Oh My…

Sometimes, being an intrepid Reporter has its downside…like telling you the story of this item – which you can find on any store shelf in Okinawa!

Yep, It’s Okinawan “Habu” snake wine!

OK, here’s the backstory of this very real product. The “Habu” is an incredibly poisonous Okinawan snake, and someone makes it into wine! It’s called “Habushu” – the snake’s name attached to “shu”, which means wine or sake.

Of course, the amazing “RocketNews24” has the story – because they never fail to share the unique and WTF moments from Japan – here’s an excerpt:

“Every alcohol store has a whole section devoted to bottles of awamori (Okinawan rice wine) with snakes inside glaring back at you. It’s not something people drink often, but for special manly-man get-togethers you can bet the habushu will be making an appearance.”

This is just one of the five strangest “WTF” food/drink items in Japan, according to this great article…and if you think you could die sipping this, read THIS:

“Habushu is safe to drink though, since the alcohol dissolves away all of the venom. However, that being said, there was one case in China where the snake was still alive even after being in the bottle for three months and bit a woman….

Still, habushu is said to have a positive effect on the male sex drive (due to habu snakes mating for up to 26 hours straight), so many are willing to brave the snake face and chug some down. Be sure to drink directly from the snake-bottle for maximum badass points.”

You can read more of this story, AND see four other wacky food from Japan, by clicking on the link to RocketNews24 here:

http://en.rocketnews24.com/2017/03/02/w-t-f-japan-top-5-biggest-japanese-food-challenges【weird-top-five】/

Look, I will try anything, but sometimes my “strange alcohol” challenge is more like this:

Yes, it’s a “bagel bacon burger” with a bottle of bourbon in the middle…I’m all for that! See the recipe here!

https://johnrieber.com/2016/07/27/unbelievable-bourbon-bacon-bagel-burgers-alcohol-and-wacky-food-drink-up-and-bite-down/

Let me know if you are up for a sip of this!

Another Great Film Starring Lina Romay!

I’ve posted about this iconic European Actress before – who starred in dozens of films, mostly for her longtime partner and film Director Jess Franco.

She had great screen presence – like this scene from “Night Has A Thousand Desires” – a hauntingly framed shot of her staring off into space – lost in the midst of her own madness – the shot lasting for almost a minute…

She commands the screen, baring her soul in so many movies like this one from the early 80’s.

Bravo to Mondo Macabro for releasing “Night Has A Thousand Desires” in such a beautifully remastered presentation – check out the trailer:

NIGHT HAS A THOUSAND DESIRES, a film by Jess Franco – coming soon to Blu-ray from Mondo Macabro on Vimeo.

Mondo Macabro has done it again with this great blu-ray release!

Bravo to Mondo Macabro for releasing this lavish blu-ray special edition of the film.

For exploitation film buffs, to know Jess Franco is to love him – everything from his meandering storytelling, his love of “tentative zooms” – and his love of his wife’s body – yes, his longtime partner and ultimately wife Lina Romay starred in dozens of his movies, and was always VERY VERY naked!

Romay is actually nude for more screen time in “Desires” than she is clothed, always willing to give a raw portrayal. The plot of “Thousand Desires” is simple: Lina stars as a clairvoyant, working with a partner in a lounge act – when she begins being hypnotized – and while in this trance, she is murdering people! Or is she?

What is real, and what is fantasy? Lina dreams of sexual encounters and murder – but is it really happening?

Well, as the film progresses, the dream sequences become more erotic and lurid, culminating in a group sex scene that leaves little to the imagination. Franco frames the shot from above and lets his cast get into the action before cutting to many closeups of sexual activity of all kinds – while this isn’t XXX-rated, it comes close:

Director Franco was working in Spain at the time, after the era of General Franco’s regime had ended, and he was given license to do anything he wanted – as long as there was sex and nudity in the movie – and boy, did he deliver!

Eurotika!

Mondo Macabro’s terrific Blu-ray release includes an episode of a show called “Eurotika!” which profiles Franco and includes great interview material with him. Was he the world’s most prolific Director?

Franco has small parts in many of his films, including “Desires” – and the TV episode makes a compelling case that Franco may have been the world’s most prolific Director – more than two hundred films!

Both Franco and Romay have died, but thanks to great film companies, we get to experience their greatest work – like this!

This is another wild Romay / Franco collaboration, with a new blu-ray that has the “notorious banana scene” in it – check it out here:

https://johnrieber.com/2014/03/11/lindas-shocking-hot-nights-lina-romays-classic-sexploitation/

If you want a Lina Romay marathon, then this is another of their films to buy:

Yes, they made a lot of shockers, and Lina was naked in all of them! Check out “Lorna The Exorcist” and more Franco films here:

https://johnrieber.com/2013/02/17/countess-perverse-lorna-the-exorcist-jess-francos-naked-masterpieces/

Bravo again to Mondo Macabro for a terrific blu-ray!

Behold The Majesty Of A “Cheeseburger In A Can!”

Yes, my son Jeff got me the greatest birthday present of all: the hilarious – and hilariously REAL “cheeseburger in a can” – designed by a German company for people who want to go out into the wilderness, but STILL need to be close to a cheeseburger at any time!

A “Trekking” Burger!

Here’s how this all began: I came across a review of a “cheeseburger in a can”
a few years ago, and I posted some of the hilarious reviews – more on those in a minute. I showed them to my son, who then secretly located the real product form Germany and had it shipped to me – so I can easily hold one in my hand and read the ingredients!

The ingredients are all listed in German, but it really doesn’t matter, does it? The gauntlet had been thrown down, and now I had to live up to my parental responsibilities and enjoy his gift – so time to make – AND CONSUME – a “cheeseburger in a can!”

