The Phantom of the Opera (1989)

The Phantom of the Opera is like Dracula or Frankenstein. They're all in the public domain, so there are a lot of them. Any other notables besides the following?

1925 - Silent film, iconic, Lon Chaney's weird makeup, colorized ballroom scene, solid old school stuff.
1943 - Universal one with Claude Rains. He was cool, though always more renowned as The Invisible Man. Not bad, but not as memorable.
1963 - Hammer one with Herbert Lom, one of Hammer's less boring entries.
1998 - Dario/Asia Argento version, because you knew he needed to make one. I don't think I've seen this.
2004 - Shoemaker musical with Gerard Butler and Emmy Rossum. I haven't seen this.



Today, I'll be rambling for a moment on the 1989 version. This one is directed by Dwight Little right after he did Halloween 4. Robert Englund is the phantom and he's a real slimy prick. His face is disfigured, and he actually stitches flesh onto his own and covers it up with makeup. Pretty gross idea, huh? If I wasn't so jaded, this stuff would have probably grossed me out had I seen it back in the day.

An alternate title for the movie is "Freddy: The Musical", which makes me laugh. Fortunately, this movie isn't a musical, but Englund does come across quite Freddy-eque. He's ugly in both characters, and funny enough, he's also got super strength in this movie. I drew a parallel to Darkman with a theory on that, like how they severed some nerve and it resulted in his super strength from adrenaline or some crap like that. Like Phreddy^{The Fantom} straight-up punches into a guy to rip his heart out, and clean-cut decaps a guy with a knife. This shit is stupid, but it's fun.

And then you have the greatest ending trope of all time: It was all just a dream. Well, basically. It has a slight continuation, but most of it was a dream. Maybe? And they killed the phantom. Or did they? Don't know, don't care. Still a decent version of the story.

#Review

The Strangers: Chapter 1

The original 2008 film was a highly praised home invasion slasher when it came out. I was incredibly disappointed with that movie. The direction was terrible, the characters were lame as fuck, but at least the killers looked cool.

About 10 years later, they did a sequel, which was a hell of a lot better. If you've seen that movie, then you'll know that the strangers die at the end, so where can we go from here? Not just a prequel... but 3 prequels?

Renny Harlin is no stranger to the horror genre. For some reason, he decided he'd raise this franchise from the dead and he already filmed three movies out of it that he plans on shitting out within this year or next. And that's what I really mean, "shitting" them out, because what is this "Chapter 1" movie? It's basically a remake of the first movie with only a few minor differences. Otherwise, it hits the same beats. Yes, even the cliche and eye-rolling ones. It even steals the ending, as well as accidentally shotgunning an innocent person.

Obviously, we don't want a backstory for these stranger characters because we don't want to ruin the mystique. So instead of fleshing any of that out, they decided to try to make us care for our protagonists. Yeah, our generic cookie-cutter dull heroes that have "victim" written all over their foreheads.

When the action finally hits, I was a little too bored to care. I'd find myself laughing at their misfortunes and hoping the movie would have ended sooner, even if the runtime already isn't very long. All I can say is I hope the next ones don't suck, because what was the fucking point otherwise?

Also, this movie features Richard Brake. He plays a sheriff in a diner who has no lines and doesn't do anything, and we don't see him ever again after his cameo. I guess he'll be in the sequel(s)?

Fuck this movie.

#Review

Is this a sign, or what?

So a little over a year ago, this video popped into my recommendations. I was intrigued, so I checked it out.




Obviously, this is the kind of shit I live for. So I had to check more stuff by the Toxhards. I was a little confused at first, as the rest of their stuff sounded fairly normal by comparison, and apparently that wasn't even their regular lead singer, but their drummer, singing for that song. But then this song really grew on me, hard.




I've been following them ever since, and well, a week or so before I asked out my girlfriend, they came out with The Coffee Song, sung by yet another singer.




After I had asked her out, but before we had been on our first date, knowing she was a big coffee drinker, I sent her a link to The Coffee Song in the middle of the night. I knew she had to be asleep at that time, but I was drunk, and thought she wouldn't see the text until she woke up. But then she texted me back a couple minutes later, and I was mortified that I had accidentally woke her up. But she took it all in stride, and didn't seem to be bothered by the incident at all. She also said that she really liked the song.

A few months later, The Toxhards announced the tour dates of their first big tour across the great American west. They would be playing in Austin...on her birthday. I asked her if it was cool that we went to their show on her birthday, she said it was fine, as long as I also asked off work the day after, so we could have more personal time... 😬

After seeing the opening band, I went to fetch us a couple beers while she held down our spot, when I come back, I see she's talking to the Toxhard's frontman, Alan. He already knows my name, apparently, and is all set to take a picture with us.





She's already told him that I had introduced her to them, and that I had taken her there for her birthday.

The second song of the night that they played, was The Coffee Song. They had a coffee machine up on stage brewing, and part way through the song, Alan invited my girlfriend up on stage, and gave her his bass. He announced her name and told everyone it was her birthday. He showed her where to put her fingers for the one chord she needed to play, so she could hold it down while he came out into the audience and poured coffee for everyone.













