Falling Down...

This has been a very bad week... truck cost me over $600 to repair, ex-wife cashed a check before the date I asked her too (can you say things bounced!), worked 6 days this past week and one day was an open to close (7:30am-(9:10pm) because Elise was on vacation and my manager doesn't know how to schedule... so all in all I felt like Michael Douglas in the movie Falling Down. Not Michael Douglas' best movie, but it does bring to light what it takes to push someone to the point of no retuurn. In the movie, he's having everything go wrong that can go wrong and finally snaps. No, I won't snap, but it makes me wonder just how much needs to happen to push a person to the breaking point. I'm a very laid back person, but stress is an intersting animal. Tina and I have struggled for years, some in part because of spending mistakes we made early on, but that has not been the case in recent years. My divorce cost me everything... total rape job! Filed bankruptcy several years ago and that does a number on your credit. However, I would do it all over again to be with Tina. She's a wonderful women with a heart of gold and I am so blessed to call her my wife. So in reality, no matter what life throws at you and no matter how "bad" finances are (and they are bad!), there ARE things and people in your life that make it bearable. Life can be a horror movie at times... but it can ALWAYS be worse and there are always people in worse shape than you. Sorry I haven't posted much this past week... too much going on. Hopefully Tina's salon sales soon and all this finance hell will be behind us. Check out the clip of Falling Down... "funny" scene at a burger joint.

The Vault of Horror...

Found this blog this morning and checked it out. In an effort to keep up with all the horror news, I found this blog to be quite good. Many different stories about new movies as well as older ones. Interesting polls, updates, and other items dealing with the greatest genre of all times... HORROR! I think you will like it and you should visit it often along with a few other sites to stay in the loop!

In other news... I was on vacation last week and didn't really do much. Truck broke down and still is in the shop. They may have to replace the gas tank and fuel pump because the pump is in the gas tank... who knew! Any way, I went back to work yesterday and wasn't thrilled about it at all. Retail is a horror movie all it's own, but it's about all I've done for 20 years. Eckerd's, CVS, and now on Sept. 13 it will be 9 years with Rite-Aid. I sure hope my book sells, because I really need to get out of retail. Professor D. has the "completed" book as of this writing and is reading it and making some notes on it. Hopefully, not TOO many notes. I feel like it is where I want it to be and after 5 years of writing and rewriting... I'm ready to test the book market waters. I know I'm bias, but the book is a totally different view of vampires. More in line with my favorite vampire, Barnabas Collins of Dark Shadows fan. We will just have to wait a little longer and see. You may have to copy and paste the link to The Vault of Horror... I'm not really up on all this computer stuff... still learning! Check out this blog! I just added this blog to my blog list. Scroll down and you will see it listed with Cory's blog on the right side of this page... for those who don't want to copy and paste it!:)

http://thevaultofhorror.blogspot.com/

Severance...

Netflix has an interesting feature for it's members which is called Instant Watch. You can pick from over a 1000+ movies and watch them on your computer. Nice feature, but most of the movies are not worth watching... no new releases. However, in my effort to find more British dark comedy, I found Severance. This movie is funny... not as funny as the British movie The Cottage, but funny none the less. It is gory like The Cottage, but the humor is a little more subtle at times. Severance is quite entertaining and I'm happy to pass it along to you. There's a trailer for the movie at the end of this post. The movie is about a group of employees from a defense weapons company being sent on a team building "mission" in Eastern Europe. Instead of team building, the team is killed off one by one. They must now learn to work together to save their lives. Along the way, there is an ample amount of humor and gory to make the dark comedy lover in you happy. It's interesting to me that I have really began to like this type of film, since I never have before. It's not campy, it's not "B"... it's just good. So if you have Netflix, pop up the Instant Watch and check out Severance... otherwise, go to The Red Box or your local video store and rent it. It is worth a watch!

Identity...

