A TALE OF TWO 'NIGHTS'

M Night Shyalaman has had hits. He has had duds.. He has had the LADY IN THE WATER..
This year, he's back, and as  usual, a mixed bag of fans and foes are beginning to study each second of the trailer for the new film THE VISIT..

From what we know, the movie's premise revolves around children going to see their grandchildren at a rural Pennsylvania farm.. After some strange goings on, it becomes clear that things get weird after 9:30..

The trailer for the movie is here:


Showcasing the multitude of viewpoints on the new film's potential, we can offer up links to two alternative sources of information with varied opinions on the trailer. Laura Bradley writes that the trailer is unintentionally hilarious in SLATE.. She writes, 

Anyone who sat through The Happening might not be able to believe it, but Shyamalan has managed to make a horror movie about something even less scary than plants: grandma and grandpa.

Mike Schuster with IFC takes a different approach, asking if this could be Shyamalan's first 'good movie' in over a decade---though some true and tridents fans may see that opening question as a false narrative, it's clear that the box office successes of SIXTH SENSE and SIGNS didn't translate into future success for the HAPPENING, THE VILLAGE, or LADY IN THE WATER. Schuster says this about the trailer, which appears to be promising to him:

It might get your hopes up that Shyamalan’s back in the game. And God knows we’ve been burned before

My take..
The movie showcases some of what Shyalaman does best, in my thought. He sets a peaceful and quaint location with brilliance. He startles with simplicity.. And he knows how to make Pennsylvania look like Pennsylvania, as someone from the same state he made famous with his Philadelphia films..  The trailer doesn't give much away, obviously. I think the trailer is actually weak---maybe I agree more with Bradley's SLATE thoughts than I do the IFC viewpoint..

I never judge a Shyalaman movie until it's over. Completely over.
Call me nuts, some have, but I thought certain aspects of LADY IN THE WATER were beautiful and amazing. Same with the VILLAGE..

I think most would agree the HAPPENING just wasn't happnin'..

But THE VISIT?

We will see when the autumn leaves begin to change and September 11 rolls around. His movie will be in theaters.. for better or worse..

 

 

 

Prosecutors in Milan reveal: Vatican was 2010 terror target

ITALIAN PROSECUTORS SAY THAT THE SAME ISLAMIC EXTREMISTS WHO CARRIED OUT A BOMB ATTACK IN PAKISTAN ALSO TARGETED THE VATICAN..

MORE: AP REPORTS:

The Vatican downplayed the significance of the alleged plot.

"From what it appears, this concerns a hypothesis that dates from 2010 which didn't occur. It has therefore no relevance today and no reason for particular concern," said the Rev. Federico Lombardi, the Vatican spokesman.

But what does exist is also evident in recent news accounts from the Holy capitol of the Catholic world..

SUCH AS:
DATELINE FEBRUARY 2015: VATICAN ON HIGH ALERT
DATELINE JANUARY 2015: WORRIES OF A POPE NEEDING TO EXIT ROME

There is no doubt that Popes have always been global targets for terror and threats.. but this Pope seemingly has captured the imagination of the faithful but also the hated of others..
The 2010 Vatican threat now released to the public is only a reminder of the threats which exist--threats that have been openly discussed for months as the Pope continues to speak out about the atrocities committed by ISIS ..

"We are about ready to go to war"

Richard Sryett was hosting Coast to Coast AM while George Noory attended an event in San Francisco last night. Though his interview with Marie Jones on mind control and cults may have been worthy, the real show was taking place in a virtual world. George Noory posted on Bellgab after months of offline time..

Noory's return seemingly stemmed from Art Bell's message on Facebook critical of Noory's use of the term 'wanna take a ride,' a catch line long associated with the Coast Bell incarnation voiced by Ross Mitchell since the 1990s. Noory addressed the charge of theft, saying, "sorry but Ive been using it since my days in St.louis and picked it up on Coast in 2001 when I started filling in for Art. We both got it from the movie Contact. Ross even had liners for us. Nothing sinister here folks."

Users pounded quickly. But it was Steve Warner, the BELLGAB user known as BATEMAN, who seemed to get the 'goatsie' the most.

