Adventures in poor punctuation: MiniBlast Lagoon

The Professor and I recently visited the miniature golf course at Adventures at MiniBlast Lagoon in Cromwell (for an excellent review, visit the Putting Penguin's site over here). The course was really quite fun, but a typo on our scoring card left me a bit deflated:

Not only was I unable to find the Tom Cruise/Bryan Brown cinematic classic while strolling the grounds, but I got pegged by a TON of golf balls from the driving range! Kokomo, indeed.

Scary gumball machine

This gumball machine was spotted at the Manchester movie theater:

It kind of speaks for itself, though I can't help but wonder what happened to that creepy child's eyebrows? Was that part of his gang initiation?

I can't stare at it for very long. The kid's eyes follow you across the room.

Movie stuff

Synecdoche, New York, just out on DVD (more or less), may be the most important film dealing with the concept of human mortality the U.S. has produced in a good decade. It's incredibly dense and extremely odd, but absolutely rewarding for viewers that give it a serious chance. Philip Seymour Hoffman really carries the film on his shoulders. And Charlie Kaufman, here directing from his own script, fills every image with so many clues that the film demands multiple viewings. To say more about it would only sound silly. I can't describe it. I can't even express the emotion that this project provides. 

I guess all I can say is that can't recommend it enough.

* * *

Over at The Atlantic, James Parker has a pretty interesting article about the resurgence of the slasher film genre. I really enjoyed the final section, which compares modern movie killers with Grendel and Sir Halewyn the Miserable. You can find the article over here.

* * *

Lastly, did anyone else read about Woody Harrelson mistaking a TMZ photographer for a zombie? Seriously. He claims that he was still in character when he punched the man at an airport. He's in the middle of shooting a zombie movie. 

You can read about it here.

I'm a proud papa

No, the Professor did not have a baby or anything . . .

I'm talking about Circuit, a movie I co-wrote with my old college roommate. There was a special screening of the film last night at our old alma mater, Massachusetts College of Art. It was the first time I saw the project with its sound fully mixed.

I couldn't have been happier.

The audience, a packed house, was wonderful. They laughed when they were supposed to laugh. They asked the right questions at the Q&A afterwards. Several even got the puzzle that we laced throughout the movie. I was floored. I thought it was harder to solve! 

Oh, I'm pretty excited. Now we need to start getting screenings at festivals. Anyone looking for a feature-length drama/comedy/sci-fi film dealing with storytelling techniques and the five human senses?

Things thought at 3:45 AM

Rough time sleeping last night. The bacon cheeseburger from Plan B did me in. I found myself awake at 3:45 a.m., my mind wandering.

Here's what I remember thinking about:

1. New issue of the West Hartford News to look forward to tomorrow. Will the writing will still be horrible?

The answer, as I just learned when I got my mail, is yes. Well, maybe not as bad as two weeks ago, but still pretty poor.

2. I really don't want to break up with my landlord.

The Professor and I made the decision to move, even though we hate the thought of packing everything up to move a mile away. 

On my way home from work today I decided to make the phone call and tell our landlord the bad news. I hate making that phone call. But I followed through with it. I even went into a "it's not you, it's me" run. Not fun. 

But, like a band-aid, I tore it quickly.

She was completely blind-sided by the news.

3. How can one tell if they are in an Italian horror film?

Yes, this was something I was thinking about at 4 o'clock this morning. And I came up with a five-point yes/no checklist. Essentially, if you can answer 'yes' to at least three of these statements, you may actually be part of an Italian horror film:

1. I live or work in a building that has enough space for a hidden room, where someone may be conducting experiments or planning horrible actions against me or my roommates/co-workers.

2. I speak Italian and am an attractive female (or the boyfriend of an attractive female).

3. My life seems to have a heavy metal soundtrack that is heavy on Judas Priest, Iron Maiden and Goblin.

4. I live in a Technicolor wonderland.

5. Someone is trying to kill me. 

I am bleary-eyed. I'm going to go crash for a bit.

