we're being robbed

Being robbed is a touchy subject. And, although there seems to be a serial robber in our area knockin' down some sweet video stores, it made me think about the comedies in this uncomical event. The first movie that comes to mind is Nothing to Lose. Sadly, I didn't realize that Tim Robbins was in the movie until just recently when I looked it up. I could only remember my funny name, Martin Lawrence. But, now that I know Tim Robbins is in it, I have more authority to say that "yes," it's a good movie. He is a creditable actor, right? (He sure is good in Mystic River) I can remember even my grandpa liking this movie -- That's clue enough right there that this is an OK movie. Now that I've thought about it, I wish I would have rented it tonight when I got off work, but all in good time. I suggest if you are in the mood for a light comedy with a funny guy in it, Nothing to Lose is a good choice for the night. However, it is HALLOWEEN, so who would want to watch anything else but horror movies? Don't forget to tune into the Sci-Fi channel for the LIVE TAPS event. I believe it starts at 8PM EST.

Our new movies came in today so expect a review before this Tuesday (11/3) for the movies I mentioned in this post.

Happy Halloween

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!
It's official. It is 12:00AM EST and that officially makes it Halloween for us on the east coast of the United States. As it hits the midnight mark over here Tim and I are watching Ghostbusters. What an appropriate movie to bring in the new holiday. It's the tail end of the movie now and Tim has this undying pet peeve about product placement. And, "the biggest account of product placement ever," is awarded to Ghostbusters for their Stay Puft man. Can't we all just enjoy a little PP once and awhile? I've found that Wikipedia is a guilty pleasure of mine. I was just on it browsing it's (un)creditable sources about the start of Hallowe'en.

Here's what I got:
The Festival of Halloween is a celebration of the end of the fertile period of the Celtic Goddess Eiseria. It is said that when Eiseria reaches the end of her fertile cycle, the worlds of the dead and the living interlap. This happens on October 31. Masks are worn to show respect for the Goddess Eiseria who, like most Celtic deities, does not wish to be seen with human eyes. The day also precedes All Saints Day, which was, at first, the celebration of the start of a new cycle of fertility for the Celtic Goddess Eiseria. Couples incapable of producing children thus tried their luck on All Saints Day.

So there it is. It's Halloween. Don't forget to go to your local video store and rent some scare-tastic movies tonight.

a new author and questions answered

In response to your comment, tkada.com, of course I will review comics and animated movies! I'm definitely not limited to any sort of movie (although I did state I would be reviewing mostly new movies). If anyone has a suggestion or request we'll be glad to check it out!

As for the BIG NEWS... Izzika and I would like to give a welcome to our new author, Tim. Don't be fooled, Tim isn't as witty or charming as he might sound in his upcoming posts. Just kidding! And, in case you're wondering... Tim is my wonderful Dead Head boyfriend. Remember? We're big dorks.

Now YRW? (you're renting what?) will have three voices of reason: the wannabe movie critic, the aspiring writer, and the pyschedelic artist (who wants to make album covers one day). His "about the author" will soon follow. Until then, welcome Tim. Enjoy your stay.

The number ONE soundtrack

It just hit me. I completely forgot (until now, that is) that the number one soundtrack would have to be... drum roll, please... The Labyrinth. The movie includes main actors Jennifer Connelly and David Bowie. That in itself makes it F***ing sweet. David Bowie does the music for this movie and you probably remember the song "Dance, Magic Dance," but a fantastic song (when Sara and the Goblin King are at the masquerade ball in Sara's dream) is called "As the World Falls Down."

halloween plugs

I just can't help myself! Who knew starting a blog would turn into an addiction? That's what you get for having a day off. I've been surfing the 'net and checking out ghostly sites. I love reading about what other bloggers have to say about movies.

Here are some articles I've found tonight that are worthy of a gander or two if you aren't too busy:

Top 15 Halloween Movies
Symphonies of Terror: Halloween Movie Soundtracks to Make You Shiver
Movies for Halloween by Frank

it's the great pumpkin, charlie brown

Technorati Profile

How can Izzika and I go on and on about the perfect Halloween movies without mentioning the best one there is: It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. I remember watching this movie every Halloween and my dad just told me that he remembers watching it most years as well. I suppose Charlie Brown's Halloween special can't technically be announced as a movie, but it's a timeless classic that I can't believe we almost over looked.

