usesoap's Groups - Spout

Spout Group:Natsukashi - nostalgia... through cinema

Sun, 15 Feb 2009 01:47:21 GMT

Group Name: Natsukashi - nostalgia... through cinema
Group Description:

Have you ever recalled a film from youth, then seen it again as an adult, only to gain an entirely new perspective on the film (and in some cases it is an entirely different film from the one you remember)?

Created: 4/24/2008
Number of Members: 37
Number of Lists: 12
Number of discussion posts: 28

Spout Group:CSI MIAMI - CRIME

Sun, 29 Jun 2008 15:09:15 GMT

Group Name: CSI MIAMI - CRIME
Group Description:

THIS IS ABOUT A GIRL AT A FRIENDS HOUSE BUT THEIR WAS A KNIFE BY THIS GIRLS DEAD BODY BUT HER FRIEND WAS IN BLOOD. WHAT HAPPEND HERE ?

Created: 6/16/2008
Number of Members: 3
Number of discussion posts: 1

Spout Group:Delaware Tech

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 05:00:00 GMT

Group Name: Delaware Tech
Group Description:

The group is designed to promote discussion of films we see both during and outside of class, as well as a place to express your thoughts on film in general

Created: 5/12/2008
Number of Members: 1

Spout Group:HORROR MOVIES 101 - FOR ALL WHO LOVE HORROR MOVIES

Sun, 30 Aug 2009 00:53:17 GMT

Group Name: HORROR MOVIES 101 - FOR ALL WHO LOVE HORROR MOVIES
Group Description: " I bid you welcome... Enter freely and of your own will..."
Created: 12/17/2006
Number of Members: 414
Number of Lists: 6
Number of discussion posts: 2333

Spout Group:Spout Mavens - Spout's best movie reviewers. Membership is limited.

Wed, 26 Aug 2009 20:10:52 GMT

Group Name: Spout Mavens - Spout's best movie reviewers. Membership is limited.
Group Description:

A group of Spout's best reviewers.
Read the requirements.

Created: 6/20/2007
Number of Members: 36
Number of Lists: 9
Number of discussion posts: 451

Spout Group:missing a film - we'll help you find a film

Wed, 26 Aug 2009 11:30:05 GMT

Group Name: missing a film - we'll help you find a film
Created: 3/5/2007
Number of Members: 131
Number of Lists: 1
Number of discussion posts: 234

Spout Group:Friends of Foreign Flicks - Discussions of all films not American.

Wed, 26 Aug 2009 04:05:26 GMT

Group Name: Friends of Foreign Flicks - Discussions of all films not American.
Group Description:

At some point you just want more than what's right in front of you.

Created: 4/24/2008
Number of Members: 30
Number of Lists: 1
Number of discussion posts: 92

Spout Group:Sound on Sight - Podcasts, movie reviews, interviews, news and more.

Tue, 25 Aug 2009 21:03:03 GMT

Group Name: Sound on Sight - Podcasts, movie reviews, interviews, news and more.
Group Description:

Sound on Sight proudly brings you two podcasts each week. Voted best podcast in 2008, these hard working hosts cover everything from mainstream Hollywood films to noir, horror, science fiction, cult cinema, documentary film making and more. Look out for a new show added every Tuesday and Thursday morning.

http://www.soundonsight.org/

Created: 1/6/2008
Number of Members: 104
Number of discussion posts: 150

Spout Group:Worst Movie Ever - The Group is dedicated to uncovering the bombs, so you don't have too.

Tue, 25 Aug 2009 16:43:26 GMT

Group Name: Worst Movie Ever - The Group is dedicated to uncovering the bombs, so you don't have too.
Created: 5/5/2006
Number of Members: 200
Number of Lists: 10
Number of discussion posts: 412

Spout Group:Movie Polls - Vote in weekly polls and discuss

Tue, 25 Aug 2009 02:42:29 GMT

Group Name: Movie Polls - Vote in weekly polls and discuss
Group Description:

Each week I will post a new poll. Please vote in the poll and reply to the discussion thread to discuss the question. Please do not vote more than once.

Created: 11/25/2008
Number of Members: 66
Number of discussion posts: 414

Spout Group:Community Recommendations - Get great movie recommendations!

Fri, 14 Aug 2009 01:57:38 GMT

Group Name: Community Recommendations - Get great movie recommendations!
Group Description:

This group is dedicated to the idea that great movie recommendations can come from another person instead of some fancy computer software. So put our community to the test. And who knows maybe you will find yourself making some recommendations of your own, feel free.

Created: 9/29/2008
Number of Members: 77
Number of Lists: 2
Number of discussion posts: 192

Spout Group:Coming Soon - New movies in theaters & on DVD

Fri, 19 Jun 2009 18:44:15 GMT

Group Name: Coming Soon - New movies in theaters & on DVD
Created: 11/30/2006
Number of Members: 55
Number of Lists: 1
Number of discussion posts: 134

Spout Group:sci-fi - Sci-fi addicts - geek out!

Fri, 01 May 2009 15:23:18 GMT

Group Name: sci-fi - Sci-fi addicts - geek out!
Group Description:

Join the conversation, or start some of your own. Add to lists (help people find movies to love). Find people who love sci-fi as much as you, and decide the winners: Wolverine vs. Hellboy, Batman vs. Rorschach, or Transformers vs. G.I. Joe.

Created: 12/15/2005
Number of Members: 100
Number of Lists: 8
Number of discussion posts: 434

Spout Group:Movie Games - Fun is power: Movie Games

Mon, 30 Mar 2009 18:56:55 GMT

Group Name: Movie Games - Fun is power: Movie Games
Group Description:

Play interactive movie games and quizzes, show off fun facts you know about film. Create your own games about movies, challenge others with movie trivia.

Created: 5/13/2008
Number of Members: 171
Number of Lists: 2
Number of discussion posts: 678

Spout Group:Sundance - The Sundance Film Festival

Sun, 18 Jan 2009 18:14:36 GMT

Group Name: Sundance - The Sundance Film Festival
Created: 1/5/2009
Number of Members: 54
Number of Lists: 18
Number of discussion posts: 26

Spout Group:Post Your Playlist - Share your music................ And whatever else.

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 02:04:00 GMT

Group Name: Post Your Playlist - Share your music................ And whatever else.
Group Description:

This is a group where you can post music and other random, mindless crap that you would think other members may enjoy. It's all part of getting to know each other

Created: 5/15/2008
Number of Members: 27
Number of discussion posts: 51

Spout Group:Spout Moderators - a group for people who moderate groups on Spout

Wed, 29 Oct 2008 15:07:33 GMT

Group Name: Spout Moderators - a group for people who moderate groups on Spout
Group Description:

Check out the discussions...

Created: 4/9/2008
Number of Members: 35
Number of discussion posts: 49

Spout Group:From Here To Awesome - A Discovery and Distribution Festival

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 12:40:23 GMT

Group Name: From Here To Awesome - A Discovery and Distribution Festival
Group Description: Have you made a film you think the world should see? FROM HERE TO AWESOME is a discovery and distribution festival that might be the perfect system to get your film blasted to audiences in theaters, living rooms, online and via mobile phones. All filmmakers are welcome to be a part of the festival. There are NO submission fees, filmmakers retain their rights while receiving revenue directly from the distribution outlets. A wide range of major promotional partners and distribution platforms are on board. FHTA was founded by DIY filmmaking pioneers Lance Weiler (The Last Broadcast, Head Trauma), Arin Crumley (Four Eyed Monsters) and M dot Strange (We Are The Strange).
Created: 4/18/2008
Number of Members: 63
Number of Lists: 1
Number of discussion posts: 33

Spout Group:Totally Over-rated - For all those films that everyone loves, but really just aren't that great

Fri, 12 Sep 2008 19:39:09 GMT

Group Name: Totally Over-rated - For all those films that everyone loves, but really just aren't that great
Group Description:

overrated: To overestimate the merits of; rate too highly.

Created: 9/9/2006
Number of Members: 94
Number of Lists: 1
Number of discussion posts: 161

Spout Group:Comic-Con - San Diego Comic-Con International

Sat, 09 Aug 2008 02:22:21 GMT

Group Name: Comic-Con - San Diego Comic-Con International
Group Description:

July 24-27 - San Diego Convention Center - Don't Miss Out!

Created: 6/5/2008
Number of Members: 50
Number of Lists: 7
Number of discussion posts: 18

Spout Group:Spout Classified - Buy Sell Trade

Tue, 03 Jun 2008 20:43:26 GMT

Group Name: Spout Classified - Buy Sell Trade
Group Description:

Post movies and movie schwag you are trying to aquire or get rid of. Post links to sites that you've found helpful in your quest. Have fun & be nice.

Created: 6/3/2008
Number of Members: 29
Number of discussion posts: 1

Spout Group:TEETH the Movie - A stranger to her own body a highschool girl makes a strange discovery

Thu, 14 Feb 2008 22:21:04 GMT

Group Name: TEETH the Movie - A stranger to her own body a highschool girl makes a strange discovery
Group Description: High school student Dawn works hard at suppressing her budding sexuality by being the local chastity group's most active participant. Her task is made even more difficult by her bad boy stepbrother Brad's increasingly provocative behavior at home. A stranger to her own body, innocent Dawn discovers she has a toothed vagina when she becomes the object of violence. As she struggle to comprehend her anatomical uniqueness, Dawn experiences both the pitfalls and the power of being a living example of the vagina dentata myth.
Created: 1/3/2008
Number of Members: 21
Number of discussion posts: 6

Spout Group Post: Uncounted: the New Math of American Elections

Fri, 12 Sep 2008 20:12:00 GMT

Post Subject: Uncounted: the New Math of American Elections
Group Name: Spout Mavens
Last Post By: Risselada
Post Date: 9/12/2008 4:12:00 PM
Body: I have 35 of these TOO!!! Uncounted From the back of the cover: Uncounted is an explosive new documentary that shows how the election fraud that changed the outcome of the 2004 election led to even greater fraud in 2006 and now looms as an unbridled threat to elections in 2008 and beyond. The controversial feature-length film by Emmy award-winning director David Earnhardt examines in factual, logical, and yet startling terms how easy it is to change election outcomes and undermine election integrity across the U.S. Beyond increasing the public's awareness, UNCOUNTED inspires greater citizen involvement in fixing a broken electoral system. As we approach the decisive election of 2008, UNCOUNTED will change how you feel about the way votes are counted in America. Sounds exciting...

Spout Group Post: Episode XXV: 'Twin Peaks' pilot and 'Fire Walk With Me'

Sun, 15 Feb 2009 01:47:21 GMT

Post Subject: Episode XXV: 'Twin Peaks' pilot and 'Fire Walk With Me'
Group Name: Natsukashi
Last Post By: usesoap
Post Date: 2/14/2009 8:47:21 PM
Body: Film: Twin Peaks (Pilot) (1990) and Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me (1992)Rated: (Fire Walk with Me) RDirected by: David LynchWritten by: David Lynch and Mark Frost Starring: Kyle MacLachlin as Special Agent Dale Cooper Michael Ontkean as Sheriff Harry S. Truman Dana Ashbrook as Bobby Briggs Lara Flynn Boyle as Donna Hayward (played by Moira Kelly in FWWM) Madchen Amick as Shelly Johnson Sheryl Lee as Laura Palmer/Madeline Ferguson Ray Wise as LeLand Palmer By Joe Campanella of Cinema-Fist Pre-screeening memories: Growing up I was exposed to many different kinds of films. You see, I had a brother who was 14 years older than me, so naturally I'd pick up on a few things most 10-year-olds didn't. While the kids at school were telling me how great Home Alone was, I was raving about Barton Fink. My God, I was pretentious even back then? As a kid I remember my brother being obsessed with this show because someone named David Lynch was at the helm. (Having grown up and seen most of Lynch's work I now know why.) Every week, my brother would put on the TV and watch another episode of this odd show about the murder of someone named Laura Palmer.

