Hoodie Paragon

Over the weekend, I picked up a new hoodie from Old Navy.

You see, I needed something for my workouts, since I'm out jogging again and it's cold. And I've found Old Navy to be an excellent source for jeans, they're both comfortable and don't wear quickly. Plus, as they say, "the price is right" (it's on sale for $12, but outlet malls such as Franklin Mills have them for $6.)

This may be the most comfortable hoodie I've ever worn.

It's something between clingy and baggy. I'm not sure how this is done, maybe it's the fabric (60% cotton / 40% polyester), the weave, or the weight. But for something so lightweight, it keeps you warmer than it should, precisely because it clings just right. The sleeves stay at your wrists, they don't creep down your hands. And the hood...ah, the hood...'twould make a Sith lord proud. It's big enough and , thanks to the drawstring, actually has enough weight that a light breeze won't blow it off your head every few seconds.

I now own three of these: one for my workouts, another for work, and a stylish black for my duster, leather jacker, or just by itself. If you want one of these amazing hoodies for yourself, then head to an Old Navy before they sell out...because freaks like me are buying them up!

(Old Navy 'Basic Issue', made in Bangladesh)

Cloverfield

I just got back from watching Cloverfield, which I greatly enjoyed.

For those of you who haven't been following the viral web campaign, it's a modern day monster movie shot entirely with a hand-held camera. The premise is that a 20-something yuppie is going off to Japan for his job, so his friends are throwing him a going-away party. His best friend "Hud" is documenting the whole thing, so he can watch it while in Japan.

Then all hell breaks lose.

This isn't a Godzilla movie. This isn't the Blair Witch Project. It's also not an H.P. Lovecraft movie. This film somehow combines the best of all three and very well.

While at first I didn't care about the characters at all - after all, they are spoiled 20-somethings - when they have to deal with this disaster, loss of loved ones, survive and deal with each other, they did sort of grow on me. By the end, they seem more like real people.

The monster is like something out of Lovecraft, or perhaps the first Hellboy. It's not like anything we've seen before, and is scary in that it's so unnatural or perhaps supernatural.
There are several things about it left unexplained, which just makes it that much more unsettling.

As this reviewer put it, "Godzilla, you got punked."

(there is an audio easter egg at the end of the credits, but apparently you have to listen to it backwards, which this site provides.)

Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem

I just saw AVP-R and was pleasantly surprised. Not only is it entertaining, and not only is it better than the previous AVP, but it's clearly one of the best films of either series.

It takes place right after the end of the first film, with a Predalien being born on the Predator ship. This causes the Predators to crash outside a Colorado town. The Predalien and several face huggers survive and begin to spread

A lone Predator receives the distress call on the Predator homeworld. He gets his gear and departs. Much mayhem and bloodshed ensue.

This Predator is not out to make friends, he's all about kicking ass and making sure none of his technology falls into alien (ie. Human) hands. On set they referred to him as "Wolf", after the character Winston Wolf in Pulp Fiction, who gets called in to clean up the mess. Humans are in the way, in which case he eliminates them...or uses them as bait.

For this film, they went back to stuntmen in Alien suits; only the tails were CGI. The Predalien is the dominant member of this bunch, the other Aliens yield to him just as wolves yield to the alpha of the pack.

The only winners here are the few humans who manage to survive...and the audience, who get finally get treated to a good Alien/Predator movie!

(incidentally, there is no Easter Egg at the end of the credits)

Portal

Valve released Portal, a new game using the Half-Life 2 game engine.

This game is loads of fun, you can really do a lot with the portals...defy gravity, fling yourself across vast distances, overcome traps and puzzles. Best of all, the game's not too difficult; even the timed areas give you more than a few moments to assess the situation.

The only problem I had was with the commentary. Once it's on, you don't earn any more accolades (fun rewards)...and I can't figure out how to turn it off!

Twix Java

The other day, I discovered a great candy bar: Twix Java. This thing is great, it's the normal cookie & chocolate Twix bar, but now with a coffee flavor. It is unbelievably good. I think it's only out for a limited time, however...hopefully, the dark masters of Mars Incorporated, bolstered by the success of their creation, will engage all their cloning machines and mass produce these things.