I love Luce!

Last night I met a friend* at the Pizza Luce downtown. Just to warn you, this is going to be a biased post, since Luce is tied to many important events in my life (which I'm starting to realize is bizarre in itself). Pizza Luce has some of the best pizza I have ever had. They have so many options and every pizza I've ever eaten there has been super flavorful. The friend I met last night was a vegetarian (Luce has vegan-friendly options on its menu), so we got the Athena pizza, which has feta, artichoke, black and green olives, and red onions on it. As for their meat pizzas, all are pretty good. I love the Luce, which just has sausage, onion, and garlic on it. I'm not sure if Luce make their own sausage, but wherever it comes from, it's fantastic. Also, if you send to Caesar salads that are more hearty and garlic flavored, Luce has a great Caesar dressing. As for the bar, they have cheap early and late happy hours. Last night all of their tap beers, which includes a wide range of local brews, were only $3. And I hear the new Hopkins location serves breakfast. I will have to go check out that soon and post a review!

*This post is dedicated to Shannon Maroney, the ultimate Luce lover.

Mashup Mania

On NYE I'm going to the Brother Ali and the Hood Internet show at the downtown Marriott (it benefits high school music programs, for tickets go to: http://www.vegaproductions.tickets.musictoday.com/VegaProductions/moreInfo.aspx?event=137341&outlet=2200 ) Since I've seen Bother Ali a ton of times, I more excited for the mashup dance party the Hood Internet will get started. I've been gearing up by having mashup dance parties for one at my desk all week!

The Hood Internet is a Chicago-based duo (ABX and STV SLV0, who specialize in mashups of hip hop with indie rock. Personally, I think they're just as brilliant as Girl Talk and don't get half the credit deserved. The just came out with their Metric mashups, pairing the indie band Metric with rappers like Felt and Kanye West. All of their mashups can be downloaded for free on their site: http://www.thehoodinternet.com/

And with the end of 2010, another display of mashup brilliance emerges. Every year, DJs Adrian & Mysterious D compile and mix a continuous, CD-length compilation of the biggest Bootie mashup hits from that year, featuring many different deejays. I think my favorite of 2010 is either Big Booty Bitches in Miami (Bombs Away vs. LMFAO vs. Busta Rhymes vs. Sir Mix-A-Lot) or Folson Prison Gangstaz (Eazy-E vs. Johnny Cash). Once again, download for free at:

http://www.bootiemashup.com/bestofbootie2010/ 

Movie Review: The Town

For a stocking stuffer this holiday season, I got my boyfriend a DVD of "The Town." While it's not as good as some of the other movies in the Boston crime genre (like The Deaprted), it's still a pretty good movie. Jeremy Renner is getting some nominations for Best Supporting Actor this season for his role in it. He definitely does sociopath quite well. My favorite part is when Ben Affleck's character approaches his and says "You can't ask any questions or ever bring this up but I need to go hurt some people. You in?" and Renner's response after momentary pause it, "Whose car are we gonna take?" Who I'm really impressed with is Ben Affleck, who both stars in and directs this movie. It reminds me that this is one half of the brain that created "Good Will Hunting" at age 22. I also really enjoy Jon Hamm as as the FBI agent and Blake Lively surprised me as actually not being terribly horrible.

Another boring Robert Pattinson movie

Sorry Twlight and "R-Patz" fans, but I just don't get the obsession. He doesn't look like he showers frequently, he looks like he just leaned how to shave, and he's yet to impress me with his acting chops. Maybe if he played something beside a moody, emotionally-removed boy? I just watched "Remember Me" this weekend. I had hopes it would be decent, with Pierce Brosnan, Chris Cooper, and Lena Olin in it. The movie stars the lovely Emilie de Ravin and the unshowered Robert Pattinson. The plot was all over the place, there was little meaning when there tried to be an abundance, and it ended inconclusively. I won't bitch about the ending because it will give away the one plot twist, but I walked away unsatisfied. The movie tried to hard to be deep and just failed miserably. Not worth the rental in my opinion.

