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 114

movie: Ice Princess
starring:Michelle Trachtenberg, Kim Cattrall
genre: Family, Drama
year:2005
format: Netflix Canada

plot: A student trying to write her entrance thesis for university, discovers her talent for figure skating. Soon, she's forced to make the choice of following her brain or her heart.

So, another take on the nerd turned athlete film. It's sweet, it's got it's point, and it's nothing overly special. Nothing in it overly stood out for me. There are no bad guys in this. That's really what stood out. Just when you think the character of the coach is going to be the big evil, or one of the rival skaters, you get curved around it and all is forgiven. It was almost too sweet.

There wasn't a big enough pay off for me with this. The lead character beats the competition like every underdog film; but comes up just short in the final moments. Which, I'd like to say is a twist, but we've seen that before in a few films. The big emphasis being on playing from the heart and not for the gold. I actually would have liked to have seen more of the physics she's in the beginning, suppose to be basing her whole project on, carried through bit more after the midway point in the film. It was almost as if the writers decided to forget they were suppose to have a "nerd" for their lead character. 

I would love to see Kim Cattrall and Joan Cusack do a buddy comedy, as the chemistry the two have in their 3 minutes together of air time, made the movie's point. Each is the mirror of the other, both headstrong in their beliefs, feeling the path the other has taken is the weaker choice. Even once they begin to agree, they continue to butt heads. 

what did I learn? zamboni over golf cart any day.

Round Ups Night Bleeds

I said yesterday, few days ago, I'd come in today  this week with a round up of the Night Bleeds posts for this month. I'm actually going to do a round up of the last three months worth, given I wasn't savvy enough to do one each time since we started.

January we talked about the new version of Twilight for the book part and the original Twilight movie. You can find the announcement post here.  Heather at All Roads Lead to the Kitchen had this to say on the matter, and mine could be found here.

February we talked about both the book and movie versions of Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter. Here is the announcement post. Once again Heather at All Roads Lead to the Kitchen shined with her offering of Corn Dodgers.  I on the other hand took a different approach.

And March, we just finished reading I Am Legend and watching Omega Man which is loosely it would seem, based on it. The announcement post is here.  Heather delivered up a Wicked Whiskey Sour at Sunset, and I took yet another approach here.

Look for the official April announcement post later this week. Which will be John Steakley's Vampire$ and the movie version John Carpenter's Vampires. 
 

year 5 day 113

movie: Daddy's Home
starring: Will Ferrell, Mark Wahlberg
genre: Comedy
year: 2015
format: Shaw Video On Demand

plot: When a radio executive learns his new wife's ex husband is coming to visit, all the insecurities he's already feeling are heightened when he finds out just how competitive his step-kid's biological father really is.

At some point, I think anyone who's been involved with someone who still has ties to their ex has felt both insecure and territorial. It's human nature. That idea is played out fairly well here.
We see Wahlberg's character arrive and push past Ferrell's character, as if brushing off a fly. But as the story progresses, we find out that looks can be deceiving. Both men start to push back, trying to out do the other in everything from sports to picking up the kids at school.

Ferrell plays the same kind of character we've come to expect from him. The overgrown teddy bear clumsy type who can't tie his shoe without tripping over it first. Which, works great 99% of the time. This one has him crying in typical fashion whenever the "kids" do something nice. Just once I'd like to see Ferrell play the opposite type.   Wahlberg spends a good chunk of the film in either the tightest shirts they could find or none at all. At which, Ferrell's character has a running joke of asking him to put his shirt on.

The situations the family find themselves in, are more than formulaic as well; from the son being bullied and needing advice, to the daughter wanting one of her dad's to take her to the big father-daughter dance. The dance scene is one of the biggest laughs in the film. As both the kids find themselves facing their earlier problems, the bullies and the dance itself. When a fight begins to break out, the two dads turn it into a dance-off, which they feel mixes both their philosophies of standing up for yourself when needed and not starting the fight.

By the end of the film, all is resolved and the Wahlberg character sort of has his own role reversal when he becomes someone else's step-dad, and an even bigger badder dude shows up with an even cooler bike and tighter shirt played by John Cena. It's no secret that I can not stand Cena, but he gives the biggest payoff laugh wise in the entire film.

what did I learn? There will always be someone cooler than you no matter what you do or who you are.

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 111

movie: Romancing the Stone
starring:Michael Douglas, Kathleen Turner
genre: Adventure, Romance, Comedy
year:1984
format: Hollywood Suites Channel

plot: A romance writer learns her sister has been kidnapped, and must hand over a map left to her by her dead brother in law. Along the way, she not only finds herself followed by a drug lord, but a man who embodies all her books heroic traits.

It's been decades since I've seen this, and completely forgotten how funny it was. And also, how it's become the beacon of light for these romantic fish out of water stories. (Leap Year, The Holiday, Laws of Attraction) And of course, it does play out like one of those romance novels (ironically the later 1980's early 1990's follows it more than the novels that came before the movie)

Here you've got a heroine who doesn't at first see herself as such, in fact she's awkward, shy, and completely unprepared for what's she's been asked to do. She hits every misdirection a person can before being reluctantly saved by someone who's life she's just tossed into chaos. And our hero in this, is more than the typical anti-hero, he's practically the role model for the typical anti-hero. Not only does he rescue her from being shot, he removes the 4 inch heels from her shoes, so they can walk through 6 foot high plants. That's I believe the first time I've seen or read for that matter, the hero being smart enough to do that.

The scene where they are stranded on a crashed plane using a crop of marijuana for a fire, and the Douglas character leaning over for a mouthful of smoke had me laughing out loud.