Spout Group Post: Warlock the Armageddon (by The Foywonder from Dread Central)

Sun, 15 Feb 2009 01:36:52 GMT

Post Subject: Warlock the Armageddon (by The Foywonder from Dread Central)
Group Name: Natsukashi
Last Post By: usesoap
Post Date: 2/14/2009 8:36:52 PM
Body: Title: 'Warlock: The Armageddon'Rated: RWritten by: David Twohy and Kevin RockDirector: Anthony HickoxStarring: Julian Sands as Warlock Chris Young as Kenny Travis Paula Marshall as Samantha Ellison Tagline: "When He Comes...All Hell Breaks Loose!" By Scott Foy aka The Foywonder (and also of Dread Central) Pre-screening memories: Scott bulletted some items that he recalled when he viewed Warlock: The Armageddon on its opening weekend in 1993 (and, subsequnetly, a second time in a bargain theater, where it presumably landed a week later): The film was put out by Trimark. I rather miss that company. For a short while there they seemed to be the heir apparents of Cannon. I recall kind of enjoying the film, even though I was fully aware it wasn't a very good film, certainly inferior to the original that I still think is a very underrated movie. The original had some dumb humor, but the sequel was just plain dumb all the way through. Still better than the third installment, Warlock III: The End of Innocence. The sequel adopted more of a Freddy Krueger-ish tone. Warlock became more of a mocking slasher who killed in twisted, often comically ironic fashion: turning the guy into a warped piece of art and making a Picasso joke, shooting people with his finger during a high noon-style showdown and saying "Happy trails, partner." Very much dates the movie. When someone flies you high up into the air in exchange for a particular object you possess never give that person the object until they've put your feet back on the ground. The whole concept of gathering these unholy runestones just seemed dumb and less imaginative than the previous film seeking the book containing the name of God which when spoken would undo creation. Also thought it was rather dopey how these runes were scattered all over yet not only did the Warlock get from place to place with such ease, most of those places were unlikely: a fashion show, a corporate office, a freaking funhouse for goodness sake. Psychic midget! Unconvincing concept of these modern druids living in the US and all played by recognizable character actors so cast against type in the role that they're impossible to believe. Leader of the group actor didn't sound at all convincing when he'd explain the magic to the teens. Seem to recall that they were awfully unprepared to deal with the Warlock considering preventing the Warlock from getting his hands on these stones was their sole purpose. The whole magical teen warriors concept also felt like a product of the time it was made. Seem to remember thinking I was willing to believe their powers being more likely than their romance. Her character was a bit too whiny. His character was an annoying dweeb. Not exactly what I imagined Satan would look like. Devil looked like a photo negative of the demon dogs from Ghostbusters. Seeing Satan crawling out of the pit left me wondering how exactly this quadraped demon was going to unleash Armageddon. There always has to be an eclipse involved in these things, doesn't there? Warlock's demise was awfully easy. Thank goodness for those all-purpose sacred daggers that can always be counted on to do in the forces of evil. Saw the film in a dollar theater that was packed. When the movie ended someone in the back yelled "SUCKED!" and everyone laughed heartily. Whatever happened to Julian Sands? Seems like he did this and then Boxing Helena and that pretty much killed his career until he showed up on "24" last season.

Spout Group Post: PINEAPPLE EXPRESS DVD Giveaway

Mon, 05 Jan 2009 22:10:19 GMT

Post Subject: PINEAPPLE EXPRESS DVD Giveaway
Group Name: Filmgaming
Last Post By: usesoap
Post Date: 1/5/2009 5:10:19 PM
Body: Win a copy of Pineapple Express on DVD. Watch the trailer.How do you win? Simple:Tell us a movie that makes you feel high.Does Dumb and Dumber get you high on laughter? Is Jacob's Ladder a bad trip? Does Fear and Loathing make you feel like the village drunkard in some early Irish novel? Tell us the film that most alters your brain state. Check back here on 1/12 to see if you've won. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- UPDATE: And the Winners are.... Jonnyboy117 and Mercurial These members were selected using a random integer generator. You might have noticed that Mercurial often wins contests around here, that's because he submits to all of them! Good work and keep your eyes open for the next contest.

Spout Group Post: Recast A CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS (1965)

Fri, 12 Dec 2008 16:58:29 GMT

Post Subject: Recast A CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS (1965)
Group Name: Filmgaming
Last Post By: SkyPilot
Post Date: 12/12/2008 11:58:29 AM
Body: A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965) makes me feel good every time I watch it. Can you imagine Amy Adams as Peppermint Patty, Seth Rogen as Pigpen? Even when you imagine good actors playing the Peanuts, is it like looking at that poor Christmas tree? Cast the live action Charlie Brown Christmas. Free t-shirt for the best cast. Winner announced on Monday, 12/22. Charlie Brown ... Lucy Van Pelt ... Linus van Pelt ... Schroeder ... Patty ... Pig-Pen ... Freida ... Sally Brown ... Violet ... Snoopy ... Woodstock ...

Spout Group Post: THE DARK KNIGHT DVD giveaway

Mon, 08 Dec 2008 15:39:41 GMT

Post Subject: THE DARK KNIGHT DVD giveaway
Group Name: Filmgaming
Last Post By: filmgal81
Post Date: 12/8/2008 10:39:41 AM
Body: We've got DVDs of the The Dark Knight. How do you win one?We all know Christian Bale growls too much and Heath Ledger carried The Dark Knight. For the sequel, let's go ahead and pick a new Batman. Pick someone to play Batman in the next movie and post their name here. Check back here on Friday, 11/12 to see if you've won!

Spout Group Post: Episode XXIII: Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 23:38:04 GMT

Post Subject: Episode XXIII: Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors
Group Name: Natsukashi
Last Post By: usesoap
Post Date: 10/10/2008 7:38:04 PM
Body: Film: Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream WarriorsRated: R Directed by: Chuck Russell Written by: Wes Craven, Bruce Wagner, Chuck Russell, Frank Darabont Starring: Patricia Arquette as Kirsten Craig Wasson as Heather Langenkamp as Nancy Thompson John Saxon as Larry Fishburne as Max Tagline: If You Think You'll Get Out Alive, You Must Be Dreaming. By: Bo from Last Blog on the Left Pre-screening memories: A Nightmare on Elm Street is an American horror classic. Wes Craven’s original chiller took horror into the dreams of teenagers, threatening audiences with a terrifying mantra: If you die in your sleep, you die for real. It was effective and genuinely disturbing. Unfortunately, there was a sequel. The follow-up, A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge was done without the involvement of Craven, and boy does it ever show. Enter A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors. Wes Craven and Bruce Wagner were given a polish by Chuck Russell (who also directed) and Frank Darabont, and the result was a movie I must have seen a half dozen times during my youth. There were images that stuck in my mind, mostly that of a wonderfully gratuitous nude scene and the Harryhausen-esque battle with a skeletal Freddy Krueger at the film’s conclusion. By the time Dream Warriors came along, I was already a horror fan, but this was one that found a place on the video shelf, recorded from HBO back in the old VHS days, and watched on many a dark night. There was something appealing about it, and I had very fond memories of the inventive uses of Krueger as dream villain in the movie. In particular, Freddy as a giant snake stuck out as a particularly fun moment, including the creature almost swallowing a victim whole. I was apprehensive about seeing this again, mostly because I liked remembering this movie fondly. There is nothing more disheartening than returning to a movie that has so much nostalgia value, only to find that it has lost all its appeal, and you have lost a tiny piece of your childhood. New memories: As I watched it as an adult, with more than 15 years between viewings, I reminded myself that even if it lost its sheen, it still held a place of honor in my memory. What I realized halfway through the film was that I was having a good time. The plot is clever enough: Kirsten, played by Patricia Arquette in a very early role, if not her first, is having dreams of the burned and malicious Freddy. What’s worse, Freddy’s modus operandi is to kill children in such a way that the kids appear to have committed suicide. Kirsten is interrupted before Freddy succeeds, but she gets some wicked cuts on her wrists that lead to her institutionalization. There, she meets a group of fellow Freddy survivors who insist they are being hunted in their dreams, but the doctors overseeing them, led by Craig Wasson in the role of Dr. Neil Gordon, aren’t buying it. In steps Nancy Thompson, the survivor of Elm Street 1, now a therapist specializing in dream research. Assigned to the hospital, she takes up the kids’ cause in an attempt to save them. More interestingly, Dr. Gordon is having visions of a nun who reveals the secrets of Freddy’s past and the method of his destruction. As he pursues the remains of Freddy, the adolescent patients discover that Kristen can draw them together in Freddy’s dream world, and that they possess special powers there, powers that may save them. It’s actually a pretty compelling plot, not without some goofy turns, but it feels ambitious and complete. I’d be curious to know just how much Frank (The Shawshank Redemption, The Mist) Darabont contributed to the script, but it’s a decent effort and head and shoulders above the previous sequel. There are some downsides, of course. Heather Langenkamp just isn’t a great actress, and her turn here as Nancy is frequently awkward. Craig Wasson appears to be forever teetering on the brink of confusion. The kids, on the other hand, are pretty damn good. Patricia Arquette has a shrill scream that belongs in this sort of film, and an early performance by Jennifer Rubin as Taryn is also noteworthy. Throw in Laurence Fishburne as the kindly orderly Max, and the return of John Saxon as Nancy’s pop is a blast. The effects hold up well, too, especially the creative uses of Freddy in various forms, the first time in the series Freddy finds himself morphing into a variety of guises to stalk his victims. The whole movie plays down the straight horror of the original to tell a more fun adolescent adventure. The themes of youth versus authority and faith versus science pop up, but the movie never feels distracted from moving the plot along to the fairly satisfying ending. The revelations of Freddy’s parentage leads to the best line of the film (“The bastard son of a hundred maniacs.”) and don’t feel like a reach, and the moment when Freddy reveals the fates of his victims is sufficiently creepy. Also, there’s a hokey reunion between Nancy and her father that ends in a nice, dark surprise. I feel like Dream Warriors is one of the more successful sequels in the realm of horror, if flawed and a bit dated. The schlocky subtitle aside, the series could and should have ended here. It was a fitting resolution and offered real fun. This isn’t a movie I see myself returning to again and again, but every decade or so, it may just find its way into the DVD player to remind myself that not every film from childhood is worse than you remember, and that Dokken still rocks. Find out why Bo still suffers from night sweats after so many years after Dream Warriors by listening to the podcast by, downloading it here

Spout Group Post: Episode XXII: Hooper

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 23:29:51 GMT

Post Subject: Episode XXII: Hooper
Group Name: Natsukashi
Last Post By: usesoap
Post Date: 10/10/2008 7:29:51 PM
Body: Film: Hooper (1978)Rated: PGDirected by: Hal NeedhamWritten by: Walt Green and Walter HerdonStarring: Burt Reynolds as Sonny Hooper Sally Field as Gwen Doyle James Best as Cully Jan-Michael Vincent as 'Ski' Chinski Brian Keith as Jocko DoyleTagline: "Ain't nobody can fly a car like Hooper!" By George Kaplan Roger Thornhill Pre-screening memories: If the '70s had a Johnny Knoxville, his name was Evel Knievel. His death-defying acts inspired millions of young kneee-scrapers to shatter bones they had not even learned about yet in science class. Of course, his stunts were much more of a spectacle than the rag-tag Jackass gang -- flaming hoops, rocket-powered cars, etc. But it spawned a cottage industry of carelessness as we took to our BMX bikes, attempting to duplicate such feats of derring-do. He also helped shine a temporary light on the unsung hero of the film and television industry -- the stuntman. Hal Needham, a former stuntman himself, seized on this opportunity as a director, and played to the good ol' boy masses that like to see things get blowed up read good. Filling his films with gears and beers, his films were like porn to this 9 year old. I wanted to be Sonny Hooper. Forget the fact that it was still another severn years until I was to get my driver's license, I could still emulate all the stunts with my Mongoose BMX bike and a few piles of strategically placed dirt. To me, Sonny Hooper was the real deal. Even if all of his stunts were actually done by someone else. Was George Kaplan Roger Thornhill still doing wheelies on his repeat viewing of Hooper? Check out the podcast here,

