The Lumberjack



Students Serving The Cal Poly Humboldt Campus and Community Since 1929

Tag: Review

  • A review on “Tickled”

    A review on “Tickled”

    When I first read about “Tickled” on a random online movie list, it sounded so unusual that I knew I had to see it. What I didn’t know when I bought my tickets at the Richard’s Goat Tavern’s Miniplex was that the film is a strange conspiracy thriller about a fetish.

    David Farrier, a journalist from New Zealand, is the director of the film. Farrier usually covers lighter stories. He has interviewed young Justin Bieber, Trent Reznor and has made a small documentary about the national anthem of his home country.

    Farrier came across a video on Facebook about competitive endurance tickling. The video featured men in Adidas jerseys tickling a clothed man strapped to a repurposed doctor’s chair. He is then shown being tickled with an electric toothbrush in slow motion.

    Farrier immediately messaged the tickling talent agency responsible for the video, requesting an interview in hopes of procuring the next great story. However, he was quickly met with homophobic slurs and a request to stay away from the company and its participants. He later received multiple lawsuits and threats. This only fueled Farrier’s curiosity about the history of tickling fetish videos and who the talent agency truly was.

    Lawyers from the tickling talent agency were aggressive and told Farrier that he could not film them in the New Zealand airport even though it was legal. The only person who was willing to talk about the tickling industry seemed to be mildly off-putting.

    The documentary doesn’t necessarily focus on the people being tickled because it was very difficult to find interviews of the participants due to their fear of their mysterious bosses.

    Many of the participants responded to the tickling talent agency’s ads in hopes for quick cash and paid travel expenses. However, these people were later humiliated and threatened in their outside lives by the same company who hired them, similar to the threats and lawsuits Farrier received from the tickling talent agency. One ex-participant, a former high school football coach, was threatened by the tickling talent agency to have his tickling videos sent to his family and his workplace. The tickling agency later sent the video to the school the man was working at anyway, causing him to lose his job.

    Seeing this movie in a full theatre of about 20 people highlighted the audience’s reactions to each twist of the film.

    “Tickled” is the perfect movie to show your friends if you’re looking for something a bit different with hints of thrill, peculiarness, comedy, and uncomfortableness.

  • A “Taboo” to talk about

    A “Taboo” to talk about

    By | Liam Olson

    First impressions are important when it comes to a new television series. “Taboo” is a new program produced by FX and BBC One that gives a great first impressions in their first episode, “Shovels and Keys.” The episode is an introduction to different portions of the plot and the characters give the viewer many reasons to keep watching.

    The first episode of “Taboo” aired on FX on Tuesday, Jan. 10. Kristoffer Nyholm directed “Shovels and Keys” and Steven Knight wrote the script for the show. Knight worked with actor Tom Hardy and his father, Edward “Chips” Hardy, to create the script.

    Right from the start of the show, there is an eerie and dark tone. The show opens with James Delaney, played by Tom Hardy, riding in on a horse through the rain in order to bury an object in the middle of nowhere. This is just the start to the mysteries this show contains.

    The plot of the episode is complex with the various parts of the overall story being introduced. However, the base of the story is that James Delaney returns to London in 1814 after the death of his father, who left him a piece of land called the Nootka Sound. James had been presumed dead for more than 10 years but was actually in Africa for unknown reasons. James must navigate through the cutthroat business world of London to run his father’s shipping company and protect the Nootka Sound from his half-sister’s husband and the East India Company.

    The snippets of each part of the story is what makes the viewer even more enticed to find out answers to the questions this episode creates. What did James do in Africa for 10 years that gave him supernatural abilities? What is the importance of the Nootka Sound? To what extent will the East India Company go to take Nootka Sound from James? These are just some of the questions created by “Skulls and Keys.”

    One major point of the show worth mentioning is the relationships that James Delaney has with other characters. Throughout the episode, James finds himself face-to-face with old friends and acquaintances, as well as enemies old and new.

    With characters such as the loyal family servant, Brace, played by David Hyman; James’s half-sister Zilphia, played by Oona Chaplin; and the ruthless East India Company Chairman, Sir Stuart Strange, played by Jonathan Price; this diverse cast of characters will play essential parts in the story of James Delaney.

    Since a majority of the first episode was introductions, there was not enough screen time  to give a fair review of the actors’ performances, except for Tom Hardy. Hardy gave an excellent performance as James Delaney. He perfectly captured the brutal, composed and mentally unstable characterization of James. With his portrayal, he effortlessly went through scenes as though he was the character himself.

