VH Corner » 2008 » November

Nov 30 2008

Top Chef: Foo Thanksgiving

Category: Recaps,Top Chef,TV — velveetahead @ 1:19 pm

Here is a quick run down on the two challenges:

Quickfire Challenge: Put their own spin on a recipe from the Top Chef Cookbook // Use Swanson broth to make the recipe into a soup
Elimination Challenge: Prepare Thanksgiving dinner for the Foo Fighters & their entourage

The guest judge for this round was Grant Achatz, a James Beard award-winning chef, from Chicago. He is a molecular gastronomy chef and also recently battled cancer. I had read about him before. He had cancer of the tongue, which has to be the worst place for a chef! Before going into chemotherapy there was a chance that even if the cancer went into remission, he might lose his sense of taste. He did survive the treatments and the doctors were able to preserve his sense of taste. Yeah!

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Tags: foo fighters, New York, top chef

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Nov 26 2008

Movies Released November 26

Category: 2008,Movies,Opening — velveetahead @ 7:32 pm

Due to the holiday weekend, all the movies came out on Wednesday. Theonly Certified Fresh movie is the only limited release with Sean Penn playing Harvey Milk. None of the wide releases got very good reviews. There is the Baz Luhrmann epic love story about his home country, the dysfunctional family Christmas movie, and another sequel for Transporter.

Nationwide Releases

Australia
Transporter 3
Four Christmases

Australia
Directed: Baz Lhurmann
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Hugh Jackman, David Wenham, Jack Thompson
Trailer

Synopsis: Just before WWII, an Englishwoman goes to Australia to see about the land she inherited with the help of Hugh Jackman.

My Take: It looks good, but I heard Lhurmann edited it a bunch to make the studio happy and the story is now muddled. Maybe they’ll be a better director’s cut one day.

RT Score: 52%
RT Consensus: Built on lavish vistas and impeccable production, Australia is unfortunately burdened with thinly drawn characters and a lack of originality.

Continue reading “Movies Released November 26″

Tags: Australia, Baz Lhurmann, David Wenham, Emile Hirsch, Four Christmases, Francois Berleand, gus van sant, hugh jackman, Jack Thompson, James Franco, jason statham, jon favreau, josh brolin, Milk, Natalya Rudakova, nicole kidman, Oliver Megaton, reese witherspoon, robert duvall, Robert Knepper, Sean Penn, seth gordon, Transporter 3, vince vaughn

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Nov 26 2008

TAR: No Rhythm

Category: Amazing Race,Recaps,TV — velveetahead @ 12:57 am

Amazing Race
That Is Studly

Going into this leg, I am flabbergasted that Andrew and Dan are still in the race. They continuously make stupid mistakes and bicker, but manage to come in second to last place again and again. Then they lost their shoes in the last leg because they didn’t take them with them on purpose. Will they get new shoes or have to make due with nothing? Will this be the race they actually get cut or will they actually move into the final three?

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Tags: amazing race, moscow, russia

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Nov 23 2008

Top Chef: Clunky American Cuisine

Category: Recaps,Top Chef,TV — velveetahead @ 9:48 pm

Top Chef: New York
Show Your Craft

Here is a quick run down on the two challenges:

Quickfire Challenge: Create a signature hot dog
Elimination Challenge: Create a three-course New American lunch menu

What I have noticed while watching this show are the chefs that succeed are the ones that bring their own style into a challenge. The ones that fail are the ones that forget their strengths and are just concerned about doing something that is so out there, they end up doing something that they have never made before or some technique they are not familiar with. The good chefs can still make something they have never made before, but I think those are ones that are still calling on their strengths. The ones that have the opportunity to make something they have made before coming on the show, know how to make it well, and it still fits within the challenge parameters are the smart ones. They are there to show off their skills, not just to make the weirdest dish out there. If they are going to make the weird dish, then they should have figured out how to do it before they arrived.

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Tags: craft, New York, top chef

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Nov 23 2008

TV: Week of November 23

Category: TV,Upcoming — velveetahead @ 10:23 am

There are a few cable shows with shorter seasons that are finishing up this week and the only new thing happening is the 24 movie. The new season doesn’t start until January, but what his airing tonight is a two-hour movie that will connect the last season to the new one. There will also be the Christmas specials from Monk and Pscyh airing this week on Friday night.

Season Finales: True Blood, Entourage, Dancing With the Stars, The Shield, Sons of Anarchy

Pick of the Week

24
Channel: FOX
Time: 8/7c
Premieres: Sunday, November 23
Starring: Kiefer Sutherland, Cherry Jones, Robert Carlyle, Gil Bellows, Jon Voight
Trailer

Synopsis: Jack Bauer is on the run from the government so he escapes to Africa to start working as a missionary. He runs across children being recruited into the militia and is asked to help stop it.

