VERSUS CYBERPUNK HORRORS

Preparing For Apocalypse

2013-05-14T04:17:00.000-07:00

What to do in case of apocalypse... You'll need all your survival skills to survive the end times. Whether it be zombies, nuclear, or worse. Let's just assume zombies for this example. Do you fear a screen showing up on the t.v. set saying something like "Please Stand By"? You turn on the radio to hear panic stricken crowds fighting off the undead in whatever news shows are left. After enough time you'll realize you can't go food shopping. And the plumbing won't work anymore. What will you do? You'll have to create weapons and forage in the forest as much as you can. You'll have to create armor as well. Then you might even have to resort to hunting any living humans there are. They say that you regain your animal instincts when you start hunting humans, like enhanced hearing, eyesight, smell, speed, and whatever else. You become an animal by living like one. We all know they have strong senses. The weapons should preferably be semi-auto to auto submachine guns. They can't have a lot of kick so no hand cannons. Sniper rifles would be a good idea too. Raid ammunition stores for ammo and carry a backpack full of excess. Now the armor should be ballistic if you can find it. Ballistic armor can take a gunshot point blank so it can stop a zombie. Even better: add spikes to your ballistic armor for zombie head bashing. Add spikes to armored gloves too. A ballistic helmet would be the best protection. Now create swords. Machetes can work too if you tweak them to be more like broadswords. If it's possible, collect zombie meat and cook it thoroughly, only if it doesn't turn you! This is a rare practice but may come in handy. If it's possible then why not? Leave no skin visible and carry sharpened rods.

Guest Commentator FLESHCRAWL says: "Why does every apocalypse example have to be a zombie one? As if nothing else could happen!"

Feed The Walking Shark

2013-05-14T03:56:00.000-07:00

What do you think about mutant species, like a shark mixed with a crab or something? Sounds downright horrifying doesn't it? And that's only one of millions of combinations that we could make. I'd like to think there might be some mad scientist somewhere working on something right now as we speak. Reality never sees mutant horror but the truth is science is capable of it now. That's why we make sci-fi movies, because sometimes they are real possibilities. You can find examples in real life in the supermarkets when you find combination veggies or fruits. They might be a different color or shape but they perfect it on produce first. These are like beta tests for animals in essence. So after enough time animals are the next step. And after that I have no doubt someone will try something on people. It's just a matter of time. You can't stop progress. It's in us to keep exploring the unknown and trying new things. That could be a simple description of human nature. We're never satisfied with anything so we keep improving and reinventing. Mad science isn't about improving however. Mutant gene experiments are just plain mad but someone could argue that it could lead to a new discovery of some kind to better humanity, like in the movie "Splice" where they created a blob-like creature made up of different animals. In the name of science they created an abomination to possibly create a mutant gene capable of thwarting diseases or viruses, etc. but it's also a very scary direction to go in. The unknown part of science could lead to something that should not exist. Do you fear science? You should.

Guest Commentator BLUE FIEND says: "So you're tellin' me that I'm one of those nightmarish experiments? That is so cool!"

Death By Black Hole

2013-05-14T03:35:00.001-07:00

Versus Science #88. Now for some hard science! What are colleges doing with our hard earned money? They're creating hadron colliders that could summon black holes to eat up our entire planet! I may be exaggerating, but then again maybe not. What if they succeed in creating a small black hole that starts to grow? That's the sort of thing you expect from a SyFy movie where the death toll is quite high and goes unnoticed for the most part among the wreckage and panic. If they could manage to control a black hole then they could make one in space and turn it into a planet, since that is what black holes do. They form planets by collecting all the debris and minerals necessary into the heart of the pulsar. Bet you didn't know that! LOL. Or maybe you did. I dunno. They also send jets of debris out to other black holes to distribute all the materials in the universe evenly. Well, they haven't confirmed that but I can surmise that I'm correct. And if it went totally wrong a hadron collider could blow up the entire university, or even a city! That is no joke. The technology behind it is heavy duty and I won't be working near one any time soon. I've worked in an oil refinery and that was scary enough. If you see a black hole form start running! - That's my advice. Our tax dollars at work. Let's hope it works huh!

Guest Commentator X-RAY SALLY says: "Puncturing space-time is no laughing matter! Hey you, why are you laughing?! Get back here!"

The Unborn Want Life!

2013-05-14T03:03:00.000-07:00

Article #2,500! "The Unborn" was possibly a remake of the Roger Corman classic but I cannot say for sure. I'd like to think it is. If you could believe in ghosts of certain cultures then this will be understandable. I believe that yes ghosts could be different upon different cultures. Lately I've been seeing different movies of this ilk showing up. The idea of an unborn child coming back to haunt you is one hell of a creepy idea isn't it? The life that never was wants life. Yikes! Or the life that could have been. It's hard to understand how life could stay alive after death even before birth but imagine if you went to hell and you encountered your unborn child all grown up and angry, just like in the movie "Farm House". You may not be able to wrap your head around it but that won't matter when you're being judged by that unwanted life in hell. What a macabre idea. In this movie we have a Jewish ghost. There was also another movie with a Jewish ghost too. Kind of a trend. I'm not really afraid of any Jewish ghosts finding me but it's not about being Jewish. The idea is the ghost of an unborn child, which so happens to be one in this culture. So it's not a "Jewish" movie. It's a ghost movie indeed. You don't need to be of that faith to appreciate the horror here. The most impressively freakish part of this movie is where the twisted, mutated people get reanimated. They walk like spiders chasing someone. Now that is cool, you have to admit, no matter what faith you follow. It'll chill you! I would call it 'body horror' as well as 'ghost horror'. Don't let it catch you! If that were chasing me I would be running fast!

