Little Shop of Horrors (1986)

Last night, I went for something serious, and although it was entertaining, I decided that I needed something different tonight as the typhoon comes down outside. After some debate, I decided on the 1986 musical comedy Little Shop of Horrors.

Plot/ A nerdy florist finds his chance for success and romance with the help of a giant man-eating plant who demands to be fed.

The world may be a much happier place if it were a musical. There I said it. While I understand the absurdity of that statement, I do also see the power of that platform. Yes, horror movies are hard to get right (although Cannibal the Musical was hilarious), but that genre also has a way (along with sci-fi) of being a solid platform for the comedic side of the genre. This entry, based on a classic Broadway musical, embraces that and creates a tremendously campy, comedy-horror combination that is both entertaining and memorable. This homage to the classic low budget schlockfests of the 50s and 60s features a great cast, perfect pacing, some awesome performances, decent effects, a hilarious storyline, and a musical score that is both catchy and darkly funny. Yes, it is schlock-filled, campy, and totally laughable and absurd, but that only adds to the comedic charm contained within the timeline. In the end, this is a movie that I feel has long been underappreciated and a movie that comedy, horror, and musical fans can enjoy. If you have not seen it, give it a shot. And who knows, maybe it will be a primer for the eclipse that sits upon our horizon in August.

Lost in Space (1998)

After a mixture of serial killers and creature features, I decided to venture into something with more of a sci-fi edge. After some thought, I decided on the 1998 reboot, Lost in Space.

Plot/ The Robinson family was going into space to fight for a chance for humanity. Now they are fighting to live long enough to find a way home.

I remember when this one came out and like many fans of the original series; I found it a bit disappointing. After re-watching this earlier in the week, I think my first impression was way off. While this is not a perfect film, it does have more positives than flaws and the storyline is closer in tone and depth to some of the initial episodes of the series than it is given credit for. The effects were solid, the cast was fun and their performances were decent, and the cinematography was spot on and created an entertaining feel. Unfortunately, the scripting felt forced and the dialog was choppy with too much focus put on trying to be clever and there were more than a few clichéd moments. In the end, this was an entertaining science fiction adventure suitable for the entire family, and a movie that is better than it has been given credit for. If you have a chance, give it a shot, you could do much worse.

Abattoir (2016)

If you have read my blog, you would now that Darren Lynn Bousman is one of my favorite directors. Not only is an alumnus of Full Sail University like me, he has also created some of the most visually appealing movies of the past decade. Between his work on the Saw franchise, Repo: The Genetic Opera, and The Devil’s Carnival, there is an artistic flare that is not usually seen in horror. Next up for review is his next movie, 2016s Abattoir, a film that I honestly believe may be his best work.

Plot/ An investigative reporter teams up with a Police officer to solve the mystery of why a seemingly good man murdered her sister's family.

I had been waiting to see this since I first heard about it, and I was not disappointed by what I found. While I can see why this movie could be somewhat polarizing, it is an interesting take on the haunted house/curse genre and is both intelligent and visually appealing. More of a slow burn, as the tension building throughout, I found myself drawn to the main characters and the storyline. The cinematography and visuals are tremendous, the performances are solid, and the atmosphere inside the film is dark and heavy. Yes, I am sure that the scripting will cause some viewers some issue with the way it embraces an almost retro feel with a prose-like style that seems more suited for a vintage film than a modern thriller and the ending is definitely one that is both somewhat predictable and refreshing, but those issues should in no way impact the overall viewing experience of watching this film. In the end, this is one of the most memorable and entertaining films to hit the shelves in some time and left me wanting more. If you have not seen it, you are definitely missing out.

Bigfoot Chronicles (2013)

After a few days, I decided that I needed to be caught up with some of the films I had watched in recent weeks, but did not find time to review with everything that is going on. This past week was one of the worse for that. Next up from that list in the 2013 entry, Bigfoot Chronicles.

Plot/ A skeptical filmmaker is hired to document Bigfoot sightings. He travels to a hot spot of Bigfoot activity and pursues the wild beast. Along the way, he learns a lot about the illusive creature and in the process, he finds himself.

