Feb 28 2009

Top Chef: Cook Your Own Food

Category: Recaps,Top Chef,TV — velveetahead @ 9:55 am

514table

Top Chef: New York
Season Finale Part II

Here is a quick run down on the main challenge:

  • Final Challenge: Create a three-course tasting menu

Someone usually chokes in the final episode. This one didn’t have so much choking as someone not sticking to their guns and cooking what they know. One thing I’m confused about is those that have watched past seasons of Top Chef would use a process that they know one of the main judges hates. Tom has not been impressed with sous-vide cooking in the past. I know that from watching the show. Any of these chefs that have watched past seasons should know that too. Why would you use it in the last meal you would be making for the judges?

Continue reading “Top Chef: Cook Your Own Food”

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Feb 24 2009

TAR: Got Wood?

Category: Amazing Race,Recaps,TV — velveetahead @ 12:08 am

1402pie1

Amazing Race
Your Target Is Your Partner’s Face

I’m sad I haven’t come up with any good team names yet. I’m still trying to decide if there is a team I hate yet. I’m not a big fan of the flight attendants, but I think I like the rest of them. Right now Margie & Luke and Mel & Mike are my two favorite teams. As people get more exhausted in future legs, then we will see how some handle the stress.

Order teams left the pit stop:

  1. Margie & Luke – 2:56 am
  2. Tammy & Victor – 2:57 am
  3. Mark & Michael – 2:59 am
  4. Mel & Mike – 3:18 am
  5. Amanda & Kris – 3:47 am
  6. Brad & Victoria – 3:56 am
  7. Cara & Jaime – 3:59 am
  8. Kisha & Jen – 4:02 am
  9. Steve & Linda – 4:04 am
  10. Christie & Jodi – 4:12 am

Clue: Fly to Munich, Germany. Once they landed, teams drove themselves to the city of Ruhpolding to ride a cable car to the top of a mountain to find their next clue.

Continue reading “TAR: Got Wood?”

Tags: , , , , , , ,

Feb 22 2009

Top Chef: New Orleans Soul

Category: Recaps,Top Chef,TV — velveetahead @ 12:11 pm

513judges

Top Chef: New York
Finale Part 1

Here is a quick run down on the two challenges:

  • Quickfire Challenge: Create a dish using crawfish
  • Elimination Challenge: Create two dishes & one cocktail for the krewe of Orpheus Masquerade Ball

The finale was set in New Orleans, which I think would be a great setting for a future season of the show.  I only remember the finale settings for the past two seasons (Aspen for the Miami season and Puerto Rico for the Chicago season). Where did they end up for the Los Angeles and San Francisco seasons? I watched them in reruns so I don’t recall. Did they end up in New York for one of them? Maybe New Orleans could be a future setting for an entire season instead of just the finale. On the other hand, I do think it is about time that they get up to the Northwest. Portland or Seattle has great food that should be showcased.

Going into it, Carla still felt like the underdog, but she did have the advantage of being from the South and knowing the food. Hosea had never been to New Orleans before, but had been studying Cajun cooking to prepare for it. Both Fabio and Stefan felt confident that they would win. Fabio was also sporting a new mohawk for the finale. The other chefs even made the comment that it was going to be one finale that didn’t have a mohawk in it, but Fabio had to ruin that.

Continue reading “Top Chef: New Orleans Soul”

Tags: , , ,

Feb 20 2009

Movies Opening February 20

Category: 2009 Movies,Movies,Opening — velveetahead @ 3:45 pm

The two main movies this week are comedies and neither one of them did very well with critics. Both of the limited releases this week are documentaries; one about a disturbed family and the other about fashion. The only other thing to see in theaters this week would be all the Oscar pictures that are still floating around or were rereleased just in time for the Oscar awards this Sunday night.

Nationwide Releases

Fired Up
Tyler Perry’s Madea Goes to Jail
firedup

Fired Up!
Directed: Will Gluck
Starring: Nicholas D’Agosto, Eric Christian Olsen, Sarah Roemer, Molly Sims, Danneel Harris
Trailer

Synopsis: Two guys decide to pass up football camp to go to cheerleader camp instead so they could be surrounded by 300 girls for two weeks.

My Take: Goofy teen sex comedy that appears pretty predictable, but ultimately harmless.

RT Score: 32%
RT Consensus: Though not as raunchy or juvenile as the average teen comedy, Fired Up is also not as funny.

Continue reading “Movies Opening February 20″

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Feb 19 2009

TAR: Behold the Power of Cheese

Category: Amazing Race,Recaps,TV — velveetahead @ 1:41 pm

1401cheese

Amazing Race
Don’t Let a Cheese Hit Me

The first leg of the race is always difficult because I like to give the teams nicknames and I don’t have any of them off the bat. They earn them by their actions so I’ll go with the ones the show calls them unless I come up with something better.  The race began in Southern California  where Phil explained all the rules, which I won’t repeat since I’ve heard them too many times. You should know them by now or you will figure it out. They were given the go ahead to run like mad men over to their backpacks to get their clue while almost trampling Phil.

1401racestart

Clue: Fly to either Zurich or Milan. Once teams land, they must take a train to Locarno, Switzerland.

