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...when in the course of the second half of an episode that I caught last night we see:
Ted Raimi in fairly major supporting role that actually requires him to act...
...a little kid with superhuman strength trapping the kids that bullied him in a car while shouting "KNEEL BEFORE TODD!"
...one of the main characters trying to give him the "power and responsibility" speech, only to get uppercuted mid-sentence...
...and most importantly, a teddy bear, brought to life, tries to commit suicide and fails and just stands there screaming...
...It hits me that I should have started watching Supernatural a lot sooner.
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Well, since I decided that I was going to show my nephew Creature From The Black Lagoon the next time I visited him, it occured to me that I should grab some of the other Universal Monster legacy sets to show him as well. I also hope that release of the new version of The Wolf Man is still locked for November, since we'll be visiting them around Thanksgiving and I want to try and talk my sister into let me and Dad take him to see it. Hopefully I'll be able to sway her with those magic words that work on any parent: "I'll get them out of your hair for an afternoon."
So anyway, a couple months back, I got my hands on copies of the Frankenstein and Wolf-Man sets. And since I haven't done a review in a while, I figured I'd dip into these collections for that. Now, The Wolf-Man, Frankenstein and Bride of Frankenstein are all iconic movies and frankly, I don't think I could really say anything that a billion other people haven't already said, so instead, I'll take a look at the other movies in these sets.
( To a new age of Gods and Monsters. )
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Oh, and in other news, turns out it's just the power supply that crapped out on my computer. I don't know why whenever something goes wrong with it, my default reaction is "OH CHRIST, THE HARD DRIVE DIED AND I'VE LOST EVERYTHING!"
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Here's a really depressing quote from director Frank Darabont (Shawshank Redemption, The Mist) about his attempts at getting a film version of Farenheit 451 made:
"It's been a bit of a struggle. Hollywood doesn't trust smart material... I actually had a studio head read that script and say: "Wow, that's the best and smartest script that I've read since running this studio but I can't possibly greenlight it." I asked why and he says "How am I going to get 13-year-olds to show up at the theater?"."
God, that quote right there sums up everything wrong with the studio system today so perfectly that...it's kinda depressing.
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Wednesday, June 24th, 2009
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Another part on my computer crapped out, causing it to shut down and making it so that I can't turn it on again. Which could mean that it's the hard drive that died on me. YAY!
...and the repair guy isn't answering his home phone or cell phone and is probably out of town. WOO HOO!
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inFAMOUS for PS3 is an awesome game. Seriously, if you dig open world games. Pick it up.
It's basically Escape From New York crossed with one of the Spider-Man games, only you're Electro. Chunks of the city have been blown up by a weird experiment, mutant gangs are running loose, the city's been quarantined and you have the choice of either helping save the city or becoming a fearsome villain.
You get around via some freerunning / parkour-style jumping system, scaling buildings via whatever hand holds you can find, running along wires, swinging off of pipes. It's reminds me a hell of a lot of the recent Prince of Persia games. It's quick and smooth and probably the best thing about the game.
It's also challenging as hell at times. A lot of the missions pit you against overwhelming odds. One in particular has you protecting a bus that's carrying medical supplies from one side of the city to the other and as it works its way through the city streets, you come under fire from what looks like EVERY SINGLE ENEMY in the city. Then the bus passes through a raging battle between two gangs. Then you reach the hospital...
...and a psychic baddies shows up and THROWS THE BUS ONTO THE ROOF OF THE HOSPITAL. Then, when you regain control, you look at your radar and see what looks like a couple dozen enemies in front of you. And most of them have explosives.
Thankfully, I figured out you can run around the corner of the hospital and scramble up the side onto the roof, where you'll only have take out a couple of enemies to complete the mission. The cutscene that follows is kinda funny because it has your girlfriend, who was on the bus, giving you a heartfelt talk about how she wants things to go back to the way things used to be between you...while standing next to a bus that's lodged into a building. And maybe I'm getting mixed up, but I think there was somebody else in that bus too. They never explain what happened to him. Was he still in the bus while you and your lady love had their tearful reunion?
"Um...guys...little help here?"
"SHUT UP TED! WE'RE HAVING A MOMENT HERE!"
(Or maybe I'm just mixed up and the guy your hear talking on the ride over is your guy?)
Other highlights so far include gaining the ability to slide along power lines and train rails, which never stops being awesome. Then there's a mission that requires you to climb up a collapsing prison wall that ends with a fight on the rooftop. That came to a very badass end when me and the last guy plummeted over the side of the building, only for me to grab onto a handhold at the last second and getting a beautiful overhead view of him plummeting to his demise. MWAHAHAHAHA!
