Dude! Rult!

'13 Movie List

2013-01-05T12:30:00.001-08:00

01/02/13-Bones Brigade: An Autobiography*
01/03/13-The Expendables 2*
01/04/13-The Dark Knight Rises (kinda)
01/06/13-Multiplicity
01/09/13-That's My Boy*
01/09/13-Dredd*
01/10/13-The Watch*
01/11/13-Total Recall '12*
01/12/13-Crank*
01/12/13-Crank: High Voltage* -
01/12/13-Hot Rod*
01/13/13-First Blood*
01/13/13-Rambo: First Blood Part II*
01/13/13-Rambo III*
01/14/13-Rambo*
01/15/13-Lockout*
01/17/13-Howard the Duck*
01/18/13-The Punisher
01/19/13-John Dies at the End*
01/20/13-Johnny Dangerously* -
01/21/13-Team America: World Police (kinda)
01/22/13-Cobra
01/25/13-The Godfather
01/26/13-Django Unchained
01/26/13-Friday the 13th Part V: A New Beginning
01/27/13-Men in Black 3
01/29/13-Seven Psychopaths*
01/29/13-Moonrise Kingdom*
01/31/13-Johnny Mnemonic*
02/02/13-Devil's Playground*
02/02/13-Over the Top*
02/03/13-Jurassic Park 3
02/06/13-Django Unchained+
02/07/13-The Union*
02/10/13-Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery
02/11/13-Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me
02/12/13-The Devil's Advocate
02/12/13-Jaws
02/13/13-Austin Powers in: Goldmember
02/14/13-My Bloody Valentine
02/17/13-Maniac Cop
02/19/13-Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance*
02/19/13-Jaws 2*
02/25/13-Die Hard 2
02/26/13-Die Hard with a Vengeance

Interview with Star 95's Lee Summers

2012-03-02T06:29:00.004-08:00

My buddy Lee Summers is currently taking care of business on Star 95.9 FM, and that business is being funny. I've always known he was a comedic talent but now through the power of radio tons of other people are getting the chance to find out too. Check out this new interview I did with him where he talks shop and other things after the jump.

Ever since I've known you you have been a funny dude. Was cuttin' jokes something that just came naturally to you or did you decide one day to try to make people laugh?

A little bit of both. My brother was always the funny guy around the house and he always made me want to be funny to get attention. High school brought a new element to this. I realized that being quick witted was a good defense mechanism and people always like the "funny guy". I think trying to be accepted and fit in played more of a part than anything. As for trying to be funny, that's usually the thing that makes
you least funny. There comes a point when things start to flow and you notice your mind working in strange ways. Looking past the obvious to see the oddity is what makes good observational humor.

It's awesome that you are on the radio, what are your thoughts on that? What type of station is it, and what music do you play?

We are considered a CHR (contemporary hit radio) station. We play top 40 music and break new hit music. It may not be my favorite genre of music but the popularity factor contributes to higher listenership of the show and that's what really matters.

I know for a fact that you like good music, including stuff that you would never hear on the radio. What is it like to have to listen to stuff that you don't like all day long and are you able to pick what gets played?

It can be very frustrating playing repetitive music that I don't care for but so many people do like it that it does feel good to make people happy. I have also influenced the new music selection along with my co-host and General Manager LT Schoonover to reflect some new acts that are not charting high but need to be heard.

With that said, what are your thoughts on music today in general? Do you think there is any hope for popular music?

I think that music has steadily gone downhill since the nineties, most likely do to my age, But a lot of people agree. Auto tune and somebody making stupid noises over a drum beat doesn't really ring true as music to me. We are trying to break new acts like Scars on 45, Gotye, and Eric Hutchenson that have a very alternative pop feel. If you remember the good old days when Pearl Jam and Nirvana were played
on pop stations you will see the cycle of late 80s and early 90s being consumed with urban/dance music and then all of the sudden the public was bored enough with that style to allow themselves to be open with accepting a polar opposite alternative grunge movement that revolutionized music on a Hendrixian level. I am hoping we are approaching this point again in music and am trying to spur it along
whenever possible.

Whenever we hang out, the stuff you pull that makes me laugh definitely wouldn't see air on a normal radio station. How much do you have to censor yourself when you're on the air and would say that your performance on the radio is even a good representation of your sense of humor?

This is a daily struggle with censorship. Fortunately being an observational style comedian makes it easier to keep it clean but at the same time I always have to stop before things get to be what I would consider really good. It is tough to stay clean not just with language but with content. Just because you don't say "he got f**ked in the @ss" and say "he took a wiener in his hind end" doesn't make it acceptable. Innuendo is a big grey area. The rule of thumb in radio is that perception is reality. You either have to be very slick in your wording or don't even try to hide it and just say a PC version of what you would say like "he was sexually assaulted by another man". Really puts a damper on things. I will tell you this though, it has challenged me to push my creative writing and improv abilities to new levels by having to rewrite a joke 3 times in my head in under a second. Quickness is everything. Nothing is more pathetic than saying "H,ey it woulda been funny if I had said this" or "I shoulda said this". You have that one moment to shine and its over.
Its very tough.

You're definitely making the most of a hard situation in Southern West Virgina, that of being a creative person with seemingly no way of getting exposure. What do you think the problem is around here? Are you satisfied with where you are at or do you still feel held back?

I am grateful of the opportunities given to me to impact 10,000 plus listeners on a daily basis and we double listener-ship every 6-8 months. There have been several bigger opportunities that have came down
the pipeline as a direct result. Being in this position and working so hard for so long to get exposure has given me a burden to help local talent get exposure. We strive to have the best local talent such as Comedians, Musicians, Artists, etc. on the show to promote themselves and have positively impacted the lives of many of these people. That feels good.

Am I wrong in thinking that you at one point wanted to be a comedian?
If that was the case, did you ever pursue it and what is the status of it.

I always consider myself a Comedian over a radio personality. I am a comedian using the medium of radio to be heard. I have done some standup and I enjoy it but having a partner to improv with has proven to be both more fruitful and satisfying in the long run.

What's next on your agenda? Do you have any projects currently in the works?

LT and I will be programing a show for Sirius XM this year and that will be a big break through for both of us. We will always maintain our show on FM and not abandon the listeners that helped us get where we are.
That should be up and going before 2013 as it stands now.

Do you do anything creatively outside of the radio show that people could check out?

I LOVE music. Its my favorite thing in the world. It can speak to you the way nothing else can. I do play live at local venues from time to time and you can get info for that from my Facebook page. Jonah Carden and I are doing a 2-piece acoustic project that will be kicking off in March. Definitely check that out, Jonah is the most talented and well practiced musician I have ever met. So honored to be involved in a project with him.

Let people know where they can check ya out and get in contact with ya.

Facebook.com/leesummers95.9
Facebook.com/star95lee
Twitter- @star95.lee
Lee@star95.com

Listen M-F 6a-10a on Star 95 95.9/ 97.7 on your FM dial or listen live on
star95.com or our Android and iPhone apps available for free download in
the App store and Android market place.

Some of my favorite stuff of 2011

2012-01-30T20:43:00.001-08:00

I realize this is probably later then most other "Best of the Year" lists and whatnot, but with the way I keep track of time it's probably as timely as anything is ever likely to be. Also, because of my inability to realize how much time has passed at any given moment, this isn't only a list of the best things that came out in '11, but also things I discovered that year and got into regardless of when they came into existence.

Blitzkid- Apparitional

You could pretty much call 2011 the year of Blitzkid for me, at least as far as what I was listening to. I've been a fan for years, but the build-up for the release of their newest album Apparitional sent me over the edge of big fan to full on fanatic. I couldn't get enough of this band leading up to when this album was finally available in the States, and thankfully, unlike most albums I build up in my head for too long and get disappointed by, this one unquestionably delivers. A comfortable mix of the somewhat experimental material on my favorite album Five Cellars Below and the classic straight ahead horror punk they are known for, this album is rock solid. What sets Blitzkid apart, like always is their talent. They bring experience, excellent song writing, untouchable lyrics, and of course the ability to actually sing to the table which sets them apart from the countless other horror bands that try to get by on gimmick alone. Unfortunately during the time this album was being produced founding member and song writer T.B. Monstrosity was expecting to leave the band and because of this didn't contribute any vocals to the album. Goolsby is no slouch, I love his vocals, and he unquestionably brought his A-game, at times almost channeling T.B. where necessary, but it would have been better to hear T.B. sing the songs he wrote as had become the custom. Thankfully since the release of the album, T.B. has decided to stay with the band and all is right with the world. If you've never listened to Blitzkid before, this is as good a place as any to start, though I could say that for almost all of their albums.
My favorite tracks: Cedar Bluff, Mr. Gore, They're All Dead, Head Over Hills, and Casque of Amontillado.

Tucker and Dale vs Evil

This movie hit me by complete surprise. Whenever I finally got it through the mail from Netflix I only had in my mind that it had gotten decent reviews and that it was a new take on the horror comedy, a favorite genre of mine. As I sat down to watch it, I knew within the first ten minutes that it was going to be hilarious. It turns all the conventions of the "crazy redneck" horror movie on their head and paints the rednecks as loveable goofs and the cliched college kids in peril as anything from unbelievably stupid to insane. Time and again both sets of characters find themselves in ridiculous situations that serve to perpetuate both of their wrong first impressions. The success of the comedy rests on the shoulders of the two title characters, played by Alan Tudyk and Tyler Labine. I know Tudyk from Joss Whedon's cult classic Sci-fi series Firefly and the movie spin-off Serenity and I've always enjoyed him. Tyler Labine is a new face to me, but he delivers in every way as the main character of the story. If you enjoy comedy with your horror I can't recommend this movie enough.

Breaking Bad

Most people are probably already aware that this is one of the most well reviewed television shows of all time and I can't possibly say anything about it that hasn't already been said. I had already seen the first season before last year, but it was in late 2011 that I decided I had to get caught up with what is essentially the best thing of it's kind on television since The Sopranos. I went through the episodes and seasons as quickly as I could because I wanted to know what happened at the end of almost every episode. If there is anything I can say about the show that sets it apart from other shows is that it has the ability to leave you on the edge of your seat not just at the end of the season finales, but with practically every episode. The stakes continue to get higher and higher with every episode and at times you wonder how things got so crazy but in my opinion that is what sets it above and beyond other shows. Unfortunately there is only one season remaining but that could be a good thing as they will go out on a high note and not out stay their welcome as some shows do. I can't wait to see where it goes.

Bongripper- Satan Worshiping Doom

This is an album that came out in late 2010 I believe but I didn't get into it until 2011. It would be hard to sell this to anyone who isn't already a fan of metal (with that band name and that album name they're obviously not aiming for the widest possible audience), particularly stoner and doom but if you are a fan of those genres this is an incredible album. Clocking in at just over 53 minutes, this is four tracks (Hail, Satan, Worship, Doom) of instrumental doom that will straight up crush you. Other influences make appearances such as black metal and sludge but the heart of this album is all out doom. If what I've just described interests you at all, then check out this album because I don't really know how to convey how jamming I think it is and if it's for you you will know it.

The Whole F'n Show

Something that I love that still doesn't get much attention, though it's starting to blow up thanks to celebrities realizing it's easy way to connect with their fans, is podcasts. My favorite of all time remains Tell 'Em Steve Dave from the Smodcast Network but I'm always willing to try out new ones as they make the insane amount of driving I have to do more enjoyable. TWFS was by far my favorite I discovered in 2011. I was browsing Youtube for the Wrestlemania fourteen main event (yes I do still enjoy wrestling from time to time, mainly the era I watched on T.V. when I was growing up) when I came across a fan commentary of the said match by a podcast called The Whole F'n Show. At first I wasn't going to listen to it but I couldn't find the video without commentary and I succumbed. I'm glad I did because what I discovered wasn't two guys trying their best Jim Ross impression but two guys with incredible chemistry , hilarious bits, and at times interesting things to say about wrestling. I instantly decided to download an episode of their podcast to see what it was like and I found it even more hilarious. As I've been listening (keeping up with the new episodes while going back and listening to all the ones I'd missed) the show has evolved into it's own universe with in-jokes, catch phrases, and supporting characters. The show at times doesn't even have anything to do with wrestling but you don't care because the hosts, Kevin Scampoli and Danny Richardson, work so well together and are so freaking funny. That said, when they do discuss wrasslin' it's not with the jaded outlook most "smarks" have about the industry, but with the same unadulterated love you had when you were a kid. This "weekly discussion" will make you want to watch wrestling again. I wouldn't say it's for everyone, as any idea of political correctness is appropriately ignored, but if you aren't offended by the occasional tirade by a character called "Racist Vince" check it out at THE WHOLE F'N SHOW.

