Green Tea Kit Kat

Green Tea Kit Kat

Green Tea Kit Kat

Kit Kat is awesome. They've released so many flavours and variations over the years to keep things fresh, and I find some of the most recent additions to be some of the best! (Hazelnut anyone?)

This has also meant they have released the not-so-nice flavours.  Coconut was the strangest, least appetising chocolate I've had the chance of eating recently. I thought it would be a crispy, crunchy Bounty; it wasn't. 

I'm a big peanut butter flavour Kit Kat fan and I added the hazelnut flavour Kit Kat to my top Kit Kat list. These are both 'Chunky' bars which means more chocolatey goodness! But breaks away from the original two / four-finger treat. 

Which brings me to my latest Kit Kat flavour find: Green Tea flavour!

My Giant hand size comparison

I'm not sure if it's available in the UK as it was gifted to me by Rosa and is covered in Japanese writing. What I do know is that it has an awesome creamy chocolate flavour, in a somewhat off-putting green tinge. The taste resembles that of those pink wafers (for some reason my mind jumps to a purple packet with the Pink Panther munching away on them) that sandwich a creamy filling of 'something', but with less of the stale texture or 'bite' that they have. 

The Green Tea Kit Kat actually doesn't have an overpowering green tea taste, in fact, it's very mild. It's a shame it doesn't exist in the UK, as I'd be one of the people that would go out of the way to find a bar, or recommend to a friend. 

Two things though: firstly, it would be nice to have it available in UK size; my hands engulf the tiny bars. And secondly, I don't think it would suit the Chunky range. In fact, just bring it over how it is Kit Kat! I want my Green Tea Kit Kat fix!

:-)

Elky

Special thanks to my Japanese chocolate dealer, Rosa, of http://www.rosainbloggerland.com/ :-)

Fast and Furious 6

Let's keep this Fast and Furious...

Did anybody call for loose ends to be tied, or rather remoulded to force a story to make sense? Probably not, but does it work here? Somewhat, yes. 

Fast and Furious 6

What started out as what seemed like a lower budget film about (under the) hood economics, or how to cash in on the hood scene, has grown into one of the biggest current film franchises. Fast and Furious 6, as the name suggests, is the sixth film in the series of fast-paced action and speed-racing. 

In this one, Toretto (Vin Diesel) and the gang team up with Hobbs (Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson) to track down and capture an English villain by the name of Shaw who is trying to steal a a chip that could shut down a country's military computer capabilities. 

We see a montage of all the other Fast and Furious films at the start of the film as well as seeing the majority of the old cast in their new habitats. Most have settled down while others are still living a fast paced "young" lifestyle. 

I do like car chases, and I love films with action; Fast and Furious 6 has both in very good proportions. The underground racing scene is not as dominant of course, as the series has matured along with the characters. What this means is less neon coloured-cars with neon under-lighting and... well just less neon all around really, but this doesn't mean it is missing completely. In fact, the underground racing scene is used to reminisce back on the series with particular characters that the story focuses on. 

The story itself is imaginative if not predictable once you get past the fact that forgotten characters are resurrected. I also like the fact that there are in jokes within the film, such as Ludacris character receiving a phone call from "Samoan Thor".

Fast and Furious 6 is the best in the series so far as it has just become so much bigger: budget, cast and location-wise. It ties up loose ends as well as starting up a whole new series of questions.

Ride or die!

:-)

Elky

Bacchus Belgian Cherry Beer

Oh cherry-flavoured everything. How sweet you are. I'm a die-hard Cherry Coke fan, in a can. I don't like the flavour that comes in a plastic bottle, and I'm yet to have found or tried a glass bottled Cherry Coke, but I digest (pun!)

This flavoured beer has the lovely essence of sweet cherries juxtaposed with the bitterness of beer. The balance is quite brilliant actually. It's surprising because beer usually has the ability of giving me a shudder depending on its bitterness, but not with this beer.

It comes in a lovely half-champagne, green glass bottle which is wrapped in a cherry themed paper. It really is something quite special.

The only thing I can pick on is its colour. It's on the darker side of brown / red. Like an off strawberry Ribena (I can't be the only one that's had it?). But I actually like the colour. And the taste. And the cool.

Cherry deliciousness!

:-)

Elky

Olympus Has Fallen

Gerard Butler is a buffed up spartan warrior who leads his men to victory / lots of death. Well that's how the film '300' works. 'Olympus Has Fallen' puts him in charge of the President of the United States of America's best men.

