654 Manhattan Ave, Greenpoint

Out west, where I grew up, Army Navy stores were ominous places. No matter how close to town they were, they seemed to be off a dirt road where no one would hear you scream and in the days of grunge, venturing in for a flannel meant coming face to face with local yokels that could cause such screaming – at least in the mind of a fairly privileged teenage girl. Cato’s Army Navy in my new hometown couldn’t be further from that experience.

It’s one of the hood’s most friendly stores, and while we’re at it, possibly one of the nicest in the whole city. Family run since 1975, you will be helped with courtesy and find everything you need. Since it stocks utilitarian goods, we always find something useful – Jim usually gets a new set of winter gear every season. This season? They have  great looking heathered sweater trooper hats, nice wool scarves and simple military gloves. (He models all three below).

From well made pea coats to great plaid jacket shirts, from adorable yellow galoshes to a wide variety of Levi’s – you’ll find stuff here that is on trend for far less than “hipper” shops would make you pay for it. Be sure to follow their website and twitter for specials.

Click here for the rest of Cato’s Army Navy

See more: Spend a Couple Minutes Greenpoint Shops

Be the first to leave a comment →
Posted on December 21, 2010

For The Holidays

It just doesn’t feel like the holidays without one!!

In the neighborhood, Jim prefers the tree spot on McGuinness and Greenpoint Ave where there are Germans and hippies to help you as opposed to the “vagabonds” on Manhattan and Calyer. We went all out at the Big D (one of the largest local dime stores) for decorations on the cheap.

See more: Spend a Couple Hours Christmas Greenpoint Home/Self Improvements Van

Be the first to leave a comment →
Posted on December 19, 2010

directed by Yoshiaki Kawajiri (1993)

The words “Ninja Scroll” echoed in the halls of my freshman dorm. Nerds coming from all corners of the country and globe were getting introduced to anime with this bloody action packed oddity, all thanks, if I remember correctly, to one Hal Lee who passed a well worn VHS around Nickerson Hall. With explicit sex scenes, demon monsters, and arm ripping/blood soaked fights, well, needless to say the dudes were INTO it. I  however, never saw it til last night (thank you Netflix + AppleTV).

Like most things Japanese, Ninja Scroll is somewhat inscrutable, but that hardly matters. Whether you follow the story about a secret gold mine, an old man spy, and a bisexual who plays a deadly game of telephone or not, there’s just so much good stuff to look at. From rape minded rock monsters to ninja birds, from vagina snakes to magic bee swarms, the movie hits the ground running and never stops.

In short, though, Jubei is a ninja for hire who talks with the insensitive staccato of a teenage boy that just learned the word ‘shit” as in “Shit! A cast off skin!!”. He meets up with a girl ninja Kagero who is poison to any man that sleeps with her. Together they reluctantly (since they are fiercely independent, of course) join forces with a sneaky old man to defeat a team of demons with strange abilities who want nothing more than world domination through destruction and a pirate ship full of gold.

In a huge sea of anime, which is daunting to traverse, this one stands out with it’s inventive monsters drawn from folklore, stunningly beautiful artwork and a plot that speaks to my D&D heart.

The movie spawned a sequel series and word has it that Leonardo DiCaprio owns the rights to a planned live action movie coming next year.

Click here for the rest of Ninja Scroll

See more: Movies 1990s Action Animated Japanese

Be the first to leave a comment →
Posted on December 19, 2010

Godfather of Modern Cooking

Marco Pierre White was once the bad boy of cooking. The first to make being a chef a dangerous and sexy thing with a passion for cuisine, those incredible deep set eyes, a personal chauffeur, a tumultuous string of relationships that include supermodels, and three Michelin stars (at 33 he was then the youngest recipient of such an honor).

Now a restaurateur retired from working in the actual kitchen he is also a realty TV show-er, following in the footsteps of Gordon Ramsay. He took over for Ramsay in Hell’s Kitchen and starred in the American rip off, The Chopping Block (which no one, myself included actually saw). In all, probably not someone I’d get along with but oh, those incredible deep set eyes.

His restaurants, which boast menus that are making be drool as I read them (soft roes on toast, croustade of quails egg, chicken and leek pie, salad of smoked eel & potatoes, Cambridge burnt cream…) are all in the UK but I’ll be thrilled if he brings his take on classic British food to New York one day.

See more: Hunks Chefs

Be the first to leave a comment →
Posted on December 16, 2010

directed by Wong Kar-Wai (1990)

Wong Kar-Wai, whose cinematic voice is all his own, brings to the screen quiet moments in time rather than sweeping plots in Days of Being Wild. The moments certainly stuck with me, as I’ve been trying to find the movie again since I saw it years and years ago.

Set in Hong Kong and the Philippines in the 1960’s, Wild is sumptuously shot by Kar-Wai collaborator Christopher Doyle with what looks like a hazy memory filter. The fashions here are eye candy too and I swear it looks like Muccia Prada must have just viewed this movie before her Fall 2010 season.

The attractive cast is also great to look at, including China’s biggest stars like the lovely Maggie Cheung and the dashing Leslie Cheung. They fall in and out of love in this study of relationships, manipulation, sadness and desire. It’s doesn’t sound like much to explain what happens, (someone leaves someone from someone else, someone gets sad…) but there’s something haunting about the whole affair.

An all around gorgeous movie, which unfortunately looks like it was transferred from VHS for instant netflix, Days of Being Wild sounds amazing featuring lilting, mid century tropic instrumentals.

Considered inaccessibly art house by many, this was not a hit in its home country despite an all star cast. Still, many consider it to be a pivotal film in Hong Kong cinema.

Click here for the rest of Days of Being Wild

See more: Movies 1990s Drama Indie Romance

Be the first to leave a comment →
Posted on December 14, 2010