Top Chef and Jawbreaker

Premiere to look out for –
It’s about that time of year, where the reality cooking shows return in full force. You have Food Network’s “Who will be the Next Food Network Star,” and Fox’s “Hell’s Kitchen” with firecracker (and lookey-likey disarmingly close to my boyfriend) Gordon Ramsey. But the premiere I’m most anticipating is Bravo’s “Top Chef,” with it’s 3rd Season premiere this Wednesday @ 10pm.

"Top Chef" differs from its Food Network counterpart especially when it comes to prize winnings. In “Next Food Network star”, the grand prize is a show on the channel. Charisma, personality and on-screen presence are all vital needs for these potential stars, and are judged just as much as the food that they cook. “Top Chef” does have certain “missions” where personality is a plus, but for the most part this show is straight cooking, as well as displaying leadership or team player qualities which seem much more important in the world of food and running a successful restaurant. That means the meanest, cockiest, most anti-social jerks have a chance of winning it all. And as proven by Gordon Ramsey on “Hell’s Kitchen”, jerks can get their own shows too!
(((<<<===not crying here))
But don't miss "Hell's Kitchen" either, or you will miss a grown man cry! And boy, does he cry a lot!

Season 3 of “Top Chef” is set in Miami, and the addition of Ted Allen from “Queer Eye” is a great move on the show’s part. Allen is one of my favorite judges on “Iron Chef” and is also the author of the book THE FOOD YOU WANT TO EAT.

Bonus if you’ve got HBO and 2 hours to spare – JAWBREAKER is on HBO this month. I stopped dead in my Friday night tracks and watched this entire film last week. It holds up well, and the 90’s soundtrack is nice little blast from the past. See Marilyn Manson sans make-up (but still looking skeevy) and Rebecca Gayheart (Noxema Girl!) and Judy Greer (Kitty on Arrested Development!) play teenagers.
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The Beauty of American Elf

THE BEAUTY OF AMERICAN ELF
James Kochalka may be a name not readily mentioned in mainstream comic book conversations but within the independent scene he is revered as one of the best. Highly prolific with such works as Monkey Vs. Robot, Peanutbutter & Jeremy, and Quit Your Job, he is known for his large output of comics. But he participates in other mediums as well. He shares his namesake with his band, James Kochalka Superstar, a pure rock extravaganza that earned a spot on Rolling Stone’s list of the "Top 100 Songs of 2006" with the super-catchy Britney’s Silver Can (a tune capturing the world’s obsession with Justin Timberlake by repeating his name over and over...and over again). Kochalka also just ended a stint at the Giant Robot Gallery in New York City, that spotlighted his oil painting work.
But this "James of all Trades" illustrates his most profound art with his daily diary comic strip, known as American Elf. Started in 1998, the premise is simple: Kochalka composes a small (usually 4 panels) strip revealing an event that took place that day. This endeavor is not striking in the single day’s strip but in the sum of its parts; the chronicling of what may seem mundane and unremarkable becomes simply amazing with the sheer volume and the universal appeal of it. Writing about his family, his cat, his work, his band, his fears, Kochalka has produced one strip every day for the past 9 years and has shown no signs of stopping.Highly addictive, I plowed through the daunting American Elf Volume 1: James Kochalka’s Collected Sketchbook Diaries in about 2 days, that’s 496 pages of pure comic strip goodness! The 2nd collection came out just last month and while it is considerably smaller (192 pages), it is no less entrancing.
To get a taste of American Elf, check out Kochalka’s web site, there you can view the cartoon for that day. If you subscribe to the site (a mere $1.95 per month) you’ll be given access to the archives of past comic strips. Although I highly recommend picking up the collected volumes, as his comics en masses are where they truly shine. Also available on his web site is links to where you can buy his music, books and other merchandise.Support the Elf Movement today!

Adulthood a new hope

ADULTHOOD : A NEW HOPE - CELEBRATING 30 YEARS OF STAR WARS
As a young girl with a mom that was rather fond of the Sci-Fi/Fantasy genre in film and TV, I was aware of Star Wars at a very young age. Silly me, I thought because my mother enjoyed the trilogy that it obviously wasn't cool enough for me. All this changed the winter of my 16th year, when Star Wars : A New Hope was re-released in theaters.I saw the movie opening night in a packed theater. I couldn't even sit with my friends because we arrived late and seats were scarce. It might have been peer pressure that got me into the movie house that night but after that it was not even an hour into the film before I had an epiphany and professed my utter devotion to everything Star Wars. From that moment on I was obsessed.How obsessed you ask? I support my assertion with 3 items for your consideration:#1 : August 1999, I get my one and only tattoo, the Imperial Symbol (aka The Dark Side!):Though my mom is just as much as fan as I am, it seems her love does not translate the same way. She is surprisingly *not* a fan of the tattoo.I was partial to the fact that usually only the hardcore Star Wars fans are able to recognize the symbol. No regret on this one.#2 : October, 1999, I dress up as Darth Maul for Halloween.True, this is a character from the 2nd trilogy, but you really can't go wrong with any costume that allows the wielding of a double-bladed light saber.Fun Fact - this is a little boy's costumeOh and...my light saber didn't really light up, one of my friends photoshopped this pic. But no worries kittlings, my lack of "light" in the "saber" was eventually alleviated...#3 : January, 2007, my boyfriend acquires a "functional" light saber for my pleasure.My boyfriend does not share my interest when it comes to Star Wars and I am quite sure he finds my utter fangirl-dom a bit strange. Nevertheless the boy saw this Darth Maul light saber at Sharper Image and knew that I would love it. He was right. The realistic hum when this baby is turned on is enough to make me squeal in delight. Out of all of my film props and replicas I possess(and I have quite a few), this is by far my favorite.It's been 30 years since the original Star Wars, longer than I've been alive. I can't say that I grew up with Han Solo and Darth Vader yet I maintain that my most treasured memories of my teenage years as I matured and "came of age" are littered with scenes of Chewbacca, Emperor Palpatine, and Yoda.If anything, the trilogy gave me the grand push into pop culture. Thanks be to Star Wars.++++++++end of transmission+++++++++

Get Your Creep On

6.01.2007

GET YOUR CREEP ON - CHECK THIS OUT
A comic and a film that will give you the willies…I started Sandman a little over a week ago and am once again proud to call Vertigo my favorite imprint, which publishes Neil Gaiman’s masterpiece. Issue # 5 of the series is the scariest and creepiest comic sequential I've ever read. A malcontent with the dream god Morpheus’ all-powerful stone takes over a small town diner and proceeds to torture its patrons with gross distortions of reality. And silly me, I thought this would be the creepiest thing I encountered all day. I was wrong.

Because after finishing up this comic, I went to see Bug.Bug in theaters now and is a Cronenberg-esque thriller with a small cast but even smaller main setting. Taking place in a cramped motel room apartment, the film shows Agnes (played by Ashley Judd) character as lonely, fussy and scared of ex-husband Jerry (Harry Connick Jr) whom we learn has just been released from prison. Agnes earns money by waiting at a lesbian bar where gal pal RC (Lynn Collins) bartends. One evening, RC visits Agnes with a tall stranger in tow. His name is Peter Evans (Michael Shannon, a Jude Law look-alike) and as a Gulf War veteran, he has undergone experiments performed by the government…or has he? Complete and utter madness ensues. The slow vast opening shot of the Oklahoma desolation contrasts sharply claustrophobia that exists within Agnes’ small abode. Based on the play by Tracy Letts (who also wrote the screenplay for the film) and directed by William Friedkin, this is a psychological thriller that will leave you breathless and bothered. In a good way of course!