Warner began his own radio program in 2013 called DARK CITY, and was well known for pranking gags of George Noory during live call in shows on Coast to Coast AM. At that time, Warner said he was approached by Noory about appearing on Coast.  During Noory's latest postings, Bateman continued pressing Noory about why he sent Warner a blank email message on April 23. Noory repeatedly denied sending the message, eventually admitting the possibility of something being sent, and posted "I was going to send you one (personal) a few days ago but never got around to it.....might have sent it blank during a commercial break? Steve I get 1000 emails during the shows and my staff is clicking saving etc for me until I read them."

Warner spoke to the HORROR REPORT hours ago about this private message. He said, "I think he actually sent it because he heard me on a podcast poking fun at him and this was his way of saying 'I'm watching you' with plausible deniability. Whatever the reason, it's funny he sent it at 3:30 in the morning when he's supposed to be doing his show."

Speaking more about his recent relationship with Coast, Warner again: "He started off telling me he wanted to do a 'spooky, yet funny' segment on Friday nights called 'Here's Bateman', I shit you not. Then he put out feelers after John B. Wells got the boot on weekends."  That was 2013 during Bell's SIRIUS XM stint.

Warner continued, "Frankly, I think the Coast brand is toxic at this point, and I don't need them or their 600 stations to be successful at this. We live in a vastly different media landscape than we did just a few years ago."

x x x

A vastly different world indeed. One where two late night radio hosts are at war on a message board.
And speaking of war..
Noory's other comment raised the ire of posters. He said,

I am the KING of late night radio. Long live the new KING!!! I deserve the crown.
This is a riot your upset over a king's crown lol..we are about ready to go to war and YOURE concerned about my avatar

The avatar in reference is a koala bear. Previously when Bell quit his SIRIUS job, Noory used a symbolic crown.  Noory went on to post last night, "Redacted would you like me to have a crown of thorns   that was for a king too?."

While it is unclear what 'war' may have been referred to---so many exist in the world after all--- there is evidence that Premiere Radio and the MIDNIGHT camps are beginning to prepare for a corporate battle of wits and skills.

With 'war' in offing, Art Bell wrote a late to the game response to the night of Noory postings.

In full,

I see I am late to the party, spent the evening with my Child Bride, great night.

Perhaps I have it wrong so if I do please correct me. Did Dave say we were going to War? Did he say something about wearing a Crown of Thorns?

Did he say he was using Wanna Take a Ride in St Louis? Really? Dave I can get you a hell of a special buy now price on the Arch.

I hope Dave was drinking heavily, otherwise I can not understand what would make him say those things, just wait till he wakes tomorrow Afternoon and reads what he wrote!

I told you, you can predict this guy like a clock, as soon as he knows I am coming back it begins and it will keep ramping up as we near July. Dave if you were running for office as a sitting President any advisor worth a crap would tell you to shut the hell up and stop helping the other side.

As most of you know I had made a deal not to strike first and I want it noted here that I did not, I simply reacted to recordings of Dave mumbling wanna take a ride and the clock struck midnight and Dave arrived right on time trying to rewrite History.

Time for bed, night all.

Art

 

The 'war' is on.. battle stations are armed. Words are slinging and flinging in HTML, FTPed, and instant..
The radio world is facing the internet world. That, perhaps, is the war..

Keith Rowland has acknowledged to the HORROR REPORT that Art Bell, in his July 2015 return to live internet radio, may not be able to beat the juggernauts of Limbaugh and Hannity, but the BELL camp is hoping to transform the landscape. However, as evidenced by the BELLGAB postings, there will be a number of virtual missiles launched prior to the summer skirmish.

The HORROR REPORT has reached out to Coast to Coast AM, and George Noory for comment.
At the time of this posting, there has not been a response..
The story will be updated if contact is successful.

 

Nepal shakes

Developing..

INITIAL NEWS DISPATCH FROM CNN

A powerful earthquake has struck Nepal less than 50 miles from the capital, Kathmandu, the U.S. Geological Survey said Saturday. It occurred at a depth of less than two miles, which is considered shallow.

The shaking was rated as "strong" to "severe" on the USGS ShakeMap. CNN sister network CNN-IBN is reporting that buildings are down and roads are out.

