Epinions Recent Reviews for jackai

A Chistmas Carol DVD: The Film Version That Even Dickens Would Approve

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 15:10:11 GMT

rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author jackai - "Marley was dead, to begin with. There is no doubt whatever about that." So begins Charles Dickens' beloved classic novella published over 160 years ago. Today, "A Christmas Carol" has inspired countless film...

Sin in a Box

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 12:46:41 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author jackai - Let's start the fun with a brownie haiku:you are packaged sincrunchy-soft, brownie so moist...angioplastyI wouldn't say I'm an obsessive chocolate lover, but if I'm driven to write poetry about the subject, then either something...

That Was a Close Shave

Thu, 5 Nov 2009 22:56:16 GMT

rating: 3/5 by: Epinions Author jackai - Though my other grooming habits are fairly routine, the regularity with which I shave my face is determined only by how long I can endure a five o'clock shadow before the itch becomes so annoying that I have to resort to the blade. You can call it...

I Slept With Jeffrey Thompson

Thu, 20 Aug 2009 12:18:56 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author jackai - How does a CD get a solid 4-star review even when it makes me fall asleep every time I listen to it? Ironically, when it's a CD to help you sleep. As stated in an earlier piece, I have had moderate insomnia since my late twenties and I've...

You Won't Regret Sleeping with Jeffrey Thompson

Mon, 17 Aug 2009 15:30:38 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author jackai - After struggling for years with a moderate case of insomnia and realizing warm milk and lavender scented eye pillows can only go so far, I resorted increasingly to over-the-counter sleeping pills. Unfortunately, waking up in a zombified fog was the...

Rome Wasn't Built in a Day - More Like 12 Hours

Wed, 29 Apr 2009 09:36:49 GMT

rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author jackai - In the hands of HBO, Ancient Rome gets the grunge treatment. Gone is the expansive, lily white marble majesty that the academic textbooks would have you envision, and in its place we get a louche, densely packed, syphilitic urban center. The...

Arancia di Capri - Smell Like a Citrus Grove...without the Mosquitoes

Tue, 6 Jan 2009 15:01:33 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author jackai - I love walking by anyone - male or female - and have my olfactories stimulated by warm, caressing scents of candy, citrus, cedar, sandalwood, licorice... you name it. Dressing to look your best caters only to the eye, but to engage...

The Simple Pleasures of Rye Playland

Sat, 3 Jan 2009 15:25:59 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author jackai - I have to hand it to my friend Kay. I would have never revisited Rye Playland if she hadn't suggested we check out the fireworks display one summer night last year. I was gone from Playland for over twenty years, but as we walked around the...

Lake Skaneateles: Hard to Pronounce, Easy to Remember

Wed, 17 Dec 2008 14:48:09 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author jackai - I didn't hear about Lake Skaneateles until my Sophomore year in college at Binghamton. Because of my errant Freshman ways, my GPA was so abysmal, I needed to shore it up with two consecutive summers of classes. I didn't mind it much...

Schokinag Extreme Dark - Once You Go Black...

Sun, 30 Nov 2008 15:00:11 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author jackai - Ask anyone what they want most on a bitter, cold winter day, and chances are they'll say hot chicken soup, a shot of bourbon - maybe even a slanket - but survey says the number one answer will always be a steaming cup...

A Simpsons Christmas Roast

Tue, 25 Nov 2008 11:54:27 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author jackai - The holidays are fast approaching so it must mean another Christmas-themed review. This year, I'd like to highlight The Simpsons and their wacky yuletide adventures bundled into a DVD aptly titled, "Christmas with the...

The Blender Dramatically Slims Down to a Stick - News at 11

Sun, 17 Aug 2008 12:00:05 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author jackai - I'm sure traditional blenders have their place in a true chef's kitchen, but for this lazy bachelor, my trusty, but clunky Cuisinart has been gathering dust ever since I purchased the sleek and slender KitchenAid handheld immersion blender. I...

Balla Powder Keeps Crotch Rot at Bay

Fri, 27 Jun 2008 12:22:29 GMT

rating: 3/5 by: Epinions Author jackai - Who doesn't appreciate humor in advertising? And what better way to charm a jaded consumer than taking everyday talcum powder, market it specifically for the scrotum and then call it "Bálla Powder"? The accent is a nice touch, but wait, why not...

