Blog of the Rotting Dead

Testing December 19 2011

2011-12-19T13:15:00.000-08:00

Checking in on blog status....O.o

Alive and Kicking!

2011-03-24T02:36:00.000-07:00

My goodness, July 2010, really?? I am almost ashamed at how long I have neglected this blog....almost. You know how it is, life gets busy and all that.

Wanted to drop by and let you all know that I do have some new material to post, just need to create some room for posting into my schedule.

Keep your eye on this spot!

CJ

The Stranger

2010-07-16T07:40:00.000-07:00

Here is something I wanted to quickly write:

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The Stranger

When it smashed through the gate in the front yard you thought it was just a man who had too much to drink. Stumbling up your walkway, you couldn't make out his face since the sun had already set. You turned on the porch light and that is when you first saw what made you think this was a nightmare. It's eyes sunken into its head looking at you with a primal hunger. Pieces of flesh hanging from different places on its exposed skin which was the color of a nasty days old bruise.

It came up the stairs and onto the porch and from behind the safety of your front door you stared through the window in disbelief and scrutinized the horrific figure making its way towards you. It looked back at you and made a sound you would classify as being something one might hear in Hell. Something between a moan and growl made between gnashing teeth. It raised its hands as if trying to grab you and its mangled hands crumpled against the window. The brown and black goo smeared on the glass was more than enough to make you step back.

Like the proverbial bad accident you cannot look away from, you stared at it as it drew its arms back and came at the window again with a little more force. The sound of the breaking glass was drowned out by your scream. You stood there screaming, seemingly unable to move, frozen in that moment as it broke more glass and pushed its body through the opening. The broken window shards sliced and shred the clothes its wearing and the rotting skin beneath as it fell into your living room.

It begins to stand up and the stink of it filled the room. The smell of decayed flesh, putrid gases, and muddy earth hit you in a wave and assaulted your senses. Even as your body buckled with nausea and you felt sure you would vomit, you realized it was reaching for you again and you ran. You fled down the hallway and into the first room with an open door diving onto the floor on the other side of the bed.

Now you just hear your own soft breathing. If you don't make any noise it wont hear you. But your heart pounds in your chest and makes you feel like the sound could be heard throughout the house. From where you are almost hidden, crouched beside the nightstand in the bedroom, you can barely see the hallway through the slightly open door. Nothing moving, not a sound. You swallow some of your fear with an ounce of saliva but your throat is so dry, it makes you cough. Immediately your heart thumps faster as you think to yourself, "Did it hear me?"

The answer comes in the form of a shadow that falls across that last sliver of light. Your next breath is caught in your lungs as you dare not breathe, dare not move, you wish your blood would stop pumping because even that seems like it can be heard. Why didn't you run for the back door? Why did you think hiding in this room would be good enough? More questions threaten to slam against your mind but suddenly you see it as it stops just outside the door.

"It can't be real, this can't be happening." But even as those thoughts race by, the illusion that this might be some kind of dream is shattered when the walking corpse pushes open the bedroom door. More light is coming into the room now, but it brings no solace. Only the form of what used to be a man standing in the doorway. It almost looks like it could still be alive, just a stranger with slumped shoulders and head tilting to one side, but you know better.

Before you can think of anything else, it turns its head and looks right at you. It moans again, and steps inside the room.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

That's it. A super short story just to creep you out. What happens next is all in your imagination. Can you get away? Be a hero? or Does it get you? Its all in your head.

Today's Cure song is Sinking from the Head on the Door CD - (1985) From the piano keys slammed at the beginning through the steady bass line, it is a haunting tune.

"So I trick myself
Like everybody else
I crouch in fear and wait
I'll never feel again"

Population 436

2010-05-24T19:03:00.000-07:00

Okay, once in awhile it is a treat to review a movie that is not strictly horror but right up there in the same neighborhood. Listed as a mystery/thriller, the movie "Population 436" is a pretty wicked film.

Let me pause here to tell you how I found out about this little gem. I am currently working for our illustrious United States government as a 2010 Census enumerator. So one day last week my crew leader mentions this movie and tells me the quick synopsis which went something like this..."It's about a census worker who goes to a small town where the population never changes. Every time they check the numbers it remains 436" I was intrigued and fortunate to find the full length movie on the internet.

Jeremy Sisto {(Probably best known for his roles in Six Feet Under (HBO series, 2001-2005) & Law & Order (TV series, 2007–present)} stars as a census taker assigned to count the population of a small town. He quickly discovers that things aren't quite right in Rockwell Falls. After a little research he finds that the population has been exactly 436 for the last hundred years. Finding out why that is becomes a bizarre journey for him. Very similar in plot to the literary classic "The Lottery" written by Shirley Jackson and the 2004 M. Night Shyamalan film "The Village".

What I enjoyed most was the acting. Sisto does a great job of playing the average joe caught in a very not so average circumstance. And who do we find playing the role of the somewhat helpful sheriff's deputy? Why its none other than lead singer of Limp Bizkit, Fred Durst. These guys do such a good job, that by the middle of the movie I was anxious to see how it turned out. Not a bad movie for a quiet afternoon.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Today's Cure song is "Homesick" from the upcoming highly anticipated remastered Disintegration CD-(1989/2010) A sad love song that threatens to make you cry from the slow melancholic beginning:

"And i forget when to move when my mouth is this dry
and my eyes are bursting hearts in a blood-stained sky.
Oh it was sweet it was wild and oh how we..."

CJ

Midnight Meat Train

2010-04-17T19:43:00.000-07:00

Flipping the channels one night a couple of weeks ago, I saw the title "The Midnight Meat Train" and hit record hoping it would be the movie adaptation of the story I had once read. Sure enough, it was indeed a movie adaptation of the story by the same title written by Clive Barker.

Varying only slightly from the written story, the movie is a fantastic adaptation thanks to relatively unknown writer Jeff Buhler. What really pulls the story right off the pages is the superb acting job of Vinnie Jones who is famous to American audiences for his role in "X-Men: The Last Stand" as the Juggernaut. In this film,he is a ruthless butcher.

For those of you who have never read the story, let me tantalize your imagination with this brief synopsis:

Our protagonist is a photographer, Leon (who is brought to life on the silver screen by Bradley Cooper, recognized from his more recent film appearance in "The Hangover") looking for an inspired edgy subject matter. He finds more than he bargained for when he discovers a killer stalking the late night subway lines. Now when I say killer let me tell you the character played by Jones uses a classic meat hook and a large meat tenderizer with one end that is larger than a softball. Enter graphic gore here!

Leon begins to track the killer's movements and finds that countless people who have been simply reported as missing persons have been victims on the midnight meat train. Drawing Leon deeper into the mystery is that this appears to have been going on for nearly a hundred years. His journey leads him to the killer's lair where he makes the most disturbing discovery yet. Something ancient and horrible.

A not too bad movie for late night viewing. It may not keep you on the edge of your seat, but it will keep you moderately entertained.

CJ

Tokyo Zombie

2010-03-30T08:18:00.000-07:00

I love B-movies, and once in awhile you watch one that makes you think, "What's the category listing below B?"
The answer might be, "Tokyo Zombie."

To say that is was terrible would be going to far...or perhaps it would giving it a compliment. What is it that makes B-movies so campy? Well, let's see. It is the cheesy dialogue, the bad acting, and the loosely tied together plot. In this gem from Japan, all of these aspects are even worse than usual.

Fujio and Mitsuo are two factory workers without a clue. Well they have a clue but it is that they think Jujitsu is everything in life.....and that's it. When they accidentally kill their boss, they take his body to a mountain waste dump where everyone dumps not only their trash but anything else they want to be rid of including bodies and toxic waste. Now isn't that a recipe for an army of the undead to rise up? And rise they do, but not in any great fashion.

So when I say the dialogue is bad, there are parts where the protagonists just look at each , wide eyed & silent, and the silence in NOT a plot device. When there is some action, it is almost like watching a rejected episode of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. No wait, even that would be more engaging than this movie.

Well I wish I could say that there was at least one redeeming quality that made it worth watching. I mean I did have to read the subtitles which made the dialogue painfully obvious. Perhaps there was afterall one thing about it that caused me to at least watch it until the end, it was almost a decent comedy.

At any rate, here is the much cooler trailer, this music used in this trailer is not even in the movie!!

Tokyo Zombie Trailer

Until next time,
CJ

Just Released!!

2010-01-17T14:29:00.000-08:00

Please support yours truly as my first original book is now available for sale!
WooHoo!!!!!!!!!

https://www.createspace.com/3421190

Uneasy Darkness
http://www.createspace.com/

There is nothing to be afraid of, except the dark. Experience stories and poems where the dead return to prey on the living, some things move unnaturally towards you, and things don't always go as planned. Tales and poetry to make you shiver uneasily in the darkness.

My book is almost ready!!

2010-01-12T13:45:00.000-08:00

I have completed a book of horror short stories and poems, some of which you have seen here on my blog.

It will be made available very soon. For now, please check out this preview:

https://www.createspace.com/Preview/1064194

CJ

Dark Shadows

2010-01-02T09:53:00.000-08:00

Who wants to watch soap operas? How about a really old one? Well if it is the 1966-1971 series titled "Dark Shadows" then sign me up!

Dark Shadows was different from other soaps due to its gothic overtones and melodramatic performances. The series captavated audiences airing during day time slots with atmospheric interiors well done considering the low budget, memorable story lines thanks to Art Wallace and an unusually adventurous music score.

Often called 'campy' by many reviewers, it still maintains a large following. Thanks to syndication over the years and all episodes being made available on VHS & DVD collections.

CJ

Creepshow 3

2009-06-18T18:49:00.000-07:00

Back again for a new horror movie review. This time out I present:

“Creepshow 3”

Unlike it's predecessors, this movie is NOT based on Stephen King short stories, and there-in lies a big part of the problem. One word captures the essence most perfectly -Terrible.

Not terrible as in filled with terror, oh no. More like, oh gawd this is terrible can I please have my hour and half back, along with my $1.00 rental fee??

Back up to a total of five stories, but no wrap around story this time. Instead, the directors Ana Clavell & James Glenn Dudelson orchestrated a loosely connected project. No real Creep this time unless you count the barely noticeable creppy hotdog vendor throughout. Losing also the great comic-book-style format from the first two, this outing leaves so very much to be desired by fans of the original and horror fans in general.

I won't regurgitate the stories in this post, they were just not well written at all. There was a flicker of hope in the story segment titled "Call Girl" but not enough to carry the whole movie. A nice little twist that actually made me think the rest of the movie might turn out worthwhile. Unfortunately it turned out to be more like Fool's Gold.

Maybe the time inbetween movies was too great and the original flare for this style is dead, we are afterall talking about 19 years since the last 80s release of the second installment. Maybe it really comes down to the fact that no King stories were used, his mastery of storytelling certainly raised the other volumes' worth. In any case I suffered through this movie in hopes of completing my review of this trilogy. I suffered and no you don't have to.

I have read online that there may be a fan or two who actually like this movie, it staggers the mind. Most often I would recommend that a fan of this genre go ahead and buy even a not so good movie if it completes a set, in this case I practically forbid it!!

Thanks for reading.

Today's Cure song is "Untitled" from the Disintegration CD -(1989) A song of longing...

"Never quite said what i wanted
to say to you
Never quite managed the words to
explain to you
Never quite knew how to make
them beleivable... and now the time has gone,
another time undone."

The return from the Dead!

2009-06-01T07:48:00.001-07:00

Hey gang, okay it has been like forever since I have posted anything, especially anything horror related. Whew, just thinking about all the stuff I want to say makes me tired. Let me start with this....I have a new blog. Interestingly enough I started a blog that is on the extreme opposite from this one. It is an inspirational blog about positivity. Go figure that someone like me who has a deep appreciation for horror would end up writing so much about hope.

You can find it here:

Hopegiver's Path

Now does this mean that I am abandoning this horror blog? Not yet. I happen to think one can walk between the worlds of dark and light and still be whole. We all have light and dark in us so to me it seems normal to be able to talk about them both. In any case, its my mind and I am comfortable there.

Oh my I haven't thought of a song for the day in so long, let's see what I come up with. How about something from the Cure's latest CD?

Today's Cure song is "The Only One" from the 4:13 Dream CD-(2009) One the band's jumpy tunes that is filled with happy happy joy joy feelings!!!

"Oh I love oh I love oh I love
What you do to my skin
When you slip me on
And slide me in"

CJ

What’s in my MP3 PLayer?

2008-01-15T05:36:00.000-08:00

Okay way back in April 2005, I posted a list of the kind of music I like to listen to. {{Keeping in mind that music from The Cure is paramount in my life and can ALWAYS be found in my rotations, my current favorite is "A Forest".}} Still there are others, you can click over HERE to check out that post referring to the music found in my CD player from time to time.

Since then I have added a few artists, an MP3 player, and have thought of some others I didn't get to list back then. So I present the following additional sample list of music I like listening to, highlighting some of my favorite songs:

* 10 Years (Waking Up, Wasteland)
* 12 Girl Band (Freedom, Miracle, Forbidden City)
* 3 Days Grace (Time of Dying, I Hate Everything About You, Scared & Lonely)
* 30 Seconds to Mars (The Kill, R-Evolve, A Beautiful Lie)
* A7X {Avenged Sevenfold} (The Beast & The Harlot, Unholy Confessions,
Radiant Eclipse)
* A Perfect Circle (The Hollow, Judith, Weak & Powerless)
* Ace of Base (Always Have-Always Will, The Sign, Don’t Turn Around)
* Atreyu (The Theft, Lip Gloss & Black, Shameful)
* AudioSlave (Heaven’s Dead, Original Fire, The Worm)
* Billy Idol (White Wedding, Eyes Without a Face, Rebel Yell)
* Blideside (Follow You Down, About a Burning Fire, Silence)
* Blue October (Into the Ocean, Calling You, Hate Me)
* Bob Segar (Night Moves, Against the Wind, Lick a Rock)
* Breaking Benjamin (Breath, Diary of Jane, So Cold)
* Bullet for my Valentine (Cries in Vain, All These Things I Hate,
Tears Don’t Fall)
* Chicago (Hard Habit to Break, Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?,
Just You & Me)
* Daft Punk (Around the World , One More Time, Digital Love)
* Disturbed (Rise, Down With the Sickness, The Game)
* Evanescence ( My Immortal, Sweet Sacrifice, Missing)
* Flyleaf (Sorrow, All Around Me, Breath Today)
* Foo Fighters ( My Hero, Learn to Fly, Best of You)
* Goldfrappe (Strict Machine, Black Cherry, Oh La La)
* Good Charlotte (The World is Black, The River, Misery)
* Gorillaz (Feel Good Inc., 19/2000, Dare)
* Interpol (Narcotic, Obstacle 1, NYC)
* Jamiroquai (Little L, Love Foolosophy, Virtual Insanity)
* Julie Plug (Patagonia, In Every Corner, Gladiolus)
* Keane (Somewhere Only We Know, Bedshaped, She Has No Time)
* Kelly Clarkson (Walk Away, Since You Been Gone, Beautiful Disaster)
* KORN (Coming Undone, Trash, Freak on a Leash)
* Lasgo ( Cry, Something, Alone)
* Marilyn Manson (The Dope Show, Heart Shaped Glasses, The Beautiful People)
* Matchbox 20 (Unwell, How Far We‘ve Come, Bent)
* Motley Crue (Piece of Your Action, Smoking in the Boy’s Room, Without You)
* Nine Inch Nails (Closer, Bite the Hand that Feeds, Capital G)
* OMD (Forever Live & Die, So in Love, If You Leave)
* Panic at the Disco (Nails for Breakfast-Tacks for Snacks,
I Write Sins Not Tragedies)
* Postishead (All Mine, Orange, Strangers)
* Red Jumpsuit Apparatus (Justify, Face Down, Your Guardian Angel)
* Scissors Sisters (I Can’t Decide, I Don’t Feel Like Dancin’, Laura)
* Seether ( The Gift, Remedy, Truth)
* Senses Fail (Bonecrusher, Negative Space, The Priest & The Matador)
* She Wants Revenge (Sister, Because of These Things, Disconnected)
* Snow Patrol (Chocolate, Chasing Cars, Run)
* System of a Down (Aerials, B.Y.O.B., Toxicity)
* The Bravery (Unconditional, An Honest Mistake, Fearless)
* The Killers ( All These Things, Jenny Was a Friend of Mine,
Somebody Told Me)
* The Postal Service (Such Great Heights, We Will Become Silhouettes,
The District Sleeps Alone Tonight)
* The Psychedelic Furs (Heartbreak Beat, Love My Way, Pretty in Pink)
* The Smiths (Girlfriend in a Coma, This Charming Man, How Soon is Now?)
* Tool (The Pot, Jambi, Stinkfist)
* Unwritten Law (Lost Control, Save Me(Wake Up Call), F.I.G.H.T.)

To name a few more....:-)
Now, I will close out with another song from The Cure:

Today's Cure song is "Scared As You" from the Join The Dots: B-Sides and Rarities Collection - (2004) This is a B-side track from 1992, originally meant as an extra b-side of "Friday I'm in Love". I think we have all felt this way in a relationship at some point.

"you know those things i said
all those things that made you run away from me
i didn't really mean a word
i didn't really mean i don't believe
all i ever really mean
when i rant and rave the way i do
is i'm scared again
just as scared as you"

CJ

What else is new?

2008-01-05T00:06:00.000-08:00

Whoa, another post on almost the same day?! Someone's got writing fever!!!

I was just thinking about my blog here; my Blog of the Rotting Dead. If you have ever read my first few posts, you'll know I kind of explained why I chose that name; if you haven’t read about it yet...what are you waiting for, an invitation? Okay, I am personally inviting you to click over to the left and find my oldest posts archive. Go back to my first posts and learn a little more about your Rotting Dead host and this blog. I’ll be here when you get back...

All done? No?? What do you mean you didn’t go back there? Why not?? Oh I see, you like to fly by the seat of your pants and just read straight through huh? Well more power to you, but you might get a little lost in the following thoughts and ideas if you have no idea where I am coming from. Then again, I get a little lost myself.

Now where was I? Oh yeah, right about...here. I love horror. I am currently reading a short horror novel titled “Eat the Dark” by Joe Schreiber, and I love the suspense of it. I recently watched “The Descent” but it wasn’t all that great. Although they were a few really well placed ‘jumps’ in the film, the acting was kind of weak and the ending was mediocre at best. It probably would rate about a D+ (C- if I am feeling really generous) but overall not really worth an entire post as a review. I'll be doing a movie review on something with more class soon I promise.

Most important of late, I am so very proud to announce I have a newly completed horror short story to add to my cannon of literature. Color me ‘Beaming’ (which by the way is a kind of blend of purple and magenta with orange flares when I see it). My very first horror story was about 13 pages, and my second short story was 11 pages, but this small masterpiece is a sensational 26 pages!! I would be happy to forward a copy to any fans of my previous work. Just drop me an e-mail found in my profile.

I am considering a couple of projects for my next writing endeavor. The first would be another short story idea I have in draft form; this would be more fantasy/sci-fi rather than horror. As much as I love horror, I also dig the sci-fi world and much of the fantasy realms. One reason I want to write this particular story is to see if my magical muse can assist me in creating a great story that is not horror. Now never fear, I certainly have some other horror stories on the radar. Although none of them are anywhere near completion, they sit and simmer.

Another project I am interested in tackling is a screenplay. You see my wife is a writer as well and is actually working on an epic novel. I was talking to her about imagery and bring stories to life and the next thing you know it hit me, why not try to bring a story more alive by rendering a screenplay? Now immediately I chose not to do one of my own as I cherish them the way they are. I would have to either have someone else do it for me or really wish to see a particular story of mine translated to a screenplay and I don’t see that happening in the near future. So, I thought about her story and now have her first chapter in my hard drive waiting for me to breathe new life into it.

And now...

Today's Cure song is If Only Tonight We Could Sleep from the Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me CD -(1987) A song about death, and although it has a sad tone and rythym, it is more like having a choice and slipping sofly away rather than being ripped from life.

"If only tonight we could sleep
In a bed made of flowers
If only tonight we could fall
In a deathless spell!!!
"

I'm Back with...stuff

2008-01-04T21:19:00.000-08:00

Okay so I haven’t posted in awhile, but I am back. I realize that I have not had a horror-related post in a few months but sometimes life is too full of other stuff. So here we go with some other stuff...:-)

The most prominent thing on my mind is a thought rattling around regarding deep philosophical (cosmic even) elements. Whoa, isn’t that a heavy statement? With the holidays still fresh in the air, I was thinking about the true meaning of christmas. You know the birth of commercialism?? Just kidding, that is a post for another time.

What I am referring to is that old idea the christmas season should be about love and kindness to family, friends and strangers alike. So it got me to thinking, isn’t love one of the few things that are eternal? Oh I know that will stir up controversy, but I am a firm believer in that concept.

Why? I am so glad you asked. I think love is an awesome element of our universe. Though we can’t see it, can’t touch it nor can we always accurately describe it, it is something that can be felt all over. It resonates in your soul and brings both the highest joys and the deepest pains. It is here before we are born, and it remains after we cross over from this Earthly existence.

They say that energy is never destroyed; only changed. Since the big bang, that which is created grows and expands...forever. When you encounter love (discover it) it stays with you and permeates many aspects of your life...forever. A parent’s love for their children or family, romantic love of one individual for another, and agape love for friends or strangers all fit this description in my opinion.

Something else I feel is eternal, would be the soul (which those science enthusiasts would say is still a form of energy). That is why love can be forever, because our souls may leave this plane, but retain the memory of those they have loved or who have loved them. So maybe you say, “Ha! a memory of love is not the same thing.”....but isn’t it?

I mean that is why a lost love can still cut deep when you remember it years later. The same goes for love of someone who has passed on, you sit and remember him or her fondly many years after they have died and suddenly you can be filled with their essence. The love you have for them is renewed in your memory and if you believe that spirits who pass on retain all that they were, then at that moment they also get to recapture the love you shared.

Like I said,....deep philosophical stuff.

Now,

Today's Cure song is "Cut" from the Wish CD-(1992) The drums bang out on this one and it sounds like a train ride, pumping, pulsing down the track of emotion. Robert simply states this: "hatred"

"If only you'd never look at me
The way that you do
If only you'd never look like that
When i look at you
I see face like stone, Eyes of ice
Mouth so sweetly telling lies
I wish you felt the way that i still do"

CJ

Walk-about!

2007-10-11T13:49:00.000-07:00

Have you ever heard of the concept of "Walk-about"? It appears in several cultures, such as the Australian Aborigines who "go walkabout" at the age of thirteen in the wilderness for six months as a rite of passage. They then trace the path of the ceremonial ancestors of their tribe. Some indigenous people of the artic refer to this journey as a "vision quest". Regarded as a turning point in life taken before puberty to find oneself and thier intended spiritual and life direction. Also, the Native American culture (of which I am closely tied) also has a practice of soul searching in this fashion for shamans. Although not always including an actual 'walk', the basic concept is the same.

One other resource that I love to quote that helped me understand this process was from a Science Fiction television show called "Babylon 5". In this program, one of the lead characters is dealing with some hard issues in his life, one of which is a drug problem. He temporarily resigns his position in order to go on Walkabout and find himslef. He quotes that the Aborigine folklore he is familiar with indicates that he must walk until he meets himself and has a conversation with himself.

Recently, I went on Walkabout. I took many of these elements into consideration when I decided to embark on this journey. Whereas my time on walkabout was not for months, some of the soul work I did was life changing. You see I have matured in life, doing some introspection from time to time and knew that finding myself would be no trouble at all. The difficulty I would encounter was the conversation I would need to have with myself to engage in some deep healing and growing.

I wont go into the personal details of my journey here at this time, but I will tell you that if you are in a place in your life where things seem cloudy and you have pains that are deep and not being addressed. Walkabout may be a way for you to either discover or re-discover your true path.

I am featuring a song that just happened to capture the essence of this type of soul work perfectly. "The Kill" by 30 Seconds to Mars is about facing your inner demons and breaking free. Here is the video, and afterwards I will post the lyrics....

Much Love,

CJ

"The Kill"

What if I wanted to break
Laugh it all off in your face
What would you do? (Oh, oh)
What if I fell to the floor
Couldn't take this anymore
What would you do, do, do?

Come break me down
Bury me, bury me
I am finished with you

What if I wanted to fight
Beg for the rest of my life
What would you do?
You say you wanted more
What are you waiting for?
I'm not running from you (from you)

Come break me down
Bury me, bury me
I am finished with you
Look in my eyes
You're killing me, killing me
All I wanted was you

I tried to be someone else
But nothing seemed to change
I know now, this is who I really am inside.
Finally found myself
Fighting for a chance.
I know now, this is who I really am.

Ah, ah
Oh, oh
Ah, ah

Come break me down
Bury me, bury me
I am finished with you, you, you.
Look in my eyes
You're killing me, killing me
All I wanted was you

Come break me down (bury me, bury me)
Break me down (bury me, bury me)
Break me down (bury me, bury me)

(You say you wanted more)
What if I wanted to break...?
(What are you waiting for?)
Bury me, bury me
(I'm not running from you)
What if I
What if I
What if I
What if I
Bury me, bury me

Resident Evil: Apocalypse

2007-08-22T10:34:00.000-07:00

Okay, I know it may be a little odd to post a review about a sequel when I do not have the first movie presented but I really liked this movie! This 2004 sequel was more like the highly acclaimed Capcom video game series in my opinion, in terms of scenes where the protagonists were actually shooting zombies. Whereas the first movie {"Resident Evil", 2002} spent a lot of time building the story and given Umbrella background (which I understand is neccesary), "RE:Apocalyse" gives the audience some damn good zombie shooting action!!

