tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38633806141763632092024-03-05T08:38:27.847-08:0040 Years, 40 MoviesJohn Scolerihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15830334036783163702noreply@blogger.comBlogger59125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3863380614176363209.post-33914916642722364762010-02-01T21:33:00.000-08:002010-02-01T21:36:22.112-08:0040 Years, 40 Movies Wrap up<div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9UKQQn2OZlxe019txb3bMs6F70As9CoY6nr1s-0g6nH1fc_DygAETx1XSJ72ssDjeFX94eRx5J3KmXrDrFcvzImC4FCXIDqYL-N8yVd2Un7PW5g1wTsXgqX7nC3Nf9-z58NBW1bjdH2Q/s1600-h/logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9UKQQn2OZlxe019txb3bMs6F70As9CoY6nr1s-0g6nH1fc_DygAETx1XSJ72ssDjeFX94eRx5J3KmXrDrFcvzImC4FCXIDqYL-N8yVd2Un7PW5g1wTsXgqX7nC3Nf9-z58NBW1bjdH2Q/s320/logo.jpg" /></a>What a month! We exceeded 201 for our total attendance, far more than I had ever imagined might partake in our foolish errand when we came up with the idea last summer. I'd love to read any comments you have - whether you attended or followed along at home. Please feel free to post them to this article.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Not really knowing what to expect, my personal goal was to have at least one other person with me for each and every screening. And while Vonna was prepared to join me in the event that I was alone for any screening, we never had to resort to that (she was able to watch only the films she really wanted to see). To average 4 other attendees for every screening was a huge success. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> I knew I would enjoy myself, as we were lined up to watch 40 of my personal favorite films. But even more than that, I was looking forward to finding out what other people's favorites were in our line-up, as well as the opportunity to introduce folks to some great films they may not have seen on the big screen, if at all.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Special recognition goes out to Kyle, who not only was present for the majority of the films in the series, but who also made an effort to watch those films he wasn't able to see during the series at home. I think at last count, he was only down <b>2001: A Space Odyssey</b>... although if he's going to watch that, I'll arrange for another screening on the big screen, as that's the only way that one should be experienced.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Best supporting recognition goes to Vonna, who ended up catering elaborate meals for each night of the series, much to the delight of the early arrivals. I think she'll welcome the return to our weekly series, as it's quite an effort in planning to come up with new and interesting meals for a large group night after night.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Other interesting tidbits: </div><div style="text-align: justify;">• Our most senior attendee was 71, and he not only made it to a good number of screenings - he actually watched the entire <b>Star Wars</b> series on the opening day of the series - all of them for the first time!</div><div style="text-align: justify;">• Our youngest attendee was just under six months old. Years from now we'll tell our goddaughter about her first exposure to John Carpenter's <b>Starman</b>.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">No promises - but you might want to mark your calendars for January 2020... </div>John Scolerihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15830334036783163702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3863380614176363209.post-25733894898928084212010-01-30T23:32:00.000-08:002010-01-30T23:32:26.168-08:0040/40 Day 30 Report<div style="text-align: justify;">There's something about David Lynch's work that I respond to. He manages to showcase beauty in even the darkest situations. Tonight, we closed our our 40 Years, 40 Movies series with two of my favorites: <b>Mulholland Drive</b> and <b>Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me</b>, both in High Definition.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">A filmmaker like Lynch is well served by the higher resolution video as well as digital audio. Both films gave the SLC sound system a workout, and I think we did the films justice at the volume we were playing them. You can check with our neighbors to see if the agree.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE5_JpnONqnp0nh8mv-rtSfo3IVSkUK2-YWTlgilPQf3XEUHr8bvB1rBC4cbD_xAsYrlJnRSblpR9QnLw4Q2X1yRSJNQ_ejJF2Da9Dqb0J4x2TVXqtYT6DmiLYApR2ipyDDglYhuhJK4U/s1600-h/mullholland-drive-10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE5_JpnONqnp0nh8mv-rtSfo3IVSkUK2-YWTlgilPQf3XEUHr8bvB1rBC4cbD_xAsYrlJnRSblpR9QnLw4Q2X1yRSJNQ_ejJF2Da9Dqb0J4x2TVXqtYT6DmiLYApR2ipyDDglYhuhJK4U/s320/mullholland-drive-10.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Kudos to Naomi Watts and Sheryl Lee for tour de force performances in their respective films. I am a huge fan of both actresses, in large part due to their work in these two films. And I'm glad that we screened the films in the order that we did, as the night truly ended on a positive note with Laura Palmer's redemption.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhigpZVqXl6U8gfeqp_gyL6paKnbqcJ8d4QSxpimK-z3mXkdkFzIIvx71TbUq5R9i8nsWRviwHOK5tFoU-GNykvZcl0jbWt95vG9rCe8gDofIK_eL4GA2vwcnFcPOIkv6C2rqPjITNDbD0/s1600-h/laura's+angel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhigpZVqXl6U8gfeqp_gyL6paKnbqcJ8d4QSxpimK-z3mXkdkFzIIvx71TbUq5R9i8nsWRviwHOK5tFoU-GNykvZcl0jbWt95vG9rCe8gDofIK_eL4GA2vwcnFcPOIkv6C2rqPjITNDbD0/s320/laura's+angel.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">I'll be back soon with a retrospective look at the entire series, but for now I just wanted to thank everyone who participated, both to the 28 of you who made it out to screenings, as well as those of you who followed along at home. I wish the distance between us didn't prelude so many of our friends and family from being able to participate. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">On Deck: With the 40/40 behind us, we return to our Western Wednesdays with Sam Raimi's <b>The Quick and the Dead</b>!<br />
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40 Years/40 Movies Series Tally:<br />
Days Completed: 30</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Movies Watched: 40</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Number of unique attendees: 28<br />
