The Great Burger Hunt - New York Burger

Good bang for your buck!

Venturing for a burger hunt normally is a random decision.  I mean I would like to say I pick a place before hand but in reality it is just a decision on the spot.  This month the spot was New York Burger . James and I ventured down here after meeting at a coffee shop but craved some food more greasy then the shop served.

About 15 minutes later we had our butts parked in a booth at New York Burger admiring the pinball machine and stuffed toy hook game (you know the one, where people just give their money to the machine for nothing in return).  While we chatted and waited for our food we kept checking our watch.  The food was taking quite a while, or at least it felt like it should have been out faster as we were the only ones that were in there at the time.

Eyeing up the menu while we waited I noticed they had an array of burgers, hot dogs, submarines, and fries which all sounded pretty good.  Of course I got my usual, a fatboy.  James, with a bigger stomach than I, had the double fatboy.  One double Fatboy and one Fatboy and two orders of fries came to $16.85.  Not a bad value at all.

When the burgers finally arrived we dug right in, attempting to savour them, even though we were starving.  My fatboy was full of flavour, and topped with lettuce, mayo, onion, chili, and pickles, but the burger itself was cooked a little longer then it should have been.  That being said it was still tasty and hit the spot.  The fries were very bland, and I doused them in pepper and ketchup, but they had a perfect texture that I absolutely love.  Crispy and soft, so good, if only one place could manage to get the texture and taste right.  Not just one of the two.  I say this a lot in my reviews.  Wonder when I will find the perfect place?

Overall the New York Burger experience is always appetizing, for you and your wallet.  Of course this time was even better because it was on the house, well on James.

Price Value : 4/5

Menu Selection : 3/5

Burger Taste : 3/5

Fries Taste : 3/5

Overall : 3.25

Half Pints Queer Beer (2011)

A beer I wish was not a limited release!

Beer : Queer Beer

Brett Enquist Photo

Brewery : Half Pints Brewing Company

Brewed In : Winnipeg, Manitoba

Style : Helles Lager

ABV : 4.8%

Price : $2 and some change

Notes : Limited brew for Pride Winnipeg.

Story : Made from my favourite brewery, which just happens to be down the street, and when they tweeted that this was for sale I made sure to stop by right after work to pick up a case.  That was Monday.  I have since gone back to pick up another case.

Appearance : The beer pours with very little head that does not stick around long and is a slightly hazy clearish golden colour.

Smell : Not a strong nose but you can pick out bready notes and slight fruits, I think it could be banana but I am not confident in that because it is very feint.

Taste : Grainy taste with a bit of fruit and you can slightly pick out the raspberry.

Mouthfeel : This beer is very, very light and you can notice the carbonation slightly.

Drinkability : A very easy drinking beer that would really quench your thirst on a hot sunny afternoon.  Easily one of the easiest drinking beers I have had.  Really going to miss it if they never brew it again.

Movie-a-thon Day 7: Predator

End the movie-a-thon with a classic!

Of course this was supposed to be put up on the blog last night but I figured since it was a holiday today I would postpone it a day.

So I figured I would end my movie-a-thon with the film George suggested I watch.  One of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s best films, and really the only one I ever watch repeatedly, Predator .  Directed by John McTiernan , this is the film that launched the Predator franchise.

Surprisingly this film is paced extremely well, really hitting all the beats it should in the right moments.  Not something that is often seen with action films.  Of course the cheesy dialogue sure makes up for some of the good bits early on.  Hearing Arnold say “stick around” always makes me crack up.

I quite enjoy the use of the ”Predator view” during the film that McTiernan used.  It really helped create the tension early on in the film that would not be there unless the director tipped his card on explaining, or showing, what exactly the Predator was.  Saving that reveal until much later served the film very well, producing a sense of suspense that is sorely lacked in today’s action films.

And although the characterization is not very deep in Predator it effectively uses simple moments to at least draw out each character.  With a film so simple as running around in a jungle trying to survive you do not have much dialogue to play with for creating exposition but there is enough that it works.

