SICK DAY

Nope, not the name of a movie. Just something that happened to me. I had yesterday off and then felt horrible all night long. I ended up taking a sick day today. In the process I have watched some movies. Here they are.

ALICE IN WONDERLAND XXX

This is the classic with Kristine DeBell of Meatballs fame. She is so damned cute in this and while there is hardcore in it, it's more of a silly romp than anything else. I was really interested in the documentary with Bill Margold, the guy who played the White Rabbit and some porn star I had never heard of. It was fun to see how people must have regarded 20th Century Fox releasing pornography, although they only released the softcore version.

ONE DARK NIGHT

I can remember when Fangoria covered this flick and I went to the theater to see it. That may well be the last time I saw the movie so, I decided to revisit it. It has Elizabeth Daily who most people would remember at Dottie from Pee Wee's Big Adventure, Meg Tilly and Adam West. I probably went to see it because of Meg Tilly who I had a thing for back in the 80's. I saw some God Awful movies because of her.
Anyway, there is this dude named Ramar who can drain the bio electric energy from people when they are frightened. He overdid and now he's dead.
Well, sort of.
Most of the flick takes place in a mausoleum and any flick with tracking shots of a mausoleum is going to be compared to Phantasm. The flick has a slow burn until it's conclusion and even that kind of moves at a snail's pace.
Tom Burman's dead people effects are suitably gross and work well.
I remember when I went to this my brother David came with us and at the end the black girl, who always had a yellow toothbrush in her mouth is shown covered in dead people with her hand outstretched towards her yellow toothbrush. David said, "oooo, symbolism!" which made everyone in the theater laugh and then scream because there is one last scare right after that. It was perfect.
I am amazed at how much of this I remember from 30 years ago.  I am so damned old sometimes it hurts.

HIGH LANE

Newer flick that takes place in Croatia. Has lots of people climbing mountains and getting slaughtered by a wild Croatian dude who screams a lot. I'm afraid of heights so it plays well into that fear, but the rest of the flick was pretty by the numbers. There are a couple of weird moments and the ending was stupid. The redheaded girl is really cute, but they kill her so, bleh!

See what I mean? Kinda hot and really nice legs although this picture doesn't really show them off.

THEN AGAIN 2012

Director: Ayan Pratap

Screenwriter: Jim Suthers

Cast: Aleece Jones, John Michael Herndon, Christopher Ivins

Cinematography: Will Turner

The basic plot is a small town girl who wants to be an artist. She knows that if she can escape the small town life she will make it. She knows this. Her only source of inspiration is an unfinished mural that may be gone if the abandoned factory it adorns is destroyed.

Now, she has to ask herself; What is important?

The Again deals with a lot of themes that are revisited time and again in film. This can lead to cliches and tired old film making at its worst. But they don't have actress Aleece Jones. She breathes such life in to this part that you wish there was more movie.

You see, I get it. Small town artist. Fighting for things you know are right and it doesn't matter. I get what this is about having been there so many times myself in real life.

Then Again struck a chord with me that I know it will strike with others like me. Hell, maybe even people who aren't like me at all.

I like this movie...a lot.

Shame on you GQ Magazine!

In the new issue of GQ Magazine there is an article called The Least Influential People of 2012 written by Drew Magary.
Drew Magary, for wont of a better word, is an idiot.
Here is why.
In the list he has, at number sixteen, Whoever Directed John Carter. Why not just give his name? Andrew Stanton. Pretty easy to look up. IMDB for all it's faults does tend to get big budget movie information correct on a semi regular basis. But, that isn't the problem.
I now quote the article;
"Next time you waste 250 million shooting and reshooting a terrible movie based on obscure source material, ask around first."
OBSCURE SOURCE MATERIAL?!?!?!?!?!
Edgar Rice Burroughs seminal science fiction novel that influenced writers, film makers, scientists for decades and some hack in a men's magazine refers to it as obscure source material???
Um, what?
This is unacceptable. I will be posting the link from this article to Facebook, Twitter and whatever else I can find to shout it from the rooftops. We as true fans of actual literature need an apology for this.
No excuses.  