The funny thing about free things

This evening, the Prof and I went to a sneak preview of the new Paul Rudd/Jason Segel movie I Love You, Man. It was entertaining enough, with a few laugh-out-loud moments. Honestly, though, the movie was overloaded with pop culture references. I really don't get why so many modern comedies play this card. Cinema should be timeless. Cheap laughs relying on 2009 vernacular may work today, but no one's going to have a clue what was so funny about Lost gags or Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium jokes 15 years from now (That being said, some worked, especially the Rush reference, which, for fans of Freaks and Geeks, was kind of awesome.).

Anyway . . .

I wasn't writing this to post about the movie. Instead, I was intending to ramble about the crowds that come out when these sort of sneak previews are offered. The spectacle is really quite something. It's as if the average consumer cannot resist someone giving them something for free, regardless of their interest. There were all kinds of people at the theater. Old, young, reallllllyyyyy old, hip hop, nerdy, chic, college professors, husbands of college professors. All were present, and I bet only about 20% of them would have shown up to pay for a ticket if the movie was already in theaters (Prof and I would have been in that 20%. She's got a Paul Rudd thing, and I have a dumb comedy thing). 

In fact, I'm pretty sure a few attendees hadn't been to a movie in easily a decade, judging by the way they looked around the theater when they entered ("It's like one of them future spaceships! Thank God for these movie passes! Now, is Fred and Ginger in this picture?").

And this hodgepodge of people, old and young, also seemed to carry with them some of the strangest manners. I watched about 7 people just up and leave about halfway through the screening. Now, we weren't watching avant-garde cinema, here. Let's face it, there was a 5 minute joke about farting. It isn't like the material was all that challenging. 

Before tonight, I can probably count on one hand the amount of people I've watched walk out of a theater in the past few years. 

Of course, those were tickets that people paid money for.

Then there were the people who conversed throughout the film, as if, since nobody paid to get in, the event was more of a social gathering than anything. There were a few groups that sounded like they were doing flash cards or math homework or something. And the couple that debated why the main character was having such difficulties making friends. Odd.

I won't even get into the people who, even with free tickets, still smuggled in cans of soda and McDonalds. That sort of thing just blows my mind. I mean, I get bringing your own candy or whatever, but cheeseburgers? Do you realize how awful that odor is when it hovers in a movie theater for 100 minutes? And the movie is already free, so cough up a few bucks for the theater at the concession stand. 

I don't know. I just think it's interesting to see how we react to free entertainment. And, truth is, it was a free night out (though we did spring for the $6.50 kids popcorn/soda/candy box). I guess I can't complain. Better than watching American Idol.

Ramble over. Off to bed.

Is it bad when it feels like jury duty?

Yesterday, I took my first trip to the state capitol. I attended a public hearing at the Legislative Office Building where, among other topics, a proposed cap on Connecticut's motion picture tax credit system was being discussed.

I know, I know, slow down, Ben, this is WAY to exciting for me to read.

I was sitting in on the hearing for a short article I'm writing, though, in secret, I was also there to support the current tax credit system. I understand the state's fear of an uncapped system, but I don't think a cap as small as the governor is proposing ($30 million/year) will do any good for the infancy of the motion picture industry in the state. There are $114 million in currently unused pledged credits already distributed. Such a cap would essentially be pulling the rug from under these people.

I won't get too deep into this. I realize it gets boring. I will just say that most other states with similar programs are making between $1.50 and $1.90 for every dollar the state pledges in tax credits. 

Anyway . . .

I arrived at the capital at around 10:15 and was lucky enough to find a visitor's parking space (the last in the lot!). I made my way underground from the main Capitol to the LOB and took a seat in the room reserved for the hearing. I had my pad and digital voice recorder ready.

And then I realized I was going to be sitting for a very, very long time.

I can only equate the experience as wasting away a day at jury duty. The seats were uncomfortable. People were there out of obligation. Folks were nodding off in the corners.

But this was more like jury duty if everyone in the room decided they had something to say and were all deaf to the fact that what they have to say was exactly the same as the person who spoke right before them. Yes, I realize this was a public hearing and the fact that these exist shows how wonderful our democracy is in this country. But when 3/4 of the state representatives and senators leave as the meeting begins, does it matter that 100 people want their time to talk?

The meeting lasted 7 hours!

