Seeking Xanadu

Drag me To Hell

Ok, I remember when I first saw the Raimi creation that was Evil Dead I was jumping every few moments and laughing hard a number of times. It's a peculiar blend of jumpy, genuinely creepy and kinda funny that became a bit sillier as the movies progressed. Bruce Campbell was wonderful as the unhinged Ash and Raimi made the clear statement that he didn't do happy endings with those films.

So roll forwa to 2009 and Sam and Ivan Raimi get to write and direct another horror. These guys have not grown up at all. The budget may have been better but the same balance of brilliantly creepy and schlocky hilarious horror that marked the Evil Dead films as cult classics is present here in spades.

I spent the whole time in knuckle biting tension and laughed so hard I cried. The fight scene in the car is brilliant.
Alison Lohman as Christine Brown was a brilliant replacement for Campbell, playing the part with amazing subtlety to bring you to just the right place emotionally for the end of the film. I can't help feeling that the wrong casting for this role would have been a disaster and I am very glad the part ended up with Lohman.

Some of the effects and events were almost straight from Evil Dead and it would be deeply offensive to gypsy's if it weren't so over the top. I really hope we see more of the style that made Raimi's name back on the screen and I hope we see a great deal more of Lohman in these tough rol

grrr snarl

I hate children. They have homes and nice gardens and a great park and the village green and all sorts of places to go and play, but no they hang out in a pack on the close being insanely loud and making me nuts. aaaargh. and the cat keeps farting at me.

Two Gentlemen Play the Pops

M and I went to the pub in the village last night for a couple of pints with some mates. We'd forgotten the band was playing and it's usually busy for these guys. Everyone must have been tied up at the wedding or something because the pub remained quiet, which is how M & I prefer it. None the less the boys put on a great set for all ten of us and we had a fantastic time. An unexpectedly delightful evening. M & I have always been a bit dubious as to what kind of cover set two blokes with a drum set, an acoustic guitar and a kazoo could manage but they are both extremely good and very entertaining.

Does anyone remember Brimstone?

other than me and Caitlin Kittredge.
It was a TV series based around the Devil (dude on the left) and a cop who died and went to hell because of a vengeance killing (he murdered his wife's rapist). Although Stone (the cop) went to hell he was basically a good guy who let his emotions get the best of him and when some evil souls break out of hell he is sent out to round them up. The tattoos represent the names of the escaped souls and one disappears every time  he send a soul back. It's kind of like Reaper but more adult and not funny. I loved it and was gutted when it was cancelled.
I'd like to see this one brought back, along with Firefly and Reaper.

What would you like to see resurrected?

I love London

I was in London yesterday and I love that city! I was there to interview AMP Mills who wrote the very witty Hell Bent on Success. Some notes on the interview are here and the audio file itself will be going up soon.

You should check it out, I had a hoot and also got to meet up with an old online pal.

This is me paying attention.

And our charming host,amused by something. Of course we were amused by lots of things so I can't guess which.

Marc, from the peanut gallery, also our photographer for the day.

 

 

Now go see the rest of it.

phasing out

Hi folks, just to let you now, I am paid up for about 10 more months on this blog, but over the next year I will be phasing out. I will probably maintain a blogger blog just for the occasional post. My time is going into Un:Bound more and more and that seems set to continue. I hope some of you will visit me there www.unboundblogzine.com and I will link to blogger when the time comes. For the next few months I will continue to post occasionally here and hope to transfer your blogs to a new home so I can keep up with your goings on.

Ravenous Romance Blog Tour

Hi folks, if you hop on over to Un:Bound you can join in the fun of the Ravenous Romance blog tour, oh and mock me for my uselessness. Thank fully I have my very own cyber hero to rescue me from time zone cockups.

http://hagelrat.blogspot.com/2009/04/bus-is-fixed-ravenous-romance-ornery.html

go on, it's fun.

Change

As in .. I felt like one. Un:Bound is pretty much dictated by my gorgeous logo (thanks Andy) so the change is here. I like the bright new template.

