Welcome To Chicago!

Without a doubt, the Windy City is one of the most beautiful cities in the world…but, as it sits on Lake Michigan, it is prone to some wacky weather! It can be crystal clear, and then storms can show up out of nowhere…one moment you have this:

And then you turn around and see this!

What A Storm!

On Sept. 18th, a storm rolled into Chicago that resulted in a lightning and thunderstorm that lasted more than an hour…it lit up the heart of the city and Lake Michigan.

Chicago’s Lightning Storm!

We were warned that thunderstorms were likely across parts of Chicago…but I don’t htink anyone imagined that it woudl touch down in the heart of Chicago – and I captured much of it on my iphone!

These dramatic photos are all over the internet today – great amateur AND professional pictures capturing the dramatic weather….and here is a video I put together – all natural sound – that captures some of the dramatic moments, including many lightning strikes!

Where To Find The Lightning Strikes!

To make this more enjoyable for you, here are the lightning strikes: there is visible lightning near the top at :20 and at :45 in, plus 1:30, 2:50 – then a number of them at 4:00, 4:20. 4:50, 5:00, 5:10, 5:30 and 5:40…also plenty of light show in between – very much like “Close Encounters” – or those tracer beams from “Independence Day”…plus there was lots of rain, so there is a short period in the middle with no audio as I had to go in to dry the phone off!

Here you go!

Congratulations To Patricia Wells!

Alex and I were lucky enough to attend one of the Patricia Wells cooking classes, and it was a great way to learn a ton of new provencal recipes…and guess what? They are now in a great new cookbook!

Here is the official description of the new Patricia Wells cookbook – “The French Kitchen Cookbook”

“With The French Kitchen Cookbook, culinary legend Patricia Wells invites home cooks into her life in France, making the fresh and delicious recipes from her popular classes available to fans who dream of experiencing their own gastronomic adventure in the world’s culinary capital.”

Beautifully designed and lavishly illustrated with stunning color photos, The French Kitchen Cookbook is a compilation and reflection on what she and her students have learned. Patricia Wells’ meticulously written recipes express the basics—the rules that will help anyone become a better cook, while providing the deep satisfaction that comes from creating exquisite food from the freshest ingredients.

Here are some of her best recipes for appetizers, desserts, and everything in between, dishes inspired by the vibrant Provençal countryside and the bustle of Parisian life, including Miniature Onion and Goat Cheese Tatins, Zucchini and Basil Velouté, Fricassée of Chicken with Fennel, Capers, Tomatoes and Sausage, and Apricot Lavender Honey Sorbet.

Cooking With Patricia!

Yep, I had the chance to cook with Patricia for an entire week, and we made a number of these recipes!

The book includes recipes from Patricia’s cooking classes in Paris and Provence – and if you want to know more about singing up for this great classes, here is her website for more information…

http://patriciawells.com/

As I said, Alex and I went to Provence to cook with Patricia…

We had an amazing time, not only learning to cook a ton of new dishes, but to spend time with Patricia and her husband Walter as well…here is Patricia taking her cooking class through a food market in Chanteduc – talking with Alex:

We harvested on their property, prepped all of the food, and then got to cooking – here is Patricia’s husband Walter giving Alex some advice while she cooks:

After cooking, the entire group gathers on the veranda to eat, drink and enjoy the provencal view!

Patricia was good friends with Julia Child, and Julia gave Patricia her provencal stove – which we actually cooked on as well!

So now, an anecdote from the class: when we signed up, we were asked what we wanted on our aprons. I guess I misunderstood and sent our entire names, so all around us, people wore aprons with their first names…and then, as you can see below, there we are with our full names!

It was good for a laugh, let me tell you! Here is the link to our whole cooking class adventure!

http://johnrieber.com/2012/06/10/tasting-provence-cooking-with-patricia-wells-food-and-travel-unite/

And again, congratulations to Patricia Wells for ANOTHER great cookbook!

I’ve already ordered mine, so get yours as well and let the provencal cooking adventure begin!

It’s National Burger Week!

Yes, it’s a week long celebration of all things stuck between a bun! To honor burger week, here are my 7 favorite burgers, and they are all wacky, bizarre and delicious!

Here you go – get ready to bite down hard!

#7 – The “Okonomiyaki Burger!”

Yes, we begin in Japan, because, let’s be honest, they are going “burger crazy” right now! Why not start with the “okonomiyaki burger”…don’t know what that is? Just click here for the whole story!

http://johnrieber.com/2013/08/22/osaka-burgers-lotteria-okonomiyaki-burger-more-japan-burger-madness/

Don’t need a ramen bun? Well, how about one that is pure joy - PURE BACON!

#6 – The “Bacon Weave” Burger!

Yes, someone has invented the “bacon bun” – and not only that, they have an “all bacon” bacon burger as well! It’s just one of many new burger creations, and you can see them all by clicking here:

http://johnrieber.com/2012/09/18/national-cheeseburger-day-celebrate-with-bacon-weaves-cheese-goo-burger-bashes/

And if you want something delicious but oh so simple, try this masterpiece:

#5 – The “Wasabi Avocado Slider!”

I love this burger so much! It’s a slider that utilizes just a few key ingredients: bun, burger, wasabi mayonaise and fresh avocado – it’s delicious, and just one of a many slider recipes you can see by clicking here:

http://johnrieber.com/2013/05/24/new-memorial-day-slider-recipes-spanish-japanese-vegan-sriracha-international-sliders/

And if you were saying to yourself, “hey, why isn’t there more seafood on my burger?” Well, I have the answer:

#4 – The “Lobster Burger!”

Yes, there are places in the world that are more advanced than we are – they are making “lobster burgers!” I love this idea, and if you do too, then click on the whole story here:

http://johnrieber.com/2012/08/07/lobster-burgers-foie-gras-burgers-tokyo-gets-burgered-mcdonads-goes-for-olympics-gold/

And if you love garlic, and I mean LOVE GARLIC, then you MUST try this beast:

#3 – The “Garlic Meat Beast!”

Yes, it’s a supersized burger with a ton of garlic added…how can this be bad for anyone? If you like the sound of this, click on the link to see the entire story:

http://johnrieber.com/2013/08/01/the-garlic-meat-beast-potato-mayonaise-pizzas-wacky-fast-food/

Now that you’ve eatern the “Garlic Meat Beast” and are most likely sitting alone, are you ready to “get slayed?”

#2 – “The Slayer” From Kuma’s Too!

Kuma’s in Chicago was just chosen “best burger” in town, and this could be one reason:” a mega plate of goodness that is too big to pick up! If you want to see what’s on this baby, click here:

http://johnrieber.com/2013/05/14/rocking-out-kumas-heavy-metal-burgers-chicagos-best-burger/

I love Kuma’s, but to me, the best burger right now is courtesy of my friends at BadHappy Poutine in Chicago:

#1 – The “Chik-Fil-E” Burger From Badhappy!

Yep, it’s a burger TOPPED with fried chicken, an egg, melted gruyere cheese…AND FROSTED FLAKES!

If you need to see this – and you do, click on here:

http://johnrieber.com/2013/08/25/worlds-ten-most-creative-sandwiches/

Leave a comment and tell me which one you like best!

“The Juliette Society” Conquers The World!

Congratulations to Sasha Grey on the best-selling status of her debut novel, “The Juliette Society”!

Sasha Grey’s novel, “The Juliette Society” is a worldwide sensation – the book is a bestseller in a number of countries around the world – and the excitement continues as the book continues to be translated into more languages. First, look at the picture a fan posted – showing a book display in Buenos Aires, Argentina!

Sasha’s Scavenger Hunt!

Sasha is keeping the excitement up by hiding SIGNED copies of the book in various cities, like one that she hid in this hotel in Frankfurt, Germany…

Sasha has hidden books all over Europe – a fun “scavenger hunt” for fans – here is the signed book and a fan letter from the Oslo scavenger hunt…

Sasha’s Worldwide Book Tour!

Some of these pics are from Sasha’s Facebook fan page – thanks Sasha for letting me share them! It’s all part of the publicity machine for “The Juliette Society”, Sasha’s bestselling novel!

Sasha’s a great person and a very talented Artist, and I saw how many loyal fans she has when I filmed with her at a fan appearance in Australia…

Reaction to her first novel has been terrific, including reviews like this one:

http://www.sheliataylor.com/2013/09/review-juliette-society.html

Sasha also has done a ton of great press, like this feature in “The Daily Beast”:

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/08/27/sasha-grey-on-her-novel-the-juliette-society-james-deen-and-more.html

The Juliette Society!

With “Fifty Shades Of Grey” such a phenomenon, Sasha Grey published her version of erotic fiction. It’s called “The Juliette Society”…you can order it right now on Amazon!

Here’s the plot: Catherine, a film student whose sexuality has been recently stirred, finds herself drawn into a secret club where the world’s most powerful people meet to explore their deepest, often darkest sexual fantasies. But even as these new experiences open intense new pleasures for Catherine, they also threaten everything she holds dear…”

Sasha has been doing a ton of press worldwide to support the release…here she is on the cover of Spain’s Rolling Stone:

Kudos to Sasha for writing erotic fiction from a woman’s point of view…it’s a great new step in her career…

Sasha Down Under!

I am a big supporter of Sasha’s work, because I admire how focused and driven she is. As many of you know, I had the chance to film lifestyle segments in Australia with Sasha…and she was terrific to work with…

Here is a look back at some of those adventures – first, Sasha scaled the tallest building in the southern hemisphere, The Eureka Tower in Melbourne Australia…

After going up 88 stories, Sasha went into a small room and – well, you can watch for yourself:

Shark Photo Bomb!

And of course, Sasha went underwater to walk among sharks in Sydney…and two of the more playful sharks decided to photo bomb her!

Here’s a short video of her adventure, including her describing how one of the sharks took a swing at her!

First, here is her instruction before entering the tank:

Once inside, Sasha was literally among the sharks, with NO barrier between her and them…and she describes what happened next:

And of course, our Australia adventure was just beginning…

Surf’s Up With Sasha!

Even though she had never done it before, Sasha willingly donned a wetsuit and learned to surf at Australia’s legendary Bondi Beach:

That led to my favorite video with her EVER – when she discovered – quite unexpectedly – just how cold the water was at Bondi!

Sasha was an amazingly fast learner: within a half hour she was surfing! I also love this video, which captures the moment Sasha discovers that they spit their gum out on the ground in Australia just like the rest of us:

It was a great trip down under, capturing the lifestyle of the Aussies, and even cooking bugs! Yes, that is what they are called, although they are really just “giant-shrimp-with-squashed-lobster-heads” things:

Still, she cooked them, along with a kangaroo steak – they are raised commercially just for that purpose – and we had a nice taste of Australia:

I posted a number of short videos that captured some of the “behind-the-scenes” moments from the trip – you can find them here:

http://www.youtube.com/user/Johnrieber/videos

I have thought about these fun shoots as I read all about Sasha’s success with “The Juliette Society” – so if you haven’t purchased the book yet, take care of that now, and buy a few for holiday gifts!