I ended up leaving at about the 3 1/2 hour mark. My butt had fallen asleep and I had gotten enough of the "experience" to write my piece. I made my way home. 

Turns out the entire event was being broadcast live on the Connecticut News station. I could have gotten everything I needed and never stepped out my front door. I could have worn pajamas all day!

Oh well. I suppose the television broadcast wouldn't have given me the scope of the hundreds that showed up in support of the tax credit. Nor would it have made me weary of ever attending such a hearing again without a good book to keep me company.

Sunday ramble

* Have you seen Coraline yet? If not, check it out before the Jonas Brothers gobble up all the 3D screens in America. 

The use of 3D is excellent and is in no way obvious, the stop motion animation is beautiful, and the story is pretty touching (and creepy).

* I learned a valuable lesson from a crazy homeless lady yesterday. If you want a sandwich shop's undivided attention, walk in through the front door and find the loudest thing possible to kick, then run out the door. Scared me out of my seat.

* Regardless of what one thinks of UConn basketball coach Jim Calhoun and his (rather large) salary, I think we can all agree that he could handle himself with a bit more poise when he's rattled by pseudo-journalists:

* Is it necessary for Oscar coverage to start 6 hours before the award ceremony begins? Do we love celebrities THAT much? On the same point, do we need live coverage of Red Sox spring training EVERY day? I mean, I like the Sox as much as anyone else, but I find watching men stretch, oh, I don't know, dull.

Windsor movie studio

I recently contributed an article to Imagine News, a monthly publication dedicated to the film and television industry in New England. The piece concerned a proposed $110 million movie studio complex up in Windsor, CT. Yes, I realize that mentioning this here is shameless self-promotion, but the project sounds pretty interesting. To begin, it's being built from a massive motocross facility. Plus, when complete, it will offer about 400 full-time jobs to local residents. With our economy floundering, that sort of number sounds pretty fantastic.

The hum of high performance engines. The thick, dust-laden atmosphere. This is what greets visitors entering Mototown USA, a 200,000-square-foot indoor motocross stadium in Windsor, Connecticut. The arena has become a haven for riders during the winter months, an escape from the snow and ice. The air may be cold, but the course is in excellent condition.

Thomas DeFranzo, developer and proprietor of Mototown USA, built this facility to satisfy his life-long love of motocross racing. But this year, once the riders take to the hills outdoors, DeFranzo and his staff will not be grooming the tracks in preparation for their return.

“Once everyone goes outside for motocross in March, this building will cease to exist as a motocross facility,” DeFranzo explains. “We’ll begin to move the dirt out, power wash everything, and start putting down touch-up paint.”

Mototown USA is in its final season. Come spring, it will be converted into film and television sound stages. DeFranzo’s plan is to eventually find a new location for the original operation, one where he can build both an indoor and outdoor course.

Until then, it’s goodbye, motocross, hello, motion pictures.

If you're interested, you can find the full article in Imagine's "eEdition" over here.

I love gimmicks

You know what I liked most about the Super Bowl last night? The 3D commercials at halftime. Why? Because they were 3D! Duh!

Make anything 3D and I'm interested. As a kid, I'd buy 3D Gumby and GI Joe comic books. Were they any good? I have no idea. I doubt I ever read them. I'm sure all I did was stare at the pages with my 3D glasses.

I paid to see Freddy's Dead, the 3D Nightmare on Elm Street installment, when it first came out. I had never seen a Freddy movie in theaters, but . . . this one was in 3D! Well, not the WHOLE movie, but we got to see some 3D during the last 15 minutes. And it was horrible! But I still have the glasses.

I drove in a snowstorm a few years ago to try to see the Polar Express in 3D IMAX when it was released, only to find that every screening was sold out. Did I care about the Polar Express? No. But it was in 3D, so I had to risk life and limb to make the attempt.

I haven't gone to see the new My Bloody Valentine 3D . . . yet. 

Anyway . . .

When I heard that they were going to run an ad during the Super Bowl in 3D, I made sure to pick up some glasses at the grocery store. Of course, I did this while remembering the pathetic Diet Coke "Be Bop Bamboozled" 3D halftime show from 1989 (A sad, sad halftime show), so I wasn't putting much hope into this year's events.

