Blokes' Reviews

[Gingernuts]

The Wrestler

The missus and I rented this one on dvd after hearing about it from a few people. It sounded like a very interesting story so I'd been keen to watch it for some time.

So anyway, basically it's about a former pro wrestler who was massive in the 80's but now is a washed up trailer park shmo. The best he can manage these days is weekend wrestling gigs at the local community hall. His only friends are his favourite stripper down at the local establishment (who actually only counts him as a regular source of income), and the kids in the trailer park (who most of the time have something better to do than hang out with the muscle bound freak next door anyway). He's estranged from his daughter, and to top things off for this winner, his heart is on the blink after years of getting on the muscle juice.

The movie is a snapshot into this blokes life at a time when he is being forced into giving up the only thing in his life that gives him satisfaction and meaning.

At the end of the movie I didn't really know what to think of it. I definitely enjoyed it, but found that quite often it felt like an 'American' attempt at making a meaningful movie. Yanks seem to need a hero in their movies, and at times it seemed like I was supposed to think of this bloke as one even though he was quite obviously a struggler who had no one to blame for his predicament but himself.

On the whole though it was a good, solid, entertaining movie and one I certainly enjoyed.

Rating: 3 and a half beers for me.

Footnote: One nice bonus is Marissa Tomei playing the stripper friend complete with nipple rings, still in very good shape for being 40+!

[Bum Crack]

The Wrestler

The missus and I rented this one on dvd after hearing about it from a few people. It sounded like a very interesting story so I'd been keen to watch it for some time.

So anyway, basically it's about a former pro wrestler who was massive in the 80's but now is a washed up trailer park shmo. The best he can manage these days is weekend wrestling gigs at the local community hall. His only friends are his favourite stripper down at the local establishment (who actually only counts him as a regular source of income), and the kids in the trailer park (who most of the time have something better to do than hang out with the muscle bound freak next door anyway). He's estranged from his daughter, and to top things off for this winner, his heart is on the blink after years of getting on the muscle juice.

The movie is a snapshot into this blokes life at a time when he is being forced into giving up the only thing in his life that gives him satisfaction and meaning.

At the end of the movie I didn't really know what to think of it. I definitely enjoyed it, but found that quite often it felt like an 'American' attempt at making a meaningful movie. Yanks seem to need a hero in their movies, and at times it seemed like I was supposed to think of this bloke as one even though he was quite obviously a struggler who had no one to blame for his predicament but himself.

On the whole though it was a good, solid, entertaining movie and one I certainly enjoyed.

Rating: 3 and a half beers for me.

Footnote: One nice bonus is Marissa Tomei playing the stripper friend complete with nipple rings, still in very good shape for being 40+!

I watched that with this missus and thought it was a good flick but she thought it weas the worst movie she has ever seen. To punish me for making her watch it, I was made to miss out on sex for a week

[Gingernuts]

I watched that with this missus and thought it was a good flick but she thought it weas the worst movie she has ever seen. To punish me for making her watch it, I was made to miss out on sex for a week

Gees, a bit harsh. Could see why a female might not like it, but wouldn't think it's bad enough to inflict a sex ban that's for sure.

[JK]

That's such a good review Fanta, looks as though we viewed it with the same frame of mind ... The acting was good though (not that I thought I'd ever say that about a Mickey Rourke movie)

[Gingernuts]

That's such a good review Fanta, looks as though we viewed it with the same frame of mind ... The acting was good though (not that I thought I'd ever say that about a Mickey Rourke movie)

Thanks mate. Yeah the acting was good, the role was made for Mickey though. Not like there's a wide range of rolls for a beefcake like that.

[Strawb]

2009 AFL Grand Final DVD

Well what can I say It was an awesome match played by the Best two teams from the 2009 AFL season. A close match until the last five minutes where Geelong kicked ahead. Highlights a plenty for Geelong supporters. Paul Chapman's 3 goals, Matthew Scarlett's pass to Gary Ablett which ended up helping the Cats win. Tom Hawkins goal that helped Geelong win, it was 4 quarters of brilliant football.
Biggest Highlight of all Seeing Bobby "WOOFA" Davis hand the premiership cup to Tom Harley and Mark Thompson. Seeing the players celebrate makes it more special.
Bonus feature if you don't want to listen to the ten commentary team you can listen to sen, triple m or K-Rock.
Five out of Five beers for this Geelong supporter.

[JK]

That's such a good review Fanta, looks as though we viewed it with the same frame of mind ... The acting was good though (not that I thought I'd ever say that about a Mickey Rourke movie)

Thanks mate. Yeah the acting was good, the role was made for Mickey though. Not like there's a wide range of rolls for a beefcake like that.

Hulk Hogan, Mr Wonderful, Superfly .....

[JK]

Finally managed to catch a movie on the weekend that I'd been wanting to see again for about a decade.

That movie is/was, The Boondock Saints.

I should say that the first time I watched it all those years ago I absolutely loved it, and whilst I didn't think it had actually aged overly well, it was still entertaining enough all these years later.

Willem Dafoe's performance of a character of the highest order in terms of quirkyness, IMHO, is ultra memorable and makes the move worth watching just to see him in full flight.