Sushi HH at Nami

Yesterday we went to happy hour at Nami, in downtown Minneapolis. They have happy hour everyday, from 5-7pm. The drink specials are good, lots of beer and hot sake for $3! Martinis are decently priced at $5. They have a lot of basic maki rolls on special for $5. We got the philly, spicy tuna, and crab salad rolls, all of which were good. It's also $3 off all specialty rolls. The Kinta roll is suuuuper spicy, so watch out for that one. My favorite is the Godzilla roll. I'm glad Nami has such a good HH, because outside of that it's quite pricey!

Tops of 2010: Music and Movies

Of course the end of 2010 is the perfect time for Top 10 of the years lists. I get obsessive over the music and movie ones to makes sure I've seen and heard everything worthwhile. My favorite Top of 2010 music list that I've seen so far is Paste Magazine's 50 Best Songs of 2010. It's similar to Rolling Stone's Top 100 Singles of 2010, but a little more fine tuned. Plus, you can listen to every single song they chose on this link: http://www.pastemagazine.com/blogs/lists/2010/12/the-50-best-songs-of-2010.html My highlights from the list include Free Energy, The Walkmen, The Black Keys, Gorillaz, Vampire Weekend, Yeasayer, Band of Horses, Florence & the Machine, arcade Fire, Broken Bells, LCD Soundsystem,  and Mumford & Sons. So much good music in 2010!

2010 was also a good year for movies. Out of all the lists I've seen so far, I agree with Gawker's the most: http://gawker.com/5715328/our-favorite-movies-of-2010 The only one I'm confused about is "Morning Glory," since no one I knew who saw it liked it that much and it got killed by critics. But I guess I haven't seen it yet so I can't judge.

I hope 2011 is filled with just as wonderful art and entertainment!

The best Benedict in town

Yesterday morning I went to brunch at the Good Day Cafe in St. Louis Park off 394. I can honestly day I think they have one of the best eggs Benedict in the Twin Cities. There are several options of what Benedict you can get. There's the classic option, which is your standard Benedict. There's one with crab cakes substituted for the Canadian bacon. I think my favorite is Paisley's Benedict, which is smothered in fresh guacamole. The sides of GDC  potatoes are perfectly seasoned and way better than your standard hashbrowns. And I had a bite of their strawberry and cream cheese blinis....yummmmm.....

Stammering British men= :)

Yesterday I went to see "The King's Speech" with the family. It's the British movie getting a lot of buzz this season, with Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush, and Helen Bohan Carter. You can guess by the premise (a stammering English king seeks speech therapy) that parts get a little slow. But the wonderful acting and all the witty moments make it worth sitting through. Colin Firth is amazing. So far he's my pick for Best Actor based off this performance. Guy Pierce is only in the movie momentarily but also does an excellent job with his role. I think anyone who enjoys a good English movie about the royal family will love this movie.

Happy holidays from Green Eggs & Glam!

2010 was a great year, filled with friends, family, and love. There were beautiful weddings. There were trips to see friends a far. There was music that made me feel. There was love I never knew possible. There was fat cuddly cats. And yes, there were lots of things that sparkled. Lots of love to you and yours this holiday season. May it be filled with smiles and things that sparkle!

Brunch at Key's

To start off the holidays, I headed to get some brunch at Key's yesterday and stretch out the stomach in preparation. Breakfast food is served all day at Key's. Their caramel rolls are epic. The Eggs Benedict is drenched in a superbly creamy hollandaise sauce. Yesterday I got a tradition breakfast of eggs, hash browns, and bacon. The toast is made on their homemade bread. I highly recommend the sourdough toast. My friend got the Mexican omelette, which was smothered in sour cream and came with salty tortilla chips. I think Key's is one of the best brunches available in downtown, especially for the price!

Another awards season contender....

Yesterday I went to see "True Grit," another movie that's been getting a lot of buzz this holiday season. There's been a lot of comparison between "True Grit" and "No Country For Old Men," since they're both movies from the Coen brothers. I though "True Grit" was great but wasn't as good as "No Country For Old Men." It's a remake of an old John Wayne Western, which is based on a book. This version is supposed to follow the book plot more than the original movie. I think what really makes this  movie though is the acting. Jeff Bridges is amazing as usual. I think Matt Damon should be getting more recognition for his role as a dandy Texas Ranger. But the newcomer girl who plays the lead is who really steals the show. She's up for the SAG award for Best Actress, which I was iffy about since I don't really think child actors should ever win, but if you are 14 and are stealing scenes from Jeff Bridges and Matt Damon, that's just amazing.

