Are You Celebrating?
• for those who voted because you're republican •
Are you celebrating a victory for your party, despite your loss of dignity in how you got it?
• for those who voted for "anyone but her" •
Are you still standing by your decision to throw away your vote, on a third party candidate that you “trusted” or “liked” more?
• for those who voted in the face of your people •
Do you think your vote for him makes you a conservative Jew, African-American, Latino, Hispanic, or Muslim?
• for those who didn't vote with your vagina •
Do you feel safer as a woman with a white male leader that devalues your equality?
• for those who think america isn't as great as it was before •
How do you think we're viewed in the eyes of other nations today?
• for those who believe marriage is between a man and a woman •
How do you justify your superiority to gay friends, family and colleagues?
Are you celebrating a victory for your party, despite your loss of dignity in how you got it?
• for those who voted for "anyone but her" •
Are you still standing by your decision to throw away your vote, on a third party candidate that you “trusted” or “liked” more?
• for those who voted in the face of your people •
Do you think your vote for him makes you a conservative Jew, African-American, Latino, Hispanic, or Muslim?
• for those who didn't vote with your vagina •
Do you feel safer as a woman with a white male leader that devalues your equality?
• for those who think america isn't as great as it was before •
How do you think we're viewed in the eyes of other nations today?
• for those who believe marriage is between a man and a woman •
How do you justify your superiority to gay friends, family and colleagues?
The Story and Sounds of
THE HAUNTED MANSION
This is the most formative album of my youth. I think I played it so many times that it turned as white as a ghost.
I didn't even mind that the main dude sounded like Richie from Happy Days.
I didn't even mind that the main dude sounded like Richie from Happy Days.
Behind the scenes of HALLOWEEN
Check out today's (DAY 20) post on EVERYDAY IS HALLOWEEN, my October side project.
Some great behind the scenes photos from the 1978 classic John Carpenter film.
Just click on Michael Myers (Nick Castle) taking a Dr. Pepper break...
Some great behind the scenes photos from the 1978 classic John Carpenter film.
Just click on Michael Myers (Nick Castle) taking a Dr. Pepper break...
the last ten films I've seen...
WESTWORLD (Dir. Michael Crichton, 1973)
NOSFERATU (Dir. F. W. Murnau, 1922)
GOAT (Dir. Andrew Neel, 2016)
BLAIR WITCH (Dir. Adam Wingard, 2016)
I, DANIEL BLAKE (Dir. Ken Loach, 2016)
MOONLIGHT (Dir. Barry Jenkins, 2016)
GIMMIE DANGER (Dir. Jim Jarmusch, 2016)
MY ENTIRE HIGH SCHOOL SINKING INTO THE SEA (Dir. Dash Shaw, 2016)
HELL OR HIGH WATER (Dir. David Mackenzie, 2016)
THE BIRTH OF A NATION (Dir. Nate Parker, 2016)
NOSFERATU (Dir. F. W. Murnau, 1922)
GOAT (Dir. Andrew Neel, 2016)
BLAIR WITCH (Dir. Adam Wingard, 2016)
I, DANIEL BLAKE (Dir. Ken Loach, 2016)
MOONLIGHT (Dir. Barry Jenkins, 2016)
GIMMIE DANGER (Dir. Jim Jarmusch, 2016)
MY ENTIRE HIGH SCHOOL SINKING INTO THE SEA (Dir. Dash Shaw, 2016)
HELL OR HIGH WATER (Dir. David Mackenzie, 2016)
THE BIRTH OF A NATION (Dir. Nate Parker, 2016)
Everyday Is HALLOWEEN
starts today...
Check out my new side project over at EVERYDAY IS HALLOWEEN.
It's a celebration of all things great about John Carpenter's classic horror film. Thoughts, observations and trivia daily.
It's a celebration of all things great about John Carpenter's classic horror film. Thoughts, observations and trivia daily.
between two ferns
for PRESIDENT
Hillary Clinton sits down Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis for her most memorable interview yet...
it's not easy being green...
http://disney-kermit-c.reflink.com/a123427
Would it be weird if I dressed my cat in this Kermit costume for Halloween?
Woody Allen's CRISIS IN SIX SCENES has a trailer...
At last, a look at the much anticipated AMAZON series from Woody Allen...
BARB LIVES
a STRANGER THINGS shirt, made by me...
