Nike Take A Trip To Outer Space

February 14th usually means Valentines Day takes centre stage but this year sneakerheads around the world may be pre-occupied due to Nike's latest drop date for the Top-Secret Area 72 collection. Taking influence from just about every crazy idea we have of life outside our own world the new collection features the silhouettes of some of Nike's most popular lines; The Blazer Mid, Vandal, Lunar Force 1, Barkley Posite Max and the new years very own Air Force Max 2013. All the incarnations of the Area 72 collection are kitted out with inter-galactic design, dark, luminous, star speckled colourways and unique tab designs to make this release stand apart from any that have come before it. My personal favourites in the drop are the Air Force Max 2013 which is equipped with a glow-in-the-dark sole, multi-coloured galaxy based inner lining and a cool grey/black upper making this piece the most subtle in my opinion yet still featuring enough space- age inspired styling to make you want to take a trip to the final frontier. I'm also enjoying the design of the Barkley Posite Max which is covered in the starry colourway and is matched with speckled laces to complete the look. Whilst this collection is not something i could see myself wearing on a day-to-day basis its bold concept makes it an eye catcher and i can see demand being high on the Valentines Day release. I've posted a few pics of the line below including my favourites and to find out more check out the links below.

http://www.sneakerfreaker.com/sneaker-releases/Nike-Top-Secret-Area-72-Collection/

http://hypebeast.com/2013/1/nike-sportswear-2013-all-star-area-72-footwear-collection

http://finchannel.com/Main_News/Business/122586_Nike_Sportswear_engineers_top-secret_Area_72_Collection_featuring_Raygun/

Gangster Squad Review: 7/10

It appears there has been a recent trend among the film industry to return to the old school gangster flicks that we saw much of during the 80s and 90s. With the last twelve months including releases such as Lawless, Killing Them Softly and Gangster Squad; fans of this class of film has definitely been treated to a number of films to wet their appetite. Its the latter of the 3 aforementioned films that I'm focusing on today; Gangster Squad. Starring Josh Brolin, Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone and Sean Penn the film tells the story of 1949's Los Angeles and the group of police officers brought together to take down the city's mob king, Mickey Cohen (Penn). The group, labelled the Gangster Squad is lead by Sgt. John O'Meara (Brolin) and features a collective of the few cops left in the city that still obey the law, even if by a more violent pattern. The squad features Gosling along with appearances from names such as Giovanni Ribisi, Robert Patrick, Michael Pena and Anthony Mackie and together they create an entertaining dynamic through the collaboration of their different characters. Brolin's O'Meara is an old fashioned, no-nonsense WW2 veteran whose pursuit of Cohen leads to twists and turns and more often than not, violence. Overall for myself, Gangster Squad was a very entertaining, stylish and well delivered story yet the film let itself down by never offering a plot twist that was truly unexpected. I think most people would be able to see the plots ups and downs coming and this is where the film, for me, lost points. In conclusion, the latest offering from Zombieland's Ruben Fleischer does have its cons but my enjoyment was not dampened by this and the film still makes for a good watch and a return to the classic style that makes these genre of films so cool to watch.

Sneaker Catch Up

Ok so it's been a few weeks since I last posted an article up here due to holidays and some hardcore job searching but it's time to get back on the HRNR offencive so here we go. I was trying to pick from a few ideas I had to get back posting but I figured I'd let my past results dictate the way forward and so since I've had most feedback on sneaker based posts I'm going to catch up on a couple of kicks that have caught my eye during my absence. As always there is a photo and link for you to check out more.

First up is the Reebok Classic Jam. I wasn't sure on these at first glance but I happened to watch a kid walk past the stall wearing them this week and my opinion was instantly switched. I like the mix of styles on this sneaker with the classic stitching and heel design matched perfectly with the cement-esque accents on the sole and the re-vamped Reebok logo on the tongue. It seems to offer a little something for all the fans, some history and some modern style. This sneaker to me has the look of a collaboration with many different designers having their input which can have a 'too many cooks' outcome but here the result is perfect, A real winner for me.

http://www.sneakerfreaker.com/sneaker-releases/Reebok-Classic-Jam/

I also wanted to give a mention to the new Adidas Samba - Lionel Messi editions, being release as part of Adidas Originals Legacy of Craftsmanship collection. I'm not usually a big fan of collaborations which involve a sport star's name being branded on a sneaker and although I still don't see myself wearing these I do want to acknowledge the cool colourway that has been used. Based on Messi's Argentina colours the Samba is White with a light blue accent which gives it a very cool summer style feel. I like the classic football logo used on the stripe even if the messi name and argentina flag are something of a mood killer for myself but if you like special edition details then you'll love these. Along with the Snoop Dogg collab this line is producing some interesting results so keep an eye out.

http://www.freshnessmag.com/2012/09/18/lionel-messi-x-adidas-originals-samba/

33 Returns For 2012

Big, bold, bulky, brilliant and most importantly, back! In 1989 basketball star Patrick Ewing became the first player to release a line of sneakers under his own name and after a few years away from the court I'm glad to say the Ewing's are finally making a return.

When you look at the range of basketball sneakers in the market today we can see that the field is dominated by lines being released under the name of some of the sports biggest stars. Names such as Jordan's, Kobe's, LeBron's dominate the basketball sneaker market today and in the past starts such as Penny Hardaway, Allen Iverson and Jason Kidd have also entered their own names to the offering respectively. With so many stars of both past and present making a statement by launching sneaker lines it only seems right that we respect the man who went there first in 1989 and if the first re-release is anything to go by, then I think we'll be seeing some very cool Ewing's appearing back on the shelf soon.

