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Post by loverofbeers on Oct 15, 2013 13:53:00 GMT -5
I watched two more favorites of mine. First I watched Lucky McKee's May (2003). I agree with everything Jake said about this movie. The one thing I will add, is that the guy with the arms that May likes has a tattoo of the Frankenstein Monster on his bicep. Very telling in that May, like Dr. Frankenstein, tries to piece together a new person from different pieces from multiple people, a broken doll, and a dead cat. May is one fucked up chick and played masterfully by Angella Bettis. Next I watched Tobe Hooper's The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974). I've said plenty about this movie before so I'll just point out that like Night of the Living Dead, this movie has a theme about the disfunction and upturning of the traditional American family. This is best exemplified for me by how "The Cook" rules over "The Hitchhiker" and Leatherface until the moment when it is time to kill Sally, when he almost shrinks in stature as the Hitchhiker and Leatherface take over and start ridiculing him with no defense anymore from the cook. Also by how a family is evil and the kids, hippies in a way, are the victims of brutality, not a family tortured by juvenile delinquents like the 1950s would have us believe. And like Night of the Living Dead, the hero here is African American, the driver of the semi known as "Black Maria". Interesting to me is that this actor is credited as Ed Guinn. I never noticed that before. I love the cast, shit I love everything about this movie. One little known fact is that Tobe Hooper especially, and co-writer Kim Henkel were trying to make this movie partly humorous but after it's release they realized they failed at humor with the audiences. Tobe Hooper made sure to make the sequel more over the top humorous and succeeded. I now realize that the humor was supposed to be in the Franklin character and in the Hitchhiker character, but audiences in 1974 were too stunned by what they eye-witnessed (as Terry Gordy would say the word). Big comment here, but no Horror fan has the right to consider themselves a fan of the genre if they have never seen this masterpiece of low budget macabre. LOB-25
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Post by loverofbeers on Oct 17, 2013 5:11:57 GMT -5
I continued on my favorites theme, with two more movies. First I watched Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon (2006), starring Nathan Baesel, Angela Goethals, Zelda Rubinstein, and directed by Scott Glosserman. This has been one of my favorite Horror films from the last ten plus years. I'm not gonna add much to what I've said before, but it is a perfect Horror film to me, smart, and a true homage to the Slasher genre. First I want to give props to this movie for giving two shout-outs to Kreuz Market in Lockhart, Texas, the home of some of the best Barbecue in Texas, and don't take my word for it, but take Texas Monthly's word for it, year after delicious year (Lockhart is forty-some miles from Austin, and Kreuz's owners, part of the feuding Schmidt Family whose rival Schmidt Family members run Schmidtty's another of the greatest Texas Barbecue joints, also located in Lockhart, are opening a new Barbecue joint in Bee Caves, Texas soon, just fifteen miles from South Austin, my home). Also for the first time I noticed two new The Shining references to me. First Doc Hollaran, played by Robert Englund, is a name that plays tribute to both Mr. Hollaran and young Danny aka "Doc". I always appreciate the advice from Eugene to just run and not stop running as well as the mentioning of "Fred", Jason, and "Mike". I also love that there is a cameo by Kane "God" Hodder. Oh yeah, the other reference to The Shining (I've been drinking beers, go figure) is the song "Midnight with the Stars and You" which will always be tied to Jack Nicholson and Horror for me. It goes without saying, I recommend this film. Second I watched An American Werewolf in London (1981), one of my three favorite werewolf movies. I love the soundtrack which is my favorite from the Horror genre with three versions of "Blue Moon" and a little bit of Creedence. I love all the scenes, but my favorite might be the first The Slaughtered Lamb scene closely followed by the Piccadilly Circle scene. I love the practical effects by Rick Baker, and this is one example of why I don't like CGI used in Horror, the traditional stuff like the first classic transformation by David are more awe inspiring to me, even thirty years later. I drank two types of beer during this movie, Lobo Negro Lager from the Pedernales Brewing Company in Fredricksburg, Texas and my first stab at Newcastle Werewolf. The first beer was a light to medium bodied and flavorful lager (I dig Black Lagers overall). The second was better than Newcastle Brown ale which is basically Thames sewer water as a brown ale. Werewolf is a "Blood Red " ale, or basically a brown ale. Cheers! to Lycanthropes. "Dog will hunt"! LOB-27
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Post by loverofbeers on Oct 22, 2013 4:55:01 GMT -5