Sally Brown: Am I going to trick-or-treats with you, big brother?
Charlie Brown: Of course, Sally.
Sally Brown: Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy! How do you do it?
Lucy Van Pelt: You just go to a house, knock on the door and yell "Tricks or treats!"
Sally Brown: Are you sure it's legal?
Lucy Van Pelt: Of course it's legal.
Sally Brown: I wouldn't want to be accused of taking part in a rumble.

movie soundtracks

It is my belief that a good movie also has a good soundtrack (or just a good musical score). It's funny -- I'm talking with Izzika as I'm blogging this and so many movies come to mind that I liked but I can't remember if they had good soundtracks or not. You'd think a movie that had a soundtrack I really enjoyed I would remember, but after seeing so many movies it's definitely one of those thoughts that crosses my mind as I'm watching the movie. I asked my mom earlier what soundtracks she liked the most and she mentioned Coyote Ugly and The Big Chill. She stated that she enjoyed The Big Chill's soundtrack so much because it had "good ol rock'n'roll". She is definitely a music lover of the classic rock and roll hits. When I asked her about Coyote Ugly I think she had the suspicion that I would be using what she was telling me in our blog, so all she could mutter out was that she, "just liked it". Oh mom!

When I asked Izzika (and I'm sure she'll mention more about this subject), she immediately came up with: The Devil's Rejects, Requiem for a Dream, Almost Famous, Across the Universe (minus Bono), and The Rocky Horror Picture Show.

When I think about my favorite soundtracks, I'll definitely agree with my mom that The Big Chill has a fabulous soundtrack. I grew up listening to all the artists on the soundtrack so I suppose listening to it reminds me of when I was younger. I recently watched In the Land of Women (Available to OWN on DVD) with my boyfriend, Tim, and we agreed that the soundtrack is pretty rad.

Among other soundtracks that I enjoy...

Dirty Dancing -- I'm just a sap for good love stories, and DD does have a really good selection of classic songs. And we all know everyone wants to have a "baby" moment and have the time of their lives.

Forrest Gump -- Probably my favorite. I think I'm noticing a patern in movie soundtracks. I really do enjoy classic rock. Nevertheless, this soundtrack is really, really good.

Twister -- This soundtrack brings me back to "father/daughter" nights every Saturday when I was kid and all the inappropriate movies I grew up watching. Shania Twain is one of my favorite country artisits, so maybe I'm a little biased because she has a couple songs on the soundtrack.

Although two very different movies, I have to group Austin Powers and Animal House together because they both offer the same genre of music (kind of?) -- Classic tunes everyone knows. Now I must go twist and shout.

in the spirit -- halloween galore

What a good week to start a blog! Halloween offers so many potential posts and since it is my day off, I just can't help myself. There are a couple things I'm looking forward to tomorrow, though, while at work:

1. Wearing jeans and a tie-dye t-shirt to work because I'm going as a Dead Head
(any excuse to wear jeans to work is A+)
2. I'll be opening so passing out candy to the kidlets tomorrow night will be an all new experience.
3. TAPS will be hosting a live event of their hit show, "Ghost Hunters".
4. I'll be watching The Return of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre (aka Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation), which comically stars Renee Zellweger and Matthew McConaughey.

Besides looking forward to those events I've been puttering around the internet trying to both cure my insomnia and my boredom. Doing that has led me to this website: ESplatter - The Guide to Modern Horror Movies. Bam! They instantly have my attention.

I found out that there are potential announcements for upcoming sequels and prequels, and we all know you can always do better than the original. For example: Aliens and Terminator. Dare I put The Rage: Carrie 2 in the list? Ha!

Remakes of Classic Horror films- good or bad?