Olympus Has Fallen

Mike Banning's role is to protect the president, the First Lady and their son at any cost. He doesn't do this very well and at the start of the film he is demoted out of the team, and starts work at the treasury pushing papers, much to his dismay. We see it affect his relationship with his wife; he seems not to function without being out in the field.

As you may have guessed, stuff happens. Bad stuff. Banning happens to be in the (near enough) right place at the (near enough) right time. 'John McClane'- I mean Banning fights through hoards of baddies, who turn out to be North Koreans. Slightly edgy considering America and North Korea aren't the best of friends in the real world at the moment let alone the film one.

He fights through the floors of the 'Nakotomi Plaza'- I mean White House trying to get to the President (Aaron Eckhart) who is being held hostage. Banning's aim is to save him and the world (USA). Super clichéd awesomeness. I love 'Die Hard', so it is no bad thing that the two films are pretty similar plot progression-wise.

The taking of the White House is fantastically well-orchestrated and further control of various parts of the house are genius. Banning communicates with the head speaker and acting president, played by Morgan Freeman, through the president's sat-phone in a similar way to how 'John McClane' communicated with his cop-buddy on the outside of the building in the first 'Die hard'.

So many similarities including a rogue agent acting like a good guy similar to how 'Hans' did in the first 'Die Hard', awesome infiltration sequences, smart double crossing, and cool explosions. There are even humorous script pieces that made me laugh out loud, and had some overly Americanised members of the audience at the cinema applauding midway through the film (but not at the end strangely - USA! USA! USA!).

Is it fair to compare it to 'Die Hard' so much? Yes, yes it is. 'Die Hard' is a fantastic action film of the 80s/90s and stands it's ground to this day. Even the newest 'Die Hard' films haven't been able to come close to the brilliance of the originals. 'Olympus Has Fallen' has the core ingredients of a great action film with a typical storyline, but it does it so well!

Other possible titles they could have used:

'Olympus has been retaken!'

'Olympus does not Die Hard'

'John McClane-esque Gerard Butler's character kicks butt better than Bruce Willis did in 4 and 5 in funnier manner'

I still love 'Die Hard' and Bruce Willis, I only mock it for this reason. But 'Olympus Has Fallen' gives those action-film lovers what they've been wanting to see since after Die Hard 3 came out. Albeit without the white vest.

:-)

Elky

Dredd

"I am the law." The phrase you do not dread hearing from Dredd.

DREDD - You might start to.

Judge Dredd rebooted, or however else you might want to phrase it. Karl Urban is the judge, and he's back being the law and slightly above it, only this time with a female psy'd-kick. The rookie, Cassandra Anderson, played by Olivia Thirlby, has a mutant power where she can read and interact with peoples' minds. Awesome right?

Dredd is asked to look over Anderson in the field for a day, as she didn't quite pass all the necessary exams that she should have. Obviously Dredd is not too happy about the underachiever joining the elite force of judges that defend the Mega City.

I know that Judge Dredd comes from comic book land, and therefore I might be missing some very interesting references in places but, this film doesn't do much for a character that could be so cool. Silvester Stallone had a shot at being the judge before and like the newer Dredd, there's something lacking, somewhere.

The judges are locked down within the Megacity 1 building where Ma-ma (Lena Headey) runs the show. She is the brains behind a big narcotics production line and has a huge army of residents who would do her bidding, because she asks impolitely.

Most of the action takes place within the building, and there are some cool stylistic scenes when people use the 'Slow-Mo' drug to slooooooow eeeeeeeverything dooooooown. The weaponry is also futuristic, voice-activated and multi-functional which makes for some explosive fire-fights.

So there are elements in place to make it a good film, but it just isn't really. Dredd doesn't do much talking, Anderson seems too stiff as a character and there is nothing really that memorable that stands out. The endin especially feels a bit anti-climatic.

More action outside and on motorbikes next time?

:-)

Elky

The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Charlie (Logan Lerman) writes letters. He has a pen pal, well a pen audience rather. He never receives a reply, but that's not the point. Charlie has had a troubled life, and the letters act as a release. It is within these letters that we hear his story told.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower

He's a freshman in high school, which I guess means the first year of secondary school, but he's 16 so it's a little different to the schools over here in the UK. He hasn't got any friends, and the friends he did have from before no longer interact with him. He is portrayed as alone and is picked on by the other kids.

