Halloween Options Part 2

For this post, I am only goning to talk about 2 films, but they are both reviled as being "awful films" but my first experience with each of them are truly memorable.

Blair Witch Project- I dont remember the exact circumstances, but my friend Eric and I, who were both married, had a bachelor weekend. I think my wife was on a trip with her sisters and his wife was at a Girls Camp or something. Anyway, it was the weekend that The Blair Witch Project was going to come out. For the initial roll out, it was only playing at one theater in our area, The Tower. We decided to catch the first showing at Midnight, so we went early to get tickets.
It was sold out.
But, the ticket seller asked, would we like to get tickets for the 2 am showing they were going to have since it ws selling so well.
We thought , sure, so we bought the tickets.
I will be honest, I dont remember what we did that evening. I dont remember if we each went home and took a nap, knowing that we would be up very late, or if we hung out and ate and chatted and watched something else on video. I dont know.
I just know that when we showed up at the Tower at about 1 am, there was already a line for the 2am showing. Most of the audience was dressed in black and most of them were females. Redheaded females (or maroon as Eric remembers it. Probably, truth be told, mostly fake redheads which leads to the maroon color.) . I still to this day do not understand why all the black clad red headed female witches showed up to the showing that night, but there they were.
The Tower was undergoing some renovation and there were folding chairs along with the regular chairs. I think we got a folding chair, but I may be mistaken on that memory. All that I know is that when the lights went down, the audience was with the film. Maybe it was the sleep dep, maybe it was the weird feeling of the redhead witch vibe, all I know is that I was on the ride with the film and the last shot is still more bone chilling than anything in any of the Friday the 13th films.
We got out of the film about 3:45 am. Since neither of us could sleep, we both went straight to work. Since we were both pretty much the only ones there at that early hour in our own respective workplaces, we both jumped at every light flicker, slight sound or anything. On my end, it was a very bad day to be making room on the New Release Wall at Blockbuster at 4 am.
While the sequel was nowhere near as good, it is a very interesting time capsule. The star is Jeffrey Donovan, who would later go on to be the star of the TV show 'Burn Notice'.


Paranormal Activity- This came out in October 2009. I kept wanting to see it but never got around to it. I bought a used dvd copy and carried it with me a lot along with my computer so that, if I ever got to it, I could watch it. I started it 4 or 5 times, but seriously only got in 3 or so minutes each time because I kept getting interruped.
When my dad got sick in Spring 2010. It was one of the films that I had with me along with my computer. I had, maybe 10 films with me. My dad died June 12, 2010. After he died, I had insomnia and could not sleep. At all. I have always been a night owl and generally, if I dont have to be up early the next day, I stay up until at least 1 every morning, maybe 2.
So, I was in Southern Utah, Hurricane, to be with my mom after my dad died. My wife was with me for a lot of it, but bounced back and forth to take care of various things in Salt Lake and to give my mom and I some space to take care of the paperwork involving the death of a father and a husband.
Because of my night owl-ness, I would not realize that it was going to be an insomnia night until 3 or so in the morning. With my wife not there to gauge me on this particular night, I knew that there was no way I was going to sleep until at least 6 am or so. So, I went to my stack of movies to watch.
The only one I had not seen was Paranormal Activity.
There is a reason that the small town is called Hurricane. There is a very heavy wind that rips through the town most nights and it was roaring that night.
I plugged in my laptop, laid down in bed and placed the computer on my chest.I put headphones in, and settled in to watch the film.

Watching Paranormal Activity for the first time about a week after your father dies, with actual wind howling outside, at 3 am on a laptop computer screen inches from your face with headphones pumping the sounds directly into your brain is the best (worst? creepiest?) way to watch this film. It freaked me out and had me looking over my shoulder the next 24 hours.

Halloween Options Part 1

Over the next week and a half, I am going to list, in no particular order, a bunch of Halloween-type movies and a little blurb about each one and why I am listing it. Some of them are just memorable because of how I saw them, some are my all-time favorites, some are unforgettable ( to me) for a scene or two- there is going to be no rhyme or reason, just a list and anectdotes and hopefully those who read it will find something that interests them

The Conjuring- It came out this summer and is released on DVD and BluRay on october 22, 2013. The makers felt that the script was PG-13, they felt they filmed a PG-13 film, they edited it into a PG-13 film, but, when given over to the MPAA to rate it, it was rated R. As is normal, they went to the MPAA and asked what they could cut from it to make it PG-13 and the MPAA reportedly said, "Nothing. It is just too damn scary." The Conjuring is definitely intense and it does it solely through the creation of dread. The film is very well acted with 2 amazing female lead performances from Vera Farmiga and Lili Taylor.

Insidious- While this is rated PG-13, it is made by the same team that made Conjuring. I saw this only because I went to the theater to see a movie and the one that I wanted to see was sold out. This was the only film that had not yet started, so I went. As the end credits rolled, the sold out crowd and I just sat there for a minute not sure of what we had just seen.