Time To Cook!

I assumed that, since this product was developed for campers, the best thing to do was to imagine I was out in the woods with a pot of water and an open fire.

The idea is to put this can in some hot water, let the burger inside warm up, then pop the top and enjoy!

I wanted to follow the heating directions – or what I assumed were the proper heating directions – so that I could experience this food in the same way a German hiker would – and I’ve always wanted to be a German hiker:

Once we let it cool, it was time to dig it out of the can:

OK, as you saw from the video, the bun got a bit torn up as we wanted to make sure it would come out of the can…and as the video showed, it was “WELL CEMENTED” TOGETHER!

So my original plan of adding mayonaise and pickles wasn’t going to happen – instead, we cut it open and got a look inside…

As you can see, it was glued together with some sort of “ketchup and pickle meet thousand island dressing by way of Siberia” dressing – the bun was literally glued to the meat from both sides…nothing to do now but to eat it!

The Review!

First, let me say that everyone I told about this told me I was a fool to try one – but I had to do it, and guess what?

IT WASN’T BAD AT ALL!

First of all, as you can see, there was plenty of “meat” between the bun – and it had the flavor and texture of meat – since I can’t read the label, I have to assume that it IS meat, and it does have a “perfectly acceptable” meat flavor!

The “Secret Sauce!”

The strange sauce was actually flavorful, a slight bit of tanginess and some pickle slivers that were noticeable. If there was cheese on this, I didn’t see it, but that could have been due to the “compressed” nature of the meat and bun – but again, it tasted fairly good!

It didn’t have the flavor of a “grade school” burger, it actually tasted fine – the bun was a bit yeasty, but not in a bad way – it was just a canned cheeseburger that would do just fine in a pinch so bravo to Kraft and their “Trekking Burger” for a job well done!

I was originally intrigued by this product when I saw this picture on the internet:

Yes, it’s one of the funniest reviews ever posted – thanks to The Onion, which purchased the same style of German “Cheeseburger In A Can” that I did for their own taste test:

The review includes comments like this:

• “I cannot swallow this. It will not go down.”

• “It’s not quite meat, is it? It looks like freaky airline food.”

• “It tastes like beef-flavored something. Beef-flavored matter.”

You can see more of this hilarious food review here:

https://johnrieber.com/2016/06/25/hilarious-canned-cheeseburger-review-wacky-food-reviewed/

Thanks to my son Jeff for the gift – he knew that we’d have some fun trying this out! It’s all part of my obsession with food in a can:

I found this “hamburgers in a can” ad – and can only imagine how popular these were at one point – and how quickly people learned to buy them fresh!

I am a fan of “canned food” because it is so unique in our history:

This “potted meat food product” for example – it’s “everything but the oink” from a pig, turned into a “canned food product” that you can put on crackers, I guess. Here are some of my favorite “canned foods”:

https://johnrieber.com/2013/12/22/a-meal-in-a-can-can-this-potted-meat-food-product-canned-brains-armadillo-cheeseburgers/

Some of you also know that I recently tried “weasel coffee” – thanks to my friend Sabrina Miller, who brought me THIS from Asia:

It’s th world’s most expensive coffee, because it goes through a real live Weasel first! See more about his delicious and unique “premium Weasel product” here:

https://johnrieber.com/2016/05/22/worlds-best-weasel-coffee-bring-on-the-kopi-luwak-yes-its-poop-coffee/

Let me know your favorite “canned” food!

All Hail The King!

Yes, the “King” of winged serpents, killer babies AND blaxploitation! Yes, one Director has delivered a number of exploitation classics for cult movie buffs, and now there’s a documentary that celebrates this wild wild career!

Larry Cohen is a legendary B-movie Producer, Director, and Screenwriter – who had some of the best cult movies of the 70’s and 80’s…shown here with some of his favorite “stars”….we’ll talk about a few in a moment, but first, check out this wild trailer!

Well, I can’t wait to see this!

Cohen’s first big hit was the classic low-budget horror film “It’s Alive”, about a mutant monster baby that embarks on a killing spree. It has one of the best tag lines for any movie – check out the poster:

“There’s Only ONE Thing Wrong With The David Baby…It’s ALIVE!”

I mean, c’mon, this is one of the greatest tagline ever! And the film delivers as well – a low-budget shocker with a great hook!

He followed this hit up with a sequel, as well as making great blaxploitation films like “Hell Up In Harlem”:

Cohen was known to break a lot of rules when making his movies, and the documentary gets into some of those wacky stories of truly independent filmmaking.

This is the poster for his science fiction classic “Q The Winged Serpent.” It’s a terrific monster movie – a “winged serpent” terrorizes a very 70’s New York City….check out the trailer:

Cohen was a “down and dirty” filmmaker – no muss, no fuss, he just made his wildly entertaining films in a straightforward manner.

Here are a few more movies he directed in the 70’s and 80’s…

Cohen finished the 1980’s with “Wicked Stepmother” – which was the legendary Bette Davis’s last role…he has many more credits in his career, including screenwriting the Joel Schumacher thriller “Phone Booth” from 2002.

I look forward to seeing more of his films, to fully appreciate this renegade filmmaker…and speaking of legendary exploitation Directors, one of the first was Director Jack Hill, who made this cult classic:

Hill went on to work with Pam Grier among many others – you can see more here:

https://johnrieber.com/2017/03/18/cult-actress-jill-banner-from-spider-baby-web-to-marlon-brandos-arm-a-true-hollywood-tragedy/

Some cult Directors just make one classic film and then disappear…

Tommy Wiseau became a legend after just one film, the cult classic “The Room.” Now, it MAY be due to the fact it is considered the worst film ever made – but who’s to judge?