Maybe Hollywood needs to hire McTiernan to make a new film based off of his earlier ones like Predator and Die Hard .  As Predator is an effective, yet simple, action film and Hollywood needs to do more of these.  Not the dime a dozen crap they try to pump out.

Movie-a-thon Day 6: Hot Fuzz

A drunken typing fest....

So I am officially 1 glass of bourbon, 2 beers, and a shot in, guess it is time to start watching Hot Fuzz .  This shall be the drunk review/recap just like Brandon and James do on Comics The Blog .  Rules are simple.  I get juiced and watch a movie, write while I drink and I am not allowed to edit afterwards, only add in links and stuff.  But since I need to post this before midnight I need to sober up by then, and that won’t happen, so I will be doing that slightly, or more then slightly, intoxicated as well.  Let the quotes and reviewishness shall begin!

Let’s go to work.

This review will be 400% better then any one I have done before!!!  And if you don’t believe me then you will have to take this to someone higher ranked then you.  Oooo spell check already corrected my spelling on “believe”.  Thanks MS Word.

If I continue to be this exceptional you will all be out of a job!

Time for another shot and another beer.  And for the record I am not drinking cranberry juice!!!!!!

Nicolas Angel ( Simon Pegg ), top cop in London, just moved to the wonderful town of Sandford to become a Sergeant.  And he heads to a bar, where he gets rid of the youngins, for the “greater good” of course.  * the greater good *  I cannot hear that saying without thinking of this movie.

Oh snap!  James Bond just showed up!!!!  Man has he aged.  Wellllll, really it is Timothy Dalton being a douchebag, but he is still 007.

Everyone is packing around here.  But Angel shot someone with a Kal…. Err a Kalash…. Fuck it Ima google the spelling.  A Kalashnikov.

Angel just went to a neighborhood watch meeting.  Totally hope that I never have to go to one of those.

The jokes in this movie are fantastic. Edgar Wright makes sure everything is set up well in advance and it only adds to them as he builds towards the punch line.

Anybody want anything from the shop?

Time for another beer?  Amnd a spoonful of peanut butter!!!!!  That’s right, shit just got real.

At this point I have no idea is I am just quoting this movie or actually recapping it. But the movie is almost over.  And I haven’t written much so yeah.  Easiest review/recap ever?  Probably.

What am I thinking….pub?

Movie-a-thon Day 5: Black Hawk Down

I wanted to draw a helicopter…

It was about time I did another one of Sam’s 90 minute drawing challenge.  The film I chose was Black Hawk Down starring Josh Hartnett , Eric Bana , Ewan McGregor , Tom Sizemore , William Fichtner , Tom Hardy , Orlando Bloom , Jeremy Piven and many, many others.

Here are the rules.

1. Choose a film.

2. Choose a character or theme for a picture.

3. You have from the opening scene to the closing credit of said movie to attempt to finish the picture related to said movie.

4. Sketches and layouts are allowed but included in the drawing time.  The more you sketch, the less time you have to draw your final piece.

5. Once the movie is finished, pencils down!!!

Guess I should throw it out there that I am not really an artist. Probably should have had a drink or two to loosen up a bit before I did this. When I decided this film was the one I was going to watch for the drawing challenge I knew I was going to draw a helicopter crashing. I did a few thumbnail sketches before I started but they all seemed far to complicated to finish before the movie so I settle on the one you see below.

I stopped halfway for about 20 minutes to eat dinner and I probably should have stopped the movie but I figured I could still finish it no problem.

Turns out I did not quite finish it and never got around to the detailing.  I was also planning on putting some insurgents on top of a few of the buildings but never got to that either.

Movie-a-thon Day 4: Scott Pilgrim vs. the World

Most watched movie this year for me!

Well if you know me, you know I love this movie.  Saw it multiple times in the theatres and watched it many of times since it was released on video.  3 times in one week actually.  But my obsession is not just with the movie.  As I have all the books, a few t-shirts, and the soundtrack which I frequently listen to.

For those of you that do not know who or what Scott Pilgrim is…well…we probably should not talk anymore.  And you should stop reading this and go watch the movie!!!!!