My Twilight rant...

Okay, so, I know a lot of people looooove "Twilight," and I honestly gave it a chance, but really?? Really?? I read all 4 books because people told me each time that the next one was even better. It wasn't. Then I watched the movies, hoping this would give me insight into this pop culture phenomenon. It didn't. The first movie was AWFUL. Apparently people realized this because the director was fired. But the next 2 weren't any better. Sparkly vampires? Who can swim remarkably well? Weird. And that's where my beef just begins. Bella Swan is the worst female heroine ever written. I really hope young girls aren't looking up to her for relationship advice. Her world revolves around a man. She has nothing else going for her. When he leaves her in the second book she just goes catatonic and sits in her room for months. Only to come out of the funk for another guy, who she leads on and has aid her in her suicidal bender. If Edward was a vampire, he would be the most creepy, possessive, violent boyfriend ever. But apparently being supernatural makes all that okay. And Stephanie Meyers keeps comparing her books to Bronte's "Wuthering Heights." Bitch please. You wish. And as for the movies, Kristen Stewart, please stop biting your lip and "R-Patz," please just take a shower. Well, there are my thoughts. I'll stick to "True Blood," thank you very much.

Snooki likes sparkly shades....

It's a slow news day in the world of glam, sparkles, and good food. Sooo..... it's almost time for the next season of Jersey Shore!! Wooohooo! And of course, they must outdo themselves with more drunkeness, stupidity, and bar fights than the last season (I swear this is in their contracts). For a sneak peek: http://www.mtv.com/videos/?id=1654702

The best radio station ever

Recently I found out how to read the stats of my blog and found out I have a lot of readers outside if the state of Minnesota. So, I feel that it is my duty to spread the love of good music. For those unfamiliar with Minnesota Public Radio, they have a music station called 89.3 FM The Current. They play everyone, from The Beatles to the Eels, from Blitzen Trapper to Miike Snow. It's musical offerings are eclectic and has something for everyone. There is also a great focus on local music. It's available for listening on iTunes under Radio, then Alternative Rock, or you can stream it at: http://minnesota.publicradio.org/radio/services/the_current/playlist/playlist.php

Even a glam girl loves a good dive bar...

Last weekend I went to lunch at one of my favorite dive bars in the Twin Cities, Cuzzy's (on Washington Ave. in the North Loop). The food is nothing to write home about, just your typical bar fare. Although... their tater tots are pretty spectacular. Perhaps that seasoning they douse them in is laced with crack? :) They also serve breakfast, which my boyfriend likes because they bring an entire gallon of brewed coffee to your table. Anyway, what makes Cuzzy's great is the ambiance. People can write and color whatever they want on a dollar bill and tape it to the wall or ceiling. The inside of the bar is coated in these warped dollars bills. And some of them are pretty hilarious. Also, they have MegaTouch at the bar. I'm a sucker for some trivia and photo hunt!

Brunch Buffet at Spill the Wine

This Sunday I went to brunch at Spill the Wine, on Washington Ave in downtown Minneapolis. On Sundays, for $15 a person you can do their brunch buffet. The buffet doesn't have a ton of options, but the quality of the food is worth the money. The breakfast meats are hearty and juicy. The hollandaise on the eggs benedict is perfectly balanced. I also enjoyed their sourdough french toast. For drinks, it came down to the bottomless mimosa or the bloody mary bar. I can't resist a bloody mary bar, but it didn't have many mix options, so I would recommend going the mimosa route. Overall, I like the place better for dinner than breakfast.

Black Swan Review

This weekend I began my quest to see every movie nominated this season. We started off with "Black Swan." I was not expecting the level of darkness and gore, but I guess I should have been expecting a certain level of twistedness from director Darren Aronofsky ("Requiem for a Dream"). The movie invented it's own genre, psychosexual dance thriller, and lived up to it. Everyone in the movie did a brilliant job. I can see why both Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis are up for awards. I think actor Vincent Cassel should have received more recognition, as the sleazy, womanizing head of the dance company. And I wish Winona Ryder had been in more scenes, she's definitely gunning for a comeback. I would definitely recommend going to see this movie, just prepare to be disturbed.