I'm also enjoying seeing how the public reacts to you after you've built up your reputation so far. I'm playing as good guy now and it's fun seeing people applaud when you beat down a gang member, snap pictures of you and even provide backup when you get in a fight. I dunno if I can go through as a bad guy though. For some reason, I can't bring myself to be a complete dick to bystanders in a video game. Bad guys, no problem. Shoot me and I won't have qualms about using some power to throw you halfway across the city and even riddle you with electric bolts as you fly through the air. But somebody just passing by...eh, can't really do it.
Like I said, great game. Where else can you do a flash kick on an urban tusken raider?
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...the funeral for John Hoefus was nice. It was a graveside service and his daughter got to speak about him. Got to see his son for the first time in years and it amazes me how much he looks like his dad. Last time I remember seeing him, he was a teenager and all I remember is some tall kid in a trucker's cap with a bunch of army posters on his walls. John was a Lieutenant in the Korean War, so his funeral was a military one. Had a couple of army guys there to fold up the flag and present it to Nancy. It was sad seeing her. I always remembered her as this lady who was constantly smiling and laughing and it never being forced. Everyone called her "Aunt Nancy" and she was the kind of person that earned that nickname. This time...she was trying to stay that way...but there were moments when she just couldn't. Hope she'll be okay. I hear she's passing through here in a few weeks on a trip with her grandson. Dad wants us to meet up over in Minden at JP's, which is probably the best barbecue place I've eaten at. No hyperbole. (Even the burgers are smoked & grilled.)
I reiterate. I hope she'll be okay.
On a slightly more uplifting note, I did get to squeeze a visit to my nephews and we had a good time. I even got to show Hayden the 1950's version of War of the Worlds, which as far as I'm concerned is the best alien invasion movie EVER. Granted, we couldn't get around to watching it until late at night and he started konking out about halfway through, only to pop up every now and then and going "I'm AWAKE!" We restarted it at about the halfway mark the next morning. And I'm pleased to say he dug it. That was enough to earn a high five from me. However, when he said "I like this a lot better than the Spielberg version!" that had me inwardly doing a Flash Gordon-style leaping into the air going "YEAAAAH!" while a Queen guitar solo cut loose.
I also got to show him Them! which he also dug. Seeing Giant Ants explode is important for a growing boy, y'know?
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Thursday, June 11th, 2009
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Well, my Dad got some bad news yesterday.
John Hoefus, a good friend of his, passed away. It's a shame but not a big shock, really. He had been sick a lot lately. Even the last time we saw him, which was my sister Amanda's wedding a couple years ago, he looked pretty rough.
He was friend of the family and I always thought he was really cool guy. He and his wife Nancy were always fun to visit and were always inviting us along on vacations and trips back in the day. Probably the coolest thing about him, in my eyes at least, was the fact that he appeared in a monster movie. Granted, it was one of the Boggy Creek movies and not even the one that wound up on Mystery Science Theater 3000 but the family friendly adventure one. He played the crusty old grandpa. But hey, I knew somebody who had an IMDB page and that was friggin' awesome.
I'll be heading down with my Dad this weekend to attend the funeral. On the upside, since we're going to be in Alabama, we'll be able to squeeze in a visit to my nephews.
He was a great guy. And he will be missed.
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Wednesday, June 10th, 2009
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Chuck Norris? Pussy! Samuel L. Jackson? Oh, please!
Nick Fury? HE'S A MAN'S MAN'S MAN...MAN!
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So, if you haven't been paying attention to recent superhero film announcements, you'll have heard that a reboot of The Fantastic Four franchise in the works, one that's aiming to be more in line with Iron Man in terms of tone. I'm certainly down with a Fantastic Four movie that's more like Iron Man in terms of smart writing, strong acting and general respect for the source material but I don't think they need to go the full "reboot" route with it. This is the Fantastic Four after all and their particular brand of sci-fi superhero adventure presents a way for both versions to exist: Just reveal in the opening minutes that the Tim Story Fantastic Four was simply an alternate universe that Reed was observing.
Then said alternate dimension should be immediately destroyed. By Dr. Doom. The real Dr. Doom. Where he's played by somebody cool. Y'know, do it Darth Vader-style with a stunt man or something in a suit and his voice provided by somebody like Christopher Lee or Max Von Sydow.* And why does Doom destroy this dimension? Because he saw that Norman Osborn wannabe that passed for Doom in that dimension and it offended him. That's just how Doom rolls. And he killed Victor Von McMahon with his bare hands. And, of course, the Imposter Doom's last words were OH DOOM, YOUR HANDS ARE SO STRONG!"
Afterwards, this alternate dimension is never mentioned again.
*Shame that it looks like Brian Blessed will be playing Odin in Thor and probably won't want to do another superhero movie, because I can see him belting out the most awesome "RIIIICHAAAARDS!" ever. And while we're pursuing this line of thought, let's go ahead and get the requisite "DOOM COMMANDS HIS DOOMBOTS TO DIIIIIIIIIIIVE!" joke out of our systems.
