tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-44004831178545424092024-03-14T04:07:29.872-04:00Movies At Dog Farm Brandon Earlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04428583919973903171noreply@blogger.comBlogger146125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4400483117854542409.post-39291754516279847802019-10-09T18:53:00.000-04:002019-10-09T18:54:43.256-04:00I'm Still Calling It The Pre'Ween Picture Show, Calendar Be Damned<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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So it's not really Pre'Ween if it happens in November, right? Owing to a couple of prior obligations, it just wasn't possible to schedule Pre'Ween in October this year. Regardless, I refuse to create yet another sub-heading in the Movies At Dog Farm universe, so Pre'Ween Picture Show it shall remain, calendar be damned.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LAf4WJW-S3I/XZ5O35Y5P3I/AAAAAAAAFZ0/DvUNs9ceyhgEDaS1I157X-UKE1W0_hGtACNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/The%2BQuatermass%2BXperiment%2B%25281955%2529%2B%25232.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: #e69138;"><img alt="The-Quatermass-Xperiment-1955" border="0" data-original-height="593" data-original-width="1023" height="185" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LAf4WJW-S3I/XZ5O35Y5P3I/AAAAAAAAFZ0/DvUNs9ceyhgEDaS1I157X-UKE1W0_hGtACNcBGAsYHQ/s320/The%2BQuatermass%2BXperiment%2B%25281955%2529%2B%25232.jpg" title="The Quatermass Xperiment (1955)" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #e69138;">Here's one for the old coots... In <i>The Quatermass Xperiment (1955)</i>, three astronauts venture into space and only one returns. The one who returns is infected, and he begins to mutate into whatever the fuck that is in the picture above. Not coincidentally, the release of <i>The Quatermass Xperiment </i> also marked the moment that Hammer Studios first began mutating into the purveyors of science fiction and horror we all know and love. And no, I didn't misspell the title multiple times - Hammer removed the "E" in "Experiment" to play up the adults only "X" certificate awarded to the movie by the British Board of Film Censors. Hammer felt it would enhance the movie's fortunes at the box office, and they were right.<br /><br /><i>The Quatermass Xperiment</i> screens on Saturday, November 2nd.<br /><br /></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Laid-to-Rest-2009" border="0" data-original-height="171" data-original-width="296" height="184" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mioHGDiYwEk/XZ5Nn6BywII/AAAAAAAAFZk/9PuwLOVgfUwWkl5h9ybEYlbhdnwPElxFgCEwYBhgL/s320/Laid%2Bto%2BRest%2B%25282009%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Laid to Rest (2009)" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #e69138;"><i>Laid to Rest (2009) </i>is a slasher movie that isn't afraid to go all in on the kills. Director Robert Green Hall got his start in the business as a make-up effects artist, so it only makes sense. Good new, though - over the top make-up effects aren't the only things <i>Laid to Rest </i>has going for it. Performances across the board are better than this kind of material generally demands, and the killer is suitably iconic and mysterious. We never know Chromeskull's motivations, but that's for the best. The sequel went overboard in that regard, much to its detriment. Regardless of how the sequel turned out though, <i>Laid to Rest</i> is a brutal and engaging slasher movie for the new millennium.<br /><br /><i>Laid to Rest</i> screens Saturday, November 2nd.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Zr0VTznryrA/XZ5NjY6TXXI/AAAAAAAAFZc/myTMYWUoJSk49bPW17ViAZS7rr75E9nOgCEwYBhgL/s1600/The%2BConvent%2B%25282000%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="The-Convent-2000" border="0" data-original-height="168" data-original-width="300" height="179" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Zr0VTznryrA/XZ5NjY6TXXI/AAAAAAAAFZc/myTMYWUoJSk49bPW17ViAZS7rr75E9nOgCEwYBhgL/s320/The%2BConvent%2B%25282000%2529.jpg" title="The Convent (2000)" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #e69138;">What can I say about <i>The Convent (2000)</i> that hasn't already been said (<a href="https://www.moviesatdogfarm.com/2014/06/the-convent-2000-overlooked-and.html" target="_blank">here</a>)? I've wanted to share this movie with the Dog Farm since these events began, but I kept holding out for a Blu ray release. We're going on two decades now, and it hasn't happened - so DVD it is! I fully expect Scream Factory to announce a special Collector's Edition Blu ray release tomorrow.<br /><br /><i>The Convent (2000)</i> screens Saturday, November 2nd.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ih23RlZ3SPc/XZ5NuBnAHjI/AAAAAAAAFZo/ncjrrL62Q2Uf7Tjc93o_2DwjmWPKLSu5gCEwYBhgL/s1600/The%2BBanshee%2BChapter%2B%25282013%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="The-Banshee-Chapter-2013" border="0" data-original-height="168" data-original-width="300" height="179" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ih23RlZ3SPc/XZ5NuBnAHjI/AAAAAAAAFZo/ncjrrL62Q2Uf7Tjc93o_2DwjmWPKLSu5gCEwYBhgL/s320/The%2BBanshee%2BChapter%2B%25282013%2529.jpg" title="The Banshee Chapter (2013)" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #e69138;">I've also heaped praise on <i>The Banshee Chapter (2013) </i>before (<a href="https://www.moviesatdogfarm.com/search?q=banshee+chapter" target="_blank">here</a>), and it's one of those rare movies - much like my beloved <i>Pontypool (2008)</i> - that seems to always get a positive response when I share it with others. It's also one of those rare movies that plays better when you don't know what to expect going in, so that's all I have to say about it for the time being.<br /><br /><i>The Banshee Chapter </i>screens Saturday, November 2nd.</span></td></tr>
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Saturday, 11/2/19 <i>The Quatermass Xperiment (1955)</i><br />
<i> Laid to Rest (2009)</i><br />
<i> The Convent (2000)</i><br />
<i> The Banshee Chapter (2013)</i><br />
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<i> </i>Screenings will begin around dusk and continue until we're out of movies. Obviously, we'll be inside for this event. Happy Post Pre'Ween!<br />
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<br />Brandon Earlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04428583919973903171noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4400483117854542409.post-68067524092165301762019-07-09T23:20:00.000-04:002019-08-26T23:45:29.225-04:00It's Movies At Dog Farm VIII ('Cause I'm Keeping Track Of This Shit Now) Yep, Movies At Dog Farm VIII is on the horizon. Per my resolution in the previously posted Movies At Dog Farm timeline, I'm going to start making a point of recording the dates and titles here to better keep track of the event's history. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0UW5QL5yckI/XSVBXABDwvI/AAAAAAAAFX4/S_Qz5_Y1FtwL4mEGkcVI0YVU13uvb30QACEwYBhgL/s1600/Arachnophobia%2B%25281990%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="175" data-original-width="310" height="180" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0UW5QL5yckI/XSVBXABDwvI/AAAAAAAAFX4/S_Qz5_Y1FtwL4mEGkcVI0YVU13uvb30QACEwYBhgL/s320/Arachnophobia%2B%25281990%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #e69138;">Real spiders are real creepy. I can already guarantee that the inevitable remake of <i>Arachnophobia (1990) - </i>which will almost certainly be chock full of the finest CGI spiders a bloated budget can buy - won't be a patch on the ass of the original. Keep in mind that we'll be watching this outdoors, surrounded by literally millions of the little beasties. What's that you feel crawling up your leg? </span><br />
<span style="color: #e69138;"><br /><i>Arachnophobia</i> screens on Friday, August 9th.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1000" height="183" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WRI_vIedh8M/XSVC0PWA1II/AAAAAAAAFYE/1d3IZuQy0tssaoQ4aClXAOLSU5458HJGACEwYBhgL/s400/The%2BSerpent%2Band%2Bthe%2BRainbow%2B%25281988%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #e69138;">Real Haitian zombies, conjured and controlled by voodoo, in the first and last American feature film actually shot on location in Haiti. The late, great director Wes Craven literally almost died filming <i>The Serpent and the Rainbow (1988)</i>. This one absolutely oozes atmosphere. You <i>will</i> squirm, and your nightmares<i> will</i> be haunted. Being buried alive is a primal fear, and Craven expertly exploits that fear like the master he was.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #e69138;"><i>The Serpent and the Rainbow</i> screens on Friday, August 9th.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8X8Eh-Yln-8/XSVGnkiEsDI/AAAAAAAAFYM/p79ZrhkwW_4OfFCOmBZ_y5_tjn-OtSXdgCLcBGAs/s1600/Team%2BAmerica%2BWorld%2BPolice%2B%25282004%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="183" data-original-width="275" height="212" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8X8Eh-Yln-8/XSVGnkiEsDI/AAAAAAAAFYM/p79ZrhkwW_4OfFCOmBZ_y5_tjn-OtSXdgCLcBGAs/s320/Team%2BAmerica%2BWorld%2BPolice%2B%25282004%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #e69138;">And now for something completely different... Trey Parker and Matt Stone (<i>South Park</i>) apply their irreverent brand of comedy to the most awe-inspiring big budget puppet show you'll ever see with <i>Team America: World Police (2004)</i>. The only thing not funny about this movie is that its satire is just as relevant now as it was in 2004. I don't care what anybody says - these guys are geniuses.<br /><br /><i>Team American: World Police</i> screens Saturday, August 10th.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9vKkgSRCArU/XSVG8NTk1II/AAAAAAAAFYU/k9G6_cf6VtUdPo5FCZIEiG-p7wYAbwdfwCLcBGAs/s1600/The%2BHills%2BHave%2BEyes%2B%25282006%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="298" data-original-width="600" height="197" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9vKkgSRCArU/XSVG8NTk1II/AAAAAAAAFYU/k9G6_cf6VtUdPo5FCZIEiG-p7wYAbwdfwCLcBGAs/s400/The%2BHills%2BHave%2BEyes%2B%25282006%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #e69138;">I swear the political subtext present in Saturday's movies was unintentional. Thrill to the experience of French director Alexander Aja (<i>High Tension</i>) telling you just exactly what he thinks is wrong with America in his superior remake of <i>The Hills Have Eyes (2006)</i>. You can count all the horror remakes that surpass the originals on one hand and have fingers left over. This is one of them.<br /><br /><i>The Hills Have Eyes</i> screens Saturday, August 10th.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-P3vlrf0dCQE/XSVG_w6DXOI/AAAAAAAAFYY/O3D-qzvPUDkvCrmsLNRDFdErx0UMTcoCgCLcBGAs/s1600/Undisclosed%2BMidnight%2BMovie%2B%25282011%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="183" data-original-width="275" height="212" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-P3vlrf0dCQE/XSVG_w6DXOI/AAAAAAAAFYY/O3D-qzvPUDkvCrmsLNRDFdErx0UMTcoCgCLcBGAs/s320/Undisclosed%2BMidnight%2BMovie%2B%25282011%2529.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #e69138;">It's relatively new, it was distributed by Troma, and it would have been right at home playing a Times Square grindhouse in the early eighties. I'm expecting walkouts. Those that steel their resolves and stick it out will be treated to a truly singular viewing experience.<br /><br /><i>Undisclosed "Midnight Movie" (2011)</i> screens Saturday, August 10th.</span></td></tr>
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Friday, 8/9/19 <i>Arachnophobia (1999)</i><i> </i><br />
<i> The Serpent and the Rainbow (1988)</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
Saturday, 8/10/19 <i>Team America: World Police (2004)</i><br />
<i> The Hills Have Eyes (2006)</i><br />
<i> Undisclosed "Midnight Movie" (2011)</i><br />
<i><br /></i> The title of that mysterious "Midnight Movie" will be added in after the event. I don't want to take the chance that someone might Google the title beforehand, thereby preparing themselves for the trauma. It may well become the first outright bomb ever screened at Phil's. You heard it here first.<br />
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<span style="color: #e69138;"> EDIT, Post Event:</span> For anyone that didn't get it, the Undisclosed "Midnight Movie" was <i>Father's Day </i>from film-making collective Astron 6. It was not an outright bomb. For point of information, we ended up <i>not</i> watching <i>The Hills Have Eyes (2006). </i>Scheduling difficulties. Consequently, <i>The Hills Have Eyes (2006)</i> will likely turn up again at a future event. All movies (with the possible exception of <i>Father's Day</i> for some) were well received. If I had to call it, I'd say <i>The Serpent and the Rainbow (1988) </i>was the best received of this bunch. Most of the audience hadn't seen it before, and it's just a great fucking movie. Onward to Pre'Ween!<br />
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<br />Brandon Earlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04428583919973903171noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4400483117854542409.post-57509259720630500062019-04-24T16:09:00.007-04:002023-06-17T08:49:41.808-04:00Movies At Dog Farm Events Timeline - The First Seven Years (And 50 Movies)<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-REajl1dExuo/XL_DHEm0WlI/AAAAAAAAFTQ/NlG4frFOjZg5PVKP3oJp6LKMIcAB5-EYQCLcBGAs/s1600/FB%2Bfan%2Bpage%2Bheader%2B-%2Bthe%2Bbeyond%2B%2528851%2Bx%2B315%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="314" data-original-width="851" height="236" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-REajl1dExuo/XL_DHEm0WlI/AAAAAAAAFTQ/NlG4frFOjZg5PVKP3oJp6LKMIcAB5-EYQCLcBGAs/s640/FB%2Bfan%2Bpage%2Bheader%2B-%2Bthe%2Bbeyond%2B%2528851%2Bx%2B315%2529.jpg" title="The Beyond (1981) MADF Group Page Header" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #e69138;">Old MADF Facebook Group Page Header featuring the final image from Lucio Fulci's <i>The Beyond (1981).</i> We still haven't watched this movie at a Dog Farm Event. Go figure.</span></td></tr>
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I'm shocked! Shocked, I tell you! The Movies At Dog Farm Events that initially spawned this website are creeping up on their seventh anniversary in May, and Movies At Dog Farm VII will see <i>It's Alive III: Island of the Alive (1987)</i> become the fiftieth movie we've shown. That count excludes the second screenings of the three titles that have screened twice, of course. For the record, those titles were: <i>Suspiria (1977)</i>, <i>Pontypool (2008)</i>, and <i>Trick R' Treat (2007)</i>. I'm not one hundred percent certain all the dates in this timeline are correct, but I'm pretty sure I haven't missed any titles. The Summer One Nighters are the most likely to be a little off since they were more haphazardly scheduled and thus more poorly documented.<br />
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<b><span style="color: #e69138;">Movies At Dog Farm -- 2012</span></b><br />
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Friday, 5/2/12 <i> Pieces (1982)</i><br />
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Saturday, 5/3/12 <i>Cemetery Man (1994)</i><br />
<i> Suspiria (1977)</i><br />
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<i><br /></i><b><span style="color: #e69138;">Summer One Nighter -- 2012</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #cc0000;"> </span></b><br />
<span style="color: #cc0000;"> Tuesday, 6/12/12 <i>Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon (2006)</i></span><br />
<span style="color: #cc0000;"><i> Kingdom of the Spiders (1977)</i></span><br />
<span style="color: #cc0000;"><i><br /></i></span>
<b><span style="color: #e69138;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="color: #e69138;">Movies At Dog Farm II -- 2012 (First Pre'Ween Picture Show)</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #bf9000;"><br /></span></b>
<b> </b>Friday, 10/19/12 <i>Dawn of the Dead (2004)</i><br />
<i> House of 1000 Corpses (2003)</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
Saturday, 10/20/12 <i>Shaun of the Dead (2004)</i><br />
<i> Attack the Block (2011)</i><br />
<i> Pontypool (2008)</i><br />
<i> The Descent (2005)</i><br />
<i> Trick R' Treat (2007)</i><br />
<i> High Tension (2003)</i><br />
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<b><span style="color: #e69138;">Movies At Dog Farm III -- 2014</span></b><br />
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Friday, 5/23/14 <i>Starship Troopers (1997)</i><br />
<i> Saturn 3 (1980)</i><br />
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<i> </i>Saturday, 5/24/14 <i>Beyond the Valley of the Dolls (1970)</i><br />
<i> The Sentinel (1977)</i><br />
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<b><span style="color: #e69138;">Movies At Dog Farm IV -- 2015</span></b><br />
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<b> </b>Friday, 5/22/15 <i>The Manitou (1978)</i><br />
<i> Alone in the Dark (1982)</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i> </i>Saturday, 5/23/15 <i>Vanishing Point (1971)</i><br />
<i> The Thing (1982)</i><br />
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<b><span style="color: #e69138;">Movies At Dog Farm V -- 2017</span></b><br />
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<b> </b>Friday, 5/26/17 <i>The Beast Within (1982)</i><br />
<i> The Funhouse (1981)</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i> </i>Saturday, 5/27/17 <i>Private Parts (1972)</i><br />
<i> The Blob (1988)</i><br />
<i> The Howling (1981)</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i><br /></i><b><span style="color: #e69138;">Summer One Nighter II -- 2017</span></b><br />
<i> </i><br />
<i> </i>Wednesday, 6/7/17 <i>The Big Doll House (1971)</i><br />
<i> Videodrome (1983)</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
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<b><span style="color: #e69138;">Pre'Ween Picture Show II -- 2017</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #e69138;"> </span></b><br />
<span style="color: #e69138;"> </span>Saturday, 10/28/17 <i>Halloween II (1981)</i><br />
<i> From Beyond (1986)</i><br />
<i> The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (1986)</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i><br /></i>
<span style="color: #e69138;"><b>New Year's Eve -- 2017</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #e69138;"><b><br /></b></span>
Sunday, 12/31/17 <i>The Redeemer - Son of Satan (1978)</i><br />
<i> Suspiria (1977) </i>redux<br />
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<span style="color: #e69138;"><b>Movies At Dog Farm VI -- 2018</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #e69138;"><b><br /></b></span>
<b style="color: #e69138;"> </b>Friday, 6/1/18 <i>Ed Wood (1994)</i><br />
<i> Phenomena (1985)</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
Saturday, 6/2/18 <i>The Incredible Shrinking Man (1957)</i><br />
<i> The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (2005)</i><br />
<i> Altered States (1980)</i><br />
<i> Humanoids From the Deep (1980)</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i><br /></i>
<span style="color: #e69138;"><b>Summer One Nighter III -- 2018</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #e69138;"><b><br /></b></span>
Sunday, 7/22/18 <i>May (2002)</i><br />