My Top Five '95 Misfits Songs

2012-01-27T08:33:00.000-08:00

This will a bit of a sister post to my In Defense of the '95 Misfits post. Hopefully if you haven't checked this era of the band out before this will give ya a good taste of what the band was about. I won't list Dig Up Her Bones or Saturday Night because even though they are unquestionably two of my favorites, they are probably the most well known songs of this era and I'd rather give a little love to some of the ones you don't hear as much about. Also, this won't be in any particular order, just the five songs I am always game to listen to. Click through to check 'em out.

1. Shining-American Psycho

I love the chorus to this one. Obviously it's about Poltergeist, what with lyrics about Carol Anne and what not, but it's always perplexed me as to why the song is called Shining. Obviously it could be a reference to the fact that the abilities that Carol Anne have are similar to the ones Danny has in The Shining, but they had to have known that would be confusing for people.

2. Lost in Space- Famous Monsters

From what I've heard this song was written with the intentions of getting on the soundtrack of the 1998 remake of the old television series. Just like the other attempts, it failed but that's fine with me. That movie looked absolutely awful and this song jams. One thing that I thought was funny about their attempts to write songs about movies that were coming out at that time is that the lyrics in most cases don't have anything to do with the actual plot of the movie they are supposedly singing about.

3. Them- Famous Monsters

Not surprisingly another ode to an old horror movie, this time the 1954 monster movie Them!. I've never seen that film but it's about giant irradiated ants so the song seems at least stay slightly faithful to the source material in that regard. The "In the desert sands..." part of the song is possibly one of my favorite choruses of all time.

4. 1,000,000 years B.C.- Cuts from the Crypt

I would be remiss to not mention anything from Cuts from the Crypt. Though it's not a full-length record, this collection of demos and B-sides is definitely worth checking out. While there are a few songs I don't really care about on there (basically just the covers that aren't Monster Mash) the rest is full-length quality material. This song in particular which originated during the Famous Monsters sessions is a particular favorite of mine. It's quick, catchy as hell, and to the point. That's pretty much what I look for from this type of music.

5. Don't Open till Doomsday- American Psycho

As far as I can tell, this one is influenced in name only by an old Outer Limits episode, but the lyrics have nothing to do with it as far I can tell. A lot of times lyrics are interesting to me and make me like a song even more than just based on the music (I'm sure this probably the way it is for most people but most of the time I don't even pay attention to lyrics) and the lyrical content of this song always struck me as a cool concept.

Here's the lyrics to the two verses:
Buried beneath the statue the answer hides
Enduring throughout the ages
The transmitter lies
Once the chambers open the signal will be sent
To another world... Far beyond the stars

We were warned of this coming so long ago
Immortal secrets... man shouldn't know
Entering a realm where we just don't belong
We called them and they're coming

Pretty cool stuff in my book. The idea of an ancient device that would call aliens to our planet to destroy us and someone accidentally activating it is classic science fiction stuff. The album version of this song also includes the hidden track Hell Night after a good bit of silence which was the rage at the time, it also rules.

Anyways, there are far more '95 Misfits songs that I dig, but these are just the ones that usually rise to the top. Check 'em out if you've never heard 'em and if you think they rule, I agree, and if not, forgetaboutit.

In Defense of the '95 Misfits

2012-01-25T11:34:00.000-08:00

Seeing as how the reformation of The Misfits in 1995 was probably more for financial reasons than anything else, I can understand why some people look at it with skepticism. It's not exactly a secret that Danzig had far more success after the dissolution of the band than Jerry and Doyle, so it was bound to seem like a cash grab when after so many years it was announced that the band was coming back without Danzig at the helm. You can't really defend the motives behind the band coming back, but that doesn't necessarily mean that the music they made wasn't worthwhile. It seems to have become hip to not like that era of the band but I can unabashedly say that I love it.

To clarify things, I have been a fan of this era of The Misfits for years upon years at this point but I have to admit that it took me quite a while before I actually got into them. It was late into high school whenever I developed an interest in them, mainly through my buddy Travis, and my first year of college before I actually became obsessed with them. This is important because you have to consider the fact that when I would look through the bins in a record store, I thought nothing of the fact that American Psycho was right beside Earth A.D. and I think it was this acceptance of both eras of the bands as something close to equal that makes me wonder why the second incarnation gets so much flack. Of course now that the '95 era has gone the way of the original and we are left with what most people refer to as the Jerryfits I can understand a bit more. I shudder to think of some young kid wanting to get into the band and picking up Project 1950 or The Devil's Rain instead of one of the Collections of the original 7 inch records. I'm sure this is what the hardcore fans of the original group were thinking when The Misfits came out with American Psycho, but to compare that music to what is passed as Misfits music now is insane to me.
It probably helps to not even think of them as the same band. The original incarnation started as somewhat traditional punk rock with abstract and horrific lyrics and progressed into balls out hardcore that influenced the thrash metal movement. Their status as one of the most important bands ever can't be denied, at least not in my eyes. The reborn Misfits did away with the allegorical and satiric lyrical content that Danzig provided and were instead a metal-tinged punk rock outfit with fun songs paying tribute to horror films. The original band did this too, but more often than not there was some subtext below the surface of Danzig's lyrics that the new group didn't bother with. One could argue that that is what was wrong with the band but I personally don't always need political or social messages in my music and it's just fine for a band to play catchy songs about horror movies for me.
I've heard that Jerry asked Danzig to come back, but we all know how that went. This left the band in need of a singer because who could imagine Jerry Only being the singer for The Misfits (see what I did there?). They filled the slot with young Michale Graves, a then unknown, who IMO gave the new version the sound that sets them apart.

The fact that he doesn't sound like Danzig is what I like most about Michale and it's only on the track Day of the Dead, when he tries his best Danzig/Elvis-style vocals that I don't enjoy his delivery. It's my understanding that Michale had already written the song Dig Up Her Bones prior to joining the band and I think it is safe to say that it is one of the stand outs of the American Psycho album and almost unquestionably the song that the '95 era Misfits are known for, so it is important to note his significance. Michale's great vocals coupled with the catchy, somewhat heavier sound Doyle and new drummer Dr. Chud were going for work perfectly for me. It comes as no surprise to me that reportedly Jerry didn't like the heavier direction the boys were going in and tried to stifle it, casuing such gems as Dr. Phibes Rises Again and Devil Doll to not see light until the collection Cuts From the Crypt came out. I can honestly say I love just about every song written during this period. I even love the songs written as obvious attempts to cash in with then current movies like Tim Burton's Mars Attacks and Scream.
I only feel compelled to write this because it annoys me to see what I feel is awesome music slagged off simply because it isn't what somebody expects. The most annoying thing to me is when I hear that a lot of current horror punk bands don't like the '95 era. To me it's very obvious that this era was very influential on the current horror punk movement and to me most of the current bands sound way more like the '95 Misfits than the Danzig era. Sure,at one point it made sense to expect something akin to Last Caress or Skulls when you put on a Misfits record, but just because it doesn't sound exactly the same doesn't mean it isn't awesome. The time when you should be surprised to not hear Danzig's voice when listening to a song by The Misfits is long gone and I feel the middle era band's music stands on it's own.

'12 Movie List

2012-01-04T06:15:00.010-08:00

01/03/12- Due Date*    001
01/06/12-Sin City+       002
01/11/12-Bridesmaids* 003
01/12/12-Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory* 004
01/13/12-Friday the 13th '09+ 005
01/18/12-Bad Teacher* 006
01/19/12-Mean Girls* 007
01/20/12-30 Minutes or Less* 008
01/27/12-Kinsey* 009
02/03/12-Mallrats 010
02/03/12-Insidious 011
02/04/12-Stranger Than Paradise* 012
02/18/12-Night of the Living Dead+ (in the theater) 013
02/25/12-The Road Warrior 014
02/28/12-Overnight 015
02/29/12-Revenge of the Nerds 016
03/05/12-Lemmy* 017
03/07/12-Attack the Block* 018
03/16/12-Tenacious D in the Pick of Destiny 019
03/18/12-Raiders of the Lost Ark 020
03/20/12-Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull 021
03/24/12-Goodfellas 022
03/25/12-The Honeymooners* 023
04/07/12-Trading Places 024
04/13/12-Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter 025
04/15/12-Child's Play 2 026
04/18/12-The Cabin in the Woods*+ 027
04/21/12-The Cabin in the Woods 028
05/01/12-The Man Who Souled the World 029
05/07/12-The Avengers*+ 030
05/10/12-Resurrect Dead: The Mystery of the Toynbee Tiles* 031
05/12/12-The Avengers 032
05/31/12-Rise of the Planet of the Apes* 033
05/31/12-The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo '11 * 034
06/02/12-Men in Black 3* (with Dad) 035
06/05/12-Badlands* 036
06/05/12-Ghostbusters 2 037
06/08/12-Prometheus*+ 038
06/10/12-Gremlins 2: The New Batch 039
06/11/12-The People Vs. George Lucas* 040
06/13/12-Comic-Con Episode IV: A Fan's Hope* 041
06/18/12-21 Jump Street* 042
06/20/12-Trancers* 043
06/21/12-Trancers 2* 044
06/21/12-Trancers 3* 045
06/27/12-Eurotrip* 046
06/28/12-The Curious Case of Benjamin Button* 047
06/28/12-Evil Dead 2: Dead by Dawn 048
06/30/12-Silent Night, Deadly Night 2: Deadpit Drunken Commentary LIVE!+ 049
07/04/12-The Amazing Spiderman* 050
07/09/12- Easy A 051
07/10/12-Speed 052
07/10/12-More Brains: A Return to the Living Dead 053
07/11/12-Hell Night* 054
07/13/12-Jason Lives: Friday the 13th Part 6 055
07/13/12-Friday the 13th Part 2 056
07/13/12-Friday the 13th Part 3 057
07/19/12-The Dark Knight 058
07/20/12-The Dark Knight Rises*+ 059
07/21/12-Pulp Fiction 060
07/24/12-The Dark Knight Rises 061
07/25/12-The Sitter* 062
08/02/12-The Inbetweeners Movie* 063
08/03/12-50/50* 064
08/03/12-Chronicle* 065
08/04/12-Corman's World* 066
08/10/12-Drive* 067
08/12/12-Go* 068
08/16/12-American Reunion* 069
08/16/12-Grosse Point Blank* 070
08/18/12-Our Idiot Brother* 071
08/20/12-The Rocketeer* 072
08/22/12-Sherlock Holmes* 073
08/22/12-Mystery Men 074
08/24/12-Sherlock Holmes: Game of Shadows* 075
08/26/12-Chaplin* 076
08/26/12-The Fugitive 077
08/27/12-Last Days Here* 078
08/30/12-Clerks: The First Cut 079
09/01/12-The Willies* 080
09/03/12-The Possession* 081
09/08/12-The Departed 082
09/09/12-The Monster Squad 083
09/19/12-The Cabin in the Woods 084
09/25/12-The Avengers 085
09/30/12-Tremors 086
10/03/12-Ghostbusters 087
10/04/12-The Hunger Games* 088
10/04/12-Ghostbusters 2 089
10/06/12-They Live 090
10/07/12-Night of the Creeps 091
10/07/12-Looper* 092
10/08/12-Dawn of the Dead 093
10/11/12-Zombieland 094
10/16/12-Prometheus 095
10/21/12-Terror Train* 096
10/21/12-The House on Sorority Row* 097
10/23/12-Wrong Turn 098
10/25/12-Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers 099
10/26/12-The Avengers 100   -----------Start here on Letterboxd
10/27/12-Pet Sematary101
10/27/12-Halloween 2 102
10/28/12-Halloween 3: Season of the Witch 103
10/30/12-Night of the Demons 104
10/31/12-Halloween 105
11/01/12-Drive Angry* 106
11/03/12-The Karate Kid 107
11/04/12-The Usual Suspects 108
11/04/12-Scarface 109
11/08/12-Big Trouble in Little China 110
11/10/12-Forrest Gump 111
11/11/12-Planet of the Apes* 112
11/18/12-Super Mario Bros. 113
11/21/12-The Mummy (1999) 114
11/21/12-Casino Royale* 115
11/24/12-Argo* 116
11/29/12-I Am Comic* 117
11/29/12-Quantum of Solace* 118
12/01/12-Robocop 119
12/04/12-Hatfields and Mcoys* 120
12/06/12-Fargo 121
12/21/12-Thrashin'* 122
12/23/12-Prometheus 123
12/26/12-Back to the Future 124
12/27/12-Django Unchained* 125
12/28/12-Back to the Future Part 2 126
12/31/12-Alien Resurrection 127

* First Time Viewing
+ Watched with Jessica

Exclusive Interview with Hack Movies Main Man: KEVIN STRANGE

2011-08-05T06:53:00.000-07:00

My friend and I first discovered Kevin Strange at the 2009 Scarefest horror convention in Kentucky. Among the films being shown at that convention were Strange's Stiff Jobs, and if you know me a movie with that title must be checked out. I'm glad we did. It was our first exposure to the insane world of Strangeville, a place that any fan of Troma and underground horror comedy should be familiar with. Within the last year, Kevin has turned his attention from film making to short horror fiction but is still the evil genius that thought up all this madness and brought characters like Hogan and Cockhammer to life. I had the honor to interview him and do a bit of a look back and a look toward what the future has in store for all the Hack minions. Check out the awesome interview after the jump.