And, if you are a Sasah Grey completist, here are ALL of the stories I have posted of our Australian adventure…beginning with Sasha’ 88-story Melbourne adventure:

http://johnrieber.com/2013/01/11/sasha-grey-goes-88-stories-high-in-australias-eureka-tower/

Then, it was off to Sydney:

That’s where Sasha donned a wetsuit and went for a walk among sharks – here is the complete shark dive adventure:

http://johnrieber.com/2012/11/21/sasha-grey-shark-diving-sydneys-bugs-opera-house-beauty-australia-rules/

I have to reiterate that there was nothing between Sasha and the sharks and stingray except her instructor:

And of course, I was given more pictures by someone on the crew, so I did a shark followup here:

http://johnrieber.com/2013/02/26/sasha-greys-shark-dive-sashas-shark-photo-bomb-sashas-extreme-shark-diving-adventure/

Then it was time to head to Australia’s famed Bondi Beach:

Here is the entire surfing adventure, with a number of fun videos of Sasha on a surfboard:

http://johnrieber.com/2013/01/03/sasha-grey-surfs-sasha-steps-in-gum-surfs-up-at-bondi-beach-australia/

My first post was all about Sasha’s fan signing in Melbourne…

This is the story of how we got lost inside Melbourne’s massive casino:

http://johnrieber.com/2012/11/17/melbourne-exploring-australias-exotic-southern-city-with-sasha-grey/

Then, when I previewed the book, I also shared some video of Sasha discovering bats in Sydney:

http://johnrieber.com/2013/05/18/sasha-greys-juliette-society-sasha-goes-bats-for-australia/

Luckily, we shots lots of behind-the-scenes pics and video, which is why I am able to share them with fans:

And my most recent story focused on the release of the novel, plus some additional outtakes I found!

http://johnrieber.com/2013/08/11/sasha-greys-new-novel-sasha-grey-shark-dive-outtakes/

OK, so that’s it – your entire library of Sasha Grey’s Australia adventures! If you made it this far, I remind you to make sure and purchase “The Juliette Society” for yourself and friends this holiday season!

Thanks for allowing me to share all of this material with your fans, Sasha – and congratulations on the success of your novel!

Looking For Someone, Robert?

It seems that Robert Redford is having a bit of a bad day on his boat, and guess what? There is NOBODY around to help him! And yes, as you can see, he needs it…

It’s a VERY BAD DAY on the water for Redford, and the legendary Actor gives a career-capping performance in an intimate story of survival against the elements.

“All Is Lost”

This is a terrific new film, with many unique aspects to it. First, here is the plot:
Robert Redford is a sailboat owner traveling across the Indian ocean, when his sailboat collides with an abandoned freight container that is floating in the water. What happens next is an exciting, dramatic and intense look at one man’s struggle to survive…here is the trailer for “All Is Lost”:

This entire movie is focused on Robert Redford – he is on a solo journey, so there is no one else around to help him – HE IS THE ONLY ACTOR IN THE ENTIRE MOVIE!

There are very few movies that rely on a single person to carry the film: Tom Hanks spent a long stretch in the middle of “Cast Away” acting opposite a soccer ball…

And of course, Sandra Bullock also holds center stage for long stretches of “Gravity”…

Robert Redford delivers the same tour de force performance as Hanks and Bullock – acting with his facial expressions more than with words…

“All Is Lost” was written and directed by J. C. Chandor in his sophomore effort, following his acclaimed 2011 feature film debut “Margin Call.”

In a fortuitous stroke of luck, Director Chandor met Robert Redford at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival where “Margin Call” premiered. After pitching the Actor on the concept, Redford signed on to the “All Is Lost” a year later…

Talk About A “One Man Show!”

As I said, Redford is the only Actor in the entire film. Because of the nature of the plot, there is very little dialogue in the film; the shooting script was only 31 pages long.

Redford has been nominated for Best Actor before – in 1973 for “The Sting”, and he won the Academy Award for Best Director in 1980 for “Ordinary People”. I can see this performance – really the culmination of an incredible career – also Oscar worthy. He barely speaks in the film. Instead, the camera just watches him: you can see him thinking, analyzing – racking his brain – to try and find a way out of his situation.

The film’s masterstroke is to use someone like Robert Redford, who commands the screen. His entire career comes back as you watch him – yet there is no cockiness like “The Sundance Kid” – no romantic gaze ala “The Way We Were” – instead, the camera watches him as he tries, desperately, to figure out how to survive – and he fills every inch of the screen with a measured, commanding performance.

This is a terrific movie, so if you are looking for an intelligent, dramatic action movie, check out “All Is Lost!”

Welcome To Costa Brava, Spain’s “Wild Coast!”

This is, without a doubt, one of the most beautiful places in the world – Spain’s “wild coast”, a one hundred+ mile coastline just east of Barcelona, on the Mediterranean Sea…

The only thing “wilder” than this coast is trying to get to it!

“Wild On Costa Brava!”

We actually did this episode of “Wild On…” in my E! days. I think Barbara Pepe suggested it, and she was right, this is one fun place! We decided to explore the entire region – well, as much as we could in three days!

Another Relais & Cheatau Classic!

We stayed at Mas de Torrent, a Relais & Chateux property about 90 miles outside of Barcelona.

Mas de Torrent is located in the heart of Empordà, the most authentic and chic region on the Costa Brava, with its beautiful beaches and little medieval villages, in between olive and cypress trees.

As their website proudly proclaims, “this 18th century masia delights with its spectacular views, delightful gardens and impeccable, attentive service. It’s a beautiful resort located in a perfect spot in Costa Brava!” So true, we loved staying here…

“Hello, Dali”!

One reason we stayed at Mas de Torrent was the location: we were close to medieval villages and some of the Costa Brava’s most famous sites…and it had great cel service, too…

The farthest destination we had chosen to visit was the famous Salvador Dali museum in the town of Cadaques, Spain. That said, you could pick any single spot on the Costa Brava and get an amazing view…

Within five miles of our hotel was the medieval town of Pais. We rode our bikes there once, along an abandoned country road that was turned into a biking path…

These bike paths were great – flat riding through Spain’s countryside – we rode all the way to the town and explored the narrow village…

The “Dali” Adventure Begins!

I pre-purchased tickets for the Dali museum, vital if you want to get in, as it is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the area. So, armed with tickets and directions, we headed out:

Once out on the road, you see a number of ancient towns – as well as armories up on the hillsides:

It was an overcast day, but we were looking forward to a drive through the Spanish countryside…the roads in Costa Brave are fairly small…there is one main highway, but you aren’t on it for long before you exit and head for the coast:

Small Town Spain, Indeed!

It’s a bit confusing once you exit the main highway: the roads literally take you directly through a number of VERY tiny towns:

The roads were well marked – well, the roads all have identifiable numbers attached to them, but as we drove, the road just kept getting smaller and smaller, and soon we were driving through what appeared to be deserted towns!

This is where I got confused – there were NO signs for Cadaques, and we were literally driving through the smallest towns I’d ever seen – was this REALLY the way to Salvador Dali?

Just as I was ready to turn around, we came upon a larger village at the base of a huge mountain…which led to a wider road – and a sign for Cadaques! After a few miles we crested the hill and saw the coastline laid out in front of us:

“Rain, Rain, Go Away…”

And then, just as we figured out how to get to Cadaques, the weather turned. By the time we parked in the center of what is a small town, it was cold and rainy…and the first thing we saw was THIS:

What, NO Kebabs?

OK, so their Kebab shop was closed…it was still early in the morning. We walked through a small alleyway, and found the main part of town on the edge of the Mediterranean…very pretty, although icy cold and grey…

“Hey Sal, Where Are You?”

So the first question we had was: where’s the museum? The guide book I read said you can easily see an egg-shaped sculpture on the roof, but as we scanned the rooftops, no such luck…there were NO signs either…

We found the Salvador Dali statue right by the water, so we assumed that was a good sign…and we saw a lot of tourists in town, so they HAD to be there for a reason, right? In fact, there were boatloads of people coming and going…

The guidebook said it was a 15-min. walk from the center of town, but we didn’t see any signs pointing us toward the museum. And of course, I left the book at the hotel. We went south along the water and saw more ferry boats landing, but no one seemed to be heading toward a museum…

As you can see, the harbor is small, so after a few minutes we turned and headed north…the water is beautiful, but the grey clouds looked heavy with rain, so we walked a bit faster, stopping to buy a couple of sweatshirts – because it was COLD!

We saw a broad walking path along the water, and since we didn’t see a sign anywhere, this must be the route to the museum, right?

There were lots of people around, but no sign of a large egg-shaped roof – and no signs for a Salvadore Dali museum at all..and suddenly, our 11a reservation seemed at risk…the spanish clock was ticking!

We were now well outside town, easily more than the fifteen minute walk we were anticipating, but there was nothing to suggest a museum nearby…so we turned around and hustled back to town…

Sensing out Dali dalliance was going horribly awry, I found a sign for a tourist office and we headed in…

“Goodbye Dali!”

Well, it turns out that the museum is 15 minutes BY CAR – and the only walking route is a small alleyway at the north end of town - AN UNMARKED ALLEY!

Yes, it was just to the right of this building – and there was no way we were going to make it to the museum before our reservation time, and we were told it was sold out for the next two months!

Needless to say, we weren’t amused, so we decided to grab a bite to eat, as it was now beginning to rain!

I have posted about Spain’s incredible food, and we found a small cafe on the water…as always, Alex never let things get her down, even as we sat inside and watched Cadaques rain…

Our Traditional Spanish Meal!

We had the traditional spanish peasant bread, which is toasted and then rubbed with fresh tomato…it’s a dish everyone eats in Spain because everyone can afford it. Most restaurants serve it exactly like this, with some olive oil to drizzle on if you like:

We also ordered a plate of Iberico ham – another traditional dish in Spain – and equally delicious:

And then Alex caught me taking her picture…

The breakfast was really good, so we waited out the rain and decided that Dali’s museum would wait for another time…

Cadaques Sports!

Once it stopped raining, we headed back out along the water…

And we noticed a strange thing: dozens of kids standing along the shore, skipping rocks across the water…over and over and over….

Must be some kind of sport…and when we got back to the parking lot, I found someone parked VERYVERYVERYCLOSETOME…

Just the way to finish the failed attempt to find Salvador Dali’s house…which, by the way, looks like THIS:

Now, if YOU want to try to conquer Cadaques, here’s more info on the museum:

Teatro Museo Salvador Dalí (Dalí Theatre Museum) in Figueres, Costa Brava is a must see. Figueres is located 30 km. on the west of town Cadaques and is the birthplace of the surrealist artist Salvador Dalí.

The house which has a weird architecture was built by Dalí on 1929 at the Lligat Port, on the Cadaques coast.

Constructed around a small fisherman’s hut, the house is the product of 40 years of Dali’s efforts and dedication. Port Lligat Bay, ever-present in the artist’s work, is celebrated and framed by windows of different shapes and sizes. And as one of the pictures shows, there IS a very noticable egg on the roof – just nowhere NEAR Cadaques!

And here is the Artist, hanging out once with legendary Rocker Alice Cooper. I include this just because I like Alcie Cooper, and at least HE got to hang out with Dali!

No such luck for us, but it was a great misadventure in one of our favorites places to visit EVER! Let me know what you think!

Hungry?

Maybe you didn’t hear me….I said: ARE YOU HUNGRY??????

Well, if you aren’t, you soon will be. I am about to share one of my most delicious meals – at one of Chicago’s best restaurants!

Say hello to the Sears Tower…nobody in Chicago calls it anything else. Just west of Chicago’s Loop, there is a burgeoning food district. Along with such hot spots as “The Girl And The Goat” and “Publican”, there is a restaurant that is taking foodies by storm:

Behold “Au Cheval”!

The west loop neighborhood, just west of downtown Chicago, has exploded with new restaurants, and Au Cheval has quickly earned a reputation as one of the best!

