Music Spotlight: Dokken "Dream Warrior"

          So I am a big 80's rock fan listening to great bands such as Led Zeppelin, Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Saxon, Queensryche, etc. Well being a veteran well weathered guitarist myself george lynch is one of my idols, supreme guitarist which ofter him and Don Dokken had their final fight and parted ways formed another great band called Lynch Mob.
          Well back to Dokken, Dream Warrior was a song created for the first Nightmare on Elm Street movie and the music video is designed around the movie so... Here you have it, enjoy!

      

By the way, really fun song to play on guitar!

Rise of the Planet of the Apes

          What.... So i heard about this movie coming out for some time now, a little anxious because because i heard that it was not a remake, but was to be added to the series. Coo dose, finally something refreshing and original. While sitting in the movie theaters recently I recognized the trailer that came up and my interest was peeked. One could watch my eye go from a bright glow of hope and excitement to a saddened, dark, angered, betrayed glaze as a singled tear rolled down and the only word I could muster was a very blank...what.
          Ok maybe thats a bit over the top, but you really could have heard me say what amongst the silence after the trailer had you been there. I could not freakin believe they would use CG monkeys through the entire movie. I waited for the real monkeys i really did, but they never came! So not even paying attention to the trailer and having not much of an idea on what the movie is even about you can bet i probably wont and may never even see this film. For those of you untainted by CG and the travesties of modern cinema the trailer is below.

Movie Guides for Movie Goers

John Stanley's: Creature Features  Strikes Again (Movie Guide)

          A very informative Guide with just about every movie you can imagine up until around 1994, its publish date. The one on the right here is the fourth revised version, adding new releases to its predecessor. This is simply a dictionary for movies giving you the title, release date, director, major actors, and a brief little description about the movie. 

        Theres quite a bit packed in here, holding 454 pages of movies, there hasn't yet been a movie i wasn't able to find in here. Its a nice book to have if your curious about a movie, maybe one hard to find, that you have seen or someone mentioned and your curious about.

Amazon.com Stanley's Creature Features

The Psychotronic Video Guide

        Another great guide including over 3,000 titles within its 646 pages. Good, bad, so terrible your eyes bleed it doesn't matters this book has it. A little more opinionated in its descriptions, this book also give you tittle, director, actors, dates, and briefs summaries. Neither of these books give away spoilers though, in fact, there are a few instances I have read the description and the writing mentions that he will not go into further detail to ruin the film for the reader. 

       I recommend both of these books to anyone out there who really enjoys movies. I have found that with both of these books combined you can get a feel for the movie you are trying to look up.
       I'm sure there are other really good guides out there, but I have yet to discover them....yet. 

Amazon.com The Psychotronic Video Guide

Roger Cormans Cult Classics re-released by Shout!

      
           I myself find Roger Corman to be a genius and an inspiration. Through most of his movies are an acquired taste, one can't help but admire him. Not only is he a creature feature and sploitation mastermind, but he is simply a man of wealth who really loves movies and chooses to spend his money making them whether they are good or not. I highly recommend watching the Leonard Maltin interview with Corman which can be found in the Special Features of "Humanoids from the Deep" dvd (or at the bottom of this post), Corman rants about some key things in making a successful creature feature. 

           Anyhoo, SHOUT! has been kind enough to re-release many of Cormans cult classics in very nice and visually appealing Special Editions. Loaded with special features, posters, and reversible inserts puts shout factory as one of my favorite production companies. 

           F.Y.I.- Many dvd's with clear cases have reversible inserts to where you can pull the cover art out flip it and put it back thus giving you an alternate cover. Humanoids from the Deep is one example, once flip your case will show an alternate art and its alternate name "Monster."

List of Releases:

• The Women in Cages Collection
• Sword & Sorcery Collection 
• Battle Beyond the Stars 
• Up from the Depths / Demon of Paradise 
• Not of this Earth
•  The Terror Within / Dead Space
• The Slumber Party Massacre Collection 
• The Evil / Twice Dead
• Starcrash 
• Death Sport / Battle Truck 
• Humanoids from the Deep
• Piranha 
• Forbidden World 
• Galaxy of Terror
• Death Race 2000
• Rock N' Roll High School

      And many More!

Forever Haunted by the Dreaded Blu Ray!

         So my friends reading this already know, but for years now the feud between Blu Ray and i has been a relentless battle of blood and tears. It seem like every time i turn around Blu Ray is there looming over preparing its next attack. Ok so maybe I exaggerate a bit, but I cant stand Blu Ray, or for horror anyways. When I watch a horror film I love the gritty, old, cigarette burn look and find that it adds to the atmosphere of the movie. I do agree that some re-mastery of old movies that have seen many years in a vault before being released that look white washed and dry does do wonders, but I really enjoy the film in its originality and when I see an HD re-release of an old movie in perfectly good shape I cant help but shake my head.


         The HD side of Blu Ray is only part of the war, the real bloodshed lies in its epic releases and packaging in attempt to sell this new travesty that got the war started. It all began when I purchased the Underworld Trilogy set on DVD, right after the third movie was released on DVD. I open the package to find all three disks stacked and snapped on top of one another on one post, like three CDs stacked in one CD case. I was a little pissed, until I saw the Blu Ray's release of the trilogy. If you would avert your eyes to the left you will see a well packaged, individually cased Underworld Trilogy set, I exploded.

          It was from then on I knew that Blu Ray would always be looming over my shoulder attacking me around every corner. From the neat little compact cases, that could easily be duplicated for DVD, to the bonus stuff you get with Blu Ray, such as mini posters as seen below with the new Special Edition release of "I spit on your Grave." I currently hold my ground and refuse to buy in, Its a long relentless battle that I am slowly losing, but Im trying to hold my ground rushing out to buy a VHS every time I get the urge.

         I do have to admit that HD does look very nice and work on many modern movies, I would really prefer if the HD era would leave horror alone especially old horror. Now if you will excuse me, I need a beer after all this. Blu Ray or not, keep watching movies and keep horror alive!