Hey man, first off, thanks for doing the interview.

No problem, brother. I appreciate you taking the time to interview me! I've had some time off the past year, so it's nice to get back into the swing of things with a nice interview. :)

Could you tell me about how you made your first movie Dream Reaper? Had you wanted to make a movie up until that point or was it a spur of the moment type thing?

It was around 2003-2004. I was managing a chain of porn shops that also carried previously viewed non-adult titles. All the dudes who worked there with huge movie freaks and I, while originally drawn to the scene because of the porn, eventually became as obsessed -if not more- than my comrades at work. We would talk endlessly about great movies and great actors, directors, etc. One dude had a film degree and constantly talked about making a movie of his own. My roommate at the time also worked for me at the porn shop. He decided he was a screen writer one day, and I sort of followed his lead. He started shooting shitty unusable scenes in our apartment and the film making bug sort of latched onto me and never let go. I started writing my own scripts and shooting my own short films which I actually finished and put on the Internet. A few people encouraged me to continue, and that's really all it took. I'm an attention whore from way back and even the tiniest bit of encouragement ballooned what little bit of talent I had into an inescapable drive to MAKE MOVIES LIKE A MOTHERFUCKER!

What were your influences to make horror comedy? Had you thought about any other genres before settling on horror comedy?

Comedy is almost always the first thing that amateur filmmakers cling to because it makes them feel "Safe". They don't have to be taken seriously as artists if they're "just fooling around with friends". Unfortunately not many of these people are funny, nor do they understand comic timing or wit, irony, satire or any of the other elements that make comedy "work". That said, I fell into that category as well, but luckily for me, I turned out to actually be funny and had a natural knack for timing. It also helped that some of my biggest influences in film were the Lloyd Kaufmans, John Waters, Sam Raimis and Peter Jacksons, all of who played around in that blend of delicious 80s horror/comedy that so many of us Garbage Pail Kids from the 80s love so dearly. Growing up my favorite genre was horror. I rented all the Troma, Full Moon, Friday the 13th, Nightmare on Elm Streets, just all the cheesy horror that mom and pop shops had in the 80s and early 90s. So Horror and Comedy were all I was ever really interested in creating artistically. My friends and I were the kids in high school printing off pictures of scat porn and telling dead baby jokes. Real obnoxious fucks that did whatever it took to gross people out and get a rise out of the more conservative of our peers. Movies like Evil Dead 2 and Dead Alive, the Toxic Avenger, shit like that just came naturally to me artistically.

At what point did you decide to go on the convention circuit? Had you been a fan of conventions before hand? Some of your thoughts on conventions in general?

I'd never been to a horror con before I started Hack Movies. When I was first shooting shitty short films and putting them on youtube, I ran across some other cats out there doing their thing in the horror scene. I studied hard, learned their secrets by backward engineering their trademarked tactics and discovered the lucrative market of selling indie films at horror cons. My very first con I was scared to death that everyone was going to recognize me as a phony. All I had on DVD at the time was Dream Reaper and I wasn't exactly proud of it, you know what I mean? It is what it is and everyone has to start somewhere, but even I knew it wasn't the most entertaining no-budget shit flick out there. I took 80 copies of that fucker, and 10 of my closest associates. We fucking dressed up like monsters, had tons of flyers, even had magic tricks and all kinds of lame shit at our table. About 50 people showed up the whole weekend. We sold 7 DVDs, mostly to other vendors who felt sorry for us, these super naive little kids thinking we were going to set the world on fire with our shitty home movie. Since then we've done dozens of shows and have really learned what makes a successful indie movie work at that level and what will fail horribly. Along the way we've made some friends for life, been a part of some of the craziest parties, and generally made our mark all over the bitch ass face piece of the horror scene.

Especially with the later Hack Movies, it's obvious you were putting a lot of effort into the dialogue. Who were you influences as far as that goes?

My style came from an understanding that I wasn't a very good filmmaker. Shit man, I honestly didn't know what the fuck I was doing on a set until around COCKHAMMER. The dialogue and the goofy shit was my way of trying to cover up my shortcomings as an artist. I knew I could write my dick off, I just couldn't do anything else. That caught on with a lot of people. Became my signature or whatever, and I just ran with it. As far as influences, it's really hard to say. I'm influenced by a LOT of different art. I'd say the two biggest influences for Hack Movies are Troma and ICP. Even the shit that Lloyd didn't direct himself like Killer Condom and Redneck Zombies. Basically anything subversive and shocking. I was a Mansonite in High school. I loved the satanic imagery and how much it would unsettle the boring kids. ICP and bands like Gwar and Slipknot brought the theatrics and really crazy offensive story lines to their music. I fed off all that and just tried to push my own envelope as far as what I considered in Bad Taste. Sometimes it backfires though because I'm a genuinely nice guy and I don't like to really upset people. Some of my movies REALLY upset people and then I'm like "man, what the fuck are you doing? You're just an asshole". hahaha

With effort put into the dialogue, was there an attempt to avoid improvisation or was it encouraged?

That all depended on the actor. Someone Like Thaddeus could basically do or say whatever the fuck he wanted because he was a natural. He understood what I wanted, got my humor and had the acting chops to back it up. He'd look at his lines and then go to town. I don't think I ever corrected a line of dialogue or an actor decision he made. Someone like Joshituso on the other hand just wanted that script and wanted me to direct him. His characters are some of my favorites, but they are strictly by the book with heavy guidance by me. Which is exactly how Josh wanted it. Unlike a lot of shitty no-budget horror comedy, my movies have intricate story lines and a lot of plot. There aren't any random scenes of bullshit, so we had to stick very close to the written material to make sure that all the plot points and items that would come up later in the story were addressed.
I had to fight a lot of the guys on those points. Many indie film sets are looked at as this place to just party and cut up and fuck around with your friends. That shit infuriates me. I have art I'm trying to make and I don't give a fuck that you want to suck your girlfriend's tits. When you're on a Hack Movies set you WORK. We put in HOURS man. We can do a feature film in 9 shoot days. That's a lot of not fucking around, a lot of knowing your god damn lines, and a lot of willingness to stay focused and get the job done. Shit ain't easy, son.

My two favorite characters from Hack Movies are definitely the stoner characters Nixon and Hogan. Did they come from a specific place or were they purely creatures of your imagination?

Originally they were written specifically for Dead Shit and they were to be two nerdy horror movie fans. Basically just an extension of me and josh's own personalities. But once we got on set, those two fucktards came out of us. I think I looked over at him right before we rolled the first take and said "make em gangster". We turned our hats sideways and Nixon and Hogan were born. After that, as I started writing them as white trash wiggers, I borrowed heavily stylistically from the ICP movie "Big Money Hustlas". Specifically Twiztid's Big Stank and Lil Poot characters. Really obnoxious suburban wigger characters. But by the time I'd done a few of those short skits "Niacin Deficiency", "That's my Bitch" And "Minions for Life", Nixon and Hogan had taken a life of their own. I could write them in my sleep now. I just have to give them a scenario and my fingers just type out what they say and do without any conscious thought on my part. They write themselves.

Dead Shit is referred to as "part 1" but then there was never a part 2. Was that intended to be a series that never caught on?

Who knows what the fuck I was thinking there. I remember I wanted to serialize it and make it free on the web. But it ended up turning out so cool that I gave it its own DVD release. And then instead of going back and doing more Dead Shit movies, Nixon and Hogan became the focus. I guess I felt like with that title, I'd be stuck doing Zombie movies which is super boring. So I just continued Nixon and Hogan instead of that particular title. Going back to "Dead Shit" meant going back to fighting zombies and I wasn't very happy with them the first time. Good call though, way to pay attention to that shit. :)

Speaking of stoners, there is a lot of drug use in the films. Is marijuana use something you personally partake in or is it purely for the films?

No I don't, but I've done just about every kind of drug. I'm crazy enough without them. Ask anyone who knows me personally, I'm batshit crazy, spontaneous and neurotic without a single drop of alcohol or drug. I can get more accomplished artistically without mucking up my brain with drugs. That's just a personal choice though. All my friends do drugs, it's whatever to me. I could care less one way or the other unless they're wrecking your life or the life of your loved ones. Otherwise party on. As for their use in the films, I guess it's just not Rock N Roll without the sex and the drugs man. lol I love monsters and violence and crazy drug use and hardcore fucking in my entertainment. There's a million stories to be mined from drugs, and quite frankly characters just look at lot cooler getting all Hunter S. Thompson Twisted on drugs than being cookie cutter goodie goodies like me, haha.

Also on that note, what are you guys smoking in the films? And one last thing, do you know of anybody actually doing the "smoking game" you describe in the intro for Nixon and Hogan Smoke Christmas?

Various substances have been used throughout the years to simulate the Colombian Smoke Weed made so famous by those Strangevillian Stoners. Mostly it's cigarette tobacco, which is brutal because I don't smoke. I'm usually throwing up from Nicotine overdoses by the time we're done filming a Nixon and Hogan scene. Some of the actors that do smoke weed refuse to use the fake shit cause they see it as being a poser or fake or some shit. So sometimes it's (allegedly) real weed, sometimes oregano, sometimes it's tobacco. All kinds of shit. One thing's for sure though, it always tastes like fucking ass and leaves me wishing I'd cast someone else as Hogan. lol
I have not heard of anyone trying the smoking game actually. hahaha. If anyone actually pulled it off, they'd probably end up being the first medically documented case of a marijuana overdose. Let me know if you decide to give it a go! :)

You recently closed up shop with Hack Movies. Do you think we will ever see any of these characters again or is the book closed?

The thing about what I do, man, is it takes soooo much fucking time and effort to get one of these movies made. There are dudes I know who shot feature films 3 or 4 years ago who still don't have them edited. What the fuck is that bullshit? I'm so fucking bored with a movie by the time it's written, shot and edited that I can't even watch the screenings. I just go outside and bullshit with people. I can't imagine taking yeaaaars to finish something. So my turnaround is like 3 months max. Then I'm on to the next one, and the next. We did 3 movies in one year and I thought I was going to drop dead from a heart attack. The stress is unimaginable with all the scheduling conflicts, egos on the set, production fuck ups, reshoots, shitty sound, etc etc etc and the worst part about it is the fucking end result still looks like a low budget movie. Don't get me wrong, COCKHAMMER and SMOKE XMAS look like they cost a shit load more than we actually spent on them, but they sure as fuck don't translate the enormous workload that goes into them. That, coupled with the shitty Internet piracy world we live in makes these things almost impossible to make a financial return on without constantly being either in production on a movie, or on the road promoting them. And even then I stress my colleagues out to the point that I haven't spoken to a couple of my closest friends in over a year. I'm sorry to sound like a whiny asshole, but for what goes into making Hack Movies a reality, and with what little money I get back...shit just ain't worth it, son. That's why I turned my focus to what I was actually GOOOD at this whole time: The writing.

You've since turned your mind to writing short fiction if I'm not mistaken. Is this is a direct result of toiling in the horror comedy scene for too long or just something that you are also interested in? What are your plan for the future and where can people check out what you are up to now?

Once I took a step back from Hack Movies and gave myself the opportunity to expand my imagination beyond writing scripts specifically for movies with 500 dollar budgets, it was like a light bulb went off above my head. I was like, "OOOOOH, NOW I get it!" Suddenly my monsters are destroying entire cities, my plagues are wiping out civilizations. Giant floods caused by alien invasions are corrupting our wildlife turning them into crazed beasts. Shit is fun as fuck, dude! And I don't have to worry about budgets or shitty actors, or scheduling conflicts, or expensive cameras and lighting equipment. I don't have to worry about replacing my editing rig every year. All I have to do is throw a notebook in a backpack and hike my crazy ass into the woods alone, and come out with some of the best shit I've ever come up with. All for free!
It turns out too, that there's even a newschool genre of horror fiction called "Bizarro" that's almost exactly the kind of shit I've been writing all along with Hack Movies. So if you've been a fan of the nutsoid brain piece of Kevin Strange, be on the lookout for a TON of fiction coming straight at your bitch ass mouth holes. Don't be scared homie. I know most of my fan base isn't into reading, but I know a lot of you used to peep those GooseBumps books out from back in the day. The shit I'm going to be popping off is going to just like that sweet shit, except made for twisted ass adults such as myself. I'm going to have a website up soon dedicated to my fiction and hopefully you'll see some novels creeping their way onto Amazon.com in the final year of our civilization, 2012. And if you're really an illiterate fuckbag in this Internet age, well, I'm gonna release those fresh ass Book On Tape things on my website too, so fuck you, there's no excuse not to close your eyes, roll up a fatty, and let Kevin Strange take you on a trip as you know only I can, Mothafako!
In the meantime, you can follow all my progress in my writing career at www.facebook.com/kevinstrange and look for some fiction readings to hit http://www.youtube.com/kevinstrange in the very, very near future. it's coming, minions. It's coming. :)
As for Hack Movies. Never say never. Film making is my first love, it's just a pain the fucking ass in these broke ass financial times where you motherfuckers refuse to buy anything that you can steal on the net for free instead. I'm sure the bat signal will show in the skies over Strangeville once more. Just don't hold your breath pieces. ;)

Thanks man.

