Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
KAN-YE JUST SHUT UP?!?
Monday, September 28, 2009
DARTH FORESTER
I've been watching a lot of Mystery Science Theater 3000 on DVD lately and boy, do I miss this show. Sure, the cast is still doing lots of riffing on movies in other incarnations, like Cinema Titanic and Rifftrax, but it's not the same. I miss Joel, the Mads and the 'Bots. DeviantART user themadbutcher misses MST3K too and gives us what the poster for Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie should have looked like. And according to the artist, "Crow shot first."
A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET TEASER
Sunday, September 27, 2009
FORGOTTEN THEATERS
It's been said theaters are the cathedrals of our time. That may have been true once but no more. Yves Marchand Romain Meffre Photography has a look at theaters that have seen better days. If you love movies and theaters like I do, this will break your heart.
In the early 20th century, following the development of the entertainment industry,
hundreds of auditoriums were built everywhere in North America.
Major entertainment firms and movie studios commissioned specialized architects
to build grandiose and extravagant theaters.
From the 60's, TV, multiplexes and urban crisis made them becoming obsolete.
During the following decades, when they were not modernized or transformed into adult cinemas, they closed one after the other and many of them were simply demolished.
Those which remain forgotten, escaping from this fate, were converted to varied purposes.
Now, many are reused as churches, retail, flea markets, bingo halls, discos,
supermarkets or warehouses. Some others just sit abandoned.
THE HUMAN CENTIPEDE
I first heard of The Human Centipede (First Sequence) a couple of months ago. I immediately began searching for clips or a poster for the film but I couldn't find anything. Today I found not only a clip online but some stills and the poster.
Here's the summary for the film:
Outside the more outrĂ© work of Takashi Miike and David Cronenberg, you won’t have seen anything quite like Dutch avant-garde artist Tom Six’ totally bizarre off-the-wall oddity. Internationally respected Siamese twin surgeon Dr. Josef Heiter has a demented vision for mankind’s future existence. He wants to remove human beings’ kneecaps so they have to exist on all fours and then surgically graft them mouth-to-anus to form a centipede chain. When two stranded female Americans arrive at his luxury home-cum-hospital looking for help, his long-gestating plan swiftly moves into chilling action with a shocking force. Kidnapping a third Japanese male tourist he begins the tissue matches, teeth removal and buttock moulding to create his triplet creature… The First Sequence in Six’s intended double feature truly unforgettable imagery, clinically dazzling direction and a so-far-round-the-bend mad doctor performance from German superstar Dieter Laser you’ll scream. Behold the grotesque New Flesh. If you dare!
Obviously the clip is gory and disturbing so watch at your own risk. If you dare!
JUST LISTEN: BEN VAUGHN (PT. 1)
Ben Vaughn had a life altering experience at age 6 when his uncle gave him a Duane Eddy record. He formed the Ben Vaughn Combo in 1983. During their five year run, they released two albums and received attention from Rolling Stone and People magazine.
In 1988, Ben began a solo career and started producing other artist's albums, as well as the nationally syndicated radio program, World Cafe. In 1995, he released an instrumental album, Instrumental Stylings. He was soon hired to compose music for television shows, such as 3rd Rock from the Sun, That 70's Show and many others.
You can learn more about Ben Vaughn on his official website and purchase his music here.
Saturday, September 26, 2009
JUST LISTEN: JOHN PRINE (PT. 3)
I couldn't end the Just Listen: John Prine series without showcasing my favorite John Prine song, "All the Best," a beautiful song about divorce.
I wish you love
And happiness
I guess I wish you
All the best
I wish you don't
Do like I do
And ever fall in love with
Someone like you
Cause if you fell
Just like I did
You'd probably walk around the block
Like a little kid.
