Exotic/Disgusting Foods and Beverages Forum--A Turkish/American Watermelon Juice

      A while ago I was browsing the fruit juice section at my local Shop-Rite, and beheld some watermelon juice.  I've obviously had watermelon many times in my life, as well as quite a few watermelon-flavored products (some which used actual watermelons, some which used artificial, chemical approximations).  But never, to my recollection, the juice alone.  So, I gave this a try.  It was from the ISO Naturals company, which is based in NJ in the U.S.  Although the label noted that the contents were a product of Turkey (spelled "Turkiye," with an umlaut over the "u"), so presumably the melons were grown and processed in Turkey, and then exported to the parent company in the U.S.A.

     This is yet another entry in my growing-ever-longer list of companies which don't seem to want to talk about their owner(s), founder(s), or company history much at all.  The official website noted that they've been in business "nearly a decade," but that was it.  Alternate business-related websites like LinkedIn listed some employees' names, but none were the owners or founders.  I looked up the names that were provided online to find out what ethnicity they were probably of, and leaned that they seemed Turkish in origin.  So, it would seem that IOS Naturals was probably founded by some Turkish folks, or perhaps Turkish-Americans.  Sometime around 2015 or 2016.  Alternate juice selections include pear, apricot, cranberry, super chia, "forest fruits," "green," and "red."  Aside from juices, IOS also markets spreadable fruits, seeds, salt & pepper, oils, fig balls, dried fruits, and capers.  The business is extremely into being all natural, as their wares are organic, and lack GMOs, preservatives, artificial flavors, and added sugar.

     Moving on the fruit whose juice I consumed, watermelons are native to Africa.  Wild watermelon seeds have been found in Libya which date back 5500 years ago.  A melon in Sudan is a good candidate for being the original progenitor for watermelons.  They were domesticated in Egypt by 2000 B.C.  Although these early watermelons were quite different, with yellowish-white inner flesh, and a bitter flavor.  People have been breeding them for millennia to make them into the red-fleshed, sweet, relatively easy-to-open fruits we know today.  Also, botanically this large fruit is technically a berry.  In addition to eating the flesh, some people press the seeds for their oil, and some other eat the rinds after they've been cooked or pickled.  In fact, I've had the rind in pickled form--see my long ago post on May 12, 2013 about Ottumwa, Iowa cuisine for more details about that.

IOS Naturals organic watermelon juice:  It had a slight odor.  The color was reddish-orange.  The taste was rather thin, and kind of watery.  It wasn't terrible, but not really appealing, either.  Just bland.  Not that sweet, not that much of anything.  Kind of like the fruit itself.  I probably mentioned this in previous posts, but I don't enjoy watermelon, because of its watery blandness.  Therefore, it makes sense that I also find its juice to be dull, and not worth the trouble.  I was also surprised by how high it was in calories--120 per serving, which was 8 ounces (240 mL).  There was apple juice concentrate in it too--maybe the apples were the main culprit here.  Anyway, I won't be buying this again, which is pretty much what I figured, since this fruit doesn't dazzle me.  But if you're a fan of watermelon in general, you'll probably enjoy this.  I'll stick to eating watermelon in the only way I've really liked, which was pickled.  As I covered in the previous paragraph.

    

     I also noted that the label on my bottle said that the juice had been "flash pasteurized."  Which, as I learned, simply means that it was heated at a higher temperature, for a shorter amount of time, than the normal pasteurization process.  This is thought to preserve the substance in questions' color and flavor better.  Since this will still kill any harmful bacteria, this sounds like a win-win situation.  Certainly better than the foolish alternative of drinking non-pasteurized drinks, and needlessly risking getting sick.

     

Exotic/Disgusting Foods and Beverages Forum--American/Chinese Bean Snacks

      So this one came about a couple of months ago, at the same Shop-Rite I reference very often on this blog.  A bean snack, which was listed as being a "Product of China," but also mentioned as being made for a Bronx, NY company.  I tried two kinds--the garlic & onion sort, and the zesty ranch flavor, both from the Bada Bean Bada Boom brand.