As you know, I LOVE, LOVE. LOVE Stranger Things.
And I love Barb more than anything on the show.
And you know what?
Barb's not dead.
No way.
No.
Spread the word with this awesome shirt, seen here modeled by Will from Casserole of Disaster (which is a website you need to bookmark, by the way). You can follow him also on Twitter at the incredible handle @VeggieMacabre
And I love Barb more than anything on the show.
And you know what?
Barb's not dead.
No way.
No.
Spread the word with this awesome shirt, seen here modeled by Will from Casserole of Disaster (which is a website you need to bookmark, by the way). You can follow him also on Twitter at the incredible handle @VeggieMacabre
BUY THE BARB LIVES SHIRT HERE...
BATMAN v SUPERMAN
not all that bad
It took me a while, but I finally sat through BATMAN v SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE last night.
My first attempt was cancelled after 15 minutes in. I couldn't get past the set up, which feels left over from MAN OF STEEL, which you may recall I despised big time.
But, once the story kicks in and the conflicts are built, it actually becomes pretty entertaining (albeit long, and long-winded).
Here are some thoughts...
The Good
- Better plotting and pacing than MAN OF STEEL
- Way better character design and loved the use of Martha-moms coincidence to connect Batman emotionally to Superman during the battle that becomes a team up.
- The “can we trust” Superman backlash of the public being generated by media, scandal, and political bad doings added a relatable touch to the story.
- A few genuinly beautiful sequences visually, and LOVED Superman catching Lois from falling - stunningly shot/set-up and emotionally pure Superman.
- The Ultimate Edition improves the story (according to what I’ve read about the original cut), and the film is justly R rated as it should be.
The Bad
- Lex Luthor: Jesse Eisenberg overdoes his performance, and the character is so insane and annoying that it leaves no room for the things that make Lex a powerful villain in the Superman canon. His Lex Luthor bothers me more than how much Superman was changed in MAN OF STEEL.
- So many plot holes and ultimately ridiculous situations, dialogue, and in some cases relationship of characters to geographic location (how does Lois just walk over to the dead Superman at the end, where are they even, where’s everyone else?).
- EVERYTHING about Doomsday. Its look, its changed backstory, its motivation, AND I’m pretty sure that it turns into “Nuclear Man” at the climax, as a this-shouldn’t-ever-happen tribute to Superman IV.
- The excessive use of cameos of real media personalities. Forced and tired.
- The introduction of Aquaman and Cyborg (and technically Wonder Woman) on the Bat Computer was a lame device used in music videos for songs from movie soundtracks when the band can’t figure out how to get clips from the movie into their music video.
- And this, most of all, this...
The world has been so caught up with what Superman can do that no one has asked what he should do.
- Senator Finch, Metropolis
Your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could that they didn't stop to think if they should.
- Dr. Ian Malcolm, Jurassic Park
BARB
(from STRANGER THINGS
LIVES!
You've made it through the portal of the Upside Down and have a message to spread.
Get the limited edition t-shirt here
Get the limited edition t-shirt here
BARB LIVES!
THE WEEK IN Pokémon Go
YOUR WEEKLY RECAP IN
POKÉMON GO
- Toledo Blade
Is Pokémon Go's Success Sustainable
- The New Yorker
Man Shot At Teens Playing Pokémon Go
- Orlando Sentinel
Pokémon Go Causes Mayhem in New York's Central Park
- CDA News
Pokémon Go Gamers Figure Out Eeveelution
- Tech Times
Find Your PokéStops on Yelp!
- TechRadar
Just Bieber plays Pokémon Go Near Central Park
- New York Daily News
- Mashable
- Polygon
- ABC News
- Time
- CNN Money
- Inc
- TechCrunch
- USA Today
- KOMO News
- Gamespot
AND POWER UP WITH THESE
POKEMON GO CHEAT CODES, TIPS and HACKS...
• How to Clear Your Bag For Space
• Stay Away From Fake Pokémon Go Apps
• Charge Your Phone With A Real PokéBall!