See the trailer for “The Room” here and judge for yourself!

https://johnrieber.com/2013/10/27/tommy-wiseaus-classic-the-room-now-a-book-tommys-secrets-revealed/

Let me know how many Larry Cohen films you’ve seen!

Alec Baldwin IS Al Pacino!

Alec Baldwin was on Conan O’Brien’s show the other night and was talking about the recent “Godfather” reunion…it results in his “spot on” impersonations of Robert DeNiro, James Caan, and a long riff on the many voices of Al Pacino…hilarious!

Of course, this was all due to the recent “Godfather” reunion event at the Tribeca Film Festival..

This amazing event brought Francis Ford Coppola and his cast to the stage to discuss the movie and the legacy – check it out here:

https://johnrieber.com/2017/04/30/tribecas-the-godfather-reunion-great-film-trivia-deniro-pacino-keaton-coppola/

Of course, Baldwin had a memorable cameo in the Al Pacino film “Glengarry Glen Ross”…we all remember that!

Here’s great trivia: this scene wasn’t in the play, Mamet wrote it for Baldwin!

See it here:

https://johnrieber.com/2012/08/25/a-b-c-always-be-cheering-glengarrys-brightly-burning-movie-addition-alec-baldwin/

Bravo Alec!

Welcome To “The Roof Of The World!”

This unbelievable image is from Lhasa, Tibet. This area os central Asia, which includes Mt. Everest, is known as the “roof of the world.” I just read a book that took me on an amazing journey there by train!

Traveling To Lhasa, Tibet By Train!

Paul Theroux’s classic travel book “Riding The Iron Rooster” takes you on a fascinating journey from London to China – a journey that took him a year to complete – he did this journey in the late 80’s, but the book still fascinates…

Along the way, you experience life in Mongolia, central Asia, and of course parts of China as diverse as the Great Wall and the “cave people”…because China is of course a massive country – at one point Theroux winds up on a convoluted journey – with an unwanted “handler” – from Shanghai to Tibet!

Theroux recounts the challenges he faces when the government requires him to be accompanied by a “handler” – this collection of VERY unwilling travel partners culminates in an adventure that nearly kills him!

This book was written in the late 80’s, so the China you read about may be different than life there currently – but when you understand the cultural aspects of life there that are thousands of years old, the scope of the writing is such that the rich history of the country comes through and is relevant today.

China’s Cave People!

Yes, even today, more than 30-million people live in caves in China! Theroux sees this up close – a fascinating look at life in this country, as the people were just discovering freedoms never imagined when Theroux visited – and were also dealing with protests that turned deadly…

Theroux’s journey ends up in Tibet, one of the most isolated places in the world. There is now a permanent train that connects this remote location to the rest of the world.

Theroux did the journey in the late 80’s, when the country was undergoing massive change. The book is a terrific snapshot of this time, as well as a history of Tibet, its relationship with China, and the desolate beauty of Lhasha that is told beautifully by Theroux.

It’s known as “the roof of the world” and for good reason!

Thrillist has a GREAT article about the best – and cheapest – train adventures in the world, like this gorgeous and very relaxed trip through Sri Lanka…I love Thrillist, and you can too by clicking this link:

https://www.thrillist.com/travel/nation/cheap-train-tickets-world-travel

Theroux has written amazing travel books, like this canoe trip through the south pacific – and here are a few more:

https://johnrieber.com/2014/04/13/ghost-trains-safaris-a-legendary-literary-master-travels-the-rails-paul-theroux/

His writing is always vivid, capturing life in remote parts of the world…

He has also written extensively about Africa, his most recent a dangerous journey up the western side of the continent, beginning in South Africa and reaching a sudden and dangerous end in Angola…read about it here:

https://johnrieber.com/2014/07/16/the-dark-heart-of-africa-paul-therouxs-last-train-to-zona-verde-his-personal-heart-of-darkness/

Theroux has also turned his sharp eye to the US, with his most recent book taking a journey thought the back roads of the “Deep South.”

This is timely, topical and a must read – check it out here:

https://johnrieber.com/2016/08/09/travel-the-deep-south-two-new-memoirs-capture-life-down-south-in-dixie/

Let me know if you’ve ever been, or have a desire, to see Lhasa, Tibet!

Michael Ruhlman Takes You “Grocery” Shopping!

My friend and terrific Writer Michael Ruhlman has a new book coming out soon, and you will want to jump out ahead of it in order to get a great gift! Read on for details!

“Grocery” will be released on May 16th, an inside look at how you get the food you get at your local grocery store.

If you haven’t read Michael’s books, you are missing a LOT of great writing!

Ruhlman wrote the definitive book about becoming a Chef in America, when he spent a year at the Culinary Institute of America chronicling the young students enrolled there, learning to professionally cook – and Michael took all of the courses right alongside them!

The book “The Making Of A Chef” was just the first of many bestsellers by Ruhlman, and now he’s got a new book that will “explore that ways in which we produce, market, and consume our food,” says his publisher…

The new book “Grocery” is less than a week away from publication – it goes on sale on Tuesday, May 16 – and here’s something that Michael shared about that on his website:

“There’s still time to pre-order and get a nifty canvas tote from my publisher (fill out the form here, deal ends 5/15). Pre-orders really help a book’s launch.”

That’s right, if you pre-order the book by the 15th, you get this great “Grocery” tote bag!

So I jumped on the pre-order bandwagon and you should as well! You can find the link on Michael’s website, where he discusses the release of the book – here is the link:

http://ruhlman.com

This is just the latest bestseller for Michael, who has written about food – and he also hosted a TV show for me!