No thank you, brother. It was about time for me to get in here and let the indie world know that they can't get rid of one of the masters of indie horror schlock. I ain't never going away.

Jonah Carden- The Great Depression

2011-04-14T13:40:00.000-07:00

It has been my intention to review this album for quite a while now. One might assume that I would review it only to give my good buddy Jonah an ego boast regardless of what I actually thought about it but that's not true. If the album sucked I would simply just leave it alone. Fact is, the album does not suck, and in fact is the most solid album Jonah has been involved with to date. The actual reason I want to review it is because it is so good and I hate that it is going without any attention being paid to it. Indeed, the nine songs found on this album are so on par with anything available within this genre from signed artists that it annoys me that it's not being heard by the people that will appreciate them. Of course, I highly doubt that me writing this will at all change this situation but if I can get any body else at all to check this music out it'd be worth it.

The absolute strong point of the album for me is the way that he uses his vocals and his labyrinthine guitar layers to make the songs instantly catchy. That said, the opener, aptly entitled Intro, sets the atmosphere for what is to come so well that you won't even notice the lack of vocals. The three songs that follow, Down in the Pine, Chains the Ghost, and To Carry the Cross make up the heart of the album I think. Any one of them could have been released as a single and they all (Down in the Pine especially) inform the type of music this album is striving for which is downtrodden acoustic epics.

The next song, The Sleeping Widow, is another instrumental that acts as a bridge to the latter half of the album. Of all the songs on here it is probably the one I could do without, but it serves it's purpose and is a nice transition. Following The Sleeping Widow is another rock solid trio of songs: All I Wanted, The Great Depression Part 1 and The Great Depression Part 2. As with the prior three songs I spoke about these songs are all awesome. Despite feeling that those were the "heart" of the album, All I Wanted and The Great Depression Part 1 are probably my two favorite tracks. The Great Depression Part 2 is also a good one, and is where Jonah's Pink Floyd influence becomes the most apparent. A final instrumental entitled Outro finishes out the album in a grand fashion.

Though the album couldn't be considered metal exactly , a fan of a metal will probably be able to determine the influences here. Hints of the slower songs from Down's second album, Zakk Wylde's earlier more respectable acoustic efforts, and even Pink Floyd all mix with what I feel is probably the most prevalent influence which is Alice in Chains' acoustic stuff. A fan of any of those or even just fans of good songwriting would not be disappointed after listening to this album. It's important to realize that aside from the drums (which were performed by Travis Oliver, who also helped with some of the songwriting so his contribution can't be forgotten) Jonah performs every instrument and does all the vocals himself which is quite a feat.

If this has gotten you at all interested you should definitely try to check out the music for yourself. It is available on iTunes or you could purchase a physical copy of the album (which I recommend as it features an amazing hand painted cover by Jonah's mother Anita) by contacting Jonah on Facebook HERE.

Metalliance Tour Review 03/22/11

2011-03-25T18:21:00.000-07:00

Being a fan of Crowbar I was aware of the Metalliance Tour for some time now. It started off as a tour featuring a band I love and one I'm not too familiar with at all, Helmet. Later, Saint Vitus and Kylesa sweetened the pot even more, not to mention some other bands that I was less familiar with but had heard good things about. I had just assumed that this tour was some time away and would probably only be on the west coast anyway. Needless to say I was pretty pumped when I saw a post on Crowbar's Facebook page that said they were going to be in Greensboro, North Carolina that night. Not only was that in my area but it was actually closer than the last Crowbar show I went to.

Seeing as how I didn't find about it until the day of, I was already running behind. After finding someone to go with me, my buddy who has been my concert going partner for years, we were on our way but unlikely to make it in time. Sure enough when we arrived we had already missed the first band, Atlas Moth, and the second band Howl was already playing. I hoped that they were only beginning their set but they were actually on their last song. I had heard good things about these fellas but had never actually checked them out. What I heard sounded like a heavy as hell death/doom band and I was definitely feeling it, but my friend picked up one of their albums from their merch table and I found it sound more along the lines of bands like Bison B.C.
Up next, and in quick fashion which is always a good thing at shows, was Red Fang. My buddy that I was with, Jonah, had been telling me about these guys for a while but like with Howl I had never gotten around to checking them out. I was pretty excited to check them out because he had put them over pretty well but they didn't exactly blow me away or anything. Their brand of stoner rock reminded me of a cross between Fu Manchu and Kyuss, with Fu Manchu being the more prevalent of the two. I definitely didn't hate them but I honestly would've rather seen all of Howl's set than them. The more happy stoner rock sounds the less I like it most times.
Kylesa was the next to grace the stage and I had been looking forward to their set. Their Time Will Fuse it's Worth album had made me a bit of a fan but the follow up to it, Static Tensions blew it away in every sense. I highly recommend that album, particularly the song Unknown Awareness which is just awesome. The follow up to that album, Spiral Shadow, I had high hopes for but I don't feel it lived up to the greatness of Static Tensions. They cleaned up their sound a lot and it featured a great deal of experimentation which is fine but it just didn't grab the way the previous album did. While they were setting up I noticed two things: firstly that their stage set up encompassed far more than it did last time I saw them and that two of the members had been replaced since then as well. I can understand that they want to feature all of the new instruments that they've been experimenting with but I would have to say that apart from a few songs all they did was extend the time it took them to set up and tear down. Nevertheless they put on an awesome show as I expected. I really dig their sound but was a bit disappointed that Unknown Awareness didn't feature in their set, nor did the title track off their new album which I really like and figured for sure would make an appearance.
The main reason I was there, Crowbar were up next and as expected they put on an awesome show. All of the expected tracks made appearances such as I Have Failed, All I Had (I Gave), New Dawn, The Lasting Dose and the mighty Planets Collide. Along with those classics were two songs from the new album Sever the Wicked Hand. The title track showed up around the middle of the set and the song Cemetery Angels was used as the closer. I have to admit that the newest Crowbar release was somewhat of a disappointment for me as it features a lot of faster tempo tracks than their previous albums and I much prefer the slower sludgy jams they are famous for. That said, Cemetery Angels is my favorite from the album, and while I would've preferred to hear Planets Collide as the closer like in the past, it was cool to hear that one live.
To close out the bands that I was interested in, Saint Vitus made their way to the stage. It was cool to see a guy as legendary as Wino walking around the crowd before their set started. I must admit that beyond the classic album Born Too Late I'm not very familiar with their back catalog at all. That said, I wasn't disappointed at all as all the "hits" from that album were played including Clear Window Pane, Dying Inside, and of course the title track Born Too Late which was the epic closer. A few other songs were also played including a new track which came with the announcement that they were in fact working on a new album. It was basically an honor to get to see such a legendary band of the doom genre live.
All of that said, Helmet were the only band remaining and I just couldn't see losing even more sleep over a band that I wasn't at all familiar with. Had I not had to go to work the next day I would've loved to checked them out but I wasn't too distraught about missing them. Anyways, it really turned out to be cool evening, especially since I had no idea that it was even happening the night before.

Plan 9 From Outer Space at The Lewis Theater

2011-02-13T14:01:00.000-08:00

For as long as I can remember I have wished that The Lewis Theater, a small theater in downtown Lewisburg, WV (voted the "coolest small town" in America by somebody, somewhere recently), would show cult/horror films. It's a small theater, one screen, that usually gets the artier, less mainstream films that the other theater in town (with it's whopping TWO screens) won't touch. Being a fan of films that don't always get much of a release in this area, The Lewis Theater is a godsend from time to time. It's obvious that they are catering to a niche film crowd, so I always wondered why they didn't show classic midnight movies as well. Imagine my surprise when I went to see True Grit there (finally!) and saw a cut-out of Elvira holding a coming attraction notice of Plan 9 From Outer Space.

      Plan 9 From Outer Space is director Ed Wood's masterpiece of ineptitude. It is a long heralded bad movie, a staple of the so bad it's good "genre". I wasn't excited for the opportunity to see the movie. I've seen it, alone or with the great Mike Nelson commentary, and Tim Burton's great Ed Wood bio-pic that details the making of the film many times over. It was the opportunity to see it in a theater, with my girlfriend, buddies, and a crowd that had me pumped. This is how these types of movies are meant to be seen I think.
       Something that my crew and I seemed to not realize, or at least to the extent it would play out, was how much of an "event" the showing would be attempted to be made into. I was aware that a costume contest would be held, but when what seemed to be a make-shift band kicked off the festivities with a medley of songs I was left a bit confused. Was this to be taken seriously, or for laughs? Also, why they didn't fit Vampira by The Misfits into that medley I'll never know.
       After this, a lady decked out in Vampira gear gave a bit of an over view of women in horror, which is apparently what this event was held for (also as a fund raiser for The Trillium Arts group which is apparently who performs at the theater from time to time). It was, she told us, Women in Horror Month, which confused me because I thought it was black history month. I guess they can live hand in hand. Her speech was far better than the band, but suffered from inaccuracies and an attempt to free style the speech. Had she written out what she wanted to say before hand and read it I wouldn't have minded it at all.
      Up next was a reading from the original Frankenstein novel, in honor of Mary Shelley. It was presented as being broadcast on a radio station, but whether that was just shtick or actually happening I never figured out. If so, it's gonna take a long time to get through that book, I'll tell ya that. The strangeness just kept coming after that with what I can only describe as an interpretive dance number. This is when it become totally not my scene. Strange stuff was going down and the audience, much like me, didn't seem to know whether to take it seriously or not. I mean, honestly I thought it was funny, but I didn't want to be so rude as to laugh at loud at them.
     When that was done it was finally time for the costume contest. The only part of this madness that I was aware of before hand. It was a pretty standard affair, people coming up and being judged by rounds of applause. The stand-outs for me (and I think everyone, as they won) was a dude that seemed to have just thrown together multiple Halloween costumes and was just acting silly. Among his different pieces of wardrobe were skeleton hands, one of those cheap gowns that usually comes with a mask at Halloween time, a terrible Freddy Kreuger mask and a straw hat. Also of note was a little girl done up in what I would describe as a proto-goth outfit, and was just about the cutest thing. The overall best costume by far though was a lady dressed as a victim of The Birds. With birds dangling off and just the right outfit to portray that time period she was far and away the best on display.

We weren't done yet though. A fellow that was apparently once a WV local did an introduction to the film. He basically told of his days discovering terrible movies at the video store, a tale any horror fan can relate to, and how he discovered Mystery Science Theater 3000. This was all to build to his statement that MST3K were afraid of this film (not true, but worked for the introduction. I've heard they were reluctant to do it because it just seemed like such an obvious film for them to riff) and that we were all in for a truly terrible movie. His introduction was much more in tune with what I would've expected of the evening and I enjoyed it.
Finally it was time for the film. A part of mind wondered if they had an actual print of Plan 9, but as was to be expected it was just a projection of the same DVD that I own. Still can't beat watching it on the big screen though. The performance part of the evening didn't end with the pre-show though. Every time that one of the infamous pie-plate flying saucers would make an appearance they would dangle one of their own in front of the projector. This was slightly funny the first time, but became grating over the films 80 minute duration. They would also flash lights near the stage each time a siren was heard, have someone scream each time someone screamed on screen (that one didn't last thankfully), and most confusingly to me, project what appeared to be the letters "HO" in red over the screen each time there was a death. I have to give it to them for attempting to add to the experience, but there's no accounting for taste I suppose. The atmosphere of the crowd and being there with my girlfriend and buddies really made the film enjoyable, but as is the case with any terrible movie really, it eventually gets a bit boring. I thoroughly enjoyed the evening though. I really hope it was a success and that this isn't the last time that something like this happens. With a bit of refinement this could be an awesome monthly event. There are tons of films that benefit from a showing like this. May I suggest Troll 2?

