Monday, August 16, 2010

Ice Station Zebra Vs. Curse Of The Mummy’s Tomb


* = First off this is the greatest creepy picture EVER! Secondly Christopher Lee & Peter Cushing laugh at your tears!

I watched a literal Crap-Ton of movies this weekend, well from Friday on, here’s what I saw;
- Splice (**** out of 5) – I was ready to just be “meh” about this flick, it sort of lulls you into a false sense of security as it goes along. Then it grabs you mercilessly by the throat and shakes you. It’s sort of a modern day Frankenstein story wrapped in a pseudo-love story; it’s sad, scary, and bizarrely thought provoking. And even though the ending left me with a slight groan I really enjoyed this flick. If you enjoy smart Sci-Fi then check it out.
- Paper Man (**** ½ out of 5) – Let’s get one thing straight; I love strange little indie movies. This is no exception. Jeff Daniels is a failed writer, in a failing marriage with Lisa Kudrow, sounds sort of basic right? Well he also still talks to his imaginary friend Captain Excellent, played by a very earnest Ryan Reynolds. While in a town trying desperately to find direction and write his second novel he becomes “friends” with Emma Stone, the older girl from Zombieland. The movie does really encapsulate the angst of getting old and feeling purposeless in life, while feeling “alone together” in a relationship. It’s about letting go the mirth of childhood as well as the trauma. It’s a really interesting and entertaining movie.
- Dracula, Prince Of Darkness (**** out of 5) – No Peter Cushing in this sequel to Hammer’s Dracula, but you CANNOT go wrong with Christopher Lee as Dracula. His Dracula is animalistic and magnetic while at the same time coming off as almost pompously regal. Oh not to mention his Dracula will FIST FIGHT YOU which is awesome. This one has two couples stumbling upon Dracula’s Castle, and one of his minions uses a traveler as an instrument to revive the dreaded Prince Of Darkness, running, blood, and choking ensue. Oh and the single coolest use of running water against a vampire ever. These old Hammer flicks, while a bit repetitive, are such a solid reminder of my childhood that I can’t watch them without feeling some sense of joy.
- Dracula Has Risen From The Grave (**** out of 5) – Still no Peter Cushing, but we do again get Christopher Lee as the fiend. This flick should have been called, “Don’t ‘F’ With Dracula’s House”! Seriously. A monsignor basically seals off Dracula’s crib, and Ole’ Drac decides revenge is in order. I do really like the crazy ending to this Hammer flick, as it’s really an iconic shot of Christopher Lee. Good stuff as I expected.
- The Mummy (***** out of 5) – This movie is EXCEPTIONAL! Now I love the Hammer Dracula stuff, but this flick is so good that when you end you’ve forgotten that 90 minutes has passed. It’s so mellow in its approach that when Lee shows up as the Mummy and completely annihilates someone it’s shocking. And the flashback scenes are gorgeous in that Technicolor way while telling what really is a sad story. Lee’s Mummy, the priest Kharis, is a tragic figure. He doesn’t strike the animal cunning and menace of his Dracula and instead is sort of this sad hollow shade of what he once was. Of course Peter Cushing CRUSHES as John Banning. Throughout the performance he gives off the vibe of a man who knows his time is running short, he’s almost paranoid and frightening, which is very different from Cushing as Van Helsing. If you like old school horror, or hell just an old school good flick this is one you can’t miss!

Before I call it done today I just want to touch on something that is bothering the crap out of me, in fact its almost making me depressed. When did it become so ugly to be decent? I’m not talking about simple things like saying “sorry” or “excuse me”, I’m talking about being considerate of others, following through on commitments, and treating others like human beings. I don’t think that’s much to ask of folks. If you’re in a committed relationship BE COMMITTED! If you say you’re going to make it to something, SHOW UP! I understand circumstances change, hell life changes, but if you don’t communicate that then you don’t care about other people, and when you don’t care about others then I certainly don’t care about you. The reality is after so many wrongs done sorry doesn't mend it. SORRY DOES NOT MEND IT! People have lives, and to see them disrupted for the selfish gratification of others, it sickens me. I guess it boils down to people honoring their friends, wives, husbands, family, etc. If you fail to do that, then you fail to honor or respect yourself. If you don’t respect yourself, HOW can you expect me to respect you, let alone like you? You can’t.

Anyway…

RANDOM CRAP!

- I thought Castle Ravenloft had gotten pushed back to the 31st, but now I’m not sure. It still lists as shipping tomorrow to me. Amazon and WotC confuse the hell out of me. On a side note of glory though WotC already released TWO extra scenarios for the game! I can’t think of the last time I was this excited about a board game.
- Russell Edgerton is F’N CRAZY!
- Our little tomato plant has yielded a ton of tiny globes of goodness. I have to decide whether I want to do up a roasted salsa or a marinara out of the current crop.
- I loves me some corn on the cob.
- We grilled last night. The hamburgers were fantastic. I haven’t touched the steak yet, and I’m thinking that maybe they may see some action on a salad, OR maybe on a taco. The thing I’m most excited about is the Cajun rubbed chicken that will go in a creamy alfredo in an attempt to duplicate Cassandra’s favorite Red Lobster dish. I love grilling.
- What album is the soundtrack to your life?
- Rick-A-Palooza is this weekend. I haven’t attended one in quiet some time as Ricky and I had sort of went in different directions in life. I’m excited to see him and possibly some of the other Piedmont Posse’, but at the same time slightly reserved as well. People change so much over time, and my personal pessimism leads me to usually believe that they change for the worse. Hopefully I’ll be proven wrong.

Well I’ve got obligations to follow through on…

“No. If Sophia and I split up, 50 percent of my time I would have to spend 100 percent of my time with my kid. Right now, I'm rocking like 50 percent coverage 30 percent of my time you cannot beat those numbers. Also - If we got a divorce, she would get half of my money, making me ostensibly poor, yet still paying her to just get pounded by other dudes, which will happen because she is still smoking hot, whereas I look like a Nazi propaganda cartoon of a Jew.”

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