7/05/2013

Decalgirl (Online Shop, USA)

Decalgirl is an American online shop that sells skins for almost every possible gadget in the market, and cases for smart-phones. The business started as a couple's home-business in 2003 and has become a millionaire business with 25 staff members. You will understand their success when you visit Decalgirl.  

Decalgirl's website is simple and very functional. You will find easy searching for your gadget, zooming the artwork on display, and getting answers regarding ordering and shipping. I love the variety of artwork they have, and the fact that all the items are available for all gadgets, which is not the case in other decal online shops. Most importantly, you can upload your own photos and artwork, and customise the gadget of your choice. You can choose mate or glossy finish. The only downside I can mention is the lack of a search box based on tags or keywords, which would be handy if you are looking for, say, cars, sports, mermaids, or a specific theme or motif you want for your gadget.

Decalgirl's prices are very similar to the ones you find elsewhere online. Shipping prices for Australia are quite expensive: about 10 dollars for standard post, which can take up to two working weeks; upgraded postal varieties are around 30 bucks. These are ridiculous prices for an almost-weightless product, and only worth paying if you order a bunch of things or you cannot find your item elsewhere. Matte and glossy finish are charged at the same price, though. 

After paying and placing your order, you will receive an email with the details of your order and a link to their order status page where you can check, yes!, the state your order before shipping. The shipping of your order can take up to three days; then, you will receive an email with a tracking link.

Registration is easy. Use your existing Facebook, Twitter or Google Account, and you will be able to save your favourite pieces of artwork, make your wish list and save your personal projects. You can create your own profile, save your payment details, and receive the Decalgirl's newsletter if you want.

I love the skin I chose for my kindle. Decalgirl was the only place I found this image, so I put up with the shipping costs. I got my order in 17 working days, and the product was identical in colour and detail to the one in the photo in their website. The decal is great regarding colours and quality of the material used.

ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT
I am very happy with the service provided by Decalgirl, but they absolutely need to make things easier for overseas customers. What about reducing the shipping fees if you purchase more than one item? What about covering themselves the shipping costs if you choose standard shipping? What about offering a better post option for the same price?

6/15/2013

"Chaotic Ana" by Julio Medem (2007)

Ana (Manuela Vallès), a young hippy talented painter living in Ibiza, is discovered by Justine (Charlotte Rampling), an Arts Patron  who invites her to join an independent Arts school. Ana's first troubled love and sexual experiences, and her constant nightmares will get Anglo (Asier Newman) to perform hypnosis on her. Ana's past lives will be open to the viewer, but not to Ana, who will have to deal with her life chaos in unknown painful ways not being aware of what is causing it.

 Chaotic Ana is a very difficult conceptual film to watch, called pretentious and pointless by many, or challenging and profound by others. You cannot watch it as a linear story. This film requires of you a willingness to accept the odd, the chaos and the surprising. This film requires of you a willingness to embrace Medem's personal intimate story as it is related to Medem's late sister Anne, who was a remarkable painter.

Chaotic Ana touches Universal themes and myths related to the Female and the myths of the Motherland (from Oedipus and Electra to primitive matriarchal mythologies). In his odyssey of discovery of The Female, Medem takes us from the cave to the skyscraper using the Ocean as a linking element

Chaotic Ana is -despite some shocking violent scenes- an ode against male violence and wars, and against those individuals who start them; however, the film also shows a blind faith in the goodness of Human Kind despite the tragedies and havoc that we create. 

Chaotic Ana is both a reflection on Death and the void left by the departed - Medem's tribute to his late sister. 

Chaotic Ana is also an invitation to see Art as a form of individual expression, a timeless biography of the living, and a living legacy of the deceased. especially liked some of visual shows shown in the House of the Artists.

The editing is complex and very dynamic. Every small detail in the film has a meaning and it is intricately related to what is happening in the story as a whole. This is one of those films that you need to watch more than once -if you dare or care enough- to get everything. The film continuously unsettles the viewer, and there are some gory, violent and shock sex scenes.