Paul W. S. Anderson, who is responsible for writing all the "RE" movie adaptations including the forthcoming final installment due out in September 2007, gives fans what they were truly looking for in a Resident Evil movie. I think his writing for the big screen skills have increased tremendously since his penning of "Mortal Kombat" back in 1995.

Milla Jovovich does a spectacular job, returning to the big screen as Alice. Having survived the horrors of the underground Hive facility, she finds herself amongst the devastated streets of Racoon City now over-run with zombies. She finds transportation and heads towards a weapons surplus store (a nod to the RE2 game). There are other great scenes which pay decent tribute to the RE game franchise in this film. For example Alice is joined by more characters from the video game series, including Jill Valentine (played Sienna Guillory) and Carlos Olivera (Oded Fehr).

The group gets armed and ready for a high-caliber encounter with classic mutant dogs, the ever popular "Lickers," hundreds of shambling zombies, and straight out of "Resident Evil 3:Nemesis" the leather-clad, shoulder-held-rocket-launching monster himself! I love this action packed movie about one of my all time favorite subjects....zombies!!!!

Definitely a must see for all zombie and game enthusiasts.

Today's Cure song is "Watching Me Fall" from the Bloodflowers CD-(2000) A heavy guitar laden, sad tune about becoming lost in someone else.

"Yeah, I've been watching me fall for it seems like years
Watching me grow small, I watch me disappear
Slipping out my ordinary world, out my ordinary eyes
Yeah, slipping out the ordinary me into someone else's life
Into someone else's life"

CJ

And now the news...

2007-04-26T10:17:00.000-07:00

I would like to vent about today's media, specifically the news. With the entire world to report on (tragedies being the most noticable), there is rarely a shortage of stories to report. However the sensationalistic nature of most news programs can be nauseating!

"We are back now with our Live continuing, round the clock, cross country,non-stop, in depth team coverage"

I mean come on, do we really care about the cousin of the man who once saw the sister of the guy who used teach the delivery man who first called in the _________? (Fill in the blank with shooting, fire, kidnapping, etc.) Now let me say that I am not insensitive to events such as the recent Virgina Tech tragedy. There is most definitely a need to have enough exposure to cover the details and find some healing in knowing the whole story.

But other times, the news comes out with a breaking story about a local fire and the next thing you know they are interviewing some guy who is not even connected to the incident and asking him if he knows anything further. What??!!! Or how about the one time I watched this reporter go live to his man on the scene in the local news chopper and it went something like this....

Reporter: We've been reporting on a warehouse fire that has broken out over near the north side of town. At this time we still don't know how the fire started or if there are any casualties. But more on this developing story now as we go to Chuck Wood who is live at the scene. Chuck tell us what you have learned.

Correspondant: Well Skip, there is some confusion her at the scene as firefighters are trying to subdue these flames and there is still no word from the administrator of this facility. At this point we do not know if this is a chemical fire, whether arson was involved, or if there was anyone in the building at the time the fire started.

Skip: Chuck, can you tell me if they know whether or not there was an explosion or did report come in as just a fire that started mysteriously?

Chuck: Skip we don't know as of yet the exact cause, but I can tell you that the fire chief I spoke to just moments ago did call in a second alarm or it could have been a third alarm, the details are sketchy.

Skip: Chuck I can see dark black smoke coming from the center of the building, is that possibly produced by some kind of chemical product that was stored there?

Chuck: Well right now we don't know what kind of facility this is, nor what was stored here. We are not certain if it is active site or just a storage location.

Skip: Okay Chuck keep us up to date. If you are just joining us, we are bringing you live pictures of a fire over in the North side of town, possibly the northeast. We do not know at this time what caused the fire, and we do not know if anyone has been injured. We will continue to bring you live, continuing, round the clock, non-stop, in depth team coverage as we learn more.

I watched this and I was like...."You broke into my daily programming to tell me that you have no clue what is actually going on??"

Give me a break!!

Today's Cure song is Shake Dog Shake from The Top CD-(1984) Classic mopey goth rock with a hard bassline from a CD that doesn't get much talk time even among hardcore fans. According to Robert: ...me hating myself ... but a fab open guitar tuning ...!

"Your face
I'll never see you this way again
I captured it so perfectly
As if I knew you'd disappear away"

CJ

Hostel

2007-04-23T05:34:00.000-07:00

Welcome To Your Worst Nightmare!

Paxton(Jay Hernandez), Josh (Derek Richardson) and Oli (newcomer Eythor Gudjonsson) are backpacking across Europe when they are told about a hostel in Slovakia. Once they hear that this hostel is THE place to find beautiful European woman who only want tourists, they quickly get on a train to the wonderful promise land. As soon as they get there, they start having the time of their lives until one of them turns up missing.

Eli Roth (producer of Cabin Fever) and the world renown Quentin Tarantino bring us a gore fest worthy of a #1 slot in a Halloween horror-thon! Although is starts out slow, (that is slow to those who are not looking for a lot of breast shots a la spring break) it doesn't take too long to get to the action. The bright colors and vibrant music are soon replaced with dark corners, gore, and a sense of dread. Criticized by many for being too campy and tasteless, I think it flys above the average B ranking of a bad gore movie manly for it's clever ending.

With special effects by award winnning Greg Nicotero (of Day of the Dead fame) there is no let down what so ever in the gore department. As this was trailered to be an ultimate shocking horror movie, the special effects department was tasked to out do others in it's genre. Over 150 gallons of fake blood were used to convey the various depths of torture and death depicted in this slaughterhouse extravaganza!

Interesting note: This film knocked "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" (2005) off the top spot both at the box office, and when it was released on DVD. The production budget of "The Chronicles of Narnia" is nearly 50 times the $4 million dollar production budget of Hostel, which earned $20 million dollars in its opening weekend alone.

I can't wait to see part 2 due out June 8th 2007!!

Today's Cure song is "In Your House" from the Seventeen Seconds CD -(1980) ...feeling uncomfortable in someone else's presence, but still always returning...

"Silence
In the empty rooms
I drown at night in your house
Pretending to swim"

Hellraiser 2: Hellbound

2007-04-19T19:26:00.000-07:00

Time to play!

The fantastic sequel to the classic “Hellraiser”. Tony Randel directs this 1988 movie still built on the foundation of Clive Barker's book.

Kirsty Cotton (played once again by Ashley Laurence) returns, and at the beginning of this film has been admitted to a psychiatric hospital. As Doctor Channard (played by Kenneth Cranham), and his assistant, Kyle MacRae interview Kirsty, she tells her account of the events depicted in the first film. She pleads with them to destroy the bloody mattress her murderous stepmother, Julia Cotton (Clare Higgins) died on. MacRae is the only one who seems to believe her. However, it is revealed that the obsessive Dr. Channard has been searching for the doorway to the world of the Cenobites, for years.

After hearing Kirsty's story, Channard has the mattress brought to his home, and has one of his deranged patients lie on it, and cut himself with a straight razor. The resulting blood-letting frees Julia from the Cenobite dimension, and the murder and mayhem begin anew! In an effort to stop Dr. Channard, Kirsty and Kyle befriend Tiffany (Imogen Boorman), who hasn't spoken for years, but has demonstrated an amazing aptitude for puzzles, the Lament Configuration is no exception.

What I found intriguing about this next part of the Hellraiser series is the plot. I think Peter Atkins who scripted the screenplay, did an outstanding job of staying true to Clive Barker's vision of Hell according to the Cenobites. As the characters move through the realm of darkness, the images and instances of what takes place are in true horror taste! Graham Longhurst does a great job with the special effects and some of the new cenobite arrangements are ghastly awesome!!

So check it out, have some fun being gore-ily entertained.

Today's Cure song is "Snow in Summer" from the Join The Dots: B-Sides and Rarities Collection - (2004) Here a tune that Robert admits he doesn't like all that much. A B-side to Just Like Heaven from 1987, it sings of being happy in love.

"Slipping in your soft white heart
I drink you as I swim
And I'm falling
And I'm falling with you
Fall beneath my skin"

CJ

Saturday Night Wrist

2007-01-24T08:32:00.000-08:00

Saturday Night Wrist!!! This latest release from the Deftones hit the shelves on Halloween 2006. I got my copy a couple of weeks afterwards. Man what a roller coaster ride this CD is. I love it! Each song has a strength, and most resonate with me as I have become accustomed to expect from this awesome group. "Hole in the Earth" made it's internet debut about 3 weeks before the CD went on sale and I loved it from the first time I heard it. After reading an article about the imminent release of the CD I discovered that the band had some trouble in completing the project. Quoting bassist Chi Cheng about Chino's slow-to-progress movement... "We'd been asking him, pleading and begging him to finish. We all support him in whatever he does, but please just finish the album." and boy did they!!

I love the song "U,U,D,D,L,R,L,R,A,B,A,B,SELECT,START" which is a spectacular intrumental. The title gives nod to the Konami video game code popular in the 80s with Nintendo freaks...like me!! Another favorite is "Beware", so moving and deep. If you 'get it' then you really get it, if not, you will still enjoy this great contribution to the album. I like "Cherry Waves", "Mein", and "Pink Cell Phone" as well, they all move me in different ways. My absolute favorite right now after a couple of months of floating along on these magnificently melancholic waves is "Xerces".

Researching the title "Xerces" turned up a fascinating reference to the Xerces Blue butterfly. This is an extinct species of butterfly that lived in coastal sand dunes of the Sunset District of San Francisco. The Xerces Blue is believed to be the first American butterfly species to become extinct as a result of loss of habitat caused by urban development. In the song, the lyrics refer to "leaving this earth" and saying 'Goodbye' and just rings out with sadness. I am not sure if this is THE reference that Chino was using when he wrote the song, but it certainly fits and makes for great conversation on the matter.

So for me, this has been a fantastic journey of music and I intend to keep Saturday Night Wrist on the CD changer list for a good while to come!!

P.S. - No Cure song today...:-)

No More Excuses

2007-01-08T20:30:00.000-08:00

Okay, not a post since July 12 of last year??? That is ridiculous!!

My new year's resolution (well one of them anyway) is to drop by here more often. I may get to write a good horror review everytime, but I will post much more often even if it is to just vent.

The baby is now just about 10 months old and keeping us busy. Aside from that and the holidays, the other excuse I have been using for not visiting my own blog is that this past Fall I was in classes again.

Even though I already hold a Bachlor's degree from the Univeristy of Houston...(Go Coogs!!! Nice appearence in the recent Liberty Bowl!!!!!!!!) I decided to go back to school and see what I can learn. I have plans to study for a LCDC, which a Licensed Chemical Dependecy Counselor.

I will keep you up to date on that progress.

As to horror movie reviews, um....I have about 10 to post, so I will work on those as time permits. Until then, stop by often as I will be blabbing here quite a bit this year....:-)

Have a great year!!!!!!!

Today's Cure song is Gone! from the Wild Mood Swings CD-(1996) Don't just lay there and let the world pass you by. I think Robert does a great job of capturing how we all get the blues/mood swings/doldrums, and in this trumpet enhanced diddy he relays the consequences.

"yeah you know how it is
wake up feeling green,
sick as a dog and six times as mean"

CJ

Cigarette Burns

2006-07-13T07:38:00.000-07:00

{{Cigarette burns refers to an out-dated film term where a small circle appears in two blips at the top-right-hand corner of the screen to indicate to the projectionist that the change-over of the next reel is approaching.}}

Suppose you heard of a film that was only ever shown once and when it was, it drove the audience to insanity & violence. It might be referred to as the 'Holy grail of horror cinema' Would you seek it out?

This is what movie programmer Kirby Sweetman (Norman Rhedus) must do for an eccentric collector named Ballinger (played by the living legend Udo Kier)who offers a handsome paycheck. In John Carpenter's "Cigarette Burns", Kirby must find a rare horror film titled "Le Fin Absolue du Monde" (The Absolute End of the World). As he begins his journey searching for the only known print in existence, he slowly begins to experience brief moments of horror in the form of cigarette burns that flash before his eyes. Already battling a troubled past, the closer he gets to finding the film, the more horrific the flashes become driving him closer to the brink.

"Cigarette Burns" is a return to thrilling horror. With Greg Nicotero serving as special makeup effects artist, John Carpenter brings a gory tale of the macabre to the screen in great form true to this genre.

This movie comes from a series where Showtime has amassed some of the greatest horror film writers and directors to bring to you an anthology series, "Masters of Horror". Some of the foremost names in the horror film genre have joined forces for this series consisting of 13 one-hour films.

Find out more here:

Masters of Horror

Cigarette Burns was a fantastic way for John Carpenter to participate in this awesome venture.

And for more from the Legendary John Carpenter visit:

The Official John Carpenter

One other fantastic note of interest is the fact the score for this film was done by Cody Carpenter. He is John Carpenter's son and at the age of 23, the "Cigarette Burns" score is his first full-length score. Kudos to Cody!!!

Today's Cure song is Subway Song from the remasteredThree Imaginary Boys CD -({2004} -Original release date: 1979) A haunting song that speaks for itself.

"Midnight in the subway
She's on her way home
She tries hard not to run
But she feels she's not alone
Echoes of footsteps
Follow close behind
But she dare not turn around"

Rolling Along

2006-06-12T14:25:00.000-07:00

Well here we are. Two months down the road and the family is doing great!! Little Julianna is gaining weight on schedule and just now beginning to sleep a little longer through the night. Yippee!

So, now that things are a little more settled I think it's time to get back to...horror!!!!

Stay tuned as I prepare to bring you more horror film reviews from across the spectrum of my personal horror movie collection.

Today's Cure song is "If Only Tonight We Could Sleep" from the Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me CD-(1987) This is a song which, according to Robert, is about a slow happy death."

"Then an angel would come
With burning eyes like stars
And bury us deep
In his velvet arms"

CJ

Baby News!

2006-04-02T10:54:00.000-07:00

The bundle of joy our family has been anxiously waiting, arrived on Thursday 3/30/06. In a most spectaular fashion (and I do mean it was a spectacle) Baby Julianna was born Thursday @ 8:38pm, tipping the scale at 7 lbs. 12 oz. and measuring 19 1/4 inches. Like something out of a movie, my wife delivered our daughter minutes after arriving to the hospital.

A little before 8:00 pm we were at home and my wife said she felt the baby drop down. This is our second child so we knew that things would be faster (we had no idea how much faster in our case) than the first and began making plans to head to the hospital. A few minutes later, the contractions started and they were the strong 'real' deal. Thankfully my mother in law was here to do the driving as I was a helping my wife focus on her breathing.

Speeding down 59 from the Galleria towards the museum district (where the hospital is located), things seemed intense but under control...till her water broke. The next few mintutes were a blur of lane changes, an quick exit, and finding the emergency side door to the hospital. I managed to get an orderly with a wheelchair out to the car (no small feat in a somewhat crowded ER with minimal assitance) and we rushed my wife up to the labor/delivery room.

Here is the most fantastic part of the story. In the wheelchair, just inside her delivery room door, the baby began crowning. There was a little yelling, running around, quick application of latex gloves, and getting my wife into the bed. Seconds after my wife was on her back, the baby was ready to say hello, and Bam! there she was and we had made it. *Whew* My wife was a super trooper and kept her cool through the whole thing. I was pretty good at directions and instructions myself, and my mother in law was a stock car racer with the keenest eye on safety.

The entire ordeal took about 30 minutes. Now I don't know about you, but I most definitely believe in miracles. If anything had been different, more traffic; a bigger shortage of orderlies; or less calm, cool, collected heads, my daughter would have been born in the car!

*Sigh* Our world is a much brighter place. Thank you all for your well wishes and support.

Blog on!!

CJ

Cube

2006-03-21T21:16:00.001-08:00

Fear... Paranoia... Suspicion... Desperation

Six oridanry strangers (from different walks of life - a cop, a math wiz,a building designer, a doctor, an escape master, and an autistic man) awaken one day to find themselves alone in a cubical maze containing hundreds of rooms. Once they meet, they must work together using their given skills and talents to survive the deadly traps they encounter as they try find out what is happening to them and if there is a way out.

The cast is relatively unknown although almost all of them share background working on previous projects such as episodes of Forever Knight circa 1992. The most notable is the math wiz played by Nicole DeBoer(who starred in PSI factor in 1996 but is best known for her role as Lt. Ezri Dax on the series StarTrek: Deep Space Nince(1998-1999)

This gem is directed by Vincenzo Natali, who is partly responsible for the television series "Earth: Final Conflict" and the aforementioned "PSI Factor : Chronicles of the Paranormal". Although not the absolutely most thrilling movie ever, and not super high on the gore listings, it has some really good writing and makes for a really nice addition to any Sci-Fi/Horror buff collection.

WARNING!!

*~*~*~*~*SPOILER ALERT*~*~*~*~

Speaking of gore. Some horror fans may notice something familiar in one death scene. One of the initial character is killed by a mesh of razor sharp wire which slices a the guy into small bits and pieces. This looks alot like the death scene, year later, in "Resident Evil" (2002) where a mesh of lasers kills the boss dude (whom I believe was played by Martin Crewes). I think that that scene in RE was a nod to Natali and this great movie done in the finest Twilght Zone tradition.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Now in other news,
The baby should be here very soon. The projected due date is April 7th, but according to my wife (and I agree) it feels like it could be literally any minute now! I will keep you all posted.

Until next time,

Here is today's Cure song:

Today's Cure song is "To Wish Impossible Things" from the Wish CD-(1992) This is a smooth song with sad overtones. According to Robert, "In all relationships, there are always aching holes and that's where the impossible wishes come into it."

"Remember how it used to be
When the stars would fill the sky
Remember how we used to dream
Those nights would never end"

CJ

Happy New Year!

2006-01-11T05:47:00.000-08:00

Okay, so I'm a little late, but hey I have a really good excuse. No really, I do!

What do you mean, "Yeah right"? Are you saying you don't believe me? Is that it? Oh I see how it is. I am away for the holidays and when I come back, you get an attitiude, is that what I am hearing?

Well, maybe I don't have a good excuse, okay not even an excuse period. I just wasn't sure what to post next...:-)

What I have decided to do is make a brief list of some of things I want to post about in the upcoming months. This will serve two purposes, to give you an idea of what I am planning and to sort of commit to stopping by on a more frequent basis.

One immediate topic will the arrival of our daughter. That's right, our family has been blessed with our second pregnancy. My 5 year old son is expecting his new baby sister to be born in April, so there will definitely be things to post about in the upcoming months from that arena.

For my horror fans, here is a list of movies currently on my agenda for reviews, and yes please hold me to this:

13 Ghosts
The Grudge
Dominion - (The OTHER prequel to The Exorcist)
HellRaiser 2 & 3
The Cube
They Live!
An American Werewolf in London
Poltergeist
Re-Animator

...just to name a few. So please continue to visit and enjoy the (up-dated when I get a chance and that should be good enough) Blog of the Rotting Dead.

Now for today's Cure song.

Today's Cure song is "Lovesong" from the Disintegration CD-(1989) A simple love song Robert wrote for his wife. Beautiful lyrics, smooth rhythm.

"however far away i will always love you
however long i stay i will always love you
whatever words i say i will always love you, i will always
love you "

CJ

Holiday Horrors!

2005-12-06T08:08:00.000-08:00

Okay so here we come to the holidays. Joyous, fun-filled, merry & bright, but there is always a dark side... and Christmas time is no different. As you string up those colorful lights and sprinkle the shiny tinsel on the tree, remember that even when sleigh bells ring, horror can come a callin'

Let's start things off with an early movie from 1974. "Black Christmas" offers a murder fest of sorority sisters getting killed during Christmas break. 1980 brought us "Christmas Evil" where a boy is traumatized by seeing his Mama have sex with Santa. He grows up to be a pychotic man obsessed with the holiday, keeping track of the naughty and nice.

In 1984, the whole idea of Christmas Horror Movies takes off. It is started by the now classic "Silent Night, Deadly Night" which spawned 4 sequels(up through 1992). None are as good as the original which features a teenager scarred by the death of his parents on Christmas day. During this year there was also a British film titled "Don't Open Till Christmas" released to horrify yule tide goers with a tale of a psychopath running loose in London during the holiday. 1984 also saw the release of "Gremlins". Not quite horror but Christmas themed and a few gruesome deaths (albeit not human).

"Elves" hit the theatres in 1990. Here we have a young woman discovers that she is the focus of an evil nazi experiment involving selective breeding and summoned elves. And hey, where else will you find multiple stab wounds to the groin on Christmas?! "Santa Claws" brought us a young man who finds his divorced mother having sex with a man in a Santa Clause hat and shoots them both dead. Years later, now thinking he is Santa Clause, the man develops an obsession with an erotic horror film star named Raven and begins stalking her, oh happy holiday memories from 1996.

The next year, "Jack Frost" hit the video shelves. A serial killer is genetically mutated in car wreck on the way to his execution. After which, he becomes a murdering snowman hell-bent on revenge for the sheriff who caught him. Terribly done but a great laugh for your holiday horror fix. On to 2001, when we were treated to "Christmas Season Massacre". Tommy is a loser. He wears a pirate eye-patch, a Christmas gift he was given as a child. It is a symbol of the humiliation Tommy endured in high school. Becoming a bloodthirsty maniac over the years, he has slaughtered all but six of his previous tormentors. Now, these six former schoolmates unite to end Tommy's reign of terror. Will they put Tommy six feet under before the new year?

Speaking of New Year's, there are at least 2 good horror movies to finish out the year with a scream. "New Year's Evil" from 1980 where during a New Year's Eve celebration, a punk-rock singer gets a phone call saying that when New Year's strikes in each time zone, someone will be murdered--and she will be the last one. And in "Bloody New Year" from 1987, five shipwrecked teenagers take refuge in an island hotel that is decorated for New Years. The problem is, it's early summer, and soon enough, even the walls themselves are striking out against them.

Well even if you don't watch anything scary for the holidays, remember to have fun. Enjoy time with family and friends. Merry Christmas everyone!!

Today's Cure song is Strange Attraction from the Wild Mood Swings CD-(1996) Infatuation leads to temptation leads to surrender leads to heartbreak.

"Her opening so well prepared
a nervous smile
i couldn't take my eyes from her
she whispered
"can i use some of your lipstick?"

CJ

The Dead Give Thanks

2005-11-28T06:36:00.000-08:00

Wow! What a great Thanksgiving break I enjoyed. First allow me to break from the horror blog theme for a tic and share what I am thankful for. I am happy to be a husband (married now for 7 years), and a father of one 5 year old (and one of the way). Recently I was out of a job and was understandably worried about providing for my family. I spent two months looking for something that not only would suffice, but also feel right. I started my new job on November 1, 2005. So I know that we are truly blessed! I am thankful for my new job, for the new baby on the way (due in April) and for the continued blessings that God has delivered unto my household.

On Wednesday night we went to a little carnival by our home and my son enjoyed riding a couple of the kiddie rides and we all enjoyed funnel cake. My son had some cotton candy and I always love the sour pickles. For the first time ever, I won a bean bag toss game. You know the one where you have to knock down 6 tin cans from the pedestal? Well I have never been able to get them all off before, but that night I did a great job and took home a big stuffed bear.

Thursday, we got up early and make it downtown for the Annual Washington Mutual Thanksgiving Day Parade. I would like to mention the highlights; most importantly my son truly enjoyed the low-rider cars. He loved watching them use their hydraulics to bounce around and roll by at those weird angles. Now often parades have hang ups, and this one was no different. There were terrible lags in spacing. After the very first group (Texas Horse-back riders I believe) passed by, there was nothing for about 4 minutes. It was kind of like "Wow, one group passed by, is that it?"

Eventually they got it rolling at a pretty steady pace. My favorites were the bands (as usual) I love the sound of the drumline! My highest regard goes to: Ridgecrest Elementary School. That's right, elementary! I have never seen such tenacity in such youth. These kids were marching to the beat in perfect time, as a matter of fact, the drum major (who had to be all of 9 years old) was marching hard as if he were leading a national championship band! But it was the sound of the band that got my attention. Here are these grade school children banging and marching at a mastery level that seemed beyond their years, they did excellent!

The second band that gets honorable mention were the Austin High School Mustangs Marching Band. Here were only a couple of handfuls of students, not all that great sounding, but out there in force of spirit. With more girls on a drumline than I have ever seen, they passed by keeping the beat and representing their school with their few numbers with all the pride of truly inspired musicians. The last band I will mention is purely comical, the Best Buy Geek sqaud with their "We don't need a marching band" Marching Band. It was too funny to see these guys dressed in classic geek shirts and ties pulling along a Geek Squad balloon float and touting their computer services.

All in all, a great morning outing! The evening found us at home with a Turkey dinner, including stuffing & gravy, a tossed salad, green beans, macaroni & cheese, hot buttered rolls and cranberry-nut salad. Pumpkin pie for dessert, what a feast!

But wait, there's more, we went to see "Chicken Little" on Friday (which includes the voice talents of great stars like Joan Cusack & Patrick Stewart). It was an entertaining movie worthy of the ticket price. I love to hear my son laugh and it is such a treat to enjoy that in a big theatre with a funny movie on the big screen. Saturday found us shopping and bringing home a 6' FiberOptic christmas tree. I know, I know, it is not traditional, but after years of sap-stained carpets or plastic tree wrestling, I am looking forward to something different.

Then Sunday, we went back to the carnival (Come on we had to use up the last of those 'Ride' coupons now didn't we?) more ride fun for my son and this time I went on the Tilt-A-Whirl and had a blast!! It has been a long time since I have been on a carnival ride and I must say it doesn't lose it's charm.

So, like I said it was great!!

In honor of the holiday season, today's song is something a little strange.