     Bada Bean Bada Boom (for brevity's sake, from now on I'll mostly abbreviate this as BBBB) is a brand of the Beyond Better Foods LLC company.  Which is one of those firms that doesn't include much of anything about its founder(s), general history, etc.  I had to cobble these details together from alternate online sources, such as LinkedIn.  Anyway, Beyond Better appears to have started in 2012, and currently employs a reported 32 people.  The person (or persons) ultimately responsible for the business's existence is a little vague.  LinkedIn has a Maria J. Coria as the founder, but other sources note that the owner is a Michael Shoretz.  (Perhaps Coria founded it, and later sold controlling interest to Shoretz, or something.)  In addition to the BBBB snacks, Beyond Better also had (has?) an ice cream line called Enlightened.  As far as I could learn, there are only 6 flavors of the bean snack.  Aside from the kinds I tried, there is a sweet sriracha, a sweet onion & mustard, a spicy wasabi, and a sea salt kind.  The website is very health-conscious, proudly touting how much more nutritious these bean snacks are versus regular potato chips.  Not surprisingly, the website also notes that their wares are vegan-appropriate, kosher, and free of gluten, GMOs, and soy.  (Although their factories do process tree nuts and peanuts, so be aware of that if you're intensely allergic to these substances.)  Evidently the secret to their bean snacks' relative healthiness is the beans themselves, and because they're roasted in a limited amount of sunflower oil.  Also, it should be noted that the beans used in BBBB are broad beans, often known as fava beans.  (Yes, yes, like the ones that Hannibal Lecter mentioned.)  More on that later.  I also was struck by a slightly defensive sounding question on their FAQ section on the official website, "Why is Bada Bean Bada Boom made in China?"  Their answer was that the broad beans are best from China, as they are native to there, and that the factories in this nation are confined to the highest safety standards, and ethics.

 Bada Bean Bada Boom garlic & onion flavor:  The pieces were bean-sized, and bean-shaped, or roughly ovoid, with a brownish-yellow color, and a pebbled texture.  They were dry and crunchy, obviously.  I could detect the garlic & onion flavor, but it wasn't very strong.  Okay, but not great.

Bada Bean Bada Boom zesty ranch flavor:  Same size, shape, color, and texture as the previous one.  Dry and crunchy, like the previous.  Some ranch hints, but again, not a strong flavor.  Alright, but not dazzling.  I would have much preferred a stronger, more significant flavor.  So both of these are clearly more healthy than regular potato chips, but they don't taste better.  I don't plan on buying them again.

     Two additional points struck me about this snack.  As the official website admitted, and other online sources corroborated, there is a medical condition called "favism."  Certain people have a genetic disorder, called "G6PD," which is a type of anemia.  When these folks eat fava beans the results can be nasty--fatigue, dark urine, shortness of breath, pale skin, lower back pain, rapid heart beat, fever, and diarrhea.  And it's not just fava beans either--other things like anti-malarial drugs, certain antibiotics, mothballs (presumably from skin contact, and not eating!), aspirin, and even stress can be triggers.  Which must really suck if you're afflicted and need to undergo surgery, or travel to areas where malaria is a danger, or if you get a bacterial infection, or if you're just worried about the possibility of any of these things.

     Finally, readers might be curious about the odd name of this snack.  Well, Bada Bean Bada Boom is clearly a reference to "Bada Bing Bada Boom."  "Sopranos" fans will recall that the first two words of this phrase were the name of Silvio's strip club in the show.  And this in turn is probably a reference to a quote from Sonny Corleone (played by James Caan) in the first "Godfather" movie (1972).  But, there's more.  The first public and notable mentioning of this phrase, as far as I could tell, is from the 1958 Pat Cooper comedy routine, "The Italian Wedding."  However, it's evidently a fairly common East Coast Italian-American saying, meaning, "long story short," or "there you go."  The derivation of the phrase is vague.  Some think it's from the Italian phrase "bada bene," which means, "mark well," (or possibly "mind you," according to translations I could learn online) while others think it's the approximation of the sound of a drum roll and cymbal crash after a joke at a comedy club.  So there you are.  I love "The Godfather," and "The Sopranos," so I think it's a cool name.  But, it's admittedly a rather unwieldy moniker, I will say.

