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Post by loverofbeers on Oct 1, 2014 2:28:07 GMT -5
And it starts....
The Rules:
Same rules as the original, honor system at work. One point is scored for any horror movie watched. Each movie should be at least an hour long. Exceptions will be made for short, silent films considered full length (pre 1930). Competition ends at 2:00 AM Pacific time on Halloween (November 1st).
JAS, bring it my good man, "Dog will hunt"!
And to commemorate the Fortieth Anniversary of my favorite Horror film, I will pop in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) in a couple of minutes and drink two shitty 22oz bombers of beer. Cheers!
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Post by loverofbeers on Oct 1, 2014 2:32:07 GMT -5
My goal this year is to watch an eye-bleeding, mind-melting 60 movies! The chainsaw sings its song....
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Post by loverofbeers on Oct 1, 2014 4:55:56 GMT -5
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974).
LOB-1
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Post by loverofbeers on Oct 7, 2014 0:51:02 GMT -5
I am going to dedicate this month to Tobe Hooper and I plan on watching several of his movies. So I have watched four movies in the last few nights. First I watched a British undead/zombie movie filmed in Canada. Autumn (2009) was a really good low budget Horror movie that strayed from the usual zombie genre. I recommend it and will watch it again some day. The undead in this movie were different and acted differently from all other zombie movies. Second I watched Revolt of the Zombies (1936). It was interesting as it was such an old zombie movie taking place after World War I and having Cambodia as part of the plot. And love. I usually like 1930s Horror, but this movie was a bit slow for my taste and I do not think it is enjoyable much to seek out for other fans. Third I watched the cult classic Carnival of Souls (1962). This reminded me very much of The Twilight Zone episode I watched last month titled The Hitchhiker. This movie has beautiful cinematography and an interesting plot but I saw the end coming from near the start as this movie reminded me right of the bat of that classic Rod Serling tale. I recommend it nonetheless. Fourth I watched a movie I have not watched since the 1980s and my childhood for no good reason as I liked it as a kid. Fright Night (1985) is a fun vampire movie that is an easy recommend. I will be watching it again. So I am not a pumpkin beer fan so to broaden my beer horizons I will try every pumpkin beer I find in the Austin market. During the previous mentioned films I drank seven different pumpkin beers and the style(s) are kinda growing on me..... A little bit. I had Uinta Punk'n Harvest Pumpkin Ale from Salt Lake City, Utah. I like this brewery quite a bit and this brew was top-notch. I also like Anderson Valley beers from Northern Califoria and their Fall Hornin' Pumpkin Ale was good stuff for the style. From Lakewood, New York I had the massive and delicious Southern Tier Blackwater Series Warlock Imperial Stout (brewed with pumpkins and natural flavors aka spices). It was my kind of beer, deep dark black with a high abv of 8.6%. It just didn't have much head, and boy do I love me some head.... On beer and otherwise. I also had Buffalo Bill's Brewery's Pumpkin Ale which is "America's Original" pumpkin beer. I have had it before and it is growing on me, but not my cup of tea or pint of beer. It lists that it is brewed by Independent Brewers United out of Seatle, WA, Portland, OR, Berkeley, CA, and Hayward, CA. So pick a city. Next up was my favorite so far and one of the two best pumpkin beers I have ever had (the other is Pumkinator Pumpkin Imperial Stout from St. Arnold from Houston and a shout out to Frank Mancuso the St. Arnold rep in Austin and a friend I haven't seen in way too long). Back on track, Crown Valley Brewing Imperial Pumpkin Smash is my kind of beer, a massive Imperial Stout at 10.6% abv. From Ste. Genevieve, MO. Good dark as my soul stuff here.... I also had Harpoon Brewery's Pumpkin UFO Unfiltered Pumpkin Ale from Boston, MA. This beer kind of bores me but I never have been impressed by Harpoon's brews. Lastly I had my least favorite of this style of beers (so far). Shipyard Brewing Co. Pumpkinhead from Portland, Maine. Boring like all Shipyard beers. So, a pumpkin Cheers! to Horror and October, my favorite month of the year. LOB-5
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Post by loverofbeers on Oct 9, 2014 2:15:39 GMT -5
JAS, where are you and I hope you are doing well......