Spout Group Post: Episode XXI: Night of the Demons

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 23:27:45 GMT

Post Subject: Episode XXI: Night of the Demons
Group Name: Natsukashi
Last Post By: usesoap
Post Date: 10/10/2008 7:27:45 PM
Body: Title: Night of the Demons (1988)Rated: RDirected by: Kevin TenneyStarring: Linnea Quigley as Suzanne Amelia Kinkaid as Angela Billy Gallo as SalTagline: "Angela is having a party...Freddy and Jason are too scared to come. But you'll have a hell of a time." By Shelley Stillo Pre-screening memories: When people ask me to recommend a legitimately scary movie, I'll usually say Nightmare on Elm Street or Night of the Demons. Trouble is, I don't remember the first thing about Night of the Demons. Sitting down to write these pre-screening memories has revealed to me that I can honestly only conjure up one scene from the entire movie. And what I remember isn't really scary. So why has this film stuck with me all of these years? It may be because I also remember it as one of the naughtiest films I've ever seen. I don't remember why, but I do know that my prudish 12-year-old self was shocked by this film. And if there is any stage when fear and sex combined are going to make their strongest impression, it would be the preteen years. I'm not sure, given the fact that I've oft thought about this film, why I haven't taken the opportunity to revisit it before. One reason might be that, as I got older and started enjoying my horror with company, I was afraid the film would be even naughtier than I remembered, and lead to an embarrassing group viewing experience. (This has really happened to me--more than once--with the odd anime screening). The one scene I do remember from the film does nothing to underscore either the films' scariness nor its naughtiness. It is a "Twilight Zone"-style morality moment that occurs at the end of the film. At some point in the movie, we are introduced to an elderly man who plans to put razor blades in his apples on Halloween night. In the final moments of the film, his wife decides to bake him an apple pie. He realizes, with shock, horror, and dismay, that the pie has been made of left over apples just as several razor blades cut through his throat. How he managed to chew and swallow the razor blades without noticing them, and while leaving them intact enough to cut through his flesh, is anyone's guess. When his wife smiles at the end of the film, we realize that she has killed him on purpose, likely as revenge for his feeding razor blades to the kids in the first place. I'm sure, as an avid watcher of weekly television horror and sci-fi programs, I didn't find this moment in the least scary, but I was satisfied with the joke. New memories: Immediately after I re-viewed this film, I was fairly stunned that I'd remembered it at all. It was still plenty naughty, maybe a little more than other '80s horrors (though certainly no more naughty than Revenge of the Nerds), but it wasn't scary, or even that interesting. It has a very standard plot: a group of teens, featuring all the typical players -- the good girl, the 'greaser,' the token black guy, the goth girl, the slut, the party couple, etc. -- break into an abandoned funeral parlor to throw a Halloween party. They decide to hold a seance and unknowingly unleash a demonic force that commences to possess the party guests one by one. Who will survive to party another day? I kept thinking about the movie though. It would have been easy to say "well, what a 12 year old found appealing in 1988 just isn't appealing anymore." But I couldn't just leave it at that because this movie continues to have a very solid reputation among horror fans; yes, even those who have seen it recently as adults. I kept trying to think what could make this movie "hold up" for so many people. One reason is certainly the appearance of horror goddess Linnea Quigley in the film, who teases here certainly capitalize on her tombstone striptease from Return of the Living Dead. But I think the real appeal of this film is how it simply embraces the genre, its heights and its foibles. It never moves into the realm of horror comedy, but it doesn't take itself seriously. Without pretension, it uses the tools -- self consciously, I'm beginning to suspect -- the genre provides and runs riot with them. So, unless you're trying to recapture an experience that is 15 years gone, and mostly forgotten, it is easy to get into the spirit of the film and go revel in the fun. It's not a film that exceeds genre expectations, but its not a soulless regurgitation of them either. Would Shelley still accept the invitation to the party? Find out here

Spout Group Post: Episode XX: 'Ernest Scared Stupid'

Thu, 09 Oct 2008 18:48:14 GMT

Post Subject: Episode XX: 'Ernest Scared Stupid'
Group Name: Natsukashi
Last Post By: usesoap
Post Date: 10/9/2008 2:48:14 PM
Body: Title: Ernest Scared Stupid (1990)Rated: PGDirected by: John Cherry IIIStarring: Jim Varney as Ernest P. Warrell Eartha Kitt as Old Lady Hackmore Austin Nagler as Kenny Barkley as Rimshot By Whitney from dear jesus Pre-Screening Memories: People can go on and on about the as much as they want, but as far as I'm concerned, Ernest Scared Stupid is the scariest movie ever made. My memories of Ernest Scared Stupid are highly anecdotal. I remember the experience much more than the film itself, which seems only natural seeing as I was 7 and it was the first movie I ever saw in theaters. First and foremost, there was my cousin's bangs. Utah is known - in some, probably jealous, circles - for its very distinctive, early 90s hairstyles. My cousin sported what was called the “Utah Claw.” You curl the top half up, the bottom half down, and ratt ratt ratt. Beautiful. Anyway, she couldn't get it quite right and my entire family was late to the movie because of it. I remember a lot of crying, a lot of screaming, and a lot of hairspray. My mom didn't go with us, so my dad - being the less frugal of my parents - went ahead and bought us popcorn, which I thought was just the shit. As a seriously poor, dumpster-diving young family, this was one of maybe four times I remember getting popcorn in a movie theatre. On later dates we ate microwave popcorn and Tootsie Rolls out of my mom's purse. But in the case of Ernest, we gorged! And as far as the movie was concerned? Terrifying. Absolutely terrifying. Let's just forget the fact that the whole plot is centered on trolls that steal children and turn them into wooden dolls, it also features the seriously scary faces of Ernest and Eartha Kitt interacting as though they were human. I wish my cousin's bangs had made us later, because if I remember correctly the beginning of the film takes place under a tree stump full of little children dolls. Being a child, and not wanting to be a doll, this was not a pleasant experience. I spent the middle section of the film on the floor, eating popcorn and hiding from the trolls. I remember the ending lightening up a bit and a mention of “Miak,” but that about sums up my memories of what I'm sure is a film classic called Ernest Scared Stupid. How stupid was Whitney scared on her repeat viewing? You can download the podcast here.

Spout Group Post: Episode XIX: 'Explorers'

Thu, 09 Oct 2008 18:45:19 GMT

Post Subject: Episode XIX: 'Explorers'
Group Name: Natsukashi
Last Post By: usesoap
Post Date: 10/9/2008 2:45:19 PM
Body: Title: Explorers (1985)Rated: PGDirected by: Joe DanteStarring: Ethan Hawke as Ben Crandall River Phoenix as Wolfgang Muller Jason Presson as Darren WoodsTagline: "You don't need a driver's license to reach the stars!" By: Bo from Last Blog on the Left Pre-screening memories: Ah, Explorers, I hardly remember ye. When a buddy mentioned the movie, I had to freeze in place a moment as synapses not fired in years began to reconnect and offer up flashes of spaceships and a young River Phoenix. And, then, more came. I remembered the spaceship, looking much like the riders’ car from a Tilt-a-Whirl at a local fair, and the thing that drew me to the movie in the first place: adventure. Ever a fan of the kids-on-their-own adventures like The Goonies (who are, indeed, good enough for me), and of the sci-fi flicks of my earlier years, such as Star Wars, this seemed like two great tastes that taste great together. So why has Explorers fallen off the pop culture radar while others achieved ubiquitous reverence? Who knows? Prior to viewing again, I thought perhaps it was too fluffy, the Spacecamp-like entertainment that is immediately engaging, but has no lasting value; the cinematic equivalent of the Milky Way bar. And those films have their place, the Saturday afternoon movies that you don’t feel guilty for falling asleep on, and no lingering urge to seek them out, to see what it is you missed while drooling on the arm of the couch. Explorers is the tale of three kids who start having dreams of circuit boards, which they actually build. Needless to say, it’s a fantasy. The circuit boards turn out to be a method of traveling to the stars via some sort of electric bubble. When they begin to receive strange messages while journeying in their makeshift spacecraft, they follow the signal into the stars and meet irritating aliens. This is a movie that is more heart than brain by a long shot. The spirit is so willing, too. The themes of the outcast kids banding together to do something unexpected and wonderful hits all the right notes. The first act of the movie hums along, introducing its characters well, and even treating the viewer to some post-Tron graphics that have managed to become quaint by today’s standards. The whole thing goes off the rails, though, once the trio makes it to the aliens’ ship. There are several too-long sequences that bog down the film as the kids investigate the strange alien vessel, but that’s nothing compared to the out-and-out trippiness of the aliens themselves. Apparently, they’ve had access to Earth television, which has, in fact, rotted their brains. They are schizophrenic and the scene overstays its welcome with a weird intergalactic talent show that’s about as entertaining as you remember every talent show you’ve ever seen. New memories I was happy to learn that I was correct on the Tilt-a-Whirl memory, but that was about the only solace I gained from this mess of a third act. There are hints of frivolity, such as the school named after Charles M. Jones (or good old Chuck Jones of Looney Tunes fame to you and me). There’s even a “Hey, wait, where’s the ground?!” Tunes-style joke here, but it feels so ridiculously out of place. And what about the somber kid, Darren, whose father is apparently occasionally abusive? What happened with him? Eh, I just wanted it to be over. There’s an hour’s worth of fun in Explorers, but the slop that ends the film makes it hard to suggest revisiting it. This is probably one better left in the memory banks, where time has erased the irritation. Listen to Bo's recollection of his re-entry into space with 'Explorers' here.

Spout Group Post: Is it worth your queue space?

Fri, 03 Oct 2008 17:00:29 GMT

Post Subject: Is it worth your queue space?
Group Name: Community Recommendations
Last Post By: usesoap
Post Date: 10/3/2008 1:00:29 PM
Body: Howdy. I've been reviewing films professionally for more than 15 years (yes, I am actually paid to watch these films!). I watch a dangerous (or sad) amount of films and love to share thoughts/opinions/cookie recipies. The fine folks at Spout also host a little side project called Natsukashi, about films from our past. Come check us out pluck out some forgotten films of your youth (providing you're still not in it currently...if so, I'm jealous).