Guest Commentator FATHER DIABOLICAL says: "It's just not natural for a man to twist into a spider. I must get my holy shotgun!"

A Re-Review of "Phantoms" from 1998

2013-05-14T02:37:00.000-07:00

Been slow around here lately due to a rather psychotic insomnia spell. I'm learning to make it work for me though. Now where was I? Ah yes, the ultra special re-review of "Phantoms", one of my fave movies. The reason this is so special is because I got to thinking about what Dean Koontz envisioned in his mind. The creature in this movie was petroleum based and intelligent. It could mimic humans and take on different forms. It was made up of the DNA of all animals and minerals, metals, etc. So if someone were to do some deep drilling and strike oil they could possibly run into this beast. Imagine that! That could be a possible environmental message. It is possible in fact. I'll use an example I'm sure you've all heard about before. The incident at Chernobyl with a nuclear meltdown caused some seriously scary stuff to happen, including fish tails growing on the backs of people. Why? Because we share 98% of all our DNA with other creatures. This creature really could exist! Shape shifters are a new idea because nature doesn't have any but you never know. New species are showing up all the time. This movie has a great basis for the monster when you research the science behind it and the feel of the whole thing was just like a cool horror movie that starts at some isolated cabin near a small town in the middle of the wilderness. The EFX get really good after a bit of suspense build-up which really pays off. I like how it makes you wonder what's going to happen and then when the turning point does arise they don't skimp on anything. We see the monster a lot and it's gratuitous. It was said to have killed off ancient civilizations and been worshiped as a deity. The cast was great and they worked together very well. In my eyes this would be a truly horrific encounter that you would be lucky to survive.

Guest Commentator THE GRAVEROBBER says: "I think they all die so I'm gonna start digging graves. I love my job!"

1984: Year Of War

2013-05-03T06:27:00.003-07:00

Versus Movie #141. It's time. I am officially reviewing the movie "1984". Everyone and their grandma knows this is a classic story about dystopia in an imagined future back before 1984 of course. What they imagined long ago is rather scary when you think about it. What did they imagine? A world at war constantly. The economy fed by war. War was the economy of the future here. I don't really understand that concept myself though since devastation takes money and puts people in poverty. I think how it works it with too much devastation they would herd us like cattle into enormous armored forts that function as makeshift cities to protect us, but at the cost of our liberty. This way they don't care how much annihilation is taking place outside the armored city walls and people have no choice but to listen to their new rules and laws or die. Death is not a hard punishment to imagine in a war ravaged world. This punishment goes for many things in this movie too. Imagine love being outlawed. Not only a 1 child policy but love itself. If things get bad enough and the military were to take over then a military state can impose any law they see fit. War becomes the religion and the news. It's a way of life in this world. Dictators rule everywhere. This is a savage outlook on humanity's future if I ever saw one. And in the midst of all this chaos are two people that dare to find love. What's the price of love in this world? It would be death like any other broken law. I can't even fathom a world where love is punishable by death. It sounds like they would only want you to propagate when they allow it to control the population so love holds no purpose to them. A military state would be the worst possible scenario. They would keep war going indefinitely just to give people some reason to work. Oh now it makes sense... they would put us to work making tanks, guns, uniforms, rations, etc. and all jobs would have the same purpose. To help the war effort. What a frightening thought that is. It's hard to believe this movie was made so long ago. It's a work of art and a warning to us.

Guest Commentator BLOOD MISTRESS says: "Total war sounds like a fitting end to stupid people. And bloody! That's what you get!"

Stranded On The Red Planet

2013-05-03T05:08:00.000-07:00

"Red Planet" could best be described as space action/drama. The premise is simple, a spaceship with a crew on board heads to Mars to find some way to save Earth from imminent doom caused by massive pollution and devastation. Interesting that they thought of doing that isn't it? And like most space movies guess what happens... something goes wrong. I get the feeling the reason why astronauts train so hard is because they have to prepare for anything that could possibly go wrong. There really are a lot of things that could go wrong but you always hope that's not the case. In this movie every possible thing that can go wrong really does. You think how is that possible but you'll see when you watch it. I was taken off guard too because any number of things can go wrong in space. Anyhow, they crash land on Mars after something eventual does go wrong, as we were able to predict. The plot alone is really good to me for a space movie. It may not have theater blockbuster written all over it but it was a good movie. Once on Mars they realize they're basically stranded there unless they can find a way back to the orbiting spaceship. That is a predicament I would never want to be in. What happens later is beyond your imagination. Will they die on Mars? Will they kill each other in the process? Or will they work together and find a way? They're not alone though. They happen to have a robot with them that walks like a dog and fights like a man when it stands up. This robot senses their need for its battery and takes it as a sign of hostility. So it starts hunting them! That is why you don't make a robot too smart people! AI is only good at a determined intelligence. It sounds like the sort of space nightmare scenario that you would never want to be in so I feel for these guys. Will they find a possible solution to Earth's polluted and dying remains on that big, red planet? Something else lurks up there. What they find will shock and bewilder them. It's a cool trip. This movie will test your survival skills. Fear intelligent robots!

Guest Commentator CHROMESHINE says: "Intelligent robots are nothing to be afraid of people. Don't make me mad. Targeting human!"

Time To Avenge!