The inside of Au Cheval feels like a modern french bistro, with an american pub feel…there are no reservations, so you can expect a wait, but they are friendly and keep things moving…

One seated, you quickly realize that the chefs are serious about their food. It is, simply, one of the best places to eat in all of Chicago. Here is our amazing food adventure, beginning with some appetizers:

Foie Gras Terrine With Strawberry Jam!

Since my son Jeff lives in California, he’s had to do without foie gras. So naturally, we ordered it here…and this dish is a masterpiece of simplicity. It is a delicious foie gras, buttery and smooth – served with thick toast and strawberry jam….

My daughter Jessica and her husband Mike were with us, so we were able to try a number of different items…like one of my favorite dishes that has never been done better:

Roasted Bone Marrow, Beef Cheek Marmalade And Toast!

Yes, this is a beautiful roasted bone marrow – and it comes out of the kitchen looking like a sculpture:

The process is easy: you scoop out a glistening spoon full of marrow, and then place it on the toast with a dollop of beef cheek marmalade…the savory sweetness of the marmalade was perfect for the marrow.

Now onto a classic french dish – that the kitchen at Au Cheval has re-imagined for a new generation!

Toasted Open-Faced Ham And Cheese Fondue With Fried Egg!

Yep, this is fondue!

Au Cheval’s take on this classic french dish is a plate of sizzling baked cheese on top of ham – with a gorgeous fried egg on top! You take a piece of toast and slather it up – after breaking this gorgeous egg of course…

Remember, these are just appetizers! Even though we were already beginning to get full, we had one more shared appetizer to go: Au Cheval’s fried chicken!

General Jane’s Honey Fried Chicken With Chili, Sesame Seeds And Cilantro!

There is fried chicken, and then there IS FRIED CHICKEN:

First of all, look at how this chicken glistens in the light – the honey glaze has an Asian kick to it, and the chicken itself is crispy outside but moist in the middle:

This is the perfect appetizer for sharing – the dish is large enough for everyone to have a couple of pieces – and trust me, everyone will:

The sauce is a bit sweet, with a nice bite of chile as well…and then you have the toasted sesame seeds – all of it coating your fingers as you eat…and you WILL lick your fingers afterward!

Time to move on to the main courses: we ordered two dishes and cut them into quarters. Au Cheval has won many awards for their food, and these two dishes are their masterpieces – first, take a look at THIS!

The Au Cheval Burger!

Yes, this is the Au Cheval take on a burger…first of all, take a look at the homemade slab of bacon:

Not only do you have the burger, cheese and bacon on the bottom bun, but you have a fried egg on the other! All you have to do is close and enjoy!

Not only does this taste amazing, but look at how this burger remains standing after being cut into quarters! One of the biggest problems with a “loaded up” burger is that it all fall apart when you eat it – but not this one…

And now, time to unveil Au Cheval’s crowning achievement:

Yes, in a world where food fads come and go, Au Cheval and reached into every single person’s past to offer up a taste of legendary goodness:

The Fried House-Made Bologna Sandwich!

When was the last time you ate bologna? Exactly! But just like the rest of the food, this dish harkens back to comfort food, yet it is presented in a modern, inventive take. Here it is cut in half:

And here is what it looks like when held up proudly by my son-in-law Mike Minick:

Take a look again: this is a FRIED BOLOGNA SANDWICH! Every kid had a bologna sandwich in their lunch pail at one point or another in their formative years, but Mom NEVER thought to load it up like this!

It has a creamy gruyere cheese on it…the Mortadella is juicy and crispy on the edges – and the flavor – it’s honestly your fondest memories of bologna turned up to eleven!

Au Cheval also has any number of other great dishes, like the Matzo Ball soup, one enormous matzo ball in chicken broth…Alex and I had it once when we dropped in on a whim and sat at the bar. I didn’t have it on this trip, but it is terrific as well.

Here is the latest menu from the restaurant:

Au Cheval is a terrific place to eat – and the prices are very reasonable…I cannot wait to go back – if you have been there, leave a comment and let us know how it was!

Hallelujah, “Star Wars” Fans!

You like the look of this?

How about this?

Olivia Munn IS Princess Leia!

How THAT for a “Star Wars” tease?

When I worked with Olivia at G4, she created quite a sensation when she first put on the Princess Leia outfit…and no one was more committed to the performance than Olivia – well, except for the guy who made THIS:

“Star Wars: Episode VII” Has A Release Date!

The internet exploded with “star joy” when word came out that “Star Wars: Episode VII” had a release date! Here is the official announcement:

“With pre-production in full-swing, a confirmed release date of December 18, 2015, has been set for Lucasfilm’s highly anticipated Star Wars: Episode VII.

“We’re very excited to share the official 2015 release date for Star Wars: Episode VII, where it will not only anchor the popular holiday filmgoing season but also ensure our extraordinary filmmaking team has the time needed to deliver a sensational picture,” said Alan Horn, chairman of The Walt Disney Studios.

Star Wars: Episode VII will be directed by J.J. Abrams and is being scripted by Abrams and Lawrence Kasdan (Raiders of the Lost Ark, The Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi). John Williams is returning to score Star Wars: Episode VII.

Shooting is scheduled to begin spring 2014 at Pinewood Studios.

And fans are already offering up their version of the movie’s poster art, beginning with this brilliant teaser from “The Mad Butcher!”

Fan anticipation is high, as you can see…here are a few more fan-created “Episode VII” posters:

And, here is the first official teaser from Disney themselves:

OK, there is some amazing “Star Wars” artwork being shared right now – can’t wait to see what happens over the next two years!

And as the world anxiously awaits the next “Star Wars” movie, fans continue to find new ways to entertain themselves…

“I Now Pronounce You, BIG “Star Wars” Fans!”

“Star Wars” weddings are nothing new – put that phrase in “search” and you will find pictures like the one I shared with you above – after all, fans have had a rabid interest in the movie franchise since it premiered in 1977. It’s easy for forget how much the world changed when this image appeared:

The Internet Loves Star Wars, And Star Wars Loves The Internet!

We all know what a phenomenon “Star Wars” is…and that means there is a never-ending flow of material for fans, by fans, and among fans – all about the unique world that George Lucas created…across six films so far, plus countless books, animated TV shows, and of course, the three NEW films coming soon:

Cue The Star Wars Merchandise!

Along with enjoying the films on blu-ray in their new pristine versions, you can also buy a LOT of different collectible merchandise….most of it is authorized, even if some of it’s just a bit strange:

Of course you can buy stormtrooper outfits, Darth Vader helmets, light sabers and more, but I love the offbeat stuff. At Comic-Con a few years back, I bought this R2D2 soy sauce dispenser:

Of course I will never take it out of the box – it makes for a much better conversation piece in the office! Then again, I managed to pass on these:

Imagine your girlfriend, wife, significant other, WHOEVER – showing up with Yoda hanging from their ear…it’s just one of the many “unique” products with a “Star Wars” connection. Like this:

Olivia Munn And Kevin Pereira In Tokyo With The “Dancing Stormtrooper!”

Yes, Kevin and Olivia went full-on “Star Wars” when they danced with Tokyo’s famous “dancing stormtrooper”, Danny Choo! We filmed in Shibuya crossing for a great “Attack Of The Show” sketch…

Princess Olivia!

And of course, G4 fans remember when Olivia dressed up as Princess Leia at the “Star Wars” convention – when G4 had exclusive live coverage of the fan experience – as always, Olivia embraced the fan spirit and donned the Princess Leia outfit:

Olivia donned this outfit at Comic-Con, for several great “Attack Of The Show” sketches, and of course, for our live “Star Wars” special from the convention floor…these pics are all over the internet, as fans took lots of pictures of Olivia in action:

Lucas and his team have done a great job sharing the fan enthusiasm for the franchise to let this material live for fans…like this collection of bloopers from Star Wars 4. 5 and 6 that currently lives on youtube:

Disney Takes Over The Force!

Many fans were shocked when George Lucas sold his entire company, including the “Star Wars” franchise, to The Walt Disney Company. So, when it was announced, Disney President Bob Iger must have expected screenshots like this to show up online:

Fans are obviously excited about the release date for the new film, but they also want to make sure that Disney will move the franchise forward…hiring Abrams and Kasdan was certainly the perfect first step…

Bloopers, Bloopers Everywhere!

Youtube is absolutely loaded with bloopers from every single movie in the series – here are some more from the first film…doesn’t everyone look so young?

As I said earlier, when I was at G4, we did live coverage of one of the Star Wars conventions, and it was so much fun to see the fans celebrate everything “Star Wars”…and of course, there were a huge number of the film’s talent there as well, both in front of and behind the camera…it is a galaxy that just keeps growing…in ways you can hardly imagine:

“Star Wars” – As Imagined With Bacon!

Yes, real fans have stepped up in a big bacon way! When “Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back” introduced the “All Terrain Armored Transport” (AT-AT) – it was only a matter of time before it would be honored with bacon!

We’ve always known that “Star Wars” fans were passionate – and now we know they love bacon, too!

Darth Vader Burger with Black Bun

For some, “Star Wars” tastes as good as it looks! And of course, the French have led the way! The fast food restaurant Quick jumped on the bandwagon by selling a Darth Vader burger!

In connection with the 3D release of “Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace”, the French fast food restaurant chain Quick sold Darth Vader burgers with a black bun – and also a Jedi burger!

Darth Vader Contemplates Bacon!

Yes, all roads lead to “Star Wars”, and in this case, Darth Vader – who not only needs bacon, but PROMISES IT!

And if this make you thirsty, well, there’s nothing more refreshing than a:

Darth Vader Refrigerator!

There you go, plenty of stuff to keep you full of “Star Wars” until December 2015!

Get ready for a Japanese “Monster Meal!”

Here’s a question for you:

HAVE YOU EVER GONE “O-MORI” ON YOURSELF?

First of all, how do you “go o-mori?” Well, I am about to tell you, because you may have done it and not even known it!

O-Mori, That’s A LOT Of Food!

Yes, time to head back to Tokyo for a look at how the Japanese “Supersize” their meals!
In Japan, “o-mori” refers to an extra large food portion. So when you dine, you can upgrade your regular ramen dish by ordering it like this:

“Ramen O-Mori, Please!”

And this is what you will get:

If, like me, you like a little poultry as a meal, you can order:

Chicken Curry O-Mori Style, Please!

And they will place down in front of you this dish:

“O-Mori Fried Chicken Curry!”

The photo above was taken at Café Majori in Aichi Prefecture – more on where I found these pics in a second – but this colossal curry with fried chicken is officially referred to as “YA-YA MORI”, or a “kind of big portion.” You think?

You see, now matter WHAT you order, you can get it to look like THIS!

Some Japanese restaurants have their own special codes for these super-sized portions, such as “toku-mori”, “giga-mori”, “mega-mori”, “deka-mori”, and “doka-mori”.

No matter what they call it, it all means one thing: BIG FOOD!

Pork Cutlet O-Mori – or “toku-mori”, “giga-mori”, “mega-mori”, “deka-mori”, and “doka-mori”!

According to Rocketnews24, this pork cutlet curry is served at Manrai restaurant in the Nigata Prefecture of Japan…I’d say that was more than filling….or how about this bowl of ramen noodles with sliced pork…oh, that’s right, it’s SLICED PORK “O-MORI” STYLE!

Something “Fishy” Here!

And if you are a seafood fan, you can always try a nice “O-Mori Tuna Bowl”! Yes, that is one large ball of fish…

“Just A Burger For Me, Please!”

