On the road... for new glasses!

So, I got kicked in the head.

I went to see one of my favorite bands - Hot Rod Circuit - and was surreptitiously kicked in the head when some kid took a flying leap from the stage. I was no worse for wear (and the concert was one of the best I have ever seen), but my glasses slowly deteriorated over the months until they were hanging from my head.

I needed glasses badly.

Where do you go to get cheap glasses -- especially without vision or health insurance? Well, one great option is Warby Parker.

Keroauc - sans-glasses

Named after two characters from Jack Kerouac's personal diaries -- this company makes some amazing and affordable glasses -- and they donate glasses to charity as well. One pair for every one sold. Pretty awesome. 

I went with my friend JT to their showroom near Union Square a while back and was surprised that they had since moved to the Puck Building in SoHo. ERL was in the market for some new glasses (via using some FSA funds) so we made an appointment to go check out their frames in person.

They are pretty popular, so expect a week or two to book an appointment to visit their showroom (or you can go the at-home route also). The showroom was basically their headquarters with their employees (back and front of house), some frames on the walls, and a few Macs right there to place your order.  Pretty straight forward.

Doing a little research ahead of time definitely helped and making sure I had my current prescription (thanks to Cohen Fashion Optical that has a coupon for a $20 eye exam -- I'm sure they weren't exactly happy that all I wanted was an exam, but...) here's what else  I learned:

nerd.

1. Check out the styles Warby Parker has online and bring a list of the ones you want to check out. (You'll notice the frames are named after writers, musicians, famous folks, etc. -- Miles, Langston, Huxley, et al.)
2. If you've got a giant noggin like I do -- the Larkin is a great choice (the one I ended up getting).
3. Also the three measurements (ie. 56-16-135) represent the size of the lens, width of bridge, and the length of the temple/ the-ear-piece-leg-thing) -- good to have handy.
4. If you are ordering online -- you can select 5 pairs of frames to try on at home or they have a virtual try-on tool where you can upload a photo or use one of their models to try on frames as well.
5. Be sure to have your pupil distance measured (PD) when you get your eye exam or go into the showroom to have it done. You'll need this for sure. It takes literally 10 seconds or less to do. 
6. You may need to spring for some silicone nose pads -- since the frames may slide down your nose if you don't.

nerd-lover.

7. If you have a strong prescription you will absolutely need the high index thinner lenses (extra $30) -- otherwise, you'll pay only $95 bucks for a hip pair of glasses.

My total cost breakdown:
1. Eye exam - $20
2. Frames, with high index lenses - $125
3. Silicone nose pads - $4
4. Superstrength glue to reinforce nosepads (because I sweat like a monkey) - $3

A great experience overall -- I'd definitely order from them again. Especially easy --  since they keep your prescription on file.

Are the glasses "for hipsters" or "geek chic" or "nerdy"? -- yes, yes, and yes. Do you need to see? Do you care about fashion? Do you want to save some money? -- yes, yes, and yes.

Warby Parker!  *YAAAAWWWWWP!!!*

**all images copyright their respective owners. Hey, WP - how about a discount on my next pair?**

May the odds be ever in your favor.

Saturday morning, I woke up to the cutest rendition of "Cat Scratch Fever" -- inexplicably sung by ERL while she was brushing her teeth. Then I remembered, we had tickets for the matinee of The Hunger Games. 

Katniss, here we come!

The movie was pretty fantastic. I have to give director Gary Ross credit for nailing all the fan pleasing moments. Fans of the books should be very happy that the film adheres very closely to everything that Suzanne Collins wrote.

[Yes-- I am a huge fan of the Battle Royale films/manga/novel. One of my favorite films of all time. I even imported the DVDs from Japan back in the day and had my DVD player modded so I could watch the films. But does the Hunger Games change my opinion of BR? Not a bit, in fact-- it gives me the chance to point others to see BR--which is finally out now in the US. Oh, and you can also check out Lord of the Flies and The Lottery if you want other similar children-in-peril-because-of-society-etc-etc stories. ]

I don't even have any serious gripes -- though I do feel like the casting could have been better. I think Jennifer Lawrence is amazing and such a cutie (as I mentioned in my review of X-Men: First Class). Her character in Winter's Bone has so much in common with Katniss, that it was a natural fit. I do think that her cherubic face and curvy figure didn't fit my idea of Katniss. Honestly, when I read the books a few years ago -- I couldn't help but think of Kristen Stewart in the role (at least physically). But Jennifer Lawrence's acting chops and her ability to convey Katniss's toughness and vulnerability -- that is what makes her a star.

