Movies

And … An Update

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Well. Life is … rolling along.

Onslaught
I did get to see Onslaught this past weekend and really liked it. Considered to be a spiritual sequel to The Guest (one of my favoritest movies EVER), this slice of ’80s throwback cinema is right up my alley. Get thee to a theater to see it!

Lake ViewsWe trekked down to the wilds of North Georgia to visit a friend at his lake house. By the time we got there and had lunch, the clouds had rolled in, and lightning was dancing around the lake. So, we didn’t get to go out on the boat. But we did see a snake at the marina, and the view from his house was pretty spectacular. I wish I had money for a fancy lake house with an impressive view.

And now, some photographic randomness.

Hot and Sour!
Hot and Sour Soup is one of my favoritest things ever.

Deep Fried OreosDeep Fried Oreos are da bomb. All the fun and tasty flavors are always “limited edition.” *Grump!*Grump!*

Backrooms 4K
YES! The Backrooms 4K release is now in my grubby, collectory hands!

Meanwhile … Regular work is still a slog. Freelance work is a slog. I am tired of just slogging instead of being creative. I went to bed in a bad mood about all this and woke up in a worse mood because of weird dreams and uneasy sleep. Ugh.

Anhoo …

And … An Update

Makin’ with an Update [Redux]

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Well. It ended up being strep … again.

But, thanks to the magic of antibiotics, I was able to make it to Charlotte for the Mad Monster Expo. I had never been before, so it was pretty cool to check out all the vendors, gawk at the celebrities I was too shy to approach, and sit in on the panel discussions. I bought some movies, a super cool piece of Creepshow art, and this insanely awesome magnet …
Jaws!!!

We made it Wednesday to see Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma. I thought it was pretty good, and Gillian Anderson was amazing (as always). The more I have thought about it, the more I am convinced that I am not really the target audience for this particular film.
Camp Miasma

And now, there are FOUR movies on tap for the coming week!
– Coyote vs. Acme (Saturday)
– The Dog Stars (Sunday)
– Terminator 2: Judgement Day (Tuesday)
– Colony (Wednesday)

I think I need a movie intervention!

[No links ’cause I’m lazy.]

Makin’ with an Update [Redux]

Makin’ with an Update

Chas.Leave a comment

Well … life is life-ing along.

I have been sick for the past couple of days: a sore/gummy throat and a fever. Thankfully, the fever seems to be gone, but the throat still feels a little weird today. Why does getting sick always happen at the worst time? This has another 24 hours to clear up because I am supposed to be in Charlotte this coming weekend.

Meanwhile …

Thanks to the magic of digital projection and theaters trying to keep people coming in, I have gotten to see some classic horror films on the big screen this past week. The Descent (2005) screened as part of the Regal/Fangoria partnership. The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974) screened again this year through Fathom Events. It seems like this might now be an annual thing, as they showed The Texas Chain Saw Massacre last year on August 18th. I am not complaining. I will show up any time my favoritest horror film is being shown.

The Descent
Texas Chain Saw Day

One of the things that I found out is that when you go to a Regal/Fangoria Staff Picks movie, you get a movie-specific patch with your ticket. How cool is that?! Apparently they have handed out patches since these screenings started in April. This totally messes with my completionist/collectory brain. Now I need to find the other patches that they have been handing out! Dammit. Ha ha. You can bet that I will be there for that free patch next month when they show The Faculty.
The Descent Regal/Fangoria Staff Picks Patch

The annual record fair (sponsored by Asheville FM) was this past Sunday, and you know that I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to go buy more records. I took $200 cash and only ended up spending about $120. That’s a win in my head. I didn’t go in with any real specific titles that I was looking for, but I managed to find things I had been on the lookout for. In total, I got two albums, three 12″ singles, and nine 7″ singles. The big finds for me were The Sisters of Mercy’s The BBC Sessions 1982-1984 RSD release from a few years ago, Ides of March’s Vehicle single (in its original Warner 7 Arts sleeve!), The Bangles Hazy Shade of Winter single, and Joe Jackson’s You Can’t Get What You Want (Till You Know What You Want) single. SCORE!Record Fair!

Makin’ with an Update

Movie Night!

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We finally made it to the movies last night to see Spider-Man: Brand New Day. It’s a solid entry into the new run of Spider-Man movies. I, for one, am glad they have finally gotten away from using the word “home” in the movie’s title. It was starting to confuse this old man’s brain. Anyhoo. I guess because he’s gotten super ripped, there is a gratuitous amount of Tom Holland shirtless in this movie. David called me a perv when I told him it was my favorite part. Russian bathhouse scene FTW! Ha ha.

Hello, Spider-Man!

Movie Night!

Random Shite [Pride Edition]

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As Steve Miller says, “Time keeps on slippin’!”

Work was so mind-numbing last week that it was hard to focus on actually posting.

I am continuing to stitch and hammock in my spare time. Over the past two weeks, I totally got sidetracked from the current cross-stitch project I am working on. But I seem to have found some renewed steam the past few nights and have gotten going on it again.