Total Attendance (cumulative number of attendees for all movies): 201 </div>John Scolerihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15830334036783163702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3863380614176363209.post-83787648646731787222010-01-29T23:05:00.000-08:002010-01-29T23:05:01.704-08:0040/40 Day 29 Report<div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Eyes Wide Shut</b> is definitely another acquired taste. It's strange, creepy and mysterious. It has an interesting color palette, is beautifully shot, and has a unique score that heightens the tension throughout the film. I also think there was a certain brilliance in casting - from the real husband and wife team of Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman, to his use of talented actor/directors Sydney Pollack and Todd Field. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgBTBs-fqU6yso4BnVBh6mt1wy7H4L6IuUQJvnT0ubaJQBlEujuWuY6mhLkjLExIHP_x3IxkicWiLrbT2vDWRkzf7hGVyF5XpmqEHhwJtRGNPQmrSbBuJK9_yE1z7o5g_UWKz3rEMRGUk/s1600-h/eyes-wide-shut.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgBTBs-fqU6yso4BnVBh6mt1wy7H4L6IuUQJvnT0ubaJQBlEujuWuY6mhLkjLExIHP_x3IxkicWiLrbT2vDWRkzf7hGVyF5XpmqEHhwJtRGNPQmrSbBuJK9_yE1z7o5g_UWKz3rEMRGUk/s320/eyes-wide-shut.jpg" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">While not the kind of movie you can just throw in and watch at any time,<b> Eyes Wide Shut</b> is interesting to revisit from time to time. For such an intimate film, I think it plays very well on the big screen, and I'm glad to have programmed it for our penultimate film in the 40 Years, 40 Movies series.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
On Deck: The closing night of the series brings us a double dose of David Lynch: <b>Mulholland Drive </b>and<b> Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me</b>. <br />
<br />
40 Years/40 Movies Series Tally:<br />
Days Completed: 29 <br />
Movies Watched: 38<br />
Number of unique attendees: 28<br />
</div>Total Attendance (cumulative number of attendees for all movies): 193John Scolerihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15830334036783163702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3863380614176363209.post-14977250935525341002010-01-28T22:34:00.000-08:002010-01-28T22:34:39.384-08:0040/40 Day 28 Report<div style="text-align: justify;">I have a special fondness for <b>The Crow</b>. The screenplay was written by one of my favorite writers and a good friend, David J. Schow. Through a fortunate series of events, Vonna and I were able to attend the first public screening in Phoenix, as we were there for the World Horror Convention. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg75iqLaEX3H_Ha7_CMOWM0LXmuQ2sT49sVowqYq0aVA3oBZ6thI57zoB3L7E8y6rAkH1m0xVXfpSLN-2S8Uvx_4oI9Sh8X_j2E01PFWaVGFYxY4V_bAmqhd16S_Ji-xNcjgSSfEeciGCA/s1600-h/crow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg75iqLaEX3H_Ha7_CMOWM0LXmuQ2sT49sVowqYq0aVA3oBZ6thI57zoB3L7E8y6rAkH1m0xVXfpSLN-2S8Uvx_4oI9Sh8X_j2E01PFWaVGFYxY4V_bAmqhd16S_Ji-xNcjgSSfEeciGCA/s320/crow.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I still remember walking out of the 11:30pm screening blown away by the film, with a strong feeling that the film was going to connect with audiences, and that it would serve as a lasting reminder of what an amazing talent Brandon Lee was. It's a shame he left behind such a limited body of work, yet one could ask for a more powerful film for his last.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">I think one of the reasons I enjoy the film so much is because it is not purely dark and depressing - there are some incredibly funny (at times blackly comic) bits throughout. Everyone had a great time revisiting it on the big screen tonight, and we couldn't have asked for a better audio/video presentation than the Japanese Blu Ray.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">On Deck: My favorite film of 1999, and favorite Stanley Kubrick film: <b>Eyes Wide Shut</b>. <br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">40 Years/40 Movies Series Tally:<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Days Completed: 28 </div><div style="text-align: justify;">Movies Watched: 37<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Number of unique attendees: 28<br />
</div>Total Attendance (cumulative number of attendees for all movies): 190John Scolerihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15830334036783163702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3863380614176363209.post-70012863346135852432010-01-27T22:12:00.000-08:002010-01-27T22:12:53.122-08:0040/40 Day 27 Report<div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Dawn of the Dead</b> is considered by many to be the greatest zombie film of all time. While I remain partial to <b>Night of the Living Dead</b> when it comes to my all-time favorite, there's no denying the lasting impact <b>Dawn</b> had on the zombie sub-genre of horror films.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> <br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie5OfDgJyxEqtTeGO0JOFXX6QkPJmdEbP8miQgNBtRVFWb9lQsqzBiSFrVMS09dBBadWsfUynzhwK5LlzkPUmtKpdqLc9M_7FHBXYVXgeTQexcrvobO_lWLMUJrRnRe2Nf5LGvCW495C4/s1600-h/roger.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie5OfDgJyxEqtTeGO0JOFXX6QkPJmdEbP8miQgNBtRVFWb9lQsqzBiSFrVMS09dBBadWsfUynzhwK5LlzkPUmtKpdqLc9M_7FHBXYVXgeTQexcrvobO_lWLMUJrRnRe2Nf5LGvCW495C4/s320/roger.jpg" /></a><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Contemporary viewers may find it quaint, and often nit-pick about the simplistic blueish zombie make-up or crayola red blood, but the real strength of the film (and what was so sorely lacking in the remake) is in its depth. People like to talk about the symbolism and Romero's take on consumerism, but frankly he crafts an entertaining film populated with a cast of characters who you care about. And while scholars like to dwell on its take on consumerism, it's not so heavy handed that you can ever lose sight of it being a great adventure.<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">On Deck: We follow up three days of zombies with a different take on returning from the grave, featuring Brandon Lee in <b>The Crow</b>. <br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">40 Years/40 Movies Series Tally:<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Days Completed: 27 <br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Movies Watched: 36<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Number of unique attendees: 26<br />