And for burger fans, there’s an “o-mori” version of a hamburger steak platter, weighing over four pounds!

And For The Vegan In All Of Us…

That’s right, if you are swearing off meat and fish, just have the omelet…

Once again, the terrific website “Rocketnews24″ has the entire story on the “O-Mori” phenomenon in Japan, with even MORE pictures of HUGE japanese food. Enjoy!

http://en.rocketnews24.com/2013/06/01/big-eats-in-japan-the-glutinous-gallery-of-o-mori/

Ready To “Catch Fire?”

If you like Katniss and her friends, then you are no doubt eager and primed for the next installment of the hugely successful “Hunger Games” franchise: “Catching Fire”!

Here is the plot for “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire” – After winning the 74th Annual Hunger Games, Katniss Everdeen returns home to District 12 along with fellow winner Peeta Mellark. Shortly after returning home, they must embark on a “Victory Tour” of the districts, leaving behind their close friends and family again.

On the day of the Victory Tour, President Snow threatens Katniss’ best friend and pretend cousin, Gale Hawthorne, outraged after she and Peeta broke the rules of the 74th Hunger Games that allowed them both to win.

During the tour, Katniss senses that a rebellion is brewing in the districts, but the Capitol is still firmly in control as Snow prepares the 75th Annual Hunger Games, known as a Quarter Quell, an event taken place every 25 years – a competition that could change Panem forever.

So, first of all, “The Hunger Games” was a very entertaining movie, and “Catching Fire” sounds like it will also prove to be a worldwide smash hit. Author Suzanne Collins has created a unique world that fans have embraced. That said, don’t forget that Japan gave us the original “couple on the run playing a deadly game” movie:

With the phenomenon that is “The Hunger Games”, and the release of “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire”, I thought you might be interested in this brilliant Japanese movie from 2000 – the original “hunger games!”

Welcome To “BATTLE ROYALE”!

I have called this “the original hunger games”, and I am about to show you why! First, check out the trailer:

As you can see from the tag line, it is a provocative and similar message to “The Hunger Games” – as contestants have to make the ultimate decision: could you kill your best friend?

“Battle Royale” was a hugely successful, and very controvesial, japanese film set in a future Japan, where the government devises a radical plan to control youthful rebellion!

In order to keep Japan’s rowdy youth in check, the government puts one class of ninth grade students on a remote island, gives them each a weapon, and lets them loose in a fight to the death! “Hunger Games” indeed!

As you can see, the basic setup of “Battle Royale” is similar to the concept for “Hunger Games” – the government keeping rebellious thought in check through a forced “Game to the death”…but each film goes in a completely different direction, tackling social and cultural issues along the way.

”My favorite movie of the last 20 years – I wish I had made this movie.” – Quentin Tarantino

As you can see, “Battle Royale” has a lot of fans…

Cue The Bloodshed!

“Battle Royale” is, in some ways, everything that “Hunger Games” isn’t….as in, bloody and violent! This film is much bloodier than “The Hunger Games”, which made it even more controversial upon release.

Despite being restricted to those aged 15 and over in Japan when it opened in 2000, “Battle Royale” quickly became both a critical and box office success, both domestically and in other Asian film markets. Oh, and did I say it was controversial?

And though the film will probably be remembered more for its graphic exploitation of teen violence, “Battle Royale” also makes some rather pointed remarks about Japanese society and history.

”If you love The Hunger Games, Battle Royale sets the stage. One of the best – and most violent – genre films ever made. It’s also a hell of a lot of fun.” – Entertainment Weekly

Battle Royale was directed by Kinji Fukasaku, and was based on the graphic novel of the same name.

The film aroused international controversy and is still banned in many countries. It never received a theatrical release in the US, as it came out soon after the Columbine tragedy. For many years it wasn’t even officially available on home video in the states.

However, the film is one of the highest grossing films in Japan. Director Kinji Fukasaku started working on a sequel but he died of prostate cancer in 2003, after shooting only one scene. His son, Kenta Fukasaku, completed the sequel in 2003 and dedicated it to his father.

Teacher Kitano: “So today’s lesson is, you kill each other off till there’s only one left. Nothing’s against the rules.”

Many members of the Japanese Parliament tried to get the novel banned, but to no avail. When the film was released, they attempted to ban it also. Both efforts resulted in the novel and film becoming even more successful as people bought the book and went to the movie to see what the fuss was all about.

“BEAT” TAKASHI!

One reason the film received such acclaim is due to Takashi Kitano, one of Japan’s most famous actors.

He is known in Japan as “Beat” Takashi, and his involvement in “Battle Royale” gave the film a much higher profile in Japan.

Takashi is a brilliant Actor and Director, with a intense personal life as well. In 1994, Kitano was involved in a motorcycle accident and suffered injuries that caused the paralysis of one side of his body, and required extensive surgery to regain the use of his facial muscles. Kitano later stated that the accident was actually an “unconscious suicide attempt”.

“ZATOICHI – THE BLIND SWORDSMAN!

In 2003, Kitano made the brilliant “Zatoichi”, the legendary Japanese story of a blind swordsman who wanders the countryside in feudal Japan and dispenses his own brand of justice – Takashi starred in as well as directed.

This is also a terrific movie, so check it out as well on DVD! But, back to “Battle Royale”…

“BATTLE ROYALE” ON BLU!

Yes, “Battle Royale” is now a gorgeous new blu-ray transfer…if you want to go crazy, look at what they are offering up -

THE COMPLETE “BATTLE ROYALE” COLLECTION!

Complete Collection (4 discs): The four discs are (1) Director’s Cut of the film, (2) Theatrical Cut, (3) 2003′s sequel “Battle Royale II” and (4) Bonus Content.

Bonus Disc Content includes: The Making Of BATTLE ROYALE, BATTLE ROYALE Press Conference, Instructional Video: Birthday Version, Audition & Rehearsal Footage, Special Effects Comparison Featurette, Tokyo International Film Festival 2000, Battle Royale Documentary, Basketball Scene Rehearsals, Behind-The-Scenes Featurette, Filming On-Set, Original Theatrical Trailer, Special Edition TV Spot, TV Spot: Tarantino Version.

So there you go: have fun with “The Hunger Games” in theaters, but check out this classic inspiration as well!

“You will be doomed, you will destroy yourself at your own hand!”

OK, calm down everyone, there’s a Hippie holding court! Time to celebrate some of the wildest movies to be unearthed for our enjoyment!

How can you refuse a movie that promises this:

“Machine gun-wielding Mimes, Robots, Bloodthirsty Sharks, and Free-Loving Debauchery!”

Yes indeed! Bring the hippies on!

An American Hippie In Israel!

Talk about an obscure classic! Grindhouse Releasing has done an amazing job rescuing this film from obscurity!

Here’s the plot: “Incited by a disillusioned young man who has decided to flee from civilization, a group of four people go searching for freedom and happiness on an isolated island . When their boat goes astray and they are left without food, their animal instincts take over!”

Check out the trailer:

I Need A Hippie NOW!

This movie is everything I love about obscure cult cinema. How can you go wrong with dialogue like this:

Hippie: “Man, how does it feel to be free at last?”

American Hippie Mike: “Man, I feel really turned on.”

Turned on, indeed!

These hippies love to turn on and then get it on! And then, of course, one of them has a bad trip and has to start pointing fingers…

This Hippie Is LOADED!

This new blu-ray comes with a bonus DVD of the original, uncensored Director’s cut of the film, called “The Hitchhiker” – plus new interviews, deleted scenes, and tons of other bonus features!

According to the review on the terrific website “Mondo Digial”, there is a “four-minute “A Cult Is Born” segment that interviews young Israeli fans at a cinematheque screening, enthusing about their multiple viewings and calling it “love at first sight” with “a strong Kubrick influence.” Apparently they really, really love dancing onstage, strapping on horned hats, and doing improvised songs while the film is playing, too.If Rocky Horror can inspire such dedication, why not this one, too?An Israeli “Channel 10″ segment also devotes ten minutes to the film’s burgeoning midnight movie cult.”

Thanks to Mondo Digital for fleshing out the great extras!

But that’s just the beginning of this mind-blowing mayhem! Grindhouse Releasing also has this gem:

Cat In The Brain!

A horror film director is stalked by a mad psychiatrist/serial killer bent on killing people to model the killings after the director’s gory death scenes from his movies. Many events in the film are based on Lucio Fulci’s experiences as a filmmaker! Check out the trailer:

Here is some trivia for you:

The original script was 49 pages long and contained no dialogue. It consisted of descriptions of bodily mutilations/imagery and sound effects that would compliment them on screen! Fulci was literally sharing his favorite death scenes from his films!

Juxtaposing gory horror clips from several of his own past horror films which he either directed and/or produced, Lucio Fulci shot a wrap-around segment featuring his own plot and used Vincenzo Tomassi’s film editing (as well as his own voice over) to create the storyline – a personal insight into the effects of horror filmmaking on the psyche.

It’s a fascinating exercise by a Director who is one of the greatest in the genre of Italian Giallo…

I’ve written about other classic Lucio Fulci films as well, in the vein of the iconic “Italian Giallo” style – it’s Italy’s version of “pulp fiction”, with lurid books in yellow jackets…it’s a fascinating movie genre, so check them out here:

http://johnrieber.com/2012/10/09/halloween-giallo-masters-agentos-animal-trilogy-fulcis-tortured-ducklings-italian-pulp-fiction/

And of course, check out ALL of Grindhouse Releasing’s classic cult films by going to their website – kudos!

http://www.grindhousereleasing.com/

Looking to give someone the ultimate gift? First, did they ever want to get away – to a place like THIS?

Of course, we all do! But there is one guy who not only did it – he did it twice, and he wrote all about it! And this holiday season, you can give someone the gift of adventure travel, without having to leave home!

Time To Head Back To Paradise!

Great travel writer J. Maartan Troost returns to the most beautiful place in the world: the south seas! You know, beautiful beaches, endless sun, and, of yes, this as well:

“The man was eaten for his ‘mana’, that is the invisible power that resides in the head.”

Yes, cannibals! But that’s what makes the adventure so much fun, right? I mean, there has to be SOME price to pay for living here:

Time For More Great Troost Travel!

Time to share more outstanding travel writing…here, for example is a short passage from the beginning of the book – the Author speaking to a french man about what makes the french the french:

“Dreams, he said, while pale and smelling of regurgitated chicken, do sometimes come true and this, he concluded, was how we endure the tragedy, the comedy, of life, and for a moment I was reminded of why I love the French – not even blowing chunks will ruin ‘la grande romance’ of it all.”

Yep, J. Maarten Troost is back!

Just another hilariously written anecdote from one of my favorite Authors!

I love this Writer! J. Maarten Troost has written four terrific travel books – I will share his other work in a moment, but let’s celebrate his new work!

“Headhunters On My Doorstep” is the story of Troost returning to the south seas paradise he lived on…and what he has discovered since leaving…he uses a unique structure for returning: the book is a re-examination of Robert Lewis Stevenson’s classic travel writing from the same regions decades ago….you know, the guy who wrote the classic novel “Treasure Island” ended up moving in real life to the South Seas!

Troost re-traces Stevenson’s amazing journey to the South Pacific, and how his life changed once he moved there. Troost has changed, too – and the book is far more personal than any he has written before, but as always, beautifully written…

Here is an idea of Troost’s writing style, from page 159 of the book:

“Do you have some time?” Celine asked. Oh, I don’t know. I’m on an island in the middle of nowhere, without an ongoing ticket or a way off, amusing myself by going on desultory hikes to the set of ‘Survivor: Marquesas’ in the drenching rain. Yeah, I think I’ve got a couple of minutes to spare…

Yes, one of the areas explored by the Author is the location of the 4th season of the reality show “Survivor”…but Troost isn’t there to play a game – he brings to life a culture that is vibrant, proud, and nearly decimated by their interaction with white people.