Christmas at Ground Zero from the Dr. Demento Presents: Greatest Christmas Novelty CD

"It’s christmas at ground zero
There’s panic in the crowd
We can dodge debris while we trim the tree
Underneath the mushroom cloud"

CJ

Saw 2

2005-11-04T08:58:00.000-08:00

"Oh Yes, There Will Be Blood"

Now this is a great sequel! First of all, I loved the original Saw and I think this was very well done.

Jigsaw is back! Tobin Bell reprises his role as (John) the psychotic "Jigsaw" killer. This time pitting his wits against detective Eric Matthews (Donnie Wahlberg).
This time Jigsaw's victims are locked in a booby trapped house and they must find a way out before they inhale too much of a lethal nerve gas and die. They must watch out, for the traps Jigsaw has set in the house can also lead to death, and that is where the horror begins.

One of the things I have noted was how this tale is carried by the action, whereas the original was carried but the story. Before the killer set up individual scenarios for each of his victims, and we are shown clips in flaskback. This time the unfortunate captives must actively work as a group to survive. Now some people would be disappointed by the reliance on action, gore, and special effects (offended even) but I like the finished result.

New traps of horrific terror, plenty of bloodshed and a pretty good plot-line were enough to have me leaving the theatre in high spirits. Director Darren Lynn Bousman is brought on board by executive film producer Leigh Whannell (Adam from the first film, and co-writer )to do a spectacular job. Especially bringing back Shawnee Smith as Amanda (the only one to survive Jigsaw's first onslaught).

I love a good movie that can keep me interested and give me some good shocks as I go along for the ride. Of course, for me it is often all about the ending, and this movie does not disappoint!

Today's Cure song is "Fire In Cairo" from the Boys Don't Cry CD -(1979) There is nothing quite like Robert's voice, even when he is spelling out words! According to Robert; an eastern fantasy.

"Shifting crimson veil, silken hips
Slide under my hand, swollen lips
Whisper my name and I yearn
You take me in your arms and start to burn"

Doom

2005-10-22T20:31:00.000-07:00

I am a big fan of the video game so I was excited to see Universal's latest release of Doom starring "The Rock"

Here is a movie that gives you what you expect and a little that maybe you don't. It has blood and gore, suspense, a fairly decent plot, not too bad acting, and a good twist. Of course I won't tell what the twist is, but I liked it.

A slightly misleading tagline boasts "Hell breaks loose" which plays on video gamers knowledge of the original PC game where in a first person action setting, you battle the forces of hell. The story liberty taken by director Andrzej Bartkowiak (who brought you "Cradle 2 the Grave" and "Exit Wounds") brings us demons, but not the kind that come from Hell. By the way, that is NOT the twist.

Something has gone wrong at a remote scientific research station on Mars. All research has ceased. Communication has failed. And the messages that do get through are less than comforting. It's a level 5 quarantine and the only souls allowed in or out are the Rapid Response Tactical Squad - hardened Space Marines armed to the teeth with enough firepower to neutralize the enemy.

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson stars a tough as nails futuristic Marine Sargent sent to handle the problem. Karl Urban (who you may recall from the "The Lord of the Rings" series as Eomer of Rohan) does a great job of playing both a good soldier and a main character drama focus. Also setting the story on fire (as a anthropologist and sister to one of the Marines)with some great acting is Rosamund Pike of "Die Another Day" fame.

Another thing I liked was that two scientists in the movie, Dr. Carmack and Dr. Willits are named for members of Id Software team who developed the award winning video game back in the early 1990's (John Carmack and Tim Willits).

Overall a B+, not a bad night out for a little blood and guts around Halloween, by all means see "Doom" instead of the aweful remake of "The Fog" which was so bad I am not even going to review it, just give it a barely earned D.

Of course I am still waiting patiently for the October 28th release of Saw 2. Until then....

Today's Cure song is The Exploding Boy from the Join The Dots: B-Sides and Rarities Collection - (2004) An B-side from the Head on the Door sessions from 1985.

"Tell yourself we'll start again
Tell yourself it's not the end
Tell yourself it couldn't happen
Not this way
Not today"

CJ

Venom

2005-10-08T07:42:00.000-07:00

Who wants another slasher flick?

I do, I do!!!

Well director Jim Gillespie (of "I Know What You Did Last Summer" fame) brings us "Venom"! In the vein of the classic slasher flick, here we have a pack of teenagers running for their lives through the swamps of Louisiana thanks to some voodoo. In a small Louisiana town a tow-truck driver is killed in an accident involving some snakes, but this is no ordinary death and those are not ordinary snakes. These snakes have been cursed with the souls of evil men thanks to a voodoo priestess who 'milked' the evil from criminals, rapists, all around bad men. Soon a dark figure is driving the tow-truck and the killings begin.

Starring Agnes Brucker and Jonathan Jackson, this film will surely get a lot of flack for being a cheesy horror movie, but I think that is its charm! This movie also features Method Man (alias Clifford Smith) who takes a break from his comical slap stick status to portray a fairly serious role as a deputy sheriff. Do not expect a great film, but come with an open mind and you would probably enjoy this one (especially in light of the release of recent failings like "House of Wax").

What I enjoyed most was having a new evil force to cheer on the screen. No, I am not truly THAT sick, but what I mean is it's nice to see some new ideas that show some development and style paying tribute to the rough-edged film style of "Friday the 13th" movies and the classic stalking suspense of "Halloween." Sure, this is never going to be a iconic masterpiece in the slasher hall of fame, but with some gruesome impalings with a crowbar, a few big gashes with some knives,and a severed arm, so there is plenty of screaming and running, yay!!!!

Today's Cure song is "alt.end" from last year's self titled CD The Cure - (2004)

"Yeah I know I should care if you come with me
Yeah and I should care if you go
Really should care about your love or your hate of me
Yeah I should care... but I don't"

Reporting from Houston

2005-09-23T15:30:00.000-07:00

All is well.

As you all may know, Hurricane Rita is breathing down our necks. Happy to report that we seem to have dodged the proverbial bullet. Downgraded to a strong category 3 storm (instead of the massive 5 that was feared), we here in Houston are currently expecting lots of rain and only possible wind damage.

Whew!

Our prayers go out to the people along the Texas/Louisiana border who will be receiving the brunt of this storm.

CJ

Where the Hell I've been.

2005-09-01T12:39:00.000-07:00

Not quite Hell, but pretty damned close. I have been going through a bit of a hard time lately.

Short Version: I quit my job and am currently looking for another one.
Long version: E-mail me if you want that much detail.

At any rate, I am will be posting more in the coming weeks and will do everything in my power to stay in touch. I sincerely appreciate all of my blogging friends checking in on me and I thank you for your concern.

Now is anyone else excited about "The Exorcism of Emily Rose"? The previews I have been seeing on prime time have me in high expectations. Speaking on television, what an interesting Fall line up on television "Invasion" "Supernatural" and "Night Stalker"....rock on!!!

Well, sorry it took me so long to write a few lines, forgiveness please!!!!
I'll be back soon.

CJ

Land of the Dead

2005-07-01T06:48:00.000-07:00

I really need to see this movie about 5 more time to make an adequate review, but my blog visitors await word from their Rotting Dead host. So here is my preliminary review. Beware! Here there be spoilers about, savvy?...

We have waited 20 years for George A. Romero's "Land of the Dead". This fourth and more than likely final installment of the Living Dead series finally arrived on June 24th (thankfully "Dead" fans did not have to wait until October which was the rumored release date at the beginning of the year). Most of you already know the history, but as a quick reference, there was Night of the Living Dead (Romero's 1968 genre staple started it all), Dawn of the Dead (The sequel that took 10 years to make), & Day of the Dead (Which graced our screens back in 1985, so very long ago).
Now we are in the Land of the Dead.

The film opens with the old black-and-white Universal logo, with the single prop airplane orbiting the globe. How great is that? We are taken back to a time of classics which sets the stage for the intro. A series of clips from "Night..." with sound bites that tell the story thus far, as the opening credits finish we are now in present day.Romero has done it again and with fantastic style!

Here is a world where zombies rule, and it seems that there is just one last outpost of survivors protected behind the walls of a fortified city (electrified fences, blocked bridges, and a river barrier), with a gleaming high-rise at its center. Enter a group of people from the city who go out and scavenge the surrounding suburbs for everything the city needs, medicine, food, and various other supplies. Armed with an assault vehicle aptly named "Dead Reakoning". (I thought this was awesome considering that was the working title way back in February 2002 when word first appeared that Romero was considering the project)

These raiders led by the confident Riley (Simon Baker) juxtuposed against an ambitious Cholo (John Leguizamo) work for a man named Kaufman(Dennis Hopper). He’s the mastermind who built the walls, hired the army and brought the city to it's current state, keeping the zombies out and the humans in. An gleaming sanctuay to many and a prison to others.

In Fiddler’s Green, a towering glass skyscraper filled with luxury apartments, restaurants and shops, Kaufman rules supreme. Those lucky enough, and rich enough, to be allowed residence in the tower are constantly reminded of how good they have it thanks to video monitors and audio announcements constantly advertising the upscale benefits of Fiddler's Green. The lower class occupy the rest of the city, making ends meet however they can and engaging in whatever entertainment Kaufman provides, like zombie fighting matches.

But things are not as simple as they seem. Cholo wants to move up in the world, and doesn't care who he has to piss off on the way there. Riley is looking to get out of the city and far far away where there are no fences. And of course, there are the zombies.

Romero sticks with the classic zombies that shuffle and walk slowly but persistently after their victims. Purists will love that fact and hopefully appreciate the evolution that the previous movies provided, remember Bub from "Day..."?, he was learning. As these zombies learn to communicate without words, one emerges as a leader (Eugene Clark), a gas station attendent in his previous life. This zombie is tired of watching the humans destroy his 'family' and leads the zombie masses towards the city for an old fashioned munch fest.

Speaking of which, Greg Nicotero holds nothing back in the special effects department. There are some fantastic gore scenes in this film that should make any zombie fan estatically pleased! Over the top, some might say, but I think it fits perfectly with the progression of the series. The zombies get smarter, and more violent!

What I didn't like: It was too short. An additional 30 or 40 minutes would have been great to see more of the zombies and enjoy the Land they now dominate. But with only that drawback, it gets a A+! After I have seen it a few more times, I may have to publish a retraction someday, but as it stands, Kudos to Romero "King of the zombie genre"!

Today's Cure song is "Trust" from the Wish CD-(1990) Love hurts so much when it is one sided.

"i love you more than i can say
why won't you just believe?
"

Army of Darkness

2005-06-04T11:00:00.000-07:00

Trapped in time. Surrounded by evil. Low on gas.

Here is the finale to the cult classic Evil Dead series. Army of darkness (1993) was also released under some other names including:

Army of Darkness, the Ultimate Experience in Medieval Horror
Army of Darkness: Evil Dead 3
Bruce Campbell Vs. Army of Darkness (UK) (video title)

Either way, Army of Darkness is the third and last part in of the Evil Dead trilogy masterminded by the genius director Sam Raimi. Once again, starring Bruce Campbell as the punished hero Ash. A quite ordinary guy who works as a clerk in a store called "S-Mart". Per the ending of the second film, Ash gets sucked into a evil vortex and ends up in medieval England, equipped only with a shotgun and a chainsaw along side his beat-up Oldsmobile.

There he must retrieve the now classic Necronomicon from an ancient graveyard in order to create a passage back to his own time. Unfortunately he fails to correctly pronounce the spell that unlocks the curse over the book, which results in the awakening of an army of undead warriors You say you’ve heard those words before? Right! from the film The Day The Earth Stood Still, Raimi borrows the words “Klaatu Barada Nikto” as the spell which Ash must recite. This movie has some hilarious scenes as Campbell delivers his unique slapstick style against the Deadites, and even against a split off evil twin. Greg Nicotero returns to deliver the special effects goods as Ted Raimi also cameos once again.

I have heard about an alternate ending where Ash drinks the magic potion to send him back to his own time, but ends up sleeping 100 years too long. When he awakens, the world has been devastated by nuclear holocaust. The futuristic holocaust ending was supposedly Raimi's original intended ending but studios wouldn’t allow it. The powers- that-be decided that the general public would not be happy with an ending that showed destruction and left things unfinished. Therefore, the happier ending was used for most cinematic releases. The alternate ending is available on the Japanese laserdisc titled Captain Supermarket and on the Australian video released as Army of Darkness: Special Edition. I have not been able to verify if the alternate ending is also on the American 2003 release titled Army of Darkness: Boomstick Edition.

Hail to the king baby.

Also, for my birthday I did get to see the final episode of Geroge Lucas' epic saga.
Perfect! That was the first word that came to mind at 10:20pm Tuesday night 5/24 as the credits rolled following the ending of "Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith"

Today's Cure song is Hot Hot Hot!!! from the Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me CD -(1987) No secrets here, this song is about drugs.

"Hey hey hey!
But I like it when that lightening comes
Hey hey hey!
Yes I like it alot
Hey hey hey!
Yes I'm jumping like a jumping jack
Dancing screaming itching squealing fevered
Feeling hot hot hot!!!
"

It's Friday!

2005-05-20T14:56:00.000-07:00

Hey, it's Friday!! Go have fun, watch "Star Wars - Episode III: Revenge of the Sith" and enjoy your weekend. I will see you all back here next week as I celebrate the 7th Anniversary of my 29th Birthday...:-)

(*Hugs*) to all who want or need them!

CJ

Sometimes you just gotta blog!

2005-05-16T10:40:00.000-07:00

Okay so I have been meaning to post some meaningful horror movie review, or play catch up on my favorite television finales so far, but I did not make posting a priority.

Booooo! Hissss! Booo!

So today I decided to drop everything (*Annoyingly loud sound of things crashing to the floor*) and post.

Um...

Uh....

Okay, perhaps it was not such a good idea to start typing without a topic in mind. Damn!

*L* Seriously though, I will posting a review for another of my favorite horror films next week. Keep an eye out for my review of "Army of Drakness" the fantastic finale to the Evil Dead trilogy.

In the meantime, I will be looking forward to some great movies that are coming out soon. "StarWars: Episode 3-Revenge of the Sith", "Exorcist: Dominion", "War of the Worlds", and "Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory".

What??!! That last one is not horror, it is not even Science Fiction, you say. True. However, it is by Tim Burton and I have yet to be disappointed by anything he has been involved with.

I am glad that I took time to post something just to let my readers know that your rotting dead host is still here, alive and kicking,....well kicking anyway.

Today's Cure song is Piggy in the Mirror from The Top CD-(1984) This is another song where lyrics may not actually reflect any real meaning. Robert says is was when he was doing a lot of drugs and into self hatred. Personally I love the acoustic guitar solo at the bridge to the last verse. This is a classic!

"Footsteps on a wire
High above my head
The stain reveals my real intention
I'm the waiting beast
I'm the twisted nerve
As I dance dance
Back to the body in my bed "

CJ

Yu-Gi-Oh!

2005-05-01T09:34:00.000-07:00

A Japanese Manga, a hit cartoon series, a trading card game,...It's Time to Duel!!

Yu-Gi-Oh! first appeared in 1996 in a comic series (manga) by Kazuki Takahashi. It was carried in Shonen Jump, Japan's largest weekly comic magazine.
A 27-episode television series accompanied by a collectible card game was a great hit in Japan in 1998.

Konami, a Japanese company, controls Yu-Gi-Oh trading card and video game rights worldwide. Their company is well known here for its work with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles video games in the 1980's and 1990's as well as its 1981 U.S. video arcade game, Frogger. Konami started shipping Yu-Gi-Oh! Gameboy video games in 2000 via Konami of America, Inc. (Konami's U.S. presence).

4Kids Entertainment obtained the U.S. merchandizing and television rights to Yu-Gi-Oh!. from Konami in May 2001. Since then it appears a wider license has been granted to them. 4Kids is no stranger to this business as they similarly brought Pokeman from Japan to the United States. 4Kids Entertainment rapidly partnered with Warner Brothers. and Yu-Gi-Oh! premiered on Kids' WB television network in September 2001. By December 2001, the Yu-Gi-Oh! craze was sweeping America.

But what is it?

Background:

Yugi Moto's grandfather runs a game store. One day Yugi learns of a very, very old Egyptian card fighting game called "Duel Monsters", In the game, different creatures battle in magical duels. Besides just battling themselves, they also have to contend with a changing battlefield that holds many dangers. When the battle is over, only one beast rises to be called Yu-Gi-Oh! (King of Games).

From this basic story line, the Trading Card game was created and introduced gamers to monsters, magic & trap cards from the series to duel with. I was introduced to the Trading Card game in 2002 when a cousin showed me the cards and taught me how to play. Since then I have amassed a decent collection and have become an excellent duelist.

You can find all the basic information about the game and how to play from the official Konami Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game website:

Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game

A fantastic resource for card information and great deals on buying hundreds of the best Yu-Gi-Oh! cards ever introduced in the game. Check out:

Yu-Gi-Oh! Land

The Amityville Horror (2005)

2005-04-26T09:51:00.000-07:00

The House With Eyes returns! The incredible story of a family terrorized by evil spirits after moving into a home that was the site of a grisly mass-murder is fantastically re-told by director Andrew Douglas. What sets this new version apart from the classic 1979 The Amityville Horror , is the scare factor. The thought I had immediately following the end of the movie was, "Even the predictable scares were done excellently."

Ryan Reynolds (of "Blade: Trinity" fame)did the most spectacular job of reprising the role of George Lutz. The role of Geroge Lutz was previously held in the minds of horror fans solely by James Brolin, Reynolds surely pleased fans of the original movie putting him side by side with Brolin.

I thoroughly enjoyed watching a relatively new director bring together such a stunning grade 'A' re-make. The plot (whether based on fact or fiction) is true to the story we have all come to love and flows in Douglas' version as well as, if not better, than the original. Not surprising when you note that producer Michael Bay had a hand in blockbusters such as "Bad Boys" "Armageddon" and "Pearl Harbor". The special effects (which are superb!)help bring this verison to mastery status. They are courtesy of David J. Barker, who has films under his belt that include "Hildalgo", "Ocean's Eleven" and the hit television series "Angel".

One difference I really liked is how in this version, George never 'sees' the light enough to save his family. It is Kathy Lutz (played by Melissa George) who ends up taking action to get the family away from the house. I also find it interesting as a side note that this so called true story always has changes in the details. Granted it only supposedly based on a true story but as I mentioned in my post on the original 1979 film, there is so much information out there on both sides of the arguement. Well, whatever the case it is afterall just Hollywood.
Or is it? Hmmm, it's 3:15 am....

Today's Cure song is Charlotte Sometimes from the Standing on a Beach - The Singles CD-(1986) Compilation album of the officially released singles from 1979-1985. According to Robert, this particular song was inspired by the eponymous book by Penelope Farmer.(Okay I had to look the word 'eponymous' up; it means a character in a play,book,song, etc. that has the same name as the title)

"On that bleak track
(See the sun is gone again)
The tears were pouring down her face
She was crying and crying for a girl
Who died so many years before... "

CJ

What's in my CD player?

2005-04-19T05:57:00.000-07:00

I decided to write a post about all the other music I listen from time to time. Although The Cure is my all time favorite band, and I do have just about everything they have released on CD, there are quite a few other artists I enjoy listening to.

Long time readers and friends know that I am also a big Prince fan, as evident in my post about his most recent concert stop in Houston for Musicology. But what else can found spinning for the laser light to read?

I like a variety of music from across the spectrum of possibilities, R&B, Classical, Rap, Alternative, Classic Rock, 80s, Disco, Metal, and a very little country & tejano.
Here is sample list of music I like listening to, highlighting some of my favorite songs:

ABBA (Dancing Queen, Waterloo, Fernando)
AC/DC (Who made who?, Back in Black, Highway to Hell)
A-Ha (Take On Me) {Okay so they are kinda like a one hit wonder, but they actually have been making music from 1985 to 2003}
Aerosmith (Walk This Way,Dream On, I Don't Want To Miss A Thing)
Beatles (Hello Goodbye, Help!, Eleanor Rigby)
Bach (The Brandenburg Concertos)
Billy Joel (You May Be Right,Movin' Out, Only The Good Die Young)
Blondie (Dreamin',Call Me, Rapture)
Bruce Springsteen (Born in the Usa, Born to Run, Dancing in the Dark)
Bee Gees (Tragedy, Night Fever, More Than a Woman)
Beethoven (Moonlight Sonata)
B-52s (Roam, Rock Lobster, Love Shack)
Beastie Boys (New Stlye, Brass Monkey,So What'cha Want)
Cure (Um....read just about any post in my blog history, but my favorite would have to be "To The Sky")
Cheap Trick (She's Tight, Surrender, I Want You To Want Me)
Cars (Drive, Magic, Shake It Up)
CCR (Bad Moon Rising, The Midnight Special, Have You Ever Seen The Rain?)
Culture Club (Miss Me Blind, Karma Chameleon, Time-Clock of the Heart)
Cameo (Word Up!, Sparkle in Your Eyes, Candy)
Cyndi Lauper (True Colors, Time After Time, Change of Heart)
Denali (Gunner, Everybody Knows, Lose Me)
Depeche Mode (Enjoy the Silence, Policy of Truth, Strange Love)
Donna Summer (Hot Stuff, On The Radio, Last Dance)
Deftones (Change-In The House of Flies, Hexagram, back to School)
DuranDuran (Come Undone, Union of the Snake, Hungry Like the Wolf)
Eminem (Just Don't Give a Fuck, Stan, Without Me)
Elvis (Don't Be Cruel, All Shook Up, Jailhouse Rock)
Eagles (Lying Eyes, Hotel California, Life in the Fast Lane)
Elton John (I'm Still Standing, Benny and the Jets, Nikita)
Enya (Anywhere Is, Only If, Only Time)
Erasure (Blue Savannah, Sometimes, A Little Respect)
Earth, Wind & Fire (September, Shining Star, Boogie Wonderland)
Fats Domino (I'm Walkin', Blueberry Hill, Whole Lot of Loving)
Fleetwood Mac (Everywhere, Hold Me, Little Lies)
Garbage (I'm Only Happy When it Rains, Queer, Stupid Girl)
George Michael (Monkey, Faith, Kissing a Fool)
Gwen Stefani (It's My Life, I Know We're Cool, What Cha' Waiting For?)
Heart (Baracuda, Dog & Butterfly, Crazy on You)
INXS (The One Thing, What You Need, Devil Inside)
Ice Cube (Once Upon Time in the Projects, You Can't Fade Me, It Was a Good Day)
Janet Jackson (Let's Wait Awhile, Escapade, When I Think of You)
Journey (Don't Stop Believin', Who's Crying Now?, Lovin'-Touchin'-Squeezin')
Janis Joplin (Summertime, Me & My BobbyMcGee, Cry Baby)
Jefferson Airplane/Starship (Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now, Find Your Way Back,Don't You Want Somebody to Love?)
KISS (Detroit Rock City, Love Gun, Tears Are Fallin')
Linkin Park (Numb, Points of Authority, Crawling)
Madonna (Borderline, Material Girl, Deeper & Deeper)
Morrisey/The Smiths (This Charming Man, Hairdresser on Fire, Everyday is Like Sunday, Girlfriend in a Coma, Panic, The More You Ignore Me the Closer I Get)
Michael Jackson (Thriller, Smooth Criminal, Rock With You)
Men At Work (It's A Mistake, Overkill, Down Under)
Metallica (Master of the Puppets, Dyer's Eve, Blackened)
Naked Eyes (Promises-Promises, Voices in My Head, Always Something There to Remind Me)
No Doubt (The Climb, Spiderwebs, Don't Speak)
Norah Jones (Come Away With Me, Don't Know Why, Sunrise)
Ozzy (Crazy Train, No More Tears, Paranoid)
Otis Redding (These Arms of Mine, I've Been Loving You Too Long, Dock of the Bay)
Pat Benetar (Heartbreaker, Invinsible, Shadows of the Night)
Paul McCartney (Band on the Run, Silly Love Songs, With a Little Luck)
Pet Shop Boys (What Have I Done to Deserve This?, Westend Girls, It's a Sin)
Prince (Impossible to pick just a few...When Doves Cry, Soft & Wet, Call My Name, Do Me Baby, Theives in the Temple, Insatiable, Morning Papers, Adore, Slow Love, Seventeen Days, Raspberry Beret....just to name a few)
Police (Message in a Bottle, Don't Stand So Close to Me, Every Breath You Take)
Paula Abdul (Straight Up, Forever Your Girl, Ain't Never Gonna Give You Up)
Queen (Killer Queen, Another One Bites the Dust, A Kind of Magic)
Run DMC (Kind of Rock, Peter Piper, Proud to be Black)
Rolling Stones (Satisfaction, Jumpin' Jack Flash, Start Me Up)
Stevie Nicks (Edge of Seventeen, Leather & Lace, Stand Back)
Supertramp (Breakfast in America, Logical Song, Give a Little Bit)
Stevie Wonder (Isn't She Lovely?, You Are the Sunshine of my Life, Signed-Sealed-Delivered I'm Yours)
Steely Dan (Hey Nineteen, Peg, FM)
Sundays (Here is Where the Story Ends, Summertime, Goodbye)
Toto (Hold the Line, Rosana, I'll Be Over You)
Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers (American Girl, Refugee, You Got Lucky)
U2 (Pride, Zoo Station, Sunday Bloody Sunday)
Van Halen (Hot For Teacher, Jump, Panama)
Wham! (Careless Whispers, A Different Corner, I'm Your Man)
AND Originals Movie Soundtracks (Grease, Creepshow, Heavy Metal)

Wow! Now that is a lot of music. That is not all I listen to, but a damn good sampling. Leave comments, shoot me an e-mail, enjoy some music, have a great day!!

As ever, I close with a favortie from The Cure...

