Robin Hardwick - Cost-Conscious Connoisseur

07 Jan 2012

Flashback Films in Berkeley

Although I call myself a film buff, I could lose a lot of credibility considering there are some “classics” I’ve never seen. Let’s just say one that I haven’t seen rhymes with “Pasablanca”. I call myself a comedy nerd but I’ve never seen a certain Monty Python movie about someone

Robin Hardwick - Cost-Conscious Connoisseur 0
03 Jan 2012

My Broke-Ass Best of the Year List, Part Two

I previously discussed television, books and comedy.. FILM I won’t get into too many, because you can read many aggregates of critics reviews of films, but here are some films that are worth seeking out: The Skin I Live In is a Spanish-language drama/horror from infamous Spanish director Pedro Almadovar

Robin Hardwick - Cost-Conscious Connoisseur 0
26 Dec 2011

My Broke-Ass Best-of-the-Year List

I am sure you will be saturated with best of the year list with every other critic and blogger, but I wanted to share my discoveries of the year. This is a hodgepodge list of media that I did/saw/consumed/heard this year. If you are not already up on this, I

Robin Hardwick - Cost-Conscious Connoisseur 0
19 Dec 2011

Broke-Ass Nostalgia: Mallrats

One can’t mention the film Mallrats (1995) without giving a nod to Clerks (1994). Clerks was writer/director Kevin Smith’s low-budget, indie masterpiece. It isn’t necessarily a novel idea these days, but in the early nineties, a movies about hourly-wage employees based mostly on snappy dialogue and not much action was

Robin Hardwick - Cost-Conscious Connoisseur 0
13 Dec 2011

Broke-Ass Guide to Being Alone on Christmas

 Spending Christmas alone is nothing to be ashamed of. Flights are expensive, maybe you don’t have the money to fly to see your family. Maybe you hate your family. Perhaps you are Jewish. Don’t let other people feel sorry for you- Christmas by yourself is awesome. If you find yourself

Robin Hardwick - Cost-Conscious Connoisseur 0
09 Dec 2011

Popuphood Pops Up in Old Oakland

I love this idea. Two business owners in the great but not-well-frequented neighborhood in old Oakland arranged for retailers to temporarily set up retail space in unoccupied retail storefronts. The results? Popuphood, a chance for more development and foot traffic for Old Oakland and support for small, local business owners

Robin Hardwick - Cost-Conscious Connoisseur 0
03 Dec 2011

Uncle Dougie’s is the Real New York Deal

One evening when I was out in Downtown Oakland, the hunger set in at about midnight. A friendly fellow bar patron directed me to a place called “Uncle Dougie’s New York-style Italian Heroes” on 17th Street. A short walk from The Layover Bar and we arrived at a late-night diner’s

Robin Hardwick - Cost-Conscious Connoisseur 0