Omnivore's top 100 This comes from a list a British food writer compiled of things "every good omnivore should have tried at least once in their life".
1) Copy this list into your blog or journal, including these instructions. 2) Bold all the items you’ve eaten. 3) Cross out any items that you would never consider eating. 4) Optional extra: Post a comment here at www.verygoodtaste.co.uk linking to your results.
The VGT Omnivore’s Hundred:
1. Venison 2. Nettle tea 3. Huevos rancheros 4. Steak tartare 5. Crocodile6. Black pudding 7. Cheese fondue 8. Carp 9. Borscht 10. Baba ghanoush 11. Calamari 12. Pho 13. PB&J sandwich 14. Aloo gobi 15. Hot dog from a street cart 16. Epoisses 17. Black truffle 18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes 19. Steamed pork buns 20. Pistachio ice cream 21. Heirloom tomatoes 22. Fresh wild berries 23. Foie gras 24. Rice and beans 25. Brawn, or head cheese 26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper 27. Dulce de leche 28. Oysters 29. Baklava 30. Bagna cauda 31. Wasabi peas 32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl 33. Salted lassi 34. Sauerkraut 35. Root beer float 36. Cognac with a fat cigar 37. Clotted cream tea 38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O 39. Gumbo 40. Oxtail 41. Curried goat 42. Whole insects 43. Phaal 44. Goat’s milk 45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more 46. Fugu 47. Chicken tikka masala 48. Eel 49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut 50. Sea urchin 51. Prickly pear 52. Umeboshi 53. Abalone 54. Paneer 55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal 56. Spaetzle 57. Dirty gin martini 58. Beer above 8% ABV 59. Poutine 60. Carob chips 61. S’mores 62. Sweetbreads 63. Kaolin 64. Currywurst 65. Durian 66. Frogs’ legs 67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake 68. Haggis 69. Fried plantain 70. Chitterlings, or andouillette 71. Gazpacho 72. Caviar and blini 73. Louche absinthe 74. Gjetost, or brunost 75. Roadkill 76. Baijiu 77. Hostess Fruit Pie 78. Snail 79. Lapsang souchong 80. Bellini 81. Tom yum 82. Eggs Benedict 83. Pocky 84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant. 85. Kobe beef 86. Hare 87. Goulash 88. Flowers 89. Horse 90. Criollo chocolate 91. Spam 92. Soft shell crab 93. Rose harissa 94. Catfish 95. Mole poblano 96. Bagel and lox 97. Lobster Thermidor 98. Polenta 99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee 100. Snake
I found out today that all employees where I work are getting their hours cut back. None of us lose benefits, but it will take a little chunk of change out of my family's pocket. I have added the dreaded donate button to your right so that if you have some spare change I can put it to good use. To do my part here I promise to update more frequently than before. To show my gratitude, here are some magnificent boobies;
Before we start, let me say that I have always been a fan of Severin Films. They have brought me magnificent copies of Jess Franco flicks that I never would have seen in that condition. That being said Severin is releasing three flicks on the world that are miles apart in every way possible. I decided to review these alphabetically.
THE HAIRDRESSER'S HUSBAND (Note: I don't count the 'THE' in the titles. Nuff said!) I saw the cover and thought, erotica. Man, I was right, but I had no idea what I was in for. Our lead starts the film as a young man infatuated with getting his hair cut. He goes as often as money will allow to a voluptuous woman. He is in love. Period. This is a young man who clearly knows what he wants. Unfortunately, his heart throb takes her life. Many years pass and he comes to a small boutique. It is there that he meets the woman of his dreams. He knows that he must marry her and she agrees. Life is perfect. Right? This movie has zero nudity, no foul language and not a single, solitary drop of blood. I was fascinated from the beginning to the end. director Patrice Leconte gives us a tale of a man's life. A man who knows unwaveringly what it is that he wants from life. No more, no less. His goals may seem small to most, but to him they are all that is important in the world. This is a film that is at once broad in scope and intimate in detail. The print used for this feature is gorgeous and the onscreen chemistry between the two leads threaten to make the DVD erupt into flames. Now, notice how I have not mentioned a single actor's name in this review? There's a reason for that. It is not important. Sure, I've seen them in other things, but in The Hairdresser's Husband, they are so absorbed by the characters they portray that they are no longer mere actors. I really could continue on with this film for days and never get tired of talking about it, but I think the less said the better. Go find this film and experience it for yourself. Apparently, Severin will also be releasing another film by this director entitled, The Perfume Of Yvonne. Yeah, I'll need to see that one, too. If it's half as good as The Hairdresser's Husband then it's a masterpiece.
PORN-O-RAMA
(EDITOR'S NOTE: Apparently this DVD is produced by Private Screening Collection which used to be a part of Severin, but has been sold off to become a seperate entity. Sorry for the mix up.)