Madonna's Sugar Shack

Sat, 3 May 2008 11:15:27 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author jackai - When Madonna rocks a crotch shot in leather Depends (cameltoe prudently airbrushed away) for the cover of her 11th studio album, Hard Candy, you have to pause for a second and wonder if she's in on the joke. Not that she's too old to pull it off...

It Lines the Roof of Your Mouth, Not Your Arteries

Tue, 25 Dec 2007 13:17:26 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author jackai - Peanut butter is the comfort food nonpareil. Of all the ways to enjoy it, I only know two ways that give me immeasurable satisfaction: spooning mound after mound straight from the jar, or in the classic, never-go-out-of-style PB & J sandwich...

Get a Touch of Sun

Sun, 16 Dec 2007 13:47:56 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author jackai - Whenever I see a multifunctional product or something marketed with the "all in one" buzz phrase, I get that skeptical crinkle in my brow. I get a nagging sensation that the quality of the product is somehow compromised or diluted when unrelated...

Evergreen Needs to Ripen into a Classic

Fri, 30 Nov 2007 16:48:27 GMT

rating: 3/5 by: Epinions Author jackai - The "Evergreen" in this compilation's title was probably meant to imply a timeless or classic quality, but it’s more apt to describe the music publishers’ pockets at Time-Life. It wouldn’t be wrong to regard The Time-Life Treasury of...

Make Mine a Whitebread Christmas

Thu, 22 Nov 2007 01:30:24 GMT

rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author jackai - Classic Christmas songs have always had a renewable, revolving-door quality to them. Musical artists from different generations have come along and imparted their own interpretation to the varied traditional favorites. Some leave such an indelible...

Garmin Nuvi 360 GPS - Never Get Lost Again

Sun, 23 Sep 2007 22:51:15 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author jackai - I've lived in the Bronx all my life and among the many perks of living in New York City, there's none quite more spoiling than the public transportation system. Since it has performed the chauffeuring duties so ably, I always felt that getting a...

Ribboned for Your Pleasure

Fri, 11 May 2007 11:29:30 GMT

rating: 3/5 by: Epinions Author jackai - The concept of combining body wash and moisturizer is not terribly new, but the Olay marketing machine outdid itself when it swirled layers of colored moisturizing lotion into its Olay Ribbons Body Wash line, then showcased the rainbow bright colors in...

300 Empty Calories

Sun, 18 Mar 2007 05:35:02 GMT

rating: 3/5 by: Epinions Author jackai - O, how I love a sword-and-sandals epic. I love it even more when the actors look like the casting call for a Bally’s commercial. Director Zack Snyder may have just created the ultimate anti-chickflick (dickflick?). Feast your eyes on...

Weighing in on Tanita Ultimate Scale 2001

Fri, 23 Feb 2007 13:48:14 GMT

rating: 3/5 by: Epinions Author jackai - Depending on how you feel about your weight, using the scale could be a satisfying or depressing prospect. Many fall into the latter category, including myself. When I know I’m packing on the pounds, I do what we all do and avoid the scale...

Girls' Night out with Madonna

Fri, 2 Feb 2007 13:28:22 GMT

rating: 2/5 by: Epinions Author jackai - When Madonna released What it Feels Like for a Girl, the third single off her 2000 CD Music,
I was curious to see how the mistress of the video art form would interpret this beautifully somber, midtempo...

Epic my Ass

Thu, 1 Feb 2007 12:17:21 GMT

rating: 1/5 by: Epinions Author jackai - In nature, the monkey expresses boredom, anger and general displeasure by hurling his feces. While watching Epic Movie, I desperately longed to be a monkey. Imagine having the irreproachable honor of chucking a piping stack of excrement, watch...

The Good Shepherd: The Mediocre Shepherd

Sun, 31 Dec 2006 19:52:13 GMT

rating: 3/5 by: Epinions Author jackai - I wonder if filmmakers harbor the misguided notion that the longer their film runs, the more epic gravitas it lends their oeuvre. Phooey. Judicious editing could have greatly benefited “The Good Shepherd”, the latest film directed by Robert...