Cigar and Movie: Padilla Obsidian and Wall-E

[Fortune500]

I'm starting a movie and cigar review blog, and I thought i'd share the review here. I struggled with whether this was an entertainment review or a cigar review, so the mods can move as they see fit.

Welcome to the first movie and cigar review on StickAndFlick.com. I’m sure these reviews will evolve over time to take on a different look and feel. This’ll be a learning process for me, so if you would, I’m going to bore you with some details.

I’ve designed this blog (and/or review, if you’re reading this over on Puff.com) to force myself to make time to enjoy two of my favorite hobbies more. I’ve become remarkably overworked and busy in the last year, and haven’t been able to indulge in two of my favorite simple pleasures: A good movie, and a good cigar. So I came up with the idea of once a week forcing myself to sit down and watch a movie and smoke a cigar from my collection. Then I decided that, since I always enjoy my involvement with the cigar community, that I would share my thoughts on both as a way of giving back to it. Or at least trying to… maybe the writing will suck and it’ll be a disservice to the community. We’ll see.

Anyway, on with the review.

Mind frame going into the review: I find that my mental state greatly affects my enjoyment of things, so I think it’s fair to preface each review with a brief overview of my mind state. This review was supposed to be of the new movie Seven Pounds starring Will Smith. However, my wife’s car bit the dust this week. We have to go new car shopping this weekend, and she stole my car today. So I’m stuck at home. New movies aren’t possible, so we’re gonna have to raid my DVD shelf and watch Wall-E. I’ve seen it, but don’t remember much of it. I figure since this is the first run, it’ll be nice to have something I’m familiar with a little as I refine the process. That said, it’s been a while since I’ve had a good cigar, so I’m excited. Unfortunately, it’s 12 degrees outside, and buried in snow. The wife says no smoking in the house, sooooo…. Laptop and garage it is. My unlighted, uninsulated garage. I’m going to do this in the garage, sitting on an old metal chair at an ancient table I use as a stand when I work in the garage or do grilling. It’s cold as heck out, but… them’s the breaks.

Prelight overview of the Cigar:
I bought these Obsidians here on CS/Puff back in July off of a BOTL. They’ve been resting since then. No idea if they had any age on them prior to that, so we’ll assume that they’re 7-8 months old.

The cigar is firm to the touch, but feels almost too hard on the back third of it. It’s got a nice dark wrapper and is well-constructed. The cut went smoothly, and the initial draw is good. I was worried, given the stiff last third, but it feels good. Time to light it up.

Initial thoughts on the cigar:
It’s hard to light, but that might be a product of the unusual weather. The initial hit is good. As a side note, it’s so cold that the Butane in my lighter is taking a while to warm up and fire. There’s not a lot of intricate flavor here, but it’s smooth and mild, and enjoyable.

Initial thoughts on Wall-E:
I’m taken aback by the fact that there’s very little dialogue in the opening ten minutes of the film, but I’m entirely engrossed in the character. As a note of bias, I love the Pixar films. I’m 30 years old, but a kid at heart, so I enjoy a good cartoon. The movie is beautifully designed, artistically, and I am entirely swept up in the main character, the titular Wall-E. I guess I should avoid spoilers here since the movie is so new that some might not have seen it. I won’t be as kind when reviewing older flicks, so be warned.

Impressions on the first third of the cigar:
I like it, but I’m not overly swept up in it. The flavor profile has picked up a little spice, but not much else. As a note, I’ve relit this thing once already, and have been constantly touching up the burn. Still, it’s a good cigar, and if I recall, it can be had for a decent price.

Impressions on the first third of the movie:
Wow, this movie actually really pulls at your heart strings. There’s a certain irony in a robot being one of the most heartfelt and “human” characters in a long time. The humans in the movie are scary, because well, sometimes I fear we’re not that far off from the depiction in the film. I’m so engrossed at this point that I’ve nearly forgotten that my cajones are nearly frozen to this metal chair.

Second Third, Cigar:I gotta say, I’m not loving this cigar. It’s good, mind you, but it’s very one-note, and the burn issues I’m experiencing are ridiculous. I’ve been through two relights, and I’m fighting tunneling. I mean, I get it, it’s cold as hell out here, and I’d like to go inside. However, I’m not allowed, and neither is my cigar flame, dammit!

Second Third, Movie: The second portion of the movie is good, but it’s not nearly as good as the first part. The humans are obnoxious (by design – I get it) but I’d like to focus more on the cool robots, I guess. Still a great movie.

Final Third, Cigar: Sigh.I’m actually looking forward to letting this cigar go. I’ve again relit a couple times. Is it just me, or does this thing have a ridiculously thick wrapper? Maybe that’s part of the problem. The spice has really kicked up, but, when I can actually smoke it, it’s still enjoyable. Unfortunately, I find myself hotboxing this cigar just to keep it lit.

Final Third, Movie: Wow, what a great movie. I find it a testament to it that I enjoyed it far more in my freezing garage than I did in the theater many months ago. There’s a great moral to the story, and it’s a great film that anyone can enjoy.

Final thoughts: Well, I certainly enjoyed the movie more than the cigar, in this case. The movie is nearly beyond reproach, and I get why everyone is discussing it as one of the best films of 2008. It deserves all the praise. As for the cigar, it’s one that I’m going to have to age some more and revisit in a better smoking environment. The burn issues were so bad that it detracted from my enjoyment of the movie and the cigar’s nice, if uninspiring, taste. At this point, I wouldn’t BUY it again, but I fear closing the door on it entirely because there were a lot of environmental factors working against the cigar.

Sorry I don’t have more pictures. The camera on my new cell phone doesn’t have a flash, and it just didn’t work well in the environment. I’ll rectify that in future reviews.

[northcig]

Hey, thanks for the reviews. I think this format has promise.
I just subscribed to the RSS feed from your blog. I found a way to make my uninsulated garage a bit more bearable. I fire up my gas grill in there so at least I have something to warm my hands over. of course now all my cigars have a "hint of grilled pork chop"

[Fortune500]

That's not necessarily a bad thing, is it?

I've got a little space heater I'm gonna move outside... and I have a wall I need to repair anyway, so I'll be making it bearable.

Spring can't get here soon enough

[mistabman]

Very nice idea! I often take the laptop out to the garage to have a movie and a smoke. Tonight, I may pair a LGC Serie R with V for Vendetta. Great review!

[Buddha024]

Great idea and review. If you didn't dry box that obsidian before you smoked it, you may want to try that next time. It should definitely help with the relight issues you had. Look forward to the next review.

[andrewsutherland2002]

Padilla Obsidian is a great stick.
Wall-E is a great movie.

Great job.