I do have one little question about it all. From the look of the map they are following, it is suppose to be turn of the century (late 1890's-early 1900's) yet, the statue they dig up is from the 1950's-ish. Are we to believe someone else got there first and reburied it? or you know, ignore that little bit of continuity?

what did I learn? Romance can find you when you lest expect it, even in a mud puddle.

year 5 day 110

movie: 47 Ronin
starring: Keanu Reeves, Hiroyuki Sanada
genre: Action
year: 2013
format: Netflix Canada

plot: After being disgraced during a jousting competition, a Japanese lord is killed, leaving his villagers outcasts and his daughter at the mercy of a rival. Now that the lord's Samurai are banished and unable to get revenge, they must find away to regain their honor.

So this is halfway based on a real historical events and folklore but with added fairy tale creatures/magick.  And it's about 15 minutes too long. Seriously, they could have removed some of the film and it would have still been fine, or better yet not have everyone speaking so slowly. It was worst than listening to those bad William Shatner impressions people do where they make every word a sentence of it's own.

The story wasn't bad. It had some grit to it, but it dragged. I would have liked to have seen more witchy-whoo-hoo, but I always want more mojo in things.
You could have dropped everyone into England with a Merlin type and it would have come out the same. The king gets vindicated, the princess gets rescued, and the knights slay a few dragons. In fact, the whole backbone of the story is planted firmly on the idea of courtly love. That unrequited love that every story that has a princess and knight seem to carry.

what did I learn?  There is always a dragon to slay

Friday Pie Day March

Hey hey hey hey... it's that time again. Where Heather over on All Roads Lead to the Kitchen, has her monthly segment, Friday Pie Day. And once again I've decided to join her. You can check out her version of a Twin Peak's inspired pie (here)

I pulled my inspiration this month from one of my favourite tv shows, The Witches of East End.  (worst thing they did was cancel it! Damn it, I want a season 3)
Episode 2 from season 2 "The Son also Rises" (episode 12 of the series). We see the mom, Joanna and the aunt, Wendy offering a pie and wine to neighbour Dash. Joanna added truth root to it, making it a truth spell. And Wendy calls it magick pie.

It looks as if it's a blackberry pie, so I had the idea of blackberries as my main base. Even though the pie is "magick" and the character of Dash is the bad guy, I found the gesture to still be a comforting idea. And what's more comforting than a peanut butter and jam sandwich?  I decided to make a peanut butter cookie crust...as in one giant peanut butter cookie.

Crust

1 cup peanut butter
1 cup regular sugar
1 egg
1Tablespoon baking soda

Mix,

chill for half hour
form to pan,
bake at 325 degrees for roughly 30 minutes depending on your oven




Filling

I used a frozen mix of blackberries, black cherries and blueberries.

I made the "jam" by a simple reduction of the frozen fruit and 2 cups sugar. Because they were frozen, I did not have to add any extra liquid.

Boil on high, then lower heat to medium and let simmer for 45 minutes.

Let cool before adding to the crust.


Maybe not enough to waggle the deepest darkest secrets out of your warlock neighbours, but simple and comforting enough to enchant someone to chat over coffee and pie.

 

year 5 day 109 (March Food n Flix)

This month's Food n Flix selection is A Walk in the Clouds and is being hosted by Wendy at A Day in the Life on the Farm

The One Movie a Day Challenge part-

movie: A Walk in the Clouds
starring: Keanu Reeves, Anthony Quinn
genre: Drama
year: 1995
format: online

plot: After meeting by chance, a man decides to help a stranger out with her over protective father.

This is a remake of the 1942 film Four Steps in the Clouds

The lead character is a chocolate salesman, going cross country with a briefcase of them. It's set in the 1940's, and that works with the ideas/values that the father has.  Which is marriage before sex/baby and he needs to approve the guy first.

Can I right off say, one "box of chocolates" that aren't technically in a "box" that is being manhandled as buddy travels across country. How is that a good idea? He's got one sample of each, and they are in a hot briefcase. Just saying.

I got the feeling through the first half that the grandfather sort of knew they weren't together-together, but decided to accept the idea anyways. Hence, why he sabotaged the guy from leaving by eating all the chocolate and showing him the little rooted branch, therefore giving him exactly what the main character wanted. A way out of his current situation and well; "roots".

okay, I thought the grape dancing frolicking nymph scene was just retarded. Though Dionysus would be proud.

And I've never understood the appeal of scenes in movies/tv where they have them singing under the window at night? That's not romantic, that's crazy stalker guy. 

what did I think I learned? Sometimes, you don't know what you are really searching for till it walks in and pukes on you

The Food n Flix part-  grapes, coffee, chocolate, "popcorn" (the design on her dress) jam, pheasant, soup, chicken, tortilla, figs, flour, lemon-aid, pumpkin flower soup, limes, plums, duck, oranges, cheese, salt, wine, melon, grape leaves, brandy, bread, ham, lettuce, celery, onions, cabbage, potatoes.

Okay, so by the fact I'm so damned late in the month with my creation, you can tell this wasn't the easiest for me. I had nothing. It didn't grab me like some other movies have in the past, which considering it's Keanu Reeves, that's pretty shocking.  My first reaction was duck breast, but I couldn't sell my mother on the idea no matter how much I tried, and since she's the one who would have been eating it, that ended up being a no go.  I literally sat around all month thinking I was going to have to back out this month because it was driving me nut-balls.

Then, I started thinking about the plot again and some of the underlining scenes. The basis is he's unhappy in his current marriage and meets this stranger who's just been dumped because she's pregnant. So they form an agreement that he will pretend to be the husband her family has yet to met, and then go off for a job never to return. And he gives her a ring. Sort of. It's the candy wrapper from one of his uber expensive chocolates.

The golden ring.  Catching where I'm tossing this? I decided to make Papa Don't Preach Onion Rings.  And I've never bothered to make onion rings from scratch before.