<i> Fear No Evil (1981)</i><br />
<i> Of Unknown Origin (1983)</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i><br /></i>
<span style="color: #e69138;"><b>Summer One Nighter IV -- 2018</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #e69138;"><b><br /></b></span>
Saturday, 8/18/18 <i>The Final Girls (2015)</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i><br /></i>
<span style="color: #e69138;"><b>Pre'Ween Picture Show III -- 2018</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #e69138;"><b><br /></b></span>
Friday, 10/26/18 <i>What We Do in the Shadows (2014)</i><br />
<i> [REC] (2007)</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
Saturday, 10/27/18 <i>The Fog (1980)</i><br />
<i> Trick R' Treat (2007) </i>redux<br />
<i>Ginger Snaps (2000)</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
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<span style="color: #e69138;"><b>New Year's Eve II -- 2018</b></span><br />
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<b style="color: #e69138;"> </b>Monday, 12/31/18<b style="color: #e69138;"> </b><i>Curtains (1983)</i><b style="color: #e69138;"> </b><br />
<b style="color: #e69138;"> </b><i>The Brood (1979)</i><br />
<i> Pontypool (2008) </i>redux<br />
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<span style="color: #e69138;"><b>Movies At Dog Farm VII -- 2019</b></span><br />
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Friday, 4/26/18 <i>Demon Seed (1977)</i><br />
<i> It's Alive III: Island of the Alive (1987) <span style="color: #e69138;">* </span></i><span style="color: #e69138;">50th Movie! *</span><br />
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<i> </i>Saturday, 4/27/18 <i>Boogie Nights (1997)</i><br />
<i> Friday the 13th Part 2 (1981)</i><br />
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<i>__________________________________________</i><br />
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<i> </i>I couldn't resist crunching the numbers a bit after compiling the timeline...<br />
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Most Popular Decade: The 1980s, with 21 movies<br />
2nd Most Popular Decade: The 2000s, with 12 movies<br />
3rd Most Popular Decade: The 1970s, with 11 movies<br />
Most Popular Year(s): 1977, 1980, 1981, and 1982, with 4 movies each<br />
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Somehow, I've yet to screen any movies from the sixties. So yeah, we'll be watching some movies from the sixties soon.<br />
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Sussing out this timeline from Facebook group pages, Facebook message strings, the MADF website, and the largely hazy recollections of attendees was more of an undertaking than I initially expected. Going forward I'll document the events more thoroughly. If anyone has hard empirical evidence of errors or omissions, please let me know. It's hard to fathom how many movies we've watched together, and I look forward to another fifty or so as long as interest remains. Thanks to all who've attended over the years for helping to build these goofy little movie nights into the long running enterprise they've become!<br />
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Incidentally, this would be a great opportunity to leave a comment sharing your favorite memories...<br />
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<b><u>UPDATED</u></b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><span style="color: #e69138;">Movies at Dog Farm VIII -- 2019</span></div><div><span style="color: #e69138;"><br /></span></div><div> Friday, 8/9/19 <i>Arachnophobia (1999)</i><i> </i></div><i> The Serpent and the Rainbow (1988)</i><br /><i><br /></i> Saturday, 8/10/19 <i>Team America: World Police (2004)</i><br /><i> </i><i> Father's Day (2011)</i><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="color: #e69138;">New Year's Eve III --2019</span></div><div><span style="color: #e69138;"><br /></span></div><div><span> Tuesday, 12/31/19 <i>Hereditary (2018)</i></span></div><div><span><i> Little Shop of Horrors (1986)</i></span></div><div><span><i><br /></i></span></div><div><span><i><br /></i></span></div><div><span style="color: #e69138;">Winter One Nighter -- 2020</span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span> Sunday, 1/12/20 <i>Big Trouble in Little China (1986)</i></span></div><div><span><i> Happy Birthday to Me (1980)</i></span></div><div><span><i><br /></i></span></div><div><span><i><br /></i></span></div><div><span style="color: #e69138;">Summer One Nighter IV</span> <span style="color: #e69138;">-- 2020</span></div><div><br /></div><div> Saturday, 9/12/20 <i>The Void (2016) </i>-- unfinished -- equipment failure</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="color: #e69138;">Pre'Ween Picture Show IV -- 2020</span></div><div><br /></div><div> Sunday, 11/1/20 <i>Horror Express (1972)</i></div><div><i> An American Werewolf in London (1981)</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><span style="color: #e69138;">New Year's Eve IV -- 2020</span></div><div><br /></div><div> Thursday, 12/31/20 <i>City of the Living Dead (1981)</i></div><div><i> Nightbreed Director's Cut (1990)</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><span style="color: #e69138;">Spring One Nighter -- 2021</span></div><div><br /></div><div> Saturday, 3/6/21 <i>Matinee (1993)</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><span style="color: #e69138;">Summer One Nighter V -- 2021</span></div><div><br /></div><div> Saturday, 6/12/21 <i>The Stuff (1985)</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><span style="color: #e69138;">Summer One Nighter VI -- 2021</span></div><div><br /></div><div> Saturday, 7/24/21 <i>Road Games (1981)</i></div><div><i> Splinter (2008)</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><span style="color: #e69138;">Pre'Ween Picture Show V -- 2021</span></div><div><br /></div><div> Saturday, 10/30/21 <i>Eyeball (1975)</i></div><div><i> Nightmare Beach (1989)</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><span style="color: #e69138;">Summer One Nighter VII - 2022</span></div><div><span style="color: #f1c232;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #f1c232;"> </span>Saturday, 07/09/22 <i>The Skull (1965)</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><span style="color: #e69138;">Summer One Nighter VIII - 2023</span></div><div><span style="color: #f1c232;"><br /></span></div><div> Saturday, 6/17/23 <i>Private Parts (1972)</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><span style="color: #f1c232;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #f1c232;"><br /></span></div>
Brandon Earlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04428583919973903171noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4400483117854542409.post-24749904847028662612018-10-12T21:46:00.000-04:002018-10-12T21:46:14.030-04:00John Carpenter's The Fog (1980) Rolls In To Launch Movies At Dog Farm Pre'Ween Picture Show 2018 <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1TU-H9FX8_4/W766RzX31HI/AAAAAAAAFSY/lf57riC3iyY6esBCeQi8C1VW4yUSCYSYQCLcBGAs/s1600/The%2BFog%2B%25281980%2529%2Bstill.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="John Carpenter's The Fog (1980)" border="0" data-original-height="256" data-original-width="600" height="170" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1TU-H9FX8_4/W766RzX31HI/AAAAAAAAFSY/lf57riC3iyY6esBCeQi8C1VW4yUSCYSYQCLcBGAs/s400/The%2BFog%2B%25281980%2529%2Bstill.jpg" title="John-Carpenter's-The-Fog-1980-still.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #e69138;">John Carpenter's <i>The Fog (1980)</i></span></td></tr>
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"It was terrible. I had a movie that didn't work, and I knew it in my heart."<br />
John Carpenter on <i>The Fog (1980)</i><br />
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<i> </i>So yeah. That's how I like to kick off a weekend of horror movies...with a title that the movie's own director had such a low opinion of upon viewing the rough cut that he felt obliged to do a major overhaul just to whip it into a releasable form. I must defer to Mr. Carpenter's assessment. He was surely better equipped than anyone to judge the relative merit of his own work. Truly, then, Carpenter must be a master filmmaker, because the rejiggered version of <i>The Fog (1980)</i> he ultimately released to the world after extensive re-shoots and re-editing is one of the finest atmosphere laden spook shows out there.<br />
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I believe many still think of <i>The Fog</i> as second tier Carpenter, and it's honestly not too hard to see why. Even when originally released it was out of step with the prevailing tone of the nascent slasher boom - ironically, a boom Carpenter's own <i>Halloween (1978)</i> was largely responsible for precipitating. <i>The Fog</i> was an old fashioned ghost story born of the oral tradition. The elder generations pass down the local folklore to the younger ones. As the years pass, the origins of those tales become murky, and the particulars of those tales are sometimes distorted by the storyteller.<br />
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Carpenter plainly lays out this theme in <i>The Fog</i>'s opening scene (created during re-shoots) by having grizzled, stately old John Houseman telling a version of the story we're about to see to a group of wide-eyed children around a campfire on the beach. It's a beautifully vetted scene that invites the viewer to be actively involved in the storytelling tradition by virtue of the simple intimacy with which it's related. It could have been told in flashback, with the specifics writ large in a more traditionally cinematic fashion, but that wouldn't have been nearly as affecting as putting us right there with those kids, hanging on every word just as they are.<br />
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<i>The Fog</i> may be one of Carpenter's most subdued movies, but the patient, atmospheric delivery does exactly what it intends. Who doesn't want to hear a spooky old ghost story by the fire at Halloween? This, I believe, is why <i>The Fog</i> is an ideal candidate to kick off this year's Pre'Ween Picture Show.<br />
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It will be followed by <i>What We Do In The Shadows (2014)</i> and <i>[REC] (2007)</i> on the evening of October 26th. <i>Ginger Snaps (2000)</i>, <i>Trick 'r Treat (2007)</i>, and <i>[REC] 2 (2009)</i> will round out the festivities on the 27th. If you're anywhere in the vicinity of Timberville, Virginia and would like to join us, contact me care of Movies At Dog Farm. There's always room around the fire for one more.<br />
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<i><br /></i>Brandon Earlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04428583919973903171noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4400483117854542409.post-2939843705110457922018-10-07T23:31:00.000-04:002018-10-08T19:16:06.644-04:00Diary Of A Movie Watchin' Madman Volume III - The Bleeding Edge Of Cinematic Prognostication From 1983 <span style="color: #e69138;"> "I'VE SEEN <i>VIDEODROME</i> ABOUT A HUNDRED AND SIXTY-SEVEN TIMES, AND IT KEEPS GETTING <i>MORE PRESCIENT</i> EVERY SINGLE TIME I SEE IT..."</span><br />
Me paraphrasing Beetlejuice in reference to David Cronenberg's <i>Videodrome (1983)</i><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4pBhkLIG0vU/W7q3Z3bRbDI/AAAAAAAAFSM/tImAEvvGajsi_ndw70KTiT87PU3gPZa1gCLcBGAs/s1600/Videodrome%2B%25281983%2529%2B%2BBarry%2Bbubbles%2Bover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Videodrome (1983) - Barry bubbles over" border="0" data-original-height="832" data-original-width="1536" height="216" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4pBhkLIG0vU/W7q3Z3bRbDI/AAAAAAAAFSM/tImAEvvGajsi_ndw70KTiT87PU3gPZa1gCLcBGAs/s400/Videodrome%2B%25281983%2529%2B%2BBarry%2Bbubbles%2Bover.jpg" title="Videodrome-1983-Barry-Convex-bubbling-over.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #e69138;">Barry bubbling over about the Spectacular Optical spring line.<i> </i></span></td></tr>
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<i><span style="color: #e69138;">(10/6) Videodrome (1983)</span> </i>One of the very first significant posts I ever wrote for this site was <a href="https://www.moviesatdogfarm.com/2012/12/movies-at-dog-farm-presents-ten-best.html" target="_blank">an overview of the ten best genre movies directed by Canadian auteur David Cronenberg</a>. I had the temerity then to proclaim <i>Videodrome (1983)</i> Cronenberg's masterpiece. Though I suggested in my previous post this month that <a href="https://www.moviesatdogfarm.com/2018/10/diary-of-movie-watchin-madman-part-iii.html" target="_blank">I'm sometimes wrong</a>, I stand by my prior assessment of <i>Videodrome</i> one hundred percent. It is, in my opinion, right up there with George Orwell's <i>1984 </i>as one of the essential texts of the 20th century. The particulars of the technology represented may now be anachronistic, but in an age when those in power exploit the base instincts of their constituency every single day to insure that they stay in power, the themes of <i>Videodrome</i> have never been more timely. How did Cronenberg know?<br />
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I'm treading dangerously close to going off on a political rant, and that would be highly inappropriate since Movies At Dog Farm is just a dopey little horror movie blog. Instead, let me just say this: if you watch <i>Videodrome</i> and don't see immediately how easily one can swap out Cronenberg's fantastic imaginings circa 1983 for the very real particulars of our daily lives circa 2018, you just might be one of those people being hoodwinked by your overlords. Videodrome is real now. Fight back and don't let the cancer take hold. The television screen (or perhaps more accurately now, the cellphone or tablet screen ) has become the retina of the mind's eye. Don't believe everything you read or see, because much of it is being manipulated for nefarious purposes by individuals with a vested interest in insuring that their version of the truth is the one you accept as fact. I shall remain the eternal optimist and hope that most of us are smarter than that. (Re-watch)<br />
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<br />Brandon Earlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04428583919973903171noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4400483117854542409.post-46882046693779407232018-10-06T00:20:00.000-04:002018-10-08T15:17:05.538-04:00Diary Of A Movie Watchin' Madman Volume III - Sometimes I'm Wrong<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IHN47fF8-jU/W7giI0vMteI/AAAAAAAAFSA/NXwWY-kd9kIFTPFgMGw-WmXd2fyGEPGSACLcBGAs/s1600/The%2BVoid%2B%25282016%2529%2B%25233.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="The Void (2016)" border="0" data-original-height="595" data-original-width="1400" height="170" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IHN47fF8-jU/W7giI0vMteI/AAAAAAAAFSA/NXwWY-kd9kIFTPFgMGw-WmXd2fyGEPGSACLcBGAs/s400/The%2BVoid%2B%25282016%2529%2B%25233.jpg" title="The-Void-(2016).jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #e69138;"><i>The Void (2016)</i> - Better the second time...</span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #e69138;"><i>(10/4) The Void (2016)</i> </span>I checked out about thirty minutes in the first time I watched <i>The Void (2016)</i>, but I'd been troubled by the nagging suspicion that I hadn't given if a fair shake ever since. Its initial release was greeted with such a deluge of hyperbolic reviews in the genre press that I now believe my first viewing was doomed from the outset.<br />
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When posts start regularly trotting out comparisons to John Carpenter's <i>The Thing (1982)</i> - to name just one cinematic high water mark to which it was frequently compared - it's almost inevitable that the movie in question will underwhelm. By the end of the first act I was already sufficiently irritated by the poor lighting and unnecessarily bloated cast to just chalk up the glowing reviews to the horror fans' collective unfed hunger for a new instant classic. <i>The Void</i> had a fine pedigree, a commendable commitment to practical effects, and a wealth of instantly recognizable tips of the hat to horror greats past, but it seemed to me to pale in comparison to the classics it referenced well before it ever managed to find its own raison d'etre. It was a sincere and commendable effort hamstrung by its own lofty ambitions. But at least they were trying, right?<br />
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It turns out that a bit of distance from the fanfare and a bit more effort on the part of the viewer revealed a significantly different experience. While <i>The Void</i> still falls short of the transcendence to which it clearly aspires, my second viewing left me with a far greater appreciation for the admittedly long list of things it gets right. I still think the cast was unnecessarily bloated, and such an abundance of thinly drawn characters littered the narrative with subplots that went nowhere. I still think the clunky and abrupt introduction of the story's "Big Bad" was almost unforgivably ham-fisted. And I still think the lighting throughout was downright shameful given the obvious attention to detail manifest in <i>The Void</i>'s sometimes brilliant practical effects. (I feel obliged to give an appreciative shout out here to the minion in the basement who had apparently spent years slamming his forehead into a blunt object in a desperate attempt to end his tortured existence. That was pure nightmare fuel.)<br />
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<i>The Void</i>'s final third builds upon its nightmarish imagery with admirable aplomb, and I've never demanded total narrative coherence in the works of Argento and Fulci, so it's unfair to demand such of a newer flick that treads similar ground. <i>The Void</i>'s ad hoc appropriation of Fulci's haunting final image from <i>The Beyond (1981)</i> still works like gangbusters in its new context, and the overall effect of its deployment here more than justifies the blatant cribbing.<br />
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I'm not too proud to admit when my initial assessment of a movie was compromised, and my second trip through <i>The Void</i> was a journey well worth taking. Like many of the greats it shamelessly emulates, <i>The Void</i> is an undeniably flawed effort that still manages to evolve into something greater than the sum of its stitched together parts. (Re-watch)<br />