I know I've talked about this movie before, but it is worth mentioning again! A NetFlix friend of mine sent out a note on this movie and it brought it back to my attention. I have seen this movie several times and seem to see things that are new to me each time. John Cusack (1408, Con Air, Grosse Pointe Blank, The Jack Bull... I just watched this one the other night and it was a very good western!, Run Away Jury with Gene Hackman... great movie!, and The Ice Harvest) and Ray Liotta (Field of Dreams, Goodfellas, Unlawful Entry, No Escape... MY FAVORITE!, Unforgettable, Phoenix, Hannibal, John Q, Blow, Narc, Control, Smokin' Aces, and Wild Hogs) are in Identity and bring together a great cast. The movie could easily be put in the horror/thriller genre, but it is so much more than that. It is a thinking man's horror movie! Cusack plays the lead and is awesome! There are so many twists and turns in this movie that keep you wondering and thinking that the movie flies by way to quickly for me. All the movies I mentioned by Cusack and Liotta are movies I've seen and really enjoyed. These are two fine actors and I HIGHLY recommend taking the time to see the movie Identity! There is a short clip at the end of this post. Check out the movie and let me know what you thought of it!

Edan Lake...

This movie looks so intense. I realize trailers don't make for a good movie, but this one could be very good. Comes to theaters September 12, and I can't wait for it to hit DVD. Found it on my favorite horror site... http://www.bloody-disgusting.com/index.php. If you really enjoy horror/thrillers, you need to bookmark this site. Up to date reviews, releases, and trailers to all the movies you will want to see. It's a great site! Any way, the movie revolves around a couple going away for the weekend to escape the city and enjoy the peace and quiet of the country side. Far from what they get. It's an English movie, which I have seen many English/Irish films and have found most of them to be quite good... Dog Soldiers for example. Watch the trailer and wait with baited breath for the release!

The Crow...

I was sitting here this morning going through all the computer "crap" I do when I started thing about this movie. I've seen so many movies over my lifetime, that many I don't even remember. However, there are a precious few that have really stuck in my head... Hellraiser, The Shining, and Shawshank Redemption (non horror) to name a few. These movies are my favorites. The Crow is one of those movies that was so original and so well made that it is one of the best horror movies ever made IMO. It was probably written with Edgar Allen Poe in mind because of the importance of the crow. Brandon Lee (Bruce Lee's son) had a short career because of his untimely death, but he brings a powerfull performance to this role. Revenge is an interesting subject and makes us really pull for his character. Righting a wrong and making those involved pay for their evil deeds pulls the viewer in and helps us "cheer" him on. I love this movie and I highly recommend taking the time to rent it and enjoy one of the finest horror movies ever made. I found this clip on You Tube and thought it really gives you a sense of what the movie is about. Enjoy!

Insanitarium...

We watched the horror movie Insanitarium last night with Aaron and Chris (friends). Trailer at the end of this post... watching the trailer makes you think the movie is much better than it actually is. Don't get me wrong, the movie wasn't a total waste of time. However, it could have been so much better. The problem was in the writing. The movie relied on the same old worn out cliche's that many of it's predecessors have done and wasn't original at all. The acting was very good, but after an hour the movie fell into the "B" category and was close to being a zombie type movie. The ending was lame and silly and hopefully they are not planning a sequel. As a side note, I feel like I belong in "Insanitarium". I went to take Molli (stepdaughter) to driver's ed this morning and my truck broke down about a half a mile from my house. I think it's a fuel line problem. It was towed to the place we get our cars worked on in Plymouth. Not the best way to start your morning at around 7:45am. Considering I was up till 2am. Haven't heard from the mechanic yet, so I don't know how much this will cost me. Ol' well, it's always something! Any way, watch the trailer and skip the movie!

New Elements to Blog...

Just a quick note to make you aware of the new elements to my blog. All are on the right side of my blog. I have a new horror dvd release, weird news from around the world, and useless knowledge. All seem rather interesting to me and I hope you all enjoy them. This past weekend we went to the White Mountain Boogie and Blues Fest in Thorton, NH. I have gone to this 7 of the 9 years I've been here. It's a family friendly weekend with tons of blues music. Friends of Tina run it and have done a great job over the 12 years they have been doing it. Tina has helped out there many times and did this past Sunday. Good time was had by all! Tina's brother John and his family came to vist for a few days and John and I went fishing... didn't catch much at all. However, a bad day fishing is better than a good day at work!!! Tonight we have a horror movie to watch... I will let you know how it was as always!

Bears...