 

Exotic/Disgusting Foods and Beverages Forum--Israeli/American Flatbreads

   So this product caught my eye a bit because of its exclamation point after the name--"Absolutely," or, "Absolutely!" with the punctuation.  When I saw that this was a product of Israel that settled it, as I was going to buy it.  I went with the "original" and "everything" flavors from the Absolutely! flatbread line.  Despite what Jake Jarmel would think.  (This is a deep cut sitcom reference--see the end for an explanation, if you need it.)

     As has happened quite a bit recently, this was a revisit of sorts.  Absolutely! is a brand of the NJ-based Kenover Marketing Corporation, which, as it turns out, has tons or brands.  Probably the most famous of these is Manischewitz, which makes foods like cookies, matzo, noodles, crackers, soup, gefilte fish (see my post on April 6th, 2013), chocolate and candy, oils and vinegars, etc., but is arguably best known for its wines.  But one of its other brands might struck a chord with regular readers of this blog--Kedem, makers of the tea biscuits I discussed in my post on February 9th, 2019.  As usual, I won't repeat myself much here--consult that article if you're curious about the company's history.  For those that don't want to go back, Kenover started in 1948, and its brands are exported to over 30 countries worldwide.  As for the Absolutely!, aside from flatbreads, the brand also makes crackers, pizza, and snacks, all of which are free of gluten.  And if you're really a history buff of my blog, check out my original post about gluten-free products, in my post about gluten-free beers on December 10th, 2012.

Absolutely! flatbreads, original flavor:  The pieces were rectangular in shape, about 13 cm. by 4.5 cm. (or about 5 inches by 1.75 inches), and look like matzo.  They were white, with brownish/blackish cooked or singed-like edges.  When eaten plain, the flavor was like matzo, too--blandish, some salt tinges.  As the base for a cheese canape the result was much better, pretty tasty.  

Absolutely! flatbreads, everything flavor:  These looked very similar to the original ones--same size, shape, and color, except that some greenish/black spice granules were visible.  Eaten plain they tasted like the original kind too--pretty bland.  Some spice flavor, but not much.  As before though, as the base for a cheese canape the overall effect was improved significantly.

    In conclusion, then, if you like matzo, you'll probably enjoy these as well.  But they'll definitely need some help in the form of a condiment or topping, unless you really like plain matzo-type flavors.

 

     Returning to the reference in the opening paragraph, Jake Jarmel was a character on "Seinfeld," played by Marty Rackham.  In the 4th episode of Season 5, "The Sniffing Accountant," (first aired on October 7th, 1993), Jarmel gets into a fight with Elaine and breaks up with her over his disdain for her overuse of exclamation points.  (For the record, in general I agree with Jake--exclamation points should be used sparingly, I think, or they lose their effect.)  I was slightly surprised to learn that the Jarmel character actually appeared in 3 episodes, and Rackham also appeared as a cop in "The Trip Part 2," when Kramer is accused of being a serial killer in Los Angeles.  Finally, in real life Jerry Seinfeld claimed that a former accountant stole $50,000 of Jerry's money to buy drugs.

  

Exotic/Disgusting Foods and Beverages Forum--South African/Belgian Fruit Rolls

      It happened again.  I was browsing around in my local Shop-Rite, and came upon something kind of exciting.  A food from South Africa.  (Perhaps my first?   I can't recall anything else offhand.)  Obviously, I bought it without much further consideration.  To be exact, the products I got were two kinds of fruit rolls from the Bear brand--their apple/pear/raspberry, and their apple/pear/mango kind.

