Alex Reviews All

Author: Alex

  • Houston Horror Film Fest

    Houston Horror Film Fest

    As a member of weiny hut jr. this is admittedly not something I would normally attend. However, my sister needed someone to go with and I accompanied her as the amazing sibling that I am. This is a 3-day convention full of celebrity meet and greets, vendors, and horror films.

    The event took place at a Mariott hotel and parking was a breeze. Check in was quick and with our wristbands tightened, we headed into the expo. There were tons of vendors selling everything from posters, figurines, comics, knick knacks, everything that can be sold really. What really stood out to me were the people getting tattoos at a random booth. They had a gumball machine you’d get to spin twice for $100. It spit out different designs and then you choose one to put on your body for the rest of your life.

    The crowd was also fun. A good amount of people dressed up and my non-horror self recognized a few characters such as Chucky and a Five Nights at Freddie’s animatronic. Everyone was friendly and willing to take a pic with my sister when she asked. You also got some classic expo body odor, but overall the dankness was controlled.

    Another cool part of the event was the “celebs” who sat at different booths throughout the floor. Characters from Terrorizer, Goosebumps, and other movies were there this year. I felt bad for some of them at first when I saw no one visiting them. Then I noticed prices! People charging $40-$60 for a selfie. To me it seems a little ridiculous to charge that much for a picture or autograph. Sorry, you’re not that cool (I say as a noob).

    The last thing we did was watch a short film titled Blue Eyes: Going Dark. This took place in a mini ballroom that was pitch black when we first entered. Finding seats was a challenge and it was funny how many seats we noticed were open after our eyes adjusted. The premise of the film was about a man going to the dentist. He acts all weird about a different dentist working on him that day as if he’s a regular, but then he says he’s new to town when asked why he doesn’t have an emergency contact? The new dentist and her assistant duct tape the man to his chair and aggressively pull out his tooth. Then they say he has to return the favor and proceed to cut off both his hands, cut him open and rip out his intestines, and even take out his eyeballs to hang on their car mirror like dice. To be honest it wasn’t very good and it seemed like the actors weren’t trying hard.

    After watching the movie everyone clapped and I thought it was done. However, the creator of the film came up after and took some questions. We learned that it was shot in 5 days last year and won an award in effects. They were pretty solid for how amateurish the vibe was. It was neat getting to hear from him and get that background even if I wasn’t a fan of the project overall.

    Ultimately, the event wasn’t tailored for me. You pay to go look at more things to spend money on. If I was a horror fan I probably wouldn’t mind, but to me it was meh. My sister loved it though and it was pretty well run which I respect for an event of this size.

    Rating: 552/1000

    Ewoks
    Question for the ages
    Ferris wheel that spun around
  • Arches National Park

    Arches National Park

    When I first left to my girlfriend’s week long family reunion in Colorado, I would have never guessed I’d be writing a review for an Utah National park. If you teleported me there I’d probably have guessed I was in Mars. All of the arches, balanced rocks that appeared to defy gravity, and orange heavy color palate created a beautiful view to behold.

    Getting in the park was easy on this 100 degree afternoon. We were on a time crunch and drove to popular spots within the park to see as much as possible. These factors left me feeling like I didn’t get to see as much of the park as a review deserves, but it’s also hard to know if I’ll ever go back. However, the bonus points from the phallic rock help make up for this.

    One huge plus of Arches was how easy it felt to drive around it. You pay the entry fee, stop or go past the visitors center, and then start driving the winding climb upward before exploring. There’s a plethora of turn off spots to admire the vistas in addition to hiking trails. They looked like a great way to get close up to the rock formations. Our final stop had a bunch of benches meant to sit at and view all the stars at night. What a bummer to miss that.

    Again, it’s probably unfair to review this without getting the full experience. but hey, it’s my blog.

    Rating: 812/1000

  • Christmas Rocks!

    Christmas Rocks!

    July ends and August rolls in. First thing to do… go to the Christmas store! Driving by you wouldn’t know it was there. There’s a tiny little flag planted on the driveway that declares festiveness hidden inside this normal looking house. One step in and you’re instantly transported to a wonderland overflowed with ornaments, knick knacks, and displays. If there’s any unused space in there, I was hard pressed to find it.

    It’s a damn shame it’s only August cause I couldn’t justify any purchases outside of my misson that day. I am taking a road trip to Colorado for my girlfriends family reunion and they do a mid-summer ornament exchange. Objective: find the coolest (yet economical) ornament there. Funnily enough, one of the first ones my girlfriend hands me spoke instantly. Introducing Librarian Mouse:

    He reminds me of a mouse Harry Potter with those glasses. With that image in my brain all the other ornaments are disqualified before they even get to cross the starting line.

    Exploring there is a lot of unique items and it was cute how they were organized in this converted house. For example, the kitchen had a bunch of food/drink related ornaments ranging from pineapples, hohos, icees, and tequila. There was unique ones as well such as a wordle puzzle or a stack of harry potter books. My absolute favorite find were televisions with displays inside that lit up and moved. If they weren’t so pricey I might have instant bought, so we’ll see if they stay on my mind.

    Overall a very “cool” store. I’m not much of a shopper, so I was ready to go a little earlier than my partner, but that doesn’t detract from the store. It’s a true hidden gem in Houston that flew under my radar.