In the last few weeks, I have seen four theatrical movies:
– The Furious (A pretty awesome action flick!)
– Disclosure Day (Mid-tier Spielberg.)
– Leviticus (Midgrade gay horror.)
– The Death of Robin Hood (Still don’t know how I feel about this one.)

Tonight, we are off to see Supergirl. Are the misogynists right, or is the movie actually good? We will know shortly!

It’s nearly July, which means the B&N 50% Off Criterion discs started last Friday. I haven’t bought four movies already. Ha ha. Three more releases come out this month that I am going to pick up. Hopefully, I can stop myself there!

Meanwhile …

This past weekend, Waynesville hosted the Haywood County Pride on Main Festival for the third year in a row. Hard to believe my small mountain town has made this happen … and happen for three years! I have marched in the parade every year. It seemed like a duty since I am a homegrown gay. The parade seemed to be a big success. It seemed like we had the biggest turnout for that this year. And it’s always fun to see a sea of rainbows suddenly take over Main Street.

What was not so fun was the sheer amount of vitriol being spread all over Facebook at the mere mention of Pride. The community was called everything from degenerates to pedophiles by the more enlightened (said with sarcasm) members of the community. Some even threatened violence. Sheesh. Thankfully, nothing crazy happened during the parade and festival. But it all just proves that we still have work to do and that Pride celebrations are just as important as ever.

Here are a few pictures of me parading around wearing and carrying Pride flags. You can play “Spot the Fat Boy” with the last photo.

Pride 2026

Random Shite [Pride Edition]

Meanwhile Meanwhile …

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Criterion is going to bankrupt me in October with the release of their The Complete Kubrick box set. Do I have most of these films on Blu-ray or 4K already? Yes. Will I shell out $300 for this at the next B&N 50% Off or Criterion Flash Sale? HELL YES! I haven’t been peddling my ass on OnlyFans for nothing.

Criterion THE COMPLETE KUBRICK
Criterion THE COMPLETE KUBRICK
Criterion THE COMPLETE KUBRICK

THIRTY-DISC 4K UHD + BLU-RAY SPECIAL EDITION COLLECTOR’S SET FEATURES

  • 4K restorations of Kubrick’s thirteen features, including Fear and Desire, and three shorts, with their original soundtracks alongside the 5.1 mixes, restored and remastered
  • Over twenty-five hours of interviews, documentaries, and behind-the-scenes materials
  • Kubrick’s international version of The Shining
  • New 4K restoration of Vivian Kubrick’s behind-the-scenes documentary Making “The Shining”
  • Newly recorded commentary tracks featuring filmmaker Lee Unkrich (editor of the book Stanley Kubrick’s “The Shining”) and author Michael Benson (Space Odyssey: Stanley Kubrick, Arthur C. Clarke, and the Making of a Masterpiece)
  • Rare films from Graphic Films and computer-animation pioneer John Whitney that inspired the special effects in 2001: A Space Odyssey
  • Unseen Lolita screen tests with actors James Mason and Sue Lyon and rare Full Metal Jacket behind-the-scenes footage
  • Newly recorded conversation with novelist Jonathan Lethem and film historian Kevin Wynter on Kubrick and authorship
  • Essay by author and critic Nathaniel Rich
  • Deluxe packaging illustrated with rare photographs, artwork, and documents annotated by Kubrick himself, all housed in a singular box inspired by the director’s legendary archive
  • And much more . . .

*DROOLS!*

Meanwhile Meanwhile …

Hell Has Frozen Over!

Chas.2 Comments

Ken Russell's THE DEVILS

In a development that I NEVER thought I would see happen in my lifetime, Ken Russell’s 1971 shocker The Devils has received a 4K restoration. The director’s cut will premiere at Cannes later this month (!) and is supposed to include the infamous Rape of Christ and Sister Jeanne/femur scenes that have been censored since the film first premiered. Hopefully that means a 4K release on home video sometime thereafter! It would be awesome if there were a theatrical release here in the States as well, but I am not holding my breath on that one.

“The 4K restoration was drawn from the original camera negative by Warner Bros. Post Production Creative Services and Water Tower Color. The restoration is part of the newly launched Warner Bros. Clockwork specialty label, which is dedicated to restoring and releasing classic Warner Bros. films. The restored film, with a runtime of 114 minutes, is set to screen in the Cannes Classics lineup.”

I have had this BFI DVD (Region B locked, of course) of the British “X” theatrical cut for a few years now. It’s been a great way to see this film (albeit censored).

I would argue that any true film fan needs to see The Devils at least once. Even after all these years, this film still manages to be shocking and has absolutely stellar performances by Oliver Reed and Venessa Redgrave.

Hell Has Frozen Over!

Halloween in May!

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Well. Here we are at the start of what is quite possibly the most exciting May for horror fans EVER! At least one major horror film opens almost every weekend this month. AND … three of them are highly anticipated heavy hitters (Hokum, Obsession, and Backrooms). Let’s gooooooooooo!!!

Your May 2026 Horror Movie Schedule:
Hokum (May 1, 2026)
Deep Water (May 1, 2026)
Obsession (May 15, 2026)
Passenger (May 22, 2026)
Corporate Retreat (May 22, 2026)
Backrooms (May 29, 2026)

Halloween in May!