In 1992, adult film writer/director Paul Norman decided to create a five part documentary series where co hosts Ron Jeremy and Alexis DeVeil are allowed on the sets of adult films and talk to the people involved and see what makes them tick. This is a wonderful concept, unfortunately, it is rather limited in its scope as the only films it covers are the ones that Paul Norman is making. Kind of a vanity project. What it does succeed in is showing us the world of porn in the 90's. The storylines have managed to stay in place, but the cool look of film has been replaced by the harsh lights of video. A minor masterpiece in managing to unveil the behind the scenes world of porn like no other, but it would have been fun to see a broader scope and a longer series of installments.
THE SINFUL DWARF Man, has Severin been pushing the press on this thing. Heralded as 'The Mother of all Dwarfsploitation Films!', it is an odd little flick. Seems our titular dwarf lures incredibly stupid girls back to the boarding house that he runs with his mother and then hooks them on heroin and keeps them as unwilling prostitutes. The first time he pulled out that bent needle full of heroin I winced. This was not going to be a pleasant flick. throw in a young couple with a really hot newlywed wife and things start to take a turn for the worse immediately. This is good old fashioned grindhouse fare and a fun time. Now, for the complaints. There is a featurette entitled The Severin Controversy that is a waste of disc space. really phony in every aspect and kind of painful to sit through. wasn't there anything else they could have added to this package to make it better? I know! How about the XXX rate version that they will be releasing in the future? It really burns me that these companies put out two versions of the same flick. It's the worst kind of double dipping and it really burns my cheese. Sure, I loves me some Severin, but come on! If you don't want the two flicks in the same package then give us a coupon to send it and we'll decide if we want the more explicit version. Seduction Cinema has done this for years and it seems to work for them.
There you are folks! The three newest flicks from Severin. Be sure to support your independent purveyor of stuff that the majors will never release on DVD. This is the sort of thing that we would all rather watch anyway.
Before you think that I have lost it, settle down and let me explain. Recently I joined Columbia House DVD. It's a good way to get a stack of free, top 40 DVDs and you really don't have to buy that many. I bought the Watchmen tie-in Tales Of The Black Freighter. Because of that I got a free movie. You guessed it. I picked Howard The Duck. Howard has always had a spot in my heart. To date it is the only comic book I ever got a subscription to. Howard combines the heart of a true patriot who rebels against the idiocy of bureaucracy that forgets its place in life. Howard was more of a hero than most guys with a cape. Then they made this movie. When it first came out 23 years ago I watched it. Once. It wasn't what I wanted it to be. But age does something to us. We soften a little and become more laid back about things that we once had a huge fire about. I think my fire about this movie has pretty much gone out. Now, I can appreciate it for what it is. Sure, I would have killed for Howard's real origin story. Can you imagine Man-Thing and Korrek The Barbarian and wizards and The Nexus Of All Realities. It would have been awesome. Instead they gave us this; Seems these scientists shot a laser thingy in the air and it plucked Howard from his world where ducks are the dominant species. Now, Howard The Duck is in a world he didn't make, Cleveland to be exact. And it isn't long before Howard hooks up with Beverly Switzler (Lea Thompson) who fronts a band named Cherry Bomb. A few minor adventures later and Howard thinks he is on his way back home. Until the laser thingy misfires and causes one of the Evil Overlords Of The Universe to inhabit the body of Dr. Jennings (Jefferey Jones). Now Howard has to help save the world! 2 million dollar duck suit. No, I'm not kidding, that's what they paid for the weird looking duck suit. But come on people! This was 1986! Special Effects weren't ready for a talking duck. Let's cover the positives. Lea Thompson is gorgeous in this film. Slim, barely dressed and that adorable little cleft in her chin. Yum! Jeffrey Jones when he is possessed by the evil Overlord is hilarious. There is this line out of left field when they are in the diner when Beverly tells him to help Howard and he mutters, 'she took my eggs'. This is comedy gold and it still makes me laugh. Even the end song is infectious Here, take a listen and see if it doesn't worm it's way into your brain;
Now for some interesting trivia for you and an amazing fact. I already mentioned that the suit cost 2 million, but did you know??? Thomas Dolby did the music and arranged all the music for the flick. Lea Thompson did her own singing in the film as well as played her instrument. John Landis was originally slated to direct. But..... Here is the most interesting thing of all. If Howard The Duck had not bombed in the magnificent fashion it had, we probably wouldn't have had Pixar studios. Check it out. According to reports at the time of the movie's release, George Lucas was heavily in debt (having just built the $50-million Skywalker Ranch complex) and was counting on this film to get him back in the black. When it bombed, he was forced to start selling off assets to stay afloat. His friend Steve Jobs, the CEO of Apple Computer, offered to help by buying Lucasfilm's newly-launched CGI animation division for a price well above market value, and Lucas, in desperate straits and thankful for the assistance, agreed. That division eventually become Pixar Animation Studios. Amazing isn't it? There you go. A flick from the 80's with cheesy effects, great stunt work, really hot Lea Thompson and really do you need anything else? I thought not. Now if you'll excuse me I'm gonna go watch it again. Seeya!
