007: Quantum of Solace

Rucker's Take: So I finally joined the crowd and went to see the new James Bond movie, Quantum of Solace last night with my dad. First thing's first: we decided to go to Galaxy 10 (which is only relevant to Dallas movie-watchers), but just know that it is one of the older theaters around here and therefore not "cool" for the middle schoolers to go to. Excellent choice. There were no cell phone/texting annoyance issues to speak of.

Moving on to the movie: it was really good. I can't remember Casino Royale too much since I haven't seen that since I saw it in theaters, but I think I liked that one a little bit more than this one. But that's not to say this one is bad.

QOS is chock full of action sequences, beginning with a long car chase at the open of the movie. There's a boat chase, a foot chase, a plane chase and really any other type of chase that exists-- except a dog chase. There is NO dog chase in this movie. Sorry guys. See: BOLT if you're looking for that sort of thing.

Because I hate spoilers and I have a pretty terrible memory, I have no tick-tock recap of the film for you. What I will say is that one of the girls dies covered in oil. It's a little reminiscent of those ducks dieing on Saved By the Bell when those big bad oil guys started drilling at Bayside.

I did not like the opening song by Jack White and Alicia Keys. First of all, Alicia Keys was big stuff several years ago. I'm not really sure why she's on the main track all of a sudden. Except for the fact that Amy Winehouse was supposed to do it and, well, she's crazy, and they had to replace her. Still, I think crazy Amy might have made a better song...
The actors, Daniel Craig and Judi Dench, among others, did a great job of making the ridiculous things they do seem legit and not over the top, though I would have liked to see Dench kill a few more people (she killed none, sadly).

I also enjoyed the scenery from around the world, Italy in particular was nice. Oh and they have this ridiculous computer system that, had I not already seen it in CSI: Miami would have mesmerized me. Still, it was pretty cool.

I would definitely recommend seeing QOS, if only for one extremely memorable moment involving an ax and someone's foot..

Though I would go soon because it's slowly getting shafted to the smaller theaters with each passing day.

Rucker's Rating: Soo Good.

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U&R Review: Casa Gracias

Urban's Take: Casa Gracias shouldn't have been a surprise, being a Mexican food place in Austin, but it was! The humble exterior belies the awesome Tex-Mex waiting for you within. The comparison that was made throughout the meal was that it was Austin's version of El Fenix, my faithful standby for traditional Tex Mex in Dallas.

The restaurant was clean and the service was friendly and really fast. The chips were good, not great, and the salsa was a little too tomato saucey. Adam and I both ordered enchilada combo plates that came with tacos- and I liked that they brought the taco out before the enchiladas. It made the meal less overwhelming and easier to digest.
The cheese enchiladas I had were some of the best I've had in a long time. They absolutely rank right up there with El Fenix. Some places make their enchiladas with too much grease and so they get soggy really quickly, leaving you with a flat tube of cheese. But Casa Gracias' enchiladas were far from flat. I would have liked more cheese and chili con carne sauce atop mine, but that's a small complaint.

I should also add that their tortillas were very similar to Taco Cabana's in consistency and taste- therefore, they were awesome. (Awesome enough that I was willing to take the below picture with one, even though I knew I looked gross after being outside at the UT/OSU football game in a million degree weather all day. Yeah... that awesome.)

Overall, I enjoyed my visit to Casa Gracias and I would definitely go again... that is, as long as I wasn't going to the South Lamar Alamo Drafthouse nearby. Because then I would eat there, watch a movie, and enjoy the greatest popcorn and milkshakes on earth.

Urban's Rating: Soo good
Rucker's Take: I should admit that Casa Gracias was not even on our list of Mexican food restaurants to eat that night. First was Matt's El Rancho, a GREAT Mexican food restaurant in Austin (Dallas as well, in the Lakewood shopping center). After Matt's had what looked like a 2-hour-long wait, Urban & I decided we would shop around for a different Mexican restaurant, which, in Austin took all of 2 minutes.

We stumbled upon Casa Gracias, a humble Mexican restaurant which seemed inviting in nature and authentic in cuisine. After all, how could you not feel welcome in a restaurant that's name translates into "Thank You House."

I was just as satisfied with my meal experience as Sam was. I too liked that the taco was brought out prior to the rest of the meal. It sort of primed my stomach and said, "Hey dude, get ready cuz there's lots more delicious Mexican food on the way."
There was an ample amount of shredded cheese on my taco, which is ALWAYS a plus. A restaurant that isn't stingy with cheese=a restaurant that cares about its customers.

I will say that Sam and I were a little turned off by seeing our salsa refilled from a drink pitcher- meaning they have a pitcher of salsa that they walk around with to refill empty salsa cups. This was something we quickly got over though after realizing that the pitcher had no effect on the salsa's consistency or taste.

It was just weird, you know? Like wine in a box- just doesn't seem right.

I ordered my combo plate with one cheese enchilada and one beef enchilada (for 50 cents extra), and let me tell you: it was worth it. I never like when you can see actual pools of grease on your plate from the enchiladas so I was especially happy that this was not the case at Casa Gracias. I liked the cheese used in the enchilada; it wasn't at all Velveeta-y which is not something I like in restaurant enchiladas (Velveeta is acceptable in homemade instances). The beef enchiladas contained finely ground beef and good, spicy flavor that I love. Both enchiladas were hunger-satisfying without giving you that over-stuffed feeling of "OH MY GOSH- I'LL NEVER EAT FOOD AGAIN."
Overall the experience at Casa Gracias was one of satisfaction. Because of the quick service and great food, I would definitely return and recommend you eat there.

After all, at Casa Gracias, "Mi casa es su casa."

