up all available associates to the front to ring register. We know he did this, as it came over the loudspeaker. Suddenly, there were five lanes open, and we were able to check out. With Mark working in retail and myself working with the public, we both know there are times that lines are out of your control. Based on the manager's reaction, it wasn't out of his control. At the same time, that is the only time I've seen lines that bad. I could give them a pass for that, and I have. I often visit the other Wal-Marts, but I have been getting groceries at the Seaboard location for the most part.
Unfortunately, I think that's about to change. While Wal-Mart gives me the most bang for my buck, it turns out that they don't carry everything I need. Now, this may seem obvious to you fancy chef type cooking people, but this is something I am just figuring out. I've mentioned this before, but I am making a recipe each week that Mark chooses.
This week, I am supposed to make Thai Curry Coconut Pork Chops. Before heading off to Wal-Mart, I made a list of items that I needed to purchase. I used to make lists all the time and had gotten away from it. To make sure I don't forget the items from Mark's weird recipe choices, I need lists again.
First up, I need center cut bone-in pork chops. That doesn't sound so hard. I know where the meat case is, but lo and behold, there are no center cut bone-in pork chops. They have a lot of other pork chops, but they don't have the cut I need. This could be a case of just being out of stock, but I can't even find a sticker for them. I did, however, find them at Bilo, and that makes me sad.
That's okay, I'm sure Wal-Mart will have the Cattleman's Golden Honey Barbecue Sauce that this recipe demands. Wrong again. They have a lot of different barbecue sauces, but they don't have ANY Cattleman's, let alone the flavor I actually need. I realize I could sub a different yellow barbecue sauce, but I'm trying to follow the recipe the first time I make it. I was in luck though, as Bilo had that too.
I don't know if Bilo has cream of coconut, as I haven't looked yet. I do know, however, that Wal-Mart does not have it. It's possible they do, and I just had no clue where it was located. I looked in all the places that made sense, but I was growing frustrated due to the other items that were unavailable. I should have found an employee and asked, but I get the distinct feeling that they would have looked at me as if I had grown two heads. That is not a very kind opinion for me to have, and I am sorry. I will work on being a better person as soon as I pick up the other ingredients I need.
Next on the list is curry powder. Now, I know not everyone uses it everyday, but I would expect Wal-Mart to have curry powder. It appears that there is a spot for not one, but two kinds of curry powder. Excellent, my day is looking up. On second thought, all the curry powder is gone! It is completely out of stock.
At this point, I know I have to visit another grocery store to make the recipe that Mark has chosen, but I'm going to swing by the fruit and veggies up front to see if I can find ginger root. I've already looked back by the spices, and they didn't have the root back there. See, I need to peel the root and then grate it for these stupid pork chops. Big surprise, there is no ginger root at Wal-Mart either.
Regardless of my frustration, I still love Wal-Mart. I will continue to shop there, as it gives me the best prices on some of the basic items I buy. I've just learned that for my new cooking experiments, I will be visiting a grocery store with a bit more snobbery, perhaps the Piggly Wiggly out in Market Common. I really miss Wegmans.
Sunday, February 26, 2012
Kirk's Ice Cream Parlor
I don't really eat that much ice cream, but when I do, I traditionally go to Cold Stone Creamery. I enjoy over-loading my ice cream with whatever I want in it. However, tonight, I was in the mood for something different. We decided to give Kirk's Ice Cream Parlor a try.
Upon entering, a very nice man greeted us. He had been watching Grease on a small t.v. in the corner. I find Grease to be a fitting film to play in an old fashioned ice cream parlor. They had a long glass case with tubs of ice cream displayed. The names were attached to the glass, which was very convenient.
After walking the length of the case and checking out what flavors they offered, I checked out the pricing board behind the case. They offer a variety of sizes. The smallest serving looked like an extra large styrofoam shot glass, which would be great if you just wanted a couple bites. That's probably the size I should have gotten, as I never finish my ice cream. Aside from various sized cups of ice cream, there were also multiple toppings offered, as well as banana splits and frozen bananas. The offered cones ranged from plain to chocolate to sprinkle covered. They had the coated ones in the cooler case, which is the first time I've seen an establishment do that. It's definitely a smart move.
Mark ordered first and got the bubblegum ice cream in a double serving. It was bright blue and had whole gumballs in it. He loved it. He didn't care for the gum sticking to his teeth, but that's what you get when you eat cold bubblegum. I have a co-worker that would be very excited to just eat the gum. The double was large enough that Mark was unable to finish his ice cream.
I opted for a double as well, but my dish was larger. I ordered the peanut butter cup ice cream with hot fudge topping, so I believe he just made me a sundae. He offered me whipped cream, but I declined. The ice cream was very flavorful, and the hot fudge was great. I find that most places skimp on the hot fudge, even when I offer to pay extra. At Kirk's, I was given more than enough hot fudge to make me happy. Altogether, we paid $10.25.
We didn't feel like sitting while we ate our ice cream, but we did enter the provided room to check it out. Most ice cream places I have been in are incredibly small and offer little to no seating for their customers. Kirk's had an entire room with a multitude of tables provided for enjoying your ice cream. There were even a couple benches too.
Eating our ice cream, we wandered around the room, looking at the decor. Kirk's really evokes the feeling of being in an older ice cream parlor; it is a combination of how the ice cream is presented and served and the decor. There was a large glass case full of old cameras. The room also had large mirrors with the Kirk's logo on them, amidst the dark wood paneling. Peppered throughout were old signs for different brands of ice cream. One section was there for the tourists, with brochures for local attractions. It made me feel like I was back in the 80's hanging out at a local ice cream joint. I don't actually remember one like this, but I feel like I should.
If you're in Myrtle Beach and want some ice cream, there are a ton of places you can go. Heck, Broadway at the Beach has at least five establishments specializing in frozen desserts. The difference between Kirk's and all those other options is nostalgia. If you walk into Kirk's Ice Cream Parlor, you'll be treated to hand-dipped ice cream served in a setting befitting your memories, even if they are manufactured by the movies. Give it a try.
Upon entering, a very nice man greeted us. He had been watching Grease on a small t.v. in the corner. I find Grease to be a fitting film to play in an old fashioned ice cream parlor. They had a long glass case with tubs of ice cream displayed. The names were attached to the glass, which was very convenient.
After walking the length of the case and checking out what flavors they offered, I checked out the pricing board behind the case. They offer a variety of sizes. The smallest serving looked like an extra large styrofoam shot glass, which would be great if you just wanted a couple bites. That's probably the size I should have gotten, as I never finish my ice cream. Aside from various sized cups of ice cream, there were also multiple toppings offered, as well as banana splits and frozen bananas. The offered cones ranged from plain to chocolate to sprinkle covered. They had the coated ones in the cooler case, which is the first time I've seen an establishment do that. It's definitely a smart move.
Mark ordered first and got the bubblegum ice cream in a double serving. It was bright blue and had whole gumballs in it. He loved it. He didn't care for the gum sticking to his teeth, but that's what you get when you eat cold bubblegum. I have a co-worker that would be very excited to just eat the gum. The double was large enough that Mark was unable to finish his ice cream.
I opted for a double as well, but my dish was larger. I ordered the peanut butter cup ice cream with hot fudge topping, so I believe he just made me a sundae. He offered me whipped cream, but I declined. The ice cream was very flavorful, and the hot fudge was great. I find that most places skimp on the hot fudge, even when I offer to pay extra. At Kirk's, I was given more than enough hot fudge to make me happy. Altogether, we paid $10.25.
We didn't feel like sitting while we ate our ice cream, but we did enter the provided room to check it out. Most ice cream places I have been in are incredibly small and offer little to no seating for their customers. Kirk's had an entire room with a multitude of tables provided for enjoying your ice cream. There were even a couple benches too.
Eating our ice cream, we wandered around the room, looking at the decor. Kirk's really evokes the feeling of being in an older ice cream parlor; it is a combination of how the ice cream is presented and served and the decor. There was a large glass case full of old cameras. The room also had large mirrors with the Kirk's logo on them, amidst the dark wood paneling. Peppered throughout were old signs for different brands of ice cream. One section was there for the tourists, with brochures for local attractions. It made me feel like I was back in the 80's hanging out at a local ice cream joint. I don't actually remember one like this, but I feel like I should.
If you're in Myrtle Beach and want some ice cream, there are a ton of places you can go. Heck, Broadway at the Beach has at least five establishments specializing in frozen desserts. The difference between Kirk's and all those other options is nostalgia. If you walk into Kirk's Ice Cream Parlor, you'll be treated to hand-dipped ice cream served in a setting befitting your memories, even if they are manufactured by the movies. Give it a try.
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance
I have a soft spot in my heart for awesomely bad movies. This doesn't mean that I like bad movies. There has to be some factor to them that transcends their lack of quality to make them entertaining. Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance just missed being awesomely bad, which is unfortunate, as it isn't a great movie. Awesomely bad was really the best it could hope to achieve.
If you choose to see Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance, I strongly suggest finding a 2D viewing. I have heard very poor opinions of the 3D quality of the film. I can't speak from my own experience, as I opted to go with a 2D viewing. Frankly, I'm not a huge fan of 3D. Watching the movie sans glasses is much more comfortable.
The film is full of elements that are good and bad. For example, the film probably wouldn't have been made if it weren't for Nicolas Cage. It is his passion for the project that has fueled the fire. (Haha..fire pun...you know...cause the Rider is on fire...) His dedication is great, and I appreciate actors who believe in what they're doing. At the same time, Mr. Cage hurts the movie at times. He is such a talented actor, but he spends most of this Ghost Rider film acting crazy. There is a lot of screaming and maniacal laughing. It got to the point that I would randomly giggle when he would appear on screen because I was expecting him to do something outlandish and silly. For the most part, he didn't disappoint. His performance definitely nudged the movie in the direction of awesomely bad.
The movie also provided me with performances from some other pretty good actors. Ciaran Hinds, who was recently in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, showed up to work. We were treated to about a minute of screen time with Giles*. From the trailers, you should realize Stringer Bell** is running around there too. As the icing on the cake, Christopher Lambert puts in an appearance. Including these competent actors is a definite plus, but it hurts the movie when you don't give them anything to work with! Stringer Bell gives the best performance in the film, and Mark said even that one was mailed in. Great actors can only do so much when you don't give them a good script or fleshed out characters. With no room to grow, they just spout off their lines and wander around, chewing the scenery.
All in all, the film looks good while said chewing is going on. The character design of the rider is much better in this film, with more detail and a more authentic appearance. The special effects are decent, but it's the camera work that stands out at times. There is a scene early in the film, which you have probably seen in trailers, where Stringer Bell is flying backwards off a road and shooting at someone. To get that shot, they had the camera and its operator in a harness behind the actor. There are a number of shots that just prove how crazy the directors can be. These are the guys that brought us the Crank movies, which I am ashamed to say I loved. Those are awesomely bad movies. While these guys get respect for their dedication to obtaining crazy shots, the film suffers because the camera is often too frenetic, causing the carefully crafted action to be lost.
You see both the excellent camera work and the shaky, frenetic camera work in the first ten minutes of the movie. Of course, that amount of time also exposes you to some terrible voice-over work and some nice animated scenes. The movie has just as many bad elements as it does good ones. The movie succeeded in making me laugh at a couple scenes, when it was actually their intent. Of course, I also laughed when I wasn't supposed to.
Overall, Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance isn't a bad movie, but it isn't a good movie either. It doesn't quite hit the awesomely bad level either, which is really what it should have been. The film would have been vastly improved with a bit more editing. There are scenes that just go on too long. You'll know them when you see them. They usually involve Cage laughing maniacally or the Rider screaming or staring at someone. I'm glad I saw it, but there is no reason to visit the theater for this movie. I do have one final complaint. The mother in the film has an accent, but her child does not. It makes no sense.
* I know his name is Anthony Stewart Head, but he will always be Giles to me.
** Once again, he may be Idris Elba to you, but he is Stringer Bell in this house.
Friday, February 24, 2012
Irish Beef Stew
For Valentine's Day this year, rather than give Mark candy or a stuffed animal, as we already have too many of those, I opted to buy him a couple of cookbooks. See, Mark and I eat out...a lot. I'm trying to change that, hence the cookbooks. They are not so he can cook; they are so I will cook. Each week, he gets to choose a recipe that I will prepare. This week, he chose Irish Beef Stew.
Meals prepared in the crock-pot are so easy, and this recipe was no exception. The hardest part was dicing the carrots. I don't have one of those fancy chopping/dicing/slicing machines, so it was just me and a very sharp knife. It probably didn't help that I had bought the little mini carrots. I'm lucky I didn't cut myself.
Once I diced the potatoes and carrots, I tossed them into the crock-pot with some tomato soup, stew beef, and onion soup mix. I left the crock-pot on low all night. This morning, before heading off to work, I added some frozen peas and water. With my concoction simmering, I went off to my job.
When we returned home for lunch a bit later, we had stew! It smelled pretty good, and the flavor wasn't too bad either. The carrots and potatoes had softened up nicely but were not yet falling apart. The beef was a bit tough but that may have been because the stew was heated for twelve hours, rather than the suggested nine due to my work schedule. It wasn't the sexiest meal I have ever had, but it got the job done. The ingredients all blended together well, and I wouldn't change much.