A list of films that have been re-made and whether or not the new version is worthy of being watched:

1. The Shining- Stanley Kubrick's version, titled "Stanley Kubrick's The Shining" will ALWAYS be the classic and most worth-while of the couple. The USA version titled "Stephen King's 'The Shining'" was not so great. The USA movie was more like the Stephen King novel, however, Stanley Kubrick captures the suspense, the terror, the twisted mind of Jack Torrance. Watch these movies yourself and let me know what you think.

2. Carrie- Brian De Palma vs David Carson : This is almost the same situation as The Shining, but this time I don't think the TV version (by David Carson) wasn't so bad. It goes into Carrie's past more and shows her powers as something to be reckoned with (haha just kidding). The only stipulation I have is the fact that people in the neighborhood saw these powers and yet kept taunting her and I suppose the movie shows that they deserve what they got (if not for how they treated her then for the fact that they knew it was coming!)

3. Halloween- See my comment to Ashley's post about something more to Ponder. Rob Zombie's is amazing, just like the original by John Carpenter. I think both of these should be viewed over and over again. They are fantastic. Carpenter's is amazing because of Jamie Lee Curtis (great horror actress) and Zombie's is great because he goes into Michael's past and he keeps with his habit of including actors from his previous films. Very nicely done, Rob!

Right now I have to run to class, so I can't finish the list now, but feel free to add to the list right now and I will probably put my two cents in after class.

something to ponder part deux

Carrying off what Liz posted about...

At work today I got the delightful task of updating the "Have You Seen" board. Unlike most weeks when we're given a list of 20 movies to pick from, all 12 of our "have you seen?" movies were chosen by myself and another employee. All movies, of course, were Halloween-y. So, I give you...

HAVE YOU SEEN?
1. Monster House
2. An American Werewold in London
3. The Frighteners
4. The Lost Boys
5. The Faculty
6. The Devil's Rejects
7. The Haunting
8. The Nightmare Before Christmas
9. Idle Hands

Unfortuneately I can't seem to remember 10, 11, and 12. Probably because of my insomnia, but they were good choices nevertheless.

I think Halloween might be my favorite holiday. Of course, I'll say that as each holiday creeps around, but Halloween IS fun. You can't help but enjoy the movies, the costumes, the t.v. specials. Most importantly, you can't help but appreciate all that is Halloween by the amount of money dentists will make in the weeks to come.

Genre wise -- HORROR is my favorite. Campy, new-age, bloody, spoof, etc. All of it is awesome. Michael Myers is my favorite, which was why I was so quick to jump on with the fun fact of the day in Izzika's post. I'm looking forward to seeing Rob Zombie's version when it comes to DVD. 'Till then, I'll stick to the classics...

... House of the Dead?

No, not a classic. Funny, though.

Something to Ponder.... for Halloween

Jason Voorhees. There are 11 "Friday the 13th" movies involving Jason. He never dies! Well, correction: he dies, but EVIL lives. The reason why people can never seem to kill him is because evil cannot be destroyed. I think that's what the creator was thinking when shaping these movies, that and the more movies, the more money. He was a little boy who was pushed around by kids at camp and then drowned because of neglect from the lifeguard. His mom killed at first, taking revenge on all the counselors... freaky bitch, but then she died. And then Jason became a monster who waited until he was big and strong to fulfill his vendetta: to KILL. I think that it would be super interesting if he started killing when he was a wee babe; like 6 or 7. that would be seriously twisted. Which brings me to my next topic:


Michael Meyers. There are about 9 "Halloween" movies in the series, but WHY, for the love of horror, is Michael absent in "Halloween 3: The Season of the Witch"? And why, for the love of good movie titles is it "The Season of the Witch"? I ask these because 1. Halloween is synonymous with Michael Meyers, but he is absent in the third installment. Am I missing something? Is there a whole other series of movies with the "Halloween" title from which that third one just slipped out and pushed between the 2nd and 4th during :Michael "Halloween": marathons during October? 2. There are no witches in the film. There is, however, a mask-making company that decides to kill a whole town full of people by creating masks that MELT your face. That's a pretty sweet idea, but I just can come to like the film for the fact that it is so out of place.

an obsession

Salad Fingers

Let's call it an obsession. Let's also call it sadistic? Maybe that's pushing it but Salad Fingers is definitely a short film that deserves a viewing or two. Maybe you'll even start quoting it as much as we do.

