Month: July 2014 (Page 1 of 11)

Movie Review: “Get on Up”

Starring
Chadwick Boseman, Nelsan Ellis, Viola Davis, Lennie James, Octavia Spencer, Dan Aykroyd, Craig Robinson
Director
Tate Taylor

Every movie trend has its fans. Monster movies, disaster movies, chick flicks, tearjerkers, conspiracy thrillers, they all have people who love them regardless of their financial viability at the box office. No one, however, misses the biopic, films based on the life of a famous person. In fact, after “Walk the Line” and “Ray,” people were so done with biopics that most people passed on arguably the best biopic of that era, even though it expertly lampooned the biopic structure and had a damned good soundtrack to boot (“Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story,” we still love ya, baby). To further prove this point, earlier this year, Clint Eastwood’s “Jersey Boys” sank like a stone, despite the fact that the musical of the same name sells out everywhere it goes, and last year’s Princess Diana film starring Naomi Watts fared even worse. No one misses the biopic.

Everyone misses James Brown, though, which is why “Get on Up: The James Brown Story” has something those other movies didn’t: instant swagger. It actually has a couple of things the others don’t, namely a non-linear timeline that would give Doctor Who pause, and it does the unthinkable by occasionally breaking the fourth wall, at times to hilarious effect. The story line is too slight, opting for depth of event coverage over depth of character, but thanks to a, um, showstopping performance by Chadwick Boseman, “Get on Up” is quite entertaining despite its flaws. It is also genius counterprogramming to this weekend’s box office juggernaut, “Guardians of the Galaxy.” Someone at Universal should get a bonus for that decision alone.

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Stock Yards Steaks: A gift basket that even a man could love

stock_yards

1-800-Baskets.com has become the go-to online store for quick and dependable gift ideas, partnering with companies like Cheryl’s and The Popcorn Factory to bring their goods to a larger audience. But while the site contains the usual items tailored for special occasions – such as flowers, fruit bouquets and tasty treats – its newest addition will have even the most macho men excited about the prospect of receiving a gift basket, although technically it comes in a Styrofoam ice box. We’re talking about meat, and not some dainty summer sausage that’s served with crackers and cheese, but USDA Prime and Choice steaks, pork, lamb and veal from Stock Yards, who have been providing quality meat to some of America’s finest restaurants for over 100 years.

Stock Yards isn’t the first company to offer meat delivery direct to your home, but the fact that they’ve joined the 1-800-Baskets family shows that they mean business about expanding their brand. And with a variety of products available – from steak burgers and BBQ pork ribs, to seafood and steaks – there’s something for just about everyone, provided they fancy themselves a carnivore.

We recently had the chance to sample the King & Queens Collection, and while we weren’t too impressed with the 10 oz. Center Cut New York Strip steaks that were included (more on that below), the 6 oz. Complete Trim Filet Mignon steaks came off the grill tasting almost as good as what you’d get at a major steakhouse. We prepared the filet mignon a little rarer than the New York strip after discovering that the steaks had a tendency to toughen up when served at a medium-well doneness, and combined with the provided Epicure seasoning, they were the best home-cooked steaks we’ve ever had – tender and flavorful with a melt-in-your-mouth center.

Whether or not they’re worth the price depends on how much you like steak. The King & Queens Steak Collection costs $84.95 (plus a shipping charge that varies between $4.99 and $12.99 depending on the day you want them delivered), which averages out to about $23 a steak. That’s a lot more than you’d pay at a typical restaurant, and not much less than at a quality steakhouse, especially when you consider that you still have to prepare the food yourself. But for anyone that loves to grill out or just wants a special meal in the convenience of their home every now and again, Stock Yards is a great way to treat yourself or a friend, regardless of the occasion.

Premier League title race intrigues fans

With the sights and sounds of the summer’s World Cup in Brazil now just a distant memory, the focus has switched to the upcoming Premier League kick-off next month. With the likes of Manchester City, Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool all looking set to be in the race for this season’s title, we could be about to witness the most exciting Premier League campaign in recent years.

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Always a good time to visit Costa Rica

Always a good time to visit Costa RicaMany people have been talking about Costa Rica since their impressive showing in the World Cup, which generated a lot of attention here in the States. Costa Rica has always been known for beautiful beaches and scenery, but now we can add soccer to the list. We’ve had the good fortune to visit Costa Rica many times, often in search of beautiful models. We’ve also attended a number of great events out there, and in the photo here you see lovely Lindsey enjoying the zipline near Jaco.

If you read up on the travel experts, you’ll learn that Costa Rica’s big tourism season runs from late November to late April, which works out great as it’s cold for many Americans during those months. The weather there is beautiful and tropical, offering an excellent reprieve from a brutal winter. But if you want to choose Costa Rica in your next vacation you don’t necessarily have to go in the winter. Sure, the rest of the year in Costa Rica offers up the rainy season, but this is when you can get the incredible deals as well. Like anything, going in season always costs more.

There’s so much to do down there that you can enjoy it any time of year. The ziplines are spectacular. The beaches are beautiful, and if you’re into nature the rain forest offers an incredible variety of plant and animal life to observe.

The coastline is also beautiful and you can see much of the country of you plan well. We’re partial to the area around Jaco, a cool beach town with excellent surfing and a wild nightlife that will definitely keep you coming back for more. You’ll love the beautiful Ticas! Also, there are plenty of luxury resorts in the area along with cool, beach-side hotels. We recommend the Los Suenos resort just north of Jaco nestled on a steep hillside on the ocean. There are tons of luxury condos there you can rent along with a luxury Marriott with spectacular views of the ocean. As for something more casual there are plenty of hotels right in Jaco.

Jaco is just one of many great spots in Costa Rica, so do some research and find what’s best for you. And don’t hesitate to go in the summer as well!

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