REVIEWS OF MOVIES I HAVEN'T SEEN 11/19/2012

LIFE OF PI

Indian dude with a tiger on a boat. I think this movie is going to look better that the story line will come across. I'll still probably watch it. My daughter likes tigers.

RED DAWN

Urgh! I hate remakes! But it has the kid from Drake and Josh (Josh, not Drake) and Thor is in it and The Comedian. I really do not like remakes but I might have to make an exception.

RISE OF THE GUARDIANS

This looked like animated fun to me. Theater worthy? Nope, but I'll see it eventually.

HITCHCOCK

Anthony Hopkins as Alfred Hitchcock. This has the possibility of being either really great or stupid as paint. (NOTE: While looking for the poster I discovered that Scarlett Johannsen is in it. Yeah, I'll watch the damned thing now.)

THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BLAH! BLAH! PART WHATEVER

Yeah, gonna have to tear myself away from this puppy.

LINCOLN

When is Spielberg going to make good movies again?

SKYFALL

I heard this was good. I have yet to see Daniel Craig in this role. This might be the one.

WRECK IT RALPH

Seems like silly fun and videogames. It will probably do better than SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD

FLIGHT

When will Robert Zemeckis make good movies again?

ARGO

Not theater worthy, but it looks good and I will watch it. Probably when it hits Netflix.

There ya go folks, another batch of flicks hitting the holiday theaters. Enjoy at your risk!

WARNER ARCHIVE GOES BLU RAY!!

Official Release:

The Warner Archive Collection (WAC) – the Warner Bros. Digital Distribution (WBDD) division dedicated to releasing on DVD previously unavailable films and television shows – today announced the launch of its first Blu-ray™ titles. The two titles, Deathtrapand Gypsy, will debut on November 20. Beginning in February 2013, WAC expects to release a minimum of one to two Blu-ray titles per month. Future titles include The Hudsucker Proxy and Fearless.

WAC reports that the Blu-ray discs will be replicated in limited quantities and fulfilled on demand. All releases will leverage high quality 1080p masters. In many instances, as with Deathtrap, the films will be available for the first time for home viewing in their original widescreen format.

Starting as a modest initiative, WAC has quickly grown to become a new business model for the studio and a recognized industry leader. Since launching in March 2009, WAC has released more than 1,500 films, short subjects, TV movies and mini-series that otherwise would not have been available, providing a valuable service to film lovers everywhere.

Now, WAC’s entry into the Blu-ray market is the latest example of its fast growth and increasing popularity with consumers who have embraced the technology as the standard for the highest quality home movie viewing on disc. This year, domestic sales of catalog titles on Blu-ray grew 22% in the third quarter from a year earlier. In fact, Blu-ray sales have shown impressive gains every quarter in 2012, continuing the trend set in 2011 over 2010 when sales were up 20%.[1]

In making the Blu-ray announcement, WBDD President Thomas Gewecke said, “This is an important innovation that fulfills consumer demand for high definition releases that otherwise would not be available in physical formats. We’re excited to have the opportunity to further expand the Warner Archive Collection into the Blu-ray marketplace with an impressive slate of releases.”

Warner Archive Collection titles can be purchased through their web site (www.warnerarchive.com) for $21.99 SRP or through other leading online retailers.

WHO IS ZHON?

I was made aware of this web series and decided to check it out. I like the concept of an alien turning himself in to the authorities and telling his life story. They get to do different time periods and show what the alien has been through enduring life on our planet for thousands of years. Well written, funny and a little sad, this is something that fans of stuff like Doctor Who and Firefly would get behind.


Here's the trailer to get you hooked.


TRAILER

And the site.

SITE

THE RETURN OF TEEN APE!!

 Being a huge Low Budget Pictures fan when I saw this plea for fundage for a new TeenApe flick I had to share it amongst my brethren. Here is the video;



Watch it. Then GIVE!!!