Sinister (2012)

After watching Argo and enjoying some revisionist history, I decided to jump back into my favorite genre for the evening. Honestly, I am due. I have been suffering through some miserable choices lately and thing must get better. My selection for the evening is Sinister from 2012.

Plot/ A true-crime writer finds a cache of 8mm "snuff" films that suggest the murder he is currently researching is the work of a serial killer whose career dates back to the 1960s.

This is a flick that I actually wanted to see and was glad to see that the wife grabbed it for me. This is a solid story and one that interested me quite a bit. The plot and scripting worked well together with the occult and paranormal mixing. The acting is sound, with Ethan Hawke doing a great job in the lead role and the visual elements are quite eerie. The cinematography and atmosphere is also top notch and a joy to watch. Of course, it was not without flaws. There were some clichéd moments, some of the chemistry was off, and some of the CGI felt forced. In the end, this was one of the more original flicks I have seen in some time, and it was quite entertaining. If you have not watched it, give it a shot, it is well worth it.  

Argo (2012)

Now that I am fully recovered from horror and blog overload, I decided to get back into the swing of things with a movie that is a big conversation on Oscar Night. Enjoying thrillers, political dramas and history, I decided to breakdown and watch Argo from 2012.

Plot/ A dramatization of the 1980 joint CIA-Canadian secret operation to extract six fugitive American diplomatic personnel out of revolutionary Iran.

Growing up during this era, I remember the nightly news and all the talk about the hostages. Of course, I also remember when news organizations actually covered the news and not just the new reality story or blindly follow a narrative just because it is the talking points presented. Oh well, those were the days. While I know of the historical inaccuracies, this is a great albeit flawed thriller. There was really a lot to like, the storyline, the acting, the cinematography, the realism and tension. It was truly an interesting take on history. Sure, some of the characterization was off and characters flat, but it is the historical inaccuracies that damage the overall grade of the movie. Yes, those facts do not matter for the majority of viewers, who are blind to these facts caught up in their Hollywood trance, but they do matter. Canada played a huge role in this rescue, one that is virtually overlooked. In the end, if you know nothing about history, you will love this flick. Hell, I liked it a lot even with the flaws. Check it out!

There is Still Time to Make it to Cabela's Strange, Rare and Unusual Sightings Seminar

Last night I had the great opportunity to head down to Wheeling, West Virginia to catch up with some of the members of the Pennsylvania Bigfoot Society on the first night of Cabela’s Strange, Rare and UnusualSightings Weekend. This meet and greet followed by a town hall meeting was tremendous. There was a tremendous turnout to talk with the great speakers, including keynote speaker Dr. Jeffry Meldrum, and to talk about sightings of different creatures.  

If you have not made it out there, this event still has one day left and is family friendly. During the free event, you will take an in depth look at strange, Rare and Unusual Animal sightings that take place in the forests and the wild outdoors. Not your typical conference, this three day event will feature researchers and authorities who investigate these claims and reports of strange, rare and unusual animals. Some the animals that will be discussed will be the Eastern Cougar, Bigfoot, Thunderbirds and other mysterious animals. 

If interested, this is the outline for Sunday starting at 10:00 am with Dr. Jeffry Meldrum. The days events features lectures from the guest speakers and the conference room located on the second floor will be open to the public and host the vendor and display tables. Sundays events will conclude at 5:00 pm. 

The tentative guest speaker line up includes:

Pennsylvania UFO/Bigfoot investigator Stan Gordon

Sasquatch Watch of Virginia Director Billy Willard

Pennsylvania Bigfoot Society Western PA Director David Dragosin 

Pennsylvania Bigfoot Society Senior Director Eric Altman

Our Special Keynote Speaker from Idaho State University Associate Professor of Anthropology and Primate Anatomy Dr. Jeffry Meldrum.

Hatchetman (2003)

When I was at Family Video the other night, I saw a title that hit a nerve. Now I realized at that point  the movie would be bad, after all, anything that reminded me of that piece of British globalist scum named Piers Morgan would have to be bad. I rented it anyway. That flick and my selection for the evening Hatchetman from 2003.

Plot/ Claudia is a young woman who is working her way through law school as a stripper. Unfortunately, for her, a serial killer has been knocking off many of her co-workers. She must expose the killer before he can kill her.

I am 0-for-2 this week in the horror genre. While I was hopeful with yesterdays House at the End of the Street, I pretty much expected this one to be bad. Unfortunately, even with the low expectations, this one was worse than that. The acting was bad; the plot full of cliché, and the costuming was horrendous. Yes, there was some blood after the kills and there were many boobs with it being set in a strip club, but other than that, there was nothing. Honestly, this was one of the worst low budget flicks I have seen in some time; Stay Away! 

House at the End of the Street (2012)

What a night, I could suffer through the State of the Union Address with President Obama and his socialistic Agenda 21 views and lies or I could watch a movie. I decided upon the movie, as nothing could be worse than poor reality television based in Washington DC. My selection for the evening was the 2012 thriller, House at the End of the Street.

Plot/ A mother and daughter move to a new town and find themselves living next door to a house where a young girl murdered her parents. When the daughter befriends the surviving son, she learns the story is far from over.