Good ol' Groveland Tap

Last night I headed over to St. Paul to meet a couple friends for dinner. We tried to get into the new Italian place, Scusi's, but couldn't get in without a reservation until after 8p. With a rumbling in our stomachs, we decided to head a block down and eat at the Groveland Tap. Their red house wine was perfectly fine and only $4 a glass! I had a tuna melt, which was mixed with relish and peppers to make it very flavorful. For a cheap night out, the food and wine were great. They also have a "Dinner & a Movie" deal with the movie theater down the street if you're planning a date night.

More awards season news....

The SAG Award nominations are out! As I said in an early post, a lot of actors consider these the most important since their decided by their peers. The SAG Awards are also the best gauge for how the Oscars are going to go. To see the full list of nominees, go to: http://www.deadline.com/2010/12/17th-annual-sag-awards-nominations/

Here are my quick thoughts by category:

Best Male Actor: I'm glad to see "True Grit" is finally getting some love since it was completely snubbed by the Golden Globes. My bet's on Colin Firth, but I think Jeff Bridges has a lot of friends in Hollywood, so who knows.

Best Female Actor: Natalie Portman is getting a lot of buzz of "Black Swan," but the industry love Hillary Swank and her role in "Conviction was just begging for award recognition. I personally hope Annette Bening gets it.

Best Male/Female Supporting Actor: For men, I'm banking on classic pick, Geoffrey Rush but Jeremy Renner was great in "The Town" and everyone is talking about Christian Bale in "The Fighter." For female, I think everyone's been dying to see Helen Bonham Carter get some recognition. I think it would be awesome if Mila Kunis gets it, but I doubt that will happen. Maybe the girl from "True Grit"? It's been awhile since a child actor has gotten an award.

Best Cast in a Motion Picture: I bet it goes to the English film, "The King's Speech," since its loaded with powerful actors. I think "Black Swan" and "The Fighter" also have a decent chance. Anyone surprised that "Inception" is not getting any nominations? I totally thought it would, maybe it came out too early?

TV nominations were pretty much the same as the Golden Globes. No surprises. I'm so glad these nominations made more sense than the Golden Globes!

Rinata Review

Last night we braved the icy roads and went to Rinata, an Italian restaurant on Hennepin in Uptown, for dinner. The atmosphere was warm and inviting, with brown, gold, and copper accents with dim lighting. The food was delicious. We started out with smoked salmon and goat cheese brushetta. I got ziti with braised pork shoulder and caramelized onions, which was very tender and flavorful. My only qualm with the place is that for an Italian restaurant, it has a very small wine list. Only 5 wines under red and 5 under white are available by the glass. In lieu of a glass of red wine, I went with the "proseccotini," a glass of prosecco (sweet sparkling wine) with blackberry puree, which was quite tasty!

Atmosphere does it again!

I can't believe it's taken me this long, but I finally got around to listening to the new Atmosphere that came out in September, "To All My Friends, Blood Makes the Blade Holy: The Atmosphere EPs." Here's a hip hop group that has released countless songs over the past 17 years and never ceases to get boring. In the newest EP, they bring more unique sounds to the table. You've got their traditional hip hop sound ranging all the way to something bordering on chill alt-country. The single off this EP is "To All My Friends," but I think my favorite may be "The Number None," which is full of Slug's smart-ass sass. But most of the songs are filled with hints that these two hit-makers are slowly growing up, but not out, of their fan base.

Attention Shoppers....

The future is here and its crazy!

Cisco's future of shopping: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDi0FNcaock&feature=player_embedded#

This could really help, I can never understand IKEA building instructions: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4b4ArHZupM&feature=player_embedded

This is really neat for Webcam users: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZnBcqV9POkY

Golden Globe Nominations are out!!