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Post by loverofbeers on Oct 10, 2014 1:23:11 GMT -5
Okay, I'm glad to see Jake online right now as I type. I was worried good sir. So I have watched more movies and drank more beers, all appropriately themed. First I watched my second Tobe Hooper movie of the month, Eaten Alive (1977). This was a good Horror film that sorta disappointed me. It felt like a rehash in a way of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. Like TTCSM it co-starred Marylin Burns (RIP) and took place in Texas, this time in East Texas probably close to the Louisiana border instead of Central Texas around Austin. The killer Judd used an unconventional tool as a murder weapon replacing the chainsaw with a scythe. He also had some of the same mannerisms as The Hitchhiker. Judd's motel made the Bates Motel seem charming and sane. Dead monkeys and alligators.... Bad mojo. One big plus was Robert Englund playing a pervert whose best line was "My name is Buck and I like to fuck". This was my first viewing of this movie. I dug it but did not love it. Next up was Tod Browning's Dracula (1931) starring Bela Lugosi improved upon with the addition of a film score that was ommited in this first American "soundie". Unlike James Whale of Frankenstein fame, Mr. Browning was not quite ready for the introduction of sound in films. I have watched this movie numerous times and I am never too impressed. I feel that it is one of the most respected of the Universal Monster movies that does not live up to it's hype. I prefer the earlier Phantom of the Opera from the 1920s as well as any of the Frankenstein films, The Wolfman, The Invisible Man, The Mummy, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and The Creature from the Black Lagoon. And the possums and armadillos are just so strange when used as native critters living in an old castle in Transylvania. I do love Dwight Frye as the ever so insane Renfield. Next up I watched Roger Corman's Frankenstein Unbound (1990) co-starring John Hurt. What a pleasant surprise. This movie had so much going on in it. A futuristic 2031 America and weapons of war, space and time travel (accidental) to 19th century Geneva, France, Dr. Victor Frankenstein, The Monster, it's potential matee, Mary Shelly having sex (free love), Lord Byron, Percy Shelly, and great gore and murders by crushing. I recommend this movie that I will be rewatching. Oh yeah, it had a very K.I.T.T. from Knight Rider kind of car that also travelled in time/space. Good and fun stuff with great acting a genius plot. Lastly to celebrate the second night of the full moon yesterday, I watched my favorite lycanthrope film. An American Werewolf in London (1981). An ageless classic, 'nuff said. Over the last few nights I drank other pumpkin beers during my Horror film viewings. In no order, here we go. I had Magic Hat Wilhelm Scream Pumpkin Ale from Burlington, Vermont. Pretty good from a solid brewery of the East Coast. I had Samuel Adams Fat Jack Double Pumpkin Ale (8.6% abv). This monster from Boston, MA has been one of my favorites so far. I also had Dogfish Head Punkin Ale from Milton, DE. This is one of the most popular if not the most popular beer in America made with pumpkins and sells out every year in a matter of two or so weeks. I finally found a store with one last four-pack. Score! Next up was a collaboration brew from two breweries, Epic Brewing from Salt Lake City, UT and Denver, Co and DC Brau from Washington DC. This high octane monster (8.4% abv) was Fermentation Without Representation Imperial Pumpkin Porter. Best beer yet along with the Pumpkin Smash Imperial Stout. Last i had my first non-pumpkin but monster themed beer from a brewery that I detest 'cause they brew Thames River sewer water beers, nasty and sad, the Limey Newcastle Werewolf Blood Red Ale. Sad, so sad. USA! USA! USA! Cheers! LOB-9
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Post by jakeawesomesnake on Oct 13, 2014 2:08:43 GMT -5
