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Reviews

Review: 300

by Brian Gilham on March 10, 2007

When I first saw the leaked trailer for 300, the new movie based on Frank Miller’s graphic novel of the same name, I was blown away by the visual effects it showcased. It had a gritty, dirty feel to it and the unique visual style made me want to learn more about the film. I quickly headed over to the official site and was hooked right right away. I wanted to see this film. No, I needed to see this film. My buddy, Mark, was just as enthused and we promised ourselves we would see 300 the very day it opened in theatres.

Today was that day.

I just got home from the show and, let me tell you, 300 was everything I thought it would be and more. Those who saw Sin City, the first movie based on a Frank Miller graphic novel, will have an idea of the sort of visuals to expect. Highly stylized and supplemented by plenty of CGI, the visual effects are truly a sight to behold. Swords cut through opponents with satisfying ease, spears pass right through their victim’s bodies, and ample amounts of blood can be seen gushing in almost every sequence. In short, this isn’t the feel-good movie of the year. What it is, however, is a kick-ass, testosterone-fueled action flick that surpasses almost every expectation.

Miller’s novel, which is based on the 480 B.C. Battle of Thermopylae, is reproduced pretty faithfully. It tells the story of 300 Spartans who, in the face of certain slavery and death, faced off against an army of Persians, 250,000 strong. Led by King Leonidas, played extremely well by Gerard Butler, the Spartans face off against all manner of foe, including a masked army called the Immortals, giant rhinos, and mutant elephants. 300 plays fast and loose with the historical details, but that’s kind of the point. If you’re looking for a documentary, move along.

There’s a few scenes of political intrigue, most of it surrounding the efforts of Leonidas’ queen, Gorgo, played by Lena Headey. Thankfully, however, the bulk of the movie is devoted to bloody scenes of combat. It’s a relentless pace, one that rarely lets up, but it’s sure to get your blood pumping. Gerard Butler delivers an explosive performance, uttering some of the film’s most memorable lines (”Spartans! Tonight, we dine in hell!”). Dominic West delivers a superb performance as Theron, a politician who plots against the king. He is appropriately slimy and managed to make me cringe on more than one occasion.

If you’re looking for a non-stop thrill ride full of blood, gore, sword battles, grotesque monsters, gratuitous nudity, and slow-motion beheadings, all in a stylized, pedal-to-the-floor, “holy hell did you just see that?” package, 300 is right up your alley. If not, you’ll probably want to steer clear.

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Good Magazine

by Brian Gilham on October 23, 2006

When it comes to periodicals, a good cover is everything. If a magazine fails to present a unique and visually arresting face to the world, it will simply fade into the background when placed on a shelf with 100 competing publications. Unlike books, the quality of a magazine’s content can usually be gauged by the quality of its cover with a fair amount of accuracy. In my mind, if a publication can’t be bothered to put a half-decent effort into their cover, they probably can’t be bothered to put any sort of effort into their content either.

Why tell you this? Because it so accurately describes why I found the premiere issue of Good magazine so intriguing.

Browsing through the magazine aisle at the local Chapters the other day, Good’s cover caught my eye almost immediately. Visible from well across the room, never before has a magazine cover accomplished so much on so many levels. If you are going to do something, the cover challenges, can you please do it with a little heart and soul? That, right there, nails what Good is all about. Just give a damn.

Ben Goldhirsch, the magazine’s founder, explains further.

“We see a growing number of people tied together not by age, career, background, or circumstance, but by a shared interest. This revolves around a passion for potential mixed with fierce pragmatism and creative engagement. We sum all this up as the sensibility of giving a damn. But to shorten it, let’s call it GOOD. We’re here to push this movement and cover its realization.”

Published bi-monthly and covering things like urban revitalization through vandalism, the battle between migrants and minutemen, American patriotism, and the upcoming midterm elections, Good certainly lives up to its motto. Flipping through the pages, the passion behind this project quickly becomes evident — in everything from the typography and layout to the quality of writing. The Portraits section, a collection of small profiles of various public and private figures, is of particular interest, and something I hope to see expanded in the future.

Topping it all off is the Choose Good campaign. Until mid-2007, 100% of the money paid for a new subscription will be given to one of 10 non-profit organizations, including groups like Creative Commons, UNICEF, and the World Wildlife Fund. Ultimately, they hope to gain 50,000 subscribers and raise $1 million dollars. Unfortunately, subscriptions are only available within the United States at this time. Come on guys, make this easy for me.

In the end Good was, and continues to be, and thoroughly enjoyable read. They’ve managed to pull together a great group of contributors and produce a package which is easy on the eyes, challenging on the brain, and put together for a half-decent purpose. How many publications can honestly make the same claim?

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Review: Rockstar Energy Drink

by Brian Gilham on July 15, 2006

Spearheaded by the popularity of Red Bull, the number of energy drink brands available to consumers has grown by leaps and bounds in recent years. There’s Red Bull, Full Throttle, Amp, Rockstar, and Monster, to name just a few. To a population increasingly plagued by sleep deprivation, energy drinks seem like a convenient solution — energy, in portable can form.

Feeling sluggish at work today, I found myself longing for another one of my signature hobo naps. Poised to settle in for a quick rest, I remembered the energy drink I’d seen one of my co-workers guzzling down earlier in the week. Did it actually perk him up? Make him more alert, more focused? Previously skeptical of such drinks, I wanted to try one out for myself.

Rockstar is an aspartame-free energy drink containing ingredients like taurine, guarana seed extract, ascorbic acid, and caffeine (a full list can be found at Wikipedia). Scoffing at the can’s warning to drink only one per day, I quickly took my first swig.

Ech.

While not the most vile thing I’ve ever drank (straight-up vodka takes that award), Rockstar’s taste is definitely unique. One Slate article described it as, “Pleasantly metallic. Like a cross between Coke and pennies.” It’s a little more than tolerable, which is great when compared to similar beverages.

It didn’t take long for the show to begin. I began to feel the drink’s effects after roughly half an hour, finding myself noticeably more awake. Aside from that, I also found myself considerably more giddy, unable to stop laughing at jokes. Internally, the drink seemed to present a few problems, however. I noticed a very slight tightness in my chest immediately after the alertness began, and my stomach didn’t quite settle for the rest of the afternoon. The tightness went away shortly afterwards. To be fair, these symptoms could be attributed to any number of factors, including my health and the amount of food I’d eaten, but it bears reporting.

The “high” lasted for almost four or five hours and produced almost no effects on the way down. I found myself no more fatigued than usual and still able to continue well into the night.

The only drawback serious enough to keep me from purchasing Rockstar again is the price. Settling somewhere in the $2-$3 or more range, the drink keeps up with many of its competitors in charging far too much. However, if you are looking for an excellent energy drink which tastes pretty good and does exactly as advertised, Rockstar is an excellent choice, no matter the price.

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