2013-04-28T03:06:00.000-07:00

"The Avengers" was undoubtedly the most popular movie of all time. What a wild thought that is too. My theory is with more people in the world now movie audiences are gonna grow and grow and records are going to keep being broken. Some might think comics are nerdy but a lot of people love super heroes. I think people can relate to wanting to be more than what they are, if not super human. We all wish we could do great things instead of just languishing in a stupor, thinking of ways to change things. Super heroes speak to our inner beings and we'd all like to be super strong. In The Avengers enemies from Thor's home planet want to invade Earth. I guess it's a good thing they released "Thor" before this movie then. You know they're planning this all out. That's why they released all those other super hero movies separately, like "The Hulk", "Spiderman", "Ironman", and all those other ones. Then comes Thor and The Avengers tying it all together. So you can think of all those other movies as prequels in a way. Why was this movie so popular? I think people love those movies separately so putting them together is like the ultimate battle royale. People like to see a select few go up against insurmountable odds showing no fear in the face of danger. It's inspiring and of course the youth love comic characters more than adults. Most of the crowd buying tickets must have been younger people. I'd say it was a good story since this opens up the storyline for Apocalypse to enter into the plot. That's good planning when you can think that far ahead. Now for the movie itself I'd say it flowed very well and didn't slow down too much at all at any one point. When it comes to action this is the epitome of what people want. All the characters in this movie are very different and yet they learn to work together for a greater good. There's a good lesson there. It shows how we're all different and have our own strengths. The Hulk was portrayed as a rather nonviolent scientist who strays away from anger, as opposed to previous incarnations. Thor is seen as somewhat cocky but they eventually come together as a team. Ironman is a brilliant man that doesn't rely on the muscly brawn but rather his brains to create that awesome suit. They are an unlikely bunch and they do have their quarrels in the beginning but they put that all aside and realize their full potential. Just like anyone else they were wondering what their roles were in this world, and later they know. At times the kinetic symbiosis that binds them is volatile but they are only human. I think the real reason it was so popular is because this team-up won't be happening again. It's the sort of event that only happens in this generation. You either catch it or miss it. Don't miss out. Earth is under attack by the ice mutants!

Guest Commentator THE GRAVEROBBER says: "I dug some graves but the Avengers didn't die so... I'm going on lunch break!"

The House Where Hell Dwells

2013-04-25T02:38:00.000-07:00

Something about abandoned houses scares me. And yet I'd like to go photograph some. The real haunted houses are the abandoned ones. A good question to ask would be why are they abandoned? Nobody ever asks themselves that but maybe they should. Was there a massacre? Was there a time-space anomaly? Did ghosts kill everyone? You might never know and that's the way real ghosts would want it. I have a feeling if ghosts exist proving it would be damn near impossible. You may not be able to so only those that get driven mad would experience the horror. I've heard of "soft" spots where world physics are different and what would cause that you ask? In some movies the physics of our world could possibly just go wrong and cause things to change on us. This house looks like it's been through hell and back. Maybe it has! I don't think some things are for us to explain. That's the problem with that riddle. People always try to find an explanation for things but that might not be the way to figure it out. I think things of that nature could be solved but it would cost you your sanity and your life maybe. And if you do live to tell the tale who would believe you? With special EFX in movies now days being so good you could even have real footage of a ghost and people might not believe you still. What's it worth to you to find out something that's not meant to be found out? People think that they're entitled to finding out anything but we're not gods for a reason. We don't know everything. Haunted houses make for great photographic art. Do you dare enter this house? Or is that a hotel? Abandoned hotels are even scarier! Remember "The Shining"? You've been warned. Are ghosts real? Maybe.

Guest Commentator THE GRAVEROBBER says: "If the bodies of any victims aren't buried they might be waiting for you. Bring a shovel!"

Unexplainable Science

2013-04-23T02:24:00.000-07:00

Do you believe in theoretical physics if it's theoretical? Do you believe in science anomalies? There are things we can't explain that frightens us. Science is literally based around the idea that we can explain anything. What if we can't? You've heard of fringe science so who knows what's possible. Thankfully, in reality, we haven't done anything too crazy yet, like in "Fringe", where they open up a parallel universe. Even if that were possible it would be a very bad idea. But... humans never cease to amaze me. You can warn them all you want in t.v. shows or movies but they might do it anyways. It may take hundreds or thousands of years but our end will come someday. If not then we'll just infest another planet. We'll leave the poor on earth to suffer while the rich live on their own planet. The future is a scary place. What if you can't afford to get on the spaceship that colonizes on another planet? You'd be left behind. Now for unexplained science. I do believe that theoretical physics exists for a reason. They may call it that when geniuses actually know what's possible. It might mean they don't want us to know. And if they don't know then that truly is scary. I think anything is possible. In space physics work differently and there are things we can't explain. Even if we could explain something our world could have its own physics altered. That would be a nightmare. Like a t.v. show. What if we create a black hole and destroy the earth? I know hadron colliders are being built in colleges. What if we don't die and instead thrust the entire world into a vacuum that throws us into a parallel universe? If we did that then reality would cease to exist. Your known reality could disappear. Humans always try to wield power far beyond themselves. Are we gods or are we men? We have an innate curiosity that knows no bounds. Too much power maybe. When time travel is created you know only a certain few are going to be in charge of it. Can we trust the government with that power? How do we know what we're really capable of if we trust so easily? When any kind of technology is created only a certain few will be in command of it. That's the way they want it too I'd say.

Guest Commentator FLESHCRAWL says: "Unknown science is making blood fill up my eyes! Why did I become a science major!"

