13 Days of Hallowe'en 2019 Day 9

Day 9

movie:  Plan 9
starring: Brian Krause, Mr. Lobo
genre: Comedy, Horror, Sci-Fi
year:2014/2015
format: TV Edit

plot: After a meteorite strikes the earth, a small town is overrun by zombies, with only a handful of survivors making it through the night.

This is a remake of the 1959 cult-classic Plan 9 From Outer Space.  I have to say, this was really good given it's an independent remake of one of the most famous movies known to man. This version of the story is 50% Plan 9 From Outer Space, 50% every other zombie movie you've seen in the last 50 years. I kept thinking about Return of the Living Dead while watching this. I found this version of the story to be more complete, smarter and also easier to follow.  Besides the baseline story of Plan 9, you get a few little nods through out, like seeing a model spaceship and graveyard that our lead scientist is for some reason playing with.  They even managed to get Conrad Brooks, who at the time was the last living actor from the original Plan 9 movie.

Where it sort of leaves Plan 9 and becomes it's own movie, is with the science behind the story, as well as the wonder twins of doom...er the aliens. By giving them a more fleshed out...no pun intended...back story you get where this version is able to stand on it's own.  And can I say, I'll forever think of this movie whenever I see baby food or apricot jam again.

Where as, I've always considered the original Plan 9 to be more a vampire movie than zombie mostly because of the way it was shot, you know this is straight up zombie gore. There's no hiding the intention of the film makers here.  I've had to sit through enough zombie genre films in the last few years to know this one is worth checking into. And if you've followed me much at all over the years, you know the zombie genre is still one I'm only lukewarm towards.

I'm going to bury this one here in the graveyard. I'll be back tomorrow with another treat for your Hallowe'en displeasure.

Food n Flix Aug 2019

Spudguns!, it's that time of the time when I hand you an offering for Foodn'Flix. The selection for this month is being hosted by Simply Inspired Meals; and their selection is anything from the Star Wars Franchise. Anything.  This should be a breeze right. The movies have been apart of pretty much everyone's lives for the last 40 plus years and we all have some memory of them.  I was actually really jazzed when I heard about this. But, sadly for me, as the time ticked away, I became less and less so.  I thought "hey, they're on tv all the time."  and  "the stores always have copies."    Well, it seemed my timing was off. I couldn't find a copy of them to save my life.   That is other than Star Wars 11 :Solo A Star Wars Story ( some would argue that it's actually #12 but I don't consider the animated film part of the movie line up).  Luckily, Netflix Canada still had it available.

Now, I've seen Solo before, and really liked it. Watching it for group was a bit difficult as there isn't a lot of food related scenes, and what there is, half the stuff I couldn't identify. That is partly because the story takes place on another planet and about half the food is "designed" to be otherworldly.

plot:  Han and his girlfriend are fleeing their con-artist/thief boss, but are detained at the border and end up separated. While his girlfriend is arrested, Han ends up joining the military in order to escape capture. After a few years, he defies orders and ends up arrested. While in a form of prison, he meets Chewbacca. The two make a break for it, and end up working with a group of rebel for heir thieves. They have been hired to steal a shipment of an unrefined lethal explosive. When they fail the first time, they barely manage to talk their way out of being killed before given a second chance. Han then is reunited with his ex-girlfriend, who is now both their boss and the wife of the mobster who hired them. We then meet Lando Calrissian, who has also been hired to pilot them. Han is left wondering who's who in his world and where his trust should be placed.

Notes: whiskey, seeds/nuts, coffee/tea, beets, salt/pepper, soup, fish, beans, fruit, pastry/sweets, spice, eggs, caviar

Han Solo, was always one of my favourite characters in the Star Wars films. I'm a bit of a snob when it comes to the movies. I am a fan of the original three and wasn't very impressed at all with how the rest of the movies have unfolded.

I know there was no point in me trying to create some big decorated piece, my skill level just doesn't curve that way. So, I went with what I know best.  Soup.  Which, given the fact we have a scene where our little group of thieves are camped out making their plans, while they make soup, it's actually fitting.

ingredients

1 Tablespoon butter
half a red onion chopped
1 cup cauliflower
2 Tablespoons flour
salt
ground pepper
235ml of Half/Half cream
veggie stock
3 cloves diced garlic

I started by making my veggie stock, and in this case, just used a bouillon cube and water.

Next, I added the garlic and cauliflower.  I let this simmer for about a half hour.  Then I added my onion, salt, pepper, and butter.  Let that simmer for another 15 minutes, before taking it off the heat.

I let it cool for about five minutes before adding my cream and flour. Whisking the flour and cream into the soup for a few moments before returning it to the heat. I continued to whisk as it gently began to boil, before once again turning it off.  

So, you might be wondering why I went with a cream soup, when I mentioned that the one character uses beets when he's cooking them dinner. It actually has more to do with the original movie and the fact there is just so much white in it. The film has so much monochromatic moments with costumes, that I can't help but think of milk/cream or cream soups. 

Okay, I think I'm going to end this here. Next month, Foodn'Flix will be hosted by Eliot's Eats, and the selection will be O Brother Where Art Thou?

Random movie - Get Out

movie: Get Out
starring: Daniel Kaluuya, Catherine Keener
genre: Thriller, Drama,
year: 2017
format: Crave

plot: After dating for a few months, Chris agrees to meet his girlfriend Rose's parents. He finds it a bit nerve racking given her entire neighbourhood is white, and he's not. They arrive just as her parents are having their annual BBQ, and Chris feels less comfortable with each passing moment, that is until he sees another young black adult. When their conversation becomes extremely awkward, Chris begins to suspect something isn't right in the neighbourhood and relays his fears to his best friend over the phone. While trying to quit smoking, he allows his girlfriend's mother to hypnotize him. This only adds to his already growing paranoia. As the weekend is about to end and Chris prepares to return home, he finds himself the victim of a kidnapping by Rose's family members and quickly learns he's not the only one. In fact, the entire neighbourhood is not just in on it, but have been doing it for the last few years. Stealing the identities of the young people Rose has been baiting in.

I know this is an award winning film, but I've got to admit, I didn't really care for it. No, let me rephrase that, I loved it the first time around when it was the Skeleton Key.  This film is just a remake of the Skeleton Key but with science instead of Hoodoo and just enough of the Stepford Wives thrown in for good measure.