The international cast members are just OK in their performances, but this is not a movie for them to shine as the script is what matters, and they are, in a way, just Medem's "mediums".


Movies like this are never popular or highly rated, and are hated or loved, nothing in between. I loved it, but some of my friends -who are also fans of Medem- totally hated it. I always love a mental challenge, odd stuff, and artistic honesty, and this film has all of those things. However, the mediocre performances, the intellectual complexity of the script, and the length of the film do not help the viewer to  connect with the film at an emotional level, just at an intellectual one, and not always. This is a pity, because that emotional connection is what Medem was looking for in the viewer.


This is a film not for the faint hearted. Not easy to watch. Difficult. Complex. Intricate. Interesting, nevertheless.

6/13/2013

"All the Little Lights" by Passenger (2012)

Website

All the Little Lights is a folk-rock independent album composed and sang by street and independent musician Mike Rosenberg (aka Passenger). 

Music, like Poetry, is something that it is always very personal. You like it or not. It does speak to you or it doesn't. It does touch you or it doesn't. All the Little Lights is an album that directly speaks  to me.

Contemporary pop-rock music is so empty of personal experiences, so affected by musical mannerisms, so politically correct, or politically incorrect by clichés, so over-marketed and overproduced that one gets surprised at finding All the Little Lights -an independent basic album- topping the charts in Europe, America and Australia.

All the Little Lights has little instrumentation and basic musical arrangements, with a predominance of guitars, violins and drums, very acoustic at times. The music is very catchy and cheery; a downside for an independent album, I think, which, in a way, explains its international success. However, the melodies per se aren't what make you listening to the album the second, third or tenth time. You will listen to it because of the lyrics, and because of Rosenberg's charming voice and honest performance.

All the Little Lights is an poignant album about love and lack of love, dreams and hopes, passions and disliking, failure and success. Rosenberg displays his wounds and flaws with emotional maturity, self-acceptance, lack of self-pity and lots of wit. Rosenberg has written wise witty lyrics that say something about him, his life, how he sees life, and who he is.

I absolutely love the lyrics of Things that stop you dreaming, Let her go, All the Little Lights, and I Hate (the latest recorded live in London). However, all the lyrics are great.

All the Little Lights is a good album with excellent lyrics that deserves the praise and success it has.

I hate the cover of the CD. I think it doesn't make any justice to the album. 

Cosmetics Now (International Online Shop)


"Cosmetics Now" is an international etailer with offices in the USA, Australia and the UK that sells male and female cosmetics, make-up, and fragrances. The Company is very similar to StrawberryNet and OzCosmetics, but I consider "Cosmetics Now" an upgraded version regarding the looks of the site, and the number of beauty and perfume houses available in the site. Prices are very similar to the other two etailers, but they  have regular discounted specials. 

Let's take one example:
Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturising Lotion pump 125 ml
> Retail Price in Australia: $74
> Cosmetics Now: $46 ($42 on special)
> OzCosmetics: $46
> StrawberryNet: $48

What makes "Cosmetics Now" a stand-out for me is the fact that they have niche perfumes for sale. Niche perfumes! They are not cheap, but certainly cheaper than at your local perfumery, even with the extra fee you pay for shipping. Some of them are not available for sale in Australia and/or in Perth. The good thing is not only the good prices, is that you won't have to stand the rudeness of any shop assistants, as it happened to me last time I decided to visit my local perfumery. Some of the niche perfume houses available are: Comptoir Sud Pacifique, Amouge, Robert Piguet, E. Coudray, Etro, L'Artisan Perfumeur, Il Profumo, Maitre Perfumeur et Gantier, and many others. Not all of these houses' perfumes are available, and the ones on offer sell fast; if the one you are seeking is available, you will save a  bunch of dollars.   

Placing your order and checking out is extremely easy and no-fuss. You can pay with your credit card and Paypal. Shipping is free for all products, except for the perfumes -this is a difference with the other two etailers- and you will be charged a $10 fee.