Mark has declared the recipe a winner, so it will be placed in the recipe box for future use. I'm going to make notes to try and improve on it next time. The stew had a base taste. It wasn't bitter, but I believe a little bit of acid would have improved the flavor. I may use half as much tomato soup next time, subbing in some sort of beef stock instead. Additionally, I may squirt in a bit of lemon juice to balance it all out.
We ended up warming the stew up for dinner tonight, as well. It was even better the second time. I think it would be good served on a bed of mashed potatoes too since it is a thick, hearty stew. I don't know that it seems particularly Irish to me, but I will be making it again. It was super easy and pretty tasty.
Meals prepared in the crock-pot are so easy, and this recipe was no exception. The hardest part was dicing the carrots. I don't have one of those fancy chopping/dicing/slicing machines, so it was just me and a very sharp knife. It probably didn't help that I had bought the little mini carrots. I'm lucky I didn't cut myself.
Once I diced the potatoes and carrots, I tossed them into the crock-pot with some tomato soup, stew beef, and onion soup mix. I left the crock-pot on low all night. This morning, before heading off to work, I added some frozen peas and water. With my concoction simmering, I went off to my job.
When we returned home for lunch a bit later, we had stew! It smelled pretty good, and the flavor wasn't too bad either. The carrots and potatoes had softened up nicely but were not yet falling apart. The beef was a bit tough but that may have been because the stew was heated for twelve hours, rather than the suggested nine due to my work schedule. It wasn't the sexiest meal I have ever had, but it got the job done. The ingredients all blended together well, and I wouldn't change much.
Mark has declared the recipe a winner, so it will be placed in the recipe box for future use. I'm going to make notes to try and improve on it next time. The stew had a base taste. It wasn't bitter, but I believe a little bit of acid would have improved the flavor. I may use half as much tomato soup next time, subbing in some sort of beef stock instead. Additionally, I may squirt in a bit of lemon juice to balance it all out.
We ended up warming the stew up for dinner tonight, as well. It was even better the second time. I think it would be good served on a bed of mashed potatoes too since it is a thick, hearty stew. I don't know that it seems particularly Irish to me, but I will be making it again. It was super easy and pretty tasty.
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Ruth's Chris Steak House
Ruth's Chris Steak House is not the kind of place you visit all the time. Because the people I work with are so awesome, we were rewarded with a trip to Ruth's Chris Steak House tonight, courtesy of our employer. Mark and I, two people who frequently eat out, had never been there, so I was pretty excited. To prepare for our night out, I was researching the cost associated with Ruth's Chris. I could not find a menu that included prices. If you visit Ruthschris.com, the menu does not list prices. When I called the restaurant to have one faxed over, they let me know that Ruthschris.net had a menu with prices. I find it odd that they keep that information on a less easily found website. It's not that the second site is hidden, but it is certainly not as obvious.
When I arrived tonight, I visited the bar and lounge, as that was where my party was waiting. They were offering half price appetizers that I did not take advantage of. They also had some drink specials. I had a Berried in Myrtle Beach for six dollars, that is usually twelve dollars. It was pretty good but incredibly sweet. Also, it had berries in it. As the majority of our party had arrived, we moved to our table in the dining room.
The dining room was pleasant but unremarkable. The lights were low, and our party of seven was given a round table with fancy linen napkins and table covers. We had two gentlemen taking care of us and waters were provided for the entire table. After finishing my fancy drink, I ordered a Sprite with lemon, as they are awesome, like me. They brought it out in a little glass Sprite bottle, which I'm sure cost five dollars and didn't come with free refills. For those of you wondering, I did not bring the bottle home with me.
The menu had a variety of foods, with a focus on steaks. The average steak cost forty dollars, but they also offered chicken and seafood dishes. There was an insert with-in the menu offering three course meals at more affordable prices. I opted for the rib-eye steak with mashed potatoes for my entree. There were three salads to choose from, but the one I wanted was not listed. They let me substitute it, with a charge for the difference. I was also able to choose a dessert. I found the duo of chocolate mousse and berries and cream to be the most appealing.
While we were waiting for our salads and soups, we were provided with bread. It was in small loaves, which were scored. The bread wasn't particularly special, but it wasn't bad either. There was also butter supplied. Before too long, our salads and soups arrived. The majority of us had salad, with one person opting for the lobster bisque. My salad was a wedge salad with blue cheese. The portion was generous, but the blue wedge salad they offer at Outback Steakhouse is much better. The Ruth's Chris salad was missing some sort of balsamic glaze, which cuts the blue cheese and makes the salad much tastier. It's not that I don't like blue cheese; I just appreciate the effect the glaze has on the dish as a whole.
The meal wasn't rushed and came at a good pace, with our entrees arriving shortly after they other dishes were removed. The steaks were saved on five hundred degree plates, which we were repeatedly told not to touch. I appreciate the warning, but the one gentleman was quite rude about it. I suppose it is better to be safe than sorry.
I ordered my rib-eye medium, but it was closer to medium rare. It tasted just fine, so I wasn't too upset about that. When a steak is part of a fifty dollar meal, it needs to taste better then "just fine" since it is so expensive. My steak just wasn't as good as Ruth's Chris advertised it to be with their prices. It was the equivalent of buying something at the Apple store, but the Apple store will actually sell me pretty good products.
For my side, I chose mashed potatoes. When you order them from the regular menu, they are around eight dollars and come with enough for two. I shared mine with someone, which was fine by me, as they were not very good. They tasted like they were instant or maybe made from potatoes that sat in water way too long. I am a potato snob, so my opinion may be skewed. I didn't try any of the sides others ordered.
When dessert came, mine was pretty good. I shared a bit of it with another, but there wasn't much in it to share. The mousse was quite good, as were the berries and cream. No one complained about their dessert, but some of the offerings were quite bland. They offered vanilla ice cream and sorbet. Both are fine desserts, but they're uninspired.
I wouldn't send anyone to Ruth's Chris Steak House. The food wasn't bad, but it wasn't good enough to warrant the cost. My meal probably cost at least sixty dollars. That does not include tax or the tip, so it may have been more. I didn't see the final bill. I really appreciated the gesture, as it was a very nice thing for my bosses to do for us. They are a great group of people, and I'm glad I got to try Ruth's Chris Steak House. I just don't plan on taking Mark there, as I don't feel it is worth it.
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Ga-Rei: Zero
I've watched my fair share of anime and consider myself to have a decent handle on it. I've watched series from a multitude of genres, and I've enjoyed many of them. I've also watched terrible anime, some so bad that I never finished the series. Some people treat anime like a genre, but it is a medium. If you like science fiction movies, you may enjoy science fiction anime. The same can be said of fantasy, horror, adventure, and the like. Obviously, anime has a Japanese flavor to it, as it is rooted in Japanese culture. It references food and jobs and school that they deal with on a daily basis.
I felt it was important to mention my previous experience with anime, as many people get very defensive if you judge it, and I intend to review Ga-Rei: Zero. I'm only going to be talking about the first episode, but I'm still making a call on something that many people have not taken the time to experience. Anime is not for everyone, but part of enjoying it is enjoying the type of anime you are shown for the first time. Anime can be really, really weird. Ranma 1/2 may not be a great introductory show for your intellectual nerd friend, but maybe he wouldn't mind Berserk too much. I think everyone should give anime a try, just so you can say you got the experience points.
Today, I decided to watch the first episode of Ga-Rei: Zero. Up until the last five minutes, it was nothing special, merely an anime about an agency that fights spirits. It's so similar to a ton of other anime that I quickly grew bored. The animation is about average. I didn't see any of the super-cartoony, over-exaggerated facial expressions that take you out of a semi-serious anime. Of course the eyes were overly large, but that is to be expected. The character design was pretty traditional, as well. All in all, it was a dull show.
I was all set to not watch any more of the show, but then, the show reached its last five minutes. Please excuse my language, as I try to keep it clean in my reviews, but I have to use a phrase that my brother, my husband, and I have utilized when discussing anime. I'm referring to the "fuck you ending" that anime happily uses with abandon. See, a great deal of anime will lull you into a false sense of security and then do something you didn't expect. It can come in the last couple minutes of a series, or it might happen at the end of a random episode. I find it happens a lot in the opening episodes of some anime, and Ga-Rei: Zero is no exception. Because of how they ended the first episode, I immediately started the next one. I have to return to work in a few minutes, so I won't be able to finish it, but I may be hooked for the whole series.
Anime seems like a young man's game. Mark and I used to devour it, but it is pretty rare that we find a series that grips us enough to watch in its entirety. In the past year, I believe the only anime we watched was Zombie High School (or whatever it was called) and Claymore. Considering we used to pay almost $30 per volume and can now get our anime for free online, it's amazing we don't watch more of it. You just get to the point where you feel you have seen it all. Let's see if Ga-Rei: Zero can give me something new.
I felt it was important to mention my previous experience with anime, as many people get very defensive if you judge it, and I intend to review Ga-Rei: Zero. I'm only going to be talking about the first episode, but I'm still making a call on something that many people have not taken the time to experience. Anime is not for everyone, but part of enjoying it is enjoying the type of anime you are shown for the first time. Anime can be really, really weird. Ranma 1/2 may not be a great introductory show for your intellectual nerd friend, but maybe he wouldn't mind Berserk too much. I think everyone should give anime a try, just so you can say you got the experience points.
Today, I decided to watch the first episode of Ga-Rei: Zero. Up until the last five minutes, it was nothing special, merely an anime about an agency that fights spirits. It's so similar to a ton of other anime that I quickly grew bored. The animation is about average. I didn't see any of the super-cartoony, over-exaggerated facial expressions that take you out of a semi-serious anime. Of course the eyes were overly large, but that is to be expected. The character design was pretty traditional, as well. All in all, it was a dull show.
I was all set to not watch any more of the show, but then, the show reached its last five minutes. Please excuse my language, as I try to keep it clean in my reviews, but I have to use a phrase that my brother, my husband, and I have utilized when discussing anime. I'm referring to the "fuck you ending" that anime happily uses with abandon. See, a great deal of anime will lull you into a false sense of security and then do something you didn't expect. It can come in the last couple minutes of a series, or it might happen at the end of a random episode. I find it happens a lot in the opening episodes of some anime, and Ga-Rei: Zero is no exception. Because of how they ended the first episode, I immediately started the next one. I have to return to work in a few minutes, so I won't be able to finish it, but I may be hooked for the whole series.
Anime seems like a young man's game. Mark and I used to devour it, but it is pretty rare that we find a series that grips us enough to watch in its entirety. In the past year, I believe the only anime we watched was Zombie High School (or whatever it was called) and Claymore. Considering we used to pay almost $30 per volume and can now get our anime for free online, it's amazing we don't watch more of it. You just get to the point where you feel you have seen it all. Let's see if Ga-Rei: Zero can give me something new.
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Farscape
I enjoy science fiction and fantasy series, so it made sense that at some point in time, I would get around to watching Farscape. So far, I have only viewed the first episode, so it's hard to make a call based on that single show. There is a lot of potential with a few problems. It probably doesn't help that I'm watching the episode of Supernatural that is shot in black and white, featuring classic movie monsters, but I'll try to keep things in perspective.
Beginning its run in the late 90's, Farscape had access to CGI, as evidenced by the ship scenes. Fortunately, they opted to use practical effects when possible. There is quite a bit of make-up and accompanying appliances. Some of the characters are muppets, which I love. Where a show nowadays may just CGI those characters, Farscape gives you something real to look at and something real for the actors to interact with.
At the same time, the show looks dated at times. The CGI is standard for the show's release period, and the sets don't look particularly rich. While I prefer practical effects, like the puppets, they do have certain limitations. The show actually handles them pretty well for the main characters, but secondary characters don't have as much time spent on them, hence don't look as convincing.
A great deal of science fiction shows flourish in how they present the relationships of the involved characters. At this point in the show, I can't say whether or not Farscape handles them well. They do have a great set up though; they have a variety of characters with very different personalities. If the show goes how I believe it will, it will be very good.
I plan to watch some more episodes, but right now, I'm a bit focused on Supernatural, which isn't fair to Farscape. Luckily, I'll definitely be watching additional episodes of Farscape. I'll update you later, as I proceed through the show.
Beginning its run in the late 90's, Farscape had access to CGI, as evidenced by the ship scenes. Fortunately, they opted to use practical effects when possible. There is quite a bit of make-up and accompanying appliances. Some of the characters are muppets, which I love. Where a show nowadays may just CGI those characters, Farscape gives you something real to look at and something real for the actors to interact with.
At the same time, the show looks dated at times. The CGI is standard for the show's release period, and the sets don't look particularly rich. While I prefer practical effects, like the puppets, they do have certain limitations. The show actually handles them pretty well for the main characters, but secondary characters don't have as much time spent on them, hence don't look as convincing.
A great deal of science fiction shows flourish in how they present the relationships of the involved characters. At this point in the show, I can't say whether or not Farscape handles them well. They do have a great set up though; they have a variety of characters with very different personalities. If the show goes how I believe it will, it will be very good.
I plan to watch some more episodes, but right now, I'm a bit focused on Supernatural, which isn't fair to Farscape. Luckily, I'll definitely be watching additional episodes of Farscape. I'll update you later, as I proceed through the show.