It's a social statement to what's happening in society sadly, but as a movie, it's just not original. Given the topic, it should have you as the viewer, feeling queasy with a slight touch of claustrophobia; but it just falls a little short. 

Themed Thursday p4

Spudguns!  It's Thursday, and yeah I know I missed last week's. But, it's a new month, so we're moving on to the next theme which is...Frankenstein.

Movie: Rocky Horror Picture Show
starring: Tim Curry, Susan Sarandon
genre: Musical, Comedy, Sci-fi,
year: 1975
format: DVD

plot: When young couple Brad and Janet find themselves stranded on one rainy night, they have no choice but to seek shelter in the old castle on the hill. To their fear and slight disgust, they find themselves in the middle of a party being thrown by Dr. Frank n Furter. He's celebrating the birth of his new creation. Before the night is over, our couple find they've faced all kinds of personal and moral dilemmas.

I've talked about this movie a few times over the years, but I just could not do a Frankenstein pack without it. (I'm going to just focus on the Frankenstein element.)

The creature - Rocky- is from all we can tell; made up from not the usual "spare parts" of corpses found in the original Frankenstein, but from those closest to Frank N Furter. ( He uses half the brain of Eddie and half of Riff Raff's hair.) Rocky is then brought to life in the lab, hit with a jolt of electricity not from lightening, but from the mire hard work of Riff Raff, who is constantly turning a crank wheel.
Unlike the original Frankenstein, this version does not have the doctor abandoning his creature in self loathing, but reveling in it. Both literally and figuratively.  Frank N Furter is very proud of his creation. However, he does grow bored of Rocky quickly, leaving the creature to be first tortured by Riff Raff, (he scares it with fire) and then left alone. Rocky then "finds a friend" in Janet; which also to some extent parallels the idea in the original story. (going in search of someone to teach him and find companionship)

I always found it a little odd that even though Rocky can not seem to talk, he can sing.

The original story of Frankenstein is about pushing the boundaries of faith and science. This however, is about pushing personal boundaries of comfort and self expression. Both are stories about morality and mortality.  The original Frankenstein, has the creature as an immortal that can not be physically harmed, where as Rocky Horror, the creature is easily wounded.

The whole idea of not facing the consequences of your actions, is down played till the very end of the film. It isn't until we see Magenta and Riff Raff declare they are going back to their planet because Frank N Furter went too far with his ideas; that any kind of real issue is made. Up till this point the film, is pretty unbalanced with the "cause and effect" of the "creator's" responsibility. It's literally a case of  great party but who's going to clean up the mess?  This is the one major difference between Rocky Horror Picture Show, and pretty much every other Frankenstein version/remake.

When you strip away the other elements and look at the fact the doctor in the original story and Frank N Furter's character here, are both too prideful of their work, you see the real thread that makes the story timeless.  And both end up asking you "how far is too far?"

Well, that's about it for this week.  300 Days till Hallowe'en

Food n Flix March 2017

It's that point in things again, where I say Food n Flix is being hosted by  Wendy at A Day in the Life on the Farm;  and the selection this month is  2015 sci-fi drama The Martian.  (based on the novel)

I realized I hadn't taken part in group since last November; so thought it was high time to jump back in.

movie: The Martian
starring: Matt Damon, Jeff Daniels
genre: Sci-fi, Drama,
year: 2015
format: Netflix Canada

plot: When an astronaut is accidentally thought dead and left by his crew on Mars; he wakes up to find he's alone. After tending to his wounds, he figures out a way to send a message back to earth, and begins to turn the deserts of Mars into a workable farmland. Back on Earth, the government begin plans to rescue him, only they find out they are on an extreme deadline, as he's low on supplies after a brutal storm destroys his farm. Finding himself once again struggling for survival, he manages to travel halfway across the planet's surface to meet up with the rescue ship, which takes over a year to complete.

This film is all about survival. It flips back and forth between the isolation on Mars and the chaos on Earth. You never see any of the earth shots where there isn't at lest two people in them. Same goes for the crew after they have left mars. Another sneaky note, is that the earth shots always have food in horrendous amounts. There were a few scenes, where the artwork were even food related, not too mention the junk food that was in mass supply.  All to contrast with the bleakness on mars.

notes: crackers, coffee, mac and cheese, beef goulash, french toast, meatballs and sauce, vegetable soup, stroganoff and noodles, sweet and sour chicken, beef teriyaki, meatloaf, vegetable stew, potatoes, nuts, juice, water, milk powder, cookies, oranges, candy, donuts, jelly beans, pastry, pop, soup, sugar, ketchup, asparagus, Chinese food, beef jerky, cereal, prunes, whiskey, pizza, lemon aid, fruit, salt, pepper, oil, hamburgers,  "broccoli" (the far shot of the potato plants made me think of it) "paprika" (the desert shots made me think of it) "spinach" (dead plants made me think of it) bagels (in a poster) "popcorn" (the water gathering tent made me think of it)

I think the fact they kept showing little things like the salt and pepper and ketchup etc, was an interesting touch. Just sort of driving home how we take things for granted that we never realize we do.

This was one of those movies where there were no bad guys. For once, the "big corporation" was just as much the good guy as the hero himself was. Even though, the emphasis was on how much "the bosses" had (side tables overflowing with chocolate and cookies) and it was very in your face, it was never done from a cruel way. But, an ironic and sort of sad way. 
I also thought the use of the pirate metaphor was brilliant, having the lead character expressing certain things by revealing tidbits of sea-fairing laws.  He literally becomes a space pirate.

I had to really keep my focus on the food for this, because A) the movie was overflowing with it, and B) if I stopped to think about the whole alone isolation issue, I wouldn't have made it through the film. I admit, it had me crying at a couple of points.

In the movie, we see him grab the potatoes that one of his crew members had brought for Thanksgiving dinner. He pretty much survives by growing potatoes. I promised Heather at All Roads Lead to the Kitchen, that I would not make anything with potatoes; without even having seen it yet. I am actually glad she held me to that promise, as it forced me to really jump back into the game.

I decided to take my inspiration from a few other elements in the film.  We see him counting out the freeze-dried rations, as well as planting seedlings. We also see him packing up as much as possible to hike across the unknown desert, his supplies not much more than dehydrated and nearly rotten potatoes.
 

Dehydrated + sun-dried + seedlings + power hiking = granola.  Well, it does in my brain anyway.  