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<br />Brandon Earlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04428583919973903171noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4400483117854542409.post-9587195107584603212018-10-03T03:44:00.000-04:002018-10-04T21:55:46.696-04:00Diary Of A Movie Watchin' Madman Volume III - The Long Overdue Reboot<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i> </i>So...seen any good horror lately? This is the first time I've kept a viewing diary for <span style="color: #e69138;"><a href="https://www.moviesatdogfarm.com/2013/10/ghoulish-gary-gatorbait-and-horrible.html" target="_blank"><i>Pre'Ween</i></a></span> since 2014. I find myself a bit more enthusiastic about my accelerated <i>Pre'Ween</i> viewing schedule than I've been for many a moon, and the capsulized review format of these entries seemed tailor made for dipping my toe in the bloody pool again after such a long absence. Please be kind, as it's been a long time since I flexed my withered old writing muscle.<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hi3rknXBK_U/W7Llfpf8afI/AAAAAAAAFRs/x-8QOB1ghmMzCyZr7NfqxXNwFt8hIBrKgCEwYBhgL/s1600/Channel%2BZero%2B-%2BCandle%2BCove.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Channel Zero Candle Cove (2016)" border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1440" height="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hi3rknXBK_U/W7Llfpf8afI/AAAAAAAAFRs/x-8QOB1ghmMzCyZr7NfqxXNwFt8hIBrKgCEwYBhgL/s320/Channel%2BZero%2B-%2BCandle%2BCove.jpg" title="Channel-Zero-Candle-Cove-2016.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
<i><span style="color: #e69138;">(10/1) Channel Zero - Candle Cove (2016)</span></i> As is usually the case with newer offerings, I'm way behind the curve on catching up with Syfy's <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creepypasta" target="_blank">creepypasta</a> inspired horror anthology series <i>Channel Zero</i>. Season four is scheduled to debut at the end of this month, and I am only now having my first look at season one. Thanks, Shudder.<br />
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I'm only two episodes in, and I am thus far fairly enamored of what I've seen. Based upon a creepypasta by cartoonist and author Kris Straub that first surfaced in 2009, the six episode first season seems well poised to expand upon the tale of a fictional children's television series (called <i>Candle Cove</i>, natch) that can only be viewed by a small group of people, usually children.<br />
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Even on ad-free Shudder, I do find myself a little too cognizant of the rhythm of cable programming designed to accommodate commercial breaks (a problem I've always had with TV horror), but <i>Candle Cove</i> already seems to be getting a lot of things right. The performances, at least the most important ones, are uniformly decent. Paul Schneider as troubled child psychologist Mike Painter and Fiona Shaw as Mike's less overtly damaged mother Marla Painter have been standouts. Nothing has quite had me pissing my diddies yet, but my interest is piqued.<br />
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I kicked off this year's <i>Pre'Ween</i> festivities with my initial impression of <i>Candle Cove</i> because I intend to return to it for a more in depth analysis after I've finished viewing. Just for point of reference, <i>Candle Cove</i> already has a leg up on Hulu's recent Stephen King penned opus <i>Castle Rock</i>. I barely got through one episode of that, and I had absolutely no interest in going any further. Did I miss out on anything by jumping ship too soon?<br />
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I should also note that at least initially I believe one of the things <i>Channel Zero</i> has gotten right is limiting its self-contained single season arc to only six episodes. I gave up on <i>American Horror Story</i> about four seasons ago, at least in part because every season seemed to run out of steam around episode seven or eight on its grim march to an obligatory dozen or so episodes. (First Watch)<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qSywep-Jjvo/W7RIT87MBPI/AAAAAAAAFR4/lpLuOgJznQAPgyYthjRRMzzgJdhAK0ejgCEwYBhgL/s1600/Oculus-2013-Karen-Gillan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Oculus (2013) creepiest scene" border="0" data-original-height="273" data-original-width="656" height="133" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qSywep-Jjvo/W7RIT87MBPI/AAAAAAAAFR4/lpLuOgJznQAPgyYthjRRMzzgJdhAK0ejgCEwYBhgL/s320/Oculus-2013-Karen-Gillan.jpg" title="Oculus-2013-creepiest-scene.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #e69138;">The creepiest scene in <i>Oculus (2013)</i> , spoiled by the trailer.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #e69138; font-style: italic;">(10/2) Oculus (2013) </span><i><b>"</b>You are entering an area adjacent to a location. The kind of place where there might be a monster, or some kind of weird mirror. These are just examples. It could be something much better. Prepare to enter... The Scary Door." Futurama</i><br />
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Thank you, <i>Futurama</i>, for once again stripping bare the very essence of my nerdified, horror loving existence. A movie built around the premise of a haunted mirror should have been enough of a red flag to guarantee that I continued to steer clear of director Mike Flanagan's <i>Oculus</i>, but the promise of something much better suckered me in against my better judgement. Only last week I watched Paco Plaza's <i>Veronica (2017)</i>, a movie built around the premise of a haunted Ouija board, and I quite enjoyed it. I harbor a strongly held belief that there is nothing new under the sun, and the best an inveterate horror fan can reasonably hope for now is a well executed, technically proficient rehash of something he or she has already seen before. Competency is the new high water mark.<br />
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I was cautiously optimistic about <i>Oculus </i>because I'd been pleasantly surprised by the competency of Flanagan's <i>Hush (2016)</i>, itself a competently rendered rehash of <i>Wait Until Dark (1967)</i> with a deaf protagonist subbing for the blind protagonist of its predecessor. No shame in that. Flanagan fashioned an undeniably effective thriller from the borrowed nuts and bolts of an undeniably effective cinematic precursor. Maybe lightning could strike twice? Sadly, no. At least, not this time. Perhaps Flanagan's own rehash of the haunted Ouija board trope entitled <i>Ouija: Origin Of Evil (2016) </i>succeeds where <i>Oculus</i> failed. I'll likely never know. I think I've grown weary of watching the snake eat its own tail.<br />
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<i>Oculus</i> is a heartbreaker because it does in fact show promise in the early going. It seems all the talent involved was striving for something better than the muddled gumbo of horror cliches it ultimately becomes. Unfortunately, <i>Oculus</i> falls prey to entirely too much rubber reality chaos in the third act by crosscutting between the horrors of the past and the trials of the present, and then it completely screws the pooch by ending with a "twist" that was telegraphed at the end of the first act to any viewer familiar with the concept of Chekov's Gun. It's definitely not an embarrassing effort, but it's a frustrating one.<br />
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Mike Flanagan is talented. He can do better than just slapping a fresh coat of paint on rickety old narratives. That being said, his next high profile venture is <i>The Haunting Of Hill House</i>, which premieres on Netflix on October 12th. It already has a 100% Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Yeah, I'm gonna watch it. What do I know? (First Watch)<br />
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Stay tuned. There's probably more diary entries to come...<br />
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<br />Brandon Earlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04428583919973903171noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4400483117854542409.post-2958812296901739492016-11-28T21:09:00.004-05:002018-10-08T19:16:42.295-04:00Tachyon Signal Podcast Episode 2 - Trying Desperately To Get To The Point About Political Horror<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JfpJKTHj070/WCknAN3FBBI/AAAAAAAAFOg/JipbkrUFVqgFCQ15r8hnYoU5X5ySAe8aQCLcB/s1600/The%2BDead%2BZone.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="The Dead Zone (1983) scissors suicide" border="0" height="225" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JfpJKTHj070/WCknAN3FBBI/AAAAAAAAFOg/JipbkrUFVqgFCQ15r8hnYoU5X5ySAe8aQCLcB/s400/The%2BDead%2BZone.jpg" title="The-Dead-Zone-(1983)-scissor-suicide.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #e69138;"><i>The Dead Zone (1983)</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Trying to keep myself, Matt, and Carl on topic is like trying to herd sheep without a sheepdog. Still, I think interesting things happen when we go off topic . Ostensibly, episode 2 of the Tachyon Signal Podcast is taking a look at politically themed horror movies. And we do. Some. And then... SQUIRREL! We talk a bit about some grade A genre titles inexplicably unavailable on Region A Blu-ray, as well. Check out the chaos on the <a href="http://hwcdn.libsyn.com/p/d/8/8/d8825a95a67dce5d/Tachyon_Signal_Episode_II.mp3?c_id=13452774&expiration=1480394527&hwt=a62842f7f413a90b8062b3f783b93126" target="_blank"><span style="color: #e69138;">Tachyon Signal Podcast - Episode 2</span></a>.<br />
<br />
<i>A brand new podcast brought to you from the creative minds behind Midnight Cinephile, Movies at Dog Farm, and The Info Zombie. </i>
<i><br /> </i><br />
<i>Our aim each episode is to entertain you first and foremost, but also to
bring you news and views on the world of entertainment media. </i>
<i><br /> </i><br />
<i>As you may (or may not) have surmised by the title of the podcast we
will be broadcasting with a heavy horror slant, but we will most
definitely be talking about all genres. Movies, Television, Literature,
Music, Video Games, Comics, Art, Live Theater....you name it, we'll
more than likely cover it at some point. </i><br />
<br />
<i>Tachyon Signal will be beaming straight to your brain twice a month.</i>
<i> </i><br />
<br />
<i>.....................this is not a dream.............. </i><br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://hwcdn.libsyn.com/p/d/8/8/d8825a95a67dce5d/Tachyon_Signal_Episode_II.mp3?c_id=13452774&expiration=1480394527&hwt=a62842f7f413a90b8062b3f783b93126" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img alt="Tachyon Signal logo" border="0" height="284" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TvhkwZpSqK4/WCkqmYesrEI/AAAAAAAAFO0/zOnhqgM4f749g8_MtOurpd7NnWPix5WFgCEw/s640/Tachyon%2BSignal%2BCover.jpg" title="Tachyon-Signal-logo.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://hwcdn.libsyn.com/p/d/8/8/d8825a95a67dce5d/Tachyon_Signal_Episode_II.mp3?c_id=13452774&expiration=1480394527&hwt=a62842f7f413a90b8062b3f783b93126" target="_blank"><span style="color: #e69138;">Listen to the second episode of Tachyon Signal by clicking here!</span></a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
You can also keep up to date by checking out <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TachyonSignal/posts/" target="_blank">the <i>Tachyon Signal</i> Facebook page</a>, <a href="http://tachyonsignal.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">the <i>Tachyon Signal</i> blog</a>, or <a href="https://twitter.com/TachyonSignal" target="_blank">the <i>Tachyon Signal</i> Twitter feed</a>.<br />
<br />
<br />Brandon Earlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04428583919973903171noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4400483117854542409.post-82744576737251867722016-10-26T13:52:00.000-04:002016-11-13T22:56:00.293-05:00The First Episode Of New Podcast Tachyon Signal Debuts - Listen Here<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://hwcdn.libsyn.com/p/4/6/1/461d054755185c41/Tachyon_Signal_Episode_1.mp3?c_id=13149978&expiration=1477509024&hwt=009769175f2c60b42ffb922e391ad1b3" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img alt="Tachyon Signal logo" border="0" height="283" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gs7ra3qXbXk/WBDjS3beCLI/AAAAAAAAFOM/UnRBM6O5CicI6g7drvo2T5GNGb0-Ny0jACEw/s640/Tachyon%2BSignal%2BCover.jpg" title="Tachyon-Signal-logo.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #e69138;">Listen to the first episode of Tachyon Signal by clicking here!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<i>A brand new podcast brought to you from the creative minds behind Midnight Cinephile, Movies at Dog Farm, and The Info Zombie. </i>
<i><br /> </i><br />
<i>Our aim each episode is to entertain you first and foremost, but also to
bring you news and views on the world of entertainment media. </i>
<i><br /> </i><br />
<i>As you may (or may not) have surmised by the title of the podcast we
will be broadcasting with a heavy horror slant, but we will most
definitely be talking about all genres. Movies, Television, Literature,
Music, Video Games, Comics, Art, Live Theater....you name it, we'll
more than likely cover it at some point. </i>
<i><br /> </i><br />
<i>Tachyon Signal will be beaming straight to your brain twice a month.</i>
<i> </i><br />
<br />
<i>.....................this is not a dream..............
</i><br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://hwcdn.libsyn.com/p/4/6/1/461d054755185c41/Tachyon_Signal_Episode_1.mp3?c_id=13149978&expiration=1477509024&hwt=009769175f2c60b42ffb922e391ad1b3" target="_blank">Tachyon Signal Episode 1</a><br />
<br />
<br />
After months of radio silence, we've received a new transmission... Matt St. Cyr of Midnight Cinephile has masterminded the new podcast <i>Tachyon Signal</i>, and he was foolhardy enough to invite myself and Carl Boehm of The Info Zombie to help him out. I'll be posting links to the new episodes here, but you can also keep up to date by checking out <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TachyonSignal/posts/" target="_blank">the <i>Tachyon Signal</i> Facebook page</a>, <a href="http://tachyonsignal.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">the <i>Tachyon Signal</i> blog</a>, or <a href="https://twitter.com/TachyonSignal" target="_blank">the <i>Tachyon Signal</i> Twitter feed</a>.<br />
<br />
<br />Brandon Earlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04428583919973903171noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4400483117854542409.post-71706528157188734442015-10-11T22:54:00.000-04:002015-10-11T22:55:59.667-04:00The Final Girls (2015) - Saved From Writing The Dog Farm's Final Post?<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HE8VyoSq0F0/VhoH3l-v4wI/AAAAAAAAFMs/4qDbsaqcLz8/s1600/20150921185328%2521The_Final_Girls_poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HE8VyoSq0F0/VhoH3l-v4wI/AAAAAAAAFMs/4qDbsaqcLz8/s640/20150921185328%2521The_Final_Girls_poster.jpg" title="The-Final-Girls-2015-poster.jpg" width="433" /></a> Though horror has been my lifelong genre of choice, I'm tickled shitless when <i>any</i> movie from <i>any</i> genre is as good as I hope it will be. It doesn't happen as often as I would like. I'm more likely to find myself relieved when a movie isn't as bad as I fear it could be, and that's a sad commentary. Whether that's a sad commentary on what a miserable, jaded bastard I've become or on the general state of modern filmmaking is up for debate.<br />
<br />
More specifically, what most often separates the good movies from the bad for me is whether or not the movie makes me feel something - anything, really. One of the primary reasons I've always been drawn to horror movies is that the best ones make you feel some of the deepest and most primal of human emotions. The worst ones make one wonder how filmmakers so frequently fail to recognize the importance of those identifiably human emotions to effective storytelling. This may come as a surprise given the Dog Farm's pedigree (pun intended), but I love a good cinematic tearjerker as much as a good horror movie - and for precisely the same reasons.<br />
<br />
I've been absent from the Dog Farm for a few months, and I now realize it was at least partially because my enthusiasm had been eroded of late by too many hollow spectacles and too few displays of real human emotion. I don't think I consciously realized that until tonight, when a new release provided me the nourishment my cinematic diet had been lacking for so long. Color me surprised that the movie in question was director Todd Strauss-Schulson's new comedy <i>The Final Girls</i> (2015), a very meta (and very funny) riff on slasher movie tropes that has more heart than any movie born of such an emotionally shallow sub-genre has a right to. <i>The Final Girls</i> gets almost everything right, but it's most crucial success lies in the fact that it has the good sense to realize the importance - even in a goofy horror/comedy - of building on a solid foundation of identifiable human emotion.<br />
<br />
<i>The Final Girls</i> is perfectly cast, cleverly written, and beautifully shot, but its biggest triumph is the mother/daughter relationship at its core. Taissa Farmiga (<i>Amercian Horror Story</i>) and Malin Ackerman (<i>Cottage Country</i>) make that relationship ring true even amidst all the silliness, and having a beating human heart beneath the levity raises the movie's game on all levels. Delightful. Truly delightful.<br />
<br />
I'm not going to thoroughly review <i>The Final Girls</i> here because there are already about a gazillion reviews online, and that's not what this post is really about anyway. What this post is really about is how I lost my enthusiasm for one of the things I love most, and how one low budget horror/comedy done right restored it. If you become disenchanted with the movies too, hang in there. A good one will surface sooner or later that restores your faith, reminding you once again why you loved movies in the first place. And it probably won't be the one you would expect, either.<br />
<br />
<br />Brandon Earlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04428583919973903171noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4400483117854542409.post-81668795282566932432015-07-02T22:44:00.000-04:002015-07-02T22:49:59.097-04:00The Bowman Body Is Back With New Episodes Of Shock Theater On DVD!!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--N-1q7zO6ak/VYt3Ya3PXtI/AAAAAAAAFKI/d00NdmNOz6I/s1600/Bowman%2BBody%2BEpisodes.png" imageanchor="1"><img alt="advertising images for new episodes of Shock Theater 2015 hosted by the Bowman Body" border="0" height="244" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--N-1q7zO6ak/VYt3Ya3PXtI/AAAAAAAAFKI/d00NdmNOz6I/s640/Bowman%2BBody%2BEpisodes.png" title="advertising-images-for-new-episodes-of-Shock-Theater-2015-hosted-by-the-Bowman Body.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Most horror movie fans of a certain age have fond memories of staying up late to watch their favorite local horror host. In particular, the state of Virginia had a wealth of these hosts, and towering above all others was Bill Bowman, aka the Bowman Body. The Bowman Body was <i>my</i> host. Bill Bowman portrayed the character onscreen for over a decade and a half in three different markets, starting way back in 1970 with the debut of what would ultimately become Shock Theater on WXEX TV 8. Sadly, as was often the case with these locally produced programs, virtually nothing remains of the original Shock Theater save for less than twelve minutes of footage and the fond memories of its fans. It stands as good news of the highest order then that the Bowman Body is about to make good his return with two all new episodes of Shock Theater to be released on DVD in the fall of this year.<br />
<br />
