Day: February 27, 2015

THE TRUE HORROR OF ‘LAZARUS EFFECT’

The LAZARUS EFFECT showcases the newfound popularity of reanimation horror.. WIRED’s Jordan Cruccihola examines this premise in an article posted today, saying

“Reanimation horror is not the most populated of sub-genres. We’ve surely had more cabins in the woods, unbeatable super killers, and haunted houses. But reanimation has a special place in our hearts thanks to its scientific roots. Sure, it’s all ridiculous science with little to no connection to reality, but there are still a lot more lab coats than in your standard-issue slasher. And if there’s one thing we wish there were more of in horror flicks, it’s lab coats..”

An the author is dead on right! The LAZARUS EFFECT, being released this weekend for public consumption, has an interesting premise: A group of medical students find a way to bring the dead back to life. It’s a horror classification, but easily travails into the science fiction category as you read more about the idea.. And really, we are living in this world.

This horror encapsulates perfectly our fears about future shock, the advancement of medical technology, and how we are on the verge of some amazing but possibly scary things.. The movie is getting intensely bad reviews, not only from the paid informants in entertainment rags, but also the masses who have already been privileged to see and write about it.

The common thread is that this is a rip-off of FLATLINERS. Maybe that’s true, but it’s also bringing to theaters the concept of the future and how it can be dangerous if in the wrong hands.. there’s a cultural allegory here if you pay attention. A commentary on society..

LAZARUS is not expected to rise to the top of the heap in the movie theaters over the next few days, but it is predicted to do fine for its genre for a winter weekend..

February 27, 2015
The message of IT FOLLOWS explored

IT FOLLOWS trailer lays out rules for upcoming horror film.

The movie is highly anticipated.. it’s a modern movie about the dangers of teenage sexual promiscuity. Instead of exchanging bodily fluids that lead to an STD, the couple involved will become victims of a sexually transmitted CURSE.. that follows.

I have read a number of accounts and early spoiler information about this movie–it looks to be one of the freshest and most creative horror movies that we will be getting in 2015.Some have even called it a ‘masterpiece‘!

Reviews like that often don’t happen in the mainstream world for this genre..The UK INDEPENDENT’s Geoffrey Macnab reviewed the movie with a positive four out of five star conclusion.. Macnab wrote,

“The ingenious new teen horror film It Follows will intrigue, puzzle and trouble audiences by turns.”

And this:

“This may be a horror movie but it has some of the same feel as Larry Clark’s cautionary tales about mixed-up, laidback American kids. It is shot as artfully as Clark’s films and, like them, portrays a self-enclosed teen society in which parents and teachers don’t intrude.”

For many years, any watcher of horror either random or astute would know that films often play on the fears of the youth.. Jason Vorhees killed the immoral, in a sense he was the ultimate champion of religious fervor–slaughtering the promiscuous party animal teens that skipped foreplay and went right to the deed at Camp Crystal Lake.

Perhaps no one saw the irony in his kills, the idea that he was the biblical old testament God reigning judgement down on those who sinned.. This new film seems to keep with that same idea: Sin and sex.

In IT FOLLOWS, the predator and villain can only be seen by those who have been cursed with the sexual relations that spread it.. An keeping with my long held notion that horror movies, in any given time (and professional wrestling), perfectly symbolize the current state of modern pop culture for that generation, Macnab paints a similar picture in his INDEPENDENT review, writing:

“It Follows plays not just on the kids’ ambivalence about their own sexual desires, but also on their disgust at the idea of their parents’ sexual lives. The Freudian elements sit alongside action sequences (a car crashing in a cornfield, an explosive final-reel stand-off at the local swimming pool). This is also a love story of sorts. Paul (Keir Gilchrist) is besotted with Jay. He is just a little too geeky for her to consider as a suitor but he is persistent and loyal. His innocent devotion is in very stark contrast to the depravity that surrounds the teenagers..”

February 27, 2015
PUFFY CLOUDS BEGIN TO FILL THE AIR AT BELLGAB

For weeks, speculation has been rampant on BELLGAB.COM.. The social site where Art Bell fans go to surmise the latest ordeals, the latest rumors, and the most recent George Noory memes, has also been home to a gush of emotion with each Art Bell message to the squadron of loyal listeners.. They are the base. Sometimes organized. Sometimes apathetic.. sometimes stuck in a mental rut.. and as Bell would say, vaguely lovable.

But today, they may have just cracked the code.

Several days ago, Art Bell made a dramatic announcement on both Bellgab and Facebook that, due to problems being able to play bumper music on his scheduled upcoming July podcast, he may just scrap the whole thing. Intense debate was immediate.. a rush of ideas filled the pages of the site with pleas from some for Bell to just come back, even if music would be absent his podcast. Others mentioned free places, and some wanted to donate their own original songs. But Bell wasn’t playing with any new ideas: He clearly wants the music he had always played on Coast to Coast AM, he said to set the atmosphere as the program continued through the night.

Emotions suddenly turned positive as Bell began posting more hopeful words. A deal, he said, was being worked out with a ‘major player.’ After much speculation, Bell last night wrote about the inability for Bellgabbers to guess who that ‘big’ player was.

Until today when a user named ‘Somewhere in Time’ guessed CUMULUS.. Speculation took off from there..