I am all for low budget cinema, especially when it involves a subject that sits close to my heart. In this case, though, I could have done without this one. This was one of the worst films on the subject of Bigfoot I have seen, with the famed creature standing as a mere afterthought to the dramatic elements and feelings of one of the characters. This one was nothing like I expected, and offered little to any viewer that was drawn in with title. The acting is uneven, the production values are lacking, and the make-up effects for the creature when it eventually makes it way to the screen are laughable at best. In the end, this was one that I wish I had skipped, there was nothing redeeming with it at all. Stay away; stay far away!

Houdini (2014)

After spending the night deep in the Mesopotamian and Egyptian myths and legends of creation, I needed some down time. To help ease my mind, I decided to venture into miniseries mode, by watching the History Channel biopic Houdini.  

Plot/ Follow the man behind the magic as he finds fame, engages in espionage, battles spiritualists and encounters the greatest names of the era, from U.S. presidents to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Grigori Rasputin.

Biopic miniseries are always tough. On one hand, they must have an entertainment value that keep fans interested; on the other hand, they often accomplish this by embellishing on reality. That was definitely the case with this one, as it is takes a modern approach to a man that has always fascinated society. Harry Houdini was and is larger than life, but this series embellished his legend more than any other attempt at telling his story. Yes, the performances (especially Adrien Brody) were outstanding, the effects were solid, and the overall feel is entertaining. Unfortunately, this miniseries did not capture the true sadness that permeated through Houdini and his life, and did a disservice to the true story of greatness. In the end, this one would be a great flick to introduce Houdini into ones life, and create a fascination for one to do further research into the legend. It is worth watching for entertainment purposes, but not for a true biographical picture.

Ragnarok (2013)

After a night away from the computer as I prepared for Thanksgiving, I decided to jump back into it with something a touch different. Of course, I also wanted to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving, as I hope everyone is safe and sound. As we move deeper into the holiday season, there is always a feeling of hope that rises, and I think 2014 will bring out those same feelings. Next up for review is the 2013 Norwegian film Ragnarok.

Plot/ The ancient and modern worlds collide when archaeologist Sigurd Svendsen finds the true meaning of the secret runes found in the Oseberg ship.

Every once in a while I venture into films from other countries to see how they bring their stories to life. Yes, I will have to deal with subtitles, but I often find it interesting to see how the dialog develops. That was the case with this one, and I left it satisfied and enlightened. A mixture of many family adventures (Jurassic Park and Indiana Jones), this movie has some solid performances, an interesting story, and some decent effects. Sure, there are some plot holes, and with the subtitles, you have to pay attention, but that was just fine (except for the daughters who lost interest). In the end, this is far from a great movie, but it is an entertaining family action and adventure flick. If you enjoy foreign films and subtitles, give it a shot, it is a solid entry into the genre.

Young Sherlock Holmes (1985)

I was quite amazed by the amount of Sherlock stuff I saw when purchasing my Underoos today. Sherlock Holmes is one of my favorite detectives, although I have found it difficult to immerse myself into a book the way I did in my youth. Speaking of my youth, here is a flick that captures Holmes early on: Young Sherlock Holmes from 1985.

Plot/ When assorted people start having inexplicable delusions that lead to their deaths, a teenage Sherlock Holmes decides to investigate.

Young Sherlock Holmes is one of those 1980s flicks that have stood the test of time rather well. Not for anyone who is a Holmes purist, this one does take some liberties with the young detectives life that differ from the source material. However, this one is a rather entertaining trip into the detective story and created an alternate reality for him to grow. The storyline is simple and clichéd, the pacing works, sound track amazing, and incredibly the early CGI effects work better than some of those seen today. Sure, the acting is uneven, the historic aspects unbelievable, and the characters never truly develop, but that does nothing to bring this one down. In the end, this movie is entertaining, interesting, and fun to watch with the family, especially if you want to bring the genius of Holmes to life for a new generation.

