I am not a fancy lady. I don't own more than one or two nice pieces of jewelry, but I did decide to buy Mark a nice watch for his birthday. I got it at JCPenney's because I had a rewards certificate for $10 off. I found a very nice watch with a metal band that had a black finish. The face was a deep blue, and it was perfect for Mark. Since I know he can be a bit clumsy, I spent $10 to get the service plan. We had to return to the store to have links removed, since Mark has tiny little girl wrists.
A couple weeks ago, the band got messed up. Where the band rests against the face had somehow gotten messed up, angling the wrong way. We took the watch to be fixed, but the very nice lady had no idea what she was doing. She suggested we find the receipt, which would allow us to just exchange it, as opposed to sending it away to be fixed.
Tonight, we gathered the receipt, the watch, and my service plan documents to visit the JCPenney jewelry counter to have the watch exchanged. We easily waited for at least fifteen minutes or more before the lady could even get to us. There were two people there before us and only one employee working.
When it was finally our turn, the girl wanted to try and fix the watch, which we were fine with. The watch was in perfect shape, save for the band being messed up. She fiddled with it for quite some time before announcing it good and properly broken.
Once realizing it was a lost cause, she grabbed the new one out of the case to exchange it for us. It turns out that they were unable to just exchange the watch. She had to do a refund and re-purchase it. Because I used a certificate before but not now, the watch was $10 more. This meant I had to cough up more money if I wanted the service plan again. Needless to say, I was pretty annoyed. For a moment, I thought maybe the service plan was "used up" when we needed to exchange the original watch, but that wasn't the case. She insisted it was because of a price difference. I thought it was because of the coupon I used. She said the initial watch was on sale. Either way, when there is a defect that requires exchange, the customer should not be punished. Mark hadn't handled the watch roughly, nor were there any other issues. There was simply a pin in the band that wasn't holding right.
I am a huge fan of how JCPenney has been running its stores lately. They've dropped prices all over, as opposed to having constantly changing sales. That being said, I'm going to avoid their jewelry counter. The employees don't have a good working knowledge of the products, and there always seems to be a wait when you need help. From now on, I'll do my jewelry shopping at Sam's Club. They will always take back defective items bought at the jewelry counter, no questions asked. The young lady there is also incredibly knowledgeable. Buy clothes and such at JCPenney, but I would get your jewelry elsewhere.
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Monday, July 30, 2012
Tyson Buffalo Style Hot Wings - The Cardboard Box Via Sam's Club
Mr. Kitty refused to pose with his tent, which he
refers to as his summer home.
Recently, when procuring groceries at Sam's, I used a Tyson Buffalo Style Hot Wings box to cart them home. It has since become Mr. Kitty's favorite personal abode. If you have a cat, these boxes are better than any high price cat house you can buy.
Cats like to feel secure but not trapped. These boxes provide walls on all but one side. There is an opening at the front that is essentially a missing wall. There is a small lip at the bottom, which acts as a pillow of sorts. There are also small slits on the two sides adjacent the opening, which give the cat the ability to peek out and monitor ghost activity at all times.**
Further cementing their place at the top of the kitty cat housing market, these boxes are constructed of heavy duty cardboard. Tonight, after my shower, I discovered that Mr. Kitty was lounging on the roof of his cat condo. The simple, yet strong construction, affords Mr. Kitty this additional perk.
Mr. Kitty is currently seeking a neighbor.
If you have a cat and want to give him some place to hang out, buy something at Sam's Club and use one of these boxes to carry it home. It's cheaper, and the cat will love it. Mr. Kitty has never liked actual cat beds, but he loves his tent and his box.
*His full name is Mr. Bijou Phillips Kitty Esquire, in case you were wondering.
**Cats can see ghosts. It's a fact; look it up.
Sunday, July 29, 2012
Glad Forceflex Odor Shield Trash Bags
For the last few years, we have strictly used the generic Sam's Club black garbage bags. You know the ones...they're big enough to fit a pony in, saddle and all. The last time we bought garbage bags, we decided to try something new. We had an e-value for the Glad Forceflex Odor Shield Trash Bags, so we went ahead and bought a box.*
After using them for the last couple of weeks, I feel I'm qualified to talk about them.
*As it was a Sam's Club box, there are 120 bags in total.
**It just requires extra harping on my part.
After using them for the last couple of weeks, I feel I'm qualified to talk about them.
- They're small. Well, they're not really small. They're bags designed to fit in our garbage can. Our old bags were so huge that we tended to keep shoving garbage in the can. It's funny; garbage is able to climb walls! We would pull the bag out, full of trash, and then be able to add more. With the new bags, we can't do that, and that's a good thing. We are taking the garbage out more regularly. This keeps our house tidier. It also means we aren't carrying down garbage bags that weigh a ton. At the same time, it means that if I clean out the pantry, I have to use a couple bags, rather than the one we used to use. Of course, this is a just a size issue, not an actual complaint about the bags.
- They're durable. When we first got these bags, we were treating them like our old bags, the huge ones. This meant that we would just keep cramming things into them. They have yet to break on us. That's pretty impressive.
- The necks are weak. As is to be expected, the weakest part of the bag is where the drawstring is placed. The necks stretch in a way that makes me worry about the bags breaking. So far, they haven't broken.
- They smell pretty. I don't know if they really reduce the garbage's scent, but they do smell pleasant on their own.
- The drawstrings are skinny. They cut into your hand, if the bag happens to be on the heavier side.
All in all, I'm content with these garbage bags. The lazy in me wants to go back to the huge bags, hence requiring fewer trips to the dumpster. Since I make Mark carry them down, the extra trips don't really have an impact on me.** I have plenty of time to decide if I want to buy them again in the future. Right now, I'd say it's probably a good idea to stick with them. As long as we take the garbage out on a regular basis, these bags are amazing.
*As it was a Sam's Club box, there are 120 bags in total.
**It just requires extra harping on my part.
Saturday, July 28, 2012
The Watch
Because of the IT Crowd, I am a fan of Richard Ayoade. Imagine how excited I was to see that he was one of the four main cast in the Watch. Then, imagine my disappointment when I actually saw the movie, and all the potential for amazing comedy was not lived up to.
The Watch does a few things right. There are moments that are quite humorous, but what do you expect when you put the four leads together? All four of them are generally regarded as funny. I like Vince Vaugh and am constantly becoming more and more impressed with Jonah Hill. There isn't a whole lot asked of our four leads in the Watch, but with better material, I'm sure they could have delivered. Unfortunately, what humorous material the film does have has already been displayed in the trailers.
The special effects are middle of the road, what you would expect from a movie like this one. While the CG isn't amazing, it isn't terrible either. The practical effects and explosions are pretty good.
Frankly, this is a hard review to write. The movie isn't good; the movie isn't bad. It's very middle of the road. I expect I'll forget all about it in a couple of days. It did have pretty good music though.
Friday, July 27, 2012
One Day
For a lot of people, a movie has a very short amount of time to grab your interest. The opening scenes of a movie are incredibly important. Not only do they need to set up the tone of the film, they also need to convince you, the viewer, that you want to spend your next two hours together. I read the synopsis for One Day and thought it sounded interesting; the opening of the movie tried its hardest to convince me that wasn't the case.
One Day is the story of two people, told over twenty years, where we are only privy to one day a year. You see them meeting on July 15th and then rejoin them each consecutive July 15th. It's a neat premise. When you throw in Anne Hathaway, who is a good actress with a bit of cred, you have a recipe for success. My only concern was how far into "chick flick" territory the story would take me.*
Luckily, the film comes across as more of the story of two people, rather than a zany romantic comedy. The acting is fine. Any drawbacks are more due to the source material. As the film is based on a novel, you lose the ability to see inside the characters.** Seeing two characters on one day a year causes us to not see their relationship grow. We are exposed to it, but it isn't as natural, nor cohesive. At the beginning of the film, the jumps are very jarring. As the movie progresses, the jumps become smoother and work much better. At the same time, as the story progresses, it manages to hit every big cliche. There is a definite attempt to tug on your heartstrings.***
The movie did earn bonus points through a few random inclusions. They appealed to my not so inner nerd by referencing certain things. At one point in time, two of the characters discuss Army of Darkness. Who doesn't love that movie?
It wouldn't do to further discuss the film without making mention of the attempt to age the characters throughout the twenty year span. Through the use of different hairstyles, glasses, and demeanors, the characters appear to grow and change. The tricks are simple but used very well in the movie. You believe you're jumping through time with them. Add in appropriate music, and the time is relatively well established.****
One Day is not a great film. It may not even be a good one. I'm pretty sure I'll forget all about it here pretty quickly. That being said, it gave me what it said it would. I appreciated the attempt at something different, but I'm not going to go around telling people to watch the movie. My recurring thoughts were focused more on Anne Hathaway's shoes than anything else.*****
*I'm not too big into movies marketed specifically to women. I don't really enjoy them, but I will watch them on occasion. I need all the experience points I can get.
**I haven't read the novel, so I could be making a poor assumption. I'm referencing my experience with other adaptations.
***It worked; don't judge me. I really believe that your own mental state and personal situation will allow you to be more or less impacted by the entertainment you choose to watch.
****The opening music is incredibly generic though! It's like they just picked a random bit of instrumental composition to go with.
*****Seriously, she had these pumps with an ankle strap. I am constantly looking all over for shoes like that and can't find them. She wore two or three pairs in the film! Unrealistic!!
<< Unnecessary Possible Spoiler>> Perambulator. Hehehe. (Rick, if you're out there, I expect you to know what this indicates!)
Thursday, July 26, 2012
Sam's Club Take N' Bake Pizza
Apparently, it's all about the food lately. Mark and I are trying not to eat out, so this has led us to cooking a lot more. Tonight, since we had to do some shopping at Sam's Club, we decided to pick up one of the Take N' Bake pizzas to make at home. We had an e-value, meaning we got one dollar off if we were also buying the 4 pack of Coke 2 liters. This made the pizza a little under eight dollars. We chose our triple meat pizza and headed home.
Since we were starving, it's a good thing the pizza bakes up quickly. You toss it in the oven for fifteen minutes and then enjoy. I resisted the urge to add extra cheese to it, and I'm glad I did. The proportions of the toppings and cheese were perfect. The sauce had a nice flavor, and the crust was just the right amount of firm. It wasn't crispy, nor was it incredibly wimpy. I figure the sausage on there must have been made from unicorns, as it was amazing.
If you're looking for an alternative to pricey delivery pizzas and cheap frozen pizzas, you should give the Take N' Bake pizzas from Sam's Club a try. They're quick to make and tasty. They have four or five different topping sets. They even have a cheeseburger pizza, which I believe we'll be trying next time.
Since we were starving, it's a good thing the pizza bakes up quickly. You toss it in the oven for fifteen minutes and then enjoy. I resisted the urge to add extra cheese to it, and I'm glad I did. The proportions of the toppings and cheese were perfect. The sauce had a nice flavor, and the crust was just the right amount of firm. It wasn't crispy, nor was it incredibly wimpy. I figure the sausage on there must have been made from unicorns, as it was amazing.
If you're looking for an alternative to pricey delivery pizzas and cheap frozen pizzas, you should give the Take N' Bake pizzas from Sam's Club a try. They're quick to make and tasty. They have four or five different topping sets. They even have a cheeseburger pizza, which I believe we'll be trying next time.
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Baby Carrots - Rachel Ray Style
I don't watch cooking shows, but I'm starting to think I should. I get recipes one of two ways: cookbooks and the internet. We keep buying cookbooks, so I often start there. On occasion, I ask google to tell me how to cook food. Tonight, Google led me to a recipe by Rachel Ray for baby carrots.
Lately, we either have our carrots steamed on the grill with red and yellow peppers or raw. I'm not very adventurous. Today, I wanted to cook carrots to accompany our dinner, and Mark didn't want to visit the grill. Since I'm not really familiar with cooking carrots on the stove-top, Rachel Ray and Google to the rescue.
The recipe called for a pound and a half of carrots, 3 tablespoons of butter, a tablespoon of sugar, and 1 teaspoon of coarse salt. I used seasalt because it looked pretty coarse. I only had a pound of carrots, and let's face it...that's more than Mark and I need to eat in a sitting. Other than that, there were no intentional changes.
The instructions called for the carrots to be placed in a half inch of water, with the butter, sugar, and salt added. The first mistake I made was in estimating how deep an inch of water looks in the pan. After I had everything in the pan, I had to dump some water out. Since the recipe was on my computer and I was in the kitchen, other mishaps ensured. I put in three tablespoons of sugar, rather than one. I also recalled the recipe saying it only took fifteen minutes. I was thinking it needed to cook for fifteen minutes, but it actually was fifteen minutes including prep time, with the water only boiling for a short time. I boiled it for over ten minutes, trying to get the liquid level down.
Because I was behind in getting my chicken into the oven, all my sides finished early. This meant that my carrots sat on the stove over low heat for another ten minutes or so. It turns out that all of my mistakes came together to create amazing carrots!
Tonight's carrots were the best cooked carrots I have ever had. They were very sweet, which I'm sure some people would not like. They were also perfectly cooked. They weren't too water logged, nor were they too hard. They were pleasantly firm with a nice, sweet glaze on them. Frankly, I now have a third way to cook carrots, and I'm very happy about that.
If you don't like carrots, give this recipe a try. If it was this tasty when I messed it up, it must be amazing when done right! I'm going to have to go buy more carrots so I can make them again...
Lately, we either have our carrots steamed on the grill with red and yellow peppers or raw. I'm not very adventurous. Today, I wanted to cook carrots to accompany our dinner, and Mark didn't want to visit the grill. Since I'm not really familiar with cooking carrots on the stove-top, Rachel Ray and Google to the rescue.
The recipe called for a pound and a half of carrots, 3 tablespoons of butter, a tablespoon of sugar, and 1 teaspoon of coarse salt. I used seasalt because it looked pretty coarse. I only had a pound of carrots, and let's face it...that's more than Mark and I need to eat in a sitting. Other than that, there were no intentional changes.