Ingredients

2 packages instant oatmeal
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup raisins
2 cups sunflower seeds
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup peanuts

toast oatmeal, cranberries, raisins, peanuts and sunflower seeds in oven for 40 minutes, stirring a few times, at 300degrees

let cool, then add maple syrup, mixing well.

put in freezer until solid.

Okay, so this is where I admit, they fell apart. The recipe I had, literally said "in freezer until solid enough to hold shape".  I had them in there for over four hours, and they still fell apart in the middle of my taking the photos. I don't know if they just needed more time, or more syrup or if I didn't form them tight enough?  But, they did taste amazing. 

I would suggest, these would make for a better topping on yogurt then trying to have as bars.

Well, that's about all that I've got to offer on the topic this month, don't forget to join us next month when  the group will be looking at  A Touch of Spice, hosted by Culinary Adventures with Camilla.

Hallowe'en week 2016 p2

Day Two 

What that movie inspired me to do

I think I mentioned once back in year one when I covered Edward Scissorhands, that it was one of the lest interesting Johnny Depp films for me. I know, a lot of people are gasping and fainting from hearing me say that, but it's true. But, this movie has been plaguing me for the last few months. (it's been on tv a lot the last month) Too the point, I couldn't get the family bbq scene out of my head. I wanted to do a version of the ambrosia salad that is shown, but try as I might, and I've tried a few failed times, I just can't seem to get the vegan marshmallows to work.  So instead, I dug deep into the recipe box and decided to make a Vegetable Alfredo dish. The recipe originally called for chicken, but I used tofu instead.

I used extra firm tofu, drained and just broken up into smaller chunks, frying it in a pan with salt.  Yes, salt.(tofu has zero taste on it's own if you've never used it)  Turn it every few minutes, like you would if you were pan frying chicken, adding a bit of water when needed.

While that's cooking, you can made a simple Alfredo sauce with flour, butter, cheese, ground black pepper and milk.  I used almond milk and a bit of water.  The cheese was lactose free vegetarian gouda.

I went a head and chopped up half an onion, half a red pepper, 1 cup of cauliflower, 1/2 cup green beans, 1 cup broccoli.
Steam the cauliflower, beans and broccoli, then toss with the raw onion and red pepper. 

Cook desired amount of  fettuccine to package instructions, drain and toss with vegetables. Add the tofu tossing it as well, then pour the alfredo sauce into the mix. Make sure it coats everything.

This sort of reminded me of the hair-do, the character of Edward has, and the bits of red; the cuts he makes by accident all the time, as well as the green hinting at the gardening he does through out.  Not only is this a super easy recipe, you can add whatever vegetables you have on hand.
 

Of course I have a copy, it is a version of Frankenstein after all...

Hallowe'en week 2016

Spudguns! It is I, your heroine, and heroin, Ardeth Blood, aka Nosferatu, aka ...I'm too lazy to type out the whole gimmick. And this would be day one of the Hallowe'en week.  Please don't be too mad with me, but this week sort of turned into an epic fail.  The amount of  "what that movie inspired me to do" posts I had originally in mind, just didn't come together.  I can say there will be at lest two recipes this week, and a handful of movie reviews. And of course, next week we've got Night Bleeds so...Anyways, on with the show...

Day One

The Rocky Horror Picture Show: Let's Do The Time Warp Again (2016)

By now, everyone and their dog's grandmother has seen the remake that aired on tv few days ago. And if you've read any of my stuff over the years, you know how much of a fan I am of the original. So of course, I was glued to the tv set the other night when it came on. But dude, I got to say, it blew dog backwards.

The costumes were amazing, and casting Laverne Cox as the lead Frank'n'Furter; brilliant.  And then the rest was all down hill.  So I'm old, and didn't recognize anyone of the main cast, which is fine as it was geared for a younger audience. I was sort of sad to see Tim Curry was just a bit player as the Criminologist/Narrator.  And I get that the songs were changed enough to fit the times as well as the actors singing abilities, but...I was just so disappointed by the overall of it.

I'm one of those rare people who actually likes the original for the movie not for the fan interaction. (I really hate the whole party thing of it) Okay, so I'm the only one on the planet who enjoys the original for being a cheesy 1970's movie based on Frankenstein and B-drive-in films of the 50's/60's.  I think one of the main things that made the original so worthy was that it played on the metaphors while poking fun at the way things were produced in those horror/sci-fi/musicals of the 40's/50's/60's.  This remake, just slapped it in your face without really getting it.
One thing I didn't understand about the way the remake was handled, they allowed some fairly gratuitous groping, while completely taking out the "hint" of the incestuous storyline between Riff-Raff and Magenta. Really? It's one line and a kiss; but by removing that a whole set of taboos were removed. Isn't that part of what made the original what it was? The hinted at undertones of taboos (the god-factor of creating a new species, the bisexuality of the characters, the incestuous relationships, the addiction of lust/drugs, the cult like mind control Frank'n'Furter has over everyone, cannibalism) was where the original pulled it's strongest punches, and sadly, where the remake fell off it's high heels.

The ending scene, where Riff-Raff and Magenta arrive "transformed" into their space suits, made me groan too, as seeing the token Bride of Frankenstein hair-do gone for a bunch of silver balls, just felt like another slap in the face. I felt as if the actual Frankenstein plot of a man creating life on his own out of the dead, was shoved under the sexual pride of it.

With all that said, I would like to see what they would have done with the sequel, Shock Treatment? That's something that might have worked better with an update for modern fans.

year 5 day 176 (night bleeds Sept)

movie: Dark Crystal
starring: Barry Dennen, Joseph O'Conor
genre: Fantasy, Sci-fi, Adventure,
year: 1982
format: DVD

plot: Being told he is the only one left of his kind, Jen is given a quest to make the great crystal whole again. He is given the missing piece of the crystal, and instructed to save the worlds in which the crystal controls. Along the way, he meets Kira; who has also been told she is the last of her kind. The two, Gelflings, then find themselves on a journey against time, as each member of the races of both the Mystics and the Skeksis are dying. The Skeksis who currently own the crystal, are unwilling to see it repaired, as it would mean they will die out completely. They have for the last few hundred years been able to cheat death by draining and drinking the lifeforce of other creatures.

This whole movie is about duality of life. Light and dark, male and female, positive and negative, and how it all balances each other out.  When the one race splits into two; the Skeksis become the more physical representations of "human nature" while the Mystics become the more enlightened representations.