The Rocky Horror Picture Show at the Hollywood Theater (Pittsburgh)

Last night was awesome! Finally, after three years here in Pennsylvania, we made our way to another showing of the cult classic, The Rocky Horror Picture Show. This showing, at the Hollywood Theater in Dormont, was backed by the Junior Chamber of Commerce Players (steelcityrockyhorror.com), who were tremendous. This performance will ale be part of a documentary in the film, Rocky Horror Saved My Life, which was filming throughout. 

The atmosphere rocked, the people friendly, and all had a good time. Plus, what made this showing even better was the fact that we decided to take three of the daughters to it for their first time. Sure, because of their ages, they did not take part in some of the early fanfare, but I am sure, their lives were changed for the better after experiencing the awesomeness of Rocky Horror with a cast.

Here are some pictures from last night:

Monster Fest 2012

 

  

Yesterday, was a long day. Woke up at the beach, headed to Monster Fest in Chesapeake, Virginia, went to Heather's wedding, and finally made the seven-hour trip back to Pennsylvania. Now, finally at the house, it is time to actually relax a bit prior to heading back to work at the institute in the morning. Now that I am at the house, it was time to download the pictures from MonsterFest. This was the ninth annual addition of this classic monsterfest and again it had everything that is awesome about the classic creature features of the past. On hand were costumed guests, classic horror hosts such as Doctor Madblood and The Bowman Body, and awesome venders. Here are some random pictures from the event.

  

Munster's Hot Rod

 

The Bowman Body

 

A Random Skeleton

 

Jillian and Doctor Madblood

 

Hanging With the Wolfman (with my new tie)

 



Jillian's First Track Cast - Fayette County Bigfoot Expedition

 

I know that this was supposed to be Documentary Week, but I decided to change things up tonight to mark a special occasion of sorts. If you have read my blog over the past couple of weeks, you already know about the Fayette County Bigfoot Expedition I took part in, and the interesting discoveries we made. If not, here is a quick recap.

 

 

Over two days in September, members of the Pennsylvania Bigfoot Society organized a trip into the mountainous region of Fayette County. During the expedition, some interesting events took place and some pieces of potential evidence was discovered. On the first day, team members encountered something that displayed what appeared to be a innate intelligence as it moved, on top of some wood knocks in response to known knocks and even rock throwing that hit some team members. On day two, the activity was a lot less, but the team did discover a potential Bigfoot track in an area of the Forbes State Forest.

 

 

After the expedition one of my daughters was extremely excited about the pictures of the print and wanted to attempt to cast it. As a budding young and hopefully future member of the Cryptological research community, this was something she has talked about for some time. After some thought and planning, I took the daughter to the location, material in hand, and set the cast. After covering it, and letting it sit for a couple days, tonight we ventured back into the woods to retrieve the track. Honestly, nothing will take the place of seeing the smile on her face when we removed it from the ground. Awesome! In the future, I hope to get her in the field a little more, although she is young, her attention to detail and understanding of surroundings is far above her years.

 

 

What the Judges Thought of Our Creations at the Westmoreland County Fair

Today we made our way out to the Westmoreland County Fair to see how our entries did with the judging. After looking around and seeing the competition, I believe all of us did extremely well considering it was out first venture out there.

Upcycled Birdbath

Bedspring Tree

Washboard Birdhouse

Upcycled Projector Lamp 

In all, four of my five entries placed, with one second, two thirds and one fourth place ribbon. Ironically, the item I felt the worst about (the birdbath) finished with the highest place, and the one I liked the most (the wreath) did not place. But, oh well, it is all in the eyes of the judges. Bren did well, placing with a nice variety of items, including her mixed media piece and her lampshades.

Mixed Media

Vintage Upcycled Apron

The daughters all did well, with Markie taking home the bragging rights with one first, a third and a fifth place finish in her entries including the cool dinosaur planter. Jolene and Jillian also did well, although I do not think the judges quite understood Jillian’s recycled item.

Mixed Media

Mixed Media

Birdhouse

Upcycled Dinosaur Planter