Reviews by hammeredalot

hammeredalot says "Great movie because they did not try to change it too much" about Iron Man

hammeredalot — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 22:14:19 GMT

I read Iron Man as a teen into my early 20's but gave up when they constantly made changes trying to keep it 'fresh". When I heard they were going to make Iron Man into a movie my first thought was 'no way' thinking it would be as cheesy as Mr Fantastic or Dr. Doom in first Fantastic Four movie but I was wrong.

They stuck to original formula and updated it for 21st century without ruining the basis of it. Tony Stark was still a playboy and seller of weapons to the military. Robert Downey Jr. played the role perfectly as if the role was made for him and this comes from someone who did not think highly of him before. Nicolas Cage and Tom Cruise were interested in the film and I see why they were not selected. Cage, while a good actor, could not be as affective as Downey was being befuddled at points and this movie would have become about Cruise not Tony Stark is Cruise had gotten the role.

The ending was a bit of a letdown not being as well done as first parts of the movie (Marvel ran......

hammeredalot says "Proof that what sells to general public is not the best TV" about Firefly - The Complete Series

hammeredalot — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 21:56:17 GMT

Firefly is yet another example on how network TV can not handle intelligent TV. I missed this when it first came out because FOX decided to not advertise it and then FOX jerked around with the schedule.

Firefly is beautifully constructed with great characters, sub plots and gets better every viewing of it. They proved that they could show many types of stories using same background because it allowed many possible settings from future tech to rough western to almost medievalism. Comedy, action, drama and romance were all there.

If you need a gift for a friend and the friend is intelligent and has not seen it, this is it.

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hammeredalot says "Great hamburgers but not worth a special trip" about Five Guys - Reston, VA

hammeredalot — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 21:46:13 GMT

I was in town to watch a game and a friend recommended we go to Five Guys for lunch - "Absolutely best burgers and worth your trip alone", he declared. So I said fine you are driving. We ran into traffic which he said was normal and arrived at this place not too different from every other hamburger joint.

They have a good but not great selection of toppings and will cook it as you request it but i found the bun ordinary and the fries were too greasy for my taste. Certainly better than many of the chain burger joints but no surprise it has not opened in Western New York.
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hammeredalot says "Great Wings flown fast to your table" about Anchor Bar or Duff's? - Buffalo, NY

hammeredalot — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 21:25:44 GMT

Anchor Bar or Duff's is the question and the answer depends on your reason for dining. If you are trying to show a friend a piece of outside history then the Anchor Bar is the answer otherwise eat at "Duff's Famous Wings".

There are two locations
3090 Orchard Park Rd, Buffalo, NY 14224
(716) 674-7212

The Wings at Duff's are large, well cooked and the sauce is great. Service is not fancy but it is fast and for large groups they are willing to put together tables. There is plenty of free parking and it is inconveniently located near major highways. And there are plenty of TVs to watch if a game is on. They have two locations but I prefer the location on Orchard Park Road for it is closer to my house and they have the same wings....

hammeredalot says "Ilio Di Paolo is family Italian Restaurant with a Gourmet Touch!" about Ilio DiPaolo's - Blasdell, NY

hammeredalot — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 21:08:17 GMT

Perfect end to a perfect evening. Some friends we had not seen for a while were in town and he wanted to watch the game while we had dinner but his wife did not want to eat in a "sports bar". I suggested Ilio's and she asked what it was and I replied "best Italian restaurant in the area". She said "And they show sports" and I went into a little talk about how the founder used to be a wrestler and she agreed half-heartedly.

When we got there Ilio's was packed and she suggested going somewhere else and I said nonsense and spoke to the staff. They said it was full but in half-an-hour we could get a table and could sit at the bar or if we liked we could sit in the outside courtyard. We choose the courtyard and when my buddy mentioned the game they brought a TV from outside and placed it so he could watch it.

We were not really hungry so we ordered some appetizers while we talked. My buddy's wife wanted some wine and knowing her it was a "stump the waiter" quiz. The waiter replied......