First I watched Douglas McKeown's 1983 Sci-fi horror movie The Deadly Spawn about the titular deadly spawn beginning to feed after coming to Earth through a crashed meteorite. The acting was awful-ok (mostly bad or ok) , the soundtrack was great (a wide variety of synth, whether it be the more traditional horror variety or the sci-fi variety, and was sometimes even mixed in with jazz), the gore ranged from awful-great (the flesh or severing effects tended to look quite bad ,but the blood tended to look great), the cinematography was awful or good/great (there were a few animated or illustrated shots which just didn't look right, which was done for the purpose of allowing an effect later in the film, but otherwise it was much better than I've come to expect from most low budget 80's horror films) , and the creature effects look bad-ok. I liked how three of the protagonists (who are all science/biology students) are actually attempting to use biological knowledge they should at least somewhat have to try and figure out what the creature is. I also liked that the kid character (whose facial expressions ranged from bizarrely over the top to actually quite good) was the most competent character and just slowly/methodically started disposing of the creatures. The payoff at the end had me laughing hard due to the ridiculousness of it (the aforementioned animated/illustrated part where the hill gets popped off revealing the biggest creature) and the moments preceding that had a very Night of the Living Dead feel to it, with the authorities seeming able to dispose of the threat with no problem. Overall this is an example of a so bad it's good movie , it's entertaining and unintentionally funny , and has quick pacing. Then I watched Ken Russel's 1988 British horror comedy The Lair of the White Worm starring Peter Capaldi, Hugh Grant, Amanda Donohoe, Cathernin Oxeberg, and Sammi Davis. It's a loose adaptation of Bram Stokers story of the same name and is about an ancient cult resurging when an ancient skull is discovered. The acting was good-great, the soundtrack was great (a mix of synth, folk rock, and bagpipes), the gore was great, the special effects varied from awful-good (there were some pretty bad monster effects such as the giant snake at the end and the weird flashback effects ,but the effect for the person severed in half and squirming like a worm looked great), the acts of violence looked good, the dialogue was good (I liked how there was lots of plays on words and puns ,but that they didn't call attention to it), and the cinematography was great (I love the way the British countryside looks). One of the things I liked about this film was how it balanced the comedy and horror, I feel like a lot of horror comedies tend to go too much towards the other end and sometime sort of ruin the potential for a good horror movie. This film was genuinely funny on it's own accord ,but at the same timed had good acting and horror elements as well. I also liked the interactions/relationships between the four main characters where they're actually likable and get along with each other. Amanda Donohoe had a great presence as the villain, using her sexuality to just completely control and manipulate people and I also liked that since she'd been at her game for awhile she had contingencies against the protagonists' contingencies. This is my second Ken Russel film (who I've heard had a reputation for some unique horror movies) and just like Altered States it didn't disappoint. That being said the sort of CGI/green screen effects he used for the flashbacks (which he also used in Altered States) looked sort of ridiculously bad. This was a really good movie, with likable and entertaining characters and qualities Also I thought that Sammi Davis looked familiar and my assumption turned out to be right (she was one of the characters from Mona Lisa ,which is a great movie). A recommend. After that I watched J.P. Simon's 1988 American-Spanish co-production Slugs about, you guessed it, killer slugs. The acting is ok-good, the cinematography was great, the soundtrack (a mixture of 80's glam metal, synth, jazz, and traditional horror stings) was great, the gore looked bad-great (when showing the layer of meat under the skin it looked bad ,but otherwise the blood looked great), the acts of violence looked good, and the slugs themselves actually looked good. It sort of reminded me of Jaws where the mayor ,despite there being a quite obvious threat (seriously slug parasites burst out of a dude's eye at a crowded Italian restaurant) holds