Today's Cure song is Catch from the Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me CD -(1987) A simple song about a girl he used to know. Very soft with beautiful violins!

"You know I even think that she smiled like you
She used to just stand there and smile
And her eyes would go all sort of far away
And stay like that for quite a while"

Shaun of the Dead

2005-04-14T17:23:00.000-07:00

I laughed so hard!
Now that is something you hear every now and then, but I don't say it that often. For this great movie from director Edgar Wright, it is a perfect comment.

"Shaun of the Dead" was listed as a romantic comedy...with zombies, and it lives up to all of that description. Wright, who co-wrote the film with Simon Pegg (who plays Shaun), also demonstrates that he has only grown since "Fistful of Fingers", his debut film in 1994.

Shaun is nearing 30, stuck in a crappy sales job (where his younger co-workers show him no respect), and his girlfriend Liz (Kate Ashfield) is unhappy having none of his quality time. Where he does spend a lot of free time is with his ultra-slacker friend, Ed (Nick Frost), at their local pub, the Winchester. When Liz dumps him, Shaun's so glum he doesn't even realize that London's been overrun with flesh-eating zombies.

It is hilarious to watch how long it takes for Shaun and Ed to realise anything's wrong. Once they do get it, they're not necessarily quick to make a plan; at one point trying to use vinyl records to decapitate a pair of zombies in the backyard. Shaun and Ed bicker about which bands deserve preservation--New Order they keep, but Sade becomes a lethal frisbee. They also mention one of my favorite artists Prince--

Ed: Purple Rain.
Shaun: No.
Ed: Sign o' the Times.
Shaun: Definitely not.
Ed: The Batman soundtrack?
Shaun: Throw it.

Shaun fights his way across town to rescue Liz, save his mother, and set up a stronghold at his ever loved Winchester. The plot rips along beautifully and parodies both the romantic comedy and zombie genres, while at the same time remaining true to both of them. The great (mostly British)supporting cast includes Bill Nighy, Penelope Wilton, Dylan Moran and Lucy Davis

Shaun of the Dead was hugely inspired by the classic zombie flick, "Dawn of the Dead". Its creator George A. Romero was reportedly so impressed with the film that he was quoted as loving it and being really flattered stating, "If you come over to the States then I'll come along to a screening". Furthermore, it is rumored that both Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright are taking on cameo roles in Romero's latest zombie installment, "Land of the Dead" which is due to arrive in theatres October 2005!

And what a fantastic soundtrack!! My favorite song would have to be "Don't Stop Me Now" by Queen. But there is also songs from Goblins, Ash, Man parrish and one of my favorite songs from The Smiths, "Panic" How cool it that? Panic in the streets of London....*L*

A surperbly enjoyable film and the DVD extras will give you more Shaun than you can throw a vinyl record at!!

Today's Cure song is Just One Kiss from the Japanese Whispers CD - (1985) Robert says that this is a song that tells the story of a shared night of passion. Then why does he mention that someone died? Although he is my favorite artist, I can't say that he songs always make sense. Then again, this was in the mid 80's and not everything from the 80's makes sense.

"Remember the time that the sky went black
We waited alone on the sands
Remember the taste of the raging sea
But nobody held out their hands "

CJ

Sounds of the Dead

2005-04-11T08:01:00.000-07:00

My love for horror doesn't stop with books and movies. I bought these two original soundtracks from the fantastic composer John Harrison. What a great way to re-live the movies!

The first CD is the original soundtrack to the 1982 horror cult classic Creepshow . The composer, John Harrison, was actually employed as the Assistant Director on Creepshow, but stepped in to score the soundtrack when director George A. Romero decided that the 1950's library music he was initially going to use wasn't really what he was looking for. According to the liner notes, Romero just kind of said, "Go for it!" and this is the excellent result.

Also included on this CD is music from a few episodes of the hit TV show Tales from the Darkside, which Harrison actually wrote and directed as well as scored. There's also a few demo tracks from George Romero's aborted project Shoobie Doobie Moon (which was planned to be a send-up of 1950's monster movies). All this information is summarized from the 13 page color booklet with screen shots from the movie.

The second CD is a limited edition (3000 copies, and I got number 2274) soundtrack to the Romero classic Day of the Dead. It kicks off with the lengthy "Dead Suite" - a 19 minute piece of music containing the music from the first five minutes of the film and uses the memorable cues and themes that continue along the storyline of the movie. In my head I was also hearing the dialogue from the opening sequence.

The other tracks use other cues and themes found throughout the movie. The final 5 bonus tracks are various cues (some repeated from the "Dead Suite"), but with additional sound effects from the movie - zombies munching, ripping flesh and moaning. Too Cool! This one came with a 12 page booklet containing interesting notes both Harrison and Romero.

Die-hard horror fans might appreciate the joy I found when I opened the package I received in the mail and found these 2 soundtracks in perfect condition taking me back on two journeys of horrific fun!

Today's Cure song is "A Short Term Effect" from the Pornography CD-(1982) Here is a song RObert says is about drugs and their short term effect. As you listen to the music it does kind of feel like the ending of a rush. Not an uplifting song to say the very least, but still a classic from the early repertoire.

"A day without substance
A changeof thought
An atmosphere that rots with time
Colours that flicker in water
A short term effect"

CJ

Evil Dead 2

2005-04-06T21:36:00.000-07:00

"Evil Dead 2: Dead by Dawn"

Because you couldn’t get enough gore or enough of Bruce Campbell! Here is a familiar setting, in the woods alone except for some evil force that creates ‘deadites’. This film is often mistaken as a re-make of the original because of the way the flashback sequence in the beginning is different from the original. It appears that way because director Sam Raimi could not get the rights to the original footage from New Line Cinema. Imagine that! So he re-shot some scenes to bring the audience up to speed on what the evil dead is all about. Then he lets Bruce Campbell’s returning character “Ash” fend off the ensuing nightmare.

The special make-up effects are outstanding as Greg Nicotero (who got his break assisting Tom Savini in 1985 with “Day of the Dead”) presents plenty of gore. The cinematography is excellent including the return of the first person point-of-view Steadicam. The film takes place pretty much all in one cabin which this time is not out in the boonies of Tennessee, but on a set built inside the gymnasium of the JR Faison Junior High School in Wadesboro, North Carolina. Looks like Raimi was able to get a more substancial financial backing after the success of the first Evil Dead film.

Aside from the horror of the movie, a majority of the scenes are slap-stick comedy and hilarious! At one point Ash cuts off his own demon-possessed hand, now you'd think evil hands had been overplayed, but you would be wrong. Campbell is a genius as he fights against his own hand and suffers great abuse from it, making the audience tremble and flinch with him as he masters the scenes alone.

Of noted interest, a glove belonging to the “A Nightmare on Elm Street” Freddy Krueger character can be seen hanging near the steps in one of the cellar scenes. This was in response to Wes Craven’s use of scenes from “Evil Dead” on a television screen in “A Nightmare...”

As a sequel, the plot could not have been better, especially the way it ends and sets the stage for the final film of the trilogy. An obvious MUST for fans of the first movie, and a great treat for fans of Bruce Campbell.

Kiss Your Nerves Good-Bye!

Today's Cure song is Want from the Wild Mood Swings CD-(1996) Here is the first song from this CD. Beginning with a pounding guitar riff that slows builds to a thundering intro, this song is about desires. A kind of sister song to "Never Enough". The following lyrics from this song have become some of my all time favorite...

"i want the sky to fall in
i want lightning and thunder
i want blood instead of rain
i want the world to make me wonder
want to walk on water
take a trip to the moon
oh give me all this
and give me it soon "

CJ

Yokoso ni Houston!

2005-04-04T07:12:00.000-07:00

"Welcome to Houston!"

Saturday was a spectacular day to attend the 12th Annual Houston Japan Festival in Hermann Park. It was great to take in the sights and sounds of the Japanese culture. My wife, my son and I were there for about 3 hours and enjoyed so much! My personal favorite was listening to the Taiko. The Japanese drums not only sound awesome but are so very much a part of the artistic culture. I also enjoyed watching a Kendo demonstration . My wife always like to take a stroll through the Japanese gardens, which are a permanent attraction in the park, but this time it was extra special with the presentation of Banzai trees, Japanese flower arrangements, and a Tea Ceremony.

What my son loved most, actually had nothing to do with the festival itself. As I was when I was his age, he is fascinated by trains, so off we went (he and I) around Hermann park on the little train. He waved to the people and loves how it winds and turns on the “squiggly” track. The moment we were about to pull back into the station, he wanted to go again.

Now you know you are not going to attend a festival of any kind and not partake of the foods. We had sausage on a stick, eggrolls and rice, chicken teriyaki and noodles, and a Texas Tater Twister. Just in case you are about to ask, that is basically fresh potato chips. They spin a potato on a small lathe which spins the potato into a thin spiral shaved heap which is then deep fried, Viola! Potato chips!

So, we had a grand time, the weather was perfect, and where else would see a 2 ½ foot Koi? The sun was particularly brutal but luckily my son was running around too much for the sun’s rays to catch him and he came home with no burn, unlike Mama and Dada who were lightly toasted.

Today's Cure song is All Cats Are Grey from the FaithCD - (1981) A song Robert says is about a nightmare of being lost in caves and the fear of growing old. For me it has a very distant feel to it, like being in outer space or something. Since I have never been in outer space, it is what I think it would feel like...:-)

"No shapes sail on the dark deep lakes
And no flags wave me home"

CJ

Serenity, Courage, & Wisdom

2005-04-01T06:31:00.000-08:00

Some of you may recognize those three words from a famous prayer.

"God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
the courage to change the things I can,
and the wisdom to know the difference."

It is known as the alcoholics creed, but can be a pillar of strength to anyone. But, why am I posting it here today? On a horror blog? At this hour? ...*L*

Seriously, I think it really is a beautiful mantra and a call to action for any self improvement pursuits you undertake. Well, I have recently begun to assert my courage. To live life free of storms or unpleasant change is an unrealistic ideal, but to move towards such a goal can be empowering. So I thought I would post some thoughts on this today and hopefully stimulate conversation among my my faithful readers.

A beautiful soul (my wife) once told me that the things we want in life are just the gravy. It is the fundamental elements of our soul's growth that matter most in this life. I agree. We tend to get bogged down in our desires and forget to focus on living. We often want material things or selfish attention but we do so to the point of developing mixed up priorities and causing ourselves undue grief. So, I accept that I cannot change other people, I look forward to the challenges of making changes where I can, and reveal in the wisdom that I have attained over the years.

Now, how does all of this tie into a horror blog? Well I am so glad that you asked. I love to talk. Simple enough huh? I do go on and on, sometimes I talk ad nauseum, and even at times to myself. Since I have started this blog, I have found one more way to talk. I type. I have mentioned before that I enjoy the subject of horror on many fronts, writing is one of those. When I have no specific topic but still want to write, I intend to just talk. Fair enough?

To my new readers: Hi!
Thanks for stopping by. Please feel free to look around and drop me an e-mail if you like.

Have a great weekend!!

Today's Cure song is More Than This from the original soundtrack for "The X-Files" movie and also found on theJoin The Dots: B-Sides and Rarities Collection - (2004) When reading the liner notes of the "Join..." set, Robert mentions that he is a long time X-Files fan and was happy to do a song for the soundtrack. My wife really likes this song and I cannot blame her! With its ambient synth sound, the mood is very trippy and fits well with the theme of sci-fi. But it is the lyrics that really put it over the top as a great song.

"Make believe in magic
Make believe in dreams
Make believe impossible
Nothing as is seems
To see, touch, taste, smell, hear
But never know if its real
"

CJ

Friday the 13th

2005-03-30T10:48:00.000-08:00

Okay, it is not a Friday nor is it the 13th but as I looked back at all the horror movies I have reviewed so far, one of the most famous slasher series has yet to be tackled, so I present my review for...

“Friday the 13th”

Now there is so much one can talk about when you have a series that spans 23 years on screen and 525 years in the storyline. Let’s just start from the beginning shall we?

In 1980, director Sean Cunningham brought a now classic tale of the teenage murders to the big screen. “Friday the 13th” written by Victor Miller (who also wrote some story and characters for all the sequels except for part 2 and part 9 “Jason Goes to Hell”) would join A Nightmare on Elm Street and Halloween as THE ‘80s movies that launched a horror craze!

The premise (for those of you who have never seen it); A group of eager (and horny) teenagers decide to re-open Camp Crystal Lake, which 20 years earlier was closed after the shocking and mysterious murders of two amorous camp counselors. You can take it from there, as the teens get picked off one by one, during a dark and stormy night; of course, their car won't start and there's no phone. Simple enough, but a great story brought to life by the master of horror special effects Tom Savini.

Look for a young Kevin Bacon (his first leading role in a feature film after making his feature film debut in "National Lampoon's Animal House" in 1978) as the requisite stud, you can tell that's what he is supposed to be because when the cast appears in swimsuits, he's wearing a Speedo.

The film has some pretty gruesome death scenes, knife to the stomach, throat slit with knife, arrow through neck and a few more. In the end one character, Alice (Adrienne King) is left as the sole survivor of this massacre and a conversation that leaves the door open for the sequels. Speaking of which, some of those sequels should never have been made, but it gives die-hard horror fans more to watch and builds a legacy that is known throughout the entertainment world by one name…Jason.

Side note: The movie series spawned "Friday the 13th: The Series" for television which ran for 3 years from 1987-1990. It was pretty good even though it had nothing to do with the movies.

So, if you have never seen it, it is worth watching as a classic at this point. If you know it well, go out and buy the DVD and add it to your collection, October 31st is not all that far away and it makes a great Halloween flick.

Today's Cure song is "High" from the Wish CD-(1990) This is a song about happiness! Okay I know that there are some Cure songs that do not go with my whole horror theme, but hey I am Cure fan whole hearted and whatever song enters my head is the one I showcase.

"When I see you sky as a kite
As high as I might
I can't get that high
And how you move
The way you burst the clouds
It makes me want to try "

What time is it?

2005-03-29T19:27:00.000-08:00

Okay, it's 9:38pm on Tuesday evening and I am blogging. I don't really have anything to share today, but I just want to make sure that my regular readers know that I am committed to my most recent return to the blogging community.

Having said that, I am hoping to submit a movie review on tomorrow. Which one will it be? Tune in and see.

Today's Cure song is The Blood from the Head on the Door CD - (1985) I like this song but I am not sure why. The flamenco style guitar that is throughout is mezmerizing!

"As I cool in the twilight
Taste the salt on my skin
I recall all the tears
All the broken words
"

It's Monday!

2005-03-28T08:15:00.000-08:00

Okay so not many people like mondays, I used to be one of them. But I have come to understand that it is just another day we have been given, to do with, what we can. We can sit and complain about the weather, our job, or a myriad of other concerns, but to what end?

We can be thankful that we do not have tsunamis or earthqaukes everyday, that we have a job (or for some of us-that we don't need or want a job) and the fact that it is Monday should make no difference. Now, most of this I am typing is in an effort to boost my own moral, but it does make good sense.

In the news, cigarette lighters have been banned from the nation's airports. But never fear, The Transportation Security Administration says smokers will be only slightly inconvenienced as you can carry up to 4 books of matches.

Let me get this straight, butane lighters (which requires a person to hold the ignition button while applying the flame to the cigarette or whatever you are trying to burn) will not be allowed, BUT you can have up to 4 books of matches which can be tied together, lit with one match and thrown down to start a chain reaction as you flee. ???

I am all for travel safety but I never know what to think about the latest news from Homeland security.

Now for some good news, our son had a good Easter. Two baskets, eggs, and lots of candy! I didn't need to get a basket to have some candy for myself. My wife and I saved some of the sweets for ourselves. My favorite, Brach's "Chicks & Bunnies" which are exactly like the old fashioned marshmallow Circus Peanuts. Yummy!! We also went to see Robots on Saturday. Robin Williams is still one of the funniest voices in entertaiment!

No Cure song for this post, gotta run.
Have a great week!!

CJ

Feeling Good

2005-03-25T05:40:00.000-08:00

Although I have no desire to make Zam look bad and do not want unduely freak out Di, I am back again!

Blogging sure does make me feel good.

You know what else makes me feel good? Music!! Last night I bought the Janis Joplin's Greatest Hits CD. Man, we can only imagine what her ultimate greatest hits collection would look like had she more than 3 years of music. My all time favorite from her is "Summertime". One reason is probably because of my love for the art of animation.

Did that throw you far enough off?

You see, in 1981 & '82, there were three movies which came out that were full length feature movies done totally in animation. "Heavy Metal" (based on stories from the Sci-Fi/Fantasy Magazine), "Hey Good Lookin'", and "American Pop". These movies were a young artist's dream come true. Let's see, in 1981 I was...younger than I am now. I was not yet writing poetry back then but the fire was already brewing in my love of music and art.

To see the combination of music and great art work come to life on screen was inspiring. It was "American Pop" that I was referring to a moment ago. With a soundtrack of jazz, folk, and even a little punk music, it tells the story of 4 generations of musicians. A large majority of the film covers '60s psychedelia including Jimi Hendrix, Jefferson Airplane, and Janis.

There is a small portion of "Summertime" in this film that caught my attention and held it ever since. As many times as I have heard it, I have never owned it until now. Color me Happy!

Now, I would like to wish you all a very Happy Easter. No matter what you end up doing, enjoy some time for yourselves. I will be hiding Easter eggs for my 4 year old (who is almost 5 now) and eating lots of candy. Well some candy, he may not let me have that much..*L*

Today's Cure song is The Kiss from the Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me CD -(1987) Fans of The Cure know that Robert is a fantastic guitarist, this song showcases that talent! It has only a few lyrics, but it is the music which drives your emotions and sends your soul spinning.

"Kiss me kiss me kiss me
Your tongue is like poison
So swollen it fills up my mouth "

Look Who's Blogging!

2005-03-24T06:03:00.000-08:00

Alright!! I'm on a roll, two days in a row. I like making time to blog whether it's posting or visiting friends. Now that I have made a commitment to my faithful readers, I will certainly be posting more often. The important thing is not to re-arrange priorities JUST to blog. For example, here are some bad ideas:

Patient: Where is the doctor?
Nurse: Um...he's updating his blog.
Patient: Shouldn't he finish my surgery first??

In Rome on Easter-
1st Visitor: Well I guess the Pope wasn't feeling well after all.
2nd Visitor: Actually, he is blogging on Vatican.Net

So, since I am not a surgeon nor am I in charge of leading the consecration of faith for the Catholic Empire, I will make a little time to blog to my heart's content.

Speaking of which, Easter is this coming Sunday, so that means that we should have the store shelves stocked with Fourth of July themed goodies by Monday. *L* Don't you think that is weird? Commercialism is such a staple in our lives,yet without it I suppose we would not be the Majestic Imperial United States.

(*Pause*)
(*Thoughts catching up*)
(*Empire?...Imperial??...*)

Star Wars: Episode 3 is coming!!!!!!!!!!! I, for one, have been waiting for this since forever it seems. Die hard SW fans are looking forward to excitement,action, drama, and closure on May 19th. For others who are not so hard-core, it should still be a damn fine movie.

Hey I have to run, Blog on!

Today's Cure song is "Lullaby" from the Disintegration CD-(1989) Here's a creeping tune with violins that drag you down into the waiting spider's lair. Smooth and haunting one of my all time favorites.

"Quietly he laughs and shaking his head. Creeps
closer now, closer to the foot of the bed. And
softer than shadow and quicker than flies, his
arms are all around me and his tongue in my
eyes."

CJ

Checking In

2005-03-23T05:56:00.000-08:00

First, I want to give a shout out to Zam, hi Zam!!! Thanks to one of recent posts I decided to start posting on a more regular basis even if I don't have much to say. I love doing movie reviews but perhaps I was being unrealistic in my desire to post them as often as I would like. Truth is, it is not a priority that I make time for these days.

Now, don't get me wrong, I will indeed post more as I make time to do so. I still have in mind reviews for "White Noise", "Constantine", and a movie called "Dark Craving". So until then, what I hope to do get back to blogging more than once a month.

In the news, aside from tragic cases like Terry Schiavo and the school shooting in Minnesota which certainly have people talking from sun up to sun down, what I want to know is why our tax dollars were wasted investigating steroids in baseball last week? Can't we think of anything better to use a congressional committee for??

On television, who is watching the following shows: American Idol, Survivor, & The Amazing Race? (*Raises hand*) There is most definitely a reason that blogging gets less attention, I love televison too much. Throw in some CSI, Smallville, and PBS specials and it's no wonder where my time goes. For Idol, I have picked my favorites Jessica Sierra, Carrie Underwood, & Constantine. I am not sure why a couple of the others have made it this far, but we will see. For Survivor, poor Oolong tribe. I think my favorite candidates for the final two are Ibrehem and Tom. Of course Ibrehem will have to learn how to take deeper breaths next time!!! Lastly, although I can't stand that Rob & Amber are still in first place in the Amazing Race, they are good at what they do. Still I pick Uchenna & Joyce and Alex & Lynn as the final runners.

Well that's all for now. I'll be back soon.

Today's Cure song is Halo part of the Join The Dots: B-Sides and Rarities Collection - (2004) A pop/feel good love song which Robert says is simply about..."a kiss"

"I want to keep this feeling
deep inside of me,
I want you always in my heart.
You are everything "

CJ

Invasion of the Body Snatchers

2005-02-16T13:24:00.000-08:00

One of my all time favorite Sci-Fi/Horror movies is Invasion of the Body Snatchers. Now to clarify from the beginning, I like the original and the first re-make. So in discussing them, I will simply start at the beginning.

Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956) produced by Walter Wanger and directed by Don Siegel is a thrilling, disturbing black & white classic! Listed in video stores and movie catalogs under science fiction, alien films, horror, thriller, and mystery, this film was one that made the 1950’s movie era such a grand treasure for fans like me. It is based on the story written by Jack Finney in 1955 titled “The Body Snatchers”

It begins with a disheveled physician, Dr. Miles Bennell (played by Kevin McCarthy), distraught and seeming to be psychotic, raving on about alien invaders. We are taken in a series of flashbacks to a few days earlier, through the events that tell the terrifying tale of a take-over of the town of Santa Mira, California. As the good doctor begins to realize that something is amiss, the plot elicits a genuine feeling of horror with slow-building tension. This is achieved even though there are no monsters (just indestructible plant-like pods), minimal special effects, no violence in the take-over of humans, and no deaths.

Between the suspicion of one's peers and the incredible tension created by the need of the characters to not fall asleep (the pods take over the moment one falls asleep, if only for a brief second), this is one of the most emotionally stressful films ever made. The moment when Kevin McCarthy looks into the face of Dana Wynter and realizes that she has drifted off to sleep for a brief second (this happens near the end of the film) is one of the best scenes in an early horror movie ever!

“Invasion of the Body Snatchers” (1978) is my favorite version of the story. In this version writer Philip Kaufman, who is also the genius responsible for the scripts to “Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark” (1981) as well as “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade” (1989), does great justice to an already fantastic tale. Starring Donald Sutherland (Matthew Bennell-food inspector for the health department this time around) and Brooke Adams. You also have cameo roles by Kevin McCarthy as a man running on the freeway and Don Siegel as a cabdriver. There is some awesome acting with the supporting cast portraying their characters, from the quirky and neurotic Jeff Goldblum to the intuitive and resilient Veronica Cartwright. And what’s this? It’s Leonard Nimoy! Not as Mr. Spock but as a contemporary therapist named Dr. David Kibner. The final scene in this version is of the best endings I have ever seen, twisted, eerie and downright scary making this one of the greatest psychological thrillers ever made.

The final version (so far) comes from director Abel Ferrara. “The Body Snatchers” (1994) – which revives the book's original title – stars Gabrielle Anwar, Meg Tilly and Forrest Whittaker. It is set on a Southern military base, which may have been its biggest flaw. Setting the story on a military base where through necessity human individuality is disallowed and where the newly introduced protagonists don’t know the other characters means we have a story that lacks compelling and terrifying drama. I suppose you should watch it just to compare for yourselves.

Today's Cure song is Grinding Halt from the Boys Don't Cry CD -(1979) According to Robert, 'Entropy & Apathy'

"Stopped
Short
Grinding halt
Everything's coming to a grinding halt"

Se7en

2005-01-21T11:01:00.000-08:00

Well just a quick update, I am settling into my new job (which I started on January 3rd) and loving it. So I thought I might take a moment and give my visitors a new movie review.

"Se7en" (Seven deadly sins. Seven ways to die)

Morgan Freeman is veteran homicide detective William Somerset, about to retire in seven days (here scripter Andrew Kevin Walker throws out a red herring for the title). Brad Pitt is David Mills, his brash replacement. Somerset and Mills end up at a crime scene where an obese man was apparently murdered at his kitchen table while eating a bowl of spaghetti. Other murders they're sent on soon show a link, the seven deadly sins. Gluttony, Greed, Lust, Sloth, Pride, Envy and Wrath

Somerset and Mills' begin a desperate hunt for a serial killer who justifies his crimes as absolution for the world's ignorance of the Seven Deadly Sins. The movie takes us from the tortured remains of one victim to the next as the sociopath "John Doe" sermonizes to Detectives Sommerset and Mills, one sin at a time.

This is not a fantastic movie, but a must see for fans of horror, thriller, or crime drama. A few scenes are graphic, but the power of the film comes from a decent plot and some great acting. Freeman and Pitt co-star and providing believable characters. Kevin Spacey does a spectacular job of portraying the creepy killer. And rounding out the cast is the Gwyneth Paltrow as Mills' wife. Spacey and Pitt are the ones who make this film really enjoyable. Although Freeman is a star, his role seems downplayed if not forced. Paltrow does not have enough quality screen time, in fact she ends up being more of a plot device.

