I Actually Won Something! -
No long rants from me today; I'm short on time as halloween week quickly approaches. Will be visiting some haunts and fortean locations throughout the Ozarks next week, and spend a bit of time in our favorite log cabin hotel.
I just won the Greencine trivia contest for the Stargate Season 7 Box set! This has been a great day. I also received an email the other day from an old friend. This guy and I go back to MIDDLE SCHOOL, and I haven't seen or heard from him since the 7th Grade. But he found my web site and hopefully, sometime after vacation, I can quickly plan some sort of reunion. I wonder if he still remembers all the lyrics to Step Off (Grandmaster Flash and the Dynamic Three)?
Another cool thing; got to see my friend Dean today. He's been doing night classes for work (some sort of metalsmithing thing), so he's been a little busy lately and so have I. Hung out, watched tomorrow's episode of Enterprise (wild feed), and I ate an entire medium pizza all to myself. No wonder I'm getting so chubby in my old age.
Will try to hop onto this thing on wednesday, give a little 'captain's log' of our trip. Meanwhile, I'm off to bed early (I stayed up far too late last night and was a little late for work today).
Cheers!
posted by novachild @ Thursday, October 21, 2004,
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Halloween Is Coming - Countess Dracula Review -
What a strange weekend. Nothing special going on, just laying back and relaxing, hoping that this coming week will be nice, mellow, easygoing - a good prelude to a week off of work and a time to really focus on the changing seasons.
I've spent this day pretty much in my PJ's, catching up on email, watching more classic horror movies on the computer, and reading up on next week's Netflix/Greencine deliveries. Today's big film was Hammer's "Countess Dracula," starring the beautiful and sultry Ingrid Pitt as the Countess who bathes in the blood of virgins to regain her youth.
While it sounds terrifying and repulsive, the film is actually quite artistically filmed, in a traditional hammer gothic style and reusing sets from other, larger films. The color wash is interesting, and the actors are in form. Notable here is Nigel Green, his piercing gaze and intense stature, who can also be remembered in the role of Hercules in the classic Harryhousen romp 'Jason and the Argonauts.' In Countess Dracula, he plays Captain Dobi, the castle steward. For years, he has been in in love with the Countess (for her heart or for her money, we never really know). When it is discovered that the blood of women makes your younger, he helps her by harvesting women from the local village. However, it all goes wrong when she chooses a younger man for her romance. In his jealous rage, he becomes manipulative, hoping to force her heart by controlling her supply of virgins.
In the end, it's all nicely wrapped up. Innocence is the coda, and Countess Nodosheen (or 'Countess Dracula' as some of the village women whisper in strange, creepy voices) is seen behind bars and shunned by the villagers.
This is probably my favorite Hammer film to date, and not because of the nudity (what little there is). Ingrid Pitt is amazing and is wonderful to look at, and given her difficult history I can more easily praise her achievements (she was born on a train that was carrying her mother to a concentration camp). Nigel Green, in one of his final performances, is very intense and believable. Sadly, he would die of a drug overdose only a year later.
My Doctor Who/Telefantasy friends will remember Sandor Eles (who plays the young Lieutenant Toth the Countess falls for once she regains her youth) in other notable productions. In Timeslip (a rather low-budget childrends SF series made in 1970), he plays Captain Gottfried. He also played guest roles on The Avengers and The Saint, as well as a number of other minor series. Perhaps his most notable role until Countess Dracula, he plays Hans, the assistant to Dr. Frankenstein (sadly, this film has not been released to DVD like so many other Hammer films have been).
Lastly, my mother, always the fan of the historical romance, will recognize Lesley-Anne Down as the young, beautiful daughter of the Countess. In her brief scenes, she is the innocent heart that everyone is working either for or against. The Countess, in her mad plan to remain young, wishes to sacrifice her only daughter so that she might remain young. However, our hero Lt. Toth saves her from an untimely demise but is himself put to death by the Countess' knife. Lesley-Anne later shows up as the abrasive Madeline Main in the mid-80's mini-series' North & South (1 and 2). I mention this because I happened to be living in Charleston at the time they were filming the first mini-series. My family and I went to the battery quite regularly, and we watched them flatten out truckloads of sand for the streets and cover up the modern signs on the street. The actors who played the Lincoln family were there, but I don't think I was aware enough at the time to notice any other actors/actresses.
