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friendlystalkin

At the Renaissance Festival

(WOW SERIOUSLY HAVE NOT UPDATED LJ IN FOREVER, but someone actually read something here so I'm posting a new entry)

>>>

So here are some random photographs of the Minnesota Renaissance Festival.

You can also watch the video, which I thought turned out really well. I think I definitely need a bigger memory stick - my lame 512mb topped out at 15 mins of video (which was severly edited to the 4 minute video on youtube).

friendlystalkin

Tomie and Junji Ito

So, thanks to everyone (yes, all four of you!) that voted for movies for me to watch. The winner was Tomie: Replay, followed by Dark Water (the original Japanese version). To start off, I wanted to give you my history of the Tomie series:

TOMIE MANGA BY JUNJI ITO

600 Pages of Junji Ito manga-goodness (Plus my cat's tail!)

To really appreciate this series, you have to understand that these movies were based on the manga by Junji Ito.

I first read about these horror comics from Viz's now-defunct anthology series, PULP. The article was about how there were these movies based on Ito's works (Uzumaki and Tomie). By this time I had already enjoyed Uzumaki, or "Spiral"? because the art and story was really easy to follow. Ito has this wonderful art style, you can always tell it is by him (even in his early works - which looks BAD, but it's still very Ito-ish).

Anyroad, I picked up ComicOne's reprint of Tomie book 1 and 2 and "Flesh Color Horror" books (which originally appeared in "Monthly Horror Magazine" from 1988 to 1994). So yes, I have had an interest in Tomie before the movies.

Okay. Before I review Replay, I have to tell you about Tomie. The very first Tomie comics explained it all: she was a student in this class that went on a field trip and there was an accident and she fell off a cliff. The teacher was totally NOT going to let this ruin his career (I guess maybe some other students also died in his care ??????!!??). Who knows. So he didn't want to get in trouble and none of the students wanted to get in trouble either (because they accidentally pushed Tomie off the cliff).

They got a toolbox and decided to cut Tomie up in forty-two pieces (one piece for each student).

But when they started cutting off her legs and arms, she screamed and choked - SHE WAS ALIVE !!!!

Since they had already started, they decided to keep going !!!!!!

So anyway, each student got a piece and they all have to hide it where it can never be found...

Of course, it doesn't end there. Each of the piece grew into a full Tomie girl... to get her revenge !!!

Tomie: Replay (Japanese) (2000), Ventura Distribution

TOME: REPLAY
You don't really need to watch the first movie to understand this movie, because each Tomie movies can stand on its own.

This is the second of five Tomie film. I have four of the movies (I'm just missing the 'lesbian' Tomie movie, which looked like it was shot on cheap digital video...) I think if I ever see it for sale used, I will pick it up, but in the meantime, I have no desire to buy it.

The movie starts off with a six year old girl going into the emergency section of a hospital. The main doctor (who also co-own the private hospital) took the girl into surgery. She looked pregnant. As they were cutting her open, you realized that she has a HEAD inside her body. The head's name is TOMIE.

Then the movie starts and it seems like a pretty boring movie. No matter how strange people act (especially at the hospital), people talk and act like it's normal. (Maybe Japanese people are just that strange...)

Anyway, so there are a few plots you have to follow: 1. The head of the hospital went missing, his daughter is searching for him and 2. Tomie was kidnapped and taken in by this Takeshi boy.

Did I leave my car keys on the ceiling again? (The creepiest scene from Tomie: Replay)

Like the previous film, Tomie inspires complete love adoration from her male friends. Then after a time, they all want to murder and cut her up into pieces.

Yep, that's what happened over and over again. Oh that Tomie! She just really need to stop dating :/

The whole movie ends up back at the hospital where it's the daughter in a wheel chair versus the undying crazy Tomie girl with an ax. Guess who wins ?

This is actually a pretty creepy movie. It's best seen in complete darkness with the sound pumped up. The visual and screaming of "KILL HER KILL HER KILLER HER" is pretty intense. There's definitely scenes that doesn't make much sense, but it's scary and creepy that you don't really need to think about the logic of it.

This is a pretty good movie, by itself. If you like horror/creepy/weird Japanese movies, this is a must-see.

I'm glad I finally got to watch it.

