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This Tuesday night, March 9th, upstairs at The Middle East in Cambridge, local rapper Jaysaun and Leedz Edutainment are throwing a release party for the album Game of Breath. Jaysaun and DJ Revolution teamed up on this album and if you haven’t heard any of it, then you’re missing out. Jaysaun is Butcher’s Block family and one of the better MCs around, so look for the album on-line and come out on Tuesday to support local hip hop.
More sneak peeks and trailers from the movie Kick-Ass, focusing on the character Hit Girl. Check it out.
While it’s already premiered on Starz, Spartacus: Blood and Sand looks promising and pretty bloody. If you agree (and happen to have Starz) then check it out.
Plain and simple, this movie looks great. Check out the trailer.
While I was in Philly, I couldn’t help checking out a few sneaker spots. Abakus is essentially a consignment shop, but has a unique feel to it. Unlike most consignment shops, Abakus has a clear concept. A few blocks up 10th Street in Philly’s Chinatown, Abakus takes inspiration from a Chinese food restaurant. The front of the store is set up like a dining room while the back sports a kitchen theme, complete with a deep frier full of shoe laces, and a meat locker changing room. Definitely a cool spot so if you’re in Philly, check ‘em out. I mean, just look at all the goodies in the front case. A big thanks to co-founder of Abakus, Ky Cao who showed me around and let me take photos of the store.
227 N. 10th Street
Philadelphia, PA. 19107
215-351-7978
As the new decade seems to already be flying by, I thought I’d take more time to look at some of the films that we saw in the 00’s. In no particular order, here are my top ten comedies of the past ten years.
Superbad – Easily one of the best comedies of the 00’s, this movie had me laughing throughout the whole thing.
Old School – Another easy pick. Funny movie the whole way through. Already a classic.
Office Space – Also a classic. Before there was The Office, there was Office Space.
O Brother, Where Art Thou? – Coen Brothers, Clooney… Done deal. Some may not consider it a comedy, but it makes me laugh, so it’s in.
40 Year Old Virgin – ‘If I hear Ya Mo Be There one more time, I’m gonna Ya Mo burn this place to the ground.’ So many great moments in this movie.
Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou – Definitely Wes Anderson’s style of film, so you have to be into his stuff. But it’s one of my favorites.
Pineapple Express – Hilarious. Great cast and funny all the way through. ‘It makes me aerodynamic when I fight.’
Wedding Crashers – Mom! The meatloaf!
The Royal Tenembaums – Another great film from Anderson.
Shaun of the Dead – Zombies. And hilarious.
Second stop in Philly on my quest for some of the city’s best subs, had to be Pat’s King of Steaks. Sitting not too deep into South Philly, Pat’s is positioned directly across from it’s biggest competitor, Geno’s. I’ve heard that Pat’s was the one to go to, so that’s where we went. Again, if the lines at restaurants are any indication of how good a place is, Pat’s is doing well. We waited in line, in the cold for at least 30 minutes. The menu is simple, straight forward, with no frills. While you do have some options, you largely get what they want to cook for you, but its not a problem. Their cheesesteak was one of the best I’ve ever had. So if you’re in Philly, check them out.
Here are some photos I took while at Reading Terminal Market in Philly. I was there specifically for DiNic’s, but the market itself was a great place to take a walk through. Thanks to Crisp for getting me there.
Before we get too far into the next decade, I wanted to take some time to reflect on some of the films that I’ve really liked over the past ten years. Because there are too many to do an overall top ten, I’ll break it down into some genres and if you care to, tune in again over the next few weeks to see my other picks. Let’s start with Action, shall we?
The Bourne Trilogy – Anyone who knows me, knows that I love the Bourne movies. I watch them all the time… All the time… I’m watching them now. I grouped them all together here, but they could easily make it into my top ten on their own. Matt Damon, Chris Cooper, Brian Cox, Franka Potente, Clive Owen, Joan Allen, and the list goes on and on. Joan Allen’s right hand man, played by Tom Gallop, is a family member of mine so I’m slightly biased but in my opinion, they’re the best action/espionage films made in a very long time.
Kill Bill 1 and 2 – I’m grouping again on this one, but both of these films were great. At their core a great story, but when you add in Uma Thurman and the rest of the cast, as well as Tarantino’s brand of film making, you can’t lose. While he has tried to repeat the ‘resurrection’ success he had with Travolta in Pulp Fiction, Tarantino didn’t come up short this time when he put David Carradine in the role of Bill. Perfect. While Tarantino has made some great flicks up to this point, one could argue that the Kill Bill films are the best he’s done.
Batman Returns and The Dark Knight – The Batman story is one that has been told and re-told several times over. However I think it’s safe to say that these two films brought it to the next level. True, the first Batman with Michael Keaton and Jack Nicholson is a classic, but these films brought a realism and darkness to the story that no other take has been able to achieve. Christian Bale as Batman is perfect and Heath Ledger’s portrayal of the Joker in The Dark Knight is amazing. These films are easily in the top ten.
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon – While this film wasn’t the first example of it’s kind and genre, Crouching Tiger was the first to be brought to the American public is such a wide release. Chow Yun-Fat as a martial arts legend, hunting down his master’s murderer. Classic.
Gladiator – Love it or hate it, no one can deny the popularity of this film. I’m a huge Ancient Roman nerd-aficionado (if that exists), but put Ridley Scott at the helm with Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix and a fantastic final performance from Oliver Reed… Easy pick. On a side note, I think Denzel Washington got robbed by Russell Crowe at the Oscar’s the year this came out, but this is a great action film. No question.
Saving Private Ryan – WWII, killing Nazis and a mission that can only end in death and destruction. Fantastic. The beach storming sequence would put this in the top ten by itself. In my opinion, Tom Hanks gave his best performance since Forest Gump, and although he’s done some good films up until now, hasn’t matched it. Great movie.
Sin City – You could say that this film belongs to a few other genres as well as Action, but I’m gonna put it here. Adapted from the Frank Miller graphic novel, the cinematography and art direction pulls you in from minute one. One of the best ‘action’ movies of the 00’s. No question.
Spiderman – While the sequels to the first film weren’t as good, Spiderman still ranks in the top ten. This film helped to hearken in the new, updated way of making super hero films and helped influence ones to follow. Fun, action packed, and entertaining.
X-Men – The X-Men was my favorite comic growing up as a kid. The first film of this franchise was great. Along with Spiderman, which came two years after, X-Men updated the super hero film. It’s action sequences along with it’s almost flawless casting, puts this in the top ten.
300 – Another film based on the works of Frank Miller, 300 is a visual fun house. Hard hitting, over the top and action packed, 300 has been mimicked ever since it was released.
Just got back from Philly on a short visit. Part of what any city is all about, is what foods it’s people eat. Philly is no different. I wanted to make sure that I hit a couple well known spots while I was there. This first installment is dedicated to DiNic’s Roast Pork and Beef stand, sitting in the midst of the busy and bustling Reading Terminal Market. I got the roast beef sub, with provolone cheese and sweet peppers. It was great. Their menu is simple and straight forward, offering only roast pork, roast beef, brisket, chicken and sausage. DiNic’s has been a Philadelphia institution since 1954 and with the longest line in the whole market, it’s easy to see why you should try to make a stop there the next time you’re in Philly.
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