MORE:

 

The ride begins

Art Bell's MIDNIGHT IN THE DESERT begins in July. But the tension is already building before the online live podcast debut.

Nights ago, Coast to Coast AM host George Noory used the famous coined Bell term 'wanna take a ride.' It did not go unnoticed by the users of BELLGAB, who pounded on Noory's attempt to borrow the term--whether knowingly or unknowingly. Bell himself chimed in with a fiery Facebook post slamming Noory for the use of the statement.

The comment, in total,

My goodness, it has come to my attention that George Noory has started to use my signature line, Wanna take a Ride? It is just desperate and pathetic. Every time you hear him say that please remember July 20th when Midnight in the Desert starts. I would steal some of his lines, but that would be Petty Theft.

Art Bell

The comment was quickly liked by hundreds of fans.
The ride is going bust on Coast.
The real attraction begins again on July 20, 2015.

THE SUICIDE JOKER: Leto a villain that Gotham City needs?

For weeks, SUICIDE SQUAD Joker Jared Leto has been hinting as to how his version of the Clown Prince of Crime will look..
Tonight director David Ayer released the official LETO full makeup JOKER on Twitter..

Debate has ensued as to which JOKER is best.. Nicholson rates high. Ledger scores well.. even Romero is on the map.. Hammil's voice too.

But LETO?
Two camps have seemingly developed on the character and role.. One who loves it. The other who questions ..

I am joining the less popular but more practical third camp: The group that will just anxiously wait in anticipation to see if LETO can become the arch villain that Gotham City needs..

True Crime and true legends: The scariest stories to tell in the dark are based on the darkest hearts of men

Reality is scarier than fiction.. that is exemplified in a documentary that you may be interested on NETFLIX called KILLER LEGENDS. Chiller's documentary about true crimes, murders, and where some of our modern fears originate. You may learn something new.. and despite the fact no candy was ever poisoned on Halloween, the "CANDY MAN" section will still give you enough pause to check your kids' candy anyway..

I recommend the documentary for those interested in true crimes and urban legends.. this brings to light the reasons why we are freaked by hook hands, by masked killers.. and quite frankly, by people.

Among the things you may learn that you didn't know previously includes--besides no candy ever being poisoned for trick or treaters--are these facts: No babysitter killings ever happened in big numbers.. despite a number of movies being made showcasing it. The Texarkana killings are creepy--and even more creepy may be the yearly film festival showing THE TOWN THAT DREADED SUNDOWN on a location where a grisly murder took place with the movie based in part on it..

And so many others.

Urban legends.

They all come from somewhere..

The other worldly nature of horror movies are not nearly as scary as the darkest minds and hearts of evil men who perpetrate evil and murder the innocent.

KILLER LEGENDS is scary for that reason..

FEELING LUCKY: Has GOOGLE found Nessie?

Go to GOOGLE today and click on their banner.. it will take you to a series of articles about how GOOGLE employed its technology to try to locate the potentially fake but yet elusive NESSIE, the Loch Ness Monster.  You can now search for NESSIE from your computer using GOOGLE Street View.  Google mounted a Street View camera on a boat to give people a 360-degree view of the 23-mile-long loch..

Give it a try. It's fun.

One picture, in particular, may create a firestorm of speculation about the long-living legendary creature:

It could be a log. Debris.. reflection.. refuse. It .. NESSIE. You be the judge

And you can continue your search with GOOGLE. The engine bringing the paranormal and weird right onto your own device. The power to find NESSIE now rests with you.

Go find..

 

Not even POPE FRANCIS could fix this number

If you want to know why Catholic Churches and schools are closing throughout the United States, look no further than this number released by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops: $2.9 billion.

With a B.

That is the dollar amount that the abuse scandal in the Catholic Church has cost since 2004. It's an insurmountable number, and it continues to drain the resources of the religion..

From the CATHOLIC CULTURE story filed today:

Only 59% of those funds were allotted to settlements ($62.9 million) and therapy for abuse victims ($7.7 million). The remaining funds were spent on attorneys’ fees ($28.8 million), support for offenders ($15.4 million), and other costs ($4.2 million), according to the 2014 “Report on the Implementation of the Charter for Protection of Children and Young People.”

