Movie Night

Holy shit!

Halloween is just a few short days away! And I haven't even figured out what I'm going as!!!

OK...I'm calm now. Halloween sure isn't the same when you are grown up without any interesting costume parties to go to. And no...I'm not asking for any invites. Thanks, anyway.

But I am excited for one thing these next few days. Horror movies. Lots of 'em.

I've already made sure to record some of the classics like Halloween, Bride of Frankenstein, Night of the Living Dead, etc..  Films I should already have in my library, except that I don't really have a movie library anymore. Those DVDs didn't survive the last move, and who really needs "hard" copies of films in this age of digital streaming?  I can't tell you the last time I popped a DVD or Blu-Ray into the player.  That thing just sits there like a...sitting thing. Yeah.

Well, anyway...I'm sure I'll be supplementing the fare that is playing on AMC and TMC and wherever with some new stuff on NetFlix or Amazon Instant. And I can't wait.

Horror movies. Yeah, that's what I'm in the mood for.

You?

PS - Oh, one more thing. I'm going to be reviewing them as I see them. So expect a bunch of posts in the coming days. Mwah-ha-ha-ha!!!

Happy Halloween

May you avoid mass-mudering lunatics and soulless, black-eyed things that go bump in the night. Or not. Mwah-ha-ha-ha!!!

Oh, and by the way...here are my top 20 horror films of all-time.  As submitted to Final Girl for SHOCKtober!!!  No particular order, except alphabetic..I guess.

1. [REC]
2. Alien
3. An American Werewolf in London
4. Dawn of the Dead (1978)
5. Dog Soldiers
6. Don't Be Afraid of the Dark (1973) (TV)
7. Event Horizon
8. Frontier(s)
9. Ginger Snaps
10. Halloween (1978)
11. Let the Right One In
12. Salem's Lot (1979) (TV)
13. The Descent
14. The Devil's Rejects
15. The Howling
    
16. The Omen
17. The Shining
18. The Thing (1982)
19. The Wicker Man (1973)
20. Trick 'r Treat

___________________________________________________

Note: Remember to play the Badgerdaddy Trivia Challenge every day.  The night HE came home.

The Verdant Dude Jack Contest

IT'S THE GREAT VERDANT DUDE JACK CONTEST, CHARLIE BROWN!!!

Woohoo! As of yesterday, I had one lonely submission. Would've been pretty easy to pick the winner from that group, eh?  But I received a handful of great Jack-o'-lantern pics at the midnight hour...or the past 24 hours to be specific.  Here's what we are gonna do.  I'll leave this post up today and y'all can vote for your favorite carving over in the sidebar in the right.  Feel free to leave any comment you wish down below, but make sure you vote in the poll over there on the right.  Tomorrow I'll reveal the winner!

*** Remember, vote in the poll in the sidebar.  Not in the comments***

Use whatever criteria you want to vote for your favorite.  Skill, theme, tradition, whatever.  But vote wisely.  A undetermined prize of minimal value is at stake here.  That and much respect, yo.

Some of these have more than one view.  Like a lit and unlit version.  So I included everything.  Deal.  Oh, and you can probably click on each individual pic to get a better look at each one if you want.  Who am I to tell you what to do? - Earl

Jack #1

Jack #2

Jack #3

Jack #4

Jack #5

Jack #6

Jack #7

Jack #8

Jack #9

Good luck, everyone!!!

___________________________________________________

Note: Remember to play the Badgerdaddy Trivia Challenge every day. What a nice bunch of Fuck-o'-lanterns...

Gentle Reminder

Tonight (10/27) is the deadline for The Verdant Dude Jack Contest. Pumpkin carving, that is. So far I've only received 2 entries, so start jacking! Er, carving. Er, ya know. 11PM is the deadline!!! 

Get your entries in TODAY!!!

Good luck, Fuck-o'-lanterns!

___________________________________________________

Note: Remember to play the Badgerdaddy Trivia Challenge every day. The winner may or may not get a naked picture of Slyde.  Just sayin'...

My favorite month

Call it Shocktober, call it Rocktober, call it whatever you want.

But October is easily my favorite month of the year.

I love when Summer turns into Fall and there is a generally nip in the air, but it's not too cold. If you know what I mean. You can still sleep with the windows open at night for most of the month here in the Northeast. And the days are usually pretty nice. We are beginning this October with the remnants of Tropical Storm Nicole dumping a bucketful of rain on our heads, but it's gonna clear up and be real nice this weekend.

Another reason I love October is kind of a silly one. Watching horror movies. I know, I know...I can watch horror films all year round, right? True...but they just SEEM better in October. A windy, partly-cloudy October night with the moon peeking in and out and leaves blowing around. That's the perfect atmosphere for watching a horror movie, my friends. You get those odd noises coming from outside, maybe a little fog coming in off the harbor....it's the best!

Then there is Halloween. If you are reading this you probably know how I feel about Halloween, but if not let me just say that it's easily my favorite holiday. Everything about it. Pumpkins. Kids (and adults) dressed up as their favorite ghoul. Candy. What's not to love? We are going to be down in Charleston, SC again this year for Halloween and (while it's much warmer down there at this time of the year) I can't wait. I promise you all right now. I'm dressing up like The Dude this year. And there will be pictures!