As you can see, he’s got a way with words, which is why the book is so much fun to read, and full of fascinating information – about cannibalism, for example.

“The man was eaten for his ‘mana’, that is the invisible power that resides in the head.”

There is so much to love about this book, but it is a cautionary tale as well…as the world’s climate threatens to destroy an entire way of life…

In many ways, this is his most personal – and important – work. Of course, this should leave you breathless to read ALL of Troost’s books, so just click on my link below for my story about them all!

http://johnrieber.com/2012/09/09/cannibals-savages-sex-and-great-walls-too-troost-troost-troost-great-adventure-travel/

I recommend you read them in order!

Holiday Gift Guide!

A gift of all four books would be a great way to celebrate the holiday!

Lotteria Japan Does It Again!

Time to congratulate the wacky Chefs at Japan’s Lotteria restaurant! The chain’s latest creation is the “Bacon Cube Deluxe Cheese Burger”! This masterpiece of bacon goodness sell for ¥490, $4.90 in US dollars! Here is what you get: a beef patty topped with two types of melted cheese, creamy truffle sauce, and cubes of bacon.

As you can see, the Kotaku website got very excited to show off the bacon cubes! The website “A Hamburger Today” called them “pork croutons”…no matter what you call them, call them delicious looking!

If you feel the same, the new burger will be available at Lotteria locations starting November 29th, for a limited time.

Thanks to the website “A Hamburger Today” for the story, written by Erin Jackson – a food writer and photographer who is obsessed with discovering the best eats in San Diego. You can find all of her discoveries on her San Diego food blog EJeats.com. On Twitter, she’s @ErinJax

And here is the entire story:

http://aht.seriouseats.com/archives/2013/11/lotteria-bacon-cube-truffle-sauce-burger.html?ref=title

This is just the latest form the twisted minds at Lotteria!

Remember that Lotteria has a great history of burger madness…like their “ramen burger!”

Check out the entire story here:

http://johnrieber.com/2013/05/16/wacky-ramen-burgers-crazy-japanese-burger-menu-east-meets-west-with-video/

Speaking Of Noodles…

Lotteria also loved giving you a “spaghetti” burger…

Read all about this one right here:

http://johnrieber.com/2013/05/17/spaghetti-burgers-japan-meets-italy-on-a-bun/

And of course, Lotteria gave us this:

Yep, read all about the “9-patty stack” by clicking here:

http://johnrieber.com/2013/04/25/bacon-bazookas-monster-burgers-massive-slabs-of-meat/

Keep up the good work Lotteria!

Time For A Very “Tromatic” Holiday!

Why not bring this guy home for the holiday? Or this guy!

Yes, New Jersey;s first and only super hero is on sale for the holiday! That’s right – to celebrate the tromatic holidays, Troma is offering 50% off all orders from Troma.com before Christmas!

And it’s time to “Return To Nuke ‘em High”!

So much Troma news to share – and so much great cult stuff to buy for your exploitation movie fan…let’s get started by honoring the master himself:

Behold Master Filmmaker Lloyd Kaufman!

I’ve known Lloyd Kaufman for many years. He went to Yale. He is proud of that fact. He is also proud of the fact that he runs the longest-lasting independent film studio in the world. He believes in freedom of speech, art above all else, and lots and lots of blood and nudity. He rejected Madonna after an audition, and still doesn’t know whatever happened to her.

I’ve got a look at the best of Troma for this holiday season, beginning with the new “Tromasterpiece”:

Return To Class of Nuke ‘em High!

Here is the official trailer – :

WARNING! FULL FRONTAL NUDITY IN THIS TEASER – VERY VERY NSFW – OR EVEN YOUR OWN EYES!

Well, hard to argue about this one…it’s pure Troma in spirit and execution – and of course green foam and blood….

“Return To Nuke ‘em High Part 1″ is screening across America right now…Lloyd is attending many of these events, including in Chicago right now…

Keep your eyes open for more “Return” screening news, but if you head to Troma.com, you can see the hundreds of films they have in their library – and you can order a ton of Troma classics for holiday gifts at 50% savings! Here are some of the best!

The Toxic Avenger: The Japanese Cut!

Wait – MORE Toxie?!?!?!

That’s right! Troma Entertainment just released the Japanese cut of “The Toxic Avenger”!

This Toxie is longer than the U.S. director’s cut and includes an additional four minutes of footage starring our fearless mutated friend. It also includes trailers from the Toxic Avenger franchise, production stills, an intro by Lloyd Kaufman and “Tromatic extras,” which can only mean more glorious schlock!

Why stop there? Just get the whole “TOX BOX” and be done with it! That’s right, just buy a whole “Box of tox” and get ALL of the “Toxic Avenger” films, with tons of extras!

I first met Lloyd at the Cannes Film Festival, where his Troma team annually wrecked havoc on the world’s most glamorous film festival, all to create awareness for Troma Films.

This is me surrounded by Sgt. Kabukiman and Tiffany Shepis. The other Troma guy is forgotten to time, but i’m sure a fan will remind me…no disrespect intended. If you ever wondered what it would be like to go to the south of France with Lloyd, just keep reading and you will see.

I have always admired the tenacity of Lloyd Kaufman’s vision. And I have admired how he has created a dedicated fan base that loves Troma, worships Lloyd, and believes in independent art above all else. He has mentored many who have moved on to great careers in entertainment; some of their work is on this list.

“Make Your Own Damn Movie!

Lloyd has also published a series of best-selling books about filmmaking, including this one: “All I Need To Know About Filmmaking I Learned From The Toxic Avenger.” It was written with the great James Gunn.

OK, here is a classic shot of a younger James Gunn in Cannes with Troma! Gunn graduated from Troma and has gone on be a great Writer/Director on such films as “Slither” and “Super”, and is now directing the big budget “Guardians Of The Galaxy”:

The “Guardians” cast includes Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Michael Rooker, Djimon Hounsou, Benicio del Toro, John C. Reilly, Glenn Close and Bradley Cooper!

“Make Your Own Damn Movie!”

Lloyd has continued writing about filmmaking, from producing to directing… buy the box set of documentaries all about the filmmaking process….

Lloyd proves it: don’t claim you want to make a movie, MAKE A MOVIE! He shows you how with a ton of great insight from Writers and Directors such as John G. Avildsen, the Director of “Rocky” – and George Romero, Director of all of the “Night Of The Living Dead” films. James Gunn is on here as are Trey Parker and Matt Stone, Eli Roth and Stan Lee. It’s a treasure trove of great information, the best “how to make a movie” series ever done…

THE TROMATIC CLASSICS UNVEILED!

Class Of Nuke ‘Em High! 1986. By 1986, it seems that Lloyd had latched onto a great idea: crazy “over the top” movie titles, and lots of crazy actors acting crazy, tearing off limbs, and going topless, all with a punk rock soundtrack.

The pupils at a high school next to a nuclear power plant start acting and looking strange after buying contaminated drugs from a plant worker. That’s it, a simple plot upon which to hang anarchy in all its forms.

“Reading, Writing and Radiation”!

“Class Of Nuke ‘em High” is a great way to start dipping into the Troma library. And, if you want to jump right into the deep end of the Troma pool, there is this:

Troma’s WAR. 1988. This is Troma’s masterpiece. Don’t take my word for it, look at the description on the Troma website!

TROMA’S WAR is Troma’s masterpiece. Directed by Lloyd Kaufman and Michael Herz, TROMA’S WAR is packed with gargantuan battle scenes, heart stopping stunts, and never-before-seen special effects. TROMA’S WAR is the action film that all good citizens of the world can be proud of and enjoy! TROMA’S WAR is Troma’s answer to PLATOON and APOCALYPSE NOW. It is the first war picture that combines satire, sex, special effects make-up, stunts, gore and a beautiful love story.

Lloyd LOVES this movie. He has told me so. And I believe him. It is terrific…From IMDB: “A small group of typical Tromaville citizens find themselves in the path of a terrorist army controlled by the power elite. The freedom of Tromaville and the world is at stake! Troma’s War creates new kinds of heroes. A used car salesman, a handsome environmentalist, an obese junk-food gourmand, a seventy-year-old housewife, some sensational young women, a year old jingoistic baby and more sensational women all become deadly soldiers… “

Go to WAR and make Lloyd happy!

Surf Nazis Must Die! 1987. When the grandson of a gun wielding woman is murdered by Neo-Nazi surf punks in the post-apocalyptic future, this grandma hunts them down for some bloodthirsty revenge.

Here is how Amazon describes this movie: In the near future, a Californian beach has been taken over by a ruthless gang called “The Surf Nazis” whom are modern day Neo-Nazis and their leader nicknamed Adolph who literally can surf and would hurt anyone who enters their territory or gets in their way. When an African-American fellow named Leroy gets murdered by them, his mother sets off to buy weapons as she plots to take revenge for her son’s death.

This is basically Troma’s version of “Beach Blanket Bingo”, and all the better for it! This is also an example of the wealth of material that Troma includes on their DVD’s. Look at what is added to this release:

Introduction by Lloyd Kaufman
The first ever interactive tour of Troma Studios
Troma intelligence test
Gnarly observations by director Peter George and producer Robert Tinnell
Trailers for other Troma movies
Lost Scenes of Surf Mayhem
Scenes from the “Tromaville Cafe” TV show
Link to the Troma Website
Very special private Troma Public Service Announcements
The Aroma du Troma

Another reason to love Troma – they have mastered the art of “loaded up” DVD extras…

Stuck On You! 1983. Greetings from Tromaville! Before he latched on a great blend of outrageous titles and sex-n-violence, Troma was into sex comedies: low budget movies that were what I call “good clean naughty fun!”

A couple are in a legal battle over palimony, and a judge/angel Gabriel (Professor Irwin Corey) helps them resolve their problems by taking them through a tour of historical disfunctional couples.

Fans should also seek out Lloyd Kaufman’s “The First Turn-On” and “Squeeze Play!” as other examples of this era of Troma film.

Here is what an Amazon viewer says: “I was shocked to find this movie was released on DVD. Seriously, I don’t know how this movie is not more well known. I die every time I watch it. I’d rank it up there with Animal House and Fast Times. It’s hard to believe it even came out on Troma when you compare it to the other movies they’ve made.”

All The Love You Cannes! 2002. Full disclosure: I am in this movie. I am. It might be a single b-roll shot while Lloyd mentions me in passing – and my name is spelled wrong – but hey, I’m a Troma star!

Here we all are in Cannes one year: E! News Host Steve Kmetko, who allowed my wife Alex, along with James Gunn, turn him into “Dolphinman” for “Sex On The Riviera”. Lloyd is on the left, by the way…

Every year I was in Cannes, Lloyd and his Troma team were up for any shenanigans…and their tireless energy is captured in Lloyd’s documentary about life at the Cannes film festival. If you want to see the best documentary about the pomp, circumstance, and sordid underbelly that is Cannes, this is the movie for you!

The Troma Team is willing to try every stunt imaginable to get a little publicity, including walking the streets of Cannes dressed as various Troma heroes, staging lesbian make-out sessions, hilariously crashing Jean-Claude Van Damme’s “press conference,” where JCVD shows up for about 2 seconds.