</div>Total Attendance (cumulative number of attendees for all movies): 183John Scolerihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15830334036783163702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3863380614176363209.post-70120529331801414532010-01-26T22:15:00.000-08:002010-01-26T22:18:58.945-08:0040/40 Day 26 Report<div style="text-align: justify;">Lucio Fulci films are definitely an acquired taste, but great fun in you're a fan. Zombie is a perfect introduction to the man and his films, from its outrageous gore effects, driving Fabio Frizzi score, shark vs zombie scene - it's got it all.<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoXiMkf6OiVZgDazrIjNjGhMTCvp5BxCK2aHckhrbKjwMUFv-Dv69m-E5xKgxYJdgQRZRNjjefVr4-31JvSZMo26nffTSHaYld9zHpv6u3eQQH_71kkLS_OkVHdewZUc7uVmlKzbNADSk/s1600-h/zombi2-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoXiMkf6OiVZgDazrIjNjGhMTCvp5BxCK2aHckhrbKjwMUFv-Dv69m-E5xKgxYJdgQRZRNjjefVr4-31JvSZMo26nffTSHaYld9zHpv6u3eQQH_71kkLS_OkVHdewZUc7uVmlKzbNADSk/s320/zombi2-2.jpg" /></a><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The crowd tonight had a great time (even if one was expecting a 40s-era B&W zombie classic - oops! - he only averted his eyes during the famous eye-gouging scene...), and it was fun watching Fulci on the big screen for the first time. <br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">On Deck: The dawn of the contemporary zombie film - the Cannes cut of George A. Romero's <b>Dawn of the Dead</b>. <br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">40 Years/40 Movies Series Tally:<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Days Completed: 26 <br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Movies Watched: 35<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Number of unique attendees: 26<br />
</div>Total Attendance (cumulative number of attendees for all movies): 179John Scolerihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15830334036783163702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3863380614176363209.post-68083436662093207582010-01-25T22:15:00.000-08:002010-01-25T22:15:33.760-08:0040/40 Day 25 Report<div style="text-align: justify;">It should come as no surprise that we'd get one of our best turnouts for <b>Shaun of the Dead</b>. We even had four first time attendees for the series!<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXUIV11ye01uxf9TFKONL3jGaqj6gpvNNoOXGYuTYixVYnhdLEJaFTNwEyH5ks_lgKYepZuC7cmnm_02cIkQwsjTZcZ9VX2W0r4g6aHExKVgMuQruFbjeGARbKcfmRngBvSJLhR07-B1Y/s1600-h/shaun_of_the_dead_group.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXUIV11ye01uxf9TFKONL3jGaqj6gpvNNoOXGYuTYixVYnhdLEJaFTNwEyH5ks_lgKYepZuC7cmnm_02cIkQwsjTZcZ9VX2W0r4g6aHExKVgMuQruFbjeGARbKcfmRngBvSJLhR07-B1Y/s400/shaun_of_the_dead_group.gif" width="400" /></a><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
From the first screening we held for <b>Shaun of the Dead</b> (before it's domestic release, and long before The Slaughtered Lamb was born), we recognized it as an instant classic. It instantly rose my personal top ten list comedies. Not since <b>Young Frankenstein</b> (screened two weeks ago) had a film so deftly and lovingly parodied its source material (<b>Dawn of the Dead</b> - to be screened on Wednesday). And in addition to succeeding as a comedy, it's one of the best non-Romero zombie films, period.<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">You won't find a better film to initiate someone who's otherwise not interested in zombie cinema.<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">On Deck: The zombies stick around, this time from Italy, with Lucio Fulci's <b>Zombie 2</b>. <br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">40 Years/40 Movies Series Tally:<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Days Completed: 25 <br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Movies Watched: 34<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Number of unique attendees: 25<br />
</div>Total Attendance (cumulative number of attendees for all movies): 174John Scolerihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15830334036783163702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3863380614176363209.post-62127371543285117932010-01-23T23:48:00.000-08:002010-01-23T23:53:01.367-08:0040/40 Day 23 Report<div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcpCKKLY9s9Tqdre6mX5-3qGTok4cBQoM9mSGTGN19FoyYAxs3oryrt3vcyPNcSjnPxhM76i03SZC_6-zLBVIQfBKVFO3v0eRBrxifWjOT_K6RkrerAr-7kQF6w9wWhqDsz5i_PVJoA-A/s1600-h/efny.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcpCKKLY9s9Tqdre6mX5-3qGTok4cBQoM9mSGTGN19FoyYAxs3oryrt3vcyPNcSjnPxhM76i03SZC_6-zLBVIQfBKVFO3v0eRBrxifWjOT_K6RkrerAr-7kQF6w9wWhqDsz5i_PVJoA-A/s320/efny.jpg" /></a>The only thing more fun than watching a triple feature of <b>Escape From New York</b>, <b>Big Trouble in Little China</b>, and <b>The Thing</b> is watching the same three films with their hilarious John Carpenter/Kurt Russell commentary tracks. The only films missing were their first pairing, the <b>Elvis</b> TV biopic and <b>Escape from LA</b>.<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Escape From New York</b> remains a phenomenal dystopian action/adventure, <b>Big Trouble in Little China</b> is a martial arts action comedy years ahead of its time, and <b>The Thing</b> is one of the few remakes that manages to transcend the original.<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Seeing them all on the big screen and in high definition was a treat, particularly in that our audience was a mix of people familiar with them and first-timers alike. Another great night in The Slaughtered Lamb.<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">On Deck: The zombies arrive to usher in the closing week of the 40 Years, 40 Movies series with <b>Shaun of the Dead</b>. <br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">40 Years/40 Movies Series Tally:<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Days Completed: 23 <br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Movies Watched: 33<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Number of unique attendees: 21<br />
</div>Total Attendance (cumulative number of attendees for all movies): 165John Scolerihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15830334036783163702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3863380614176363209.post-19702655567286806612010-01-22T22:19:00.000-08:002010-01-22T22:19:06.565-08:0040/40 Day 22 Report<div style="text-align: justify;">We're always in for a good time when we watch <b>The Lost Boys</b>. It's arguably Joel Schumacher's best film (I counter that it's not his <i>only</i> good film, as I enjoyed his <b>Phantom of the Opera</b>) and still effective twenty-some odd years later.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> <br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXlHRL8C-SqZvpaSKz3ttCP_0A_25ilxHrijsuApwv-0MVvEk38zIFOG_7ZGYd6Mw1wlkx9BWm8mCqOVKFakv2g396P9uiiNkYelFI2fJGnHLrsWHUYr5lq0wJElX0-iUEuCrzQm8qSUQ/s1600-h/kiefer-sutherland01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXlHRL8C-SqZvpaSKz3ttCP_0A_25ilxHrijsuApwv-0MVvEk38zIFOG_7ZGYd6Mw1wlkx9BWm8mCqOVKFakv2g396P9uiiNkYelFI2fJGnHLrsWHUYr5lq0wJElX0-iUEuCrzQm8qSUQ/s320/kiefer-sutherland01.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The film looks and sounds fantastic on Blu Ray - even better than when we ran it off of satellite back in June of 2008.<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">We had a great turnout - I even dragged out my old pullover sweatshirt with "<i>Santa Carla - Home of The Lost Boys</i>" airbrushed on the back. Only one of two in existence!<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">On Deck: Our monthly movie party featuring the first three theatrical pairings of John Carpenter and Kurt Russell: <b>Escape From New York</b>,<b> The Thing</b>, and<b> Big Trouble in Little China</b>. <br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">40 Years/40 Movies Series Tally:<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Days Completed: 22 </div><div style="text-align: justify;">Movies Watched: 30<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Number of unique attendees: 21<br />