But kids don't know
They can only guess
How hard it is
To wish you happiness
I guess that love
Is like a Christmas card
You decorate a tree
You throw it in the yard
It decays and dies
And the snowmen melt
Well I once knew love
I knew how love felt
Yeah I knew love
Love knew me
And when I walked
Love walked with me
And I got no hate
And I got no pride
Well I got so much love
That I cannot hide
Say you drive a Chevy
Say you drive a Ford
You say you drive around the town
Till you just get bored
Then you change your mind
For something else to do
And your heart gets bored with your mind
And it changes you
Well it's a doggone shame
And it's an awful mess
I wish you love
I wish you happiness
I wish you love
I wish you happiness
I guess I wish you
All the best
SCOPITONES SATURDAY: "CALENDAR GIRL"
Neil Sedaka has been been singing over 50 years and his hit song "Calendar Girl" rose all the way to the number 4 spot on the charts in 1960. Sedaka's dance moves, the song and the Scopitone are number 1 in my book!
Friday, September 25, 2009
IRON MAN 2 SET VISIT
Entertainment Tonight visited the set of Iron Man 2 and interviewed the cast. Not much is revealed in the segment but if you're a fanboy like me, you're happy to see any updates about this film.
NO KNIFE, NO CHAINSAW, NO SERVICE
Technology is great, except when it doesn't work. And psycho killers always live where there is no cell phone service. So the next time you're in a remote area, hear scary music start playing and have no signal, get the hell outta' there!
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
MARVEL MOVIE NEWS
Variety reports a Ghost Rider sequel is on the way as well as a new Daredevil film and a Silver Surfer movie. Nicolas Cage is ready to become the famous flaming skull again. Here's the breakdown:
David Goyer is in early talks to create the story and supervise writers for a film expected to once again star Nicolas Cage, who played the highly flammable cyclist in the 2007 original.
Through a spokesperson, Goyer said he hadn’t signed on yet. But plans are already under way to base the sequel on a “Ghost Rider” script written years ago by Goyer, whose superhero work includes hit screen transfers of DC’s “Batman Begins” and Marvel’s “Blade” franchise. The original “Ghost Rider” was scripted by director Mark Steven Johnson.
“Ghost Rider” will be produced by former Marvel topper Avi Arad, Michael De Luca and Steven Paul, with Gary Foster executive producer.
The activity on “Ghost Rider” follows a flurry of activity on Marvel characters at almost every studio but Disney, which acquired Marvel Entertainment in a $4 billion deal.
Fox is: rebooting “Fantastic Four” with “Green Lantern” scribe Michael Green and producer Akiva Goldsman; mobilizing a “Wolverine” sequel and several “X-Men” spinoffs; is quietly developing a new version of “Daredevil” and working on a Silver Surfer film. Sony recently set James Vanderbilt to write the fifth and sixth installments of “Spider-Man,” and Universal continues work on “Sub-Mariner.” Paramount continues as distributor for “Iron Man 2” and several others expected to include “Thor” and “Captain America.”
The activity is necessary for those studios to keep the superhero properties. If the properties atrophy, they can be reclaimed by Marvel Entertainment, which happened with such properties as Dr. Strange, Black Panther and Iron Man, the latter of which languished at New Line before Marvel turned it into the self-financed blockbuster.
Those properties were repossessed by Arad when he ran Marvel from 1993-2007, when he left to start a film company with son Ari just after Marvel locked in its $525 million credit facility. Arad said he left because he was exhausted, and because he was convinced that his number two, Kevin Feige, was ready to take over. That belief is reinforced by Feige’s emergence as a possible replacement for Disney film topper Dick Cook, because he made a strong impression on Bob Iger during the Marvel deal making talks.
While the plethora of superheroes at other studios and Universal’s Islands of Adventure theme park has raised skepticism over Marvel’s acquisition price, Arad doesn’t see the $4 billion price tag as untoward. He said the number validated the vision that he and Ike Perlmutter had when they implored creditors to spurn a $350 million cash offer from Carl Icahn, when Marvel was in bankruptcy in the late 1990s. Arad argued at the time that interest by several studios in “Spider-Man” alone meant that the film could be a billion dollar enterprise. Since then, X-Men and Blade also joined that billion dollar club, and Iron Man is well on the way.
Arad—who is producing both Marvel’s “Ghost Rider” and “Spider-Man” at Columbia—said that on films that Disney doesn’t distribute, Marvel gets lucrative first dollar gross fees, and is well compensated for the use of its characters in the Universal theme park. The acquisition’s real upside, the library of Marvel characters, can be mined for decades, Arad said.
The Goyer-scripted “Blade” trilogy, Marvel’s first film success, is a good example.