The instructions called for the carrots to be placed in a half inch of water, with the butter, sugar, and salt added. The first mistake I made was in estimating how deep an inch of water looks in the pan. After I had everything in the pan, I had to dump some water out. Since the recipe was on my computer and I was in the kitchen, other mishaps ensured. I put in three tablespoons of sugar, rather than one. I also recalled the recipe saying it only took fifteen minutes. I was thinking it needed to cook for fifteen minutes, but it actually was fifteen minutes including prep time, with the water only boiling for a short time. I boiled it for over ten minutes, trying to get the liquid level down.
Because I was behind in getting my chicken into the oven, all my sides finished early. This meant that my carrots sat on the stove over low heat for another ten minutes or so. It turns out that all of my mistakes came together to create amazing carrots!
Tonight's carrots were the best cooked carrots I have ever had. They were very sweet, which I'm sure some people would not like. They were also perfectly cooked. They weren't too water logged, nor were they too hard. They were pleasantly firm with a nice, sweet glaze on them. Frankly, I now have a third way to cook carrots, and I'm very happy about that.
If you don't like carrots, give this recipe a try. If it was this tasty when I messed it up, it must be amazing when done right! I'm going to have to go buy more carrots so I can make them again...
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
Wilfred
I must say that Wilfred is the singularly weirdest show I've seen. It's actually weirder than some of the anime I've watched, and I've watched some weird anime. If you've seen any of the previews, you have a basic idea what the show is about. Elijah Wood hangs out with a dog named Wilfred, who happens to be played by a man in a dog suit. The important, yet completely inconsequential, question at this point is whether Wood's character is crazy or not. I'm only a couple episodes in, and I'm pretty sure I know the answer.
At first, I was a bit surprised that Elijah Wood was starring in this show but then I thought about his film career. Frankly, Wilfred is right up his alley. As odd as it may seem, watching Frodo talk to Fido is pretty funny.
Wilfred manages to juggle simple humor with a story line that is actually pretty serious. A great deal of the humor stems from a man walking around in a dog suit, doing dog things. From being overly amorous towards a waitress to chasing a laser pointer, it is funny to see a man act like a dog. Add in the dialogue, and it's pretty funny. I'm actually ashamed at some of the things I laughed at, but there's nothing wrong with being entertained.
The show also succeeds at making you feel uncomfortable. From cringing at the stupid mistakes Wood's character makes to watching Wilfred be kind of a jerk, the story hides Wood's journey as a person in silly humor. I find myself wavering between enjoying the show and feeling like I should find some brain floss. When I get really creeped out, the show tends to throw a laugh my way.
The show is grounded by Wood's excellent acting and Jason Gann as Wilfred.* In the three episodes I've watched, there have been appearances by four actors I recognize; the show utilizes talented people to make a silly idea seem okay. It's amazing how much credibility a show can garner when it uses the right people.
If you're in a decent state of mind, give Wilfred a try. It's really, really weird, and it can be uncomfortable, but it's interesting. There are laughs to be had. Go have some.
*By the way, for some reason, having the dog have an accent makes it less silly to me. I know that makes no sense, but that's how my brain works.
At first, I was a bit surprised that Elijah Wood was starring in this show but then I thought about his film career. Frankly, Wilfred is right up his alley. As odd as it may seem, watching Frodo talk to Fido is pretty funny.
Wilfred manages to juggle simple humor with a story line that is actually pretty serious. A great deal of the humor stems from a man walking around in a dog suit, doing dog things. From being overly amorous towards a waitress to chasing a laser pointer, it is funny to see a man act like a dog. Add in the dialogue, and it's pretty funny. I'm actually ashamed at some of the things I laughed at, but there's nothing wrong with being entertained.
The show also succeeds at making you feel uncomfortable. From cringing at the stupid mistakes Wood's character makes to watching Wilfred be kind of a jerk, the story hides Wood's journey as a person in silly humor. I find myself wavering between enjoying the show and feeling like I should find some brain floss. When I get really creeped out, the show tends to throw a laugh my way.
The show is grounded by Wood's excellent acting and Jason Gann as Wilfred.* In the three episodes I've watched, there have been appearances by four actors I recognize; the show utilizes talented people to make a silly idea seem okay. It's amazing how much credibility a show can garner when it uses the right people.
If you're in a decent state of mind, give Wilfred a try. It's really, really weird, and it can be uncomfortable, but it's interesting. There are laughs to be had. Go have some.
*By the way, for some reason, having the dog have an accent makes it less silly to me. I know that makes no sense, but that's how my brain works.
Monday, July 23, 2012
Prego Spaghetti Sauce
Mark and I are not fancy people. As such, I've never had spaghetti sauce made from scratch. My spaghetti sauce comes from a car. Usually, I buy Chunky Ragu - Tomato, Garlic, and Onion. It's easily my favorite spaghetti sauce, but we decided to give Prego a shot. We bought their Chunky Garden sauce - Tomato, Onion, and Garlic this past weekend. That was a mistake.
For dinner tonight, we browned a half pound of hamburger. We then added diced yellow peppers, some fresh chopped garlic, and part of an onion, diced. We let that cook a bit more then added the Prego spaghetti sauce. This is how we prep all our spaghetti sauce. We then let it simmer for a while to boil down a bit; it's usually a bit watery out of the jar.
While the sauce simmered, we made crescent rolls and boiled the pasta. When everything was ready, we plated the meal and sat down to eat. It looked really good, but looks can be deceiving.
I'm not sure if it is because I've grown used to Ragu, but I really disliked the Prego spaghetti sauce. I'm having a hard time explaining how it tasted. The flavor seemed off, as if the sauce had spoiled. I know it hadn't, as we had just opened the jar, but that's the best description I can come up with. It was a bit too acidic. Maybe adding a bit of sugar would have helped, but I have never actually added sugar to my sauce, so it never occurred to me. We didn't taste it while cooking, or we would have made adjustments. When we got our first apartment, we would buy the canned spaghetti sauce because it was cheapest. The Prego reminded me of that sauce.
Even though the Prego was more expensive, I prefer Ragu. I will only be buying my default brand from now on. If you're a fan of Prego, do you add something to it to improve the flavor? I may give it another try in the future, when I'm a bit more well versed in tweaking the sauce. Until then, it's Ragu in this house.
For dinner tonight, we browned a half pound of hamburger. We then added diced yellow peppers, some fresh chopped garlic, and part of an onion, diced. We let that cook a bit more then added the Prego spaghetti sauce. This is how we prep all our spaghetti sauce. We then let it simmer for a while to boil down a bit; it's usually a bit watery out of the jar.
While the sauce simmered, we made crescent rolls and boiled the pasta. When everything was ready, we plated the meal and sat down to eat. It looked really good, but looks can be deceiving.
I'm not sure if it is because I've grown used to Ragu, but I really disliked the Prego spaghetti sauce. I'm having a hard time explaining how it tasted. The flavor seemed off, as if the sauce had spoiled. I know it hadn't, as we had just opened the jar, but that's the best description I can come up with. It was a bit too acidic. Maybe adding a bit of sugar would have helped, but I have never actually added sugar to my sauce, so it never occurred to me. We didn't taste it while cooking, or we would have made adjustments. When we got our first apartment, we would buy the canned spaghetti sauce because it was cheapest. The Prego reminded me of that sauce.
Even though the Prego was more expensive, I prefer Ragu. I will only be buying my default brand from now on. If you're a fan of Prego, do you add something to it to improve the flavor? I may give it another try in the future, when I'm a bit more well versed in tweaking the sauce. Until then, it's Ragu in this house.
Sunday, July 22, 2012
Cracker Barrel
Way back, when I was a kid, my mom used to go to a tradeshow in Chicago. You couldn't go unless you were fourteen years old or older. For the first few years, I couldn't attend with her, but I remember her bringing us back stuff from the show and from Cracker Barrel. I still have a deck of cards she brought back to me one time. Because we were largely unfamiliar with Cracker Barrel, it always seemed like a fascinating place. As they began popping up in more places, we began visiting them when we would make our annual Disney trip. They continued to be amazing.
Now, I live in a place that has multiple Cracker Barrel locations in close proximity. I can always go there, even if I just want to shop. Sundays are the best day to visit, so we decided to have lunch there today.
Upon arrival, we were quoted a ten to fifteen minute wait. It couldn't have been much more than five minutes when they paged us. We were quickly seated at a two top and given menus for both breakfast and dinner. I didn't need the menu, as I knew what I wanted. On Sunday, they have a home-style chicken meal. It's two chicken breasts, dipped in buttermilk then breaded and deep fried; it comes with two sides. Like all meals, you also get biscuits and cornbread, as well.
Our server quickly took our orders. Mark requested that our bread come before the meal, as we were ravenous. With-in a few minutes, she was back with our beverages and biscuits.* I love that Cracker Barrel gives you little jam and jellies with your biscuits. Some places have gone to just butter, but not Cracker Barrel. I put some strawberry jam on one of the warm biscuits and dug in. Mark had blackberry jam, and all was well with the world.
As I am a heavy drinker, I drained my glass pretty quickly. Some restaurants are pretty good about keeping up with me. Others struggle a bit. Cracker Barrel is nice in that the employees seem to keep an eye on everyone. A lady who appeared to be a manager popped by to see what I was drinking and get me a refill. It was very efficient.
Keeping with the speedy service, our meals came out before we could even eat our biscuits. It was at this point that I realized just how good of a stop Cracker Barrel can be while you're traveling. Everything comes out so quickly.
Mark and I both had the chicken special. I opted for carrots and mashed potatoes with gravy, while Mark had carrots and hash-brown casserole. We unanimously agreed that the chicken was awesome. It was tender and very hot. The breading was not too heavy and pleasantly crispy. Dipped in some honey, it was delightful.
Our potato sides were a bit hit and miss. I'm not usually a fan of gravy, but I like the Cracker Barrel mashed potatoes with gravy. They just demand it. Today, they were very delicious. Mark's hash-brown casserole was another story. He said it started out good but quickly turned soggy. We think the carrots may have been to blame.
The carrots were definitely the problem child of the meal. I used to not eat carrots. I eventually learned to eat them raw. A couple years ago, I learned to like them on our grill. Maybe a year or so ago, I tried them at Cracker Barrel and loved them. They're a bit sweet and usually very tender. Unfortunately, they are sometimes allowed to sit in the cooking liquid too long. This makes them over-saturated with water, leading them to kind of explode when you put any pressure on them. It's kind of gross. Today was not a good day for carrots. We both ate a couple before declaring them distasteful.
All in all, the meal was a good one for me. Mark's sides were a little less acceptable than mine, but he did steal some of my potatoes, which he liked. The service was efficient, and the meals come out quickly. If you do have to wait, you can always look in the shop, which is a pleasant experience. I love browsing the candy in particular. I did step away to wash my hands after eating and had trouble getting out of the restaurant and into the shop area. Some people like to stand in the archway when waiting. I don't think they understand the concept of the shop. If anything, it would be nice to see the employees keep this area clear, but they can only do so much.
I've liked Cracker Barrel for a long time, and I'm pretty sure I'll like it for a long time to come. If you've never been, check it out. We each had chicken dinners for about eight bucks each. That's a pretty good deal.
*We passed on the cornbread in favor of extra biscuits.
Now, I live in a place that has multiple Cracker Barrel locations in close proximity. I can always go there, even if I just want to shop. Sundays are the best day to visit, so we decided to have lunch there today.
Upon arrival, we were quoted a ten to fifteen minute wait. It couldn't have been much more than five minutes when they paged us. We were quickly seated at a two top and given menus for both breakfast and dinner. I didn't need the menu, as I knew what I wanted. On Sunday, they have a home-style chicken meal. It's two chicken breasts, dipped in buttermilk then breaded and deep fried; it comes with two sides. Like all meals, you also get biscuits and cornbread, as well.
Our server quickly took our orders. Mark requested that our bread come before the meal, as we were ravenous. With-in a few minutes, she was back with our beverages and biscuits.* I love that Cracker Barrel gives you little jam and jellies with your biscuits. Some places have gone to just butter, but not Cracker Barrel. I put some strawberry jam on one of the warm biscuits and dug in. Mark had blackberry jam, and all was well with the world.
As I am a heavy drinker, I drained my glass pretty quickly. Some restaurants are pretty good about keeping up with me. Others struggle a bit. Cracker Barrel is nice in that the employees seem to keep an eye on everyone. A lady who appeared to be a manager popped by to see what I was drinking and get me a refill. It was very efficient.
Keeping with the speedy service, our meals came out before we could even eat our biscuits. It was at this point that I realized just how good of a stop Cracker Barrel can be while you're traveling. Everything comes out so quickly.
Mark and I both had the chicken special. I opted for carrots and mashed potatoes with gravy, while Mark had carrots and hash-brown casserole. We unanimously agreed that the chicken was awesome. It was tender and very hot. The breading was not too heavy and pleasantly crispy. Dipped in some honey, it was delightful.
Our potato sides were a bit hit and miss. I'm not usually a fan of gravy, but I like the Cracker Barrel mashed potatoes with gravy. They just demand it. Today, they were very delicious. Mark's hash-brown casserole was another story. He said it started out good but quickly turned soggy. We think the carrots may have been to blame.
The carrots were definitely the problem child of the meal. I used to not eat carrots. I eventually learned to eat them raw. A couple years ago, I learned to like them on our grill. Maybe a year or so ago, I tried them at Cracker Barrel and loved them. They're a bit sweet and usually very tender. Unfortunately, they are sometimes allowed to sit in the cooking liquid too long. This makes them over-saturated with water, leading them to kind of explode when you put any pressure on them. It's kind of gross. Today was not a good day for carrots. We both ate a couple before declaring them distasteful.