The Bleeding Arts

2013-04-22T21:12:00.000-07:00

Versus Art #90. When it comes to good creepy art there's plenty of that on the internet now. I can't even tell what's really anymore to tell you the truth. I've seen art like this a long time ago. There was a gallery in a coffee shop with photography that had been manipulated. Some had objects overlapping each other. Others had different objects connecting to each other. We really can do it all now. In this picture you see a dripping effect coming from the eyes as if blood. But how did they do it? It seems like the eye areas were mostly black so the black was able to be made to appear as if dripping. Not impossible obviously but I haven't seen it done before. News online is the same to me. We don't know what's real anymore if our realities are what we hear on the news and our news comes from the net. For all we know someone could be changing some news on the internet and how would we know? It's a scary reality we live in. You can see examples in movies like "Starship Troopers 3: Marauder" where they change what you see on t.v. to fit their needs. Propaganda is whatever they want it to be. What you see of war is what they show you. With picture manipulation there can be a lot of symbolism of such things, or not. In this picture it adds an effect that would never happen in reality and that's why I like it. You don't mistake it for something real. I can't say the same for a lot of pics on the net though. Graphic design has come so far now days. Art has changed as well. Art changes with the times. Modern art is nothing like classic art and never will be again. Some would call this modern day magic. Surely, we can make the impossible happen in pictures now. If we can alter pictures and call it art then what will future art be like? What will news be like? How will we fight wars? It sure does make ya wonder.

Guest Commentator X-RAY SALLY says: "Actually that's not fake. I made her eyes and nose bleed using ESP. I hate her!"

Killer Alien Slugs

2013-04-16T03:22:00.000-07:00

Versus Art #89. Some of the smallest of species of animals or insects seem so harmless yet freaky. What if they were of gargantuan proportions? What could they do to us? The truth is we should be humbled by the small bugs that keep our delicate ecosystem running. If something as small as a slug was huge it could be capable of anything. In this picture you see a slug beast of some sort with a human skeleton floating in its gelatinous body made up of some kind of poison that eats away at flesh. What an outlandish thought. Yes a slug could kill a man depending on a few things. Things like chemical make-up, size, ferocity, appetite, etc. all go into it. I've heard of many things so I wouldn't rule it out. Things like prehistoric, giant spiders or snakes. Many things were huge aeons ago. The heat in the atmosphere at the time allowed exponential growth beyond anything we could ever imagine now. Many household insects now days could have been real predators once. Or even taken on different forms. I've read a lot of history books and studied evolution quite a bit. I know what I'm talking about. Even though I'm not some accredited scientist I know I could be hired by the government to solve a planet threatening issue, except that'll never happen without being accredited. Or could it? If my blog got the attention of some scientists then you never know. I'm kind of a savant for knowledge of certain types. Useless knowledge that would never even be useful on "Jeopardy". Creatures like spiders would without a doubt be man-eaters if big enough. Snakes would not only be large and serpentine, but very fast as well. You could never outrun a giant snake. I imagine a mere mosquito could impale you if big enough and even suck out your brain, or a large amount of blood, like in "Journey To The Center Of The Earth" from 2008. But what will happen with global warming? Will insects mutate in record number and grow in size? We already have giant wasps and other creatures showing up out of nowhere. I predict with the heat increase the amount of new species will escalate to an all time high. This is one frightening slug alright!

Guest Commentator THE DRAGON SLAYER says: "Mutant alien slug feel the wrath of my battle axe blade! I will eat you for dinner!"

We Could Just Make A Planet

2013-04-14T02:49:00.000-07:00

Creating a planet is no easy feat. It's never been done before obviously. That doesn't mean it won't be someday. I have no doubt NASA is probably scoping out the universe in search of a viable option to replace Earth when the time comes. And if we can't find one then we'd have to make one. This would be an enormous undertaking though and extremely high tech. The technology would go over your head for sure. I imagine something along the lines of creating a black hole to form a planet. And what if this plan didn't quite work out the way they hoped? Instead of making a planet it could eat one! It is true, though, that planets are formed from black holes. The vacuum sucks in tons of debri to create a planet with. Then as the raw material builds up the vacuum dies down. Strange jets of energy from the middle of them shoot out towards other black holes to fuel them as well. The intricate system that makes our solar system and universe is quite the spectacle if you knew how it all really worked. I can imagine a university creating a black hole with an atom smasher only to doom us all. It sounds like a SyFy movie doesn't it? It could be. We won't be making planets any time soon though. No, I know humans. If there's one thing we'd do it's recolonize on another planet that we simply find. How would the atmosphere be? It would probably be habitable since terraforming another planet is kind of advanced; you should know if you've ever seen "Total Recall". This is no easy task. Or the new "Prometheus" where aliens terraformed planets. It is possible but some of the most advanced science out there. Knowing people we'd rather just waste this planet 'til we need a new one and then just look for another one, while abandoning the first. It's in our nature to be so wasteful. Nice idea though.

Guest Commentator TOUGH GUY says: "Black holes? I don't like the sound of this. I'm gonna be leaving now. Bye bye Earth!"

Holographic Memory

2013-04-10T05:13:00.000-07:00

The question remains. What would you do if holographic technology took over? Would you enjoy it or hate it? Someday when trees are gone we may replace them with holograms. And what would that do for us? Could holographic trees ever replace real ones? Not so sure about that. If you could pass your hand through a hologram of a tree you would never know what it's like to grow up with real ones. Is that what's in store for our future generations of youth? Visions of things that once were that we can't even hold in our hands, intangible things. It might look cool, sure, but to live in a holographic ghost world would make you feel a bit separated from life I would think. Sometimes life can feel two dimensional and we need those things we can see and touch in order to believe. What's next? Holograms that take on the form of people? And then what? They start talking to you? So your friends will be ghosts in a world where people will probably be on the computer even more so than they are now. What does this all lead to? holograms that you can touch? Or even interact with. Yes storage will all be virtual, which I find annoying already. Your lives will be virtual and all personal information will be online in a virtual drive somewhere. Ghostly constructs will be our talking computers that goes wherever we go. People may be replaced. We are replaceable and it scares us. Holograms scare me now.