And I am seriously confused. I thought 2010 had a bunch of great movies but some of the nominations are for movies that got bashed by critics. Full list of nominees here: http://www.goldenglobes.org/blog/2010/12/the-68th-annual-golden-globe-awards-nominations/

My comment by category: 

Best Picture (Drama) and Best Performance Male/Female (Drama): These are the 2 categories I totally agreed with. I love all the movies in this category I've already seen and can't wait to see the others.

Best Picture (Comedy/Musical): Didn't Burlesque get dubbed "the new Showgirls"? How is it up for an award?? And "The Tourist"? I just got done reading about how it was not good and bombed at the box office.

Best Actress (comedy/Musical): I hope one of the women from the "Kids Are All Right" wins. Emma Stone for "Easy A"? That's a bit random...

Best Actor (Comedy/Musical): Johnny Depp is up for 2 and I heard his performance in "The Tourist" was sub-par. Jake Gyllenhall should get it for becoming incredibly ripped in "Love & Other Drugs."

Best Animated: I haven't seen "The Illusionist" but the other 4 up are great.

Best Supporting Actor/Actress: I heard Mila Kunis in "Black Swan" and Amy Adams in "The Fighter" are both amazing. For acotr, I hope it goes to Jeremy Renner for "The Town." I'm so happy Andrew Garfield is up for "The Social Network" instead of JT!

Best TV Series (Drama): I love all 5!! I'd be happy if any of them won.

Best Actress/Actor (Drama): Piper Perabo is up?? I watched "Covert Affairs" because it was awesomely bad (especially her acting) and made me laugh... For actors, I love them all. Let the best man win.

This is going to be an interesting awards season! Happy viewing :)

J.C.'s In North Minneapolis

Last weekend we ordered takeout from J.C.'s, a new restaurant over on West Broadway in North Minneapolis. We found a takeout menu for it a few weeks before and were excited to order it. The menu showed a variety of items that sounded perfect for a hangover and were reasonably priced. I read a couple reviews online that raved about the BBQ. Well.... to start from the beginning, my first issue was with their tagline, "the taste of Chicago." As someone who has lived in Chicago, there was nothing about this placed that reflected the culinary range available in the Windy City. Our order took 2 hours to come. The delivery man had to stop by Walgreen's to get the soda I had ordered. He didn't want to even leave his car when he pulled up to our apartment. We were excited to see what our order of "Gyro Fries" would entail. Turns out it was super greasy fries, with nacho cheese, lettuce, tomato, and burnt Gyro meat. My actually Gyro was just dry meat. There was no tzatsiki sauce  or feta on it at all. My boyfriend got the chicken philly, which also severely lacked flavor. Maybe we'd have a different review if we'd gotten ribs or BBQ but I can tell you we will never, ever order J.C.'s again.

New Matt & Kim!!

I know a lot of people don't like Matt & Kim. Yes, they're not the best musicians in the world. Kim is not a precision drummer and Matt is not lyrically complex. But I think their sloppy, synthy style brings out a unique, raw punk sound. The new album, "Sidewalks" is not as good as last year's "Grand" but I think its perfect for those moments when you just need something to spaz out to! And if you ever get the chance to see them live, go! Their energy is contagious, they're all over the stage, and I love Kim's badass drummer girl act.

Movie Night: The Girlfriend Experience

Last night it was my boyfriend's turn to pick the movie, so we watched "The Girlfriend Experience." The concept was interesting enough and it took 2 weeks and less than $2MM to film. The only "actor" in the movie is professional porn star Sasha Grey (now of "Entourage" fame). She was actually much better than I expected. The rest of the roles were played by normal people and was mostly ad-lib, which you could tell but I liked because it gave it a realness you don't find often. The film was short in short vignettes and shown in a non-sequential order, so you have to re-piece the plot together. Downside, there wasn't a whole lot of plot. She's a high-priced call-girl with a boyfriend. I mean, just guess what happens....

Awards season is upon us!

To those of us who don't care about American Football and are more interested in sparkly dresses and good movies, the winter is all about awards season.