Documentary filmmaker Sean Kotz of Horse Archer Productions is helping to facilitate the triumphant return of Shock Theater, with plans to film the two new episodes this summer for release in October. The episodes will feature <i>The House On Haunted Hill</i> (1959) starring Vincent Price and <i>Horror Hotel</i> (1960) starring Christopher Lee, with the beloved Bill Bowman returning as The Bowman Body to host. Both episodes are already available for pre-order at <a href="http://www.thebowmanbody.com/">www.thebowmanbody.com</a>, either individually or as a pair, with all proceeds going toward financing the production. Fans can also purchase caps, mugs, and posters featuring The Bowman Body at the website's gift shop, as well as DVD copies of Kotz's<i> Hi There Horror Movie Fans! The Bowman Body Documentary</i> and <i>Virginia Creepers: The Horror Host Tradition Of The Old Dominion</i>.<br />
<br />
Regular readers of the Dog Farm will know that it's unusual for me to actively solicit support for projects, but this one is just too near and dear to my clogged and blackened heart not to do so. Bill Bowman first appeared to host Shock Theater only two months after I was born, and some of my earliest memories of - well, anything, really - revolve around staying up late at a wildly inappropriate young age to watch the Bowman Body. Bowman later hosted Cobweb Theater on WVIR in Charlottesville, and it tickles me shitless that one of a very small handful of clips that still exists shows <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gf6vYa8z99Q" target="_blank">Bowman reading a fan letter from yours truly</a> and then showing a drawing I sent with the letter. I was all of seven years old at the time. It was bigger than getting a personal shout out from Santa Claus.<br />
<br />
Pre-orders are funding this project, so order your new Shock Theater episodes now. If you're unfamiliar with the Bowman Body, you can right that heinous wrong by buying either - or both - of Sean Kotz's documentaries to bring yourself up to speed. I own both, and they're well worth your time and money. If you've got youngsters who've never seen a horror host, here's a chance to introduce them to one of the legends. I guarantee these new episodes of Shock Theater will be the highlight of your family's Pre'Ween viewing this October. I can hardly wait...<br />
<br />
<br />Brandon Earlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04428583919973903171noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4400483117854542409.post-37557487198755063082015-06-02T00:05:00.000-04:002015-06-02T00:07:44.837-04:00Belatedly Wrapping Up Movies At Dog Farm IV In One Tidy Little Package . . .<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-czLnP_Doegg/VW0ifbXQC7I/AAAAAAAAFJI/3SuRcHE-kHE/s1600/the-thing-1982-crop-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="The Thing (1982)" border="0" height="270" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-czLnP_Doegg/VW0ifbXQC7I/AAAAAAAAFJI/3SuRcHE-kHE/s640/the-thing-1982-crop-1.jpg" title="The-Thing-1982.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #e69138;"><i>The Thing </i>(1982) - You've gotta be fuckin' kidding me, right?</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
So how does one gauge the success or failure of a movie program? Now that the Movies At Dog Farm live events have been around for a while, the success or failure of these events must surely be relative. Those of us that have attended from the start wax nostalgic about the best screenings from the past, though I wouldn't characterize any of the prior programs as complete and utter failures. Additionally, I have to keep in mind that the movies are only one element of a larger event that's actually all about photography. I'm just the geek show, eating light bulbs and biting the heads off chickens. If I'm lucky, I get a receptive audience that responds to the show as I anticipated. If not, well...<br />
<br />
As now seems to be tradition, Herb Miller and I made a trip to Timberville Friday night for beer, food, and cigarettes at roughly the same time the movies should have begun. We were accompanied by Jai McWhorter, Phil's hired help at the Dog Farm who impressed me mightily be being only twenty years old and name dropping <i>The Cabinet Of Dr. Caligari </i>(1920) on me. We were only about half way to Timberville when Herb's brake line busted unexpectedly, leaving us unable to make a sharp turn on a country road that then abruptly turned into a plowed field. No one was hurt, and Herb got the car back on the road and continued on to Timberville sans brakes. That seemed to make sense at the time.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KQ8rxMDQTDU/VW0h4Cf7aKI/AAAAAAAAFJA/5RrvBmw6glU/s1600/manitou1b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="The Manitou (1978)" border="0" height="165" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KQ8rxMDQTDU/VW0h4Cf7aKI/AAAAAAAAFJA/5RrvBmw6glU/s320/manitou1b.jpg" title="The-Manitou-1978.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #e69138;"><i>The Manitou </i>(1978) - The stunted glory of Misquamacas.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We got back to the Dog Farm intact roughly an hour later, and no one was there except Phil, who was agitated that attendees who were expected earlier hadn't yet arrived. Ultimately, everyone arrived safely in two separate carloads coming from different directions. Tricia and Noodle Newnum arrived with event veteran Josh Kamikaze Buckland in tow, followed by Kelli and Jeff Ramirez shortly thereafter. I think. Or maybe it was the other way around. Someone should have been keeping notes. Our first movie, <i>The Manitou </i>(1978), finally lit up the screen just shy of midnight. Sounds like everything's been a bit of a cluster fuck thus far, huh?<br />
<br />
Well I couldn't have asked for a more receptive audience. There's something truly magical about watching a movie with an audience that's perfectly in tune with what's unfolding on the screen. <i>The Manitou </i>is a movie that begs a lot of MS3TK style interaction, and that's exactly what happened. Baggy back flesh and boob lasers carried the day. Phil even treated us to an impersonation of the movie's vertically challenged Native American shaman afterwards. We at the Dog Farm are nothing if not politically correct.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kdHVLFhJaXY/VW0i9dRrHxI/AAAAAAAAFJQ/sDPNWluWfMs/s1600/vlcsnap-2015-01-24-18h58m16s31.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Jack Palance in Alone In The Dark (1982)" border="0" height="180" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kdHVLFhJaXY/VW0i9dRrHxI/AAAAAAAAFJQ/sDPNWluWfMs/s320/vlcsnap-2015-01-24-18h58m16s31.png" title="Jack-Palance-in-Alone-In-The-Dark-1982.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #e69138;"><i>Alone In The Dark </i>(1982) - Jack Palance saying howdy.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Owing to how late we got started, we moved on to <i>Alone In The Dark</i> (1982) almost immediately after <i>The Manitou</i> was over. No brakes, baby. That seems to have been a theme for the evening. Everyone was enthusiastic throughout the second feature, as well. Night one of Movies At Dog Farm IV will undoubtedly be remembered as one of the events' more successful screenings. We wrapped things up at about three in the morning, at which point I quickly left for home.<br />
<br />
Though other attendees came and went during the day Saturday, the audience for Saturday night's movies ended up being the exact same group of people as Friday night. That's unusual. Not at all bad, just unusual. Generally there's a little more turnover from day to day. Jeff was good enough to man the grill for us Saturday night, so the movies were improved greatly by the addition of hot dogs and hamburgers served up fresh. Up first for Saturday was <i>Vanishing Point</i> (1971), a movie I'd never seen and didn't select. Herb had suggested it to me several months ago, so it took the place of the previously announced <i>Rituals</i> (1977). Truth be told, I had begun to doubt that <i>Rituals</i> would play well to a crowd anyway.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-R8zJiOGwWR4/VW0jOFaKXII/AAAAAAAAFJY/K3HQNKYD4aE/s1600/vanishing-point-l-cr9bly.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Gratuitous nudity in Vanishing Point" border="0" height="173" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-R8zJiOGwWR4/VW0jOFaKXII/AAAAAAAAFJY/K3HQNKYD4aE/s320/vanishing-point-l-cr9bly.jpeg" title="Gratuitous-nudity-in-Vanishing-Point-1971.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #e69138;"><i>Vanishing Point</i> (1971) - Gratuitous nudity, 70s style.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Turned out <i>Vanishing Point</i> was pretty damn good, though it didn't really lend itself to the same kind of audience interaction as the previous night's movies. Still, it did possess the unmistakable vibe of vintage drive-in fodder. I had threatened to lay the failure of the evening at Herb's feet if <i>Vanishing Point</i> didn't play well to the crowd, so I suppose I'm also obliged to give credit where it's due. You might get to pick one again some day, Herb.<br />
<br />
Unfortunately, we lost a few viewers to an early bedtime before <i>The Thing</i> (1982) started. It also began to get almost uncomfortably chilly outside, though that seemed weirdly apropos given <i>The Thing</i>'s Antarctic setting. Those of us that stuck it out enjoyed seeing <i>The Thing</i> on the big screen, but everyone quickly scuttled away to warmth immediately after the movie was over.<br />
<br />
So how does one gauge the success or failure of a movie program? Relatively speaking, I'd say Movies At Dog Farm IV was a success. The geek show was rewarded once again with the receptive audience it needs to survive. The geek thanks you.<br />
<br />
<br />Brandon Earlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04428583919973903171noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4400483117854542409.post-44853216980395446272015-05-20T17:46:00.001-04:002017-04-13T23:22:51.213-04:00Movies At Dog Farm Live Events And The Origins Of This Site - A History<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DSALpEQNJCQ/VVz9bAecg1I/AAAAAAAAFH4/hxMYSI3VC2M/s1600/Hungover-Cat.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="forgetful kitty" border="0" height="232" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DSALpEQNJCQ/VVz9bAecg1I/AAAAAAAAFH4/hxMYSI3VC2M/s320/Hungover-Cat.png" title="forgetful-kitty.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #cc0000;"> I've just celebrated my forty-fifth birthday. One of the only bits of enduring wisdom I can share with the youngsters is this: write down <i>everything</i>. Someday you're going to have trouble remembering. In preparing for the fourth Movies At Dog Farm live event, it occurred to me that I've never really laid down a history of these live events. I'm already having trouble remembering particulars, so it's time for a little historical preservation.</span><br />
<span style="color: #cc0000;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #cc0000;"> Movies At Dog Farm was a mini movie festival well before this site was ever conceived. My good friend Phil Neff, a professional photographer, had been in the habit of hosting a weekend long gathering for photographers and models once or twice a year at his home in Timberville, VA. Phil's home also happens to be a dog boarding facility situated on a gorgeous, wooded, and remote property. Yes, Virginia, there <i>is</i> a real Dog Farm. First, though, I have to go back a little further to explain how the notion of programming movies for Phil's event first came about.</span><br />
<span style="color: #cc0000;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #cc0000;"> I had concocted something I christened the First Annual Drive-In Movie Summer Series for myself and a couple of friends in the summer of 2011. We met at my house once a week for thirteen weeks and watched one in a series of movies I had selected. Inside. On a television. That name referenced the nature of the movies we watched rather than the mode of presentation. I tried to do it up right, though. I even prepared a program that offered bullet points for each movie to provide at least a modicum of historical context and factual info for each title. My two "subjects" were <i>not</i> inveterate genre fans, so I was hoping this would be a bit of a learning experience for them. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"> My selections were intended to be a representative sampling of drive-in fare spanning the years 1971 to 1981, which I dubbed the last golden age of the drive-in theater. "Drive-in movie" is an admittedly non-specific term, but for the purposes of this series I defined it as any movie that possessed a healthy dose of WTF and spent a sizable portion of its theatrical run playing drive-ins. For the record, the thirteen movies selected were: <i>Zombie </i>(1979), <i>Ilsa, Harem Keeper Of The Oil Sheiks</i> (1976), <i>Private Parts</i> (1972), <i>Squirm</i> (1976), <i>Wolfen</i> (1981), <i>The Texas Chainsaw Massacre </i>(1974), <i>Shivers</i> (1975), <i>Let Sleeping Corpses Lie</i> (1974), <i>The Manitou</i> (1978), <i>Mountain Of The Cannibal God </i>(1978), <i>It's Alive</i> (1974), <i>Motel Hell</i> (1980), and <i>The Beyond</i> (1981).</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"> The First Annual Drive-In Movie Summer Series went off with nary a hitch, and I immediately began to acquire movies for a follow-up provisionally titled Son Of Summer Series. Unfortunately, it gradually became apparent that Son Of Summer Series wasn't going to happen. I was already sitting on a stack of new DVDs, though, and I bellyached to Phil about the cruel fate that had befallen my burgeoning B-movie brainchild. Phil asked if I'd be willing to transmogrify my failed Summer Series into nighttime entertainment for his guests at his next photography event, and I of course accepted. I sell audio/video equipment for a living, so I knew I'd be able to procure a projector and speakers for the event from my employer.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"> That first Movies At Dog Farm live event was still months away at that point, which afforded me plenty of time to decide exactly which titles might find an appreciative audience at Phil's. I don't care what anyone else may tell you - programming movies for a film festival isn't for the faint of heart. I really had no idea what might play well to this particular audience, and I chose titles and subsequently discarded my choices with alarming regularity for the next four months. During that same time period I also created a Movies At Dog Farm group page on Facebook in the hopes of getting to know a little something about my intended audience. That Facebook page remained active after the first event, and it ultimately became the site you see before you when Phil pointed out that my increasingly lengthy "comments" on Facebook began to read more like blog entries. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"> For anyone who's ever wondered: that Facebook group is why my empire of dust has always been called Movies At Dog Farm rather than Movies At <i>The</i> Dog Farm. I thought it read better without the article. Phil said the missing article made it sound like I was employing the Frankenstein monster's mode of expression (Fire bad! Movies At Dog Farm good!) and of course, Phil's remark just guaranteed it <i>remained </i> Movies At Dog Farm. I regret nothing.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"> I finally nailed down the last of four titles just a few weeks before the event, with the intent of showing one on Friday night and three on Saturday night. The four movies chosen for the event were <i>Pieces</i> (1982), <i>Contamination</i> (1980), <i>Cemetery Man</i> (1994), and <i>Suspiria</i> (1977). Phil made a screen to hang up outdoors, and I began to work out the logistics of setting up 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround Sound in the woods surrounding the viewing area. Obviously, that was overkill for movies this old, but I was personally enamored of the idea of both seeing <i>and </i>hearing <i>Suspiria</i> outside in all it of its bludgeoning auditory glory. Not surprisingly, it rained the entire weekend, and I ended up spending an inordinate amount of time moving speakers in and out of the rain.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"> <i>Pieces</i> was the only movie scheduled for Friday night, and it's worth noting that it was the one title of the four selections about which I had the most reservations. I knew everyone would either get into the right frame of mind to appreciate its not-so-subtle charms or else the presentation would sink like a stone. I didn't see the potential for much middle ground there. Fortunately, it went over like gangbusters. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"> Unfortunately, my inability to stick to a schedule forced me to shelve the planned screening of <i>Contamination</i> on Saturday night in the interest of trying to get everything back <i>on</i> schedule. Luckily, <i>Cemetery Man</i> was well received, though by the time we got through that we didn't get to screen <i>Suspiria</i> until after midnight. Only three or four folks stuck it out for that one. Just before we started<i> Suspiria</i> the rain stopped, the skies cleared, and the moon shone on the woods all around us. It was glorious. Owing to how few people saw this screening, I think it's likely that <i>Suspria</i> may be revisited at a future event.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"> In the end that first live event was a little rocky, though I learned from my mistakes. It was at least successful enough to warrant a sequel in October of 2012, the Movies At Dog Farm II Pre'Ween Picture Show. I'll write a post at some point documenting that event, as well. Until then, what follows is the text on the flyer I made up for the first event touting the movies I either screened or intended to screen. The write-up on <i>Pieces</i> was later repurposed for a Gore-A-Thon post here on the site.</span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PNnWHWaKTo8/VSr5k4uQwuI/AAAAAAAAFGk/wGjcheEg7xg/s1600/pieces-cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Pieces (1982) poster" border="0" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PNnWHWaKTo8/VSr5k4uQwuI/AAAAAAAAFGk/wGjcheEg7xg/s1600/pieces-cover.jpg" title="Pieces-1982-poster.jpg" width="265" /></a><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #e69138;"><i>Pieces</i> (1982)</span> <i> </i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><i>aka</i> <span style="color: #e69138;"><i>Mil Gritos Tiene La Noche</i></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><i>Screened Friday, May 4, 2012</i></span><br />
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<i>Pieces</i> is pure freak show exploitation, with an
advertising campaign that sells the movie like a huckstering carnival
barker. "You Don't Have To Go To Texas For A Chainsaw Massacre!"
screams the tagline, and then the movie's poster even more bluntly
promises "It's Exactly What You Think It Is!" The clear implication is
that <i>Pieces</i> offers all the bad dialog, gratuitous nudity, and graphic violence you're looking for, all in one convenient package.<br />
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That package mostly delivers, and it does so with a charming lack of
pretense. Director Juan Piquer Simon knew what he was making here and
doesn't let a sense of decorum get in the way. Legend has it that
during filming an actress actually lost control of her bladder during
one take when a functioning prop chainsaw strayed dangerously near.