All in all, the meal was a good one for me. Mark's sides were a little less acceptable than mine, but he did steal some of my potatoes, which he liked. The service was efficient, and the meals come out quickly. If you do have to wait, you can always look in the shop, which is a pleasant experience. I love browsing the candy in particular. I did step away to wash my hands after eating and had trouble getting out of the restaurant and into the shop area. Some people like to stand in the archway when waiting. I don't think they understand the concept of the shop. If anything, it would be nice to see the employees keep this area clear, but they can only do so much.
I've liked Cracker Barrel for a long time, and I'm pretty sure I'll like it for a long time to come. If you've never been, check it out. We each had chicken dinners for about eight bucks each. That's a pretty good deal.
*We passed on the cornbread in favor of extra biscuits.
Saturday, July 21, 2012
The Disboards
My Disney obsession becomes more and more pronounced each day. Recently, I've been spending a great deal of time on the Disboards. It's a website that consists largely of message boards devoted to all things Disney. If you're planning a trip to Disney, you should really check these guys out.
I primarily haunt four different boards: Theme Park Attractions and Strategies, Disney Resorts, Disney Restaurants, and Disney Trip Reports. Each board provides me with vast amounts of information regarding Walt Disney World in Orlando.
Theme Park Attractions and Strategies houses all sorts of information regarding the parks in Florida. If you enjoy people crabbing at each other over policies, check out the Fast Pass posts. If you're looking for help with your itinerary, you can post and receive opinions. Most any theme park related post goes here.
If you've decided to visit Disney but don't know where to stay, the Disney Resorts board is for you. If you want to stay on property, you can find the answer to almost any question on this board. They'll show you pictures of each resort. Heck, you can probably find a thread that tells you what kind of coffee is free in the rooms.
Once you know you're going to Disney and staying at one of their resorts, you need to decide where to eat. Disney is full of restaurants, both good and bad. The Disney Restaurant board will help you suss out the good ones. My favorite threads on the restaurant board consist of food porn.* I've picked restaurants based on what their entrees look like. It's a great way to familiarize yourself with their offerings.
The Disney Trip Reports board is my go to for a quick Disney fix. People come back and write up trip reports that tell you what they did at Disney. Most of them include plenty of pictures, and there are some truly talented writers on there. One of them was a man who gave his kids stats, a la Dungeons and Dragons. I read both of his trip reports, and they were awesome, full of my type of humor.
There are a bunch more boards that cover any Disney related topic you can come up with. There are even some boards that are more community oriented, focusing on things like getting healthy. Each board is clearly labeled, so you only have to see the topics you're interested in. Additionally, they provide general information regarding Disney through sections at the top of the opening page. This allows you to check their information, if you don't trust random people on the internet.
If you're interested in Disney, you should really be on the Disboards. I don't post much, but I lurk often. I've been a member since 2001. I generally hit it up more when I have a trip in the works, but it's always there when I need a fix.** Maybe I'll see you on there...
*Food porn - pictures of food (You sicko.)
**It's the best and cheapest dealer ever.
I primarily haunt four different boards: Theme Park Attractions and Strategies, Disney Resorts, Disney Restaurants, and Disney Trip Reports. Each board provides me with vast amounts of information regarding Walt Disney World in Orlando.
Theme Park Attractions and Strategies houses all sorts of information regarding the parks in Florida. If you enjoy people crabbing at each other over policies, check out the Fast Pass posts. If you're looking for help with your itinerary, you can post and receive opinions. Most any theme park related post goes here.
If you've decided to visit Disney but don't know where to stay, the Disney Resorts board is for you. If you want to stay on property, you can find the answer to almost any question on this board. They'll show you pictures of each resort. Heck, you can probably find a thread that tells you what kind of coffee is free in the rooms.
Once you know you're going to Disney and staying at one of their resorts, you need to decide where to eat. Disney is full of restaurants, both good and bad. The Disney Restaurant board will help you suss out the good ones. My favorite threads on the restaurant board consist of food porn.* I've picked restaurants based on what their entrees look like. It's a great way to familiarize yourself with their offerings.
The Disney Trip Reports board is my go to for a quick Disney fix. People come back and write up trip reports that tell you what they did at Disney. Most of them include plenty of pictures, and there are some truly talented writers on there. One of them was a man who gave his kids stats, a la Dungeons and Dragons. I read both of his trip reports, and they were awesome, full of my type of humor.
There are a bunch more boards that cover any Disney related topic you can come up with. There are even some boards that are more community oriented, focusing on things like getting healthy. Each board is clearly labeled, so you only have to see the topics you're interested in. Additionally, they provide general information regarding Disney through sections at the top of the opening page. This allows you to check their information, if you don't trust random people on the internet.
If you're interested in Disney, you should really be on the Disboards. I don't post much, but I lurk often. I've been a member since 2001. I generally hit it up more when I have a trip in the works, but it's always there when I need a fix.** Maybe I'll see you on there...
*Food porn - pictures of food (You sicko.)
**It's the best and cheapest dealer ever.
Friday, July 20, 2012
The Dark Knight Rises
Originally, I posted the following:
As I don't feel qualified to review this film yet, I won't be doing so until I see it a second time. The current plan is to catch it in Imax on Sunday. A review right now would not be fair to the movie, nor to you.
Well, I have seen the Dark Knight Rises a second time, and I believe I am ready to discuss it. See, my first viewing of the Dark Knight Rises was as the conclusion of a marathon. I had worked that day and gone straight to the theater, where I stayed for eleven hours. Needless to day, I was in the best frame of mind. I was annoyed with patrons around me and incredibly sleepy. During my first viewing, I understood the movie just fine; I just didn't like it. I had tried to keep my expectations low, as I didn't believe it could be as good as the Dark Knight, but even with that knowledge, I was incredibly disappointed with the Dark Knight Rises.
Because I had two distinctly different experiences with the Dark Knight Rises, this review is going to be a bit on the unusual side. I'm going to give you my opinion of certain aspects of the film after both my first viewing and my second viewing. I'll keep the spoilers to a minimum. If I include any, I'll be sure to label them so as to allow you to avoid them.*
Now that I've explained all that, let's begin.
Bain's Voice
The voice was cause for concern based on what I had heard online. Before the film came out, the initial scene was released to certain Imax theaters. The criticism regarding said scene revolved around Bain's voice. Many believed it to be hard to understand. This led to the voice supposedly being tweaked. Not too long ago, there was a youtube clip that had the originally released scene next to the one in the final cut. Some differences were definitely noticeable.
1st Viewing - Early reports were correct. It was sometimes hard to decipher what Bain was saying. I questioned whether the voice itself (accent) was really appropriate for the character. I don't have a large background in Batman comics; most of my knowledge was gleaned from the television cartoon. I knew there was a definite change in the nationality of the character. I have been okay with Nolan's other changes, so I gave him the benefit of the doubt on this one.
2nd Viewing - I love Bain's voice. It most definitely requires focused attention to catch all of what he is saying. It's a bit easier when you're awake and already know the gist of most of his dialogue. His cultured dialogue is so at odds with his violent nature that it merely makes him more interesting. I really enjoy listening to him speak now.
Plot
1st Viewing - The Dark Knight Rises really needed a better eye for editing. The plot was all over the place. Anytime you jump eight years forward in a time line, it's going to be a bit jarring. While that was handled pretty well, the movie still felt all over the place. Time was spent on unimportant side bits. While each scene in the Dark Knight served to enrich the film, the Dark Knight Rises has scenes that are largely unneeded. While they aren't able to completely derail the film, they still serve to slow it down.
2nd. Viewing - While the plot remains a bit disjointed, it didn't bother me the second time around. There are little things to watch for, once you have seen the film. The second viewing allowed me to look for little indicators of what was to come that I may not have realized were there the first time. The plot works a lot better when you can take these little touches in. It makes the excess scenes not so troubling.
Catwoman
Years ago,when I left my second viewing of the Dark Knight, we discussed the possible inclusion of Catwoman in the following film.** I repeatedly voiced my dislike of that particular idea. Because of how the first two movies were handled, I was against the idea of including a female villain in Nolan's Batman movies. I just didn't feel that it fit. After seeing the pure relationship between Bruce and Rachel***, the idea of an overly sexual villain seemed distasteful.
1st Viewing - While neither Anne Hathaway nor the script did anything to make me dislike the character, I wasn't overly happy at Selina Kyle's inclusion. She just didn't feel right.
2nd Viewing - Hathaway's character was actually well done and put together. Nolan and his crew did a good job of making her Catwoman without making her tacky. For those of you that played Arkham City, take a moment and recall how they portrayed Catwoman. She was super skanky. Luckily, Nolan avoids that. Selina Kyle utilizes a myriad of skills to exist and flourish in Nolan's Batman universe. She is a scared woman when needed and a cold, calculating femme fatale when it is to her advantage. I actually enjoyed her inclusion the second time around. I don't think she steals all the scenes she is in, but she including her is definitely a brave move that pays off.
Costuming
The changes that Nolan makes to the characters is driven by the need to make them more realistic, to bring them into our world. If we can acknowledge that they exist in our world, it makes the movies better. Nolan's films are supposed to seem familiar to us while still being unique and unusual.
1st Viewing - I didn't really have much of an impression of the costumes. I saw them, but I didn't see anything special.
2nd Viewing - I was able to absorb the visuals and recognize what Nolan and his people created for the Dark Knight Rises. Small touches, like how Kyle's "cat ears"****, make all the difference. When it came to Bain's costume, I've never cared for luchador masks, so editing that out worked just fine for me. The way they did his mask for the movie fit with the established aesthetics of this particular universe. It didn't bother me that I didn't know exactly how it worked, which I know others have complained about.
Casting
1st Viewing - I was okay with the casting. No one in particular stood out as a weak link. There were characters that were uninteresting and weak, but it was not the fault of the actors.
2nd Viewing - As always, I'm a huge fan of Joseph Gordon Levitt, Gary Oldman, and Morgan Freeman; that goes without saying.***** Michael Caine proves once again that he is a master thespian, demanding tears whenever he feels like it. When you add in Anne Hathaway, who does a great job, you once again have an amazing cast in a good movie. Nolan knows how to pick them and pull impeccable performances from them. Watching Tom Hardy emote with part of his face covered just further cements him as a talented actor.
Imax
1st Viewing - N/A
2nd Viewing - I saw both the Dark Knight and the Dark Knight Rises in Imax. Honestly, I felt the Dark Knight made better use of the format. I enjoyed the Dark Knight Rises in Imax, but I wasn't as struck by it. There was less Imax use in Dark Knight which gave the Imax scenes more impact. Regardless, Nolan makes good use of Imax and makes a good case for more movies using Imax.
The Ending
1st Viewing - I spent the entire car ride home and the next half hour ranting about the ending. Obviously, I can't tell you what I took issue with specifically. What I can tell you is that there is some mis-leading editing. There are some unbelievable conclusions, and there are some reveals that you may or may not buy into.
2nd Viewing - I still have an issue with a particular bit of editing, but I've gotten over my other problems with the ending. It is what it is. Do I think it was the best way to go? I'm not sure...maybe, maybe not. I accept it for what it is though.
I made a concentrated effort to avoid information that would spoil the Dark Knight Rises for me. I wanted to go in with very little knowledge about what was going to happen, but I had an important piece of plot spoiled for me way back in the casting stage. It didn't ruin the movie for me, but it did impact my enjoyment during my first viewing. I won't get any more into it, as I don't want to ruin it for anyone else.
The Dark Knight Rises is a good movie, not a great one. It can't live up to the perfection that was the Dark Knight. Of course, that's okay. It's a lot like Batman Begins, where it gets better each time I watch it. Should you see the Dark Knight Rises in theaters? Of course. If you can catch it in Imax, it's well worth it.****** I kinda want to see it again in the theater, but I have a bunch of other movies to catch first.
*Although, I expect most of you have already seen the film. If not, what are you waiting for? The reviews shouldn't matter. Nolan has earned this from you.
**They totally hinted at it! Well, maybe we were reading into it, but we were right. Therefore, it doesn't matter.
***I'm not saying she was his best match. I'm merely making my opinion based on how the relationship was presented.
****Seriously, wasn't that cool? It was so simple yet so genius.
*****I know I said it even though I said it goes without saying. I wonder if anyone ever says that without actually saying the thing they said didn't need to be said. I have a headache.
******It was $31 for just Mark and I to see it in Imax on a Saturday night. It is not cheap.
As I don't feel qualified to review this film yet, I won't be doing so until I see it a second time. The current plan is to catch it in Imax on Sunday. A review right now would not be fair to the movie, nor to you.
Well, I have seen the Dark Knight Rises a second time, and I believe I am ready to discuss it. See, my first viewing of the Dark Knight Rises was as the conclusion of a marathon. I had worked that day and gone straight to the theater, where I stayed for eleven hours. Needless to day, I was in the best frame of mind. I was annoyed with patrons around me and incredibly sleepy. During my first viewing, I understood the movie just fine; I just didn't like it. I had tried to keep my expectations low, as I didn't believe it could be as good as the Dark Knight, but even with that knowledge, I was incredibly disappointed with the Dark Knight Rises.
Because I had two distinctly different experiences with the Dark Knight Rises, this review is going to be a bit on the unusual side. I'm going to give you my opinion of certain aspects of the film after both my first viewing and my second viewing. I'll keep the spoilers to a minimum. If I include any, I'll be sure to label them so as to allow you to avoid them.*
Now that I've explained all that, let's begin.
Bain's Voice
The voice was cause for concern based on what I had heard online. Before the film came out, the initial scene was released to certain Imax theaters. The criticism regarding said scene revolved around Bain's voice. Many believed it to be hard to understand. This led to the voice supposedly being tweaked. Not too long ago, there was a youtube clip that had the originally released scene next to the one in the final cut. Some differences were definitely noticeable.
1st Viewing - Early reports were correct. It was sometimes hard to decipher what Bain was saying. I questioned whether the voice itself (accent) was really appropriate for the character. I don't have a large background in Batman comics; most of my knowledge was gleaned from the television cartoon. I knew there was a definite change in the nationality of the character. I have been okay with Nolan's other changes, so I gave him the benefit of the doubt on this one.
