PATRICK ALLEN
Friday, September 10, 2021
The Avengers Dossier, Page Eighteen
PATRICK ALLEN
Thursday, September 9, 2021
Silent action film 'A Beast at Bay' holds up
Wednesday, September 8, 2021
Princesses of Mars, Part 38
Tuesday, September 7, 2021
Of Wolves and Girls in Hoods: Sam the Sham
I am fairly certain everyone reading this knows the fairy tale "Little Red Riding Hood" (if not, read this and this, and then come back) and possibly even a few horror stories (by they film or comics) based on it. Some of you may even have seen more "adult" adaptations of the story.
This month, we're going to spotlight a few of the more unusual versions of the "Little Red Riding Hood" story. We're kicking things off with a couple of songs from Sam the Sham. (There are no neat visuals with them... that'll come with the cartoons when we post them.)
First, it's Sam the Sham & the Pharaohs with a song conveying a modernized, tongue-in-cheek version of the Little Red Riding Hood story, as seen through the eyes of the Big Bad Wolf. In 1966, this song was a smash hit on AM radio and reached the Top 5 and even better on numerous charts.
Striking while the iron was hot, Sham and his back-up singers--the Sham-ettes, recorded and released a sequel/point-of-view reversal on the relationship between the wolf and the maiden in the first song. And the wolf may be in for a surprise. Without further ado, we invite you to click below and enjoy "Big Bad Wolf" by the Sham-ettes.
(Maybe I've seen too horror movies, or read too many horror stories, but in my imagination, these two songs add up to a couple of psychopathic stalkers finding that they're each other's soulmate and then go skipping off in search of victims.)
Happy birthday, Alyssa Diaz
Born in 1985, actress Alyssa Diaz has been a fixture on television since landing her first recurring role on the daytime soap "As the World Turns" at age 15. Most recently, she's been a member of the spectacular ensemble cast on the ABC police series "The Rookie" for three seasons. Here are some pictures in celebration of her 36th birthday... and a celebration of the fact we'll be seeing her on a fourth batch of "The Rookie" episodes (which are going to begin on ABC on September 26)!
Monday, September 6, 2021
Musical Monday with David Hasselhoff
We could introduce this video for David Hasselhoff's cover of Iggy Pop's "The Passenger" with comments on how nicely done it is, both musically and visually.
Instead, we're just going to say: "When KITT is in the shop, but you still have to cross town to stop the bad guys..."
The Passenger (2021)
Starring: David Hasselhoff
Director: Jens Eser
Rating: Seven of Ten Stars
Sunday, September 5, 2021
Bones Coffee's Salted Caramel
It's Sunday, so that means another post about coffee we've been drinking here at Shades of Gray! Like most reviews so far, this one is based on coffee made from a pre-ground 4-oz. sample pack that made about 15 cups via a drip coffee maker.
Lily Gao: Caffeinated and ready to kill zombies! |
If you've read any of the previous entries in this series, you already know that I'm a wimp when it comes to coffee; I'm always putting almond milk and/or various creamers in everything I brew, from breakfast blends to the darkest of roasts...
But this blend? This one I can drink straight without needing to cut it. What a FANTASIC blend! Who needs to head to Starbucks or any such places when you can just brew a pot of Bones' Salted Caramel blend?!
Hot and fresh from the pot into the cup, this blend carried a perfect blend of caramel and salt and tangy coffee. Even as the coffee cooled, the flavor remained pleasing, with the various elements remaining in balance with one another. (This factor may be more important to me than some of you out there; I drink my coffee while working or reading, so it tends to sit awhile and grow cold as I drink it.)
At no point did I feel like my cups of this Salted Caramel blend needed any almond milk or sweetener, but, to remain consistent with other reviews of Bones' products, I did it anyway.
When I added unsweetened almond milk, I felt it detracted from the flavor instead of enhancing it, washing it out instead of making it palatable. I also tried a cup with just a dash of Italian Sweet Cream-flavored creamer, which was a little better. The sweetness of the creamer blended well with the caramel and seemed to bring out more saltiness.
Speaking of saltiness, when this blend was consumed chilled and over ice, the salty flavor emerges a bit stronger than when it is hot, but it mixes pleasantly with the caramel and coffee, instead of becoming overwhelming and ruining the flavor as happened with the Sinn-a-Bon blend. Over all, though, the flavor remained fairly stable whether I was drinking it hot or cold, the Salted Caramel flavor was perfect.
Although I was perfectly happy with the "uncut" taste of this blend over ice, I tried drinking it with unsweetened almond milk added, just so I could remain conistant with my other reviews. While I felt the milk detracted from the blend when hot, it didn't seem to add or reduce anything. The milk mixed with the existing flavors, but otherwise didn't seem to really seem to enhance or detract from my enjoyment. I didn't bother trying it with the Italian Sweet Cream creamer, because... well, because there's just no way to improve upon Bones' Salted Caramel blend.
So--thanks, Bones! Now I can have maximize my caffeine intake with a minimum of fuss and effort, even if I'm in the mood for fru-fru coffee! I can have delicious Salted Caramel flavored coffee without spending waaaay too much money at a retail outlet and without even having to leave my home!
Saturday, September 4, 2021
Modern Living with Richard Sala
I have worked in the downtown area of a major American city for about five years now. During that time, the urban decay has been evident and accelerating. I imagine this cartoon from the late, great Richard Sala must reflect how people who actually live there live their lives. (Click on the cartoon for a larger, more easily read version.)