Michael was one of my Hosts on the PBS cooking competition, “Cooking Under Fire” – from 2005, the first-ever reality cooking competition on television…Chefs Ming Tsai and Todd English also hosted the series…

Ruhlman has released a number of terrific books about food, including this great on on “Salumi”…here is a look at this book:

https://johnrieber.com/2012/06/25/cooking-under-fire-michael-ruhlman-patricia-wells-and-yes-careme-too/

Ruhlman also wrote a number of Chef Thomas Keller’s cookbooks:

Ruhlman’s books are always entertaining, informative, and beautifully written…including his terrific book “Twenty!”

Bravo on your new book Michael, can’t wait to read it!

My Movie Alphabet!

Yes, the poster art says “Vol. 2” – because I missed the first “go-round” on this fun exercise in cinema! A movie for every letter of the alphabet – who can refuse?

For many of us, this is our great escape – a movie auditorium where magic happens – I have seen so many incredible films in my life…oh, outside too!

I love this idea – thanks to “MettelRaySe7en” for doing this, here is the link to see how you can participate:

https://mettelray.wordpress.com/2017/05/01/mettelrayse7en-my-movie-alphabet-vol-2-blogathon-announcment/#comment-10520

Let’s get started with a film that, while fictional, captured one of the most exciting and influential pop culture changes in our nation’s history!

A – A Hard Day’s Night

Hard to imagine how culturally significant “Beatlemania” was in today’s social media world, but this film captures the pop culture impact of The Fab Four through a hilariously droll, fictional film the band starred in – how did they know to make this film so it would come out as they were taking over the world – what an achievement! If you want to see just how wild their first trip to the US was, check out the terrific documentary here:

https://johnrieber.com/2016/09/06/the-beatles-first-us-tour-new-movie-the-fab-fours-segregation-battle-ron-howards-fascinating-new-beatles-documentary/

Next up is one of my top ten films of all time:

B – Boogie Nights

Paul Thomas Anderson shows the birth of adult cinema in LA’s San Fernando valley through the fictional story of Dirk Diggler…one of the greatest cinematic achievements ever, and career bests for the entire cast – see the “oral” history here:

https://johnrieber.com/2014/12/11/dirk-digglers-livin-thing-70s-sex-80s-excess-the-oral-history-of-boogie-nights/

Here is another film from my “top ten of all time”:

C – Chinatown

This lost Best Picture in 1972 to the greatest film of all time – more on that in a minute, but Roman Polanski’s story of Los Angeles in the 40’s, as seen through our thirst for water – and power – still resonates today – read more about this classic film noir here:

https://johnrieber.com/2013/02/19/forget-it-jake-its-chinatown-cynical-attitudes-and-sexual-motivations/

Ok, these were all fairly well known, let’s get obscure:

D – Darker Than Amber

This very obscure action film from 1970 has one of the most brutal – and REAL – onscreen fights ever captured – yes, the two main actors got carried away and the Director captured it all – see it here:

https://johnrieber.com/2013/03/01/darker-than-amber-film-noirs-legendary-fight-scene-a-brutal-hidden-gem/

Next up is one of the most hypnotic films I’ve ever seen…

E – Enter The Void

Argentinian Director Gasper Noe uses “2001: A Space Odyssey” as his inspiration to tell the story of a young man killed in Tokyo, who floats over the city to observe life after his death – see the hypnotic trailer here:

https://johnrieber.com/2014/11/01/audacious-mind-blowing-cinema-enter-the-void-vanishing-waves-and-holy-motors/

Need some 70’s horror? Great, let’s head to France!

F – Fascination!

French Horror Director Jean Rollin made moody, cerebral horror films filled with nudity, blood and amazing images like this one:

See all of his incredible work from the 70’s here:

https://johnrieber.com/2015/09/13/bloody-fascination-sexy-shockers-wildest-cult-horror-directors/

Now, time to celebrate the greatest film ever made:

G – The Godfather

For me, it is simply the greatest cinematic achievement in film history – beautifully acted, lyrical, violent and multi-layered to reveal something new each time I see it – and of course, Brando read from cue cards held by Robert Duvall!

One last bit of trivia – the horse’s head was real! Here is more on that:

https://johnrieber.com/2017/02/15/brandos-cue-cards-real-horse-heads-the-godfathers-best-stories-2/

Now, a film that was so good it had three different names!

H – Hookers Revenge!

I HAD to get a Christina Lindberg film on this list! She is the “Queen of Artsploitation”, and this one was so good they kept releasing it to grindhouse theaters with different titles! Officially known as “Thriller: A Cruel Picture” – it’s also AKA “They Call Her One Eye” and also AKA “Hooker’s Revenge” – even thought she doesn’t play a hooker in the movie!

She may have been mute in the film, but she really kicks some ass, and recently Christina spoke about her career – see that interview here:

https://johnrieber.com/2014/08/11/christina-lindberg-speaks-the-queen-of-artsploitation-bares-all/

Christina Lindberg is my “grindhouse guilty pleasure”, but the next film is serious, compelling and vital:

I – The Island President

This documentary tells the story of one person trying to save his country from drowning – and the politics of climate change…so powerful and important, see the trailer here:

https://johnrieber.com/2015/05/07/the-island-president-a-tragic-compelling-documentary-a-nation-underwater/

The next film on my list is one of those “movie theater experiences” I will never forget…

J – Jackie Brown

Some Quentin Tarantino was overdue, but more importantly, some Pam Grier! He wrote it with her in mind, and she stars with a timeless swagger…just one of her great films, like “Black Mama White Mama” and the blaxploitation classic “Foxy Brown”…see her here:

https://johnrieber.com/2015/03/21/black-mama-white-mama-queen-of-blaxploitation-pam-grier-naked-showers-women-in-prison-classics/