I like the little addition of the "drained creatures" becoming zombies and aging rapidly once they have been juiced for their life energy. Shows once again the direct link between the vampire genre and the zombie genre.  They become the slaves to the Skeksis, in a way very similar to Renfield in Dracula. Completely under the spell of the ones who drained them.
I've always said this isn't a kids movie. From the vampires to the witch to the young lovers, this really is something heavier, something darker than a kid's movie.  The fact too that the creatures look like vultures (animals that represent death/rebirth/new way to view things)  and sloths (the need of a different perspective/the way will be slow but you will reach your destination/psychic insight) adds an undertone that makes you think if these were picked for those reasons? I like the touch of the idea that the Skeksis have to sit in the "light of the sun as it is prismed through the dark piece of the crystal" hinting at it as if it were moonlight. (another toss back to vampiric folklore)

You also have this coming of age story. The character of Jen is sent out into the world alone, to deal with very adult issues when his "parent" dies. He discovers girls and violence, and revenge.  The "grandmother" figure of Aughra, is a psychic/hoodoo/hedge witch; who puts him on the right path in his "crossroads".
There is also the fact that the female Kira, is drained almost to the point of death, then does die having sacrificed herself, only to be brought back to life once the crystal has restored everyone else. You could look at it as her being "turned" by the vampiric energy. It's the sacrifice that makes the point that to enjoy life, you have to know when to let go. (birth/death/rebirth)

what do I think I learned? I'm an adult and I still get creeped out by the one character's "hhmmmmm". Will haunt my nightmares for a few days trust me.

Okay, so this month, I decided to do something bit different, I gave you the movie, which was Dark Crystal, and told you to pair it up with a vampire book, expressing the combo of it. Think of it as a mid-term test. I want to see how good you my lovely Spudguns! have gotten with finding the vampires in things.

My personal choice for the book half of the combo is ...Sweet Blood by Pat Graversen (1992).

plot: Adragon and his mother Elsbeth are never seen apart. They look alike, act alike and have spent almost every moment of his seventeen years together. That is until the night Elsbeth gets invited to the Society of Vampires. They want her to write a novel about them, and their secrets. Adragon accompanies her to the strange private party, where he meets Del. A twenty-six year old woman who he quickly falls for. Against his mother's wishes, he begins an affair with Del. After their first night together, she informs him that what he saw at the party was real, and that she is a vampire. Refusing to believe her, Adragon begins to fall deeper under her spell, choosing his new lover over his mother. Before long, Del lets him feed off of her own blood, awakening the vampire side of him. Adragon discovers that for one to become a vampire, one has to have already been one in a past life or at the very lest, one parent must currently be one. To his horror, he finds out both to be his fate. He learns his mother Elsbeth is in fact a vampire, and that they have both lived many lifetimes as such. When he confronts Elsbeth, she confirms this; letting him know they are one in the same. They share a soul, and have been punished in this reincarnation to be only parent and child, and not lovers. This truth begins a downward spiral for Adragon, as he begins to deal with his new life and new choice of who to trust, and who to love.


My "combo connection" was the idea of soulmates and duality and how one can't exist without the other. As we see in the movie, how the creatures of the Skeksis and the Mystics are each soulmated to each other, unable to move on to the next incarnation without the other (originally one being who was split when the crystal cracked), and how the Gelflings can share psychic/telepathic connections. And of course, the taking of "life essence" (souls in the movie via liquified sweat like, and blood in the book) in traditional vampire fashion.

I found it a little ironic that one of the sub-themes in this novel, is that of the "vampire pretending to be human pretending to be vampire -author" which became a strange sub-genre in the 1990s in vampire fiction.

Not only does this novel jump into the idea of what a real soulmate is, it's main theme is addiction. We have the character of Adragon, who becomes addicted to the vampire blood of his lover, Del. He's seventeen, with the temperament of someone who is used to getting their own way. Though the character doesn't start off that way, it only shows itself after he starts the affair. He's also, in his own innocence, experiencing the emotions of that first real love. The two elements begin to counteract each other, making the character a violent greedy one. (much like the character of Chamberlain in the Dark Crystal) He becomes possessive of her, but at the same time disgusted with the situation. He flounders back and forth between wanting to be with his girlfriend Del, and wanting to be with his mother. And then he begins fighting the instinctual desire to be with his soulmate on a sexual level. This brings up a whole new set of insecurities within the character and becomes a new undertone to the story. (I've said it before you can't escape the theme of incest within the vampire or werewolf genres. Whether it's on purpose or not it's always there.) 

Just like in the movie, we have the character of the "girlfriend" being the teacher to the young male hero. Who's real history has been kept from him.

In another ironic twist, both the movie selection and book I picked this month, has a "society lead by an ancient vampire".  In the case of the book, we have the character of Raymond, who has lived in the same "body" without dying for centuries. He's reluctant to let go of his physical life to restart the next phase, because he is alone; without a soulmate of his own. It's only when a willing sacrifice by one of the main characters is offered, does he accept his fate.

I think that is the big theme here that you can say truly runs through both stories. Knowing when you have to give up the thing you are clinging to most, and face the big fear.

And I will stop there for today. October's selections are Salem's Lot (book) and Fright Night (1985) but I will be back later in the week with the official post for it.

year 5 day 163

movie: Ghostbusters (remake)
starring: Melissa McCarthy, Chris Hemsworth
genre: Comedy
year: 2016
format: Cinema

plot: After being fired from her job as a professor, Dr. Gilbert is forced to take a job with her former best friend, Dr Yates, in checking out the legitimacy of a hunted house. With the help of Dr. Holtzmann, and city worker Patty, they discover a plot by a mad scientist to open the portals between this reality and the one of the dead.

So I loved this movie. I went into it liking McCarthy and Hemsworth, and expecting a lot of cameos from the original cast.  I'll start there. McCarthy rocked the roof off. She makes arguing over soup the funniest thing on the planet. Hemsworth plays a confused character. Literally. I am still scratching my head why they made his character so dumb?