     I spent a bit of time researching Bear, and hit an internet wall of sorts.  Basically, all I discovered were some product lists.  Aside from the types of rolls I sampled, these included Minis (smaller fruit rolls), Splits (combination fruit flavors), and Fruit Treasures (which are also a sort of tiny rolls).  Some of the fruit flavors offered were strawberry, mango, raspberry, blackcurrant, and apple.  My packages weren't labeled as being "Splits," but were clearly combinations of different fruit flavors as well.  Anyway, a little deeper searching revealed that Bear is a brand of another business, and doesn't appear to be a separate company itself.  One which I've already encountered--Lotus Bakeries, out of Belgium.  So, as before, I'll try not to repeat myself much here.  If you're curious about the Lotus company, head on over to my post on November 2nd, 2019, which covers their Biscoff cookies/biscuits.  And it appears that the fruit itself was grown in South Africa--hence the notation on the box.  Otherwise, Bear had an advertisement made for it which was directed by an Emmy winner--Anna Mantzaris did a Bear commercial called "Wildly Irresistible."  (Mantzaris, a Swedish animator and director, won her Emmy for co-directing an ad for Apple called "Fuzzy Feelings" in 2024 )  But the main memorable feature about Bear fruit rolls is what's included in the box, with the food.  They have several cardboard trading cards, similar in size and shape to the baseball and football cards I collected as a kid.  Sadly, I was a little disappointed in these.  The front of the cards were cool--stylized drawings of the beast in question.  But I would have liked it if the back side had statistics and/or fun facts about the animal, such as how big aardvarks get, or how heavy a sailfish weighs, or other bits of trivia.  Instead, there were just other pictures, or maze type games.  So, just a friendly suggestion to the folks at Lotus--maybe consider changing up the cards.

Bear fruit rolls, apple/pear/mango flavor:  The rolls were in a circular shape, about 1.5 inches/4 cm. in diameter, and about 1 cm./.25 inches thick.  The color was brownish yellow.  The taste was sweet.  I could detect the apple in particular.  They were okay, but not great.  Okay for a fruit snack.

Bear fruit rolls, apple/pear/raspberry flavor:  Same size and shape as the previous.  These were a purple color.  Better than the other kind, I guess.  I like raspberry better than mango, it seems, at least for these rolls.  Chewy.  Again, a decent fruit snack, but not spectacular or anything.  I prefer Fruit Roll Ups or Fruit Leather better.  (I'm not sure that either or both of these are still made, but I recall liking them more.)

 

Exotic/Disgusting Foods and Beverages Forum--Canned Vietnamese/Japanese Crab

      A few weeks ago I took an unexpected trip down memory lane at the grocery store.  While in the canned meat section, I happened to see some canned crab meat.  Years ago, when I was dieting, I would sometimes eat canned seafood, since it's surprisingly low in calories.  While also being fairly tasty and filling.  As I was looking to drop a few pounds once again, I bought some more, both the crab, and some minced clams.  And by chance, one of the cans I picked up was from Vietnam, by way of a Japanese company.  Specifically, the "fancy white crab meat" from the Geisha brand.

     This brand name sounded familiar, and I did a brief review of my blog history.  I learned that I'd tried a Geisha product before, in my post about baby corn on August 13, 2022.  So, if you're interested in the company behind the Geisha brand, Kawasho Foods, feel free to check out that post.  But I'll refrain from repeating much now.  Instead, I'll focus on the animal that I ate.  Fortunately, the official Geisha website provided the identity of the exact type of crab I'd had, which was the blue swimmer crab.  Among other common names, as it's also called "blue crab," "flower crab," and others.  This species is native to the Indo-Pacific region, off the coasts of the Philippines, Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia, Indonesia, Australia, and of course, Vietnam.  Only the males are actually blue--the females are more of a greenish-brown color.  As the end of the common name suggests, this crab is a talented swimmer.  The males also use their substantial front claws to help keep rival males out of their individual territory.  Their claws, and evident aggression are of little use versus humans, alas, so this crab is a very popular food source.  They're sometimes eaten in their less mature, soft shell state, or later in their mature harder shells.  The crabs also do well when they're farmed, which clearly makes it easier to harvest them.  (Although my can noted that my crabs were wild caught.)  The blue swimmer crab's distinctive movements also have had an odd cultural impact, as it inspired the movements of some characters in the Filipino stage plays/festivals called Linambay, or sometimes moro-moro.

Geisha fancy white crab meat:  No real odor, surprisingly.  Looked like white mush.  And it was--it must have been severely minced, or even pureed, since no pieces were even as big as a grain of sand.  It tasted kind of like regular crab, but watery and weak.  (It had been packed in water, but I drained out what I could.)  I had this plain, as I always used to do with canned seafood.  Overall this was very disappointing.  I usually love crab but this was like the light beer of crabmeat--a weak-tasting approximation of the real thing.  I guess given its whipped up nature it's more intended to be added to soups or stews or something.  But I definitely do not recommend this, and won't buy it again.  I'll stick to canned seafood that retains its texture, and flavor.