Their email Customer service is very friendly, but a bit slow, and misinformed at times. I asked about a niche perfume I was interested in; I was told that the product was not available in their warehouse and it would not be back on sale. I was surprised at hearing such a bold statement. About three weeks later, the perfume was back in stock! In case of need, call their 1300 number in Australia or the company number in your country of residence.

Registering as a member is always convenient. "Cosmetics Now" has a Wish List, which always comes handy. They state in their website that they will email you when any out-of-stock item in the list is back for sale; however, I did not receive any email. They also have a reward points system (expenditure pro-rated), which you can exchange for discounts at your next check-out. 

My product was dispatched the day after I placed my order, and two tracking links (International and Australia Post's) were provided right away. I got it at home four days later! If you aren't at home they will take it to your nearest Post Office. 

I have read some reviews on damaged packaging and odd things regarding the products received. I can only say that this was my first experience shopping with "Cosmetics Now", that the product I received was genuine, arrived in perfect conditions in record time, and it is something I could not get in Perth and Australia at all. There you have it! 

UPDATE JANUARY 2015
I have to correct some of the info provided above. 
> Since this review was written I have been emailed regularly bout items in my wish list being back in stock, which did not happen when I first reviewerd this place. > Also, they regularly send you updates of your point rewards system, usually monthly.
> Their service has always been excellent, and I cannot recommend them enough.


6/10/2013

"Planet of the Apes" by Franklin J. Schaffner (1968)

After the crash of a spaceship on an apparently desolated planet, the only surviving crew members are captured by a group of highly evolved Apes. They act like humans, are dominant on the planet, and have reduced humans to an almost-animal state. The fact that the newly-arrived humans are able to talk and reason will shock the Apes and create confrontation within the group of leading members of the tribe.   

Planet of the Apes has plenty of action, thrill and mystery, and it is very entertaining. However, the dialogues and atmosphere of the film are permeated by a subtle restlessness that unsettles the viewer from the beginning to the very end. Planet of the Apes is not only an entertaining science-fiction film, but a mesmerising reflection on Human and Animal Nature, the position of Humans within the animal world, and racial superiority and segregation theories. The script is very philosophical and poignant and presents many difficult subjects, which were very relevant at the time, in a very light, unconventional non-confrontational way. In a way, Planet of the Apes is a social and political parable. The script is an adaptation of the eponymous novel by Pierre Boulle.

The actors are all terrific in their respective roles. Charlton Heston is good and believable in his role of George Taylor, while Linda Harrison is pretty as the pretty Nova. However, the actors playing the main Apes Cornelius, Zira and Dr. Zaius (Roddy McDowall, Kim Hunter and Maurice Evans, respectively) really steal the show, not because of their masks and dresses, but because of their performances are so good that the viewer soon forgets about the make-up and sees them as real characters.

The film is visually impacting, still today, despite the lack of computerised special effects. The make-up and dresses are unbelievable. The ending offers us one of the most iconic stunning surprising endings and images in Film History, and that is a lot to say.

Although some of the issues implicitly discussed in the film are out of date, the films is still terrific.
One wonders why a remake was necessary, the original being so good.

An unforgettable classic.

6/02/2013

"Garage" by Lenny Abrahamson (2007)


Garage is a movie about the life of Josie, a simple-minded good-hearted somewhat-autistic gas-station caretaker who craves affection and social interaction in an isolated Irish rural town.

The script  reflects about the changes of the traditional ways of living and social interaction in rural areas through Josie's character. The movie is a good depiction of rural life and how modernisation has affected the pace and social dynamics of traditional towns, and a social group that is unable to harmoniously mix the new ways of living with with its very traditional hierarchic structure. The script makes many good points about social isolation and lack of adaptation, explores the nature (and limits) of friendship, the contradictions of modern Law and old ways of socialising, and the thin line separating success and fracas in such an environment.

Thus, the viewer witnesses the lives of the town's apparently happy (but deeply dissatisfied) dwellers, their miseries and broken dreams, their monotonous social interaction, their social hierarchy, and their latent immobility and frustration.
 