Continue reading “TAR: Behold the Power of Cheese”

Tags: , , , , , ,

Feb 17 2009

MWG: Conan the Barbarian

Category: 1980s,Movie Watching Group,Movies,Reviews — velveetahead @ 9:48 pm

You know how Amy had us watch a classic movie last month? Well, Sharon is continuing on that trend with this Ah-nold classic.

Conan the Barbarian

Netflix synopsis: Catch Arnold before he became a politician! A pure swords-and-sorcery flick, Conan the Barbarian is one of the best and sparked a wave of fantasy films in the early ’80s. When Conan’s parents are killed in a raid, he’s sent to a slave camp where his master trains him to be a warrior and use his skills in high-stakes fights. Once granted his freedom, the muscle-bound bruiser seeks to avenge his parents’ brutal murder and solve the riddle of steel.

Rotten Tomato Score: 75%

Tags: ,

Feb 14 2009

Top Chef: Slacker Loses

Category: Recaps,Top Chef,TV — velveetahead @ 11:33 am

512lastsupper

Top Chef: New York
The Last Supper

Here is a quick run down on the two challenges:

  • Quickfire Challenge: Create a dish with eggs
  • Elimination Challenge: Cook “The Last Meal” for a Culinary Master

There are times when the chefs think they have to do something weird and out there to get noticed. They think they need to cook “big” instead of  “safe”, but sometimes I think they get confused with “safe” and simple. Someone can have great technique in the kitchen, which the judges adore and also make a simple dish that highlights the flavors of whatever they are making. There are some contestants that might try to get too much going on in a dish and try to hide that it might not be the best thing out there or forget about flavors. I hear time and again the judges rave when someone does something simple but well seasoned and really tasty. I thought of that again at the beginning of this episode with the quickfire challenge.

Continue reading “Top Chef: Slacker Loses”

Tags: , , , , , ,

Feb 12 2009

Movies Opening February 13

Category: 2009 Movies,Movies,Opening — velveetahead @ 10:34 pm

I believe when My Bloody Valentine came out, there were plenty of people that did not realize it was a remake so they were willing to go watch it as a new horror movie. I am not sure what the allure would be of watching a remake of Friday the 13th when it doesn’t appear to look any different than the original. Is the first one that dated? Critics think that Confessions of a Shopaholic has very bad timing in our poor economy and The International not only suffers from a boring non-descript name but is way too complicated for its outrageous plot.

Nationwide Releases

Friday the 13th
Confessions of a Shopaholic
International
fridaythe13th

Friday the 13th
Directed: Marcus Nispel
Starring: Amanda Righetti, Jared Padelecki, Jonathan Sadowski, Aaron Woo, Travis Van Winkle
Trailer

Synopsis: Even though I do believe every sequel was a basic retelling of the original, this is an actual remake of the original.

My Take: I saw two minutes of one of the sequels before where he picked up a teenager in a sleeping bag and slammed them into a tree. I found it hilarious and determined that nothing could top that so no use watching any more.

RT Score: 27%
RT Consensus: Though technically well-constructed, Friday the 13th is a series rehash that features little to distinguish it from its predecessors.

Continue reading “Movies Opening February 13″

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Feb 11 2009

My Bloody Valentine

Category: 2009 Reviews,Movies,Reviews — velveetahead @ 9:42 pm

mybloodyvalentine3d1

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

The main thing that upset me about the movie was that Jensen Ackles was acting like such a wuss! He is so not like that in Supernatural, so I like him a lot better as Dean on television than wussy guy in this movie. I did get over that, but it was just startling to me at first.

His character, Tom, is the son of a mine owner who was working in the mine when something didn’t get done right and a bunch of people got trapped in the mine. While people were trying to free them, and the trapped people were struggling for air, one miner guy went crazy killing them all so he could get the last of the good air. While killer guy is recovering in the hospital in a coma, he wakes up and tears everyone apart in the hospital. Why? Is it because once you kill for survival, you suddenly become a serial killer, and not only kill people, but rip them in half and take one person’s heart out and put it in a Valentine’s box? Why yes, yes you do. Obviously.

Continue reading “My Bloody Valentine”

Tags: , , , , , , ,

Feb 08 2009

TV: Week of February 8

Category: TV,Upcoming — velveetahead @ 7:55 pm

Tonight, there is a miniseries on NBC starring Val Kilmer and Stephen Dorff. Did this show get any promotions from NBC? I figured the Super Bowl would have been a good time for it. On Thursday, there is are cross over episodes between Grey’s Anatomy and Private Practice.

Pick of the Week

dollhouse

Dollhouse
Channel: FOX
Time: 9/8c
Starring: Eliza Dushku, Tahmoh Penikett, Olivia Williams, Harry Lennix, Fran Kranz, Dichen Lachman, Enver Gjokaj, Amy Acker, Reed Diamond
Premieres: Friday, February 13
Trailer

Synopsis: The latest Joss Whedon series about a group of agents who have their personalities wiped clean so they can take on any persona for their clients. Echo is one agent who is starting to remember her “real life” she had before.

My Take: I love Joss Whedon, and even though there have been some rumors about reworking of the series, I am willing to give it a shot. I hate that it is on a Friday night but hope that Whedon fans come to find the show. It has been the series I have looking forward to the most this season.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Next Page »