</div>Total Attendance (cumulative number of attendees for all movies): 150John Scolerihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15830334036783163702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3863380614176363209.post-75896165836893176462010-01-21T23:17:00.000-08:002010-01-21T23:18:29.856-08:0040/40 Day 21 Report<div style="text-align: justify;">A lot of folks have asked why <b>Starman</b> was selected as the film we would watch on my actual birthday. It wasn't so much a premeditated selection - it's just how the schedule developed. But that said, I would have no qualms putting the film in the spotlight. It's got many of John Carpenter's trademark elements, while being perhaps his most optimistic film.<br />
<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf60EqYwBVfMSbbnnXs9D_AjcQTUUTHFBf3lTqXX1ZgQFEL3UpceUQj6q9F0wT017SwxpeN3ESvjNQ7THeir5pWeyWJ7Xwgig2XSm_D5vuYhGRRAfDCstCmaQR8d3swEKVccqwohemURU/s1600-h/sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf60EqYwBVfMSbbnnXs9D_AjcQTUUTHFBf3lTqXX1ZgQFEL3UpceUQj6q9F0wT017SwxpeN3ESvjNQ7THeir5pWeyWJ7Xwgig2XSm_D5vuYhGRRAfDCstCmaQR8d3swEKVccqwohemURU/s320/sm.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Jeff Bridges turns in an amazing performance as an alien becoming comfortable in a new body, and Karen Allen is at the top of her form, allowing me to finally think of her as someone other than Marion Ravenwood. If you've got a helicopter fetish (as John Carpenter so clearly does), you'll really enjoy this one.<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">On Deck: We take a trip to Santa Carla to hang out with <b>The Lost Boys</b>. <br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">40 Years/40 Movies Series Tally:<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Days Completed: 21 <br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Movies Watched: 29<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Number of unique attendees: 21<br />
</div>Total Attendance (cumulative number of attendees for all movies): 142John Scolerihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15830334036783163702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3863380614176363209.post-12944481294889573562010-01-20T23:11:00.000-08:002010-01-20T23:11:48.432-08:0040/40 Day 20 Report<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlVYrpspZjD6BLe_Onu_UdFeorPPR1jhxTkzXcfh3z-DBPWmvvJViKB6nhlAQfN8ugdyBhWc3_f0uEpS-HvVY4kyLYaFfsgQ5cC7eEh_0cz4HAxCOxoLtDdPxLWwH88pN3ERYLgHRMIw0/s1600-h/greatescape460.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlVYrpspZjD6BLe_Onu_UdFeorPPR1jhxTkzXcfh3z-DBPWmvvJViKB6nhlAQfN8ugdyBhWc3_f0uEpS-HvVY4kyLYaFfsgQ5cC7eEh_0cz4HAxCOxoLtDdPxLWwH88pN3ERYLgHRMIw0/s320/greatescape460.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>The Great Escape</b> has always been my favorite WWII film. An all-star cast led by Steve McQueen and James Garner tell the true story of the planning and execution of an escape from a German POW camp. The film is lighthearted and humorous as well as gripping and suspenseful. I've seen it dozens of times over the years, and still feel that it moves briskly despite running nearly three hours.<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">There has been talk of a remake, which I hope never comes to fruition. You would be hard pressed to assemble a cast worthy of the original. In addition to McQueen and Garner, you've got Charles Bronson, James Coburn, Richard Attenborough, and David McCallum. A truly Great escape.<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">On Deck: John Carpenter's second of five appearances in the 40/40 series: <b>Starman</b>. <br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">40 Years/40 Movies Series Tally:<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Days Completed: 20 <br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Movies Watched: 28<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Number of unique attendees: 18<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Total Attendance (cumulative number of attendees for all movies): 137<br />
</div>John Scolerihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15830334036783163702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3863380614176363209.post-90952265291153061812010-01-19T22:49:00.000-08:002010-01-19T22:49:54.136-08:0040/40 Day 19 Report<div style="text-align: justify;"><i>Is he, or isn't he? </i>I have my long-standing opinion, but viewers tonight offered alternate views on whether Martin is truly an 84 year old vampire, or just a confused teenager.<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbaqH6rHeitf1AOwjGJUGwcHN4P-teVLGI-RHyabwwxpY74ISWKLY4KyQdJmgMCtY1nsBAwnG9xhJrI-c5URZI9eCRgVm2XVafjCuI0JKUUtP5hdY9WJgP3i20VjqJqsYvPT10-W3YDGA/s1600-h/martin.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbaqH6rHeitf1AOwjGJUGwcHN4P-teVLGI-RHyabwwxpY74ISWKLY4KyQdJmgMCtY1nsBAwnG9xhJrI-c5URZI9eCRgVm2XVafjCuI0JKUUtP5hdY9WJgP3i20VjqJqsYvPT10-W3YDGA/s320/martin.gif" /></a>While not as powerful as <b>Knightriders</b>, nor as consistently effective as his original zombie trilogy, George Romero's <b>Martin</b> is still an excellent, original horror film. Among other things, it represents Tom Savini's ascent to a masterful special make-up effects artist. The film also contains a number of amazing black and white dream/memory sequences. John Amplas does a nice job in the title role, as does Lincoln Maazel as his deeply superstitious cousin Tata Cuda. As one of our guests mentioned tonight, it's surprising the film remains untapped for a contemporary remake.<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">On Deck: We break out of Stalag Luft III in John Sturges' <b>The Great Escape</b>. Please note the early (7:30) start time.<br />
<br />
40 Years/40 Movies Series Tally:<br />
Days Completed: 19<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Movies Watched: 27<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Number of unique attendees: 18<br />
Total Attendance (cumulative number of attendees for all movies): 133 <br />