Monday, February 20, 2012
Robot Ice Cream Delivery
First off, sorry this review is so late today. I try to keep myself to a midnight deadline, so as to keep the reviews coming one a day. Unfortunately, Mark's father had surgery today, so we spent the day in Charleston. It's now a quarter past midnight, and we are just getting home.
Because Mark has had such a stressful few days, we stopped to get a bite on the way home and grab some ice cream because that's what you do when someone is sad. We popped into this place called the Charleston Creamery. Having lived in State College, I was hoping for something that had unique flavors made on the spot. That was not at all what this place was. The Charleston Creamery was more like a wet dream for five year olds. They had a bunch of toys to play with in the front of the store, with hand dipped ice cream at the counter. There was also candy and toys for sale.
Standing king over all of that was the CiD & Friends ice cream machine. The entire store was decorated with these cartoon robot characters, but their shrine was a machine that doled out ice cream. For four of your american dollars, you got an ice cream debit card. When you swiped it in the machine, the touch screen activated, letting you choose your ice cream treat. You got to choose a total of six layers, three soft serve ice cream, three candy treats. For your ice cream, you could choose chocolate, vanilla, or swirl. The candy choices were M&Ms, Reese's Pieces, Jelly Belly jelly beans, sprinkles, Skittles, and some round candy I did not recognize.
Mark's concoction was:
Jelly Belly jelly beans
Vanilla Soft Serve
Reese's Pieces
Chocolate Soft Serve
M&Ms
Vanilla Soft Serve
Ordering ice cream via the touch screen was pretty cool, and I'm sure any child would love it. Mark was pretty entertained by it, but the best part was yet to come. Once you tell the machine you have completed your order, the robot arm activates! It does a little dance and then creates the treat you requested. It pulls a cup out of one area, gets the ice cream from another recessed spot, then begins assembling your toppings. The candy is kept in tubes up top and travel down a long zig-zag tube into the ice cream cup as activated. Obviously, to keep with the set up for your treat, it alternates between getting the ice cream and the candy. When finished, the robot places your ice cream into a medium tube that turns around so you can take it out.
For a small child, or my husband, the show is most definitely worth four dollars. He kept talking about his robot ice cream the rest of the night. As to the quality of the snack, the ice cream is generic soft serve. Mark usually prefers vanilla ice cream, but he said the chocolate was better in this instance. Additionally, he warns to not get jelly beans in it, as they get very hard when cold. I'll leave you to make your own joke there.
Because Mark has had such a stressful few days, we stopped to get a bite on the way home and grab some ice cream because that's what you do when someone is sad. We popped into this place called the Charleston Creamery. Having lived in State College, I was hoping for something that had unique flavors made on the spot. That was not at all what this place was. The Charleston Creamery was more like a wet dream for five year olds. They had a bunch of toys to play with in the front of the store, with hand dipped ice cream at the counter. There was also candy and toys for sale.
Standing king over all of that was the CiD & Friends ice cream machine. The entire store was decorated with these cartoon robot characters, but their shrine was a machine that doled out ice cream. For four of your american dollars, you got an ice cream debit card. When you swiped it in the machine, the touch screen activated, letting you choose your ice cream treat. You got to choose a total of six layers, three soft serve ice cream, three candy treats. For your ice cream, you could choose chocolate, vanilla, or swirl. The candy choices were M&Ms, Reese's Pieces, Jelly Belly jelly beans, sprinkles, Skittles, and some round candy I did not recognize.
Mark's concoction was:
Jelly Belly jelly beans
Vanilla Soft Serve
Reese's Pieces
Chocolate Soft Serve
M&Ms
Vanilla Soft Serve
Ordering ice cream via the touch screen was pretty cool, and I'm sure any child would love it. Mark was pretty entertained by it, but the best part was yet to come. Once you tell the machine you have completed your order, the robot arm activates! It does a little dance and then creates the treat you requested. It pulls a cup out of one area, gets the ice cream from another recessed spot, then begins assembling your toppings. The candy is kept in tubes up top and travel down a long zig-zag tube into the ice cream cup as activated. Obviously, to keep with the set up for your treat, it alternates between getting the ice cream and the candy. When finished, the robot places your ice cream into a medium tube that turns around so you can take it out.
For a small child, or my husband, the show is most definitely worth four dollars. He kept talking about his robot ice cream the rest of the night. As to the quality of the snack, the ice cream is generic soft serve. Mark usually prefers vanilla ice cream, but he said the chocolate was better in this instance. Additionally, he warns to not get jelly beans in it, as they get very hard when cold. I'll leave you to make your own joke there.
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Comic Book Men
Following the Walking Dead on AMC, we now have Comic Book Men, a show featuring the Secret Stash, a comic book store owned by Kevin Smith. The show follows the employees around, with round-table discussion between the employees and Kevin Smith interspersed throughout. I've watched the first two episodes and have a few observations. We're about to employ the compliment sandwich again!
Let's start out with a slice of happy bread. The show is attempting to keep the Walking Dead crowd tuned into AMC to watch Comic Book Men. Obviously, there is a bit of a built in audience because a decent chunk of the audience watching the Walking Dead read it as a graphic novel or follow nerd culture. These watchers may naturally gravitate to a show about a comic book shop. In an attempt to pull in others that are not so familiar with comics, the creators of Comic Book Men attempt to make it accessible to the average viewer. When customers bring in items to sell, a screen pops up talking about the item. The show makes an effort to provide the needed information to understand what's going on.
When you attempt to educate the uninitiated during the show, it takes those in the know out of the show. During one of their conversations, they discuss which super powers they would like to have. Kevin Smith, while talking to the employees of his comic book store, explains what Wolverine's healing power is and what it does. Now, all the people sitting at that table would know about Wolverine's healing power. I imagine a lot of people watching the show would know as well. The excess dialogue is purely for people like your mom, who would turn to you and ask about it anyway.
By explaining basic comic book information, the show makes itself look scripted. When you consider the customers that are coming into the shop, one begins to wonder if they're genuine patrons or people known to the owner and employees that come in to try and make the show more interesting. The haggling is almost non-existent, and you rarely, if ever, seen people just milling about the shop. From watching the show, I do not feel like I can walk into that shop and browse comics. It does not feel real.
Further enforcing the unrealistic feel of this weeks episode, the hockey game they played served no real purpose. As Kevin Smith doesn't actually appear in the shop, scenes done with him outside the shop seem unimportant. At least the discussion scenes set up some form of structure; the hockey games only real effect was to get them to talk about Clerks and prove that nerds are out of shape. I understand wanting to do things that evoke Smith's successful ventures into film, but if it doesn't help the show he is currently filming, it has no place in it.
When I reviewed Top Chef many weeks ago, I specifically mentioned how I dislike having to watch the judges make small talk. The small talk inevitably led to bad jokes, which led to a lot of forced laughter. It's just painful to watch Kevin Smith crack a joke when his employees have to laugh at it. Don't get me wrong; Kevin Smith can be a very funny man. I absolutely loved An Evening With Kevin Smith, and Dogma is amazing. That doesn't mean it will all be gold. The jokes he is making aren't unfunny, but the reaction he pulls from his employees is unrealistic.
Speaking of his employees, let's talk about Ming. He seems like a very nice guy, and they are all very mean to him. I'm sure it is all in good fun, but because of the way the show is edited together, it just seems mean. We've all been in groups where one person tends to be the target. Sometimes, you are the target; sometimes, you are lobbing abuse with everyone else. While that may happen frequently, that doesn't make it right. Stop picking on Ming!
At the same time, all these problems will probably abate on their own as the show finds itself. I absolutely love their child-like reactions to random items and objects. You could tell they were really excited to see the Batmobile. Their genuine reactions to some of the items brought in just highlight how fake some of the show can be. When the show is allowed to focus on the more realistic aspects, it will become much better.
Unfortunately for Comic Book Men, it is airing on AMC. Why is this bad, you wonder? AMC is known for crafting excellent dramas. While Comic Book Men isn't a drama, the audience they are trying to hook with it has grown accustomed to shows like Breaking Bad, Mad Men, and the Walking Dead. As a matter of fact, the best part of tonight's Comic Book Men episode was during the commercials, when they showed a scene from next week's Walking Dead episode.
Comic Book Men isn't a terrible show, but it doesn't know what it wants to be. When the show-runners trim some of the fat and make the show more realistic, they may very well have a great show on their hands. Until then, AMC would be better off re-running the Clerks cartoon series to keep viewers tuned in after the Walking Dead. Kevin Smith is a talented man, but he is capable of much more than what Comic Book Men is currently serving up. I will probably give it one more episode before giving up, but my continued viewership is in question.
Let's start out with a slice of happy bread. The show is attempting to keep the Walking Dead crowd tuned into AMC to watch Comic Book Men. Obviously, there is a bit of a built in audience because a decent chunk of the audience watching the Walking Dead read it as a graphic novel or follow nerd culture. These watchers may naturally gravitate to a show about a comic book shop. In an attempt to pull in others that are not so familiar with comics, the creators of Comic Book Men attempt to make it accessible to the average viewer. When customers bring in items to sell, a screen pops up talking about the item. The show makes an effort to provide the needed information to understand what's going on.
When you attempt to educate the uninitiated during the show, it takes those in the know out of the show. During one of their conversations, they discuss which super powers they would like to have. Kevin Smith, while talking to the employees of his comic book store, explains what Wolverine's healing power is and what it does. Now, all the people sitting at that table would know about Wolverine's healing power. I imagine a lot of people watching the show would know as well. The excess dialogue is purely for people like your mom, who would turn to you and ask about it anyway.
By explaining basic comic book information, the show makes itself look scripted. When you consider the customers that are coming into the shop, one begins to wonder if they're genuine patrons or people known to the owner and employees that come in to try and make the show more interesting. The haggling is almost non-existent, and you rarely, if ever, seen people just milling about the shop. From watching the show, I do not feel like I can walk into that shop and browse comics. It does not feel real.
Further enforcing the unrealistic feel of this weeks episode, the hockey game they played served no real purpose. As Kevin Smith doesn't actually appear in the shop, scenes done with him outside the shop seem unimportant. At least the discussion scenes set up some form of structure; the hockey games only real effect was to get them to talk about Clerks and prove that nerds are out of shape. I understand wanting to do things that evoke Smith's successful ventures into film, but if it doesn't help the show he is currently filming, it has no place in it.
When I reviewed Top Chef many weeks ago, I specifically mentioned how I dislike having to watch the judges make small talk. The small talk inevitably led to bad jokes, which led to a lot of forced laughter. It's just painful to watch Kevin Smith crack a joke when his employees have to laugh at it. Don't get me wrong; Kevin Smith can be a very funny man. I absolutely loved An Evening With Kevin Smith, and Dogma is amazing. That doesn't mean it will all be gold. The jokes he is making aren't unfunny, but the reaction he pulls from his employees is unrealistic.
Speaking of his employees, let's talk about Ming. He seems like a very nice guy, and they are all very mean to him. I'm sure it is all in good fun, but because of the way the show is edited together, it just seems mean. We've all been in groups where one person tends to be the target. Sometimes, you are the target; sometimes, you are lobbing abuse with everyone else. While that may happen frequently, that doesn't make it right. Stop picking on Ming!
At the same time, all these problems will probably abate on their own as the show finds itself. I absolutely love their child-like reactions to random items and objects. You could tell they were really excited to see the Batmobile. Their genuine reactions to some of the items brought in just highlight how fake some of the show can be. When the show is allowed to focus on the more realistic aspects, it will become much better.
Unfortunately for Comic Book Men, it is airing on AMC. Why is this bad, you wonder? AMC is known for crafting excellent dramas. While Comic Book Men isn't a drama, the audience they are trying to hook with it has grown accustomed to shows like Breaking Bad, Mad Men, and the Walking Dead. As a matter of fact, the best part of tonight's Comic Book Men episode was during the commercials, when they showed a scene from next week's Walking Dead episode.
Comic Book Men isn't a terrible show, but it doesn't know what it wants to be. When the show-runners trim some of the fat and make the show more realistic, they may very well have a great show on their hands. Until then, AMC would be better off re-running the Clerks cartoon series to keep viewers tuned in after the Walking Dead. Kevin Smith is a talented man, but he is capable of much more than what Comic Book Men is currently serving up. I will probably give it one more episode before giving up, but my continued viewership is in question.
Saturday, February 18, 2012
Parks and Recreation
Back in the day, I was a fan of the Office. Now, I will still watch it, but it doesn't pull me in like it used to. I have Parks and Recreation for that! Following a cast of characters that work in local government overseeing the parks and recreation department, Parks and Recreation is a great show featuring great performances and intelligent comedy that isn't afraid to be sweet on occasion.
I watched the second season before the first, as the second was available to me at the time. Immediately after finishing season two, I obtained season one via Netflix. As they weren't streaming it then, I had to wait for the discs. I gotta say...I don't like waiting. Immediate gratification is king. Now, Mark and I watch the show week to week via the on demand feature. While the show was good before, it keeps getting better. When Rob Lowe and Adam Scott joined the cast, the show got even better.
At this point, the characters are pretty well fleshed out, even the ones that were initially just background and the butts of jokes. Each character fills an important role, supporting the show with great acting. Between the writing and performances, Parks and Recreation is one of the best comedies on television right now.