SPOILER ALERT : there is a small statue of Harold Ramis, Bill Murray plays the paranormal debunker, Annie Potts plays the angry hotel manager, Dan Aykroyd plays the lazy cab driver, Slimmer appears to steal Ecto, the Stay Puft Man appears as a parade balloon, Ernie Hudson plays Patty's uncle the undertaker, Sigourney Weaver plays Holtzmann's boss.  I was more than a little upset that Rick Moranis did not make any appearance, as he was always one of my favourite characters. Aykroyd had one of the best lines in the film as he says "It's only a class five" when referring to the city being over run by ghosts. The giant twinkie in times square is a little in joke that you might not catch at first. END SPOILERS

The first scene is in itself a bit of a tribute to the second movie, as you get to see a river of slime, which is what was causing the ghosts to react in Ghostbusters II.  I like how they gave a nod to the current trend in paranormal "hunting" with their little snip of "reality tv".
And I have to say it, the whole mixing heavy metal with the occult. Full on 80's style of horror, even though this isn't a horror, just the fact they go for the goat.  Yeah, you read me right...goat.  I loved that kind of  feel. The music they used for the metal concert was lacking in everything, but the "spirit" of it is there.

what did I learn? If an actor is willing to be slimmed, slime them every scene.

What that movie inspired me to do 44

It's that time again, the time of the season when we have season finales of all our favourite shows (if they're not mid season shows that is) and myself and my friend Heather from All Roads Lead to the Kitchen, have a shared lust for Supernatural.  So of course we had to turn that into blog posts.

As like with our 80's Day last month,(we've got another coming up soon) we have not told the other person which episodes/seasons/characters have inspired us to make what we decided to make.

And with 11 seasons of the show in the bag there was a lot to choose from. (I'm only pulling from the first 10 seasons as that's what is available on dvd at the time of this post) I can't wait for next season, it can't get here fast enough for me.  I sat down and thought about some of my favourite episodes from seasons 1-10 and came up with this list for today.   Clap Your Hands if You Believe (season 6 episode 9) Mystery Spot (season 3 episode 11) and Bad Day at Black Rock (season 3 episode 3)  which ironically, are more of the comedic episodes.

Clap Your Hands if You Believe - the plot: The brothers are called into to investigate what they think is at first alien attacks, but it turns out to be fairies.    the food: corn, beer, coffee, whiskey, pizza rolls, cookies, tea, cream, sugar, salt.

Mystery Spot- the plot: While investigating a disappearance of an occult debunker, Sam must relive Dean's death 100 times over until he can break the cycle.   the food: pig in a poke, coffee, bacon, pancakes, roasted chicken, garlic, wine, hot sauce, fish tacos/tacos, Chinese food, sausage, syrup, melon, chocolate milk.

Bad Day at Black Rock- the plot: The boys learn that a cursed rabbit's foot has been stolen from the family storage unit, which gives it's victims a roll of unbelievable good luck until it kills them.    the food: whiskey, garlic bread, ice cream, coffee, BLT sandwich, pop, fries, burgers, wine.

I wanted to at first, make something from each episode, but in the end for convenience made the one dish. So, pulling the ingredients of hot sauce and garlic from Mystery Spot, the corn from Clap Your Hands if you Believe, and burger from Bad Day at Black Rock plus the title; I made  "Black Bean Burger with Corn chips and salsa".

1 can of black beans, drained,
3 pieces of bread pinched up for breadcrumbs,
half an onion chopped,
half a green pepper chopped,
1 teaspoon minced garlic,
2 eggs,
salt,
ground black pepper,
hot sauce to your taste,

I started to mash up the beans, but I have to admit, I don't have a food processor so I was doing it by hand with an old fashioned potato masher, and got fed up mid way, so half my beans were mashed half were not.

I set the mix in the fridge for half an hour so that it was firm enough to form into paddies. Depending on how thick you make them, you will get anywhere from 4-6 paddies.

I then pan fried them in a bit of oil for about five minutes on each side. Topped them with melted cheese, the corn chips and salsa (instead of on the side and both store bought)

Now, go check out Heather's offering. And check back with us later this week to see what else we've been inspired to do.

year 5 day 145

movie: The Fly
starring: Jeff Goldblum, Geena Davis
genre; Sci-Fi, Horror,
year; 1986
format: Hollywood Suites Channel

plot: After testing an experiment out on himself goes wrong, a scientist begins to de- evolve.

Based on the 1958 movie and the 1957 short story.

Take about a mad scientist. I haven't seen this in years, so much I'd forgotten just how gross it got. For some reason though, I seem to remember there having been an explanation for his extreme sugar consumption, which there didn't actually seem to be. (trailer maybe?)

I found the first half to have been rushed, which was the style for the decade it was done. I got the impression of the main character having an addiction to his own creation. That high you get when you've managed to create something so off the charts new. He kept coming back to the idea that he was - in the first half of the film- creating a stronger faster form of evolution. At which point, while the adrenaline is still controlling him, he starts desiring a mate just as unique as himself. The character is no longer functioning on any form of human level; pardon the pun. He's become tunnel-vision goal minded, that of survival. And in this case -for the first half of the film- survival of his new species. The second half, just seems to be about survival at any costs. He's nearly accepted the fact he's about to die, than seems to begin fighting that. That fear of death becoming more than he can handle.

Metaphors I got from this were addiction, disease, transformation, paranoia and mental illness. There's also a lot of jealousy floating around between the three main characters. Both the Goldblum character and the John Getz try to out "alpha male" each other during moments throughout the film.

what did I learn? You know I'm going to say it...IT'S A FRANKENSTEIN MOVIE

year 5 day 141

movie: Conan the Barbarian
starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, James Earl Jones
genre:Sci-fi, Adventure
year: 1982
format: Netflix Canada

plot: After witnessing his entire village slaughtered, a slave sets off to get revenge on the man who's responsible.

Based on the novels/stories of Robert E. Howard

So this is the character/serial that all sword and sorcery branch from? Huh.  Religion runs amuck in this, from snake gods, to weapons forged by gods, to one character becoming one of Odin's Valkyries, to the lead being left to die by crucifixion.  It's got a lot of trials/tests happening, that even the lead character is unaware he's taking part in. Like, having to "survive" the pits in the beginning, with his wits as much as his strength, and later; after his "death" which has nothing to do with him as much as it does his companions. 

It's no secret, as I've stated it more than once, I am not a fan of Schwarzenegger at all. But, I found the film's peppering of comedy decent enough. The story being laced with paganism and occult notions from book end to book end was the only reason I was still watching it after the first ten minutes.

I would have liked some more explanation on the why and how of James Earl Jones's character though. Here's this all powerful god or witch or shapeshifting genius, and it's never explained on how he got to be so? Was he always supernatural or did it happen after his years as the warlord?  I was half way expecting there to be some big reveal about Conan being descendant of Doom given the fact Conan was the only one who had been able to defeat the uber snake.
 
what did I learn? The witch, the warrior and the woman...got a ring to it right?

year 5 day 132

movie: Resident Evil
starring: Milla Jovovich, Eric Mabius
genre; Sci-fi, Horror,
year: 2002
format: TV Edit

plot: A woman wakes up without her memory, and is taken to an underground lab, where a virus has managed to turn everyone into zombies.