“The character was virtually unknown, didn’t even have his own comic book, and had been part of `Tombs of Dracula,’” Arad said. “It tells you what can happen if you unleash a library with the right creative partners.”
Arad mentioned Dr. Strange, Nick Fury, Power Pack, Guardians of the Galaxy and The Avengers as prime movie properties.
“I had this poster of the Marvel universe, with these beautifully drawn characters, and we used to say you could throw a dart, hit a character and make a hit movie under the Marvel brand,” Arad said. “There is long list yet to be unleashed. I think this will look like a smart deal over time, because Disney is a company that knows how to exploit a brand.”
While this is good news about a Daredevil reboot, I can't imagine a sequel to Ghost Rider being successful after that last film. It was movie filled with bad acting, cheesy special effects and pointing. All the characters pointed at each other in that film, so much so, that everyone in the theater noticed it. Let's hope they get these characters right this time around.
PEE-WEE HERMAN REFLECTS
Pee-Wee Herman was on The Jay Leno Show last night where he talked about his childhood, singing and teachers. Sure, he looks much older now and some of the jokes fell flat but it's great seeing Paul Reubens on screen again. I wish he had a better venue that the snooze-fest of The Jay Leno Show but I'll take any opportunity to watch Pee-Wee Herman again.
JUST LISTEN: JOHN PRINE (PT. 2)
In 1999, John Prine released In Spite of Ourselves, an album of duets with folk and alt-country singers. The title track, featuring Iris Dement, was written for the Billy Bob Thornton film, Daddy and Them, and was played during the credits. In the film, Prine plays Thornton's zen hillbilly brother with Andy Griffith as their father.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
BLOB IS ONE OF THE BEST SUPERVILLAINS OF ALL TIME!
Who's the greatest supervillains of all time? Kanye West is here to tell you it's not M.O.D.O.K. but I think we all already knew that.
LIZARD SENSE TINGLING
The Mwanza Flat Headed Agamas look amazingly like everyone's favorite wallcrawler and people have been snatching up the lizards.
Exotic animal seller Karen Baker said orders on the WEB are surging for the blue and red lizards. They come from African countries, including Kenya, and live for more than 15 years.
She said: "We've sold out. We should get another batch in October. The demand just keeps going up and up."
And Rich Nunn, 35, of Birmingham's Nostalgia and Comics, was amazed by the resemblance. He said: "It is unbelievably similar."
Better watch out or the estate of Jack Kirby will sue you too, lil' lizard.
Thanks, Stan!
MARIO KART: THE MOVIE
Check out this hilarious new parody trailer for Mario Kart: The Movie. Wario is such a meanie!
TOY STORY AND TOY STORY 2 IN 3D TRAILER
Toy Story 3 is around the corner but until then, here's a new trailer for the double feature of Toy Story and Toy Story 2 in 3D.
Monday, September 21, 2009
IT'S HARD TO PROSECUTE SATAN'S WHORE
The official trailer for The Sex Files has been released and it looks good. So good in fact, it looks better than the last X-Files film, The X-Files: I Want to Believe.
THE KIRBY ESTATE GETS GREEDY
Following in the footsteps of Jerry Seigel's estate lawsuit against DC Comics over the ownership of Superman, the estate of Jack Kirby is suing Marvel, Disney, Sony, 20th Century Fox, Universal and many others to reclaim copyright ownership of Thor, Captain America, Iron Man, the X-Men and others.
The notices expressed an intent to regain copyrights to some of Mr. Kirby’s creations as early as 2014, according to a statement disclosed on Sunday by Toberoff & Associates, a law firm in Los Angeles that helped win a court ruling last year returning a share of the copyright in Superman to heirs of one of the character’s creators, Jerome Siegel.
Reached by telephone on Sunday, Marc Toberoff, the firm’s founding partner, declined to elaborate on his firm’s statement. A spokeswoman for Marvel had no comment.
Disney said in a statement, “the notices involved are an attempt to terminate rights 7 to 10 years from now, and involve claims that were fully considered in the acquisition.” Fox, Sony, Paramount and Universal had no comment.
Marvel’s management agreed to sell the company to Disney last month, though the deal still requires the approval of Marvel’s shareholders.