Grab one large onion, slicing it, and separate the rings,
Coat them in flour, set aside



Batter Ingredients

1 cup flour,
teaspoon salt,
teaspoon ground black pepper,
1 cup water,

mix, make sure the batter is just a little thinner then pancake batter but still on the thicker side.

dredge the onions into the batter,

fill deep pan/fryer with oil,
carefully place battered slices into hot oil,

Let cook roughly 4 minutes a side if you need to flip them, 8 minutes without flipping if you're lucky enough to have a deep enough pan,

Drain on paper towel.

as you can see, simple. Little time consuming specially since this was my first attempt. 

You can add any spices to the batter you want, but I went super super simple with these.

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 107

movie: Night at the Museum 2 Battle of the Smithsonian
starring: Ben Stiller, Amy Adams
genre: Comedy
year: 2009
format: TV Edit

plot: After learning that most of the museum's exhibits are being put into storage at the Smithsonian along with the tablet, the night watchman has to find a way to return them.

Didn't I just see this? I know I watched part 3 the other month, and this storyline is pretty much the same thing. This time around, the "bad guys" are being lead by Kahmunrah, an Egyptian pharaoh who is set on world domination. His plan is to unlock the gates of the underworld using the tablet, only he doesn't have the secret code. He then holds many of the Smithsonian exhibits hostage forcing the Stiller character to figure it out for him.

I found it bit disappointing. It sort of doesn't go anywhere, it's just this big stage for the Smithsonian. We follow the heroes as they go from one area to another being chased by the bad guys, and trying to figure out the code. And when they do, it's really lack luster. 

what did I learn? Bobble heads are creepy.

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 105

movie: See Girl Run
starring: Robin Tunney, William Sadler
genre; Drama
year: 2012
format: Netflix Canada

plot: A woman unhappy in her marriage returns to her hometown to see her ex.

This really didn't have as much to do with the so called lead character, as it did with those around her. You almost wonder who's story was it suppose to be? The alcoholic younger brother? The ex boyfriend who hasn't "broken up with her" ?  It's sort of this crazy "love triangle" tossing the three around.

The lead character has never given up completely on her big love, even though she's been married for years and is living somewhere else, she still accepts gifts from her ex. When she decides she wants to see him, she runs back to their hometown, only to end up avoiding him by literally hiding in the bathroom when he shows up on her parents doorstep.
The brother spends more time with the exboyfriend on a drinking night, then she does, and is surprised to hear both his sister and the ex say "we never broke up." Which in itself, is a strange dynamic. So even though both have moved on with their lives, they refuse to admit it.

A lot of people have those moments of doubt and "what if" that can spring out of nowhere and cause them to reevaluate their lives. The Sadler character of the father, has this one scene where he's describing goals/dreams like that of a missile. Comparing it's path to when a missile is launched, given the end target can change, so either the path can too or it can miss the mark.

what did I learn? If we let fear keep us in one place we can stay there too long and never understand why.

year 5 day 104

movie: Seeking a Friend for the End of the World
starring: Keira Knightley, Steve Carell
genre: Drama, Comedy
year: 2012
format: Netflix Canada

plot: After learning that a meteorite is going to hit the planet and end life as we know it, two neighbours go on a cross country trek to find his ex girlfriend.

The movie starts off with what you would expect everyone to be doing with the knowledge that there is only 3 weeks expected for everyone to live, with everyone partying. In the middle of this, the lead character who's wife just left him, is looking for something more important. He bumps into one of his neighbours who wants to go back to London.  As he decides to kill himself, and fails, someone drops their dog off with him. The two find themselves reconnecting with parts of their pasts while the rest of the world crumbles around them.

I was expecting a lighter ending. This becomes the big romance that you would expect with them confessing their undying love as the credits roll, having both given up on the idea of their former relationships. Up to the last two minutes, it plays like there could be a happy ending, with the suggestion that one of the former boyfriends of the Knightley character has a bomb shelter, with Carell's character reconnecting with his dad, and their soul searching declaration of love.

I sort of felt this film was filled with pointless turns of events. How can you resolve the past when there is no future to be resolving it for?  Other then a brief comment by one of the ex-boyfriends, there was nothing expressing the "what if they're wrong" point of view. 

what did I learn? I get this was more about isolation and loneliness, but it didn't come across in the right way.

year 5 day 103

movie: Unbreakable
starring:Bruce Willis, Samuel L. Jackson
genre: Drama, Thriller
year: 2000
format: Netflix Canada

plot: A man who has Osteogenesis Imperfecta, believes he's found a real life superhero after hearing about a man who was the sole survivor in a train crash.

For those of you who have been reading my stuff for any real length of time, you know I have O.I. Type 1. Which is the type they have given the character in this film.  So this movie really hits home for me. Jackson who plays Mr. Glass, the character with O.I. did an excellent job with his monologue describing the effects of it. (he talks about there being 4 types, but in the last fifteen years, a total of 8 types have been identified) My one complaint is that they did nothing to show how the whites of your eyes are blue when you have it.

The character of Mr. Glass is obsessed with finding someone who is the extreme opposite of himself, with the idea that they'd be something more then human. He spends years searching for someone who can withstand extreme physical trauma, and stumbles across the character of Dunn. Telling him about his theories that "heroes" are all based on reality - in this case as represented in comics- Glass manages to convince Dunn he's meant to be a "protector". After Dunn finally allows himself to believe him, Dunn learns what he's physically capable of when he saves a family from a murderer.