the proper authorities back for the benefit of the town's economy (in this case a development deal). What was sort of different in this one is that instead of law enforcement being held back by the mayor this time it was other city workers (in this case the health inspector) being held back by both the mayor and an incredibly antagonistic sheriff. Overall, this was a fun and enjoyable film , that moved quickly. Finally I watched Fred Dekker's 1986 sci fi -horror- comedy Night of the Creeps about an alien experiment that finds its way to Earth and begins to zombify inhabitants of Earth. It stars Jason Lively, Tom Atkins, Jill Whitlow, and Steve Marshall. The acting was good, the soundtrack was great (synth, 50's and 80's rock), the cinematography was great, the acts of violence looked good, the gore was bad-great (the blood tended to stand out, as did some of the fleshier gore ,but at times it looked weaker in some scenes than others), and the special effects varied from awful-great (the slug pile at the end looked awful, some of the zombie effects looked great, others not so much; it was sort of all over the place). However, what this movie defintely had going for it was likeable and funny characters (similar to The Lair of the White Worm) and fast pacing. Tom Atkin's character was awesome and I enjoyed the chemistry between him and he main protagonist (played by Jason Lively), as well as the protaonist relationship with his handicapped best friend (who gets infected ,but doesn't take it lying down using his last moments to fight the menace). This movie felt very 80's in regard to the hairstyles, dialogue, and acting/comedy style. I also liked how the coroner was constantly eating a sandwich and making jokes throughout the film. I knew the name Fred Dekker was familiar and it turend out that he also did the great Monster Squad (this was his first film). You can really tell he was a horror fan through all of the references he makes (Plan 9 from Outer Space, 50's sci fi, places and people being named after famous horror directors, etc.) Overall this was a good and fun movie. Don't worry LOB I'm ok and definately still in this competition , but I was busy and wanted to take care of some stuff before diving fully into the competition. Also I've been clearing my history to make my computer run a little faster , meaning it keeps signing me out of this site. Anyway, I think the four film I watched show how important a good cover/poster can be I mean I'd been aware of The Lair of the White Worm for years ,but ultimately always passed on it and watched something else because of its poster ,but I'd say it was my favorite movie of my first bunch, followed by Night of the Creeps, Slugs, and then the Deadly Spawn. Each film was an 80's film that also served as part of my odyssey to find a particualr horror film that's eluded me for years now. An awesome song from The Lair of the White Worm JAS-4
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Post by loverofbeers on Oct 16, 2014 16:08:01 GMT -5
Dammit. Soooo tired. I have had two or three days off in a month or even five or six weeks. I have lost count. Half way through a movie but have to go to work. Three points to report and some beers to showcase later.
First a movie that surprised me. River of Darkness (2011). Not good but I liked it after stumbling into it. Starring Kurt Angle as a sheriff, Kevin Nash as a undead man, and ditto for "Psycho" Sid Vicious as his undead brother. Also starring Ray "Glacier" Lloyd of WCW infamy as the sheriff's rival, and Bill Hinzman. Not good but I dug it.
Second I finally watched The Killer Shrews (1959) which surprised me. A bit hokey and fun in the acting and relationships between the characters category, but a movie that surprised and awed me in the special effects. Were those killer shrews portrayed by mangy mutts, hyenas, or what? They were portrayed by some kind of canine critter except close-ups of their heads which were great puppet heads and very realistic especially for the time. A fun recommend.
Last I watched The Tingler (1959) for the first time. A hokey and yet again fun Vincent Price vehicle with a unique plot, a dirty-legged wife, and low-budget puppet. I dug it. Can you dig it?
Off to work soon, again. "I'll be back". Cheers!