I was going to talk about my favorite characters currently on the show, when I realized that I don't dislike a single one. Removing any of them would seem weird. It's like working with a group of people. You get used to having them around and having one of them quit impacts your job in small ways. Removing any of the characters from Parks and Recreation would impact the show in a myriad of small ways, all of them terrible! The writers have done a great job, as have the actors.
Some television watchers have avoided Parks and Recreation, believing it to be an Office clone, and that's not a fair assessment. In its first season, the show had not found itself, but once reaching season two, the show came into its own. I suggest you check it out. I wouldn't start with the current season, as you will have missed a lot of character development. If you want to start with season two and backtrack to season one after you decide you like the show, I'm okay with that. It's how I did it, and I'm happy with the show.
I watched the second season before the first, as the second was available to me at the time. Immediately after finishing season two, I obtained season one via Netflix. As they weren't streaming it then, I had to wait for the discs. I gotta say...I don't like waiting. Immediate gratification is king. Now, Mark and I watch the show week to week via the on demand feature. While the show was good before, it keeps getting better. When Rob Lowe and Adam Scott joined the cast, the show got even better.
At this point, the characters are pretty well fleshed out, even the ones that were initially just background and the butts of jokes. Each character fills an important role, supporting the show with great acting. Between the writing and performances, Parks and Recreation is one of the best comedies on television right now.
I was going to talk about my favorite characters currently on the show, when I realized that I don't dislike a single one. Removing any of them would seem weird. It's like working with a group of people. You get used to having them around and having one of them quit impacts your job in small ways. Removing any of the characters from Parks and Recreation would impact the show in a myriad of small ways, all of them terrible! The writers have done a great job, as have the actors.
Some television watchers have avoided Parks and Recreation, believing it to be an Office clone, and that's not a fair assessment. In its first season, the show had not found itself, but once reaching season two, the show came into its own. I suggest you check it out. I wouldn't start with the current season, as you will have missed a lot of character development. If you want to start with season two and backtrack to season one after you decide you like the show, I'm okay with that. It's how I did it, and I'm happy with the show.
Friday, February 17, 2012
The Dark Knight Rises Trailer - Prestige Style
I am a fan of well done mash-ups. I don't like all mash-ups, and I don't go looking for them. Fortunately, I am a frequent patron of the Cinemablend, or as I first knew it, Film Hobbit. Head honcho Josh Tyler is one of my favorite reviewers, and I generally agree with his opinions. Sometimes, I'll see a movie he suggests, even when I didn't initially have interest in it. Fortunately, Cinemablend covers entertainement, movie, tv, and gaming news. They frequently provide me with interesting tidbits of information, as well as fun videos. I felt it important to give them a shout out, as their site is where I discovered this Dark Knight Rises/Prestige mash-up.
The clip is a few minutes long and features dialogue spoken by Michael Caine as Cutter in the Prestige. It is the segment where he explains the components of a magic trick. The editor has combined the voice over with images from Nolan's Batman trilogy. As there are three parts to a magic trick and three movies to Nolan's Batman saga, it is an appropriate and well thought out piece.
There are a few scenes in the mash-up that I find incredibly effective, which is what makes this a mash-up worth watching. The editor uses the scene from the end of the Dark Knight where Gordon destroys the bat signal, while Caine talking about making something disappear in the second part of a trick. It resonates and pulls forth the emotions present at the end of the Dark Knight. To take the time to find just the right image and sync it up with the right dialogue is impressive and puts a lot of other mash-ups to shame.
Those of you who know me are aware that I hold the Dark Knight in high regard. I believe Nolan is excellent at what he does, and I favor many of his movies. I generally like mash-ups where they combine his separate works. I have seen a very good Inception/Dark Knight mash-up in the past, and I may just have a weakness for them, but the creator put a lot of thought into this one.
The images for the Dark Knight Rises seem a little tacked on, as most of those images have no narration by Caine; they are instead accompanied by the appropriate instrumental music. Unfortunately, Caine's dialogue had run out at that point, and the piece would not have been complete without the images from the Dark Knight Rises, as it represents the prestige, the final piece of a trick. While they may not have the same integral feel as the rest, I still have no problem watching them.
I fear the Dark Knight Rises will be unable to live up to my expectations, so I am trying to keep them low. The Dark Knight is such a complete movie experience that I fear nothing can live up to it. It's like doing karaoke right after Mark and Tara perform a Lady Gaga song...no one really wants to follow that. The stage can only handle so much awesome. The creators choice to use this particular bit of dialogue from the Prestige serves to illustrate that others may feel the same as he refers to the final part of the trick as the most difficult. Christopher Nolan has his work cut out for him concluding such a wonderful series of films.
I applaud the creator of this mash-up, as he has created a video that uses clever dialogue to create a cohesive send up of great films. Even if you're not a huge fan of mash-ups, you should give this one a go. It isn't a mash-up for the sake of being a mash-up. It is a video that takes you through the films thus far and shows you where they're going. I just hope the prestige can hold up to the turn.
The clip is a few minutes long and features dialogue spoken by Michael Caine as Cutter in the Prestige. It is the segment where he explains the components of a magic trick. The editor has combined the voice over with images from Nolan's Batman trilogy. As there are three parts to a magic trick and three movies to Nolan's Batman saga, it is an appropriate and well thought out piece.
There are a few scenes in the mash-up that I find incredibly effective, which is what makes this a mash-up worth watching. The editor uses the scene from the end of the Dark Knight where Gordon destroys the bat signal, while Caine talking about making something disappear in the second part of a trick. It resonates and pulls forth the emotions present at the end of the Dark Knight. To take the time to find just the right image and sync it up with the right dialogue is impressive and puts a lot of other mash-ups to shame.
Those of you who know me are aware that I hold the Dark Knight in high regard. I believe Nolan is excellent at what he does, and I favor many of his movies. I generally like mash-ups where they combine his separate works. I have seen a very good Inception/Dark Knight mash-up in the past, and I may just have a weakness for them, but the creator put a lot of thought into this one.
The images for the Dark Knight Rises seem a little tacked on, as most of those images have no narration by Caine; they are instead accompanied by the appropriate instrumental music. Unfortunately, Caine's dialogue had run out at that point, and the piece would not have been complete without the images from the Dark Knight Rises, as it represents the prestige, the final piece of a trick. While they may not have the same integral feel as the rest, I still have no problem watching them.
I fear the Dark Knight Rises will be unable to live up to my expectations, so I am trying to keep them low. The Dark Knight is such a complete movie experience that I fear nothing can live up to it. It's like doing karaoke right after Mark and Tara perform a Lady Gaga song...no one really wants to follow that. The stage can only handle so much awesome. The creators choice to use this particular bit of dialogue from the Prestige serves to illustrate that others may feel the same as he refers to the final part of the trick as the most difficult. Christopher Nolan has his work cut out for him concluding such a wonderful series of films.
I applaud the creator of this mash-up, as he has created a video that uses clever dialogue to create a cohesive send up of great films. Even if you're not a huge fan of mash-ups, you should give this one a go. It isn't a mash-up for the sake of being a mash-up. It is a video that takes you through the films thus far and shows you where they're going. I just hope the prestige can hold up to the turn.
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Sexy and I Know It
In general, I'm a classic rock kinda girl with an appreciation for Adele. Unfortunately, I have a weakness for bad pop songs sometimes. I've been shopping for Mark's birthday gifts the past couple of nights, and I kept hearing a song where some guy was singing about being sexy. It was one of those catchy, yet oh so terrible songs, and it was growing on me.
Until a few hours ago, I had only heard it on the radio. Tonight, I took the next step. I looked up the video. Mark was informing me about his own level of sexiness, and I decided that the song fit him. I looked up the video to have him listen to the song. Do you know what I found?
I found pure awesome. Instead of a video with some over-pumped guy singing in front of a bunch of hussies, the guys in the video are anything but sexy. At that point, if you haven't been listening to the lyrics, you start to. There are animal print shorts and cheeks being tanned.
The part of the video that sold me 100% was when they do a close-up of the lead singer while he is doing a dance*. Is it ridiculously sexy? Not when he does it. You know who makes that dance sexy? Mark. When the guys started doing Mark's sexy dance, I was sold.
The music itself is quite catchy, which is how those pop songs get me. The lyrics are funny, when you take the time to listen to them. Do I know that you are all silently judging me now? Oh yeah, but that's okay. I'm willing to admit my poor taste in music if it gets just one more person addicted to this song. This is my Jason X (Jason in Space) of music. I've listened to enough Led Zeppelin to balance my music karma for this one song. If I pick out any others of this level though, I'll have to start listening to at least five hours of Queen each day. That wouldn't be so bad actually...
*You can see exactly what I'm talking about at the one minute mark. Click this link, and change your life forever!
Until a few hours ago, I had only heard it on the radio. Tonight, I took the next step. I looked up the video. Mark was informing me about his own level of sexiness, and I decided that the song fit him. I looked up the video to have him listen to the song. Do you know what I found?
I found pure awesome. Instead of a video with some over-pumped guy singing in front of a bunch of hussies, the guys in the video are anything but sexy. At that point, if you haven't been listening to the lyrics, you start to. There are animal print shorts and cheeks being tanned.
The part of the video that sold me 100% was when they do a close-up of the lead singer while he is doing a dance*. Is it ridiculously sexy? Not when he does it. You know who makes that dance sexy? Mark. When the guys started doing Mark's sexy dance, I was sold.
The music itself is quite catchy, which is how those pop songs get me. The lyrics are funny, when you take the time to listen to them. Do I know that you are all silently judging me now? Oh yeah, but that's okay. I'm willing to admit my poor taste in music if it gets just one more person addicted to this song. This is my Jason X (Jason in Space) of music. I've listened to enough Led Zeppelin to balance my music karma for this one song. If I pick out any others of this level though, I'll have to start listening to at least five hours of Queen each day. That wouldn't be so bad actually...
*You can see exactly what I'm talking about at the one minute mark. Click this link, and change your life forever!
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Logan's Roadhouse
Since I obtained my driver's license in mid-January, Mark and I have been having more lunches out and about during the week. Just last week, we saw a billboard for fifteen minutes express lunches at Logan's Roadhouse. Today, we decided to spend our lunch at Logan's and see just how accurate the fifteen minute promise was in reality.
We went to lunch around two, which is a bit late for lunch. You would expect this would expedite our meal. When we entered the establishment, there was no wait to be seated, which makes sense. We followed a young lady to a table. Mark asked for a booth, and she was willing to clean one off for us. I let her know a booth was fine, but it was nice that she would have accommodated us.
This is where the bad part of our tale arises. The restaurant was not busy at all, but we waited for ten minutes before we were greeted by a server. The young lady who greeted us, Heather, wasn't even our server. She just realized that we had been sitting there for quite some time with no attention. When someone tells me they waited for ten minutes without being greeted, I usually figure they are exaggerating. When I say we waited ten minutes, I know for a fact it was that long. When we initially entered the restaurant, I checked the time. We only have one hour for lunch, so I keep close track of the time.
Luckily, Heather had felt our stare upon her and came to investigate. She offered to get drinks for us, even though she wasn't our server. Since we were on lunch, we asked her to take our order, to which she agreed. When she went to the kitchen to enter the order, I went to the restroom. As I passed the kitchen, I heard her talking to the girl who was apparently supposed to be our server. The other girl felt bad, but Heather decided to take us on as a table.
Heather brought out our drinks and supplied us with yeast* rolls. The rolls were delicious, as well as the peanuts already present on the table. I hate throwing the peanut shells on the floor, but peanuts are awesome. Heather managed to keep our drinks refilled, which is no small feat. I am a heavy drinker, not alcohol, but soda or water. Considering I was already quite annoyed from our long wait, Heather was turning that around with her incredible service.
Nine minutes after Heather took our order, we had our lunches. They beat the promised time by six minutes, quite impressive. We both had salad. I chose the fried chicken salad, while Mark opted to try the chicken salad. My salad was delicious. I had them hold the mushrooms and requested ranch dressing. Mark's chicken salad came on a bed of lettuce with fruit and candied pecans, as well as ranch dressing on the side. Sometimes, when they put chicken fingers on a salad, they are hard and over-breaded; these ones were lightly breaded and fresh. They were quite good. Mark had nothing but positive words to say about his chicken salad. I can't testify to its deliciousness as I did not try it. I did, however, steal one of his strawberries, and they were quite good, perfectly ripe.
Upon asking for the check, Heather immediately brought it to us. I can not say enough good things about her. I really expected to not return to Logan's upon our initial treatment, but Heather completely reversed the damage and actually turned the experience into a great one. I understand breakdowns in communication, and I truly appreciated that Heather was proactive and took care of us. I actually spoke to the manager about how great she was since we will return to Logan's purely because of her impeccable service.
If you're looking for a quick lunch in Myrtle Beach, give Logan's Roadhouse a try. Their fifteen minute express lunches are good, and they actually offer quite a few of them. Some places who boast an express lunch only offer five or six choices. Logan's offered a dozen or more. Asking for Heather would be a wise move, as well.
*I hate the word "yeast".
We went to lunch around two, which is a bit late for lunch. You would expect this would expedite our meal. When we entered the establishment, there was no wait to be seated, which makes sense. We followed a young lady to a table. Mark asked for a booth, and she was willing to clean one off for us. I let her know a booth was fine, but it was nice that she would have accommodated us.