Guest Commentator CHROMESHINE says: "I can generate a hologram of anyone you like... for a flat rate fee which we can discuss!"

Leviathan Lies In Wait

2013-03-31T23:42:00.000-07:00

The movie "Leviathan" is one of the greats of sci-fi horror. Have you ever wanted to take a low paying job for 3 months underwater in a closed off base underneath the ocean without sunlight? Some people may do just that and if anything did happen down there do you know how easy it would be to dispose of evidence? It would be quite easy and nobody would be the wiser. Nobody will remember you and the company keeps moving on. In this movie there's a grimy crew in need of a social life and none in sight. They live out their days reading or drinking or trying to sleep with each other. Low and behold there's an abandoned ship lying on the bottom of the ocean floor in a deep trench not far from them. They don't even know it's there though. One of them accidentally falls off the trench edge and finds the ship. Someone else follows and this is where it all begins. It's quite the mystery and I liked every bit of it. Any movie with Peter Weller is always good and this is no exception. You would never want to be where they are unless you think the money is worth it. It's no place for a scientist, one of them tells the guy. He was more like one of them than he thought. So what was in that ship? A better question is what was it doing there? They looked up the ship and it was in service at the moment so how could it exist in two places at once? They came to the conclusion that it must have been to conduct experiments on. On the side was a huge torpedo hole. The whole ordeal is quite freaky and you really can't imagine it taking place in real life. The type of thing you only imagine seeing in movies really. One of them steals a flask with alcohol. Back at the base they share the flask and slowly something starts to happen to them one by one. Movies like this and "The Thing" could be grouped together in a DVD double pack or something. I love movies with mutants and conspiracies. Evil corporations. All that good stuff. The idea of a chemical that could warp people's DNA or genes on a cellular level is extremely frightening. What would they use it for? They hypothesized that maybe to create people that could live underwater and work there without suits. The perfect underwater worker. I think that's a bit mad really. So then we'd have fish people if the corporation had their way. You can't trust a shady corporation. The monster was exactly what I was hoping it would be like, a big, nightmarish blob of a beast that absorbs people. Those early sci-fi horror movies had a great deal of EFX and monsters in them. I appreciate that genre for doing most of it without CGI too since it wasn't around then much. I think that kind of plot is classic and there should be more movies like that. "Virus" was another ship horror movie with mutants. They really did have their own genre back then. It was huge. Now we have "Resident Evil", which I love, but you can bet most of it is CGI. The crew is very believable and you really do grow a contempt for the imaginary corporation they worked for as they were strung along. Turning people into anything else but people is just too much for me. Do we really want to create a new breed of human? This is how "Star Trek" starts with all those crazy mutants. Movies like this really make you appreciate older movies for going where few newer ones do. Science can be scary, especially the top secret kind. Just because we can do it does not mean we should. As evidenced in this movie the dark side of science always needs unwilling experiments. The far, desolate reaches of the earth make for good horror settings.

Guest Commentator TOUGH GUY says: "I will never, ever work in a place like that again... oh look stock options! Yippeee!"

Holographic People

2013-03-31T22:52:00.000-07:00

Holograms are being used in different ways now. This picture is from some fashions show where these beastly fish swam around them. They were excellent holograms too. I mean top of the line stuff. I watched the short video of the segment from the show and the holograms were so detailed and life-like. They've come a long way since the laser light shows I saw a long time ago at Disney World, but those were really good too. I predict holographic technology is going to get very big in the future. It's going to replace 3D probably. I like the sound of that too. I do know they're working on 3D t.v.'s without the use of 3D glasses. I'm sure it's possible in some way since they do have 3D cellphones. Just imagine how that could revolutionize 3D movies! You could even have holographic people wandering around in the theater or in the lobby. That reminds me of a haunted house ride at Disney World with ghosts everywhere. Even those were excellent, and that was a long time ago now. Holograms are possible able to lead to talking computers that take on the form of people. So you could talk to a representation of a chosen person in place of your computer. Kinda like a construct but in front of you instead of on the screen. I bet someday they could even be used in far wilder ways, much like in an episode of "The Outer Limits" redone series where a man lives underground after a nuclear apocalypse above ground causes him to live with very life-like holographic people keeping him company. He was even able to travel to different locales via holograms. There was literally no need to leave the house. The only problem was the holograms had a mind of their own. But if you were able to perfect it you'd be living with holograpic ghosts that look like real people and even communicate with you. How odd that would be? Is this an evolution of the antisocial human? I mean it sounds cool but where does this all lead? Having sex with holograms? Then what? Families with holograms. Virtual neighborhoods to explore. So why would you ever leave the house? Scary. The future is coming at a rapid pace.

Guest Commentator CHROMESHINE says: "I could put on a different face if you like via a hologram. Does this one scare you sir?!"