At first glance, this seems like just another comic book based movie, but once you get past that surface image, you can't help but sit back and actually think about what is being said. There are plenty of examples of average people who have done things that defy logic, and could be considered hero-ish; compared to the situations they find themselves in.  
This film is also a massive tribute to the whole comic book genre. Breaking down the elements that make a great graphic novel from the design, to the characters motives, to their abilities to interact with society in general. I found it interesting that they shot parts of the film to subtly make you think of the layout of a comic and how they colour coated the two main characters. Glass was always wearing purple and there always seemed to be green surroundings with Dunn. 

The character of Glass makes a comment in one scene about how mythologies have always been hidden within books, and that made me remember this text book I'd read few years ago called Our Gods Wear Spandex ; which connects many mainstream heroes to the occult.

what did I learn?  The truth is out there.

year 5 Day 102

movie: Meatballs
starring: Bill Murray, Jack Blum
genre:Comedy
year: 1979
format: Hollywood Suites Channel

plot: A group of camp counselors deal with their relationships, while getting their kids ready for the big sports event.

I know this is one of the movies that started the summer camp comedy genre, but I was expecting something more. I've seen the other three movies in the series, which I like, but this one left me bored.

Murray's character feels like not enough was put into it, you don't feel Bill Murray's in the room so to speak until the last fifteen minutes of the film. I get that movies done in that decade were little more serious, but this is a dry movie. There's nothing funny about this comedy.

At one point you are teased with the idea of a love triangle when two of the male counselors are talking about this one female counselor that they both like, and she come up in a speed boat confessing who she's crushing on, but that's sort of all you get out of it.  One of the campers starts running in the mornings  in order to be part of something, which hints at the big pay off in this movie. The big pay off is suppose to be the big sporting event against the rival camp. But, not enough time is actually spent on that idea.

what did I learn? Part 2 is the best in the series

year 5 day 101

movie: Mr & Mrs Smith
starring: Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie
genre:Action, Comedy
year: 2005
format: TV Edit

plot: After a married couple realize they are both hired hitmen, they are each others next target.

I've heard nothing but how lame this movie is, so I really didn't have any interest to see this, but since it came on tv I thought why not?  And it ended up being better then I expected. There were times it felt like one big explosion, but that might have just been the way the channel had edited for television?

You have this seemingly unhappy couple, who you quickly learn are living completely separate lives. And both are hired hitmen. They spend the first half of the movie trying to kill each other, then the second half running from bigger bad guys. The comedy sort of dwindles in the second half becoming a straight up action film where no explosion is left undone.
This makes about six times Jolie has played this type of character (Salt, Wanted, Taking Lives, Tomb Raider, The Tourist) Nothing really stood out for me in this, nothing overly memorable. Other then the end shoot out which really put me in mind of Natural Born Killers.
I do have to question, if these two characters were suppose to be the best in the business, how did they manage to keep it hidden from the other for so long?  Both worked with "teams" who could hack into anything in under ten seconds, so wouldn't something have clued someone off sooner? Just seemed like the big flaw in the plot.

what did I learn? Don't add peas to the pot roast.

Year 5 Day 100

movie: Man Up
starring:Simon Pegg, Lake Bell
genre:Comedy, Drama, Romance
year; 2015
format: Netflix Canada

plot: When a woman is mistaken for someone's blind date, she decides to go on the date anyways.

This is one of those times when the romantic comedy worked. Pegg balances the lines between serious lead and comedic timing to perfection.

There is a few moments in the set up, that gives off the impression that Bell's character is going to keep the lie going throughout the film. But, about midway the truth comes out, and the rest of the movie is them dealing with it. As the two discover how much they actually have in common, they begin without realizing it to support each other.

There is a scene where they are in the bar, and as Pegg's character is eating an olive, the other holds her hand out for him to spit the olive pit out without asking him. They then break into this crazy dance, while arguing, which put me in mind of Pride and Prejudice's main dance scene.
There was something completely real about the idea of a miscommunication turning into something so perfect. The idea that destiny has taken over.

what did I learn? The best things can happen when you lest expect it.

The Nosferatu Adventures s10 p6

The Nosferatu Adventures
page 254, chapter 254

Out of Time...

Loki stomped into the office, searching for our heroine. He found her in the filing area two stacks of files at her feet, and a large drawer open. Grabbing her by the upper arm, he dragged her off into the elevator. He said nothing as they waited for the elevator doors to open onto the penthouse. It was only after they were safely inside away from any clients that might walk into the office, that he finally let go of her arm. Flinging her around so she was facing him, the dark haired god ran his right hand over his face, tilting his head down his hand now straggling the air between them.

"How do you know Arthur?" his voice was raised as he leaned in closer to her, his left hand now at his waist. "Huh?"

"He came into the occult store one day when I was there. Why?" our heroine asked confused. "How do you know him?"

Loki shook his head licking his lips. "Doesn't matter now. Cause you ruined it! Shacked it up big time!" his jaw became taunt as he let his brown eyes shift to the amber-grey of the wolf, his mouth in a pout. "I have been keeping things under control with the police." he was pointing then towards the wall. "Throwing them off the trail...off The Seer's trail for years. Each new detective they have assigned, I've been there tossing him a bone, like a new chew toy keeping him busy, looking in the wrong direction. But now...now because you had to slut around Arthur is closer then ever."

"Okay what?" she blinked twice trying to understand what he was getting at.

Loki took a step closer to her, angling himself so that there were no gaps between them, his forehead touching hers. "He's been Frankensteined!" he nearly spat the words. "You shacked him, and somehow managed to have the same effect on him as you did that time you claimed Reuben." He waggled his fingers by his ear. "Two big grey-white streaks in his hair right by the temples. Just like you had the first time you shacked Dagan and he claimed you."

"How could I claim Arthur? He's human?"