I was pleasantly surprised.

The amber and blue glasses, using a technology developed by ColorCode 3D, actually seemed to pop the colors more than the traditional red/blue lenses. I always wondered why people bothered with the red lens for television events in 3D, as that channel always seems to be the wonkiest when it comes to color balance. The people at ColorCode must have thought of this, as well. Their amber lens made the effects look pretty convincing.

But the contents were lacking. Monsters vs. Aliens seems pretty dumb, and those Sobe lizards are lame. Even 3D couldn't make them interesting. Why couldn't we see Bruce and Little Stevie in 3D? Now that would have been a show!

If you're interested, the website for ColorCode has some cool stuff to check out. 

The up of the down

I have written recently about the advantages of being unemployed, but, the truth is, waiting for a job to arrive is pretty much a bummer. I can't tell you how many times I've "almost" gotten something since arriving in West Hartford. I've applied for jobs one week too late. I've spent entire days at companies, meeting staffs and owners, only to find that, after an unexpected downturn in the stock market, their "six month plan" had been dramatically and suddenly revised. I've had long phone interviews that have ended with "well, we aren't looking for anyone right now, but . . ." I've had more job searches cancelled due to budget cuts than one can feel is normal. I've been to certain companies three, four times, only to learn that, at the last minute, someone else with perfect qualifications had applied and edged me out.

It really isn't fun.

But, if my work life has been a continuous series of blunders, it has at least allowed me to really contribute to the completion of Circuit, a movie I co-wrote and helped edit while still living in Boston. Yesterday, I drove up to Arlington, MA, to take in the "almost final" cut of the project and to provide suggestions for tightening up the stories. I met up with the film's sound designer Adam and my friend Andrew, the film's director, and sat back to watch what they had been working on.

I was really amazed. In every regard, Circuit had been improved from my last experience with it. The project had become a real movie, not just an idea that Andrew and I had five years ago while doing a writing exercise. The guys had taken a decent cut submitted by myself prior to leaving Massachusetts and whittled it into something strangely satisfying. As an audience member, I felt like a ghost, floating through each story. Performances had been shaped. Special effects had been improved and included. Original music pulsated through scenes, supporting the emotions of the actors on screen.

It was impressive, though there were a few minor kinks. So, we got to work. We spent the day adding and removing scenes, flip-flopping order, and trimming seconds here and there. Having spent the last five months away from the footage helped give me a fresh perspective and let me see the problem areas with a new mental picture.

By the time I drove away and hopped onto Route 2, we had found the solutions. I left Andrew and Adam to fine tune everything as they moved towards the finish line.

The first film festival submission deadlines for Circuit are rapidly approaching. I'm excited for the project to break away from its sheltered existence, to become a member of the world. Who knows, maybe it'll even get into a few big festivals. Until then, I'm just happy to have the time right now to help see it off of its journey. 

And for that, unemployment has been great.

Thoughts on the Grinch

I must say, I thought the airing of How the Grinch Stole Christmas! on Monday night was appropriate. The moral of the story, that Christmas is not necessarily about objects and things, seemed well suited for the weary eyes of "Cyber Monday" shoppers and "Black Friday" holdovers. But I couldn't help but feel a bit conflicted in the fact that ABC continues to air the cartoon with additional commercial breaks, not only editing out portions of the story, but, effectively, using the idea that the season is NOT about presents and gifts to sell viewers MORE commercials pushing presents and gifts. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. This is how we live, isn't it?

Getting back to the cartoon, one thing that I particularly love in each viewing is the fact that, regardless of the re-masterings and HD transfers it receives, the supervisors involved still leave all of the mistakes in the animation. In an age when the Lucas' of the world completely change films to reflect modern technology, often leaving their films looking less and less human-made, such absence of interference is breathtaking. The most obvious of these "mistakes" is early in the story, when the hatted Whos carry the roast beast to the dinner table. As they walk, the smallest Who's hat blinks from white to blue. A little blip, but one I look forward to seeing every year. I remember noticing it as a child and loving the human error, and today that love remains, the fact that, even in a 40-year-old classic, there is no perfection.