I've lived in New Hampshire for 9 years now and hardly ever saw any wild animals. I've only seen one moose and it was running through a baseball field on Ashland, NH. However, in the past week and a half, I've seen 3 bears and 1 deer on the 3 mile drive to work. Two of the bears have been black bear cubs running up the side of the hill by the road. The other black bear was probably a few years old and it ran into the woods when I drove passed. The deer was actually hit and being drug off the road by a passerby who was helping the lady who hit it. The poor deer was kicking like crazy, but died later... according to the police. I guess since we've had so much rain lately they are roaming more... don't really know. I have been paying attention much more now since seeing so many of them in such a short time. I have to admit, I'm not a fan of "wild" animals. I don't mind seeing them in pictures, movies, or on TV, but I have no desire to see one up close and personal. I found a campy looking Grizzly Bear movie on You Tube and thought it would be fun to put it on my blog in honor of the 3 bears... no, I'm not a fan of Goldilocks! Enjoy!

Storm Warning...

Tina and I watched Storm Warning the other night. This is one of the most twisted, disturbing, sick movies we've ever watched. Having said that, it was so well acted and totally sucked you into it that I must admit it was very good. The horror genre has so many elements to it that it is hard sometimes to put a movie in any type of category. The movie is about a married couple on a fishing trip when a storm comes up and they end up lost and getting out on land and finding an old run down house to seek help. However, help is NOT what they got! Humiliation, fear, and torture is what they receive from these rednecks from down under. This movie is intense and gory. I must admit that this type of movie makes me very uncomfortable, mainly because this type of crap can really happen. Nevertheless, I watch them any way. In order to see the trailer you will need to copy and paste the link below.

http://stormwarningmovie.com/

Who is frgodbeyjr???

I really have not said a lot about myself on my own blog, so I thought it was about time... I was born in Charleston, WV in 1959 (old guy, I know...), but grow up mostly in St. Albans, WV. Went to Highlawn Elementary, McKinley Jr. High, and graduated from St. Albans High in 1977. My childhood was filled with weekends at my grandparents and watching TV in their basement. My grandparents were the first people I knew who had cable TV... 13 channels!!! I remember watching a lot of old horror movies on Saturday night after the news on an ABC channel that aired Chiller Theater. I would sit in my grandparent's basement "TV" room with the door shut and the lights out. For some reason, I loved the feeling of being scared to death. It was like an adrenaline rush or something, I guess. Dracula, The Werewolf, The Mummy, King Kong, Frankenstein, Godzilla, and old "B" horror movies that should have never been made because they were so lame. I loved them all. If it scared me or had a huge amount of tension in it, then I was in horror heaven. There were many Japanese horror movies and to watch the old ones now with the English dubbing is quite funny. I put a clip of Godzilla set to Blue Oyster Cult's song with the same title at the end of this post. Even today, when Tina and I watch a horror movie I like all the lights off and I want to feel the tension on my chest... then I know it's a good horror movie! That's enough of the memory lane stuff for now... more later on.

Concert Update...

I had the best time at the concert last night. The crowd was enthusiastic and all three bands not only played for the audience, but played too the audience. We got there around 4pm and the show started at 5pm. We had lawn seats and the weather could not have been better. You have to realize that the past several days it has rained so hard that many roads in our area were washed away, but yesterday it was sunny and warm! We went there with several friends and also met up there with a few others. Blues Traveler opened and played their set to a very excited crowd. When Collective Soul hit the stage it was AWESOME! They are a great band with a very original sound... I love them! I have always wanted to see them in concert and I was NOT dissappointed last night. Live is one of my favorite groups. The lead singer has a very distinct voice and incredible range. The cool thing about the Live set was that Tina, Ashley, and I had packed our chairs up and went to the lower part of the stage area and were going to watch the rest of the concert from there to beat the crowd out. There was probably about a half an hour left in the show. As we were standing there a guy came up to us and said he had fouth row tickets and he and his wife were leaving... did we want the tickets!!! I'm already a huge Live fan, but Tina just liked a few of their songs... so she thought! So Tina and Ashley went in and watched the rest of the show from the fouth row! When we all met up after the show, Tina was so impressed with Live! She's a fan now:) We've seen a lot of concerts over the past 9 years, but none were any better than last night's... GREAT time! One of my favorite Live song's is The Dolphin's Cry... video below. Love this song. Also, below the song is a TV spot promoting the concert. Meadowbrook is a great place to see a concert. I put the URL in yesterdays post. You can copy and paste it to your address bar to view their home page. We live less than 45 minutes from one of the best venue's in New England!



TV spot for last night's concert...