    “Shovels and Keys” is a slow but great start to “Taboo,” with the introductions out of the way. Viewers will want to dig deeper into the many mysteries and characters “Taboo” has to offer.

  • The Lighthouse Grill: a review

    The Lighthouse Grill

    By: Bryan Donoghue

    If you find yourself getting hungry after a long day of wandering through Trinidad and are looking for something that hits the spot, consider setting your sights on The Lighthouse Grill.

    The Lighthouse Grill’s philosophy is all about using fresh, local ingredients and serving homemade recipes to a community that has grown to love the restaurant. Bread is made in-house every day; homemade ice cream and sodas are at your fingertips to order. Employees pride themselves in the fact that nothing is processed or artificial in any of the restaurant’s recipes.

    The atmosphere can be compared to that of being in a cabin by the sea. Gentle gusts of wind grazed my cheeks as I stood outside; I breathed in the fresh scent of seawater. Inside the establishment, I felt as though I was standing under the sea, surrounded by various murals depicting marine wildlife.

    The organization behind the counter was impressive. The employees were all very friendly and helpful.

    I focused on the scent of rosemary and chives being infused into a waffle cone before I decided on what to order. Thankfully, there wasn’t a long line.

    I first ordered a homemade lemon mint soda. The lemon syrup is crafted beforehand and club soda is poured over the top before being garnished with mint leaves. There wasn’t any sugar added to the drink, giving it a tart and bitter taste at first. Take advantage of the carbonation and pour in about a teaspoon of sugar if you’re looking for a bit of sweetness to balance out the overall taste. All in all, the drink was immensely refreshing and complimented each meal I ordered. The lemon mint soda costs $3.

    I then had a mashed potato cone with everything on it, earning it a name in the restaurant as an “all the way” cone. The waffle cones are crafted by pressing fresh cornmeal, garlic, rosemary and chives and then rolling them around in a mold the shape of a cone. Mine was packed to the bottom with a mixture of mashed potatoes, bacon bits and mushrooms. The top of this ensemble was garnished with beef brisket that had been roasting for 12 hours and smothered in gravy, melted cheddar cheese and more bacon bits.

    I know a heart throb when I see one; this is one dish that may have captured my heart. Everything comes together perfectly, with the gravy encapsulating each ingredient and melding each taste together. The price for this “all the way” waffle cone is $6.

     

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    The “All the Way” Waffle cone of the Lighthouse Grill in Trinidad, California. Photo by | Bryan Donoghue

    The “All the Way” Waffle Cone of The Lighthouse Grill in Trinidad, California.

    The last dish I decided to try was a beef brisket on a waffle cone on a sandwich. Though this barbecue beef brisket sandwich was delicious, the bun was cut unevenly with a large top bun and a smaller bottom bun. Due to this, the sauce the meat had been soaking in eventually got absorbed by the bottom bun, completely saturating it. I couldn’t eat it as a sandwich, so I picked apart the sandwich using a fork. The beef was complimented by pickles, onions and a single leaf of lettuce. It’s delicious and slightly soothing since you will melt along with the tenderness of the meat. The price of the beef brisket sandwich is $8.

     

    The Lighthouse Grill is open daily from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Whether you’re heading to the beaches of Trinidad at dusk or dawn, The Lighthouse Grill will always be a beacon of culinary light offering a savory experience.

     

  • A good start to “A Series of Unfortunate Events”

    A good start to “A Series of Unfortunate Events”

    By: Liam Olson

    “A Series of Unfortunate Events, The Bad Beginning: Parts 1 and 2” are definitely a good start to the new Netflix series. From the wide variety of different characters to the beautiful sets of these episodes, “The Bad Beginning” definitely will make the viewer not want to look away from the rest of the season.

    The first season of the show was added to Netflix on Friday, Jan. 13. Barry Sonnenfeld directs “The Bad Beginning” and Daniel Handler (who plays Lemony Snicket) adapted the books for television.

    The adaptation stays true to the book, however, some plot points that make the book more dramatic are replaced for comical scenes. To a person who read the book series, this may be disappointing, but for those who have not, it is enjoyable.

    In order to make the show more lighthearted, comical tropes were added such as defining vocabulary words to explaining the difference between literally and figuratively. Although these pauses are fun, they become more excessively used as the show goes on and create unnecessary pauses in the plot.

    Most of the plot follows the books with the Baudelaire children, played by Malina Weissman (Violet), Louis Hynes (Klaus) and Presley Smith (Sunny), escaping the grasps of Count Olaf, played by Neil Patrick Harris, who wants their parents’ fortune.