     When I saw the brand name (again) I wondered if it was a bit tasteless, or even offensive.  I was under the impression that "geishas" were synonymous with prostitutes, and thus this might have been a rude term.  I was happy to learn that I this was cultural misunderstanding on my part.  I guess my first clue should have been that a Japanese company named this, and not a non-Japanese business.  The overall story is very detailed, but long story short, geishas were, and still are, performing artists and entertainers who do traditional songs, dances, and musical renditions, usually while wearing distinctive makeup, hairstyles, and clothing.  But nearly all geishas were not prostitutes, and didn't exchange sexual favors for money to their audience members.  So, at least this can of seafood ultimately led me to learn a little something about a different culture.  

Extremely Difficult Trivia About "It Follows" (2014)

      As I noted in last week's post about "28 Days Later," I'm trying to feature a few newer movies for these deep dive trivia quizzes.  Today's is only 10 years old, as you can see from the title.  I thought "It Follows" was great--about a totally new type of supernatural creature, with its own powers and limitations.  It's probably even a tad underrated.  So I'll try to help give it some more due.  And it's the same format as ever, questions followed by the answers, with many SPOILERS ahead.  Also, clearly, Happy Halloween to all those that observe this unholiest of holidays!

Questions:

1)    The opening scenes show a young woman who falls prey to the demonic "It" monster.  What's her name?

2)    In an early scene Yara is reading on a Kindle-like portable device.  What book is she reading?

3)    What is the name of Jay's date?

4)    What are the rules to Jay and her sister Kelly's Trade Game, which she plays on her date?

5)    Does Jay win the Trade Game?

6)    What reason did Jay's date give to choose the little boy for the Game?

7)    Which movie were Jay and her date going to see?

8)    What is the name of the movie theater they (briefly) attend?

9)    According to Jay, while they're walking around, what does her sister Kelly smell like?

10)   What is the number address of Greg's house, which is across the street from Jay and Kelly's?

11)   What card game are Yara, Kelly, and Paul seen playing while Jay's on her date?

12)   According to Kelly, when does her mom wake up, presumably for work?

13)   What is the professor reading to Jay's college class?

14)   Paul and Kelly both work at an ice cream store at an intersection.  At what two cross streets?

15)   According to Paul, behind what business did they find the porn magazines as children?

16)   Paul finds a photograph of Jay's date in a porn magazine in the dilapidated house.  Name the magazine.

17)   What school does Jay's date attend?

18)   We hear several announcements over the P.A. system at the school.  What room do girls interested in playing club lacrosse need to report to?

19)   And to whom should wrestler kids hand in their permission forms?

20)   And what show is this year's high school musical?

21)   What is the real name of Jay's date? (The one who infected her with the "It" demon.)

22)   Who infected this guy with the demonic curse?

23)   In the confrontation at the beach at Greg's vacation house, where does Jay hit the demon with a bullet?

24)   True or false?  The demon "It" creature is completely silent.

25)   What injuries does Jay incur from her car accident?

26)   According to the television broadcast, what is the name of the reporter covering the 4 alarm fire in West Detroit?

27)   According to Yara, how old was she the last time she went to the pool?

28)   What first life event did Kelly experience at the pool building?

29)   Did Paul used to pee in the pool?

30)   What street boundary did Yara's, and Kelly and Jay's parents not allow her to go beyond?

31)   While shooting at the It monster, Paul accidently hits a friend.  Who?

32)   Where on her body is the wound?

33)   What is the last name of Jay and Kelly?

34)   The It demon takes the form of strangers, and friends and family of its targets.  What people known to Jay does the entity impersonate?

35)   Where is "It Follows" set?

36)   When is "It Follows" set?

37)   For the It demon to be passed on, does the sex have to be heterosexual, or a certain type of sex?  In other words, does gay sex, or oral sex, or anal sex, or hand stuff count?  (Conjectural)

38)   Did Jay have sex with one, or all of the guys in the boat?  And did Paul have sex with one or both of the prostitutes he passes while driving?  (Conjectural)

39)  What old black and white movie are Kelly, Yara, and Paul watching at Kelly's house early on in the movie?