LOB-11
OOps. LOB-12
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Post by jakeawesomesnake on Oct 18, 2014 17:26:33 GMT -5
Spoilers Below: For this batch of films I started out with a pair of 80's films in my quest and ended with two 70's films I'd been meaning to see for awhile in past competitions ,but never did. First I watched Uli Lommel's 1980 American supernatural slasher film The Boogeyman featuring ,but not starring John Carradine, about a a pair of sibling's trauam from their childhood manifesting itself back into ther lives during adulthood. The acting is bad-good, the cinematography was great (more on that later), the soundtrack (synth mixed with some hard rock) was good, the acts of violence looked ok-good, the gore looked great, and the special effects were (laughably) awful. This movie starts out with a dark serious atmosphere, child abuse and neglect resulting in the death of one of the perpetrating adults (which is enhanced by quality acting by the adults, with the male having a great presence about hiim). The indoor lighting in the film is excellent and the result of this mixed with great cinemaotgraphy lead to a menacing atmoshpere early one. The movie begins with what appears to be a grounded in realiy style tale about children still coping with abuse in their adult lives and it finally beginning to manifest itself in the form of perpetration instead of just victimization. However, this gets thrown out about halfway through the film where it becomes a SBIG (so bad its good) supernatural film. Turns out their male abuser's spirit was stored in a mirror, which gets shattered by the sister of the siblings, this releases the malevolent spirit which in turn begins to both posess and kill people , and this ends with a Exorcistesque climax with a priest holding a cross. The special effects were awful in this film; the mirror glows this dull ,obviously added in later red, and at one point when a piece of mirror lands on one of the siblings eye it glows this bright neon green laser color. The priest at the end goes out like a goddamn man though, he holds a cross out in front of him (vampire killer style) and marches down the malevolent mirror (all the while leaking blood out of his head like a faucet) and manages to destroy the mirror, takiing it with him. There's also alot of first person slasher style cinematography and kills very reminiscent of slashers (for example a pair of lovers end up being impaled lip to lip by a screwdriver... and nobody notices). I knew nothing about this film going in, except that it was part of my quest to find a certain film, and expected a bad or perhaps SBIG supernatural boogeyman film ,but then appeared to end up with a more serious, brooding film. Then about halfway through it went into SBIG territory. I enjoyed the earlier (actuallly good qualiteis) as well as the SBIG qualites, so I'd say it sort of evens out; overall it was entertaining. Then I watched Robert Scott's 1987 zombie film The Video Dead, about a tv that serves as a portal for zombies. The acting is awful-ok (mostly bad or ok), the soundtrack was great (a combination of synth, 80's style glam metal, and surpsingly good horror strings), the cinematography was ok-great, the gore was good-great , the special effects were either awful or great (at times it'd look dead on ,but at other times it'd look awful and obviously rubbery), the comedy (both intentional and unintentional) was good, and the acts of violence looked good. I mentiond that the acting was mostly bad-ok in this film, but it had this sort of charm to it where super dramatic and important dialogue would be delivered oddly quick with almost no emoting (I found this and itself to be funny due to the variety os situations it added to). I liked that one of the protagonists (the marijuana smoking brother) noticed something was up while high and actually took actions to defend himself, I also liked how even though he was slightly doubtful about whether it was the drug or real he still took precautions, and after dealing with the threat physically realized that it was definately real (unlike other films where someone would be convinced it was the drugs, symptoms of being tired, etc.).. I liked how the zombies all had distinctive features about them and how they had surprising itelligence and a sense of humor (putting a body in a washer, understanding they were being decieved and the record for the record player was in fact actually there, laughing at almost all of there kills). This film was full of SBIG moments (the protagonists arguing about their nicknames, the romance, the maid making godawful sounds while being choked in the air by a zombie, the style of acting in general). This is a a fun movie that I knew I'd like as soon as the first zombie makes its apperance, hair wild, unkempt suit, wild smile, and metallic looking skin. This was a bad ,but ultimately fun movie. After that I watched John Carpenter's 1978 (and I believe first horror film) made for tv movie Someone's Watching Me starring Laura Hutton and Adrienne Barbeua, about