So happy October* everyone. Hope you all enjoy it half as much as I do.

*Is anyone kind of looking forward to October 10th this year? 10/10/10, don't ya know. I'm not paying any bills this month until the 10th because I want to write that date down as often as possible. That's a bit of an anachronistic joke there. I haven't written a check in nearly forever. Who does these days? Just pay that shit online, yo!

___________________________________________________

Note: Remember to play the Badgerdaddy Trivia Challenge every day. You really need to see Trick 'r Treat.

Get yer Jack on!

UPDATE: Okay...it's been brought to my attention that my deadline was a little early. Especially for those of you who live in warmer climates. So I've pushed it forward by three days to the 27th. That's as late as I can go. I'm going on vacation and leaving on that Friday afternoon, so I need to have it all done by Friday morning. Sorry if that timetable still leaves you out. Also, I would prefer to stick to new 2010 creations. So please, no photos of classic pumpkin carvings from prior years. Thanks! - Earl

OK, kiddies. Here it is. Due to overwhelming demand, I'm gonna go ahead with the Jack-o'-lantern contest that I mentioned last week. Aren't you all so excited you could puke?



Da Rules:

• Send me a photo of your favorite pumpkin creation this year. My email address is on my Blogger profile, lazybones! If there is anything else in the picture besides the pumpkin (like boobs), I will crop it out for the sake of the contest. But, ahem, don't let that stop you from sending me photos of your boobs. 
• UPDATE: All entries need to be sent by 11PM EST on Sunday, October 24th Wednesday, October 27th
• UPDATE: I'll post the photos on Monday the 25th Thursday the 28th along with a poll where you can vote for your favorite Jack-o'-lantern. Feel free to vote for you own, jerk.
• On Friday, October 29th I will reveal the big weiner along with the names of the rest of the contestants alongside their evil creations.

I haven't exactly decided what the winner gets. Maybe it will be specific to the actual person. Something like a bottle of bacon-ized bourbon...I don't know. But don't you worry your pretty little heads about it. Somebody is getting something, and let's leave it at that.

Good luck, Fuck-o'-lanterns! And tell your friends!

___________________________________________________

Note: Remember to play the Badgerdaddy Trivia Challenge every day. Fuck-o'-lantern made me laugh.

Trick 'r Treat

I'm a sucker for all things Halloween related. Jack-o'-lanterns, family-sized candy fun packs, women dressed like whores and horror films. Especially horror films.

My latest and greatest favorite is a little direct-to-DVD gem called Trick 'r Treat. How this film was robbed of a theatrical release, I have no idea!  Something to do with the creative team from Superman Returns and the competition from one of the many Saw flicks.  I still don't get it.

It's a horror anthology in the tradition of Tales From the Darkside or Creepshow, but with it's own unique style and gimmick.  I've read reviews from both sides of the afterlife on this one.  Good and bad.  It seems that a lot of horror film folks were a bit disappointed in it.  Thought it was overrated.  I dunno how a film that doesn't even rate a theatrical release could be overrated, but whatevs.

For me, this film worked best as an homage to the EC horror comics of yore.  William Gaines would be proud.  There is nothing particularly terrifying about the film, per se.  But it lives, eats, shits and breathes Halloween.  It feels like Halloween, in a way that so many films that have tried have failed.  One of the amazing things about the film is how beautifully it was shot.  The jack-o'-lanterns, the mist, the eerie wooded paths, the dream quality flashbacks.  It's a beautiful film just to look at.  And so much fun for someone who loves the holiday.

There is a bunch of stuff going on in this sleepy little town on Halloween night.

• A young couple argue at the end of the evening, but it's really about sex.  She hates Halloween and wants it all to be over, and she wants to take all the decorations down.  But he knows that there are un-written rules against stuff like that on the night of the dead.  Rules that can't be broken without repercussions.  
  
• A deranged and widowed principal and his son bond while teaching the local kids that Halloween night is all about respecting the dead. And checking your candy.
  
• An introverted young girl is led to an old spooky quarry by her new friends.  The site of a terrible tragedy 30 years earlier in which a bus of "disturbed" children were killed on Halloween day.  Not. A. Good. Idea.
  
• A man in black is stalking and killing women during the town's Halloween parade.  And my, what big teeth he has!  The better to suck your blood!
  
• A young woman is pressured into losing her virginity by a pack of her girlfriends.  It's supposed to happen at a bonfire party in the woods outside of town that night.  But Little Red Riding Hood wants her first time to be...special.
• A bitter old man deals with his own past demons while terrorizing the young trick-or-treaters in the neighborhood.  But will he learn his lesson when a real demon of the night comes knocking on his door?  Will he survive?
  

And then there is Sam.  A mysterious little trick-or-treater with a burlap pumpkin head for a costume.  He ties all the stories together.  In fact, since all the stories occur in the same town on the same night you can see many of the characters from every story in the backgrounds of all the other stories.  It's definitely a fun film to watch more than once.  Just for the stuff in the background.