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...the description of an object I discovered while wandering through Bass Pro Shop this weekend:
A bright pink toy crossbow with the words "BRING 'EM UP RIGHT!" printed in huge letters on the box.
...Um...yeah.
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So, how's Pixar's newest movie?
effin' BEAUTIFUL. In every way a movie can be.
I'll have to leave it at that because if I continue, I'll probably just gush. And nobody wants to see that.
But seriously, any movie that can make you cry TWICE is doing what it does so damn right.
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Drag Me To Hell tells the story of Christine Brooks, a bank loan officer who is about to have a really rough week. She’s just foreclosed on an elderly gypsy named Mrs. Ganesh and needless to say, that doesn’t go over too well with the somewhat unhinged woman. Following a violent struggle in a parking garage, Christine finds herself on the receiving end of a particularly nasty gypsy curse, for Mrs. Ganesh has set a demon known as the Lamia on Christine. And, man, this demon is a serious asshole. For the next three days, Christine will be tormented by this sadistic beast and when those three days are up…well, the title says it all.
Drag Me To Hell marks the return of Evil Dead mastermind Sam Raimi to horror after spending the last few years working on more mainstream films. His time away from the genre, coupled with the fact that this film carries the much derided PG-13 rating, has left some of the more overly melodramatic horror fans wondering if the man who had introduced the world to the joys of seeing Bruce Campbell getting seven shades of shinola kicked out of him had gone soft. Having seen the film this weekend, I can say this: Drag Me To Hell is exactly what you’d expect from a Sam Raimi horror movie. Meaning it’s disgusting, hilariously mean-spirited and filmed with such maniacal glee that you can almost hear Raimi’s maniacal laughter in the background.
Seriously, rating be damned. This movie fits in just fine with the other horror films on Raimi’s filmography. You get the sense that he saw the PG-13 more as a challenge than a limitation. That challenge, of course, being just how much sick shit he could cram into the movie. Turns out he could get away with quite a lot. Granted, it doesn’t hit the gorey excess of the first two Evil Dead movies, but it contains many gags (emphasis on gag) that could have fit right in with anything in those movies. Everyday sharp objects wind up where they really shouldn’t go, the main character gets doused with all sorts of nasty, unidentifiable fluids and squishy body parts turn up in the darndest places. The spirit of anything goes that permeated Evil Dead is alive and well here. Heck, a séance scene late in the movie even gives way to some pseudo-Deadite action.
Now credit where credit is due. A lot of what makes Drag Me To Hell work hinges on actress Alison Lohman as Christine. The task of carrying the movie rests entirely on her shoulders and she does so admirably, making you sympathize with her character even as she does some rather despicable things in an effort to avoid her fate. She’s also a total trooper as over the course of this movie, Raimi subjects her to a level of abuse that you’d thought he’d only reserve for Bruce Campbell. The same can be said of Lorna Raver as Mrs. Ganesh (and the Deadite Edition of Mrs. Ganesh that the Lamia takes the form of). Granted, her role consists mostly of lunging from shadows of going “BOOGA BOOGA BOOGA!” but she throws herself into it and makes the character a memorable menace. Justin Long, the “I’m a MAC” guy, is playing pretty much the same character he always plays but he since he’s good enough playing that character, he gives her some solid support in his role as her boyfriend. Likewise from Dileep Rao as a fortune teller Christine befriends.
Really, if I had any complaint to level against Drag Me To Hell it’s that Raimi is obviously operating in his comfort zone here. He’s referred to the making of this as his “vacation from Spider-Man” and it feels like that in a way. He’s going back to what made people love him in the first, invoking that feeling of the movies he made in the 80’s, even going so far as to resurrecting the old Universal logo to open the film. There’s nothing wrong with that and it’s done here with enough joyous enthusiasm that it certainly left a big grin on my face upon leaving the theater. But at the same time, it’d be nice if he’d break out of the boxes he’d places himself in and challenge himself every once in a while. You get the sense from many of his recent projects that he’d really like to. (I can’t be the only one who came away from Spider-Man 3 thinking Raimi would love to do a musical.) I guess the best example here would be the scenes where the Lamia attacks Christine in it’s true form, that of a shadowy beast. These scenes are genuinely scary and give you the impression that if Raimi had dropped his trademark screwball approach and handled the material in a more straight faced direction, we could have had a legitimately frightening movie from beginning to end. And then there’s the séance scene where a psychic tries to trap the Lamia by opening a gateway to the other side. Doing so releases several other ghosts who begin appearing in the room. The scene is so effectively chilling and at the same time, utterly fascinating to watch, that it ends up being a bit of a disappointment that Raimi doesn’t linger and do more with it, choosing instead to go back to his usual spiel of possessed people puking things on other people.