Loki's right hand was at the back of her neck in lightening speed, as he startled her. The kiss was rough and quick, broken before our heroine knew what was happening. "You didn't claim him. Otherwise I wouldn't have been able to do that." he saw the blush turn her normally chalk white skin a deep beet colour as the heat spread across her cheeks and nose. "You Frankenstiened him. The curse remember."  Our heroine closed her eyes trying to catch her breath still reeling from the whole thing. Nodding, she licked her lips remembering about the old curse. The wives that married into the family ended up with the streaks. It was in itself a mirror of the werewolves claiming.  A shiver ran across her shoulders as she felt the cold air returning around her, Loki having finally moved his hand from the back of her neck. "You forget you're chalk full of Frankenstein-y weirdness. Being sired by Dagan, having been brought back from the dead by Victor. More than once, his blood, Dagan's blood running rampant in your veins." Loki growled. "And now, Arthur doesn't need to go hunting down the strange and unusual, you've brought the strange and unusual to him. Dropping it right in his lap."he sniffed, moving first away from her then stopping placing his one hand on the wall his head down. "This is why so many of us have stopped interacting so openly with humans, or even creatures such as yourself." his shoulders shook briefly, our heroine couldn't tell if Loki was laughing or trying to hold back his anger. "It's exhausting. Physically, emotionally, magickally. I had blended in. Did you know that? Huh? In this reality before...before you. I almost never had to use magick. Did things like any other human would. Most of the time. And it was peaceful. I actually liked living off the magickal grid. Then I brought you along for the ride. Thought you'd be able to settle in quietly, blend in. But instead, I've used more magick since you've been here. Bach was right. I should have put you in a different reality."

"Then why didn't you?" her voice was barely audible.

"I wanted you here with me. All the time."  he turned back around to face her again. "You make me selfish." he crossed his arms leaning his shoulders against the wall shrugging. "You're my favourite pet." He straightened up suddenly listening. "Speaking of. Where's the puppy?"

"You're asking me where your dog is? I haven't seen him since I left here last night." she cleared her throat all embarrassment of the kiss gone, her defenses back up. "I didn't even come in here when I left Arthur's, went straight to the office."

"Well he's not here." Loki gestured around in an overly dramatic way. "He's not hiding anywhere, we'd catch his scent hear his heartbeat."

"He's a dog..."

"Hellhound." Loki corrected her.

"Not like he just disappeared into thin air." our heroine continued scratching her right arm.


Meanwhile...

"That's a sweet boy. Aren't you just the cutest furball ever." Bacchus said scratching the creature's ear, the puppy panting contently. "It's a good thing I stopped in to see how things were. You left all alone in that penthouse all white and filled with sharp edges." the god spoke to the creature as he continued to walk down the street. "Bad Loki for leaving you by yourself. I'm sure he'll think twice after he sees the mess you left on the bathroom floor."  He stopped abruptly as he turned the corner towards the occult shop. The auburn haired male was standing on the corner of the street, arms crossed leaning against the street light. "You still haven't gone in yet?"

Dagan shook his head, his lips in a duck bill. "Is there a point to all this?" he nodded first towards the occult shop before turning to press his shoulder against the street light.

"Yes." Bacchus said handing him the creature moving a few steps closer to the shop. "The point is we're here to prove a point aren't we?"  The puppy stood on the edge of Dagan's wrist, plunked both front paws on the werewolf's chest, tail wagging happily as he first sniffed the male's jaw then whimpered headbutting him. "Come on, let's go be atomic playboys and annihilate Loki's plans."


Tune in again for another installment of the Nosferatu Adventures starring your heroine...me(straight up story. I feel a new playlist coming.)

year 5 day 99

movie: Tracers
starring: Taylor Lautner, Adam Rayner
genre; Action, Drama, Crime
year:2015
format: Netflix Canada

plot: After loosing his bike, a delivery guy finds himself unable to pay back the loan shark he owes, until joining a group of street thieves.

I was glued to the screen for most of this, just in awe of the way the actors moved around. The whole idea that the obstacles were more of a state of mind then actual barriers isn't new, nor is the idea behind this movie.  The lead character is trying to dig himself out of a bad situation, falls for some chick who's living a very different lifestyle, and decides he wants to be part of it just to be close to her. In the beginning, the whole thing ends up being like a godsend to him, until he angers the groups leader.

Some of the stunts they pull off in this, climbing walls by bare hands, leaping over parked cars and roof tops, the flips the high landings, had me thinking of werewolves. Even if Lautner didn't have the Twilight werewolf thing happening, I'd still have been thinking he'd make a perfect one with some of the things he manages to pull off. 

The big downfall of the movie is that it lacks story. Yes, what makes it great are the spiffy jumps and stunts, but the core story is little lost. He's running from the loan sharks, afraid that he's already endangered his friends, lost everything he owns and falls for the wrong girl. Pretty basic as action movies go. It's too much surface noise, never letting you connect with the characters.  It almost could have done with a few less parkour scenes and little bit more work on the characters. 

what did I learn? I learned how to spell the word parkour.

year 5 day 98

movie: Spy
starring: Melissa McCarthy, Jude Law
genre:Comedy, Action
year: 2015
format: Netflix Canada

plot: After being assigned to desk duty, a CIA agent finally gets a chance to go undercover

I thought I was getting into another Get Smart, style given the fact it was a comedy, but it turned out so much better than that. This actually reminded me more of Sherlock Holmes, than anything else. McCarthy proves that she's got what it takes to do pretty much any genre with confidence.
Seeing Jason Statham doing comedy-action isn't that much of a shock after the two Crank movies, and he hit every note with perfection in this.