This is where the bad part of our tale arises. The restaurant was not busy at all, but we waited for ten minutes before we were greeted by a server. The young lady who greeted us, Heather, wasn't even our server. She just realized that we had been sitting there for quite some time with no attention. When someone tells me they waited for ten minutes without being greeted, I usually figure they are exaggerating. When I say we waited ten minutes, I know for a fact it was that long. When we initially entered the restaurant, I checked the time. We only have one hour for lunch, so I keep close track of the time.
Luckily, Heather had felt our stare upon her and came to investigate. She offered to get drinks for us, even though she wasn't our server. Since we were on lunch, we asked her to take our order, to which she agreed. When she went to the kitchen to enter the order, I went to the restroom. As I passed the kitchen, I heard her talking to the girl who was apparently supposed to be our server. The other girl felt bad, but Heather decided to take us on as a table.
Heather brought out our drinks and supplied us with yeast* rolls. The rolls were delicious, as well as the peanuts already present on the table. I hate throwing the peanut shells on the floor, but peanuts are awesome. Heather managed to keep our drinks refilled, which is no small feat. I am a heavy drinker, not alcohol, but soda or water. Considering I was already quite annoyed from our long wait, Heather was turning that around with her incredible service.
Nine minutes after Heather took our order, we had our lunches. They beat the promised time by six minutes, quite impressive. We both had salad. I chose the fried chicken salad, while Mark opted to try the chicken salad. My salad was delicious. I had them hold the mushrooms and requested ranch dressing. Mark's chicken salad came on a bed of lettuce with fruit and candied pecans, as well as ranch dressing on the side. Sometimes, when they put chicken fingers on a salad, they are hard and over-breaded; these ones were lightly breaded and fresh. They were quite good. Mark had nothing but positive words to say about his chicken salad. I can't testify to its deliciousness as I did not try it. I did, however, steal one of his strawberries, and they were quite good, perfectly ripe.
Upon asking for the check, Heather immediately brought it to us. I can not say enough good things about her. I really expected to not return to Logan's upon our initial treatment, but Heather completely reversed the damage and actually turned the experience into a great one. I understand breakdowns in communication, and I truly appreciated that Heather was proactive and took care of us. I actually spoke to the manager about how great she was since we will return to Logan's purely because of her impeccable service.
If you're looking for a quick lunch in Myrtle Beach, give Logan's Roadhouse a try. Their fifteen minute express lunches are good, and they actually offer quite a few of them. Some places who boast an express lunch only offer five or six choices. Logan's offered a dozen or more. Asking for Heather would be a wise move, as well.
*I hate the word "yeast".
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1
Twilight is a touchy subject. You're either supposed to hate it in its entirety, or you are supposed to be a rabid fangirl. I'm sure there are Twilight fanboys, but I've never met one. Frankly, after viewing the most recent movie, I hope to never meet one.
Before I get too far into my version of analysis, let me give you my background in regards to the Twilight series. I own the four books, and I have read them twice. I had read all of them before the first movie was released. I have seen all the movies released thus far, but I do not own any of them. As far as the books go, they're not clever. They're not particularly well written. They are most definitely not deep. What they are is incredibly entertaining. They're popcorn books. They're a quick read that doesn't fill you up. There are no brain calories included.
Fortunately, we're not here to talk about the books. In short, I find them entertaining and like them just fine. The movies, on the other hand, are a completely different story. As I have seen each movie only once in the viewing pleasure of my own home, I'm a bit shaky on the first three. Tonight, I'm only concerned with the most recent film, which covers the first half of the Breaking Dawn novel, and just how terrible it was.
Before you read any further, I want to warn you that I may have spoilers scattered throughout. I figure most of you who are huge fans have already read the books. Those of you who haven't read the books probably don't really care. I'm almost positive none of the guys are going to care what I spoil. If you are adverse to spoilers for the most recent film, turn back now.
Breaking Dawn - Part 1 did a couple things well, but most of it was pretty bad. I'm going to use the compliment sandwich and put the positive pieces on either end of the not so good parts. Unfortunately, this sandwich is going to look like one from Scooby-Doo, where there are two pieces of bread encompassing two slices of cheese and four hunks of meat.
When a book series has loyal fans, it can suffer when making the transition to film. People immediately complain about what was cut from the book, what was added to the film. These changes are often necessary because what works on the page doesn't always work in the picture. Fortunately, if all you want from Breaking Dawn - Part 1 is to see all the momentous scenes, you're going to be pretty happy. The movie stays incredibly faithful to the novel, even when it isn't a great idea. I give them props for realizing the scenes many fans felt were important. I didn't appreciate when those scenes dragged on for what seemed like far too long, but since the novel was being split into two films, they had plenty of time to spare.
Apparently, they decided not to spend much time on hair and make-up. Yes, I realize how shallow that sounds, but the novels aren't Shakespeare. When they spend so much time talking about how perfect the vampires* are, I expect them to look perfect. The beauty make-up is lackluster. Frankly, I didn't find Bella's dress to be all that spectacular, but that's personal preference. I will give credit where credit is due and acknowledge that the make-up used to make Bella look sickly in the latter part of the movie is effective. She looked like a cross between Sarah Jessica Parker, Lindsay Lohan, and Skeletor.
Speaking of Skeletor, Jacob and Edward started channeling him when they decide to join forces, as evidenced by the dialogue and one of the few uses of nonverbal communication. The dialogue in the film manages to make the writing in the book look better, so there's that. Early on, you're forced to watch a procession of awkward wedding speeches. At least, I think they're meant to be awkward, but because the rest of the dialogue is so cringe worthy, I started to wonder. I will give them credit in that they can write better dialogue for women than George Lucas. Good job.
Perhaps just as off-putting as the dialogue were the special effects. I've never cared for the vampire speed effect, but the CGI wolves were worse in this movie than in the second one. I actually watched the trailer for the second film before it came out and liked the wolf effects. They were better than what I expected. Unfortunately, they seem to have taken a step back here. The film does a good job with practical effects, like Bella's emaciated form after the birthing scene, which only makes the CGI effects suffer further.
As the practical effects impact the perception of the CGI effects, so too does the dialogue impact the actors and their performances. If the actors don't have natural and believable dialogue, their performances suffer. I don't believe any of the actors involved in these films are terrible. I liked Kristen Stewart just fine in Adventureland. Robert Pattinson was a fine Cedric Diggory. Unfortunately, you wouldn't know that from watching these films. Kristen Stewart insists on constantly having her mouth hanging open; I'm not sure what emotion that is supposed to convey. The emotion I'm detecting is DERP! When the most believable acting performance is coming from Taylor Lautner, the least seasoned of the main actors, there's a problem somewhere.
Perhaps the problem isn't just the dialogue, but the showcased relationships. The relationships portrayed throughout the films are ridiculous. Edward spends all his time attempting to please Bella and rushes to apologize the one time he raises his voice. I'm happily married and have been in the same relationship for twelve years. No one is as whipped as Edward. He exists as a sixteen year old girl would write him. Yes, I realize I'm ignoring the more unbelievable fact, the fact that he is a vampire*. I can suspend my disbelief regarding sparkly vampires*, but relationships that don't function anywhere near normal just make no sense and are hard to accept.
Let's look at a couple basic parts of movies that are oft overlooked, the cinematography and soundtrack. There is one scene in the movie that makes use of drama cam, where the camera suddenly shifts to display shock or a sudden emotion change. It's lazy and didn't fit with the rest of the cinematography, which is why I noticed it. Add in a soundtrack full of emo music whose words don't match the emotions or actions of the characters and you've got a disconcerting mess on your hands.
Luckily, there is light at the end of the tunnel. A short bit into the credits, we are treated to a bonus scene starring the three Volturi. It is one of the funniest scenes in the whole film. Mark thinks they were trying to cram all the acting into that one scene, since they didn't use any in the rest of the movie. The scene isn't really important and just foreshadows the upcoming film a bit. What it made Mark and I realize is that we want to see the three of them with their own talk show; it would be hilarious. Mark spent at least twenty minutes talking like them and saying outlandish things after the movie ended.
Speaking of the end of the movie, where they split the book is so cliche that I called it before we even started the movie. I told Mark exactly how the film would end, and it did. Now, not all cliches are bad, so it may have actually been the most effective break. At the same time, it's so unoriginal that I fully explained to Mark what would happen. I think the filmmakers probably saw Avatar...
For me, watching The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1 was an incredibly enjoyable experience. Mark cracked jokes throughout the entire movie. There were a few times that I had to pause it to flesh out plot points from the book, which made me feel needed, but most of the movie was spent laughing. Maybe I would have a different view of the film had I watched it alone. Somehow, I doubt it though. I spent half an hour repeating that it was an awesome movie and a bad movie. I compared it to Jason X, Jason in Space. That's a pretty high compliment on the unintentional humor scale.
I would like to give a shout out to a man who watched the film with a straight face when he went with his wife to the theater. Rick, I don't know how you did it. Mark and I held a moment of silence for you. The fact that you made it through the film without cracking wise shows just how much you love Tara. When the movie was over and we realized the feat you had achieved, we were amazed. You are truly impressive, sir.
*I use that term loosely.
Monday, February 13, 2012
Downton Abbey (Just the first episode)
Since we got up quite early this morning, Mark needed a nap this afternoon. Since I rarely nap, I decided to run errands to maximize our efficiency. Shortly before I came home, I tasked Mark to find something for us to watch tonight, so my review choice was actually his decision. Actually, that's not true. It was Penny Arcade's choice. See, whenever they make an observation about something being good/funny/interesting, Mark immediately wants to check out the show/movie/game because he trusts their opinion. Because of that, we ended up watching the first episode of Downton Abbey.
Brought to you by Masterpiece Theater, Downton Abbey is a show about a manor and the people who live there, both the servants and the served. The opening episode coincides with the sinking of the Titanic, just to give you an idea of the era. If you've ever seen Gosford Park, you're familiar with a film showing the interactions between these very different groups that rely on each other. If you haven't seen Gosford Park, you should, but that is a review for another time.
After finishing the first episode, both Mark and I couldn't wait to start the second episode. Even though nothing really happened in the first episode, we were left wanting more. It is truly interesting to watch interactions between people so different from one another, especially when they are all so different from us. I don't know about you, but I never had a servant. Mark doesn't count.
So many shows today rely on action and snappy comebacks to keep their audience. If someone isn't moving or there are no pretty colors on the screen, the studios fear they will lose the audience. Downton Abbey, like many HBO shows, doesn't treat the audience like autistic cats. The whole point of Downton Abbey is not the action; the point is character interaction. How the characters fit together to form a cohesive unit is what pulls the viewer into the show and leaves them wanting to watch the characters even more. You start to care about what happens to them.
Downton Abbey also realizes the value of nonverbal communication. Some characters say little but telegraph much with simple glances or stoic attitudes. When someone is upset, they don't need to tell everyone. It comes through in the performance, even without words. Don't take this to mean that the dialogue is weak, as that is most definitely not the case. Words are spoken with purpose. If a glance will do, the show doesn't waste words.
When you add in the wonderful actors, you have a splendid show. Each actor polishes their character until it shines, even if they're a heel. Even unlikable characters are given depth by actors that bring more to the role than a simple reading. With a less effective cast, the show would have floundered. The amount of nuance in each performance is amazing. I found myself liking certain characters that hadn't done much due to their manner. That's pretty amazing.
I know I keep encouraging you to watch movies and shows, and I realize there are only so many hours in the day. When you're caught up with all the other awesome I've pushed your way, you can start on Downton Abbey. If you want to watch stuff explode, this is the wrong show. If you appreciate a well crafted show that should be boring but is actually very interesting, check out Downton Abbey. It's available on Netflix.
Sunday, February 12, 2012
Supernatural (Up to and including the first episode of season three)
There are certain shows on television that just seem like something I should watch. I'm not talking about the Big Bang Theory, as that show is atrocious. I don't care how many people tell me I should watch it, as it is garbage. What I am talking about are the shows that seem right up my alley, shows like Supernatural. Last winter, I watched the first season and a half while visiting my parents. I borrowed season two to finish watching. I got around to that right before Christmas. Since then, I've been trying to find the series for sale at a half decent price. I picked up seasons four and five for $15 each, but I have still been looking for season three. As it turns out, once I buy something, it appears on Netflix. Tonight, I logged on and watched the first episode of season three.
It turns out that Supernatural is actually pretty good. I generally expect network shows to be weak, which may not be fair. In this case, it most definitely is not fair or correct. There are certain aspects of any show that must work together to create a watchable product. For a show like Supernatural, the actors, the ongoing story, the weekly villains, and the special effects need to be in harmony to keep people tuning in.
Starring Jared Padalecki as Sam and Jensen Ackles as Dean, Supernatural pins its hopes for success on a decent actor and a charismatic one. Ackles plays the looser of the two brothers as if he is having a ton of fun. It probably helps that he gets all the fun lines, as well. I'm a big fan of popular culture, which Dean regularly spouts off. At the mention of the seven deadly sins, he immediately quotes Se7en, and I immediately giggle. It doesn't take much to amuse me. Padalecki's character is the more somber of the two but still played well. It helps that the actors work well together and are believable as siblings. The cast is rounded out by some good guest stars and capable regulars that pop up on occasion.