Live, Collective Soul, and Blues Travelers...

I'm thrilled and amazed that Matt, my stepson bought tickets for Tina and me to see Live, Collective Soul, and Blues Travelers at Meadowbrook in Gilford, NH for TOMORROW!!! I LOVE Live and Collective Soul! My favorite Collective Soul song is The World I Know... video of it at the end of this post. My favorite Live song is Lighting Crashes... video below! We will be going with Matt and several other friends. It will be a great concert! Other than horror movies, music is my other obsession. Over the past 9 years I have bought over 150-200 CD's. I've been in BMG Music Group since 2000 and many, many of the CD's were free (just pay shipping). Several years ago Tina and I went to Meadowbrook and saw Blues Traveler and it was a really good show. Meadowbrook is a GREAT place to see a concert. We've seen Skynyrd there 5 times! If we could afford it, we would go so much more. Tina and I have a very deep and abiding love, not just for each other, but for music as well. While our taste differ, I tend toward the more "out there" music, we still appreciate the talent it takes to write and sing music well. Any way... I can hardly wait!!! Here's a link to Meadowbrook so you can see what a great place it is and all the good concerts that are there...


http://www.meadowbrook.net/

Shutter...

We watched Shutter last night and it did remind me of The Grudge and The Ring. It had a fair amount of tension and it was creepy in many places. Joshua Jackson (Dawson's Creek) is not a great actor, but he does a good job with this role. It's an interesting "ghost" story, j-horror style. The trailer is at the end of this post.

Just a quick note...

I put a new video on, near the end of my blog that I know has NOTHING to do with horror... however, this is my blog and I can do what I want:) I got this video from my Uncle Luther, by way of my mom. I love West Virginia University football. Nothing is more passionate then college football, from it's fans to the intensity of the players on the field. I owe my love of WVU football to my grandfather, Guy R. Lambert (Pops). It's still hard for me to talk about his passing even though it has been many years since he lost his battle to cancer. I remember playing golf with Pops on many a Fall Saturday afternoon with a radio strapped to his golf bag playing a WVU football game. Back then, around 1975, WVU wasn't a very good team... hadn't been since the 50's. However, that all began to change when Bobby Bowden came to WVU and turned that program around before going to Florida State. Any way, the video is of the upcoming season giving a brief history and a look to the future... great stuff. Check it out if you like.

Ghost Town (2008)

I've seen a few dark comedies over the past several weeks. By Dark comedy, I mean a "funny" horror movie. I for one have NEVER liked funny horror movies. It just didn't seem right to me that you would combine gore/horror and comedy. However, I must say I believe I'm rethinking my former negative ideas about this genre. The movies Otis, and most recently, The Cottage were laugh out loud funny and very gory... I liked them both! I saw this trailer for Ghost Town and even though it is PG 13 (won't be any gore here), it looks so funny. I have it saved in my Netflix account. The movie comes to theaters in September. I have a trailer at the end of this post. This really looks good. Greg Kinnear (The Gift, Godsend, Bad News Bears 2005, The Matador, and Unknown... all these movies are 4 and 5 stars in my book!!!) is in this movie and from the trailer does a good job. Needless to say, I'm looking forward to this movie coming out on DVD sometime next year. Also, I need to say that there is a difference between a dark comedy and campy "B" movie horror. A "B" movie is "funny" because the acting, script, or direction suck. It was not intended to be funny, but because it is so bad it is funny. I HATE... ab hor, detest, loathe, and despise campy "B" horror. I consider it an insult to intelligent thinking horror fans to put that crap on film. OK, enough griping from me. I'm starting to warm to a well acted dark comedy... so here's a trailer to what I believe is a good one! Check it out...

The Mist...

Tina and I finally received The Mist from Netflix the other day and watched it last night. As far as Stephen King movies go it isn't too bad. It had a lot of tension (which I love), but the CGI's were a bit farfetched IMO. I thought the acting was very well done. Thomas Jane (The Punisher and Dreamcatcher) is a good actor and played an intense role in this movie. I liked the movie, but I can't say I loved it. It was NOT The Shining (the BEST horror movie ever!), and it is not even the best Stephen King movie (Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile are my favorites). However, it was a very entertaining movie even if a few of the elements were not believable or realistic... even for a "horror" movie. Check out the trailer, it is very intense. Good movie and worth watching.