Troma Star Tiffany Shepis was there many years, and I was lucky enough to shoot a ton of segments with her and Troma when I was at E! – and Lloyd and his group were always eager to help us out. I love this documentary, especially when Lloyd harasses the Warner Brothers Exec’s dog…priceless!

Oh, Lloyd will say that I’m the reason Troma was thrown out of the carlton Hotel…he might be right, but it didn’t take much for Lloyd to start flinging blood around, trust me.

Terror Firmer. – “A homicidal maniac is on the loose in the city and the low budget film crew on a Troma movie have the power to stop them!”

“Terror Firmer” is Lloyd’s “8-1/2″ or “Day For Night” – his “movie within a movie”, a chance to show the filmmaking process while still delivering Troma-sized thrills.

Lloyd Kaufman plays Larry Benjamin, a blind movie Director who just wants to complete his film. Yes, this is the plot of Woody Allen’s “Hollywood Ending”, except Lloyd’s movie came out years earlier.

“Now, let’s make some art!”

No special effect here, just a naked Troma employee racing through Times Square. “Let’s Make Some Art, Indeed!”

Yes, once again, this DVD is LOADED with extras, including a full-length “no holds barred” documentary that looks deep within the filmmaking process…as fascinating and fun as the film itself! These documentaries are as honest and indepth as any ever released on DVD – and entire additional movie added to the DVD – what a deal…

And of course, Joe Lynch has a role in the film…Joe went on to write and direct “Wrong Turn 2″, wrote and directed a sequence of “Chillerama”. Lynch’s next feature is the unique action/thriller EVERLY, with Salma Hayek in the title role.

A few years ago at Comic-Con, I took part in a roast of Lloyd Kaufman, and Joe Lynch told a story about how he used to appear as “The Toxic Avenger” at conventions…and once was so sick during an appearance that he vomited into the mask he was wearing. The story got a big laugh.

Without missing a beat, Lloyd got up and told the crowd that, “what Joe didn’t tell you, was that he took the vomit that was in the mask and turned it into the screenplay for “Wrong Turn 2.”

And that is why we love Lloyd.

Poultrygeist: Night Of The Chicken Dead!. 2006.

When the American Chicken Bunker, a military-themed fried-chicken chain, builds a restaurant on the site of an ancient Indian burial ground, local protesters aren’t the only ones crying fowl! The previous tenants, fueled by a supernatural force, take “possession” of the food and those who eat it, and the survivors discover that they must band together before they themselves become the other white meat!

People take Troma films for granted: they assume that critics must hate them, but that’s not true: The New York Times routinely gives Traoma’s new films great reviews, because they get what Troma stands for…for example, here is what they said about “Poultrygeist”:

“IT IS JUST ABOUT AS PERFECT AS A FILM PREDICATED ON THE JOYS OF PROJECTILE VOMITING AND EXPLOSIVE DIARRHEA CAN BE!”

It is also a DVD loaded with extras: “Poultry In Motion”, the full-length documentary about the making of the film; audio commentary from Lloyd and Co-Screenwriter Gabe Friedman; a “happy ending” with Ron Jeremy, a short course on moviemaking, music videos and deleted scenes…

Gabe worked with Lloyd for a long time before he headed out to Hollywood and worked on a number of G4 shows – another Troma alumni doing great!

THE TOXIC AVENGER QUADRILOGY! Forget Alien: THIS is the Quadrilogy you need to own! Lloyd created New Jersey’s first Superhero, and 4 films into the story, it just keeps getting better…

Here is the IMDB summary of “The Toxic Avenger”: “This is the story of Melvin, the Tromaville Health Club mop boy, who inadvertently and naively trusts the hedonistic, contemptuous and vain health club members, to the point of accidentally ending up in a vat of toxic waste. The devastating results then have a transmogrification effect, his alter ego is released, and the Toxic Avenger is born, to deadly and comical results.”

“Citizen Toxie” is the fourth in the series, and included “Hank The Angry Drunk Dwarf” as GOD – but of course it did. The DVD also includes a full-length documentary on the making of the movie, and a ton of deleted scenes.

Tromeo & Juliet. Behold the most Tromatic masterpiece of all. This was written by James Gunn, Directed by Lloyd, and truly stands as a masterwork. As Variety said, “Shakespeare is transformed into a NO-HOLDS BARD!”

As the poster says so beautifully:

“BODY PIERCING. KINKY SEX. DISMEMBERMENT. THE THINGS THAT MADE SHAKESPEARE GREAT!”

When I was in Cannes, my wife Alex was interviewing Kennth Branagh for his 4-hour opus “Hamlet.” She told him he wasn’t the only Shakespeare film in Cannes, and showed him the “Tromeo & Juliet” poster. He read the words above in his classic British accent, then added, “perhaps I can get my soundtrack done by the ASS PONYS!”

I put that entire sequence in that year’s “Sex On The Riviera” special, told Lloyd about it, and wasn’t too surprised when, 6 months later I got the latest Troma press kit, which included the Kenneth Branagh interview! God bless Lloyd!

Juliet Capulet: Parting is such sweet sorrow.
Tromeo Que: Yeah, it totally sucks.

How can you not love a film that turns Shakepeare upside down in one of the most hilarious, proifane – and creative ways EVER!

Detective Ernie Scalus: Now you fucks have gone too far! Goddamn heads landing on cars while Long Island families are singing ‘Found a Peanut’! They found a peanut, all right, honey. They found a peanut of death!

Bravo, Lloyd and James, BRAVO! Now head to Troma.com and buy up all of these cult classics for the holidays!

Remembering a great meal at….

The Eiffel Tower!

It is, of course, one of the greatest structures ever made – and one of the best places to visit when you are in Paris – here are two great reasons!

The View!
First, how can you beat this view from the second level of the Eiffel Tower:

Second, The Jules Verne Restaurant!

As you look up at the beautiful Eiffel tower, note the second level. That is the main viewing deck – and it is ALSO the Michelin 2-star Jules Verne restaurant that sits right on top of it!

How Do You Get To The Restaurant?

The great thing about eating at Jules Verne is you take a private elevator to the restaurant, and therefore you can avoid the long lines that form to get to the observation deck!

And yes, when you go to the Jules Verne restaurant, you go straight up the middle of the tower!

As you get ready to board, you notice that it looks like you are about to go on a roller coaster!

And as you rise, you see the iconic steel beams going by…

And then you arrive – and Jules Verne is a very beautiful restaurant – very formal and classy…and yes, expensive as well, but the food is terrific – and I am about to show you…here is Alex as we waited for a glass of champagne…

Our table was right against the window – because of the structure of the tower, you will see steel beams outside, but there are plenty of great views of Paris from your table:

You literally are gazing down on the most beautiful city in the world!

As you can see from the picture above, just below where we ate lunch is the observation deck – for me, that is why Jules Verne is such a good idea – you see everything from inside with great food to boot!

Time to check out the menu – Jules Verne is one of acclaimed French Chef Alain Ducasse’s restaurants, so the food is imaginatively prepared and beautiful to look at – and, as you can see, pricey:

The “Amuse Bouche”:

After champagne, we were brought a great starter – fresh pea served atop a pea puree and herbs:

Then it was onto our appetizers:

I started with crab and minutely diced vegetables, topped with a touch of crunchy marinated turnip…

Here was Alex’s appetizer – butter-poached langoustines topped with a tempura french bean and diced vegetables:

As great as the food tasted, and as you can see it was also immaculately presented – we kept looking back outside at the amazing Paris skyline!

And here is a closer view of the iconic Paris architecture…the classic french look of the buildings below…

Now onto our main course – Alex had turbot that was poached inside a cabbage leaf, served atop a “cookpot” of root vegetables – and topped with caviar:

Alex made sure we documented all of our courses:

I had roasted quail with fava beans and fresh baby lettuce:

Here’s another view from out table as we readied ourselves for dessert!

Alex had a pistachio cake topped with fresh raspberries, slices of fresh coconut – and gold flake!

I had their version of a pineapple upside down cake with almond ice cream and fresh sliced coconut…

You can also see the Basilica of Sacre Coeur in the distance…

Finally done, it was just a matter of finishing our wine!

And then we stepped outside, and went down a small flight of private stairs, and we walked around the entire tower, getting additional shots of the city…

We made sure to take a lot of pictures while we were on the main observation deck:

It’s also a great view of the Seine, flowing through Paris…

After we finished taking our pictures, we headed back up to the restaurant for coffee – and one more look at the view…this really is the best way, in my opinion, to see the city of Paris from the Eiffel Tower…

This was our second time eating at Jules Verne, and it is well worth the cost…a great way to see Paris and have a great meal at the same time!

Yes, It’s Jenna Jameson And Sylvester Stallone!

Wait until you hear the story behind this picture!

OK, this was designed to be, as it is known in TV, as a “deep tease.” You will have to keep reading to find out how I ended up taking this picture of Jenna Jameson and Sylvester Stallone – it’s all part of a birthday celebration of sorts…

Two Years Of Posting!

Yes, it’s the two year anniversary of this blog! When my wife Alex suggested I start this blog two years ago today, she thought it would be a fun creative outlet. She had NO idea it could lead to THIS:

Yes, I used that trust Alex placed in me to share things like this “bacon cube burger”, and some of you have thanked me for it. I have also shared things like THIS:

If you don’t recognize this image, consider yourself lucky. (Yes, it’s The Bee Gees as Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band!) While this blog has been a fun project for me, it has also turned into much more: it’s been a way to share a wide variety of stories of interest to me, and more importantly, it has been a great way to meet a lot of new people with similar passions…like all of the Todd Rundgren fans I’ve met…

521,270 Strong!

I wanted to update everyone on the blog, and of course to thank all of you who take the time to read it. Last year at this time, I had just cracked 104,000 views.

In the last year, I saw a huge increase in the average daily traffic to the site – thanks in part to the huge amount of interest in things like the Eagles reunion tour, which you can see above – as well as the large number of people who have been interested in seeing just HOW Marlon Brando remembered his lines on the set of “The Godfather”:

As you can see, he DIDN’T! Yes, that is Robert Duvall holding cue cards for Brando! That story has been very popular, and if you missed it, here it is:

http://johnrieber.com/2013/03/20/brandos-cue-cards-real-horse-heads-the-godfathers-best-stories/

I also shared Clemenza’s recipe for meatballs – you know, when you need to feed a dozen guys after you “go to the mattresses”:

So, thanks to all of you, I smashed through a half a million views for the blog! I wanted to not only thank everyone for their support, but to share some of the most popular stories – and preview what is still to come!

Cool It, Ringo!

So, what have people responded to most? Well, it’s been everything from crazy stuff like this picture of Ringo and Raquel Welch clowning around on the set of the cult classic “The Magic Christian”…in fact, these guys always do great:

The Beatles never cease to interest people, and rightly so – my single most viewed story of last year was this one – looking at the “lost” Beatles documentary, “Let It Be”:

http://johnrieber.com/2013/04/06/let-it-be-the-beatles-lost-documentary-londons-live-beatles-rooftop-concert/

Over 49,000 views for this story so far – as always, The Beatles have spoken…well, at least their fans! And speaking of rabid fans, let’s hear it for “Jerseylicious!”

“Jerseylicious” Forever!

