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.
Up here in the northeast, we got hit with a fair amount of snow this past weekend, so folks may be staying in more often than they would. If you have some time this holiday, and you haven’t seen one or more of these movies, then check them out this year. So in no particular order, here are my top ten holiday movies of all time:
A Christmas Story – This one is easily in the top ten. Most people love this movie, so definitely check it out if you haven’t seen it. Told from the perspective of a young kid named Ralphie, this film is perfect in so many ways.
Die Hard and Die Hard 2 – I’m gonna group these two together although they could probably make it into the top ten individually. ‘Cause if you’re gonna watch one then you might as well watch the other. Not only are these films set during the holidays, but in my opinion, they’re some of the best action films ever made.
Elf - Probably the best holiday movie made in more recent years. This is, love him or hate him, Will Ferrell at his best. So many hilarious parts in this movie.
Home Alone – All of the other Home Alone movies suck, but the first one was and is a classic. Macaulay Cuklin before things went weird, Joe Pesci, Daniel Stern and John Candy. Hilarious.
It’s a Wonderful Life – What should I say about this one. Probably one of the most loved holiday movies ever.
National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation – I’m not as big a fan as most when it comes to the National Lampoon Vacation movies, but this one was so disastrous and funny that is certainly in the top ten.
The Muppets Christmas Carol – I just like this movie. It may be corny, but I like it.
Miracle on 34th Street – Another classic. There isn’t much to say about this film. Easy to put it in the top ten.
Scrooged – Another hilarious holiday movie. Bill Murray is great in this modern day twist on A Christmas Carol, so check it out.
A Christmas Carol (1951) – This is a great, classic film. Alastair Sim’s performance as Scrooge, is brilliant. There are colorized versions of this film, but see it in black and white if you can, the way that it was meant to be seen.
Take a look at the trailer for Peter Jackson’s (Lord of the Rings, King Kong) new film. Adapted from the book by Alice Sebold, The Lovely Bones stars Mark Wahlberg, Susan Sarandon, Stanley Tucci and Rachel Weisz. The Lovely Bones is now playing in select theatres, releasing nationwide on January 15th and looks to be another great film from Jackson.
A lot of good sneakers were released this year. It was hard to choose, but these are my top ten (in no particular order):
Air Jordan 3 True Blue - Really easy explination on this one. The Jordan 3 is probably my favorite sneaker of all time. The True Blue is one of my favorite colorways of the model. It’s a classic, plain and simple.
Air Jordan 1 Black and Shadow Grey – This one is easy too. This shoe in this colorway had never been retrod until 2009. And how can you not like black and grey? Seems like, at least up here in Boston, this sneaker was overlooked because I still see it on some shelves, which to me is crazy. The quality of the leather on both the black upper and the grey toe/heel make me wish Jordan Brand would make more shoes like this.
New Balance 1300 x ALife Rivington Club – This year especially, I’ve been a sucker for quality when it comes to materials. Not only were the colorways sick on this collaboration, but the suede is great and the mesh on the shoe is perfect. It’s a great example of how keeping it simple and clean is usually a successful combination.
Adidas ZX8000 Beckham and Bond Collaboration – Blue… Suede… Shoes. With some mesh.
New Balance 875 and 1500 x Concepts – The Freedom Trail pack was another quality release from New Balance in 2009. The 1500 is a classic model, but the brand new 875 is the stand out of the pack. Called a trail boot by New Balance, it combines the comfort of a sneaker and the structure and general look of a boot. The materials top this one off too. The butter soft leather, pig skin on the interior, make these some of the more comfortable sneakers that I’ve picked up in a long time.
Nike Air Max 1 and Air Maxim 1 – I’m gonna cheat a bit on this one. I know that the Air Max and Air Maxim are technically two different sneakers. And I know there were many colorways of both that were released in 2009. It’s been the year of the Air Max 1. Not only were the OG colorways of the model retroed, but we also saw many great collaborations including those from Patta and the Air Max 1 in the Live Strong release. Also this year, Nike introduced the Air Maxim 1. As they did with the Air Max 90 Currents last year, Nike seems to be ‘upgrading’ their classic models with more modern materials. I’m a huge fan of the Currents and I’m a huge fan of the Maxims. Lightweight and comfortable, while still retaining the silhouette of the classic sneaker it’s based on. Easy to put these in the top ten.
Nike Terminator Hybrid - As I said earlier this year, I really hadn’t heard much about this shoe before it released. But there it was one day and I was an instant fan. Although there were a couple colorways of the shoe that I didn’t buy, the olive/newspaper colorway is crazy.
New Balance 1500 x Solebox - Yes Frank, white people do love New Balance. But if one were able to seperate themselves from their deep seeded caucasian urges, one would have to say that New Balance did good things in 2009. Their collaborations with ARC, Concepts, Undefeated, and many others were some of the best collaborations of the year. The Solebox 1500s are no exception. The colorways are great, the materials are top quality, and I’m a sucker for mesh, so there you go.
Nike Air Max 90 Live Strong – Besides the Infrareds that released in limited quantities (especially here in Boston), I think that this is the best Max 90 colorway released since the white, vivid blue and black colorway dropped in 2007. Air Max 90, mesh and 3M. Done deal.
Puma x Undefeated Mid – Classic shoe, simple colorways with good detail and great leather, make this one of my favorites of the year. I don’t really know what to say besides that.