Taking in the program as an adult, I have grown fascinated with the character of Max, the brown dog companion of the Grinch. What keeps the little animal so happy? The Grinch obviously treats him like dirt, yet he continues to pant and wag his tail. Is he, underneath his fur and big brown eyes, Seuss' example of an eternal optimist? Or, thinking darker, is Max some sort of "I keep coming back for more" spousal abuse victim? I'm sure an argument could be made for either case. Perhaps he always knew that happiness would come to the Grinch. That the act of helping steal Christmas would finally bring joy to his life. Conversely, maybe he has grown so accustomed to abuse that he has found happiness in the small moments when he gets to be more than a whipping post. Too afraid to leave in the middle of the night, and happy to just breathe another day.

He is a most interesting and complex character. Why does he stay with the Grinch when he could run off to the Whos during the night?

At the same time, how did these two come together in the first place? Was the Grinch once a nicer figure? Did he take in this pup out of compassion originally, or was it solely for a henchman/punching bag position? And, if the Grinch did initially act out of compassion, when and why did he turn so foul?

So many questions, so few answers. And yet, these questions are what help elevate How the Grinch Stole Christmas! to the mantle on which it continues to stand. The program has an eternally current message, wonderful moments, and characters that evolve with the viewer. It encourages repeat viewings, with each peeling back a new layer of the onion. A different piece of the puzzle is obtained, a puzzle that is solely ours.

Digging the deep

I can speak again. That is a very good thing. What's even better is that my voice is still extremely deep. I gotta say, I'm totally digging it. I'm honestly going to miss the velvet tones my voice box has been fluttering once this cold leaves my body and my voice rises in pitch.

When you think about it, it's only natural to want this kind of rich voice. Right now, I could be one hell of a voiceover artist. Or, a really sexy soul singer. The second coming of Barry White of Isaac Hayes (minus the Scientology)?

At the very least, I could become the next Chocolate Rain, right?

As I bask in my fleeting, sweet baritone, I salute some of the best deep-voiced humans to walk (and talk) this wet, dirty thing we call Earth.

Here are my top 5 deep-voiced wonders, in random order:

1. Don LaFontaine: The late, great ubiquitous movie trailer voice artist. In a world without Mr. LaFontaine, who will handle the duties of saying, "In a world . . ." at the beginning of every trailer?

2. Tom Waits - The coolest singer/songwriter in the world, hands down. And his lyrics cut straight to the bone. Here's Mr. Waits performing his amazing "Day After Tomorrow." If this song doesn't bring out an emotion from deep within your soul, dear reader, you are a robot. Perhaps you're Vicki from Small Wonder. Check to see if you have a control panel on your back and an annoying little brother that says "Whoppers!" all the time.

3. James Earl Jones - The man was Darth Vader, Mufasa, and the voice of CNN. Plus, he played the pivotal role of "Royal Flush XP Toilet" in a 2004 episode of According to Jim! What can't this man do? One thing's for sure, he knows his alphabet.

4. Bowzer from Sha Na Na - This is strictly a childhood love. As a kid, I couldn't get enough of the Sha Na Na variety show. I'd get up on the living room coffee table during the closing credits and jump to the floor when the band jumped off stage. Classic. Sadly, Bowzer now sells Time Life "Oldies But Goodies" music compilations via 3 a.m. infomercials. But, man, what a bass.

5. Rowlf - Okay, not a human, technically (though he had some human in him, if you know what I mean). But, he's a dog that can play piano! How can you not respect that? Plus, he can play WELL! Here he is away from his 88, reading his poem titled "Silence:"

A sinister watch

I am a bit of a James Bond buff. So, seeing that Swatch has released a series of 007 "Villain" watches certainly makes me happy. No word on whether the pieces rattle on about their evil schemes before telling you the time, however. And, I do not think any contain lasers.

Pictured to the left is the Emilio Largo Thunderball watch.

The Swatch website also has a quiz which will tell you what Bond villain you most resemble. I, apparently, am 76% similar to Bond's most recent nemesis, Dominic Greene from Quantum of Solace.