I was inspired by my friend Pete from Beetley, England…he is counting down his movies as well – you can follow along with them here:

https://beetleypete.wordpress.com/2017/05/10/a-z-film-challenge-day-ten/

Next up, a cerebral thriller with a very young Donald Sutherland…

K – Klute

A somewhat forgotten film from 1971, Jane Fonda won an Oscar for her portrayal of a lonely prostitute who is being watched by one of her clients…a young Donald Sutherland is also great…see more here:

https://johnrieber.com/2014/06/01/klute-the-late-show-electra-glide-in-blue-three-obscure-film-noir-70s-classics/

Now, one of my top 5 favorite movies…

L – The Last Of Sheila

This terrific mystery puzzle of a film was written by Stephen Sondheim and “Psycho” Anthony Perkins! An all-star cast including James Mason James Coburn, Raquel Welch, Richard Benjamin and Ryan Cannon make this a must see – here is the trailer:

https://johnrieber.com/2014/06/29/psycho-and-sondheim-the-last-of-sheila-classic-hollywood-murder-mystery-richard-benjamin-rules/

Time for one of America’s greatest Actors to lighten up…

M – Midnight Run

“Why are you unpopular with the Chicago Police Department?” The greatest buddy/action film of all, the first time we discovered that Robert DeNiro could do comedy! See the new blu-ray here:

https://johnrieber.com/2014/11/28/fistophobia-the-brilliant-but-neglected-buddy-action-comedy-midnight-run/

Next up, a European Actress from the 70’s who was naked in every single film she made!

N – Night Of A Thousand Desires!

I love Lina Romay – her haunting beauty and willingness to put it ALL out there – I mean, she is naked in every single film she made, and most of it was lovingly captured by her partner/husband Jess Franco – this is a great example of her hypnotic appeal, with a great blu-ray thanks to Mondo Macabro – see it here:

https://johnrieber.com/2017/05/06/night-has-a-thousand-desires-lina-romays-cult-classic-jess-francos-sex-shocker/

Next up, my second favorite film of all time…

O – O Lucky Man!

This obscure British masterpiece was written by and starring Malcolm McDowell – right after “A Clockwork Orange” – it is a brilliant satire of a world gone mad with an equally brilliant soundtrack – see it here:

https://johnrieber.com/2013/03/22/o-lucky-man-malcolm-mcdowells-seinfeld-connection/

Time for more 70’s stuff, this time a grindhouse classic:

P – Prime Cut

The “grindhouse” era of the 60’s and 70’s allowed studios to make gritty B-movies like this one, with lots of sex, nudity and violence, and many big stars willing jumped in! “Prime Cut” stars Gene Hackman, Lee Marvin and a VERY naked Sissy Spacek in her movie debut – see the trailer here:

https://johnrieber.com/2014/03/23/prime-cut-grindhouse-classic-gene-hackman-vs-lee-marvin/

Need more obscure classics?

Q – Q! The Winged Serpent

Legendary Exploitation Director Larry Cohen made this film about a “winged serpent” terrorizing New York – one of many great movies he made…here is a documentary about his life – and his wild wild work!

https://johnrieber.com/2017/05/08/king-cohen-exploitation-director-larry-cohen-killer-babies-winged-serpents-exploitation-master-dynamite-new-documentary/

I think a musical is in order….

R – Rude Boy

I grew up loving The Clash – but did you know they made a film? “Rude Boy” is the story of a roadie who dreams of success while following The Clash on their REAL tour of the UK at the end of the 70’s – and the birth of punk rock! This is terrific stuff – see the trailer here:

https://johnrieber.com/2014/03/09/the-clash-is-live-rude-boy-iconic-punk-music-meets-classic-cult-movie/

Another from my top twenty is next:

S – The Shawshank Redemption

One of the most inspiring movies ever made – brilliant from start to finish – Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman was flawless – click here to see the real “Zihuatanejo”:

https://johnrieber.com/2014/05/18/zihuatanejo-the-inspiring-greatness-of-the-shawshank-redemption/

Here is #3 on my list of greatest films:

T – Taxi Driver

Martin Scorsese and Paul Schrader capture the gritty streets of New York perfectly – as seen through the eyes of Travis Bickle – this masterpiece is still topical forty years on – see the anniversary reunion here:

https://johnrieber.com/2016/04/21/travis-bickle-turns-40-taxi-driver-tribeca-screening-3-reasons-to-love-him-one-big-reason-to-hate/

OK, from masterpiece to Russ Meyer!

U – Up!

Need a break from the seriousness of the list – well, how about some Russ Meyer? The man who gave us “Faster Pussycat! Kill! Kill!” also got us “Up!” See how here:

https://johnrieber.com/2012/03/16/sexploitation-classics-the-russ-meyer-edition/

Need more grindhouse?