If you're a fan of movies like "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang" or perhaps "Bad Boys" then you're likely to enjoy the action and humour of two Irish twins who take it upon themselves to become judge, jury and executioner of various points of the shady underworld filtering beneath Boston.

Ron Jeremy and Billy Connelly also make appearances, but it's most worthy highlights surely come from Willem Dafoe and David Della Rocco (who??) as a mob errand boy and best mate to the twins.

Good popcorn and beer flick.

Rating: 3.5 beers

[devilsadvocate]

You know what blokes want, tell us about it...

I thought this was a family site?

I know what I want. And the best way to explain is with pics.....

[Q.]

He Died With A Felafel In His Hand by John Birmingham

I was helping a mate move house on Sunday and poking out of a cardboard box was this book. So I pinched it and read it. The synchronicity of picking up a book about share house accomodation while helping the mate you lived with for a couple of years move out of the unit you both shared was not lost on me.

Wow. This book is awesome. It's awesome because most gross and ****ed up share house stories involves a bunch of blokes living together and it's pretty easy to relate to some of these tales of filth, hijinks and destruction if you've ever lived in a share house. It's hilarious, cringeworthy and easy to read.

Books aren't very blokey, but I'm prepared to make an exception here. Five brewskies!

[The Ash Man]

Don't Tell Mum I Work On The Rigs,
She Thinks I'm A Piano Player In A Whorehouse
Paul Carter

Brilliant book

Paul Carter has been shot at, hijacked and held hostage.

He's almost died of dysentery in Asia and toothache in Russia, watched a Texan lose his mind in the jungles of Asia, lost a lot of money backing a mouse against a scorpian in a fight to the death, and been served cocktails by an orang-utan on a ocean frieghter. And that's just his day job.

Taking postings in some of the world's wildest and most remote regions, not to mention some of the roughest oil rigs on the planet, Paul has worked, gotten into trouble and been given serious talkings to in locations as far-flung as the North Sea, Middle East, Borneo and Tunisia, as exotic as Sumatra, Vietnam and Thailand, and as flat out dangerous as Columbia, Nigeria and Russia, with some of the maddest, baddest and strangest people you could ever hope not to meet.

Strap yourself in for an exhilarating, crazed, sometimes terrifying, usually bloody funny ride through one man's adventures in the oil trade

Bloke Rating:
5 Imperials of your finest

[Pseudo]

He Died With A Felafel In His Hand by John Birmingham

Meh.

Read that years ago with very big expectations, having heard glowing endorsements from every person I know who'd read it.

Very disappointed. Some of the happenings described within are inherently humorous. They might have been worth reading about too, if one could find a raconteur who was witty enough to do them justice. Sadly Mr. Birmingham is no such raconteur. His style of writing is vaguely "stream-of-consciousness", but lacking in any depth or deep insight - kind of like how Virginia Woolf might have written if she'd been born with bollocks and left school before mastering literacy skills.

One half-drunk stubby of light beer left in direct sunlight for an afternoon.

[Q.]

You expected too much Pseudo. If it was overly insightful it wouldn't be very blokey would it

[Gingernuts]

He Died With A Felafel In His Hand by John Birmingham

I was helping a mate move house on Sunday and poking out of a cardboard box was this book. So I pinched it and read it. The synchronicity of picking up a book about share house accomodation while helping the mate you lived with for a couple of years move out of the unit you both shared was not lost on me.

Wow. This book is awesome. It's awesome because most gross and ****ed up share house stories involves a bunch of blokes living together and it's pretty easy to relate to some of these tales of filth, hijinks and destruction if you've ever lived in a share house. It's hilarious, cringeworthy and easy to read.

Books aren't very blokey, but I'm prepared to make an exception here. Five brewskies!

John Birmingham is one of my favourite authors. He has taken to writing 'Alternate History' fiction in the last few years and the books he's churned out are ripper.

If you're up for it, read his 'Axis of Time' triology, absolutely brilliant read. It's about a naval fleet from the year 2020 who get transported back in time right into the middle of the battle of Midway. A concept that's been done before, but the way he deals with it is just brilliant.

Also he is currently working on a series that started with a book called 'Without Warning'. Basically some weird anomally whipes out every living thing in Nth America. Not quite as good as the above triology but a great read none the less.

[Rik E Boy]

2009 AFL Grand Final DVD

Well what can I say It was an awesome match played by the Best two teams from the 2009 AFL season. A close match until the last five minutes where Geelong kicked ahead. Highlights a plenty for Geelong supporters. Paul Chapman's 3 goals, Matthew Scarlett's pass to Gary Ablett which ended up helping the Cats win. Tom Hawkins goal that helped Geelong win, it was 4 quarters of brilliant football.
Biggest Highlight of all Seeing Bobby "WOOFA" Davis hand the premiership cup to Tom Harley and Mark Thompson. Seeing the players celebrate makes it more special.
Bonus feature if you don't want to listen to the ten commentary team you can listen to sen, triple m or K-Rock.
Five out of Five beers for this Geelong supporter.

2010 Grand Final.....................the sequel was shit!

regards,

REB