Daily Loaf

Haven’t had the cash to upgrade to an Xbox LIVE Gold account, Mr. or Mrs. Silver Member? Well, it’s time to dig through the nether reaches of your couches and wrangle up a dollar as Microsoft has extended Silver Members the chance to snag one month of Gold Membership for 100 pennies. What’s the catch, you say? If forgetful gamers do not cancel their membership they will be billed $7.99 each month for their Gold subscription. So long as you don’t forget to unsubscribe, we would recommend taking advantage of this offer, Mr. or Mrs. Silver Member. What if you “like the goods” and wish to be a monthly subscriber? If you like being charged $95.88 a year as apposed to $49.99, we’d suggest becoming a monthly subscriber. Otherwise, you can stick to the $49.99 for a year of Gold Membership plus a bonus month.

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The Glenlivet XXV
Single-Malt Scotch Whiskey (Speyside, Highlands)

In the old days, I frequented a bar in Sarasota called The Gator Club. Downstairs it was a meat-market for the lower-end middle-aged set, complete with cover bands and cheap cocktails. Upstairs, however, was a different scene.

There was a pool table, aged leather couches, hidden nooks and Randy Adams. During his reign over the bar up there, The Gator Club had the best selection of single-malt Scotch in the state. Now, Randy gets to pimp his favorite beverage full-time as Glenlivet’s Brand Ambassador to the Southeast U.S..

Thankfully, I still get the occasional slug of free whiskey thanks to Randy, but rarely is it as nice as the bottle he brought by the office last week. Read the rest of this entry »

I have a natural and somewhat unexplained affinity for all things having to do with India. I’ve also really liked British director Danny Boyle ever since he made zombie attacks (in 28 Days Later) and heroin addiction (in Trainspotting) seem so aesthetically cool.

So, naturally, when my dad told me about a new Boyle movie called Slumdog Millionaire about a poor Indian kid who ends up winning a million dollars, I was interested.

I wasn’t even deterred by my grandma, who had no problem telling me once she found out I wanted to see the movie that it was the “worst movie of the year.” I love her dearly – but guess what, grandma? Slumdog took away the Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture- Drama – and three additional Globes – on Sunday, proving that more than a few people disagree about it being the worst movie of the year… Read the rest of this entry »

(Recorded 12/30/08)

In this episode, Joe and Sal review the top films of the year.

Download.

Back in the day, films like Shaft, Foxy Brown and Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song styled funkalicious jazzy soundtracks, tough black heroes and heroines and corrupt white cops and politicians. A new genre was born, both celebrating and exploiting black culture, targeting urban African-American audiences with its style and subject matter. Some of the best of these films have become cult favorites, and have influenced new filmmakers such as Quentin Tarantino, whose Jackie Brown paid explicit homage to the genre he’d grown up on and loved.

Shaft was remade in slick Hollywood style by John Singleton (Boyz ‘n The Hood) in 2000, featuring Samuel Jackson in the title role. But for the original low budget style and campy flair you had to go to the bargain bin DVD versions, until now.

Scott Sanders’ blacksploitation spoof Black Dynamite premieres this year as one of the “Midnight” category films at Sundance. If the trailer below is anything to go by, the funky magic and excitement appears to be back. Black Dynamite looks hilarious and hotter than TNT: Read the rest of this entry »