There are far too many Telefantasy cross-checks in this film. For instance, the strange, subdued Patience Collier (who plays Nurse Sentash) can be seen in perhaps the most clever Sapphire and Steel: Adventure 5, as one of the dinner guests. The castle librarian Master Fabio (played by the amazing Maurice Denham) probably stars in more films than Peter Cushing! However, for telefantasy enthusiasts, it is his role of Professor Edgeworth in "The Twin Dilemma" that will be remembered the most (sadly enough, as this is rated one of the top 5 worst Doctor Who episodes). I could go on and on. This is a blog, after all.
All in all, I highly recommend this film to anyone who is just being introduced to Hammer films. While there may be better 'classical' choices (notably The Horror of Dracula and The Curse of Frankenstein), Countess Dracula really typifies the range of spirit of Hammer films that keeps me coming back to them.
posted by novachild @ Sunday, October 17, 2004,
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The 3rd Debate - And the Winner is....
I'm going to take a few of these questions and answer them myself.
"And that is, will our children and grandchildren ever live in a world as safe and secure as the world in which we grew up?"
Bob, the world you grew up in was not any less safe than the world I grew up in. Remember Duck and Cover? Remember the red 'menace'? Well, we have the environmental emergencies, the war on drugs and the hyped-up war on terror. Can one really say that my growing up was any less or more 'safe'?
As long as politicians create a world of fear and dread, of course we won't feel safe. And because we don't feel safe, we stay on the offensive, always pushing our agenda for a 'safer' world while we continue to oppress other nations for our personal gain.
"Suddenly we find ourselves with a severe shortage of flu vaccine. How did that happen?"
It's funny that neither candidate nor incumbent mentioned what the vaccine was actually contaminated with. And add the fact that over 22 million doses of potentially 'contaminated' vaccine has already been administered. And people are getting flu-like symptoms and pneumonia from it. And health experts across the country are agreeing that it's probably best if people avoid the vaccine this year.
"Mr. President, what do you say to someone in this country who has lost his job to someone overseas who's being paid a fraction of what that job paid here in the United States?"
I say - screw you motherfucker!
Dubya really screwed up on this one. He promotes more education for those poor sods who lose their jobs to indian and chinese IT personnel? These poor bastards have already spent 20-30 grand and 5-7 years on college. You think they want to go back to school, waste more time when the next job will likely go to outsourcing as well?
I really wish the president would have answered this question. But he can't.
"Do you believe homosexuality is a choice?"
What a stupid question. Of course it's a choice, but so is heterosexuality. At least in my opinion. I think both the encumbant and the candidate are wrong on this count, and both of them are narrow-minded in their approach to gay marriage. If we are going to elevate the importance of male-female marriages, then we might as well throw color in as well. White straight people should get all the recognition! I don't think so. Yes I'm white (translucent, mostly, thanks to being indoors behind a monitor all day), and I'm married, but I don't think I have any more rights to marriage than my many many gay friends (some of whom believe that homosexuality is NOT a choice).
I say, as long as it isn't hurting anybody, we should accomodate everyone we can and let them be expressed as equals in our society. The march of the WASP homophobes is coming to an end, my friends, but many are still hanging onto the old ways of eugenics and separatism.
Minus ten points to both candidates, but especially to Bush who dodged the real meat of the question altogether.
And Bush's comment about 'activist judges' sounded like something you'd hear on the 700 club. What a freak.
"The New York Times reports that some Catholic archbishops are telling their church members that it would be a sin to vote for a candidate like you because you support a woman's right to choose an abortion and unlimited stem-cell research. What is your reaction to that?"
I think they're a bunch of narrow-minded idiots, that's what I think. They sound no better than the extremist islamic groups we are out there bombing and bashing. They are hypocrites, plain and simple. If you vote for Bush, you vote for continued war, death and destruction. Kerry may not be the ideal opposite, but at least he is intelligent enough to approach the topic with some rationality.
Really, what would Jesus bomb? Wouldn't that be a sin as well? Thou Shalt Not Kill?
"What part does your faith play on your policy decisions?"