The plot is basically two brothers going around defeating evil. That's something everyone can get behind, as long as they're not evil. There are larger stories playing out in addition to the weekly bad guy set up. Every week, we get a new creature/demon/devil/ghost/etc that the brothers must figure out and destroy. The writers for the show pull from a multitude of places, which can keep you guessing. The lore they are creating is interesting and impacts the ongoing story lines, as well.
While the dialogue can be kitschy, the cinematography and musical choices are only getting better. Watching people destroy monsters while classic rock blasts is fitting and keeps the show from feeling dated. Re-watching old episodes of Buffy, they can feel a bit dated due to the musical choices. By choosing classic rock, it helps the show to not feel locked down, as far as the original air dates go. Couple that with simple costuming and nice sets, and you see some nice production values.
The special effects may not be the best, but they are adequate for this type of network show. As other aspects of the show are well done, it seems there wasn't as much money left over for special effects. If anything is going to make the show seem dated, it's going to be the effects. Some shots are fine, while others look as bad as the smoke monster on the island from Lost.
Be prepared to occasionally groan at the dialogue and special effects, but let yourself enjoy the show as a whole. The actors are pretty good, and the stories are interesting and fun. Supernatural is a great show when you want to be entertained but don't want to fully engage your brain. If you have Netflix, you can always check the show out for free, since it's on there now. You're welcome. It's only there because I bought a couple of seasons. The same thing happened when we bought How I Met Your Mother.
It turns out that Supernatural is actually pretty good. I generally expect network shows to be weak, which may not be fair. In this case, it most definitely is not fair or correct. There are certain aspects of any show that must work together to create a watchable product. For a show like Supernatural, the actors, the ongoing story, the weekly villains, and the special effects need to be in harmony to keep people tuning in.
Starring Jared Padalecki as Sam and Jensen Ackles as Dean, Supernatural pins its hopes for success on a decent actor and a charismatic one. Ackles plays the looser of the two brothers as if he is having a ton of fun. It probably helps that he gets all the fun lines, as well. I'm a big fan of popular culture, which Dean regularly spouts off. At the mention of the seven deadly sins, he immediately quotes Se7en, and I immediately giggle. It doesn't take much to amuse me. Padalecki's character is the more somber of the two but still played well. It helps that the actors work well together and are believable as siblings. The cast is rounded out by some good guest stars and capable regulars that pop up on occasion.
The plot is basically two brothers going around defeating evil. That's something everyone can get behind, as long as they're not evil. There are larger stories playing out in addition to the weekly bad guy set up. Every week, we get a new creature/demon/devil/ghost/etc that the brothers must figure out and destroy. The writers for the show pull from a multitude of places, which can keep you guessing. The lore they are creating is interesting and impacts the ongoing story lines, as well.
While the dialogue can be kitschy, the cinematography and musical choices are only getting better. Watching people destroy monsters while classic rock blasts is fitting and keeps the show from feeling dated. Re-watching old episodes of Buffy, they can feel a bit dated due to the musical choices. By choosing classic rock, it helps the show to not feel locked down, as far as the original air dates go. Couple that with simple costuming and nice sets, and you see some nice production values.
The special effects may not be the best, but they are adequate for this type of network show. As other aspects of the show are well done, it seems there wasn't as much money left over for special effects. If anything is going to make the show seem dated, it's going to be the effects. Some shots are fine, while others look as bad as the smoke monster on the island from Lost.
Be prepared to occasionally groan at the dialogue and special effects, but let yourself enjoy the show as a whole. The actors are pretty good, and the stories are interesting and fun. Supernatural is a great show when you want to be entertained but don't want to fully engage your brain. If you have Netflix, you can always check the show out for free, since it's on there now. You're welcome. It's only there because I bought a couple of seasons. The same thing happened when we bought How I Met Your Mother.
Saturday, February 11, 2012
Frank Theaters Presents Chronicle
Sometime early last year, we went into what Mark affectionately called a "dirt mall" located in Garden City, South Carolina. The mall was torn up, with half-finished construction throughout. Additionally, the majority of the stores were closed, with few patrons in the mall. We deemed it the "zombie mall" because it looked like there should be hordes of the undead milling about.
Tonight, I declared we needed an adventure. We were sad because our friends had left, and I had been subjected to Mark playing Final Fantasy XIII-2 for a couple of hours. We hopped in the car, and I started driving. We left Myrtle Beach, drove through Surfside, and ended up in Garden City. On a whim, I stopped into the zombie mall to see if it had changed. When we were there before, we honestly thought the mall was going out of business and that the construction was to never be finished. Imagine our surprise when we saw they had opened up an all new entertainment place.
From the outside of the mall, we saw signs for an arcade, which immediately piqued Mark's interest. We then saw something about Revolutions Entertainment. We entered the mall through Books A Million and found a whole new mall compared to last time! All the areas that were torn up were re-finished with hardwood. The mall is now in pristine condition! Revolutions Entertainment was jumping!
Revolutions Entertainment was kind of like a Dave & Busters. There was an arcade, bowling lanes, a restaurant, a bar, and a movie theater! Before making any decisions, we decided to take a quick tour. The bowling lanes looked nice, but since I'm not a fan, we didn't try them out. The arcade had some fun games, most of them yielding tickets. Mark found a Dance Dance Revolution machine with credits on it, so he played a few rounds for free. That in itself was enough to make me like this place.
We had been talking about seeing Chronicle, but there wasn't a good time at our normal theater just because it didn't line up with what we had been doing. Imagine how happy we were to learn that Frank theaters, the theater in this mecca of entertainment, had a showing about thirty minutes from when we decided to see a movie. Combine the prime showtime with the free game of DDR Mark got to play, and Mark declared it a sign.
We got in line to buy movie tickets at the concession stand. You could use the automated machines, but we knew we needed snacks anyway. We hadn't eaten since lunch time. The lines moved kind of slow, but when we got to the counter, the lady was very nice. It turns out Revolutions Entertainment has been there since June and did indeed have stadium seating in the theater. You would expect that nowadays, but I don't take chances.
Back in the day, Tinseltown in Erie, Pennsylvania offered a variety of food that you could then take in the theater with you. They had subs, pizza, and the like. Since that theater, I haven't really found any with a selection of food that extends beyond snacks. Tonight, that all changed. For $25, we got two tickets to Chronicle during the prime movie viewing time on a Saturday, a large pepperoni pizza, and a large Dr. Pepper. Frankly, that's a great deal. Making it even better, they make the pizza fresh and bring it to you in the theater. The only downside was the lack of Coke products, but I can forgive them this one small flaw.
We took our drink and our tickets and headed back to the actual theaters. A nice man tore our tickets and sent us on our way. There was a restroom close to our theater, which was nice. I've been in theaters where you have to go all the way back out to the front for a restroom. Outside each theater, there was a small monitor playing the preview for the movie on that screen, a nice touch.
The seats in the theater were cherry red vinyl, and the armrests did not lift up for snuggling. On the plus side, they were incredibly comfortable. Not once during the movie was I uncomfortable. You would think holding a large pizza box, trying to eat pizza without getting grease all over me, would make me uncomfortable. Nope, not in those seats. I don't care for the vinyl in general because you stick to it if there is any exposed skin, but I was pretty well bundled up tonight.
All in all, the theater was great. The employees were nice, and I was happy with our pizza. It was a greasy New York style pizza. The only element missing was Coke, but Dr. Pepper is a pretty nice guy. The screen seemed a little small, but I can't say if all the theaters are like that or if ours just seemed small because they had us in a smaller theater, as it wasn't Chronicle's opening weekend.
Now, let's move on to Chronicle. Chronicle is a movie about three guys that get super powers by encountering something strange. It's presented in a found footage style, meaning the film is made to look as if one of the characters is filming or the footage comes from security cameras and the like. Sometimes movies shot in this style can be limited in what they can show and how they can show it. The filmmakers found a clever way around that to give you a film without too much shaky cam, which is always nice. You won't walk out of Chronicle feeling sick.
The basic story isn't that remarkable, but when you combine the way the film was shot with the competent performances and the character development, you get an excellent film. The villain of the piece isn't just an evil person; he's a real person with real problems. Even some of the lesser characters have a bit of fleshing out that leads you to understand why they are the way they are. Where a lesser filmmaker may have just tried to be the Blair Witch/Paranormal Activity of superhero movies, the makers of Chronicle deliver a real film with real characters. The way the film is shot isn't a gimmick; it's part of the movie.
I mentioned before that the basic story isn't anything new, and that's true. The presentation is what makes the film stand out. Both Mark and I felt like we were watching Akira at times. Don't go into this film expecting Akira, but if you have seen that anime, you'll probably recognize the elements that feel like it. Because it is logical with the story, it doesn't feel like they ripped anything off. In no way is Chronicle trying to be Akira, but it would probably be a better Akira movie than the one they've been trying to make.
If you want to go see a movie this weekend, pass up the Star Wars re-release to see something that is actually worth your money. Take two hours and go see Chronicle. It's a fantastic movie that puts forth real effort and delivers a movie worth your time and money.
Tonight, I declared we needed an adventure. We were sad because our friends had left, and I had been subjected to Mark playing Final Fantasy XIII-2 for a couple of hours. We hopped in the car, and I started driving. We left Myrtle Beach, drove through Surfside, and ended up in Garden City. On a whim, I stopped into the zombie mall to see if it had changed. When we were there before, we honestly thought the mall was going out of business and that the construction was to never be finished. Imagine our surprise when we saw they had opened up an all new entertainment place.
From the outside of the mall, we saw signs for an arcade, which immediately piqued Mark's interest. We then saw something about Revolutions Entertainment. We entered the mall through Books A Million and found a whole new mall compared to last time! All the areas that were torn up were re-finished with hardwood. The mall is now in pristine condition! Revolutions Entertainment was jumping!
Revolutions Entertainment was kind of like a Dave & Busters. There was an arcade, bowling lanes, a restaurant, a bar, and a movie theater! Before making any decisions, we decided to take a quick tour. The bowling lanes looked nice, but since I'm not a fan, we didn't try them out. The arcade had some fun games, most of them yielding tickets. Mark found a Dance Dance Revolution machine with credits on it, so he played a few rounds for free. That in itself was enough to make me like this place.
We had been talking about seeing Chronicle, but there wasn't a good time at our normal theater just because it didn't line up with what we had been doing. Imagine how happy we were to learn that Frank theaters, the theater in this mecca of entertainment, had a showing about thirty minutes from when we decided to see a movie. Combine the prime showtime with the free game of DDR Mark got to play, and Mark declared it a sign.
We got in line to buy movie tickets at the concession stand. You could use the automated machines, but we knew we needed snacks anyway. We hadn't eaten since lunch time. The lines moved kind of slow, but when we got to the counter, the lady was very nice. It turns out Revolutions Entertainment has been there since June and did indeed have stadium seating in the theater. You would expect that nowadays, but I don't take chances.
Back in the day, Tinseltown in Erie, Pennsylvania offered a variety of food that you could then take in the theater with you. They had subs, pizza, and the like. Since that theater, I haven't really found any with a selection of food that extends beyond snacks. Tonight, that all changed. For $25, we got two tickets to Chronicle during the prime movie viewing time on a Saturday, a large pepperoni pizza, and a large Dr. Pepper. Frankly, that's a great deal. Making it even better, they make the pizza fresh and bring it to you in the theater. The only downside was the lack of Coke products, but I can forgive them this one small flaw.
We took our drink and our tickets and headed back to the actual theaters. A nice man tore our tickets and sent us on our way. There was a restroom close to our theater, which was nice. I've been in theaters where you have to go all the way back out to the front for a restroom. Outside each theater, there was a small monitor playing the preview for the movie on that screen, a nice touch.
The seats in the theater were cherry red vinyl, and the armrests did not lift up for snuggling. On the plus side, they were incredibly comfortable. Not once during the movie was I uncomfortable. You would think holding a large pizza box, trying to eat pizza without getting grease all over me, would make me uncomfortable. Nope, not in those seats. I don't care for the vinyl in general because you stick to it if there is any exposed skin, but I was pretty well bundled up tonight.
All in all, the theater was great. The employees were nice, and I was happy with our pizza. It was a greasy New York style pizza. The only element missing was Coke, but Dr. Pepper is a pretty nice guy. The screen seemed a little small, but I can't say if all the theaters are like that or if ours just seemed small because they had us in a smaller theater, as it wasn't Chronicle's opening weekend.
Now, let's move on to Chronicle. Chronicle is a movie about three guys that get super powers by encountering something strange. It's presented in a found footage style, meaning the film is made to look as if one of the characters is filming or the footage comes from security cameras and the like. Sometimes movies shot in this style can be limited in what they can show and how they can show it. The filmmakers found a clever way around that to give you a film without too much shaky cam, which is always nice. You won't walk out of Chronicle feeling sick.
The basic story isn't that remarkable, but when you combine the way the film was shot with the competent performances and the character development, you get an excellent film. The villain of the piece isn't just an evil person; he's a real person with real problems. Even some of the lesser characters have a bit of fleshing out that leads you to understand why they are the way they are. Where a lesser filmmaker may have just tried to be the Blair Witch/Paranormal Activity of superhero movies, the makers of Chronicle deliver a real film with real characters. The way the film is shot isn't a gimmick; it's part of the movie.
