NewEnglandGothic

I think The Creature has the best chance of finding an audience if updated. I'm kind of sentimental for both Frankenstein and Creature, because I had their action figures that were bought at Toys 'R Us in 1980. ...and I never played with them.

My DVD of the Lon Chaney's Phantom of the Opera finally arrived. It's a remaster of the 35mm print, so I'm pretty excited to check out one of Universal's first monster movies. I've watched a few scenes and wow, just wow for a movie nearing a 100 years old.

That's my big issue with the early Hitchcock movies stateside. Most of those 20 Hitchcock movie sets they sell are absolute garbage if it's not from its original source. I'm hoping Criterion does Blackmail soon. But you're right. There's no money in it. At least a lot of the Sherlock Holmes have been done from 35 mm sources now. I'll probably start picking away on those soon.

Hollywood had this problem in the early 60's with the popularity of televisions, making folks stay home more. But, they adapted with things like making the screens bigger (2:40 aspect ratio - thank you 20th Century Fox.) I'm sure they'll be something more innovative down the line than 3-D. Hopefully, better writing for the bigger blockbusters.

This is why this one was so familiar to me. You had mentioned it here. Went back to Barnes & Nobles today, to buy more Criterions on sale and saw this title was sold out. Must be in demand. Saving mine for a rainy day.

With me, it's all about the quality of the movies. Recently, I've been revisiting that killer sy/fy arc from the 80's Star Trek II-IV. You would almost consider that Paramount's answer to Star War's continuity after "The Motion Picture" faltered. Do I consider Star Trek II equal to Empire Strikes Back? No, but it's pretty pretty damn good, compared to Episodes 1-3, Star Trek V and TNG movies. Star Wars was a space western with deep roots in mythology and the Star Trek movies eventually became an aging Horatio Hornblower in space. Two different ways to get sy/fy entertainment. I'll take both when the filmmaking is done well, the way I do with Marvel Studios and DC movies now and bring the "Snyder scorn" (page #1) when deserved.

Whoops! I meant Kathleen Beller.

The Sword and the Sorcerer. One of my first VHS rentals. Katherine Beller.

I would have never sat through the first hour of Spider-Man: Homecoming, if I saw it in a theater. Watching it at home, I can work with it's dull spots by taking breaks from it now and then, for a better moviegoer experience. The result, even though it wasn't for me, I didn't hate it.

Just finished it. It was ok, maybe good. It just had really some drag-azz parts, that really bogged it down in worn-out high school clichés. Felt like the thing finally got going during the last hour. Holland was good, like a manic Elijah Wood and Keaton was pitch perfect. There was really no danger in it because the CG effects look so fake and the heightened reality, makes it feel like the characters are too bulletproof to have any suspenseful anxiety to worry about. For all the firepower and explosions, it felt like no one was in any real jeopardy, to require assistance from a superhero. Plus, I hated how the actor played the Ned character. Despite people's reactions to Zendaya, I enjoyed her subtle rebel performance. And the movie had moments, here and there. Too bad, RDJ and Marvel Studios's "established" and somewhat suffocating mythology tended to overshadow them. Like Antman, it's a decent watch. But, I figure I'll forget about this movie in a week or two. Hopefully, They won't clutter it up with everything but the kitchen sink next time.

Tim Burton's Corpse Bride is an underrated one as well.

Going to start it sometime early next week. Just didn't have a lot of time this week.

The Nightmare Before Christmas is a annual favorite this time of the year. Awesome soundtrack too!

Bought my copy tonight. It was a charmingly retro box, I can tell you that. I literally never thought I would see myself buying a vhs-like movie in shrink-wrap ever again. All the box defects I used to look out for came right back to me.

I was stunned to hear samples of Morricone's cues in The Hateful Eight when I first watched it.

I've been wanting to check out the remastered Phantasm, that's been out. I've only seen part II, and I've heard it's not quite the same (lead actor and lack of dream sequences.)

Guilty as charged.

I was thinking about what happened to that Independence Day sequel last year, when I drove by the Milford Drive-In yesterday. I remember twenty years ago, squeezing my Ford Escort in that crowded parking lot with my date (Collette?) and how there was a line going up the street for the next day's showing and so forth for weeks after. For my rural area, that was probably the peak of sy-fy in the 90's before Avatar. I just feel people aren't connecting with the genre anymore because they aren't making parables that reflect our culture. Just a lot pointless Michael Bay explosions, slo-mo leaps and easily loopable dialogue for the foreign markets. I do admit I'm fairly excited when a well-received funnybook movie arrives on Blu Ray/DVD. This Tuesday has one I believe.

Here's an article I read Friday about a genre that seems to be on it's "last leg." http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/friday-13th-is-slasher-movie-dying-1048355 I'm a bit pickier about what I watch now for superhero movies, but if I consider Logan and Wonder Woman a couple of the best 2017 has offered so far, I'm not too fatigued. I liked Guardians 2 as well. So, I might not be too excited about Justice League (a better recent trailer, but I pretty much set my mind on my expectations,) but Thor looks like a helluva good time. Yeah, sy-fy has really not been as relevant as it used to be. They had slimey things and flying saucers, yet were about something else entirely.

Just finished A24's "A Ghost Story." Definitely a thought provoking journey. It's a movie about loss and mourning, as well as waiting and observing. As well as I had originally thought, man questioning his own place in the Universe in the vast scheme of things. It definitely continues A24's string of distributing fascinating movies, Ex-Machina, Room, The Witch, Green Room, It Comes at Night. Heck even their more slick productions are good: The Bling Ring, The Spectacular Now and The Captive. I'm not going to lie, this isn't for everyone, because of it's tone it establishes. It reminds me a lot of A24's other movie that left it's audience at a loss, Under The Skin. It doesn't make me some kind of intellectual because I get what it's trying to say in some of it's long and quick takes. I think you just have to be in a similar mood as the story unfolds in front of you. Can't wait to watch it again with the commentary on. ***1/2 out of four stars.

Those were the major ones to my immediate memory. I should be walloped for forgetting First Blood, Conan and Tootsie, aside from Tron, Ghandi, Star Trek II and Poltergeist . I kept thinking Porky's came out in 1981, like The Road Warrior. This time of the year, I'm sure some folks still watch Friday The 13th Part 3 and to even lesser-lesser extent, Halloween III: The Season of the Witch. My only point was, imho, Blade Runner and The Thing, made no money, yet I consider them classics anyway and are still watched frequently by myself and most likely other more than the bigger money makers of the time. #mylovedontcostathing #silvershamrock

I stand corrected. How could I forget about First Blood, Conan and Tootsie. Good year!

It all boils down to that in the long run really. How many of 1982's movies can you admit you still watch that made money. E.T., Cat People, Star Trek II, Poltergeist, 48 HRS. or Rocky III (I never watched it)? Really drawing a blank on that year. Take The Thing and Blade Runner, box-office bombs that can be watched multiple times through the decades because of their timeless filmmaking.

Watched Pet Sematary Two yesterday. Not a terrible one, just a bit campy at times. Ordered Silver Bullet yesterday.

Absolutely dying to show you my Halloween news article, I wrote for this year. Think Stephen King meets Sleepy Hollow. Not sure who is going to publish it until Tuesday, as I submitted it too late at about 3pm yesterday. But all the proofreaders think it's a very clever news piece. The buzz is amazing. It'll make you want to visit the NH site for Halloween. I even have a follow-up scheduled for April! #vintagenewenglandgothic