Rucker's Rating: Soo Good


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The Office: Employee Transfer

Urban's Take: I felt “Employee Transfer” was a step up from the past two weeks of little humor and a lot of plot moving.

In the cold open, after showing our favorite Dunder Mifflin Scranton employees in their Halloween costumes (which I'll list below), we see Pam embarrassed when she is the only person at corporate wearing a costume. Meanwhile, CFO David Wallace did as I predicted and transfered Holly back to the Nashua branch. Darryl helps out and the three set out on the eight hour trip to take Holly back to her old home and office. Michael searches in vain for a good halfway point for the two to meet up for a romantic rendezvous. After some talks that Darryl desperately tries not to listen to, Holly and Michael decide to break up. Good bye, Amy Ryan! We'll miss you!

Back at the office, Dwight torments Andy by pretending to apply to Cornell, Andy's alma mater (as if you didn't know). Jim takes the day off and has lunch with his brothers and Pam. Pam wanted to play a prank on Jim by pretending to have lost her engagement ring, but Jim's brothers had a "better" idea: to tease Pam about wanting to be an artist. Their comments hit a little close to home before the prank breaks up, leaving Pam in doubts about her art but confident in her place in the Halpert clan.

The Michael/Holly story had a good resolution, and a few fun moments in this episode. The Dwight/Cornell plot was the funniest thing Dwight's done in weeks, so I was glad to see him back in full form. HOWEVER, I can't help but notice that the writers are recycling old gags again. The whole Dwight/Andy Cornell/Beet farmer thing is eerily similar to the episode in Season Three when Jim dresses as Dwight and Dwight dresses as Jim at the episode's end. Are they seriously out of jokes?

The Jim/Pam storyline was painful to watch this week. Attention to "The Office:" get Pam back in Scranton a.s.a.p. I'm sick of the calls and the halfhearted attempts to create drama. Get our favorite couple back within 50 feet of each other again, please.

Halloween Costumes:

• Stanley... a fish man? He's wearing a fish mask so he can sleep at his desk.
  
• Kelly: Carrie Bradshaw from "Sex and the City."
  
• Phyllis: Raggedy Ann
  
• Ryan: Gordon Gekko
  
• Oscar: Uncle Sam
  
• Angela: cat... the same exact cat costume she's worn in the other Halloween eps.
• Andy: a Jellicle cat from "Cats," the musical... though he says he's a kitten.
  
• Jim: "Dave." He just wears a nametag that says "Dave."
  
• Pam: Charlie Chaplin
  
• Creed, Kevin, and Dwight: Heath Ledger's Joker

Best quotes:

• Ryan: You look amazing.
  Kelly: Inappropriate. Thank you. Who are you, Larry King?
  Ryan: Gordon Gekko.
  Kelly: Oh, from the insurance commercials!
  Ryan: ... Yeah.
  
• Pam: So apparently no one dresses up for Halloween here. I wish I had known that before I used greasepaint for my mustache. And I can't even take off my hat, because then I'm Hitler.
  
• Dwight: Well if somebody who barely out-sells Phyllis, can get in, I should be fine.
  Phyllis: I'm sitting right here Dwight.
  Dwight: I meant that as a compliment to you Phyllis, as well as a slight to Andy.
  
• Pam: They came up with that idea really fast.
  
• Michael: You know what I want to do, I want to pull over and find little bed and breakfast for when we meet in the middle. Emphasis on the bed. And the breakfast.
  
• Michael: Holly thinks that this relationship is over. Well, you know what? I am not gonna give up that easy. I'm gonna make this way harder than it needs to be.
• Michael: I'm not strong! And I'll go back to Jan, and I hate Jan! Oh God!
  
• Andy: If I had to put Dwight's chances into a percentage, I would say he has none percent chance.
  
• Pam: Hey, how about at Thanksgiving we prank Tom about being bald?
  

And there are some brilliant moments that can't really be quoted, like Jim's reaction to pretty much everything in this episode as well as Darryl trying to teach Michael how to sing the blues. Darryl is rapidly becoming my favorite character on the show. So... question for next week... is Toby coming back?!

Urban's Rating: Sooo good


Rucker's Take: Well since Urban recaps so magnificently well, I will just assume that you either watched the episode or read her recap and share with you my comments on the episode:

1) I was EXTREMELY disappointed that the only Halloweeny part of this episode was the portion before opening credits. I was hoping to see the costumes play out into the entire show, but whatever, I guess it's OK.

2) Is Holly seriously gone already?! I liked her so much! I mean, surely she'll be coming back, but what's with all the long distance relationships on this show? Can't anyone just be together and stay together at the office?

3) It was weird/hilarious to see Dwight take over the role of Jim-the-prankster whilst Jim was out of the office. Andy then became Dwight, the receiver of all the pranks, and I loved it- even if some of the pranks and the outcomes of said pranks were very similar to those that Jim has played on Dwight- which I think may have been the point? (To show how all the characters had switched places.. just a thought.)

4) I wish Kelly had a more prominent role in this show. I know that Mindy Kaling, the actress that plays her, does a lot of work behind the scenes as a writer and co-executive producer, but she's so funny when she's on the screen! Her Carrie Bradshaw was awesome...5) And Sam, my guess is that Toby will come back, much like Oscar came back after being absent from a few of the first episodes of the following season after he left... How horrible will it be for Michael to both lose Holly and gain back Toby? So horrible that it's HILARIOUS.

I was pretty much pleased with this episode too, except the whole thing with Jim's brothers and Pam made me extremely uncomfortable, and I agree with you Sam, GET HER BACK TO SCRANTON ASAP!

Rucker's Rating: Soo Good.

Check out a deleted scene from last week's episode: Holly saying goodbye to the branch.

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