V – The Virgin Witch

I love the sexploitation era of the 60’s and 70’s as you can see, and films like “The Virgin Witch” are the reason why…virgin witches baring all for our pleasure – see how here:

https://johnrieber.com/2015/10/17/bloody-witchcraft-horror-sexy-virgin-witches-halloween-2015-heats-up/

Another from my top twenty is next:

W – Withnail & I

Simply the greatest British comedy ever – Richard E. Grant is brilliant, and the film is acerbic, insightful, and hilariously funny – read more here:

https://johnrieber.com/2017/04/10/withnail-i-30th-anniversary-classic-80s-cult-comedy-richard-e-grant-tell-all-book-with-nails/

Some letters of the alphabet are better sung than spoken…

X – Xanadu

What, you don’t want an 80’s musical with a rollerskating Olivia Newton-John? I included “Xanadu” because it’s so “of its time”, and because it also has a terrific soundtrack from The Electric Light Orchestra! Here’s proof:

https://johnrieber.com/2015/02/25/elo-rocks-the-grammy-awards-brilliant-70s-orchestra-rock-jeff-lynnes-beatles-love/

Mel Brooks was a brilliant filmmaker, and here is one example:

Y – Young Frankenstein

The funniest film ever? Well, argue amongst yourselves, but Brooks competes with himself for that title (“Blazing Saddles!”), and this film gives Gene Hackman – yes, GENE HACKMAN! A chance to show how funny he is! To celebrate this legendary Actors birthday, I highlighted his ten best roles:

https://johnrieber.com/2017/01/30/happy-birthday-gene-hackman-ten-roles-that-defined-a-hollywood-legend/

Finally, I leave you with Bond, James Bond…well, this next film is a 007 you’ve never seen before!

Z – Zardoz!

Yes, that’s 007 in a bright red loincloth! But WHY? The answer lies in one of the wackiest films ever committed to celluloid – the lunacy of “Zardoz.” Click to see some of the hilariously “WTF” dialogue and trailer!

https://johnrieber.com/2012/10/01/suspiria-caligula-zardoz-wacky-one-word-movie-wonders/

Well, I tried to showcase movies you knew and many you didn’t, so let me know what you think!

Do You Have “The Thirst” For More Harry Hole?

One of my favorite Authors, Jo Nesbo, is back with the latest in his series of Detective Harry Hole thrillers!

Welcome to the world of “nordic noir” – moody crime thrillers from Norway, Sweden, Finland and Denmark.

“The Thirst” is the latest in the series of Hole novels – this “Dirty Harry” is plunged into the world of Tinder dating – because one psychopath is killing his dates!

These are terrific thrillers – I’ve read that “The Snowman” – book #7 in the series – is being made into a film – but read these in order to really understand the psychology behind Harry Hole – and meet a great cast of characters around him!

It’s been several years since the last Harry Hole book “Police”, so if you need help remembering all of them – here they are in order!

Click on my story to see the entire series!

https://johnrieber.com/2013/10/16/jo-nesbo-police-brilliant-new-nordic-noir-harry-hole-novels-in-order/

Nesbo also wrote a great thriller called “Headhunters” – you can read about that book here:

https://johnrieber.com/2012/10/02/jo-nesbos-dirty-harry-hole-is-back-the-phantom-plus-bonus-nesbo-headhunters/

Equally as impressive are the series of “Department Q” thrillers as well:

This series of thrillers involves Detective Carl Morck…he’s a grizzled Copenhagen Cop who’s been put out to pasture in a new “department Q” – ice cold cases nobody wants to be bothered with…so of course he cracks them in a terrifically entertaining way…see these books in order here:

https://johnrieber.com/2016/06/21/classic-nordic-noir-terrific-crime-fiction-from-department-q-jo-nesbos-harry-hole-novels-rock/

Let me know if you are a Harry Hole fan!

“It’s my money,” he said on April 25. “If I want to buy 15,000 cotton balls a day, it’s my thing.”

Yes, Johnny Depp recently said that, and his “thing” has erupted into a fascinating and sad legal battle!

First, bravo to Journalists Stephen Galloway and Ashley Cullins – they have the inside story of Johnny Depp’s legal battle over his finances – a long, in-depth story in The Hollywood Reporter (THR).

The THR story laid out in detail the money problems that Depp is facing, and the lawsuits resulting from it. A huge legal battle has erupted between Depp and his financial advisors, and the stories coming out show a wildly out-of-control lifestyle…here is an excerpt from the story:

“There just wasn’t enough liquid money to cover Depp’s $2 million in monthly bills.
Without a fire sale, Depp — then arguably the biggest star in Hollywood and certainly one of the best paid, thanks to the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise — would never be able to meet his obligations. Not the payments on his portfolio of real estate around the world. Not the impulse purchases such as the three Leonor Fini paintings he had bought from a Manhattan gallery (the first two for $320,000, the third as a $245,000 gift for then-girlfriend Amber Heard). Not the $3.6 million he paid annually for his 40-person staff. Not the $350,000 he laid out each month to maintain his 156-foot yacht.”

As you can see, a huge monthly “nut” came back to haunt the Actor!

Johnny Depp’s $30k Wine Tasting!

That’s right: according to the article, Depp routinely spends $30,000 a month on wine! I can understand that for sure, but it is another example of spending that was out of control for the Actor…

Jack Sparrow Returns!

The lawsuit – and these stories – have all come out right as Johnny Depp is returning to movie screens with his biggest hit ever: the character Jack Sparrow and “Pirates Of The Caribbean 5: Dead Men Tell No Tales!”

The THR article reports on issues related to the filming in Australia – specifically that Depp was routinely late to set.

Here is what the article says about his tardiness – and how the production dealt with it:

“Often, sources say, a production staffer was stationed in an unmarked car outside the Coomera, Queensland, compound that Depp had rented from Grand Prix champion Mick Doohan so that the sentinel could alert everyone the second a light was switched on in the morning (or afternoon).

“When he got up, he’d turn on the light, and the moment the light went on they’d call the line producer, who would then call the directors [Joachim Ronning and Espen Sandberg]: ‘He’s up! He’s getting ready!’ ” says an on-set source. “They even had a special code term, like ‘The eagle has landed.’ Johnny had no idea this was going on.”

EXCLUSIVE

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Welcome To “Fuck Off Island”!

Thanks to Splash News! This is a picture of one of Depp’s properties: 45-acre Little Halls Pond Cay in the Bahamas, which he has referred to as “Fuck Off Island.”