One thing I was glad to note was the directing and dark cinematography. David Fincher returns to the big screen having quite a few credits under his belt. Known for past film visual effects on "Alien³", "Indiana Jones & Temple of Doom" and "Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi" (where he was assistant cameraman for optical effects). Fincher also helped in directing a few musical artists' films such as "Aerosmith: Big Ones You Can Look at", "Dangerous: The Short Films" for Michael Jackson, and "Madonna: The Immaculate Collection" He does a great job of creating a bleak atmosphere even when it is broad daylight in the film. There is also a lot of rain which always makes settings ripe for a dark mood.

Overall, I give it a B+. Again, not a great film but one worth watching and a must for horror fans!

Today's Cure song is The Upstairs Room from the Japanese Whispers CD - (1985) Robert often writes that he is not sure what a song means; sometimes a song is written as random lyrics to a great tune, this is one of those examples. The guitar riffs are possessive as they jump along and swirl the listener through different moods.

"The upstairs room is cool and bright
We can go up there in summer
And dance all night"

CJ

Happy New Year!

2004-12-30T07:35:00.000-08:00

Okay, first the good news, I have a new job!! Whew, what a crazy month it has been. I received word on my new position just before christmas, so talk about a great present!! Then for christmas we got snow in Houston,Texas which is news worthy because we have not had snow since about 1989.

So, with fresh piece of mind, horror movie reviews will resume in the next couple of weeks. As I get settled in the new job, I will certainly be looking forward to blogging on a regular basis once again.

I want to sincerely thank all of my friends who kept me in their thoughts during my hiatus, it really means alot.

Today's Cure song is There Is No If... from the Bloodflowers CD-(2000) A sad song from one of their most melancholic releases.

"Remember the last time I told you I love you
It was warm and safe in a perfect world
You yawned and I had to say it over"

CJ

Bugger!

2004-11-29T20:41:00.000-08:00

Well there's a damn fine reason I have not been around to update my blog, I have been looking for a new job! Long Story short: Old job contract comes to an end, time to get a new position.

So, although horror is not far from my mind, I have not had too much time to post. Please feel free to look through the archived entries I have here at Blog of the Rotting Dead and enjoy. For my frequent visitors, keep in touch, I will blog again soon. For first time visitors, I am sure that you will find a lot of the posts I have made to be entertaining and possibly informative as well.

Until next time,

Today's Cure song is Six Different Ways from the Head on the Door CD - (1985) A piano rich tune with the sound of a dancing flute! This song is about multiple personalities.

"This is stranger than I thought
Six different ways inside my heart"

Psycho

2004-11-17T08:31:00.000-08:00

Phoenix officeworker Marion Crane (Janet Leigh) is fed up with the way life has treated her. She has to meet her lover Sam in lunch breaks and they cannot get married because Sam has to give most of his money away in alimony. One Friday Marion is trusted to bank $40,000 by her employer. Seeing the opportunity to take the money and start a new life, Marion leaves town and heads towards Sam's California store. Tired after the long drive and caught in a storm, she gets off the main highway and pulls into The Bates Motel. The motel is managed by a quiet young man called Norman who seems to be dominated by his mother.

What a simple description for such a fantastic thriller. Not as scary as some of the horror that has blazened across the silver screen since then, but for 1960, horrific!
Alfred Hitchcock was a mystery/thriller genius storyteller. His direction of "Pscyho" gave the term 'sick' a whole new meaning. Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins) was not a raging lunatic with inhuman strength, he was mentally ill which can be much more frightening.

A lot of articles have been written about this classic film, but suffice to say that you should watch it again for a gem from Hitchcock's collection of dark tales. What's that? You have never seen "Psycho"? Get out!!! *L* Okay, don't leave, but do make a note to rent it the next time you are in the mood for a thriller and want a classic. If for nothing else, the brief shower scene remains one of the most referenced horror scenes in the entire genre. It even made it into a song from the 80s called "Somebody's Watching Me" by Rockwell.

On a side note, I found it interesting that the full name of Marion's lover is Sam Loomis. Perhaps John Carpenter, Debra Hill, or Mustapha Akkad picked the name of our favorite doctor in the "Halloween" series from watching "Pyscho" a couple of times.

Today's Cure song is Throw Your Foot from the Join The Dots: B-Sides and Rarities Collection - (2004) An B-side of "The Caterpillar" track from 1984. Here is Robert having fun! The lyrics are as strange as the title, but it has a catchy feel to it.

"Throw your foot away
You're tired and your face is grey
Like the sad old fool
You groove"

CJ

While we wait

2004-11-12T07:08:00.000-08:00

As I wait for a few more responses to my "Taking Requests" post I thought I would post a little survey for my visitors who are Cure fans. Please leave comments....

Fans of The Cure, which of these popular songs from the years 1978 - 1987 is your favorite?

-Boys Don't Cry
-A Forest
-Let's Go To Bed
-Close To Me
-Inbetween Days
-The Caterpillar
-Just Like Heaven

Which of these popular songs (1988 - Current) is your favorite?

-Disintegration
-Friday I'm In Love
-High
-The 13th
-Wrong Number
-Maybe Someday
-Just Say Yes
-End of the World

And which of these rare/B side songs is your favorite?

-A Few Hours After This
-Sugar Girl
-Babble
-Burn
-To The Sky
-Throw Your Foot

My Choices:
1.)Just Like Heaven
2.)Disintegration
3.)To The Sky

Taking Requests

2004-11-09T06:07:00.000-08:00

Alright, things have been busy and I have not decided which movie I want to review next so, I am taking horror movie review requests. Now I have certainly not seen every horror movie out there. In some instances I have not even seen all of the most popular (e.g. The Ring-which one of these days I will watch, right after I see the original Ringu). However, I have seen a hell of a lot of movies and I do like imput from others. From all the requests I receive, I will make a list and do my best to review each of them in the coming weeks.

In the mean time, it's back to work and I will try to get out and visit my favorite blogs this week to let my friends know that I am still dead & kicking!!

Today's Cure song is Pictures Of You from the Disintegration CD-(1989) Lost love. Sometimes when we hold onto the past so strongly, pictures become more than images on paper.

"If only i had thought of the right words,I could have hold on to your heart. If only i'd thought of the right words, I wouldn't be breaking apart all my pictures of you. "

CJ

Saw

2004-11-01T09:41:00.000-08:00

How much blood would you shed to stay alive?

Saturday I went to see “Saw” at the megaplex. The first word that comes to mind…Twisted! I loved it. Saw is a fantastic thriller with violence and a little bit of gore, starring Leigh Whannell (co-writer of the script for this movie, and only the second time on screen as an actor), Cary Elwes (of “Princess Bride” fame), and Danny Glover. Directed by newcomer (and co-script writer) James Wan.

Very comparable to “7” or “Silence of the Lambs” as a thriller/horror movie which disturbs audience members on a couple of levels. A young man named Adam (Whannell) wakes to find himself chained to a rusty pipe inside a decrepit industrial bathroom. Chained to the opposite side of the room is another bewildered captive, Dr. Lawrence Gordon (Elwes). Between them is a dead man lying in a pool of blood, holding a .38 in one hand and a cassette recorder in the other. Neither man knows why he has been abducted; but there are instructions left on a micro cassette for each of them. All the good doctor has to do in order to survive, he's told, is figure out a way to kill Adam by 6 p.m.--a deadline seven and a half hours away. If he fails, his wife and daughter will be shot then both men will die.

Recalling a recent murder investigation by a police detective named Tapp (Glover), Dr. Gordon realizes he and Adam are the next victims of a psychopathic genius known only as "Jigsaw." With only a few hours left to spare, they must unravel the elaborate puzzle of their fate in the midst of mounting terror. The killer has provided them with only a few clues and two handsaws - too weak to break their steel shackles, but strong enough to cut through flesh and bone.

I have already read a lot of negative reviews spotting Elwes sub-par performance, but I disagree. It think he was excellent opposite a virtual no-name carrying the plot believably along. Danny Glover was also spectacular as the obsessive detective bent on capturing the “Jigsaw” killer. Perhaps what happens is that some movie fans (and horror fans especially) go in with expectations that are set way too high. Keep in mind that this is a new film by a new director and enjoy what was produced for your nightmarish pleasure.

The creepy music (done by Charlie Clouser) is a great accompaniment to the lighting effects and well-shot scenes. There must be mention of the grotesque clown-like doll that “Jigsaw” uses to instruct victims, very creepy and just evil looking enough to fit nicely into this film. Don’t listen to too many reviews (which range from A+ to C-) just go and see the movie on the big screen and let James Wan take you to a twisted place that’ll make your mind race!

Today's Cure song is Apart from the Wish CD-(1990) As slow sad song about a relationship at the edges of discontent. If you have ever had your heart broken and wanted to softly sob, this song is what it might sound like.

"How did we get this far apart?
We used to be so close together
How did we get this far apart?
I thought this love would last forever"

The Witching Hour

2004-10-29T05:49:00.000-07:00

Well October 31st is upon us. Happy Halloween to all you bloggers out there. So what's on the agenda for Sunday? (Leave comments) I will be taking my son trick or treating and enjoying some of my favorite horror films.

What I like about this day is that people all over the world embrace the dark side of life. Isn't it interesting that horror as a general category doesn't get as much attention as it does during October? I love horror, (as you no doubt realize by now) and I love Halloween because you see it everywhere! Zombie movie marathons, horror costumes, and haunted houses all over the city.

Of course there are heaps of candy, and yes we have candy all year 'round, but during Halloween it seems that everyone has a little treat to share. And this all happens way before the 31st.Am I going to dress up? Sure, why not? It can be a lot of fun. SO this year I am going to don the white make up, spritz up the hair, and go as Robert Smith of The Cure! Who would have thunk it?

Make sure you have plenty of horror movies on hand this weekend and enjoy some classics like "Halloween", "Dawn of the Dead","The Exorcist", or "A Nightmare on Elm Street" for a good scare.

Have a great Halloween!!

Today's Cure song is Torture from the Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me CD -(1987) Appropriate for Halloween, no? A song about....um..Torture!!

"My body is cut and broken
It's shattered and sore
My body is cut wide open
I can't stand anymore"

The Beyond

2004-10-20T07:11:00.000-07:00

Another gore masterpiece from Italian horror director Lucio Fulci! In 1983, Fulci returned to the silver screen with a familiar formula of horror. Released in a slightly tamer version in U.S. under the title “Seven Doors of Death”, “The Beyond ” is the unedited version complete with everything a horror fan could want. With a largely incoherent plot, true fans of horror and of Fulci specifically, will bare the terrible acting to see this splatter-fest! According to Fulci himself, “This is a plot less film, with no logic to it, just a succession of images".

The story begins in 1927 with a warlock trying to stop a curse on a small Louisiana town. The locals don’t buy it and assault him. During his lynching, he warns he's the only person keeping the town from falling under the curse. He is brutally crucified and buried in the cellar of an old hotel. Here is a great way to introduce Fulci's style, you just gotta have a crucifiction to start things off right!

Forward to 1981, where a young woman inherits the hotel along with some strange happenings. Somewhere along the way one of the lead characters discovers an ancient Book of Eibon and a hint of the truth is revealed “Woe be unto him who opens one of the seven gateways to hell, because through the gateway, evil will invade the world.” Add in a blind visionary, a creepy hotel handyman, some befuddled cops, and a plucky pair of heroes desperately fleeing the horde of hungry undead and Voila!!! The madness ensues. Again, this is not a movie to be nominated for academy awards in acting, but Fulci does not disappoint with oozing blood and pus, in this 90-minute tale of zombies from hell invading Earth.

Fulci does a masterful job of extending some of the most basic scenes to get some chilling suspense, shocking cut scenes and eruptions of grotesque violence. You will see eyes gouged out, fantastic zombies by the hospital full, bodies slowly eaten away by acid, and even vicious flesh eating spiders ! There is even a great head explosion that is surely a badge of honor for Fulci fans everywhere. Fabio Frizzi is part of the Fulci formula that works so well in this cult classic. He continues his awesome musical techniques as he did in the score for “Zombie” this time adding in some painfully eerie piano chords. This music is so bad, I had to get the soundtrack!! Giannetto De Rossi (who also worked on “Zombie”) returns to make the special effects of Fulci’s dreams come to vivid reality on screen once more.

This is not a movie for the average peruser of horror. Although there is actually a plot, it is not well developed and not engaging enough to truly fill the space between gore scenes. As a horror fan, the biggest complaint that I can make about what Fulci presents in “The Beyond” is it does not have a sequel!!

Today's Cure song is Jumping Someone Else's Train from the Boys Don't Cry CD -(1979) This is the first song from their first CD released in the U.S. A rhythmic tune that clacks along sounding like just like a train. It is about people who join fads and have to be in the latest style even if they have no originality for themselves.

"If you pick up on it quick
You can say you were there
Again and again and again
You're jumping someone else's train"

CJ

Escape 2

2004-10-15T07:13:00.000-07:00

I am sure that some of my visitors wonder if I write anything other than material from the dark genre. Well let me briefly explain that I do. I have had the desire to write since I was in elementary school. Unfortuantely, there were way too many rules on 'proper' writing and grammer and I feel that stiffled my desire to write for quite a few years. Once I figured out that what I write is good enough for me (even if not for a grade) I started writing poetry. Most everything I wrote about was romantic. This makes sense when you understand that I was a bit geeky in school and not a big social icon. We all want to be loved, my expressions of that need came out in my poetry.

I have some of that other poetry showcased on another website through geocities. If you do visit ever visit there, please keep in mind that I have not been back to update it since September 2003. I do keep it active because one of these days I may take the opportunity to re-vamp it. Until then, it kind of hangs there in Cyber space, but it does have a lot of information to help you understand more about the lighter side of your Rotting Dead host, my interests, and my family.

Now, as this blog is NOT about happy feelings and feel good music. I present here only the dark writings I have created and take some pride in. Nothing wrong with the happy side of life, I just take the time to embrace the darker side in an effort to better understand it.

Having said all that, I present another poem...

~*~*~*~*~*~*

Escape 2

Don't count on me
my soul is stuck
and I feel the ceiling drop,
the floor rising in the dark

it won't stop
as I begin to cry

A curse stalks me
I see it hiding in the shadows
it's grip is so strong
it bruises me

it don't stop
and I dream of floating

everynight the light goes out
the night falls
everyday the sun comes up
for a break from the darkness

it will never stop
so I fly away

Today's Cure song is Other Voices from the FaithCD - (1981) Here is a tribal drum beat, a bass line that rumbles through in perfect rhythm, and Robert singing in dreamy tones about voices. Are they voices of reason? Perhaps.

"Commit the sin
Commit yourself
And all the other voices said
Change your mind
You're always wrong"

CJ

The Shining

2004-10-13T11:51:00.000-07:00

This is my review of the 1980 Stanley Kubrick version of the Stephen King novel "The Shining." I think Kubrick is a genius when it comes to filmmaking. In this venture I feel he captured a lot of what the story is about. There have been complaints about his vision not staying true to King’s novel but it was a remarkable endeavor that has become a classic for many horror fans.

As you may know, this is a story of spirits that haunt The Overlook Hotel. Isolated in the Rocky Mountains, the resort closes for five months during the winter (when snow is too heavy and cuts off all conventional routes of travel.) To keep everything in order during this hibernation an off-season caretaker is required.

Enter Jack Torrance (played by Jack Nicholson) who seems like an ideal candidate, a married man who looks forward to the long stay to accomplish an extended writing project. Jack’s wife Wendy (Shelley Duvall) and their young son Danny accompany him to spend the winter as one happy family. Danny has an imaginary chum (Tony) who just happens to manifest itself in Danny’s finger. As Jack is being interviewed, he is told the tale of a previous caretaker who suffered a complete mental breakdown. Told how he ran amuck, killed his family with an axe, and then blew his brains out with a shotgun. Danny has a vision filled with torrents of blood and gore. Already a psychic link has been established with the hotel's past, although Danny tells no one.

An explanation of the “shining” is given courteous of the head cook, Richard ‘Dick’ Halloran (Scatman Crothers), who tells Danny that some people "shine" which is a sort of paranormal power which allows you to see things that no one else can. Danny has this ability, channeled through Tony, which explains his brief vision of horrific images. Halloran recognizes this talent in Danny and kindly warns him away from Room 237; this hotel has an evil past and it's best to let it lie.

I think that Kubrick created lush images within the ornate interior of the main set, added a disturbing synthesized soundtrack, used a Steadicam in groundbreaking fashion, filmed most of the gothic horror in broad daylight or brightly-lit scenes, and built an unforgettable, mounting sensation of terror, ghosts, and the paranormal. Nicholson does a spectacular job of portraying Jack’s suffering. We see him struggle with acute writers block and also have hints of his fight with alcoholism. Danny’s experiences in the hotel with more visions comes across as frightening. As the snow begins to falls heavier so does Jack continue to spiral downward into an unhealthy state of mind. The suspense builds as the relationship between Jack and his wife deteriorates and Jack slips further into mania. Through Danny’s ability to shine, Halloran knows something is horribly wrong and sets out to help. Will he make it in time? Will Jack suffer the ultimate fate of the previous caretaker? And what the hell happened in room 237? These are questions that may all be answered as you watch the spine tingling film “The Shining”

I do want to note that Stephen King was reported to not particularly like this version and in 1997 released his own version in a television mini series. I like King’s version as well, it does a lot to elaborate on the alcoholism problem as Jack (This time played by Steven Weber) has more instances of his struggle. Also in this version Rebecca De Mornay plays the part of Wendy. King corrects the infamous room number back to one in his book where the old woman committed suicide as room 217. I also like that King included a great scene from the book about the moving topiary animals, Oooo spooky.
“Some Guests Never Leave!”

Today's Cure song is Treasure from the Wild Mood Swings CD-(1996) A slow song heavy with rhythmic violin chords about a woman who has passed on from this life and wishes to be remembered without shedding tears.

"Remember I was always true
Remember that I always tried
Remember I loved only you
Remember me and smile...
For it’s better to forget
Than to remember me
And cry"

CJ

Still watching?

2004-10-12T14:47:00.000-07:00

Again I want to let my visitors know that I am alive and kicking. I am working on a movie review which I hope to have posted tomorrow. Don't you hate when real life interrupts your blogging time?..*L*

Did ya' hear? The Astros won! That means we are off to St. Louis to face the Cardinals for a chance to represent the National League in the world series. Wow! First time in 43 years!!

Well I better get back to work. Check back tomorrow to see what I have been up.
Until then-So long and thanks for all the fish!
CJ

Sad Monday

2004-10-11T05:57:00.000-07:00

Christopher Reeve has passed away. Our "Superman" experienced heart failure Saturday and slipped into a coma, then died yesterday at the age of 52. Reeve turned personal tragedy into a public crusade, becoming the nation's most recognizable spokesman for spinal cord research. After his riding accident 9 years ago he was paralyzed and told he would never walk again. In the past several years he had made outstanding strides to get movement into some areas of his lower body and learn to breath on his own. We will surely mourne his passing and pray that others continue to make progress on the front of spinal injury options and stem cell research.

In other news, it is also a sad day for Houston sports fans as the Astros failed to send the Braves packing last night. Although there is still hope for tonight's game to win the chance to move on to St. Louis and face the Cardinals for the National League Championship, it is going to be a nail-biter to say the very least. In football, the Texans also failed to come through in the clutch against Minnesota. After a miserable first half, the Texans made an effort to catch up and tie the game sending it into overtime. However, they couldn't keep the Viking's offense grounded.

Did anyone watch the presidential debate on Friday night? It is no wonder that the majority of voters have not changed their stance after the last two debates. Both candidates keep making the same mistakes. Bush keeps acting like a Goober and not only evading some questions, but downright changing the subject to avoid admitting mistakes. While Kerry keeps missing opportunities to shine with his own plans, spending too much time knocking the president and his decisions.

So, is there any good news?

Certainly! It is much cooler this week as the temperature stays in the low to mid 80s making Houstonians feel like Fall might actually make it.

Our Houston Rockets did beat the Miami Heat in the pre-season opener, pitting Yao Ming against new Heat center Shaquille O'Neal.

And even though those was some sad news, we do look forward to life. Bloggers keep blogging and sharing a bit of ourselves with the world!!

Today's Cure song is The Hanging Garden from the Pornography CD-(1982) A song about primal lust. With heavy drum rhythms, this fast song flys along!

"Fall fall fall fall
Into the walls
Jump jump out of time
Fall fall fall fall
Out of the sky
Cover my face as the animals cry"

CJ

Werewolves!

2004-10-07T09:46:00.000-07:00

The night creatures transformed from human into savage beasts by the full moon! There is so much to be said for the topic of werewolves, I merely hope to scratch the surface and give my readers something to think about. The mythology of the werewolves can be found in many historical texts, including some of the best-known accounts of the 16th century. Here we find the stories of men cursed to walk the earth as hybrid creatures of the night. One story originating from Germany (circa 1591) tells of a time where the dark shadow of ignorance and superstitions prevailed.

Towns were underdeveloped and people lived near woods and the fear of wolf attacks was based on real events. But in one case, a wolf was cornered by dogs and villagers and made a startling transformation. It was discovered that this man had made a pact with the devil to become a primal creature. This account took place during a time where fear of the supernatural ran rampant all over Europe and werewolf hunts between 1520 and 1630, were as common as the witch hunts in America during the mid to late 17th century.

Here is an opportunity to discuss Greek mythology that also testifies to the existence of shape-shifting werewolves. Legend has it that Zeus once disguised himself as a traveler and sought for hospitality in the court of a vicious Arcadian King named Lycaon. The King recognized the god and tried to kill him serving him human flesh. Zeus caught the terrible trick and did not eat. Outraged, He destroyed the palace and condemned Lycaon to spend rest of his life as a wolf. This mythology originated the word Lycanthrope which is used to describe the werewolf phenomenon.

Most of us don’t really concern ourselves with the historical aspect as we have been subjected to the onslaught of Hollywood tales that make up the majority of our werewolf lore. As you my know, a man who is attacked by a werewolf becomes a werewolf himself and he and anyone he attacks is doomed to walk the Earth as a beast or a cursed spirit of the dead until the head werewolf is killed. Since werewolves are not immortal, we have found ways to ward them off and kill them. Doubtless you have heard of the classic silver bullet. This arises from the many movies that have been made to tell the stories of the werewolves and their curse.

There is probably not enough web space in this blog to discuss all of the werewolf movies but I shall attempt to mention the most notable in my opinion:

1935 – “Werewolf Of London” (The first movie about a werewolf to get on the big screen)
1941 – “The Wolf Man” (which starred Lon Chaney, who became the first icon of classic werewolf films. He battled Dracula and Frankenstein and was a critical element of the early monster movie push. Starring in several other titles about The Wolfman including his final performance in this guise titled “Face Of The Screaming Werewolf” circa 1960)
1957 – “I Was A Teenage Werewolf” (Look! It’s Michael Landon before his rise to stardom in the critically acclaimed television show Bonanza)

What followed is a string of movies throughout the 60’s and 70’s including films that attempted to further cash in on the movie monster craze by revisiting the Vs. theme. The persona of the werewolf was pitted against the likes of Dr. Jeckyll, Frankenstein (again), and other vampires. During this time the mantle of The Wolfman changed hands from Lon Cheney to Paul Naschy who went on to star in more than a dozen films about the iconic werewolf.

Entering the next era (the Silver age if you will) of werewolf movies, one of my favorites starts things off in 1980. “The Howling” that spawned 6 sequels throughout the 80’s and into the early 90’s, garnered a new generation of werewolf movie fans. I would certainly like to review this film in more detail some other time, but for now I would like to acknowledge the spectacular special effects of Rob Bottin. The next year (1981), “An American Werewolf In London” (Starring David Naughton) was released. This is, hands-down, my all time favorite werewolf movie that I will without a doubt review in a future post and discuss Rick Baker’s outstanding special effects contributions to the genre.

Honorable mention during this time period include:

1981 – “Wolfen”
1984 – “The Company of Wolves”
1985 – “Silver Bullet” (Which brings Stephen King’s novella Cycle of the Werewolf to the big screen)
1994 – “Wolf” (starring Jack Nicholson)

Now we are in what I call the modern era of werewolf movies and there are some titles that still make a trip to the megaplex worthwhile. “Underworld” (2003) brought back the classic vampire versus werewolf fight but in a whole new way. And most recently, “Van Helsing” featured a werewolf to supplement this archetypal tale of Dracula.

Aside from movies that I could go on about forever, I also wanted to mention another aspect of the werewolf phenomenon. There are many people who believe that the stories of history are not myths but real accounts that have been modified. Some even steer clear of the lycanthropy designation that is used to describe werewolves. Whereas this term refers to someone who suffers from a mental disease of fantasizing being a wolf, there are those that feel the true nature of the beast is a result of a curse, whether evil or self inflicted, that cannot be lifted through science.

Today's Cure song is "At Night" from the Seventeen Seconds CD - (1979) An interesting song that tells of the lonely viligence of a protector, but protection from what? Something in the night!

"At night
I hear the darkness breathe
I sense the quiet despair
Listen to the silence
At night
Someone has to be there"

In The Dark

2004-10-05T11:27:00.000-07:00

Here is another poem I wrote awhile back. I think it captures the essence of how many feel when they are sick, depressed, or dealing with a personal demon:

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

In The Dark©

There are a lot of people passing me by,
the world is moving on.
Do they see me? Do they care?
It seems a hopeless battle.
As they fade into the fog,
the tears begin to flow.
No one knows my troubled heart,
nor my deepest fears.
Alone in the dark, I cry.
Can anyone hear me?

As ever I am open to comments and I look forward to bringing you another post tomorrow.

Today's Cure song is "I Don't Know What's Going On" from the new self titled CD The Cure - (2004) A short pop tune with repetative lyrics, but very catchy and singable!