</div>John Scolerihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15830334036783163702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3863380614176363209.post-73522330119419882882010-01-18T22:27:00.000-08:002010-01-18T22:28:19.995-08:0040/40 Day 18 Report<div style="text-align: justify;">As I mentioned previously, <b>This is Spinal Tap</b> would have been in the 40/40 lineup had we not just celebrated it's 25th anniversary last summer. In it's place, we scheduled two musical comedies from director Christopher Guest.<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh4J7Cgy_lODmtT6GK4S96w6gD8JxwxeYHV5kefuVbbrcPRGtO_nbr0nom3_lY-_zIrdpo0xd6V5yyk9QjIeD__Nm4ZOxK3-O-ShiKes6p29s9TC4lg2aUuFLr16MBrLl9_ZoCbs_ysaY/s1600-h/folksmen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh4J7Cgy_lODmtT6GK4S96w6gD8JxwxeYHV5kefuVbbrcPRGtO_nbr0nom3_lY-_zIrdpo0xd6V5yyk9QjIeD__Nm4ZOxK3-O-ShiKes6p29s9TC4lg2aUuFLr16MBrLl9_ZoCbs_ysaY/s200/folksmen.jpg" /></a>While <b>Waiting for Guffman</b> manages to take a rather pedestrian concept (the story of a small town production celebrating its sesquicentennial anniversary) and turns it into a hilarious documentary, <b>A Mighty Wind</b> showcases the songwriting talents of Christopher Guest, Michael McKean and Harry Shearer, along with Eugene Levy, who in another life may have been a missing member of Tap. As funny as the movie is, the songs are both catchy and funny, and as with all of Guest's films of this type - are not so much mocking as reverential parodies.<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">It was another fun night in The Slaughtered Lamb.<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
On Deck: George A. Romero's modern day take on the vampire tale, <b>Martin</b>.<br />
<br />
40 Years/40 Movies Series Tally:<br />
Days Completed: 18 <br />
Movies Watched: 26<br />
</div>Number of unique attendees: 18<br />
Total Attendance (cumulative number of attendees for all movies): 130John Scolerihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15830334036783163702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3863380614176363209.post-44428502571766968182010-01-17T00:07:00.000-08:002010-01-17T00:07:51.331-08:0040/40 Day 16 Report<div style="text-align: justify;">What did we learn tonight? That there's never one last score, after which you can successfully retire to a remote island to live happily ever after with the love of your life.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> <br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGehUFayOx6uiK7sm8S5Xs2c6fYRksgz37wfVoxS_E-0eqdbk5Km1xchmWWb24GvreuBoCL1TUyxrchEjPs9T3ckAlOwnJnijza_Qyd0VtKbNLOV-0-2AAsbUJuoS2lqT_0JbPVl2XzTs/s1600-h/carlito2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGehUFayOx6uiK7sm8S5Xs2c6fYRksgz37wfVoxS_E-0eqdbk5Km1xchmWWb24GvreuBoCL1TUyxrchEjPs9T3ckAlOwnJnijza_Qyd0VtKbNLOV-0-2AAsbUJuoS2lqT_0JbPVl2XzTs/s320/carlito2.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">In <b>Carlito's Way</b>, Al Pacino gives his finest performance of the latter half of his career, and one not overshadowed by his screaming his lines. Brilliantly directed by Brian DePalma, with a riveting final act that deftly goes from a nightclub to a subway train and ultimately Grand Central Station without giving the viewer a chance to stop and catch their breath. Almost everything in the film works for me, including a variety of 70s disco tunes that I (much to Vonna's chagrin) still refer to as the soundtrack to <b>Carlito's Way</b>.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqHCcRF7V9xuP0COf3gcMO_wrS5b7tz_I0_OUFn2aNEoHCPThLziemXMIc97R_tC3NBEsvROTiUikWTWXX-14ob6RiYOEOlRLmMShrXnJ6eOTQfYeZevw36JUcUefQYfutVJGIDnrMrmY/s1600-h/heat-large-tm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqHCcRF7V9xuP0COf3gcMO_wrS5b7tz_I0_OUFn2aNEoHCPThLziemXMIc97R_tC3NBEsvROTiUikWTWXX-14ob6RiYOEOlRLmMShrXnJ6eOTQfYeZevw36JUcUefQYfutVJGIDnrMrmY/s320/heat-large-tm.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">With <b>Heat</b>, Michael Mann reinvents a story told previously for television (as <b>L.A. Takedown</b> - readily available in the UK but conspicuously absent on home video domestically). Of course the budget of film allowed him to populate it with marquee stars (aside from Pacino and DeNiro, you get Val Kilmer, Ashley Judd, Tom Sizemore, Jeremy Piven, Dennis Haysbert and an even younger Natalie Portman) and improve the production values significantly. I would guess the downtown L.A. shootout budget exceeded that of the TV movie (the ammunition budget may have even exceeded that!). Even with Pacino's acting in overdrive, the long awaited onscreen pairing of two of cinemas heavyweights was worth the wait.<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">On Deck: Dare I say what might possibly be the funniest night of the lineup: Christopher Guest's <b>Waiting for Guffman</b> and <b>A Mighty Wind</b>.<br />
<br />
40 Years/40 Movies Series Tally:<br />
Days Completed: 16<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Movies Watched: 24<br />
</div>Number of unique attendees: 18<br />
Total Attendance (cumulative number of attendees for all movies): 122John Scolerihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15830334036783163702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3863380614176363209.post-52124054294731471062010-01-15T22:36:00.000-08:002010-01-15T22:36:18.123-08:0040/40 Day 15 Report<div style="text-align: justify;">I was going to say it was a relatively quiet night in The Slaughtered Lamb, but despite our lowest attendance of the series so far, the laughter inside was pretty much non-stop from start to finish.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwMyXWkd2vVXuV8DWutXZoBVqU9RyBcXgBPnLuJcouPB7LUzTZITOo61NsJDqKLnHJuXbUNc63IgT_nZXHb26Rtjy13CeSza9RVqUUSzrd5l2R1Iq2XtpJOF0KkTX3_ovVFUw71gY2c_c/s1600-h/midnight.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwMyXWkd2vVXuV8DWutXZoBVqU9RyBcXgBPnLuJcouPB7LUzTZITOo61NsJDqKLnHJuXbUNc63IgT_nZXHb26Rtjy13CeSza9RVqUUSzrd5l2R1Iq2XtpJOF0KkTX3_ovVFUw71gY2c_c/s320/midnight.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">Robert DeNiro, Charles Grodin, John Ashton, Yaphett Kotto, and Dennis Farina are all excellent in the classic from Martin Brest, of <b>Beverly Hills Cop</b> fame. If you've never seen it, do yourself a favor and get it on your netflix queue or borrow it from us. You won't regret it. Like so many of the films we're watching in this series, there are a lot of great lines worth quoting to be found within.<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">On Deck: A double-header of contemporary crime classics, <b>Carlito's Way</b> and <b>Heat</b>. Prepare yourself, as this one will get loud.<br />
<br />
40 Years/40 Movies Series Tally:<br />
Days Completed: 15<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Movies Watched: 22<br />
</div>Number of unique attendees: 18<br />
