Movies, television, and then everything else
- “LOST” in Thought (Week Two)
I am well aware of the fact that this update comes nearly a week after the show aired, but due to a series of unfortunate events that did not involve Lemony Snicket, I was not able to watch the episode until yesterday. So here are some questions the episode raised.
- What You Know Can Hurt You
In mentioning The Strangers yesterday, I began to think about a recent trend in horror movies: the “everyman” as ruthless killer. While the 80’s brought us unstoppable beings of pure evil (Jason, Freddy, Myers, etc.), no such figure has emerged in recent years. Instead the cinema has presented us with villains that could be your best friend, your next-door neighbor, or your cranky old grandpa.
- If At First You Don’t Succeed
Recently my friend Austin, who is staunchly anti-horror movie, mentioned that he was somewhat intrigued by the above trailer for The Last House on the Left, a remake of Wes Craven’s 1972 film. (He’s producing this one.) While Austin doesn’t have a personal vendetta against the horror genre, he finds it difficult to swallow the dumb things that usually occur in said films. While some can reach new depths of stupidity that leave me scratching my head, I can usually ignore some lapses of logic if it’s a smart, dumb horror movie. (And yes, such a thing does exist.)
- “LOST” in Thought (Week One)
After each week’s episode, I’ll address some questions that it posed, both comical and serious.
- Category Five: 5 Chilling Moments From Zombie Movies
Recently a horror short story that I wrote was purchased by a website that does audio podcasts of such stories, and it was posted the other day. Please check it out if you have a moment and let me know what you think. (I’ll be adding a text version of the story to this site in the near future, as well as some other writing samples/loglines.)
Though it’s not explicitly stated anywhere in the story, anyone that’s a fan of zombies will figure out it’s a zombie story pretty early on. So in honor of that, I’m presenting five moments from zombie movies that, for me, rose above the limitations of the genre (believability, mainly) and managed to deeply disturb me.
It goes without saying, but there be spoilers!
- Good For Nothing
Considering that it’s more of a life-long obsession, it might be inaccurate to say that I’m currently on a Clint Eastwood kick. But after taking in a second viewing of Gran Torino, I was inspired to finally watch his telling of the battle of Iwo Jiwa that spans two films, Flags of Our Fathers and Letters From Iwo Jima.
The latter film got most of the critical praise, and rightfully so, for when taken individually, it’s a superior work. But both have a lot to say about war, and when viewed back-to-back, it makes for an enlightening (if a bit overwhelming) portrayal of the realities of war.
- Films of 2008
I saw 33 films that were released last year. Here they are ordered from the least enjoyable to my favorite, with a few words of wisdom about each.
- All’s Fair In Art
Recently I watched The Shape of Things, which Neil LaBute directed and adapted from his own play. I’d love to see a performance of it, mainly to find out how the audience would react. Instead, I watched the movie alone late one night, and, because it’s not very popular, have yet to come across anyone else that’s seen it.
But I have a few things to say about it, so I figure this is as good a place as any. Of course, in order to do so, I have to give away plot points. I’ll warn before I jump into the spoiler heavy stuff.
- Category Five: 5 People Who Could Try To Replace The “Voice-Over King”
It’s been a sad year for cinema lovers. First the death of legendary special effects guru Stan Winston, and then, at the beginning of this month, the death of Don LaFontaine, the “Voice-over King.” You might not recognize him, but you definitely know his voice.