Movie Blog '11

2011-01-02T15:47:00.000-08:00

01/02/11-Aliens+
01/02/11-Secret Origin: The Story of DC Comics*
01/02/11-Pirates of Silicon Valley*
01/04/11-The Forty Year Old Virgin
01/06/11-Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy*
01/07/11-Black Christmas '06*
01/07/11-Cronos*
01/08/11-Scott Pilgrim Versus the World+
01/09/11-Tron: Legacy*+
01/11/11-Tron*
01/13/11-Hollow Man*
01/14/11-Zombieland+
---------------------------------------------
01/15/11-Heathers+
01/17/11-The Social Network
01/19/11-Blade II
01/21/11-The Frighteners+
01/22/11-Cyrus*
01/23/11-The Wild and Wonderful Whites of West Virginia
01/23/11- Mimic
01/23/11-Inception
01/25/11-Best Worst Movie
01/27/11-Knocked Up
01/30/11-Robocop+
01/30/11-True Grit*
01/30/11-Backdraft*
01/30/11-Ernest Goes to Jail
02/04/11-Robocop 2
02/04/11-The Matrix
02/07/11-Under Siege
02/07/11-Deadgirl*
02/08/11-Maximum Overdrive
02/10/11-Hatchet 2*
02/12/11-Plan 9 From Outer Space+
02/13/11-Ed Wood+
02/13/11-Beyond the Mat
02/20/11-Street Dreams*
02/21/11-Easy A*+
02/23/11-The Rise and Fall of E.C.W.
02/27/11-Ernest Goes to Camp
03/01/11-Exit Through the Gift Shop*
03/03/11-Hype!*
03/05/11-Ferris Bueller's Day Off+
03/06/11-Exit Through the Gift Shop
03/07/11-Pontypool*
03/08/11-Idle Hands
03/09/11-Before Sunrise*
03/12/11-American Movie+
03/13/11-Tombstone
03/14/11-Before Sunset*
03/17/11-sex, lies, and videotape*
03/18/11-Grown Ups*
03/20/11-Kill Bill Vol. 1+
03/21/11-Desperado
03/23/11-Anger Management*
03/25/11-Back to School
03/28/11- Kill Bill Vol. 2+
03/29/11-Waking Sleeping Beauty*
03/30/11-Matrix Revolutions
04/03/11-Cemetery Man
04/06/11-Monday Night War*
04/09/11-Insidious*+
04/09/11-The Town
04/13/11-Kick Ass
04/13/11-Ghostbusters+
04/14/11-Hellboy 2: The Golden Army
04/15/11-Hellraiser 3: Hell on Earth
04/17/11-Scream 4*+
04/17/11-Mean Streets
04/19/11-The Shawshank Redemption
04/23/11-True Romance+
04/25/11-Toy Story 3
05/01/11-Scream
05/16/11-Back to the Future 2
05/17/11-Back to the Future 3
05/18/11-Back to the Future
05/19/11-Superbad
05/19/11-National Lampoon's Senior Trip
05/19/11-Private Parts
05/21/11-Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy
05/22/11-The Forty Year Old Virgin
05/22/11-
05/23/11-Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides*
05/24/11-Scream 2
05/24/11-Super*
05/25/11-Jackie Brown+
05/25/11-The Social Network+
05/30/11-The Faculty
06/02/11-Kingpin
06/07/11-Demolition Man
06/07/11-Street Trash*
06/09/11-Bloodstained Memoirs*
06/10/11-Super 8*+
06/11/11-Castle Freak*
06/12/11-Total Recall+
06/13/11-The Hangover Part 2*+
06/16/11-Batman
06/18/11- Slam Dunk Ernest
06/21/11-Batman Begins
06/24/11-Batman Forever
06/29/11-Batman and Robin
07/03/11-Casino+
07/04/11-The Baxter*
07/04/11-Capturing the Friedmans*
07/04/11-The Last Boy Scout*
07/06/11-Teen Wolf*
07/07/11-My Soul to Take*
07/09/11-Friday the 13th Part 5: A New Beginning
07/09/11-Arcade*
07/10/11-The Rock*
07/11/11-Return of the Living Dead Part 2
07/12/11-Subspecies*
07/16/11-Up in Smoke+
07/17/11-Tyson*
07/18/11-The Fighter*
07/19/11-Don't Go in the House*
07/20/11-Fight Club
07/25/11-Crazy Heart*
07/25/11-25th Hour*
07/26/11-American History X+
07/31/11-Nixon and Hogan Smoke Christmas*
08/10/11-Platoon
08/14/11-
08/1-/11-Detroit Rock City
08/19/11-Born on the Fourth of July*
08/25/11-Frankenhooker*
09/03/11-Red State*+
09/04/11-Red State
09/09/11-Dogma
09/10/11-Final Destination 3*+
09/15/11-Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story
09/17/11-Thor*
09/18/11-Sleepaway Camp 2: Unhappy Campers
09/18/11-Sleepaway Camp 3: Teenage Wasteland
09/18/11-Sleepaway Camp
09/20/11-The Lion King 3-D+
09/21/11-The Devil's Rejects+
09/22/11-Hesher*
09/23/11-Return of the Living Dead (in the Theater)
09/25/11-Red Dawn*
09/25/11-Return to Sleepaway Camp
09/28/11-Still Waiting...*
09/28/11-Tango and Cash
09/30/11-Troll Hunter*
10/01/11-Puppet Master
10/02/11-Puppet Master 2*
10/02/11-Puppet Master 3: Toulon's Revenge*
10/02/11-Puppet Master 4*
10/02/11-Puppet Master 5: The Final Chapter*
10/02/11-Curse of the Puppet Master*
10/04/11-Phantasm
10/05/11-Phatasm 2
10/05/11-Ernest Scared Stupid
10/06/11-Hellraiser: Bloodline
10/07/11-Idiocracy
10/09/11-Night of the Living Dead '90
10/11/11-Popcorn
10/12/11-John Carpenter Presents Body Bags
10/15/11-More Brains! A Return to the Living Dead*
10/16/11-The Fog
10/16/11-Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night II
10/16/11-Prom Night III: The Last Kiss
10/16/11-Night of the Demons 2
10/16/11-Leprechaun 3
10/16/11-Leprechaun 210/19/11-Leprechaun 4: In Space*
10/20/11-The Thing '11*+
10/22/11-Prom Night 4: Deliver Us From Evil*
10/23/11-The Thing
10/23/11-Slither
10/24/11-Leprechaun in the Hood*
10/26/11-The Chaperone*
10/26/11-Idle Hands+
10/27/11-Bubba Ho-Tep
10/27/11-Army of Darkness
10/30/11-Trick 'r Treat+
10/30/11-Halloween+
11/03/11-Beyond the Mat
11/05/11-Conan O'Brien Can't Stop*
11/05/11-A Very Harold and Kumar 3-D Christmas*+
11/07/11-Friday After Next*
11/11/11-Friday+
11/13/11-Punisher: War Zone
11/18/11-Paul*
11/19/11-Captain America: The First Avenger*
11/23/11-Ferris Bueller's Day Off
12/04/11-Beverly Hills Cop*
12/07/11-Amelie*
12/08/11-Take Home Tonight*
12/13/11-Cedar Rapids*
12/15/11-Man on the Moon
12/18/11-Edward Scissorhands
12/18/11-The Long Kiss Goodnight
12/19/11-Silent Night, Deadly Night Part 2*
12/22/11-Tucker and Dale vs Evil*
12/22/11-Home Alone+
12/23/11-Home Alone 2: Lost in New York
12/26/11-Delicatessan*
12/29/11-Source Code*
12/29/11-Hell Comes to Frogtown*

First time viewings marked with *
Viewings with Jessica marked with +

Southern Flame: Whiskey Metal

2010-12-27T14:19:00.000-08:00

Southern Flame are a metal band from southern West Virginia that combine elements of doom, sludge, and thrash into their sound. This is a review of their 2007 album Whiskey Metal. The disc itself actually comprises two separate recording sessions with two different line-ups not unlike Napalm Death's Scum. Tracks one through eight are the newest songs with an at that time new drummer, nine through sixteen a previously recorded album titled Alcoholocaust with the original drummer, and the final two songs bonus tracks. The shift in quality brought about by this could be seen as a problem, but when you view all tracks after number 8 as bonus as was intended it clears that up.

The album opens up with an ambient backwards guitar track and a sample from the film Natural Born Killers before the first song Covered in Sin really kicks into gear. Right out of the gate you realize that sludge isn't exactly the right genre to describe the band, with a definite thrash element present from the first riffs. The second track, Pray, exemplifies what I think is all the best things about this band. While utilizing the thrash influence that has crept into their sound, they also make use of tremendous sludge/doom riffs and all out jam sections. The third track, Born to Never See, is a ballad-esque track that I feel does fit into their style but also slows down the proceedings a bit too soon in my opinion. Another fast song follows up Born to Never See, titled Cloud of Smoke. This song is also a worthy jam but has always left me wanting more towards the end. The two tracks that follow though are my only gripe with this album. Dang Doe Tango and Dead in the West are a drum solo and instrumental acoustic song respectively and I've always felt that two instrumental songs in the middle of the album really brings everything to a screeching halt. The drum solo track really should have been used as a bonus track if I'm being honest here as it is definitely impressive but doesn't fit with the overall feel of the album the way Dead in the West does. After this is Dixie Venom, another fast paced track with a bit of a punky feel and a short run time. That leaves us with the final track of the intended Whiskey Metal album, Warfare. Though this is also an instrumental, it is very much more in line with the type of music the band plays. Great back and forth guitar play leads to the return of a crushing riff from the first song to bring the album full circle.

After the Whiskey Metal album proper, the original album Alcoholocaust begins. All of the elements that make this a great band are here but somewhat in their infant stages. There is a way more prevalent doom metal influence evident, which I enjoy, though none of it sounds as thick as you would like due to independent production, a hindrance to both albums honestly. The following bonus tracks are nice to have but not necessary. Rebelhead (Alt. Version) is a re-record of an Alcoholocaust song with the new drummer and Cuttin' the Grass is a joke blue-grass track. Over all, it's definitely an album to have in your collection if you're a fan of doom, sludge, or mid-paced thrash, but you have to wonder how much more essential it could be with a better recording and a different track line-up.

Creepshow Region 2 DVD

2010-12-04T23:45:00.000-08:00

It pains me that a film as classic as Creepshow doesn't have a special edition DVD available in the United States. That's not to say that there isn't one available else where, it's just that for whatever reason Warner Brothers refuses to release the awesome special edition that Universal released in the region 2 markets. I'm not sure if it's because Universal wants to charge too much for WB to get the rights or what but the fact that WB put out a bare-bones Blu-Ray of George Romero's Creepshow when this wealth of material is available makes no sense to me. I picked this up at the 2010 Scarefest in Kentucky for around 23 bucks. I had heard about it for a while and it really delivers on the special features front. The film is awesome, of course, but the main attraction is the feature-length documentary on the second disc. While Leslie Nielsen, Ted Danson, and most disappointingly Stephen King are no where to be found, the folks you expect to be here (read: the convention heads) really deliver interesting stories. George Romero, Tom Savini, Tom Atkins, Adrienne Barbeau, and surprisingly Ed Harris all have tons of screen time recalling the making of the film. Put together by Red Shirt pictures, the fellas behind the special editions of Night of the Creeps, The Monster Squad, The Stepfather, and numerous others, this doc is quality. Add to this a commentary with Romero and Savini, deleted scenes and Savini's on-set footage and this really is the solid treatment a film like this deserves.
The good news here is that this is obtainable. If you have a region 2 DVD player, or if you know how to make your player region free I highly recommend picking this up. The easiest place I could imagine finding it is ebay, and though I don't know what you would have to pay for it, if you're a fan of the film it would be worth it.

Eyehategod/Crowbar/Black Tusk/Phobia 12/2/10

2010-12-04T16:37:00.000-08:00

The Tremont Music Hall in Charlotte North Carolina hosted one of the heaviest shows I could imagine on December 2nd, 2010. NOLA legends Crowbar and Eyehategod are both on tour at the moment and their paths converged for one night of sludge destruction. Supporting this crusher of a dual headliner were Phobia, grindcore legends from California and Black Tusk, a sludge-esque band very much in keeping with their Georgia brothers in Mastodon, Kylesa, and Baroness.