Gotham Awards: The first to happen, took place on November 29th, 2010. It was hosted by two wonderful actors, Stanley Tucci and Patricia Clarkson. The red carpet was full of beautiful outfits and fashion mishaps. For nominees, go to: http://gotham.ifp.org/

The Critics' Choice awards is the first award show of the new year. They will air on January 14th, 2011 on VH1. Nominees have not been listed yet from what I can find.

Screen Actor's Guild Awards (SAG): These are rumored to be the most important to people in the industry, since it's chosen by their peers. This year's airs on TNT/TBS on January 30th. The nominees will be announced on December 16th!

Independent Spirit Awards: Airing on IFC on February 26th, 2011 and hosted by the funny JoeMcHale. The nominees are: http://www.spiritawards.com/nominees

The "Superbowl" of awards season: the Oscars! Nominees are coming out soon and everyone's trying to guess who will get a nod. I most agree with Gawker's predictions: http://gawker.com/5707238/the-oscar-predictions-youve-been-waiting-for

Happy viewing!

Why are season finales happening already??

Last night, two season finales took place on television, which is sad considering it's only December. The first was the new HBO show, "Boardwalk Empire." This show focuses on Atlantic City on the time of the Prohibition and mobsters. I think it's great and would recommend that anyone without HBO add this to their Netflix queue. Steve Buesemi is fantastic in it (as is Michael Pitt and Gretchen Mol) and Martin Scorsese directs a couple episodes and is executive producer on the rest. I can't wait for the second season!!

The second finale was the 6 episode first season of AMC's "The Walking Dead." The show was signed on for a second season two episodes in. What "True Blood" does for sex, "The Walking Dead" does for gore. You're guaranteed to see several zombie heads bashed in per episode. This is definitely not for the queasy. The lady who plays Sarah in "Prison Break" is in it. I get a little annoyed by the main character, who everyone follows without questions, even though he woke up from a coma in the middle of the zombie apocalypse and feels the need to wear his sheriff gear every day.

Love & Other Movies

With all the snow this weekend, it was the perfect time to burrow in and watch some movies. We did brave the roads one night to go to the theater. Here are my movies reviews for the weekend:

In theaters, we saw Love & Other Drugs. I was pleasantly surprised! Finally a romantic comedy that breaks the standard plot mold and actually delivers a little substance as well. Jake Gyllenhal and Anne Hatheway are charming and have great chemistry, which is good since they spend a lot of the movie being naked. My boyfriend even enjoyed the film, showing that if romantic comedies actually work on having a plot, they'd be a lot more appealing to both sexes.

Friday night I watched the French film Priceless (Hors de Prix). It stars the always adorable Audrey Tautou, from Amelie fame. She stars as a gold-digging woman who falls for a hotel worker. It was charming, light, and funny, with lots of great scenery shots from the French coast. 

Saturday I watched The Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call- New Orleans. I thought it might be a decent movie since it was a remake and directed by Werner Herzog. I was wrong. It was horrible. All the acting was horrible. The plot dragged on. Nicolas Cage's face creeps me out. Ugh. A waste of two hours. Herzog should stick to documentaries.

R u readyz for Caturday?

Brrrrr.... it's time for boots!

With massive snowfall fast approaching, it's time to bust out the winter boots. Now, I am not a huge fan of Uggs, but I give them props for upping their game by adding some serious sparkle to this winter's collection.

Food & Fun at Keegan's Irish Pub

Last night I went to Keegan's Irish Pub in Nordeast Minneapolis. It's the perfect place for the holiday season, with a warm and inviting atmosphere. I had the St. James Gate, the irish version of a French Dip. It was delicious and the potato wedge fries were perfectly seasoned. My boyfriend got a burger with cream cheese and jalepenos on it that he was quite the fan of. Tuesdays and Thursday Keegan's features trivia twice a night. The questions are very random and from every genre imaginable. The announcer makes it fun, but there are some regulars who basically dominate. The evening's highlight for me? The bloody mary, complete with a pickle, olive, celery, bacon, and a hard-boiled egg!

Lunch at Kindee

I went to lunch at Kindee, a Thai restaurant in Minneapolis near the Guthrie. The ambiance was very bright and cheery, but the food was sub-par. The fresh springrolls were so cilantro-heavy (and I love cilantro), that it killed a lot of the other flavors. The sauce on the Pad Thai was very weak and did not have the signature peanut sauce taste. There was also zero spice to the Pad Thai. Overall, very boring food.