Spout Group Post: MAD LIB # 8: Dirty Words

Thu, 04 Sep 2008 16:54:11 GMT

Post Subject: MAD LIB # 8: Dirty Words
Group Name: Movie Games
Last Post By: rjsprague
Post Date: 9/4/2008 12:54:11 PM
Body: 1. plural noun2. noun (something you'd like to own)3. somebody you respect4. a type of crime (i.e. "robbery")5. a job6. mythical place7. a sport8. an emotion you feel when playing the sport in #79. a slang term you'd use to call the sport in #7 (i.e. "pigskin" in reference to "football")10. adjective11. group of people ending in -ists (i.e. "capitalists")12. adjective13. adjective14. a monster or mythical creature15. a monster or mythical creature16. a positive emotion17. verb18. somebody you don't respect19. your favorite drink

Spout Group Post: Episode XVI: The Giant of Marathon

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 15:43:01 GMT

Post Subject: Episode XVI: The Giant of Marathon
Group Name: Natsukashi
Last Post By: usesoap
Post Date: 9/5/2008 11:43:01 AM
Body: Film: The Giant of Marathon (La Battaglia di Maratona, 1959) Rated: No ratingDirected by: Jacques TourneurStarring: Steve Reeves as Philippides Mylène Demongeot as Andromeda Daniela Rocca as Karis Sergio Fantoni as TheocritusTagline: A Giant Among Men in a Gigantic Spectacle! By Marilyn Ferdinand from Ferdy on Films, etc. Pre-screening memories: I managed to dredge up one film that planted three scenes indelibly in my mind: The Giant of Marathon. Because the film came out in 1959, when I was 4 years old, and it’s not the kind of film that would have been revived only a few years from its premiere, I’m sure I didn’t see it at a theatre. I’m almost positive I saw it on TV because I generally I spent my Saturday afternoons in front of our TV in the basement. A very popular type of film for the networks to show in those days were Italian sword-and-sandal epics. I watched Greek mythology and history paraded in front of me week after week and took great delight in trying to see how well the English dubbing matched the lips of the mainly Italian performers. It was during these afternoons that I became intimately acquainted with the special effects of Ray Harryhausen , whose films I still take pleasure in viewing today. Somehow, the only one of those films that really stuck with me, other than the Harryhausen films, was The Giant of Marathon. Even though I hadn’t seen it since the 1960s, I remembered its name and these images: 1. The tiny figure of a man lifting a giant boulder and throwing it onto the Persian army fighting below on an open plain. 2. A dark-haired woman running from some burning bodies and being struck in the back with an arrow. Her blue, chiffon dress turned purple as a perfect circle of blood oozed from her back. 3. Men underwater being struck through and through with arrows fired by men in a boat above them. I placed the DVD of this movie in my player and rewatched The Giant of Marathon to see if the rest of it looked familiar and whether my memories were accurate. To the first part of that sentence, the answer is “no.” To the second part, I can say “yes,” but the first two scenes didn’t happen the way I remembered them. The story basically tells about the history of the marathon foot race as it recounts the battle between Greek city-states, united in opposition to a common enemy, the Persians. Philippines is the “giant” of the title, overall winner of the ancient Olympic Games and a peasant from near Athens, who runs to Sparta from Athens when he loses his horse to ask them to join arms with their historical enemy, Athens, for the sake of all Greece. There are love stories and treachery, thrilling action sequences and ingeniously staged battles. The quintessential Hercules of films, Steve Reeves, plays Philippides. New memories: Now that I’m older and a pretty dedicated cinephile, I can appreciate that Jacques Tourneur and Mario Bava (as DP and uncredited director) were involved in this film, making it something that film buffs might be interested in. Tourneur’s influence is nowhere visible, but Mario Bava in this, his third feature film, has imprinted it with ingenious violence that would be even more elaborate over time. Could I tell that someone of quality was involved in the film’s production when I was young? Is that why it stuck out? I’d have to say that I didn’t know it at the time, but the scenes that impressed me were from Bava’s hand. So I must have had some reaction to its quality. Nothing about the love story and court intrigue stuck with me, nor is that an impressive part of the film to me now. I’ve become familiar with Daniela Rocca, who played Karis, through her brilliant work in Divorce, Italian Style. It was great to see an actress of her caliber in this film. She did lend a certain dignity to this pulpy film that I can appreciate now. I also liked the Athenians treating her as an equal in war; it was a classy scene that is in keeping with a certain equality Greeks gave to women as goddesses. I find I’m still a sword-and-sandal fan, and this film is one of the reasons why.

Spout Group Post: Episode XV: 'The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 15:31:43 GMT

Post Subject: Episode XV: 'The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T
Group Name: Natsukashi
Last Post By: usesoap
Post Date: 9/5/2008 11:31:43 AM
Body: Film: The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. TRated: PGDirected by: Dr. Seuss (Theodore Geisel)Starring: Hans Conreid as Dr. Terwilliker Tommy Rettig as Bart Cullins Peter Lind Hayes as Mr. Zoblowdowski Mary Healy as Heloise CullinsTagline: By Scott from He Shot Cyrus Pre-screening memories: The Gilroy Public Library. That’s where I first saw a VHS copy of The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T. Belonging to an avid reader, my ten-year-old eyes popped at the sight of a live-action Dr. Seuss movie. It was added to a stack that most likely featured The Rescuers Down Under, two episodes of Ramona and Jurassic Park (which my mom made me put back every week). At that point, I had already seen the Seuss cartoons. Not just the popular ones like Horton Hears a Who. Oh no, my favorite was Pontoffel Pock & His Magic Piano. I was very vocal about this. Obviously, I was destined for a life filled with non-stop social engagements due to my unimaginable popularity. Why they haven’t made a live action Pontoffel movie, I can’t fathom. The chance to watch Dr. Seuss come to life was once-in-a-childhood. How the Grinch Stole Christmas would later pop up during my teen years but failed to appear on my radar. Said social engagements were surely the cause. Once my little brother finally finished whatever BBC “Chronicles of Narnia” mini-series he had checked out (again) it was time to live the dream. Popped the tape in, fast-forwarded past the FBI WARNINGS and the previews and got right to the goods. Apparently, there’s something special about those 5,000 Fingers because certain scenes still stick out in my memory. It’s been ten years since my last viewing, but I can still remember every movement the two brothers-one beard characters make, including their death scene! When I was an undergrad, a professor showed us Fritz Lang’s Metropolis. INSERT: childhood cinematic flashback. I’d bet that the director had some love in their heart for German Expressionism. That being said, Dr. Seuss probably did as well. The sets were so gigantic and magical. There were ladders leading to nowhere, huge doors, and that 500-boy piano. The plot circles around a young boy who somehow gets sent to a magical world. I can’t remember how. An evil piano teacher has devised a plan to enslave 500 little boys (don’t worry, it’s a PG movie) and have them play an enormous piano. Why he wants them to all play one piano, I can’t remember that either. My 5,000 Fingers memories are mostly visual. The plot plays like Swiss cheese in my brain. It’d be interesting to see if the magic is still intact and if the storyline is anywhere as impressive as the cinematography. Addendum: We contacted Bill Davis, the pre-eminent Seuss-ologist whern it comes to ‘Dr. T’ with regards to this podcast, and he replied: “ Probably the most interesting thing about the film is the fact that they cut 10 songs out of the film before it was released. The movie was supposed to be more about how the adults aren’t able to communicate to kids or to each other. I’m not saying the film would have been better received by the public if it had been released in the full version, but it would have been a different film.” - Thanks to Bill and check out his ‘5,000 Fingers’ tribute page for more!

Spout Group Post: Episode XVI: 'Cat People'

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 15:26:09 GMT

Post Subject: Episode XVI: 'Cat People'
Group Name: Natsukashi
Last Post By: usesoap
Post Date: 9/5/2008 11:26:09 AM
Body: Title: Cat People (1982)Rated: RWritten by: DeWitt Bodeen & Alan OrmsbyDirected by: Paul SchraderStarring: Nastassja Kinski, Malcolm McDowell, John HeardTagline: An Erotic Fantasy About the Animal in Us All! By Jen Ellingsworth Pre-Screening Memories: My 13-year-old conscience knew it was wrong to want to see “Cat People.” In 1984, though, there were few things on my mind other than Duran Duran, my kick-ass Lisa Frank sticker collection and this forbidden movie I was going to watch before my parents got home from work. With feline stealth I slunk into my older brother’s room - where he proudly displayed his latest acquisition, a Sony Betamax VCR (he paid $800 for it). I’d procured the tape from a classmate who shared my obsession with horror films. The movie proved effective in that it scared the crap out of me. Irena (a young Nastassja Kinski), is orphaned as an infant by her animal-trainer parents. She’s reunited with her minister brother Paul (William McDowell), who’s horny as a tomcat. It’s later revealed Irena and Paul are über-cat/humans who transform into giant panthers during intercourse with others. They return back to human only after they kill their mates. Wow! As if that weren’t enough of an engaging plot, turns out the only way to stop the transformation is sex with a sibling. It was almost too much for me handle. I’d seen nudity in films before, sure, but this movie was so gory I had nightmares for weeks and couldn’t go near the family cat, Tigger. I remember in one scene, Paul is transforming from cat back to human (so slick were the special effects!), and (gag) eats some glistening leftover fur-skin from his stomach. Paul continues to sleep with, and maul, numerous lovers, while Irena starts dating a zookeeper Oliver (John Heard). Thing is, she can’t have sex with him because then she’d have to eat him. Paul’s killed while in panther form, Irena’s sexually frustrated and poor Oliver’s looking more and more like a tempting plate of Fancy Feast. Twenty-three years later, I remember little more about this film other than a man’s arm is eaten by a panther through the bars of a cage in one of the final scenes. I’ve yet to see something so gruesome in a movie. Not even “Kill Bill” had more blood. (Editor’s note: ‘Kill Bill’ link is the over-the-top Crazy 88 scene, you have been warned.)

Spout Group Post: Episode XV: 'The Last Unicorn'

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 19:10:24 GMT

Post Subject: Episode XV: 'The Last Unicorn'
Group Name: Natsukashi
Last Post By: usesoap
Post Date: 8/25/2008 3:10:24 PM
Body: The Last Unicorn (1982)Rated: GWritten by Peter S. BeagleDirected by Arthur Rankin Jr. and Jules BassStarring: Mia Farrow, Alan Arkin, Angela Lansbury, Jeff Bridges, Tammy Grimes, Robert KlienTagline: There’s Magic in Believing! By: Shelley Stillo I was never really a unicorn kind of girl when I was a kid. I was more into Star Wars and doing unspeakable things to my small collection of Barbie dolls. But I must’ve seen the movie The Last Unicorn several hundred times before I was a teenager, starting at five or six years old. Part of this repeat viewing habit came from the fact that my parents, like many others, took full advantage of the VHS as babysitter trend that emerged with the advent affordable home viewing equipment. But it was more than circumstance that drew me to this movie. The Last Unicorn was one of a handful of animated movies, like The Secret of NIMH, The Hobbit, and Dot and the Bunny, distributed when I was a child that was not released by a major studio. These films provided an alternative to the princesses and talking animals that were the provenance of Disney, but also to the pandering animated dreck, like An American Tail and Land Before Time, that came from the Speilbergian horror, Amblin Entertainment. The material in these non-studio animations tended to be different in terms of content—much of what I remember from The Last Unicorn and similar films seemed designed more for the Dungeons and Dragons crowd than the Mickey Mouse crowd—but also in tone. Something about these films felt less safe, and, to my mind now, more adult than the animation that was more readily available. Need I remind anyone of the childhood trauma that was Watership Down? With the Natsukashi crowd, I think not. Even though I saw The Last Unicorn more times than I can count as a child, my memory of it has become very clouded since my last viewing, which has to have been at least 15-20 years ago. What has stuck with me from the film has stuck with me quite vividly, though. What I remember: an intense scene about a harpy. I’m not entirely sure what happened in this scene, but I remember it being scary, and I remember that as a child I found it something like profound. I remember something about a clock and another scary image, the Red Bull. When I think of these images, I feel like the film had a fairly complicated mythology for an animated endeavor. I can’t forget, can’t imagine anyone who has ever encountered this film at any time for any length of time could forget, the soundtrack, which featured America. The theme song is particularly striking. It’s the kind of song that will be stuck in your head for hours at the mere mention of the film’s title. At the time, I found it emotionally engaging, though thinking about it now, it starts to smell a bit of cheese. "I’m aliiiiiivvveeee" New memories: Though the story is simpler than I remember, the incomparable vocal (it seems that all roads in my life lead to Christopher Lee!) and animation talents ensure that The Last Unicorn ages much more gracefully than a 1982 cartoon scored by America should. Though I found Mia Farrow’s voice grating, the acting is so good that I even teared up a little during the emotional scene where an aging Molly Grue lashes out at the unicorn for visiting her now, rather than "twenty years ago? Ten years ago? …when I was new?" And Angela Lansbury ensures that the harpy scene is just as scary now as it was when I was the young girl Molly Grue longs to be. The animation may be even more beautiful in this day and age, when computer generated graphics ensure that most animated experiences are big, loud, and in your face, than it was at the time. The animation here is subtle, full of cool blues and frightening reds, seemingly inspired alternately by Maxfield Parrish and medieval unicorn tapestries. At times, the film effectively and charmingly recalls these tapestries intentionally, and these are some of the film’s most beautiful sequences. It is no surprise to learn that Arthur Rankin and Jules Bass, the producers of the film, often worked with the animation firm Topcraft on their pictures, the firm that help launch Hayao Miyazaki’s career. The biggest surprise is America’s soundtrack. "The Last Unicorn" and "Walking Man’s Road" somehow manage to fight off growing any of the musical moldand remain emotionally resonant. They also help the soundtrack stand out as fairly original, as they work more as rock themes than the Broadway-esque musical numbers you find in the Disney and Amblin counterparts. Beware, though, they’re just as mind-numbingly addictive as they were when you were a kid. You’ll be breaking out the hairbrush microphone and the power-ballad facial expressions as you belt out "I’m allliiiiiiiiveeee" for your stuffed animal collection. Will Shelley still believe in unicorns? Check out the podcast below or download it here.[audio http://www.archive.org/download/NatsukashiEpisodeXvTheLastUnicorn/lastunicornfinal.mp3]