But I guess I could explain the plot anyway.  Scott Pilgrim ( Michael Cera ) meets Ramona Flowers ( Mary Elizabeth Winstead ) and falls in lesbians….err love with her.  Of course there would be one little issue for Scott, he must defeat Ramona’s seven evil ex’s to date her.

What can I say about this movie that I have not said already (not on here obviously)?  I adore it and everything about it.  The snappy dialogue, great music, awesome action scenes, Wallace Wells ( Kieran Culkin ), more great music, and of course the fact that I can quote this movie in almost any situation.

Edgar Wright directs Scott Pilgrim vs. the World just like he did with Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz .  He sets up all the action and comedy directly in earlier scenes and builds them up to the punch line.  It works so damn well and makes me laugh every time.

Although I am not the biggest Michael Cera fan I believe he did a fantastic job of taking the character of Scott Pilgrim, from the books, and making it his own but still staying true to the original Bryan Lee O’Malley creation.

I don’t even know how to describe this movie to people.  It is just a hybrid of everything awesome.  Comedy, action, romance, and a little bit of fantasy mixed in makes this movie everything you could ask for.

Why are you still reading this?  You should be watching Scott Pilgrim!!!

Movie-a-thon Day 3: Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist

A little movie with lots of musical heart

When you put on Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist you are not putting on a movie, you are putting on a soundtrack with visuals.  As soon as you push play the music kicks in, letting you know this movie is as much about the music as it is the story of Nick and Norah.

The movie takes place one evening in New York City as a group of friends seek the music of their favourite band and their exclusive show that night.  Nick ( Michael Cera ) and Norah ( Kat Dennings ) meet by chance at the beginning of the film, and chance is one thing that really sums up the entirety of this movie.

Pretty much all of this movie is based off of pure chance, and while it is possible, especially in a movie, it is almost unthinkable how high the odds really are of these events happening in a city as big as New York.  That is one of the little things you need to look passed to enjoy this movie.

Of course director Peter Sollett does make some solid choices that make the movie worth watching.  Like the lipstick on the windshield getting wiped away from the wipers is a nice touch when Nick finally realizes his moment with Tris (his ex-girlfriend) is over and his new one with Norah is about to begin.  Little moments like these are sprinkled throughout the movie.

Although the movie maybe be simplistic, the music is not.  A superb soundtrack that has Vampire Weekend , The Submarines, We Are Scientists , Bishop Allen , The Dead 60’s and many more, really carry this movie.  This is one of the great soundtracks that should be in everyone’s collection.

Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist is a simple story.  Executed without much thought but it works.  If the soundtrack faltered so would this movie, but it does not, and is a cute, simple movie that is great to watch now and again.

Movie-a-thon Day 2: Silent Hill

Was it worth it?

For today I figured I would do a throw back to an old article I wrote on Murmur…enjoy!  Here is how the article idea began.

I sure hope you can not see the vast DVD library sitting 10 feet away from me.  The sheer size of the collection is quickly becoming ridiculous and is starting to take over the apartment.  What is really absurd is how little space one DVD requires, but when you have 500+ grouped together, well that is another story entirely!  Let me just say that my fiancée does not have a soft spot for most of the DVD collection and I do not have the heart to put them in a binder.

After a night of rearranging the shelves of DVDs (in alphabetical order), a brief thought popped into my brain, “Should Bad Boys (Sean Penn version) be placed ahead of Bad Boys (Will Smith version) or the other way around?”

No, wait, it was after that, when the thought finally came into my head.  It was when I realized that a few movies were still in their store packaging.  That normally is not a problem, but I purchased these movies 4 years ago!  I kept thinking, was it worth buying all these movies?  Some of them have never been watched.

I figured a Murmur article could help me solve this problem.  So each week I will watch one of the many movies I own. After I finish, I will turn on my computer and write an article about the movie, trying to describe if the purchase was worth it.  In the article, I will also be rating the quality of the movie in proportion to the cost of purchasing it.  This may mean nothing to you (aside from brief entertainment and a chance to point and laugh at how much I paid for certain movies), but it will help me determine if the purchase was worth it, as buying a movie for $0.99 could be a steal.  Although if I paid $24.99 for that same movie, well then I may have just been ripped off!  So if I was to rate Daredevil 5 out of 5 stars (Rating of Purchase), it does NOT mean it is a 5 star movie.  It just means it was probably purchased for $0.99.