It Rose From The Deep

2013-03-31T22:28:00.000-07:00

"Deep Rising" is one of my fave movies for being so weird. It starts out like a cruise ship movie and you suspect nothing. Then the pirates board the ship. They want to take it over and steal all the money on it. At this point you're like "o.k., it's an action movie" and it seems pretty straight forward. But then it takes a turn for the monstrous. A giant monster has decided to invade the ship! This is where you'll be like "what the hell?" and you'll be so enthralled that you'll keep watching. The tentacles of this beast were the real stars of the show. Each tentacle was like a separate monster all on its own. I had no idea they were even connected to a bigger beast until later on. So now it's a monster action movie that has your full attention. This dramatic plot twist has been a useful tool in many movies to keep your attention. And it worked for me. I like monsters and action so I didn't really know what to think but I kept watching. The idea of pirates taking over a cruise liner is pretty scary by itself, and on top of that you got a gigantic monster from who knows where. Where did it come from? That's the best question to ask in this movie. It started to occur to me later on that I should ask that question to myself. So I did. Of course you find out at the end just where it could have originated from but no answers are given. That's a great ending for not giving anything away so you're left with this really bizarre monster movie. I just wish it had a sequel so we could see who was behind it all on the primordial island in the middle of the sea. It literally resembled a tropical, prehistoric paradise, complete with a monster growling. What was it? They don't show you. A strange but great movie with imagination.

Guest Commentator BONE COLLECTOR says: "I should have never landed on Earth. Now that thing is free. It's all my fault people!"

Scream Shannon Scream!

2013-03-31T22:08:00.000-07:00

Scream Queen #14. The newest scream queen is Shannon Elizabeth. What movie did she scream in? Well that would be none other than "Scary Movie". She was of course the great screaming head without a body. That was one of the best performances in a horror comedy in my opinion. Funny stuff too. It can be hard to get that mix of comedy and horror right. Shannon has done some good horror roles by now and equally as many comedy so she was perfect for this role. They say the idea behind these satirical comedies is that a certain trend of movies starts to get played out. So they mock the genre to see how we can improve it while getting a laugh. Scary movie changed horror by being so ridiculous about it in a way not seen before by mocking modern culture. Call it modern because it would never have been made long ago. Shannon was also in the recent "Night Of The Demons" remake with Edward Furlong. It goes to show that she found her niche. One of her earliest roles was "Jack Frost" where she bared all and we thank her for that. Someone has to make up for Megan Fox never doing nude in film right? That's appalling to think she never bared her goods for us. Shannon wasn't that modest. I remember liking her in "Dish Dogs". She got the world's attention in "American Pie" with her beatiful breasts and funny foreigner accent. I, personally, especially liked her in "Thir13en Ghosts" where she was up against the angry princess for hottest babe. Now throw in her doing a part in the redone "Twilight Zone" series and a bit part in "That 70's Show" and you can really see how perfect the casting was for her screaming head part where she injures herself repeatedly. She was the ultimate modern screamer. You will never forget her.

Guest Commentator HARVESTER OF SORROW says: "I love the sound of screams in the morning. It really gets me going you know!"

Is Noir Dead?

2013-03-31T22:07:00.005-07:00

Some will ask "is noir dead?" No, I don't think so. It just takes different forms. This form here would be "Max Payne" of course. Max Payne is dripping with noir from its very pores. The dark comic book stylings, the downcast coloring, the downbeat music, the demons he struggles with inside. Most of the time it wasn't really about the action. The action simply took a back seat to his personal strife and self affliction. You want to get rid of the pain by causing more. It isn't a good formula but for noir it works. As Max Payne drank heavily and mourned lost loved ones he sought only vengeance and revenge. No justice, just a death wish that never came about. He kept trying to kill himself but that's how he ended up taking out all the bad guys. He was good, even when depressed. It may have helped him even. With noir the mystery at hand may never get solved. You could get lost in the fear and degredation of the antagonist. And yes feel sorry for him too. Max Payne was never a bad person, just a lost soul. Lost in the aftermath of pain not knowing what to do with his life except go after the ones responsible. But sometimes getting lost is what helps us. For Max getting lost drove him to do what he might not have done otherwise because he wouldn't have the motive. Could it be that a higher power could have driven him over the edge in order to do more good by slaying evil in all its forms? They say the God and the devil may work together in mysterious ways so who are we to assume that Max Payne could't have been an instrument of good. He's no hero, rather an anti-hero. The one you really wish would get out of his stupor and patterns of malfeasance. He's the true vigilante at heart. The one you love to hate and hate to love.

Guest Commentator LIVING DEAD GIRL says: "He seems to have a lot of lives for a human. Your time will run out Max! Or maybe not...!"

Sasquatch Big City Horror

2013-03-31T22:07:00.004-07:00

"Assault Of The Sasquatch" was my kind of movie. You want a really gory bad ass bigfoot killing people left and right? Then this is the movie. There need to be more bigfoot movies of this caliber out there. I was really excited to see that someone was even bringing the genre back, in horror fashion! He's big, he's hairy, and he's mean as hell. He does get caught at one point and brought back to the city. What were they thinking? This crazed hunter has been tracking bigfoot forever and finally caught him. But if you don't kill he has to wake up eventually right? Right! That's the part he wasn't prepared for. If your'e gonna let him wake up then you deserve all that you get I say. And man was he mad! He goes on a rampage around this police station and he does not discriminate. It's amazing how much raw strength a humanoid of that size could actually have. He could literally rip you limb from limb. And the death scenes were some of the best parts of this movie. It had excellent character deaths that made you fear the big, hairy beast-man. This hunter was crazed and lacked any sense of caution or apprehension. He just wanted the prize, to be famous. You ever wonder what it would be like if a sasquatch was taken to the city and ran around on a killing spree? There aren't many movies like that amazingly. You have family movies about bigfoot and then you have this, big difference. I liked most everything about it although I thought the costume for the sasquatch was kinda lacking with the saggy tits. It had the typical bare chest while everything else was hairy so it looked kinda fake. The face was great, very mean and gnarly looking. Aside from that I'd say I really dug the movie. Unless you have serious firepower there is no way a mere man could win against bigfoot.