That shot made it into the film's final cut, a testament to the
aesthetic of tacky, unrefined showmanship that makes <i>Pieces</i> great.<br />
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Director Simon once stated, "I don't know anyone who says 'I'm going to
make a bad movie.' Nor do I know anyone who says 'I'm going to make a
work of art' and makes it." Somehow, <i>Pieces</i> manages to be both bad movie and work of art at the same time. <i>The Texas Chainsaw Massacre</i> may be the undisputed masterpiece, but <i>Pieces</i>
earns its place in the chainsaw movie pantheon by being devoid of
delusions of grandeur and simply delivering what it promises. It truly
is exactly what you think it is.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Tvzx0dc0mHM/VSr6ah_9YsI/AAAAAAAAFGw/0X2YxQVr5Lw/s1600/contamination_1980_poster_01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Contamination (1980) poster" border="0" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Tvzx0dc0mHM/VSr6ah_9YsI/AAAAAAAAFGw/0X2YxQVr5Lw/s1600/contamination_1980_poster_01.jpg" title="Contamination-1980-poster.jpg" width="265" /></a><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #e69138;"><i>Contamination </i>(1980)<i> <span style="color: #cc0000;"> </span></i></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #e69138;"><i><span style="color: #cc0000;">aka</span> Alien Contamination</i></span> </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><i>Scheduled for Saturday, May 5, 2012, but ultimately not screened due to scheduling conflicts.</i></span><br />
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Italian filmmakers made a veritable cottage industry out of riding the coattails of American made box office successes throughout the 1970s and 80s. <i>The Exorcist</i> (1973) begat <i>Beyond The Door </i>(1974), <i>Jaws</i> (1975) begat <i>Great White</i> (1980), and <i>Alien</i> (1979) begat <i>Contamination</i> (1980). Curiously, director Luigi Cozzi perceives <i>Contamination</i> as being a riff on <i>Invasion Of The Body Snatchers</i>, but the distinction is specious. Contamination was released in the wake of the massive worldwide success of <i>Alien</i>, and it made extensive use in its advertising of its images of pulsating alien eggs. It's a very real possibility that Cozzi is just being disingenuous. Either way, <i>Contamination</i> is a hoot.<br />
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Starring Ian McCulloch (<i>Zombie</i>) and featuring a pounding score by Goblin, <i>Contamination</i> starts strong, ends strong, and probably won't completely put you to sleep in the middle. Even if you do begin to feel groggy, hang in there for the reveal of the cyclopean, paper mache alien overlord at the movie's conclusion. Only the Italians can make formaggio of this caliber. Blue Underground's restoration from the original vault negative reinstates the gory, gut-busting FX excised worldwide for <i>Contamination</i>'s theatrical releases, making this the definitive cut of the movie. <br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--yb--ffpvUs/VSr6j3_p8rI/AAAAAAAAFG0/e6DoKIhUAzY/s1600/cemeteryman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Cemetery Man (1994) poster" border="0" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/--yb--ffpvUs/VSr6j3_p8rI/AAAAAAAAFG0/e6DoKIhUAzY/s1600/cemeteryman.jpg" title="Cemetery-Man-1994-poster.jpg" width="268" /></a><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #e69138;"><i>Cemetery Man</i> (1994) </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #e69138;"></span><span style="font-size: small;"><i>aka</i> <i><span style="color: #e69138;">Dellamorte Dellamore</span></i></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><i>Screened Saturday, May 5, 2012</i></span><br />
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<i>Cemetery Man</i>, directed by Dario Argento protege Michele Soavi, is one of the finest horror movies of the 90s, foreign or otherwise. It's also woefully under appreciated, perhaps because it was saddled by American distributors with a groaningly broad title that does little to indicate its blackly comic tone. Its original title, a bit of Italian wordplay, roughly translates as "Of Death, Of Love", and that's much closer to the mark. This is a movie with a lot on its mind. It examines nothing less than the meaning of life itself, and it ultimately seems to decide that life has no meaning without love. It also has plenty of zombies, gore, and nudity, so don't think it's just a dry, artsy slog through the Big Philosophical Questions.<br />
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A then unknown Rupert Everett (My Best Friend's Wedding) does a fine job mining the script's dark humor as Fracesco Dellamorte, a cemetery watchman with the unenviable task of slaughtering the undead "returners" at Buffalora Cemetery. It's all in a day's work for Dellamorte until a tryst with a beautiful widow turns tragic, leading him into a tailspin of escalating psychosis. Is death the ultimate act of love?<br />
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<i>Cemetery Man</i> is a truly unique gem of a horror film, lousy American title notwithstanding. Thanks to Josh Kamikaze Buckland for suggesting it.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MPCaGtQIqlM/VSr6ufMLigI/AAAAAAAAFHA/nCMYKPQ35Cw/s1600/yhxfpg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Suspiria (1977) poster" border="0" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MPCaGtQIqlM/VSr6ufMLigI/AAAAAAAAFHA/nCMYKPQ35Cw/s1600/yhxfpg.jpg" title="Suspiria-1977-poster.jpg" width="265" /></a><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #e69138;"><i>Suspiria</i> (1977)</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><i>Screened Saturday, May 5, 2012</i></span><br />
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<i>Suspiria</i> is Italian director Dario Argento's masterwork, a garish nightmare of over saturated colors and painterly compositions that plays like a fairy tale for adults. Nominally about a coven of witches and the dance academy for young women they use to conceal their activities, the narrative is really only a framework upon which Argento builds his fever dream of stylish visuals and discordant sound. Frequent collaborator Goblin provides the nerve-jangling score, easily the band's most effective, and the aural assault is every bit as important to the success of the enterprise as Argento's aggressive visual attack. The two halves work in tandem to create a perfect storm of deeply disturbing hallucinatory horror.<br />
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<i>Suspiria</i> tells the tale of Mater Suspiriorum, the Mother of Sighs, and is the first film of Argento's loosely related Three Mothers trilogy, each of which focuses on the story of one of a triumvirate of ancient, evil witches. <i>Inferno</i> followed in 1980 and told of Mater Tenebrarum, the Mother of Darkness, the youngest and cruelest of the three. <i>The Mother Of Tears</i> belatedly concluded the trilogy in 2007 and told of Mater Lachrymarum, the most powerful of the three witches.<br />
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Argento failed to match the delirious heights of <i>Suspiria</i> with either of its follow-ups, but it would have been nearly impossible to do so. The first was as close to perfection as genre movies get. Everyone should see <i>Suspiria</i> at least twice: once to let the malevolent magic wash over you, and once more to marvel at the flawless skill and technique with which Argento casts his cinematic spell.<br />
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<br />Brandon Earlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04428583919973903171noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4400483117854542409.post-32063483528534943682015-04-08T16:35:00.000-04:002015-05-21T15:04:56.380-04:00Alone In The Dark (1982) - Dr. Loomis, Grossberger, Howling Mad Murdock, The Sic F*cks, And Two Future Oscar Winners Still Just Paying The Bills<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kZaWg7FFKRI/VSLWChwlijI/AAAAAAAAFD8/r7E1DlIeACI/s1600/alone_in_the_dark_1982_580x878_949620.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Alone In The Dark (1982) poster" border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kZaWg7FFKRI/VSLWChwlijI/AAAAAAAAFD8/r7E1DlIeACI/s1600/alone_in_the_dark_1982_580x878_949620.jpg" title="Alone-In-The-Dark-1982-poster.jpg" width="131" /></a></div>
<i><span style="color: #e69138;">Alone In The Dark (1982)</span></i><br />
Currently Out Of Print<br />
Director: Jack Sholder<br />
Writer: Jack Sholder, Robert Shaye, and Michael Harrpster<br />
Stars: Jack Palance, Donald Pleasance, Martin Landau, Dwight Schultz, Erland van Lidth, Deborah Hedwall, Lee Taylor-Allan, Phillip Clark, Elizabeth Ward, Brent Jennings, Gordon Watkins, and Carol Levy<br />
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<i><span style="color: #e69138;">A quartet of murderous psychopaths break out of a mental hospital during a power blackout and lay siege to their doctor's house.</span></i><br />
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The movie <i>Alone In The Dark </i>(1982) bears no relation to the long running video game franchise of the same name. It should <i>not </i>be confused with the godawful Uwe Boll directed movie adaptation of said video game, either. <i>Alone In The Dark</i> is a splendid little gem of a movie that got lost in the deluge of slasher flicks flooding theaters in 1982, and it ended up largely forgotten outside of genre circles save for its status as one of the "clips no one can quite place" in the 1984 trailer compilation <i>Terror In The Aisles</i>. It deserves better.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bZZe8w-iSEQ/VMRRhIVx-gI/AAAAAAAAE58/-TPGWaioeVU/s1600/vlcsnap-2015-01-24-18h31m42s28.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="'Preacher' (Martin Landau) approaches Mom's Diner in Alone In The Dark (1982)" border="0" height="360" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bZZe8w-iSEQ/VMRRhIVx-gI/AAAAAAAAE58/-TPGWaioeVU/s1600/vlcsnap-2015-01-24-18h31m42s28.png" title="'Preacher'-approaches-Mom's-Diner-in-Alone-In-The-Dark-1982.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #e69138;">Byron 'Preacher' Sutcliffe (Martin Landau) approaches Mom's Diner in the surreal dream sequence preceding the opening credits of director Jack Sholder's 1982 directorial debut <i>Alone In The Dark</i>.</span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tcQMyBGwTrs/VMRRhacpdCI/AAAAAAAAE6A/_4orclc4RHU/s1600/vlcsnap-2015-01-24-18h36m43s202.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Donald Pleasance in a dream sequence from Alone In The Dark (1982)" border="0" height="360" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tcQMyBGwTrs/VMRRhacpdCI/AAAAAAAAE6A/_4orclc4RHU/s1600/vlcsnap-2015-01-24-18h36m43s202.png" title="Donald-Pleasance-in-a-dream-sequence-from-Alone-In-The-Dark-1982.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #e69138;">Preacher imagines Dr. Leo Bain (Donald Pleasance) as a cleaver wielding short order cook who's about to help him split the tab the hard way...</span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-El9JJxvibro/VMRRh3shnnI/AAAAAAAAE6M/vmfoAyTn6CQ/s1600/vlcsnap-2015-01-24-18h40m22s217.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Martin Landau awakens from a nightmare in Alone In The Dark (1982)" border="0" height="360" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-El9JJxvibro/VMRRh3shnnI/AAAAAAAAE6M/vmfoAyTn6CQ/s1600/vlcsnap-2015-01-24-18h40m22s217.png" title="Martin-Landau-awakens-from-a-nightmare-in-Alone-In-The-Dark-1982.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #e69138;">...before he awakens from his nightmare to find himself back at the asylum and (you guessed it) <i>alone in the dark</i>!</span></td></tr>
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<i>Alone In The Dark</i> was among the first movies produced for Robert Shaye's New Line Cinema just a couple of years before the success of Wes Craven's <i>A Nightmare On Elm Street </i>(1984) turned it into The House That Freddy Built. Shaye's wife Lynn even has a cameo as a receptionist at the Haven, the mental hospital run by the pot smoking Dr. Leo Bain, played by Donald Pleasance. Pleasance is clearly having a blast in a role that comes across as a parody of his performance as the doom-and-gloom riddled Dr. Loomis in the <i>Halloween</i> franchise. Dr. Bain subscribes to the notion that no-one is really crazy, that the people society labels as psychotics are only individuals having difficulty adapting to an already psychotic world. Even the Haven's four most dangerous patients are given considerable free reign. Paranoid schizophrenic Frank Hawkes (Jack Palance), pyromaniac Byron 'Preacher' Sutcliffe (Martin Landau), hulking pedophile Ronald 'Fatty' Elster (Erland van Lidth), and a homicidal maniac called 'The Bleeder' (Phillip Clark) are contained only by an electric door lock that confines them to their own wing of the hospital at night. It sure would be a shame if the power went out...<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zQrW-FK9xuc/VMRRjI_YmbI/AAAAAAAAE6g/tp8PJHUfIJU/s1600/vlcsnap-2015-01-24-18h43m53s2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Dwight Schultz and Donald Pleasence in Alone In The Dark (1982)" border="0" height="360" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zQrW-FK9xuc/VMRRjI_YmbI/AAAAAAAAE6g/tp8PJHUfIJU/s1600/vlcsnap-2015-01-24-18h43m53s2.png" title="Dwight-Schultz-and-Donald-Pleasence-in-Alone-In-The-Dark-1982.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #e69138;">New hire Dr. Dan Potter (Dwight Schultz) receives an awkwardly enthusiastic welcome from hospital administrator Leo Bain upon arriving for his first day of work at the Haven.</span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GdUfuWxMMWE/VMRRjap6jBI/AAAAAAAAE6o/fQKu8Q6OAho/s1600/vlcsnap-2015-01-24-18h55m40s232.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Erland van Lidth in Alone In The Dark (1982)" border="0" height="360" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GdUfuWxMMWE/VMRRjap6jBI/AAAAAAAAE6o/fQKu8Q6OAho/s1600/vlcsnap-2015-01-24-18h55m40s232.png" title="Erland-van-Lidth-in-Alone-In-The-Dark-1982.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #e69138;">Dangerous mental patient and pedophile Ronald 'Fatty' Elster (Erland van Lidth) practices his origami, which one presumes must be a big hit with the kids.</span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kPgqUNWc754/VSMuQC4WiGI/AAAAAAAAFEU/j9PlzBjsZ10/s1600/vlcsnap-2015-01-24-18h57m30s74.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Jack Palance in Alone In The Dark (1982)" border="0" height="360" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kPgqUNWc754/VSMuQC4WiGI/AAAAAAAAFEU/j9PlzBjsZ10/s1600/vlcsnap-2015-01-24-18h57m30s74.png" style="cursor: move;" title="Jack-Palance-in-Alone-In-The-Dark-1982.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #e69138;">De facto leader of the psychos Colonel Frank Hawkes (Jack Palance) in a typically intense moment upon meeting Dr. Potter for the first time.</span></td></tr>
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As one might imagine, a considerable part of the charm of <i>Alone In The Dark</i> derives from its casting. Beyond the delightful skewering of new age psychiatry that Pleasance provides, it's hard to deny the thrill of seeing future Oscar winners Jack Palance (Best Supporting Actor, <i>City Slickers</i>, 1991) and Martin Landau (Best Supporting Actor, <i>Ed Wood</i>, 1994) hamming it up to great effect as psychotics in a low budget horror movie. The two also appeared together two years prior in the low budget sci-fi/horror flick <i>Without Warning </i>(1980), which was only recently rescued from obscurity by a new Scream Factory Blu-ray release. Many viewers will also likely recognize the late Erland van Lidth, who portrays obese pedophile Ronald 'Fatty' Elster. Van Lidth had previously made an impression as the hulking prison inmate Grossberger in the popular comedy <i>Stir Crazy </i>(1980), as well as later portraying the opera-singing stalker Dynamo in <i>The Running Man</i> (1987). If that isn't enough star power to pique your interest, how about we also throw in actor Dwight Schultz as the mild-mannered - and completely sane - Dr. Dan Potter? Ironically, just a few months later we'd all come to know Schultz primarily as crazed pilot 'Howling Mad' Murdock on the popular TV show <i>The A-Team</i> (1983-87).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BLIvOSPFZ30/VMSEauatvtI/AAAAAAAAE68/5dYiR3O5dwI/s1600/vlcsnap-2015-01-24-19h12m04s67.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="The Sic F*cks perform Chop Up Your Mother in Alone In The Dark (1982)" border="0" height="360" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BLIvOSPFZ30/VMSEauatvtI/AAAAAAAAE68/5dYiR3O5dwI/s1600/vlcsnap-2015-01-24-19h12m04s67.png" title="The-Sic-F*cks-perform-Chop-Up-Your-Mother-in-Alone-In-The-Dark-1982.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #e69138;">The Sic F*cks perform <i>Chop Up Your Mother</i> just before a citywide blackout brings the show to a halt.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Rc4WQjrrFNY/VMSEkrVIypI/AAAAAAAAE7E/hPp0otSV4us/s1600/vlcsnap-2015-01-24-19h17m47s195.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Martin Landau looting during the blackout in Alone In The Dark (1982)" border="0" height="360" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Rc4WQjrrFNY/VMSEkrVIypI/AAAAAAAAE7E/hPp0otSV4us/s1600/vlcsnap-2015-01-24-19h17m47s195.png" title="Martin-Landau-looting-during-the-blackout-in-Alone-In-The-Dark-1982.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #e69138;">'Preacher' finds just exactly what he's looking for while looting during the blackout...</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-u_mRHHtkwKc/VSSI0Wf8qJI/AAAAAAAAFFw/ya2_wEg7Fb4/s1600/vlcsnap-2015-01-24-19h23m24s233.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="The Bleeder wearing a hockey mask in Alone In The Dark (1982)" border="0" height="360" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-u_mRHHtkwKc/VSSI0Wf8qJI/AAAAAAAAFFw/ya2_wEg7Fb4/s1600/vlcsnap-2015-01-24-19h23m24s233.png" title="The-Bleeder-wearing-a-hockey-mask-in-Alone-In-The-Dark-1982.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #e69138;">...as does 'The Bleeder' (Phillip Clark), who prefers to keep his identity a secret for now.</span></td></tr>
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<i>Alone In The Dark</i> was also Jack Sholder's directorial debut. Sholder later worked with producer Robert Shay again on both <i>A Nightmare On Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge</i> (1985) and the body-jumping alien parasite mini-classic <i>The Hidden</i> (1987) before spending most of the rest of his career working in television. Contrary to what many fans believe, Sholder did not choose to have The Bleeder don a hockey mask upon escaping the Haven as any kind of homage to the <i>Friday The 13th </i>franchise. Though released theatrically<i> </i>after the first appearance of Jason's iconic hockey mask in <i>Friday The 13th Part III</i>, Sholder's <i>Alone In The Dark</i> was <i>completed</i> first. The character of The Bleeder was actually conceived by Shay, who was taken with the idea of a psychopathic killer who keeps his face hidden to facilitate a surprising reveal near the end of the movie.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9NQmaFtJVOE/VSRce50pKRI/AAAAAAAAFEs/PO_P7n5KKfg/s1600/vlcsnap-2015-01-24-19h26m41s172.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Martin Landau makes a delivery in Alone In The Dark (1982)" border="0" height="358" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9NQmaFtJVOE/VSRce50pKRI/AAAAAAAAFEs/PO_P7n5KKfg/s1600/vlcsnap-2015-01-24-19h26m41s172.png" title="Martin-Landau-makes-a-delivery-in-Alone-In-The-Dark-1982.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #e69138;">Land Shark! This screen grab is pretty funny once you know where 'Preacher' got the hat.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iXlpQtOEa8c/VSRcft93G2I/AAAAAAAAFE0/wnoDhDO6G4U/s1600/vlcsnap-2015-01-24-19h30m43s11.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Erland van Lidth shares cookies and milk with Elizabeth Ward in Alone In The Dark (1982)" border="0" height="360" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iXlpQtOEa8c/VSRcft93G2I/AAAAAAAAFE0/wnoDhDO6G4U/s1600/vlcsnap-2015-01-24-19h30m43s11.png" title="Erland-van-Lidth-and-Elizabeth-Ward-in-Alone-In-The-Dark-1982.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #e69138;">Of course, there's nothing funny about pedophilia - except maybe watching a wise-beyond-her-years little girl (Elizabeth Ward) effortlessly thwart a pedophile's A game while still scoring the cookies and milk.</span></td></tr>