The main problem of the movie is its overall dullness and low pace, and the fact that some characters are just sketched, so their actions appear a bit out of the blue (so to speak) sometimes. Pat Shortt, the leading actor, is inexpressive in his performance, as most of the cast; I blame the mediocre direction and the unbalanced script for that.

The conversations of Josie with a horse, his interaction with some of the teens in town, his sexual frustration, his Spartan way of life, and the changes in other characters when Josie starts to behave differently trying to break his position as clown or punch-bag in the town are the things I liked the most. I also liked the ending, which is a bit unexpected, surreal and very moving, as it shows how a speck in your actions can create an unbearable tension in your psyche if you live in a narrow-minded rural town.

The dull performances by most actors, the dragging tempo, and the poor direction killed a story that had many possibilities and deserved a bit of more effort. However, this is an interesting film that shows a face of Ireland that is not usually presented in film, and whose premises could be easily transplanted to other rural European towns.

Rochelle Adonis Cakes & Confections (Perth WA)

193 Brisbane St
Northbridge Western Australia 6003
(08) 9227 0007
Website
Facebook


Hours:
    Wed-Sun 10 am - 4 pm

         Cake + Coffee Wed to Fri
         High Tea Wed to Sun
         Take-away Wed to Sun


Rochelle Adonis Cakes + Confections on Urbanspoon  
Rochelle Adonis - Just the name and the branding of the business conjure up images of exquisite delectability and gorgeous high-end manor tea afternoons, floral crockery and laced-up dresses. 

Rochelle Adonis is many things at once: a cake shop, a patisserie and a degustation studio that produces its own cakes and sweet and savoury morsels under the culinary direction of Rochelle Adonis, Sandro Puca, Alexa Hughes & Sarah Stone. They define themselves as "dessert-inspired pastry chefs with a passion for all things gorgeous, delicious and innovative". Beyond the High Tea experience, Rochelle Adonis offers cooking classes, prepares special-occasion cakes, caters for functions by arrangement, and has cooking lessons. 

Rochelle Adonis offers High-Tea sessions at 49 Dollars per head from Wednesday to Saturday at 12pm and 2pm, with an extra session at 10am on Saturdays. I decided to make the High Tea my lunch and visited at 12pm with great expectations.  

THE PLACE AND SETTINGS
The place has two communal tables and a little decked table by the shop window, with several food cabinets, the left wall being shelved with administrative material and the crockery. 

The tables are set with gorgeous fine vintage china cups and saucers, fine glass water decanters, rose floral arrangements, and vintage silverware. The right wall is wonderfully decorated with a selection of food photos and drawings, in different sizes an shapes, all aesthetically arranged. The sort of classy wonderful settings you see photographed in gourmet and interior magazines. The big let down were the cheap thin paper serviettes provided, the type that flights from your lap moved by the air movement created by any person passing by you. It doesn't make any sense bothering to set the table so wonderfully to then have a paper serviette.

The tables being communal, are especially suited for groups, and not as much for solo eaters or couples. I was placed in a table that was taken for a group of ladies, who were a bit surprised at me being placed in the only spot left in their table, when the other communal table had plenty of free seats. They were very friendly, but still, the awkwardness, mostly on their behalf, lasted the whole time I was there.

The toilets are clean, but they are separated from the dinning room area, at the back of the building, they are tiny, basic and a bit run down. 





FOOD AND DRINKS 
Everything you eat at Rochelle is prepared in situ in their kitchen, and your fee entitles you to two trays with four food morsels -canapé sized- one savoury and another sweet, plus a pot of the drink of your selection (French pressed coffee and/or loose tea). A palate cleanser is offered as an intermezzo between the two servings.

All the food was delicious, creative, well presented, with a great mix of textures, colours, and flavours, and I cannot choose just one morsel as the highlight. I enjoyed every single one of them. My only problem was with the size of the morsels, which are great for a degustation, but not for a lunch if you eat like a normal person and get to the place hungry.

