I wouldn’t be a bit surprised if Lincoln Barr’s record collection stopped sometime in the late 70’s after the first couple of Elvis Costello albums came out and Big Star’s Sister Lover hit the racks… and there ain’t anything wrong with that. With his laid back vocal delivery over strong power pop melodies Barr and the rest of the crew in Red Jacket Mine (no idea where that name…
There are very few contemporary writers like Sam Lipsyte who can mine the dark side so deftly for laughs, so thankfully he didn’t take too long to follow up 2010’s stellar The Ask with another book. Three years later, Lipsyte is back with Fun Parts, a collection of short stories very much in the same vein as his earlier efforts. This baker’s dozen of stories covers everything from geeks being…
Don Julio 1942’s golden tinge is showcased masterfully through the design of the bottle, which does not adorn or otherwise obfuscate the nectar that is contained within. After cracking into the bottle, imbibers will be approached with a nose that soars on the presence of sugar and molasses and more complex sub-notes of caramel and chocolate. Don Julio is absolutely unique when it comes to tequilas, and this…
This 2011 French-language film was a huge success in Europe, and I believe that the film’s plot will speak to American audiences in the same way. The duo – Francois Cluzet (Philippe) and Omar Sy (Driss) – has tremendous chemistry together. Driss is on unemployment and comes into Philippe’s life merely to get job search papers signed. By putting a wager of one week of service on the line,…
Very few in the way of films that are based off a video game work; there just are considerable plot points that are either missing or are too difficult to properly capture (Halo, Mass Effect). Company of Heroes is a title that is based on a trope that is equally popular in video games and films, ensuring that the title is considerably better than those set in sci-fi or historical…
Archeus begins Ride The Void, and it immediately calls forth the collective voices of symphonic metal (Scorpions, Queensryche); this brief moment of clarity immediately is shattered at the onset of Bestia Triumphans. During this track, Holy Grail is able to tie together Avenged Sevenfold with power metal and eighties heaviness alike. The production of Ride The Vooid is absolutely stellar, adding much-needed warmth to the release. The vocals of…
Bath Salt Zombies is a classic zombie film that will perform admirably in party or film buff circles. The cast unites to make a tale that is classic and contemporary (the bath salt epidemic) fashions. The film is given additional replay value through the inclusion of an amazing soundtrack, featuring cuts from Antiseen, The Meatmen, The Murder Junkies, and The Dwarves. After a government ban on bath salts block…
What a long strange trip it’s been over the past eight season for Nancy Botwin and clan. From a young suburban widow and mother of two selling weed in her upper middle class neighborhood to pay the bills, to the wife of a Mexican politician/drug lord and back to a widow selling weed, the protagonist of the dark comedy Weeds was numbingly stupid with her decisions, but it made for…
The malty flavor of the Dubbel Reserve is moderated nicely by the 7% ABV. This dark beer has hints of chocolate and coffee as a nutty flavor concludes the experience. The lack of carbonation in the Dubbel Reserve is absolutely perfect, as there is a smoothness that ensures that a bottle will be drained with the utmost quickness. With all of these facets considered, one would do better to…
This DVD has five episodes – Muddy Matters, Thomas and the Garbage Train, Don’t Bother Victor!, Whiff’s Wish, and Thomas Toots the Crows (Buzzy Bees is the bonus episode here). Each of the episodes will provide viewers with a moral while keeping them engaged. Muddy Matters has James transport sheep for a feature in the newspaper. The moral of this story is to always follow directions properly, as James…
Amazingly, the team behind HBO’s brilliant Game of Thrones managed to make the second season as thrilling as the first. The Stark family – the closest thing this series had to the Cleavers – is scattered across the territories with their patriarch now dead, and their frenemies the Lannisters are a little scattered as well, with war between kingdoms sending some off to fight. Meanwhile the creepy, little, evil boy King…
Girls perfectly blends comedy and drama in an always intense and compelling show. The first season of the show comprised 6 episodes, fictional retellings of Lena Dunham’s life in New York City. The cast clicks with Dunham perfectly, showcasing the ennui, brief victories, and overall unwieldiness of the second decade of life. I feel that the show’s presence on HBO allows Girls to be less restrained than it would…
Detroit: An American Autopsy is a not only a fantastically addictive read about how corruption and incompetence is killing the once majestic city of Detroit (ok majestic may be a stretch), but also manages to showcase a fearless, ballsy style of reporting that is almost nearly extinct as well thanks to the new face journalism, partisan to a fault and concerned about little more than click-ability. LeDuff’s life story…
Betancourt has just released a pre-workout, D-Stunner. D-Stunner provides those whom take it the energy that they need to properly complete they workout, along with the focus needed to add additional reps, sets, exercises, or personal records. D-Stunner is distinct from the rest of pre-workouts on the market due to the inclusion of tried and true compounds like Beta-alanine, Creatine monohydrate, L-carnitine and Quercertin with two formulations of B-Phenylethylamine (HCl…
The Peter Pan Diamond Edition is the definitive version of this Disney classic; the company has placed a great amount of additional features into this release. The stellar documentary that graced the DVD edition of Peter Pan has been re-issued, while there is a full 15 minutes of deleted scenes and songs pulled directly from the vault. The You Can Fly: The Making of Peter Pan showcases the different…
Metal Gear Rising Revengeance is the latest effort in the Metal Gear franchise, and Konami has ensured that the title deftly blends the mythos of previous titles while establishing a completely different feel to Metal Gear. The swordplay style that fuels Revengeance is reminiscent of Devil May Cry or Dynasty Warriors; this effort exceeds previous games in this genre in that there is a certain beauty to the fluidity…
The V/M+ supplement is a multi-vitamin for those working out casually and for those that are looking to make some sort of career of exercise, body-building, or powerlifting. V/M+ has a wide array of inclusions that will increase individual health considerably. The supplement includes CoQ10, which has been associated with greater heart health. A full complex of vitamins and minerals are here (Vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, B6, B12,…
Beverly Hills Teens was a mid-eighties show that had a moderately successful run through the last few months of 1987. Beverly Hills Teens was odd in that new episodes of the show were released every day of the week. This DVD set captures the first half of the shows run, with 32 episodes captured in total. The show has had specific episodes released on the VHS format, but…
In his brilliant debut of short stories, Jim Gavin manages to humorously cover a cross-section of sad men – of all ages – going mindlessly through the motions of life, some with hope, many without. The collection would be sad if not for Gavin’s knack for pointing out the humor in the mundane. The characters in the six (and a half) stories in Middle Men, cover everyone from an ambitious…
Thirty-three years after the made-up autobiography of the late Monty Python comedian Graham Chapman was first published, the movie adaption is finally out on DVD in Python’s trademark quirky style. The animated movie will be hilarious to Python fans, but likely little more head-scratchingly odd to those who never got into the troupe. It includes narration by Chapman himself (courtesy of a taped reading of his book prior to his…