"Don't say anymore...
to me at all...
to me at ah-ah-ah-all! "

Watch This Space

2004-10-05T09:13:00.000-07:00

Just to let my visitors know that I am still alive. I usually try to post two or three times a week and have some interesting ideas but time is my issue today. We will see if I can post my current musings later this afternoon.

I am here and willing to post, check back for a pulse later today!

Thanks,
CJ

The Thing

2004-10-01T08:47:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite Sci-Fi/Horror movies is the 1982 John Carpenter version of “The Thing” Before I discuss it in detail, I do want to share some background. Some people may already know that this is a re-make of the 1951 movie titled “The Thing From Another World”. This 50’s B-movie classic was based on the novella "Who Goes There?" by John W. Campbell, which was written in 1938.

“The Thing From Another World” starred James Arness who had been making movies since 1947 but needed this movie and several others including another B-movie classic “Them” before he would find his western legacy in the role of Marshall Matt Dillon in the television series “Gunsmoke” circa 1955

Now, the 80s were a great era for horror movies and along comes John Carpenter who had already had success with “Halloween”, and “The Fog.” He dedicates an enormous amount of time and energy in re-making this classic B-movie into a cult classic movie of the 80’s!

The Story: An American scientific expedition to the frozen wastes of the Antarctic is interrupted by a group of seemingly mad Norwegians pursuing and shooting a dog. The helicopter pursuing the dog crashes leaving no explanation for the chase. During the night, the dog mutates and attacks other dogs in the cage and members of the team that investigate. The team soon realizes that an alien life form with the ability to take over other bodies is on the loose and they don't know who may already have been taken over.

As they piece together evidence and try to understand the mystery, they figure out that centuries ago, an alien spaceship had crash-landed in the Antarctic. The pilot was thrown clear and frozen in the ice until discovered by the Norwegian scientists. The scientist on the American team comes to comprehend that the alien is extremely hostile and because of its ability to alter its own cell structure to that of a consumed organism, it would be devastating to the entire world.

Persons of interest: The lead character is MacReady, a helicopter pilot, played by Kurt Russell, who incidentally also starred in one of Carpenter’s successful non-horror films called “Escape from New York.” The other very notable character is the senior mechanic called Childs played by Keith David. Keith is one of my favorite actors who went on to star in “Platoon”, “They Live”, and “RoadHouse” as well as the voice of Goliath in the hit cartoon series “Gargoyles.”

The special effects team did an outstanding job on this film. Rob Bottin (of “The Howling” fame) was mainly responsible for bring the creature to life. He was assisted by Stan Winston (who also worked on “Aliens” and “Jurrasic Park”), and a considerable contribution was made by Albert Whitlock who worked on many films including “The Andromeda Strain” There is a lot of blood and gooey, slimy effects that make this movie a gore-tastic time!

In the original movie screenplay, Charles Lederer proposes that the visitor from another planet may not be far different from examples of plants on Earth that think like the Venus Flytrap. It is a scene that takes place in a hydroponics lab (green house) while they are trying to determine the origin of the thing. There was a tribute to the original film that was cut out of this 1982 version of “The Thing”. This deleted scene was where a character named Palmer and Childs have teamed up to search for one of their missing team. They check in one of the storage rooms where plants are being grown using hydroponic methods. Palmer decides that the Thing may be capable of imitating plants and lets loose with the flamethrower, much to the disgust of Childs. What a great way that would have been to pay homage, on screen, to the movie’s predecessor.

I do not agree with other critics that this movie suffers from a low budget, poor production, ridiculous & unrealistic scripts, and pathetic acting. Carpenter did an amazing job at not only re-making a worthy classic, but also finding a way to gel all the elements into a damn good movie!

Today's Cure song is "The Walk" from the Japanese Whispers CD - (1985) A strange tune that may be about dreams. It is laden heavy with electronic sounds and bouncing keyboards.

"Visiting time is over And so we walk away And both play dead then cry out loud Why we always cry this way? "

CJ

Evil Dead

2004-09-28T13:20:00.000-07:00

In the winter of 1979, Sam Raimi went into the Tennessee woods with several friends to shoot a horror movie. 1981 saw the fruition of those efforts with the release of “Evil Dead” which has become a cult classic. You see, long before his vision of Spiderman was brought to the silver screen, he had his directing teeth cut with horror films. “Evil Dead” was the first of these to gain notoriety (and a profit).

This is the simple story of five friends who go to a cabin in the woods for a vacation and the horror they find there. One of the characters is Ashley Williams (played by Bruce Campbell) who becomes world renown as simply Ash. What Ash and the others discover is the Necronomicon (Book of the Dead) and a tape recorder belonging to a professor, who also owns the cabin. The tape in the recorder tells the tale of the professor’s findings and has some passages from the Necronomicon. Unfortunately for the cabin visitors, these words are translated resurrection incantations for something evil.

Outside in the forest, this evil force awakens and attacks, then mayhem ensues. We learn that the only way to kill a possessed person or "deadite" is by total bodily dismemberment. So there is an excellent excuse to have blood and gore by the buckets! One by one the people are killed and only one remains to survive the evil dead.

What I love about this movie is how Raimi focused so much energy into this simple plot. The cabin in Tennessee was very small and had to be overhauled for the purposes of the film, this included ripping up the floor in one corner to produce a makeshift cellar entrance. It was a cold winter especially for the southern United States and filming problems (frozen power cords, props, as well as actors) were monstrous to overcome. Raimi pressed on and continued filming even when it required a month or more between shots to adapt other schedules.

His use of the disorienting camera angles for the first person point of view shots were amazing! From the point of view of the main characters as well as the point of view of the demons, audiences got a brand new way to feel the tension and horror of the moment. Some predictable jumps are included, but many shocks that one is not prepared for make this film an excellent champion for horror films and special effects! This movie of course set the stage for the two sequels (“Evil Dead 2:Dead by Dawn” & “Army of Darkness”) which have driven the cult status of the “Evil Dead” trilogy to an internationally recognized phenomenon!

Today's Cure song is "Breathe" from the Join The Dots: B-Sides and Rarities Collection - (2004) This track, found on disc 2, was originally featured as a B-side on some of the 1987 releases of "Just Like Heaven." Here is a song that sighs with violins and keyboards and speaks of eternal desire & love.

"Breathe
Breathe on me
Be like you used to be
Breathe on me "

CJ

A Rotting Dead Clip Show

2004-09-24T08:58:00.000-07:00

I always have so many things I want to post, but today I wanted to take another break to take a look back. One can’t always expect visitors to go through the entire archive to see what’s what, so I present a sort of review of my blog. My first postwas two months ago and since that time I have shared a lot about myself and hopefully entertained you with the many movie reviews I have posted. To my regular readers, Leah,Nicole, Soliel,Zam,Pdawg,PurpleStarlet,Joe,LaVarious ,digallagher,Sara,Chica,Audra, Cybertoad, Linda Rae,Shell, Corinne, Didou,and Julia) thank you so much for all of your comments and support in making my blogging experience a fantastic one! To any new visitors, Welcome to the Blog of the Rotting Dead!

I have shared information about my interest in horror through several of my posts. I started with a basic overview back in July with a post titled Rant! Then elaborated on my opinions about horror in Death, Destruction, and Mayhem!! More recently I have gone into more details in Horror-esque. By all means don’t miss the post that could save your life, read Surviving the Zombie Plague!

I have also shared my sense of humor in several posts. Sometime I just kind of sprinkle a post with my unique brand of silliness, but once in awhile the entire post is designed to let you in to my dementia, like in Breakin’ Necks. Or maybe you had a chuckle when you read Bleeding Staples or the infamous Fine Print!

Then of course we have the horror movie reviews. I have seen so many that I like (and some of those many,many times) so I felt like sharing my views about them. I really appreciate all the comments I have received and look forward to bringing you plenty more. The other thing that I am proud to showcase, is my love of music from The Cure. Since July 19th I have tried to feature a Cure song for every post. I get so much from their music and I have read that others like them a lot too. For my regular visitors who are not Cure fans, get a copy of Disintegration (From 1989 and considered to be one of the very best) and give it a listen you may be pleasantly surprised.

Another piece of my soul that I have been pleased to share are my ventures into writing. I have some dark poetry featured here because it is in tune with the theme, but I have also writing a variety of other topics, mostly romance, that are part of my original collection. My very first short story In the Dead of Nightis featured here on my blog, as well as another short story titled “Falling” which is perhaps a little more graphic than most may want to read on-line. E-mail for a copy if you really want to give it a read.

Well that about wraps it up for today. Thanks again for visiting and please stop by every week to see what’s new in the Blog of the Rotting Dead. Now to take you out for your weekend, I give you more of The Cure...

Today's Cure song is Close To Me from Head on the Door CD-(1985) An actually hand clapping song, with a dancing synthesizer bounding in time with the drumbeat. Sometimes you are waiting and waiting for the day to end, but when it happens you are still not ready for it!.

"I've waited hours for this, I've made myself so sick. I wish I'd stayed - asleep today"

Day of the Dead

2004-09-22T13:12:00.000-07:00

“They HAVE over-run us, you know?”

“Day of the Dead,” is perhaps the most chilling zombie movie in the Living Dead trilogy. Many critics have taken shots at this film for it’s rushed feel or the excessive amount of gore. I feel that it is a perfect addition to the series and the amount of gore is not only acceptable but also preferred. Directed by George A. Romero, this third installment of zombies released in 1985 was given the tagline “The darkest day the world has ever known.” If “Night of the Living Dead” begins the tale, and “Dawn of the Dead” shows the following fall of society, then “Day of the Dead” truly paints a grim picture of the future.

So, as you know the world has been taken over by zombies. Created by a condition, which is much like a viral disease, that causes bodies of the recently dead to come to life and attack the living. We are introduced to a group of scientists and soldiers who occupy an underground government facility. They have been working on finding a solution to the zombie plague while periodically sending out a search party to find other survivors.

What we find is tension in the group. As the scientists struggle to get a better understanding of the zombies, the commanding officer is not pleased with the lack of progress and the severity of the low supplies. When we add in one doctor who is longer playing with a full deck, we have a powder keg of personalities ready to be set off.

Captain Rhodes is played by Joe Pilato, returning to the dead world as a major character expounding on his success with cameos in Romero’s “Dawn of the Dead” and a 1981 film titled “Knightriders” (Which by the way was also directed by Romero and has performances from Ken Foree and Tom Savini. Now, where have I seen those names before?). Sarah (Lori Cardille) is our heroine and represents the last shred of common sense and integrity.

There is a lot of gore in this film, from gunshots, zombie bites, and nightmares of anatomy like some exposed intestines spilling out onto the floor. Tom Savini uses the bulk of the filming budget to create some of the most gruesome scenes ever. Having an entire team to assist him this time out, Savini definitely raised the bar for zombie gore to an Olympic event level.

What I really liked about this film (aside from the gratuitous violence) was Sarah’s character. Romero could have made her a Laura Croft-esue gun toting smart-ass, but instead she is intelligent and a leader very able to take care of herself. The plot was also well done. I understand that this is not the script Romero originally submitted to the producers, but I personally think it came out just right. The sound track is another fantastic contribution by John Harrison (of “Creepshow” fame). At times the music seems so sad and goes perfect with the end of the world scenario.

Until recently, “Day of the Dead” was the last film in Romero’s Living Dead series. There is documented evidence that Romero has now picked up the mantle one last time and will direct “Land of the Dead” to complete the saga. Zombie fans the world over await his genius to once again bring us the nightmare world of the Living Dead on October 21st 2005!

Today's Cure song is Plainsong from the Disintegration CD-(1989) Light chimes slowly build from a very low decible level to a sudden smahing crescendo with strong keyboard chords. This intro song for the album is one of my very favorites. Very often used as the opening song for the "Prayer" tour back in 1989, "Plainsong" is anything but plain.

{{"I think it's dark and it looks like rain" you said. "And the wind is blowing like it's the end of the world" you said}}

CJ

Where's the post?

2004-09-21T05:42:00.000-07:00

Hey everybody,

It is my turn to get caught up in life. I will not be posting anything significant today, however please feel free to look around my blog. Hopefully you will have some time to read some of my archived posts, my poetry, or my fictional endeavors.

I shall return tomorrow with my latest review.

CJ

A Nightmare on Elm Street

2004-09-17T13:05:00.000-07:00

“Whatever you do, don't fall asleep.” In 1984, Wes Craven exploded into public notoriety with the release of “A Nightmare on Elm Street”. Craven’s skills and talents as a writer & director had already gained him some attention with movies like “The Hills Have Eyes” (1978) and “Swamp Thing” (1981). He used these skills to turn a frightening real life experience from his childhood into a fictional character recognized around the world.

Nancy (Heather Langenkamp) is having nightmares. Violent nightmares about a mysterious badly burned man. He calls himself Freddy and has a glove on his right hand altered to hold razor-sharp knives over the fingers. The haunting song of the children in her dreams warns of the terror of Freddy…

One, Two, Freddy’s coming for you.
Three, Four, better lock your door.
Five, Six, grab your crucifix.
Seven, Eight, gonna stay up late.
Nine, Ten, never sleep again.

Nancy finds that she and her other teenage friends are having the same nightmares and that is when the carnage begins! One by one the teens are being brutally murdered in their sleep. Nancy turns to her father (played by John Saxon) for help. He does not believe her and tends to thinks that maybe she is losing it. Her mother takes her to a sleep clinic, but of course they cannot help her because Freddy is determined to stalk and kill the teenagers of Elm Street.

Why? We find out that many years ago a man named Freddy Krueger was abducting and killing some children in the neighborhood. The parents got together and dealt him some vigilante mob justice, burning him alive in his workshop. Nancy finds out the truth and realizes that Freddy is exacting his revenge on the children of the ones who killed him. Now she decides to take action stop this evil. The coffee is brewing as she struggles to stay awake and come up with a plan; she is determined to bring this spectral monster from dreamland to the real world.

So much can be said for this movie. Jim Doyle does an excellent job of using mechanical special effects for every shot in the movie (except the walking through cell bars scene). Yes wires can be seen in a couple of shots, but for 1984 when the highest grossing movies were action based titles like “Karate Kid”, “Indiana Jones and The Temple of Doom” & “Beverly Hills Cop”, “Nightmare…” steals the show for best horror movie! (Unless you consider “Gremlins” a horror movie, which did better at the box office that year.)

We also cannot forget to mention the eerie musical score by Charles Bernstein. That creepy little slow piano build up that slides over to the synthesizer effects making Freddy’s theme an unforgettable accompaniment to the great horror scenes throughout the film. One favorite scene for horror movie fanatics everywhere is the bedroom scene where the bed swallows Nancy’s boyfriend and a blood geyser ensues!! Hey look, that is a very young Johnny Depp in his debut movie role. This was also before his appearance in “Platoon” and his mega hit role as Officer Tom Hanson in the television series“21 Jump Street.”

The sequels are many and the body count high, but only the original captures the essence of Freddy as a scary villain worthy of nightmares.
Have a great weekend and enjoy...

Today's Cure song is "From the Edge of The Deep Green Sea" from the Wish CD-(1990) A song that I feel is about being in a destructive relationship and relying on drugs to enhance reality. A long song (7:44) with some great guitar sections that cry out with their melancholic tones.

"I wish i could just stop,I know another moment will break my heart. Too many tears, Too many times, Too many years i've cried over you."

Horror Video Games

2004-09-15T11:18:00.000-07:00

Grab a snack and a soda and prepare for a lengthy post…:-)

I may have touched on this subject before, but today I want to share more of my fascination with Horror as it relates to video games. Once upon a time, long, long ago, I was a teenager and went into the local video game arcade to waste a good couple of hours with friends dropping quarters into the coin-op classics like “Elevator Action” & “Galaga”. The only horror-esque title available was “Ghosts 'n Goblins”. When what to my wandering eyes should appear? A new game, this one was titled “Splatterhouse”. It was 1988 and I had finally found a true horror-based game to accompany my already growing fascination with the genre.

Since that time I have played a great many video games that have horror elements and have researched several others that I would still like to play. In the arcade realm, I have not only played “Splatterhouse” which had a character in a {Terror Mask}, (which looked a lot like the Jason Vorhees hockey mask of Friday the 13th fame) but also titles like “Beast Busters” (where you shoot zombies as they appear on the screen, sometimes they shoot back!), “Chiller”(where you get to shoot creatures as well as human bodies-one flesh splattering shot at a time in a guillotine room/torture chamber, rack room –complete with a river of blood-, haunted house hallway, and a graveyard.), “Altered Beast” which didn’t have a lot of horror in it but certainly abounded with ghoulish creatures. More recently I have played “Carn-Evil”(where an evil force turns a carnival into a horrific playground of dead things and creatures), and the ever popular “The House of the Dead” (1 & 2 both based on detectives investigating the status of the mysteriously missing personnel at a genetic engineering center. These games of course have lots of zombies). Other arcade games I have read about and would love to play are “Crypt Killer”, “Zombie Raid”, “Zombie Revenge” & “The House of the Dead 3”

The time I have spent playing horror video games was not all clocked in the arcade. I have also had the joy and sometimes terror of games played on home consoles. In terms of console games there are a variety, starting with “Resident Evil” back in 1996. What followed this ground breaking home game were various titles filled with horror and/or gore. Like an alcoholic at his first meeting, I stand and say that I have never actually played the original. But never fear, I am hoping to get that classic game as a Christmas gift this year. Now I did play “Resident Evil 2” on the N64 which was a fantastic experience for me where I allowed myself to get into the game so deeply I jumped a couple of times.

I have also played some of the classics like “Castlevania” from Nintendo with all of its sequels having vampires and other creatures of the underworld. And “Altered Beast” on the Sega Genesis which was not a great experience but a tribute to the arcade. I even tried“Hexen” & “Doom” for the Super Nintendo. On the newer front, I have played “Shadowman” on N64 which is a lengthy game with awesome horror themes including zombies. There was “Nightmare Creatures” is another conglomerate of creatures paying tribute to the 50s horror movies set in London circa 1700. I played “The Thing” on my friend’s PS2, which was done quite well. “Blood Rayne” on the Game Cube was done well too but there was a little too much focus on the jiggling heroine and not enough on the monsters.

“Blood Omen 2” is the only horror title I have played on the Xbox so far. And one game that I couldn’t finish because it freaked me out a little too much was “Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem” on Game Cube. It had so many freaky changes and mind twists that I was seriously disturbed by it. Of course I have to try that again some day! Games I would like to play include “Shadowman 2”, “Nightmare Creatures 2”, “Fatal Frame”, “Silent Hill {1,2, &3}”, and “The Suffering”

The last medium I have used for horror gaming is the PC. “Diablo” is one of the best games I have ever played on my computer. I got this title in 1998 and it was the first horror title for my PC. “Doom” had been out since 1995 but I was not able to get it. When time came to buy I had "Diablo" to choose from instead. I have also played “Diablo II”, “Dracula: Resurrection” and “Dracula: The Last Sanctuary”. I am still looking forward to playing the “Alone in the Dark” series and a game called “Flesh Feast”

In all, I have played some great games to expand my horror entertainment. Some people fell that video games are a complete waste of time, but I place them right up there with movies as solid entertainment. I am anticipating the future where current 3D technology evolves to include a virtual reality horror game (preferably about zombies) that will be the ultimate in horror gaming.

Well that it’s for now, tune in on Friday for another horror movie review. Until then…

Today's Cure song is "Why Can't I Be You" from the Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me CD -(1987) A great horn section trumpets as Robert sings about being unsatisfied with the self. I suppose one could stretch the meaning to include it begin a love song. Either way it's a very jumpy tune that has become a classic for them as well.

"Everything you do is irresistable. Everything you do is simply kissable. Why can't I be you?"

Creepshow 2

2004-09-13T14:37:00.000-07:00

Okay here we are again, in Stephen King’s world of horror short stories. The only real let down is that George A. Romero did not return as the director. “Creepshow 2” is not a terrible movie but should be viewed with reservations. My biggest reservation is that it only contains three stories! The original had five plus a fairly good wrap around. This installment seems forced, uninspired if you will.

A wrap around story begins when The Creep (played by returning horror master Tom Savini) delivers the comic book to an anxious boy names Billy (Same name, different kid from the first film). As the vignettes proceed the Creep character is animated and cracks jokes that don’t come across very well. Although the wrap around story this time is not as good, it is animated very well. I appreciate the vision of the writers and directors trying to capture the essence of the classic horror comics, however something is left to be desired in the transition from page to screen. The first movie avoided this by having the vignettes segue into one another by the animated turning of pages. Perhaps that would have been best here as well.

As for the stories, we begin with “Ol’ Chief Woodenhead” A tale where a wooden Indian comes to life to exact revenge on some local thugs who murdered his beloved owners. George Kennedy is a great actor and is one saving grace for this portion as he plays an excellent country general store owner.

The second tale is much better. Adapted from yet another of Stephen King’s short stories, “The Raft” is about four teenagers visiting a secluded lake for some late fall fun. Unfortunately for them, there is already something in the lake waiting for it’s own brand of fun. A large, oily-like black substance moves of it’s own volition and begins to stalk the teens on the raft. One by one, they are consumed in a painful burning envelope of living deadly oil. The end of this tale has a great little surprise for any optimistic viewers.

The last story is the best of the three, mainly because it is the longest and has a pretty good build up of the main character. “The Hitchhiker” is about a cheating wife who accidently runs over a hitchhiker. More worried about herself and the ramifications of having to explain her actions, she hastily leaves the scene. As proof that one should never leave the scene of an accident, the hitcher (who is horribly mangled) re-appears down the road. “Thanks for the ride lady!" She drives away but he keeps coming back!! Don’t miss the cameo by Stephen King as a passing truck driver.

Not a spectacular sequel to say the least. It does have it’s moments, but is for hardcore fans only.

Today's Cure song is "Killing An Arab" from the Boys Don't Cry CD -(1979) A somewhat controversial song until you realize that Robert was commeting on a book he read. He was trying to capture the essence of the book titled L'Étranger (The Stranger)
by Albert Camus(which is the story of an ordinary man unwittingly drawn into a senseless murder on an Algerian beach)

"I'm alive. I'm Dead. I'm the stranger. Killing an Arab."

Zombie

2004-09-10T12:57:00.000-07:00

From the dark reaches of the classic horror vault comes “Zombie” (Also marketed across the world in various titles including “Zombi 2”, “Zombie Flesh Eaters” and “Island of the Living Dead”), directed by the genius Italian director Lucio Fulci. He was inspired by George A. Romero’s “Dawn of the Dead”, and shot this film in 1979.

You have no doubt heard the story before, the plot is of dead people who have risen and feast on the flesh of the living. Centered mostly on a small remote island, “Zombie” ties the living dead phenomenon back to voodoo roots that some people feel are based on real events. The movie begins on the island of Matul, where we see what appears to be a dead person rising in bloody sheets. A doctor, careful aims his pistol and shoots the body in the head, then utters the somewhat famous quote “The boat can leave now, tell the crew.”

The movie shifts us now to open water just off the coast of New York, where Fulci takes his time setting the scene. We see the boat, apparently abandoned with the sails flapping, cans rolling about on the deck, and the steering wheel spinning wildly. The boat drifts into the harbor where harbor patrol officers board to investigate. You don’t for one minute suppose the boat is really abandoned, do you? They are attacked by a zombie which is eventually shot, and falls over the side of the boat into the water.

The boat, we learn, belongs to a scientist who has disappeared months ago to do some research on a faraway island. Enter Peter West (Played by Ian McCulloch- {Not to be confused with Ian McKellen who stars in the “The Lord of The Rings” trilogy as Gandalf}), a reporter who has been investigating the appearance of the mysterious ship and the murder of the patrolman. He teams up with Ann Bowles (Tisa Farrow), who is the daughter of the boat owner. They travel to the remote island of Matul which is his last known location, thanks to a letter found on the boat telling of a mysterious disease he contracted on the island of Matul and that he believes he will never leave the island alive.

What they find on the island is a slighty obssesive Dr. Menard (Richard Johnson) and eventually a horde of walking dead. Ann’s father died from the disease and the local hospital is now full of sick people who have contracted that strange disease. As the native drums pound in the distance, horror begins to spread across the island. As you watch this film you are not certain who will survive and what of the zombie in New York? Since a simply gunshot would not have eliminated him, what might happen? We certainly cannot forget that is the only movie where you will see a zombie fight a shark underwater.

As the zombies take over, we see the trademark Fulci gore, which is plentiful and fantastically done. There is nothing left to the imagination as fans are treated the now classic zombie with worms in his eye (The picture on most VHS & DVD covers here in the USA), exploding head shots and gruesome flesh eating. Another spectacular sequence is the close up of the eye punturing scene. The special effects and make-up were done by Gianetto De Rossi (later famous for his work on “Dune”, “Conan The Destroyer” & the Academy Award winning “The Last Emperor”)

The overall quality of the movie leaves much to be desired and the dialogue scenes don't help to raise this films standards, B-movie rating in most circles. However, it is a must see for all horror fans, especially if you like zombies. Lucio Fulci may be considered an acquired taste as his gore is usually over the top, but I for one love his style.

Today's Cure song is The 13th from the Wild Mood Swings CD-(1996) A finger-snapping tune flooded with horns and a cuica. It seems to tell the tale of a reluctant man lured into the sinful clutches of a woman. Robert says "Originally titled Two Chord Cool, the meeting that the song is about occured on the 13th, the song was written on the 13th, and Jason was reading an article about the 13th motel killings. He felt like someone up there was trying to tell him something."

"You will be all the things in the world you've never been. See all the things in the world you've never seen. Dream all the things in the world you'll never dream...
But i think i get a bit confused...Am i seducing or being seduced?."

