Cat Plaza #2

The Fall issue is out! 20 pages this time- almost twice as many pages as #1. Inside: a short story from my boy John Wilmes, a beer review from Marc Nardoni, two stories I wrote, concert reviews, opinions you didn't ask for, and more! I brought out the big guns this time around- better layout, better content, and at no additional cost to the reader. Yes, my friends, this issue still costs $1 in person or $2 by mail.

And won't you look at this? I figured out paypal! When you click this button, you will receive your order by mail. Please supply your address. Tell me if the paypal gives you trouble; I've never used it to sell before.

To submit: Panther1215@hotmail.com
Also use my e-mail if you want to give me your mailing address.

Bad Movie Society - Raptor Island

In Raptor Island, Hack (Lorenzo Lamas), Jamie (Hayley Dumond), and comrades get marooned on an island that didn't get the memo about the dinosaurs being extinct. Alas, there are raptors all over it, not to mention their arch-nemesis Azir (Steven Bauer). Their goal, somehow, becomes destroying the raptors by way of explosives. Why not hide in the airplane fusilage until rescue arrives? Good question!

I expected the bad CGI. When Hack shoots raptors, I was reminded of my favorite 90s arcade game. They were ugly and unrealistic. I did not expect the dreadfully long, paint-peeling boringness of Hack and Jamie's conversations. Jesus Christ, go into the minutiae of your pasts why don't you? Didn't ask for that!

Overall, I don't recommend Raptor Island. If you need a taste, watch the first 20 minutes. You'll see the raptors, you'll get a feel for the dialogue, and the characters don't change at all so you don't have to worry about a dynamic ending. How Sci-fi felt this movie acceptable for their channel is a mystery to me. Must be why I don't get it anymore.

Boys Night In

The redux, feat. the original "Boys Night In" + midi-BNI covers of "Nothing Compares 2 U" and "Let's Hear it for the Boy"

Hey Boss

Bad Movie Society - Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer

To anyone who asked on Thursday: Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer is loosely based on real-life killer Henry Lee Lucas. With that out of the way, I'll say that this movie was really good, and during one scene, painful to watch. Director John McNaughton did his best with the $110,000 budget to craft realistic murder scenes and hire capable actors. Though the film drifted into camp occasionally, the team pulled it together in the end. I particularly appreciated the aforementioned rape/ murder scene that occurs in a stranger's house. McNaughton knows what's uncomfortable and terrifying. By showing the scene through the lens of Henry's camera, we get to feel like voyeurs, observers of a snuff scene, pervs, and participants. Truly messed up.

Another highlight for me was the soundtrack. Industrial soundscapes with creepy synths and massive drums made for some of the best horror movie music I've heard in a long time. Next week, we'll be watching Suspiria, with soundtrack by "Goblin." Master horror-movie-watcher Chris ensures me that the soundtrack to Suspiria trumps all. We shall see.

Bad Movie Society - Peeping Tom

I thought only students and teachers had Columbus Day off; I never knew postal workers did too! Unfortunately, that meant we couldn't watch Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer on Wednesday. Instead, we watched Michael Powell's Peeping Tom (1960). Too bad because it wasn't scary or even very engaging.

How was I supposed to know?! It got the Criterion treatment, and I heard critics refer to it as the British Psycho. In Peeping Tom, Mark (Karlheinz Bohm) gets his kicks by filming women, killing them, and then watching his footage. He connects with Helen (Anna Massey), but their connection cannot save him. He continues killing and spiraling out of control until the climactic end.

So voyeurism used to be scary, but it isn't anymore, or maybe I'm too much of a voyeur to have a proper perspective on the topic. This movie has no nudity, no gore, no hardened violence, and that's a problem. I've talked about the power of suggestion/ subtlety in horror movies before, but a few home movie clips of a tormented youth hardly build tension. If you remember back to Psycho, we know Norman is fucked because he's talking to his corpse-mom. All we know about Mark is that his childhood sucked, and now he likes to take home movies. Where I come from, people with this problem listen to Mineral or the rawest of black metal and pick up Livejournaling. The makers of this film should have put less stake in their philosophy books. My friend Chris, horror-movie fan numero uno, agrees. We talked about it at Cro-Mags a little before the Clockwork Orange theme kicked in.

Bad Movie Society - Audition

If an American production company wants to remake Audition, they'll inevitably completely change the things that make Audition special. With a running time of just under two hours, Audition takes its time creating tension and atmosphere. Frankly, I don't think the American public would wait it out. Sucks for them, because the last forty minutes deliver on the promise of the beginning. The shocking violence makes us question whether we're watching the same movie at all. At the actual "audition," director Takashi Miike inserts a montage which plays out more like a Richard Gere romantic comedy than a horror film. Fortunately, he spares no expense at the end; our minds wander as Asami (Eihi Shiina) does unspeakable things to Shigeharu (Ryo Ishibashi). Maybe Miike had a small budget or a bad costuming/ effects department, because he keeps the end slightly classy by not showing the needles actually entering the nasal cavity. Just saying.