If you can, watch a post-apocalyptic horror film called "Carriers". I got it when it first came out in I think 2009 but I hadn't watched it in a while. Two couples travel across the country to find somewhere safe to hide after a virus wipes out most of the population of the United States. A pretty solid cast (including Lou Taylor Pucci, whose character was the dude that got stabbed in the eye in the "Evil Dead" remake). Chris Pine swings for the fences as the sardonic older brother that resents his younger sibling while fighting to stay alive in a virus-ravaged world.
But it's Christopher Meloni that knocks it out of the park as a frantic dad trying to get his infected daughter to a makeshift clinic where he hears there's a serum that can cure the disease. Years ago Stephen King wrote a short review of "Carriers" and sang high praises of Meloni's performance, and I wholeheartedly agree with the author. That review is what make me watch "Carriers" in the first place, for sure.
"Carriers" is pretty intense for a PG-13 fare though, so kind of prepare yourselves. At one point the little group of survivors come across a doctor that's preparing a special batch of Kool-Aid, Jonestown-style, for the slew of his sick patients that are beyond hope. I warned you all this was a post-apocalyptic horror film, didn't I?
Also, in real-world movie tips, be wary if you buy a used movie from anywhere. Just had an experience with my used copy of "A Horrible Way to Die" that make my insides tighten and started to turn my bowels into ice cubes.
Before you pay for a used movie at the store, ask to look at the disc(s) first. Make sure it's not all scratched up and beat to shit. Also, some used movies are copies that people buy from Family Video or other rental places. These store copies have a circular sticker in the middle of the disc. The used movie shops peel these stickers off, but the adhesive is still suck to the DVD, which can play hell on your player if you're not careful. In this case just take a small dab of Goo Gone and gently wipe that stuff off, then take a buff cloth to both sides of the disc when you're done. Should be as good as new.
If you're a local Northeast Ohio reader, The Exchange is pretty diligent about taking care of their stock. I've been going there for years, and they'll cooperate with any reasonable requests you have.
Cheers, and stay safe out there. Don't get burned by a killer virus, or damaged DVDs for that matter.
No writings on any specific movies at the moment. I'm kind of not in the mood right now. Shit's going on, but I feel the need to get some film-related things off of my chest. Most of these points were spawned by a dinner conversation that went horribly awry. Much like "You're Next", but without getting shot at by crossbows afterwards (looking back, this would have been a blessing).
FIRST, Star Wars and George Lucas. Sorry to all my friends, but I'm not a fan of either. All those years ago I was tired and fatigued of Lucas going back and digitally adding things into the Star Wars franchise's first trilogy. "But it wasn't the movie I wanted to make," he said.
What a cop-out. Even THX-1138 had to be digitally redone before it got a wide release on DVD. What a pain in the ass. And the latter is a good movie too. Shame. George Lucas, you made the movies. They're your babies and they're loved by millions. Have the courage to embrace them for what they are. Or were, for that matter. And as for the digital editing, STOP ASSUMING I DON'T HAVE AN IMAGINATION. It's INSULTING. The story alone is engaging, and I don't need robots and mutants everywhere to add to it.
Besides, the basic plotline for Episode 4 is pretty much a sci-fi take of Kurosawa's "The Hidden Fortress" anyway. Plus the final battle at the Death Star is the same from the World War II dogfight movie "Dambusters". Your favorite space opera is a remake, sci-fi fans. Saddle up and handle that.
Does Nicholson's review take a condescending tone at some points? In my opinion, sure. But Jesus Christ, the woman has an opinion on a DOCUDRAMA. And she acknowledges the real-life heroism of the Navy SEALs and the tragedy of what happened to that SEAL team. So she's entitled to an informed opinion on a MOVIE it's based on. She shouldn't be threatened or harassed for expressing said opinion. It was bad enough when I told my high school classmates I didn't care for "Black Hawk Down" back in the early 2000's.
Back to my first point. I have an acquaintance, John, who is a die-hard, hardcore, Star Wars fan. But I would NEVER threaten the guy. Or call him un-American. Or threaten to have him deported or shot. As a matter of fact, we hung out at a party with a bunch of others on New Year's and had a good time playing board games and Cards Against Humanity all night. It was nice. You know why? Because I'm not a PSYCHO if someone else has a different opinion or in Nicholson's case calls "Lone Survivor" jingoist propaganda.
Different strokes for different folks, motherfuckers. Get a grip.
Finally, Oscar nominations. In a fair and just world James Franco would be nominated for Best Supporting Actor in "Spring Breakers". And Wendy Glenn for Best Supporting Actress in "You're Next", for the classic line, "I want to fuck on this bed next to your dead mom."
You're doing it all wrong, Oscars. You're doing it all wrong.
I'm going to wait on the PS4. First, I don't think a lot of great games are out for it yet. Secondly, and most importantly, I've got a ton of movies on my PS3 HDD that I enjoy. I can't get rid of the system just yet. Thanks to theInternet Archive (Disclaimer: it's just a website I enjoy and this blog post is not an official endorsement), I've turned my PS3 into a portable nostalgic box office.
Your local Best Buy or movie store too expensive? Hell, just go to the Archive and download a bunch of classic movies that have fallen into the public domain. If you've got a New Year's resolution to save some cash, this is a good start. You don't have to be rich to enjoy classic films. As my grandmother says, "I can squeeze a nickel 'till the buffalo shits."
First, you've got your obvious movies like "Night of the Living Dead", "Nosferatu", and "Carnival of Souls" if horror is your game. Then there's some lesser-known classics, some of which I've enjoyed recently. One of these movies is the British wartime spy/drama/comedy "Cottage to Let".
So this wartime evacuee from London, a cocky teenage kid, gets sent away and dumped off at a Scottish estate run by a socialite and her mad scientist husband (Leslie Banks from "The Most Dangerous Game", free to download at the Archive too!). The kid is bored and despondent, but not for long. The guest cottage is turned into a military hospital which takes in a crashed Spitfire pilot. Another boarder takes over one of the rooms, and it's obvious he's not who he says he is.
It also turns out that the scientist is developing a bombsight for the Allies, and the plot takes off when German spies pull off a snatch and grab in the third act, taking both him and the prototype sight. It's pretty good, there's some great comic relief, romance, and action sequences too, which is surprising for a black and white movie.
Then on the Archive there's some movies that are either unique but not great, or are just so bad they're good. In the former you have "Things to Come",the movie based on the story by H.G. Wells. It's not great, just unique, and there's some post-apocalyptic and science fiction action at some point. In the latter you've got "The Incredible Petrified World", a cheese-fest of a movie that I think was featured on MST3K. These hapless divers go into this giant diving bell and then explore underground caverns. Basically, it's a low-tech movie version of Minecraft.
OH! And I almost forgot to mention this. If you're going to download some movies and make a playlist, you can't go wrong with downloading some drive-in theater intermissions or other stuff to use as filler. The Archive even has Duck and Cover! Yes, the movie that was shown to all of the kids during the height of the Cold War, basically telling them that their school desks, a newspaper, and even a picnic blanket would protect them all from a nuclear bomb blast.
Aaaah, nostalgia. It's the start of a new year, but any time is a good time to enjoy free classic black and white movies, pop open a Coca-Cola, and FIGHT COMMUNISM!