My Take: Last season was horrible. The show has always been over the top, but it became too much and also boring that I actually quit watching it halfway through the season. I am willing to give the show another shot and see if this movie and next season improves what they tried to kill in Day 6.

Tags: 24, Cherry Jones, dancing with the stars, Entourage, Gil Bellows, jack bauer, Jon Voight, Kiefer Sutherland, monk, psych, robert carlyle, Sons of Anarchy, The Shield, True Blood

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Nov 22 2008

Spicy Chicken Sandwich

Category: Food,Recipes — velveetahead @ 3:29 pm

Chicken cutlets are encrusted with tortilla chip crumbs, which yield a satisfying crunch. You can also use spicy chips for more heat.

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Tags: spicy chicken sandwich

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Nov 21 2008

Movies Opening November 21

Category: 2008,Movies,Opening — velveetahead @ 1:09 pm

You might have heard tween girls screaming this week. That’s because Twilight was finally released. If you aren’t into emo vampires falling in love, then you have the option to watch the animated disillusioned doggie film, Bolt, that does have a cute hamster in it.

Nationwide Releases

Bolt
Twilight

Bolt
Directed: Chris Williams
Starring: John Travolta, Miley Cyrus, Susie Essman, Malcolm McDowell
Trailer

Synopsis: A dog is the star of a hit TV show, but he thinks the superpowers he has in the show are real, which becomes a problem when he gets accidentally shipped from Hollywood to New York City.

My Take: The hamster makes me laugh every time I see him in the ball.

RT Score: 84%
RT Consensus: Bolt is a pleasant animated comedy that overcomes the story’s familiarity with strong visuals and likable characters.

Continue reading “Movies Opening November 21″

Tags: Antonia Frering, Billy Burke, Bolt, Catherine Hardwicke, Chris Williams, Dalip Tahil, Dave Matthews, Hal Haberman, Hunter Hill, I Can't Think Straight, Jeremy Passmore, john travolta, Josh Peck, Judy McLane, Kristen Stewart, Lake City, Lisa Ray, Malcolm McDowell, Michael Rapaport, Miley Cyrus, paul blackthorne, Perry Moore, Peter Facinelli, Rebecca Romijn, Robert Baker, Robert Pattinson, Shamim Sarif, Sheetal Sheth, sissy spacek, Special, Susie Essman, Tanner Cohen, Tom Gustafson, Troy Garity, Twilight, Wendi Robie, Were the World Mine

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Nov 19 2008

Music Released November 18

Category: 2008,Music,Releases — velveetahead @ 10:21 pm

Below is a listing of some albums being released this week, links to the band’s website, where to buy it on Amazon.com and a video from YouTube so you can check out if you like it.

Possible Good Stuff

Artist: Stereophonics
Album: Decade in the Sun: Best of Stereophonics

RIYL: Snow Patrol, The Killers, Ryan Adams, Kaiser Chiefs, Oasis, Travis, Kings of Leon

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Tags: BBC Sessions, Belle & Sebastian, Best of Stereophonics, Decade in the Sun, Ladyhawke, Stereophonics

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Nov 18 2008

TAR: Mmm…Sheep Fat

Category: Amazing Race,Recaps,TV — velveetahead @ 9:48 pm

Amazing Race
I’m Like an Angry Cow

This leg of the race had an eating challenge. If anyone had watched the show in previous seasons and seen what the eating challenges have consisted of, they are almost always a lot of meat. I can’t remember one that didn’t have meat. If someone knew they had to eat something, why would they assume it would be vegetarian? It must be the same kind of thinking that believes barreling through the race without stopping to read clues is the way to win. It doesn’t work!

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Tags: amazing race, Kazakhstan

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Nov 15 2008

Top Chef: Technique or Inspiration?

Category: Recaps,Top Chef,TV — velveetahead @ 2:22 pm

Top Chef: New York
Melting Pot

Here is a quick run down on the two challenges:

Quickfire Challenge: Test of skill with three rounds: (1) peel 15 apples with a knife, (2) brunoise two cups of apples, (3) create a dish using apples.
Elimination Challenge: Create a dish inspired by ethnic neighborhoods

The very beginning of the episode was showing the different personalities of the chefs, which is good in some ways since there are so many of them, you can get them all confused. I watch the show for the food though so I don’t care too much about the behind the scenes drama that happens each season. I really like that the judges stay out of it and are completely in the dark until the season if finished filming and they are watching it along with everyone else on Bravo. I think the most interesting thing with all the different chefs this season is that two of them are from Europe. There is Stefan from Finland and Fabio from Italy. I like that they are mixing it up with people outside the U.S. and wonder why it took so long to happen.

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Tags: melting pot, New York, top chef

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