• How To Handle Those Intimidating Trips To The Gym
• How To Train And Evolve Your Pokemon In 'Pokemon GO'
• Top 10 Pokemon Go Game Tips and Tricks Everyone Should Know
• Pokemon Go Cheats: Where To Find Pokestops and Pokemon Gyms
• How to Save Your Phone's Battery While Playing Pokémon Go
• The beginner's guide to Pokémon Go: A FAQ on how to catch 'em all
• Pokemon Go items: the best unlockables to buy
• How to request or remove PokeStops and gyms
• Top 10 Pokemon Go Game Tips and Tricks Everyone Should Know
• Pokemon Go Cheats: Where To Find Pokestops and Pokemon Gyms
• How to Save Your Phone's Battery While Playing Pokémon Go
• The beginner's guide to Pokémon Go: A FAQ on how to catch 'em all
• Pokemon Go items: the best unlockables to buy
• How to request or remove PokeStops and gyms
PikaJew
So I'm walking back from an interview for an Executive Level job at a major media company when my Pokémon Go starts buzzing (because I'm really a 44 year old kid).
In addition to a Pinsir (CP335) and a Rapidash (CP296) in the nearby vicinity, it turns out my neighborhood synagogue (The Actor's Temple on 47th street) is also a Pokémon Gym.
I quickly enter, begin the battle, and for the first time, this chosen one was the victor, taking the formerly Victor status for team Mystic. In other words, I went Nintendo equivalent of Judah Maccabee.
So there I am in my moment of glory when this manic early-twenties girl comes up to me franticly. "Are you playing Pokémon right now? Somebody just took my gym and now I'm afraid to leave here."
I explained I was pretty new to the game, and actually got some good tips from her after she realized I had only beaten one of the lower levels.
"You know that's my Temple actually," I explained. "We should charge money during the afternoon and give people a place to battle Pokémon inside."
"That's a really Jewish thing to say," she quickly pointed out.
 |
| A wild Rapidash, right at my dressy feet |
In addition to a Pinsir (CP335) and a Rapidash (CP296) in the nearby vicinity, it turns out my neighborhood synagogue (The Actor's Temple on 47th street) is also a Pokémon Gym.
I quickly enter, begin the battle, and for the first time, this chosen one was the victor, taking the formerly Victor status for team Mystic. In other words, I went Nintendo equivalent of Judah Maccabee.
So there I am in my moment of glory when this manic early-twenties girl comes up to me franticly. "Are you playing Pokémon right now? Somebody just took my gym and now I'm afraid to leave here."
 |
| Go for God, stay for the Pikachu. |
I explained I was pretty new to the game, and actually got some good tips from her after she realized I had only beaten one of the lower levels.
"You know that's my Temple actually," I explained. "We should charge money during the afternoon and give people a place to battle Pokémon inside."
"That's a really Jewish thing to say," she quickly pointed out.
GHOSTBUSTERS
OH NO THEY DIDN'T podcast
We answered the call, so you don't have to.
Our GHOSTBUSTERS episode is now available here, or download on iTunes or Google Play for free!
Oh, hey, and don't forget to SUBSCRIBE to the podcast for instant updates!
the week in
POKEMON GO news...
It seems every day there's another news blurb about Nintendo's massive breakout POKEMON GO. Here's your weekly recap of some of the best from 7/9 to 7/15...
Pokemon Go leads teen to dead body
- CNNMoney
Pokemon GO is Becoming a Dating App
- Comicbook.com
The Strangest Places Fans of Pokemon Go Have Tried To Catch Them All
- Daily MailComicbook.com
Someone Inside The White House Loves To Play 'Pokemon Go' Too
- The Inquisitr
Robbers used 'Pokemon Go' to lure their victims
- Engadget
Cultural phenomenon Pokémon Go gets introverts outside
- KUTV 2News
Pokémon Go is doing what few apps can – driving real-world traffic
- TechCrunch
Restaurants Are Using Pokémon Go to Catch Customers
- Slate
Pokemon GO' Powers Nintendo Stock to 25 Percent Growth
- TheWrap
'Pokémon Go' Chasers in China Hit Brick Wall
- Wall Street Journal
Pokémon Go becomes global craze as game overtakes Twitter
- The Guardian
Pokemon GO App Users: Law Enforcement Urges Caution
- Patch.com
Auschwitz Museum says no to "Pokemon Go"
- CBS News
Pokemon Go exposes cheating boyfriend
- The Week UK
Man robbed while playing 'Pokemon Go'
- U.S. News
2016 Pokemon Go Is Partnering With McDonald's
- GameSpot
'Pokemon Go' players arrested at Ohio zoo
- U.S. News
Two Pokemon GO players fall off cliff while trying to catch 'em all
- Mirror
All around the world, authorities are worrying about Pokemon Go
- Washington Post
T-Mobile offering a year of free mobile data for Pokemon Go
- Geek
Daughter hit by car while playing 'Pokemon Go'
- WTVD-TV
AND POWER UP WITH THESE
POKEMON GO CHEAT CODES, TIPS and HACKS...