Let's see. When faith becomes a deciding factor, an influence, it becomes a tool for the will. Or the willing. Bush is clearly a puppet for the religious right, so of course his faith plays a big role. He answers to the big bad G-O-D before he looks at the constitution, or the people protected under it, or the people that don't believe the way he does.
"Senator Kerry, after 9/11 -- and this is a new question for you -- it seemed to me that the country came together as I've never seen it come together since World War II. But some of that seems to have melted away. I think it's fair to say we've become pretty polarized, perhaps because of thet would be your attitude on that?"
We've become polarized for a few reasons: 1) The Patriot Act has eroded our rights. 2) We're constantly lied to, so why should we trust politicians. 3) Many people understand the carnage and the wastefulness of war, of killing for oil and a sense of dominance. Others do not.
All in all, a rather dull debate. No clear winners, but Kerry remained consistent. Bush had this funny half-scowl half-smile going on all night, and I kept imagining him sucking on a long piece of grass like so many rednecks do out in the fields. I just don't believe he's a regular aw' shucks kinda guy, that he's putting on a show for his base and nothing more.
Now that the debates are over, I guess we're stuck with spin and lies until election day.
posted by novachild @ Thursday, October 14, 2004,
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The Village: Or "Revenge of the Killer Boom Mics"
This isn't exactly a review; it's too late for me to type that much, and I'm also listening to Art Bell.
But I will say this to anyone who plans to see The Village. In nearly every scene that calls for a boom mic, it appears at the top of the screen. There are more boom mics in this movie than in all the episodes of Dark Shadows combined, and it really detracted from the intensity of the film. While I sincerely tried to take the film seriously, I could do nothing but feel bad, very bad, for all of the actors and creative persons involved who now look farciful because of the largest, most blatant editing mistake in cinematic history.
There were scenes of the film where you could tell they deliberately covered up part of the screen to hide the microphones, but they did not do this enough. It was so laughable, yet so sad, because I really thought that M. Night had some sort of talent before this film. He had to be sleeping on the job, because the amount of boom mics in this film would embarras Ed Wood himself.
I've read a number of blog posts stating that this was a problem with the projectionist, that the film was sent with the wrong 'lens specs,' which allowed projectionists to put the wrong lens on and show too much of the print. But I don't buy this. Why would they send a print of a movie out with such blatant problems?
Other than this, I can see how this could have been a fascinating film. I loved the lead actress; she was absolutely beautiful and performed well for the camera. The plot was very predictable; I had it figured out in around 15 minutes into the movie. The whole twist ending thing is getting old; I wish M. Night would try to write a climactic ending for once.
All in all, this could have been an amazing film. But with the editing problem, it made me nearly cry for the wonderful talent that was wasted.
posted by novachild @ Sunday, October 10, 2004,
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Today was relatively uneventful, save for the anticipated debate and the resulting landslide win for Kerry (if one wishes to view it as a 'game,' that is).
My wife and I drove north to locate some property that is on sale. While we didn't find the right turn-off for the acreage, we did witness one of the most intense 'chemtrail' vistas we've ever seen. While I tend to reserve judgment instead of latching onto popular conspiracy theories about strange events, todays' display was enough to convince me that something deliberate is happening. On an hour-long trip back home, the entire western horizon was completely covered in long-lasting jet trails that slowly merged into large clouds. Hundreds of jetstreams, criss-crossed and still being painted by swirling, circling jets.
I really wish I had a picture of this. It was brilliant orange and beautiful, but terrifying at the same time. It was the most amazing wash of orange, and yet the most disgusting display of human litter getting in the way of the natural scenery. Since this phenomenon has repeated itself fairly consistently over the past several weeks, I plan on obtaining a decent camera (somehow) and posting them on my site.
That's about it for today. I'm exhausted, so no more long, political monologues from me this week. But I am very pleased with the debate this evening, and I'm looking forward to waving W goodbye. It will be a day to remember, indeed.
posted by novachild @ Saturday, October 09, 2004,
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Calling all Abandoned Trumpets
All right. I've never done this sort of thing before, but now that I have a few regular readers, I might as well give it a try.
My niece is starting band, and she's playing the Trumpet (it's what I
played, so I'm really excited that she gets to experience it too)! They're a little short on cash, though. Having six kids will do that to a family.
