High Definition Adrenaline Fix

Do the current movies vying for Oscar noteriety have you a bit burned out? Well, nothing cures a bad case of award film-itis better than an action flick of enormous scope.

Eagle Eye is a riveting, unrelenting techno-thriller that packs all the excitement you’d expect from executive producer Stephen Spielberg. Though its plot might be far fetched (or is it?), Eagle Eye raises some excellent questions about the current role of technology in our society. What good is any big budget blockbuster without a little suspension of disbelief, anyway?

Video and audiophiles alike will also be pleased to know that, while this Blu-ray’s video and TrueHD soundtrack aren’t the pinnacle of high definition content, they are still superb and definitely merit use for future surround sound and TV testing.

Billy Bob Thorton’s supporting role as lead investigator for an FBI terrorism unit is also not to be missed. Just try to avoid imagining him from Bad Santa.

Cost: Blu-ray ($23) | Two Disc Special Edition DVD ($23)

Also See: The Godfather Collection: The Coppola Restoration on Blu-ray | Five Manly Foreign Films Every Guy Should See

Rule: A Man Should Be Halfway Through A Book At Any Given Time

The Handbook of Style ($10) | Dispatches… Beyond Iraq ($15 per issue) | Bangkok Haunts ($11) | Silver ($10) | Dumped Fun and Games Activity Book ($11) | beautyLight ($75)

Kicking off 2009 (um, now), Gear Patrol will bring you a monthly selection of books that members of the crew are reading. We’re firm believers of the web and all its “right-now” glory, but the traditional bound & wound will continue to have a place in our hearts and bedside tables (until we get used ourselves better situated with the Kindle).

Synopsis of each book after the jump.

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Smaller. Sleeker. Ceramic.

Sized at 39mm, the new Bell & Ross BR-S Ceramic Black Dial is a much more understated timepiece than its larger brothers (46mm) - some of which serve as a helicopter landing pad in a pinch.

That is, of course, appropriate for this more urbane Bell & Ross timepiece, covered in gorgeous black ceramic. My only qualm with the BR-S Ceramic is its quartz calibre ETA instead of a manual or automatic mechanical movement - somewhat of a departure for the venerable brand.

Editor’s Note: The Bell & Ross BR-S Ceramic is also available with a diamond encrusted bezel, but let me tell you now that I’ll never give one iota of respect to any man with diamonds on their timepiece (unless you have a stunning R&B album). Also, for those men looking for a “this lady is mine” timepiece, a white ceramic BR-S is also available.

Cost: $2,300

Quality Photographs Deserve Overqualified Printers

During the holidays I decided that it was time to print some of the photos I managed to capture during the holidays (girl friends wrestling New Year’s Eve, gorgeous holiday night New York skyline, a cohort with a classic devilish mug as he spiked the eggnog with rum).

The only challenge was my older Epson 980 photo printer no longer made the grade on several levels: it predated archivable inks (inks that won’t fade in time) you find in many of today’s photo printers, its inability to do anything beyond 8×10 photos limited anything of impressive caliber, and it printed at speeds even a Yugo would be proud of. [continued after the jump ]

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Whether you’re a staunch believer in time-honored traditions, like having an excuse to pop open a bottle of bubbly, or you just enjoy watching the parade of the fairer sex’s cocktail dresses, New Year’s Eve is upon us.

It’s been a big year (in a good way) for Gear Patrol, and we hope the same can be said of your 2008. Regardless of what’s to come in 2009, we hope that you’ll let the crew from Gear Patrol face it with you; we’ll be reveling in the joy and commiserating in the pain, just like you. A toast to men:

* holding a glass of champagne *

Here’s to the moments we shared. Here’s to the moments we were spared.
Here’s to the friends we made. Here’s to enemies, may they fade.
Here’s to making it worth the time… it really has been quite sublime.

Happy New Year from the entire Gear Patrol Crew.

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A Cabernet Sauvignon Made With Passion… And Luck

Good Cabernets have typically been the domain of French wine producers, but for JAQK, a Napa Valley/Sonoma Coast based winemaker, that’s part of what makes the High Roller (their flagship wine) so special. Not to mention its gorgeous bottle with poker chip inlay.

High Roller is made from 100% Napa Valley grapes (51% benchland / 49% hillside) refined with egg whites and aged in French oak casks. After sampling a few bottles ourselves, we found the taste to be smooth at first, with a refreshing finish and balanced aftertaste. Appropriately - just as JAQK proclaimed it would be.

See photos of the final steps in JAQK’s cork-to-casking process.

Editor’s Note: I paired High Roller with a pasta topped with tomato sauce and portabello mushrooms, but it also goes well with prime rib or lamb chops.

Cost: $70 - $750

Also See: Cork Pops Legacy Wine Opener | Oronoco Rum