There were moments when the comedy out weighed the rest of the story, such as the bats and the dinner scene at the beginning of the movie. The idea that a guy would be so clueless or inconsiderate enough to give a joke necklace made me wonder if the character was doing it to be mean? And it almost lost it's point before it had a chance to set up the dynamics between the two characters.
You sort of see this transformation for the lead character, as she keeps getting put in these crazy undercover situations;  battles against her supervisor finally refusing to be demoralized. I almost want to call it a coming of age story, given the fact the lead does go from the invisible girl to super spy. We see her not just stand up for herself, but grow into her own, impressing her bosses by doing things no one believed she could. Like the hand to hand knife/fry pan fight, or the shoot out on the plane.

what did I learn? No man ever looked good in blue suede shoes.

Year 5 Day 97

movie: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
starring: Jack Nicholson, Brad Dourif
genre: Drama
year: 1975
format: Hollywood Suites Channel

plot: When a criminal is transferred from prison to a mental institution, he manages to disrupt the lives of the other patients.

Based on the book

I have a confession to make. This is the first time I've ever seen this film. I know right, the movie is a classic on so many levels, and I've never bothered to sit down and watch it till now.  This is also the first time I've sat through one of Dourif's films, and NOT imagined him as the infamous voice of Chucky from the Child's Play films.

So the main theme seemed to be oppression. The scene where Nicholson's character realizes he's stuck in the hospital even after his prison term is over, and that everyone else is there voluntarily, lends to the idea that the others feel they don't have the right to leave. Like they don't have an identity of their own, or a voice. Which is shown as more then just a metaphor with Dourif's character not being able to talk without an extreme stutter. That is till after his one night stand, and suddenly he's found his voice, and manages to not just stand up for himself briefly, but to do so without the handicap. 
When the lead character looses it near the end of the film, strangling the nurse, there was a mixed sense of things. You want him to get his revenge for what happens to Dourif's character at the "hands" of the nurse, but you don't want to think Nicholson's character can really go that far with things. You want him to be above the ones controlling the group. There was almost a feeling of shock when you realize he's just as helpless and not as in control of things as he's appeared to be through the whole film.

This far into the world of movies, you can't help but look at it, even though it was produced twenty years before hand, and compare it to Girl Interrupted. There are some similar things going on, with the not really crazy person coming in and helping to get everyone out of their own misery, depression mistaken for psychotic behaviour, being controlled by family or someone outside of yourself.

I got lost watching Jack Nicholson in this. Which, I know is pretty much the point of a lead character. Nicholson is just so mesmerizing. He's so easy to fall into.

what did I learn?  Sometimes you think you're really treading water, but  in reality you are barely keeping your head above it.

year 5 day 96

movie: Shirley Valentine
starring: Pauline Collins, Tom Conti
genre:Drama, Comedy,
year:1989
format: Hollywood Suites Channel

plot: When a tired housewife decides she needs a vacation, she realizes she no longer even knows who she is.

Based on the stage play.

The lead character, opens the story by talking to the wall. Which I love. "hello wall."  She then begins to catch up the viewers with how she got to the point of talking to the wall. From the moment she stopped liking school to the early days of her marriage to the decision to go on a holiday.
At this point in the story, she still feels small, unnoticed and wondering how she got to that point in her life? Which, all middle aged women I'm sure go through at some point. The choice to go on holiday isn't even her's to begin with, much like every other decision she seems to find herself in up to that point; is pushed on her by someone else. In this case, her so called best friend wins a trip for two and drags her along. While Shirley is getting everything in order for the trip, she bumps into someone from school she hasn't seen in twenty years, and discovers her life is more secure then her friend's. Both realize they envied the other growing up. This itself becomes a bit of a theme as one of the neighbours admits she wishes she had more guts to do things the way Shirley does.

Once she arrives at the hotel she finds herself dumped by the friend who planned the trip and realizes she'd rather be alone anyways. Which then becomes the theme for the rest of the movie. Pushing away from the crowds to have that moment to yourself. As Shirley realizes that she was always surrounded by others back home but felt very lonely, where as she's by herself on vacation but not the slightest bit lonely anymore. 

One of my all time favourite lines from any movie is given by the man she meets on holiday  "You think I want to make f*** with you. Of course but boat is boat and f*** is f***", which is delivered with such a direct way, the in joke being that this guy is a total con-artist. 

what did I learn? Sometimes you have to be willing to let it all go in order to get what you really need.
 

year 5 day 95

movie: Little Fockers
starring: Ben Stiller, Robert De Niro
genre: Comedy
year:2010
format: Netflix Canada

plot: When his father in law has a mild heart attack, Greg finds himself at the center of a family tug a war, having to prove he's worthy to follow in his father in law's footsteps.

I think this was my favourite of the trilogy. The comedic chemistry between Stiller and De Niro has become like second nature, giving a depth to the story that otherwise wouldn't have been there.
Here you have a guy who ends up being forced to keep a few secrets that end up getting out of control, from his father in law's desire to keep his health under the radar from the rest of the family, to doing his best to not be seduced by a coworker.

You see the set up for the coworker from the first scene. The character of the younger coworker, who is blindedly interested in the lead character, throwing them into these impossible situations, sparks a distrust with the father in law. This plays out with the De Niro character following the Stiller character around town, until he finally sees the two together. The two face off near the end of the movie at the children's party until the father in law has another mild heart attack.
There is a scene about midway in the movie, where the kids are being interviews for a private school. The tests are odd, and when the Stiller character comments on it, the De Niro character says it's the same tests the government use to find spies and assassins. I was fully expecting it to be revealed that, that was what the school was really for. 

