New Republic Tattoo, Foo!

Have you ever walked into a tattoo and/or piercing shop and thought, 'Did I just walk through a hole in the wall and end up in a dumpster?' Then all the artists stop what they're doing to look up at you and make you feel extremely uncomfortable and out of place. There almost seems to be a glint of crazy in their eyes, as you feel the floor start to open. That’s NOT what you’re going to find at Donny Manco’s New Republic Tattoo.

The tale of this beautiful friendship began only a couple years ago.  I was searching the world’s wide web to shed some light on the whole “tattoo” thing, which I knew nothing about. I was extremely timid about the idea of having goo-gone resistant ink on my arm. As I explored my Google searches with much trepidation, among the shops found I discovered New Republic Tattoo. They not only had no counts against their shop for cleanliness issues, they have also been awarded with the Fort Wayne Reader’s Choice Best of Tattoo Shops for three consecutive years, claiming the title for 2011. This intrigued me to say the least. I knew with the plethora of tattoo shops sprouting up all over Fort Wayne that I had to approach the experience of my first tattoo with some thoughtful consideration.

I called their shop for general information and to set up an appointment - they were super nice. I decided it was time to visit the shop to allow the artist to get a better idea of what I was wanting. As I walked inside I was greeted right away and didn't feel as out of place as I was expecting to feel. I sat down with Donny, the owner, and talked with him about my tattoo ideas. He not only took note of what I said but made suggestions that I didn't even think about. To this day I still get compliments on my wolf tattoo. Since then I have returned to their shop for three more tattoos: a cupcake, a half-sleeve Marvel tattoo, and an Underoath symbol done by Zeke. All of which I LOVE and constantly have admirers for. Donny Manco's New Republic Tattoo is my first, no, make that only place to get tattoos. In fact, I have quite a few additional tattoos planned out, it's just finding the time and money.

Now this post isn't to say that any of the other tattoo shops are mediocre, I just wouldn't go anywhere else to get more work done. I love going into New Republic Tattoo and getting some permanent ink put on my skin, and having fun just hanging out in the mean time. All the guys there are great and I'm a long term customer, and friend to their shop. So, if you're in the area and looking for a great tattoo shop, check it out!!

"Mirror Mirror" by Tarsem Singh

I'm what you'd consider as your typical Sci-Fi and fantasy movie lover. So I jumped at the opportunity to watch Tarsem Singh's newest film "Mirror Mirror" with one of my comrades. After a quick run to Wal-Mart for an assortment of chocolate, chips, and 16oz. milk jugs, we were ready for the silver screen. As the introduction of the movie progressed, I nearly tore my armrests from their fastened structure. The credits along with the narration were incredible, to say the least. The animation was great and the story seemed to be off to an intriguing start. However, things slowly began to fall to shambles as the movie went on. The acting was mediocre as well as the entirety of the film. I can't describe the disappointment I felt after seeing such a mind-blowing introduction.

Upon seeing trailers before viewing the actual film, I was eagerly anticipating this movie's release. It's a fairly typical interpretation of Snow White's story. The one aspect I did enjoy the most was the exaggerative elements to the film, such as a normal bow on a dress would be the scale of the character's entire body. The costume design along with every scene's environment was eye-catching - it's too bad the acting and movie's progression had to fall short. So, props to the cinematography but that's about it. They could have made the parts with the queen more frightening and also your mood didn't change with the environment that each character was occupying.

Overall, it's worth watching the film, but I wouldn't pay money to see it in theaters, Redbox or your local movie store is a better bet.