• How To Train And Evolve Your Pokemon In 'Pokemon GO'
• Pokemon Go items: the best unlockables to buy
ADVENTURES IN BABYSITTING
Oh No They Didn't! podcast
Disney Channel has taken your love of an 80s comedy classic and made it way less PG-13.
On this episode of OH NO THEY DIDN'T! Archie, TJ and Todd discuss the recent made for television remake of the 1988 Adventures in Babysitting.
For those who missed our recording of the podcast live on Google On Air, here's my opening tribute...
DON'T FORGET TO SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST FOR FREE
iTunes
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/oh-no-they-didnt!/id1120504077?mt=2
Google Play https://play.google.com/music/podcasts/portal/#p:id=playpodcast/series&a=100927223
On this episode of OH NO THEY DIDN'T! Archie, TJ and Todd discuss the recent made for television remake of the 1988 Adventures in Babysitting.
For those who missed our recording of the podcast live on Google On Air, here's my opening tribute...
DON'T FORGET TO SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST FOR FREE
iTunes
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/oh-no-they-didnt!/id1120504077?mt=2
Google Play https://play.google.com/music/podcasts/portal/#p:id=playpodcast/series&a=100927223
My Amityville Hopefull
 |
| GET OUT! |
I've now had over twenty friends forwarding me the news that 108 Ocean Avenue (formerly known as 112) is back on the market.
I guess I should have expected the "you should buy it, this time" outpouring of encouragement, as I'm known as a bit of a historian on the property.
Unfortunately, I'm short the $850,000 asking price.
My fascination with this "most haunted house in America" began as a kid, after having older cousins report a play-by-play of the popular 1979 movie. In the pre-VHS era, my curiosity was quickly fed by the Jay Anson novel that spawned the hysteria, and spread the mystery.
 |
| Me, age 6, starting a lifetime obsession with Haunted Homes |
Years of sequels, remakes, talk shows, novels, articles and documentaries only continued my obsession with the bizarre back-story of a seemingly innocent Dutch Colonial style home, that just happened to have a gate-way to Hell in the basement.
So, in 2010, when the house was previously purchased, an under the radar tag sale (which quickly became very not-under-the-radar) gave me a chance to actually go into the property.
I purchased a rug from the very room Father Ralph J. Pecoraro was supposedly ordered to "get out" by a swarm of flies. Or so the story goes.
Here's the deal though. I don't actually believe any of the American horror story accounts of this address. It's just an absolutely beautiful home on a potentially quiet street that's been plagued by a lot of lore since the very tragic DeFeo family murders in November of 1974.
I may be a skeptic that "wants to believe," but after a lifetime of digesting each and every fact about the so-called "Amityville Horror" that George and Kathy Lutz most likely concocted, my recent fascination has been in debunking much of the myth.
If I had the financial ability to purchase the house, I would honestly strive to make the myth go away.
Hollywood will continue to churn out "based on a true story" accounts of possession and hauntings.
Conjuring 2 is at the top of the box office right now, and another Amityville reboot is on the way after 12(!) sequels, spinoffs and remakes of the original film.
It seems to me the easiest way to exorcise the demons of 108 Ocean Avenue would be to simply show that they don't exist in the first place.
Live-streaming tech has given us the ability to be anywhere in the world, and VR/360 video takes the experience even further.
I'd set up a constant stream from every room and every angle of the house, to satisfy our [still] Big Brother obsessed 24/7 media consuming culture. Driven by the appeal of exploitation, I guarantee the whole experiment would quickly become as eventful as Geraldo's Mystery of Al Capone's Vaults.
But we love our perpetual myths, and the unfortunate souls who do purchase the house will be haunted by them. The town will always be synonymous with the home's fictionalized, but bestselling backstory.
If anyone does have an extra $850,000 to loan me, I pledge my best to clean the home's past of posturing poltergeists.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)