Based on the video games.

Holy Omega Man Syndrome Batman! I really see how 90% of the zombie genre has developed from the vampire genre. Yeah, I'm never letting that factor go.

So you've got a big bad corporation that is slicing up dna between humans and animals and playing around with dead things. You just know that's got trouble written all over it.  I'm guessing the big theme behind it and the original game is got something to do with not trusting big corps?
TV edit, so the gore was minimal which was fine for me. (I must be too old can't stomach stuff like I used to) There was a lot of shoot 'em up-ing and not much in the way of an actual plot. Which, may or may not be the fault of the tv edit.
You do have some basic spy on spy sabotage going on with the lead character and her husband. You know from the beginning that one of them is the big bad who unleashed everything, but it doesn't play as smooth as it could have. (again might have been the tv edit)

I'd like to know what the monster at the end of the hallway was suppose to be? We see it escape, feed and then become something worse. Was it a dog? Was it a human once? Was it a giant tasmanian devil? It just sort of is there and then dies in a blaze of unnatural greeny flames.

what did I learn? Everyone wants to play Doctor Frankenstein.

year 5 day 127

movie: Soylent Green
starring: Charlton Heston, Brock Peters
genre: Drama, Sci-fi
year: 1973
format: Hollywood Suites Channel

plot: After investigating a murder, one cop becomes obsessed with the cover up, which leads him to learn that our food supply is not what it seems.

Based on the book Make Room! Make Room!

You would think, that after my last encounter with a Heston film, I would have learned my lesson and passed on this one. But no; I needed to see what all the fuss was about. 

Okay, so here's the thing the actual scene with the introduction of "soylent green" talks about how it's made from plant based product found in/around water. Which, later on we learn there isn't many oceans/lakes left. So that begs to ask how does the world's population not catch on that there is something not right to begin with- with it? 

There is one scene where the "house-wife" is picking up groceries, which contains two apples, a few jars of something unidentifiable, and one very sad stalk of celery. Which costs her $300. And then a mysterious side of roast appears.  This scene is sort of funny and creepy all at the same time. I thought for sure the roast was going to be something more in line with the plot, but if so, it was never admitted to.

I actually found the subplot to be disturbing. The movie itself has no substance to it, but the suggestion that the world is truly becoming like this is what is eerie. The world as we know it, (the movie was set in 2022 a short few years from now) is rapidly moving into a danger zone much like what is seen in the film; over crowded population, polluted environment, lack of natural resources etc. The movie brings up the topic of global warming and the fact water had to be filtered/rationed. There is one scene where the lead character is at the crime scene playing with the bathroom taps just in awe at the fact there is running water. 

what did I learn? It's scary how close we are to a society first written about over 50 years ago.

year 5 day 115

movie: Krull
starring:Ken Marshall, Leam Neeson
genre: Sci-fi, Fantasy
year:1983
format: Hollywood Suites Channel

plot:On the night of their wedding, a princess is taken hostage by a powerful sorcerer, leaving the prince on a mission to find the hidden castle she's been taken to.

This was one of those films where I kept thinking of about a dozen other movies. Knowing that the Dark Crystal came out a few months before, the similarities between the castle and the evil guards' armor was interesting. I also kept thinking about The Princess Bride, which came out four years after Krull (but the original novel of Princess Bride came out ten years before Krull)  There is a scene nearer to the end, where one character who happens to be a cyclops, is holding a large stone door open for his companions to crawl through, much like Sloth does in the Goonies. (the Goonies came out two years after Krull) And of course, there is the whole sword in the stone thing happening in the first half of the film, when the prince pulls a starfished-dagger out of stone. 

We've got a romance torn asunder, a dark forest filled with quicksand that drowns a few of the noble warriors, a blind wizard who gets got, a scatterbrained coward of a witch who can't get his magick right, a castle that looks like kit-kat bars, and a big bad who looks like a cross between Pumpkinhead and an overgrown Ghoulie.  (Ghoulies came out in 1984, and Pumpkinhead in 1988)

And it wasn't as bad as I was expecting. Given it is over 30 years old, the bad green screens are forgiven. The idea is solid, though the pacing at points are a little long. There are little mini-quests that happen within the larger one. For instance, the wiseman has to convince his former love, who is at the mercy of a giant spider for help, and to do so, must climb through a spider's web in a massive cave or fall to his death. There is also a scene where the hero prince and his band of hero warriors, need to tame a bunch of wild horses in order to ride half way across the planet in like a day. The horses are magickal and have blue flames that makes them fly. But the taming of them isn't really explained before hand, you just suddenly see them trying to saddle these things for like 6 minutes of air time.

I would have liked more sword fights. It needed more hand to hand swords and magick. I would have liked to know why the princess was the target of the big evil? Was it the big evil loved her or just wanted to steal the kingdom or was he bored? And how come, if the prince and princess were an arranged marriage, they were desperately in love? Are we to believe they knew each other ahead of time, or wrote letters or something? And if the prince was capable of being a human flame thrower, shouldn't the princess have been able to manipulate water too, given they created their "bond" with both elements not just the fire?

what did I learn? Krull influenced more than a few

year 5 Day 112 (Night Bleeds March)

movie: Omega Man
starring: Charlton Heston, Anthony Zerbe
genre: Sci-fi
year: 1971
format: DVD

plot:After the world has been hit by a plague caused by germ warfare, one man holds the key to finding a solution for the remaining survivors.

Based on the 1954 novel I Am Legend

Okay, right off, I'm pissed that they removed ALL the direct vampire stuff. They kept in the majority of the story; a plague that wiped out half of the world, the "family" only coming out at night and having light blindness and pale skin, the main character having to survive their attacks. The isolation the character of Neville feels in the novel is kept to a point, but isn't as strong in this movie version. In the novel, which spans a course of a few years, the isolation drives him completely insane.
In this version, the Neville character is a big shot scientist, which also differs from the novel. 