These expenses brought the total cost of the clerical abuse scandal to American dioceses and religious institutes between 2004 and mid-2014 to $2,895,629,230, according to the data in the current report and previous reports.

The report added that dioceses, eparchies, and religious orders spent an additional $31,667,740 for child protection efforts in 2013-14.

65% of accused diocesan clergy “had already been identified in prior allegations,” and 75% “were deceased, already removed from ministry, already laicized, or missing.”

75% of those who alleged abuse by diocesan clergy and 87% of those who alleged abuse by religious-order clergy were male, and abuse typically took place between the ages of 10 and 14. Most of the allegations involved incidents that took place between 1960 and 1989, particularly the 1970s.

 

The hypothetical humanity killer

I have been following this NASA website recently: http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/pdc15/ .. if you fear a life-ending asteroid, maybe you should too.

The first and most important thing to realize about the page: It is all imagined. The asteroid and work to stop it from hitting Earth is all hypothetical.  But with each pretend statement about the asteroid and the would be trajectory, it seems very real. That is because the words on http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/pdc15/, though now unreal, could be accurate one day soon.  We could be facing a mass extinction event. Something bigger than Chelyabinsk, something mightier. It may hit land and cause an impact zone crater on Earth. Or it could hit water and flood coastlines with a massive wave never seen during our lifetime.

The Planetary Defense Conference is a meeting of scientists, engineers, policy-makers, and people in Italy. They are playing an asteroid pre-war-game. Mapping out the possibilities and speculating on the impact aftermath.

http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/pdc15/ is where people could follow online to the games.

The games..
But on the topic of the site itself, there is rampant speculation about the 'game'.. and the chances it could all be a diversion meant to keep our mind believing it's unreal and really, in the end, "they" know something is coming. The conspiracy minded folk, of which I join in now and then, think that there is a killer stalking this planet.. lurking not too far from our existence. And NASA knows it. They are so aware of it that they are going to great lengths to post this 'war game' on the internet, along with bringing the biggest and brightest minds together. Because the reality, some would say, is that they ARE INDEED planning a course of action over a real event.

My take is a little less paranoid, at least about this game. I think the simulation is that: A simulation. But I think sooner rather than later, we will be hit with something on this planet. It is my hope that we have simulated long enough to get the reason response.

And I pray to whatever gods of life exist that we will have years, and not months, to prep. And maybe decades--not days.

Chelyabinsk should have been a wake up call to the planet. Instead it became a "and finally tonight" segment on local newscasts around the world. Science is regulated too often to the "in other news" portion after sports and weather.  But if Chelyabinsk would have hit NYC, or D.C., and would have been just a little bit lower in orbit, we may have been playing a whole new REAL game right about now.......

 

Plumbers of Walmart: Sometimes the conspiracy is as simple as that

There have been a number of theories concerning the reasons behind WALMART suddenly closing 5 stores for 'plumbing issues.'  Among the many things being considered by the speculators who theorize in such conspiracy:

1. Jade Helm related.


2. FEMA camps


3. Underground tunnels to protect us from a nuclear/bio attack


4. The elite prepping their bunkers for the yet unannounced asteroid


5. The end of civilization as we know it.

But .. perhaps CLYDE LEWIS was on to something the other night when he had an alternative alternative theory: It was all about the money..

Just yesterday, a report was filed by CNNMONEY about the United Food and Commercial Workers union filing an injunction with the National Labor Relations Board to fight the closure.. From CNN:

Walmart unexpectedly closed five stores last week in Texas, California, Florida and Oklahoma, for what it said were severe plumbing problems. That put 2,200 people out of work.

But the United Food and Commercial Workers union filed an injunction with the National Labor Relations Board on behalf of Walmart Monday seeking to stop workers from losing their jobs. It wants the NLRB to force Walmart to rehire all of the terminated workers.

Walmart said the workers at the affected stores were given two months pay, which is required under federal law regarding layoff notices. But the workers could be out of a job by mid-June unless they find a position at a different Walmart store. The stores are expected to be closed about six months for repairs.

But OUR Walmart says the company’s claim of plumbing problem is just an excuse to punish workers for protesting for higher pay. Workers at the store closed in Pico Rivera, California, led one of the first Black Friday protests back in 2012.