Total Attendance (cumulative number of attendees for all movies): 117John Scolerihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15830334036783163702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3863380614176363209.post-3202723142583126732010-01-14T22:30:00.000-08:002010-01-14T22:30:13.750-08:0040/40 Day 14 Report<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf8SDHM5xSPg5vNZm9ERWeFGKT4riJLOxM1arpkyu72wtz9EFCbmGm10b8Lo1gTXHfZi5g9Oe8Pe11j1oTIhejXt8S4BEX54cGo5wseHzISRtLMO_BZI9UJdBHd4B196YylaI3DHQxuVE/s1600-h/caroline_munro_sinbad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf8SDHM5xSPg5vNZm9ERWeFGKT4riJLOxM1arpkyu72wtz9EFCbmGm10b8Lo1gTXHfZi5g9Oe8Pe11j1oTIhejXt8S4BEX54cGo5wseHzISRtLMO_BZI9UJdBHd4B196YylaI3DHQxuVE/s320/caroline_munro_sinbad.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">I took advantage of tonight's screening to pull out the Caroline Munro DVD we produced a few years back, as I wanted to run her comments on <b>The Golden Voyage of Sinbad</b> before we watched the feature. While not the best of the Sinbad films (that would be <b>7th Voyage</b>), Caroline will always be the best Sinbad-girl (not to mention the most beautiful Bond-girl).<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">While not Sinbad's greatest adventure, it's still a fun ride with some of Ray Harryhausen's coolest creatures, including a Cyclopean Centaur and the six-armed statue of Kali. I know Vonna would like to see all the Sinbad films on the big screen, perhaps we'll run it again when they rest arrive on Blu Ray.<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">On Deck: We're up for another night of laughter with the unlikely pairing of Robert DeNiro and Charles Grodin in <b>Midnight Run</b>.<br />
<br />
40 Years/40 Movies Series Tally:<br />
Days Completed: 14<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Movies Watched: 21<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Number of unique attendees: 18<br />
Total Attendance (cumulative number of attendees for all movies): 115 <br />
</div>John Scolerihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15830334036783163702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3863380614176363209.post-9833272752642314022010-01-13T22:44:00.000-08:002010-01-13T22:45:09.237-08:0040/40 Day 13 Report<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbzhF_Iqv4mHGg9FZOmHpEkFDxZ482aCc12tR_OqtnRcXYdr-sAc_P20BdflGVzqVqYix8AQxWrvJr_dk8e0fgNoFCxVaXAuWkrf1mjeDECn88ciWgEyV7pT92WuGPE2Z1nbwfNPAjFLs/s1600-h/BREAKING-AWAY-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbzhF_Iqv4mHGg9FZOmHpEkFDxZ482aCc12tR_OqtnRcXYdr-sAc_P20BdflGVzqVqYix8AQxWrvJr_dk8e0fgNoFCxVaXAuWkrf1mjeDECn88ciWgEyV7pT92WuGPE2Z1nbwfNPAjFLs/s320/BREAKING-AWAY-2.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Breaking Away</b> is a hilarious, uplifting, coming of age film that still holds up more than 30 years after it was released. Dennis Christopher, Dennis Quaid, Jackie Earle Haley and scene-stealer Daniel Stern are four local kids lacking direction in life after high school. It was certainly deserving of it's best picture nomination and Academy Award for best original screenplay.<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">In a first for the 40/40 series, more than half of our guests had never seen the film. If there's one thing I love more than enjoying an old classic with friends, it's introducing them to a personal favorite they've never seen before.<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">On Deck: We're halfway through the 40/40 series, and celebrate with the lovely Caroline Munro in <b>The Golden Voyage of Sinbad</b>.<br />
<br />
40 Years/40 Movies Series Tally:<br />
Days Completed: 13<br />
Movies Watched: 20<br />
Number of unique attendees: 18<br />
Total Attendance (cumulative number of attendees for all movies): 111 <br />
</div>John Scolerihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15830334036783163702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3863380614176363209.post-36477660370859855322010-01-12T22:36:00.000-08:002010-01-12T22:36:56.564-08:0040/40 Day 12 Report<div style="text-align: justify;">Clive Barker's <b>Hellraiser</b> remains one of my favorite horror films of the 80s. It was a breath of fresh air in a decade that was all but bogged down in routine and often indistinguishable slasher films. It went on to spawn 7 sequels, of which the only watchable ones are due to the presence of Ashley Laurence (for the record those would be <b>Hellbound</b> and <b>Hellseeker</b>), but even those pale in comparison to the original.<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMhWhAi61-9yXud9dSE0IhVsJkimF3yM_br8h-yOK7jv6OJD9BsfFCSWZc5yYTJY4btnE-meg70xoH4ibFfx4We6lVCBbs75f-A2gU1oJ4C-QFmnnirP6B3Yy5lGKOu49-zcDr1VV2lKw/s1600-h/hellraiser-picture.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMhWhAi61-9yXud9dSE0IhVsJkimF3yM_br8h-yOK7jv6OJD9BsfFCSWZc5yYTJY4btnE-meg70xoH4ibFfx4We6lVCBbs75f-A2gU1oJ4C-QFmnnirP6B3Yy5lGKOu49-zcDr1VV2lKw/s320/hellraiser-picture.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The combination of Barker's original story, fascinating characters in the Cenobites, great gooey special effects, a brilliant score by Christopher Young and a handful of random weirdness (skeletal dragon-thing, anyone?) come together to form an effective horror film that holds up more than 20 years after its release.<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
On Deck: Time for a classic coming of age tale with <b>Breaking Away</b>.<br />
<br />
40 Years/40 Movies Series Tally:<br />
Days Completed: 12<br />
Movies Watched: 19<br />
</div>Number of unique attendees: 18<br />
Total Attendance (cumulative number of attendees for all movies): 105John Scolerihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15830334036783163702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3863380614176363209.post-68424179428885949862010-01-11T22:20:00.000-08:002010-01-11T22:20:41.767-08:0040/40 Day 11 Report<div style="text-align: justify;">While I knew it would happen one night this week, I'm pleased to report that tonight, as we begin only the second week of our 40 Years 40 Movies series, we've already broken the 100 mark for total attendance! </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">But then I can't be too surprised that several folks made the trip out to see Mel Brooks' finest, <b>Young Frankenstein</b>. It was particularly nice to see on the big screen, considering that just under half of our Wednesday nights at The Slaughtered Lamb last year were spent revisiting the Universal and other horror classics from 1929-1946. It truly hammered home what a love letter this was that Gene Wilder envisioned, and that Mel Brooks helped make a reality.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmNNPEJ8FGQ86gxLAr9iYFufHmRjlPeB8XeNbzPR6YfXqEvKjIiAnM_kO76vdEK2V2nXCrAHpkIMNlfb-yM6HuijlLGDlCMWgaKjqRU_Bj2kcd2cNdpulJph4Vr6ekDKskEkAE6XhlLhw/s1600-h/YoungFrankensteinIgor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmNNPEJ8FGQ86gxLAr9iYFufHmRjlPeB8XeNbzPR6YfXqEvKjIiAnM_kO76vdEK2V2nXCrAHpkIMNlfb-yM6HuijlLGDlCMWgaKjqRU_Bj2kcd2cNdpulJph4Vr6ekDKskEkAE6XhlLhw/s320/YoungFrankensteinIgor.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">For my money, the best bits of the film come courtesy of the late, great, Marty Feldman. So much so that I couldn't end the night without playing just a few of the outtakes where he had the rest of the cast breaking up on take after take. There will never be another quite like him...<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">On Deck: Tomorrow night we tear your soul apart with Clive Barker's <b>Hellraiser</b>!<br />