a woman who slowly becomes victim to a voyeurs progressing activity. The actinb was bad-great (mostly good), the soundtrack was awful-great (a variety of more traditonal horror horns and strings which I despised, good horrors strings music, and a great classicla piece), the acts of violence looked ok-good, and the cinematography was great. Interestingly, this is one of the few times Carpenter didn't have a hand in his own soundtrack and while not completely bad, it does show. It was weird how the lead actress (Laura Hutton) would have moments where her acting would be bad and then she'd have this breakdown (particuarly her facial expressions that were just great). I also liked how calculating the antagonist was (knowing she'd call police, setting people up, meticuosuly keeping notes on his activities concerning her, recording her as well, leaving vague messages (both vocal and written). One of the things I didn't like and though was kind of dumb was that there's a bug underneath one of her tables in her apartment that she doesn't find the whole film. Now I can take that people are unobservant and wouldn't check for that sort of thing, but the extent to which the voyeur's actions affect her life (paranoia, calling police, arming herself with a knifce, etc.) and you're telling me she not once started checking under neath her furniture, considering he let her in on information that he souldn't have been able to obtain soley visually. Overal it was a good movie and you can sort of see how it lead to some idea's in Halloween (the way the camer will slowly move and sweep in), but it isn't nearly as good as Carpetner's other films. Finally I watched Charles B. Pierces (The Evictors, which I thought was similar to this and after research found out they were from the same director) 1976 slasher-police procedural-comedy The Town that Dtreaded Sundown starring Ben Johnson, Andrew Prine, and Bud Davis . It's somewhat based on a true story about a killer, dubbed the phantom, who begins assaulting couples at night in the Texarcana area, casuing the titular Town that Dreaded Sundown. The acting is good-great, the soundtrack was either awful (that specific type of horror stings w/ the lone horn I've gone on at length about regarding my dislike for it) or great (better use of strings and drums), the cinematography was great, the acts of violence looked good-great, the sound effects were bad (they sounded off), and the gore was good-great. Ben Johnson was great in this film, similar to his role in The Wild Bunch and as Purvis in Dillinger, with this great presence about him that reminded me of older pro wrestling characters. The comedy in the film was sort of out of place ,but it never interfered with the more serious parts of the film and in particular I liked the character of Sparkplug ( rookie officer played by the director himself) who takes the calls personal and talks smack back to a man who's treating his wife bad. I also loved the mask in the film, as simple sack cloth variety. It is one of the older and simpler masks out there, but at the same time I feel it's one of the more ominous looking ones. The use of slow motion was great at well, looking very cinematic during the final confrontation, where the killer falls through the air after taking a rifel shot to the leg. The use of sunsets was great as well, setting up an ominous feeling. The ending was sort of anti-climatic ,but it was based on a real case where the killer was never found. Overall this was a really good movie. Just look at the difference in quaity for The Video Dead and The Town that Dreaded Sundown, I mean my god I looked at them and immediately wanted to watch their respective films. I think I'm going to rely on alot of 80's horror that's part of my quest in my competition, finish John Carpetner's horror filmography, watch some completely random films, and then watch some classics/favorites. JAS-8
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Post by loverofbeers on Oct 21, 2014 15:44:58 GMT -5
Damn, I am so behind in my movie watching. Still in first gear. I plan to pick things up next week. So four more movies to add on to this month's list. First I rewatched Zombi aka Dawn of the Dead (1979). This is the Dario Argento cut of the famous George Romero classic and my second viewing. I consider this cut to be superior especially in terms of Goblin's soundtrack which is more serious and less "fun-times" muzac than what Romero ended up using. Thus the film is changed to a more intense and serious experience. I highly recommend this version to fans of zombie flicks. This along with Night of the Living Dead and Children Shouldn't Play with Dead Things is one of my favorite undead films followed by Day of the Dead and the re-make of Dawn of the Dead from the 2000s. Second I watched Phantasm II (1988) directed once again by the fun Don Cosscarelli. This movie follows up on the original well with Mike and Reggie still fighting The Tall Man played by the great Angus Scrimm. And the Jawas are back but better because of the higher budget Cosscarelli