Walmart didn't comment on the newest speculation..

I have read some reaction, though. A few say that this newest conspiracy theory was the mainstream theory and it's only mean to throw us off of the other REAL conspiracy theory.. which could be any of the above numbered conspiracy theories or a brand new theory yet to be publicly conspired or opined about. Get that?
Or ..
The truth could be as simple as this: Walmart wanted to stop the spreading protests by performing a Reagan. He fired the airline workers. Walmart got rid of the cashiers.

And when the stores reopen? I wonder how many SELF CHECKOUT lanes will exist....

My newfound respect for the TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES

...AND I DON'T MEAN THE MICHAEL BAY INCARNATION..
I am talking about the cartoon..
AND I DON'T MEAN THE 20TH CENTURY VERSION..

I rarely speak much on here about the cartoon world.  But thanks to fate and me having a 4-year-old TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES enthusiast, I am really getting to know the new NICKELODEON version of the show. We actively hunt down and try to acquire any new TMNT Nick toys at whatever unnamed store of choice. Some are pretty tough to find.  Our family has been hitting some roadblocks..maybe AMAZON.COM is our only hope.

The show itself is amazing.  I mean that. Not just because my son loves it.. not just because I am a TMNT fan.. but the storyline of the NICK cartoon is rough and tumble..ups and downs.. action packed and moving at times. It's well done, and it has spawned something personally for me..

For about two nights in a row, I have had a nightmare about the RAT KING.

A little background on the RAT KING. When I was a kid in 1988, I really don't remember seeing the RAT KING as a villain on the show. He made his first appearance in show #4 in February of that year..  The RAT KING has telepathic influences over, of course, rats. He has been an ally of the turtles, a villain, and evil doer.

But most recently in the NICK version of the show, he has morphed into a truly horrid looking creature who fights Master Splinter.

Though I am 34 and the show is just a cartoon, I have found myself dwelling a little too much subconsciously on the RAT KING, enough that he appeared in the last two nights of dreams. Last night, for example, I dreamed that I was trying to either hide something or myself. As the day goes on, I remember less about the dream. But what I do vividly recall from it: In the night time vision, the RAT KING was the entity hunting down either me or the unnamed hidden object. And it was startling--enough that I would consider the dream a borderline nightmare. I didn't wake up in a cold sweat, but I was sure glad the alarm clock alerted me to daybreak so the dream could end.

There are elements of the show that are great for kids. There are also some that are perfect for those aging a bit. As for me, as a TMNT fan, the program is dark and grungy but yet filled with enough humor that it's easy to watch. So while I am a few years behind, I am saying now: I endorse this show. It's great. NO matter what age you are, you can still be a kid at heart..

But the RAT KING?
He is a little creepier than the average villain.

A noteworthy item of interest. This morning when my dream was over and I groggily walked into the living room to try to start the day, I almost stepped on one of my son's Ninja Turtles action figures.
The RAT KING, no less...
Haunting at night. And a  toy haunting by day...

NOT THIS:

But this:

 

THE VISIT poster makes rounds after REDDIT posting

A user on REDDIT posted a teaser poster to an upcoming M Night Shyalaman film THE VISIT set for release on September 11, 2015.  The comments thread on the photo has taken on a life of its own..

Shyamalan 's THE VISIT tells a story of a brother and sister (Ed Oxenbould and Olivia De Jonge) who are sent to their grandparents’ remote Pennsylvania farm for a weeklong trip by Mom, Kathryn Hahn. The trailer for the film shows things going quite fine.. then tension builds when the two children discover that their grandparents are involved in something deeply disturbing.

Hence the warning: Don't leave your room after 9:30 pm.

A number of people online have noted the similarities in appearance between the VISIT poster and THE VILLAGE ..

DOLLS ARE CREEPY. But have you met Peggy?

There are haunting dolls. And there is Peggy.. And if you believe the hype surrounding this latest paranormal internet sensation, she is so powerful in her fear that she causes nasuea, headaches. And heart attacks.

Annabel Fenwick Elliott described the situation in the UK DAILY MAIL.  A number of other global media sources latched onto to the paranormal tale.