40)  And here's the biggest question:  Could you avoid the It creature for years, or even permanently, by traveling to an island, or another continent?  Would the demon have to walk and climb around on the ocean floor and all?  (Conjectural)

Answers:

1)    Annie.

2)    "The Idiot," published in 1868-69 by Fyoder Dostoevsky.

3)    Hugh, although we later find out that this is a false name.

4)    You scan the people around you, and pick someone you'd like to trade places with.  The other person has 2 guesses to figure out who you chose, and why.

5)    No.

6)    He has his whole life ahead of him, is happy, and (probably a joke) he can go to the bathroom any time he wants.

7)    "Charade" (1963).

8)    It's the Redford Theater.

9)    Cherry Coke, and banana nicotine.  Based on what's she's recently consumed.

10)   38748.

11)   Old Maid.

12)   5:15 am.

13)   An excerpt from T S Eliot's poem "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufock."

14)   Tyler and 12 Mile Road.

15)   Barry's Pizza.

16)   Playpen, which is a fake porn mag often used in American movies and television programs.

17)   Lawson High School.

18)   Room LT 431.

19)   Mr. Dwiggins.

20)   "The Mouse That Roared," which is based on the 1955 novel by Leonard Wibberley, and has been both a stage play and a movie.

21)   Jeff Redmond.

22)   An unidentified girl he met at a bar, and had a one-night stand with.

23)   The right side of It's head, and It's right ear.

24)   False.  In the attack at Greg's vacation house, it audibly hisses and moans at Jay.

25)   A slight head wound (and maybe a concussion), and a broken right forearm, which gets a cast.

26)   Rich Kensington.

27)   14.

28)   Drinking her first beer, which later caused her to vomit.

29)   It seems likely.  He brushes it off as no big deal, saying there are tons of chemicals in the water anyway.

30)   8 Mile Road, which is one of the borders of the city.

31)   Yara.

32)   Her lower right leg.

33)   Height.  That's in the credits--it's never spoken or written, as far as I could tell.

34)   It mimics Yara and one of the kids next door at Greg's vacation house, then Greg (while breaking into Greg's house), Greg's mother (while attacking Greg), and finally Jay and Kelly's dad at the pool building.

35)   The city of Detroit, Michigan, and its surrounding suburbs.

36)   Writer/Director David Robert Mitchell intentionally made this vague, and contradictory.  Characters have cell phones, so that suggests the late 1990's or beyond.  But the televisions are huge, thick, 1970's and 80's type monstrosities.  Yara's clam shell Kindle-like reading device isn't real.  The cars, clothing, and fashions are all mixed up, decade-wise.  This was all done to give the movie a timeless, dreamlike feel, and to make it weird and unsettling.

37)   This is unanswered in the movie.  We only see hetero, and presumably vaginal penetration sex.  But the writer/director confirmed in interviews that the It demon isn't homophobic, and homosexual sex will pass it on.  But as to what "base" will qualify, it's left unsaid.

38)   This is also unanswered.  Given Jay's reluctance to have sex with Paul right after Greg's death, it kind of seems like she changed her mind, and didn't have sex with any of the guys.  And it's also unknown if Paul has sex with any hookers.  But, on the other hand, having sex with strangers would be easier than with a friend.  Arguably evil, even if you do tell them what's going to happen next.

39)   It's the 1954 movie "Killers From Space."

40)   The writer/director directly addressed this type of strategy, and said the It monster could board a plane.  And therefore, presumably also a boat.  So apparently a plot to hide out in Tahiti or something, and/or to try to trick it into falling into a deep ocean trench forever probably wouldn't work.  Maybe the demon only walked in the movie because the characters never fled that far.  Since it probably can cover about 72 miles a day (24 hours of nonstop, 3 miles an hour walking pace), it knew it could approach them pretty quickly.  Although now I'm picturing the demon waiting around, frustrated, if someone was infected but went up to the International Space Station for months!

     For fans of this film, I just learned that a sequel is possibly on the horizon.  Filming may be taking place soon, and it may be released in 2025.  Stay tuned.  And I hope everyone has a great Halloween!