Thanks as well to the terrific cast of “Jerseylicious”, and to the fans who love them…my wife Alex Duda created this show in 2009, and in the five seasons so far I’ve been lucky enough to befriend many of the incredibly talent people followed on the show…

Oliva is not only “America’s Sweetheart”, she’ a terrific makeup artist – and a wonderful person as well…Tracy is also great, and yes, she got married in the “still to be seen” season six of the series…

I’ve had an amazing amount of interest in my behind-the-scenes looks at the show…like when Gigi, Tracy and Olivia visited Steve Harvey:

It was a great year for the team – I had more than 11,000 views of the story about the “Jerseylicious” book by Anthony and Olivia – with amazing cast pictures by Karl Giant!

So many fun posts so far, and more “Jerseylicious” to come….you know, THE WEDDING…

In addition to stories about TV and movies, I also love posting stories about music…including stories about the eagles, Paul McCartney, great new female singer/songwriters like Grace Potter, the best and worst Jame Bond themes, and of course:

“Todd Is God!”

Todd fans know what that means, and they showed it in a big way this year…I want to thank the Todd Rundgren fans who have really shown support for this blog, including a retweet from Todd himself! Here is that story:

http://musicplatter.com/2013/11/01/laura-nyro-todd-rundgrens-muse-todds-retweet/

The original story was about Todd’s friendship with Laura Nyro, an amazing singer/songwriter…and apparently Todd approved!

I posted this story and got a retweet from Todd’s twitter account – which was really cool – I’ve also been lucky enough to have been acknowledged by Director William Friedkin, Actress Rebel Wilson and the legendary singer/songwriter Paul Williams….among many others who have RT’d my stories and shared them with friends…

You can always sign up to receive all of the music-specific stories here:

http://musicplatter.com

What’s With All The Sites?

I’m sorry if I confused some of you with the “topic-specific” sub-sites, but here’s an explanation: When I started blogging, Alex suggested a title that would capture what the site was all about – but as you see, it’s about a lot of different stuff! So I used my name as an easy entry point…

Well, maybe not so easy, since my entire life has seen RIEBER spelled “REIBER”…So, to resolve the confusion, here’s how it works…I post virtually every single day on Johnrieber.com. I hope you all sign up to get notifications – so you won’t miss anything like THIS:

Yes, “Love Actually” is my favorite holiday film…well, except maybe for “Planes, Trains & Automobiles”…and in case you missed this post, here is a list of ALL of the best holiday films:

http://johnrieber.com/2013/11/23/amazing-love-actually-facts-rare-wonderful-life-photos-the-best-holiday-movies-ever/

You see, Del Griffith understands! You don’t have to do anything to get a wide variety of stories from me – just stop by Johnrieber.com and see what’s new…and, if you want more on a certain type of subject, the mini-sites are a way for you to take a blog shortcut:

If you need a quick “bacon fix”, you don’t have to look through the 500+ posts on Johnrieber.com …because “biteeatswallow” has a bacon tab that will take you immediate to this:

Yes, you know I will always have bacon for you somewhere!

Bite Down Hard!

I enjoy posting about strange and unique food items – or as you can see above, “bacon superheroes”…and of course, I love burgers, like this ramen burger from Japan:

And you can never go wrong with a slider…I have posted many recipes for making unique sliders from around the world, like this incredible one from Japan – the “wasabi avocado slider”!

I post all of the food stories on this site first, but later I also post them on a more-specific site devoted to the wacky world of food – like this food stadium to make for Super Bowl Sunday!

Remember, any time you need a burger fix – or any other food stories, you can always go here:

http://biteeatswallow.com

Something like this will ALWAYS be waiting!

Time For A Fight!

I was most excited this year to start the “film fight club!” This allowed you to hammer down on the important film arguments of the day!

The purpose of “Film Fight Club” is solely to argue about movies we love, hate, and love to hate!
This is where you can discuss your favorite James Bond theme song, as well as why you think “The Human Centipede” is a misunderstood masterpiece!

And yes, I got lots of hate comments from fans of “Centipede”, who couldn’t understand why I called it “misguided”! Check out all of the film battles here!

http://filmfightclub.com/

Forget movies, let’s see the world!

I know that some of you enjoy vacationing here:

Let’s Travel The World!

Yep, for those of you who love to travel the world – well, I’ve got you covered: whether it’s Barcelona’s amazing aerial trams, which give you an amazing sky-high view of this incredible city, or surfing with Sasha Grey on Australia’s Bondi Beach…

I posted a number of stories recounting my G4 shoot in Australia with Sasha Grey: everything from her surfing Bondi Beach – to getting photo bombed by live sharks:

I always have to remind people that there was NOTHING between Sasha and those sharks…and then there was this clip of Sasha in the tallest building in the southern hemisphere – by far the most popular video I posted, with more than 24,000 views:

Sasha went 88 stories high in Melbourne, Australia’s Eureka tower – just one of the many travel adventures I’ve been able to share. I’ve been lucky enough to travel to some really fun places, and I’ve gotten a great response from people when I post these stories on “spinningorbit”, which you can check out here:

http://spinningorbit.com/

So, I want to thank everyone who has read a story, and I hope you come back for many more in the years ahead…there have been many fun adventures – interesting people, places and food – so what is next?

Year Three…

Here is a tease: there are more great adventures to come, including my legendary trip to Thailand with Jenna Jameson!

And it wasn’t just us…we hung out with Sylvester Stallone too!

More on that trip soon – really one of my most unique travel adventures ever – and more on Tracy’s “Jerseylcious” wedding as well:

I also have some VERY unique food to share soon:

And I have some great stories about some of the best movies of the 70′s – films that deserve to be remembered, revered, and watched!

Yes, I will be telling the story of “The Getaway”, a classic action film that also caused a Hollywood scandal! And for fans of TRULY unique movies, I have some of the most amazing exploitation classics to share with you as well!

Yes, more crazy world cinema to share! You can always read about it by clicking here:

http://jrsploitation.com/

This is my mini-site devoted to the most unique and outrageous movies the world has ever offered!

And there is a whole world of entertainment still to explore! That’s just a sneak peek of what is still to come…see, there IS a reason to keep reading!

Thanks again to everyone for your support – as always, please leave comments pro, con, or “positively negative”…I enjoy hearing back from you – and thanks again for reading! I will leave you one last tease – a new post about Todd Rundgren and some of his neglected masterpieces is on the way…

Here’s proof: click on the link to enjoy Todd’s amazing live version of “Fade Away”…more to come on this as well!

Talk About A Great Vacation!

If you’ve seen the terrific movie “Gravity”, you know there is NO sound in space…and it’s also a unique way to “get away from it all”…in fact, you could say that Sandra Bullock and George Clooney had the whole place to themselves!

Can you imagine having a job in outer space? Getting paid to go into orbit! I’d love it, but I also think it would be even better if you could take a vacation into space…no work, all float!

It may seem desolate in space, but if you think you are alone, look at this picture of outer space junk…

Behold The Space Junk!

Wow, it’s getting crowded out in space! This is an artist rendering of the space stuff that orbits the earth on a daily basis…if you’ve seen “Gravity” – and if not, go NOW! – you know that space junk is dangerous!

Cue The Wanderlust!

Are you itching for a unique vacation? Could you imagine heading into outer space to see the space junk up close?

Time For Some Extreme Travel!

If you’ve got a taste for something a bit more “adventurous”, check out some of these extreme options!

There’s even a 3D movie that shows you space junk up close! Before we imagine life in outer space, let’s go the other direction: to the center of the earth!

I found a few of these extreme travel adventures on the great website “Thecoolist”…an amazing list of places to explore that are clearly off the beaten path!

Voyage To The Bottom Of The Sea!

A science travel organization called Deep Ocean Expeditions has made Mir Submersibles and Deep Rover submarines available to the traveling public for rare, firsthand views of the frontier below.

In 2012, a few passengers were taken 12,500 feet below the North Atlantic to see the wreckage of the famed Titanic. Only a handful of craft can sustain human life at such depths, the same craft that carried filmmakers to the sea floor to film James Cameron’s Titanic. How cool does that sound? You’ll even get to see some friends like this:

“The Sharks Will Wake You At Seven!”

Now, if you don’t want to go all the way to the bottom of the sea, maybe you just need to enjoy an underwater bed!

The Poseidon Undersea Resort!

Yes, Fiji is offering an amazing underwater adventure! Look at how cool this is!

If you just want to “sleep with the fishes”, then this is for you! You can find out all about it by clicking on the official website!

http://www.poseidonresorts.com/

And if you want to stay dry, but still go WAY DOWN UNDER, then this may be for you:

Spe-LUNK!

Here’s what they had to say about this “middle earth” adventure: “The Mammoth Cave National Park in central Kentucky is the longest cave system in the world, a fascinating underground world open to traveling explorers. This Unesco World Heritage Site may be a common tourist trap, but its length is open to fearless adventurers who wish to go beyond the beaten path.

The Wild Cave Tour at Mammoth Cave takes a small group of spelunkers deep into the cave through twists, turns and tiny spaces that would inspire terror in your average tourist. If you book your own exploration, a private guide will show you the world below, exploring some of Mammoth Cave’s 365 miles of underground tunnels!

If the idea of squeezing through 9-inch by 24-inch openings of deep limestone caverns excites you, you’ll be right at home in Mammoth Cave!

Behold “Middle Earth!”

To see all of what “The Coolist” has, go to their site here:

http://www.thecoolist.com/extreme-travel-6-frontiers-for-the-fearless-adventurer/

So, if you don’t want to leave earth OR go inside it, how extreme can you get? Plenty!

Sherman’s March!

Thanks to Sherman’s Travel, I found a couple more cool, extreme things to try:

Heli-Ski!

Yep, your local ski resort just doesn’t seem to offer up enough fresh snow…so why not take a helicopter and find your own?

If you’re a top-notch skier who likes a BIG adrenalin rush, get off the trails and take to the skies by boarding a chopper and going heli-skiing, a sport that makes the trek up the mountain as exciting as the run down.

No Ski Lifts Here!

According to Sherman’s March: “Lured by the promise of untouched slopes, wilderness solitude, and challenging terrain, those who dare to get airborne access otherwise inaccessible peaks.”

If you’ve ever wanted to ski down the top of the world, it’s easier now than ever!
Check out more extreme travel from Sherman’s March:

http://www.shermanstravel.com/top-tens/top-10-extreme-travel-adventures

And if you don’t want to go to the top of the world, let the top of the world bring the show to you!

The Northern Lights!

Yes, let mother nature do all the work!

The bright dancing lights of the aurora are collisions between electrically charged particles from the sun that enter the earth’s atmosphere. The lights are seen above the magnetic poles of the northern and southern hemispheres.

Here is an amazing time lapse sequence from Norway, courtesy of NatGeo:

And in Finland, you can rent a glass igloo to watch them from the comfort of your bed! I could watch this for hours…but it still makes me want to head out there myself…

In Space, No One Can Hear You Scream!

Back to “Gravity”…that movie really made me want to head out of town on the ultimate adventure…

And guess what? I can! The 10-day space journey offered by Virginia-based Space Adventures (www.spaceadventures.com) blasts you from a launch pad in Kazakhstan into the actual orbit of the Earth, where gravity itself becomes obsolete as you circle the globe every 90 minutes – imagine how much fun it would be to float in outer space!

Virgin Galactic!

Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic (www.virgingalactic.com) launched its first staffed flights in 2010: Paying passengers will have to wait a bit longer to hop aboard suborbital flights – and it will set you back $200,000.

Flying Outer Space In Economy!

Believe it or not, there IS a low-cost alternative as well! Zero-gravity thrills at an even less-astronomical price ($4,950) are available in Las Vegas or in Cape Canaveral and Titusville, both in Florida, through Zero G (www.gozerog.com)

I for one can’t wait to fly Virgin Galactic!