Here is the lowdown and what you need to know about this plastic piece of evil.. Jayne Harris is a paranormal investigator in the UK. She posted photos and a video of a doll that Harris claims is inhabited by the spirit of a Holocaust victim.. Viewers of the videos and content have written Harris with personal messages about how PEGGY, the doll, has affected their lives.. Some have complained of crippling headaches after seeing Peggy. Some reported visions of mental institutions and abuse. Others said they became anxious. And one said she experienced a heart attack..

The one video--creepy indeed--involves Harris driving PEGGY in the car. Peggy staring at the camera is a little unnerving.. I had to tell myself it is just a doll..
Just a doll.

And this is the doll:



And this is one of the videos:



From the DAILY MAIL story:

'One lady said that when she opened a photograph of Peggy, her computer froze on the picture and the room went cold.

'She then said she felt someone in the room with her and could hear them moving around.This lady was messaging me at the time via Facebook asking me to quickly advise her on what to do.

'I took Peggy down into an isolation area and requested that she cease her tormenting. Apparently everything returned to normal.'

Mrs Harris continued: 'Another lady yesterday said she had been experiencing light bulbs blowing and a presence in her home after she had been speaking about Peggy.

'With Peggy, it's not only while people are looking at her or watching her, it seems to be afterwards too.'

Mrs Harris, who has herself experienced migraines and feeling drained after working with Peggy, said she has never seen a case of this intensity before.

She runs an organisation called Haunted Dolls, and often gets random items in the post with no prior background.

Mrs Harris uses an array of gadgets and experiments to piece together the puzzles surrounding them.

There have been a wide spectrum of people attempting to place a story with Peggy, a background to the supposed spirit inhabiting the doll.  Two mediums believe she is a Jewish soul and a victim of Hitler's World War II atrocities.

There has been a Facebook group set up to study the ongoing odyssey of PEGGY..

But there are also many detractors who are looking at the PEGGY story as a bunch of loonies who need to be locked up. One comment on the DAILY MAIL article was funny enough to be reprinted here:

It really works I suffered bad chest pains by watching this! I thought I was having an heart attack but then I realised it was that dodgy kebab that gave me heartburn.

Even those who find this situation comical are also understanding that it could either be collective consciousness.. perhaps people giving the power to the doll to become fearful and mighty.. or just a group of people making each other scared.

Dolls are freaky.. Clyde Lewis showcased that brilliantly in 2014 when he broadcasted a live NET stream of Nickle in a dark room alone. The doll moved.

There is a little bit of a personal tale I'd like to relay, one that was brought to the forefront of my mind by Peggy. When I was a child, perhaps 4 or 5, I was at my grandmother's house for Christmas Eve dinner. My brother and cousin devised a very elaborate prank that scared me to this day.. They rigged my grandmother's doll (freakish as well) with strings, turned the lights off, and continued to call out my name to go into the room. A dark room.. with a little beam of light on the doll, from the shadows they would make the doll's arms and legs move. I screamed and ran each time.. And in a weird way, Peggy looks sort of like that doll of my childhood fears..

Regardless of truth or not to the paranormal aspect, Peggy is one frightening lady. Blank eyes. Motionless face. A doll that I would not want to see staring at me in a dark room..

And for that reason, I myself did not watch the videos. Perhaps paranoia.. Or maybe I'm much more comfortable believing that PEGGY is just a doll..
Just a doll...

 

 

It's all in a face: Wes Craven's perpective on changes in FREDDY's mug for NEW NIGHTMARE revealed

Freddy Krueger is still one of the most haunting horror movie icons of all time.. Robert Englund made that so, without him there would have been no sequels. But without the intricate and frightening makeup job that teams performed over the course of several movies, there would have been additionally no marketing and artwork that has accompanied the NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET franchise--minus the newest incarnation that Hollywood tried to pass on to fans..

The HOLLYWOOD REPORTER interviewed Wes Craven about a number of different topics.. but the makeup of FREDDY'S face made the most headlines. Craven said he had no role in the MTV's changing of the GHOSTFACE face.. And more, reported by Emmet McDermott:

"In general," Craven says, reflecting on his own experience with the Scream sequel and beyond, "we didn't mess with the mask at all. It's something we didn't try to change. With Freddy [Krueger] and the New Nightmare (below right), I felt that I probably should have stuck with the original face (below left). [With Scream,] we just let Ghostface be Ghostface."