Easter

It's easter weekend. That means two things.
Four day weekend
and as a direct result
Lots of reading!

I know it's a religious holiday, but I am not religious, so I am just going to kick back and enjoy the break.

I went to see Monster vs Aliens last night and was deeply disappointed.The premise was good, the monsters were really likeable, but the plot and the villain were utterly rubbish, the dialogue was poor and the whole thing ended up being a bit lame. I think even if I was 12 i'd feel a bit had over this one.
Shame is that it had promise.

There are plans to see Terminator 4, Coraline and Star Trek soon. I don't suppose anything will match Watchmen for a while, but i'm looking forward to these.

SUPPOSEDLY if you've seen over 85 films, you have no life. Mark the ones you've seen. There are 239 films on this list. Copy this list, go to your own blog, paste this as a post. Then, put x's next to the films you've seen, add them up, and change the header adding your number. Have fun.

(x ) Rocky Horror Picture Show
(X) Grease
(X) Pirates of the Caribbean
(X) Pirates of the Caribbean 2: Dead Man's Chest
(x ) Boondock Saints
(x) Fight Club
(X) Starsky and Hutch
(X) Neverending Story
(X) Blazing Saddles
(X) Airplane
Total: 10

( x) The Princess Bride
(X) Anchorman
( ) Napoleon Dynamite
(X) Labyrinth
( ) Saw II
( ) White Noise
( ) White Oleander
(X) Anger Management
() 50 First Dates
(x )The Princess Diaries
( ) The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement
Total so far: 15

( x)Scream
(x ) Scream 2
( x) Scream 3
(x ) Scary Movie
( ) Scary Movie 2
( ) Scary Movie 3
( ) Scary Movie 4
(X) American Pie
() American Pie 2
( ) American Wedding
( ) American Pie Band Camp
Total so far: 20

(X) Harry Potter 1
(X) Harry Potter 2
(X) Harry Potter 3
(X) Harry Potter 4
(x ) Resident Evil 1
(x ) Resident Evil 2
(X) The Wedding Singer
( ) Little Black Book
(x ) The Village
( X) Lilo & Stitch
Total so far: 29

(X) Finding Nemo
(x) Finding Neverland
( x) Signs
(X) The Grinch
( x) Texas Chainsaw Massacre
( ) Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning
( ) White Chicks
( x) Butterfly Effect
( ) 13 Going on 30
(x ) I, Robot
( ) Robots
Total so far: 36

( x) Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story
( x) Universal Soldier
() Lemony Snicket: A Series Of Unfortunate Events
( ) Along Came Polly
( ) Deep Impact
( ) KingPin
(X) Never Been Kissed
(X) Meet The Parents
() Meet the Fockers
( ) Eight Crazy Nights
() Joe Dirt
( ) KING KONG
Total so far: 40

( ) A Cinderella Story
( ) The Terminal
( ) The Lizzie McGuire Movie
( ) Passport to Paris
(X) Dumb & Dumber
( ) Dumber & Dumberer
( x) Final Destination
( x) Final Destination 2
( ) Final Destination 3
() Halloween
( x) The Ring
( ) The Ring 2
( ) Surviving X-MAS
( ) Flubber
Total so far: 44

( ) Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle
(X) Practical Magic
(X) Chicago
(x ) Ghost Ship
(x ) From Hell
(x ) Hellboy
( ) Secret Window
( ) I Am Sam
( ) The Whole Nine Yards
( ) The Whole Ten Yards
Total so far: 49

( x) The Day After Tomorrow
( ) Child's Play
( ) Seed of Chucky
( ) Bride of Chucky
( x) Ten Things I Hate About You
(x ) Just Married
( ) Gothika
(X) Nightmare on Elm Street
() Sixteen Candles
( ) Remember the Titans
( ) Coach Carter
( ) The Grudge
( ) The Grudge 2
(X) The Mask
() Son Of The Mask
Total so far: 54