Even before the Kirby family sent its notices, Disney was facing criticism from some Wall Street analysts who expressed concern that Marvel’s complex web of copyright agreements might prevent Disney from capitalizing on some Marvel assets.
Sony has the film rights to Spider-Man in perpetuity, for instance, while Fox has the rights to X-Men and Fantastic Four. Paramount has a distribution agreement for a few movies that Marvel is producing on its own, including a second “Iron Man” film.
Hasbro has rights to produce certain toys, and Universal holds Florida theme park rights to Spider-Man and the Incredible Hulk, among other characters.
Mr. Kirby, who died in 1994, worked with the writer and editor Stan Lee to create many of the characters that in the last decade have become especially valuable to Hollywood. Mr. Kirby was involved with the Incredible Hulk, the Mighty Thor, Iron Man and the Avengers, among other characters that have been adapted for the screen since his death.
The window for serving notice of termination on the oldest of the properties opened several years ago, and will remain open for some time under copyright law. But Disney’s pending purchase of Marvel has given anyone with possible Marvel claims more reason to pose a challenge.
Under copyright law, the author or his heirs can begin a process to regain copyrights for a period of time after the original grant. If Mr. Kirby’s four children were to gain the copyright to a character Mr. Kirby helped create, they might become entitled to a share of profits from films or other properties using it.
They might also find themselves able to sell rights to certain characters without consent from Marvel, Disney or the various studios that have licensed the Marvel properties for their hit films.
In July, a federal judge in Los Angeles ruled that Warner Brothers and its DC Comics unit had not violated rights of the Siegel heirs in handling internal transactions related to Superman. But an earlier ruling had granted the heirs a return of their share in the copyright.
What a load of crap. I respect Kirby's art and contribution but he was hired for a job and he did it. If he wanted ownership over the characters, he should have started his own company.
Thanks, Stan!
DR. HORRIBLE TAKES OVER THE EMMYS
Dr. Horrible took over the transmission of The Emmys last night, spouting on about the power of the internet over television. Thankfully, Captain Hammer stepped in. Now this is how you run an awards show.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
JUST LISTEN: JOHN PRINE (PT. 1)
John Prine began playing guitar at age 14. He was a mailman who began playing open-mic shows in Chicago. Movie Critic Roger Ebert heard him perform and called him a great songwriter. He was discovered by Kris Kristofferson in 1971 with his self-titled debut album. Kristofferson said Prine wrote songs so well that "we'll have to break his thumbs." The album included the songs "Illegal Smile," "Sam Stone" and "Far From Me," which Prine claims as his favorite song of all time.
His second album, Diamonds in the Rough, continued to be uncommerical and stripped-down.
Prine continued writing and recording throughout the 80's and formed his own record label, Oh Boy Records.
1991 saw the release of The Missing Years, which won a Grammy. The title song is a humorous look at the missing years of the life of Jesus.
In 1998, he was diagnosed with cancer. Surgery was performed to remove the disease from the right side of his neck but left him with substantial tissue loss. In 2003, he was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame.
Bob Dylan said that Prine is one of his favorite songwriters. Johnny Cash sited Prine as inspirational and a songwriter he had admired for years.
Prine received the Artist of the Year award at the American Music Awards in 2005. His latest album, Standard Songs for Average People, was released in 2007.
You can learn more about John Prine on his official website and purchase his music here.
Saturday, September 19, 2009
SCOPITONES SATURDAY: "C'EST SI BON"
Jane Morgan (born Florence Catherine Currier) made her first recordings in Paris and soon had several hit songs in France. She performed in other European countries and soon became fluent in Spanish, Italian and French. She later came back to the states where she continued her recording career and performed on Broadway. You can pick up a copy of her Greatest Hits here.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
THE AIR FORCE ONE IS WITH YOU
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
NEW TRAILER FOR PARANORMAL ACTIVITY
Paramount has released a new trailer for Paranormal Activity. The trailer focuses mainly on the audience's reaction with little new footage from the film revealed. Whenever I see a trailer that includes the audience or crowd reactions after a screening, that's usually a sign the movie is terrible. I could be wrong, but with so many comparisons to The Blair Witch Project, I doubt it.