2nd Viewing - I love Bain's voice. It most definitely requires focused attention to catch all of what he is saying. It's a bit easier when you're awake and already know the gist of most of his dialogue. His cultured dialogue is so at odds with his violent nature that it merely makes him more interesting. I really enjoy listening to him speak now.
Plot
1st Viewing - The Dark Knight Rises really needed a better eye for editing. The plot was all over the place. Anytime you jump eight years forward in a time line, it's going to be a bit jarring. While that was handled pretty well, the movie still felt all over the place. Time was spent on unimportant side bits. While each scene in the Dark Knight served to enrich the film, the Dark Knight Rises has scenes that are largely unneeded. While they aren't able to completely derail the film, they still serve to slow it down.
2nd. Viewing - While the plot remains a bit disjointed, it didn't bother me the second time around. There are little things to watch for, once you have seen the film. The second viewing allowed me to look for little indicators of what was to come that I may not have realized were there the first time. The plot works a lot better when you can take these little touches in. It makes the excess scenes not so troubling.
Catwoman
Years ago,when I left my second viewing of the Dark Knight, we discussed the possible inclusion of Catwoman in the following film.** I repeatedly voiced my dislike of that particular idea. Because of how the first two movies were handled, I was against the idea of including a female villain in Nolan's Batman movies. I just didn't feel that it fit. After seeing the pure relationship between Bruce and Rachel***, the idea of an overly sexual villain seemed distasteful.
1st Viewing - While neither Anne Hathaway nor the script did anything to make me dislike the character, I wasn't overly happy at Selina Kyle's inclusion. She just didn't feel right.
2nd Viewing - Hathaway's character was actually well done and put together. Nolan and his crew did a good job of making her Catwoman without making her tacky. For those of you that played Arkham City, take a moment and recall how they portrayed Catwoman. She was super skanky. Luckily, Nolan avoids that. Selina Kyle utilizes a myriad of skills to exist and flourish in Nolan's Batman universe. She is a scared woman when needed and a cold, calculating femme fatale when it is to her advantage. I actually enjoyed her inclusion the second time around. I don't think she steals all the scenes she is in, but she including her is definitely a brave move that pays off.
Costuming
The changes that Nolan makes to the characters is driven by the need to make them more realistic, to bring them into our world. If we can acknowledge that they exist in our world, it makes the movies better. Nolan's films are supposed to seem familiar to us while still being unique and unusual.
1st Viewing - I didn't really have much of an impression of the costumes. I saw them, but I didn't see anything special.
2nd Viewing - I was able to absorb the visuals and recognize what Nolan and his people created for the Dark Knight Rises. Small touches, like how Kyle's "cat ears"****, make all the difference. When it came to Bain's costume, I've never cared for luchador masks, so editing that out worked just fine for me. The way they did his mask for the movie fit with the established aesthetics of this particular universe. It didn't bother me that I didn't know exactly how it worked, which I know others have complained about.
Casting
1st Viewing - I was okay with the casting. No one in particular stood out as a weak link. There were characters that were uninteresting and weak, but it was not the fault of the actors.
2nd Viewing - As always, I'm a huge fan of Joseph Gordon Levitt, Gary Oldman, and Morgan Freeman; that goes without saying.***** Michael Caine proves once again that he is a master thespian, demanding tears whenever he feels like it. When you add in Anne Hathaway, who does a great job, you once again have an amazing cast in a good movie. Nolan knows how to pick them and pull impeccable performances from them. Watching Tom Hardy emote with part of his face covered just further cements him as a talented actor.
Imax
1st Viewing - N/A
2nd Viewing - I saw both the Dark Knight and the Dark Knight Rises in Imax. Honestly, I felt the Dark Knight made better use of the format. I enjoyed the Dark Knight Rises in Imax, but I wasn't as struck by it. There was less Imax use in Dark Knight which gave the Imax scenes more impact. Regardless, Nolan makes good use of Imax and makes a good case for more movies using Imax.
The Ending
1st Viewing - I spent the entire car ride home and the next half hour ranting about the ending. Obviously, I can't tell you what I took issue with specifically. What I can tell you is that there is some mis-leading editing. There are some unbelievable conclusions, and there are some reveals that you may or may not buy into.
2nd Viewing - I still have an issue with a particular bit of editing, but I've gotten over my other problems with the ending. It is what it is. Do I think it was the best way to go? I'm not sure...maybe, maybe not. I accept it for what it is though.
I made a concentrated effort to avoid information that would spoil the Dark Knight Rises for me. I wanted to go in with very little knowledge about what was going to happen, but I had an important piece of plot spoiled for me way back in the casting stage. It didn't ruin the movie for me, but it did impact my enjoyment during my first viewing. I won't get any more into it, as I don't want to ruin it for anyone else.
The Dark Knight Rises is a good movie, not a great one. It can't live up to the perfection that was the Dark Knight. Of course, that's okay. It's a lot like Batman Begins, where it gets better each time I watch it. Should you see the Dark Knight Rises in theaters? Of course. If you can catch it in Imax, it's well worth it.****** I kinda want to see it again in the theater, but I have a bunch of other movies to catch first.
*Although, I expect most of you have already seen the film. If not, what are you waiting for? The reviews shouldn't matter. Nolan has earned this from you.
**They totally hinted at it! Well, maybe we were reading into it, but we were right. Therefore, it doesn't matter.
***I'm not saying she was his best match. I'm merely making my opinion based on how the relationship was presented.
****Seriously, wasn't that cool? It was so simple yet so genius.
*****I know I said it even though I said it goes without saying. I wonder if anyone ever says that without actually saying the thing they said didn't need to be said. I have a headache.
******It was $31 for just Mark and I to see it in Imax on a Saturday night. It is not cheap.
Thursday, July 19, 2012
The Batman Marathon Experience
The movie theater experience is something most people can relate to. Even if you don't get to go to the movies very often, most people have been at least once. I didn't start going to the movies heavily until high school, when I had enough money to go. Before that, I remember going to a few movies. I remember that we usually snuck candy in, and if we bought popcorn and a drink, everyone shared.* Even though we didn't go much as a kid, those are fond memories.
In my high school/college years, I began going to the theater a lot, especially after I started dating my now husband. We weren't drinkers, so going to the movies was what we spent money on. Sometimes, my brother would accompany us. Shortly after my husband and I got our first apartment, our friend Rick started going to the movies with us. Those are also fond memories for me. Sometimes, when we're heading out to see certain movies, I miss having Rick along. I always felt like movies were something we had in common.
Since then, Rick has gotten married. My brother has gotten married. Mark and I are living in South Carolina, but I still love movies. We go to the movies quite frequently, with our refillable popcorn bucket, refillable cups, and polar pipes in tow. We did some midnight showings back in the college days with Rick and Ryan, but now, my job doesn't usually permit it. I can't go work at the bank with only three or four hours of sleep. It's bad for me, and it's not a wise move if I want to keep my job.
What's nice about my job is that you get an annual day off; you're required to take it in the month you were hired. Wouldn't you know it that I started in July, so I get a day off every July to use as I like. This year, I set that day aside for the midnight premiere on Thursday, July 19th of the Dark Knight Rises.** Imagine how happy I was when I found out the theater was doing a marathon; they were showing Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, and The Dark Knight Rises! I bought our marathon tickets for that Thursday, July 19th back on June 13th. For the two of us, it was $40, but I expected it to be money well spent. See, the previous year, we did the Harry Potter marathon which consisted of the final two movies, and we loved it. I expected awesome for the entire evening.
Mark had taken both Thursday and Friday off, but I had to work on Thursday. Because the people that I work with are awesome, they let me out a bit early. I was able to run home and change and get something to eat before heading to the theater. I hadn't eaten all day, and while sitting in a theater isn't particularly hard, it was going to last for around eleven hours.
Mark and I have a long history of arriving for movies early. It is very important to me to have good seats. I define good seats as being in the row with the bar. This allows me to prop my feet up. I generally sit smack dab in the middle of that row, under the lights. We will get to the theater about half an hour early for a normal movie. We've made some friends at the theater because of this trait. As much as I don't like people, I enjoy chatting with the people who work at the movie theater. There is one person who lets us in free; there is another that has discounted our tickets before. Frankly, the people who work at the theater are awesome.
For the marathon, we arrived a couple hours early and were the first in line. Our usual chat buddies weren't working, but we made new friends with the girl who was in charge of tearing tickets that day. It was about fifteen minutes before someone else showed up. We arrived a bit before four. Slowly, others trickled in and joined the line.
Around 4:45, one of the managers came out to let us know about the lanyards and chalk decals. See, the first one hundred patrons to the marathon were getting swag! The lanyards, aside from having Dark Knight Rises imagery, gave us drink refills for a dollar and popcorn refills for only two bucks, all night long. Our refillable cups and bucket are only three dollars a refill usually, but these lanyards were going to save us even more money. Additionally, there was a chalk decal given out to the first one hundred people to the marathon.
A little after five, they let us into theater four, which was in the wing that is straight back, last theater on the right. According to the nice girl, it was the largest theater they had. As with all good theaters, it was stadium seating.*** Being the first ones in, I got my coveted seat. Mark and I took turns doing the bathroom thing and watched the theater begin filling up. I always feel sad for those people that show up in a larger group after the theater is mostly full. You see them looking up, trying to find seats together. It just makes me sad.
There was a lot of seat saving going on, since there were so many large groups. One group had about three or four people present that were saving half of a row. I ended up sitting right next to a young man who seemed less than enthused and a tad bit embarrassed. I attempted to speak to him, but I probably made it worse.****
Before the first film started, I ran our decals out to the car and retrieved snacks. I had a blue icy, while Mark went for the mixed icy, consisting of cherry and coke. I loaded up the popcorn with salt and that weird liquid butter concoction and returned to the theater. As usual, they had the pre-flix "entertainment" showing.***** The only good bit was about Looper.
Finally, the film started. There were no previews, and we were seeing Batman Begins again on the big screen. There was some cheering, as the crowd was pretty into it. Generally, people at a marathon are fans. Otherwise, why give up so much of your time? There was a girl dressed as Poison Ivy. There were a lot of Batman shirts. There was an excessive amount of nerd in the theater.
After the first film concluded, the lights came back up, and the bathroom stampede began. Since I sit through the credits, it wasn't as bad when I finally went. Upon my return to the theater, Mark escaped to visit Burger King. The previous year, he did the same thing between the two Harry Potter movies. He returned just as the second movie began with a bag of eight cheeseburgers. When he did this at Harry Potter, we had made friends with some of the people sitting around us, so Mark shared the burgers with them. We shared with a couple kids sitting behind us, but we didn't really chat as much at this marathon. Frankly, the people at the Harry Potter marathon were friendlier.
When there are a lot of large groups, they generally act as if they whole place is theirs. It's only natural, as there are so many of them. They usually chat with each other, and when they're very spread out, that involves being loud. As such, that made me quieter than usual. My intermissions were spent making notes for my reviews on my phone and playing Dungeon Raid.
During the movie, the one young man Mark gave a burger to tapped me on the shoulder and thanked me. It was very sweet. After the movie finished, the other young man thanked us as well. They just happened to be the two guys right behind us in line earlier, so we had spoken with them a bit. They seemed very socially awkward penguin to me.
The intermission between the Dark Knight and the Dark Knight Rises is kind of a blur to me. I was very tired, and the loud groups had begun to annoy me. Working early and going straight to the theater may not have been the wisest decision. Mark and I believe there is a hierarchy to nerd culture. For example, the people that play card games like the Star Trek one look down on people who larp. People who larp look down on furries. Each group falls somewhere on the scale, and our theater was full of the whole spectrum.
This was apparent when the previews before the final film started. You would hear some people making excited noises for Oz the Great and Powerful, while others were scoffing. While it is possible to hear that at any movie, it was pretty vocal. I heard people discussing Tim Burton's recent efforts and debating what was good and what he still had potential for. I heard someone comment that he hoped they would make a reference to Bane's previous screen incarnation. I actually heard another viewer say that he thought Halle Berry was a good Catwoman.******
All in all, the marathon experience is a fun one. For whatever reason, it wasn't sold out. The Harry Potter one we went to was sold out. At the same time, we were still a bit crammed in. It makes me wish they had snack holders in addition to cup holders. It was weird that there were no previews before the first two movies, but I hated having to hear the same pre-flix show three times in a row. My only other thought would be that people need to learn what single file is; walk in a single row to the right. It makes it easier to move about that way.
If you've never done a movie marathon, you should. From theater arrival to exodus, we were at the movies for eleven hours. When we were done, I was exhausted, sick, and an emotional mess; I wouldn't change it for the world. There is something about an event like this. Someday, if I ever have kids, I would want them to experience it. You should do it too.
*Except my dad. He never drank after any of us. I don't even know if he will now, but I doubt it.
**I had told my boss I wanted the Friday that the Dark Knight Rises off back in December of 2011. At the time, I wasn't sure which Friday it would be, but it was long planned.
***Actually, I would imagine most, if not all, theaters have converted to stadium seating.
****I'm not sure which of us was the socially awkward penguin.
*****I use the term loosely. Sometimes, you see interesting stuff, but usually, it's for shows I'm not interested in.
******No, I didn't smack him. He was just a kid.
In my high school/college years, I began going to the theater a lot, especially after I started dating my now husband. We weren't drinkers, so going to the movies was what we spent money on. Sometimes, my brother would accompany us. Shortly after my husband and I got our first apartment, our friend Rick started going to the movies with us. Those are also fond memories for me. Sometimes, when we're heading out to see certain movies, I miss having Rick along. I always felt like movies were something we had in common.