had to work with this time. There even was a nod to Sam Raimi in a mortuary scene. Blink and you will miss it. Third I returned to celebrating Tobe Hooper by watching for a second time The Funhouse (1981). I like this Universal Monster movie with it's nods to the original Frankenstein, Bride of Frankenstein, Dracula, and The Wolfman. It also made nods to the beginning of John Carpenter's Halloween, Hitchcock's most famous scene from Psycho, and Cooper's King Kong. I dig this movie and as JAS once noted, all the victims are assholes, but the survivor girl is less assholeish than her friends and little brother. I loved the "monster's" freakout scene. Fourth I watched Cornered! (2010) which was an official selection at several Horror Film Festivals prior to it's main release in 2009. Also Elizabeth Nicole won the best actress award at The New York City Horror Film Festival that year. Written and directed by Daniel Haze, this was an enjoyable and new to me flick. It takes place in a liquor store in Los Angeles and it's main characters are a Latino junkie on heavy withdrawal who reminded me of a WCW era Eddie Guerrero (my hometown rasslin' favorite), his tough but concerned uncle who owns the liquor store, a fat black lady who loves ice cream and does phone sex on the side for extra income, a white and busty white gal who performs tricks on the side to pay rent, and a fat white guy who loves her and his donuts. This was a great modern independent Horror film. I recommend. I have had a number of "Halloween themed" beers along with two more pumpkin beers recently while enjoying these movies. In no particular order, first to mention is my local (Blanco, Texas) Real Ale Devil's Backbone Tripel. A long time favorite for me. Weighs in at about 7% abv. I also had Upslope Brewing Company's Pumpkin Ale (7.7% abv) which lists as it's ingredients snowmelt, malt, baby bear pumpkins,hops, yeast, and spices. From Boulder, Colorado, I can now say that I enjoy pumpkin beers. This was good stuff. Another pumpkin ale I had was Alaskan Pumpkin Porter at 7% abv and brewed with pumpkins and brown sugar from Juneau, Alaska. It was good but far from a favorite. Next I had a beer from a brewery I like but this beer failed for me. It was Ska Brewing Estival Cream Stout brewed with honey and orange peels and a decent 5.8% abv. Ho-hum beer here. From Durango, Colorado. Last was SanTan Brewing Company's Devil Ale brewed in Chandler, Arizona. It was a pretty decent American Pale Ale with an abv of 5.5 percent alcohol. Nothing to seek out, but still good. Cheers! Second gear is coming next week. LOB-15
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Post by loverofbeers on Oct 21, 2014 15:53:45 GMT -5
Oops! LOB-16
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Post by loverofbeers on Oct 26, 2014 3:13:51 GMT -5
Six more movies to quickly report, sorry but haven't had time to post after watching the first four, big surprise I have been working. For every day this month...
First I watched Jason X (2002) which was the tenth Friday the 13th film and the last to star good old Kane Hodder, my favorite Jason. I watched this for the first time and liked it, but it is not in my top three from this Franchise but it is much better than Friday the 13th Part 8, Jason Takes Manhattan.
Second I watched the better version of the silent classic Phantom of the Opera (1929) starring Lon Chaney Sr. Previously I had watched the 1924/1925 version but this one is superior and I now consider this to be the best made silent Horror classic. Produced by Carl Laemmle who produced almost the entire run of the classic Universal monster movies, this is a must watch for film students and the bit in color (by Techicolor) looked great.
Next, I watched a great film, a perfect film that straddles horror and action. Jaws (1975) rightly scared Americans out of the water. I watched this on the big screen for it's fortieth anniversary (really 39th) theatrical release last month and after years of enjoying it, I finally decided against swimming in oceans or nekkid. And that is probably a good thing. Directed by Steven Spielberg and featuring a film score by John Williams, this is a masterpiece of seventies cinema. Quint's (Robert Shaw's) narrative of the end of the USS Indianapolis is a scene stealer and worth a watch by itself. And Bruce looked great regardless of the problems arising in filming "him". I also love the random meteor caught on film and the second meteor added post-production. Nice detail that caught a meteor storm that was actually occurring.
The fourth movie was another classic Carl Laemmle production/presentation. Frankenstein (1931) is one of my favorite Universal monster films only surpassed for me by it's sequel. Starring Boris Karloff as the creation of a mad scientist played by Colin Clive and his assistant the real monster of this film, a midget hunchback portrayed by the great Dwight Frye as Fritz, not Igor, this is a tale of man trying to become "god". Frye also played Renfield in Laemmle's Dracula, and I love his performances in these films.