CJ

The Amityville Horror

2004-09-08T08:48:00.000-07:00

To talk about this movie, one doesn’t have to comment on or speculate about the supposed true story aspect. However, it does make for an interesting blog.

On Wednesday, November 14, 1974 in the small town of Amityville, Long Island. Ronald DeFeo Jr. murdered his entire family as they slept in their beds. You can find the facts on the case just about anywhere on the Internet. What you will also find as you search for those facts is an exuberant amount of information about the Lutz family as well.

George and Kathleen Lutz moved into 112 Ocean Avenue (the scene of the aforementioned murders) the summer of 1975. About 28 days after moving in, they fled the house telling tales of supernatural occurrences and demonic possession. The facts of this haunting remain controversial to this date. In an industrious search, you will find countless websites dedicated to the Amityville Horror, Truth and/or Hoax.

The movie is based on the 1977 novel by Jay Anson titled “The Amityville Horror - A True Story” which is the story of the happenings in the haunted house as it was related by the Lutz family. What followed in 1979 was the now classic horror movie “The Amityville Horror”. The movie shows how George Lutz (played by James Brolin) and his wife Kathleen (Played by Margot Kidder) decide to buy a new house that was previously the scene of the brutal murders. Evil spirits from the previous owners fill the walls of the house. As time progresses, the Lutz family encounters strange and bizarre events that cannot be reasonably explained.

The spirits inside the house have the ability to open windows, close doors, and turn off the lights. In addition, the spirits begin to work their way into the minds of the Lutz family. Amy Lutz (Natasha Ryan), the daughter of George and Kathleen, is able to see one spirit and adopts is as her imaginary friend. There are great special effects from simple shadows and noises to bleeding walls. Director Stuart Rosenberg implements the use of lighting and shadows beautifully in this film to capture the essence of things not seen. The majority of the day scenes are matched to fit the relaxing, bright mood of a new family house. The dark night scenes are the ones that create and develop the feelings of terror.

So whether you believe in ghosts and demons, whether you buy into the story of the Lutz family as fact, or whether you think this is simply another work of fiction, the movie is a great horror film to pop into the DVD player for Halloween!

Today's Cure song is "A Strange Day" from the Pornography CD - (1982) A somber tune quoted by Robert as "how i would feel if it would only be the end of the world". It has a very light beginning that builds to a softly pounding drum with a keyboard drifting over as Robert sings. The song grows stronger crescendoing with fantastic guitar chords that tug at your soul.

"My head falls back and the walls crash down. And the sky, and the impossible explode. Held for one moment I remember a song. An impression of sound, then everything is gone Forever "

It Really Is Tuesday!

2004-09-07T06:59:00.000-07:00

Feels like Monday, but it's not. It is always nice to have a long weekend, but then coming back to work still feels like a chore. As it should I suppose, it is work afterall. *L* Had a pretty good weekend, only wish (as I am sure most everyone does) that is could have lasted longer, I so did not want to get up this morning.

Saturday was a fun day for my son and I. Momma had to go to a dentist appointment (aww, poor momma) so I took our son to Chuck E. Cheese. What a great way to spend a couple of hours! Just me and my boy, eating pizza and then playing games and watching him have fun. He is getting better at Ski-ball and Air Hockey!

Yesterday, my wife and I went to see AVP. First we went to Chacho's Mexican Restaurant and had some great food. Then we caught "Aliens Vs. Predator"! We both enjoyed it as we are both fans of Sci-Fi and great story lines. They did an excellent job of bringing the concept to life. Having Lance Henrickson in the cast made it nostalgic for Aliens fans, his name is even Charles BISHOP weyland. And I caught him doing that five point star trick on his hand with his pen(a-la- Aliens mess hall scene).

Well there is always more horror on the way and more Cure songs to be highlighted, so stop back by tomorrow and see what the rotting dead have in store for you!

CJ

Hellraiser

2004-09-03T11:06:00.000-07:00

In 1987 horror fans were treated to a great horror movie titled “Hellraiser”. Clive Barker's directing debut! This is a very graphic tale about a puzzle box and its connection to the nether regions of Hell. Filled with bloody scenes and sexual situations, fans of the horror movies can enjoy a break from the slasher flicks that populate the genre. There is no killer here chasing innocent teens through the woods, just some nasty yet fascinating characters from Hell called Cenobites “Demons to some. Angels to others.” This film also contains some great quotes that I cannot help but sprinkle throughout this review.

Based on Barker’s own novella titled The Hellbound Heart, this story comes to frightening life with the spectacular special effects. The pale skin color, the nails that have been driven into his head and the leather costume only Beelzebub could love, make the lead Cenobite "Pinhead” (Doug Bradley) a ghastly addition to the nightmares of viewers. “Pinhead” is now a classic monster movie character, but when his face first appeared on the screen, it chilled us to the bone! The other Cenobites have equally horrific features such as a woman with a gaping hole in her throat, a thin creature with his edges of his mouth eaten far away exposing his chattering teeth, and a heavyweight man with his eyes sewn shut. The plot is about a man named Frank (Sean Chapman) who buys a puzzle box in search of the ultimate sensual experience. The now classic phrase “What’s your pleasure, sir?” is spoken by the shady man who sells him the box. What Frank finds instead is a trip to Hell beyond all pleasure and pain thanks to the Cenobites, who respond whenever the box is solved.

Frank escapes the grip of Hell thanks to a splash of blood. This drop of blood seeps into the floorboards and begins to revive Frank’s shriveled up heart, doesn’t make a whole lot of sense, but who cares, the special effects are amazing!! The raw muscles and tendons form as blood churns and a body begins to regain form. To facilitate this process, Frank depends on his previous lover Julia (Claire Higgins) bringing victims to the house to be killed. A very twisted love story to say the least.

Enter Kirsty (Ashley Laurence in her movie debut), the protagonist of this story and our heroine throughout the series. Well I won’t tell you the whole movie but when she accidentally opens the puzzle box, ‘you-know-who’ will be coming for her. “We have such sights to show you” One of the best gory films I have ever seen, where else where you see man ripped apart by hooks on the ends of chains? “Jesus Wept”

The rest of the Hellraiser saga that now has 8 movies, leans heavy on what is presented here in what I consider the best of the series. Now the overall acting was not spectacular, but done well enough to carry the story. One last quote, “No tears, please. It's a waste of good suffering.” If you haven’t seen this one yet, turn down the lights and get ready for a gore-rific film!!

Today's Cure song is "A Few Hours After This" from the Join The Dots: B-Sides and Rarities Collection - (2004) An B-side track from 1985. This orchestral tune was the b-side for "Inbetween Days". Robert seems to be shouting a few of the lyrics but I like that it gives the song a feeling of anguish inherant to the words.

"Just put your hands around my heart and squeeze me until I'm dry. I never thought you'd ever start to ever ask me why. I never saw you again "

CJ

Horror-esque

2004-09-01T07:39:00.000-07:00

Horror.

From the countless websites, movies, and stories I have perused,( as well as a growing list of people who enjoy my blog) I can see that horror is a growing attraction for a large portion of the population. What fascinates us about horror? Is it the desire to see something darker than ourselves, assuring us that we are in the light? Is it that age old lure of wanting to experience a fright, like on Halloween? Maybe it is a part of us that we choose to stimulate when other senses in our lives do not provide satisfaction? Whatever the reason, there are those of us that seek frequent jaunts into the terrifying sometimes entertaining realm of horror.

Now, I of course would never condone the use of this passion to promote real evil. I understand that some subjects of horror writing and films are taken from real life. But that should not be taken as a bad thing. To understand (or want to understand) the minds of the people who create real horror can help us remain secure in our sanity. Books and movies about real people like Jim Jones, Charles Manson, Ed Gein, and Jeffery Dahmer are indeed quite disturbing, but if someone were not brave enough to tell the tale, we would not have the opportunity to try and understand.

Fictional tales of horror may be easier to understand for the majority of my visitors. You see we are less connected to horrors we read about or see on the silver screen, save one important aspect. That aspect is the way horror related topics play are on primitive fears. Whether we are reading a thriller novel or watching a slasher flick, we are tapping into something primal.

One way that I have come to understand horror is that it is like opening a dark doorway within yourself. I don't mean into your own psyche, more like into what scares(and possibly thrills) you? If you do not like what you see there, then you are probably not a great horror fan. But those of us who are intrigued with what we find behind that door are treated to a world of sensory stimulation met by few other means. I say few others because one can find that same kind of rush riding a roller coaster for example in a controlled environment. Very scary to some, mildly arousing to others.

Horror fans look for the next ( or go back to a favorite) thing that makes us jump, chills our bones, or makes our hearts beat faster and faster with frightened expectations. We seek oppotunities to experience horror in a wide range of topics such as zombies, witches, voodoo, werewolves, supernatural possesions, blood & guts gore, and psychological horror.We have embraced the darkness, not to BE dark, evil or horrific, but rather to touch the place within ourselves that fascinates us so much.

So we write literature about horror (My samples can be found in the side bar Poetry & Stories), read books from fantastic authors like Stephen King, or watch movies (Read my reviews here at Movie Talk) that feed our desire to touch the darkness. As I re-read what I am about to post I also understand that some people may feel that liking horror means one has some kind of illness. To those visitors who feel this way I say, be open-minded and realize that to engage in these mediums to experience horror, is not the same as a desire to want to perform acts of real life horror. (And by the way, why are reading a blog about horror anyway?...*L*)

Descend into madness and swim in the blackness that is a real part of your soul as you enjoy the horror topics presented here. I hope to continue bringing you all horror movie reviews and samples of my original horror writing as the years go by. Until the end, the rotting dead await you here in cyber space.

Today's Cure song is "Maybe Someday" from the Bloodflowers CD-(2000) This is a song about wanting to let go but realizing that there is still a chance sometime in the future for another interaction. Could be about love, but I think Robert was saying that he thought the band should break up after the 2000 Dream Tour. This song would lend itself to his thoughts that maybe someday would come and it DID this year with the release of a new album and the Curiosa Festival tour. Glad they stuck together to give us more of what we love.

"I'll see you smile as you call my name. Start to feel, and it feels the same. And I know that maybe someday's come. Maybe someday's come...again!"

CJ

Night of the Living Dead

2004-08-30T12:50:00.000-07:00

Night of the Living Dead. The classic. The one movie that is mainly responsible for my love of the horror genre. There is no way I can do it justice but I certainly wanted to give it deserved space and respect.

"It has been established that persons who have recently died have been returning to life and committing acts of murder. A wide investigation of reports from funeral homes, morgues and hospitals has concluded that the unburied dead are coming back to life and seeking human victims..." (-original script excerpt)

George A. Romero boldly stepped up to the plate in 1968 and changed the genre of horror forever. Adapted from John Russo’s novelette, the entire story takes place over the course of one night. It follows the predicament of a group of seven people who take sanctuary in a farmhouse as the horrifying phenomenon of the living dead begins. As they battle against the increasing number of the walking dead outside, their situation slowly becomes more dire. Finally they even begin turning on themselves.

One of the factors that make this film so impressive is understanding that is done on a very low budget, something like $112,000. As it was shot crudely in black and white, the overall impression seemed intent on a B-movie status. However, this film quickly garnered a cult following and is one of the most classic horror movie to date.

Fairly good acting for the time period as they create some believable characters bringing Russo's story to life. The movie starred a little known cast which featured a performance from then 9 year old Krya Schon. I had the privilege of meeting Kyra on-line, and she is awesome!!. She is now a 40 something adult and has her own websiteThe Ghoul Next Door. Of course there is not much more to say about the plot (unless of course you have never seen this movie and do not understand the quote "They're coming to get you Barbara."). Somewhere on the East coast, a community is terrorized by the recently deceased, and these slow stumbling zombies crave human flesh.

A little gore (created by special effect genius Tom Savini), a lot of moaning, and precarious moments make for a sensational movie. The earliest form of defense is to shoot and then burn. (Of course now we know more about Surviving the Zombie Plague.) A group of people thinks they have found safety in a farmhouse near a cemetery. Hammers, nails, shotguns, kerosene and fruit jar cocktails are the methods of the day to try and stop the zombie horde.

This movie was inducted into the National Film Registry on November 16, 1999. Woo Hoo, way to go Romero! You are now a part of national film history!!

There was also a remake in 1990. Tom Savini returns, this time behind the camera to direct the re-telling of this classic. The plot is the same, but the budget has increased and so have the special effects. A very well done story with a couple of new twists.

Today's Cure song is Wrong Number from the Galore CD-(1997) A great addition to the Cure's reportiore. Jumpy with solid drum rhythms and quirky lyrics!

"You've got to make up your mind and make it soon. Is there room in your life for one more trip to the moon?"

CJ

Killer Klowns from Outer Space

2004-08-26T10:15:00.000-07:00

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What a fantastically campy 80s movie!! Usually filed under Horror (other times it is listed as Sci-Fi, Comedy or a B-Movie) Killer Klowns from Outer Space is a treat for lovers of things bizarre.

The Plot:
Aliens land just outside of a small town and they are intent on capturing the entire population. A group of college students figure out the plan and work to stop them.

The Twist:
These aliens look like clowns. But these are no ordinary circus clowns, these Klowns sport disgusting teeth, grotesque make-up, guns that fire popcorn bullets, and other weapons that help capture the town’s people in cotton candy cocoons. There is no joyful happiness with these horrible visitors as they slowly begin to take everyone and leave only their chilling laughter.

Now there are some folks who find the average clown (like the ones at the Barnum & Bailey circus) creepy enough already, but throw in the ability to make a balloon animal act like a real bloodhound, a thirst for drinking human blood through a wacky straw, and shadow puppets that eat people, and you have yourself a real nightmare!

There are many moments in this movie that will make a B-movie fan hysterical with laughter, however as a horror movie, it does have some evil elements. One great example is the cotton candy cocoons. Once captured inside, a person apparently begins to dissolve as they are hung up for storage. Along comes a thirsty Klown with a super long silly straw and you can’t help but get kind of creeped out. Now there are not a lot of special effects in this low budget romp, but what there were enough to create some good gore, anticipation, and suspense. The title song is also a real hoot! Sung by The Dickies, it is a very catchy tune. Find the CD here---> KKFOS on Amazon (with a sound clip)

Because the premise is so outrageous, one shouldn’t expect to take it too seriously. The humor is cheesy at best but where the hell else are you going to see a Klown pop out of a pizza box and shoot a woman, turning her into a cotton candy cocoon?

My favorite quote from this movie, “What are you gonna do with those pies boys?”

Today's Cure song is "Friday I'm in Love" from the Wish CD-(1990) A very popular pop hit. Very happy and cheerful and definitely one of the songs which break away from the melancholic norm of the bands genre. Nothing wrong with that at all!

"I don't care if monday's black. Tuesday, Wednesday heart attack. Thursday never looking back, it's friday i'm in love "

Escape

2004-08-25T06:04:00.000-07:00

More original dark poetry from your Rotting Dead host...

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Escape

Dig
deep into flesh
Rip
Smile

Feel
blood pulsing out
Crimson
Sparkle

Cut
another wound is opened
Bleed
Laugh

Pain
overwhelming the senses
Dark
Moan

Breath
slowly fading
Black
End

As always, compliments, complaints, critiques and comments are welcome.

Today's Cure song is Disintegration from the Disintegration CD-(1989) The title track from this spectacular CD starts with the sound of smashing glass. This song (driven by classic heavy bass and banging drums) tells the tale of melancholic love and abuse. With sad lyrics and an occasional sound of glass breaking in the background, Robert creates spectacularly vivid imagery of the concept of disintegration.

"Screaming like this in the hole of sincerity. Screaming me over and over and over. I leave you with photographs, pictures of trickery, stains on the carpet and stains on the memory. Songs about happiness murmured in dreams, when both of us knew how the end always is... "

CJ

Exorcist: The Beginning

2004-08-23T10:13:00.000-07:00

Since I saw the movie on Saturday, I wanted to post a review while it was still fresh on my mind.
First let me say that review comes in two flavors, General and the Spoiler Edition. The spoiler edition is clearly marked and can be passed over if you choose not to read it.

Now, as horror movie reviewer, I give this movie a C. It was not a movie which will reach "Horror Movie All Time Great' status by any stretch of the imagination, however it was not a total loss. What I liked about this movie from an objective point of view was the plot. Even if you are not a fan of the Exorcist series, as a horror movie it serves up a fair amount of the genre staples. There are moments which may make you jump and others where the suspense is simply unbearable due to a well written story.

The Story:
Years before Father Lancaster Merrin helped save Regan MacNeil's soul (in The Exorcist), he first encounters the demon in East Africa. This is the tale of Father Merrin's initial battle with Pazuzu and the rediscovery of his faith. Merrin is contracted to help in the excavation of a church that has been uncovered as part of an archaeological dig in Kenya. As their desent into the unknown begins, an evil is unleashed unto the land with horrific results.

Simple enough. This film stars Stellan Skarsgård, who is probably unknown to most US audiences as most of his early work (Mid 1970s) is from Sweden and Norway, does a great job in creating a believable early version of Father Merrin.

Now for something more in depth:
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As a fan of Blatty's story, I think this film was fantastic! Therefore I would give it a B+ for what it is, a prequeal. Many of the critics are judging this film harshly as a flop due to its lack of cutting edge horror tactics or its slow build up. However, that is one thing that makes the plot so strong. The plot is what drives this film and does a superb job of giving Exorcist fans a well defined background. We find Lankaster Merrin in Egypt, haunted by memories of World War II. He has taken leave from the priesthood and is indulging himself in alcohol and self pity in an attempt to forget and escape all the atrocities of war that he had witnessed .

Because he has a background in archeology , he comes to lead a British excavation (in the remote Turkana region of Kenya) of a mysterious, Byzantine church from the 5th century, long before Christianity arrived in East Africa, buried in pristine condition as if on the day it was completed. Following some mysterious clues, he uncovers a secret crypt directly underneath the church where something much more ancient and evil awaits. His very first encounter with Pazuzu!

The special effects are not spectacular but they do the trick in alluding to a manevolent force loose in the village. Beds shaking, cold breath where evil is present, and lots of blood are not new to horror fans, but again director Renny Harlin (Director of Die Hard 2, The Long Kiss Goodnight, & Deep Blue Sea) did a great job of keeping me in my seat. Even the predictable scares were acceptable as they went along very well with the strong plot.

Some of the special effects were quite good such a image of a little girl getting shot in the head at point blank range. The CGI produced hyenas were not (i'll admit) very good, but the savage scene were they rip a boy apart was well done. Expect some crosses to be upside down and a couple of things to move supernaturally as well as the classic infestation of flies.

There is a nice little plot twist as the movie nears its end and that was a welcomed surprise. The movie ends with Lankaster re-gaining his faith in God and exorcising the demon face to face. He saves a precious soul even as the horror spreads through out the entire population of the village and the British soldiers sent to secure the site. Lankaster returns to the Vatican once again donning his priest's collar and calling himself Father Merrin, ready for whatever God may have in store for him.
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A true horror fan should see this movie on the big screen and enjoy it for what it is then judge for yourself.

Today's Cure song is "Inbetween Days" from the Head on the Door CD - (1985) Another great singable tune with heavy keyboard action and bouncy drums.

"Yesterday I got so scared, I shivered like a child. Yesterday away from you, it froze me deep inside. "

A Rotting Dead Break

2004-08-20T10:41:00.000-07:00

No real post today, but please feel free to explore my blog. Click HERE to read the horror short story I recently posted in 3 parts. Check out the Movie Talk section for my thoughts on a growing list of horror movie reviews. Visit some of my friends by checking out the list of Blogs that I frequent. You can also see all the Cure songs I have highlighted thus far. And don't forget to read the Fine Print.

Have great weekend!

Today's Cure song is The Caterpillar from The Top CD-(1984) This is another song where lyrics may not actually reflect any real meaning. A real fun song to listen to though.

"You flicker and you're beautiful, You glow inside my head"

CJ

The Exorcist

2004-08-19T10:04:00.000-07:00

With the upcoming release of “Exorcist: The Beginning”, I thought it fitting to post my thoughts on the original, which after 30 years is an undeniable horror classic. “The Exorcist” is a shocking tale of a diabolical demon possession. This movie is based on the novel by William Peter Blatty, which spent 55 weeks on the New York Times Bestseller list. The book is an excellent read and most definitely one to be read with all the lights on! Recently we purchased the audio book version read by the author himself. It is a most chilling experience to hear Blatty’s expressions and intonations as he reads the words to his novel.

The movie was a fantastic screenplay rendition of his novel released in the USA on December 26, 1973. Capturing the elements of the demon possession with frightening clarity for its time. The film begins when Father Merrin, while on an archeological dig, encounters an ancient evil that warns of an upcoming battle. Cut to a suburb of Washington where a girl named Regan MacNeil (played by Linda Blair) starts out as a normal 12 year old. When she begins talking to her mother about her imaginary friend Captain Howdy, things get a little strange.

Supernatural occurrences like the classic bump in the attic began to disturb the mother as she sees Reagan’s health deteriorating. Medical exam after exam fail to show any cause her state of illness. The suggestion of an exorcism takes root in the mother’s mind and eventually she contacts the church. Enter Father Damien Karras, a priest who just happens to be going through a religious crisis himself, questioning his true beliefs. What ensues is a battle of Good vs. Evil to free Reagan’s soul from the devil’s grasp. Can Father Karras exorcise the demon? Maybe, with a little help from senior clergyman, Father Merrin.

The special effects are pretty good for the time. The now classic head spin and the green puke spew were spectacular in 1973. When this film was released it met with high criticism and negative audience consequences that included fainting, vomiting, and even a rumored miscarriage due to the violent content. Banned for video release in the UK and other countries for many years, this film has now found cult status among horror fans the world over.

The movie garnered a Golden Globe award for best picture and racked up 10 Oscar nominations of which it won 2 (Best Sound) & (Best Writing/Screenplay). “The Exorcist” grossed millions at the box office and was second only to “The Godfather” for most of the 70s. To date, it is the 13th highest grossing movie of all time.

Rent the original tonight and get ready for the theatrical release of the new prequel movie on Friday!

Today's Cure song is "Let's Go To Bed" from the Japanese Whispers CD - (1985) According to Robert Smith, this is "a nonsense set of words to complement what I then considered to be a hideous piece of 'commercial' pap ... but it grew on me...!!!" Another song I consider to be classic Cure.

"But I don't care if you don't, and I don't feel if you don't. I don't want it if you don't, and I won't say it if you won't say it first."

CJ

In the Dead of Night (Conclusion)

2004-08-18T08:52:00.000-07:00

And now for the conclusion of...

In the Dead of Night

"Frank saw many different wrenches, screwdrivers, and hammers on the floor. He picked up one screwdriver about six inches long and placed it in his back pocket. He also saw, in the midst of various sizes of bolts and sockets, a crowbar. It was slightly bent and no longer held its original luster. He picked up the crowbar and figured that it might serve useful in a close encounter with one of those...dead. Yes, dead, that's exactly what they were, walking, hungry, dead.

Frank looked up and noticed that several zombies had moved in front of the shop. They had not focused on him yet, but they undoubtedly would see him when he left the shop. The first thought he had was to check for a back door. "All shops have a back door," he mused. Frank made his way to the back of the shop and found a short hallway extending from the main counter. He figured that the back door should be at the end of the hallway. His hands however, would never feel the object of his search. He saw the entire area surrounding the back door and the end of the hallway cluttered with large beams of steel.

The back door was blocked by the smoldering remnants of the supporting walls lying across the floor. There had indeed been a fire in the shop and it had brought down the back wall of the shop onto itself. He turned and headed back towards the front of the shop. There were more of the dead than before in the parking lot. He stepped softly as he moved forward, but the crunching sound of broken glass grinding together underfoot was still too loud. One of the zombies turned its head looking into the shop is his direction and Frank stood still.

He watched as the ghoul silently stared right at him. Then it began to walk towards him and let out a deep gurgling moan. The sound made Franks skin crawl and he knew the others would hear and follow. As he stepped out of the shop, the large group of zombies moved in on the shop from all sides. He made a break for the main street, quickly passing two of the nearest zombies with their out-stretched arms.

Near the curb on the West Side of the shop, stood a lone zombie. It was the only one directly in Frank's path of escape. He ran forward and heaved the crowbar overhead. Then he swung at the zombie's head just as he neared the curbside. The zombie moved slightly to Franks left, as the crowbar was about to make contact. The blow struck the ghouls shoulder and scraped its neck as it missed the thing's head. The zombie stumbled a few steps and toppled onto the asphalt of the street as the crowbar dropped away fromthe two of them. The momentum of the swing pulled Frank forward and off balance, and then he fell.

As the zombie slowly stood erect, Frank had time to stand and look for where to go from there. The group of zombies that were gathering near the shop entrance began to moan in unison as they moved in Frank's direction. Frank ran up the street from his neighborhood and could see the ruins of the buildings that once stood on either side. Smoke was issuing from almost every building, and so were the zombies.

As he ran, he saw the fast food restaurant, the gas station, and his favorite bar; all filled with the living dead. He felt an overwhelming sense of doom as he remembered all the different moments he had spent having fun, getting the things he needed, and simply living life. Now, here he was running like a fox chased by hounds, running for his life, and running the wrong way! He stopped his run with both feet hitting the pavement at once and caught himself from falling.

He realized that he had run into the heart of a highly populated suburb. He choked on a quickly inhaled breath as he saw his fate around him. Hundreds of the ghouls were milling about in their thoughts of the dead. Then they saw him, and heard the fading echoes of his footsteps. The moan that had once been coming only from behind him now rang out in his ears in full surround stereo.