I had been ignoring this one for some time, but my daughter picked this flick for me, so I had to watch it. What I found is exactly what I expected, a cliché filled thriller that was extremely blah. I even watched the unrated version; I could not imagine what a watered down version would be like. The plot was OK and the acting was decent, but that could do nothing for the flat characterization, the lack of suspense, and almost no atmosphere. In the end, this one really did nothing for me. Stay away!

Did HAARP Help Steer Nemo? The Evidence Says...

Let me start today by saying that I hope that all of my family and friends stuck in the region ravaged by Winter Storm Nemo are doing better and the recovery is moving forward. Being a researcher, I could not help but check on the consistency of my HAARP / Natural Disaster theory.  Again, I noticed some strange variations of HAARP signals and their potential steering effects on storm and ironically the winter storm in California that is hampering the manhunt that is taking place.  I wish the data was different, and that there was no way that something could control these storms and other effects, but events continue to back up my original hypothesis.

HAARP Readings Prior to Storm

While the HAARP readings across the United States are non-existent today, it was a string of events on Wednesday and Thursday that opened my eyes again.  Besides the high readings, I again checked for other strange anomalies, and guess what, they were in place.

Snowfall Amount Projections

First look at Nemo, is it a coincidence that the heaviest damages came to the areas that had the highest HAARP readings? Is the same thing happening with California? These facts and recordings cannot continue to be just coincidence. Sure, to many, that alone would be enough. However, there is more. Wednesday as those signals were rising multiple earthquakes were recorded in Northern Alaska (4.4 scale) and the volcanic activity of the San Cristobal Volcano in Nicaragua increased and quickened. Honestly, can this all be a coincidence? To me, the evidence and connections continue to mount, and we must start demanding answers to what HAARP really is. Think about it, this weapon is more deadly than drones.

V for Vendetta (2005)

I decided last weekend that it was time for a small vacation from blogging. It seemed as though everything I had been watching had started to run together in my mind. When you couple that with trying to buckle down to finish the scripting for my Operation Paul Revere short, I just needed the break. That being said, it was time to jump back in. My evening selection is the 2005 action classic V for Vendetta.

Plot/ A shadowy freedom fighter known only as "V" uses terrorist tactics to fight against his totalitarian society. Upon rescuing a girl from the secret police, he also finds his best chance at having an ally.

Let me start by saying that watching this today was even better than the first time I watched it. Honestly, there were some elements that seemed more important in the social construct today than years before. Maybe is was the sense of liberty, or maybe the lawless totalitarian oppressive nature of society. This was one of the best action films I have seen, as it had a tremendous script to match the rather intelligent and political storyline. The acting is solid and combined with the tremendous visuals and action, this is a movie that must be watched and enjoyed. In the end, this is a movie that will stand the test of time as a true piece of action history. If you have not seen it, what are you waiting for!

Paranormal Activity 4 (2012)

As I dive into this month, looking forward to a Mysterious Creature Conference, finishing my script/developing props for Operation Paul Revere and my birthday, there are also some low-lights. One of those came today, as one of the daughters discovered Paranormal Activity 4 was in the video store. So, that is my selection for the evening.

Plot/ It has been five years since the disappearance of Katie and Hunter, and a suburban family witness strange events in their neighborhood when a woman and a mysterious child move in.

I am finally watching this because one the daughters wanted to see it, and now that it is over, I will again say that I will never venture into this tired franchise again. This was more of the same with even less scares. Honestly, the out of focus camerawork, the lack of story, the incoherent editing and the loud bangs made this hard to watch. Yes, some of the acting was not that bad and there were a couple of decent moments, but there is no way that could save this movie (and it is the extended version). In the end, this is a franchise that seems to have finally run its course and needs to end. Was it the worst movie ever made, no, but it is also far from the top in the series. Unless you are a diehard Paranormal Activity fan, stay away!

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Videodrome (1983)

With January in the books, it is hard to believe how fast that month went by. Of course, it does help when you are focused on a goal or an agenda. For me, it has been spreading the word about the Constitution and how no one has the right to walk on our greatest document. Unlike some people, I plan to stand against the tyranny and work to keep our liberties in tact. Tonight, I decided to venture back into a simpler part of my life, 1980s, with the David Cronenberg classic Videodrome.

Plot/ A sleazy cable-TV programmer begins to see his life and the future of media spin out of control in a very unusual fashion when he acquires a new kind of programming for his station.

It had been a while since I had enjoyed this Cronenberg classic. This was one of the first surrealistic flicks that I watched as growing up in the 1980s, and I believe it is still one of the best of the genre. By all accounts, this is a great film, and one that has stood up to the test of time quite well. In fact, it may be quite relevant today. I understand that this is not truly about mind control, but, some of the horrors outlined in this flick are almost commonplace today. For some, the layered storyline may be confusing and turn them off, but as a fan of surrealism, this one is right on the money. The cinematography was awesome, the visual effects work, and the performances are solid, especially James Woods and Debbie Harry. More importantly, the storyline is amazing, featuring multi-layered journey into another realm. In the end, this one is definitely not for everyone, especially the close-minded. However, it is a true piece of cinematic history that must be seen.