I mentioned before that the basic story isn't anything new, and that's true. The presentation is what makes the film stand out. Both Mark and I felt like we were watching Akira at times. Don't go into this film expecting Akira, but if you have seen that anime, you'll probably recognize the elements that feel like it. Because it is logical with the story, it doesn't feel like they ripped anything off. In no way is Chronicle trying to be Akira, but it would probably be a better Akira movie than the one they've been trying to make.
If you want to go see a movie this weekend, pass up the Star Wars re-release to see something that is actually worth your money. Take two hours and go see Chronicle. It's a fantastic movie that puts forth real effort and delivers a movie worth your time and money.
Friday, February 10, 2012
Pirates Voyage
My husband has long been known to dress up as a pirate, so you would have thought we would have been to Pirates Voyage, which opened about a year ago. As with all good things, we were saving it for when we had a couple more friends to go with. Luckily, Rick and Tara decided to pay us a visit.
Let me give you a bit more background before I dive into the show itself. Mark used to dress up as a pirate and entertain children at Fazoli's when we were in college. My mother is a wonderful seamstress who has frequently sewn costumes for us. Rick has never seemed to be into dressing up, and the wonderful Tara is up for pretty much anything. We decided the best way to experience Pirates Voyage would be dressed as pirates. Mark and I re-purposed some steam punk costumes, so we were handily set up. For Rick and Tara, we visited the Salvation Army and the Imaginations costume shop. After some handy work, we had some pretty great pirate costumes. You can actually see a picture on Tara's facebook page.
The cost of the show was about $200 for the four of us. One of the nice things about Pirates Voyage was that when we called on Monday to make a reservation, we actually got to discuss where we wanted to sit. We ended up in the front row of the crimson section, filed under letter "I". While we made the reservation on Monday, we didn't actually have to pay until noon today, which was the day of the show. There was fine print on the tickets, letting us know they could be swapped for another show if needs be. Considering the policies of some theater shows, that seems pretty generous.
Dressed as awesome pirates, we arrived to the theater around 4:45. Upon entering, they took a group picture of all of us, followed by individual couple photos. Rick and Tara went with a true pirate look, while Mark and I look like we're at our pirate prom. We were then ushered into the gift shop! Showing up Disney, you both enter AND exit through the gift shop at Pirates Voyage. Look for Disney to implement this idea promptly.
We wandered around the gift shop, visited the bar for grog, and took some pictures. By the time we arrived, the downstairs tables were already filled, so we headed upstairs. There was entertainment that seemed appropriate, but we didn't really watch it, as there was no good vantage point. The upstairs was quite nice, with wanted banners for different pirates. You could also step outside onto a balcony, which was nice as pirate costumes are quite warm.
Now, at this point in time, we had been approached multiple times by people asking us where the restrooms were, where the show would take place, and where was an elevator. It turns out that four grown adults dressed like pirates at a pirate show are assumed to be employees. This makes sense, as our costumes were amazing. After informing them we were just dorks, we tried to help them anyway. We had a total of seven strangers approach us, so we felt pretty proud of our costumes.
Around 5:40, they began seating everyone. We were already upstairs, so it wasn't too hard on us. We just had to walk around to the right doors. Unfortunately, everyone from downstairs had to file up the stairs to the same doors we were using. It's a common problem with shows of this type, and I eagerly await the day they find a solution. I'm hoping for transporter technology.
Once we found our seats, Chelsea, the wonderful swabby who was taking care of us, took our drink orders, which were unfortunately Pepsi products. To keep track of what you're drinking, they fold your ticket different ways. It's pretty ingenious, but I'm sure most dinner shows probably do that. I just never noticed. The place was packed, which I'm guessing is why we were so packed into the seats. Poor Rick had to eat with his left hand because there wasn't a whole lot of room. Luckily, the show was entertaining enough that the lack of space fell out of mind once the show started.
I don't want to spoil the show, but there are some aspects they do wonderfully. The acrobatics are amazing, as are the majority of the animal acts. Our front row seats allowed us a close up view of Salty the Sea-lion, as he passed a few feet from where we were eating. I'm pretty sure he winked at Tara, realizing how excited she was to see him. I'm pretty sure that each of us reverted to five years old during some part of the show. For Tara, that moment was when she saw Salty. For me, it was the sequence with the mermaids. Yeah, there were freaking mermaids! Mark was five the whole time we were there, and I'm sure Rick was feeling that way too. It's hard to not feel like a kid when you're dressed like a pirate.
While the show was 90% awesome, it did have one huge flaw: the songs. There was not a single song in there that was good. I know they are songs written and produced for the stage show, so they don't have to be Grammy award winning quality, but every time they started singing, I just felt sorry for them. They sang for what seemed like an eternity about our dinner. At one point, they were singing about the life of a pirate, but they couldn't use the Disney song for obvious reasons. It was like those movies you can rent that are direct to DVD that rip off a popular franchise, like Transmorphers, instead of Transformers.
Even though the songs were abominable, the show was well worth attending. There were no other adult patrons dressed like pirates, but we had a lot of fun doing that. If you're adventurous, dress up and go see the show. We had many of the employees complimenting our costumes, as well as other patrons. The show is a fun time, the food isn't too bad, and it's a show only found in Myrtle Beach. If you're in town, check it out at least once. You won't need to go every year, but pick up the experience points while you can.
Let me give you a bit more background before I dive into the show itself. Mark used to dress up as a pirate and entertain children at Fazoli's when we were in college. My mother is a wonderful seamstress who has frequently sewn costumes for us. Rick has never seemed to be into dressing up, and the wonderful Tara is up for pretty much anything. We decided the best way to experience Pirates Voyage would be dressed as pirates. Mark and I re-purposed some steam punk costumes, so we were handily set up. For Rick and Tara, we visited the Salvation Army and the Imaginations costume shop. After some handy work, we had some pretty great pirate costumes. You can actually see a picture on Tara's facebook page.
The cost of the show was about $200 for the four of us. One of the nice things about Pirates Voyage was that when we called on Monday to make a reservation, we actually got to discuss where we wanted to sit. We ended up in the front row of the crimson section, filed under letter "I". While we made the reservation on Monday, we didn't actually have to pay until noon today, which was the day of the show. There was fine print on the tickets, letting us know they could be swapped for another show if needs be. Considering the policies of some theater shows, that seems pretty generous.
Dressed as awesome pirates, we arrived to the theater around 4:45. Upon entering, they took a group picture of all of us, followed by individual couple photos. Rick and Tara went with a true pirate look, while Mark and I look like we're at our pirate prom. We were then ushered into the gift shop! Showing up Disney, you both enter AND exit through the gift shop at Pirates Voyage. Look for Disney to implement this idea promptly.
We wandered around the gift shop, visited the bar for grog, and took some pictures. By the time we arrived, the downstairs tables were already filled, so we headed upstairs. There was entertainment that seemed appropriate, but we didn't really watch it, as there was no good vantage point. The upstairs was quite nice, with wanted banners for different pirates. You could also step outside onto a balcony, which was nice as pirate costumes are quite warm.
Now, at this point in time, we had been approached multiple times by people asking us where the restrooms were, where the show would take place, and where was an elevator. It turns out that four grown adults dressed like pirates at a pirate show are assumed to be employees. This makes sense, as our costumes were amazing. After informing them we were just dorks, we tried to help them anyway. We had a total of seven strangers approach us, so we felt pretty proud of our costumes.
Around 5:40, they began seating everyone. We were already upstairs, so it wasn't too hard on us. We just had to walk around to the right doors. Unfortunately, everyone from downstairs had to file up the stairs to the same doors we were using. It's a common problem with shows of this type, and I eagerly await the day they find a solution. I'm hoping for transporter technology.
Once we found our seats, Chelsea, the wonderful swabby who was taking care of us, took our drink orders, which were unfortunately Pepsi products. To keep track of what you're drinking, they fold your ticket different ways. It's pretty ingenious, but I'm sure most dinner shows probably do that. I just never noticed. The place was packed, which I'm guessing is why we were so packed into the seats. Poor Rick had to eat with his left hand because there wasn't a whole lot of room. Luckily, the show was entertaining enough that the lack of space fell out of mind once the show started.
I don't want to spoil the show, but there are some aspects they do wonderfully. The acrobatics are amazing, as are the majority of the animal acts. Our front row seats allowed us a close up view of Salty the Sea-lion, as he passed a few feet from where we were eating. I'm pretty sure he winked at Tara, realizing how excited she was to see him. I'm pretty sure that each of us reverted to five years old during some part of the show. For Tara, that moment was when she saw Salty. For me, it was the sequence with the mermaids. Yeah, there were freaking mermaids! Mark was five the whole time we were there, and I'm sure Rick was feeling that way too. It's hard to not feel like a kid when you're dressed like a pirate.
While the show was 90% awesome, it did have one huge flaw: the songs. There was not a single song in there that was good. I know they are songs written and produced for the stage show, so they don't have to be Grammy award winning quality, but every time they started singing, I just felt sorry for them. They sang for what seemed like an eternity about our dinner. At one point, they were singing about the life of a pirate, but they couldn't use the Disney song for obvious reasons. It was like those movies you can rent that are direct to DVD that rip off a popular franchise, like Transmorphers, instead of Transformers.
Even though the songs were abominable, the show was well worth attending. There were no other adult patrons dressed like pirates, but we had a lot of fun doing that. If you're adventurous, dress up and go see the show. We had many of the employees complimenting our costumes, as well as other patrons. The show is a fun time, the food isn't too bad, and it's a show only found in Myrtle Beach. If you're in town, check it out at least once. You won't need to go every year, but pick up the experience points while you can.
Thursday, February 9, 2012
The Fabulous Oster Popcorn Maker
As I feel is pretty apparent, I love going to the movies. As the theater owners hoped, I have a pathological need to have popcorn when I watch a movie. Obviously, this is a bit of a problem when I'm at home. Microwave popcorn is just plain terrible. On a few occasions, I have gone to the theater, bought popcorn, then returned home to watch a movie. It turns out there is a better solution! Let me introduce you to the Oster Popcorn Maker!
A Christmas gift, I pulled out the instruction manual and learned how to use my new popcorn machine today. We had sat down to watch the best movie ever made*, and we needed popcorn. I gathered the needed materials: popcorn cooking oil, popcorn kernels, popcorn salt, and some nifty cardboard containers, which we quickly swapped out for my refillable popcorn bucket from last year.
I had to let the machine run for about three minutes to heat up. After that, I used the included measuring spoons to portion out the oil and kernels, which I then placed in the kettle. After that, you just turn it on and watch! The apparatus looks just like the ones at the theater, just smaller. After a few minutes, the popping stopped, I turned off the machine, and I started scooping out the popcorn.
One of the best perks to having my own machine is that I can salt and butter the popcorn it as I go. You don't have a single layer that is properly seasoned, followed by a bland bucket of popcorn. Instead, it is buttered throughout.
I don't have any solid complaints. The machine looks nice enough to stay on the counter-top, and the smell of fresh popcorn is amazing. The popcorn tastes great, but I think I may need to heat the oil up a bit before using it on the popped popcorn. That was the only real difference I could detect between what I made and what the theater gives me. Their heat lamps are also stronger. The machine makes enough for one person per round of popping. Luckily, it doesn't take long to make more.
I believe you can buy a machine for under a hundred dollars. It's a pretty steep investment, but mine was a gift from my parents. If you do most of your movie watching at home, treat yourself to an authentic popcorn machine. You'll be glad you did.
*In case you were wondering, it's the Dark Knight.
A Christmas gift, I pulled out the instruction manual and learned how to use my new popcorn machine today. We had sat down to watch the best movie ever made*, and we needed popcorn. I gathered the needed materials: popcorn cooking oil, popcorn kernels, popcorn salt, and some nifty cardboard containers, which we quickly swapped out for my refillable popcorn bucket from last year.
I had to let the machine run for about three minutes to heat up. After that, I used the included measuring spoons to portion out the oil and kernels, which I then placed in the kettle. After that, you just turn it on and watch! The apparatus looks just like the ones at the theater, just smaller. After a few minutes, the popping stopped, I turned off the machine, and I started scooping out the popcorn.
One of the best perks to having my own machine is that I can salt and butter the popcorn it as I go. You don't have a single layer that is properly seasoned, followed by a bland bucket of popcorn. Instead, it is buttered throughout.
I don't have any solid complaints. The machine looks nice enough to stay on the counter-top, and the smell of fresh popcorn is amazing. The popcorn tastes great, but I think I may need to heat the oil up a bit before using it on the popped popcorn. That was the only real difference I could detect between what I made and what the theater gives me. Their heat lamps are also stronger. The machine makes enough for one person per round of popping. Luckily, it doesn't take long to make more.
I believe you can buy a machine for under a hundred dollars. It's a pretty steep investment, but mine was a gift from my parents. If you do most of your movie watching at home, treat yourself to an authentic popcorn machine. You'll be glad you did.
*In case you were wondering, it's the Dark Knight.
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Dick's Pawn Shop
Myrtle Beach is full of all kinds of random things you would have seen in the seedy part of an 80's movie. We have an entire street dedicated to strip clubs and tattoo parlors. When we drive down that particular street, we roll up the windows and lock the doors; it evokes that kind of response. There is a key 80's underworld element missing though...the pawn shop. Luckily, Myrtle Beach has those too, but Dick's Pawn Shop isn't quite what you would expect.