Phobia got the proceedings underway with a wall of grindcore insanity that lived up to their promise of "grinding your fucking head in". I'm not sure what the deal was but the guitar player and the drummer both seemed to be filling-in and not full time members but they sure as hell knew what they were doing and were tight as shit. Lead singer Shane The Pain Mclachlan barked and screamed his way through jams from just about all their albums but ones I could make out were from Cruel, 22 Acts of Random Violence, Get Up and Kill, and their new EP Unrelenting. I'm a big fan of their crust punk influenced grind and I wasn't disappointed by their set.
Black Tusk were up next and I have to admit that they were the disappointment of the night. I have their newest full-length Taste the Sin and I did recognize a lot of the songs but when it comes to Georgian sludge I would rather listen to Baroness or Kylesa. Not too into their set, I left with my buddy so he could have a smoke and when we came back they definitely seemed to have won over the crowd as the place had filled up considerably. They weren't terrible and I appreciated the fact that they were a three-piece and they all contributed vocals, but they were the weak point in a very solid line-up.
Up next was the mighty Crowbar. This was the band I had set out to see when the tour dates were announced and it was just an added bonus that EHG was also on the bill. Kirk Windstein has had his band through uncountable line-up changes, but he is undoubtedly the main attraction here. The set list consisted of classics from the self-titled, Broken Glass, Sonic Excess in it's Purest Form, Lifesblood for the Downtrodden, and Odd Fellow's Rest. Unfortunately they weren't able to get any of the new songs that they been playing recently into the set but I was very satisfied with set nonetheless. Can't wait for that new album. Kirk was in rare form, playing mainly to the right side of the stage and calling out the breakdowns with a grunted "Here it comes!". The crowd didn't disappoint either as each breakdown brought a stage rush, furious headbanging and people air guitaring the colossal riffs. This was my first time seeing Crowbar and it lived up to my own hype in every way and could have only been better if they had played longer.
Being a fan of the NOLA scene, I was of course excited to see Eyehategod. They are legends in the sludge scene and recorded what I consider just about as perfect of a record as you can get with Take as Needed for Pain. Once they made their way onto the stage they proceeded to drown the entire venue in wave of their trademark feedback for what seemed like an eternity before kicking into the monster of an opening riff of the classic Bland. To say the place went crazy is an understatement. Eyehategod definitely have a huge cross-section of fans from the punk and metal genres and I would have to say the craziest of both were in attendance that night. Stage diving and moshing started en masse and rarely slowed down as the boys pummeled through songs from the aforementioned TANFP, Dopesick, and In the Name of Suffering. The legend that is Mike Williams looked on approvingly when not screeching his way through the tortured poetry that is his lyrics or shouting "I'm from High Point North Carolina so FUCK YOU!". As their set continued I really couldn't even believe just how heavy it was. If you like their records you really owe it to yourself to try to see them live, it was almost unbelievable.
This was my first time at the Tremont Music Hall, but if they can live up to the brutality and solidness of this show, I would love to go back.

Q: The Winged Serpent

2010-11-24T19:19:00.000-08:00

I've been aware of this movie for years, but for some reason I had it in my head that it was some artsy film along the lines of something that Criterion would release. Don't get me wrong, Criterion releases are awesome, but they do release a lot of boring, pretentious stuff too. It seems I was way off on that point as this is actually a Larry Cohen film, the fella behind such genre films as the Maniac Cop films and Uncle Sam. The tone is definitely set when in the first ten minutes of the film there is a decapitation, a flayed human body, and a topless gal picked from the roof she is sunbathing on.
The story concerns a giant half-reptile, half-bird that is terrorizing New York City by going around biting off peoples heads and snatching people from rooftops. Amidst this is someone committing sacrifices to the creature which may or may not be a reincarnated Aztec god, a pathetic criminal using his knowledge of the location of the creature's nest to his advantage, and David Carradine (aka Bill, aka Caine from Kung Fu, aka the actor that died quite embarrassingly not too long ago) who plays a cop that is attempting to figure the whole thing out. Shaft is in there somewhere too.
I found the film itself to be very entertaining. I had no qualms with any of the actors, and actually thought they did a really good job for the type of film it was. It definitely has a late '70s/early '80s New York feel to it and there a lot of helicopter shots of the city meant to be the creature's POV that are fun to look at. When the creature is shown on-screen it's pure cheese, but if you are of the age or mind of someone that appreciate the old school of monster effects you will probably find it charming. If you were ever on the fence about whether to check this one out or not like I was, I recommend you do.

'10 Movie List

2010-07-25T16:08:00.000-07:00

01/01/10-District 9 .1
01/02/10-Final Destination .2
01/03/10-Avatar*+ .3
01/04/10-Star Trek .4
01/05/10-Pitch Black* .5
01/06/10-Meatballs* .6
01/07/10-Eagle Eye* .7
01/07/10-Freddy vs. Jason+ .8
01/07/10-The Hangover*+ .9
01/08/10-Once Upon a Time in America* .10
01/08/10-(500) Days of Summer* .11
01/09/10-District 9+ .12
01/11/10-Good Dick* .13
01/11/10-South Park: Bigger, Longer, and Uncut .14
01/14/10-American Scary* .15
01/15/10-Crips and Bloods: Made in America* .16
01/15/10-Fright Night .17
01/16/10-Natural Born Killers+ .18
01/16/10-Halloween: Resurrection+ .19
01/17/10-Walking Tall* .20
01/18/10-Into the Pit .21
01/19/10-Monster's Ball* .22
01/21/10-Hardware* .23
01/23/10-Halloween 2 '09*+ .24
01/23/10-Conan the Barbarian* .25
01/24/10-The Hangover .26
01/24/10-Dead Silence* .27
01/27/10-The Manson Family* .28
01/31/10-Word Wars* .29
01/31/10-Falling Down* .30
02/06/10-Commando* .31
02/06/10-A Few Good Men* .32
02/07/10-Gojira* .33
02/07/10-The Mutilator* .34
02/07/10-Trick 'R Treat .35
02/14/10-The Wolfman '10*+ .36
02/15/10-Moon* .37
02/17/10-Evolution+ .38
02/19/10-The Last Detail* .39
02/20/10-The Two Jakes* .40
02/21/10-Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince* .41
02/21/10-The Hurt Locker* .42
02/21/10-Dead Ringers* .43
02/23/10-House of the Devil* .44
02/26/10-Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles+ .45
02/26/10-Dead Snow*+ .46
02/27/10-Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom+ .47
02/28/10-The Aviator* .48
03/02/10-Rats: Night of Terror .49
03/03/10-Cabin Fever 2: Spring Fever* .50
03/04/10-The Onion Movie* .51
03/05/10-Freaked* .52
03/07/10-The Breakfast Club .53
03/10/10-From Hell* .54
03/12/10-Weird Science* .55
03/13/10-Don't You Forget About Me* .56
03/13/10-The Crazies '10*+ .57
03/13/10-St. Elmo's Fire* .58
03/14/10-Pulp Fiction .59
03/15/10-Pineapple Express .60
03/15/10-Midnight Cowboy* .61
03/18/10-Fletch* .62
03/20/10-Clerks+ .63
03/20/10-Mallrats+ .65
03/21/10-Chasing Amy+ .66
03/21/10-Less Than Zero* .67
03/26/10-Dogma+ .68
03/26/10-Vulgar* .69
03/26/10-A Better Place* .70
03/28/10-The Hustler* .71
03/30/10-The Color of Money* .72
04/01/10-The Devil and Daniel Johnston* .73
04/02/10-Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back+ .74
04/04/10-Cliffhanger .75
04/05/10-American Splendor .76
04/06/10-Following* .77
04/08/10-The House Bunny* .78
04/08/10-Forever Hardcore* .79
04/11/10-Up in the Air* .80
04/12/10-Ghost World .81
04/14/10-Perfume: The Story of a Murderer* .82
04/14/10-Clerks 2+ .83
04/16/10-Loose Change: 9/11* .84
04/16/10-Kick-Ass*+ .85
04/17/10-Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist* .86
04/18/10-A Serious Man* .87
04/20/10-Frontier(s)* .88
04/21/10-Raising Arizona .89
04/22/10-Blue Velvet .90
04/24/10-Wild at Heart .91
04/25/10-Bringing Out the Dead* .92
04/26/10-Tales from the Script* .93
04/27/10-Very Bad Things* .94
04/27/10-River's Edge .95
04/28/10-Beavis and Butthead Do America .96
05/04/10-The Wild and Wonderful Whites of West Virginia* .97
05/05/10-Hellraiser+ .98
05/06/10-A Nightmare on Elm Street '10*+ .99
05/06/10-Hellbound: Hellraiser 2+ .100
05/07/10-Little Miss Sunshine* .101
05/08/10-Leaving Las Vegas* .102
05/08/10-Minority Report .103
05/09/10-Lost in Translation .104
05/10/10-Michael Clayton* .105
05/16/10-Best Worst Movie*+ .106
05/19/10-The Graduate* .107
05/20/10-Little Children* .108
05/21/10-Iron Man 2*+ .109
05/23/10-The Fly+ .110
05/24/10-Say Anything* .111
05/25/10-City of the Living Dead .112
05/25/10-Ratatouille* .113
05/29/10-Cars* .114
05/30/10-Day of the Dead+ .115
05/31/10-Ravenous* .116
05/31/10-Almost Famous* .117
06/03/10-Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade .118
06/04/10-Never Sleep Again* .119
06/05/10-Pretty in Pink* .120
06/05/10-Assassination of a High School President* .121
06/06/10-Men in Black+ .122
06/09/10-Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare .123
06/12/10-The Box* .124
06/13/10-Fantastic Mr. Fox* .125
06/20/10-Stephen King's Desperation* .126
06/20/10-Friday the 13th '09 .127
06/22/10-Tamara* .128
06/23/10-Toy Story+ .129
06/23/10-Toy Story 2+ .130
06/25/10-Stranger Than Fiction* .131
06/27/10-The Lookout* .132
06/27/10-Toy Story 3*+ .133
06/29/10-JFK* .134
07/02/10-The Invention of Lying* .135
07/03/10-Insomnia .136
07/03/10-Office Space .137
07/04/10-Bowfinger .138
07/05/10-King of New York* .139
07/05/10-Wall-E .140
07/06/10-Youth in Revolt* .141
07/07/10-Airheads .142
07/07/10-Ghost Town* .143
07/08/10-The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou* .144
07/10/10-Carrie* .145
07/10/10-The Dark Knight .146
07/13/10-The Woodsman* .147
07/13/10-New Jack City .148
07/18/10-Juno .149
07/18/10-Inception*+ .150
07/20/10-Caddyshack .151
07/23/10-Confessions of a Dangerous Mind* .152
07/25/10-American Beauty+ .153
07/25/10-Monsters Inc.* .154
07/25/10-Men in Black II .155
07/26/10- Synecdoche, NY* .156
07/29/10-Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid* 157
07/30/10-Fast Times at Ridgemont High+ .158
07/31/10-World's Greatest Dad* .159
07/31/10-My Name is Bruce .160
08/01/10-Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery .161
08/01/10-Primer* .162
08/02/10-W.* .163
08/07/10-Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang* .164
08/07/10-Galaxy Quest* .165
08/07/10-Monty Python and the Holy Grail .166
08/08/10-The Mask .167
08/09/10-The Sting* .168
08/10/10-The Number 23* .169
08/13/10-The Backyard* .170
08/13/10-Friday the 13th+ .171
08/16/10-Crumb* .172
08/17/10-Ghostbusters 2 .173
08/21/10-Dick Tracy* .174
08/22/10-Cool Hand Luke* .175
08/24/10-Gattaca* .176
08/25/10-Piranha 3-D*+ .177
08/26/10-Monty Python's The Meaning of Life* .178
08/28/10-Scott Pilgrim vs. the World* .179
08/30/10-Wall Street* .180
09/01/10-Gone Baby Gone* .181
09/02/10-Wet Hot American Summer .182
09/04/10-Superbad .183
09/04/10-The Fisher King* .184
09/08/10-Capote* .185
09/09/10-Star Trek .186
09/09/10-The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus* .187
09/11/10-The Last Exorcism*+ .188
09/11/10-Cop Out* .189
09/12/10-Marathon Man* .190
09/12/10-A Fish Called Wanda* .191
09/14/10-The Princess Bride* .192
09/16/10-Hank Williams: Honky Tonk Blues* .193
09/17/10-Machete* .194
09/18/10-Shaun of the Dead+ .195
09/19/10-L.A. Confidential* .196
09/22/10-Before the Devil Knows You're Dead* .197
09/24/10-Lost in La Mancha* .198
09/25/10-Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind+ .199
09/27/10-Now You Know* .200
09/27/10-Punch Drunk Love* .201
09/28/10-What's Eating Gilbert Grape?* .202
10/01/10-Iron Man 2 .203
10/03/10-Waiting For Guffman* .204
10/03/10-Funny People .205
10/03/10-Rocky .206
10/04/10-Rocky II* .207
10/05/10-Rocky III* .208
10/05/10-The Straight Story* .209
10/06/10-Zack and Miri Make a Porno .210
10/06/10-Halloween 6: The Curse of Michael Myers Producer's Cut .211
10/07/10-House of Corpses .212
10/07/10-Brainscan .213
10/09/10-Demonic Toys .214
10/09/10-Friday .215
10/10/10-Dark Night of the Scarecrow* .216
10/13/10-Shutter Island* .217
10/14/10-High Tension .218
10/14/10-Shutter Island .219
10/16/10-Tales from the Crypt* .220
10/16/10-Survival of the Dead* .221
10/16/10-Trick or Treat .222
10/16/10-Silver Bullet* .223
10/24/10-The Social Network* .224
10/25/10-Let Sleeping Corpses Lie* .225
10/27/10-Lady in White* .226
10/28/10-The Town* .227
10/29/10-Dr. Giggles .228
10/29/10-Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers .229
10/30/10-Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers .230
11/01/10-Defendor* .231
11/07/10-Raising Arizona .232
11/08/10-Night of the Demons '09* .233
11/09/10-Hot Tub Time Machine*+ .234
11/10/10-Scott Pilgrim Versus the World .235
11/13/10-Jackass 3-D*+ .236
11/14/10-The Late Shift* .237
11/14/10-Reality Bites* .238
11/17/10-Scott Pilgrim Versus the World .239
11/18/10-Ghost Town '88* .240
11/18/10-Gutterballs* .241
11/20/10-Predators* .242
11/20/10-Splice* .243
11/22/10-Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead .244
11/23/10-The Room* .245
11/24/10-Q: The Winged Serpent* 246
11/28/10-Being John Malkovich+ 247
11/28/10-Adventures in Babysitting* 248
11/29/10-Lovecraft: Fear of the Unknown* 249
12/04/10-Rushmore 250
12/06/10-Sunshine* 251
12/09/10-Nightmares in Red, White, and Blue* 252
12/12/10-Planes, Trains, and Automobiles 253
12/12/10-Escape From New York 254
12/12/10-Escape From L.A. 255
12/18/10-The Blues Brothers* 256
12/19/10-Black Christmas* 257
12/19/10-Die Hard 258
12/22/10-Breakdown 259
12/26/10-Until the Light Takes Us* 260
12/27/10-Martin* 261
12/29/10-The Untouchables* 262
12/30/10-Alien+ 263

