Jan 31 2009

Top Chef: Super Flavors

Category: Recaps,Top Chef,TV — velveetahead @ 3:20 pm

510bodyslam

Top Chef: New York
Super Bowl Chef Showdown

Here is a quick run down on the two challenges:

  • Quickfire Challenge: Pair whole grain oats with food group to create an original dish.
  • Elimination Challenge: Create a dish based on the regional cuisine of a NFL team.

I love the show when it gets towards the end of the season since they are able to show the food more with fewer chefs. It also gives more time at Judges’ Table and hearing the judges talk about the food. That’s what I like hearing since I learn things. I never understood about acid in food before watching this show. The most I would ever say about a dish I tried would be, “It’s good” or “It’s bad.” Now I can pinpoint what I like or don’t like about something. It is quite educational!

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Jan 30 2009

Movies Opening January 30

Category: 2009 Movies,Movies,Opening — velveetahead @ 11:41 am

For Superbowl weekend, audiences have their pick of a thrill produced by Luc Benson (The Professional) that also has Liam Neeson in his first starring role; another horror remake, this time from Korea instead of Japan; and a romantic comedy where people really should be searching for Renee Zellweger’s eyes.

Nationwide Releases

Taken
The Uninvited
New in Town

taken

Taken
Directed: Pierre Morel
Starring: Liam Neeson, Maggie Grace, Leland Orser, Jon Gries, David Warshofsky
Trailer

Synopsis: Two young girls go to Paris on vacation where they get kidnapped. Good thing one of the girl’s dad is some bad ass that will find them and mess up the guys that took them.

My Take: Watching some get the bad guys and kick their butt can be satisfying but it looks to be on the verge of eye rolling.

RT Score: 54%
RT Consensus: Taken is undeniably fun with slick action, but is largely a brainless exercise.

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Jan 26 2009

Top Chef: Lack of Leadership

Category: Recaps,Top Chef,TV — velveetahead @ 9:06 pm

509restaurant

Top Chef: New York
Restaurant Wars

Here is a quick run down on the two challenges:

  • Quickfire Challenge: Create one dish to showcase a prospective restaurant concept.
  • Elimination Challenge: Plan, prep and open a restaurant for one night only.

Each season you would hope the chefs would learn from the mistakes of contestants in the past, but they never do. Some seem to focus on the wrong things or just don’t focus at all. So many times, the chefs are worried about the food, which is important, that they forget about picking the right person to run the front of the restaurant to play host and make the judges and customers feel comfortable. They seem to think the restaurant will run itself if the food is good enough, but that isn’t everything that someone remembers about a restaurant. They remember good service or having all of their silverware at the table. It happens each season, but each time there is restaurants wars on the show, at least one team and sometimes both, forget about the front of the house and how important it can be. If they are trying to show they are the Top Chef and can open and run their own restaurant, then they need to think beyond just the food. I think that’s why so many past executive chefs in this particular challenge end up being sent home since they either aren’t leading the team well or they are forgetting about the front of the house.

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Jan 23 2009

Movies Opening January 23

Category: 2009 Movies,Movies,Opening — velveetahead @ 8:54 pm

January is known for releasing the stuff no one wants to see, even though I do think a few movies look good, they don’t seem to have very good reviews from critics. I know Underworld: Rise of the Lycans will be bad since they all have been, but Inkheart looks like it had potential, but was wasted according to the reviews.

Nationwide Releases

Underworld: Rise of the Lycans
Inkheart

underwoldriseofthelycans

Underworld: Rise of the Lycans
Directed: Patrick Tatopoulos
Starring: Michael Sheen, Bill Nighy, Rhona Mitra, Steven Mackintosh, Kevin Grevioux
Trailer

Synopsis: A prequel about how the werewolves came to be in the vampire world.

My Take: The first two were fabulously bad, but this one lacks the hotness of Scott Speedman and Kate Beckinsale.

RT Score: 32%
RT Consensus: Despite the best efforts of its competent cast, Underworld: Rise of the Lycans is an indistinguishable and unnecessary prequel.

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Jan 18 2009

TV: Week of January 18

Category: TV,Upcoming — velveetahead @ 7:24 pm

This week, it is major premiere time for cable series, especially tonight. The only exception is Wednesday when Lost finally returns and FOX has its premiere of the Tim Roth show Lie to Me.  On Tuesday, it is pretty much Barack Obama inauguration. Every network station will be televising it except FOX and CW, which are instead showing new episodes of their usual night of shows. On Friday, on SCI-FI network, there will be the cable run of old canceled shows Invasion and Moonlight in case you never watched, but wanted to check them out.

Season Finale: Momma’s Boys

Pick of the Week

lost2

Lost
Channel: ABC
Time: 9/8c
Starring: Matthew Fox, Michael Emerson, Jorge Garcia, Elizabeth Mitchell, Evangeline Lilly, Josh Holloway, Terry O’Quinn, Naveen Andrews, Yunjin Kim, Henry Ian Cusick
Premieres: Wednesday, January 21
Trailer

Synopsis: All of those that got off the island, now want to get back on it to save those that they left behind, but the island apparently disappeared soon after they were rescued.