So first of all, tomorrow during the day I'll write more about the three movies I have watched since my last posting. It is late right now and I have to try to fall asleep soon. To change things up, I have switched to the Science Fiction Horror genre. I watched three movies, and plan to watch three or four from this subcategory next. My plans for the rest of the month are to break up movies by subcategories. My next subcategory will be humor in Horror. After that I will be watching Horror icons which will include characters like The Wolfman, Dracula, The Creature from the Black Lagoon, King Kong, Jason Voorhees, Freddy Krueger, The Candyman, Leatherface, Michael Myers, as well as actors such as Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing, Vincent Price, and directors and special effects legends, among others of my choosing. That should take me through Halloween around midnight.... After that, I will tackle a few movies made from 1911-1930. So bring your bad self Jake! So in the last few days I watched three sci-fi Horror films which are favorites of mine, no new movies, just tried and tested good flicks. First I watched Event Horizon (1997). Second I watched John Carpenter's The Thing (1982). Last I watched Alien (1979). During Event Horizon I drank a bottle of Timmermans Pumpkin Lambicus, from Brouwerij Timmermans-John Martin N.V. in Dilbeek-Itterbeek, Belgium. During The Thing and Alien I drank a few Brooklyn Post Road Pumpkin Ales, from the excellent Brooklyn Brewery in Brooklyn, New York. Both beers were good, but not my style in drinking, the first was a sourish spontaneously-fermented fruit lambic from "The World's Oldest Lambic Brewery" in Belgium, the second was a New England traditional Colonial American pumpkin ale, or that is what the label claims.... Opening up another Brooklyn Pumpkin Ale. Second gear starts tomorrow. Cheers! LOB-30
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Post by loverofbeers on Oct 29, 2013 20:39:47 GMT -5
I watched four movies. The first three were to finish up my Sci-fi Horror subset, and the fourth was the start of my Horror Comedy set of movies. First I watched The Blob (1958). I had avoided this movie since the early eighties when I became aware of it in multiple monster themed issues of Cracked, the one time competitor to Mad Magazine. Last year I became aware that The Criterion Collection had released it on DVD and figurring that that made it a possibly good movie, I almost bought it. I'm glad I didn't. The movie was okay, but like you probably assumed, kinda ridiculous. I found the harmless juvenile delinquent theme interesting, it was the fifties, and that the movie starred a young Steve McQueen, here credited as Steven McQueen. Man, McQueen looked like a teen, a twenty something year old, and a thirty something year old all rolled up in one. I couldn't figure out that he was a teen until he pleaded with the cops not to call his father. The effects were okay and the fact that admission to a movie back then cost only 80 cents killed me. Damn inflation, makes our money worthless as we age, if we have any savings that is......... EDIT: I loved these mags when I was a kid! Second I watched The Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978). I've seen this before and recommend it to everyone. It has a classic ending. It stars Donald Sutherland, Brooke Adams, Jeff Goldblum, and Leonard Nimoy. Beware little strange flowers and weird looking organic pods. Also I recommend the fifties classic about McCarthyism and the Red Scare. That is another classic. Third I watched Godzilla vs Mechagodzilla aka Gojira tai Mekagojira (1974) from Toho Studios in Japan and starring Masaaki Daimon, Kazuya Aoyama, and Reiko Tajima. This was an entertaining Mystery Science Theater kinda of flick. Godzilla must fight Mechagodzilla, a cyborg construct by invading space ape-men (Humanzees?) masquerading as humans. It has Japanese forgotten royalty, two interpol members, archaeologists, and transforming space apes. Godzilla is at first defeated by Mechagodzilla, retreats to rejuvinate in a lightning storm where he becomes electromagnetic in new abilities, and in the meantime King Ceasar, another Kaiju, emerges from folklore to battle Mechagodzilla. Only by combining forces do Godzilla and King Caesar win at the end, of course using Godzilla's new powers. I loved the men in giant rubber monsters, and really liked the somewhat goofy, somewhat fierce looking King Caesar who looked like a combination of Japanese demon, giant bat-faced humanoid, and fluffy eared puppy doggy. Good times. Finally I watched Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy (1955). This movie starred Bud Abbott, Lou Costello, and Marie Windsor. It has the comedy duo of Abbott and Costello finding themselves pursued by an Egyptian cult, tomb robbers, and the Cairo police, all for a special medallion linked to a walking mummy that was not played by Boris Karloff. The movie was okay but not as entertaining as Abbott and Costello meet Frankenstein. LOB-34
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Post by loverofbeers on Oct 30, 2013 16:48:38 GMT -5
I watched two more Horror comedies.
First I watched Abbott and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1953). This was much better on every level than Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy, from the acting, the humor and gags, the filming, the Horror themes, and the star power. Instead of an unknown playing the monster in this film like in Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy, this movie co-stars Boris Karloff as Dr. Jekyll and credited as Mr. Hyde, though he did not play the alter-ego of Jekyll. Mr. Hyde was played by stuntman Eddie Parker, who remained uncredited. Karloff plays his role really well, as he was a great actor. This movie was looked down by critics though because of Jekyll. Here Jekyll is bad, but Hyde is monstrous instead of a battle between good and evil, it is more a somewhat bad scientist releasing his inhibitions as a darker Hyde persona. That said, I had no problem with this straying from the original source material and character. For those inclined, I recommend this movie.