   

   

    

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Extremely Difficult Trivia About "28 Days Later" (2002)

      If you go back and look at the release dates for the movies I've covered in these detailed trivia quizzes, you'll notice that most, or nearly all of them, are from the 1970's and 80's.  With good reason--those decades are my favorite, movie-wise.  However, I do appreciate movies from the 1990's and into the 21st century.  So let's do one that's a bit more recent.  "28 Days Later" was an extremely influential horror film.  You can make a strong case that it reignited interest in the zombie movie.  Even if the creatures in "28 Days Later" aren't technically zombies, since they're infected living humans, not reanimated corpses.  But so what--they're certainly zombie-ish, in that they're mindless, savage monsters.  Anyway, let's get to it--normal format, many SPOILERS ahead, you know the drill.

Questions:

1)    The movie opens in the lab with the infected chimpanzees.  What is the name of this facility?

2)    While walking around London in the beginning, Jim reads a newspaper briefly.  Name it.

3)    Jim is seen reading a postcard from the bulletin board of messages.  What does it say?

4)    There's some graffiti on the church's inner wall in the stairwell.  What does it say?

5)    Mark introduces himself to Jim with a joke.  What is it?

6)    Jim reveals that he was a bicycle courier.  Where from, and where to, was his last assignment?

7)    Just before the news went out, there were reports of infection in what foreign cities?

8)    How long had it been since Selena and Mark had seen an uninfected person?

9)    What section of London did Jim's parents live in?

10)   What are the two lessons that Mark tells Jim?

11)   As they walk to Jim's parents' house, Selena is singing a song.  What one?

12)   What is the full message to Jim that his parents wrote on a photo of him?

13)   Mark tells Jim the story of how his family was infected, at a famous London location.  Name it.

14)   Two infected people attack Jim, Mark, and Selena at Jim's parents' house.  Who are they?

15)   Where did these two people live? (Before they became infected, and possibly after.)

16)   According to Selena, how many seconds do you have to kill a person after they've been infected?

17)   Selena mentions three different kinds of soft drink to Jim on the apartment stairwell.  Name them.

18)   What number flat (apartment) do Frank and Hannah live in?

19)   After welcoming them in, Frank offers Jim and Selena an alcoholic beverage to celebrate.  What kind?

20)   According to Frank, when did they lose water pressure in their flat?

21)   According to Frank, when was the last time it rained?

22)   The four survivors hear a military recording on the radio promising a place of safety.  Where is this located?

23)   What is the license plate number of Frank's taxicab?

24)   The gang stops at a grocery store for supplies.  Which store?

25)   Selena says she never wants to eat another chocolate bar again, with one exception.  Name it.

26)   What weapon does Jim carry on their journey?

27)   The gang sees horses at one of their stops for the night.  How many?

28)   Selena reveals her previous vocation on the journey.  What was it?

29)   Major Henry West describes the safety measures of the mansion he and his men are living in.  Name them.

30)   Which solider serves as the chef?

31)   Which soldier was infected a few days before, and is being kept chained up?

32)   What welcome meal do the soldiers serve to Jim, Selena, and Hannah?

33)   All the soldiers are privates, aside from Major West and two other men.  Name them and their ranks.

34)   One of his soldiers contemplating suicide inspired West to promise his men women.  (Consensually, or non-consensually, alas.)  Who was this near suicide?

35)   There are 8 men in the military group, not counting the infected soldier.(Question #31).  Name them all.

36)   What two soldiers take Farrell and Jim to be executed?

37)   Aside from the previously infected soldier (Mailer), which soldiers are definitely infected, and not killed outright?

38)   How many uninfected people does Jim personally kill?

39)   What is the message that the group leaves on the ground for planes to see?

40)   If it's been 28 days, how is Jim still alive at the hospital?  (Conjectural)

41)   The infected don't seem to attack each other, only non-infected.  How do they track and identify non-infected people?  (Conjectural)

42)   Since the infected are still living human beings, how are they still alive after up to 28 days later?  (Conjectural)

43)   The infected are silent, aside from inarticulate yells, moans and growls.  With one exception.  Name the infected who speaks, and what they say.

44)   What animals are afflicted by the Rage Virus?  (Conjectural)

45)   What famous hospital did Jim wake up in?