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Owing largely to its release during the theatrical heyday of the slasher movie, <i>Alone In The Dark</i> is often lumped in with others of the type. Though it bears obvious cosmetic similarities to the slasher sub-genre, it's ultimately more of a siege movie. <i>Alone In The Dark</i> goes pretty light on the gratuitous gore, and most of the movie's most suspenseful moments come in the third act after Dr. Potter and his family have been trapped in their home by the trio of psychopaths lurking outside. Slasher FX superstar Tom Savini does provide one make-up effect in the form of a briefly glimpsed zombie for a dream sequence, but his style of graphic slaughter is otherwise mostly absent. There is a set piece involving a scantily clad babysitter named Bunky (Carol Levy) and a very big knife that most any slasher movie would be proud to call its own, but even that episode is nearly gore-free. The appeal of <i>Alone In The Dark</i>, not surprisingly, lies mostly in the strength of its performances and its clever screenplay, two strengths rarely associated with the slasher sub-genre.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2NysaBEA6b8/VSRbS9VPTEI/AAAAAAAAFEk/xDvCiQkLx_c/s1600/vlcsnap-2015-01-24-19h35m30s97.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Carol Levy thinks there is someone under the bed in Alone In The Dark (1982)" border="0" height="360" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2NysaBEA6b8/VSRbS9VPTEI/AAAAAAAAFEk/xDvCiQkLx_c/s1600/vlcsnap-2015-01-24-19h35m30s97.png" title="Carol-Levy-thinks-there-is-someone-under-the-bed-in-Alone-In-The-Dark-1982.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #e69138;">Meanwhile, Bunky the babysitter (Carol Levy) thinks there may be someone under the bed...</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EDD_fqltBhM/VMSGJB2MqsI/AAAAAAAAE7w/xEU6xxkygDg/s1600/vlcsnap-2015-01-24-19h35m56s92.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="A knife through the mattress in Alone In The Dark (1982)" border="0" height="360" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EDD_fqltBhM/VMSGJB2MqsI/AAAAAAAAE7w/xEU6xxkygDg/s1600/vlcsnap-2015-01-24-19h35m56s92.png" title="A-knife-through-the-mattress-in-Alone-In-The-Dark-1982.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #e69138;">...and there is...</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2goF7VtDHUA/VMSGJrvCR_I/AAAAAAAAE74/KFCyrnNSslc/s1600/vlcsnap-2015-01-24-19h37m23s168.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="A knife between the legs in Alone In The Dark (1982)" border="0" height="360" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2goF7VtDHUA/VMSGJrvCR_I/AAAAAAAAE74/KFCyrnNSslc/s1600/vlcsnap-2015-01-24-19h37m23s168.png" title="A-knife-between-the-legs-in-Alone-In-The-Dark-1982.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #e69138;">...so maybe it's time for Bunky to get the hell off the bed and consider a less dangerous vocation.</span></td></tr>
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I intentionally went with relatively few screen caps from the final siege of the Potter household in <i>Alone In The Dark</i> so as not to ruin any of the shocks, and I hope I've been sufficiently vague throughout this post about the specifics of the narrative. <i>Alone In The Dark</i> is unique amongst horror movies of the era, and it deserves to be seen with its surprises intact. The original DVD release from Image Entertainment is unfortunately long out of print, though it can still be had for a price. <i>Alone In The Dark</i> also later appeared in a two disc, four movie Image release alongside <i>Afraid Of The Dark</i> (1991), <i>Relentless 3</i> (1993), and <i>Relentless 4</i> (1994), though that release seems to be even harder to track down. Sadly, it doesn't seem to be currently available on any of the major VOD outlets. Rumor has it that a high definition master of the movie still exists, so perhaps Scream Factory will someday swoop in to save <i>Alone In The Dark</i> from obscurity just as they did with the previously mentioned <i>Without Warning</i>.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iYCQCb6mhxk/VSRdipgrDgI/AAAAAAAAFFA/61ffmLz9rX4/s1600/vlcsnap-2015-01-24-19h43m28s17.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="A family under siege in Alone In The Dark (1982)" border="0" height="360" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iYCQCb6mhxk/VSRdipgrDgI/AAAAAAAAFFA/61ffmLz9rX4/s1600/vlcsnap-2015-01-24-19h43m28s17.png" title="A-family-under-siege-in-Alone-In-The-Dark-1982.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #e69138;">Dr. Potter and his family prepare to fend off a home invasion...</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-y_6HYmF5h-M/VSRe4_cpGzI/AAAAAAAAFFg/KdH_aHAlTtk/s1600/vlcsnap-2015-01-24-20h08m51s135.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Outside the house under siege in Alone In The Dark (1982)" border="0" height="360" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-y_6HYmF5h-M/VSRe4_cpGzI/AAAAAAAAFFg/KdH_aHAlTtk/s1600/vlcsnap-2015-01-24-20h08m51s135.png" title="Outside-the-house-under-siege-in-Alone-In-The-Dark-1982.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #e69138;">... because appearances notwithstanding...</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vBwM4S-kZkw/VSRdih5tMGI/AAAAAAAAFE8/1eYhfLy7DiM/s1600/vlcsnap-2015-01-24-19h50m09s176.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Dr. Potter's family trapped in Alone In The Dark (1982)" border="0" height="360" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vBwM4S-kZkw/VSRdih5tMGI/AAAAAAAAFE8/1eYhfLy7DiM/s1600/vlcsnap-2015-01-24-19h50m09s176.png" title="Dr.-Potter's-family-trapped-in-Alone-In-The-Dark-1982.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #e69138;">...the Potters already know they're not alone in the dark tonight.</span></td></tr>
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So how, you may ask, might someone go about seeing <i>Alone In The Dark</i> given its current state of release? Well, if you expect to be anywhere near Timberville, Virginia on Memorial Day Weekend, shoot me an email. <i>Alone In The Dark</i> is the second confirmed title - alongside <a href="http://www.moviesatdogfarm.com/search/label/Rituals" target="_blank">the previously announced <i>Rituals</i> (1977) </a>- for the Movies At Dog Farm IV live event this Spring!<br />
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<br />Brandon Earlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04428583919973903171noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4400483117854542409.post-67701140783487261532015-04-05T15:51:00.000-04:002015-04-07T17:35:14.252-04:00The Versatile Blogger Award - I'm Not Worthy, But It's An Honor To Be Included In Such Good Company<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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My compatriots in the blogosphere are far too kind. I've only been posting sporadically this year, owing mostly to the fact that my inherent laziness has come to the fore. Even so, Barry at <a href="http://cinematiccatharsis.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Cinematic Catharsis</a> has been kind enough to nominate me for my first Versatile Blogger Award. Thank you, Barry. I feel a bit like I'm accepting an Oscar for <i>not</i> making a movie, but that doesn't make it any less of an honor. I guess it's time for me to quit slacking off and put my nose back to the grindstone.<br />
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In the spirit of recognizing the hard work of my compatriots, following is a list of my own nominees for the Versatile Blogger Award. All are fine folk whose work I enjoy and appreciate. Join me in supporting them so they'll be inspired to continue doing what they do.<br />
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Isaac Keith Martinez @ <a href="http://isaacshauntedbeard.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Isaac's Haunted Beard</a><br />
Matt St. Cyr @ <a href="http://www.midnightcinephile.com/" target="_blank">Midnight Cinephile</a><br />
Erin Lashley @ <a href="http://initforthekills.com/" target="_blank">Seven Doors Of Cinema</a><br />
Giovanni Susina @ <a href="http://atthemansionofmadness.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">At The Mansion Of Madness</a><br />
Dave J. Wilson @ <a href="http://www.cinematicshocks.com/" target="_blank">Cinematic Shocks</a><br />
Kev D. @ <a href="http://www.zombiehall.com/" target="_blank">Zombie Hall</a><br />
Carl Boehm @ <a href="http://www.carlneedstomakeamovie.com/" target="_blank">Carl Needs To Make A Movie</a><br />
Bob Smash @ <a href="http://www.candycoatedrazor.com/" target="_blank">Candy-Coated Razor Blades </a><br />
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You may have noticed there are only eight nominees listed above rather than the traditional ten. I'd feel remiss if I didn't offer a tip of the hat to a couple of sites that have sadly chosen to shutter their doors - <a href="http://www.theinfozombie.com/" target="_blank">The Info Zombie</a> and <a href="https://thebloodsuckinggeek.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Blood Sucking Geek</a>. J.D. at Blood Sucking Geek simply decided it was time to call it a day, and Carl moved seamlessly from The Info Zombie to his new concern listed above. Both The Info Zombie and Blood Sucking Geek live on in archival form, and I stand ready to offer my continued support to whatever the future holds for their respective proprietors.<br />
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I'd close with the traditional "Ten Things You Might Not Know About Me", but I suspect that would be at least nine things more than you'd probably care to know. Continue visiting the Dog Farm, and all shall be revealed in due time.<br />
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Thanks to everyone for allowing me to be part of this community of talented individuals, and thanks in particular to Barry at Cinematic Catharsis for the nomination.<br />
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<br />Brandon Earlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04428583919973903171noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4400483117854542409.post-16041662365457453962015-03-12T18:46:00.000-04:002015-03-13T00:10:50.947-04:00Motivational Growth (2013) - The Mold's Funky Green Wall Teat Is Surprisingly Sweet If You Lick It<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i><span style="color: #e69138;">Motivational Growth (2013)</span></i><br />
Currently Available on Blu-ray, DVD, and VOD<br />
Director: Don Thacker<br />
Writer: Don Thacker<br />
Stars: Jeffrey Combs, Adrian DiGiovanni, Danielle Doetsch, and Pete Giovagnoli<br />
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<i><span style="color: #e69138;">Ian Folivor (Adrian DiGiovanni), a depressed and reclusive thirty-something, finds himself taking advice from a growth in his bathroom after a failed suicide attempt. The Mold (Jeffrey Combs), a smooth talking fungus who was born of the filth collecting in a corner of Ian's neglected bathroom, works to win Ian's trust by helping him clean himself up and remodel his lifestyle.</span></i><br />
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It takes balls to set an entire movie in one squalid, cruddy location as writer/director Don Thacker has done with <i>Motivational Growth</i>. It takes even more nerve to have the movie's narrative revolve around a depressive young man and a pile of sentient bathroom filth. <i>Motivational Growth</i> would seem to have the deck stacked against it from the outset, but it grows on you anyway. Clearly, Mr. Thacker is not a man with whom to trifle.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #e69138;">The Mold (Jeffrey Combs) and Ian (Adrian DiGiovanni)</span></td></tr>
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The most obvious lure here is the above-the-title involvement of genre icon Jeffrey Combs (<i>Re-Animator</i>, <i>From Beyond</i>) as the voice of the aforementioned sentient bathroom filth that calls itself The Mold - <i>and don't you dare omit that article</i>! Combs instills a generous amount of life into the oozing pile of puppetry representing The Mold, but he is by no means the movie's only selling point. That fact alone is surprising, but not quite as surprising as the movie's real strength. <i>Motivational Growth</i> is gross, funny, and disturbing, but it also has a lot of heart.<br />
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Ian Foliver (Adrian DiGiovanni) hasn't left his ratty little apartment for months, and he's also working on a raging case of agoraphobia. He's surrounded by heaps of trash and detritus, and he spends so much time sitting in front of his old console television - which he affectionately calls Kent - that he's developed bedsores. He seems a decent enough guy, though, and DiGiovanni's performance makes the character far more interesting and sympathetic than one might expect. Ian frequently breaks the fourth wall and addresses the viewer directly, one of many stylistic gambits that forges a deep and empathetic connection with the viewer.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZTwKRDtKhQw/VQIPPkyO27I/AAAAAAAAFCs/jmaXcPTmXOA/s1600/Motivational-Growth3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Ian preparing to commit suicide in Motivational Growth (2013)" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZTwKRDtKhQw/VQIPPkyO27I/AAAAAAAAFCs/jmaXcPTmXOA/s1600/Motivational-Growth3.jpg" height="272" title="Ian-preparing-to-commit-suicide-in-Motivational-Growth-2013.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #e69138;">Ian addressing the viewer directly regarding the specifics of his impending suicide attempt</span></td></tr>
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After a failed attempt at suicide Ian takes a nasty tumble in the bathroom, and when he comes to he discovers he's not alone. There's a lumpy, green pile of talking fungus in a corner of the bathroom that introduces itself as The Mold and assures Ian - whom he insists upon addressing as Jack - that he has a "plan" for him. The Mold intends to rehabilitate Ian. Thanks to The Mold's help, Ian even ultimately meets - in his own doorway, natch - his lovely young neighbor Leah (a sweet and appealing Danielle Doetsch) whom he's been harmlessly stalking via the peephole in his front door. Of course, there's more to The Mold's "plan" for Ian than is immediately evident, and the moderately rehabilitated Ian begins to question The Mold's motives. Perhaps The Mold isn't as altruistic as it at first seems?<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cN-rcv-krOM/VQIKB-UJJAI/AAAAAAAAFCE/Yd4CEunkt74/s1600/MG15.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Leah and Ian getting cozy on the couch in Motivational Growth (2013)" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cN-rcv-krOM/VQIKB-UJJAI/AAAAAAAAFCE/Yd4CEunkt74/s1600/MG15.png" height="272" title="Leah-and-Ian-getting-cozy-on-the-couch-in-Motivational-Growth-2013.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #e69138;">Next door neighbor Leah (Danielle Doetsch) getting cozy with the somewhat rehabilitated Ian </span></td></tr>
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<i>Motivational Growth</i> almost immediately begs comparison to the darkly comedic and twisted filmography of Frank Henenlotter (<i>Basket Case</i>, <i>Frankenhooker</i>). In particular, one can't help but be reminded of Henenlotter's thematically similar <i>Brain Damage</i> (1988). Both movies revolve around a troubled but sympathetic protagonist being manipulated by a "mentor" with questionable motivations, and in both cases, that mentor takes the form of an unnatural visitor depicted onscreen by a latex puppet. The Mold could easily take its place alongside Aylmer from <i>Brain Damage</i> or Belial from <i>Basket Case</i> in Henenlotter's rogues gallery of practical FX driven oddities. <i>Motivational Growth</i> possesses the same grotty grindhouse aesthetic commonly associated with Henenlotter's work, as well.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Vowyt7nd1dE/VQISDPI_oOI/AAAAAAAAFC4/yTlKsJ3e3VI/s1600/box.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Pete Giovagnoli as Box the Ox in Motivational Growth (2013)" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Vowyt7nd1dE/VQISDPI_oOI/AAAAAAAAFC4/yTlKsJ3e3VI/s1600/box.png" height="252" title="Pete-Giovagnoli-as-Box-the-Ox-in-Motivational-Growth-2013.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #e69138;">Ian's landlord Box the Ox (Pete Giovagnoli)</span></td></tr>
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That's not to say that <i>Motivational Growth</i> isn't a remarkably unique movie in its own right, though. Thacker litters the movie with colorful and bizarre visitors to Ian's apartment, which is convenient since the narrative never ventures outside of Ian's own surreal environment. In particular, actor Pete Giovagnoli makes an impression as Ian's cartoonishly aggressive landlord Box the Ox. It's interesting to note that Giovagnoli is far smaller and less physically imposing than the character he plays. Thacker details in the movie's commentary how he used forced perspective and a number of other filmmaking tricks to create the illusion of a towering bully. To Thacker's credit, the viewer almost certainly wouldn't notice the deception without being told, which is a testament to the value of good old-fashioned filmmaking ingenuity.<br />
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Thacker also keeps the camera moving throughout, indulging in a number of odd angles and trick shots to maintain visual interest despite the confined setting. <i>Motivational Growth</i> never feels small, which is an impressive feat given the claustrophobic nature of the narrative. Even the seemingly random details of Ian's filthy apartment prove a triumph of deceptively detailed and intricate set design.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RzMFnUjWepw/VQIMBqIKS_I/AAAAAAAAFCg/AD9iPMmavR4/s1600/Motivational-Growth-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Ian suckling The Mold's wall teat in Motivational Growth (2013)" border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RzMFnUjWepw/VQIMBqIKS_I/AAAAAAAAFCg/AD9iPMmavR4/s1600/Motivational-Growth-3.jpg" height="272" title="Ian-suckling-The-Mold's-wall-teat-in-Motivational-Growth-2013.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #e69138;">Ian suckles at The Mold's funky green wall teat</span></td></tr>
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As mentioned previously, though, the real triumph of <i>Motivational Growth </i>is the surprisingly human beating heart at its core. What seems on the surface to likely be a hacky one-note B-movie predicated on a single gag and above-the-title stunt casting proves to be far more affecting. Thacker makes it easy to empathize with Ian's struggle to connect meaningfully with another person, and that's a step beyond that many genre movies can't - or perhaps won't - bother to take. Thacker is a filmmaker to watch, and <i>Motivational Growth</i> is a funny, disturbing, and unique gem.<br />
<br />Brandon Earlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04428583919973903171noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4400483117854542409.post-2159559626509994072015-02-25T22:33:00.000-05:002015-02-25T22:36:37.487-05:00Digging Up The Marrow (2014) And Tusk (2014) Spearhead The Emergence Of A New Fan Driven Sub-Genre<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i><span style="color: #e69138;">Digging Up The Marrow (2014)</span></i><br />
Currently Available on VOD and via Limited Theatrical Release<br />
Director: Adam Green<br />
Writer: Adam Green <br />
Stars: Ray Wise, Adam Green, Will Barrett, Rileah Vanderbilt, and Josh Ethier<br />
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<span style="color: #e69138;"><i>A documentary exploring genre based monster art takes an odd turn when
the filmmakers are contacted by a man who claims he can prove that
monsters are indeed real.</i></span><br />
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<span style="color: #e69138;"><i>Tusk (2014)</i></span><br />
Currently Available on Blu-ray, DVD, and VOD<br />