Since then, Rick has gotten married. My brother has gotten married. Mark and I are living in South Carolina, but I still love movies. We go to the movies quite frequently, with our refillable popcorn bucket, refillable cups, and polar pipes in tow. We did some midnight showings back in the college days with Rick and Ryan, but now, my job doesn't usually permit it. I can't go work at the bank with only three or four hours of sleep. It's bad for me, and it's not a wise move if I want to keep my job.
What's nice about my job is that you get an annual day off; you're required to take it in the month you were hired. Wouldn't you know it that I started in July, so I get a day off every July to use as I like. This year, I set that day aside for the midnight premiere on Thursday, July 19th of the Dark Knight Rises.** Imagine how happy I was when I found out the theater was doing a marathon; they were showing Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, and The Dark Knight Rises! I bought our marathon tickets for that Thursday, July 19th back on June 13th. For the two of us, it was $40, but I expected it to be money well spent. See, the previous year, we did the Harry Potter marathon which consisted of the final two movies, and we loved it. I expected awesome for the entire evening.
Mark had taken both Thursday and Friday off, but I had to work on Thursday. Because the people that I work with are awesome, they let me out a bit early. I was able to run home and change and get something to eat before heading to the theater. I hadn't eaten all day, and while sitting in a theater isn't particularly hard, it was going to last for around eleven hours.
Mark and I have a long history of arriving for movies early. It is very important to me to have good seats. I define good seats as being in the row with the bar. This allows me to prop my feet up. I generally sit smack dab in the middle of that row, under the lights. We will get to the theater about half an hour early for a normal movie. We've made some friends at the theater because of this trait. As much as I don't like people, I enjoy chatting with the people who work at the movie theater. There is one person who lets us in free; there is another that has discounted our tickets before. Frankly, the people who work at the theater are awesome.
For the marathon, we arrived a couple hours early and were the first in line. Our usual chat buddies weren't working, but we made new friends with the girl who was in charge of tearing tickets that day. It was about fifteen minutes before someone else showed up. We arrived a bit before four. Slowly, others trickled in and joined the line.
Around 4:45, one of the managers came out to let us know about the lanyards and chalk decals. See, the first one hundred patrons to the marathon were getting swag! The lanyards, aside from having Dark Knight Rises imagery, gave us drink refills for a dollar and popcorn refills for only two bucks, all night long. Our refillable cups and bucket are only three dollars a refill usually, but these lanyards were going to save us even more money. Additionally, there was a chalk decal given out to the first one hundred people to the marathon.
A little after five, they let us into theater four, which was in the wing that is straight back, last theater on the right. According to the nice girl, it was the largest theater they had. As with all good theaters, it was stadium seating.*** Being the first ones in, I got my coveted seat. Mark and I took turns doing the bathroom thing and watched the theater begin filling up. I always feel sad for those people that show up in a larger group after the theater is mostly full. You see them looking up, trying to find seats together. It just makes me sad.
There was a lot of seat saving going on, since there were so many large groups. One group had about three or four people present that were saving half of a row. I ended up sitting right next to a young man who seemed less than enthused and a tad bit embarrassed. I attempted to speak to him, but I probably made it worse.****
Before the first film started, I ran our decals out to the car and retrieved snacks. I had a blue icy, while Mark went for the mixed icy, consisting of cherry and coke. I loaded up the popcorn with salt and that weird liquid butter concoction and returned to the theater. As usual, they had the pre-flix "entertainment" showing.***** The only good bit was about Looper.
Finally, the film started. There were no previews, and we were seeing Batman Begins again on the big screen. There was some cheering, as the crowd was pretty into it. Generally, people at a marathon are fans. Otherwise, why give up so much of your time? There was a girl dressed as Poison Ivy. There were a lot of Batman shirts. There was an excessive amount of nerd in the theater.
After the first film concluded, the lights came back up, and the bathroom stampede began. Since I sit through the credits, it wasn't as bad when I finally went. Upon my return to the theater, Mark escaped to visit Burger King. The previous year, he did the same thing between the two Harry Potter movies. He returned just as the second movie began with a bag of eight cheeseburgers. When he did this at Harry Potter, we had made friends with some of the people sitting around us, so Mark shared the burgers with them. We shared with a couple kids sitting behind us, but we didn't really chat as much at this marathon. Frankly, the people at the Harry Potter marathon were friendlier.
When there are a lot of large groups, they generally act as if they whole place is theirs. It's only natural, as there are so many of them. They usually chat with each other, and when they're very spread out, that involves being loud. As such, that made me quieter than usual. My intermissions were spent making notes for my reviews on my phone and playing Dungeon Raid.
During the movie, the one young man Mark gave a burger to tapped me on the shoulder and thanked me. It was very sweet. After the movie finished, the other young man thanked us as well. They just happened to be the two guys right behind us in line earlier, so we had spoken with them a bit. They seemed very socially awkward penguin to me.
The intermission between the Dark Knight and the Dark Knight Rises is kind of a blur to me. I was very tired, and the loud groups had begun to annoy me. Working early and going straight to the theater may not have been the wisest decision. Mark and I believe there is a hierarchy to nerd culture. For example, the people that play card games like the Star Trek one look down on people who larp. People who larp look down on furries. Each group falls somewhere on the scale, and our theater was full of the whole spectrum.
This was apparent when the previews before the final film started. You would hear some people making excited noises for Oz the Great and Powerful, while others were scoffing. While it is possible to hear that at any movie, it was pretty vocal. I heard people discussing Tim Burton's recent efforts and debating what was good and what he still had potential for. I heard someone comment that he hoped they would make a reference to Bane's previous screen incarnation. I actually heard another viewer say that he thought Halle Berry was a good Catwoman.******
All in all, the marathon experience is a fun one. For whatever reason, it wasn't sold out. The Harry Potter one we went to was sold out. At the same time, we were still a bit crammed in. It makes me wish they had snack holders in addition to cup holders. It was weird that there were no previews before the first two movies, but I hated having to hear the same pre-flix show three times in a row. My only other thought would be that people need to learn what single file is; walk in a single row to the right. It makes it easier to move about that way.
If you've never done a movie marathon, you should. From theater arrival to exodus, we were at the movies for eleven hours. When we were done, I was exhausted, sick, and an emotional mess; I wouldn't change it for the world. There is something about an event like this. Someday, if I ever have kids, I would want them to experience it. You should do it too.
*Except my dad. He never drank after any of us. I don't even know if he will now, but I doubt it.
**I had told my boss I wanted the Friday that the Dark Knight Rises off back in December of 2011. At the time, I wasn't sure which Friday it would be, but it was long planned.
***Actually, I would imagine most, if not all, theaters have converted to stadium seating.
****I'm not sure which of us was the socially awkward penguin.
*****I use the term loosely. Sometimes, you see interesting stuff, but usually, it's for shows I'm not interested in.
******No, I didn't smack him. He was just a kid.
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
The Dark Knight
<<Short review until I re-watch it tomorrow...It's one of the best movie I have ever seen, and it is my personal favorite. If you haven't seen it, do so immediately.>>
Certain reviews are particularly difficult to write. For me, The Dark Knight is one of those reviews. Up front, it's my favorite movie. My reviews shouldn't consist of an opinion with no back up, which makes writing this review a bit more difficult. Verbalizing my thoughts is tough and seems like a large undertaking with The Dark Knight.
If you talk to most people about the Dark Knight, the first comment they make is regarding Heath Ledger's performance as the Joker. It's amazing. Once again, the entire cast is excellent with only one weak spot, Maggie Gyllenhaal. As with Katie Holmes, I'm not sure if the problem is the actress or the character. Either way, the character of Rachel continues to be the weak point.
Fortunately, most everything else about the Dark Knight works. The story is well written, and the pace of the film is incredible. Each scene fits and furthers the story, either moving the plot along or enriching the characters. While the run time may seem excessive, every bit of it is needed to make the film work, to make is a cohesive piece. The editing is almost perfect, but there are some weird cuts during the bike scene.
Nolan's work, as always, is visually exciting. From the character design to the special effects, Nolan puts amazing imagery on the screen. His use of practical effects* grounds what should be a cartoony film in reality. The Joker is the representation of chaos. As such, you would expect him to be where your suspension of disbelief ends, but instead, you accept him. Heck, you find yourself just waiting for him to return to the screen.
Last night, I had dinner with my in-laws. At one point, discussion turned to the Batman marathon that Mark and I had attended. We explained what films were screened and told Mark's father that they should really watch them. His dad, whose last Batman experience involved Val Kilmer**, rolled his eyes and scoffed at our suggestion. Unfortunately, this is the reaction of many people when you suggest they see a superhero movie. So many people still see them as silly comic book movies. What some people don't realize is that the Dark Knight rises above that. It's not just a comic book movie; it's an epic and amazing film. The story and performances allow the movie to become more than its source material. It's able to become a movie, not just a comic book movie.
If you haven't seen the Dark Knight, you should. Don't see it because it's a Batman movie. See it because it is an amazing movie.
*The semi.
**Frankly, that shouldn't be anyone's last interaction with Batman.
Certain reviews are particularly difficult to write. For me, The Dark Knight is one of those reviews. Up front, it's my favorite movie. My reviews shouldn't consist of an opinion with no back up, which makes writing this review a bit more difficult. Verbalizing my thoughts is tough and seems like a large undertaking with The Dark Knight.
If you talk to most people about the Dark Knight, the first comment they make is regarding Heath Ledger's performance as the Joker. It's amazing. Once again, the entire cast is excellent with only one weak spot, Maggie Gyllenhaal. As with Katie Holmes, I'm not sure if the problem is the actress or the character. Either way, the character of Rachel continues to be the weak point.
Fortunately, most everything else about the Dark Knight works. The story is well written, and the pace of the film is incredible. Each scene fits and furthers the story, either moving the plot along or enriching the characters. While the run time may seem excessive, every bit of it is needed to make the film work, to make is a cohesive piece. The editing is almost perfect, but there are some weird cuts during the bike scene.
Nolan's work, as always, is visually exciting. From the character design to the special effects, Nolan puts amazing imagery on the screen. His use of practical effects* grounds what should be a cartoony film in reality. The Joker is the representation of chaos. As such, you would expect him to be where your suspension of disbelief ends, but instead, you accept him. Heck, you find yourself just waiting for him to return to the screen.
Last night, I had dinner with my in-laws. At one point, discussion turned to the Batman marathon that Mark and I had attended. We explained what films were screened and told Mark's father that they should really watch them. His dad, whose last Batman experience involved Val Kilmer**, rolled his eyes and scoffed at our suggestion. Unfortunately, this is the reaction of many people when you suggest they see a superhero movie. So many people still see them as silly comic book movies. What some people don't realize is that the Dark Knight rises above that. It's not just a comic book movie; it's an epic and amazing film. The story and performances allow the movie to become more than its source material. It's able to become a movie, not just a comic book movie.
If you haven't seen the Dark Knight, you should. Don't see it because it's a Batman movie. See it because it is an amazing movie.
*The semi.
**Frankly, that shouldn't be anyone's last interaction with Batman.
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Batman Begins
<While my reviews are traditionally posted about something I experience that day, I am making a weird exception this week. I'll be seeing all three Batman movies on Thursday at a marathon, so there will be three reviews coming. Tuesday is Batman Begins. Wednesday will be the Dark Knight, and Thursday will be the marathon experience. My Friday review will be the Dark Knight Rises. While this is unorthodox, I'm okay with it, so I suggest you be okay with it too.>
Something happens every time I watch Batman Begins. Each and every time, I always realize that it's better than I remember. It's not that I recall the film as being bad; it's just so over-shadowed by The Dark Knight that I forget how well made it is. The same thing happened at the marathon last night.
As Nolan was re-starting the franchise, he chose to tackle Batman's origin story, which we had seen before. For whatever reason, it felt more epic this time around. It seems that in some superhero movies, the origin story is just something they get through as quick as possible to move on to the awesomeness that is the superhero life. In Batman Begins, the origin story actually permeates the whole film.
The scenes recalling young Bruce and the events he endured are very touching and well done. The actors involved all handle the material nicely. If you give yourself over to it, it's very sad and very touching. The poignancy of these scenes is necessary for the film and the development of Bruce Wayne. Yes, he is Batman, but he's also a person.
The film is put together well, although it isn't quite as polished as some of Nolan's other films. While it doesn't have the level of epic found in the Dark Knight, it does tell a well crafted superhero story, one that was better than many we had thus far been exposed to. While the movie does feel a bit like a typical superhero film at times, it is actually much better thought out and presented. The character building is important and boosts the film up.
Visually, Batman Begins is quite good. The cinematography and special effects are nice. Nolan is known for preferring practical effects, and that level of dedication to the craft is refreshing. The only real complaints come when watching some of the fight scenes, especially one early in the film. When Bruce is in the prison and fighting a multitude of assailants, they all kind of look the same. Because of the quick cuts, it's hard to follow the action at times. It's generally acceptable to believe that the person being hurt is not Wayne, but I don't like my action indecipherable. Later in the film, when the characters are dressed differently, there is no struggle to follow the action.
The casting for Batman Begins set the movie up for success. With impressive actors like Christian Bale and Liam Neeson, it's not hard to deliver convincing scenes. When you add in Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman, you're just showing off. As always, I enjoyed seeing my old buddy Rutger Hauer running around.* If there is a weak performance in the bunch, it comes from Katie Holmes. I'm not sure if it's her acting or if Nolan and company struggle with writing for a female character. Batman Begins is largely a boy's club.**
I'm happy to admit that Nolan has pulled off a feat with Batman Begins that has often been the downfall of other, less amazing superhero film; he successfully utilizes two villains. While multiple foes are rarely the downfall of someone as amazing as Batman, they are often to blame for murdering the script. With Batman Begins, the inclusion of various iconic villains is explained in a way that makes sense. It probably helps that neither of the two included antagonists were too well known outside of the comic book readers. For myself, someone who mainly watched the cartoons, putting these two characters together against Batman worked. Neither of them had a strong enough following to cause outrage at one being more important than the other.***
If you haven't seen it, you should watch Batman Begins. If you have seen it but not recently, watch it again. It's probably better than you remember. It's often lost in the shadow the Dark Knight, but Batman Begins paved the way for that particular masterpiece.