( x) Bad Boys
( x) Bad Boys 2
( ) Joy Ride
( x) Lucky Number Slevin
(X) Ocean's Eleven
() Ocean's Twelve
( x) Bourne Identity
( x) Bourne Supremacy
( ) Lone Star
(X) Bedazzled
( x) Predator I
( ) Predator II
( ) The Fog
(X) Ice Age
(X) Ice Age 2: The Meltdown
( ) Curious George
Total so far: 65

(X) Independence Day
( x) Cujo
( ) A Bronx Tale
( ) Darkness Falls
( ) Christine
(X) ET
( ) Children of the Corn
( ) My Bosses Daughter
(X) Maid in Manhattan
(X) War of the Worlds
(X) Rush Hour
(X) Rush Hour 2
Total so far: 72

( ) Best Bet
(X) How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
( x) She's All That
( x) Calendar Girls
( ) Sideways
(x ) Mars Attacks
( x) Event Horizon
() Ever After
(X) Wizard of Oz
(X) Forrest Gump
(X) Big Trouble in Little China
(X) The Terminator
(x ) The Terminator 2
( x) The Terminator 3
Total so far: 83

(x ) X-Men
(x ) X-2
(x ) X-3
(X) Spider-Man
(X) Spider-Man 2
() Sky High
(x ) Jeepers Creepers
(x ) Jeepers Creepers 2
(x ) Catch Me If You Can
() The Little Mermaid
(X) Freaky Friday
( x) Reign of Fire
(x ) The Skulls
(x ) Cruel Intentions
( ) Cruel Intentions 2
( ) The Hot Chick
(X) Shrek
(X) Shrek 2
Total so far: 97

( ) Swimfan
( ) Miracle on 34th street
( x) Old School
() The Notebook
(x ) K-Pax
( ) Krippendorf's Tribe
() A Walk to Remember
( ) Ice Castles
( ) Boogeyman
( ) The 40-year-old Virgin
Total so far: 99

( x) Lord of the Rings Fellowship of the Ring
( x) Lord of the Rings The Two Towers
( x) Lord of the Rings Return Of the King
(X) Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark
(X) Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
(X) Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
Total so far: 105

( x) Baseketball
( ) Hostel
( ) Waiting for Guffman
( ) House of 1000 Corpses
( ) Devils Rejects
() Elf
( ) Highlander
(x ) Mothman Prophecies
( ) American History X
( ) Three
Total so Far: 107

( ) The Jacket
(x ) Kung Fu Hustle
( ) Shaolin Soccer
( x) Night Watch
(X) Monsters Inc.
(X) Titanic
(X) Monty Python and the Holy Grail
( x) Shaun Of the Dead
( ) Willard
Total so far: 113

( ) High Tension
( ) Club Dread
( x) Hulk
( x) Dawn Of the Dead
(X) Hook
(X) Chronicles Of Narnia: The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe
(X) 28 days later
( ) Orgazmo
( ) Phantasm
( x) Waterworld
Total so far: 119

(x ) Kill Bill vol 1
(x ) Kill Bill vol 2
( x) Mortal Kombat
( ) Wolf Creek
( x) Kingdom of Heaven
( ) the Hills Have Eyes
( ) I Spit on Your Grave aka the Day of the Woman
( ) The Last House on the Left
( ) Re-Animator
( x) Army of Darkness
Total so far: 124

( x) Star Wars Ep. I The Phantom Menace
(x ) Star Wars Ep. II Attack of the Clones
(x ) Star Wars Ep. III Revenge of the Sith
( x) Star Wars Ep. IV A New Hope
( x) Star Wars Ep. V The Empire Strikes Back
( x) Star Wars Ep. VI Return of the Jedi
( ) Ewoks Caravan Of Courage
( ) Ewoks The Battle For Endor
Total so far: 130

( x) The Matrix
(x ) The Matrix Reloaded
(x ) The Matrix Revolutions
(x ) Animatrix
(x ) Evil Dead
( x) Evil Dead 2
( x) Team America: World Police
( x) Red Dragon
(X) Silence of the Lambs
( ) Hannibal
Total so far: 141

Now Add them up and...
141 I have no life. oh well, not shocked. Of course, nothing said about how long you have to have watched them over, it's not like i'm 17 y'know.