Next I watched Ghost Busters (1984). This was my (EDIT) third viewing of the movie, and my first viewing was when I was ten years old in the movie theater with my mom. This movie stars Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Sigourney Weaver, and Rick Moranis. It was directed by Ivan Reitman. It sure was more sexual than I perceived it as a kid, especially the ghost blowjob scene with Dan Akroyd, one of the two writers of the screenplay. Like you all know, it is a fun movie with really good special effects that overall have held up and a catchy theme song. Good stuff.
LOB-36
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Post by loverofbeers on Oct 31, 2013 1:24:11 GMT -5
Third Gear..... I just watched one of my favorite Horror comedies for the third time as an adult, but as a kid, I watched this about a dozen times one summer on Showtime. Saturday the 14th (1981) starring Richard Benjamin, Paula Prentiss, and Jeffrey Tambor. This movie has good comedy moments, a good soundtrack, great comedic actors including the kid actors, good effects, and great monster effects. I recommend this very fun, cartoony movie. Currently I'm drinking an Alaskan Pumpkin Porter. I'm still not into pumpkin beers, but my favorites have been very dark to black porters and stouts, and this beer is near the top. Cheers! LOB-37
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Post by loverofbeers on Oct 31, 2013 3:42:17 GMT -5
So in my humble opinion, The Cabin in the Woods (2012) is the best Horror film from this decade. It is one of the best Horror films, period, that is to me. It has plenty of comedy/humor, heart, imagination, and talent behind the finished result. A major recommend. If you haven't seen this great movie, don't read my spoilers, I'm a spoiler lover, but this movie is best seen with no knowledge of the plot. So stop reading. SPOILERSPOILERSPOILERSPOILER This is the third movie I have seen this month with Sigourney Weaver. And every part has been unique. So I want to do a quick Cheers! for her and have a sip of beer..... Or two sips. Beer is spinach. So I love when the movie transforms from redneck zombie torture to the story under the ground. In that respect it was very Lovecraftian. I love when the shit hits the fan scene and every facet of nightmares go ape-shit. I love the Mer-Man, the Cenobite, the werewolf, the giant mutant bat, all of it. This movie has the best CGI I have seen in Horror films to date. The ultimate male hero in a way is the noble pothead superhero. He kinda reminded me of Daniel Bryan/American Dragon Bryan Danielson. I love the CGI effects even though I almost always hate CGI. Those effects are so well blended in the movie with great practical effects. I love the Harbringer of Doom and the pro-pot message. I dig the vast conspiracy. Plus it has Thor the Thunderer as a co-star. From the mighty Wikipedia: The Cabin in the Woods is a 2012 American satirical dark comedy horror film directed by Drew Goddard in his directorial debut, produced by Joss Whedon, and written by Whedon and Goddard. Kristen Connolly, Chris Hemsworth, Anna Hutchison, Fran Kranz, and Jesse Williams portray five friends who travel to a remote cabin for a holiday and become victims of a seemingly stereotypical horror movie plot while being observed via hidden cameras by mysterious office workers. Drinking a Southern Tier Imperial Pumking Ale, 8.6% abv, from Lakewood, New York. Good but strong for an amber beer. It also has some long message on the back about how this beer is an ode to Puca, a creature of Celtic Folklore. I think I read about these. Demon horses. Cheers! LOB-38
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Post by loverofbeers on Oct 31, 2013 16:39:00 GMT -5
I just watched the comedy Horror masterpiece of Mel Brooks, Young Frankenstein (1974). This movie stars Gene Wilder, Madeline Kahn, Marty Feldman, Peter Boyle, Teri Garr, Cloris Leachman, and has a cameo by Gene Hackman. The story and screenplay were written by the duo of Mel Brooks and Gene Wilder. The soundtrack is great and the cinematography is beautiful, especially how the actors eyes appear. The sets have that early Universal Monsters feel, capturing this spirit perfectly. A big recommend. Drinking a Real Ale Devil's Backbone Belgian Style Tripel Ale from Blanco, Texas. Delicious like always. Cheers! LOB-39
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Post by loverofbeers on Oct 31, 2013 19:25:59 GMT -5
I just watched Evil Dead 2 (1987), written , directed by, and produced by good old Sam Raimi. It was co-produced by and stars Bruce Campbell as Ash Williams, one of the funnest characters in Horror history. It also stars Sarah Berry, Dan Hicks, and the incomparable Ted Raimi as Henrieta. I love this overtop Horror comedy, a fun remake of The Evil Dead. I dig the ridiculous sound effects (a monkey for some of Henrietta's demonic noises), the puppetry, claymation, animation, stop motion effects, creature makeup effects, ridiculously over the top splatter, and hokey dialogue. This movie was filmed in Detroit (RIP) and North Carolina. This will be my penultimate Horror comedy as I transition to the "Icons" phase of my Halloween watching. It goes without saying, I love this movie so much, it is as fun as Horror gets. I'm drinking a Victory HopDevil India Pale Ale from Downington, Pennsylvania. Groovy. LOB-40
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Post by loverofbeers on Nov 1, 2013 0:37:04 GMT -5
I watched two movies that can be considered iconic.
