Wednesday, 30 January 2008

Asian Drink Special #3

Oh jeez. When I saw this one, I just knew I had to buy it.



Apparently made in Vietnam. Well, someone had to come up with the idea.

1. Originality - I don't think anyone else has ever sat up and gone 'Hey, I've got a great idea! Why don't we make a drink flavoured with the extract of artichoke?'
And should it really be brown in colour? I know that when I poured it into the glass I said 'What the HELL' several times.
2. Taste - Personally, I love artichokes. I can't get enough of them. But then when I saw this, it was kind of horrifying. I mean seriously, it's an ingredient you put on pizza and on antipasto platters and now you're making a sweet drink out of it? It's a world gone topsy-turvy. So I took a swig, expecting the worst...
... and for some strange, unexpected reason, it tasted like a grass jelly drink.
Grass jelly may seem a tad weird to those folks in the West, but over in Asia-land, it's about as common as Coke and lemonade. And it's not bad. So because the supposed artichoke drink tasted like grass jelly, it has this sweet but earthy kind of flavour. Which was pleasant, but too normal to my Asian tastebuds. That didn't stop me from throwing it out, though. [6]
3. Your standard can. It's got English AND German on it, which is weird considering it's a product of Vietnam. [1]

4. Price - $1.17. Yeah, I suppose that's ok. It's cheaper than your normal soft drink anyway. But whether anyone is actually churning out a profit from this drink is another question. Really... [7]
5. Other - I said above that I threw the drink out. Well, it was only after I had bought it that I realised this, which I guess is my main reason for only drinking half the can:

OVERALL: Whoa, it's expired, grass-jelly-tasting artichoke juice from Vietnam! [8]

In other, non-consumable related news, the No More Heroes soundtrack is awesome. It's like my ears are having an orgasm.

Thursday, 17 January 2008

Cloverfield (Possible spoilers)

Saw Cloverfield today, the movie in which a giant monster attacks New York City. No, unfortunately it's not Cthulhu.

It was pretty good; the way it was filmed was very effective considering the movie's setting and storyline. However, anyone who didn't follow the promotional websites for the movie will probably be scratching their heads and wondering where in the hell the monster actually came from. I spotted a single visual clue, but as I said before, if you didn't follow the viral marketing sites, you would probably disregard it. I thought this was both:
A) Quite clever; and
B) Quite stupid.
Polar opposite opinions, I know. On one hand, it, well, rewards those who did their homework before hand with... with... the feeling that they maybe probably perhaps knew where the monster came from. I have a basic theory, but it doesn't make sense if I try to explain it.
However, on the other hand, it gives the viewer a sense of mystery and/or panic: "OH SHIT WHERE DID THAT MONSTER COME FROM IT COULD HAPPEN TO US IN REAL LIFE ANY WHERE ANY TIME". Some of the dialogue adds to this sense of uneasiness, with one character making a point about the fact that humans have barely begun to explore the depths of the ocean.

Also, whoever said that you never really saw the monster, just glimpses of it, was probably telling a half-truth. SPOILERS, SORTA - In my opinion, it looked like a combination of these three dudes.

Yeah, I'm not kidding. I found it a bit hard to be intimidated. Gwoemul's monster was much more awesome. Aesthetically, anyway. I mean becuase, really, if you were to put Gwoemul's monster up against Cloverfield, there wouldn't be a contest.

All my gripes aside, it was a rather enjoyable movie. Just make sure you're not surrounded by teenage couples making out like I was.

[7.5/10]

Sunday, 13 January 2008

Bargain of the Century

I picked up a little piece of nostalgia from Target the other day, the item in question being:

Now, guess how much I paid for this. Go on, guess.

Eighty-six cents. No, seriously. I did a double-take when I saw the price come up on the scanner because Target being Target, I expected it to be about $15 or something. Anyway, this is going to be kept in its packaging until the price skyrockets. Which probably means that it will be buried with me in its original packaging.

The supposed confirmed No More Heroes launch date is the 28th of Feburary. Preorder bonuses? Yes please. Although nothing can top what Japan got.

Incidentally, Happy New Year, everyone. Yes, I realise I am twelve days late. My resolution is to make my handwriting legible. Anyone who was at school with me knows just how important this resolution actually is.