[New] Movies You Missed from 20 years ago

by Josh Lucia

Final Destination 2 (6.5/10 Rating)

Released January 31, 2003

Streaming on Hulu. For rent/purchase on all major platforms. Genre: Horror, Thriller Rated R: Strong violent/gruesome accidents, language, drug content, and some nudity 1h 30m

There are movies you watch to be moved and there are movies you watch to be entertained and enjoy the ride. This is not top-tier filmmaking, but it is definitely fun…if your idea of fun is watching the creatively gruesome ways characters can die. This sequel picks up a year after the events of the first Final Destination jumping right into the action with the main character having a premonition about a highway pileup in which her friends and other strangers will die leading to her saving them and dealing with the consequences of altering “Death’s” plan. The setup alone is worth watching as every shot lingers on various things, we all know are going to come into play soon. It’s like watching a Rube Goldberg Machine created for death. This film did for highway driving what Psycho did for showers. Anyone who has seen this movie will forever get uneasy behind a logging truck and find themselves quickly maneuvering around them. The acting is fine and much better than many movies in this genre, the music is fun, and the effects are mostly well done. Some effects don’t hold up, but many were so impressive I remember my friends and I pausing the DVD to see where the edits were happening in certain scenes. It can be a bit gory at times, so if you are generally turned off by that or have a weak stomach, I would steer clear, pun intended. If you enjoy a thriller and don’t mind a little dismembering and blood splatter, give it a watch. This is probably the best in the series and there have been rumors of late that another is in the works. Horror fans will enjoy yet another cameo from Tony Todd, the original Candyman

Also check out: Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, Just Married, A Guy Thing, Darkness Falls, The Recruit, Lost in La Mancha (follow @jlucia85 for these reviews and more)

For many of us, winter is a time for red wines like Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, or others. But you may be a person who only enjoys white wine but doesn’t care for Chardonnay. If you have not already tried Chenin Blanc, please give it a try, as it may be a candidate for your favorite winter or year-round white wine.

Phonetically, the grape is pronounced “shen-nin blank,” and it is grown in many countries. Most Chenin Blanc is produced in South Africa, even though it is native to the Loire Valley in France. In South Africa, this wine may be called “steen.”

Winemakers can make Chenin Blanc in many styles. It can be bone-dry, off-dry, sweet, or even sparkling. If you want to get familiar with a particular brand of Chenin Blanc, do a little research or ask your wine shop cashier for help. Chenin Blanc, from the French town of Vouvray in the Loire Valley, is an excellent place to start your Chenin Blanc journey.

Kathryn Loveless, writing for Vino del Vida, describes some flavors you may find in different styles of Chenin Blanc. A sweet Chenin Blanc may offer you flavors of pear, peach, and nectarine, as well as floral aromas of jasmine and honeysuckle. For dry Chenin Blanc, flavors of lemons, green pear, and green apple may be found. If your Chenin Blanc was aged in oak barrels, you might discover flavors of butterscotch, honeyed oats, vanilla, and bread.

Ms. Loveless goes on to say that with such a wide variety in the flavors of Chenin Blanc, the pairing options seem endless; Meats: poultry, trout, pork chops, turkey, salmon (smoked or baked), veal, Vegetables: squash, yams, cauliflower, mushrooms, carrots and potatoes, Cheese: brie (dry), goat cheeses (dry), cow’s milk cheeses (sweet), cheddar (sweet), gruyere (dry and sweet), Desserts: anything made with Christmas spices, apple pie, pear tarts, roasted peaches (dry), poached bears (sweet), baked apples (sweet), key lime pie and lemon meringue.

Chenin Blanc is a changeable chameleon in the wine world, making it an enjoyable wine to discover and enjoy.

Cheers!