in a different time

Halloween is almost here, and unlike years past, I have yet to give it the proper build up it deserves. In the past, I have tried devoting the weeks leading up to Halloween to short videos or movie recommendations with hopes to get people in the holiday spirit (pun intended.) and for one reason or another I haven't done this.  Maybe I'll make some time to do this before tomorrow.

In the meantime, I'll torture you with this bit of tripe.

I just read online that Hollywood is trying to make a PG-13 version of Hellraiser to appeal to teens. WHY?! Of all the horror movies in the world, why would anyone want to make a PG-13 version of Hellraiser? That is like trying to make a PG-13 version of Saw. These are movies based on the sado-masochistic punishments of Hell being dished out to sinners on earth. I remember very well the first time I saw a Hellraiser movie, the mental image of a body with all the skin stripped of the flesh like a Bodies Exhibit still sends a chill down my spine, not to mention the incredible appearance of Pinhead or any of the other Cenobites. It's visuals like these are the cornerstone of this style of horror... which is why those movies are popular, the things that make you squirm on the inside and your skin crawl on the outside. These are things you certainly don't get in a PG-13 movie.

Horror movies are one of the milestones of life (First kiss, first time to drive, get to see first Horror movie...). It usually happens at a friends house, the one with more liberal parents than your own. It may be a birthday party, sleepover or slumber party when it happens. The night winds down and everyone gathers around the TV to watch a scary movie and it's always, always, a rated R movie .The slumber party environment makes the perfect place to watch horror movies, it provides a certain feeling of protection from the group and yet also providing a certain level of group hysteria.

Lowering the movies rating, in a way, changes mood. It takes away the feeling of doing something clandestine, which sets the mood perfectly for watching a scary movie. The emotional response to "Mom and Dad don't want me to do this" mixed with scary and violent elements of the movie make for an excellent horror movie experience.

Of course there is the argument that these movies are something that children should not be exposed to, that it really is something that they should see when they are more mature. I can only disagree. There is nothing harmful from watching an occasional horror flick. No child has ever had bruises after watching a horror movie just as no child has ever had a stroke caused by too much adrenaline. It is merely a step out of the protective shelter that parents insist on keeping their children wrapped in.

Hollywood please (not that you'll ever read this) DON'T! Don't release another crappy horror movie like so many before. Stop making sequels to movies just for the sake of making a dime because you still retain the license (Universal Studios I'm looking at you) while disregarding any and all previous characters and canon. If you must tell the story, go ahead, just make new characters and give it an entirely new name. And don't release a PG-13 sequel to a 30 year old license because you think it will have more commercial appeal that releasing a R rated flick.... phew!




Alright folks, I'm going to hop off my soapbox. Have a happy,safe and scary Halloween...

Two Nerds and Too Much Time

Jason and I have way too much time on our hands! We were going back and forth with old hip hop songs and by the end of it all we had ourselves a pretty awesome playlist!
"1. If I Only Had A Brain - Buzzcocks
2. Proto Culture - Del The Funky Homosapien
3. Deeper Shade Of Soul - Urban Dance Squad
4. Me Myself And I - De La Soul
5. Award Tour - A Tribe Called Quest
6. Tennessee - Arrested Development
7. The Choice Is Yours - Black Sheep
8. When Will They Shoot? - Ice Cube
9. Sound Of Da Police - KRS-One
10. Bizarro Genius Baby - MC Frontalot"

** track 1 may say that it's by the Buzzcocks but that's only because Rhapsody screwed up. If I Only Had A Brain is by none other than the great MC 900 Ft. Jesus!!!!

I Tumble 4 you

By the way, for those of you that regularly read my this blog, I've just signed up on Tumblr if you'd like to add that to your feed or what ever you are using to subscribe to this... It'll be more of the same stuff, I just like the more streamlined posting Tumblr (I'll continue to update here but when I actually want to TALK about things.)

Curse My Stupid Brain!!

I'm considering getting a XBOX 360, finally after it's been out for 10 years or something to that effect (what's it been 5 years?) I just sold my car and somehow managed to turn enough profit that I can afford something small, really small, tiny really, so my thought was (and with my GF's blessing) finally getting an xbox.

The problem is do I want to get rid of the Wii to get the Xbox? There are games I still like and some coming out that I want that are Nintendo only games and I feel a loyalty to Nintendo to keep it. Plus all the games on the Virtual Console that I like. I mean sure I can just get a NES emulator but any time I've played an emulator it's been a pain in the ass (but then again I could finally get Bionic Commando, Skate or Die and a ton of others).

Also there's the problem with the Red Ring of Death. Do places like Gamestop offer warranties on their refurbished systems in case it dies? I mean come on, I'm a cheap-ass and if I can find something cheaper used I will usually get it. Should I be forced to buy a new system just to get the Mircosoft Warranty? That just doesn't seem that appealing.

And of course my biggest problem of all: Am I really being a whiney little bitch over a GAME system? I mean really, when there is stuff like this coming out:


oh and I saw this today