*There are other amazing actors to be found herein, such as Gary Oldman and Cillian Murphy. I just thought there was too much name dropping going on in that paragraph up there.
**I'm not complaining about a largely male cast, as it fits the source material. I'm merely wondering how much of the problem is the actress and how much is the character.
***Although, Nolan proved her could tackle two well known villains in a single film.
Something happens every time I watch Batman Begins. Each and every time, I always realize that it's better than I remember. It's not that I recall the film as being bad; it's just so over-shadowed by The Dark Knight that I forget how well made it is. The same thing happened at the marathon last night.
As Nolan was re-starting the franchise, he chose to tackle Batman's origin story, which we had seen before. For whatever reason, it felt more epic this time around. It seems that in some superhero movies, the origin story is just something they get through as quick as possible to move on to the awesomeness that is the superhero life. In Batman Begins, the origin story actually permeates the whole film.
The scenes recalling young Bruce and the events he endured are very touching and well done. The actors involved all handle the material nicely. If you give yourself over to it, it's very sad and very touching. The poignancy of these scenes is necessary for the film and the development of Bruce Wayne. Yes, he is Batman, but he's also a person.
The film is put together well, although it isn't quite as polished as some of Nolan's other films. While it doesn't have the level of epic found in the Dark Knight, it does tell a well crafted superhero story, one that was better than many we had thus far been exposed to. While the movie does feel a bit like a typical superhero film at times, it is actually much better thought out and presented. The character building is important and boosts the film up.
Visually, Batman Begins is quite good. The cinematography and special effects are nice. Nolan is known for preferring practical effects, and that level of dedication to the craft is refreshing. The only real complaints come when watching some of the fight scenes, especially one early in the film. When Bruce is in the prison and fighting a multitude of assailants, they all kind of look the same. Because of the quick cuts, it's hard to follow the action at times. It's generally acceptable to believe that the person being hurt is not Wayne, but I don't like my action indecipherable. Later in the film, when the characters are dressed differently, there is no struggle to follow the action.
The casting for Batman Begins set the movie up for success. With impressive actors like Christian Bale and Liam Neeson, it's not hard to deliver convincing scenes. When you add in Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman, you're just showing off. As always, I enjoyed seeing my old buddy Rutger Hauer running around.* If there is a weak performance in the bunch, it comes from Katie Holmes. I'm not sure if it's her acting or if Nolan and company struggle with writing for a female character. Batman Begins is largely a boy's club.**
I'm happy to admit that Nolan has pulled off a feat with Batman Begins that has often been the downfall of other, less amazing superhero film; he successfully utilizes two villains. While multiple foes are rarely the downfall of someone as amazing as Batman, they are often to blame for murdering the script. With Batman Begins, the inclusion of various iconic villains is explained in a way that makes sense. It probably helps that neither of the two included antagonists were too well known outside of the comic book readers. For myself, someone who mainly watched the cartoons, putting these two characters together against Batman worked. Neither of them had a strong enough following to cause outrage at one being more important than the other.***
If you haven't seen it, you should watch Batman Begins. If you have seen it but not recently, watch it again. It's probably better than you remember. It's often lost in the shadow the Dark Knight, but Batman Begins paved the way for that particular masterpiece.
*There are other amazing actors to be found herein, such as Gary Oldman and Cillian Murphy. I just thought there was too much name dropping going on in that paragraph up there.
**I'm not complaining about a largely male cast, as it fits the source material. I'm merely wondering how much of the problem is the actress and how much is the character.
***Although, Nolan proved her could tackle two well known villains in a single film.
Monday, July 16, 2012
Media Coverage of The Dark Knight Rises
As I'm sure you guessed, this isn't a traditional review. This is one of those ones that's a little off the rails, but that's okay. Variety is the spice of life, so let's talk about the media coverage surrounding the Dark Knight Rises. Frankly, the reason I'm not even sure I'm qualified to talk about it is because I have been avoiding it like the plague. Do you know how many reviews I expect to read before I see the film Thursday night? None. I know what I expect from the movie, and I know what I think I'll get. I don't need to read a review before seeing it because I know I am going to see it.*
I spend a lot of time on Reddit, and I keep seeing headings that talk about random news stories spoiling the movie. Letterman was accused of letting something slip while talking to Hathaway. Certain channels have been called out. At this point, I doubt they're actually ruining the film. I'm sure they're being careful to not ruin anything, as I'm sure there would be fines attached. Sometimes, even the hint of a spoiler can be terrible though.
Trailers nowadays tend to give away much too much of films. Last night, there was a Dark Knight Rises promo on that Mark pointed out. I specifically avoided watching it.** I want to know as little as possible when I walk into the film. I have an idea of what is going to happen, or rather I have an idea of what I think will happen. I could be wrong; I could be right. What I'm not going to do is tell you what I expect. That would color your view and experience, and I don't want that. I'll write my spoiler free review after I see the movie, but if you don't read it before you see it, I won't be all butt hurt. I'll understand.
*I've had my tickets for the marathon since June 13th, and I've been planning on taking opening day off since last year, before I even knew the exact release date. I have a problem.
I spend a lot of time on Reddit, and I keep seeing headings that talk about random news stories spoiling the movie. Letterman was accused of letting something slip while talking to Hathaway. Certain channels have been called out. At this point, I doubt they're actually ruining the film. I'm sure they're being careful to not ruin anything, as I'm sure there would be fines attached. Sometimes, even the hint of a spoiler can be terrible though.
Trailers nowadays tend to give away much too much of films. Last night, there was a Dark Knight Rises promo on that Mark pointed out. I specifically avoided watching it.** I want to know as little as possible when I walk into the film. I have an idea of what is going to happen, or rather I have an idea of what I think will happen. I could be wrong; I could be right. What I'm not going to do is tell you what I expect. That would color your view and experience, and I don't want that. I'll write my spoiler free review after I see the movie, but if you don't read it before you see it, I won't be all butt hurt. I'll understand.
*I've had my tickets for the marathon since June 13th, and I've been planning on taking opening day off since last year, before I even knew the exact release date. I have a problem.
Sunday, July 15, 2012
Wahl Hair Clippers
I'm not a fancy lady. I don't wear make-up, and I don't know if what I do to my hair counts as styling. It seems, however, that I am able to handle a set of Wahl hair clippers when Mark needs a cut.*
At least six years ago**, we decided that it was silly for Mark to get his hair cut at a salon/barber shop. When we first met, it made sense. I think his mom had been cutting his hair, and when she moved, I wasn't brave enough to do it. See, he kept it kinda long; it was very early 90's/late 80's.*** When we realized a shorter hair cut was more flattering, we decided to pick up a set of Wahl clippers.
I grew up in a house where all three of the guys would get their hair buzzed. I remember them doing it outside in the summer months. It was funny because they usually all had it done around the same time, especially before vacation. As such, the sound of the clippers reminds me of home.****
With some trepidation, I started cutting Mark's hair for him. The Wahl clippers make it exceedingly easy. It comes with a multitude of plastic guides that allow you to cut the hair to the desired length. For example, we usually you the number two or three when cutting Mark's hair, as well as the two ends that are to be used around the ears.
Our clippers are over six years old, and we've never had a problem with them. At one point in time, they started pulling when used. All I had to do was oil the blade, and they were back to perfect working condition. Maybe it sounds difficult, but oiling the blade was very simple. The oil was even included in the kit.
I'm sure many of you already have hair clippers, but if you do not and want to save some money, pick up a set from your local Wal-Mart or Target, whichever suits you. It's nigh impossible to mess up a haircut using the Wahl clippers.***** Besides, anything you do will grow back eventually.******
*Except for that one time.
**Maybe even longer ago...
***Imagine a nerdier version of that blond kid from Saved by the Bell. I never watched that show, and I refuse to go look up his name. I'm going to guess it was Zack or something of the sort.
****I know it's weird; don't judge me.
*****It really wasn't my fault that Mark's cut got messed up today.
******Maybe Mark shouldn't have left the number one guide on the clippers. Who would expect that he used them to trim his beard. He has a beard trimmer for that. I can't be held responsible for using the piece that was left on the clippers last time; I figured it was the one we always use.
At least six years ago**, we decided that it was silly for Mark to get his hair cut at a salon/barber shop. When we first met, it made sense. I think his mom had been cutting his hair, and when she moved, I wasn't brave enough to do it. See, he kept it kinda long; it was very early 90's/late 80's.*** When we realized a shorter hair cut was more flattering, we decided to pick up a set of Wahl clippers.
I grew up in a house where all three of the guys would get their hair buzzed. I remember them doing it outside in the summer months. It was funny because they usually all had it done around the same time, especially before vacation. As such, the sound of the clippers reminds me of home.****
With some trepidation, I started cutting Mark's hair for him. The Wahl clippers make it exceedingly easy. It comes with a multitude of plastic guides that allow you to cut the hair to the desired length. For example, we usually you the number two or three when cutting Mark's hair, as well as the two ends that are to be used around the ears.
Our clippers are over six years old, and we've never had a problem with them. At one point in time, they started pulling when used. All I had to do was oil the blade, and they were back to perfect working condition. Maybe it sounds difficult, but oiling the blade was very simple. The oil was even included in the kit.
I'm sure many of you already have hair clippers, but if you do not and want to save some money, pick up a set from your local Wal-Mart or Target, whichever suits you. It's nigh impossible to mess up a haircut using the Wahl clippers.***** Besides, anything you do will grow back eventually.******
*Except for that one time.
**Maybe even longer ago...
***Imagine a nerdier version of that blond kid from Saved by the Bell. I never watched that show, and I refuse to go look up his name. I'm going to guess it was Zack or something of the sort.
****I know it's weird; don't judge me.
*****It really wasn't my fault that Mark's cut got messed up today.
******Maybe Mark shouldn't have left the number one guide on the clippers. Who would expect that he used them to trim his beard. He has a beard trimmer for that. I can't be held responsible for using the piece that was left on the clippers last time; I figured it was the one we always use.
Saturday, July 14, 2012
Hudson's Surfside Flea Market
I am by no means an expert on flea markets. Because of my mom, I've been to quite a few, but I don't go often enough to be a great judge of them, and I never seem to find any amazing deals or items. When we do need something a bit odd, we will visit Hudson's Surfside Flea Market, located just south of Myrtle Beach.
I've been to flea markets* that are largely in the open, with a few self made stalls. Hudson's is actually a series of buildings that kind of remind me of the barns at the fair. You go in one end and out the other, with each building joined close to the one end. There are spots where you go outside to swap buildings, but inclement weather wouldn't stop this flea market. It's just a shame there isn't air conditioning. It wasn't even that hot today, but it sure felt like it in there. A lot of the merchants had fans going, but it wasn't doing much good.
Hudson's is more of a random stuff flea market than an antique flea market. I know many are hybrids of the two, but Hudson's seems to lean a bit more towards things like kitchen goods, lotions, jewelry, swords, and the like. There are some anchor "stores" like the one kitchen goods stall. They've gone so far as to carpet their area, which makes it look pretty nice. It seems that most of the sellers at Hudson's are permanent. I know in our visits, it doesn't seem as if much has changed.
We went today to look for some color changing lipstick that my grandmother wanted, but I was unsuccessful in my quest. I found plenty of other types of lipstick, but none that changed colors. I guess some things do change, as they had it last year.
On a side note, there is a really messy stall that sells swords, canes, and other assorted junk. Mark is pretty sure that Excalibur resides somewhere in there, and only the chosen one can find it. Unfortunately, there isn't enough hand sanitizer in the world to get me rooting through those goods.
If you're looking for a fun flea market experience, you should check out Hudson's. They have pretty good hours throughout the summer and a vast array of goods. If you're mainly interested in antiques, I wouldn't bother. Frankly, the worst part of Hudson's is getting there. The traffic today was horrendous.
*That is just a terrible name for anything...flea market. It sounds so unsanitary.
I've been to flea markets* that are largely in the open, with a few self made stalls. Hudson's is actually a series of buildings that kind of remind me of the barns at the fair. You go in one end and out the other, with each building joined close to the one end. There are spots where you go outside to swap buildings, but inclement weather wouldn't stop this flea market. It's just a shame there isn't air conditioning. It wasn't even that hot today, but it sure felt like it in there. A lot of the merchants had fans going, but it wasn't doing much good.
Hudson's is more of a random stuff flea market than an antique flea market. I know many are hybrids of the two, but Hudson's seems to lean a bit more towards things like kitchen goods, lotions, jewelry, swords, and the like. There are some anchor "stores" like the one kitchen goods stall. They've gone so far as to carpet their area, which makes it look pretty nice. It seems that most of the sellers at Hudson's are permanent. I know in our visits, it doesn't seem as if much has changed.
We went today to look for some color changing lipstick that my grandmother wanted, but I was unsuccessful in my quest. I found plenty of other types of lipstick, but none that changed colors. I guess some things do change, as they had it last year.
On a side note, there is a really messy stall that sells swords, canes, and other assorted junk. Mark is pretty sure that Excalibur resides somewhere in there, and only the chosen one can find it. Unfortunately, there isn't enough hand sanitizer in the world to get me rooting through those goods.
If you're looking for a fun flea market experience, you should check out Hudson's. They have pretty good hours throughout the summer and a vast array of goods. If you're mainly interested in antiques, I wouldn't bother. Frankly, the worst part of Hudson's is getting there. The traffic today was horrendous.
*That is just a terrible name for anything...flea market. It sounds so unsanitary.
Friday, July 13, 2012
Edward's Singles
A little while back, I reviewed Edward's Peanut Butter Cup Ice Cream. Did you know they also make pies? Most likely, you knew about the pies before the ice cream. At least, that's how it happened for me. What I didn't know was that they sold the pies in single slices!