It’s just one of many properties the Actor owns around the world, indulging a 5-house compound at the top of Sweetzer Avenue in Hollywood.

The Actor clearly has great taste, and lavishing spending habits as well, and this article gives an in-depth look into the world of celebrity that we rarely see…

Bravo to The Hollywood Reporter and Stephen Galloway and Ashley Cullins for their amazing story….I just gave a couple of highlights, but the story is so much more – read it all here:

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/features/johnny-depp-a-star-crisis-insane-story-his-missing-millions-1001513

My wife Alex interviewed Depp at the Cannes Film Festival one year, and he was articulate, friendly and very professional…unfortunately, we spoke to him about his biggest film debacle ever!

This very offbeat film was received so poorly in Cannes that it saw unreleased for years…read about it here:

https://johnrieber.com/2012/02/08/ten-most-misguided-movies-of-all-time/

It will be interesting to see how this story plays out, and once again, bravo to THR!

Time To Celebrate Movies – In A Delicious Way!

Yes, a dish that pays homage to the “yellow brick road” in “The Wizard Of Oz”, and how about a cannoli from “The Godfather?”

Welcome To Hollywood’s Glorious Past – Thanks To NEXT Restaurant In Chicago!

NEXT restaurant is the brainchild of Acclaimed Chefs Grant Achatz, Jenner Tomaska and Ed Tinoco…three times a year, a brand new menu full of imagination and inspiration is served in this great Chicago restaurant – and this week, they unveiled “Next Restaurant Presents Hollywood!”

Here is the trailer they released to promote the menu – done with a classic Hollywood style:

That’s me outside the restaurant – a cheap selfie to get us going!

When you enter the restaurant, there is a red carpet that takes you to your table – where in true “Hollywood” style, a “screenplay” from Chefs Grant Achatz and Jenner Tomaska awaits:

The menu is presented as a long list of movies, with no mention of the food for each – but don’t worry, this is so the magic isn’t ruined – a more complete list of items is given to you at the end of the night…

Now, onto the food! It’s impossible to give a detailed account of all of the courses – there are simply too many – but here are some highlights:

“Gone With The Wind!”

Right away, a film canister is presented – with a caviar bite that has the word “DAMN” on it – because “Gone With The Wind” was the first movie that was allowed to use that “dirty” word! It’s served with champagne and is a perfect way to start the night!

A series of items inspired by “The Breakfast Club” are next – bites of bento and mini-sandwiches like this one:

“What We Have Here Is A Failure To Communicate!”

This iconic line is from “Cool Hand Luke”, a film where Paul Newman attempts to eat fifty hard-boiled eggs – here at Next, they just give you one – an egg with an “edible” shell filled with trout roe, kiwi, young coconut and turnip!

Here is how you “crack open” your dish:

As you can see, each dish is an elaborate presentation, but remember, they are all small bites – so while they are full of incredible flavor – you can make it through all 17 bites without getting too full!

“We’re Off To See The Wizard!”

Next up is a fave bean and romanesco salad, with a golden raisin “yellow brick road” – and in another meticulous attention to detail, the napkin under the plate is made from the same fabric as Dorothy’s dress!

Time To Head Underwater!

Next up is a celebration of the classic adventure “20,000 Leagues Under The Sea” – a dish of Octopus and Scallop, presented this way:

The octopus and scallop were smoky good – as you can see!

Science fiction is next, presented three ways: first, you get frog with ethiopian spices and yellow split pea – served on a “Star Wars” blaster:

You are also served a “Jurassic Park” boneyard, with a small Jamon, Madiera and Brioche bite:

Finally, you get served a luminous bowl with chopsticks perched atop it – with noodles, duck and pickled ginger – an homage to “Blade Runner”!

“Leave The Gun – Take The Cannoli!”

The greatest film of all time is next.

According to movie legend, Actor Richard Castellano, who played “Clemenza” in “The Godfather”, ad-libbed this line while filming the scene where a driver is killed for setting up Don Corleone for an assassination attempt.

I enjoyed this amazing meal with my wife, Alex. She is eagerly awaiting the description of our “Godfather” meal. A box is set in front of you – and inside is a savory cannoli – topped with a small “salad” of micro greens:

Just as in the film, you eat the cannoli but leave the fun – because after you take a bite, this is what sits underneath your food:

Yes, “leave the gun, take the cannoli!” Clemenza also cooked in the film – a massive pot of meatballs. See Clemenza’s recipe – that you can make at home – here:

https://johnrieber.com/2017/02/26/the-godfather-meatballs-clemenzas-mattress-recipe-great-gift-pack-dinner-in-a-movie-mob-style-2/

For their celebration of horror, NEXT presents you with a sliced smoked pork neck – but then so much more:

Of course, they have a very unique way to finish off this “horrific” dish – here is a video showing how I added the “horror sauce” to the dish:

The Pulp Fiction “Big Kahuna” Burger!

This Bulgogi wagyu beef presentation is inspired by Quentin Tarantino’s “Big Kahuna Burger” – shown in “Pulp Fiction” but a fictional burger! To see how they re-imagined it, check out the presentation on my video, where our server describes the dish!

The onion ring finishes it off on a high note…we still have several other dishes to go – including a fun homage to “Honey, I Shrunk The Kids!”

Yes, a magnifying glass is brought to the table and a bite of foie gras with chamomile and sunflower is set underneath – a terrific bite to end the savory courses!

Desserts are an homage to Marie Antoinette and Forrest Gump”, because “life is like a box of….”

I had to skip a few of the courses – there was just too much to explain! Once again, Chefs Grant Achatz, Jenner Tomaska and Ed Tinoco presented an amazingly creative ode to film – bravo!