Slither- a very good horror comedy starring Nathan Fillion (Castle) and Elizabeth banks. An alien slug crash lands near a small town and starts taking over the population slowly leaving the Sherrif and just a few townspeople able to fight back. Also features Jenna Fischer (The Office) in a small role.

The Mist- As one of my friends put it, "the most "soul sucking" ending ever put on film. This is based on a Stephen King short story about creatures that come out of a strange mist to kill residents of a small town.

Last Exorcism- Ashley Bell was hired to play Nell, the girl who is possessed, and who is set to be the "last exorcism" of a priest who is filming how he does an exorcism to expose that it is all a scam, is the reason to see this film. Although Patrick Fabian is great as the priest, Bell does most of her own contortions which makes it escpecially freaky when she counts to 10. If you've seen it, you know what I'm talking about.

What Lies beneath- Harrison Ford and Michelle Pfeiffer play a marriwed couple who start having strange things happen to them by a ghost who may or may not be an ex-student of Ford's. Twists and turns abound. I saw this with my wife and another couple in the theater. As it was over, our wives started saying how stupid it was and my friend and I mocked them because we had seen them scrunching further and further into their seats as the film progressed. Also- written by Clark Gregg!!!! (Agent Coulson from the Avengers)

Current Coming Soon to Video List- 10/ 15

Here is the updated list for all the movies announced to be coming to video by the end of the year. A couple more may sneak into the lineup (there is a rumor going that Warner may sneak Gravity into the marketplace for sale before Christmas) but, for the most part, this is complete. At least it is as of the time I am popsting this.

COMING SOON


OCTOBER 22

AS COOL AS I AM
BEFORE MIDNIGHT
CONJURING
DEAD IN TOMBSTONE
HAPPY ENDINGS SSN 3
I GIVE IT A YEAR
INTERNSHIP
JUST LIKE A WOMAN
NIKITA SSN 3
ONLY GOD FORGIVES
WAITING ROOM
WAY, WAY BACK

OCTOBER 29

BYZANTIUM
DON’T TRUST THE BITCH IN APT 23 COMPLETE SERIES
FAMILY TREE SSN 1
GATCHAMAN COMPLETE SERIES
MONSTERS UNIVERSITY
RIPD


NOVEMBER 5


AS I LAY DYING
ATTACK
BROKEN
CLEAR HISTORY
DEXTER SSN 8
FITZGERALD FAMILY CHRISTMAS
GIRL MOST LIKELY
GROWN UPS 2
HOBBIT EXTENDED EDITION
LAW & ORDER SSN 13
LOVELACE
MAD MEN SSN 6
MAGIC CITY SSN 2
PARKLAND
PASSION
RIGHT STUFF BLU
SCROOGED SE BLU
SYRUP
TWILIGHT COMPLETE SAGA
UNDER THE DOME SSN 1
WHITE HOUSE DOWN

NOVEMBER 12

AMBUSHED
AND WHILE WE WERE HERE
THE ATTACK
BLACKFISH
BURNING LOVE SSN 1
DEALIN WITH IDIOTS
FRANCES HA
I DECLARE WAR
IP MAN- FINAL FIGHT
MAN OF STEEL
PARADISE
PRINCE AVALANCHE
TURBO

NOVEMBER 19

2 GUNS
ACT OF KILLING
ALL IS BRIGHT
BREAKING THE GIRLS
C.O.G.
CRYSTAL FAIRY
DREW- THE MAN BEHIND THE POSTER
EVE OF DESTRUCTION BLU
HANNAH ARENDT
PARANOIA
PARAPLUIES DE CHERBOURG BLU
PLANES
THERESE DESQUEYROUX
TO-DO LIST
TOUS LES MATINS DU MONDE BLU
TREME SSN 3
VIOLET AND DAISY
WE’RE THE MILLERS
THE WORLD’S END

NOVEMBER 26

BREAKING BAD SSN 7
CANYONS
GETAWAY
GRANDMASTER
JOBS
RED 2


DECEMBER 3

ALL THE BOYS LOVE MANDY LANE
ANCHORMAN SE BLU
ARGO- EXTENDED EDITION
DRINKING BUDDIES
GOOD OL’ FREDA
HOT IN CLEVELAND SSN 4
MORTAL INSTRUMENTS- CITY OF BONES
NASHVILLE CRITERION SE
SIMPSONS SSN 16
SMURFS 2
WOLVERINE

DECEMBER 10

ADORE
BATTLE OF THE YEAR
BERBERIAN SOUND STUDIO
BIG 25TH ANNIVERSARY BLU
DESPICABLE ME 2
FAST & THE FURIOUS 6
FUTURAMA VOL 8
HUNT
JAYNE MANSFIELD’S CAR
MUPPETS- GREAT MUPPET CAPER & TREASURE ISLAND BLU
SEASONING HOUSE
SIGHTSEERS
SOME GIRL
TOUCHY FEELY
ULTIMATE LIFE
ZOMBIE NIGHT