    With the extra time the show had due to each books being split up into two parts, plot that was never mentioned by the books is explained in the show, making it more interesting for fans of the book series.

    As far as the acting goes, a majority of the actors do well. Patrick Warburton gives an amazing performance as the solemn narrator, Lemony Snicket, for the story of the Baudelaire children. K. Todd Freeman’s performance as Mr. Poe seems to be the weakest of the main characters. Much of his acting makes the character feel fake and unbelievable, and the coughing gag for Mr. Poe becomes excessive over time.

    Weissman and Hynes do well as Violet and Klaus Baudelaire; they perfectly capture the clever and sincere personalities of the characters. However, they do sometimes fall flat in their interactions with Neil Patrick Harris’s Count Olaf often looking lost on how to respond to him. Harris’s performance as Count Olaf gives a humorous take on the character compared to Jim Carrey’s darker version of Olaf in the 2004 film. Although Harris’s Count Olaf is not very intimidating as a villain, he does make up for it in his outrageous and entertaining antics on screen, though they sometimes drown out the other characters who struggle to react to his strong personality and actions.

    One of the most prominent elements worth mentioning in the show are the set designs. There is a wide variety of set designs from the dark and dreary mansion of Count Olaf, to the peaceful and colorful house and library of Justice Strauss. All the different locations in the show add to the overall atmosphere to the scenes.

    “The Bad Beginning: Parts 1 and 2” are good starting points for “A Series of Unfortunate Events.” While there were a few issues with the first two episodes, the series shows promise. Viewers will want to keeping looking to see what happens next in “A Series of Unfortunate Events.”

  • A taste of Bim – Review

    A taste of Bim – Review

    By: Bryan Donoghue

    Picture yourself reclined in a lounge chair on a beach in Barbados. Directly above you, coconut trees lightly sway in the wind, as the sun breaches between leaves and streams of light shine through. Many can imagine the way this feels, but in stark contrast to a country near the equator, we live in Humboldt County. Although both are regarded as beautiful locations internationally, it’s difficult to find an authentic experience can that represent that essence of the Caribbean. That is, until I stumbled upon a restaurant off of G Street in Eureka.

    A Taste of Bim is run by a mother and daughter duo who have brought their own experience from cooking in Barbados (also known as “bim”) to the United States, using traditional spices and recipes. The atmosphere walking in is ambient, yet illuminated in certain areas with low white and yellow lighting. In the open kitchen beyond the bar, splashes of fire rise into the air as you can see food being made from the comfort of your seat. The festive theme centers in on Barbadian culture, while a cheerful playlist of multicultural music assures you, as the customer, that you’re about to have an experience reminiscent of paradise. The restaurant was continuing to serve one family as I walked in; all other seats were empty.

    The waitress Debbie, who conducted herself to be both calm and cordial, immediately sat me and we briefly went over the menu. She started me off with Caribbean lemonade; a sweet drink that is made from fresh lemonade, raw cane sugar, and dried hibiscus leaves. It was absolutely delicious and served as a perfect counterbalance to reset the palate every time you try a new dish. I first ordered the doubles, an appetizer consisting of curried chickpeas that are topped and sandwiched over two pieces of flatbread. The curry began to overpower the dish at first, and the flatbread wasn’t sandwiching the chickpeas, but it began to gradually become more mellow as you eat it in unison with everything else. Even for an appetizer it was a lot of food, and mid-meal digestion became necessary.

    From there, I ordered the green banana salad. Refreshing and sweet, this salad was tossed together with diced cucumbers, tomatoes, basil, and bananas. A little hard to grasp with a fork, and possibly easier to eat with a spoon, this salad was a challenge to eat with one utensil. However, the taste was mouthwatering, and the banana pantomimes something akin to a dessert, while still giving it the health benefit any salad would.

    The finale of my experience had to have been a magnum opus for short rib. The meat was braised to cook slowly, and as the food reached my table, I immediately realized I would not need a knife to cut into it. Tender, lean, and just barely held together; this meat was perfectly cooked. It surrounded rice pilaf that had been cooked with beans, and then a thick savory gravy was poured over the top of the entire plate. The taste was refined yet so complex that I couldn’t even think of a single spice used to create that symphony of flavor. To me, it was impeccable. Through the entire experience, more customers began to come in; and even still, Debbie was entirely accommodating.

    I have to admit, I left with a smile. The pricing is anywhere from around $15-20 for a main dish, and around $10 or less for an appetizer or salad. Now picture yourself in that lounge chair again, but this time in Humboldt. The sun might not be shining every day, but if you’re looking for that warm Caribbean feeling, consider having A Taste of Bim.