My Take: The show vastly improved since they decided on a final end date. I can’t wait for each new episode.

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Jan 18 2009

What Book Should I Read Next?

Category: Books — velveetahead @ 12:57 pm

I usually have an idea of what book I should read next, but I can’t make up my mind so help me! I love to buy books so I have tons sitting around that haven’t been read yet.

Here are the links for the book descriptions:

Diary by Chuck Palahniuk
Inhuman Condition by Clive Barker
Mistress of the Art of Death by Ariana Franklin
The Great Stink by Clare Clark

What Book Should I Read Next?

  • Diary by Chuck Palahniuk (50%, 2 Votes)
  • Inhuman Condition by Clive Barker (25%, 1 Votes)
  • Mistress of the Art of Death by Ariana Franklin (25%, 1 Votes)
  • The Great Stink by Clare Clark (0%, 0 Votes)

Total Voters: 4

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Jan 16 2009

Top Chef: Honoring the Ingredients

Category: Recaps,Top Chef,TV — velveetahead @ 10:43 pm

508pig

Top Chef: New York
Down on the Farm

Here is a quick run down on the two challenges:

  • Quickfire Challenge: Create a delicious dish without fresh ingredients
  • Elimination Challenge: Create a seasonal meal around pork, lamb or chicken

I have read comments that the show has gotten crazy with its sound effects. I know they have always been there or I have always noticed them, but never really minded them. I found them funny when Tom said something that was pretty mean to a contestant and it had the “dun!” sound effect after it. It has become very noticeable with Toby Young joining as the guest judge. Since almost everything out of his mouth is a snarky comment, which I love, but when everything he says is followed up with the “dun!” sound effect, it is just too much. They should cool it a bit and just let what he said stand on its own. It is almost becoming like the annoying laugh tracks on classic sitcoms.

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Jan 16 2009

Movies Opening January 16

Category: 2009 Movies,Movies,Opening — velveetahead @ 7:02 pm

Last Chance Harvey and Defiance move from limited releases to wide releases this week, but were featured in previous posts. Out of the other new nationwide releases this week, My Bloody Valentine 3-D is actually getting decent reviews, which is pretty rare for horror films these days. Reviews from horror sites love it, so that is good news for horror fans. I also read there is a 3-D sex scene in it. Bonus! If you didn’t get enough of the dogs from Beverly Hills Chihuahua or Marley & Me, you can check out Hotel For Dogs, but beyond the super cute dogs, the script is non-existent and the dogs apparently act better than the people. There is also the biopic about Biggie Smalls in Notorious that is being reviewed as a tad too tame since it was produced by his best friend, Sean Combs, and his mom. Finally, if you didn’t shut your brain off enough for the dog movie, there is Kevin James in Paul Blart: Mall Cop about a lazy mall cop.

Nationwide Releases

9x9_fresh My Bloody Valentine 3-D
Hotel For Dogs
Notorious
Paul Blart: Mall Cop

mybloodyvalentine3d

My Bloody Valentine 3-D
Directed: Patrick Lussier
Starring: Jensen Ackles, Jaime King, Kerr Smith, Betsey Rue, Edi Gathegi
Trailer

Synopsis: Do you need to know? People die in 3-D!

My Take: The 3-D makes it very cheesy, but it sounds a  fun, horror flick.

9x9_fresh RT Score: 70%
RT Consensus: This gory, senses-assaulting slasher film is an unpretentious, effective mix of old-school horror stylings and modern 3D technology.

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Jan 15 2009

Best Movies of 2008

Category: Movies — velveetahead @ 1:14 am

My list for best movies is never complete since I don’t see as many movies as I want to throughout the year in theaters so they need to wait for Netflix. Here are all the movies that I saw that came out in 2008 in random categories that I am deciding right now!

Favorite Movie of the Year

darkknight

Dark Knight A

Between Heath Ledger as the Joker and an actual action flick that doesn’t depend on special effects, the movie is super dark, creepy and wows the audience with its action sequences.

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Jan 14 2009

Wanted

Category: 2008,Movies,Reviews — velveetahead @ 3:08 am

wanted

Wanted
Directed: Timbor Bekmambetov
Starring: James McAvoy, Angelina Jolie, Morgan Freeman, Thomas Kretschmann, Common
Trailer

Synopsis: A guy is recruited into an assassin organization because of his similar talents that his father had, such as shooting the wings off flies and curving bullets.

The movie starts out almost like Office Space where a guy hates his job, his boss, his work, his girlfriend and his life. He just went through the motions of the days, but not actually enjoying life. Then it veers in a completely different direction since while he is refilling his mind-numbing prescription, he is almost killed, but saved by Angelina Jolie. He is pulled into an assassination organization where he must be trained to be like his recently killed father to assassinate people. They get the names of people from a Loom of Destiny, which is the major part of the movie sounds straight from some comic book lore. The movie comes from a comic book, but the rest of it is pretty standard action thriller except for how they receive the names of who to kill.

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