Saltburn got me all like …
Author: Chas.
Sleepwalking
Wow. I have made a whopping six posts this year. I suppose that is a testament to how my year has gone so far and to where my mental state is as well.
It’s been a long year. Like, REALLY long.
Without going into the specifics, the knocks to my mental health started last July and intensified over the winter, spring, and summer. It feels like it’s non-stop because it’s a weekly barrage of little things that make me question everything, from my talent as a graphic designer to how people treat me as a friend to my fitness to be in any relationship.
Most days I feel like my presence is a drag on just about everyone I know. I feel disposable. I feel unheard and ignored past what favors and menial tasks I can do for people. I walk around and it feels like there is a big black cloud hanging over everything. I can’t even count the number of times I have been on the verge of tears or outright had a full-on meltdown. It’s hard to focus on any plans more than a day ahead of time now. I am just trying to get through the day that is happening before I can focus on what’s coming next. The future feels like a big black void. I am sleepwalking through life right now.
The sad thing is that I know good stuff is happening. My brain just can’t process the good stuff because it’s so focused on the negative. It sucks and I know I need therapy or meds or some life-altering event (like a lottery win) to fix things.
Anyhoo. I am going to try and get back to some regular posting on here. I mean, why pay for the hosting if you aren’t going to use it?
Certain Signals
Into the Woods
Life sure is a struggle sometimes. And during those times, it’s always good to get out into the woods and put your brain on hold for a few hours.
Springy Sprung
Yeah. So the 20th year of my blog is going swimmingly. Ha, ha.
The short version of what’s been happening is that the winter sucked. Like sucked hard. Like nearly made me totally insane sucked. If there wasn’t crap going on with me, then it was going on with David.
Spring has rolled around and things seem to be going better for both of us, but now we have a friend that is making things a bit miserable because he is going through a breakup and is lashing out at all his friends. Fun.
Anyway.
I couldn’t resist buying this shirt … because it’s true. Ha, ha.
The Bucket List [SP Edition]
I have been remiss in crowing about how I will get to finally see Skinny Puppy LIVE next month! I am not sure who likes me up there, but they are playing The Orange Peel in Asheville on April 15 … and, apparently, the show is SOLD OUT. Now, I just need to make sure that I am right down front so I can get splashed with some of the fake blood. Whoot!
Getting Back
Yeah. I am working on getting back to posting here. Life has seriously been a struggle lately … since the end of October really. Things have finally felt like they have been getting back to some sort of normalcy over the last few weeks. Maybe one day I’ll type all the craziness and mental anguish here. Beginnings. Endings. Nakedness. All sorts of shit.
Meanwhile, Criterion is bringing it in May with a 4K release of Thelma & Louise and a Blu-ray of Peter Bogdanovich’s underrated first feature film, Targets. Color me stupidly excited!
I Don’t Hate You
Oh, blog of mine. I don’t hate you.
December was pretty trying (I only cried twice) and I have spent the days so far in January just trying to get my shit together (I have only cried once so far).
Updates soon.
Tooth or Dare!
So, my time at The Magnetic Theatre and their 3rd Annual One Act Play Festival ended on November 13th. Tooth or Dare (about a couple’s run-in with a pissed-off Tooth Fairy) was a lot of fun to do. The audiences seems to really like it and we got voted to be in the Best of the Fest! performance on the final Sunday. Out of the 20 short plays that were presented, only six were voted in to do the final performance. Pretty awesome, if I do say so myself.
20 Damn Years
And here we are. 20 years later.
November 21, 2002 was when it all started.
When I acquired my first web address and started blogging, I never thought that I would keep at it this long. It seemed like a laugh at the time. But, slowly, people started reading my rambling about movies and theater and hikes and such. They stayed through several name changes in the early days, several domain name changes (cgm13.com to cgm13.net to theboywonder.net), and my migration from Blogger to WordPress. They even stayed through my (first) depression, my anxiety-laden years, and obsessive porn posts (with lots of hot naked men doing hot naked things with big, throbbing cocks). I met some really cool people via this blog. Some still speak to me and some don’t (which still kinda hurts). There have been some dry spells when I felt like I didn’t have anything going on that was exciting enough to post about. Those seem to happen more and more these days. Keeping an online blog seems quite old-fashioned in this age of Facebook/Insta/Twitter/TikTok. Honestly, there have been times that I have thought about bagging this site altogether. But, for some reason, I just can’t let it go. This blog is like an old friend. Some days I find myself reading back through the archives and remembering the good (and bad) times. I do kick myself now for some of the vague postings I did “back in the day” because I am older and can’t remember what a lot of the vaguery is about. I know readership isn’t what it used to be back in this blog’s heyday. I don’t care. This is really more for me than anyone else. But, if you are still around and checking in on me, it’s really appreciated. Let’s see if this thing lasts another 20 years.