As for me, I did my own part, contacted a source with Cumulus Media that I have used previously.. A brief friendly phone conversation changed to an even more brief and less kind talk when I asked if Art Bell could potentially be a major player coming to the Cumulus brand.. A deal, I was told, would be announced ‘if a deal was even being worked on’ when both parties decided it should be.. If ‘both parties’ were even talking about it. The classic no confirmation.. no denial.. military style.

Bell himself added to the vast array of speculation with a few coy comments and lively jokes, even humoring users who were openly talking about placing money bets on him signing with Cumulus vs not.. Finally tonight, Bell entertained the idea of announcing early but said he didn’t want to say a word until the documents were signed:

What clues? I can not say a word till the date to announce. It is hard for me not to just blurt it out now because we have been told it’s a go but I want to wait for the signed final deal first but boy it is exciting. I will be depending on the PROVEN ability of this murky and semi civilized group to hit Social Media with a brick for me when we are ready.

Art

The clues were dropped.. the hints were made.
There is not clear confirmation of CUMULUS being the new brand of Bell, but it is certainly raising eyebrows when the comments are taking into consideration.

But at the same time, Bell is having fun with it all, as well.
He posted on Facebook tonight:

For those of you who can read between the lines and do not mind adult language and are not easily offended plus have a good sense of humor you may wish to check out http://www.bellgab.com remember, I warned you, it’s not the underbelly of the Internet..but you can see it from there.

The underbelly.
And as a card carrying member of BELLGAB, I think I can see the underbelly from my house.

February 27, 2015
‘IN SEARCH OF’ THE LAND THAT PROSPERS: LEONARD NIMOY EXITS EARTH

RIP

LEONARD NIMOY.

DEAD AT 83..

I credit Leonard Nimoy with most of what I am interested in today.

I was too young to watch IN SEARCH OF when it appeared on television in new form, but I recall becoming addicted to it in the late 1980s and early 1990s when some forgettable cable station ran reruns of it each day. I rushed home from school, typically, trying to catch the show.. Leonard Nimoy was the voice of that program and it was perfect for the content..

Later in life, I came to appreciate the meaning of STAR TREK–the messages and pop culture commentary was subtle, but as I grew up and starting my own aging process, I loved it even more.. Now, looking back at the program, it’s clear that the ideas presented were cutting the cutting edge.. They were beyond the common thought of the day.

Leonard Nimoy, without question, became the face of STAR TREK. Spock was the reason many watched the show–even now when movies are made, the important question always centers around what actor will play SPOCK..

Nimoy did much, much more.. He was best known for his acting. But he was also remarkably funny–a true comedian who was blunt and often subtle in his humor.. And he was famous for another magic he possessed: His velvet voice.

This news is a big bummer.

He left the world at 83.
He lived long..
He prospered..
And he was memorable entertainer who deserves a moment or two of silence..

February 27, 2015
The Cat’s eyes

DC’s Catwoman Comes Out as Bisexual »

After 75 years, Selina Kyle is finally coming out of the closet.In the latest issue of the DC Comics’ Catwoman comic book series — No. 39, released this week — Kyle kisses another woman, ending decades of fan rumors and speculation by stating canonically that the character is, in fact, bisexual.

I am not shocked.
As a matter of fact, being a BATMAN fan since my early years of life, I always sensed something a little edgier about Catwoman when compared to the other villains.. Selina Kyle is not the quaint woman of Tim Burton’s imagination in the early 1990s..

And anyway, I always pictured Catwoman as Ertha Kitt, as she was probably the role model for any Catwoman to come.

This comic book coming out has generated a lot of controversy and attention—

This whole thing started when Genevieve Valentine wrote a blog about this. The explanation for this new role of the arch nemesis of BATMAN:

When I was first plotting out what I expected to be a six-issue arc, there were a few emotional beats I considered indispensable. One was Nick, around whom Selina’s moral axis pivoted and whose death would set up Antonia to be both guilt-trip and threat to Selina – a contestant for the throne, even if neither of them wanted to think of it that way. Another was finding time for a few key moments with Batman, particularly in the first issue to set up their connection even when at odds.
And one was establishing Selina as canon bisexual.
She’s flirted around it – often quite literally – for years now; for me, this wasn’t a revelation so much as a confirmation.

And boom. The Bible versus are now being quoted on news articles and comic book sites, and many people are suddenly condemning someone that doesn’t exist except on paper.

Now the question becomes: Who does the CAT want more? The BATman or the BATgirl?

So don’t fear, BATfans, Catwoman’s sudden burst of sexual creativity is not going to be ruining any childhood imaginations.. her proclivity for both genders is not going to incur the wrath of God on the comic book world.. And quite frankly, we will survive.

I think this is a fine move. Comic books are always and should be on the cutting edge of societal evolution. I think for some male oriented readers, this may challenge and rattle the core of their nerve endings for a bit. But they will grow used to it.. After all, why condemn a woman who is bisexual but be pefectly fine with a wealthy man, Bruce Wayne, who uses his money and influence to get attractive women to sleep with him?

And really, what BATMAN and CATWOMAN do in their bedrooms is nobody’s business. Well, unless it’s on a certain page in a comic book..

February 27, 2015