'09 Movie List

2010-07-25T16:06:00.000-07:00

01/03/09-Goodfellas+ .1
01/03/09-Friday the 13th Part 3+ .2
01/05/09-The Ruins* .3
01/06/09-Paradise Lost 2: Revelations* .4
01/07/09-Lost Boys: The Tribe* .5
01/08/09-Return of the Living Dead: Necropolis* .6
01/09/09-Pineapple Express*+ .7
01/13/09-Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie* .8
01/13/09-Heavenly Creatures* .9
01/14/09-Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter+ .10
01/16/09-My Bloody Valentine 3-D*+ .11
01/22/09-Friday the 13th Part 5: A New Beginning+ .12
01/23/09-My Bloody Valentine .13
01/27/09-Monkey Shines* .14
01/27/09-Toxic Avenger 2* .15
01/30/09-Toxic Avenger 3: The Last Temptation of Toxie .16
01/30/09-Dead and Buried* .17
01/31/09-Prom Night 3: The Last Kiss* .18
02/01/09-976-Evil 2 .19
02/07/09-House* .20
02/07/09-The Seventh Seal* .21
02/07/09-Shoot 'em Up* .22
02/15/09-Friday the 13th '09*+ .23
02/16/09-Zack and Miri Make a Porno .24
02/18/09-Burn After Reading* .25
02/18/09-Otis* .26
02/20/09-Friday the 13th Part 6: Jason Lives+ .27
02/26/09-Futurama: Into the Wild Green Yonder* .28
02/27/09-Predator .29
02/28/09-Predator 2 .30
03/06/09-Watchmen* .31
03/08/09-The Serpent and the Rainbow*+ .32
03/12/09-Lethal Weapon* .33
03/15/09-Let The Right One In*+ .34
03/15/09-Friday the 13th Part 7: The New Blood+ .35
03/17/09-The Foot Fist Way* .36
03/20/09-Campfire Tales*+ .37
03/20/09-Friday the 13th Part 8: Jason Takes Manhattan+ .38
03/21/09-The Midnight Meat Train*+ .39
03/22/09-My Name is Bruce* .40
03/23/09-Team America: World Police .41
03/28/09-What Just Happened* .42
03/28/09-Punisher: War Zone* .43
03/31/09-Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday+ .44
04/01/09-Role Models* .45
04/01/09-Critters 3 .46
04/02/09-The Man Who Wasn't There* .47
04/05/09-Southland Tales* .48
04/08/09-Critters 4 .49
04/09/09-300* .50
04/12/09-The Quick and the Dead* .51
04/15/09-Observe and Report*+ .52
04/16/09-Hostel Part II* .53
04/18/09-The Wrestler* .54
04/19/09-Bloodsport* .55
04/19/09-Ichi the Killer .56
04/21/09-Battle Royale .57
04/23/09-Splinter* .58
04/23/09-Dark City* .59
04/25/09-True Lies .60
04/29/09-Videodrome .61
05/04/09-Timecrimes* .62
05/05/09-The Terminator+ .63
05/06/09-X-Men Origins: Wolverine* .64
05/08/09-Rear Window* .65
05/09/09-Terminator 2: Judgement Day+ .66
05/10/09-JCVD* .67
05/10/09-Timecrimes .68
05/12/09-Zodiac .69
05/16/09-Vertigo* .70
05/19/09-Star Trek*+ .71
05/19/09-Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines+ .72
05/20/09-Savage Streets* .73
05/20/09-Funny Games (1997)* .74
05/21/09-Terminator: Salvation*+ .75
05/23/09-Fanboys* .76
05/24/09-12 Monkeys .77
05/24/09-Reno 911: Miami The Movie* .78
05/24/09-Harold and Kumar Escape From Guantanamo Bay* .79
05/24/09-The Elephant Man* .80
05/24/09-Pan's Labyrinth* .81
05/25/09-Baseketball .82
05/25/09-Rosemary's Baby* .83
05/26/09-Dumb and Dumber .84
05/28/09-Strange Wilderness* .85
05/29/09-How to Lose Friends and Alienate People* .86
05/30/09-The Goonies .87
05/30/09-Drag Me to Hell* .88
05/31/09-Man Bites Dog* .89
05/31/09-Gremlins 2: The New Batch .90
06/02/09-Eastern Promises* .91
06/06/09-Brazil* .92
06/07/09-Hot Fuzz .93
06/08/09-Dune* .94
06/13/09-Be Kind Rewind* .95
06/14/09-Stripes* .96
06/15/09-The Abyss* .97
06/16/09-Friday the 13th '09 .98
06/18/09-Friday the 13th '09 .99
06/18/09-Lethal Weapon 2* .100
06/20/09-Drag Me to Hell+ 101
06/21/09-Citizen Kane* .102
06/21/09-North by Northwest* .103
06/22/09-Clerks .104
06/22/09-Clerks II .105
06/24/09-Unconventional* .106
06/24/09-Lethal Weapon 3* .107
06/25/09-The Jerk* .108
06/26/09-Up in Smoke .109
06/27/09-Half Baked .110
06/28/09-Futurama: Into the Wild Green Yonder .111
06/28/09-Futurama: Bender's Game .112
06/29/09-Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon .113
06/29/09-Futurama: The Beast with a Billion Backs .114
06/30/09-Jason X+ .115
07/01/09-Cheech and Chong's Next Movie .116
07/02/09-Lethal Weapon 4* .117
07/03/09-A Fistful of Dollars* .118
07/05/09-Mother of Tears* .119
07/06/09-Disturbia* .120
07/07/09-Superbad+ .121
07/08/09-For a Few Dollars More* .122
07/10/09-The Running Man* .123
07/11/09-The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly* .124
07/12/09-A Nightmare on Elm Street+ .125
07/12/09-Razorback* .126
07/13/09-American History X .127
07/14/09-Mulholland Drive .128
07/14/09-House II: The Second Story* .129
07/16/09-Yojimbo* .130
07/18/09-Bruno* .131
07/22/09-The Outlaw Josey Wales* .132
07/25/09-Gran Torino* .133
08/02/09-Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone* .134
08/02/09-Tremors .135
08/02/09-Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets* .136
08/04/09-High Plains Drifter* .137
08/08/09-Watchmen: Director's Cut .138
08/09/09-Dirty Harry* .139
08/09/09-The Blair Witch Project .140
08/09/09-Pieces .141
08/11/09-Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban* .142
08/12/09-The People Under the Stairs* .143
08/12/09-Deadly Friend* .144
08/14/09-eXistenZ* .145
08/14/09-Slaughter High* .146
08/16/09-Hearts of Darkness* .147
08/16/09-District 9* .148
08/17/09-Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire* .149
08/21/09-Inglorious Basterds* .150
08/24/09-Motel Hell* .151
08/25/09-Serenity* .152
08/28/09-Into the Pit* .153
08/29/09-Troll 2* .154
08/31/09-Five Easy Pieces* .155
09/01/09-Half Baked+ .156
09/02/09-Miss March*+ .157
09/04/09-A/K/A Tommy Chong* .158
09/06/09-A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge+ .159
09/07/09-A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors+ .160
09/10/09-A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master+ .161
09/11/09-Stiff Jobs* .162
09/11/09-The Texas Chainsaw Massacre .163
09/12/09-Friday the 13th Part 7: The New Blood .164
09/13/09-The Wizard* .165
09/16/09-Dream Reaper* .166
09/17/09-Class of 1984* .167
09/18/09-A Nightmare on Elm Street: The Dream Child+ .168
09/19/09-Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare+ .169
09/19/09-Dawn of the Dead+ .170
09/19/09-Critters+ .171
09/20/09-Wes Craven's New Nightmare+ .172
09/20/09-The Blob* .173
09/22/09-Just Before Dawn* .174
09/23/09-Adventureland* .175
09/24/09-Final Exam* .176
09/26/09-Blood Diner* .177
09/26/09-The Fantastic Four '94* .178
09/27/09-Class of 1999* .179
09/28/09-Dawn* .180
10/02/09-Zombieland*+ .181
10/03/09-Fido* .182
10/03/09-Slumber Party Massacre 2* .183
10/03/09-The Video Dead* .184
10/03/09-Pale Rider* .185
10/05/09-Happy Birthday to Me* .186
10/07/09-Eden Lake* .187
10/07/09-The Burrowers* .188
10/08/09-Step Brothers* .189
10/08/09-Don't Go in the Woods...Alone* .190
10/09/09-Taken* .191
10/09/09-Halloween+ .192
10/09/09-Halloween 2+ .193
10/12/09-The Legend of Billie Jean .194
10/12/09-Dr. Giggles* .195
10/13/09-Alien .196
10/15/09-Demons 2* .197
10/15/09-I Love You, Man* .198
10/16/09-Halloween 3: Season of the Witch+ .199
10/17/09-Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers+ .200
10/23/09-Comedian* .201
10/24/09-My Boyfriend's Back .202
10/24/09-The Beyond .203
10/24/09-The Return of the Living Dead .204
10/25/09-The Brood* .205
10/25/09-Chopping Mall .206
10/25/09-The Prowler .207
10/25/09-The Monster Squad .208
10/26/09-Unforgiven .209
10/27/09-Night of the Creeps* .210
10/27/09-Aliens .211
10/29/09-Sorority Babes in the Slimeball Bowl-O-Rama* .212
10/29/09-Alien 3 .213
10/30/09-Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers+ .214
10/31/09-Halloween 6: The Curse of Michael Myers+ .215
10/31/09-Trick 'r Treat*+ .216
10/31/09-Halloween: H2O+ .217
11/01/09-Coffee and Cigarettes* .218
11/01/09-Lost Highway* .219
11/03/09-Dolls* .220
11/04/09-Paranormal Activity* .221
11/05/09-An American Werewolf in London .222
11/06/09-Beware the Moon* .223
11/07/09-Martyrs* .224
11/09/09-The Dead Zone* .225
11/11/09-Sundown: The Vampire in Retreat* .226
11/12/09-The Stepfather* .227
11/13/09-Fight Club+ .228
11/13/09-Last House on the Left '09*+ .229
11/14/09-Jurassic Park+ .230
11/16/09-Stepfather 2: Make Room for Daddy* .231
11/18/09-The Hills Run Red* .232
11/21/09-Jack Brooks Monster Slayer* .233
11/21/09-The Gift* .234
11/26/09-Turtles Forever* .235
11/26/09-The Incredible Hulk* .236
11/27/09-Thirst* .237
11/30/09-The Gate* .238
12/02/09-Land of the Lost* .239
12/02/09-Colonel Kill Motherfuckers* .240
12/02/09-Choke* .241
12/03/09-Christine* .242
12/03/09-Cockhammer* .243
12/04/09-Paul Blart: Mall Cop* .244
12/04/09-Kingpin+ .245
12/05/09-The Evil Dead+ .246
12/05/09-John Carpenter's Vampires+ .247
12/06/09-Assault on Precinct 13* .248
12/06/09-Hang 'em High* .249
12/07/09-Wristcutters: A Love Story* .250
12/08/09-Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen* .251
12/10/09-Groundhog Day .252
12/10/09-The Stoned Age .253
12/10/09-Funny People* .254
12/11/09-Laid to Rest* .255
12/11/09-Scrooged* .256
12/12/09-30 Days of Night* .257
12/13/09-Die Hard .258
12/15/09-The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters* .259
12/15/09-The Comedians of Comedy* .260
12/15/09-Not Quite Hollywood* .261
12/16/09-The Crazies* .262
12/17/09-Home Alone+ .263
12/18/09-My Cousin Vinny .264
12/19/09-Stargate* .265
12/19/09-Terminator Salvation .266
12/19/09-Grindhouse: Death Proof .267
12/20/09-Captain America '90 .268
12/21/09-Can't Hardly Wait .269
12/22/09-The Mighty Ducks .270
12/22/09-Redneck Zombies* .271
12/23/09-Asylum* .272
12/24/09-Anvil: The Story of Anvil* .273
12/25/09-Night of the Creeps+ .274
12/25/09-From Dusk Till Dawn+ .275
12/26/09-The X-Files: Fight the Future+ .276
12/26/09-Dawn of the Dead '04+ .277
12/27/09-Inglorious Basterds .278
12/27/09-Frost/Nixon* .279
12/29/09-Twin Peaks Pilot .280
12/29/09-Star Man* 281
12/30/09-Extract* .282
12/30/09-Deadbeat at Dawn* .283

