Each Thursday (or Friday, since some weeks we seem to be running behind on everything), Needcoffee.com's staff of whackos will wrack our brains to give you interesting and new things to do over the weekend. Books, movies, whatever. We'll throw them out, you do with them what you will. And hey...if you have something you want to recommend--whatever it is--drop us a line.

Incidentally, we've provided links where we can for you to buy the stuff or find out more if you're interested, courtesy of those Amazon types. Hey, come on, we can't be totally selfless in this, can we?

October 25, 2002

Book of the Week: The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides. Don't let the title fool you into thinking this is a depressing morass of death and dismay. Well, I mean, it is, really. But that's not all there is to it. It's one of the most convincing portraits of that nearly psychotic state of mind which is unique to adolescents. It's also written so well, the damn thing's nearly poetry. An incredible read, it and the film are both worth checking out.

Comic Book of the Week: Global Frequency #1 by Warren Ellis & Garry Leach. One thousand members worldwide. You don't know who's in, don't bother to ask. You just know that when you see somebody wearing the jacket, and when you hear their weird cell phone say "You're on the Global Frequency," that means the shit is about to hit the fan on a scale that you've never known before. What can I say? When Warren closes a door, he opens a window. A few weeks back we had his final issue of Transmet, which went out with its balls held high in the air--and now this. Twelve issues each by a different kickass artist and, if the stories are half as good as this intro issue, then the party is just now getting underway. Buy it. Pledge allegiance.

Graphic Novel of the Week: Meridian, Vol. 1: Flying Solo by Barbara Kesel & Steve McNiven. Mark Alessi of CrossGen wanted to challenge the comic book industry by getting back to certain key types of books that he felt had been passed over in recent years. There were many book archetypes he had in mind: adventure, fantasy...and books that girls might like to read. In this title, he gives us Sephie, a young girl who comes across a sigil of great power purely by accident--it was meant for someone else. Now she has to deal with the responsibilites of the power...and growing up in an awful hurry. A very interesting book.

DVD of the Week: Brotherhood of the Wolf. Ah, what an odd little film. It's a kung fu/western/mystery/conspiracy/thriller/pseudo-historical period piece that's in French with subtitles. How much more odd can you get? And here's the crazy bit: the sucker's so patchwork that it's perfectly enjoyable. Well constructed with certainly better fight scenes that today's Luc Besson could dream up--and a weapon straight out of an anime flick--fear not the little words at the bottom of the screen. Go.

CD of the Week: Clutch. Ah, sometimes you need a band like Clutch: crushing rhythms, a lead singer who sounds like a hoarse televangelist with a crowbar shoved up his ass, and classic bits of sonic nitroglycerin like "Escape From the Prison Planet" and "Tight Like That." Although later and earlier works are also worthy, nothing they've done assaults my hearing like this one. Worthy.

Snack of the Week: Milk Chocolate Bar with Caramel by Ghirardelli. Is there such a thing as too much? Nay. Especially when you're cutting that fine rich chocolate with some equally fine and rich caramel. Any of their bars will do the trick, but sometimes you just need the right filling. Eat up.

Beverage of the Week: Guarana Brazilia by Crystal Beverage. Well, you can tell from the name what chief ingredient it has that makes us jump up and down. Is it the best tasting thing out there? Well, no. But it's not half bad--and it seems to cry out to be mixed with some kind of alcohol. If somebody figures out what kind, let me know. Color me curious.

Yoga Pose of the Week: Adho Mukha Svanasana. No, it's not a song by Kula Shaker. It's actually a yoga pose that translates into "Downward Facing Dog." This pose stretches you all over, from your fingertips along your back to the tips of your toes. You can bend your knees if you’re not ready to get into the full pose, or if you’re really adventurous, have a friend pull back on your hipbones until your hands lift off the floor. A back stretch like no other.