I want my pawn shop to have a man behind a gate, armed with a sawed off shotgun. Instead, Dick's Pawn Shop is populated by friendly employees wearing matching polo shirts. There is a security guard, but he I didn't notice if he had a gun. If he did, it definitely wasn't a shotgun.
The store was extremely clean, with pop music from the last twenty years playing. Everything was neatly displayed and cost too much. The neatest thing I found was a copy of Yar's Revenge and a Roomba that just went in circles. There were quite a few musical instruments, a ton of DVDs, and some tools. We're pretty sure most of the nail guns were stolen from constructions sites, while Mark assures me everything else was stolen from Sam's Club.
There is an entire room dedicated to tasteful jewelry display. Aside from the weird decorations, it looked fancier than the jewelry case in Wal-Mart. Most of the jewelry looked quite nice. I didn't see any diamond encrusted false teeth or giant blinged out necklaces. Frankly, it was disappointing.
I have no real reason to enter a pawn shop, but when I do, I want it to be like the ones in the movies. Dick's Pawn Shop is more like a Myrtle Beach tourist attraction than a real pawn shop. As a matter of fact, there is a scary pawn shop downtown. If you want to live life on the edge, I encourage you to seek it out. If you want to pretend you're adventurous, you can go to Dick's Pawn Shop. If you're bragging to someone who wasn't with you, you can paint it as seedy as you like.
I want my pawn shop to have a man behind a gate, armed with a sawed off shotgun. Instead, Dick's Pawn Shop is populated by friendly employees wearing matching polo shirts. There is a security guard, but he I didn't notice if he had a gun. If he did, it definitely wasn't a shotgun.
The store was extremely clean, with pop music from the last twenty years playing. Everything was neatly displayed and cost too much. The neatest thing I found was a copy of Yar's Revenge and a Roomba that just went in circles. There were quite a few musical instruments, a ton of DVDs, and some tools. We're pretty sure most of the nail guns were stolen from constructions sites, while Mark assures me everything else was stolen from Sam's Club.
There is an entire room dedicated to tasteful jewelry display. Aside from the weird decorations, it looked fancier than the jewelry case in Wal-Mart. Most of the jewelry looked quite nice. I didn't see any diamond encrusted false teeth or giant blinged out necklaces. Frankly, it was disappointing.
I have no real reason to enter a pawn shop, but when I do, I want it to be like the ones in the movies. Dick's Pawn Shop is more like a Myrtle Beach tourist attraction than a real pawn shop. As a matter of fact, there is a scary pawn shop downtown. If you want to live life on the edge, I encourage you to seek it out. If you want to pretend you're adventurous, you can go to Dick's Pawn Shop. If you're bragging to someone who wasn't with you, you can paint it as seedy as you like.
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
The Game of Things
We used to play board games quite frequently with Rick and Tara and Ryan back when we lived in Pennsylvania. Here in Myrtle Beach, we don't really have people to play with. Fortunately, Rick and Tara are visiting this week. This led us to buy The Game of things for $20 at Books a Million today. It was the most entertaining $20 we spent this week.
The game is incredibly simple. It gives you a card with a category, and each player writes down an answer. After the answers are collected, they are read aloud. The players then guess who said what. For example, the category may be "Things you do not say in a job interview". There is a point system, but frankly, it doesn't matter. What matters is having fun. The game's description actually says it is more about laughs. We, of course, mocked that line, but it turns out to be true.
The game is simple enough that anyone can understand it and play. It's not meant to be a real thinker, but it made us laugh more than we had the whole trip, thus far. There was so much laughter that someone may have peed a little, someone may have continually farted, and someone lost a pencil in his belly.
The game can be tailored to the people playing. If you are going to be playing with children, the game will obviously lose some of the fun that we, as four adults, had playing it. We were incredibly inappropriate, but that was part of the fun. The goal became to make each other laugh. At one point in time, we actually just started making it about making fun of Mark. Luckily, he's a good sport.
If you have a few friends and want some laughs, pick up The Game of Things. If you want it to be, it will be hilarious. Even if you aren't playing with ridiculously inappropriate adults, I'm sure it is still a fun game. You will get out of it what you put into it. We are actually afraid of how bad it would have gotten if we were drinking...
The game is incredibly simple. It gives you a card with a category, and each player writes down an answer. After the answers are collected, they are read aloud. The players then guess who said what. For example, the category may be "Things you do not say in a job interview". There is a point system, but frankly, it doesn't matter. What matters is having fun. The game's description actually says it is more about laughs. We, of course, mocked that line, but it turns out to be true.
The game is simple enough that anyone can understand it and play. It's not meant to be a real thinker, but it made us laugh more than we had the whole trip, thus far. There was so much laughter that someone may have peed a little, someone may have continually farted, and someone lost a pencil in his belly.
The game can be tailored to the people playing. If you are going to be playing with children, the game will obviously lose some of the fun that we, as four adults, had playing it. We were incredibly inappropriate, but that was part of the fun. The goal became to make each other laugh. At one point in time, we actually just started making it about making fun of Mark. Luckily, he's a good sport.
If you have a few friends and want some laughs, pick up The Game of Things. If you want it to be, it will be hilarious. Even if you aren't playing with ridiculously inappropriate adults, I'm sure it is still a fun game. You will get out of it what you put into it. We are actually afraid of how bad it would have gotten if we were drinking...
Monday, February 6, 2012
The Grey
I walked into the Grey expecting a typical man versus wild flick, as promised by the promos. Instead, I got a whole lot more. As I'm sure you already know, the film is about a group of people who are on an airplane that crashes. They are then forced to face nature and beast to survive. What the trailers do not highlight is the deeper layers that comprise the Grey.
In one aspect, you see the men as compared to the wolves. While it is not overly apparent, the men at times perform and engage in the sames acts as the wolves. In particular, there is a scene that clearly parallels the struggle for dominance with-in both the group of men and the pack of wolves. Regardless of disagreements, both groups can put aside differences to work in a cohesive group to attempt to achieve their goals. The wolves understand their hierarchy, and the humans grow to understand theirs.
Another layer presents the question of faith, but wisely, the film does not come out strongly to say any one person is right. The men discuss certain aspects of their lives and who they are. This leads us to have a deeper understanding of why they are fighting to survive, what they're fighting for. Their conversation about faith illustrates each man's expectations and fears. Characters that once seemed polar opposites suddenly have a common belief, common ground. It is enjoyable to see a film treat each character's faith with respect without pandering or declaring one character to be correct at the expense of the others.
Holding those wonderful layers together is the story of the film itself. In its most basic form, these men are trying to survive and face hardships along the way. The visuals are well done, with great effects. Real wolves were often used in the filming, which is much better than CGI in a film like this. Attacks are visceral. The plane crash is scary and shocking. Death can be sudden and jarring. All of these elements serve to create a film that works. The cinematography is great, and I never would have realized that the man who directed The A-Team is the same man that so beautifully handled this movie. Joe Carnahan shows that he can handle a different type of film with this entry into his filmography.
While beautifully shot, with effective close-ups when needed, the Grey does have some jarring transitions. Going from silent to noisy during emotional scenes and from night to day with the time change is often handled quite suddenly. One could argue that it is an intentional choice to keep the audience feeling the disorientation that is often impactng the characters. During the attack scenes and plane crash, the sudden cuts and jumps are effective because they evoke the same panic the characters are feeling. You believe what is happening on screen is real, and it is scary. While a few scenes may feel like jump out scares, they are not cheap. When something comes out of the night suddenly, it is becuase that is a how a real wolf would attack. It's not to get the audience to jump. There is a degree of tension throughout the entire film that the director and actors have crafted without resorting to cheap tricks. That alone is a reason to respect this film.
Any of you who know me at all are familiar with my theater habits. There are certain rules I follow, which you would do well to follow if you choose to see this movie. The best way to descirbe the Grey is bleak. From the colors to the situations, that feeling permeates the film. When the film ends, many of you will be angry. If you follow my rules, you will feel better. If you don't know which rule I am speaking of, feel free to contact me. I'm not going to openly tell you what to do here because if you aren't already doing this, you deserve to walk out depressed. The Grey is a good movie, but it is difficult to watch at times. It feels very long, but I am unable to suggest what they cut to make it shorter. Instead, see the movie and enjoy it. It is interesting but bleak. Don't go see if it you're already sad. That would be a bad scene.
(Moved from FB today)
Super Bowl Commercials
My team wasn't playing in the Super Bowl, but I have no problem having it on to watch the commercials. Of course, that isn't anything special anymore. There are plenty of people who tune in mainly for the commercials. The game was interesting, but I'm more concerned with what you thought of the commercials. Let me tell you what I though...
Pepsi
Maybe it's because I don't like Pepsi in the first place, but the Pepsi commercials were incredibly uninspired. They attempted to be interesting and different with their Elton John spot, but it failed to inspire. Later on in the evening, they showed a commercial starring a Coke employee trying to buy a Pepsi Max. Of course, he wins a sweepstakes because he is the umpteenth customer to buy one. Unfortunately, this is the umpteenth time this type of commercial has been done. They bring nothing new to it, hence doing nothing to imbed the brand in your head.
Audi
I know vampires are the hot thing right now, but the premise of the Audi vampire commercial didn't make sense. LED lights do not release UV rays, which are often cited as the component that vaporizes vampires. Before you start in on me, I know vampires are not real. Different pieces of literature treat vampires differently. That doesn't make the commercial any less silly. Audi was essentially trying to sell their extremely expensive car based on the headlights. What probably happened was that someone at the advertising firm decided vampires were "hot" and attempted to come up to a way to tie it to a car for Audi.
Hyundai
It is pretty commonplace to have fast animals race cars that are supposed to be fast. It's not too often that the car company lets the cheetah attempt to eat the handler. I was all set to see a typical car commercial and was pleasantly surprised to see them turn things on their head.
M&Ms
Naked M&Ms are funny.
Coca-Cola
I generally like Coke's advertising, including the polar bears. For some reason, putting scarves on them makes it weird. I recognzie that the scarves were to denote the teams they were rooting for, but they were just a bit too anthropomorphic. The commercials themselves were kind of cute, but making the bears that human was akin to watching a movie that tap dances on the edge of the uncanny valley. It just felt wrong.
Silverado
I grew up in a house that usually had Fords, but I have to give it to the Silverado Apocolypse commercial was great. They successfully communicated the trucks abilities in a humorous ad. Because of how the commercial played out, I even remembered that it was for the Silverado. When you consider how many commercials for cars play during the Super Bowl, that's quite a feat.
Go Daddy
These ads are uninspired. They have been uninspired and continue to re-use the same promise of sex and nudity to sell their product. There are ways to sell a product utilizing sex, and I don't have a problem with that. What I find offensive is how lazy Go Daddy is. It's time to actually attempt to be creative.
Battleship
Who approved this movie??
Budweiser
Bud had a hit and a miss for me. The ad that focused on the end of prohibition wasn't spectacular. We all know that prohibition happened, and I'm not surprised that Bud was around then. What I did like was their commercial that showed their presence throughout multiple eras. It did a much better job establishing history and establishing a sense of familiarity, and I don't even drink beer.
John Carter
A preview that primarily takes place within the text of the title minimizes exposure to the film. A trailer that featured scenes from the film without weird framing would have been much more effective. Heck, showing one of the trailers that has been running would have been a better choice.
VW
I liked the Star Wars kid commercial last year, and I liked this commercial as well. I liked it before it turned to Star Wars, but I appreciated how they attempted to tie the two seperate ideas together. I also appreciated that we weren't treated to a ton of terrible CGI in the Star Wars part. Apparently, George Lucas didn't get his paws on it. Ha...paws. Anyway, the Star Wars tie-in was based solely on last year's commercial, which is risky. It's also a bit cheap. Fortunately for them, the commercial is funny.
Doritos
The Doritos commercials are pretty much the same every year. They might elicit a chuckle, but their advertising is becoming stale. I was more concerned that they have to warn people not to sling-shot their baby. I know they always put those warnings up, but it's a shame people need that warning.
Bridgestone
I don't really have a tire preference, but Bridgestone made a mark with their commercials. They were smart enough to have them sports related since a good deal of the audience obviously enjoys sports. The fact that they were clever was a great touch. The tie between tires and sports isn't obvious, and thinking outside the box has given Bridgestone two great commercials. I only wish I could buy the silent basketball and the curvy football.
NFL
While the NFL doesn't really need to run a commercial during the Super Bowl, I appreciate that they chose to run a good one. Them running a promo during the Super Bowl is kind of like a theater running a promo for themselves when you are already in the theater. The NFL at least ran a well done, well edited commercial.
Honda
Maybe it's just because I spend a lot of time on film sites, but it seemed that the Honda/Broderick ad was hyped. I know it was available online almost a week ago, but I didn't watch it until tonight. I can appreciate a movie homage, but I could take the ad or leave it. It was well done and definitely evocative of Ferris Bueller's Day Off, but all the hype may have hurt it.
All in all, the commercials weren't too bad, but a lot of the regular advertisers have grown stale. If the advertisers hope to keep drawing people in year after year, they had better re-evaluate what they're doing and improve. I only mentioned commercials that either excited me or annoyed me. There were a lot of advertisers that were just middle of the road, and that is definately not the reaction you want when you spend that kind of money for ad time.
Also, the half-time show was pretty good.
(Moved from FB - February 5, 2012)
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