I think that Josh Hutcherson is too short and just not buff enough to play Peeta (say it like Lois from Family Guy ... Peeee- tttaaaaah.) Acting-wise -- he was serviceable. I actually really like him in other movies, so perhaps in Catching Fire and Mockingjay -- he'll have some better moments.

Wes Bentley -- I thought he would have been a better Cinna than Lenny Kravitz -- but I ended up liking them both.  Effie Trinket will always be Kristin Chenowith, in my opinion -- but Elizabeth Banks did pretty well. Stanley Tucci as Flickerman and Donald Sutherland as President Snow were pretty spot on. I loved Woody Harrelson as Haymitch -- but I always pictured a younger John Hurt when I read the books.

And the whole Rue controversy. Seriously, people are that stupid to Tweet their racism?

I wonder what people who had not read the book, but saw the film, thought of the Capitol and the...fashion. Why does everyone look like Lady Gaga here?  I don't think there was mention of Panem at any point in the movie either. Strange?

Overall, the film really hit all the major moments and was pretty satisfying on its own. I know Catching Fire and Mockingjay are all but assured (with the Hunger Games pulling in $155 million the opening weekend -- uh, yeah.) and have high hopes that the sequels will be as good or better.

*Three finger salute.*

**all images copyright their respective owners. Cornucopia!**

We are your overlords.

Just a quick post.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

I am a big fan of the book series, the Swedish films, and of course -- David Fincher's film version (newly released on DVD and Blu-Ray).

Lisbeth Salander is already part of the pop culture lexicon -- with plenty written about the great Noomi Rapace and Rooney Mara that have played her in the films. Much has been said about Stieg Larsson's untimely death and the phenomenon and legacy of his books. And David Fincher-- well, he's the genius behind some of my favorite films including Fight Club, Seven, The Social Network, and many more. (Not to mention that he was a major music video director and his work was a staple on MTV when they still played music videos.) 

What I wanted to highlight is the opening credits and the original trailer of Fincher's version of the film -- namely, why Trent Reznor (basically Nine Inch Nails) + Karen O (Yeah Yeah Yeahs) + Led Zeppelin = perfection. 

The song: 
"Immigrant Song" by Led Zeppelin is a pure classic. Robert Plant's yowling, Jimmy Page's riffs, and John Bonham's chugging percussion. The lyrics evoke viking conquests, pelts, and lots of snow. Perfect for a movie set in wintertime in Sweden.

Trent Reznor's electronic update of the music is amazing -- it hews closely to the original but with the forward momentum of drums from the future. Karen O's amazing vocals are a stand-in for Lisbeth Salander and her power. Just absolutely the right choice.  

(Fun side note: in the movie, Plague -- Lisbeth's hacker friend-- sports a NIN t-shirt. AND in the third book of the Millennium trilogy, James Bond is mentioned -- ahem, Daniel Craig. --- Oh, and one of my favorite little moments: Billy's Pan Pizza makes an appearance. Lisbeth eats the stuff over and over in the books. Fincher actually gets the product into the film. Details!).


The trailer:

All sorts of bad-assery. The quick cuts of scenes from the film. The driving propulsion of the song. And of course, THE FEEL BAD MOVIE OF CHRISTMAS tagline. When I had first seen this in the movie theaters -- I dropped a quiet f-bomb to myself. It was that good.



The opening sequence:

Blur Studio's work on the title credits is equally amazing. An inky black nightmare. Full of Lisbeth's tattoos (dragon, phoenix, wasp) coming alive, technology run amok, leather, and bondage. Sexy and scary = spot on.