Guest Commentator THE DRAGON SLAYER says: "I've been meaning to catch myself a bigfoot. He could move my furniture for me!"

The Punk Kind Of Love

2013-03-31T22:07:00.003-07:00

"Punk Love" can be described as a modern day "Sid & Nancy" for the most part. It's not on the same level but it's also very modern and different. The film making and editing EFX are great. Some don't like the experimental cuts but I thought they worked out well here. As things progress you really start to feel for the characters and you could swear you've seen them before, but you never quite recall where from. I felt empathy for their situation because part of many of us can relate to their inner struggles. The hardship that many gutter punks can go through, with drugs and what not. It's sad but it is a reality for many youth that want to escape a bad family life. They both hated their families and felt out of place. That's the worst, when you feel like you don't belong anywhere. I was rooting for them but it didn't quite go that way. It turns into a sort of "Bonnie & Clyde" story later on. The families seemed like they would have helped but they were in serious trouble. It may have been too late for them unfortunately. You'll have to watch to see what I mean. It may be an independent movie but I really found myself entranced by it. I liked how he rehearsed for a band and things were looking up, but then things got bad again. Punk Love is a good title since many punks unfortunately take the path of drugs and street life. There are ugly people out there and they're waiting to take advantage of people like them. It's gritty and done well. You may not see it in the theater but it would be a nice rental if it's out for rent. I think the actors did a great job and this effort works for what it is. It should appeal to the punks for sure.

Guest Commentator CHROMESHINE says: "The ultimate story: cyborgs take over humanity and make humans our pets. It would be a hit!"

The Insanity Of Detention

2013-03-31T22:07:00.002-07:00

Speaking of late, great movie stars, this movie "Detention" got mixed reviews. It's a good movie but it throws you for a loop halfway when you're thinking you're watching a slasher but it goes into some other wild stuff. This movie does mention Heath Ledger and that may rub some the wrong way. I can understand that but honestly it may be the way young people cope. It might be insensitive but it is a good coping mechanism sometimes. Young people feel angry when a promising star with his future ahead of him puts a big brand on his past work by saying "here's the movies of another overdose star". So then you feel guilty for liking any of his movies and to be cool you must reject him, or something like that. This movie may have been a reaction to that among other media trends and realities. I don't think we have to hate any movies to be cool but trends sometimes go that way. This movie is really imaginative and creative for sure. There are even some cool EFX later on. The time machine is insanely well done and I give the makers credit for having a nice budget. The story itself starts out as a total slasher, goes into this other area where people are switching bodies and then it somehow ties back together to show us the killer, but it does take you on quite the rollercoaster first. This is also a new way of experimental film making that youth may get into. The rest of us may watch it and think "what, I thought this was a slasher..." but styles change with the times. They get more bizarre, more risky, more in your face, more convoluted, and this is all the expression of the youngest generations. It has a great cast and in the end I did end up liking it, just because I tend to form my own opinion when trends arise. Sometimes you have to go against the grain. I can understand why many would not like the movie but I was anticipating it so much that I had to give it a chance. I remember the trailer being really insane to the point of making me wonder what it could be about. Art constantly changes and art has always had the power to move us or anger us. Not all will respond the same but I just have a way of looking through the obvious to see what could be going on behind the scenes. I don't look at anything so plainly as to follow people blindly. This is one of those movies that I would group into the "mindf**ks" genre. I just made up that genre. It's wild and youth like that harsh, abrasive, crazy style that takes you off guard. It's the way they think. It was a cool movie. Cool can be cool to boisterous, opinionated youth and make the adults hair stand on end. They like that. Now you will fear detention all over again!

Guest Commentator THE EVIL SCHOOLGIRL says: "I never did like detention. And neither did my victims! Hahahahaha!"