THANK GOD FOR SPACE TRAFFIC
I'll never forget where I was when I found out the Death Star was destroyed and neither will these Stormtroopers.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
FROM THE COLLECTION: PRINCE RANDIAN
Billed as The Living Torso and The Human Caterpillar, Prince Randian was a sideshow performer in the 1930's and appeared in the 1932 film, Freaks. Born in 1871 without limbs, he was brought from British Guiana to America by P.T. Barnum in 1889. As part of his sideshow act, Randian could write, paint, shave and roll cigarettes. He was able to move by wriggling his hips and shoulders and moved like a snake.
Able to speak German, French, English as well as Hindi, his native language, Randian only had one line in the film, Freaks. His accent makes it nearly impossible to understand his dialogue when he asks, "Can you do anything with your eyebrows?"
He loved practical jokes and would often hide himself in a small box or opening and wait for someone to come along, then scream and scare his victim.
He married Princess Sarah, a Hindu woman who gave birth to their four children. They settled in Paterson, New Jersey. Prince Randian died at age sixty-three from a heart attack on December 19th, 1934.
JUST LISTEN: JULIE BROWN (PT. 2)
Written in 1984, long before shootings were commonplace in American schools, "The Homecoming Queen's Got A Gun" was actually the B-side of "I Like 'Em Big and Stupid" and became a hit after being played on the Dr. Demento Show. As a result, "The Homecoming Queen's Got A Gun" is remembered as the A-side of the single. Music Critic Jonathan Taylor called the song "one of the most delightfully silly singles and videos of the past few years." But after the Columbine High School shooting, Julie admitted in a 2000 interview that she doesn't feel comfortable performing the song. "I can be very sensitive about whether I am doing something that will hurt people. So you are always drawing the comedy line of what you will or won't do."
Check out the official Julie Brown website and purchase her music here.
Monday, September 14, 2009
THE PORN IS OUT THERE
The Sex Files is generating a lot of controversy. The bigwigs at Twentieth Century Fox didn't like the original title, X-Files: A Dark XXX Parody. The title has been changed to The Sex Files: A Dark XXX Parody.
I can't imagine this is the first porn parody of The X-Files and obviously the folks at 20th Century Fox have no sense of humor. It's got to be better than the last X-Files movie. The only people that got fucked over from that film was the audience.In the letter, a representative from Fox demands that New Sensations change the title of the film and cease using any "X-Files" trademarks. Defiant porn bosses insist their intended product does not infringe the rights of Fox, and they plan to change the name of their parody to "The Sex Files: A Dark XXX Parody."It's not the first parody of a TV hit the studio has attempted - New Sensations is also the firm behind porn spoofs of "The Office," "Scrubs," "Seinfeld" and "Friends" among others.
I CAN'T SPELL VW BUT I GOT A PORSCHE
Yesterday's Just Listen post featured comedian Julie Brown with her song, "Cause I'm a Blonde." A friend of mine read the post and was laughing at some of the lines of the song and suggested I post the lyrics. I always listen to my readers, so here you go:
Cause I'm a Blonde
Because I'm blonde, I don't have to think
I talk like a baby and I never pay for drinks
Don't have to worry about gettin' a man
If I keep this blonde and I keep these cans
'Cause I'm a blonde, yeah yeah yeah!
'Cause I'm a blonde, yeah yeah yeah!
I see people workin', it just makes me giggle
'Cause I don't have to work, I just have to jiggle
'Cause I'm blonde, B-L-O-N-D
'Cause I'm a blonde, don't you wish you were me?
I never learned to read and I never learned to cook
Why should I bother when I look like I look?
I know lots of people are smarter than me
But I have this philosophy - So what?
'Cause I'm a blonde, yeah yeah yeah!
I see girls without dates and I feel so sorry for 'em
'Cause whenever I'm around, all the men ignore 'em
'Cause I'm blonde, nya nya nya!
'Cause I'm a blonde, nya nya nya!
They say to make it you need talent and ambition
Well, I got a TV show and this was my audition:
Um okay, what was it, okay um, don't tell me. Oh yeah, okay - "Duck Magnum, duck!"
'Cause I'm a blonde, yeah yeah yeah!
'Cause I'm a blonde, yeah yeah yeah!