PLEASE PICK NEXT MOVIE:

Whispering Corridors (S Korea) (1998), TLA Releasing

Ostensibly a teen fright-fest about a vengeful ghost, WHISPERING CORRIDORS follows in the best horror tradition of using the supernatural for displaced social commentary. The film is an illustration of the growing gap in Korean society between the values of the youth and the older generations, focused around the misogyny and cutthroat competition in the educational system. It became a huge hit in its native country after word got out that the ministry of education wanted to ban it for its critical viewpoint. The plot concerns a series of grisly murders at an all-girls school, which the administration has tried to cover up as suicides. A former student, who has returned as a teacher, finds something familiar about the deaths, and launches her own inquiry into the events. She discovers that something far more sinister than simple murder is taking place. WHISPERING CORRIDORS was followed by two sequels.

H (S Korea)
(2002) , TLA Releasing

A combination of SEVEN and THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS, H is a stylized serial killer thriller from Korea. It begins with the grisly discovery of a murdered pregnant girl, a crime that Detective Kim and Kang recognize as having the same MO as Shin Hynn. The problem, of course, is that Shin rots in a prison awaiting execution, and the murder appears to be the work of a copycat. As the killings continue, Kim and Kang realize that Shin may know more about these crimes than he lets on, and come to the chilling realization that it may not be just one copycat they've been trailing.

Kichiku: Banquet of the Beasts (Japanese) (2004) , Ryko Distribution

Literally translated as "banquet for demonic beasts," KICHIKU was shot on a shoestring budget as a student thesis film, but it introduced a raw, visceral style that was virtually unseen before. Set in 1970s Japan and often interpreted as a critical depiction of the student political scene of that time, it depicts a radical leftist group whose charismatic leader, Aizawa, has been put in prison. His girlfriend Masami takes over, but is considerably less effective in maintaining the group's cohesion, and when Aizawa commits hara-kiri in jail, the group falls apart in a frenzy of paranoia and internal purging that incorporates an orgiastic excess of brutal torture and bloodshed. This has been called the most violent movie ever made, but its political and critical intentions has made it an arthouse favorite.

Two Champions of Shaolin (Hong Kong) (1980) , Shaw Brothers

Master kung-fu director Chang Cheh delivers this straight-ahead period martial arts saga. Tung Chien-chen (Lo Mang) was accepting into the hallowed Shaolin Temple even though he is Manchu, because his parents were both killed by the same. Shaolin has been locked in a fierce rivalry with the Wu Tang clan, which is allied with the Manchu born Ching emperor. When Tung is wounded in a skirmish with a group of Wu Tang's men, he is given safe haven from a master of knife throwing named Chin Tai-lei (Sun Chien) and his sister, Pei. Tung soon learns the finer points of their art and eventually, along with fellow kung-fu master Hu Wei-chen (Chiang Sheng), strikes revenge against the Wu Tang. Later, Tung proposes to Pei, but during the reception, the Wu Tang attack, kidnapping Tung and killing Pei and her brother. Will Tung get out of this ugly situation and find justice?

friendlystalkin

Root Beer Floats... of death, plus random movie reviews

VUTORIOUS
Tadom Tadom dom domtom tadtom made a whole blog for me. I love being worshipped... (see vufanclub.)

Anyroad, she doesn't seem to remember that one time we took that picture ! Wow I -- WE -- were so drunk !!!

Okay... so maybe we didn't take a photograph but it could happen.

I need a bicycling partner, my spring and summer would be so awesome, just biking around and watching things.

VUTORIOUS PART TWO
Tony Babinski, who is writing the new "Human Fly" movie, mentioned me in the news section:

Our research led me to Kurt Busiek, Stan Lee, Roy Thomas and Jim Salicrup, whose names will be familiar to comics readers, and all of whom were very generous and helpful. I was also helped by a cat called Vu who runs a very nice George Perez website at vu.morrissey-solo.com/moz/perez/index.htm

Do you hear that ? I am a catttt!!!!!!!!!

ROOT BEER FLOAT... OF DEATH!
I have been drinking nothing but root beer floats for the past four days. My belly hurts now from all that ice cream foam... Anyway, here are some movie reviews:

FIREWALL (2006), Warner Brothers

This movie isn't out until this Friday, but I was lucky enough to have a pass for two for this movie. It's like a typical Harrison Ford action movie. Chloe from 24 was in the movie, she PLAYS THE SAME CHARACTER!!!

Well maybe not, but I just kept thinking she was that 24-chick. A little bit nervous, a little bit quirky, but ALL bluntiness.

Also, the movie contains the BEST usage of an ipod ever !! It's pretty cool.

SERENITY (2005), Universal Studios Home Video

NOT "Buffy in Space". This is a very good action-sci-fi movie.

So good that I'm going to watch the Firefly series now...

