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I am a multimedia designer and aspiring writer from Central Illinois who dreams of bigger things. You are entering the hub of my online world. Welcome. Make yourself at home, read some stuff, click a few things, maybe check out my online portfolio. And of course, if you enjoy your stay, please subscribe.

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Monday, October 19, 2009

15 movies that I'll never forget

The challenge given to me (via Facebook):

Don't take too long to think about it. Quickly list 15 movies you've seen that will always stick with you. Take no more than 15 to 20 minutes.

My results:
  1. Man Bites Dog - Black & white independent film from Belgium. Disturbing faux documentary in which a camera crew films the exploits of a psychopathic serial killer, then gets more involved than they originally planned.
  2. Anguish - Spanish writer/director Bigas Luna's horror film with some really great gimmicks. Firstly, there's the intensely hypnotic scenes of terror. Then, there's the realization about halfway through that you are actually watching a movie of a terrified girl in a theater watching the movie you've been watching. The end doesn't quite live up to the initial setup, but it's definitely worth checking out.
  3. Rosemary's Baby - Deceptively friendly old codgers dupe an innocent young woman into carrying the offspring of Satan himself. "Hail Hellfire! Hail Satan!" Awesome.
  4. Death Italian Style - DO NOT WATCH THIS MOVIE, if you are unfortunate enough to find it. I don't even think it's listed on IMDB, it's that independent... or just that bad. It is truly torturous. Thanks a million, Mike.
  5. Kingpin - Farrelly brothers' funny-as-hell comedy with Randy Quaid as an Amish bowling star and Woody Harrelson in his funniest performance ever, as pitiful has-been bowling champion Roy Munson.
  6. A Clockwork Orange - Incredibly true to the book by Anthony Burgess, one of my absolute favorite repeat reads. Malcolm McDowell at his best.
  7. Pink Flamingos - Divine. John Waters. Repulsive, vomit-inducing human tricks. "Is that the egg man?"
  8. Hellraiser - Those Cenobites were soooo freakin' cool the first time you saw them. When this movie came out, there was nothing like it. Most of the sequels, though each contained at least a few kickass & memorable scenes, fell pretty flat compared to the original.
  9. Blake Edwards' S.O.B. - Mary Poppins' boobies! 'Nuff said.
  10. The Haunting - Original 1963 version, not that crap-ridden remake. Remember when a movie could pull off a scare without gore? This movie is all atmosphere and very little special effects. The meager $1 million budget wouldn't allow it. A breathing door. That's about it. Great movie for those who don't want their scares spoon-fed. You have to invest in the movie and go along for the ride.
  11. Fritz The Cat - My first exposure to the X-rated cartoon world. I must have been about 14. Though extremely dated, it's deplorable, offensive, deviant, violent, vulgar and absolutely brilliant! A side of Ralph Bakshi I was delighted to discover. Skip the sequel, though.
  12. Brokeback Mountain - Hey, screw you. It was a good movie. And memorable. That's what we're shooting for here.
  13. Trick or Treat - Skippy from "Family Ties" is a nerdy metalhead who unwittingly raises a demonic rock star from the dead to terrorize first his high school tormentors, then the world. Cheesy as hell, but I loved it when I was in high school. Killer, must-own soundtrack by Fastway.
  14. E.T. - I remember everything about this movie. It was the longest line I ever stood in to go to the movies with my family as a kid. It was at the Orpheum Theater in Galesburg. I laughed, I cried, I fell in love with Drew Barrymore... If you never liked E.T., your heart is black and dead.
  15. The Blair Witch Project - Once again, screw you. A buddy of mine somehow got hold of a bootleg tape of this movie before it even hit theaters. None of us had even seen so much as a trailer for it yet. We had a viewing party at another friend's house and I gotta say, the bootleg tape factor really helped contribute to the atmosphere of the night. I was genuinely a bit creeped out. I don't care what anyone says, I think it was clever. There wasn't really anything like it done before.
So there ya go. I could give more. These are by no means my favorite 15 movies, just the 15 ones that made a real impression on me and came to mind first. Though some of them would populate that list as well. And, yes, I cheated a bit on the time part. The list itself came easily, and then after going back and adding descriptions & such, it ended up being more like 30 minutes.

Friday, June 26, 2009

A sad day :(

 
Say what you want about him; perhaps in his latter years he turned into a piece of shit, perhaps not. Either way, he definitely made some bad decisions. But he was also an INCREDIBLE entertainer. It saddens me that a childhood hero of mine has passed at such a young age without being even slightly vindicated in the world's eyes. Talk about a fall from grace. I talked my share of smack, but I'll truly miss u, Michael.