Check out the collection here at the Swatch website. While you're there, view video clips from each Bond adventure and download Duran Duran's theme to A View To A Kill (what, no Live and Let Die?).

Thanksgiving break

Tomorrow marks yet another Thanksgiving. And, yes, my loyal Canadian and Grenadine readers, I do realize that your Thanksgiving has already come and gone last month (did you know that Thanksgiving was celebrated in Grenada? That sounds like a great movie title: Thanksgiving in Grenada.). 

Being a New Englander, and a Massachusetts resident for nearly all of my life, Thanksgiving is a "big deal" holiday. It certainly seems to have a strange stranglehold on my family. Maybe it's because the Pilgrims started it all almost 400 years ago. Maybe it's because we're uptight New Englanders. Either way, Thanksgiving is often an over-the-top ordeal.

To alleviate some of the holiday stress, I have provided the following relief kit below:

1. The late, great Mitch Hedberg, talking turkey

2. Actual instructions from WikiHow for creating your own "hand turkey" drawing (for those with sadly sheltered childhoods)

3. A hard-hitting Stove Top commercial from 30 years ago

4. Potato Art

 

From the Prince Edward Island Potato Museum.

"Potato Sculpture Federation Sq. Melbourne" by John Mutsaers

"Mashed Potato Goldfish" by Monique Daley

5. Advice on how to talk to boring relatives at dinner

6. A man obsessed with turkey

7. The fine art of turkey hunting, courtesy of Stella (kinda NSFW. Well, really NSFW.)

8. And, finally, for those of you considering that 4 a.m. trip to Best Buy on Friday morning, a word of warning (in the form of a video clip):

Enjoy the break, everyone. And, if some of you out there are going to be stuck working at 4 a.m. on Friday, I feel for you. Just remember, duck and cover.

That gremlin stole my putter!

On Main Street in Windsor Locks, sandwiched between an AutoZone and Family Dollar ("your Bugle Boy headquarters!") in Dexter Plaza, a horror beyond belief calmly waits for an unsuspecting victim to open its doors. It is dark. It is loud. And it combines two horrific concepts with the force of Thor's hammer. 

Those faint of heart should look away immediately. I do not wish to cause any harm! For, I am about to mention this beast's name right here on this very blog! 

There are three hideous words!

And those three words are: Monster. Mini. Golf!

Oh, the fright that awaits those who dare enter! The Professor and I barely got out alive! Such brave children were inside, gingerly putting away as monsters loomed overhead, constantly threatening destruction and mischief!

Okay, so it wasn't really scary. And, the facility being entirely lit by black-lights only made me wish that I hadn't worn a wool sweater inside. But, the place was unusually fun, whether it was the oddity of listening to Cher over the loudspeaker as I was lining up to putt my ball past the Toxic Waste barrel, or the actual challenge that some of the holes provided (there were several moments of me saying, "Where IS the hole we're looking for?" as we scoured to find our endpoint).

Here are a few pictures from our trip:

 

Sexiest pole dancer in CT? Perhaps.

 

Scary Mummy. Also, mini golf temperature guard.

 

 

Such brave children.

Of course, an afternoon with so many ghouls and ghosts made me itch for some scary movies once we got home. I had Errol Morris' Standard Operating Procedure from Netflix, but that wasn't really the horror I was looking for. No, what I felt like was some good old Creepshow, a film near and dear to my heart. I've probably seen this movie 100 times in my life, mostly thanks to my childhood friend Ben. As kids, we'd watch Creepshow nearly every Saturday at his house. Why? Well, check out this awesome clip of a young Ed Harris getting his groove on and then tell me you can resist wanting more:

Nobody turns down a radio like Ed Harris. Nobody.

For more info on Monster Mini Golf, visit their website over here.

80 years old, and still a rodent

Today is the 80th birthday of Mickey Mouse. On November 18th, 1928, Disney Studios released Steamboat Willie. It was the first starring role of Mr. Mouse released to the public (previously, Mickey was seen in a couple other short films). It was also the first synchronous-sound animated film created by the Disney brand.