Spout Group Post: Episode XIV: 'Hellraiser'

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 19:03:30 GMT

Post Subject: Episode XIV: 'Hellraiser'
Group Name: Natsukashi
Last Post By: usesoap
Post Date: 8/25/2008 3:03:30 PM
Body: Hellraiser (1987)Rated: RWritten and Directed by: Clive BarkerStarring: Andrew Robinson as Larry Cotton Clare Higgins as Julia Cotton Ashley Laurence as Kirsty Cotton Doug Bradley as Lead Cenebite (aka Pinhead) Tagline: It will tear your soul apart! By: Shelley Stillo Pre-screening memories: The thing I remember most about viewing Hellraiser as a pre-teen is precisely how much it didn't effect me. I got started as a horror fan young. I was raised by a group of pop culture mavens who compared family members to characters from Poltergeist and Children of the Damned, who let me stay up late and watch Tales From the Darkside on overnight visits to their houses. By the time I was 10, I'd had the good sense to become best friends with the video-store lady's daughter. In those pre-blockbuster days, the horror shelf in the video store was a special place—a vast undiscovered country of illicit sights. Today, as most people order their dvds from Amazon based on movies they've already seen or heard of, or worse yet, they `flix everything they watch, DVD cover art is a pretty sanitized business. Actors you recognize, a scene from the film, the promo poster you've seen a thousand times. Mid-80s VHS cover art was different, especially in the horror aisle. Intense color and extreme graphics were the only ways to give your film a chance to be seen, especially in an era when many horror films were independently produced or released direct to video. VHS covers could be downright terrifying. A trip down the horror aisle at the video store could often be an act of bravery for my 10-year-old self, and, unfortunately, most often a much richer artistic experience than viewing the films inside those Technicolor cases. But it was also an act of pure pleasure, as I anticipated my weekly visits to the horror aisle with an insane glee other children reserved for Disneyland. In the three or four years during which my best friend's mother worked at the video store, my friend and I burned through every horror film on the shelf, each of our family's taking weekly turns at playing host to our all-night bloodbath versions of the pre-teen girl sleepover. Back then, Hellraiser was just another movie to add to the list of horror films I'd seen. Even though “Pinhead” was already an iconic figure in the genre by the time I'd encountered him, he left little to no impression on me. I liked that he was a cool-looking villain, but I didn't know why he got so much attention in all of those horror documentaries I watched. And while this lack of effect was in part a consequence of my attraction to more kid-friendly horror—the comical Freddy films that spewed forth from the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise and PG-13 Stephen King adaptions chief among them—it wasn't like I had no appreciation for more mature horror. I also counted Nosferatu and The Haunting among my favorite films. But Pinhead and his “magic box” never meant anything to me, besides the occasional ability to quicken my heart—and my step—when I saw their images on a VHS box. New memories: I was recently able to view Hellraiser on the big screen, and my immediate reaction was “I've never really seen this movie before.” Even though Hellraiser has most likely made numerous appearances on my horror viewing lists (which haven't stopped growing), I never really saw the movie until I watched it this year. This is obviously due to the fact that as a pre-teen horror fan, I had no capacity whatsoever to understand the erotic dynamics of a horror film that explicitly delves into the world of sado-masochistic pleasure (“Demons to some, angels to others” indeed). But because I've heard countless talking heads ruminate about Barker's use of this subject matter over the years, I really thought I had a sense of this film—what it was about and how it worked—even though I hadn't seen it for at least ten years. But I really had no idea, which can be a bit of a surreal experience, to realize that something you honestly believed to be familiar is actually an absolute unknown. Obviously, as someone enthusiastic about rebel art (an enthusiasm that was only stoked by Barker's own live introduction to the screening I saw, which included blow-job jokes and a raspy “Art should never be made for the man. Art should be made to take down the man.”), I was impressed by the frankness with which this film approached the topic of pain as pleasure. But the film seemed to go even further than that by criticizing, or at least portraying as equally horrific, the “normal” sexual couple. Kirstie's father's and boyfriend's obliviousness to possibilities that don't conform to their narrow view of the world seems as problematic as Uncle Frank and Stepmother Julia's (if you can't tell, there's also a bit of an incest plot here, which only adds intensity to the atmosphere of the film) violent fantasies. The other thing that keeps this film resonant and current is how well the special effects have held up. As a frequent attendee of midnight movies, I can definitely say that special effects rarely hold up. But despite the outrageouness of some of the imagery Barker tries to capture—the aforementioned skinless Frank and the "meat board" are two notable examples—you never laugh or flinch at an outdated technique watching this film. Perhaps it is actually because of Barker's outrageousness that these visual moments hold up. The depths of imagination it takes to conjure such images guarantees that they'll shock and disturb, even at more than 20 years old. I can't end this review without a word about the cenobites. They're inventive villains, even to a 10-year-old who has no grasp of their meaning. In context (or, more accurately, when the context is understood), they're the kind of characters that attach themselves to your psyche, and may never be completely shaken loose. The rich dialogue they're given helps (quotes), but their visual characteristics truly are the stuff of nightmares. And as much as Pinhead is still a cool looking villain, it's the sound of those chattering teeth that keeps me up at night today. Is Shelley still interested in raising 'Hell' after all these years? Listen to the podcast: dowload it here.

Spout Group Post: XIII: 'The Monster Squad'

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 18:54:19 GMT

Post Subject: XIII: 'The Monster Squad'
Group Name: Natsukashi
Last Post By: usesoap
Post Date: 8/25/2008 2:54:19 PM
Body: The Monster Squad (1987)Directed by: Fred DekkerWritten by: Shane Black and Fred DekkerStarring: Andre Gower as Sean CrenshawRobby Kiger as PatrickBrent Chalem as Horace (The Fat Kid)Michael Faustino as Eugene Tagline: “Call them for a monster-ous good time!” By: Jason Plissken Pre-Screening Memories: I haven't seen The Monster Squad since I was in high school, but since it had “Monster” in the title, it was required viewing. I would scour the TV listings every week, checking for what creatures would be featured for the week. This one sounded like the Mother Lode, in that it featured all the classic monsters from Universal Studios: Dracula, the Wolf Man, Frankenstein's Monster, the Mummy, and the Creature from the Black Lagoon. The movie came out in 1987, but I didn't see it until it came on HBO about a year later. My memories of the film are pretty vague but I did learn a number of things from watching it: I remember the movie was corny but still able to keep my attention. There were several little details about the kids in the film that I wanted for my childhood: to battle monsters as a young kid, a really cool treehouse (that was two-story, no less!), and a neighborhood girl like Patrick's sister (played by Lisa Fuller, which was really the height of her film career, unless you count Teen Witch). I thought that it was really cool that the main character, Sean Krenshaw (played by Andre Gower), was able to watch a nearby drive-in movie from his roof. I could not have cared less if I could not hear the dialogue, just watching it would have been enough to occupy me. I could do the whole Mystery Science Theater 3000 thing, I suppose, and make up my own dialogue. I remember Fat Kid declaring that the "Wolf man had nards." Childish, I know, but 'nards' is just a funny word. It was the first time I heard sex referred to as "dorking."Again, I was a kid, these things were endlessly fascinating to me. I remember a World War II bomber loaded with Dracula's coffin in thebeginning. At the time, it seemed perfectly plausible for the ancient tomb of Nosferatu to circle over middle America for no apparent reason whatsoever. I remember having a fondness for the film in the way it handled its leads, not treating them as typical “Hollywood” kids, in much the same way that “Stand By Me” and “The Goonies” seemed to. They never seemed to talk down to their targeted audience. Will the exclusive “Monster Squad” still allow membership to Jason now that he's an old guy? Find out in the podcast here: download it here.

Spout Group Post: Episode XII: 'The Stuff'

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 18:50:08 GMT

Post Subject: Episode XII: 'The Stuff'
Group Name: Natsukashi
Last Post By: usesoap
Post Date: 8/25/2008 2:50:08 PM
Body: Title: The Stuff (1985)Directed by: Larry CohenWritten by: Larry CohenStarring: Michael Moriarity Andrea Marcovicci Garrett Morris Paul Sorvino Danny AielloTagline: Are you eating it...or is it eating you? By: El RonThis edition is a podcast only version of reflections and reminiscence, as El Ron and Rob reflect on a long-forgotten horror/social satire flick from 1985 starring the underrated Michael Moriarity, Garrett Morris and directed by Larry Cohen. The film features killer pudding, so why wouldn't you want to listen? If you prefer to have 'The Stuff' in your ears, download it here.

Spout Group Post: Episode XI: 'Eddie and the Cruisers'

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 18:48:07 GMT

Post Subject: Episode XI: 'Eddie and the Cruisers'
Group Name: Natsukashi
Last Post By: usesoap
Post Date: 8/25/2008 2:48:07 PM
Body: Eddie and the Cruisers (1983) Directed by: Martin DavidsonWritten by: Martin and Arlene DavidsonBased on the novel by P.F. KlugeStarring: Michael Pare as Eddie Wilson Tom Berenger as Frank Ridgeway Ellen Barkin as Maggie Foley Joe Pantoliano as Doc Robbins Tagline: Rebel. Rocker. Lover. Idol. Vanished By Rob Rector If you were a teen during the first few years of MTV (which we now forget, but the 'M' once stood for Music, not M-barassingly shallow youth). The release of a new video was treated like a movie premier. You would gather around a friend's house to watch that spaceship launch as it debuted a new favorite-to-be. You would make sure the VCR was recording the right channel so after that three-minute movie, you could immediately rewind it and watch it over and over again to perfect your air instruments. And if you were even the most casual viewier, the name Bruce Springsteen was certainly no stranger. There are not enough gigs on my hard drive to summarize my slavish devotion to all things Bruce – from spending summers as an early teen dancing on a roof of an outdoor bar as the raucous strains of “Rosalita” played in the salty beach breeze; being old enough to attend concerts in which I could worship my idol up close; the excitement of meeting a guy who wired Bruce's home security system (Bruce and wife Patty Scialfa have their help all over their home every year for a barbecue where he cooks for them! How cool is that?); choosing “If I Should Fall Behind... (Wait for Me)” as my wedding song and inviting Bruce to attend (astonishingly, he declined). During all this time, there were droughts where we would get no tunes from The Boss, so we would settle for anything even remotely similar. Enter John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band, aka the voice of Eddie and the Cruisers for the film of the same name. It wasn't Bruce, but it was about the eighth- or ninth-best thing to listening to actual Bruce tunes. In 1983, the little film came and went to the theater (I don't even recall it appearing on local screens), but it was one of those lightening-in-a-bottle instances in which it received a breath of new life courtesy of one Home Box Office, which I think ran it on a loop with Beastmaster for months on end. Music aside, there is very little of the film I recall. I remember it starring the dude from another favorite “Streets of Fire,” cementing Michael Pare's place as the coolest living actor of the time for me. I think Diane Lane was in this or the sequel, but that could be “Streets of Fire” devotion bleeding over in my brain and the fact that I wanted Diane Lane to star in every film of my youth. What I do recall is the video phenomenon that accompanied the film. There were two videos released: one featuring Pare lip-synching the entire song, as in the movie, the other starring the song's real vocalist Cafferty and his bandmates aping “Springsteen style,” right down to the muscle shirts, bandanas and even the larger saxophonist who bared more than a slight resemblance to one Clarence “The Big Man” Clemons. I remember how disappointed I was when the latter version was screened, for I wanted to live in the dream. At least Pare vaguely resembled the rough-and-tumble look of a hungry-hearted rocker, not the scrawny incarnation that sang through his bangs into the mic, ala Cafferty. Even though it was all some Milquetoast copy of Bruce, for a young kid, it would do. The accompanying cassette tape of the soundtrack would ultimately meet its demise in my boom box after succumbing to exhaustion (as did its followup “Tough All Over”. I did not want the videos, nor the liner notes to remind me of the actual ridiculously named band. I just wanted to close my eyes and pretend that it was the same artist that made me climb onto the rooftops and dance in the dark on those hot summer nights. How dark was this trip 'on the dark side? Will it ruin Rob's memories of his 'tender years?' As always, you can download it here, As always, you can download it here, or just listen online:

Spout Group Post: Episode X: Bachelor Party

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 18:44:59 GMT

Post Subject: Episode X: Bachelor Party
Group Name: Natsukashi
Last Post By: usesoap
Post Date: 8/25/2008 2:44:59 PM
Body: Bachelor Party (1984) Director: Neal IsraelWriters: Neal and Bob Israel (no pun intended... well, maybe by their parents)Starring: Tom Hanks – Rick Gassko Tawney Kitaen - Debbie Thompson Adrian Zmed – Jay O’Neil Robert Prescott – Cole Whittier Tagline: Shocking, Shameless, Sinful, Wicked. And the party hasn't even started. By: Gurn Blanston The original appeal of this movie to me in 1984 would be obvious to anyone who knew me then, I wanted to be one of these guys. I wanted to go to this party. I wanted access to those Hollywood style hookers. The working girls in my hometown all looked like Ernest Borgnine in drag, so I’m told. I wouldn’t know that for a fact or anything cause I never went to a hooker and paid for her services, only to have her jump out of the car at the first light and make off with money it took weeks to earn……but I digress. I saw this film with friends at the local dollar theater, which seems to be a pattern at this stage of my life, and we all left hoping to recreate this party at home the next time someone’s parents were out of town. It never happened, Dad, so don’t worry. Tom Hanks plays the lovable doofus Rick, who is engaged to a rich girl named Debbie, played by Tawney Kitaen, who some of you may remember doing splits on the hood of a Camaro in the band Whitesnake's video, I miss the 80’s. This is the pre-cocaine-abusing, husband-assaulting train wreck Tawney that we know and love; in this film, she is still hot. Rick’s friends, namely Jay played by T.J. Hooker star Adrian Zmed, decide to throw him The bachelor party to end all parties at the local 5-star hotel. Debbie’s well-to-do parents and her uptight jock ex-boyfriend Cole, played to the tee by Robert Prescott, are not pleased with the match and decide that the bachelor party is a good time to break the two up. First Cole re-routes two call girls intended for the bachelor party to the house of Debbie’s parents, where the woman are throwing her a shower. When they arrive and see a room full of well dressed woman they nod knowingly and one say’s, “so it’s that kind of party” and they begin to put on a girl-on-girl sex show for the mortified upper-class matrons. Good fun. I only knew Tom Hanks before this movie as the tall guy from the “Bosom Buddies” TV series, but this flick made me a fan. From what I remember, he was the funniest thing in it, and could still come off as sincere when the scene called for it. This is not a great piece of cinematic art by any means, but it sure was fun to party vicariously with this group of misfits for a couple of hours. Is Gurn still ready to Party after all these years? You can dowload the podcast here to find out .

Spout Group Post: Episode IX: 'Tango & Cash'

Mon, 11 Aug 2008 23:29:39 GMT

Post Subject: Episode IX: 'Tango & Cash'
Group Name: Natsukashi
Last Post By: usesoap
Post Date: 8/11/2008 7:29:39 PM
Body: Tango & Cash (1989) Rated: R Director: Andrei Konchalovsky Written by: Randy Feldman Starring : Sylvester Stallone as Ray Tango Kurt Russel as Gabe Cash Teri Hatcher as Kiki Tango Jack Palance as Yves Perret Tagline: Two of L.A.'s top rival cops are going to work together... even if it kills them. By Rob Rector Pre-screening memories: It was moments before the dawn of a new decade. The crazy 80s were coming to a close, as was the career of one of the decade's action stalwarts -- Sylvester Stallone. For many growing up in the 80s, Stallone was the embodiment of manliness (however misguided that may have been). He was never as freakishly lumpy as Schwarzenegger and seemed as though he could easily be the cool older guy in the neighborhood who would let you peek at his firearm collection, pour over his stack of "Hustlers” or perhaps let you sip a beer. Sadly, there was no such neighbor in my little slice of suburbia. The closest thing we had was a gap-toothed guy who would watch us through his perpetually drawn blinds and smile menacingly and whose front yard was a graveyard of car parts that he would mow around until they were enveloped by vegetation. Cinematically, Stallone was not one to go out with a whimper. He was going to go down swinging and show those new upstarts like Jeff Speakman and Jean Claude Van Damme, Steven Seagal and Brian Bosworth a thing or two about action. And my friends and I were eager to watch. (For it was not too long after this that he would begin his trajectory downward with films like Rocky V, Oscar, Stop, or My Mom Will Shoot!, The Specialist and to the direct-to-video dustbin with films like D-Tox, Avenging Angelo and Shade.) His latest was a pairing of him and Snake Plissken himself, Kurt Russel. They starred as two improbably named LAPD cops who "just can't play by the rules." Exactly the kind of cops we like on screen -- just not in real life, as they usually end up on the wrong side of a video camera, bludgeoning away rights to random motorists. While the plot itself left no actual bootprint on my brain, the script did drop some new vocabulary into our high school lexicon. Being the typical testosterone-saturated actioner, the expressions were both lewd and profane, but they were nonetheless influential. Being a male teen any new and creative euphemism or idiom or for intercourse was met with guffaws, a round of high-fives and a temporary admiration of one's peers. (Of course, really any combination of a verb and noun could be inserted, Mad-Libs-style into the sentence "I'd like to ___________ her ___________" and, with the right emphasis on "her," you've got yourself a new filth-filled expression.) Forget the fact that none of us had really ever even performed said act. So, when Sly refers to it as "bump uglies," we knew we had a keeper. The second expression we adopted was FUBAR. While new to us, it was actually one that originated during World War II as an acronym for F**ked Up Beyond All Recognition. Other than that, I remember the two leads being oh-so-witty, able to launch a quip or a retort under the most extreme circumstances. And while the general plot escaped me (something with them being framed by someone and avenging something else). That, and the promise of manly men doing manly things with other manly, manly men in a mannish manner. I was sure that revisiting the film would at least entertain on that level alone, right? The answer is right here: [audio http://www.archive.org/download/NatsukashiEpisodeIxtangocash/tangoandcashfinal.mp3]

Spout Group Post: Essay: 'Moving Violations'

Mon, 11 Aug 2008 23:14:34 GMT

Post Subject: Essay: 'Moving Violations'
Group Name: Natsukashi
Last Post By: usesoap
Post Date: 8/11/2008 7:14:34 PM
Body: Moving Violations Rated: PG-13 Starring: John Murray as Dana Cannon Jennifer Tilly as Amy Hopkins James Keach as Deputy Halik Wendie Jo Sperber as Joan Pudillo Dedee Pfeiffer as Cissy Directed by: Neal Isreal Written by: Pat Proft and Neal Isreal Tagline: "A crash course in traffic school from the creators of 'Police Academy.' By Rob Rector Perhaps it was one of nepotisms finest cinematic moments (yes, this includes the little-seen 1993 direct-to-video brethern-of-movie-star classic Death Ring, whose cover featured the names SWAYZE, NORRIS and McQUEEN in large all caps -- only to be preceded by the 7-point revealing the names Don, Mike and Chad, respectively). The film 'Moving Violations' featured no fewer than four sibs to the stars. John Murray, little brother of Bill, Jennifer Tilly, lil' sis of Meg, James Keach, young bro of Stacy and Dedee Pfeiffer, the younger sister of Michelle, were all accounted for in the cast of this quickly produced little slice of quintessential 80s-ness that followed the prototypical format of ragtag losers (traffic offenders) taking on strict authoritarians (traffic cops) in a film that was created by a team that was no stranger to the format, as they produced both 'Bachelor Party' and 'Police Academy.' Pre-screening memories: To ease the transition, they even gave John the occupation of a groundskeeper, perhaps one of Murray's most iconic roles ( OK, so technically, he was a landscaper, but isn't that just splitting hairs?). Memories of this film were based solely on Murray's character, Dana Cannon. I remember often pilfering witty rejoinders from the character and trying to emulate his easygoing, sarcastic demeanor in the face of authority (funny how that rarely seems as charming in real life...). You see, it was much easier to lift lines from lesser-known films and pass them off as your own, than, say something more universally known as "Ghostbusters," where the response would most likely be, "Ha ha, very funny, Dr. Venkman." But I imagined myself looking suave with a cock-eyed grin when getting yelled at and having the perfect retort to diffuse a situation and win the adoration of many as a result. Only now does it occur to me that there are very few historical instances of wise-cracking landscapers who've reached national prominence. There really was little else to recall of the film. The only other supporting characters who had any discernable impact on me since those multiple screenings more than two decades ago were a fellow traffic offender who saw one too many horror films (my hero!) and that chubby gal from 'Bosom Buddies' who held the key to Buffy and Hildegard's true identity -- Wendie Jo Sperber. So, I am once again ready to take a possible wrong turn down Memory Lane and revisit this little speed bump of a film that had remained part of my consciousness, Moving Violations.' [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKU85IV0_Bw] Post-Screening: I honestly wonder if at some point the producers just threw up their arms and said, "You know what? F***k it, let's just produce a PG-13 Animal House." I have witnessed many a variation of the iconic film, but have yet to see whole chunks lifted so cavalierly as they had in Moving Violations (and this is from a connoisseur of crap comedy who has viewed such era films as Screwballs, King Frat, Mad Magazine's Up the Academy, The Hollywood Knights, and the short-lived Animal House spinoff sitcom Delta House). Shall we put the evidence on Lady Justice's scales, shall we? A Dean Wormer-esque authority figure (played by James Keach as a traffic cop) who despises a lowly group of misfits, led by a slovenly good-time Belushi-like guy (played by Murray) A " When the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor" rallying cry from said good-time guy. A incident involving the bedding of a girl who admits she's underage pre-coitus (though no tissues were used to stuff the bra). A sexually aggressive female authority figure, though this time its Sally Kellerman as a judge who stands in for Dean Wormer's cucumber-comparing wife. A finale that features a downtown parade that erupts into calamity and confusion. A float being commandeered by our heroes and driven at high rates of speed. A beauty queen atop of said float in said parade who dutifully stays put and waves to the crowds. A "where are they now" blurb at the end credits on the fate of our protagonist landscaper. I'm sure a more trained eye could pick up more, but at this point I felt I had spent way to much time in my CSI-like analysis on it. Some other items I did glean from the viewing include: A blink-and-you-missed-it cameo from one Don Cheadle as a fast food employee. (His only line was "Can I take your order?" repeated a handful of times.) The film boasted the name of Clara Peller in the opening credits, better known as the "Where's the Beef?" lady from the 80s Wendy's commercials. (Are you really sure that's a hook you want to hang your film on? That's like saying, "Special appearance by The Noid," or "Featuring the comedic stylings of the "Dude you got a Dell" guy.) James Keach is actually the more charismatic lead in the film as the psychotic motorcycle cop whose slow seething turns into violent rage. Though by the film's conclusion he's reduced to parading around in a dog collar and leather undies -- best not to ask. The horror-film afficionado was actually more amusing than I remembered, especially when he was stoked to see one of those gore-soaked "instructional films" titled "Blood Runs Red on the Highway." I remember being shown such a PSA (similar to this one) in grade school in which a log carrier accidentally unloads its cargo at a high rate of speed through the windshield of an unsuspecting reckless driver. Yes, in grade school. Is it any wonder I turned out worshipping the works of gory effects masters such as Rob Bottin, Rick Baker and Stan WInston? New Memories: I admit to still getting a few chuckles from this film made on the fly (it was written in a month and shot and released within six). When a girl says, "My ride's here, it's my sister..." and a nun pulls up in a Chrystler is classic stuff and what's not funny about a lowly puppeteer being abused by the same kiddie audience he's trying to entertain?). And this scene is quite cute: [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=seaipqbRNpQ] It cannot be forgiven, though, that they cast the go-to guy for stiff-shirt comedy, Mr. Fred Willard, and fail to use him for his true potential. But what truly amazes me is that I ever found John Murray's performance to be notable for his wit or charm. And I am thankful that I did not follow my admiration of his role to more extreme lengths, as I am pretty sure I'd make a lousy landscaper.