I took an IQ test and I flunked it, of course
I can't spell VW, but I got a Porsche
'Cause I'm a blonde, B-L-I-N-D!
'Cause I'm a blonde, don't you wish you were me?
I just want to say that being chosen as this month's Miss August is like, a compliment I'll remember for as long as I can. Right now I'm a freshman in my fourth year at UCLA, but my goal is to become a veterinarian, 'cause I love children
'Cause I'm a blonde, yeah yeah yeah!
'Cause we're all blonde, yeah yeah yeah!
Girls think I'm snotty and maybe its true
With my hair and body, you would be too
'Cause I'm a blonde, B-L... I don't know!
'Cause I'm a blonde, yeah yeah yeah!
'Cause I'm a blonde, yeah yeah yeah!
'Cause I'm a blonde, yeah yeah yeah!
Sunday, September 13, 2009
DISNEY WORLD TO EXPAND
Fresh on the heels of Disney acquiring Marvel Comics is the news of Disney World doing a major expansion. In fact, it's the largest expansion in Disney World history.
The development will nearly double the size of Fantasyland and include a new, lavish ride based on the Little Mermaid. Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Chairman Jay Rasulo made the announcement Saturday.
Analysts predict it will re-ignite travel to Orlando, which has lagged in the global recession.
Disney also plans to update Star Tours, the Star Wars-themed ride in Disney's Hollywood Studios. It will debut in 2011. The Fantasyland overhaul will be complete by 2013. Disney declined to say how much it will spend on the projects.
Disney's parks contribute about a third of the giant entertainment company's revenue.
A lavish Little Mermaid ride? Now that makes me want to get back to Disney all the more!
JUST LISTEN: JULIE BROWN (PT. 1)
Comedian Julie Brown is also an actress, screenwriter and novelty singer-songwriter. She began her career by playing clubs in Los Angeles and soon appeared in a guest spot on the television series, Happy Days. Lily Tomlin caught Brown's show at a comedy club and gave her first big break with a part in the film, The Incredible Shrinking Woman.
She released Goddess in Progress, an EP in 1984, which caught the attention of Dr. Demento. He featured the songs "Cause I'm a Blonde" and "The Homecoming Queen's Got a Gun" on his show and they were soon played on radio stations across the world.
1987 saw the release of her first full-length album, Trapped in the Body of a White Girl and made videos for some of the songs. MTV began airing her music videos and soon had her own show on the network, Just Say Julie.
In 1989, Brown wrote, produced and co-starred in the film, Earth Girls Are Easy.
She's been called "the funniest woman in America" by the Boston Globe and USA Today called her "one of the true Comic Queens."
Her new show is called Smell the Glamour where she performs her new song, "I Want to Be Gay."
You can learn more about Julie Brown on her official website and purchase her music and DVD's on her eBay store.
Saturday, September 12, 2009
SCOPITONES SATURDAY: "LA PACHANGA"
Back in June, DSTG! featured Audrey Arno singing "English College Girls", a very annoying but catchy song. Today Audrey Arno is back with "Pachanga." Born Adrianna Medini in 1942 in Germany, she began her career in show business as a circus horseback rider before being offered a recording contract with the Polydor label in France in 1960. She released several hits under the name Audrey Arno and was appearing in several European movies. She headlined many clubs in Paris and Monte Carlo and moved to the US in the 1970's to appear in a Las Vegas production of Moulin Rouge. Now, everybody La Pachanga! Whatever that means.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
VINTAGE SLEAZE
If you're a regular reader of DSTG!, then you must enjoy the offbeat, the odd, the weird and bizarre. Today begins a new weekly feature, Vintage Sleaze, where we'll spotlight men's magazine covers, trashy novels, exploitation films and burlesque dancers of yesteryear. To kick off the first post, here's the wild, savage and lusty Swamp Girl. My guess is, this beautiful savage girl did know the evil she was being used for.
Found here
TRICK 'R TREAT
It's that time of year again. Halloween is around the corner and the scary movies are coming out. Trick 'r Treat looks good but a little too much like Creepshow. Still, it has Brian Cox and Dylan Baker in the cast so count me in!