Next I watched The Dark Half (1991) which was a surprisingly great movie directed by George Romero based on the Stephen King novel of the same name. I wasn't expecting to like this film but it was great. I loved the acting especially by Michael Rooker as the local sheriff, a quality portrayal and character.
Lastly I watched Jennifer's Body (2009) written by Diablo Kody whom I had heard of, but never seen her work. This movie had great gore and special effects but it had to grow on me which it did. But I was annoyed for the first half of the movie. If I ever rewatch it, I might like it more from start to end. If I ever rewatch it. Most of the indie rock bugged me.
Cheers!
LOB-22
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Post by loverofbeers on Oct 28, 2014 21:01:00 GMT -5
I'm in a hurry so I will be brief. Watched three more movies.
To continue my celebration of Tobe Hooper, first I watched his teevee series turned into a three hour movie, Salem's Lot (1979) based on Stephen King's novel. I saw parts of this first as a very young kid and remember it creeping me out. It is still creepy, but I enjoy that now. Barlow, the vampire villain here, is of the Count Orlock rat/vermin variety of bloodsucker who is a carrier of a plaque, infection, and un-death. I enjoyed this movie a lot but it did feel like a soap opera in terms of cheating adults and sexual trysts.
Second I watched Tobe Hooper's The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Part 2 (1986) which is a continuation of the first film but much less serious and funny in many parts. I do love Caroline Williams as "Stretch" and Dennis Hopper as "Lefty". Oh and of course I loved Bill Moseley as "Chop Top". Fun times and a nice throwback soundtrack.
Last I watched Leatherface: The Texas Chaisaw Massacre III (1990) which is a really good movie if you only watch the director's cut. Unfortunately for the director, Jeff Burr, he had many, many problems with his production team and New Line Cinema which interfered nonstop with his efforts to make a good movie. This movie co-stars Ken Foree and has a cameo by Caroline "Stretch" Williams. I like this movie much and dig it's heavy metal soundtrack.
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Post by loverofbeers on Oct 30, 2014 3:04:00 GMT -5
I'll be back to list movies tomorrow but.....
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Post by loverofbeers on Oct 31, 2014 1:36:21 GMT -5
To catch up:
First I watched The Wickerman (1973) with a good friend of mine and it was her first viewing of this "Citizen Kane" of British Horror cinema. I have watched this movie directed by Robin Hardy and starring Christopher Lee and Edward Woodward about a dozen times. A huge recommend to students of the Horror genre.
Second I watched Hatchet (2006) directed and written by Adam Green who is a favorite of mine. This movie stars Joel David Moore and Kane Hodder who is a Horror god in my book. I am an unofficial, official member of The Hatchet Army since this movie's release. A very fun movie.
Third I watched Ouija (2014) which is a presentation of Hasbro, the toy and game company that owns the rights to the Ouija Board. This movie had some creepy moments but is best suited for teens especially young women. Not a recommend.
Fourth I watched Horror of Dracula (1958) from Hammer Films which starred the two greats of British Horror, Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee. I am a big fan of this film and it is my third viewing.
Last I watched Night of the Living Dead (1968) which is a classic by George Romero and in my opinion was the first modern American Horror film with the end of the Hays/Breen Commission aka the Motion Picture Production Code, and the start of a new rating system for Hollywood/American films. I love this movie and it's social commentary of the Vietnam War years. It also introduced the first American monster that became popular to this day worldwide and stands along side Vampires and Werewolves, the walking dead or Zombies....
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Today:
I just finished watching The Wolf Man (1941) from Universal starring Lon Chaney, Jr. and Bela Lugosi as two lycanthropes. This is one of the weaker of the original run of Universal classics and surprisingly never shows a full moon.
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Halloween just started over an hour ago in Texas so as per my tradition I will now pop in John Carpenter's classic, Halloween. Drinking a Belgian Pumpkin Lambic, Cheers! I have more beers to list probably tomorrow in the daytime. Have a Happy Halloween JAS and a pumpkin Cheers! to ya.
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