<br />
40 Years/40 Movies Series Tally:<br />
Days Completed: 11</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Movies Watched: 18<br />
</div>Number of unique attendees: 18<br />
Total Attendance (cumulative number of attendees for all movies): 101John Scolerihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15830334036783163702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3863380614176363209.post-46188338999185868632010-01-09T23:03:00.000-08:002010-01-09T23:03:56.506-08:0040/40 Day 9 Report<div style="text-align: justify;">Okay, we cheated. Well, not really. We had a request to swap the order of the films tonight and start with <b>Out of Sight</b> first. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Clooney is great in the film, as is Jennifer Lopez, if you can believe that. I'm motivated now to watch the short lived spin-off TV series <b>Karen Sisco</b>, with Carla Gugino in the Lopez role and Robert Forster taking over for Dennis Farina as her father.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcTbPVgbS-6Q6LOUc0Xv384XQr2ic-mCR3nnRAEqGxAA3MFu2B8ZiGDJhH0JuJu8jxCOdzY6cUZHZF64KLnnokmzD4X3gRH7iowDPyaifyPhV4OVrJho2u9hZuxyAe9XOUwtrWvpc_VDw/s1600-h/Max-Cherry-sitting-in-office.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcTbPVgbS-6Q6LOUc0Xv384XQr2ic-mCR3nnRAEqGxAA3MFu2B8ZiGDJhH0JuJu8jxCOdzY6cUZHZF64KLnnokmzD4X3gRH7iowDPyaifyPhV4OVrJho2u9hZuxyAe9XOUwtrWvpc_VDw/s320/Max-Cherry-sitting-in-office.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">And speaking of Robert Forster, it was a nice reminder how deserving he was of the Oscar nomination received for the film. I'm always happy to see him turn up in the occasional film or TV show, and yet somewhat disappointed his career didn't get the boost I felt it deserved as a result of the film. I still think he would have been perfect as Robert Neville in a faithful adaptation of Richard Matheson's <b><i>I Am Legend</i></b>. I do wish there were a high-definition remaster of Jackie Brown available for viewing, as the special edition DVD wasn't on par with the majority of the other films we've been screening thus far. All in good time, I'm sure...<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">On Deck: Things get Abby-normal on Monday with Mel Brooks' <b>Young Frankenstein</b>!<br />
<br />
40 Years/40 Movies Series Tally:<br />
Days Completed: 9</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Movies Watched: 17<br />
</div>Number of unique attendees: 15<br />
Total Attendance (cumulative number of attendees for all movies): 93John Scolerihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15830334036783163702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3863380614176363209.post-83101308992132996612010-01-08T23:09:00.000-08:002010-01-08T23:09:35.957-08:0040/40 Day 8 Report<div style="text-align: justify;">We started off the evening with the classic Hitchcock trailer to Psycho, since it merely teases and doesn't give too much away, and ended with a brief glimpse of the ending to the unnecessary shot-for-shot remake of a few years back.<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWv1OifoQDYaGTEUzlF70leFIMEau9LJrtLAqe-68uuoYCIW7z_6ebobZKaGtMZskMr0yTwAR3m45SYU1wdn2Qd6nThdA64vPPAubDLz-eCLIL911DnhkitD6mrn0zRONd9paGXKwb6DU/s1600-h/post-psycho.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWv1OifoQDYaGTEUzlF70leFIMEau9LJrtLAqe-68uuoYCIW7z_6ebobZKaGtMZskMr0yTwAR3m45SYU1wdn2Qd6nThdA64vPPAubDLz-eCLIL911DnhkitD6mrn0zRONd9paGXKwb6DU/s200/post-psycho.jpg" /></a>I enjoy the opportunity to watch a film like Psycho with folks who have never seen it before, or who only have recollections of the shower scene. It still holds up 50 years after it's release, and is among Hitchcock's finest. And while there's a lot about the film that I've always loved, I think with each viewing I become more and more fond of Vera Miles' performance.<br />
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</div><div style="text-align: justify;">On Deck: Get ready for a double-dose of Elmore Leonard, featuring <b>Out of Sight</b> and Quentin Tarantino's best film, <b>Jackie Brown</b>. <br />
<br />
40 Years/40 Movies Series Tally:<br />
Days Completed: 8 <br />
Movies Watched: 15<br />
</div>Number of unique attendees: 15<br />
Total Attendance (cumulative number of attendees for all movies): 83John Scolerihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15830334036783163702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3863380614176363209.post-38173606263719550092010-01-07T22:37:00.000-08:002010-01-07T22:37:17.336-08:0040/40 Day 7 ReportWow. Just got back from a trip through the stargate, and am ready to dream of monoliths. <br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg1bdajhW81zgLEapd3n-Eql8HChpqN3a5c2HDecpo6tArr4-lEGPJ2ua-FOmAp5IxNJzKIla3rpulPIQIZs7WBCf8ihvcQAx0_CXN6aSgCLFHj0lhch8IO0IB_UKgYocA8DXJU670XyM/s1600-h/2001-a-space-odyssey.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg1bdajhW81zgLEapd3n-Eql8HChpqN3a5c2HDecpo6tArr4-lEGPJ2ua-FOmAp5IxNJzKIla3rpulPIQIZs7WBCf8ihvcQAx0_CXN6aSgCLFHj0lhch8IO0IB_UKgYocA8DXJU670XyM/s320/2001-a-space-odyssey.jpg" /></a><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: justify;">I think a full appreciation of Kubrick's <b>2001: A Space Odyssey</b> is dependent on familiarity with the Arthur C. Clarke novel, as the film and book were developed in parallel through a collaboration between the two men. Which is not to say the film is not successful on its visual merits alone; I think it's an amazing cinematic experience. But I do think it's fair to say that the viewer is not given all (dare I say enough) pieces of the puzzle to fully understand the implications of the story being told.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">Like many a David Lynch film, if you're willing to throw caution to the wind and enjoy the ride, there's much on display to appreciate. If you're uncomfortable when everything isn't spelled out or explained for you, best skip this one and catch the next M. Night Shamalyan flick.<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">On Deck: We check in to the Bates Motel for a one night stay to enjoy Alfred Hitchcock's <b>Psycho</b>. <br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">40 Years/40 Movies Series Tally:<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Days Completed: 7 </div><div style="text-align: justify;">Movies Watched: 14<br />