This is just the latest culinary magic from the team at Next – I was there in January when they highlighted the cuisine of Ancient Rome:

Yes they enjoyed Shrimp in ancient times, and this one, with crushed pistachio coating, was a gorgeous looking dish that was delicious as well…see more of my visit here:

https://johnrieber.com/2017/02/01/next-eating-ancient-rome-chicago-goes-back-in-time-for-an-amazing-meal/

Chef Achte also runs Chicago’s 3-Michelin starred Alinea, which offers up an edible helium balloon as a dessert:

Take a look at their amazing culinary magic here:

https://johnrieber.com/2015/08/01/alinea-the-worlds-most-inventive-restaurant-culinary-molecular-masterpiece/

The Hollywood menu runs into August, so if you are in Chicago, make sure to go down this delicious yellow brick road!

Source: Opinion Battles Round 10 Favourite Asian Language Film

Michael Ruhlman Takes You “Grocery” Shopping!

My friend and terrific Writer Michael Ruhlman has a new book coming out soon, and you will want to jump out ahead of it in order to get a great gift! Read on for details!

“Grocery” will be released on May 16th, an inside look at how you get the food you get at your local grocery store.

If you haven’t read Michael’s books, you are missing a LOT of great writing!

Ruhlman wrote the definitive book about becoming a Chef in America, when he spent a year at the Culinary Institute of America chronicling the young students enrolled there, learning to professionally cook – and Michael took all of the courses right alongside them!

The book “The Making Of A Chef” was just the first of many bestsellers by Ruhlman, and now he’s got a new book that will “explore that ways in which we produce, market, and consume our food,” says his publisher…

The new book “Grocery” is less than a week away from publication – it goes on sale on Tuesday, May 16 – and here’s something that Michael shared about that on his website:

“There’s still time to pre-order and get a nifty canvas tote from my publisher (fill out the form here, deal ends 5/15). Pre-orders really help a book’s launch.”

That’s right, if you pre-order the book by the 15th, you get this great “Grocery” tote bag!

So I jumped on the pre-order bandwagon and you should as well! You can find the link on Michael’s website, where he discusses the release of the book – here is the link:

http://ruhlman.com

This is just the latest bestseller for Michael, who has written about food – and he also hosted a TV show for me!

Michael was one of my Hosts on the PBS cooking competition, “Cooking Under Fire” – from 2005, the first-ever reality cooking competition on television…Chefs Ming Tsai and Todd English also hosted the series…

Ruhlman has released a number of terrific books about food, including this great on on “Salumi”…here is a look at this book:

https://johnrieber.com/2012/06/25/cooking-under-fire-michael-ruhlman-patricia-wells-and-yes-careme-too/

Ruhlman also wrote a number of Chef Thomas Keller’s cookbooks:

Ruhlman’s books are always entertaining, informative, and beautifully written…including his terrific book “Twenty!”

Bravo on your new book Michael, can’t wait to read it!

“Alien: Covenant” Is Here!

The latest in the series of outer space shockers is hitting theaters – if you haven’t seen the latest trailer, feast your eyes on it now:

I can’t wait to see the new film, which clearly wants to ensure us that lots of monster stuff is on the way…so let’s take a quick trip down memory lane…

Meet The Crew Of The “Nostromo!”

Here they are: crew members on a transport freighter who are asked to make a detour in outer space.

In 1979, Director Ridley Scott shocked moviegoers with a futuristic sci-fi horror film that used that simple premise – and the film became an instant classic.

With the latest installment on the way, here are five reasons I love the original “Alien”.

5- The Who!

Yes, the seminal rock band had a role in creating the moody atmosphere of the film.

The blue laser lights that were used in the alien ship’s egg chamber were borrowed from the band, who were testing out the lasers for their stage show in the soundstage next door.

4 – The Face Hugger!

The first look at the “alien” takes place when unfortunate Astronaut Kane and the others visit The Who’s moody egg chamber – when he leans over an alien “egg” he gets a big surprise: the face hugger!

Here is why this baby alien looked so creepy. The dead face hugger that is autopsied after being pried off Kane’s face was made using fresh shellfish, four oysters and a sheep kidney to recreate the internal organs. Yum!

This all leads to the next reason I love this film:

3 – The Bursting Chest!

Yes, after Kane has the face hugger pried off, he is seemingly OK again. Well, at least until he attempts to eat a meal, and the crew discover that the alien was inside him!

Here’s a fun fact: the chest bursting scene was filmed in one take with four cameras.

This scene was voted the second most shocking moment in movie history, right before “The Exorcist”…and even before moviegoers made it to the theater, there was a palpable sense of dread, thanks to the next reason this film is a classic:

2 – The Poster!

As you can see from the one sheet, the poster offers haunting imagery with one of the greatest tag lines ever:

“In space no one can hear you scream.”

The egg with the green sizzling crack is such an unsettling image, it really sets the viewer up for the great horror film that awaits.

It’s one of the most iconic movie posters ever – here are some more:

https://johnrieber.com/2012/08/16/red-lips-alien-eggs-all-white-juries-and-deep-throat-too-iconic-movie-posters/

Finally, there is one scene in “Alien” that all fanboys remember:

1- Sigourney Weaver In Her Underwear!

Yes, she looks great, but this scene is so great because it occurs after she thinks she has killed the alien creature, only to discover after waking up that she isn’t alone on the freighter. This raw vulnerability sets up another great action sequence, and cements Weaver as a classic Action Hero!

I can’t wait for the new “Alien” installment, but let’s remember the simple majesty of the first one – check out this classic trailer:

What a classic! In fact, I’m going to celebrate with THIS CAKE!