For those interested, I have embedded Steamboat Willie below:

 

Mickey Mouse was originally conceptualized by Walt Disney and artist Ub Iwerks after a previously created character, Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, which was owned by Universal Studios, was forced into budget and staff cuts. Frustrated with the way he was being treated, Mr. Disney left Universal to start his own company, ingeniously named Disney Studios. After many potential "stars" for the new endeavor were drawn up by Iwerks, from cows to horses to many other farm animals, Disney began thinking of his childhood pet mouse. Originally named Mortimer, Disney's wife convinced him to change the character's name to the friendlier-sounding Mickey.

And the rest, as they say, is history.

Just think, the seven minutes contained in Steamboat Willie launched one of the biggest entertainment empires in the world.

So, happy birthday Mickey, you crazy old rodent! 80 years and you still haven't put on a shirt!

The red hat warriors!

Fox 61 ran a piece the other night about a local Connecticut chapter of the Red Hat Society learning what is called Cane-Fu (think "beating someone with a cane"). I think such self-defense training is great, especially for those getting on in years that often feel defenseless. But, seeing these ladies in their red hats makes me wonder, will we, before long, have an elderly Warriors on our hands? When you think about it, their outfits lend themselves to many of the gangs seen in the 1979 classic. 

Here's the news story and a few stills from the movie for comparison:

Before long, they'll own the streets (until they go to bed at 9 p.m.)! No buffet is safe! No bingo tournament will avoid their influence! And, don't even think about seeing an early show at the movies!

CAN . . . YOU . . . DIG IT?!?!?!?

A link to the original piece at Fox 61 can be found here. The movie stills were taken from a UK Warriors site over here.

30 years of "Halloween"

Today, October 31, 2008, marks the 30th anniversary of the evening depicted in John Carpenter's film Halloween. Yes, 30 years ago the spooky franchise was born, bringing the world Michael Myers, Laurie Strode, and a synthesized score that has become synonymous with scary nights and frightening figures. It was the night, as the film's poster claims, HE came home!

The film was actually released on October 25th, 1978. An independent film costing only about $325,000 to produce, it went on to become the most profitable indie film of its time, taking in $47 million over its theatrical run. It inspired many of the horrible "spook" moments used in too many bad '80s horror movies to count, and helped set the ground rules for who makes it and who doesn't when it comes to scary movies (i.e. - If you have sex, you're dead. If you're the virgin, you survive.).

So, happy birthday, Halloween. And now, in closing, for your reading pleasure (no need to thank me), I will type out the Halloween theme:

Dee-do-do-dee-do-do-dee-do-dee-do

Dee-do-do-dee-do-do-dee-do-dee-do
Dee-do-do-dee-do-do-dee-do-dee-do

Dee-do-do-dee-do-do-dee-do-dee-do

Dee-do-do-dee-do-do-dee-do-dee-do Waaa

Dee-do-do-dee-do-do-dee-do-dee-do Waaaa

(now one pitch lower)

Dee-do-do-dee-do-do-dee-do-dee-do Waaa
Dee-do-do-dee-do-do-dee-do-dee-do

(and repeat x1)

(after first repeat, drop one pitch lower and play again)

(after second repeat, drop another pitch lower and play again)

"New Left Note" by Saul Levine

The film Chicago 10, which chronicles the trial of the Chicago Seven, was on PBS last night. As I watched part of it, I was reminded of my old college professor Saul Levine and his stories of the New Left and his anti-war protests of the late 1960s. He made an epic avant-garde film that recorded many of these moments, titled New Left Note. It is a project that took him something like 12 years to complete. 

I've always had a deep respect for NLN and thought that it truly captured an emotion and genuine energy that modern Hollywood films set in the time period never seem to achieve. Levine's rapid-fire edits of his super 8 footage create an immediacy to the subject matter and manipulate the audience into an almost frightened frenzy as images splash over their eyes. Of course, this frenzy is also seen on the faces of the young people in each image, so the manipulation certainly does the trick.

But, it isn't a film for everyone, I'll give it that. When it comes down to brass tacks, we are still talking about a 9+ minute, silent, super 8 film. That being said, I don't know of another film I've seen that has given me a sense of the time quite like New Left Note.

Saul has recently posted NLN and some of his other films on his own YouTube channel. If you're interested in watching New Left Note, I have embedded it below.