GQ unveils their final issue of 2009 with their annual Men of the Year. Within the package are some great features to reminisce about 2009. A lot to take in, of course.

• The Men of 2009: Good choices from the Hangover dudes to Barrack Obama to Tom Brady. Tom Ford, Christoph Waltz, Alec Baldwin, the Twitter creators, Neil Patrick Harris, and Clint Eastwood rounded up the list of stylish men. My favorite? Chris Pine. Truly a breakout star.  And kudos for choosing Leighton Meester for Woman/Obsession of the Year.



• Again, reading Project Upgrade is always amusing. This time around, GQ focuses on the traditional tux and how to keep it classy. The men of True Blood wear them to perfection later on in the issue.
• The Satorialist has a keen eye as he snipes fashion in Paris. The best shot was of the Parisian imitating American style.



• Other fashion magazine outlets have covered this already, but GQ focuses on 19^th century fashion. Sherlock Holmes comes out during Christmas, but waistcoats, specs, bowler hats, and mustaches are very chic.
• The Winter Survival Guide teaches men the importance of a down vest, a topcoat, a raincoat, and a parka. Oddly, they are perfect for office attire.
• There’s a great interview on the America’s oldest living tailor, Martin Greenfield. It’s an amazing feat when you’re 81 years old.
• The Style Guy’s advice came off as the usual, but I do appreciate herringbone jackets adding a sense of dapperness to a young man’s wardrobe.
• Joseph Gordon Levitt looks quite dapper with knitted sweaters, long coats, leather jackets, and three-piece suits, and striped shirts. They are very affordable coming from such stores like H&M, Topman, Uniqlo, Gap, and French Connection.



• It’s unusual to think of it, but White Stripes’ Jack White is everywhere in music as his influence reaches The Raconteurs to the Kills to Where the Wild Things Are. Strange.
• There’s a great feature with the year in music with notable mention of eccentric Lady Gaga, Kings of Leon, and a return to the 90s with Maxwell and Phish.
• J.J. Abrams and his crew are notably described as power players of Hollywood. The Geeks do inherit the Earth.
• A nice array of color pops out as the  band Phoenix wears everyday fashion.

The [X]Press Magazine doesn’t come out until next week, but I figure I’d post my review for a graphic novel.

If Where the Wild Things Are was your cup of tea, then I Kill Giants should be right up your alley. In Image Comics’ graphic novel, the story is about a young girl who battles giants to cope with her issues. Like Wild Things, the novel chronicles a child’s escape from the real world to his or her own imagination. While reading. the story becomes alive and the reader may find themselves questioning whether or not these monsters are make-believe.

Inspired by his father’s fight with diabetes, writer Joe Kelly crafts an incredibly touching and witty 150-paged story that is very much like an indie film. Barbara Thorson, an outcast, deals with her teachers and peers in an unusual manner, as she is verbally and physically abusive while holding her special bag to vanish her enemies. The main story revolves around her quest to kill giants, catapulted by a bully, but as the story progresses, it becomes apparent that there is more to her issues than just enormous creatures.

Kelly is paired with artist JM Ken Niimura, who provides an energetic manga-inspired art rendered in black and white. The art may be hard to decipher, but the readers will be absorbed into the story, as each page grows stronger and tighter in the narration.

Without spoiling the poignant ending, Barbara describes her enemies in vivid details: “a giant comes to a place and destroys everything in its path. A giant is hate. A giant comes to a place and takes everything away from you.” The ending provides an epic fight and a resolution to Barbara’s journey that all readers regardless of age, gender, taste will easily relate to.

The seven individual chapters came out in 2008, but the full graphic novel came out mid-2009. I Kill Giants is worth a peek that will change your perception of the graphic novel. It may not be Homer’s The Iliad, but it is sure to entertain the disbelievers.

Writer Bio: Chris Huqueriza is sad his favorite gay pornstar is quitting to write a book. He’ll definitely read it. Come back Malachi Marx!

Almost three weeks from my previous post, I wanted to review a few movies I watched in full detail. Instead, I’ll give quick movie reviews on four interesting films.

The Proposal (2009)

I was not expecting much greatness from this romantic comedy, but it pleasantly surprised me on its hilarious content. Sandra Bullock is funny as a publishing editor forced to make her employee (Ryan Reynolds) marry her so she could stay in the country. Reynolds and Bullock certainly have chemistry as they travel from New York to Alaska with a lot of crazy scenarios. Besides an unnecessary B –subplot, the movie won me over, especially the well-aged Sandra Bullock.

My Rating: B

New Moon (2009)

The second installment of the Twilight series is certainly an improvement over the first movie with a better plot and better acting. It’s still pretty crappy but this time around, the movie spiraled into an “emo” perspective as vampire Edwards (Robert Pattinson) abandons Bella (Kristen Stewart) and she finds comfort with teen wolf, Jacob (Taylor Lautner). The hype is everywhere as it is infectious, but the movie provided a solid plot conflict. I was hoping there would be more screen time for the pack of wolves, Victoria (the vampire villainess from Twilight), seer Alice, and Dakota Fanning, but I digress. I’m definitely not Team Edwards or Team Jacob, but I am Team Taylor Lautner as he was the breakout star.