The idea that someone just can't seem to give up the control in a situation, no matter how much someone else may have a better grasp on the situation, I think hits home for everyone. And that's pretty much the heart of this movie. The character of the father in law is just unable to accept the fact he can't be in control all the time and that it's time to let someone else hold the reigns.

what did I learn? Cake solves all problems

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 93

movie: Meet the Parents
starring:Robert De Niro, Ben Stiller
genre: Comedy
year: 2000
format: Netflix Canada

plot: Wanting to ask his girlfriend to marry him, an average guy ends up in a string of unlucky events while visiting her family for a weekend, during her sister's wedding.

This is a loosely based remake of the 1992 movie.

This is sort of an off kilter buddy comedy, with all the chemistry between De Niro and Stiller. The father being a CIA agent, seems at times over the top but still manages to make perfect sense, in proportion to the rest of the storyline. It's one of those every thing that could go wrong will, films. From the lawn getting flooded by a bad sewer drain, to loosing the family pet, to disfiguring the bride.

I got the impression the core of this was about perception. The idea that the dad is a human lie detector is brought up constantly, as the leads are put through these over the top awkward moments of telling the truth. As well as the character of the ex-boyfriend; played by Owen Wilson, who seems to need to constantly try to impress everyone.  There is also this running gag of how everyone seems to be looking down their noses at the fact the Stiller character is a nurse. They keep trying to push him into becoming a doctor, making cracks about him not having gone that route.

what did I learn? it's time to give us a movie without Stiller and Wilson connected at the hip

year 5 day 92

movie: Goats
starring: David Duchovny, Graham Phillips
genre:Comedy, Drama
year: 2012
format: Netflix Canada

plot: A 15 year old on the brink of starting a new school, has to deal with his dysfunctional family.

Based on the book

You've got a new age style mom, a pot smoking hippy, a supper yuppie dad and a confused kid. The parents are the picture of a typical divorced couple, each blaming the other for what went wrong in their relationship, and a kid stuck in the middle not knowing what to believe.

There wasn't anything really new in this. It sort of half sets up the idea in the first few scenes that the Duchovny character is the kid's step dad, but that's quickly scratched out, as the mom has a boyfriend. Who, as it turns out is a golddigger and only with her for her bank account. 
This is like a giant game of tug-a-war between the two parents.  If the goats, of which there are two, are meant to have been a metaphor, I didn't get it. The goats are in fact pets, that the Duchovny character is trying to train to do something that is never fully explained.
The lead character played by Phillips, ends up going to a private school and doing his best to navigate this new environment, and finds himself seeing his life mirrored in that of his new roommate. Both are dealing with parents who are more than emotionally distant.

what did I learn? We can't escape our emotions or our expectations even when we know better.

March Night Bleeds Announcement

March's book selection - I Am Legend by Richard Matheson
              movie selection - Omega Man  starring Charlton Heston

Watch the movie, read the book, and blog about it. The blog post must be current (March 2016),
with a link back to this post and let me know by commenting if you have, with the link to it.

If the movie or book or both, inspired you to cook/bake/craft something, then add that to your post.

Deadline is the last Sunday of the month - March 27th 2016 

As always, if you're in the Thunder Bay area and would like to be part of the physical book club, let me know.

I would actually like to start doing a "round up" for Night Bleeds the All Vampire book/movie Club  much in the same way Food n Flix is done.  So anyone who comments with their post link, I'll be adding to a round up the next day.

year 5 day 91

movie: Prime
starring: Meryl Streep, Uma Thurman
genre:Romance, Drama, Comedy
year;2005
format:Netflix Canada

plot: A therapist learns that her 30something patient is dating her 20something son, and finds herself caught in the middle.

This starts off sort of innocently, the lead character is freshly divorced, and expresses her heartbreak to her therapist and that she's met this much younger guy. The therapist tells her she should go for it and convinces her the 14 year age difference doesn't matter. Soon, she learns it's her own son that her patient is dating. The therapist then removes herself from the situation torn between what she believes is right for her patient and wrong for her own family, the biggest issue not being the age difference but the religious one.

Talk about killing two birds with one stone. This film slaps it all out there. Two of the biggest dating worries. How okay is it to get into a serious relationship with someone much younger/older then yourself, and how serious should you take the difference in spiritual believes into account? 
The humour comes when we see the lead male hanging around with his buddies who are petty when it comes to dumping women after one date, and in the Streep character's uncomfortableness with hearing about her son's sex life and not being able to say anything about it.
As the couple grow, both as a couple and just within themselves, they end up relying less and less on their best friends and more on their own gut feelings.

Thurman's character is the only one who seems to be really juggling the fact she's dating a man 14 years younger than herself. Where as the idea that he's Jewish and she's not, doesn't seem to even be a question in her mind. But it's the only issue for his entire family.
What each gets out of the relationship, is a way to face what they really want in life. For her it's a family, and for him it's to be able to follow his dream career. She gives him the strength to paint for a living, and he gives her the chance to realize she needs to feel like she belongs to something bigger than herself.

What did I learn? Sometimes love really isn't enough.

The Nosferatu Adventures s10 p5

The Nosferatu Adventures
page 253, chapter 253

Out of Time

"You want me to go to a strip club?"  Matilda said biting her nails. The familiar began shifting her weight from one foot to the other in near panic.


"I need you to help Edward." our heroine said calmly as the two females waited for Rufus to finish helping The Seer get dressed.

"That's what I've been doing all this time. It's the only reason I'm here." the middle aged female said pacing around in circles, her eyes now wide as she glanced at the grimoire under glass. If only Edward knew the real importance that collectible had. She shook her head, wringing her hands.

"His sidhe side is starving him. He needs to feed, and we both know...look at me please...we both know that means sexual energy." our heroine could feel the tension flowing off the familiar in buckets.

"Why can't you do it?"

"Because I have to deal with the neighbours" she gestured first to the dead guy still slumped in the doorway of the bedroom, then to the wall that separated the two apartments.