Sam was actually first introduced to the world back in the late 1990's in an animated short by writer/director Michael Dougherty.  A macabre little piece of business called "Season's Greetings."  Enjoy!  And remember...not everyone is as innocent as they appear.

___________________________________________________

Note: Remember to play the Bug-Eyed Trivia Challenge every day. Smell my feet.

Shocktober!

I'm so freakin' stoked for Halloween this year that I can barely contain myself. The only way it could be better is if I were somehow able to squeeze in Adam's Halloween Extravaganza as well, but alas...no. I'll be in Charleston SC that night and the following weekend as well for the actual spooky day.

It's been a brilliant Autumn thus far. Nice and sunny (and windy) during the day, but sweatshirt weather at night. And this year we get damned close to a full moon on Halloween weekend. The actual full moon happens early on the morning of November 2nd, but that's close enough for rock and roll.

So, um, anyone know any cool places to go in Charleston for Halloween?  Hello?

So what are YOU doing for Halloween this year?

___________________________________________________

Note: Remember to play the Bug-Eyed Trivia Challenge every day. I'd go as a stupid wizard, but apparently I've done that before.

Michael Myers vs. Jason

Who ya got?

Wound up watching a bunch of films from the Friday the 13th series and it got me thinking about the Jason/Michael Myers rivalry that really only exists in the heads of Horror film geeks. Like me. And Slyde. I've never been a big fan of the series. More of a Halloween kinda guy, I guess. But whichever way you lean in this debate, you have to admit that they are two of the most prominent fictional, un-killable serial killers out there. So let's take a look at these two fine gentlemen of cinema and see who the definitive winner is, shall we?

Name
Apparently the makers of Halloween went the route of the 60's Marvel Comics/Stan Lee alliteration guide to naming superheroes. You know, Reed Richards, Peter Parker, Bruce Banner, etc... Michael Myers is NOT a scary name. Especially since the early 90's when a dough-faced comedian named Mike Myers started making it big on Saturday Night Live. No one should be afraid of a dude named Michael. Period. And it's annoying that you have to use both his first and last names. Never just Michael or Myers, but Michael Myers. Now Jason Voorhees...that's a scary name! Sounds Dutch, and the Dutch are scary. Winner: Jason.

Weapon of Choice
Michael Myers uses a butcher's knife as his preferred weapon of choice, but he gets creative from time to time and will use his hands or anything else lying around. Jason, while being fond of a machete, has been known to use everything up to and including the kitchen sink to kill his victims. Gotta go with Myers for being more loyal to his art. Winner: Michael Myers.

Ethos
While Jason started out only killing randy camp counselors at Crystal Lake, he has shown that he can be pretty indiscriminate when it comes to choosing his victims. And it doesn't just have to be at Crystal Lake or on a Friday the 13th. He's killed in Manhattan and in outer space! Michael Myers only kills those in his way as he tries to wipe out his family and only on Halloween. Er, or the day before. He's got a plan, people. You gotta admire that kind of dedication. Winner: Michael Myers.

Trademark
Jason wears a hockey mask. Or he has worn a hockey mask since the third film in the series. Remember, he wasn't the killer in the original movie. His mother was. And in the second film he was just kind of a lumpy guy in overalls wearing a sack on his head. The hockey mask is much scarier. Because hockey is evil, ya see. Michael Myers wears a William Shatner mask. There's nothing really scary about Shatner, except maybe his spoken-word recordings. Winner: Jason.

The "Other" Killers
The third Halloween film had nothing to do with Michael Myers. They "killed" him off in the second film and the producers planned to leave it that way. They wanted to keep the trademark going by making new films every year or so with the Halloween name, but with different story lines. That didn't work as most fans and critics panned the third film. He was back and raring to go in the fourth film and onward. Friday the 13th tried doing something similar with the fifth film by introducing a copy-cat killer. This wasn't kosher to Jason's many fans and he was back with the sixth installment. Bleh! Winner: Neither.

Survival Skillz
Jason has had to resort to a number of stunts to resurrect himself. He's been jolted back to life with a lightning bolt, he's been psychically resurrected by a misguided girl and his soul has possessed the body of a coroner. Michael Myers doesn't need these parlor tricks. He just doesn't die. Evah! Has something to do with a Druidic curse, I think. The series has been very wishy-washy about it. Either way. Winner: Michael Myers.

Sense of Humor
Michael Myers doesn't have one much of one. Oh sure, he sometimes has that naive sense of wonderment that comes with all serial killers. And he did dress up as Bob wearing a ghost's outfit just to fuck with Lynda in the first film. That was neat. But Jason? That dude is funny! He will do just about anything for a laugh. That crazy kid. This one time, in Manhattan, he scared a bunch of street toughs just by showing them the rotted face under his hockey mask. Remember that? Ah, hehehe...good times! And Jason Goes to Hell was hysterical, yo! Winner: Jason.

Conclusion
In reviewing my highly scientific study, it is apparent that the winner is, er, um. Wait...they kinda tied, didn't they? Let's just give it to Michael Myers. Because today is Halloween. Maybe Slyde will revisit the topic next Friday the 13th. Maybe.

Note - Only my brain cells were hurt during this study.