I'm wondering if any of you out there happen to have a b flat trumpet or cornet
stashed away somewhere. I can't promise to pay much (if anything), but we
would cover the shipping if you would like to donate it to this worthy cause.
Additional: Band starts around the end of the month (october). Any help
would be appreciated. It doesn't have to be in perfect shape - nothing too
shabby, but we're not picky here! The sooner the better.
You can respond to this post if you'd like to help out, and I'll get back to you with details.
Thanks!
posted by novachild @ Thursday, October 07, 2004,
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I've become a news addict -
The last person that I expected to ever be interested in world affairs was myself. However, I'm getting older and 'wiser,' or so one might assume. The more oppression and suffering that I see, the more I feel it is my ethical duty to stay abreast of the issues. While this sounds 'educated' and 'smart,' in the end it's a sad reality because I'm always looking for my news fix.
A few things I've learned over the past several months
1/ History is written and rewritten by the minute. Journalism as properly defined no longer exists in the world. It has been replaced by loudmouthed, warmongering bigotry and heavy-handed propaganda. There are jewels in the haystacks, and it's a rare treat to find one.
2/ The 'blogosphere' CAN counter the fact-mangling of the popular media, but only if enough people are interested in alternative news sources, and only if the blogosphere doesn't become completely overwhelmed with idiots like all the good chat forums and messageboards have experienced over the years.
For example, I posted a link to citizenfrank.com last week in a long-winded, somewhat impulsive rant about hypocricy (which was not specifically aimed at the author of said blog, I might add). While I don't always agree with what is posted there, it is the replies on his blog that frighten me the most. Everyone from militant right-wing viewpoints to militant islamic extremists posts there, and a few other, more sensible souls hop in every now and then (yes, I've become addicted to your blog, frank). However, the popular blogs are getting filled with responses from the same nutjobs who wreck other public forums, and it's only a matter of time before spam and flaming ruin yet another commmunications medium. Can we just give them all a little happy pill? Jeesh.
3/ News reports that SHOULD be shaking our foundations are being lessened in their impact by Corporate Media over-reporting. By nailing and nailing a story into the ground, people become desensitized and begin to care less and less about what is the 'truth' and more about what they think ought to be the 'truth.' In a world full of deceptions, 'otherworldly' agendas and an infinite supply of greed, Truth is becoming a meaningless achievement. Like shit on a shingle, it doesn't really matter what gets smothered in gravy, because at some point all you can taste is the gravy.
Still I search for my news fix, and I try to find good, healthy and credible news sources. But no single source has a monopoly on 'truth,' so one has to read a number of various sources to obtain a general 'gist' of what the 'truth of the matters' might be. This is one reason I get off on CSPAN , because they record everything and leave things open for the spectator to judge. There is no agenda, there is no spin doctor sitting behind a fancy little desk with a teleprompter, licking his lips like some crazy-eyed fiend in a William Burroughs novel. It's happening all right now, and that's the best news there is.
Sensationalism is the killer of truth. And this country is addicted to sensationalism. Everyone is guilty of sensationalism. Addicts will chase their fix into any crevice, and they will do practically anything to get what they 'need.' Sure, everyone's entitled to an obsessive state every now and then, and it's agreeably fun to be gung-ho about something one believes in. But the little twinkle in the eye gives the addict away. It becomes difficult for the addict to control oneself when the bloodstream is fed full of adrenalin. Fear is the great motivator, and fear creates anticipation, sensation, and drives our search for the next big story. Sad, I know. And I'm hoping to rationalize myself back to a more laid back position :)
Politicians know this all too well. They peddle news in little dime-bags of promises. And we get hooked all over again each time. Only the next time, we are more hooked. And more hooked. And when there isn't a story, we feel lost and aimless, because running out of people to blame and things to worry about means we have to deal with who we are. And who are we?
If you haven't already sold your soul for the next big thing, don't worry. Somebody will be coming around with a catchy snippet that may start you on your merry way.
It doesn't matter what the issues are if I can't think straight. This is what the politicians want, the frenzy, the blind hordes of passionate animals, and this is what the big media sells. And this is what people buy. That's my fear of becoming a news addict. So I am working on that whole taking the middle path thing.