Spout Group Post: Episode VIII: Silent Rage

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 19:51:52 GMT

Post Subject: Episode VIII: Silent Rage
Group Name: Natsukashi
Last Post By: usesoap
Post Date: 6/30/2008 3:51:52 PM
Body: Silent Rage (1982) Rated: RDirector: Michael MillerScreenplay: Joseph FraleyStarring: Chuck Norris as Sheriff Dan StevensSteven Furst as Deputy CharlieRon Silver as Dr. Tom HalmanToni Kalem as Allison Halem Tagline: “Science created him, Now Chuck Norris must destroy him.” By: Rupert Pupkin (as told to Rob Rector) Pre-screening memories: Before Braddock, before hawking gym equipment, before countless disfiguring facelifts, even before shilling for Mike Huckabee, Chuck Norris was in a Silent Rage! Hot off of seeing Good Guys Wear Black, a young Rupert Pupkin swore he was born to be a karate man. His aspirations may have superceded his ability, but that failed to stop his desire from trying. Take, for example, one particular day in grade school when young Rupert decided to test his abilities. He honed in on a pair of metal double doors that would be the inanimate recipient of his as-yet-untested high kick. In all his years, he knew these doors to be open and would swing wide under the pressure of his forceful foot. As his running start grew to an airborne leap, Rupert extended his legs to blow open these metal barriers and thus demonstrate to the school his agility and perhaps one day follow in the deadly footsteps of his cinematic hero. Sadly, the doors were locked shut, thus ending Rupert’s short-lived dream to be a six-time karate champion like his then idol. This did not stop him from spending time in the darkened theater with his matinee idol, though. And within months, he was back in the box office, relishing in another roundhouse romp in Silent Rage. But Rage was quite a different beast, he soon realized, and what he thought was to be a 90-minute class in ass kicking actually struck fear in his young heart, perhaps solidifying in his mind that the martial arts was not on the path of his future. What struck fear into the heart of this young lad, and how has it affected him today? You can download it here, as well.

Spout Group Post: Episode VII: Fire and Ice

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 19:47:24 GMT

Post Subject: Episode VII: Fire and Ice
Group Name: Natsukashi
Last Post By: usesoap
Post Date: 6/30/2008 3:47:24 PM
Body: Fire and Ice (1983) Rated: RDirector: Ralph BakshiScreenplay: Roy Thomas, Gerry ConwayCharacters: Frank Fazetta, Ralph BakshiTagline: “Heroic Fantasy Adventure!” By Gurn Blanston Pre-screening memories: The animated fantasy epic Fire and Ice was released in 1983 at a time when I had just finished my fifth or so read through of “The Lord of The Rings” and was starting to move on to other sword and sorcery type books. Eventually this would become a life-long love of sci-fi and fantasy literature. Sure, I had seen all the Star Wars movies, and was a diehard fan of Star Trek, but I was not an avid reader until after I graduated high school. God bless the public school system. Along with reading fantasy and science fiction, I had truly begun to appreciate the art that was paired directly with it through book covers and magazines. Of the artists involved in this genre, Frank Frazetta certainly stood out, from his painting on the first Molly Hatchet album cover, to his ability to portray the pure physicality of your average over muscled barbarian. His true talent, in my hormone-clouded estimation, was his lusciously curved, scantily clad damsels and Amazon warriors. Mmmmmmm….Art! I did not see this movie in theaters, but at home on our state-of-the-art “Home Box Office” system. State-of-the-art meant a foot-long brown plastic box connected to the TV by 20 feet of cord with 14 buttons on it to select channels. If you switched the selector switch down you were able to view another 14 channels (mostly static). I remember thinking: “What’s next, playing ping pong on my own TV?! Far out.” As an aspiring artist with severely limited talent, I was blown away by the animation in this movie, which used the process of rotoscoping, in which scenes were shot in live-action and then traced onto animation cells. I had seen this previously in “The Lord of The Rings” animated movies and thought that it was a great idea to help capture natural human movements realistically. The action was a bit sparse, but I liked the basic, easy-to-follow, good-and-evil plot. I watched it several times, one of the advantages of having the space-age Home Box technology at my sweaty fingertips, (I watched “Last Tango in Paris” 47 times; I still can’t look at a stick of butter with out getting the shakes.) and then promptly forgot about it completely for 20 years. Will a recent viewing of the film leave Gurn hot or cold?

Spout Group Post: Episode VI: Monster in the Closet

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 19:43:10 GMT

Post Subject: Episode VI: Monster in the Closet
Group Name: Natsukashi
Last Post By: usesoap
Post Date: 6/30/2008 3:43:10 PM
Body: Monster in the Closet (1987) Rated: PG Directed by: Bob Dahlin Starring Donald Grant: Richard Clark Denise Du Barry: Professor Diane Bennett Claude Akins: Sheriff Sam Ketchum Howard Duff: Father Finnegan Henry Gibson: Dr. Pennyworth Tagline: It’s Out! It’s Out! It’s Out! By Jason Plissken Past Memories: The last time I saw this movie, I was in 7th or 8th grade. Being somewhat of a geek, I always looked forward to watching monster movies on the weekends. There was a period of time during the late 80s that Channel 17(Philadelphia’s first-ever UHF station, WPHL) would show late night monster movies. (Ed. Note – This is where I, too, developed my love for monsters in rubber suits and such, since it aired many a Godzilla movie, as well as the series Ultraman and Johnny Sokko and His Flying Robot). I think the segment was called “Friday Night Frights” (hosted by Bill “Wee Willy” Webber). Saturday afternoons on Channel 48 often would play monster movie matinees during its Creature Double Feature as well. My favorite presentations were the seemingly endless stream of Godzilla movies with the model cities, toy tanks, and excrutiating dubbing. I watched Monster in the Closet on a Saturday afternoon. I believe my first encounter was on HBO (back when they were none-too-discerning what they showed during the afternoon). The movie actually freaked me out pretty bad, and had a lasting impact on my psyche. I thought the monster suit was pretty creepy looking… at least creepy enough for a 12 year old. The death scenes also seemed pretty gruesome to me as well, from what I recall. Most of the titular monster’s victims were grabbed unsuspectingly and yanked or dragged into a child’s most feared corner of his or her bedroom. It was there they would meet an agonizing death, filled with screams of terror from the victims and elation from the beast. I can also recall its Alien-like mouth that protruded out of its primary gaping mouth when it was ready to attack. One particular scene involved a seeing-eye dog being hung (by its guide-grip) on the inside of the closet door when the creature was through with it. The scene disturbed me then, and the thought actually still does today.The film, for whatever reason, stayed with me years afterward. I can remember that, for years afterwards, I always had to have my closet door closed before going to bed. By the time I was senior in high school, I was finally able to let go of this closet door phobia. Is Jason now twitch-free when he slides open that door to retrieve his Oxford shirts or shoebox full of Star Wars trading cards? You can download the episode right here.

Spout Group Post: Episode V: Jaws

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 19:38:11 GMT

Post Subject: Episode V: Jaws
Group Name: Natsukashi
Last Post By: usesoap
Post Date: 6/30/2008 3:38:11 PM
Body: Film: JawsRated: PGDirected by: Steven Spielberg Starring: Roy Scheider: Sheriff Brody Richard Dreyfuss: Hooper Robert Shaw: Quint Tagline: Don’t go in the water By: Efferdent Johnson Past memories: In 1975, I was doing my best to propagate the best hair helmet any pre-teen had ever hoped to wear. My interests were few and my fears were many. Some of which were brought to the surface by a frightening grey machine with a zillion teeth and a thirst for blood. By my tenth year of life, the most frightening movie experiences were the ever-so-scary villains of Disney. I can remember sinking in my seat during Willy Wonka’s boat ride, or almost all of Chitty Chitty Bang AHHHHHHHHH!!! Jaws would never affect me… or so I thought. The chances of me seeing the movie were less than my chances for a Senate seat. My mom would make sure that her young sons would not be turned to evil, sexually confused or exposed to the violence of the cinema. The following summer Rocky came to town and my brothers and I were not permitted to go. “It is way too bloody and violent. No. I will not tell you again.” I can remember hearing that daily for two weeks. Mom, though, couldn’t censor every facet of a 10-year-old’s life. The commercials started and it led to a frenzy of attention in our tiny land-locked community in southern Colorado. Every conversation both of adults and kids seemed to begin and end with some reference to a man-eating shark. On the play ground while sneaking up on the girls, my friends and I would be revealed by our own musical accompaniment, “Dunt Dunt, Dunt Dunt”. After the movie played in town and moved on to the drive-in theater, the book appeared on every shelf not already packed with Rockem Sockem Robots, Hardy Boys lunch boxes or Billy Beer. I even remember the local sporting goods store with a Jaws display in the window next to the fishing tackle and baseball cleats. Never seeing the movie juiced every waterborne fear a 10 year old could have. As an avid swimmer on the swim team, my paranoia was limitless. If a teammate was to scrape at my toes while swimming laps, the chance of something other than urine coming from my Speedo was possible. I guess Spielberg my have been responsible for some of my best times. I am sure the first time I saw the movie was on network TV probably five years later. Robert Shaw has always been the salty fisherman in my mind while reading books about the sea. I can imagine him now as Hemingway’s old man or Melville’s whale-obsessed, one-legged captain. Ah, what a glorious time before Stakeout, Another Stakeout or a terrible Poseidon remake when Richard Dreyfuss was cool. Or to see Roy Scheider ( R.I.P) as something more than a douche bag flying a fictitious helicopter. Ultimately, the movie didn’t live up to the expectations of my 10-year-old imagination. It was years later while in high school after watching the horrible sequels that I realized why the original had transfixed my tiny hometown. People from every walk of life could relate in some way to a story that was chock full of the human experience. Man vs Man, Man vs Beast, small town politics and obsession that ultimately leads to a bad and bloody end or just having the crap scared out of you, take your pick. If nothing else my friends and I had so much fun replaying the Saturday Night Live skit “Land Shark” that to this day the mention of it will bring us all too contagious belly laughter. And what did Eff think about his most recent screening of a film he had not seen in more than a decade? Or to download: Here’s Episode V:Jaws.