    Rating: 804/1000

  • Banana Bundt Cake Candle

    Banana Bundt Cake Candle

    Picture this. It’s December 2022. I’m single with a cozy apartment and get invited to go to Bath & Body Works for something called Candle Day. What the hey, why not? Little did I know how shook and consumed by the idea of large candles retailing for $30 going for $10 would hit me. 

    Yes, I bought a handful of candles that day, but that wasn’t enough. I proceeded to purchase 18 MORE candles online. The idea of having a candle always burning, my vinyl player spinning, and a book in my recliner chair was too enticing. What proceeded was me giving out candles like candy for the next 3 years. No birthday, Christmas, or work secret santa was safe. As of today I’ve burned out 3 or so candles with six left in my collection. The rest of these candles are going to help me carry out my original vision. 

    One thing about me, I love bananas. Why wouldn’t I want my apartment smelling like a delicious banana bundt cake? This 3-wick candle actually does a great job of accomplishing just that. Put this smell in my nostrils with no context and I wouldn’t be able to tell it was artificial. Spinning some chill music, having a fireplace visual on the tv, laying on my recliner, and having this burn beside me would make 2022 Alex very happy. It’s probably unfair to all the other candles I review in the future how perfect this current vibe is, but that’s showbiz baby.

    Rating: 836/1000

  • Twotone Coffee Shop

    Twotone Coffee Shop

    In an unassuming shopping strip lies the coffee shop known as twotone. The door looks locked and it’s impossible to see in through the blocked out windows. I’ve never heard of this place till recently, but the google reviews paint a trendy, hip oasis. Upon entering, the vision came to life. It’s a tiny box room with chill hip hop playing, minimal yet trendy design, and a young crowd. There was one guy taking orders and three baristas behind him churning out drinks. 

    I went with the Jade which is an iced pandan foam latte. The total before tip was $8, so on the high end for a coffee. There wasn’t a lot of room and it was a little awkward finding a spot to wait with the little room in there. That said, the wait was only around 5 minutes. I would have liked to enjoy the drink there, but with no seating space I got my drink and left.

    The drink looks amazing with the beautiful light green foam dominating the bottom layer of coffee. To top it off there is a line of brown sugar on the foam. The cup also has an open lid with a straw handed to me, but not just any straws. One of those straws meant for boba with the pointy end. I may have to look over the menu again because I don’t see why a normal straw wouldn’t suffice for these coffee drinks. I assume the main purpose of the straw in this case is to just mix the foam in anyways. 

    To be honest I am not all that familiar with pandan. My first sip was unmixed and therefore completely foam. It tastes very matcha-ie with a small hint of caramel. The flavor is very unique and it’s an interesting compliment to my mixed drink follow up sips. The bitterness of the coffee and sweetness of the foam have a ying and yangness to them. 

    It was a fun drink to order and would look great on the gram. The taste is unique and fun. Does it have me coming back for more sips… not really. To me it’s a novelty drink that’s drinkable and enjoyable for what it is, but I don’t want a full cup of it. For $9 total after tip, not a place I’d frequent simply for the coffee. 

    Rating: 548/1000

  • Invincible Graphic Novel Series

    Invincible Graphic Novel Series

    After finishing the fantastic season 3 of the show, I couldn’t wait to see what happens next. 144 issues and 3,600 pages later I am left depressed leaving behind such nuanced and deep characters. A lot of the ideas behind being a hero, what’s perceived as good and bad, and intentions vs results are explored throughout this epic saga.

    The comics up to season 3 are mostly the same material. There was some differences in the timeline and ways stuff happened, but for the most part it felt like I could have skipped ahead up to that point. Once I got past that, wooo buddy. I haven’t been into a graphic novel series this much since Saga many years ago. This isn’t a story where the good guys always win and everything is black and white. Mark goes from being the hero to questioning what’s really important. Is defeating the “hero of the day” really changing things?

    Mark and Eve’s relationship is a treat to watch develop. How understanding and graceful they are with each other after all the shit they constantly go through is true love. Their issues and reactions felt human and it rarely seemed overreacted just for the plot.

    This series was brutal in the best way. Characters died unexpectedly and no one felt safe. With Eve, she was attacked several times during her pregnancy and the possibility of her losing the baby frightened me. Most authors wouldn’t dare, but I wasn’t so sure with Kirkman. On the flip side, it seemed like people were also being revived enough to where some deaths were losing impact.

    Omni-man ended up being one of my favorite characters by the end. Never would have guessed that after he mass murdered the guardians of the galaxy. Mark going back in time and reliving that event gave a lot of context behind his thinking. I thought he was insane for trying to get back with Debbie as well, but again, over time it just made sense. He ruled the Viltrimites justly, fought with the coalition to protect the galaxy, and handed his empire down to Mark while on his death bed.

    I could have went through another 100 issues of this. The final arc felt a little rushed and I wish we could have had a little more time at the end to explore everything that happened. The solution to finally stopping Rex was smart. I thought there was no way to logically move past him ruling without fucking up all the good he did, but using his brain with The Immortal making the final call was genius. The final fast forward scenes with Terra and Markey were nice and I didn’t mind how short that part was. It leaves a lot to infer with how their grievances came up, while still having a solution to lead into the happy ending.

    Rating: 903/1000