Cheers.
posted by novachild @ Wednesday, October 06, 2004,
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The day is too young, so I'm being lazy and ignoring some rather extreme allergy-type symtoms. Itchy sinuses, blotchy skin, and constant post-nasal drip is keeping me occupied while I spend the day catching up on DVDs.
For those interested, the master CD-R for Traveller is being mailed to the CD press on Monday. I'm going to order a sample, and send my approval once it is received and I'm happy with it. This means that Traveller should be pressed and shipped to me within the next week or two.
It seems that the coming of Halloween always puts me in the mood for old horror flicks, especially the low-budget but excellently acted Hammer productions. I watched The Curse of Frankenstein for the first time this morning. I've seen a few of the sequels, but never the original. This was by far the best I've seen - Peter Cushing is the most memorable Dr. Frankenstein, and Christopher Lee as the monster was spot on, except for the terrible make-up. Since the story is more about the monstrosity of man, the creater was put rightly into the background of the story, to good effect. There were a couple of laughable moments, but all in all a fine production.
In the past couple of weeks I've seen a number of Hammer films: Kronos, the Vampire Hunter (one of my favorites of the later years), The Abominable Snowman (another excellent performance by Peter Cushing), The Devil Rides Out (Christopher Lee as a good guy!), Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell (probably the weakest of the Frankensteins, but still enjoyable), Taste the Blood of Dracula (still haven't stayed awake long enough to see the whole thing), and more are on the way. This coming week I should be receiving Revenge of Frankenstein and The Witches. Next week, it's The Reptile, Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed, and Frankenstein Created Woman. So I'll probably be reviewing each of them in turn.
Since I also have a Greencine account, I'm using it for the more obscure titles, as well as the harder-to-find b-movies and exploitation fare. Right now I'm on a Mystery Science Theater kick, so The Atomic Brain and The Hellcats are on their way.
Yes, it may seem that I'm a movie junkie (even a b-movie junkie). But one must understand that I have no cable, not even an antenna for my TV. I run these films while I work on the computer, so I am always multitasking. And I'm also rather shameless when it comes to my obsessions.
That's about it for now. Going to step away from the computer for a bit. Maybe catch another movie before I HAVE to leave the house. lol
posted by novachild @ Sunday, October 03, 2004,
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REVIEW: Shaun of the Dead -
Excellent movie. Simon Pegg is a believable 29-year-old bloke who hasn't quite come to grasps with growing up. He still spends too much time playing video games, drinking beer and laughing with flatulant, party-down roomies. Several other british actors pop in (including Bill Nighy - the almost 9th Doctor). The guy from Black Books is also in it, playing a rather annoying character that you want to get eaten (and he does, in probably the bloodiest scene ever filmed, upstaging Fulci himself for utter tastelessness).
Overall, I would recommend the film to anybody who can stomach the marriage of fringe british comedy and zombie/gore flicks. If seeing nasty stuff on the screen is not your thing, then you probably ought to avoid this move. My wife loved it as much as I did, though, so perhaps the comedy element displaces the shock value somewhat? Nevertheless, it's still disturbing, and not family fare.
It's not rip-roaring comedy; most of it's low-brow, chucklish humor and surreal situations. And it tries to be serious as well, sometimes too serious - and this does reduce the film's cinematic effect. Don't go in expecting a date movie or a barrel of laughs. It's equally a zombie movie; this ain't just a parody film, my friends.
My favorite part was very odd. The co-star shouts into the phone at the lead's mother "Sit tight. We're coming to get you Barbara." My wife and I laughed quite loudly, and even though there were a hundred people in the theater, we were the ONLY ones that laughed. It's a shame that americans don't know their trashy pop culture as well as we do (what other culture do we have, besides the Native American culture that we've all but wiped out, eh?). Or maybe we were surrounded by a busload of high school students that have a tough time watching anything in black and white? Whatever the case, it was odd to be the only people laughing at the most obvious in-joke in the film.
Looks like Simon Pegg has also landed himself a 'cameo zombie' role in the upcoming Romero 'living dead' sequel, Land of the Dead. Lucky guy.
I bet there's a sequel.
I probably shouldn't post things at 3:10 in the morning, but I didn't want this one to get away from me. Go check it out.
posted by novachild @ Sunday, October 03, 2004,
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