Maybe not.

Check out this video: Salad Fingers 1



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About MEEEEE

My name is Elizabeth, but you can call me Izzika. I am 22, from C-bus, but still attending BGSU... I am extremely devoted to the cinematic world. My favorite movies include, but are definitely not limited to: The Exorcist, Trainspotting, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Where the Buffalo Roam, Full Metal Jacket, Eraserhead, The Triplets of Belleville, The Wall, The Big Lebowski, Reservoir Dogs, Natural Born Killers, Jurassic Park, and Mystery Science Theater 3000. I want to stress the point that the list of movies in non-inclusive. I enjoy movies that are pure entertainment, satisfying my need for escape (Jurassic Park), and movies that have cultural value (Trainspotting)

Upon my recent Stumble experience I discovered the movie "Begotten" by Elias Merhige. I encourage viewing this movie (can be seen on the google video website), but be warned: the topic is very touchy for some. A brief synopsis: God kills himself in the beginning with a straight-edge and out of his carcass mother earth is borne... she then gives birth to the son of earth who is taken by cannibals. As you can see, this movie is interesting, but not for everyone (namely the weak of stomach and religious tolerance).

In one of my internet tabs I am watching Sleeping Beauty (yes, I like to watch cartoon movies as well) and I must advocate for the Disney collection. My choices of best Disney films are as follows: Alice in Wonderland (#1 on the list of course), the aforementioned S.B., The Sword and the Stone, Robin Hood (which needs to be watched more often by this author), and Snow White. These are all popular Disney films and I urge you to purchase as many as you can so as to pass them on to future generations.

I do not have immediate access to movies like Ashley does, but I will do my best to give a good... biased opinion about movies. Let's face it, the opinions we post on here will be biased because they are OPINIONS... as for the synopsis sections- those are pure fact, my friend, nothin' but truth all the way.


Thank you for your patience in reading this blather,
Izzika

reviews to come

Deck the Halls
I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry
Ratatouille

Probably some more, too.

about the author

Where to begin...

... My name is Ashley. I work at your local video store. I'm your average 20 something with nothing more to do than watch movies "for a living." I'm a self-proclaimed "big deal" and a glorified college drop-out. I live in sin in central Ohio with my wonderful boyfriend. We're big dorks.

I decided to create this blog to have something to do. I suppose I dream to some day be the next big movie critic, but I'm not very eloquent and I'm more personal than practical. Sometimes I'll like movies solely because a specific actor is in it (i.e., Ghost Rider) and I can hate them for the same reason (i.e., Batman Begins). That being said, my critiques won't give you a real professional outlook on the movie, but a raw, honest, and personal outlook. Seeing as I have to shorten my "what's this movie about" to one to two sentences when I'm at work, I'll include that as well.

I love watching movies and one thing I dare to do different is blog while I'm watching movies. I first came up with that idea (although done before, I'm sure) when I was watching Transformers. I was chatting with an on-line pal and most of the conversation was interupted with "wows" and "I love Bumble Bees." So along with a general outlook on the movie, you can also view my "walkthrough" section. That will be the most candid and spoilerific (new word) as I will have a "hold nothing back" outlook on what I'm writing about. I suggest you read that after you've seen the movie.

I enjoy feedback. Maybe you liked a movie I hated or hate a movie I liked; either way I love to argue. So, bring it. Along with feedback, I like to invite my way-cool friends to blog with me. They are usually smarter than I am and one of them writes insightful poems about... life, and stuff.

It's also important to mention that the movies I'll be talking about are mostly already out. I very rarely go to the local theater to pay and see movies... I'm cheap and get all my movies free at work. Therefore my posts will be about movies that are being released to video on Tuesdays. For example... If "Movie A" were coming out on Tuesday October 30th, you'd have your review the week before.

Lastly, I gather most, if not all, of my general trivia knowledge, actor guides, etc. from The Internet Movie Data Base. I suggest you check it out if you haven't already. With that said, kudos to IMDB for being awesome. And, if you're looking on buying a movie (which I highly recommend), I suggest you use my most favorite online store, Amazon.com.