I'm sure most people are just happy to have an entire pie. In our household, that means a waste of half a pie. We just can't finish them before they go bad. The beauty of these singles is that we don't waste anything! You pick what you want, and you get two slices.
Mark opted for Key Lime, which he said was very good. I had the chocolate cream pie, and it was delicious! It's exactly like the Hershey's Cream Pie that they have at Burger King. It's also much cheaper this way.
We picked up our pie slices at BiLo in the freezer section. You have the option of eating them frozen immediately, or you can toss them in the fridge for an hour to have them a little softer. They keep for a day or two, and each slice is in its own box. You don't have to worry about the piece you haven't eaten getting yucky on the edges since it has its own temporary home.
If you want some pie but can't eat a whole one, check out Edward's Singles, found in the freezer section. They taste good, and they come in smaller portions to help you keep from wasting them. Pie should never be wasted.
I'm sure most people are just happy to have an entire pie. In our household, that means a waste of half a pie. We just can't finish them before they go bad. The beauty of these singles is that we don't waste anything! You pick what you want, and you get two slices.
Mark opted for Key Lime, which he said was very good. I had the chocolate cream pie, and it was delicious! It's exactly like the Hershey's Cream Pie that they have at Burger King. It's also much cheaper this way.
We picked up our pie slices at BiLo in the freezer section. You have the option of eating them frozen immediately, or you can toss them in the fridge for an hour to have them a little softer. They keep for a day or two, and each slice is in its own box. You don't have to worry about the piece you haven't eaten getting yucky on the edges since it has its own temporary home.
If you want some pie but can't eat a whole one, check out Edward's Singles, found in the freezer section. They taste good, and they come in smaller portions to help you keep from wasting them. Pie should never be wasted.
Thursday, July 12, 2012
Hardee's
To put it simply, it is rare that fast food is a good choice. People eat fast food because it's cheap, fast, and easy.* Too often, I find myself in that position, with little time to find noms. Tonight, Mark had a work/social event he had to attend, which left me with little time to find nourishment. As such, I grabbed some Hardee's.
The first of Hardee's smart choices was having Coke products. I always think less of establishments serving Pepsi products. They're bad; accept it.
Their second wise decision was to make amazing chicken tenders. When we first moved here, I went through a phase where all I wanted were chicken tenders with honey mustard. I must have tried them at almost any restaurant we visited that had them, and I must say that Hardee's has the best chicken tenders. While it is annoying that you must wait so long for them, it's worth it because they are so tasty. They're made fresh, and that's a good move. Sometimes, they have little bits of hard breading, but on the whole, they're tasty and well made.
Hardee's third positive move would be the onion rings. They remind me of ones you would get at the drive-in, if I could still get to a drive-in. They are more of a tempura type batter, rather than a heavy breading. The onions are easy to bite through, and the onion rings smell good too. I'm rather picky when it comes to onion rings, and Hardee's does a good job with them. They may not be the best, but they're up there.
We've established that fast food is never a good choice, but if you have chicken tenders and onion rings from Hardee's, at least it's gonna taste good. Mr. Kitty thinks the chicken tenders are amazing. I know his opinion doesn't carry much weight since he poops in a box, but he's a fancy cat.
*I'm not going to make a joke about your mom, but I thought about it.
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Walt Disney World Customer Service (Phone)
Hi. My name is Holly, and I'm a Disney addict. As such, when the opportunity presents itself, I will escape to Disney. Imagine my thought process when I realized I would be attending a wedding in Miami, Florida. For those of you unfamiliar with the geography, Orlando is between Myrtle Beach and Miami. This translates into a perfect opportunity for a weekend getaway for Mark and I.
After I wandered around on the website, checking out deals and prices, we finally decided to call 407-WDisney to make a room reservation. We called from the car because we figured it would be best if we could both talk to the cast-member. When you first connect, you have to interact with an automated system. I really don't like having to do that. It's one thing when you have to hit a couple numbers to direct your call, but it's quite annoying to have to say and spell your name. You also have to give parts of your address. I was very impressed with how the system was able to understand Mark's answers. It understood his name when he spelled it, which was surprising.
We were on hold for a few minutes, but before too long, Sweetie* answered our call. On a side note, I like being on hold when I call Disney because I get to listen to Disney music. It makes me happy.** Luckily, Sweetie kept up the good vibes by being incredibly friendly and knowledgable. She was able to answer all of my questions, and she helped us make the best decision regarding package versus room only reservations. She was able to tell us a few things we needed to check out at our resort of choice, and it's nice when you feel like the person you're speaking to knows what they're talking about.
I know I spoke very highly of the phone center contacts at Universal a short while ago. I'm happy to report that Sweetie was on par, if not better than, the Universal rep. That's high praise after how great the Universal girl was at her job. The only other thing I could have asked for was for her to have the ability to look into dining reservations, but I imagine they can't know everything.
*I'm not even making that up. Frankly, it was a very well suited name for her. She was indeed sweet.
**I told you I had a problem.
After I wandered around on the website, checking out deals and prices, we finally decided to call 407-WDisney to make a room reservation. We called from the car because we figured it would be best if we could both talk to the cast-member. When you first connect, you have to interact with an automated system. I really don't like having to do that. It's one thing when you have to hit a couple numbers to direct your call, but it's quite annoying to have to say and spell your name. You also have to give parts of your address. I was very impressed with how the system was able to understand Mark's answers. It understood his name when he spelled it, which was surprising.
We were on hold for a few minutes, but before too long, Sweetie* answered our call. On a side note, I like being on hold when I call Disney because I get to listen to Disney music. It makes me happy.** Luckily, Sweetie kept up the good vibes by being incredibly friendly and knowledgable. She was able to answer all of my questions, and she helped us make the best decision regarding package versus room only reservations. She was able to tell us a few things we needed to check out at our resort of choice, and it's nice when you feel like the person you're speaking to knows what they're talking about.
I know I spoke very highly of the phone center contacts at Universal a short while ago. I'm happy to report that Sweetie was on par, if not better than, the Universal rep. That's high praise after how great the Universal girl was at her job. The only other thing I could have asked for was for her to have the ability to look into dining reservations, but I imagine they can't know everything.
*I'm not even making that up. Frankly, it was a very well suited name for her. She was indeed sweet.
**I told you I had a problem.
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Dressbarn
About a year ago, I decided to try and dress fancier for work. This led me to the Dressbarn, a very nice clothing store with a very unfortunate name.* I had heard good things about them from my boss, and I was trying to improve my work wardrobe. It turns out that they have a nice selection of both casual and work minded clothing.
I have visited two locations. One store is located in our Coastal Grand Mall, here in Myrtle Beach. The other store I was in was in the Tanger Outlets on 17. Both stores are set up similarly, with the left hand side of the store for your more standard sizes, and the right hand side for the voluptuous among us. That right there is a genius move. You're not wandering around, wondering if you're in the wrong place. I'm always afraid to be browsing in a department with clothes that won't fit me. My greatest fear is to accidentally wander into the maternity section!**
The clothes are a variety of styles and colors. There is really something for everyone there. In the fall, they even have some jackets. Apparently, there is a line of swimwear, but it's not available in the stores I frequent.
Dressbarn can be a little pricey, but fortunately, they have frequent sales. For example, I bought a couple dresses at half off, followed by an additional 25% off. There was no gimmick. Just buy off the one rack and save a bundle.
I now own around seven or eight dresses, and they've all worn well. I can throw all of them in the washer and most in the dryer. I've picked up some tops, as well; they're wash and wear. The most difficult item to care for is a pair of awesome pants I bought that have a sheer pant over a solid, and I just have to hand wash those. The clothes don't seem to shrink and stand up well. The only item I have that hasn't lasted is a pair of shorts that wore out near the one belt loop. I'm only upset about it because I really liked them; they fit well. I got them on clearance last year, so they've been worn a lot.
Dressbarn also stands above other similar stores because the employees are incredibly helpful. Of course, not all employees are amazing, but when you find good ones, it is a pleasure to shop there. On my first visit, the girl helped me find multiple items that she thought would look good on me. She had a great eye and became one of my favorite reasons to go to Dressbarn. At the time, she was at the shop in the mall. She disappeared a while ago; I recently re-discovered her working at the outlet location. As such, that's my new favorite location. She always asks me about Mark if he isn't with me, and she continues to help me find awesome outfits.
I did have a negative experience at the mall location the other day. Someone had put three different sizes of a particular dress on the sale rack. I took one to try on then took another that was a different size. When I went to pay, they informed me that all of the items were put away on the wrong rack. They acknowledged that the entire stock of that dress was on that sale rack, but they wouldn't honor the sale. I understand why, but it felt like less than stellar customer service. I'll be shopping at the outlet location from now on.
Don't be turned off by the name. If you're looking for some nice clothes, wander around Dressbarn. Most likely, one of the very nice employees will even offer to start you a room if you have items you're carrying around. The clothes stand up well to constant wear and are easy to care for. Your value increases even more when you buy stuff on sale.
*Seriously, who wants to shop in a barn?? I like barns, but that's where I go to see tasty animals.
**That stuff's contagious!
Monday, July 9, 2012
Indo
Periodically, Mark finds himself craving Thai food. This wouldn't be a problem if it weren't for the fact that I just haven't had a good experience with Thai food yet. When Mark started asking for Thai, we decided to go try Indo, which has Thai, sushi, and hibachi meals. I like hibachi, so I figured we would both be able to find something palatable.
I don't know or understand what Mark got, so this review will mainly follow my food adventure. I suppose I should start with the setting. Indo is located near the Lowe's food center in the Grand Dunes area of Myrtle Beach. The restaurant is round on one side, which gives it a neat appearance. The colors are appropriate, a tan and black motif. The artwork is generic but fitting. The incredibly nice employees wear black, which looks quite professional, and there is a nice bar for both sushi and beverages. The restaurant was quite dim, and the music was a bit unusual for the setting. If we had been eating in, I'm not sure if the setting would have bothered me more. It was quite warm in the restaurant.
I ordered a hibachi meal of chicken and steak, with the steak well done. My meal came with hibachi rice and soup or salad. To be on the safe side, I went with a salad with ranch dressing. For both our meals and the appetizer Mark ordered, the total was around $40. This is a nicer restaurant with prices that reflect that.
We took our food home so we could watch Justified while we ate. My rice was actually really good. It had amazing flavor. There was egg in the rice, which I don't really care for. I picked it out, but the extra work didn't make the rice any less tasty. My steak and chicken seemed a bit overdone, but that might have only been because we took our meals to go. They say the meat keeps cooking for a bit. The salad was pretty typical, but the ranch dressing was really good. Frankly, if a salad doesn't have cheese on it, I'm a bit sad. This salad made me melancholy.
Indo was actually pretty good. If it were a bit less expensive, I would probably go back more often. If I'm going to spend that kind of money, though, I'll visit Miyabi. We'll probably end up at Indo when Mark has a hankering for Thai food; he said his meal was alright. He says that about most Thai food though.
I don't know or understand what Mark got, so this review will mainly follow my food adventure. I suppose I should start with the setting. Indo is located near the Lowe's food center in the Grand Dunes area of Myrtle Beach. The restaurant is round on one side, which gives it a neat appearance. The colors are appropriate, a tan and black motif. The artwork is generic but fitting. The incredibly nice employees wear black, which looks quite professional, and there is a nice bar for both sushi and beverages. The restaurant was quite dim, and the music was a bit unusual for the setting. If we had been eating in, I'm not sure if the setting would have bothered me more. It was quite warm in the restaurant.
I ordered a hibachi meal of chicken and steak, with the steak well done. My meal came with hibachi rice and soup or salad. To be on the safe side, I went with a salad with ranch dressing. For both our meals and the appetizer Mark ordered, the total was around $40. This is a nicer restaurant with prices that reflect that.
We took our food home so we could watch Justified while we ate. My rice was actually really good. It had amazing flavor. There was egg in the rice, which I don't really care for. I picked it out, but the extra work didn't make the rice any less tasty. My steak and chicken seemed a bit overdone, but that might have only been because we took our meals to go. They say the meat keeps cooking for a bit. The salad was pretty typical, but the ranch dressing was really good. Frankly, if a salad doesn't have cheese on it, I'm a bit sad. This salad made me melancholy.
Indo was actually pretty good. If it were a bit less expensive, I would probably go back more often. If I'm going to spend that kind of money, though, I'll visit Miyabi. We'll probably end up at Indo when Mark has a hankering for Thai food; he said his meal was alright. He says that about most Thai food though.
Sunday, July 8, 2012
Final Destination 5
From the moment the film starts, Final Destination is hokey and cartoony. Needless to say, this is kind of expected from the franchise at this point and is part of why it makes for a fun movie. I've never been a big fan of the gory deaths, but I do enjoy seeing the Rube Goldberg of it all. I actually considered pausing the movie to review it in real time, but I settled for just taking a few notes.
- Final Destination 5 is hokey. Because we've been over this idea multiple times before, the filmmakers need to find new ways to twist the rules and setting. Let me just say that I caught on to where this was going well before the end. That being said, it was still a fun ride getting there.
- I have no idea what is wrong with Miles Fisher's eyebrows. Every time he was on screen, I was taken out of the film. Considering I had already set my suspension of disbelief as high as it goes, it would take a lot to pull me out at that point. Seriously, check out this guy's eyebrows. Granted, I refuse to pluck and probably have no right to talk. Let's move on.
- The characters are less characters at this point and more caricatures. You have the sleazy sexpot, who happens to be an unattractive tech support guy in this movie. I'm not sure how they thought that was believable. I suppose they thought the Fisher's eyebrows would distract from that.
- Part of my time spent watching Final Destination movies is spent figuring out how I would try to survive. I know that wouldn't happen; I would die screaming. Regardless, it's fun to try and hypothesize. Am I the only one who does this?
- Someone gets hit with a cable that breaks and essentially disintegrates. It made me laugh out loud. I would say there was a fine red mist was all that was left, but that would require the filmmakers to have restraint. Because both the amount of blood and the color are so cartoon like, it's hard to take the movie seriously in that respect.