Barrio Review

A friend of mine was in town from Chicago last night and had a hankering for Mexican, so I took her to Barrio in downtown Minneapolis. We split the guacamole, which was chunky and flavorful, and the ceviche, which was very citrusy and one of the best I've had in a while. The shrimp and beef tacos each had a unique flavor and were very good. The highlight for me was margarita I had, which had tequila, passionfruit, orange juice, and cava. I'd never though about adding cava to a margarita. It added a perfect light and bubbly touch that was reminiscent of a mimosa. Yum!

A week's worth of movie reviews

With Thanksgiving last week, I didn't have a ton of time to blog but saw quite a few movies worth mentioning. Here is goes:

In theaters, I went to see Megamind. Yes, it's a family movie but it was hilarious and had some adult jokes snuck in. I thought it was weird that it was released so quickly after Despicable Me. Both are great movies, but have similar plots following lovable villains.

We rented the older classic, Oscar winning Deer Hunter. It was interesting and I loved seeing DeNiro and Wakken as younger men. However, the movie was a little over 3 hours long. There were definitely some parts that dragged on, but overall I can see why it won an Oscar. Oh, and the always lovely Meryl Streep was in it!

Another rental was Splice. This is one of the most weird, fucked up movies I've seen in a long time. Adrien Brody and Sarah Pollock star as two scientists who are splicing different species of animals to discover a specific protein. The genre is "sci-fi horror," which I didn't understand until the last 20 minutes of the movie, which left me very, very disturbed....

Last but not least, I watched New York, I Love You with my parents on Thanksgiving. It's based off Paris, J'aime, which is a must-see. Both of these movies feature a series of vignettes of people who end up being linked together. The New York version was not as interesting as its Persian counterpart but featured a ton of stars such as Andy Garcia, Rachel Bilson, Hayden Christenson, Shia LeBouf, Natalie Portman, and Bradley Cooper.

A satisfying steak

Last weekend I went to Murray's in downtown Minneapolis with great anticipation and it lived up to the expectations. It may be expensive, but it earns its prestige. We got on the the "silver butterknife" steaks, cooked a perfect medium rare, that was well-seasoned and melted in your mouth. The calamari we had beforehand was well-seasoned, the creme brulee after was creamy perfection. If only I could afford to eat like a queen every week.....

Atmosphere come home

I went to the Atmosphere show last night at First Ave. It was a little rough, being as how it was a Sunday, but as always Slug brought it and made it totally worth it. The place was packed and the energy was electric. I've seen Atmosphere in several different states and it's never the same as seeing him at First Ave in Minneapolis. Every person in the audience knows every word to every song and he feels the love and returns it. Great show!

Loring Pasta Bar Review

Saturday I traveled to Dinkytown to dine at the Loring Pasta Bar. The ambiance of the place is always wonderful and I love the tie-in with the Varisty Theater and Kitty Kat Klub. I remembered it being super good food from college, but now that I've been expanding my palate, I have to say I wasn't that impressed. The food was not as flavorful as I remembered and it was extremely overpriced. We started with the calamari, which was subpar but came with a spicy dipping aioli. We split a chicken oscar, which has too much bland cream sauce on it and was in no way worth $23, and the cheese tortellini nuovi, which was flavored nicely with proscuitto, garlic, nutmeg, and pine nuts. I am a definitely sucker for pine nuts. Overall, I think there are much better places to dine for this amount of money. I would however go back with my a student ID card, which gets you 30% off your whole meal Sunday through Thursday!

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Pt. 1

I saw it on Friday. It was epic. I cried twice. It's the characters we've grown up with and they're almost all grown up. This is by far the darkest movie and definitely not meant for children. There are some super creepy parts and Voldemort is just pure evil. I won't go into anymore details but I don't think it's possible to spoil this movie! It opened to $61.2MM on Friday, making it the 5th biggest single day debut of a movie. Weekend estimates are coming in around $130-140MM. And it deserves it! I can't wait for the second part next July!!

O hai, it's almost Caturday.