The teas on offer are French Earl Gray, English Breakfast, Indian Spice Chai, Jasmine Green Tea, Parisian Rose, plus a variety of tisanes like Vanilla Berry, Lemon-grass and ginger, apple and cinnamon, rose and hibiscus, and Moroccan tea.

The Chai Tea and the coffee I chose were excellent. The pots are well-sized, so you will have plenty to drink throughout the whole experience.

THE SERVICE
The girls attending to you at Rochelle are lovely and attentive, chatty and very friendly. On arrival, they will explain how the event is going to be ran, take your drink order, and, once the food trays are out, they will describe to you each piece in detail.

Despite he high tea consisting of just two trays and the drinks, the event took about one hour and a half. There is no problem for that, to me. The problem is the spacing between the two servings. Wouldn't it be better asking customers if they are ready for the second serving instead of Rochelle deciding that for them? The morsels are minuscule; therefore, if you are at lunch time, it is a torture having to wait for the food you are craving for, no matter how much water or tea you drink, or how lovely the conversation with your friends is.

No menu description was provided on arrival, except for the teas. I asked one of the waitresses about it, and she told me that the chef decides the menu on the day, and that is why a printed menu was not provided. Being so, I couldn't remember what I had eaten like half an hour after finishing. After finishing, and before leaving, I talked to the same waitress about the menu and she told me that their menu is seasonal and changes every few weeks... Therefore, it is not decided on the day. T-h-e-r-e-f-o-r-e, they do not provide a printed menu because they do not want to, whatever the reason might be. There is no need to lie, as anybody can easily connect two different statements on the same subject e-a-s-i-l-y. 

ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT
+ They should find a place that has an ampler space for dinning, so they can offer customers a more personalised and comfortable settings and service, tables for solo and coupled eaters, and toilets directly linked to the dinning room. 
+ They should Improve the sizing of their portions. I do not think they are going to get bankrupt if they do so.
+ They would make themselves a favour if they got fabric serviettes. If that is a burden on their budget, thick good-quality paper ones with their brand logo printed on them would make a great difference.  
+ Providing a printed menu is a gesture of courtesy towards customers, who pay almost 50 dollars for the visit. A loose sheet of paper with the logo of the business and the menu written on it can be easily printed. 

+ They should make an effort to cater for vegans. A vegan session once a week would attract more customers, and would be an awesome thing to have. 
+ Why not making the place a bit more male friendly?

MIND 
> BYO bubble wine, Cava or Champagne.
> Additional pots of tea/coffee will cost you 4.50 Dollars. You will pay the same if you want hot chocolate instead of tea or coffee. 
> They do cater for celiacs and vegetarians.

 ***
High Tea, to be high in my list of highness, should mix great food, decent portions, great service, great settings, and an attention to the detail.  

Rochelle Adonis is a great experience regarding the quality and creativity of the food, but far behind regarding attention to the detail and thought put to treat customers in a personalised way. I absolutely loved the table settings, but the presence of paper serviettes and the administration books, printer, cables and other business-related material on display rested a bit of charm to the whole experience. Still, this is a lovely experience, if you are woman and/or if you are a group of women. Rochelle is also a lovely place to buy cakes and slices to enjoy at home.  

MY RECOMMENDATION
Avoid the Noon session if your stomach is empty and you want to appease your hunger. A morning or afternoon degustation will certainly leave you more satisfied, and your stomach won't feel the pressure of the food not coming when you want it.

Location: 7/10
Layout: 6/10
Ambience: 6/10
Staff: 7/10
Service: 7/10
Table settings: 9/10

Food: 8.5/10
Coffee/Tea: 8.5/10
Pricing: 6.5/10 


UPDATE
Rochelle Adonis has finally left their ugly mini-mini location and has moved to a more charming location in the ever-blooming Beaufort St. The new place has three different seating areas, plus an alfresco area, looks like a proper cafe, it is classy, beautiful and charming.

The new location Corner between Beaufort and 2 St Albans Street.