Four interwoven stories that occur on Halloween: An everyday high school principal has a secret life as a serial killer; a college virgin might have just met the one guy for her; a group of teenagers pull a mean prank; a woman who loathes the night has to contend with her holiday-obsessed husband.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
MORE PLANS FROM OUTER SPACE
Greetings, my friend. We are all interested in the future, for that is where you and I are going to spend the rest of our lives. And remember my friend, future events such as these will affect you in the future. You are interested in the unknown... the mysterious. The unexplainable. That is why you are reading DSTG! Plan 9 from Outer Space has been called the worst movie ever made. I disagree, as do most cult movie lovers. It is terrible but it has some of the funniest dialogue ever written and by now everyone knows and appreciates the passion of Ed Wood. Believe it or not readers, Ed Wood's masterpiece has been remade, simply titled, Plan 9. Here's the summary from the official website:
Now, in time to coincide with the 50th anniversary of "Plan 9 From Outer Space", director John Johnson - along with his production company, Darkstone Entertainment - is poised to remake the classic film. Simple titled "Plan 9", the remake will be a serious-minded retelling of the original story, paying homage to the spirit of Wood's film without resorting to camp or parody. The film will focus on the horror and science fiction aspects of the original, but will also be largely character-driven. Johnson's goal for "Plan 9" is to make a film that honors not only the original source material, but also Ed Wood's intentions when he made "Plan 9 From Outer Space". Wood's plan was to make a very scary sci-fi/horror film, and Johnson wishes to do exactly that - create a film that Wood would have enjoyed, or perhaps even made himself, if not bound by the technological limitations placed on filmmakers 50 years ago.
It's a gimmick, to be sure and I'm trying to keep an open mind but some movies should be left alone. Remember the remake of Psycho? You see my point. My friend, we cannot keep this a secret any longer. Let us punish the guilty. Let us reward the innocent. My friend, can your heart stand the shocking facts about this remake of Plan 9 from Outer Space?
PARANORMAL ACTIVITY
I've been reading up on the upcoming film, Paranormal Activity. The movie has been making the festival circuits and it's been called the "scariest movie of the year", "the most terrifying movie of the year" and had an audience "physically shaking." The movie was shot in one-week for $11,000.00, has no soundtrack or special effects.
A young couple suspects that their house is haunted by a malevolent entity. They set up video surveillance to capture evidence of what happens at night as they sleep. Their surveillance and home videos have been edited into the 99-minute feature film.
Whatever. After being burned by the shaky-cam crapfest of The Blair Witch Project, I can't take stake in these claims. Of course, I could be wrong. If the director actually shows something scary on-screen, unlike The Blair Witch Project, it might work. So far, the trailer is a long way from selling me.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
A CHEERFUL ZOMBIE SONG
Halloween is around the corner and ScareFest is this coming weekend so my thoughts have been on monsters and zombies. While I still haven't decided what my Halloween costume will be, I know I'll be humming this tune by the Sprites over the next few weeks. And if a zombie outbreak occurs, I'll know what to do because "I learned everything from George Romero, Dario Argento, maybe Tom Savini, Stuart Gordon and Sam Raimi."
JUST LISTEN: MICHELLE SHOCKED (PT. 2)
Michelle Shocked released the song "Anchorage" as a single from her album, Short Sharp Shocked. The song is about a letter to an old friend who now lives in Anchorage, Alaska. Her friend describes her new baby girl, her son losing a tooth and is a housewife. She tells Shell to "keep rocking." The song, while beautiful, is bittersweet, telling the story of two friends who have taken very different paths in their lives.
Monday, September 7, 2009
HAPPY LABOR DAY
It's not an easy job being a bikini inspector, wearing flair and working for bad bosses. Enjoy your day off.
Sunday, September 6, 2009
ACCENTUATE THE NEGATIVE
This weekend was the Labor Day Sale at Half Price Books. I met some friends there and as we looked through the tables and shelves of DVD's, we talk about various movies. I spied a copy of Ghost World, one of my favorite films, and tried to talk my friends into buying the DVD. Both of 'em passed. Well, here's a sample of what you missed, guys. Meanwhile, my dear readers can pick up a copy of Ghost World here.