I guess this can only mean The Coffee Song is OUR song, even though I don't really drink coffee.

All in all, it was actually a pretty awesome show. It was sad that there was only about 25 or so people in the audience, but I actually like it that way. It's kind of a catch 22. On the one hand, I want the bands I like to be successful, but on the other hand I much prefer smaller shows. But if they become successful, I will no longer get to see them at smaller shows.

But they write such great songs, and they put on such a fun, lively, entertaining show, that I really have no doubt that if they keep at it, they will be selling out arenas some day. They're currently working with Hopeless Records on their debut album.

Roger Corman appreciation thread?

We should do some kind of thread about him. If he doesn't get a little love here, then where will he? I mean, come on. I am in a rush right now, but if anybody thinks of any good stuff to post about him, please do.

Movies like Near Dark, Joy Ride, The Hitcher, The Vanishing

Anything come to mind? The Vanishing doesn't exactly fit in here, but, well, sort of... some scenes fit.

I'm just trying to think of some good horror or thriller movies to watch that take place in a lonely western highway setting. Horror, ideally.

Joy Ride is sort of a guilty pleasure for me, I guess. I know it's not THAT great, but it surprised me the first time I saw it, that it was better than I expected, and I still like it.

Anyway, anything leap to mind?

I'm about to take a dump

ppl shit on everything. That is human nature, you want us to not be people, sorry impossible. Keep doing what you do, actually I was thinking this the other day, fuck I luv this site, true its cumbersome in some ways (but fuckin better than reddit/discord or whatever ppl are using as forums nowadays) I think I may of suggested (I at least thought) some years ago, maybe switch to some opensource forum platform instead of rolling yer own, well I own up now. I was wrong, what you're doing / have done is much better. Fuck the generic shit.

If it makes you feel better, Join the club. I work for a dipshit as well. That cunt hasn't paid me in over 2 years. So less so, that I didn't buy a birthday gift for my daughter since she was born, but the 3rd year I do plan to and by then she will actually remember it, so then the gift actually matters, right?

Can't speak to depression, never had it. Had some really really bad times, literal waking nightmares. I guess what keeps / kept me going is knowing nothing is eternal, Life is a glorious gift, we are so lucky to even be born. Don't fuckin squander this blessing (fuckin sounds like Im a jesus freak)
Who knows what tomorrow will bring, one has to go out an create your luck though.
Eg today I'm off to a nearby school unannounced "Im composing the letter now"

(in spanish)
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I'm looking for a couple of volunteers to test out the video game I'm currently working on. All they need to do is play it at my apartement and tell me what they think whilst I watch, the whole process will not take longer than an hour. They must be able to speak English as that and Dutch & German are the only languages I know. They will be unpaid, though I will put their names in the credits if they contribute as testers. The game is a Action RPG thus ideally I want someone who has interest in those genres.
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Fuck, The first thing they will do is go 'OK is this guy on the pedo register'
I think I'll take my daughter along so I don't look so dodgy, ha - then they may call child protection. But fuck it, action is needed mate.

Keep plodding along, thats my advice. and fuckin roll the dice, don't be afraid to take a chance once in the while

Salem's Lot 2024

We have probably done a few posts about this before... I'm just mentioning that apparently they have finished filming this. IMDB says it is completed, and that it is 153 minutes long. I guess they could still do some more editing if they wanted.

It is directed by Gary Dauberman, who has done a lot in recent(-ish) years.

One interesting thing that jumps out at me when I look at the IMDB page for it, is that Spencer Treat Clark as Mike Ryerson gets top billing. He is listed first as a star, and is also shown first in the credits. That is interesting to me. Mike Ryerson was... well, he was a significant character, but he wasn't exactly a LEADING or MAIN character. He was the guy who got vamped out and then later showed up at Mr. Burke's house, and was sitting in the rocking chair, in the 1979 miniseries. He had the scary silvery eyes, and called Mr. Burke "teacher" in that scary vampire voice.

Anyway, it strikes me as interesting that he seems to get TOP billing. Maybe they messed with the story, to give him a more prominent role, somehow.... I usually like Spencer Treat Clark, as far as I can recall, so I am hopeful that this will be an interesting, worthwhile change of pace for the story.

I keep calling the old English teacher character Mr. Burke. In the novel he was Matt Burke. In the 1979 miniseries, they called him Jason Burke. In the 2004 TNT version they made him black and gay, so, whatever. South Park has done an episode or two abusing Hollywood for exactly that type of thing, for taking random characters and making them gay or black, or both, or whatever.

Shit, something must be wrong with my laptop... I keep going offline and back online. I'm just going to post this, and hope none of the text I typed has been lost.

Animation Challenge 2024

Let's watch some cartoons!

You get one point per minute watched. Both movies and TV series count. Live action mixed with animation like Who Framed Roger Rabbit is allowed.

The challenge starts on April 1st and ends on April 30th.

Make your SPOT below! Put any questions or recs in the shoutbox.

Rosemary's Baby prequel? WHY?!

Coming this Halloween. Completely unnecessary. Just like The First Omen. And just like that crap movie Pet Sematary: Bloodlines. We don't need every backstory completely spelled out for us imbecilic viewers. Way to run another property into the ground.