Late '07-'08 Movie List

2010-07-25T15:50:00.000-07:00

12/09/07 -Superbad*
12/10/07-Futurama-Bender's Big Score*
12/13/07-Deliverance
12/14/07-I AM LEGEND*
12/15/07-Eyes Wide Shut
12/15/07-Grindhouse: Planet Terror
12/15/07-They Live
12/16/07-Santa Claus is Coming to Town*
12/24/07-Halloween '07
12/25/07-Silent Night, Deadly Night
12/27/07-The Simpsons Movie
12/28/07-Pumpkinhead 2: Blood Wings
12/29/07-The Simpsons Movie
12/30/07-The Frighteners
1/03/08-Blade Runner: Final Cut* .1
1/13/08-Night of the Scarecrow .2
1/17/08-The Hills Have Eyes .3
1/17/08-The Hills Have Eyes Remake .4
1/18/08-Cloverfield* ,5
1/19/08-Apt Pupil .6
1/20/08-Stand By Me* .7
1/26/08-Gremlins .8
1/27/08-Leprechaun .9
1/27/08-Pieces* .10
2/2/08-The Burning* .11
2/3/08-Intruder* .12
2/3/08-Suicide Club* .13
2/3/08-Chopping Mall* .14
2/5/08-Killer Workout* .15
2/5/08-Slaughterhouse* .16
2/6/08-Hatchet* .17
2/10/08-Scarecrows* .18
2/19/08-Beyond ReAnimator .19
2/3/08-Twin Peaks Pilot .20
2/24/08-Cheerleader Camp* .21
2/25/08-Near Dark .22
3/2/0/08-Reign of Fire* .23
3/07/08-Alone in the Dark (1982)* .24
3/08/08-Phantasm OblIVion* .25
3/09/08-Basket Case* .26
3/09/08-Tremors 4* .27
3/12/08-No Country For Old Men* .28
3/15/08-South Park: Imaginationland* .29
3/15/08-The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford* .30
3/15/08-From Beyond* .31
3/16/08-Live Free or Die Hard* .32
3/18/08-Tremors 3 .33
3/18/08-C.H.U.D. .34
3/21/08-Ghoulies* .35
3/23/08-Groundhog Day .36
3/23/08-Ghoulies 2 .37
3/24/08-Lost in Translation* .38
3/26/08-Ghost World* .39
3/28/08-Die Hard 2: Die Harder* .40
3/29/08-Die Hard With A Vengence .41
3/30/08-The Mist* .42
4/02/08-Slumber Party Massacre* .43
4/04/08-From Dusk Till Dawn .44
4/06/08-The Prowler* .45
4/06/08-Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night 2 .46
4/06/08-Slumber Party Massacre 3* .47
4/07/08-Night of the Demons 3* .48
4/11/08-Tourist Trap* .49
4/12/08-Prom Night 'Remake'* (SUCKED) .50
4/13/08-Eraserhead* .51
4/15/08-The Exorcist 3* .52
4/17/08-The King of Comedy* .53
4/17/08-Land of the Dead .54
4/19/08-Juno* .55
4/20/08-Phenomena* .56
4/20/08-Basket Case 2* .57
4/22/08-Alien vs. Predator: Requiem* .58
4/26/08-Batman '89 .59
4/26/08-Reservoir Dogs .60
4/27/08-Urban Legend .61
4/27/08-Darkman .62
5/5/08-Iron Man* .63
5/6/08-Batman Begins .64
5/18/08-Raiders of the Last Ark .65
5/19/08-Phantasm 2* .66
5/19/08-The Evil Dead .67
5/19/08-Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade .68
5/22/08-Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull* .69
5/23/08-Dairy of the Dead* .70
5/24/08-Behind the Mask: Rise of Leslie Vernon* .71
5/25/08-E.T. .72
5/26/08-Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation .73
5/26/08-Hard Candy* .74
5/27/08-Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom .75
5/29/08-Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning .76
6/01/08-The Burning .77
6/05/08-Inside* .78
6/06/08-Teeth* .79
6/14/08-Starship Troopers .80
6/15/08-Total Recall .81
6/20/08-Friday the 13th Part 8: Jason Takes Manhattan .82
6/20/08-Friday the 13th Part 7: The New Blood .83
6/22/08-Mulholland Drive* .84
6/23/08-Tales From the Crypt Presents: Bordello of Blood* .85
6/25/08-Futurama: The Beast with a Billion Backs* .86
6/28/08-Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker .87
6/29/08-John Carpenter's Prince of Darkness* .88
7/11/08-Hancock* .89
7/11/08-Borat .90
7/13/08-X-Men .91
7/13/08-Futurama: Beast with a Billion Backs .92
7/15/08-Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back .93
7/16/08-Infernal Affairs* .94
7/17/08-The Dark Knight* (Midnight) .95
7/18/08-The Dark Knight .96
7/23/08-X Files: Fight the Future .97
7/23/08-The Dark Knight .98
7/23/08-Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story* .99
7/28/08-There Will Be Blood* .100
08/09/08-X Files: I Want To Believe* .101
08/09/09-The Dark Knight .102
08/14/08-Night of the Living Dead '90 .103
08/17/08-Who Framed Roger Rabbit .104
08/17/08-The Simpsons Movie .105
08/19/08-Ed Wood .106
08/20/08-Doom Asylum* .107
08/23/08-Day of the Dead .108
08/23/08-City of the Living Dead* .109
08/24/08-Zombie .110
08/29/08-American Movie .111
08/29/08-Diary of the Dead .112
08/30/08-Oldboy .113
08/30/08-Sin City .114
09/01/08-Grindhouse: Planet Terror .115
09/06/08-Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me .116
09/06/08-My Bloody Valentine .117
09/07/08-Escape From New York .118
09/07/08-Escape From L.A. .119
09/07/08-Black Sheep* .120
09/07/08-Jason Goes To Hell .121
09/10/08-Children of the Corn 2: The Final Sacrifice .122
09/13/08-Phantasm .123
09/17/08-Chasing Amy .124
09/18/08-Tropic Thunder* .125
09/19/08- The Terminator .126
09/20/08-Terminator 2: Judgment Day Special Edition .127
09/21/08-Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines .128
10/01/08-Maniac Cop* .129
10/01/08-Night of the Demons .130
10/02/08-The Fly .131
10/02/08-A Nightmare on Elm Street .132
10/03/08-Pet Sematary 2 .133
10/04/08-The Funhouse* .134
10/04/08-Critters 2 .135
10/05/08-Event Horizon .136
10/05/08-Wes Craven's New Nightmare .137
10/06/08-Freddy vs. Jason .138
10/06/08-A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge .139
10/07/08-Night of the Demons 3 .140
10/08/08-Tenebre* .141
10/10/08-Inferno* .142
10/11/08-A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors .143
10/11/08-A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master .144
10/11/08-April Fool's Day .145
10/13/08-Slither .146
10/15/08-28 Weeks Later .147
10/17/08-Basket Case 3* .148
10/17/08-Children of the Corn .149
10/19/08-Day of the Dead 2: Contagium* .150
10/19/08-Doom Asylum .151
10/22/08-Transformers .152
10/22/08-Children of the Corn 3: Urban Harvest .153
10/26/08-Camp Nowhere .154
10/26/08-Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull .155
10/28/08-In the Mouth of Madness* .156
10/29/08-Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers .157
10/29/08-Halloween 3: Season of the Witch .158
11/02/08-Iron Man .159
11/02/08-The Crow .160
11/03/08-Zack and Miri Make a Porno* .161
11/04/08-Quarantine* .162
11/05/08-Return to Sleepaway Camp* .163
11/08/08-The Beyond* .164
11/08/08-Children of the Night* .165
11/08/08-Maniac Cop 2* .166
11/12/08-Iron Man .167
11/12/08-The Big Lebowski .168
11/13/08-Get Thrashed* .169
11/15/08-The Thing .170
11/16/08-Edward Scissorhands .171
11/18/08-Maniac Cop 3: Badge of Silence* .172
11/20/08-The Strangers* .173
11/22/08-Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead* .174
11/24/08-Evolution .175
11/25/08-Wall-E* .176
11/25/08-Tropic Thunder .177
11/26/08-The Karate Kid .178
11/26/08-Super Troopers .179
11/26/08-Tropic Thunder .180
11/26/08-Forgetting Sarah Marshall* .181
11/26/08-Wall-E .182
11/27/08-The 'Burbs* .183
11/27/08-Nightbreed* .184
11/28/08-Mallrats .185
11/28/08-Dazed and Confused .186
11/30/08-National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation .187
12/01/08-Waiting...* .188
12/03/08-The Shining .189
12/03/08-The X-Files: I Want to Believe .190
12/04/08-Knocked Up .191

12/06/08-The Omen .192

12/06/08-Friday the 13th .193

12/07/08-Armageddon .194

12/10/08-The Dark Knight .195

12/11/08-Black Snake Moan* .196

12/11/08-Misery ,197

12/12/08-Video Violence* .198

12/13/08-Hearts in Atlantis* .199

12/15/08-Jackie Brown .200

12/18/08-Video Violence 2* .201

12/21/08-Twilight Zone: The Movie* .202

12/21/08-Friday the 13th Part 2 .203

12/23/08-The Dark Knight .204

12/25/08-A Christmas Story .205

12/26/08-Futurama: Bender's Game* .206

12/26/08-Hellboy 2: The Golden Army* .207

12/30/08-Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills* .208

"Avatar" Review

2010-01-03T17:16:00.000-08:00

Me and Jessica went to check out Avatar today after much delay. I've been aiming to see it since opening day but for one reason or another it was postponed until today. I knew I had to check it out in the theater because being the type of film it is, without the big screen and RealD 3-D experience it would probably seem like an overly long cartoon. Being a big fan of James Cameron's previous work I was looking forward to it, and here's what I thought.
During the film I actually caught myself thinking "I'll probably never watch this again"...this isn't because it's not good, because I thought it was...but because a lot of what made it so enjoyable was the 3-D. It's not traditional 3-D where shit is being shoved into your face every two seconds, but it really just gives the movie a sense of depth and makes the effects look even cooler than they already are. So basically, I thought it looked awesome, no question. As for the story, it's good, but it didn't blow me away. A lot has been made about the fact that it's a cliched story, that's it's no more than Dances with Wolves with aliens instead of Indians. Sure, there are familiar things in here...but it's a new thing and it is it's own thing. I think the reason it didn't have the amount of enjoyment for me that classics from Cameron like T2 or Aliens did was because I really enjoy how he deals with the action of people that are adept with guns and make firing weapons look badass. This time, the military is the enemy and the heroes are fighting not with automatic weapons and vehicles but with bows and arrows and flying dragons. The corporate military present in the film does provide an excellent villain in the form of Stephan Lang's Colonel.
All in all, I enjoyed it and would enjoy seeing it again if the 3-D experience was preserved (I hope the upcoming Blu-Ray 3-D technology is comparable to the theater). If you want to check it out, do so in the theater for sure.