Teasers done. Now get to it. Check out the film/books/soundtrack. Worth your while. 

*all materials copyright their respective owners. aaaaaahhhHhh AAAAAHHHHH!*

Winter is coming.

I am most definitely a "comic book/Star Wars" leaning type of geek. I have some love for Lord of the Rings -- but for the most part, fantasy / sword and sorcery / Dungeons & Dragons (with the exception of heavy metal lyrics) really do not float my nerdyacht.

That may have all changed.

I recently finished up watching the season one blu-ray set of HBO's Game of Thrones series. Based on George R. R. Martin's A Song of Fire and Ice book series, the show simply kicks all sorts of ...ice.

You can find more about the content and about the show from the regular source and a review of the blu-ray set here. My quest here is to show you why you should give up your prejudices and give the show (and let's not forget the books) a try.

Here's some reasons why:

1. Do you like HBO?
Have you ever seen/loved/obsessed over any of the following: The Sopranos, Six Feet Under, Deadwood, Rome, Band of Brothers, The Pacific, The Wire?  If you answered yes to any of the previous shows -- you will appreciate the mature themes and adult-oriented action and drama of Game of Thrones.

2. Like R-rated films?
Mature themes? Um...heck yeah. Violence, sex, nudity, horror, incest, political assassinations, the list goes on. It's all in there -- and done artfully well.

3. Do you like your "high-brow with your low-brow"?
Want to satisfy your yen for the baser things along with intellectually stimulating content? You'll get plenty of both and often at the same time. This show isn't a "guilty pleasure", but it hits all the B-movie tropes of the genre along with thought provoking commentary on the nature of honor, the importance of family,  and the consequences of ambition.

4. Do you like anime/manga? 
Fans of anime series like The Twelve Kingdoms, Fushigi Yugi, and other sprawling shows have already dipped their toes in what it is like to be in Westeros. Tons of characters, nations, and allegiances are much easier to follow with an engaging story and a pace that never gets bogged down in the nerdy details (though you can delve deeper if you choose to).

5. Are you a fan of great acting and production value? 
With actors like Sean Bean and Lena Headey (already famous for their nerd-nip roles in Lord of the Rings and Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, respectively) and Emmy-winner Peter Dinklage-- the cast is absolutely superb. With top notch CGI and practical effects--not to mention one of the most intriguing credit sequences ever-- the show is full of screen magic.

So, with Season Two fast approaching (April 1) -- I'm already itching to call my local cable provider to sign up for HBO again (long cancelled for me after Tony Soprano and Journey faded to black a few years ago).

Grab your sword. War is coming.



*Images copyright of their respective owners. Dothraki will dispatch you otherwise.*

Watch out....for more Watchmen?

Wow. I never thought that this would happen, but it looks like we are going to getting more  Watchmen comics.  (Does this mean another movie down the line also?)


DC just announced that they will be releasing 7 mini-series under the umbrella of Before Watchmen. These prequels will tell the story of the Minutemen prior to the events of the seminal classic Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons series.

Industry and fan reaction is very mixed. I'm super curious about this as well. The line-up of creators looks amazing -- including JMS, Len Wein, Brian Azzarello, Darwyn Cooke, The Kuberts, Lee Bermejo, Amanda Conner, Jae Lee, J.G. Jones, and Adam Hughes.

So what does Alan Moore have to say?  Well, he's not happy with this. Obviously.

Dave Gibbons is quoted in the PR release as saying: "The original series of Watchmen is the complete story that Alan Moore and I wanted to tell. However, I appreciate DC's reasons for this initiative and the wish of the artists and writers involved to pay tribute to our work. May these new additions have the success they desire."

What do I think? As a kid who bought the original series in single issues and as an adult fan who has read the collection repeatedly through the years -- I'm skeptical. The fan in me wants more (and the lineup of creators seem like a great team), but the artist in me wants to leave the canon alone. But yeah, I'm probably going to be buying it -- at least out of curiosity's sake.

We'll see how it all turns out this summer. The clock is ticking....

(Happy new year, by the way!)



*Images copyright of their respective owners.*