Sadly, I paid the price for watching Daredevil, and no I do not want to talk about it!

YOU CAN CHECK OUT ALL THE MURMUR ARTICLES I WROTE HERE .

What movie did I watch this week?

Silent Hill

What is it about?

Director Christophe Gans adapts the video game of the same name into a stellar horror, fantasy adventure!  Rose ( Radha Mitchell ) takes her adopted daughter, Sharon, to Silent Hill, a town the little girl screams while sleepwalking.  Soon after arriving in the town she finds that Silent Hill is not the place she imagined it would be.  Her daughter goes missing shortly after they arrive and she faces many challenges in her attempt to find her.  Begin the creepiness!

When did the movie get released?

April 21st, 2006.

Did I see it in theatres?

Yes I did, and I was stoked to see it!

How much did I purchase the movie for? (Immediately $25+, First Price Drop $15-$20, Bargain Bin $5-$10, Clearance Bin $4 and under)

I waited to buy this until it was in the 2 for $20 section at HMV.

Why did I purchase the movie?

I grew up playing the game and enjoyed the hell of out the movie.  Figured it was a no brainer for me to grab a copy as I would definitely be watching it again and again.

Was this my first watching of the movie since purchasing?

Nope, this has been watched many times.  One of my favourite creepy films.

How long between purchase and first watch?

Cannot recall exactly but I think it was fairly quickly.

Has something stuck with me between each viewing, reminding me of the film?

The soundtrack is fantastic.  It is listened to while I write.

Was it worth the purchase?

Hell yes!  This was a great purchase!!!!

Rating of purchase? (ROP)

5 out of 5.

Rating of the movie? (ROM)

3 out of 5.  I know this movie has problems but I absolutely adore it!

Rating of both combined? (ROP + ROM/2)

4 out of 5.  Not many movies get purchased where it is worth every penny you spend on it.

Is it worth upgrading to Blu-Ray?

I think if a directors cut were to be released I may pick it up but I would not be in a rush.  Probably look pretty on Blu-Ray though!

Movie-a-thon Day 1: City of God

I love this movie….

To start off my movie-a-thon I wanted to begin with a movie that I absolutely adore.  Plus I figured it should also be one that I have not watched in a good long while.  Going through my DVD collection I came across a few but as soon as I saw City of God I knew it would be the one.  So I cracked open a beer, put on some aloe vera (stupid sunburn), and sat my ass down to enjoy this fantastic movie.

City of God is a Brazilian crime drama from Fernando Meirelles (also co-directed by Katia Lund ) and the story is adapted from the Paulo Lins novel of the same name.  The film is narrated by Rocket ( Alexandre Rodrigues ) who tells the tale of how organized crime came to be in Cidade de Deus (City of God), a suburb of Rio de Janeiro, from its humble beginnings in the late 60s before finishing his story in the early 80s.

The opening sequence of a gang of hoodlums chasing down their dinner, a chicken, in the streets, firing their guns at it really sets the tone of the film before Rocket gets into his narration.  Rocket is a photographer living in the slums of the city and he just so happens to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, depending on your perspective, as the gang is about to round up the chicken when the cops show up, and Rocket is caught in the middle.  Think of the 360-degree camera from The Matrix used, but as it swivels to show what is behind Rocket the camera turns into a time machine sending the viewer to the past as Rocket grows younger is playing soccer with friends.  Rocket explains to understand the current you must understand the past.  This is one of my favourite shots in any movie.  Not only is it a great shot but also it sets up our story in the 60s.

Rocket begins to tell the tale of his brother and his trio of friends who have essentially set the entire ascension of Li’l Ze ( Leandro Firmino da Hora ) (who back then was known as Li’l Dice) in motion.  Nothing seemed like it could get more eerie then the silence of the aftermath of the motel robbery and the dead the trio unknowingly left behind.  Of course Meirelles makes it even creepier by later showing exactly what happened when Li’l Ze, who was all of 12 years old, commits shocking cold-blooded murders just to put a smile on his face.