My Rating: C

Paper Heart (2009)

Paper Heart was an interesting movie. I loved its premise of a girl (Charlyne Yi) filming other people on the definition of love with quirky answers, but something about the film didn’t engage me enough. It picked up steam as it finally centering on her relationship with actor Michael Cera, but wasn’t enough to engage my interests. There is plenty of quirky moments for this 87-minute hybrid documentary blending fiction and non-fiction on the couple’s relationship. Worth a peek.

My Rating: C

Brothers (2009)

Based on a 2004 Danish film by Susanne Bier (same title), the American version stars Natalie Portman, Tobey McGuire, and Jake Gyllenhaal. Tobey and Natalie reside as a happy couple (Sam and Grace) in the mid-west until he goes to Afghanistan. Sam is pronounced dead and Grace moves forward with his brother-in-law played by Jake Gyllenhaal. Sam returns, but after killing his buddy, takes his anger on his family and his brother. While the movie is interesting, Brothers is a slow paced film with predictable results and ends with a whimper. For me, the main message was that soldiers need to release their post-traumatic stress disorder out that could have easily been averted.

My Rating: B-

Lady Gaga is living in the stratosphere right now. Not only is her first album a bona fide hit, her performances are the most creative and wackiest performances at such venues like the American Music Awards and MTV’s Video Music Awards. And with her second album, released November 18, The Fame Monster is proving to be another creative smash with her lead single, “Bad Romance.” The album is more melodramatic with such hits like “Monster” and  “Speechless” speaking much of the dark side with fame and a gothic theme. What’s most pleasing is that many of her songs evoke great works like “Dance in the Dark” with Madonna’s “Vogue,” “Alejandro” with Abba and Ace of Base, and “Speechless” with Queen. Her songs are deeply emotional, and add a unique layer different from her previous “dance-esque” album. Her next single is “Telephone,” a duet with Beyonce, proving to be another hit. I’ve played that song over 50 times on my iPod. And, that’s saying a lot.

My Rating: A

So after almost a year of delays, I finally get to see this movie. I reviewed it for [X]Press magazine, but read my review to get the gist of it. It’s a wonderful film. =)

Movie Review: New York, I Love You
Chris Huqueriza, associate editor and staff writer
October 12, 2009

Valentine’s day may be a long time from now, but if you’re still in the mood for a romantic comedy, then New York, I Love You is the perfect film for the love aficionados. And if you’re still weary about this film, then its international and cultural premise should do the trick.

New York, I Love You comprises a collection of eleven short films each running around five to ten minutes long with the center theme of finding love in one of the most culturally diverse metropolitan cities in the world, New York. The stories are closely selective as they film in one of the five burroughs (Bronx. Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, Staten Island). A sequel to the critically acclaimed and must see film, Paris Je’ Taime, both movies pays tribute to a wonderfully eclectic and vibrant city. Actress Julie Christie sums it perfect: “That’s why I love New York. Everyone came from somewhere else.”

Each short film is directed by some of world-renowned directors with an all-star ensemble ranging from Natalie Portman (also directing a short), Orlando Bloom, Ethan Hawke, Shia LaBouf, Maggie Q, Christina Ricci, and Bradley Cooper. Some viewers will notice American directors Zach Braff (Garden State), Brett Ratner (Rush Hour), and Albert and Allen Hughes (Menace to Society) taking a stab at the vignettes, but some of the world-renowned directors from from India to Japan to South Korea help bring the movie an international flavor.

Each of the vignettes provides some great fantastical moments: 1) An old bickering couple squabbles as they walk through the New York streets with a great sense of humor and a touch of tenderness. 2) Anthony Minghella directs a haunting short about a bellhop finding love with an old woman. 3) Brett Ratner directs a hilariously charming prom story about a male virgin escorting a wheelchair-bound girl. 4) A male lothario receives a shocking surprise after viciously flirting with a stranger.

While none were terribly bad, some vignettes were forgettable leaving the viewers aching for more substance. A few come to mind are: a painter obsessed with a girl, two men giving different directions in a taxi-cab, and a girl complaining about never leaving the city. Within the span of five minutes, it’s hard to invest in these scenarios.

While New York, I Love You is an entertaining collection of shorts, the movie cannot beat its predecessor, Paris Je’Taime. Now the next follow-up is rumored to be Shanghai, I Love You. But c’mon, San Francisco is diverse and rich in culture that it’s begging to be the next city. San Francisco SHOULD be the next city to visit. Think about it, love stories in the centering in the hard-forgotten Castro bars, the Haight-Asbury cafes, or on the trolleys of Union Square. It would be a sight to see.

writer’s bio: Chris Huqueriza loves being a film connoisseur. He mentally orgasms at films done before 1980.