Director: Kevin Smith<br />
Writer: Kevin Smith <br />
Stars: Michael Parks, Justin Long, Genesis Rodriguez, Haley Joel Osment, and Johnny Depp (credited as Guy Lapointe)<br />
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<span style="color: #e69138;"><i>When podcaster Wallace Bryton goes missing in the backwoods of Manitoba
while interviewing a mysterious seafarer named Howard Howe, his best
friend Teddy and girlfriend Allison team with an ex-cop to look for him.</i></span><br />
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<i>Digging Up The Marrow (2014)</i> and <i>Tusk (2014)</i> are two recent genre flicks created by talented veteran filmmakers that both play like elaborate in-jokes. Thanks largely to the democratization of movie release afforded by video-on-demand, it seems as though the notion of established filmmakers making movies targeted to a very specific niche demographic - like, say, their own already thriving fan bases and pretty much no-one else - is now a viable business model. Sometimes those fans even pay for the productions up front via crowdfunding. Accordingly, they need not have any significant mainstream crossover potential as long as the budgets stay low. This relatively new business model is both a blessing and a curse.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CF3V0HAocUY/VO6KWfX-zLI/AAAAAAAAFAU/1CuYni1Uv-0/s1600/vlcsnap-2015-02-12-15h07m43s86.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Michael Parks and Justin Long in Tusk (2014)" border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CF3V0HAocUY/VO6KWfX-zLI/AAAAAAAAFAU/1CuYni1Uv-0/s1600/vlcsnap-2015-02-12-15h07m43s86.png" height="266" title="Michael-Parks-and-Justin-Long-in-Tusk-2014.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #e69138;">Michael Parks takes a break from turning Justin Long into a walrus in director Kevin Smith's <i>Tusk</i></span></td></tr>
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It's a blessing in that it creates an avenue for filmmakers to develop more personal and esoteric productions. Writer/director Kevin Smith's <i>Tusk</i> was born of a discussion Smith and longtime associate Scott Mosier had on Smith's <i>SModcast</i> about an ad that offered a free living situation provided the lodger was willing to dress as a walrus. Smith and Mosier riffed on this notion for nearly an hour, with the upshot being a hypothetical story based upon what the particulars of such an arrangement might be. Smith then asked his fans on Twitter if they'd be interested in seeing this story made into a movie by tweeting either <i>#WalrusYes</i> or <i>#WalrusNo</i>. Obviously, the <i>#WalrusYes</i> contingent carried the day. Basically, <i>Tusk</i> is a private joke between Smith and his fans for which Smith was able to secure financial backing.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7lhTb5XurA8/VO6K1WlnbxI/AAAAAAAAFAg/laRnMaGHLEE/s1600/hero_DiggingUptheMarrow-2015-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Ray Wise and Adam Green in Digging Up The Marrow (2014)" border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7lhTb5XurA8/VO6K1WlnbxI/AAAAAAAAFAg/laRnMaGHLEE/s1600/hero_DiggingUptheMarrow-2015-1.jpg" height="266" title="Ray-Wise-and-Adam-Green-in-Digging-Up-The-Marrow-2014.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #e69138;">Ray Wise and actor/writer/director Adam Green search for monsters in <i>Digging Up The Marrow</i></span></td></tr>
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Writer/director/actor Adam Green's <i>Digging Up The Marrow</i> relies upon a similar sort of fan service. <i>Digging Up The Marrow</i> is loaded throughout with clips of popular genre icons - including Green himself as the movie's protagonist - appearing as themselves in the form of clips filmed for the production of Green's "documentary" about monsters. Pretty much the only cast member not playing himself is genre stalwart Ray Wise (<i>Twin Peaks</i>, <i>Jeepers Creepers II</i>), who instead plays the role of an individual named William Dekker. Dekker alleges to Green that monsters are real and that he knows where to find them, which of course proves an irresistible notion to Green.<br />
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It seems likely that neither of these oddball premises would have been made ten years ago, mostly because investors - whether it be the filmmakers themselves or others - would have struggled to produce them and then get them into the hands of the intended audience. It's a very different world now. In particular, social media makes it far easier to target a particular demo with a harder sell. That's got to be a good thing, right? Now the filmmakers can shepherd their more challenging and unusual ideas to the screen and be reasonably sure they will still find an audience.<br />
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This new dynamic is a curse though in that much of the empirical evidence thus far suggests it also fosters sloppy self-indulgence. The fans are going to love the end product no matter what, and if the mainstream audiences don't get it, who cares? It wasn't for them anyway. Both <i>Tusk</i> and <i>Digging Up The Marrow</i> fall prey to this mindset to varying degrees. For example, both movies present a unique and fascinating scenario and then fail to deliver a satisfying resolution. One wonders if perhaps both narratives would have been more sturdily constructed and effective if Smith and Green had been aiming a little higher, instead of just making movies for their already loyal constituencies. That lazy self-indulgence is evident in both movies, and it ultimately keeps either movie from living up to its full potential.<br />
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Unfortunately, I'm admittedly not the best person to be examining this dynamic since I'm already a fan of both filmmakers. I'm part of the audience for which both movies were intended. Even so, I can't help feeling a little bit gypped when I can see objectively that both would probably have been better if only a little more discipline had been exercised. What's there is often very, very good, but both movies had the potential to be great and squandered it.<br />
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Still, though, I have to rank both <i>Tusk</i> and <i>Digging Up The Marrow</i> as two of the best genre movies I've seen in a while, and I'd recommend both. In particular, each movie features a stellar performance from a veteran character actor that demands to be seen. Ray Wise effortlessly commands the screen with his intense and often darkly humorous performance as Dekker in <i>Digging Up The Marrow</i>, and Michael Parks (<i>Red State</i>, <i>From Dusk Til Dawn</i>) is a mesmerizing revelation as the quietly psychotic Howard Howe in <i>Tusk</i>. Both actors clearly relish the opportunity to play the lead, and both movies are worth a watch if only to see these veterans deliver what surely must be a couple of the best performances of their respective careers.<br />
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The walrus transformation in <i>Tusk</i> and the superior monster designs by artist Alex Pardee for <i>Digging Up The Marrow</i> are worthy of note, as well. In fact, I guarantee those Pardee monsters will have you diving for the remote more than once to rewind and get a second look. It's intentional that I chose not to ruin the fun by including pics of them here.<br />
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<i>Tusk</i> and <i>Digging Up The Marrow</i> are must see movies for fans of their respective creators. They're both solid recommendations for genre fans in general, too. I just wonder if these cinematic in-jokes might have had the potential to reach much larger audiences had Green and Smith been more disciplined in their execution. A third act that delivers on the promise of the first two should be mandatory, and settling for "good enough" just because the fans will show up regardless is just lazy. Would more discipline have hampered the unfettered creativity at the core of each project? Probably not. It just would have made a couple of good movies great. You were so close, guys, but as Maxwell Smart would have said...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-V6za7hWXVWc/VO6JYHQLKlI/AAAAAAAAFAI/lvFscVDsE9I/s1600/index.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Maxwell Smart missed it by that much" border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-V6za7hWXVWc/VO6JYHQLKlI/AAAAAAAAFAI/lvFscVDsE9I/s1600/index.jpg" title="Maxwell-Smart-missed-it-by-that-much.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #e69138;">"Missed It By That Much!"</span></td></tr>
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<br />Brandon Earlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04428583919973903171noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4400483117854542409.post-36815211554832938152015-02-12T16:39:00.000-05:002015-02-12T17:29:46.074-05:00Odium: Vindicta Trailer Debuts Soon, Proper Contact Information On Movies At Dog Farm To Follow . . . A member of the team producing the forthcoming web series <i>Odium: Vindicta</i> sent me a very polite email asking if I might share the following press release. He also pointed out that I had no contact information posted anymore, save for the email address I have listed for take down requests. I'll correct <i>that</i> error of omission soon. In the meantime, here's the press release, because a polite request and a useful observation earns a plug.<br />
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<span style="color: #e69138;">The production team at <i>BBL Entertainment</i> is proud to present the screening of the first official trailer of the upcoming web series <i>Odium: Vindicta</i> at 247 Sky Bar, Indianapolis, Indiana on February 21, 2015 at 6:00 pm.</span><br />
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Saul Harris is a new resident in the idyllic, all American small town of Manesville and with him comes a darkness that will sweep over the unsuspecting community and change it forever. Saul's past is the stuff of nightmares and even though he's been trying to leave it behind, the past has a way of catching up and when it does, the nightmares will be unleashed. But Saul isn't the only one with dark secrets and his actions will cause a ripple effect that brings to light the malevolent things lurking just behind the perfect facade of Manesville's upper echelons.<br />
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The upcoming web series <i>Odium</i> aims to re-invent and re-invigorate the indie horror scene. It combines elements of psychological thriller, slasher cinema and Hitchcockian twists in an original story of epic scale. It will follow Saul's journey to deal with his past and his struggle to calm his troubled, damaged mind and find something resembling peace and normalcy. It will explore the disturbing actions and decisions of some of Manesville's prestigious, wealthy inhabitants, as they are being pushed to the edge by the gruesome murders that start to happen and trap the town in fear and panic. It will observe the police investigators, as they are trying to put the pieces together and understand what is happening in their town. And most of all it will draw the audience into a story where things are not what they seem and where the lines between good and evil are always blurred.<br />
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The trailer will be the centerpiece of the event <i>Artistic Impressions</i>. The purpose of the event is to make the public aware of <i>BBL</i>'s artistic endeavors and productions and it will include samples of the work of Indianapolis based paranormal investigators ParaSisters, photographers Vanessa von Rouge and Gary Nelson and Chicago based designer extraordinaire Ramsey J. Prince. Sounds and tunes will be provided for your listening pleasure by local DJ Killa Cam and comedian Thomas McDaniel will MC the event and give guests a sampling of his comedy set. The proceeds of the event will be used to secure funding for the continued production of <i>Odium</i> and to support the local charity <i>A Giving Tree</i>. Admission to the event is $10 or guests can bring a non perishable food item to donate for a reduced admission of $7 ($3 discount).<br />
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<span style="color: #e69138;">Screening Date: February 21, 2015</span><br />
<span style="color: #e69138;"><br />Screening Time: Doors open at 6:00 pm</span><br />
<span style="color: #e69138;"><br />Screening Location: 247 Sky Bar, 247 South Meridian Street, Indianapolis, IN 46225<br /><br />Admission: $10 regular, $7 with food donation. <span style="color: #cc0000;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #e69138;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"> This event is open to the public.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #e69138;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"> </span><br /><span style="color: #cc0000;"></span></span>Brandon Earlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04428583919973903171noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4400483117854542409.post-52314301167548105912015-01-29T00:43:00.000-05:002015-02-23T14:31:20.707-05:00Exists (2014) - How Bad Can A Movie Be And Still Score A Recommendation? <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gtN_8H2t7FM/VMW1m94KwuI/AAAAAAAAE8s/ciFW8-OKLSk/s1600/exists_xlg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Exists (2014)" border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gtN_8H2t7FM/VMW1m94KwuI/AAAAAAAAE8s/ciFW8-OKLSk/s1600/exists_xlg.jpg" height="640" title="Exists-2014-poster.jpg" width="428" /></a><span style="color: #e69138;"> </span> One of the leads in the new found footage movie <i>Exists (2014)</i> believes he's going to make himself famous by filming a really bad ass video of Bigfoot for YouTube. Not surprisingly, he's the guy who never puts the camera down. What <i>is</i> a little surprising is that he's also the most developed character in the movie. His name escapes me at the moment, but I'm sure that's not important. I couldn't tell you any of the other characters' names, either. I spent nearly ninety minutes watching these five people and formed no more of an emotional attachment to them than I would to a mouth breather taking a shot to the nuts in a YouTube video. That's okay, because <i>Exists</i> pretty much <i>is</i> the bad ass YouTube video old whats-his-name wanted to make, and Bigfoot is the shot to the nuts that we're all here for anyway. Whose nuts is incidental.<br />
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I'd generally have little positive to say about a movie that skimps on character development, but I just didn't care here. Sure, <i>Exists</i> would be more effective if I felt empathy for its cast, but I'm just here for some good old fashioned Bigfoot action. I suspect many who seek out <i>Exists</i> will feel the same way. My profound lack of identification with any of the monster bait on display actually put me in mind of an old slasher flick. These five cyphers only exist to be meat for the hairy grinder. So does <i>Exists</i> at least deliver when we see the big guy in action?<br />
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Even though it's essentially a found footage movie, director Eduardo Sanchez - one half of the directorial team behind <i>The Blair Witch Project</i> - doesn't use the conceit as an excuse to hold back on the money shots. You see enough of the convincingly low key Mike Elizalde Bigfoot design to get the job done, but not so much that Bigfoot ceases to be the mysterious backwoods threat he's supposed to be. There are plenty of moments when Sanchez uses the found footage conceit to good effect by providing us with fleeting glimpses of the beast reminiscent of the old 1967 <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patterson%E2%80%93Gimlin_film" target="_blank">Patterson-Gimlin film</a>. The Bigfoot in <i>Exists</i>, however, is not just taking a brisk stroll by the river bed. He's pissed.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2pjDf3F_dfw/VMW1i7i_yuI/AAAAAAAAE8k/IfHY0o563CA/s1600/bigfoot%2Beye.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Bigfoot peers through a crack in Exists (2014)" border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2pjDf3F_dfw/VMW1i7i_yuI/AAAAAAAAE8k/IfHY0o563CA/s1600/bigfoot%2Beye.jpg" title="Bigfoot-peers-through-a-crack-in-Exists -2014.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #e69138;">Oh shit! He knows we're down here!</span></td></tr>
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Sanchez makes effective use of sound design to sell the monster, as well. It's amazing just how effective it is to only <i>hear</i> Bigfoot's rampage as he ransacks a cabin while the leads cower in the cellar. The same goes for peering deeply into the darkened woods through the eye of the camera as the eerie wailing of the beast surrounds you.<br />
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Perhaps you've noticed that I've yet to say anything about the narrative, though. Well, that's because there really isn't one. I suppose the lack of a compelling narrative goes a long way toward explaining the lack of characterization, but the script by Jaime Nash (who also scripted Sanchez's superior 2006 alien abduction flick <i>Altered</i>) is really nothing more than a basic framework to get the viewer from one Bigfoot encounter to the next. Once again, everything else takes a backseat to the monster action.<br />
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Ultimately then, all <i>Exists</i> really has to offer is a rampaging monster and a hollow core. Thing is, it's an unusually well rendered monster. Sanchez uses every trick in the book to make each scene involving Bigfoot truly thrilling. There's a bit with Bigfoot pursuing a victim fleeing on a mountain bike that recalls Sanchez's solid <i>V/H/S/2</i> segment <i>A Ride In The Park</i>. The conclusion of <i>Exists</i>, in which Bigfoot tosses an entire camper trailer off the side of a mountain, is similarly bracing. There are just too many crackerjack scenes like these to dismiss the movie out of hand.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rpui7AhYCgY/VMWy6iM_1-I/AAAAAAAAE8Q/2foBvOL5390/s1600/exists-trailer-slice.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Bigfoot jumping from above in Exists (2014)" border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rpui7AhYCgY/VMWy6iM_1-I/AAAAAAAAE8Q/2foBvOL5390/s1600/exists-trailer-slice.jpg" height="212" title="Bigfoot-jumping-from-above-in-Exists-2014.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #e69138;">It's raining Sasquatch! Seriously, how can anyone not want to see this?</span> </td></tr>
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So how bad can a movie be and still score a recommendation from the Dog Farm? <i>Exists</i> is lacking almost every key component one would expect to find in a traditionally good monster movie save one. It's got a really good monster. Nimble editing, clever cinematography, superior sound, and a convincing costume design come together to make this the Bigfoot I always wanted to see in a movie. It's just a shame that <i>Exists</i> otherwise settles for mediocrity or it could have been something really special.<br />
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Dim the lights, crank up the surround sound, and adjust your expectations accordingly. <i>Exists</i> still scores that recommendation, because sometimes a little technically proficient brain dead squatchploitation is enough.<br />
<br />Brandon Earlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04428583919973903171noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4400483117854542409.post-900997502770799262015-01-24T10:04:00.000-05:002015-01-24T10:17:00.636-05:00The Info Zombie Podcast #95 - Am I The Worst Guest Ever? Probably Not, But I'm At Least Part Of The Discussion . . .<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rKL3LhW-ljo/VMMChTDQkuI/AAAAAAAAE5U/jGkbYbZuPmA/s1600/tedanddave3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rKL3LhW-ljo/VMMChTDQkuI/AAAAAAAAE5U/jGkbYbZuPmA/s1600/tedanddave3.jpg" height="233" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #e69138;">Brother Theodore and a flummoxed David Letterman</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table> The Info Zombie never says die. Carl invited me back for my third guest shot on The Info Zombie Podcast, even though I forgot to plug in my mic last time. The jury is still out as to whether or not my comments being intelligible constitutes an improvement. I also made a conscious effort to breathe quietly, modulate the volume of my speaking voice, and form complete sentences. It's a good thing Carl is so adept at keeping me on topic. Does anyone remember back when <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_KrhFBUTe4" target="_blank">Brother Theodore used to do guest shots on <i>Late Night With David Letterman</i></a>? Just me, huh? Check out the clip. It's not easy to keep a grouchy old man on topic.<br />