Also, my new favorite actor is Chiwetel Ejiofor!!! WATCH OUT FOR THIS GUY !! He's incredible, plus what a weirdo name.

FOUR BROTHERS (2005), Paramount Home Entertainment

Chiwetel also appears in this movie.

Instead of being his normal British self, he plays a Detroitian street thug.

This movie is pretty awesome, it harkens back to those Dirty Harry and Deathwish movies - where it's all about vengeance... It's what is know as an "urban western" movie.

Anyway, this movie is worth seeing, if you have two hours and $4.25, it's worth renting. You should see it and tell me what you think of Chiwetel.

NIGHT GALLERY - SEASON ONE (1970), Universal Studios Home Video

I picked up this dvd set for $24, which is pretty cheap. It was mispriced at Best Buy and I knew it, but my brother made me take it to the counter. When we got there, they charged me $43. So I said, "oh, the price said $24."

So they reduced the price for me.

I started watching it and it's... it's not how I remembered it!

I guess things in your memories are always cooler than what you remember :/

This series is more horror and dark compared to his Twlight Zone series (which I own season one and two.)

POSSESSED (1983), Joy Sales (HK)

POSSESSED II (1984), Joy Sales (HK)

I bought this boxset of Possessed and Possessed II last month, but have not had the time to watch it.

If anyone wants to see this with me, let me know. I'm kind of avoiding it (it looks so bad!)

friendlystalkin

I know his boys, yo look, they down with Skellie

Please help me transcribe these lyrics !Download the song: yousendit.com.

CARTOON CAPERS
written by Kool Kieth
music by Dan the Automator
transcribed by Vu!
Check them out in the corner. Look at 'em.
They runnin' with Skeletor, check this out, we gotta do this.
Alright.
I'm double checkin' your girl, I'm smooth, you call me daddy
When I walk out with Charlie Brown and Peppermint Paddy
With Linus and Snoopy , his backstage groupie
I kick some style some fly with sho' some Scoobie Doo
Get some pack and give it to Mister Magoo
Then call up Woody Wood
, the hick's on his pecker
I cut off his legs with my new shiny Black and Decker

I know the techa, I'm busting that Shaggy
,
Space Ghost and Quest ,
Racer X and Brother Harry
I see Speed
, indeed,
I tell him what I need
I'm with Charlie Brown and Wolverine
smoking weed
We chilling with Yogi, the Bear
, Snoopy , playing poker
Tonight we send out one X-Man
to kill the Joker

I call up Pigpen , he's with his girl Lucy
With Peanuts the front street,
he's coming with the boozies
I know his boys, yo look, they down with Skeletor
I know his boys, yo look, they down with Skeletor
I know his boys, yo look, they down with Skeletor
I know his boys, yo look, they down with Skellie

I need more ammo they rolling a reef he thinks it's funny
I know his plan, I tap his phone with Bugs Bunny
With Baby Face Fenster, the Wile E Cyote
The money for rim raft the bet that he owes me
They call the office and ran to Dick Tracy
Mumbles , and Mirtram, and corporate Ben Casey
I go out of town, my right-hand man is Charlie Brown
I call Bullwinkle and have him meet up with Bozo the Clown
I'm at the table with Wonder Woman having dinner
Mister Ed , you talking horse, you're a real winner
You're like Beavis , don't laugh,
come on, Butt-Head
With Felix the Cat with yo Elmer Fudd going hunting
They running schemes and plots with Fred Flintstone
Ernie and Bert with ______ on the phone
I call Batman and Robin , in the Batmobile
Load up the Bat-Truck with 80 grenades
I know his boys, yo look, they down with Skeletor
I know his boys, yo look, they down with Skeletor
I know his boys, yo look, they down with Skeletor
I know his boys, yo look, they down with Skellie

Like Nokie, Inspector, the Gadget in the freezer
I go get Penny Lope pissed off and strip-teased her

And drive the Mack off
And make the Riddler backoff
I see Tweety Bird , he's bruised on his left jaw
He got jumped by Gremlin , they roll with Skeletor
Making my way, yo, Charlie Brown , you drive the Cadillac
Call Big Bird , we gonna show them how to act
Go where the train stops, where you'll meet Cyclops
I know they coming tonight, you know their plans
With Goggles ________, another mob hitman
We get in cruising in our ride through New York
Mister Rogers had left town, his name was 'Small Talks'
We won Hell Kitchen tonight down on Sesame Street
I know his boys, yo look, they down with Skeletor
I know his boys, yo look, they down with Skeletor
I know his boys, yo look, they down with Skeletor
I know his boys, yo look, they down with Skellie