The first to make it's triumphant return for Ewing is the 33 Hi. being released in four different colourways the 33 is for me, everything a basketball sneaker should be. Hi topped, colourful and chunky, the 33 manages to showcase the fashion influences of the past whilst also fitting in well with the range of sneakers we see today. Of the four colourways my favourite has the blue and orange design, representing the 15 seasons Ewing spent with the New York Knicks. other colourways include a simple black and white, red with black and white accents and another Knicks inspired pair with a white base and blue and orange details.

With the 33's being re-released I can't help but hope that this could mean more of the Ewing classics could soon be making a return such as the baslines, centres and the key mids. to find out more on the new Ewing releases I've posted a few links below and also a few pics of the 33's to get you excited.

http://www.sneakerfreaker.com/sneaker-releases/Ewing-Athletics-33-High/

http://solecollector.com/news/ewing-33-hi-new-images-and-release-info/

http://ewingathletics.com/main.html

Batman Gets Some New Kicks

When it comes to superhero themed sneakers I'm not usually a big fan, unless the pair in question are designed with a real touch of class I often think they can look tacky and cheap. However, Mache Customs has recently released photos of his newest creation, taking inspiration from The Dark Knight Rises. Those who read my review on the new batman movie will know I was a strong advocate of the direction Christopher Nolan took the franchise in particular, the darker tone of all three films in the Dark Knight series. So I am happy to report the new release from Mache has captured the essence of the film perfectly. Taking the Lebron 9's as it's basis Mache's new custom features a black/grey colourway with a few accents of blue that I feel give the sneaker a cool icy feel, along with textures on the tougue etc. that a smilier to that of Batman's battle attire from the films. The bold white sole gives the sneaker a more casual, athletic appeal with the bat symbols from the film found on the heel to represent the Dark Knight himself.

Overall the sneaker's subtle design has made it a big win for me. It manages to showcase the hero and tone of the film without having batman's face ever appear to draw attention away from the shoe itself. The basic colourway with it's blended shades of Black/Grey allows it to be worn as an everyday sneaker whilst small details such as the heel make it's inspiration clear to see.

If you want to read more on the custom I've posted a few articles below and as always a few pictures of the kicks in questions for you to check out, also don't forget to check out Mache's website linked here and keep up to date by following him on twitter,  @MACHE275 

http://www.sneakerfreaker.com/sneaker-releases/Mache-Custom-Lebron-9-dark-Knight/

http://solecollector.com/news/nike-lebron-9-dark-knight-by-mache-custom-kicks/

http://www.kicksonfire.com/2012/08/08/nike-lebron-9-dark-knight-by-mache-custom-kicks/

http://www.homeofthesole.com/features/nike-lebron-9-dark-knight-custom-by-mache/

It's Almost A Wedding Crashers Sequel

We all remember Wedding Crashers from 2005, starring Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson, but it has to be said for most people it was a small cameo that made the movie stick in our heads. Will Ferrell's classic performance as Chazz, the mentor of the starring duo, was undoubtedly my favourite character even if he only appeared for 10 minutes at most and I have found over the years many people feel the same way. Ferrell's over the top, loud, crude guru hit us with numerous one liners in his short appearance that still are first to be quoted if the topic of Wedding Crashers arises in discussion. Therefore I think its safe to say you are all going to be as happy as I was to hear that the trio will be working together again soon.

The new project, The Internship, is directed by Shawn Levy of Night At The Museum and Date Night fame and sees Ferrell take on the role of Wilson's brother-in-law, quoted as being a home electronics salesman who sees no problem in making sexual remarks about his customers. I think we can agree this sounds like a ball that Ferrell will definitely run with and the results should be hilarious, although I don't want to get myself too excited I can feel some new one liners coming that will surely steal the show once more. The film itself features some really cool names on it's current cast list including the intriguing and exciting prospect of John Goodman working with Vaughn, Wilson and Ferrell.

To read more about The Internship I've posted a couple of links below on this particular story and the film itself and just to remind you all of that classic cameo I've found a video of Chazz Reinhold at his finest.

http://collider.com/will-ferrell-the-internship/186055/

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118057412

http://collider.com/?tag=the-internship

A Day In The Life Of....... A Superhero!

It's no secret to those who know me that given the chance to be a superhero, I'd be fighting crime quicker than you can say Namor the Submariner! so it won't come as a shock that this past weekend when the opportunity arose for me to cape up for a fancy dress party that I did just that. I wasn't conventional however and went for the alter ego of Eric Wimp, this being the children's classic, Bananaman. All suited up and ready to go I then realised I first had to walk the dog. I then found myself feeling completely out of place as I walked the streets dressed in my fruit based protagonist's attire and couldn't help but see the funny side as I received baffling stares from passers by. At this point it struck me how odd it must be if we could see our hero's carrying out the most everyday mundane tasks, and it appears someone else has shared this musing.

Hong Kong photographer Chow Kar Hoo has created a series of snaps depicting some of our best loved superhero characters carrying out some everyday tasks in Hong Kong itself. The series sees Batman browsing a street market, The Green Hornet and Kato carrying out some car maintenance and Hell Boy enjoying some local cuisine to name just a few. The collection of photos are brilliantly shot showcasing not only the characters themselves but capturing the character of Hong Kong as well. Spiderman, Wolverine, Wonder Woman and Superman also feature in the collection of snaps which can be seen at the links below and I've posted a few of my favourites as well. I have also posted a link to Chow Kar Hoo's own website so you can check out more of what he has produced, there is some really cool photography on there so have a look.

http://www.freshnessmag.com/2012/07/31/superheroes-living-ordinary-lives-in-hong-kong-by-chow-kar-hoo/

http://www.petapixel.com/2012/07/27/portraits-of-superheroes-living-ordinary-lives-in-hong-kong/#more-66387

http://www.chowkarhoo.com/#!