Rise Of A Revelation

2013-03-31T22:07:00.001-07:00

A lot of people will stray away from talking about "The Dark Knight Rises" but I think it was a very highly anticipated movie. It's sad that the first movie is now connected to the death of the late Heath Ledger. Yet we overcame and were excited for the sequel. Then it finally arrives and some super neuroscience genius goes ballistic on a rampage. What the hell is going on around here? We may have all become numb to drug overdoses with so many lately but shootings is something that really scares us. People will avoid talking about that movie or even avoid liking it on Facebook just because of what happened and I think that's really sad. That is the effect that the shooter wanted you know. He was probably making a statement about violence in movies being entertaining to us but that message dies the second you go and enact your view of violence. He will not be able to blame cartoons or movies for what he did. I loved The Dark Knight Rises and when I saw it that was right after the shooting in the theater. I was hesitant but I went to watch it anyways. The shooter would want us to feel bad and scared of a mere movie, to bring forth his great sarcasm about how commercialism is evil or something, bla bla bla. It doesn't work if you kill people dude! You ruined your own life by outsmarting yourself. The funny thing about humans is the smart ones have the ability to outsmart themselves and go mad. You could have had a great life as a neuroscience doctor making boat loads of cash but now you're going to have to pretend to be mad in the courtroom to show us how smart you are by getting away with shooting a bunch of people. The insanity plea does not work anymore. I'm onto you and I don't think it will work that way. Now for the movie finally. We have to be strong and not let this real life horror get to us. Don't let 'him' get to you. The movie itself is one of the best action movies out there and it followed on the coattails of the success with the "Arkham Asylum" and "Arkham City" games. Then came the game of the year edition with 3D glasses. It was so popular that it was unbelievable. Batman's message was one of sacrifice. He didn't have the need to be the hero. He did what he did because he felt compelled to help people. The credit went to a man that deserved it. He lost his love in "The Dark Knight" but he gained a new one in the next. He lost his family but gained the friendship of his peers. There is a good message here if you look for it. We can't let the message become a bad one when so much work went into making one of the most expensive movies ever made. I do wish the batmobile was able to take more than a single RPG hit though in The Dark Knight. The sequel did outdo the this one and it was as epic as we were all hoping. They took some cues from comics with his broken back and Bane in the story. But he overcame that! Yes, he actually found the strength to heal himself and regain strength enough to get out of that symbolic hole in the earth that we may all feel we're in at times. The symbolism of those that were afraid to fight and fought anyways. It was a triumph. The magic act was his disappearance at the end. Will Christian Bale have the strength to come back for another with Robin? I would not blame him for moving on but we'll see. But even with this tragedy there is far more turmoil out there in this chaotic world. Like record numbers of tornadoes and hurricanes wiping out the New Jersey shore. Other countries know a lot more harrowing times so we have a way of becoming polarized by real life horror here. I refuse to let that orange haired madman get to me. He's not that smart. Some of the smartest people make the stupidest decisions. Who isn't waiting for the trilogy pack, c'mon! I'm not asking you to be numb to the pain but be strong and find your own good message in the chaos. When you're ready to give up you can fight innumerable odds and do your greatest work. Accomplish the impossible. Realize your dreams. After the darkness comes the light. If you can walk through it. And as I write this I am almost at tears for the families of the fallen. Batman is iconic and inspiring. We cannot give in to the fear or we are victims.

Cyberpunk Agendas

2013-03-24T21:22:00.000-07:00

Cyberpunk games have changed a lot throughout the years. In the beginning they seemed more like espionage and adventure. Now they're more action and cyborg warriors. The games weren't high on action but they did have some good storyboards to them that depicted action. They were less shoot 'em up and more going on missions trying to find things or clues. Your choices shaped your outcome. Now it's just shooting to finish a level. I love end bosses and epic gun battles but it should be balanced with the adventure and espionage of those earlier games. Cyberpunk isn't necessarily about shooting high tech guns. It's more about the wild missions and mysteries to solve. Real cyberpunk would uncover a conspiracy or some great shocking truth about society. It makes you think and engages you. It enthralls you and pulls you deeper with the storyline. The action is more second fiddle to the other aspects of gameplay. The root of what cyberpunk really is has been lost in all these action games but maybe that's just the other side of reality, because corporations will procure secret armies to defend them and fight against other corporations. It's just inevitable. Now if they just captured the same essence as that of the games of old combined with the action then you would amazing cyberpunk games. "Shadowrun" was updated but I believe that was only the beginning of what's possible since that was more action than anything. The "Deus Ex" games are a great example of this merger where action is a secondary component. The story should come first and foremost in any cyberpunk game. All those old games had stills of action along with plot writing. They had you go on quests to different locales to solve a mystery of some sort while action simply came with the missions. Now combine this with something like self replicating metal dungeons or something and you would have a different path every time you play. This randomizing dungeon has been tried before but not very much. There's plenty of room for improvement. Even if you don't have dungeons you could have randomizing levels of all kinds. Different missions each time, different characters each time, different plots each time, different locations, etc. Perhaps I'm just dreaming of the perfect game. We can learn from those games that many dismiss now for great graphics. Graphics are great but they're not everything. Action is nice too but story is a must. To just say corporations are fighting isn't really a story but it can make for good cyberpunk action. I'd like to see the perfect mix of everything. What do you think?

Guest Commentator CHROMESHINE says: "The ultimate story: cyborgs take over humanity and make humans our pets. It would be a hit!"

Midnight Son Needs Blood

2013-03-21T02:15:00.000-07:00

Been out of the loop for a couple of weeks. Time to get back in. Another good movie you may or may not have picked up on your radar is this hidden gem, "Midnight Son". I saw this right after it came out when it was on digital cable in ONDEMAND. Good thing too 'cause I loved it. It's a vampire movie of a different sort. You haven't seen one like this before I guarantee it. It starts out real low brow and you get sucked in as the depressive night shift security guard wonders what's happening to him. He's got a cozy job and a bland life until he starts changing one day. He lives a life of loneliness due to a skin disorder that keeps him from going out into the night. Lucky for him he just so happens to be a night security guard. There aren't many jobs where you can get away with that kind of disorder. Due to this limitation he doesn't really question how different life can be. It never occurs to him that there might be more to life. So the days muddle together and he almost seems numb. It's easy to become numb sometimes in this life. One day he meets a club girl that peaks his interest. His disorder doesn't seem to frighten her at all. As the relationship progresses it starts to cause him problems. What will the outcome be? This was a great indie effort that really makes you enjoy vampires all over again. If you're tired of Hollywood vampires then this might bring things back to earth a bit. They do burn in sunlight in this one. They do drink blood as well, and lots of it. What's really unknown is how this guy contracted the vampiric sickness but he starts to suspect a high level vampire in the area. High level meaning someone of importance or strength. How this one plays out is really interesting. I liked this one a lot. It's gory and fun, just the way I like it. Thirsty yet?

Guest Commentator BLOOD MISTRESS says: "I think there needs to be more blood. Never enough! Splash buckets of blood on them!"