The sound of so many dead caused Frank to lose control of his bladder and he trembled as the warm liquid seeped down the front of his pants. He looked around, and from every possible direction they came. In an ever-tightening circle the zombies moved in closer with clawing hands and hunger in their sunken eyes. He punched and kicked at the zombies, and even stabbed at a few with the screwdriver he had. He fought until the first bite sank into his shoulder.

Another bite into his leg caused him to twist around and let out an agonizing scream. One after another, the ghouls continued to devour him and the loudest sound that could be heard was his scream. A scream of terror and of pain, a scream that echoed out into the night, a scream that caused Frank to bolt upright in his bed!

As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he could feel the beads of sweat cascading down his face. The same sweat that had saturated the pillow and the sheets he now tossed aside. "Holy Shit!" He put his legs over the edge of the bed, reached over and clicked on the lamp. "That's what I get for watching all of those horror movies," he said aloud. He washed his face and changed into a fresh tee shirt. Then he went into the living room and sat on the couch. He figured he would watch a little television to clear mind of the sunken-eyed faces that still flashed before his eyes.

He clicked on the television and surfed around until he saw a re-run of Gilligan’s Island. It was one where the castaways built a bicycle car out of bamboo and coconut shells. He always got upset about how absurd that invention was. Then an announcement broke in with an Emergency logo across the screen. The announcer sat with unbelieving paranoia in her eyes, and Frank's expression froze.

THE END

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Thank you so much for reading my story. Comments and critiques are welcome as always.

Today's Cure song is "A Forest" from the Seventeen Seconds CD - (1979) A Cure classic! This song, driven by a fantastic bass line, makes you feel lost in the forest Robert sings about!

"Suddenly I stop, but I know it's too late. I'm lost in a forest, all alone"

In the Dead of Night (Part 2)

2004-08-17T07:20:00.000-07:00

And now Part 2 of...

In the Dead of Night

"Humph, only in the movies Frank," he told himself. He thought he might as well try to find an open truck anyway, because he did not fancy the idea of running through all the ghouls he would eventually encounter. Up, over the fence, and down he dropped to the ground on the other side. There were seven trucks parked in the depot and in the distance he noticed the main gate was open.

He looked in all seven of the trucks, but no keys were left hanging at the end of his rainbow. What now? He had never tried to hot-wire a vehicle before, but he was a college student so why not give it "the old college try?" He hopped up into one of the cabs and slid the steering wheel up to its highest position. He ducked his head underneath the dashboard, pulled down the wiring, and broke into frenzied laughter. He knew he was probably not going to get lucky, since he hadn't the slightest idea which wires needed to be crossed. After several minutes of trying different combinations, he sat up and drew a breath.

In the coolness of the cab, he sat and listened to the noises of the evening. The sound of sirens filled the air and what could have only been explosions rang out in the distance. He knew he should keep moving, but where should he go? He needed some kind of protection, which is one of the reasons he left his apartment in the first place. "The Pawn Shop!" he exclaimed out loud and to his surprise. Surely there would be something there he could use to protect himself. Since there were not many living people that he could seein this area, he figured that maybe it had been evacuated. His apartment complex was located just ten minutes from the downtown area, which is where the first reports had come from. The other possibility was that the people ran away in a mass panic and probably had already looted all the stores, including the pawnshop.

Whatever had happened, he had to check it out before he went any farther. Then he realized that he would have to double back in the direction he had come from because the pawnshop was on the other side of his apartment complex. "Great." As he opened the door of the truck, he saw that a group of zombies had moved into the trucking depot.

There were more than twenty of the zombies converging on the door on the driver's side of the truck. He slid over to the passenger's side and opened the door. He climbed out and onto the roof of the truck just as a couple of the ghouls made their way to the door. From the roof, he could count about twenty-five of the dead beginning to surround the truck.

Two things in the air, which caused him to stagger back, immediately flared his senses.He heard the unearthly moans that streamed into his ears as a horribly foul odor rose up to fill his nostrils. One of the dead was attempting to climb onto the hood of the truck. When Frank saw this, he decided to make his move. He leapt to the next truck's rooftop again and again until he was on the last truck, as the zombies slowly followed his actions. He jumped down off the truck just as the first of the zombies neared him.

He ran from the truck depot and headed towards the pawnshop. As the sound and the smell of the ghouls were left behind, he slowed his pace and began to look ahead for others, living or dead. At the first intersection, he saw several cars and trucks scattered throughout the area. An apparently large fire had blackened two of the cars. A few figures were moving about near an abandoned gas station and Frank realized that the staggered movements were not those of the living.

He stayed near the shrubbery and the buildings that lined the East Side of the street. So far, none of the zombies had noticed him. He moved along in silence, keeping an eye out for every moving shadow. After a few more yards he saw the pawnshop in the distance. It looked as though it had already been looted and had sustained some fire damage. "Fire?" he questioned to himself. He realized that earlier he had heard sirens bellowing out in the night, but the sound of them had now moved away. It appeared that the events, which took place here, had happened some time ago, though the smell of smoke still lingered in the air. The smoke was accompanied by an ever-growing stench, which Frank quickly recognized.

Nausea grew within him as his lungs filled with the putrid stink of dead flesh and his head began to swim. Light-headed, he stopped behind one of the small buildings.He buckled over and grabbed at his stomach and the last meal he had eaten spilled out onto the ground. He stood up after a few minutes, wiped the tears that watered his eyes, and spat out the last bit of bile-laden saliva. He gulped in some fresh air and put his head against the wall to steady himself. He looked around to see if his actions had attracted any attention.

Seeing that he was safe, he continued onward to the pawnshop. He entered through a glass-less window frame on the far right side of the storefront. As he had suspected, all of the guns were taken. The tile floor was covered with broken glass and bullet casings. He sifted through the rubble in the middle of the shop. He found only broken guitars, busted stereo equipment, and several cabinets that had been reduced to shards of particleboard.He decided to make his effort whole-hearted and checked the corners of the shop as well.

He moved pieces of melted jewelry and threw aside different bits of plastic handles and hardware. He moved a large table to one side and a clanking sound on the debris-covered tile caught his attention. He looked down to see an array of tools that had been displayed on top of another table. No doubt the mob that ran-sacked the place, were uninterested in this table with all the weapons there were to be taken. What might he find?

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Tune in tomorrow for the exciting Conclusion!!

Today's Cure song is Holy Hour from the FaithCD - (1981) One slow,dark,dreary tune that seems to be about disappointment in either religion or love. There are some abstract lyrics from this dark time in the band's history.

"I sit, and listen dreamlessly. A promise of salvation makes me stay."

In the Dead of Night (Part 1)

2004-08-16T07:58:00.000-07:00

Well you have all had a chance to sample my dark poetry(If not, please see previous posts The Burning & Deadly Rift ) Now allow me to treat you to my very own horror short story. This is a tale I wrote and had web-published on The Homepage of the Dead. It is a zombie story titled...

In the Dead of Night

Frank was breathing hard as he came around the corner of the building. He stopped short and slammed his back against the wall. His heart was pounding hard in his chest as he thought for a moment of what was happening, and how it had begun. He had been watching a re-run of Gilligan’s Island. It was one where the castaways built a bicycle car out of bamboo and coconut shells. He always got upset about how absurd that invention was. Then an announcement broke in with an Emergency logo across the screen. The announcer sat with unbelieving paranoia in her eyes, and Frank’s expression froze.

"Reports are continuing to flood in, that dead people are coming back to life and attacking the living. This is not a joke nor is it a hoax. All across the nation at this hour, broadcasters from our affiliates and the major networks are echoing and confirming reports that people who have died, are returning to life. These once dead individuals have been seen biting, killing, and in some instances eating their victims. A reporter from this station, out on routine assignment, was attacked in this fashion and is presumed dead. We have disturbing footage taped from the downtown area where our Bill Watkins was reporting on the demolition of the St. Clark Hotel."

The images flashed through Frank's mind. A confident Watkins, who was standing in front of the hotel babbling something about posterity, was suddenly distracted by a man coming towards him from within the condemned building. After a few seconds of unanswered probing, the individual came close enough for the camera to capture a close up of the apparently deceased man before he began clawing and biting Bill Watkins. The footage ended after the camera had fallen to the ground, Watkins' screams had faded, and the cameraman's screams echoed through the abandoned hotel entrance.

The tear soaked face of the announcer returned and she continued, "All local station broadcasts are to be replaced by the National Civil Defense Network this evening at 6:00 p.m. Please stay indoors and keep your television tuned to this station for continuing updates." Frank shook his head to clear the bloody images from his mind, and took a deep breath. After he saw the first report, he had tried to reach his family on the telephone. He found that there was a constant busy signal that probably meant that either the lines were overloaded or communications had been halted by some government agency. He assumed that this agency had already been in place to deal with the crisis. Either way he was unable to reach anyone and was now alone in the situation.

The thought of the dead returning to life was not all that incredible for Frank. He was a student at the local university and was often in the campus library. He was frequently reading and researching a myriad of topics, including the supernatural. He had read an article reporting that a village in Sierra Colorada, South America was plagued by some kind of virus in the late 1970s. The virus was said to have revived the dead and cause them to become flesh-eating creatures. The incident resulted in over 4000 deaths and hundreds of missing persons reports. All cases were reported in only a matter of days.

He had also reviewed a document that was submitted to a government office by a couple of scientists, which dealt with Bio-technological Advances. They claimed to be responsible for allowing some mutated human specimens to escape from their laboratory, located in Pennsylvania. They stated that the specimens were extremely dangerous and were to be treated as bio-hazardous contaminants. Following a string of murders and mutilations tied directly to the escaped specimens, the two scientists were arrested and the specimens finally captured by the National Guard. No "official" public report of the story was ever released after that particular document surfaced, nor were the scientists heard from again.

The fact that real zombies were actually appearing here in the city made Frank wonder how it could have started. He began to ask himself questions. How could this really behappening and why? How many were already in the city and of those, how many were active in his immediate area? What was he going to do now? A rustling of feet against the pavement jarred him out of his pensive state. He chanced to peer around the corner into the alley that he had just run through; to get away from the ghoul infested parking lot. A single figure darkened the alley entrance and was moving its head from side to side as though sniffing the chilled night air for something...or someone.

Frank darted away from the building and ran along the metal fence that separated his apartment complex from the trucking company depot in the next block. He rushed ahead beside the fence until he came to a grass, covered field where the fencing turned and extended to his right. He looked to see if the lumbering figure was in pursuit, it was not. He thought of how quickly things had seemed to fall apart around him. After he hadtried to reach someone by phone, he had looked out through his living room mini blinds to see what was going on outside and that is when he saw the first of the zombies.

He knew that staying in his apartment with no contact to others and no means of protecting himself was a very bad idea. He would eventually need more food and would not like spending the rest of this crisis alone. He saw several of the ghouls moving about downstairs in the main courtyard. There were only a few, but more were coming in from the parking lot. As he scrambled down his staircase, he saw that there many apartment doors wide open, but there was no normal activity for this time of night.

He had hidden behind one of the large dumpsters for a couple of hours, watching the zombies walk around. He thought about where everyone had gone too, was he the only one left in this neighborhood? No dogs barking, no people running and screaming in the midst of this crisis, how had he missed it? One of the ghouls was getting closer to his hiding spot, that's when he had decided to run through that alley. He swallowed the lump forming in his throat and considered his options. He looked out over the trucking depot parking lot. What were the chances of finding one of the trucking rigs with the key in the ignition?

~*~*~*~

Tune in tomorrow for PART 2!

Today's Cure song is One More Time from the Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me CD -(1987) A break from the heavy bass that usually overshadows the Cure's tunes, however not any less melancholic. A sadder flute song you will never hear. This is a song of longing and the desire to touch the eternal.

"Take me in your arms tonight. Take me in your arms, just one more time"

I'm back.

2004-08-16T06:40:00.000-07:00

It was a long weekend. I will post something more enjoyable to read later.

CJ

Speaking of Ghosts

2004-08-12T13:57:00.000-07:00

Another reason I wanted to post about ghosts today was due to the recent activity at our apartment. There was this riding stick-pony toy that belonged to our 4-year old, it was one that sings and plays horsy sounds and stuff when you push the little buttons on the ears. Great toy up until yesterday.

My wife told me that it was playing it's happy little song "I'm a little pony, clippity clop, clippity clop..." but no one pushed the buttons. She wasn't sure if our son got up from his nap to play and then jumped back in bed, so she took out of his room and put it in our room. Lo and behold, as it was lying against the wall it started playing the song again with no one pushing the buttons. My wife decided to explain to our son that it must be broken and threw it out. But it was surely Creepy!

This is not our first encounter with possible ghosts. In our first apartment together we had a lot of ghost activity. Shadows that move when you are looking directly at them, sounds from the other room when there is no one there-not even a pet, and our cat used to stare and hiss at things that were not visible. The pony toy was one of the first times that we have encountered something in our new apartment, so we are happy to say that it was just broken. (At least that is what will help us sleep at night)

Got a real life ghost experience? Share in the comments section.
CJ

Ghosts!

2004-08-12T08:33:00.000-07:00

I was recently telling my friend Nicole about a few of my favorite ghost movies. So here is that brief list.

"The Haunting" - 1963 The original ghost story with little special effects making the main push of the story psychological (which if often the most frightening).

"The Fog" - 1980 A classic ghost tale of revenge starring Adrienne Barbeau, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Janet Leigh. Also featureing John Houseman, Tom Atkins, and Hal Holbrook.

"What Lies Beneath" -2000 Harrison Ford & Michelle Pfeiffer star in this tale of a ghostly secret.

"St. Francisville Experiment" -2000 This is a documentary-style film but slighter better than the Blair Witch project. I like the spooky feel to this one.

"Rose Red" Mini-series - 2002 Here is a Stephen King classic in the making! A great series that is now available on DVD which tells the story of a haunted mansion.

Now I also like the following movies for a good scare:

Thirteen Ghosts
Poltergeist
The Entity*
The Amityville Horror*
The Shining
Legend of Hell House (with Roddy McDowall)
House on Haunted Hill (with Vincent Price)

*These movies are more about demons but have great ghost-like moments and scares!

Today's Cure song is "10:15 Saturday Night" from the Boys Don't Cry CD -(1979) This is a great song that showcases Robert's guitar versatility. Slow, rhythmic, and the wailing!

"Waiting for the telephone to ring, and I'm wondering where she's been.
And I'm crying for yesterday, and the tap drips..."

Addiction

2004-08-11T06:09:00.000-07:00

Another poem from my canon of literary works:

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The desire is powerful, pulling at me.

The oxygen leaves my chest in sporadic tatters.

The sickness rises and threatens to consume me.

I walk away, I try to run, but it is always there.

A dark cloud, a black aura, a shadowed doorway opens before me.

I reluctantly step through and something wicked greets me,

welcomes me home to Hell.

Today's Cure song is Burn from "The Crow" Soundtrack -(1994). This song was also featured in the Join The Dots: B-Sides and Rarities Collection - (2004) A great heavy drum & bass laden song that goes well with the movie creating dark imagery with it's haunting lyrics.

"Oh don't talk of love" the shadows purr. Murmuring me away from you."Don't talk of worlds that never were, the end is all that's ever true"

CJ

Creepshow

2004-08-10T08:29:00.000-07:00

“Creepshow” The Most Fun You’ll Ever Have Being Scared. This movie, a great collection of short stories, is a tribute to 1950s style comic books “Haunt of Fear” “Vault of Horror” & “Tales from the Crypt”. George A. Romero and Stephen King bring five tales of terror to the screen with some awesome special effects by the genius make-up artist Tom Savini. A haunting musical score by John Harrison (who also did the score for “Day of the Dead”) keeps the chill in the air throughout the five stories. Framed within the pages of a comic book, each story is told as the pages are turned and the terror comes to life.

To begin, elements of a wrap around story are presented about a young boy named Billy and his angry father played by Tom Atkins. The father slaps the boy as an overzealous discipline and throws the boy’s horror comic in the garbage. Something creepy takes place and we are invited by a ghastly spectre to the Creepshow.

The first story, featuring Ed Harris, deals with a demented old man returning from the grave to get the "Father's Day" cake his murdering daughter never gave him. Savini’s zombie effects make your skin crawl.

In "The Lonesome Death of Jordy Verrill" Stephen King stars in this segment (based on a short story he wrote titled “Weeds”) as a slack-jawed farmer who discovers a meteorite with strange radioactive powers that makes plant life grow exponentially and in unexpected places.

The third tale is about a vengeful husband burying his wife and her lover up to their necks on the beach. "Something to Tide You Over" presents a serious role for Leslie Nielsen and also features Ted Danson & Gaylen Ross (who starred in Romero’s 1978 classic Dawn of the Dead)

The fourth story is about a savage man-eating creature that has lain dormant in a crate under the set of stairs in a college for about 20 years, until awaken by a local professor played by Fritz Weaver. When he tells his friend Henry (Hal Holbrook), things take a twisted turn. “The Crate” also features a love to hate character played by Adrienne Barbeau.

The final story “They're Creeping Up On You “ is about an ultra-rich, obsessively clean businessman who gets his comeuppance from a swarm of cockroaches. E.G. Marshall plays an excellent eccentric and meets a most grotesque end.

The comic book closes and we are brought back to the second segment of the wrap around story where two garbage men are collecting trash and one finds the horror comic. We are treated to a cameo from Tom Savini who discovers that a coupon for a voodoo doll has already been cutout. Perhaps Billy already ordered that and his father may live just long enough to regret treating him so mean.

Today's Cure song is "One Hundred Years" from the Pornography CD-(1982) A thundering drum and a whining guitar brings dreary imagery to this classic from their early days.

"The pain and the creeping feeling, a little black haired girl. Waiting for Saturday, the death of her father pushing her. Pushing her white face into the mirror."

CJ

The Burning

2004-08-09T08:19:00.000-07:00

Today, another sampling of my dark poetry. This one was written last year.

~*~*~*~*

The Burning©

The fires rage on the horizon for all to see.
Acrid smoke fills your lungs as you run from death.
Away from the flames, you flee into the dark, lost.
You collapse when you can run no more, your breath in ragged spurts.
You turn to find you are cornered, the heat of their breath is upon you.
Fear rises and you begin to weep as you realize the next burning begins with you.

As always I am happy to receive comments, critiques and complaints. Of course, as would be expected, I don't particularly like complaints but I will accept them...:-)

Today's Cure song is Never Enough from the Mixed Up CD - (1990) This song was first released in the UK on a CD titled "Absolution". This is guitar heavy song, a great tune with a jumpy rhythmic drum accompaniment. The Mixed Up version of this song was the first time most Americans heard it. Mixed Up was a collection of 9 Cure hits remixed for fans as we waited for new material between 1989 and 1992. According to Robert, "This is the record that drunk Cure fans should listen to, it makes you feel really good, which is unusual for us." I personally really like all of these versions.

"One more time to fill it up, one more time to kill. Whatever I do it's never enough"

CJ

His Royal Badness!

2004-08-07T10:01:00.000-07:00

Incredible! After more than two decades of making music and finally getting inducted into the Music Hall of Fame, Prince still sings, dances, and performs like he is in his prime!

The 2 hour 40 minute Prince show last night (First of two here in Houston,TX) was absolutely spectacular. The main setlist was as follows:

Musicology
Let's Go Crazy
I Would Die 4 U
When Doves Cry
Baby I'm A Star!
Shhh
D.M.S.R-(feat Pass the Peas)
I Feel 4 U
Controversy (with a little of Sheila E's "Love Bizarre")

Georgia on My Mind (Featured Maceo taking center stage doing great Ray Charles tribute)
Then Renato gave us a "Sometimes It Snows In April" medley

The acoustic set:
Little Red Corvette
I Wanna Be Your Lover
Raspberry Beret
Cream
Prince And The Band
Alphabet St.
The Rules>On The Couch (Showing his great sense of humor as well as blues skills)
Adore
7

Then the band joined back in for the second main set:
Sign O' The Times
Pop Life
Let's Work
U Got The Look
Life O' The Party
Soul Man
Kiss
Take Me With U

Encore Set:
Beautiful Ones (A very nice treat)
Nothing Compares To U
Purple Rain

John Blackwell blew me away with his thundering intro to "Shhh" and this is where the real party started!!

I really liked Renato's "Sometimes It Snows In April" instrumental while Prince changed outfits.

Prince also did a little Beyonce action and commented "Oh lawd I ain't got no botty y'all, Houston can I borrow some booty?!"

The Rules/On the Couch blues session was fan-freakin'-tastic! Watching his genius flow acoustically was more than worth the price of the ticket. "Y'all can leave if you want to, I'm just jamming."

Finally, "The Beautiful Ones" was a sensational way to start the three song encore set.

Ahhhh, Satisfied in Houston!!!!
CJ

(P.S. In honor of Prince's great show last night, there will be no Cure song featured today. Much love to Robert Smith and the band, but today is Prince's day to shine. Wish I could go to the second show!!)

Purple Goth

2004-08-06T07:57:00.000-07:00

Tonight is the first Houston,TX show for the Prince Musicology tour. I am so very privileged to be attending the event. I am a huge Prince fan as well as a fan of The Cure, perhaps someday they will tour together.
*L*
Yeah, that's it, The Purple Goth tour!! I am going to work on starting that movement!

It is fascinating how the two are nowhere near the same genre or sound, but both hold great inspiration for me. One reason I highlight a daily cure song is because I love their music and it fits very well with horror topics whereas Prince's music is more for dancing, snapping your fingers and making love.

So, for tonight I will be setting down the dark Cure mantle to don my purple aura for an evening with Prince!

Today's Cure song is "Dressing Up" from the The Top CD -(1984) This is one quirky little tune off of an import album that got little exposure in the US. This whole album is kind of deranged in nature and Simon Gallup's presence is definitely missed. The lyrics for this song are mysterious and are sung in a very dreamy state. Still an interesting arrangement and I love the flute notes.

"Dressing up to kiss. Dressing up to be all this "

The Stand

2004-08-05T06:56:00.000-07:00

A movie review of Stephen King’s “The Stand” - The End of the World is Just the Beginning. As with many of king’s works, you either love it or hate it. This 1994 adaptation of one of his most popular books of the same title is a two-disc, 360 minute journey through a classic end-of-the-world scenario.

The Story:

In a U.S. military facility/research lab in California, something has gone hideously wrong: a ferociously potent killer virus has escaped. It is an unstoppable mutated strain of the flu virus that wipes out 99 percent of the world's population. The last 1% are people who are immune to the superflu epidemic.

This is a perfect tale of an end times confrontation between Good and Evil among the survivors. These survivors are slowly drawn together on one side or the other. The ones who choose the path of light or goodness are average citizens with some central core of virtue. The ones who choose the path of darkness or evil are ones who have had misfortunes heaped upon them and you are not sure if you hate them or pity them. Those who choose evil follow Randall Flagg known as “the walking dude” or “the dark man”. Those who choose good follow Abigail Freemantle also called “Mother Abigail”.

The Movie:

There are some excellent roles played by an equally superb list of actors and actresses including Gary Sinese, Laura San Giacomo, Ray Walston, Rob Lowe, Molly Ringwald, Miguel Ferrer and Ossie Davis. Featuring performances by Jamey Sheridan as Flagg and Ruby Dee as Mother Abigail. There is also an extended cameo by Stephen King.

What I like about this movie (after seeing it for the 20th time) is the very wonderful King flavor of the story. It is long, detailed, and gives you moments of great chills. The opening scene, set to the thrust of Blue Oyster Cult's "Don't Fear the Reaper," is a creepy wave of imagery showing the many who have already succumb to the virus. King presents the remaining population is this movie adaptation almost as well as the descriptions in his book, populating the landscape with several genuine characters.

This is one of his best book-to-screen adaptations ever. Presented as a television mini-series, this Emmy Award winning t.v.-movie makes a fantastic transition to DVD. The acting was honestly good enough to bring King’s story to believable life. Gary Sinese plays an fantastic Stu Redman from Arnette,Texas! The role of Fran Goldsmith could have been better if played by someone a little less 80s iconic than Ringwald, but in the end she did a great job and ‘fits’ the character quite well.

As a King fan I find this movie captures the book’s essence quite well. I have read the unabridged novel several times and always watch the movie soon afterwards to have the great follow up experience of seeing battle of Good and Evil played out before me on the Not-quite-so Big screen. If you like King, if you like plot twists, or if you just want to see a good long horror movie on a Saturday afternoon, check out “The Stand”

Today's Cure song is "Us or Them" from the new self titled CD The Cure - (2004) This the first time ever that The Cure has released a self titled album. A great tune Robert belts out in his classic angst style.

"No I don't want you anywhere near me, I don't want you anywhere near me,Get your f**king world out of my head. "

Deadly Rift

2004-08-04T08:52:00.000-07:00

I have mentioned that I am a writer so today I wanted to share a sample of my literary endeavors. The following is a poem I wrote in 2001.

Here is the obligatory warning: Contains imagery which may be disturbing.

Through the gateway it ascended to this world of prey and light.

Seeking whom it might rip of innocence, virtue, of life.

Swiftly it made it's way across this once abudant, fertile land.

Reaping the lives of all who occupied the sky, sea, and sand.

With crimson fangs of steel and ebony eyes, it tore into to each soul.

The victims having one last vision of darkness, terror, and cold.

Blood stains drying on it's face, death reeking from it's jaws.

None could escape the might of it's wings nor the fury of it's razored claws.

It finally returned from whence it came with not a single sound.

And as the portal slowly closed, the last human slumped to the ground.

Let me know what you think.

Today's Cure song is Primary from the FaithCD - (1981) A face paced song with snappy guitar riffs from thier third CD. A great song to contrast the slower,dark,dreary tunes from this session that can bring tears to your eyes.

"The further we go, and older we grow, the more we know, the less we show."

CJ