DECEMBER 17

AIN’T THEM BODIES SAINTS
BURN NOTICE SSN 7
CONTEST
DEVIL’S PASS
ELYSIUM
FORCE OF EXECUTION
KICK ASS 2
LONE RANGER
ONE DIRECTION- THIS IS US
PERCY JACKSON- SEA OF MONSTERS
PSYCH- THE MUSICAL
RIDDICK
SHAMELESS SSN 3

DECEMBER 24

MORE THAN HONEY


DECEMBER 31

ADORE
CALIFORNICATION SSN 6
CBGB
HELL BABY
HOUSE OF LIES SSN 2
INAPPROPRIATE COMEDY
SANITARIUM
SWEETWATER


JANUARY 7

FOLLOWING SSN 1
TEQUILA SUNRISE BLU

JANUARY 14

BLUE CAPRICE
IM IN LOVE WITH A CHURCH GIRL
OUR NIXON
SHORT TERM 12
SINGLE SHOT

JANUARY 21

BAD MILO
CAT PEOPLE- SE

JANUARY 28

AFTERNOON DELIGHT

FEBRUARY 4

MILLION DOLLAR BABY 10TH ANNIVERSARY
STOP LOSS BLU

FEBRUARY 11

ON THE JOB

FEBRUARY 18

FEBRUARY 25

BULLET

APRIL 14

SORCERER BLU

Update

It has been almost 3 months since I updated thios blog, so I figured it was time to give everyone an update. I am going to get back to regular updates but I knew that I had to just "word vomit" first so that I could clear my head for the next real post.

In theatrical films, I have seen 80 films that have been released to theaters in 2013. Of these, 87 have been in the theater.

I continue to record a semi-regular podcast (hopefully life will calm a tad so it can be much more regular) with my friend/ cousin Thom Bowers at the Geek Agenda where we dicuss mainly films when I am on the show (since that is obviously my forte) but also random facts and figures and other geekiness (such as the TV show Marvel's Agents of SHIELD on the last podcast recorded last night- episode 101 which should be up very soon). Go to www.thegeekagenda.com to listen to the archives.

I am writing an author bio, a book synopsis, and a career CV so that we can start looking for agents for my book.

My mom had emergency surgery at the end of September. She went to the hospital by ambulance 3 hours after I pulled out of her driveway after visiting her for the weekend. That was a weird phone call to receive. She did well but needed help when she first got out of the hospital so Aleisha and I took a 6 day break to head down and help out. I spoke with her 2 nights ago and she is continuing to get stronger and healthier, although she still has a way to go before she gets back into "fighting" shape.


Since I posted the box office for the first half of the summer, let's finish that nagging bit of info, huh?For the box office grosees for the summer of 2013- here is the final tally- from smallest to biggest. These are the numbers ending September 5th, 2013. In order to be counted in this list, it had to make at least 1 million dollars:

1. In a World- 1.31
2. Im So Excited- 1.31
3. Girl Most Likely- 1.38
4. Attack-1.58
5. Stories We Tell- 1.59
6. Love is All You Need- 1.61
7. Unfinished Song- 1.63
8. Fill the Void- 1.75
9. Blackfish- 1.85
10. Grandmasters- 3.38
11. Closed Circuit- 3.63
12. Spectacular Now- 3.82
13. Frances Ha- 4.05
14. Much Ado- 4.27
15. 20 Feet From Stardom- 4.41
16. Getaway- 5.61
17. Bling Ring- 5.83
18. Paranoia-7.09
19. Before Midnight- 8.02
20. Instructions Not Included- 10.38
21. You’re Next- 14.41
22. Jobs- 14.81
23. Fruitvale Station- 15.59
24. One Direction- This is Us- 18.47
25. World’s End- 18.32
26. Way Way Back- 19.81
27. Mud- 21.59
28. Blue Jasmine- 21.78
29. Mortal Instruments- 24.52
30. Kick Ass 2- 27.00
31. Kevin Hart: Let Me Explain- 32.24
32. RIPD- 33.08
33. Internship- 44.65
34. Red 2- 52.21
35. Percy Jackson- 56.73
36. After earth- 60.52
37. Purge- 64.45
38. Smurfs 2- 66.99
39. 2 Guns- 70.10
40. White House Down- 72.83
41. Planes- 73.97
42. Butler- 79.47
43. Turbo- 80.09
44. Elysium- 80.52
45. Lone Ranger- 88.56
46. This is the End- 96.92
47. Pacific Rim- 100.37
48. Epic- 107.45
49. Hangover 3- 112.20
50. We’re the Millers- 113.24
51. Now You See Me- 117.10
52. Wolverine- 128.32
53. Grown Ups 2- 130.19
54. Conjuring- 134.18
55. Great Gatsby- 144.83
56. Heat- 157.43
57. World War Z- 200.67
58. Star Trek- 228.50
59. Fast 6- 238.67
60. Monsters University- 264.29
61. Man of Steel 290.75
62. Despicable Me 2- 355.74
63. Iron Man 3- 408.88