Happy Birthday, oh blog of mine!
Anthem
A Return
In the last few weeks, I have made a return (somewhat) to doing theater-y kinds of things after not having been onstage in well over three years.
After 30-plus years at the helm, the Executive Director of the local theater is retiring. A couple of weekends ago, there was an event at the theater to celebrate his time there. Part of the event was a retrospective of his time in charge and I was asked to sing a duet from one of his favorite shows he directed (I was in the original production). I must say that it did feel really weird to sing that song while holding a microphone. I’m only used that on karaoke night in the local bar. Ha, ha.
Here’s the group of fine folks that spoke and performed that evening.
And, I am currently in rehearsal for the short play Tooth or Dare that’s part of The Magnetic Theatre‘s 3rd Annual One Act Play Festival. It’s been fun to rehearse so far and I had forgotten how awesome the discovery process is during rehearsals. Plus, it’s been pretty light duty (as far as a time commitment) since our piece runs about ten minutes. Only three more rehearsals over the next two weeks and we are up and running. Tooth or Dare is part of the Schedule B performances if you are in the area and are inclined to come support live theater.
Dreams Do Come True
I can’t tell you how long I have been waiting for a box set of the Ju-on films. Well, that box set has now been officially announced and it’s stacked. Squee!
Ju-on: The Grudge Collection (Limited Edition) drops in the UK (and for us multi-region player owners) on December 19th from Arrow Video.
- Brand new 4K restoration of Ju-On: The Grudge from the original camera negative by Arrow Films
- 4K (2160p) Ultra HD Blu-ray presentation of Ju-On: The Grudge in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible)
- High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentations of all films
- Home video premiere outside Japan of Ju-On: The Curse and Ju-On: The Curse 2
- Original 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio (except The Curse and The Curse 2) and 2.0 stereo audio
- Optional English subtitles
- Exclusive 60-page collector’s booklet featuring writing by Grady Hendrix, James Marsh, Tom Mes, William Carroll and Lindsay Nelson [Limited Edition Exclusive]
- Reversible sleeves featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Oink Creative
- Twenty-four double-sided, postcard-sized artcards [Limited Edition Exclusive]
- Reversible poster with new and original artwork [Limited Edition Exclusive]
DISC 1 – JU-ON: THE CURSE AND JU-ON: THE CURSE 2 (BLU-RAY)
- Introduction to both films by writer-director Takashi Shimizu
- Introduction to Ju-On: The Curse by actor Takako Fuji
DISC 2 & 3 – JU-ON: THE GRUDGE (4K ULTRA HD BLU-RAY / BLU-RAY)
- Brand new 4K restoration from the original camera negative by Arrow Films
- Introduction by writer-director Takashi Shimizu
- New audio commentary by film historian David Kalat
- Audio commentary by Sam Raimi and Scott Spiegel
- Alternate English dub track in 5.1 Surround
- Haunting in Monochrome, a new interview with Takashi Shimizu on the Ju-On films
- Being Kayako, a new interview with Takako Fuji on her role as Kayako
- The Evolution of Ju-On, a brand new featurette with authors and Japan specialists Tom Mes and Zack Davisson discussing the cultural forces that shaped the series
- Through a Glass Darkly, an archive interview with Takashi Shimizu
- Whispers in the Dark, an archive interview with actor Megumi Okina on her role as Rika
- Fade to Black, an archive interview with actress Kayoko Shibata, who plays Mariko
- On-set interviews with Takashi Shimizu, Megumi Okina, Misaki Ito, Misa Uehara and Yui Ichikawa
- Deleted scenes with commentary by Takashi Shimizu
- Almost an hour of behind-the-scenes footage
- Ju-On True Stories, two ghostly true-life tales that inspired the films, narrated by Hiroyoshi Kihara
- Original trailers
- Image gallery
DISC 4 – JU-ON: THE GRUDGE 2 (BLU-RAY)
- Introduction by writer-director Takashi Shimizu
- New audio commentary with scholar Raechel Dumas and critic Jasper Sharp
- Alternate English dub track in 5.1 Surround
- Interview with Takashi Shimizu from the time of making Ju-On: The Grudge 2
- On-set interviews with Noriko Sakai, Chiharu Niiyama, Kei Horie, Yui Ichikawa, Emi Yamamoto and Shingo Katsurayama
- Deleted scenes
- 55 minutes of behind-the-scenes footage
- On-set reports by cast members Noriko Sakai, Yui Ichikawa and Erika Kuroishi
- Premieres and stage greetings footage from Japan, Taiwan and Korea
- Trailers and TV spots
- Image gallery
DISC 5 – JU-ON: WHITE GHOST AND JU-ON: BLACK GHOST (BLU-RAY)
- Introduction to Ju-On: Black Ghost by writer-director Mari Asato
- New interview with Mari Asato
- Original trailer
- Image galleries