If you've ever felt alienated by the world around you, Ghost World will offer laughter, tears, and reassurance that you are definitely not alone. Adapted by Daniel Clowes and Crumb director Terry Zwigoff from Clowes's acclaimed graphic novel, the movie spends summer vacation with high school graduates Enid (Thora Birch) and Rebecca (Scarlet Johansson). They inflict little tortures on the denizens of urban sprawl, wielding scathing irony as a defense against a "ghost world" full of pop-cultural lemmings and uncertain futures. But when Enid picks a 40-ish vintage-record collector (Steve Buscemi) as the target of her latest cruel prank, she finds herself unexpectedly attracted to him ("he's the opposite of everything I completely hate") and is forced to confront her own crushing loneliness. This combination of deadpan sarcasm and deeply compassionate humanity makes Ghost World a rare and delicate comedy, with an ambiguous ending that suggests tragedy or hope, depending on your own point of view.
SCAREFEST
Lexington, Kentucky is the home of ScareFest, "The Largest Horror and Paranormal Convention in the USA". Featuring celebrities, ghost hunters, belly dancers, fortune tellers and more, ScareFest has a 36,000 square foot dealer room with over 100 vendors selling bizarre, weird, strange items. Seminars, Q&A sessions, workshops as well as movie screenings are offered at the event September 11th, 12th and 13th, 2009.
Commercials for ScareFest began airing on the local TV channels here in Kentucky featuring Jason from the Friday the 13th movie series and they are a hoot. Check 'em out for yourself and don't forget to get your tickets to ScareFest.
JUST LISTEN: MICHELLE SHOCKED (PT. 1)
Michelle Shocked (born Karen Michelle Johnston) is the daughter of a carpenter and was raised as a Mormon. She grew up in Texas and received her bachelor's degree from the University of Texas in Austin.
She took on the name Michelle Shocked after being arrested in 1984 at a protest during the Democratic National Convention in San Diego, California. The name was a play on words meant to resemble "shell shocked." The front cover of Short Sharp Shocked features a photograph of her in the chock-hold of a San Fransisco policeman that was published on the front page of the San Francisco Examiner.
Her first album, The Texas Campfire Tapes, was widely received in Europe. Her second album, Short Sharp Shocked was her breakthrough in the US, being played on college radio stations throughout the country.
In 2002, Shocked established her own label, Mighty Sound, and reissued expanded versions of her previous albums.
2009 saw the release of her no-frills rock and roll album, Soul of My Soul.
You can learn more about Michelle Shocked on her official website and purchase her music here.
Saturday, September 5, 2009
WAITING FOR THE BUS
The folks over at Cyanide & Happiness are at it again in a hilarious and depressing animated short called Waiting for the Bus.
SCOPITONES SATURDAY: "THE SILENCER"
You may remember Joi Lansing from Petticoat Junction and The Beverly Hillbillies but she was also a model and nightclub singer. She released her first album in May, 1965 and later performed in the Fiesta Room in Las Vegas on the same bill as Red Buttons and Jayne Mansfield. Here she is singing "The Silencer". She certainly does have a pair of concealed weapons.
Friday, September 4, 2009
WATCH 12 MINUTES OF THE ROAD
Based on Cormac McCarthy's novel, The Road is the story of a post-apocalyptic journey of a father and son across a decimated America. The movie won't be in theaters until October 16th but you can watch nearly 12 minutes of the film online. Of course, these clips are spoilers so watch at your own risk.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
ULTIMATE FUSION
I loved reading Marvel Team-Up as a kid. Watching Spider-Man fight the bad guys with Captain America or Tigra each month was a thrill. Now you can team-up your favorite superheroes on the upcoming video game, Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2. Putting Storm and the Human Torch together? Genius. And I know I'm not alone in wanting to see Thor pound the evildoers with Deadpool. There'd sure as hell better be the infamous "fastball special" with Wolverine and Colossus.
WHEN YOU BREAK THE LAW, YOU'RE A PUNK
Yesterday, here on DSTG!, we posted the trailer for the upcoming film, Defendor, starring Woody Harrelson. The trailer looks incredible and I can't wait to see this film. Now here's a clip from the movie featuring an interrogation scene. You'll want to stay on the right side of the law. You don't want to face the Defendor's marbles or lime juice.