46)   What (famous, and to some, infamous) building do Frank and Hannah live in?

47)   In what county is the cottage where Selena, Hannah, and Jim are living in at the end?

48)   What brand of whisky is the one that Frank enthusiastically takes from the grocery store?

Answers:

1)    The Cambridge Primate Research Center.

2)    The Evening Standard, a real paper, which is now named The London Standard.

3)    "I WILL MAKE YOUR GRAVE FOR YOU ARE VILE   NAHUM 1-14."  This is quoting from that passage in the Hebrew Bible book of Nahum.

4)    "REPENT THE END IS EXTREMELY FUCKING NIGH."

5)    "A man walks into bar with a giraffe.  They each get pissed.  The giraffe falls over.  The man goes to leave.  The barman says, "Oy, you can't leave that lyin' there.  He says, "No, it not a lion.  It's a giraffe."

6)    His last delivery was going from Farringdon to Shaftebury Avenue.

7)    Paris, France, and New York City, U.S.A.

8)    6 days.

9)    Deptford.  Which is a real area.

10)   Lesson One:  You never go anywhere alone, unless you've got no choice.  Lesson Two:  Only travel during daylight, unless you've got no choice.

11)   "Abide with Me," a hymn written by Henry Francis Lyte in 1847.

12)   "Jim--with endless love, we left you sleeping.  Now we're sleeping with you.  Don't wake up. X."

13)   Paddington Station.  Once again, a real place.

14)   Mr. Bridges and his daughter.

15)   4 doors down from Jim's parents' house.

16)   10-20 seconds.

17)   Pepsi, Lilt, and Tango.  Which are all real sodas, although some have altered their names since 2002.

18)   157.

19)   Creme de menthe.

20)   3 weeks ago.

21)   10 days ago.

22)   It's the 42nd Blockade, on the M602, 27 miles northeast of Manchester.  

23)   6441 OHR.

24)   Budgens Grocery.  Which is a real store, and still around today.

25)   Terry's chocolate orange.  Which again, is a real candy.

26)   A baseball bat.  Odd that he found one of these in England, but whatever.

27)   4.

28)   She qualified as a chemist, known as a pharmacist to some folks around the world.

29)   There is flat terrain all around the house.  They have floodlights connected to a generator.  There is a high perimeter wall, and they have tripwires and landmines embedded in the lawn.

30)   Jones.

31)   Mailer.

32)   Tinned ham, tinned peas, tinned beans, and an omelet.  (Sadly, the omelet was made with rotten eggs, and was inedible.)

33)   Farrell is a sergeant, and Mitchell is a corporal.

34)   Jones.

35)   Major West, Sergeant Farrell, Corporal Mitchell, and Privates Jones, Clifton, Bell, Bedford, and Davis.

36)   Mitchell and Jones.

37)   Only Clifton.

38)   Davis, at the blockade, Jones with a bayonet stab, and Mitchell by slamming his head against the wall, and then gouging his eyes out, and back into his brain.

39)   "Hello."

40)   Evidently the hospital had a good generator, and its power lasted longer than the rest of London.  And the intravenous fluids continued to hydrate and nourish Jim until close to his wakeup time.

41)   Clearly noise and movement attracts them, so using their eyes and ears.  But it seems to be something else as well, as they can still tell the difference between infected and uninfected people.  In other words, even if an uninfected person stays silent, and motionless, the infected still seem to go after them.  And since the movie doesn't have supernatural elements, I think that uninfected people have a different odor, and the infected can detect them using their sense of smell.

42)   We don't see them doing it, but since they're still living humans, they clearly are drinking water at least every 2 or 3 days or so.  And probably eating something on occasion, too, since some would surely have died from starvation otherwise.

43)   The kid that Jim kills at the gas station says, "I hate you!"

44)   It seems to affect only primates, as it was a disease designed for them.  We see pigeons, seagulls, geese, horses, crows, and rats acting normally, and showing no signs or infection.

45)   St. Thomas's Hospital, a real London hospital.

46)   Balfron Tower, again, a real place in London.

47)   Cumbria, in the Northwest part of England.

48)   Lagavulin 16 year Scotch.  A real brand, and one that Scotch afficionados usually respect.