"It would have been safer [not to change Freddy]," Craven explains. "I'm not going to speculate in public, probably shouldn't have even mentioned it, but you know, sometimes you realize that something's not broken, so don't fix it. And that was the course we took on all the Screamfilms: Don't mess with that, it's just perfect."

For Craven, the success of the Scream franchise hinged upon the mask. No other mask would have done the trick. "No way. No way," Craven insists. "I knew it in my bones that [Ghostface] was a unique find, and I had to convince the studio that they had to go the extra mile to get it."

I thought then and do so more now after reading this HOLLYWOOD reporter story that the licensing fee to use the mask was much more costly than MTV would have preferred. Money talked. In this case, it became clear that changing the face would be cheaper, and they could spin it into somewhat positive press..

Craven's perspective on changing Freddy may be a commentary on MTV's change, too.  Will people still watch the MTV  version? Sure.. but will it feel the same? No.

x x x

While we are on the subject of FREDDY...ROLLING STONE recently posted a great article that NIGHTMARE fans may want to consider bookmarking or even printing if they're so inclined to save paper .. Wes Craven and others talked openly about some of the aspects of FREDDY he purposely planned. Such as the glove.. knives, Craven said, have been scary for 1000 years. With a glove consumed by knives, Craven led to a modern day weapon that had deep roots in the human psyche for generation. The ROLLING STONE article also details the 'Tina' body bag scene from the first film--this was personally one of those moments in FREDDY history that haunted me. Amanda Wyss, who played Tina, described the REAL body bag that was used during the scene:

I freaked out in the body bag. It wasn't a "stunt" body bag — this was a low-budget film, so somebody went to the morgue, got a [real] body bag and poked some pinholes in it. There's no inside zipper on the thing, they just zipped me in. I was just like, "Seriously?"

 

FURIOUS 7 1at 3rd

FURIOUS 7 continues to rampage the box office, pushing to $1.15 BILLION with a B worldwide .. it's making serious cash in CHINA, and despite a 51% dropoff since last week in America, it was still the number one film of the weekend..

Newcomers PAUL BLART and horror flick UNFRIENDED were no match for the spirit of Paul Walker. Or the CGI Paul Walker, in this case..

MALL COP 2 did better than some expected, coming in second place with $24 mil--not as good as his $30+  mil opener of the first film.. This movie was hit with horrid reviews. But often those pratfalls make people --not reviewers--last a little. But a full movie of pratfalls only? That doesn't sound great..

UNFRIENDED had a great word of mouth and got good traction from a youthful brigade of horror fans.. it earned $16 mil strong--strong because it was one of the best opening weekends for a horror film since THE CONJURING. Yes it's been that long..

While IT FOLLOWS was hoping for a wider release and good word of mouth, some not so great numbers have been resulting.. The film earned over $800,000 this weekend, but it also dropped 58% since last week. It also dropped 692 theaters .. But earning $13 mil + even though it only cost less than $2 mil to make? Well that's a success. Plus it's doing great and selling out in Australia.. 

 

WHAT'S YOUR FREQUENCY NORWAY?

Norway is about to set a trend. If you haven't heard, they are going to become the first nation in the world to officially dump FM--frequency modulation--radio.

FM, around since the 1930s globally, has been a steadfast friend to people driving or radio fans for decades.

It's obvious to say: The popularity of FM has waned recently.. though many still listen, they only do so often because they still don't have other options..

Options such as DAB. Digital Audio Broadcasting. That is the new system being embraced by Norway. The Ministry of Culture is making the switch. By 2017, FM will start being phased out region by region.  But the decision also seems obvious. In Norway, DAB listening now exceeds that of FM.

The squeeze is now on..
Whether other nations quickly or slowly follow Norway's lead is up for time to decide. It's clear that others will. And slowly by surely, as people give their love to the NET version of streaming instead of the FM version of sometimes staticy music broadcasting, the switch to DAB will become more of a global thing.