- It seems that most movies like this cast actors that are too old to as high school kids. This film is the reverse. These actors are supposed to be finished with college or in college, and they don't look nearly old enough.
- Having them work at a paper supplier made me constantly think of the Office. Granted, this movie was funnier than the Office has been lately.
- There is a bit of an acknowledgement to the absurdity of it all, and I appreciate that.
- Of course, the movie commits one of the cardinal movie sins; it flashes back to itself. If you can't remember something you saw at the beginning of the movie, go back to watching Power Rangers or Dora the Explore, whichever you prefer.
- I appreciate a film that uses cheap 3D tricks when appropriate. While I didn't watch this movie in 3D, it was obviously made to exploit stuff being thrown at you. The entire opening credits sequence is stuff flying out from the screen. I'm gonna go ahead and give the filmmakers bonus points for that.
If you go into Final Destination 5 expecting a good movie, you're gonna have a bad time. If you go in expecting more of the same, you'll get what you're expecting. I had a lot of fun with this movie, but it was by no means a good movie. Frankly, my favorite Final Destination film is still the third one. With classic lines like, "What the fuck is a Bruin anyway?", we all win.*
As a final thought, it's always fun to see Tony Todd; he's a great "that guy".
*Come on, Ryan. If you're out there, back me up!
Saturday, July 7, 2012
The 2012 Ford Focus
Until recently, the only car I had ever driven was a 2006 Saturn Ion with the really neat suicide doors. It was red! After the car betrayed me, we began looking for something to replace it. After much hullabaloo, we ended up with a 2012 Ford Focus.
Let's get the general stuff out of the way. It's the middle package. There is no sunroof, but it does have a sport shift.* It's a sparkly black color.** It has four doors and is a hatchback.*** If we don't like it after three years, we can get something else, since we leased it.
Now, let me list all the awesome things about our new car for you!
Let's get the general stuff out of the way. It's the middle package. There is no sunroof, but it does have a sport shift.* It's a sparkly black color.** It has four doors and is a hatchback.*** If we don't like it after three years, we can get something else, since we leased it.
- There is a touchscreen in the dashboard. I can use it to change entertainment, phone, climate control, and other various settings. Also, Batman!*****
- The car is an extension of my phone. I hit a button on the steering wheel, tell the car who to call, and it calls them! I have never driven and made calls before, as I'm not that talented. Now, I can call and bother whomever I want while zooming around town.
- The back is actually pretty roomy. It's much better than the Saturn for space.
- There are climate controls for each side of the car.
- I can control my iPod from the steering wheel.
- I can control the radio from the steering wheel.
- I can control the CD player from the steering wheel.
- I can change between all the things I can control, all using buttons on the steering wheel.
- Two words...ambient lighting. There is lighting above our feet, on the doors, and in the cup holders. We can even change the color, as well as the brightness.******
- There are two trip odometers. We can use one to track our weekly miles (lease), and we can use the other one for whatever makes me happy.
- There is an additional screen, about the size of a playing card, in front of the driver that displays such as: Odometer 1, Odometer 2, Miles Until Empty, Fuel Efficiency, and some other information that is less fun.
- There is a smaller, secondary mirror on the upper outside corners of both side-view mirrors that gives you a different view. It makes it much easier when merging.
- The bottom of the cup-holder comes out. This means you can take it out and wash it if you get crumbs or a sticky beverage in it.
As with any new toy, there are some things I am not so fond of.
- The driver dials (speedometer, temperature gauge, etc.) are located directly in front of the driver, behind the steering wheel. In our Saturn, they were in the center of the dash, unimpeded from view. In the Focus, the steering wheel gets in the way. I know the Saturn was the weird one, but I was used to it.
- The gas and brake are very sensitive. I'm sure I look like an inexperienced driver sometimes, when the car is jerking about.*******
- The really nifty extra mirrors on the side-view mirrors sometimes confuse me. I'm happy they are there, but I am still getting used to them.
- I absolutely hate the headrests. They til forward too much. Our Saturn has no center in the headrests. This allowed me, someone who usually has her hair up, to still comfortably use the headrests. Now, I feel like I have to take my hair down to drive.
All in all, I really like the new car. I'm sure more things will come up that I both love and hate, but I like to be angry about stuff, so it's only natural.******** I am afraid the car is like the one from Christine. It attacked an orange cone the other day, and I just couldn't stop it. I guess if you're not an orange cone, you should be find.
*Which I have no freaking clue how to use.
**It's black, but it has glittery sparkles when the sun hits it, kind of like those "vampires"*** from the Twilight books.
***I use that term loosely.
****If I was crazy, I would carve the numbers from the Lost hatch into it because that would be cool.
*****Also, sorry about the quality. I spent all my energy getting it to say "Batmobile".
******Mark insists that our car is a space ship.
*******Or it just looks like I'm having a really good time. I'm not sure which.
********Ask Mark; he'll tell you all about it.
Friday, July 6, 2012
The Amazing Spider-Man
Let's get something straight. I was completely against this film from the beginning. For whatever reason, when I first saw Spider-Man 2, I loved it. It was probably one of my top three superhero movies for quite some time. It probably spent time at number one. As such, it didn't seem right to be clearing the slate and starting over again already. This is not to say that I didn't think Spider-Man would need to be redone. After the mess that was Spider-Man 3, there was no going back with that cast, with that crew. I get that, but that doesn't mean a reboot was already warranted when the most recent trilogy was not all bad.
Sometimes, Hollywood proves me wrong.
While I went into the Amazing Spider-Man completely uninterested, the film won me over. I had no desire to see the movie, but I went. I tend to like superhero movies, and while I was annoyed at the audacity, I respected their right to try again. I'm glad I went.
For the filmmakers, the first step they took in the right direction was landing a great cast. Andrew Garfield plays Spider-Man beautifully. I can watch Emma Stone do pretty much anything, so her awesomeness was a given. Even though I felt his talent was a bit under-utilized, Ryhs Ifans is a great actor. As much as I like Dennis Leary, he felt a bit stale to me.
Much of the film felt less than fresh, but that's to be expected when you're covering the same ground that was so recently explored. What's nice is that they tried to make it their own without being untrue to the source material, at least as I understand it. While I kept waiting for that classic Uncle Ben line, they chose to approach it differently. While some could be annoyed at that omission, I felt it was a good move. They didn't want to just re-hash what we so recently saw.
My main complaint comes regarding some of the special effects and character design. The Spider-Man suit re-design is solid, but the Lizard design is the unholy offspring of Voldemort and a goomba from the Mario Bros. movie. That's not a pretty picture. For every well done and splendidly choreographed fight scene, there was a poorly CGI'd lizard or spider. If those were not CGI, I owe the animal kingdom an apology, but they looked pretty off to me.
A large amount of the time, I felt that the Lizard didn't look particularly real. As with any fantastical creature they try to portray in the real world, there is going to be some natural dissonance. I shouldn't compare this to another superhero movie, but the Hulk felt more real in the Avengers than the Lizard did here. It could just be character design that is the issue. Either way, the Lizard needed a bit more work.
The dialogue and over-all story arc were quite good. The film moved at a good pace but didn't feel rushed. There was no push to get to the costume. There was no rush to have a confrontation between Spider-Man and the Lizard. It felt organic. Action beats happened when they were supposed to, which just happened to be when they were needed. Also, any film that manages to fit in three montages without seeming obvious about it deserves a high five where we all jump in the air and freeze frame.
As I am tired, here are some other thoughts on the film, in no particular order:
Sometimes, Hollywood proves me wrong.
While I went into the Amazing Spider-Man completely uninterested, the film won me over. I had no desire to see the movie, but I went. I tend to like superhero movies, and while I was annoyed at the audacity, I respected their right to try again. I'm glad I went.
For the filmmakers, the first step they took in the right direction was landing a great cast. Andrew Garfield plays Spider-Man beautifully. I can watch Emma Stone do pretty much anything, so her awesomeness was a given. Even though I felt his talent was a bit under-utilized, Ryhs Ifans is a great actor. As much as I like Dennis Leary, he felt a bit stale to me.
Much of the film felt less than fresh, but that's to be expected when you're covering the same ground that was so recently explored. What's nice is that they tried to make it their own without being untrue to the source material, at least as I understand it. While I kept waiting for that classic Uncle Ben line, they chose to approach it differently. While some could be annoyed at that omission, I felt it was a good move. They didn't want to just re-hash what we so recently saw.
My main complaint comes regarding some of the special effects and character design. The Spider-Man suit re-design is solid, but the Lizard design is the unholy offspring of Voldemort and a goomba from the Mario Bros. movie. That's not a pretty picture. For every well done and splendidly choreographed fight scene, there was a poorly CGI'd lizard or spider. If those were not CGI, I owe the animal kingdom an apology, but they looked pretty off to me.
A large amount of the time, I felt that the Lizard didn't look particularly real. As with any fantastical creature they try to portray in the real world, there is going to be some natural dissonance. I shouldn't compare this to another superhero movie, but the Hulk felt more real in the Avengers than the Lizard did here. It could just be character design that is the issue. Either way, the Lizard needed a bit more work.
The dialogue and over-all story arc were quite good. The film moved at a good pace but didn't feel rushed. There was no push to get to the costume. There was no rush to have a confrontation between Spider-Man and the Lizard. It felt organic. Action beats happened when they were supposed to, which just happened to be when they were needed. Also, any film that manages to fit in three montages without seeming obvious about it deserves a high five where we all jump in the air and freeze frame.
As I am tired, here are some other thoughts on the film, in no particular order:
- There was once scene in particular that arachnophobic individuals will struggle with. I don't have an unusual aversion to spiders, and it creeped me out.*
- There was no need to have a horror movie moment starring Gwen Stacy. You guys are better than that.
- The Spider-Man Jesus pose at the end made me laugh.
- So did the birds.
- I never did figure out why Spider-Man didn't use the Lizard's tail to overcome the damage reduction. It works in pretty much every other movie.
- Martin Sheen is a wonderful actor, but he looked like an old lady in this film.
- Peter Parker....or Peter Parkour?
- I don't like heights, and I don't like being up high.
Don't be like me and assume this movie is unneeded and a bad idea. The filmmakers have put together something great here. It doesn't lessen the first two Spider-Man films. It does something different and should be respected as such. It's a lot of fun.
*I'll bet Tara knows which scene I'm referring to...
Thursday, July 5, 2012
Schwarzkopf Professional Bonacure Hairtherapy - Color Save
I'm not a fancy person. I maybe blow dry my hair once a week. I don't own a lot of hair care products, but I do have Schwarzkopf Professional Bonacure Hairtherapy - Color Save. Now, I don't know what the actual name is; I just copied down all the prominent words. The important thing is what this stuff does.
After you shower, you put a little bit in your hands. You then massage it gently into the ends of your hair. They tell you to use it sparingly because it makes your hair harder to dry. Luckily, a little goes a long way. After you use the Schwarzkopf Professional Bonacure Hairtherapy - Color Save, you just blow dry your hair as normal.
Now, let me tell you some of the reasons this stuff is awesome!
After you shower, you put a little bit in your hands. You then massage it gently into the ends of your hair. They tell you to use it sparingly because it makes your hair harder to dry. Luckily, a little goes a long way. After you use the Schwarzkopf Professional Bonacure Hairtherapy - Color Save, you just blow dry your hair as normal.
Now, let me tell you some of the reasons this stuff is awesome!
- It smells great, and it makes your hair smell great.
- It softens the ends of your hair. Generally, that's the part of your hair that needs help.
- It makes your hair feel healthier. For a day or two after I use this stuff, my hair doesn't tangle as much and feels better.
Really, the only bad characteristic is the lack of a discernible name. Schwarzkopf Professional Bonacure Hairtherapy - Color Save* is a mouthful. It was a bit on the expensive side, but it was no more expensive than anything else you buy at a salon.
*It's also a pain to type. Copy and paste is your friend!
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
Adventure Time
There are certain movies and television shows that I get really excited when I notice that they're on. If I see that Avatar is on, I will almost always put it on. It's not that I think it's a great movie, but it is good background noise. If the Lord of the Rings trilogy is on, I have to watch it. It's an excellent trio of films. Game of Thrones is another amazing show that I am compelled to watch. Today, I was flipping channels and discovered that Adventure Time was on; it's another one of those shows that I have to watch.
Adventure Time is an animated series on Cartoon Network that chronicles the adventures of Finn, a human, and Jake, his friend the stretchy dog, as they attempt to become heroes. The animation style is very bright and whimsical, with appropriate atmosphere when called for. I just watched a zombie episode, and it was great.
As with a great many pieces of entertainment that I enjoy, Adventure Time makes reference to pop culture. The zombie episode I just watched had a line from Army of Darkness in it. The show seems like it would be okay for kids while still entertaining to me. The episode I am now watching just referenced werewolf rules. Each episode is littered with references and ideas that I find fascinating and/or humorous.
If you want something to watch that is entertaining but not demanding, try watching Adventure Time. It's possible your kids are already watching it, and it is a kid's cartoon that isn't annoying for adults. Heck, they've even won an Emmy.
Adventure Time is an animated series on Cartoon Network that chronicles the adventures of Finn, a human, and Jake, his friend the stretchy dog, as they attempt to become heroes. The animation style is very bright and whimsical, with appropriate atmosphere when called for. I just watched a zombie episode, and it was great.
As with a great many pieces of entertainment that I enjoy, Adventure Time makes reference to pop culture. The zombie episode I just watched had a line from Army of Darkness in it. The show seems like it would be okay for kids while still entertaining to me. The episode I am now watching just referenced werewolf rules. Each episode is littered with references and ideas that I find fascinating and/or humorous.
If you want something to watch that is entertaining but not demanding, try watching Adventure Time. It's possible your kids are already watching it, and it is a kid's cartoon that isn't annoying for adults. Heck, they've even won an Emmy.
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