"Why can't Rufus do this on his own?" she nearly stomped her foot in all the excitement.

"You really want me to answer that." our heroine sighed rubbing her temples. "You shouldn't even need to be there more then ten minutes. The energy will be heavy in the air, he basically just needs to breath it in. This way, he feeds and no one dies. The whole reason Loki locked him in the apartment was because he was leaving too many drained bodies." They both turned when they heard someone clear their throat, to see Rufus standing there his head bowed slightly, The Seer beside him.  Edward was dressed in simply jeans and a plaid button up shirt, his dark curly hair washed and combed. He seemed quiet as he brought his still mittened hand to his face to scratch his nose. Too quiet.

"What do you want me to do about these?" Rufus asked gesturing to the mittens. "He refuses to take them off."

"You sedated him?" our heroine asked crossing the room towards them reaching for the knitted obstructions. But Edward pulled his hands away from her hiding them behind his back. Sniffing, our heroine's nose twitched at the fresh scent of the laundry detergent. The Seer was wearing real clothes, not ones he'd magick misted for himself.  It was a nuisance she herself would need to get used to once again if she continued dating Arthur. "You didn't answer my question."

Rufus said nothing as he let out a troubled sigh, reaching into his coat pocket pulling out a small bottle. "Cold medication. Nothing serious. I needed to calm him down, and in case you haven't noticed, we don't have fairy dust in this reality."

"Your eyes are the wrong colour." Edward mumbled as he tried to undo the top two buttons on his shirt, but failed because of the mittens. "Pretty eyes just wrong."

"What colour should my eyes be?" our heroine asked as she reached over to help him, her own slim pale fingers grazing the edge of his collarbone sending a silent chill through her.

"White. They should be white like you don't have any eyes at all." he instinctively placed his right hand on her elbow, the woolen mitten too warm against her skin.  Rufus's eyes went wide as he all but bounced up and down having to control himself, wanting to re-button Edward's shirt. Our heroine made a sound that was almost a snort of laughter as she told them to be back in the hour. Edward rubbed his mitten over his face yawning as he turned first towards the front door of the apartment, before Rufus grabbed him by the shoulders spinning him around.

"We're taking the back door." he said quietly tilting his head towards the whole in the wall.


Seven Hours Later...

The police station was buzzing with activity as Detective Arthur Holmwood arrived back at work. Dropping his jacket at his desk, he made his way down the hallway to the small vending machine getting himself a coffee as Jim slamming his shoulder into the machine. "Did you catch any gremlins last night? Or maybe the abominable snowman?"  Jim said flicking his fingers at Arthur. "Undercover?"

"What?" Arthur asked into his coffee as he burned his mouth.

"Your hair. Are you going undercover or something? You can't tell me that you went grey overnight?"

"Haha very funny." Arthur began to roll his eyes at what he was assuming was another practical joke when he caught a glimpse of himself in the surface of the vending machine. Putting the coffee cup down on the nearest desk, Arthur ran into the men's room checking himself in the mirror, Jim hot on his heels. "That's impossible. Okay what did you do?"

"I didn't do anything." Jim remarked crossing his arms leaning against the sink. "I know you're stressed out about that case with the animal attacks..."

"This has nothing to do with stress. My hair was fine an hour ago."

"You must have done something." Jim snarked as he turned leaving his partner with this new mystery. He didn't return to his desk, instead Detective Jim continued on down the hallway to the stair and shimmered into nothing.


Tune in again for another installment of the Nosferatu Adventures starring your heroine...me (straight up story. Are we still sure Arthur is just a human?)

year 5 day 90

movie: The Voices
starring:Ryan Reynolds, Gemma Arterton
genre:Crime, Drama
year:2014
format: Netflix Canada

plot: A mentally unstable man kills three women after his cat tells him to.

It's packaged as a comedy, but the subject matter is disturbing. Here's a guy who has a history of mental illness in his family, who's suppose to be on medication for it himself, and has a nearly childlike view of the world. He's tossed into everyday adult situations that cause him to loose his grip on the world around him.  Which is shown by the state of his apartment, in his eyes it's a spotless large area, but through the eyes of others it is filthy with dog poop, and blood splattered.
The first murder is by design, an accident. While driving at night, he and his date are hit by a deer, and he believes the best solution is to put the animal down. This terrifies his date who runs from the car, and falls over a tree root. When he catches up to her, still holding the hunting knife, he falls over the same root, falls on top of her the knife plunging into her stomach. He later views her as sleeping beauty in the forest surrounded by cartoon butterflies and daisies. This leads him to keeping her skull in the fridge. The other murders are to keep people from finding out about him.

I dont' think I've ever seen a Ryan Reynolds film that I didn't like. he manages to be able to take any sort of character, be it a walking cartoon or a man with schizophrenia, and make them very believable and enjoyable.
There is a scene where he's got his psychiatrist held hostage, and she tells him that on some level every human hears "voices" telling them they are worthless or to steal, but that not everyone needs to act on them. This seems to trigger something in the character where he decides to stop what he's doing and to face up to it all. It gives him the only real bit of normality for a few moments, something he's been looking for the whole film.

what did I learn?  This was a heavy movie. If it had been packaged as a straight up thriller it wouldn't have worked.

Coffee Talk March 1st 2016

My lovely Spudguns! it's the beginning of the month, and that means, time for the shout out for this month's Food n Flix host.  March's selection is A Walk in the Clouds, and is being hosted by Wendy A Day in the Life on the Farm.

And since I'm here, just a little reminder that Night Bleeds :All Vampire Movie/Book Club, is doing the combo of  I Am Legend (book) and Omega Man (movie) this month.  Which I'll do the official announcement post for in a day or two.

In the meantime, I'll be back in a few hours with today's movie of the day. And now...coffee.