In America, though? I still sense an AM and FM lifespan to last a bit..  heck, there is still a market for ATARI, VHS, and even BETA. Radio will have a few more years before it goes the way of the FAX machine. Oh wait.. FAX machines are still around, too..

DAB, for the record, is used across Europe and Asia Pacific..  There are some interesting technical facts you can read on the means of broadcasting, should you want to.. But the important non technical takeaway: DAB is robust and for mobile listening--which is the really important fact. People  have their 'radios' everywhere--their phones. DAB works well for the new style of music listening of our era..  DAB reception quality first degrades rapidly when the signal strength falls below a critical threshold, whereas FM reception quality degrades slowly with the decreasing signal.

And now NORWAY is paving the way for a whole new frequency.

So what's yours, Kenneth?

The catch up weekend: It Follows

I am finally able to say I feel more on top of the horror genre. Friday night I saw BABADOOK. Last night at 945 in a movie theater, I saw IT FOLLOWS.

And it did follow indeed.

By now you surely know the concept. Kids have sex to transmit not an STD but a demonic other worldy force. Then it follows them. And wants to kill them..

Let me first stop before anything else and reflect on what I was told IT FOLLOWS was, and then give me thoughts. IT FOLLOWS was the horror movie of the decade, some said. Other painted a haunting picture of a movie that hits deep, that means something, speaks volumes about poverty and modern day economic problems, youthful angst and casual sex without thought. The horror flick has scored well on a number of different websites. Movie reviewers found little about it to be critical ..

So in the constant spirit of daring to be different, I had to find something, right?
Well it was tough.

There really wasn't anything done wrong in IT FOLLOWS, just a lot of things done much better than other films..

The best, overall, the utmost best part of IT FOLLOWS was the score.  I am considering purchasing the soundtrack but figure I may not listen to it  because it would scare me too much. The music was foreboding. It was somewhat similar to HALLOWEEN at times.. It caused your heart to race and quite often sort of forced you to glance around in the dark movie theater to ensure you weren't going to see someone follow you. The music set the tone. It was amazing.

The other tone setting aspect: The setting. Detroit, 8 mile, and the clash between the suburbs and the inner city. There were so much political, sociological, and economic commentary in the film, you lost track.

The cast of the movie further complimented the storyline. Maika Monroe deserves all of the credit she has been getting. She became a scream queen without screaming.. She is faced with a force that, if you follow it through, will never stop following her and eventually will catch up.  Keir Gilchrist played a believable role as Paul.  Jake Weary was the 'bad guy' but not really bad as Hugh. It's a tough movie to pin the blame on anyone in..  The rest of the cast compliment the best players in it. . . and they are all likeable and believable as people. In horror sometimes, we get the less interesting characters thrown to the wolves first. In IT FOLLOWS, we were given a cast of people we wanted to see live. We liked them.. Though a bit more background  could have been done as to why they all seemed jobless and sad, I think that was the point. Detroit. Economy. Manufacturing base crushed and kids just having too much time on their hands in the fraying safety net of the BURBS.

There were a few other things I thought were amazing..In IT FOLLOWS, we don't really know what the force looks like. It takes on the appearance of many different people.. so what is really behind those human faces? That is the creepy mystery that persists even after the movie is over.

And speaking of over.. the ending 15 minutes were intense. The movie is a little slow in building up a story, but the last few scenes are heavy in action and emotion, raw in horror, and epic in production. The final final final scene gives rise to the possibility that the viewer of the movie is either paranoid or the makers have perfectly set the scene for IT STILL FOLLOWS, a potential sequel..

But I hope there is no sequel.
I think this movie will stand on it own and be a place marker in the history of horror--and perhaps a game changer more than anything. It may sweep away the pointless and give us something we can cherish... a horror film that scares but doesn't do it in a cheap and pointless way. A movie about sex and with nudity, but somehow done in a way that doesn't cheapen the story.

But the music..
The foreboding music.

I think the scenery and the score of the film are dramatic and done the best of all.. I am not going to conclude, as some others have, that this is the best horror movie of the past ten years. But I will certainly say it has the best elements of horror that could make me eventually feel it was the best movie in a decade... that may have started last night driving home in the darkness... when even in a safe car, I found myself glancing at the night time air and pitch black forest around me to ensure that no one was following me.