</div>Number of unique attendees: 14<br />
Total Attendance (cumulative number of attendees for all movies): 77<br />
<br />
<i>P.S. Yes, I've finally got my days synced up. I was originally counting movie nights, but the 30 days includes our Sunday days off, so I figured I should be counting those too.</i>John Scolerihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15830334036783163702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3863380614176363209.post-9238235818031062822010-01-06T22:29:00.000-08:002010-01-06T22:29:43.281-08:0040/40 Day 5 Report<div style="text-align: justify;">What can I say. The <i>40 Years, 40 Movies</i> series is like a hand picked box of chocolates - every one is a favorite!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">I've seen John Carpenter's <b>Assault on Precinct 13</b> dozens of times, and I find it just as entertaining today as I did the first time I saw it. When I watch it, I'll admit I'm more inclined to see the traces of <b>Night of the Living Dead</b> than <b>Rio Bravo</b>, but those are obviously there, too. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9aLO5xWy-otxp0-avJA7mgGEmsK0dxQ7Nb9OFU42zW7ZfdqYbl8MwbvFxNHv9sqQicP1rvl0jHKxjLDabfGq9nimEmNtlHuXv810V6HFtkg8pIgeu9cJk1f0bLQr_M8lZYz8VBivwlq4/s1600-h/assault1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9aLO5xWy-otxp0-avJA7mgGEmsK0dxQ7Nb9OFU42zW7ZfdqYbl8MwbvFxNHv9sqQicP1rvl0jHKxjLDabfGq9nimEmNtlHuXv810V6HFtkg8pIgeu9cJk1f0bLQr_M8lZYz8VBivwlq4/s320/assault1.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">Darwin Joston, Austin Stoker, Laurie Zimmer (above) and Tony Burton lead a great cast, playing off each other perfectly. Stoker and Burton are more likely to be familiar to film fans, and it's a shame Joston and Zimmer didn't have more opportunities to shine after this. They share great chemistry in this film. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">I think it's Carpenter's first great film (of many), and on some days, it's a contender for my favorite if his. One other note - folks who enjoy mocking John Carpenter's film scores will find little to enjoy here, but for those of us who appreciate his work love it.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">On Deck: We take a trip back in time, all the way to <b>2001: A Space Odyssey</b>. <br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">40 Years/40 Movies Series Tally:<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Days Completed: 6 </div><div style="text-align: justify;">Movies Watched: 13<br />
</div>Number of unique attendees: 13<br />
Total Attendance (cumulative number of attendees for all movies): 73John Scolerihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15830334036783163702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3863380614176363209.post-91040559719779296912010-01-05T22:16:00.000-08:002010-01-05T22:18:18.783-08:0040/40 Day 4 Report<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">It's an exciting thing to revisit a classic film like <b>An American Werewolf in London </b>on the big screen. Hands down my favorite John Landis film (followed closely by <b>The Blues Brothers</b>), it's a great mix of horror and humor. Griffin Dunne is particularly great as the rotting corpse of Jack Goodman.<br />
<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieztWZfW8Cr84C7EXoeZZzpt_GnHsB5LkIKdn-B08AeWGSIOHu-DBacHejw8dIoA3wmeG79XnSq1gmhyVtmQ4w5azjEdV-lOp9ZCAyCTX4VphKri9_t9_5FUyjmrGk1Am7RKp6PLn-Tjw/s1600-h/Picture+1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieztWZfW8Cr84C7EXoeZZzpt_GnHsB5LkIKdn-B08AeWGSIOHu-DBacHejw8dIoA3wmeG79XnSq1gmhyVtmQ4w5azjEdV-lOp9ZCAyCTX4VphKri9_t9_5FUyjmrGk1Am7RKp6PLn-Tjw/s400/Picture+1.png" /></a><br />
</div><br />
It shouldn't have taken us this long to get this programmed, but on the bright side, it made for another great night in The Slaughtered Lamb! <br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">On Deck: 40 Years, 40 Movies continues with John Carpenter's <b>Assault on Precinct 13</b>. <br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">40 Years/40 Movies Series Tally:<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Days Completed: 4<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Movies Watched: 12<br />
</div>Number of unique attendees: 13<br />
Total Attendance (cumulative number of attendees for all movies): 69John Scolerihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15830334036783163702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3863380614176363209.post-32803719219248483922010-01-04T21:58:00.000-08:002010-01-04T21:58:07.493-08:0040/40 Day 3 Report<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoWvKIy-ROqBGgfa4Hq-fASCP-pzhdmqLSCC747_HprLhnNeg8XGFvIfNK1Wh0byQHNC5v7Mac5zzFj1TTkPfnPcS9406RCo0zhydOPHkbeiWIC8ygvIhGPe1u1Bkg3vzhv9jB-mhEWqU/s1600-h/Picture+2.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoWvKIy-ROqBGgfa4Hq-fASCP-pzhdmqLSCC747_HprLhnNeg8XGFvIfNK1Wh0byQHNC5v7Mac5zzFj1TTkPfnPcS9406RCo0zhydOPHkbeiWIC8ygvIhGPe1u1Bkg3vzhv9jB-mhEWqU/s320/Picture+2.png" /></a>Laughter filled The Slaughtered Lamb tonight as we screened the oldest film and first comedy in the series, the Marx Brothers classic <b>A Night at the Opera</b>. With so many classic set pieces spread across a number of excellent films, it's hard to pick just one to try and represent them all, but between the reading of the contract, the packed stateroom, and re-arranged hotel room sequences, I decided to go with this one as it remains a personal favorite.<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">After watching it on the big screen, I'm further convinced that a Marx Brothers marathon should make it into our Wednesday night lineups one of these days. I might even be able to convince the regulars, if we zip through the non-Chico and non-Harpo musical numbers...<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">On Deck: After two years running, The Slaughtered Lamb Cinema finally premieres our namesake in <b>An American Werewolf in London</b>, as the 40 Years, 40 Movies series continues!<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">40 Years/40 Movies Series Tally:<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Days Completed: 3<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Movies Watched: 11<br />
</div>Number of unique attendees: 13<br />
Total Attendance (cumulative number of attendees for all movies): 65John Scolerihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15830334036783163702noreply@blogger.com0