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We <i>are</i> a little all over the place this time, but it was fun to see where the conversation would take us. Carl and I talk a bit about old horror movies, new horror movies, found footage movies, unreleased movies, and books <i>about</i> movies. So...movies, I guess.<i> </i><br />
<i> </i><br />
<i> -- I now realize we were actually pretty focused --</i><br />
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You can listen to Episode #95 of The Info Zombie Podcast right here, or download the episode on iTunes if you prefer listening on the go. Be sure to subscribe when you visit iTunes, and check out all the goodies on display at <a href="http://www.theinfozombie.com/" target="_blank">The Info Zombie</a> website, as well. <br />
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Brandon Earlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04428583919973903171noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4400483117854542409.post-90481275281537201902015-01-19T20:43:00.001-05:002015-05-21T15:05:59.959-04:00The Dog Farm Finally Creeps Up On The Creeper - Movies At Dog Farm IV Looms Ominously In The Distance...<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WqNDddVGees/VLMq-S0CrVI/AAAAAAAAE3o/FAsSSPx15A8/s1600/Rituals%2Bbound%2Bin%2Bchair%2Bat%2Bthe%2Bdam.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WqNDddVGees/VLMq-S0CrVI/AAAAAAAAE3o/FAsSSPx15A8/s1600/Rituals%2Bbound%2Bin%2Bchair%2Bat%2Bthe%2Bdam.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #e69138;">A beaten and bound middle-aged man sitting atop a hill...</span></td></tr>
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Does the screen cap above look familiar to you? I've been deviled by it for thirty-five years. It doesn't look quite as I remembered it, but that's definitely it. I was frustrated by my inability to recall the movie from which this image was taken for decades. Then - even worse - I finally realized it was from a movie that was essentially unavailable. This image was nothing more than a vague memory I would carry with me to the grave. As the years passed I began to question if I'd ever even seen this image. Perhaps it was only something I fabricated in my mind's eye, assembled from the unclassified scraps of horror movie detritus that litter my brain.<br />
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I consider myself fortunate that I came of age during the seventies and eighties, arguably the last true golden age of genre movies. I also consider myself fortunate that I lived through the glorious heyday of DVD in the nineties and aughts. Almost any movie I recalled fondly from my youth was readily available to me, often in a beautifully packaged collector's edition. Still, there were a handful of oldies that remained frustratingly out of reach. <br />
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I was haunted by the image above largely because it was from a movie that I could neither recall nor acquire. I was certain it was from a movie I'd seen at the <a href="http://www.moviesatdogfarm.com/2013/01/movies-at-dog-farm-remembers-drive-ins.html" target="_blank">Skyline Drive-In</a>. I knew this because I remembered it being dark during its nighttime scenes to the point that it was almost incomprehensible. I recalled also that it was a movie I hadn't particularly enjoyed, haunting visual notwithstanding. My inability to remember its title and/or see it once again vexed me.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kSXtklKF7e0/VLxden7XiWI/AAAAAAAAE4c/ZNfxVe6J3Ww/s1600/Rituals%2Bposter%2B3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kSXtklKF7e0/VLxden7XiWI/AAAAAAAAE4c/ZNfxVe6J3Ww/s1600/Rituals%2Bposter%2B3.jpg" width="267" /></a></div>
At last I discovered that it was a Canadian movie I'd seen under the title <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0076630/" target="_blank"><i>The Creeper</i></a> somewhere around 1980. Part of the reason I could never place it was because it's better known in genre circles by its original title, <i>Rituals (1977)</i>. <i>The Creeper</i> was a retitling for the American market intended to position the movie as a backwoods slasher flick. It's not, really. That probably explains why my ten year old self didn't care for it at the time. I'd been duped. As for the impenetrable darkness in those nighttime scenes - it was due to damage inflicted upon the original negative during processing by Pathe Studios. Who knew?<br />
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So now I had a title, but I was thwarted by the fact that <i>Rituals</i> had essentially become a lost film since I'd seen it so long ago. There were still substandard public domain releases under its retitling that popped up occasionally, but they were usually from a heavily edited broadcast television version that omitted over ten minutes of footage and still suffered from the excessive darkness that marred its presentation wherever it appeared. The only unexpurgated version seemed to be an old Canadian VHS release by Astral Bellevue Entertainment, long out of print, that was difficult to locate and exorbitantly expensive. Later there was a German DVD release, but it had forced subtitles and reportedly did nothing to correct the dark image.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Lfpdwk2Iv_I/VLxcIzEFgrI/AAAAAAAAE4M/_0t11RvTt58/s1600/ruemorgue-ritualscover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Lfpdwk2Iv_I/VLxcIzEFgrI/AAAAAAAAE4M/_0t11RvTt58/s1600/ruemorgue-ritualscover.jpg" width="238" /></a></div>
Finally there came word of an impending DVD release from Code Red DVD. Code Red had obtained access to director Peter Carter's personal copy that his wife found in a closet and passed along to actor/producer Lawrence Dane. The elements were still rough, but the print was uncut and Code Red had reportedly lightened the excessively dark passages. This was all pretty big news in genre circles. The impending release even scored a cover story in a special VHS issue of <i>Rue Morgue</i> magazine in December of 2009. Then the release was delayed and later assumed abandoned by most until it finally showed up unheralded roughly a year and a half later. It sold out almost immediately despite the low profile release, and it quickly became almost impossible to score a copy for less than fifty bucks or so from online resellers. I missed that brief window of opportunity, and so <i>Rituals</i> once again eluded me.<br />
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I've finally convinced myself to quit being a cheap bastard though, and I've ponied up the cash for a copy of that out of print Code Red DVD release. I'll be sharing it with others soon at the next Movies At Dog Farm live event. I'm pretty stoked about seeing <i>Rituals</i> again outdoors under the moonlight just as I saw it at the Skyline Drive-In nearly thirty-five years ago.<i> Rituals</i> is now the first official selection for Movies At Dog Farm IV in May.<br />
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Brandon Earlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04428583919973903171noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4400483117854542409.post-69206145246637378312014-12-26T20:04:00.000-05:002014-12-31T01:28:57.306-05:00The Dog Farm's Best In Show 2014 - Looking For A Cinematic Needle In A Haystack Of Failure And Mediocrity<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ycOUtvMLPVw/VJnvV1I4tEI/AAAAAAAAE3U/AgFoi_Zcls4/s1600/speld-in-een-hooiberg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Needle in a haystack" border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ycOUtvMLPVw/VJnvV1I4tEI/AAAAAAAAE3U/AgFoi_Zcls4/s1600/speld-in-een-hooiberg.jpg" height="266" title="needle-in-a-haystack.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
This was a rough year for the genre. Notable new releases were few and far between, as evidenced by how widely I had to cast my net for recurring features like <i>Noteworthy On Netflix</i>. I did find a few gems, though, so hope springs eternal.<br />
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Speaking of <i>Noteworthy On Netflix</i>, that feature made two appearances in 2014. Both were rounded out with a heavy dose of older movies, but that's okay. A good movie is a good movie, regardless of how old it is. Most of the newer releases this year were covered in the recurring <i>Pre'Ween</i> feature <i>Diary Of A Movie Watchin' Madman</i>, owing to the fact that I tend to stack up newer releases to gorge on in October. Both of these recurring features became a little more in depth this year than they'd been in the past. I'm getting long-winded and self-indulgent in my old age.<br />
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<a href="http://www.moviesatdogfarm.com/2014/01/noteworthy-on-netflix-1914.html" target="_blank">Noteworthy On Netflix - 1/9/14</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.moviesatdogfarm.com/2014/07/noteworthy-on-netflix-71814-digging.html" target="_blank">Noteworthy On Netflix - 7/18/14 - Digging A Little Deeper Than Usual</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.moviesatdogfarm.com/2014/07/noteworthy-on-netflix-71814-digging.html" target="_blank">Diary Of A Movie Watchin' Madman Vol.II, Part 1 - Bride Of The Madman</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.moviesatdogfarm.com/2014/10/diary-of-movie-watchin-madman-volii.html" target="_blank">Diary Of A Movie Watchin' Madman Vol.II, Part 2 - Revenge Of The Madman</a><br />
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That wraps up <i>The Dog Farm's Best In Show 2014</i>. I promise I'll try to do better next year. In the meantime, my sincere thanks to everyone who continues to visit the Dog Farm. Best wishes for the new year and beyond, and I'll see you on the other side.<br />
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<br />Brandon Earlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04428583919973903171noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4400483117854542409.post-85188052949966739692014-12-17T12:41:00.000-05:002014-12-31T01:28:07.118-05:00The Dog Farm's Best In Show 2014 - Obscurities From The Bargain Bin And The Best Thing Roger Ebert Ever Wrote That Wasn't A Movie Review<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kUk67meUbpc/VIkIRs9HUwI/AAAAAAAAE3E/d11HagURRr4/s1600/beyond-the-valley-of-the-dolls-full.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Beyond The Valley Of The Dolls (1970) screen grab" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kUk67meUbpc/VIkIRs9HUwI/AAAAAAAAE3E/d11HagURRr4/s1600/beyond-the-valley-of-the-dolls-full.jpg" height="272" title="Beyond-The-Valley-Of-The-Dolls-1970-screen-grab.jpb" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #e69138;"><i>Beyond The Valley Of The Dolls (1970)</i> - Cinematic history that will never repeat itself...</span></td></tr>
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Spring of 2014 saw the third iteration of <a href="http://www.moviesatdogfarm.com/2014/05/day-two-of-movies-at-dog-farm-iii-final.html" target="_blank">the Movies At Dog Farm live event</a>, a screening of movies programmed by yours truly hosted periodically at the real world Dog Farm in Timberville, VA. This time we watched an assortment of flicks often deemed "guilty pleasures" - a term I absolutely loathe - that included <a href="http://www.moviesatdogfarm.com/2014/05/100-guilt-free-movie-pick-number-4.html" target="_blank"><i>The Sentinel (1977)</i></a>, <a href="http://www.moviesatdogfarm.com/2014/04/100-guilt-free-movie-pick-number-2.html" target="_blank"><i>Starship Troopers (1997)</i></a>, and <a href="http://www.moviesatdogfarm.com/2014/05/100-guilt-free-movie-pick-number-3.html" target="_blank"><i>Saturn 3 (1980)</i></a>. The movie that served as this year's tentpole however was a groovy little number called <i>Beyond The Valley Of The Dolls (1970)</i>.<br />
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The appeal of <i>Beyond The Valley Of The Dolls</i> is almost impossible to convey to anyone who hasn't already seen it, but I did the best I could with the post <a href="http://www.moviesatdogfarm.com/2014/04/movies-at-dog-farm-iii-guilty-pleasures.html" target="_blank">Movies At Dog Farm III - Guilty Pleasures, Now 100% Guilt Free - Beyond The Valley Of The Dolls (1970)</a>. For the record, the screening of this Roger Ebert penned oddity directed by renowned boob man Russ Meyer was well received.<br />
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Much earlier in 2014 I posted the year's only addition to the ongoing Dog Farm recurring feature <a href="http://www.moviesatdogfarm.com/search/label/Best%20Of%20The%20Big%20Lots%20Bargain%20Bin" target="_blank">Best Of The Big Lots Bargain Bin</a> entitled <a href="http://www.moviesatdogfarm.com/2014/01/it-1967-and-shuttered-room-1967-obscure.html" target="_blank">It (1967) And The Shuttered Room (1967) - An Obscure Best Of The Big Lots Bargain Bin Double Feature</a>. It was the first time I ever captured my own screen grabs. Apparently these two movies are indeed obscure enough that I simply couldn't come up with any pics that suited me otherwise.<br />
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<a href="http://www.moviesatdogfarm.com/2014/01/it-1967-and-shuttered-room-1967-obscure.html" target="_blank">It (1967) And The Shuttered Room (1967) - An Obscure Best Of The Big Lots Bargain Bin Double Feature</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.moviesatdogfarm.com/2014/04/movies-at-dog-farm-iii-guilty-pleasures.html" target="_blank">Movies At Dog Farm III - Guilty Pleasures, Now 100% Guilt Free - Beyond The Valley Of The Dolls (1970)</a><br />
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Please join me again next week when <i>The Dog Farm's Best In Show 2014</i> continues. <br />
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<br />Brandon Earlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04428583919973903171noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4400483117854542409.post-28599546325758848462014-12-09T20:00:00.000-05:002014-12-10T15:22:52.019-05:00The Dog Farm's Best In Show 2014 - Another Piece Of My Childhood Lost And Classic Horror Under The Stars<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bmHtOffYYh4/VHe0iBwLUWI/AAAAAAAAE20/-OV-XivPI0o/s1600/the%2Bdixie.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Interior of the old Dixie theater in Staunton VA - photo by Jack Coursey" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bmHtOffYYh4/VHe0iBwLUWI/AAAAAAAAE20/-OV-XivPI0o/s1600/the%2Bdixie.png" height="220" title="interior-of-old-Dixie-theater-in-Staunton-VA-photo-by-Jack-Coursey.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #e69138;">The Dixie Theater in its heyday (Photo by Jack Coursey)</span><br />
<span style="color: #e69138;"> </span></td></tr>
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I don't make my way to the theater as often as I once did. Discs, downloads, streaming, and a decent home theater have rendered it largely unnecessary. I still possess a lot of fond theater related memories, though, and I was lured out twice this year by old movies and nostalgia. <br />
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The first circumstance was bittersweet, as it involved one of my favorite old haunts being shut down for the final time. <a href="http://www.moviesatdogfarm.com/2014/07/movies-at-dog-farm-remembers-dixie.html" target="_blank">Movies At Dog Farm Remembers...The Dixie Theater In Staunton, VA</a> was an account of my last trip to one of the preeminent theaters of my youth to see a screening of <i>Jaws (1975)</i> on closing day. I was surprised by how many vivid memories that trip called forth.<br />
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The second trip to the theater was a much happier one. I ventured out to a drive-in about an hour away for a special screening of<i> Halloween (1978)</i> and <i>Night Of The Living Dead (1968)</i>. <a href="http://www.moviesatdogfarm.com/2014/10/diary-of-movie-watchin-madman-preween.html" target="_blank">Diary Of A Movie Watching Madman - Pre'Ween Horror Under The Stars</a> is an account of my first visit to a drive-in in over twenty-five years.<br />
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<a href="http://www.moviesatdogfarm.com/2014/07/movies-at-dog-farm-remembers-dixie.html" target="_blank">Movies At Dog Farm Remembers...The Dixie Theater In Staunton, VA</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.moviesatdogfarm.com/2014/10/diary-of-movie-watchin-madman-preween.html" target="_blank">Diary Of A Movie Watching Madman - Pre'Ween Horror Under The Stars</a><br />
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There's more to come next week when <i>The Dog Farm's Best In Show 2014</i> continues.<br />
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<br />Brandon Earlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04428583919973903171noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4400483117854542409.post-52268884141294568092014-12-01T20:00:00.000-05:002014-12-01T21:33:47.558-05:00The Dog Farm's Best In Show 2014 - Jaded Horror Fans And The Ever Changing Face Of Home Video<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GaQzex25YTY/VHeyqgwXbnI/AAAAAAAAE2o/C22ZwiUK6Dc/s1600/dubble-bubble-assorted-bubble-gum-132217-ff1.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Dubble Bubble gum" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GaQzex25YTY/VHeyqgwXbnI/AAAAAAAAE2o/C22ZwiUK6Dc/s1600/dubble-bubble-assorted-bubble-gum-132217-ff1.png" height="238" title="Dubble-Bubble-gum.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #e69138;">Potential chewed up wads of Dog Farm content</span><br />
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Some of my favorite posts here at the Dog Farm come about when I have absolutely no idea what I want to write about and just start typing. It's like throwing a wet wad of gum under the couch to see what dirt, dust, and fur collects around it. Obviously, some of those dirty, dusty, fur covered gum wads were bound to make their way into <i>The Dog Farm's Best In Show 2014</i>.<br />
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The first of those - <a href="http://www.moviesatdogfarm.com/2014/01/what-do-you-do-when-scary-dies.html" target="_blank">What Do You Do When The Scary Dies?</a> - came about when I contemplated that very question while sitting in front of a blank laptop screen. I didn't really come up with an answer, but I did manage to chew on it long enough to come up with a post. Coincidentally, this was also the <i>first</i> post of 2014. Right out of the gate this year I had nothing to say.<br />
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The second post, <a href="http://www.moviesatdogfarm.com/2014/07/horror-movie-advocacy-youve-gotta-see.html" target="_blank">Horror Movie Advocacy - You've Gotta See This Movie Because It Earns My Own Personal Seal Of Approval</a>, was born of an even more circuitous train of thought. I had just ordered some movies for Halloween, and I found myself wondering why I no longer purchased movies as frequently as I once did. That ultimately lead to a sort of ad hoc history of home media formats. That wasn't really the destination I initially had in mind, but it was a pretty good place to end up.<br />
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<a href="http://www.moviesatdogfarm.com/2014/01/what-do-you-do-when-scary-dies.html" target="_blank">What Do You Do When The Scary Dies?</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.moviesatdogfarm.com/2014/07/horror-movie-advocacy-youve-gotta-see.html" target="_blank">Horror Movie Advocacy - You've Gotta See This Movie Because It Earns My Own Personal Seal Of Approval</a><br />
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Please come back next week when <i>The Dog Farm's Best In Show 2014</i> continues.<br />
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<br />Brandon Earlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04428583919973903171noreply@blogger.com1