Yeah, Yo Charlie Brown , go look in the trunk. Snoopy , come on

friendlystalkin

Our Days In Kansas

Download Tullycraft - Our Days In Kansas (2:48) and help me transcribed the lyrics, because it's driving me crazy that I have no idea what he's saying:

Did you mean what you said when you told me you missed us ?
Without reservation without plans for Christmas?
The first part was right the rest wasn't true
Same goes for me and the same goes for you
Packed my things for the month but it's not necessary
I told you I'd stay but it's just temporary
Like Swastika Girls fell back on their looks
We relied on their tricks and their recycled hooks
Did you want a response or just something to edit ?
It's not what you said it's the way you said it.
Like electronic data misspelled their name
Like three cords of brilliance, surrender to fame all alone

Pep up the formula tonight
United Flags used to do us favors
Disenchanted hearts unite
When you and I were Candy Ravers
Crew chef ______ failed
This week in August never seem fair
Our love was left to sink or sail
You kept some blonde of your hair
A little time is all I need
A disco bloodbath for the ages
The patient was left to let it bleed
And a quill to fill the pages

Time was set ablaze and all roads lead to maybe
Sometime I think about those days
Sometime I wish we'd kept the baby
I don't know how things could have changed at the raiders
Our days in Kansas wouldnt last
I never learned the cave fight song
Exchanging poisons from the past
I hadn't heard from you in so long
And if the moonlight kills the flame
With all the moments we were meant to
You know I'd tell the world your name,
I couldn't let the world forget you.

Things were so much easier, back in 1993
I loved you for the first time on that day.

friendlystalkin

Spaghetti Westerns Part One

Testing out my blog:

SPAGHETTI WESTERNS - PART ONE: HELLYEAH!
written by Vu

I wanted to postpone writing this blog, because I have about seven Spaghetti Westerns that I OWN, but have not watched!! I also wanted to check out a few other films like "God Forgives, I Don't", "Kill And Pray", or "The Big Gundown", but some of these titles are really hard to get in the United States. If you can hook me up on some of these rare titles, please let me know!

If you are new to this genre of film, I would recommend you start off with the classic Man with No Name Trilogy and then move your way up to Spaghetti Western Collection (Blue Underground), Spaghetti Western Collection (Madacy) and Once Upon A Time in Italy (Anchor Bay)

The Blue Underground one is somewhat trashy compared to the other sets though. You might have a hard time locating Blue Underground or Anchor Bay's boxsets since they both have a limited print run... but it's worth it if you can find it on ebay or something. Also, if you rather just own the movies individually, I think most of them are available.

Anyway, what I love about Italian Westerns is that they took a much-loved American genre and put their own unique vision on it (and, in fact, does it WAY better!) What happened was, in the early sixties, America just stopped producing Westerns because of a lack of interest. So European countries started to produce their own, mostly shot in Italy or Spain.... And that's pretty much how Italian Westerns got started.

P.S. I just realized that this post will make me even more unpopular with the ladies than I already am! WESTERNS RULEZ THOUGH!

FISTFUL OF DOLLARS (1964)

(out of Five Stars)
MGM Home Entertainment
DVD Release Date: 10/5/1999

Sergio Leone's classic Fistful of Dollars is THE movie that started it all!

The film is a remake of Akira Kurosawa's "Yojimbo" (Bodyguard) and it adapted well to a Western. It sort of even made sense, because you're just replacing samurai swords with guns!

Anyway, the story is simple enough: 'a man with no name' wanders into this town that's torn apart by two rival families. He worked both side of the field and basically clean up the town by the end of the movie!

Although Fistful of Dollars is a pretty good film, it does get a little long and boring in the middle.

Strangely, enough, a gangster film called "Last Man Standing" starring Bruce Willis also made use of "Yojimbo".

DJANGO (1966)

Blue Underground
DVD Release Date: 4/27/2004

According to the original DVD release of Django (in 2001) this movie spawned at LEAST 50 low-budget sequels (or rather Westerns which used the hero's name, in the days before brand protection)! They say that Django was the most successful and interesting of all the non-Leone/Eastwood Westerns. It does follow the same formula: a mysterious stranger who's an unbelievable sure-shooter.

What's really cool about Django in the first film is that he carries a coffin where ever he goes! What a weirdo.... that is until you realize what's in the coffin! Totally original and one of my favorites!