Spout Group Post: Episode IV: Excalibur

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 19:32:54 GMT

Post Subject: Episode IV: Excalibur
Group Name: Natsukashi
Last Post By: usesoap
Post Date: 6/30/2008 3:32:54 PM
Body: Excalibur (1981) Rated PG/R Director: John BoormanWritten by: Thomas Malory (book), Rospo Pallenberg (screenplay) StarringNigel Terry: King ArthurHelen Mirren: MorganaNicol Williamson: Merlin Tagline: No mortal could possess it! No kingdom could command it! By Gurn Blanston Past Memories: When this film was released in 1981 I was still one year away from a driver’s license. Which meant that any movie I saw had to be with my parents, or I had to arrange my own ride and money. Since they had no interest, and I had no ride or funding, I had to wait until 1982, when I had a license and the movie was playing at the local dollar theater, to see it.I went with several like minded friends, by like minded I mean bored and cheap, and we all pressed into the tiny theater with butter saturated bags of popcorn and Bacardi Rum laden soft drinks, (just because we were a bunch of Asteroid playing, Star Trek quoting geeks doesn’t mean we didn’t know how to party,. …which we didn’t) to watch the show. What I remember most was the stylized portrayal of the knights and ladies, the grand matte painted castles, very flashy and clean, and how everyone seemed so polished and energetic. Forget the story, this film looked cool! The scene where the Lady of the Lake (or the moistened bim if you’re a Python fan) was stunning, and the sword itself made my hands itch to wield it, even though my massive 120 pound frame probably could not have lifted it. At the time we all assumed that this was historically accurate and that we had been educated as well as entertained. It’s not that we were stupid, just slightly tipsy. We ran around the parking lot afterwards engaging in pretend, mostly non-homosexual, sword fights and jousts. The strength of Max von Sydow as Merlin, the allure of Genevieve Bujold as Guinevere, the pageantry and the spectacle all combined to make this the standard, in my mind, for all medieval era films I was to see for the next decade. Unfortunately, I now know that neither of these actors were actually in the film, and that it was also the first film for both Gabriel Byrne and Liam Neeson, neither of whom I remember being in it at all. Bacardi marred memories be damned, Mr. Von Sydow, you will always be Merlin to me. New Memories? Download: Episode IV: Excalibur.

Spout Group Post: Episode III: Legend

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 19:28:10 GMT

Post Subject: Episode III: Legend
Group Name: Natsukashi
Last Post By: usesoap
Post Date: 6/30/2008 3:28:10 PM
Body: LegendRated: PGDir: Ridley Scott Starring:Tom Cruise as JackMia Sara as Princess LilyTim Curry as the Lord of Darkness By Rob Rector Past Memories: In my hometown, there was a gaming store much similar to the “Android’s Dungeon” in The Simpsons. And while there were no morbidly obese employees, they were still woefully hopeless and socially palsied. But they were the gatekeepers for us – ‘us’ being my fellow Dungeons & Dragons-playing geeks, who would walk from our houses when the promise of a new edition of “Dungeon’ magazine would hit the shelves, or the latest 12-sided dice were unveiled to a chorus of breathy gasps. For children of the 80s, there was no ‘World of Warcraft’ in which our medieval-fueled fantasies could be embodied by walking-talking computer-rendered likenesses. It was left to imagination and free time – both of which were in overstock to a suburban, middle-class kid. Perhaps this is why ‘Legend’ had such resonance at the time. Starring an up-and-coming young heartthrob who blasted onto the scene in his tighty-whiteys a couple years earlier in ‘Risky Business,’ and envisioned by the prolific director of ‘Alien,” and ‘Blade Runner,’ ‘Legend’ was like a dog whistle to all of nerd-dom. “Legend’ added breadth to our imaginary underworlds of magicians and monsters, and sprinkled it with lots and lots of glitter (quite literally). When we spoke of trolls, we could now use the images of Blix, Brown Tom and Screwball as reference points, and when evil lords were mentioned, we needed look no further than Tim Curry’s embodiment of the Lord of Darkness. And perhaps one of the most memorable aspects of the film for me was its soundtrack. A score from Tangerine Dream, purveyors of 80s moody, synthesized soundtracks (Risky Business, Thief, The Keep), and a rockin’ closing track from Brian Ferry (Is Your Love Strong Enough?) and John Anderson’s “Loved by the Sun.” The music cemented this film into my memory. At times, I would enter the film in the middle just in anticipation of its closing credits. Does the film withstand the passage of time? Fantasy films, which typically have a much shorter shelf-life due to the ever-evolving world of special effects (CGI, green screen), are typically the quickest to disappoint…

Spout Group Post: Episode II: ‘Streets of Fire’

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 19:09:52 GMT

Post Subject: Episode II: ‘Streets of Fire’
Group Name: Natsukashi
Last Post By: usesoap
Post Date: 6/30/2008 3:09:52 PM
Body: Download Episode II:Streets of Fire By: Rob Rector Streets of Fire (PG) – 1984Directed by: Walter HillStarring: Michael Pare as Tom CodyDiane Lane as Ellen AimRick Moranis as Billy FishAmy Madigan as McCoyWillem Dafoe as Raven Shaddock Tagline: “A Rock & Roll Fable” Personal Pre-screening Recollections: Tonight it what it means to be young indeed! There are some films that come along at just the right time in your life and consume your thoughts, affect your decisions (“What would Indiana Jones do if his mom asked him to clean his room?”) and make you want to be that person on the screen. Tom Cody was one of those people for me. Street of Fire affected me on several levels: Musically : Granted, the film’s most popular tracks are rather weak, resembling some overly embellished piece of pomposity that even Meat Loaf would have snickered at. Soundtrack aside, it was the film’s score that really got to me. I felt hip among my elders to proclaim my passion for blues-guitar virtuoso Ry Cooder (who scored many a Walter Hill film). Visually: The rainy streets, the violent neon. It was all so Blade-Runner-esque to me. And because Harrison Ford was a childhood idol, anything remotely resembling his films was of automatic interest. Narratively: I know I’ll get crap for this, for the plot could be written on the back of a cocktail napkin, but each scene was stages like it could comfortably fit in a comic-book panel, which it seemed as though it was trying to emulate. Perversely: In the first half hour, I could get my steady diet of cuss words, booze-swigging, chain-smoking heroes, and get flashed of nippledge from a rather homely stripper (but let’s face it, when you are in those formative years, that nipple could be placed on a woman’s earlobe and still elicit interest). And all of this was safely under the just-about-to-be-changed PG rating, which meant no parental supervision! Critically: I can remember using one of my spiral notebooks purchased for school (which, of course, was typically blank inside) and beginning my career of a film reviewer. It was the kind of booklet that had the little colored tabs on the side, which I used to alphabetize the volumes of films I was devouring at that age. Streets of Fire got four stars (the highest). I really wish I held on to that little book. *silent weep* Physically: Thank you, Diane Lane for that wonderful trifecta of “The Outsiders,” “Rumble Fish” and “Streets of Fire” for jump-starting my puberty. Emotionally: I recall being crushed upon learning that “I Could Dream About You” was sung by a white guy Dan Hartman). Yet I still continued a slavish devotion to all actors in the film, including Stoney Jackson, who only pretended to sing the song. I remember watching him all his Jheri-curled glory in the “Miami Vice” ripoff “The Insiders “(featuring a Phil Collins-led Genesis theme “Just a Job to Do”), where he played a reporter teamed up with a honky to solve crimes. Right around the same time as Flip Wilson’s Cosby Knock-off “Charlie & Company” Cinematically: Walter Hill was a cinematic god to me, between this, 48 Hrs, Brewster’s Millions, Extreme Prejudice and Trespass (not to mention that The Warriors was on constant rotation on HBO back then), he defined machismo (even though I failed to emulate it in real life). Heroically: I was convinced between this and Eddie and the Cruisers, Michael Pare was destined to become a star. Only now do I realize that those two films would be the apex of his ability. I followed every player in his/her next project, from the aforementioned Stoney Jackson (perhaps the coolest name ever!) to Moranis to Dafoe. Viewing the film today It came as no surprise that this film held up as well as it did, partially because it was set in an ageless alternative universe, filled with ersatz 50s-era style, retrofitted with 80s sensibilities. Pare stars as Tom Cody, a delinquent who is summoned back to his home town by his sister played by Deborah Van Valkenberg of “Too Close for Comfort” — Ted Knight, rest in peace) after his former flame Ellen Aim (played by Diane Lane) is abducted onstage by a gang of bikers. Ellen is currently shacking up with her nebbish promoter Billy Fish (played by Rick Moranis), and together they team with McCoy (played by Amy Madigan) a drifter/former soldier to rescue the chantreuse back from the clutches of Raven Shaddock (played by Willem Dafoe). That’s it. Honestly. The film’s plot is as economical as its 90-minute runtime. But its brevity allows viewers to focus on the many other aspects of the film – from the host of supporting actors (hey, there’s Bill Paxton, testing out his portrayal of Chet from Weird Science a year in advance; poor Robert Townsend,relegated to a non-speaking role. So this is what led him to Hollywood Shuffle; Ed Beagley Jr.? Is that you?) to the steamy, rain-slicked set design. As I watched, I was still amazed at how much they were able to slip into this PG-rated picture – drinking, swearing, smoking, non-stop violence and gunplay and even the aforementioned boob shot from a Sandra Bernhard lookalike stripper at the Torchy’s nightclub. The cinematography is really what keeps this film from aging. Even the film’s puddles are vibrant, shimmering with the neon-soaked streetscapes (a la Blade Runner). It certainly isn’t the pulpy dialogue, which seems straight out of a cut-rate Dashiell Hammett or Mickey Spillaine novel (Sin City owes a helluva lot to this film.) The film is a textbook definition of “style over substance,” but when a film oozes this much style, it’s easily forgiven. New Memories I don’t care if he looks like a pissed off Gorton’s fisherman in his rubber clamming trousers, Dafoe still can summon legions of hell with his scream. He creates some of the film’s most iconic scenes with just a stare. I noticed, too, that the score is so much better than the soundtrack which was the most popular thing about the movie after its release (made for $14 million, the film only grossed $5 million at the box office). I wish legendary guitarist Ry Cooder would make more films solely for the opportunity to say the words “Ry Cooder.” The acting ranged from wooden to spasmodic, but little in between. Pare was perfect in the roles of stoic bohunk, required to be little more than a 3-D cartoon. How badass is Tom Cody, you say? So badass that in the first scenes in which he appears he’s antagonized by a butterfly knife-wielding gang, he slaps the leader silly, takes the knife, closes it and hands it back to him, telling him to “Try again.” Every character possesses that hyperbolic sense of self. For example, Moranis is not just a nerd – complete with a wardrobe so mismatched, sparks fly when they come into contact with one another – he’s a nerd with a smart mouth, a yellow streak and a look that is just shy of a “Hit Here” tattoo on his forehead. But that was the picture’s whole wonderfully deranged plot. I still consider myself a devotee and fervent supporter of this film, even now that I view films with a much more critical eye. It’s whisp of story and vacancies in dramatic deliveries are far eclipsed by the sheer visceral candyland in which it places it’s audience. Sure, Streets of Fire wears some of its 80s heart on its sleeve, but it’s just loopy enough and short enough to remember “what it meant to be young.”

Spout Group Post: Mad Lib #3: Ominous

Wed, 04 Jun 2008 16:36:34 GMT

Post Subject: Mad Lib #3: Ominous
Group Name: Movie Games
Last Post By: csprague
Post Date: 6/4/2008 12:36:34 PM
Body: Ok, I came up with a Mad Lib. I can't believe how much time I spent on it. It's pretty long, but I know we can do it. I'm quite excited to see what happens. Please only answer one at a time. And please answer them in order. It just makes it easier to keep track of. 1. Object plural2. A specific monetary ammount3. A commodity4. A phenomenon5. A location6. Body part7. Verb8. Verb9. Object10. Noun11. Verb12. Noun13. Verb14. A moment in time15. Another moment in time16. Verb17. Daily Activity18. A specific time19. Large object20. A relationship between two people21. Something two people the relationship in #20 could do together22. Location23. Noun24. A period of time25. Verb26. Verb27. Noun28. Body part29. Adjective30. Adjective31. Noun32. A date33. A period of time34. Body part35. Noun36. Something that you can put something else into37. Adjective

Spout Group Post: More than one trilogy

Mon, 19 May 2008 20:54:13 GMT

Post Subject: More than one trilogy
Group Name: Movie Games
Last Post By: leeroy711
Post Date: 5/19/2008 4:54:13 PM
Body: How many actors can you name that have been in more than one film series trilogy (or greater)? I'll give the first and most obvious one: Harrison Ford was in The Star Wars trilogy and Indiana Jones film series, now consisting of 4 films.