First I watched Bud Abbott and Lou Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948). This film starred Abbott, Costello, Bela Lugosi in his second role as Count Dracula, Lon Chaney Jr. as Lawrence Talbot/The Wolf Man, and Glen Strange as Frankenstein's Monster. There was also a "cameo" by the Invisible Man. This movie was a Monster Mash especially by the time of it's climax, and was also the best Abbott and Costello Universal Monster flick. Good times.
Second I continued my Halloween night tradition of watching John Carpenter's Halloween, possibly for the sixth or seventh straight year. This time I watched it on the big screen at the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema Slaughter Lane. I love this movie, but I hate theater audiences. Every time the Shape was shown, the audience giggled like a roomful of idiots. Sometimes I really detest people. Like tonight. What a bunch of morons. Every year that goes by I become more of a loner, especially when watching the movies I love.
LOB-42
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Post by loverofbeers on Nov 1, 2013 0:38:01 GMT -5
Maximum Overdrive time for the next three and a half hours.
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Post by jakeawesomesnake on Nov 1, 2013 1:57:58 GMT -5
Computer overheated from watching so many films. Sorry for the rare JAS megapost, you've won once again LOB, and I'm going to expand on this post later. Let me know what next month's competition will be.
Spider Baby (1964) The Honeymoon Killers (1969) Cure (1997) The Comeback (1978)Black Death (2006) Van Dieman’s Land (2009) Patrick (1978) A Bell From Hell (1973).The Haunted Castle (1896) The X-Ray Fiend (1897) The Haunted Castle (1897) The Treasures of Satan (1902)
The Devil and The Statue (1902) The Monster (1903) The Infernal Boiling Pot (1903) The Infernal Cake Walk (1903) Faust in Hell (1903) The Black Imp (1905) The Merry Frolics of Satan (1906) Satan in Prison (1907) The Haunted House (1907) Satan s’amuse (1907) The Sealed Room (1909) Frankenstein (1910)
JAS-36
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Post by loverofbeers on Nov 1, 2013 3:05:40 GMT -5
First of all, next month's competition is up to you my friend. I have been curious about the ideas you have come up with. So let her rip. I watched a trio of Jekyll and Hyde. First I watched the 1912 version of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Next I watched my favorite version of the tale, the 1920 version starring John Barrymore. Last I watched the Carl Laemmle 1913 version, which if I remember correctly, JAS liked last year. I dug it, but 1920's is still my favorite. I meant to watch about ten more movies I couldn't get to. These included an installment of both The Friday the 13th and A Nightmare on Elm Street. Also Psycho, Hatchet 3, 1925's Phantom of the Opera, The Wolf Man, Club Dread, Children Shouldn't Play With Dead Things, Witchfinder General, Hammer's Dracula 1972, Leprechaun Back 2 da Hood, The Wickerman, and I'm forgetting a few. My goal was to try to watch 60 Horror movies this month, but that takes time and dedication that I don't have. Maybe next year..... I am going to try to watch Student of Prague before I fall asleep. My other goal was to top my score of last year, 47 movies. Not happening. I am currently drinking a Houston, Texas' own St. Arnold Pumpkinator Imperial Pumpkin Stout, Vintage 2012, that I have been aging since last year. Feliz Dia de los Muertos, Salud!, y Arriba! Fuck it, I'm too tired to watch Student of Prague, so ends The Third Annual Halloween Competition. "Dog will hunt". LOB-45
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Post by loverofbeers on Nov 1, 2013 3:07:27 GMT -5
Oh yeah, there was one goal for the month I achieved. I watched a Horror film from every decade of Horror history, from 1896-2013. Excelsior!
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Post by jakeawesomesnake on Nov 1, 2013 3:09:41 GMT -5
I had about three goals this month: win the competition, watch at least 31 movies, and I was also trying to watch about two movies a day. I was able to get one done, but the other two take a little more time.
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