Patrick (Ezra Miller) has been held back in shop class (design and technology?). He is a senior who Charlie approaches at a football game after seeing him act out in class. He introduces Charlie to his step-sister, Sam played by Emma Watson. They go on a drive and hear a song which Sam particularly takes a fondness to. In the film, this song is 'Heroes' by David Bowie, but in the novel it is 'Landslide' by Fleetwood Mac. It is in this scene where we see the start of a moving friendship, with Charlie proclaiming to feel "infinite".

These friends are the ones who dub him the "Wallflower". He's a quiet boy, but Charlie sees and understands what's going on around him, apart from when he blacks out from stress-related occasions.

The story unfolds around Charlie's first experiences: his first kiss, his first dance, his first telling someone that a friend of his had shot themselves in the head the previous summer. Some of the things that the majority of people would go through at some point in their life if not in high school.

He is also introduced to drugs, sex, music, parties and meets his first girlfriend, which amuses and causes you to cringe at the same time. You see, he takes a liking to Sam, but it never really works out between them throughout the majority of the film.

It's a really moving story and the parts where Charlie interacts with characters alone rather than in groups really immerses you in this life. He does essays in his spare time for his favourite teacher Mr. Anderson (Paul Rudd), makes mix-tapes for Sam, and helps other friends with issues they're dealing with, even though he has  big issues of his own.

Set in the 90s, it cuts out a lot of the things that make us less physically social nowadays. There is less about online and more about being in the moment and living life. Mix-tapes are an example of something that has seemingly died with the evolution of technology; no longer can you put a physical product together from a bunch of recordings off the radio. There's copyright issues and the fact nobody has a cassette player any more. I also doubt somebody will give you a mix USB stick.

This film struck a chord with me. I've seen some of the issues raised in the film as I'm sure a lot of people would have, but the nostalgic style in which it's told and the story that accompanies that style just gives it an edge above other films set in high school. It's a funny, emotional, positive ride through some of the best and worst years of life and that's a good enough reason for me to recommend seeing a wallflower's take on things.

:-)

Elky

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Swedish Version)

I've been meaning to watch the original version of 'The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo' since I read the book by Steig Larsson and watched the American version with Daniel Craig. It's only today that I've actually had the chance to do that though.

It must be around 2 years since I read the book and found it interesting enough to go on to read the second book immediately after. It's only recently that I have revisited the 'Millennium series' to finally read the third book.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo: Swede Edition
(It's not called this but for my own benefit, let's pretend).

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo: Swede Edition

So it starts off with Mikael Blomkvist (played by Swede edition's Michael Nyqvist) in court being sued for charges of libel against big gangster boss-man, Hans-Erik Wennerström. This is how I recall the book starting as well.

The story then splits focus to three different topics; the Wennerström affair, Lisbeth Salander (played by Noomi Rapace) and Blomlvist's journey from the time he appears in court until his actual imprisonment  which is a 6-month gap.

Without giving too much away, Salander, who has a tattoo of a dragon on her back (who would have thought it?) and works for a 'Milton Security', is hired to do some digging into Blomkvist's background. It is for the attention of Henrik Vanger, who believes Blomkvist, despite his most recent negative media attention, would be the perfect man for the job of finding out about what happened to his grand daughter who had disappeared 40 years previously.

When I was reading this story, I found it quite confusing to keep track of everything that was happening. Maybe it was because of the translated text keeping all of the Swedish names of characters and places, but I didn't have this problem with this Swedish audio / English-subbed version of the film.

In fact I found it easy to keep up with, and that it kept to the book very well, which a lot of films do not do. I found myself guessing what scenes should be coming next and what should happen in them. I was surprised that I couldn't really find any problems with the way the story was told.

It even felt as if I had seen the film before, which I technically have done but that wasn't as true to the book as this was. When we are first introduced to Hedestad in the film, it was as if the image of the island was plucked from an image that my imagination had created.

All of the settings in the film were a good match to the ones that I had in my head, and the casting was pretty spot-on to how I had imagined the characters to be. Blomkvist had to grow on me in the first five minutes of the film, but then I thought he was actually a lot better than Daniel Craig's hot-bodied portrayal. Salander on the other hand, who is actually beautiful, is not exactly how I had imagined her to be, as she is described as being very short, skinny and resembling a 15-year old boy in the book (if I remember correctly).

However, the story moves along at a good pace, there isn't much downtime and it stays true to the book, so it's fair to say that I recommend seeing this version of the film.

Not to say that I don't think the American version is bad, because it isn't.

And of course you should read the book.

And then after you've done that, maybe read the second book ('The Girl Who Played with Fire') and probably the third ('The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest').

As a side note, there are some scenes in all versions of 'The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo' that could cause some distress, so tread with caution.

Elky :-)