See that crazy ass nun up there? Yeah, I like to change my logo from time to time. Here's the deal-o. I have many discs of films laying around The Compound and would gladly give some of them up for a new pic for up top. I loves my nun, but just like to change scenery once in a while. Two rules; There has to be a nun in it. It has to be in color.
Okay, my friend Christopher and I headed out Saturday morning at 6AM, we made it to Cleveland at 10AM. Very good time if you ask me. we bought our day pass and headed in to the dealers room. There we were greeted by the one and only Amy Lynn Best and Mike Watt, film makers extraordinaire. Amy recognized me immediately and Mike remembered my name for her. We chatted for a minute and then headed around the room.
You know what? I think I will kill the play by play and just hit the highlights.
Ruby LaRocca, whose films I have seen, well all of, was an unexpected guest. We talked for a few minutes, got some pics taken with her and then left her to hawk her new flick, FACES OF SHLOCK. Apparently, she's starting her own movie company so more power to her.
Talked with Count Gore DeVol and he signed one of his DVDs for me. Very cool person.
Made new friend Autumn who is a horror host from Canada and a very cool person. She's the one with the orange dreadlocks in the pic with me and my buddy Christopher.
Lloyd Kaufman signed my book for me and said I was hot. Who am I to argue?
Todd Sheets was awesome to talk to and much taller than I thought he would be.
Sat in on a panel with 42nd Street Pete and he was hilarious.
Watched Friday The 13th Part 5 with live commentary by the director. It made it a much better film. My fellow Eurotrasher, Bryan, tried to scare me during the flick. He failed, but it was funny.
Speaking of which, I got to meet a bunch of the guys from my Eurotrash Paradise Yahoo! group that I am a member of. This was a a great bunch of guys and I will make a concerted effort to make sure I attend all the conventions they will be at.
David Zuzelo signed my copy of his book.
I got to be in Chris Seaver's room and watched Deathbone with him and some other folks. Travis Indovina is one of the coolest people on Earth.
Spending time in The Hostility Suite with my fellow Eurotrashers watching bad Indonesian flicks and laughing a lot.
I had not been to a horror convention in many years. I will have to do my best to make sure I never miss this again. I had a blast!
I have been awake since 5 AM Saturday Morning. According to the computer in front of me in some bizarre business room at the hotel where the convention is being held, it's 5:24 AM Sunday. I will do a second post with pictures and whatnot, but I wanted to get things put up here before I forget some of these things. To make it more interesting, The hotel I am at doesn't serve anything resembling coffee until 7AM! I may brave the nearby wilderness in search of caffeinated beverage to do something about that. Now on to the show; My friend Christopher and I arrived here at Cinema Wasteland promptly at a little after ten when the doors opened. The trip seemed short and was uneventful. All in all a good thing. I managed to spot Mike Watt and his lovely wife Amy Lynn Best right off the bat. They remembered who I was which was a good thing. I tracked down Count Gore DeVol and we chatted and I had him sign a disc that I won from his website last year. One of my three mandatory signatures that I needed for the trip. Lloyd Kaufman was nowhere to be found. We ran into a lovely girl named Autumn who was part of the Horror Host Collective. Later in the day I would have to help save her from Rape Man, but more on that later. I was shocked to see Ruby LaRocca at the show. She wasn't even supposed to be here. I amazed her with how many of her movies I had seen and got my picture taken with her. You'll see it later. Lloyd finally showed up and I got him to sign my book. I will hve to scan the page for all to see as it is hilarious and would lose a little in the translation. Then I ran into Chris Seaver and Travis Indovina. Travis was very nice as was Chis who is always nice when I run into him. I finally met up with my Eurotrash buddies from Yahoo! Groups. Dan, David, Bryan, Louis and Bruce along with others who my sleep deprived brain refuses to remember where there. I got my last signature when David Zuzelo signed his book for me. I got to see a special screening of DEATHBONE by Chris Seaver. There was a hilarious panel with 42nd Street Pete. More on him later as well. There was a 11:00 PM showing of FRIDAY THE 13TH Part 5 that had live commentary by the director. Made it that much better. Then it was off to the Hostility Suite for movies with the Eurotrash Boys. They all caved around 3 AM so I have been wandering, relaxing and waiting for morning to arrive. I must now go and see if there is coffee nearby. I give Christopher until 7, maybe 8 if I decide to track down breakfast and then I am rousing him from his relative's house to head back. I will be sleeping all the way home and then more sleep tomorrow. More later.
