Schu-Review

Schu-Review : Cage the Elephant

Entertainment, music

Cage The Elephant.

I just became aware of this band a few months ago. I had heard the single “Back Against the Wall” on DC101 a few times and I’d always missed who it was by. Finally I was able to pull out the old Shazam app and figure out who it was. I got the album… It is awesome.

It’s full of driving bass lines and strong drums. Mixed with whining guitars and a distinctive vocal style. It’s a throwback sound to , and I can’t believe I’m saying this… The 90s. It remind me of STP mixed with The Strokes. The singles are a mix of almost nonsensical artsy lyrics with shoutable choruses over energetic guitar driven rock music.

In this age of Itunes singles if an CD has more than 3 listenable songs then it’s considered good. This one has at least 4, which takes it into classic territory.

I love it!

Best song – Three way tie!

4.8 out of 5 Schus

Cheap sunglasses for the win

Life, Randomness

I would say that 95% of cheap sunglasses make you look like Tom Cruise’s retarded brother. But every once in a while you find that magical 5% that are both cheap and cool and also don’t fold like their made of solder when you have them in your pocket.  It makes you feel good every time you look in the mirror and you see yourself looking slightly cooler and know that you didn’t spend an inappropriate amount of money on these things. I’m sure my optometrist friend would tell me that they aren’t protecting my eyes from all types of radiation. But the sticker on them did say that they block UV A & B rays… so until they discover C rays, I’m good.

Rule one of my “New rules for cheap things” is

  1. If it’s under $10 and it works for you, buy two.

So I bought 2 pairs.

They have a website, where you can’t actually by anything. I think it’s more for retailers to find out about the line. But hey, if I’m going to tell you about the virtues of a $11 product I can at least tell you what it is.

StyleScience “Contour” – Bought at CVS Pharmacy in DC $10.99

4 out of 5 Schus

StyleScience.com

My notes about Dear Zachary

Entertainment, Movies

So I’d had Dear Zachary on my Netflix queue for a while and I’d just put off watching it for a while because I knew partially what it was about and you have to be in the right mood to watch a movie about a dead friend.  I’d read positive reviews online and I quite like documentaries so I thought I would enjoy it. I enjoy true crime stuff, my mom raised me on those “Dateline NBC special reports” about sisters who murder their parents and the ensuing trial. But I don’t think I was really prepared for this film. It was a weekend when Laurel was out of town, because she never wants to watch all the depressing movies that I rent. Going into the movie I only knew that his friend had been murdered and he wanted to make a documentary about him that he could show his unborn son. Here’s my thoughts that I wrote down just after the movie ended.

There’s just this incredible sadness after watching this movie. You want to believe the filmmaker’s words that the film had became a tribute to Andrews parents, but really? Maybe there’s just nothing you can say about a situation like that. I mean the movie builds for about an hour and 15 minutes before they drop the shock on you.  I have NEVER felt shock like that in a movie, maybe because in a FILM you know it didn’t really happen. You can tell yourself that this is all a dream and the monsters aren’t real. But this really happened, the monsters are real. They live with us every day. They are that guy “who just never seemed right” they are all around us every day. I just don’t know how to feel about this… On one hand I want everyone to feel that kind of loss when I die. I want to be the kind of person that would inspire people to film a documentary about me.  I want the outpouring of affection, but I just feel so empty inside after this movie. I really feel for them, I don’t even know this person or his family and I REALLY feel for them. I’m having a real emotional response that I’ve never had watching a movie. It’s tough to get to know someone and then have them taken away from you, even if it’s just on film.

What can I do?

I’m gonna go watch Ghostbusters.

That’s still how I feel a month after I watched that movie. I’m not going to reccomend anyone watch this movie, it’s a good film. It’s one of those movies like [W:Requiem for a Dream] that you only have to watch once. But I have no idea what kind of mood you need to be in to appreciate it. I wouldn’t watch it on your happiest day, because it would ruin your day. But I wouldn’t want to be too depressed going into it, because you might end it all.

Schu-Review : 4 out of 5 Schus

Alice? Alice? Who the @&$! Is Alice?

Entertainment, Movies


Last night Laurel and I ventured out of our own little rabbit hole and went to see Alice in Wonderland in 3D at Fairfax Corner. She had been bugging me for weeks to see this, I had been interested but I had fears of it being like [W:Charlie and the Chocolate Factory]. Which I did not like…

So which was it? Terrible or Awesome?

Find out more after the break?

Continue reading →

Schu-Review : Left Hand – Fade to Black ale

Beer, Life

Fade to Black

Beer Review:

Chocolate coffee sweet molassasy thick feel bite of hops. This is a good black ale. You have to be in a dark beer  mood to drink it, but you’ll be rewarded if you do. There’s so much flavor inside this bottle, the smell of dark chocolate, the taste of strong coffee. It has a thick sweet texture with a formidable bite of hops at the end. At 8% ABV it’s pretty strong, so a 6 pack will probably do you in for the night. But the beer is so strong tasting that I’d recommend stopping at 3.  Overall it’s just a good beer that I will seek out again.

Bottle Review:

This may be one of the best designed bottles that I’ve seen in a while. I could be that I’m really into this old english ribbon-y font right now, but I think it’s timeless.  The cut of the label and how it’s just filled with so many details that it almost becomes texture. You kind of just feel like a badass when you’re drinking it. When a beer is called ‘Fade to Black Ale’ you need an awesome bottle to match it.

Schu-Review : 4 out of 5 Schus

Best documentary of 2009 : ANVIL – The story of Anvil

Entertainment, Movies

I don’t give a shit about 80’s metal and this is still the best documentary I have seen all year. Hell it might be the best movie that I’ve seen all year. I just connected with these guys so much. It’s the reason I love documentaries, these are real people. They aren’t some characters thought up by writers. They have real problems, real emotions, and real heart.

Through the movie you see how much promise and success they had back in the beginning and then they just kind of went nowhere, but they never gave up. Now it’s 30 years later and they’re still trying to make it. The movie focuses on the lead singer and drummer of Anvil. The lead singer ‘Lips’ is the one in the band who won’t let the dream die, he works at a catering company and takes vacation time to play shows. There are people in his life that you can see don’t share his vision and don’t really support him. But his girlfriend and older sister stick with him no matter what. Maybe that’s the part that really resonated personally with me? The other main character is the drummer, Robb Reiner (not the actor/director). He and Lips have this rocky ‘Brothers in Metal’ relationship that creates some intense emotional moments through out the film. When the ending comes you are so emotionally invested in this band that they really feel like family.

I cannot believe that this movie didn’t even get nominated for best documentary in the Academy Awards. The only close competition I would give it was The Cove and that for me is a distant second. Food Inc., the front runner for the award, was NOTHING compared to this movie. ANVIL doesn’t need flashy graphics or voice overs, it thrives on basic human spirit. The story of Anvil provided enough emotion for 10 movies.

If you have a heart and a dream, you will love this movie.

watch the trailer
buy the music

Schu-Review : 5 out of 5 Schus

*UPDATE*
Apparently this movie came out in 2007, but since I just watched it last week. I’m still calling it the best documentary of 2009.