They however, twisted the rest of the story.  He's not exactly the "last man on earth" in this version of it. There are other survivors like himself, but they are living in the mountains away from the cities and the "family" of mutants (vampires). He meets up with this woman and easily falls into a sexual relationship with her, and manages to save her younger brother from the plague by way of blood transfusions. The woman then out of nowhere; no literally she's fine one second walking down the street suddenly stops and poof she's a mutant, becomes infected. She then turns on him telling the "family" (vampires) where he's hiding. They capture him, big battle, sunrise comes and the bad guys run away.

This movie was considered controversial when it first came out. Took me a long coffee break to figure out why? Then it dawned on me as I was stirring my almond milk into my coffee cup watching the swirling colours mix.  One of the first movies to have an interracial couple. Got it.

The end scene has the lead character in a fountain, bleeding into the water, and he's stretched out for a moment in the form of a cross. One of the human survivors takes a bottle of Neville's blood which is the only known cure for the plague.  There is almost a hidden vampire vs vampire thing going on here. The "family" refuse to allow the idea that a simple blood transfusion could reverse all that they have mutated into; while Neville's simple act of transfusing his own blood into the plague victims, is "siring" new humans. An almost stronger race in itself.
The "family" for some reason fear technology. They are out to destroy all forms of "modern life", setting fire to art, typewriters, books, televisions etc. They react to Neville in much the same way, claiming he's one of the last "modern oppressors" and the last link to the life they had before the plague.

So the vampires are hinted at, but unlike the novel are never out right expressed. Which, had I known ahead of time, would have picked one of the other three adaptions of the novel. (yes there are 4 total at the time of this post) But this was my first time seeing this movie, after years of hearing how cool it was, how much of a classic it was I was under the influence of cool vampire stories.

what did I learn? I understand why this movie is always thought of when the zombie apocalypse films are mentioned. There are more references to Omega Man in the zombie genre then there is in the vampire genre. I also see how the zombie genre sprouted from the vampire genre. (George A Romero freely admits he used the original book I Am Legend as the back bone for his Night of the Living Dead films)

I Am Legend:Neville somehow managed to survive an unknown outbreak, leaving him the last human alive as far as he knows. The rest of the world's population, has been infected by a flu that eventually killed the infected host, but managed to turn them into vampires. He spends his days out collecting what he can, and hunting the vampires, while locking himself indoors at night. He's discovered over the course of about 3 and a half years, that bullets are useless he needs to drive a wooden stake into them, and garlic is his greatest weapon. After spending the first year grieving for the lost of his wife and daughter to the plague, he begins to want answers as to why and how it happened. To the best of his research, he learns the virus was caused by a super mosquito and a strange amount of "dust storms". After discovering sunlight causes the vampires to turn to ash, Neville realizes the dust storms were in fact the vampire ash polluting the air causing the spores to regenerate in a fresh host. Longing for companionship of any kind, he meets a woman one afternoon. Taking her in, he tests her for the infection, which she passes but he still does not trust her, and soon learns she's one of the vampires. Only now they have grown immune to sunlight and garlic. His days quickly become numbered now that they know where he lives.


This book was written in 1954, the story is set in the 1970's, and the ideas are still fresh enough to be used in 2016. (Walking Dead anyone?)

I maybe wrong, but I do believe this was the first story to connect the vampire genre to science? A theme that would become common place in vampire fiction, (where something went wrong in the lab causing vampirism, or you know the bombs radiation) from movies like Red Blood American Girl, Reign of Darkness and books like Vampire Winter.

I was disappointed to find the actual story was only 160 pages. I had a nearly 400 page book, thinking it was the length of it, only to find page 161 started the "collection of shorts" which were NOT advertised on either the front or back covers.

The isolation the character feels is deafening. In the beginning, he rarely talks out loud, which after awhile in itself begins to lend to his madness. This leads to his increasing alcohol abuse which fuels his depression tenfold. He's tortured every night by the vampires in the area trying to hunt him, as they surround his house, tossing rocks and garbage at his windows, calling him out. All led by his former best friend Cortman. There is a strange dynamic between Neville and Cortman. Both constantly threaten to kill the other but never do, and when the "new breed" of vampires begin to slaughter the group of vamps camped outside Neville's home, Neville feels pity for Cortman, even fearing for his friend's life.

There is a distinction made between "living vampires" and "dead vampires". Which, to be honest, didn't make a whole hell of a lot of sense to me. They all went boom-poof when he staked them or dragged them out into sunlight, so I really am not sure where the author was going with that part? The emphasis seemed to be on, the older the vampire was (dead) the quicker they ashed, where as the newer (living) felt more pain before hand.

I also might be mistaken, but I do believe this is one of the first stories to add in the idea that not all vampires were affected by the cross. It's not anything new as far as folklore goes as every culture has had a form of vampiric creature since the dawn of time, but for hollywood fiction, it's one of the first to actually point out that not everyone believes in the Christian god. The character of Neville comments on the fact a few vampires laughed in his face when he tried to use the cross on them, but when he pulled out the Torah, those vampires fled in disgust and fear. Proving that the individual vampire had different strengths and weaknesses. And leaving up the question of what happens when an Atheist vampire is not affected by any religious icons?

There are comments about food through out the novel. Mostly talking about the fact everything is frozen, and how the character got what one must assume for the time it was written, an industrial restaurant sized freezer. In the novel, there are no animals left either, no way to get eggs or milk etc. As the story takes place over the course of 3 and a half years, which we first walk in on around year two.(the first year is then covered in flashbacks through out) Neville talks about having to thaw out everything in the morning in order to cook at dusk, and about how precious his generator actually is. If the vampires figure out he's got a power source and destroy it, then he's unable to survive. The book I loved until the last four pages, then the whole story just fell apart for me. Things seemed to get tossed into the story only to be undone. I found some of the main themes to be madness, depression, loneliness, race/status, and abuse. Whether the author intended it to come across like that or not, I'm not sure?  But I kept coming back to the scenes where he's discussing the fact every morning the packs of vampires on Neville's lawn, had fewer and fewer females because the males were turning on them. Where as Neville destroyed the vampires regardless of their gender, only the females were being killed at night by the males. Which again would come back to the idea of  survival of the stronger/faster. I do find it interesting that this was written when segregation was still a real issue. You can look at all the characters in that light and see it reflected in different layers of the story. From the sole surviving Neville being separated from the vampires in his neighbourhood, to the male vamps keeping themselves above the female vamps in the nightly hunts, to the new breed keeping themselves separated from the "common" vamps, and eventually from Neville. Each believing themselves one step better then the other they were hunting.