As the progression of the years is shown through Li’l Ze, Rocket and a few other locals another scene stands out.  It is a time lapse of one apartments ownership from the original owner to the current owner, Blackey, who is about to get overtaken by Li’l Ze.  Setting up the scene, Meirelles shows it from multiple angles before it finishes its progression and it is a beautiful piece of cinema.

Meirelles and cinematographer Cesar Charlone have shot most of the film, or possibly all of it, with a handheld camera but you never notice it.  This is how it handheld should be done, never making you queasy, always make you feel like you are directly in the action but still seeming cinematic.

Although I really do not delve much into the story here I can say that once the film comes full circle and back to the beginning scene with Rocket stuck between the two sides you have watched a shocking and brutal film that you will have a tough time looking away from.  Unlike most films this one just lays out the facts for you, with no subplots or over dramatized set pieces, it simply tells its story and moves on.

Movie-A-Thon!!!

Or I am insane, one of the two

I haven’t written a movie review, or watched many movies recently so I decided to have a week long movie-a-thon.  7 days of movies and I will write 7 reviews on these movies.  It will happen either next week or the one after and I’ll write a review or something on each one.

By something I mean I will write 4 reviews like you would see in the paper, interwebs, or from Roger Ebert and the other 3 reviews will be slightly different.

Was It Worth It? was an article I wrote on Murmur for a bit, so I will write one of those.  Over at Comics the Blog one of their writers Brandon , and sometimes James , does a drunken comic recap.  I will steal that glorious idea and do a movie review/recap based off my drunken ramblings.  Lastly I will do another 90 Minute Drawing Challenge (or however long the movie is) that Sam started on Murmur .  The point is to draw a scene, or an interpretation of one, from the movie while watching it.  I think Sam once described it as a “reverse storyboard.”

So far I have not decided on all the movies I plan on watching but I would like to get watch one of my favourites, an older movie, and a new one in the theatres.  The list so far consists of:

Predator (as per request by George of The Nabe Society )

City of God (love this movie and have not watched it in a while)

Black Hawk Down (I want to draw a helicopter crashing….)

Hot Fuzz (perfect movie to do a drunk review of!)

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (great flick that I need to watch again)

Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist (possibly the best soundtrack ever)

I am unsure what movie(s) I will go see in the theatre but I am guessing it will involve a Thunder God and Natalie Portman .

If anyone has any recommendations please let me know, as the list is not finalized yet!

Fullers Vintage Ale (2008)

Is highly recommended!!!

Beer : Fullers Vintage Ale (2008)

Brewery : Fuller Smith & Turner PLC

Brewed In : United Kingdom

Style : Old Ale

ABV : 8.5%

Price : $13 for 500ml

Notes : First released in 1997, Fuller's Vintage Ale is brewed in limited batches with each bottle being numbered. It can be enjoyed immediately, or Fuller's recommends laying the beer down to enjoy when it peaks in 3 to 4 years and consume at cellar temperature. And though it's released each year as a separate vintage, the recipe is only slightly tweaked from year to year, while the ABV remains at 8.5%.

Story : My buddy Kevin bought this beer in Edmonton on our New Years trip.  Why he bought it, simply because it was expensive.

Appearance : A very murky, murky gold with an orange hue and a thick silky head.

Smell : The smell is not strong but you can clearly smell citrus and malts.  I think I notice a bit of caramel in the aroma as well.

Taste : A very rich, silky and creamy caramel, toffee, malt flavour and the finish lingers like of a mother fucker (which is a good thing!).  This beer has a sweetness on the finish and it sits in your mouth for a good long while.

Mouthfeel : A medium to full body beer with carbonation that I do not even notice.  This is a perfectly balanced brew.

Drinkability : I want more of this beer.  This is one of the best beers I have ever tasted.  Since I had the 2008 Vintage I am really curious what the other years tasted like.  Even with the expensive price tag I would grab a couple bottles next time I come across them.