ALSO, if you get the 2004 release of this DVD, it comes with a bonus 3" DVD which contained Franco Nero's "The Last Pistolero" short film.

Anyway, I will save my review for "Django Kill.. If you Live Shoot" for next time.

A BULLET FOR THE GENERAL (1967)

Anchor Bay Entertainment
DVD Release Date: 12/18/2001

I have to say that this is one of my favorite Italian Western! It's a wonderful story about a guy who infiltrate a gang to assassinate the general - with one Golden Bullet!

There is a pretty awesome train robbery scene at the beginning of the film. FIVE STARS!

THE GREAT SILENCE (1968)

Ryko Distribution
DVD Release Date: 1/27/2004

Another Sergio Corbucci film. What's unique about this film is that the lead actor does not have a speaking part because his throat was savagely slashed when he was a young boy. Years later, the kid grows up to be a great gunslinger, of course! Gives new meaning to "silence and deadly."

The original ending to this film was so depressing that they had to re-shoot the ending for the United States!

This film is hailed by Alex Cox ("Repo Man", "Sid & Nancy") as "Just possibly the greatest Spaghetti Westerns of them all." and would later inspired him to do "Straight to Hell" (which wasn't that great, haha)

DEATH RIDES A HORSE (1968)

Vidtape
DVD Release Date: 9/30/2003

Despite Lee Van Cleef's picture on the box art, he does not have a huge leading role.

The story is a typical revenge picture (stop me if you heard this one before: a young boy witness his family slaughtered by five strangers. The boy grows up to be a revenge-seeking killer!)

I'm giving this a poor rating because of the picture and audio quality - but the film is decent enough.

A MINUTE TO PRAY, A SECOND TO DIE (1968)

MGM Home Entertainment

DVD Release Date: 5/25/2004

I am not exactly sure why most Spaghetti Western sites leave this movie off. It's probably because the movie is only so-so.... You have to also realized that there were over 600 so-called Spaghetti Western films, so it's really hard to cover it all.

The main character, once the fastest shooter in the West (he killed three grown men when he was like seven years old!), but he got old and his hand got unsteady (he gets the shakes on his shooting hand). So he decided to hang up his cowboy hat and gun and retire. YEAH RIGHT!

The ending is pretty explosive, but the story leading up to that point is almost too long at two minutes short of two full solid hours.

RUN MAN RUN (1968)

Blue Underground

DVD Release Date: 4/27/2004

The is my friend Dave's favorite Italian Western, so I am rating this film very high. The main character (played by non-other than Tomas Milian) is illiterate and does not know how to use a gun. Yet his character is so wonderful and loveable!

The best part in this film was the incredible gun vs throwing knife standoff! Just a really fun and violent film.

ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST (1969)

Paramount Home Entertainment

DVD Release Date: 11/18/2003

Probably the best Italian Western ever made.

Sergio Leone returns to the genre he made famous and he does it so incredibly well!

It's really hard to keep track of all the characters in this film, but the two that stood out is: Charles Bronson (as a badass) and Henry Fonda (as a truly evil bastard).

The 2-disc DVD set released by Paramont last year is totally worth the $14.95 retail price. You can pick up this classic at Deep Discounted DVD for $7.75 (free shipping). Totally cheap and worth every penny.

COMPAÑEROS (1970)

Anchor Bay Entertainment

DVD Release Date: 7/24/2001

Okay, I love this movie because it stars Tomas Millian and Franco Nero AND JACK PALANCE!! It also contain the BEST theme song for a movie ever!

Jack Palance played a pot-smoking, one-hand, hawk-loving, crazy mo-fo, with his distinctive way of speaking, haaaaaaah.

The story about the Mexican revolution might be a little boring to some, but it's still worth checking out. Do it for JACK!

OKAY, that's a lot of movies I've sort of reviewed. I will save the rest for Part Two and Part Three for later. I guess, it really depends on if you guys want to read more (please vote "NO" as this took me way too long.)

Part Two will contain: Django Kill, They Call Me Trinity Trilogy, For a Few More Dollars, Kid's Vegeance, Texas Adios and Keoma.

Part Three will contain: The Good the Bad and the Ugly, God's Gun, Ace High, Mannaja, Four of the Apocalypse (!!!!!!!!!!!!!), and anything else that I may have forgotten.

Please suggest some Western titles for me to check out! If they are available for rental, I will definitely check them out :)


04:32 pm 6/12/07 Leave a comment	friendlystalkin Out of Business Please find me hanging out at weheartmusic.com Tags: weheartmusic

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