Alrighty, so the last two months of the book/movie club, I literally skirted in an hour before deadline with finishing them. This month, I got right to them and had them finished over a week and half ago. And I still don't have a "inspired by" part for the post. I promise before the year is over I'll have at lest a couple done.

That about wraps up this month's post. I'll be back tomorrow with a round up post, in case anyone else has done one.  And the selection for April will be  John Steakley's  Vampire$ (1990 book) and John Carpenter's Vampires (1998 movie) deadline for those will be Sunday April 24th. But, I'll be back later in the week with the official Night Bleeds announcement post.

year 5 Day 108

movie: The Last Witch Hunter
starring: Vin Diesel, Michael Caine
genre: Action, Sci-fi, Thriller,
year; 2015
format: Shaw Video On Demand

plot: An immortal must relive his original death in order to unlock the secret to killing a reincarnated witch.

This felt more like the beginning chapter of something then the whole thing, which made me think that maybe it was based on a book; but I didn't see any credits listing it as so.
It's fairly typical in the idea that there is a group of bad guys who answer to bigger badder guys, who in turn are part of a secret society who are trying to raise the dead. That had me thinking about the old Hammer film Taste the Blood of Dracula. and about a dozen or so other "they're in a cult" type of movies from the 1970's.   There were also elements that made me think of Blade  and Highlander.

Elijah Wood plays a priest who is next in line to look after the Diesel character, which was one of the most misused roles I've seen in awhile. It was almost like he was thrown in for the sake of having another recognizable name.
I've heard a lot of grief about this movie, and there were moments when it was nothing but CGI. Which, I felt was a total let down. The idea though of the witch bar was cool.

We open with a flashback of the 1200's showing us the original battle between the Diesel character and the witch. This is the thread that anchors the movie as we progress, as he needs to remember what happened in that battle. And the bad guys keep trying to keep him from learning what he needs to learn. I almost wanted to watch it without the big action scenes. I think this could have been just a few centimeters better if it had some more character/dialogue plot and less slice and dice. At the very lest, more magick, as all the actual witchy stuff seemed to be clumped together in the same fifteen minutes of air time.

I know there was talk of a sequel, and I for one hope they actually do have one, as this feels more like an introduction then a completed piece.

what did I learn? Too much CGI these days, not enough practical props/effects being taught.

year 5 day 106

movie: Ant-Man
starring: Paul Rudd, Michael Douglas
genre: Action
year: 2015
format: Netflix Canada

plot: After breaking into a house and stealing a robotic suit, a thief finds himself the only one able to stop a sleazy corporation from building an army of super soliders

Based on the comics

Just when I think I've seen nearly all the Marvel movies, I find out there are half a dozen more.  This was a cute one, dare I saw sweet.  Little much on the use of the ants, but that's what gives it some humour.

Two things were going through my mind through most of this movie, it's sort of on the same scale as Spider-Man; given it's mostly about an ordinary guy just doing the best he can and I kept thinking of Honey I Shrunk The Kids.
Here's a guy who has made a few mistakes in his life, and is just looking for a way to get a second chance. When he does, it's a lot more responsibility then he ever imagined. Which, he at first refuses but isn't really given a choice. Both the Rudd character and the Douglas character are at the end of the day, just trying to hold their families together.  We see them have to steal a second robotic suit in order to keep the technology from being used in the wrong way.

I liked the dynamic of Rudd's character and the step-dad played by Bobby Cannavale. Both want the same thing, but are on opposite ends of the spectrum. Literally in this case as the lead is a thief while the character of the step-dad is a cop. Each is out to prove he's the alpha male in their family situation.

what did I learn? A shrink ray would be cool

year 5 day 94

movie: Mad Max 3 Beyond Thunderdome
starring:Mel Gibson, Tina Turner
genre:Sci-fi, Action
year:1985
format: Hollywood Suites Channel

plot: After being forced to take part in a fight to the death, a man is exiled to the desert where upon he discovers a tribe of kids.

We go from survival of the smartest to survival of the youngest. I have to say, liked this one better then part 2. There was a tad more store and more dialogue in this one, but I'm guessing that a big car chase at the end is the trademark for these Mad Max movies then?
Things are slightly more civilized in this movie compared to the previous one, as at lest ten years seems to have past and there are "cities" being built. The fact the city is run on animal manure shows that they started to progress from just fighting over the gasoline in the previous one.

Our main bad guy, played by Tina Turner, isn't completely a typical bad guy. She starts off being humiliated by the character who runs the mining farm, and simply wants him out of her hair. But when Max fails to deliver on the hit, she comes across as having another agenda. Which, we never truly find out if she actually does, as she seems to give up the fight.
The kids tribe annoyed me. The tribe starts off with a crazy language from being isolated for so long, then suddenly mid way through the movie they can all talk normal. I found that just jarring. 

what did I learn? That old Duran Duran video for Wild Boys totally makes sense now.

year 5 day 84

movie Galaxy Quest
starring Alan Rickman, Tim Allen
genre Comedy, Sci-fi
year 1999
format Netflix Canada

plot: A television cast are mistaken by a group of aliens as being an actual space crew and are asked to save their entire population.

This is a polite parody of Star Trek/Star Wars and the types of fans that keep those franchises alive.  I've rarely seen Alan Rickman doing comedy, so it at first not just seemed completely out of place, but he quickly makes the role enjoyable.
I wasn't sure if this was going to be a bit too slapstick, or go the opposite direction and try to be too serious; but it managed to balance the comedy with the type of sci-fi you would expect from the genre.

I actually liked the idea that the "fans" knew more about the widgets and ship then the "actors" did. As in the last half of the movie, Allen's character is forced to contact a fan he'd been rude to at a meet and greet, and ask him for blueprints of the ship. This then becomes a massive group effort with a few other fans all chipping in with their fanbased knowledge. And it's the fans that have the one answer no one else has been able to give, which is what does the object do that everyone is fighting over? Given the ship is based on the "show", and the object is never seen or used, no one can 100% say if it's going to save them or kill them.
One of the issues brought up is how the aliens have no concept of reality vs fantasy. They are innocent and childlike in their trust of the images they have grown up with. Believing that the tv show is actual historic footage. Even as one character is injured, he's barely able to grasp the concept that it was all "pretend".  As well, near the end of the film, we see the mega fan tell his parents what's going on, and they have no reaction, other then commenting that at lest he's out of the house.

what did I learn? Yeah, I have no clue...we as a society have become so disconnected from reality and reality is truly what you make it.