So many opportunities to be an Astronaut!

So there you have it – it’s your world, explore it!

Just when you think I’ve got nothing good to share….let me ask you: do you love Chinese food?

Look at all of that deliciousness! Ramen noodles, potstickers – even tenshindon, a rice omelette with crab topped with a thick sauce!

Oh, just one thing: THESE ARE ALL SWEET DESSERTS!

“Rocketnews24″ Strikes Again!

I have shared stories from the great website site called “Rocketnews24″ – it’s a blog that features everything and anything wacky, unique and just plain crazy that’s happening in Japan, Tawian, Korea, China and all of the far east!

Cue The Secret Desserts!

While it may look like this young woman is digging into a platter of great chinese food, they are all sweets! Here’s the story from Rocketnews24:

The Rocketnews24 Reporter went to a hot new sweets shop in Tokyo’s Shinjuku district called “Maplise”, where the specialty of the house is a decadent dessert that looks like a hot bowl of noodles! Yes, THIS is a dessert!

This amazingly creative bakery has mastered the art of designing desserts to look like regular chinese food, so you can indulge without being discovered! Not only that, they serve the desserts to you in chinese food containers!

However, the real fun begins when you take your delicious desserts out!

“Salt Ramen” For Dessert!

Here is how Rocketnews24 described what they ordered – the “salt ramen”:

“Even looking at them up close, they look like the real deal. They’ve recreated every detail, including a transparent soup for the noodles and the crunchy fried skin of the dumplings. The tenshindon was especially well done, from the looks of the egg, to the shininess of the sauce, and even the handful of green peas normally used as a garnish wasn’t forgotten.”

Imagine sitting at your desk, eating a bowl of ramen noodles like this…friends and co-workers stop by, glance over, and move on…but you know what you are biting into: CAKE!

More “Tenshindon” Please!

And remember that tenshindon, the rice omelette with crab topped with a thick sauce?

Well, an amazing thing happens as you take your fork and cut into it:

Yep, it’s a chocolate cake! And these realistic pot stickers are also…that’s right, dessert!

Pass The Soy Sauce, Please!

That’s right, they even have “soy sauce” for you – it’s really maple syrup!

Now you know why I love Tokyo so much – there is as much creativity and imagination on display every day as there are neon lights at night!

Again, thanks to the brilliant Asian website “Rocketnews24″ for the story. You can read the entire article here:

http://en.rocketnews24.com/2013/12/13/cakes-disguised-as-chinese-food-for-under-the-radar-sweet-sneaking-or-just-confusing-your-brain/

And support this terrific website by digging into all of their amazing stories about the far east!

I am overdue to share this…

One of the greatest bacon cheeseburgers I have ever eaten…it is EXACTLY the kind of food we should all be eating this holiday season…except that, for some of us, the holiday will turn out like THIS:

Time To Bite Down Hard!

Everyone loves great food. These guys certainly do. That being the case, it’s time to celebrate great food – THAT COMES IN A CAN!

Get ready to surprise your food fanatic with some of the most unique tastes they’ve ever experienced – you’ll not only get a big hug, but perhaps a look like this as well!

Time To Celebrate Food In A Can!

Yes, it’s time once again to bite down hard on some of the strangest stuff that comes CANNED! And yes, you know what I mean:

Cheeseburger In A Can!

Yes, my old favorite – I can NEVER get enough of this: the famous “cheeseburger in a can!” And not only can you find this online, you can find this picture of what someone looks like AFTER eating one!

Time to look at the strangest food that comes packaged in metal – the famous and infamous “foods in a can!” And what better way than with my all-time favorite:

The concept behind this product is easy: someone in Germany knew that hikers and campers would need a portable, “quick to make and easy to consume” food product – and nothing beats a cheeseburger, right?

Watch This Guy Bite Down Hard!

And yes, there is even a VIDEO of someone eating a cheeseburger in a can! Here is the experience in all of its glory:

If you want to see how this food monstrosity was reviewed by those brave enough to eat it, I have compiled a list of great quotes – just click my link HERE!

http://johnrieber.com/2012/01/22/worlds-wildest-burgers/

It’s hard to imagine that you can ever top a cheeseburger in a can – it is, after all, a food product that was never supposed to be put inside a metal tube – unlike this stuff!

So, in speaking of the greatest food ever canned, it’s time to look at some of the craziest stuff ever stuffed into a can!

Hungarian Canned Bacon!

Yes, our good friend bacon is also available in a canned version. And I see why it works so well – just stand it up on end, roll it up and slide it in! Now you have the goodness of bacon whenever you want it – just pop the top and unroll some deliciousness!

I can imagine taking a can of bacon along on my next camping trip to adding it to my cheeseburger in a can – once we have canned mayo, it’s all golden!

It’s hard to criticize canned bacon, which seems like a very normal canned food product…unlike THIS:

Hold Your Tongue!

OK, time to edge into wacky territory, and here’s an idea for you: canned sheep tongue!

Many cultures eat tongue, so it is something you will find on more progressive ethnic menus…beef tongue is eaten like bologna, so it’s not THAT unusual:

Well, after looking at ten pounds of sheep’s tongue, maybe it IS UNUSUAL:

Armadillo Meat!

Now, from the wacky to the bizarre, let’s take a look at other mystery meats coming out of a can soon:

Yes, you can keep a can of Armadillo at the ready, just in case you have the need – now you have the ability as well!

Creamed Armadillo On The Half Shell!

I can only imagine that if you want some Armadillo, but don’t have the time to “cream” it yourself, this is for you…and speaking of strange “creamed meats in a can”:

Creamed Possum!

I almost wish this was a joke – unless I am missing something, Possum doesn’t come to mind as a meat to eat in any way, especially creamed.

But, just in case this sparks some sort of cooking frenzy in you, I actually found a website that is all for you – here is a possum recipe!

http://southern.food.com/recipe/stuffed-roast-opossum-107969

Pork Brain In Milk Gravy – Hold The Cholesterol!

Time now to move onto a “smarter” meal:

Yes, if you need a week’s worth of cholesterol in a single day – with “milk gravy” no less, then I guess pork brains are for you! And here is a canned food product that doesn’t beat around the bush!

“Potted Meat Food Product!”

Hey, talk about “truth in advertising!” It’s a potted meat food product – there are many on the market, and this is NO knock against the quality of Libby’s version: it’s a product, much like spam, that uses lesser parts of an animal, and adds seasoning and spices…it’s mostly used on crackers as a sort of pate:

Among the ingredients: Mechanically separated chicken, pork skin, partially defatted cooked pork fatty tissue, partially defatted cooked beef fatty tissue, vinegar, less than 2% of: salt, spices, sugar, flavorings, sodium erythorbate and sodium nitrite.

Again, there is no knock against this type of food – it’s just a unique packaging style to be sure! And, to end on a very pointless note, I leave you with this:

Spotted Dick!

That’s right! Look it up! And yes, they sell it in a can!

STILL not enough for you? Then what about this new way to eat sushi!

Yes, sushi poppers! Sushi in a tube is close to food in a can, right?

Click HERE to read all about this amazing new food product!

http://johnrieber.com/2013/03/19/the-future-of-sushi-behold-sushi-poppers/

Enjoy all of this unique food goodness – and remember to bite down hard!

After a big day of celebratory eating, I think I need to have a light lunch today:

But I Like Bacon!

What, too much? I just thought a bacon cheeseburger would be a good way to come down from a holiday food high…although this type of thing is more akin to a food coma – maybe just a cheeseburger then…

Allright, if you think I’m going overboard, I’ll just have a hot dog:

As you can see, there will be NO relief from bacon today! It’s time for my favorite bacon, cheeseburger and hot dog abuse of all time…let’s get started!

LET’S ALL APPLAUD THE WEBSITE “A HAMBURGER TODAY!”

I love to post crazy bacon and food abuse as you know, and here is my all-time favorite, thanks to the great investigative work of “A Hamburger Today”:

Burger King Offers Bacon – And One New Organization Steps Up To The Challenge!

Burger King Japan loves to offer specials. Well, taking advantage of Burger King Japan’s “15 strips of bacon for ¥100″ deal, “AHT” linked us to the Japanese news blog RocketNews24 – which successfully ordered a Whopper with 1,050 strips of bacon!

RocketNews24 reporter Mr. Sato then went back to Burger King and ordered a Whopper with – READY FOR THIS?

1,050 strips of bacon, or ¥7,000 (about $86) worth of bacon. The burger/bacon mountain weighed 2.7 kilograms (about 5.95 pounds), contained roughly 14,300 calories, and took 2 hours to make.

What could possibly top this? Well, all you had to do was ask – Here we go!

THE 1,000-SLICE CHEESEBURGER!

Yes, hold the bacon and pile on the cheese!

From the people who brought you the Whopper topped with 1,050 strips of bacon comes a Whopper topped with 1,000 slices of cheese (aka, a bloated tower of cheese slices with Whopper ingredients on top and somewhere underneath). RocketNews24 reporter Mr. Sato ordered the burger three days in advance from a Burger King in Japan and was rewarded with a Whopper weighing in at 12.782 kilograms (28.18 pounds) and containing 45,661 calories. Thankfully, he didn’t eat the whole thing. Mr. Sato managed to finish about 350 slices before giving up, explaining: “It tastes good, but if I eat any more I won’t have room for dinner.”

And “AHT” added this fun pic from Robyn Lee, who is the editor of “A Hamburger Today” and takes many of the photos for Serious Eats. They have a link to read more from Robyn at her personal food blog, “The Girl Who Ate Everything”.

While we are discussing crazy food, let’s grab some bacon and start wrapping dinner!

“The Fred”

According to a post on reddit, “The Fred” is a bacon-wrapped, deep-fried hotdog – topped with Mac ‘n cheese on a toasted Cuban bread bun – yes, it is.

B.L.T. Dog

Again, posted on the “foodporn” area of reddit is the BLT Dog – a Deep Fried Bacon Wrapped Dog with Lettuce, Tomato & Mayo – as you can see, wrapping things in bacon is catching on…

Seoul Bacon-Wrapped Dogs

When I was in South Korea, we found a bunch of street markets that sold a ton of food on a stick, including these delicious bacon-wrapped hot dogs with a spicy korean sauce…

Bacon-Wrapped Lobster Bites

I would wrap lobster in bacon any day of the week.

The Kilo Burger!

And then I found this “Kilo” burger – full of meat and bacon and bun. Yes, it weighs a kilo…you want to know how much that is, get your ass over to the metric system NOW.

And of course, Burger King had to come back with their own new idea, and it’s a Whopper – and what a Whopper!

In a country where Burger King routinely offers up items like the 5 patty Whopper, there is a singular food fanatic who has one-upped them again!

The Grilled Onion Whopper!

It begins innocently enough, with Burger King offering grilled onions on their Whoppers, and a special deal for extra onions:

Thanks to the great writers at “A Hamburger Today”, we know that Japan’s RocketNews24 Reporter Mr. Sato has struck again!

Burger King’s Onion Bomb!

Burger King Japan has just released the Bakudan Oniteri (Onion Bomb) burger – a Whopper that is topped with five slices of grilled onion and drizzled with teriyaki sauce.

Mr. Sato once again took on Burger King’s deal and decided to re-purpose the extra onion for making gyudon. But of course he did…

The video of this entire process lives here:

Thanks again to “A Hamburger Today” for finding this masterpiece of onion excess! And for the rest of us, let’s get stacked NOW!