But that’s really the worst thing I could say about this movie, and that’s more of an observation on Raimi than anything. I had a total blast with Drag Me To Hell. It’s a total carnival funhouse movie from a guy who pretty much perfected the carnival funhouse movie. As far as I’m concerned, seeing this and Pixar’s Up in the same weekend officially makes up for any mediocre crap that I have or will see this year. I recommend you check this flick out. Especially if you can see it with people who only know of Raimi from the Spider-Man movies…just to get a kick out of the reactions they’ll have.
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Yeah, the old LJ's been pretty quiet lately. Just, not a whole helluva lot has been happening lately. Mostly, I've just been hanging out, playing video games and watching movies.
Seen quite a recent flicks but nothing that really left me jazzed enough to write a full review. Wolverine was watchable thanks to Hugh Jackman and Liev Schriber but was pretty forgettable overall. Star Trek managed to be pretty good thanks to a good cast that managed to overcome this iffy script, lame villain and uneven production design. Terminator: Salvation had good action and brisk pacing but was held back from being anything more than passable thanks to a really dumb script that reads like it was ganked from FanFiction.net's archives. Frankly, the best movies I've watched lately were Let The Right One In, a Swedish film that's sort of a dark fairy tale about a young boy who befriends a little girl who's a vampire (It's sort of the anti-Twilight.) and the James Whale Frankenstein movies, which I'm amazed that a monster movie fan like me hasn't seen until now.
Though I will admit, watching the Frankenstein movies after you've seen Young Frankenstein does screw with your expectations in some scenes. When the Creature meets up with the old blind man, I almost expected his reaction when he realized how huge the Creature was to be "My God, you must have been the biggest one in your class."
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Wednesday, May 13th, 2009
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| Subject: | A meme borrowed with intent to use from ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) mudpuppy83 |
| Time: | 11:59 am. |
| Mood: |  good. |
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A picture collage made up of various things on my interests list....and it seems to be primarily made up of half-naked women and shirtless Asian dudes.
( My Interests Collage! )
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...I finished up my job with the census bureau. Whole thing went by without incident. Only got bit by a dog once (just left a bruise) and only one person that I know of tried to call the cops on me. (Some lady who kept ranting at me about how she wasn't going to give me any of her personal information despite the fact that I told her I wasn't there to get any of her personal information.) Made a couple thousand dollars and can now add something to my resume, so the sore feet and sunburns were worth it.
And I was able to get a Playstation 3 with the money I earned, so Woo hoo and all that. Sadly, I don't have any way to hook up to the Playstation network or anything, so no Co-Op RE5 or Street Fighter versus matches for me, at the moment.
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Remember First Blood, the original Rambo movie? Now, people who have only a passing familiarity with the character might be surprised to learn that this movie does not feature him going to Vietnam to rescue soldiers and blow seven shades of shinola out of them godless commies. Instead, First Blood was the story of a mentally disturbed Vietnam vet who gets harassed by redneck cops and the wackiness that ensues.
I bring this up because one of those cops was played by David "Sunglasses At Night" Caruso in one of his first roles. First Blood also contains the single greatest acting moment of Caruso's career. In a scene where several cops are hunting Rambo through the woods, Mr. M-60 manages to get a drop on Caruso's character and stabs him in the leg. Cue Caruso rolling on the ground, clutching his leg while letting out a scream so damn awesome they sampled it for the original Golden Axe.
I feel that this great moment of cinema needs to be recreated. Just picture it. The opening of an episode CSI: Miami. A murder victim has been discovered. Caruso arrives on the scene, trying to look like the baddest mo'fo' on the planet. Makes some ironic comment about the state in which this person died. Throws on his sunglasses...
...and from out of nowhere, a crazed, bloody, covered in mud Sylvester Stallone runs in screaming, stabs Caruso in the leg and runs off while we focus on Caruso rolling on the ground screaming "OOOOOOOH GAAAAAAWD!" for like two minutes straight. Then cut to the opening credits.
Do that and I swear, CSI: Miami's entire existence will be justified.
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We got confirmation last night from somebody who found him beside the road. Tucker died. He got into a fight with something he couldn't handle and died from his injuries.
I'm doing okay. I cried, I got angry and wanted to track down and kill whatever did this to him, I cried some more. But I'm...recovering, I guess. I hoped he was okay but in the end, this was the answer I was expecting ever since he went missing. He just had been gone way too long.
He was a good dog. The best dog I ever had. He was energetic and always excited. He never did anything half speed. Always full throttle. And I got to spend nine great years with him.
Good dog. Rest in peace, buddy.
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blah.
annoyed.
contemplative.
complacent.
I give up.