(The above lyrics from from John Mayer – Slow Dancing In A Burning Room and the image is by Chinese artist Chen Wenling who is to mean: The bull is said to represent Wall Street, while the man pinned to the wall represents jailed financier Bernard Madoff. Honestly I just felt it went well with my following title and follow up. So deal with it!)

Remember When They Tell You To Grab The Bull By The Horns?

I’m pretty sure that’s what happens when you don’t. While I’ve been very productive and busy as of late I can’t help but feel I should be doing even more. I’m not sure what’s gotten into my streak of working on things but it’s a nice change- when I’m able to get work done at least. I have so much in the works with expanding BuyZombie with another site and a few other projects to expand off it.. I never feel like I’m really doing enough. Oh well things are moving forward and that’s really what matters. All of my years of being patient apparently are catching up to me now that I’ve got a few things I really want to do.

So what have I been up to? Well a LOT media related. An early showing and the official Chicago premiere of Zombieland. Early showing of Pandorum. A limited release showing of Paranormal Activity. Launched the Buy Zombie Facebook page. A few steps closer on getting the new BuyZombie site ready to launch. Still suffering from 360 withdraw. A bit of reading. A bit of writing. And more!

Movies
Angels & Demons was my favorite book by Dan Brown. I am fully aware that The Da Vinci Code is considered his masterpiece and is exactly what he is known for. So going by my opinion that makes most people wrong! While The Da Vinci Code goes full on into religion and symbolism we get science added into the mix in Angels & Demons. This extra bit of science as well as a standard human superiority complex makes for a great read and a decent watch. The ‘twist’ I felt was done better in book format though it may have just been spoiled for me in the movie knowing what was to come. If you haven’t read it though I highly suggest renting it. Knowing the end might not make it too high on the list for repeatability, but one showing? Absolutely.

Zombieland. Oh how I do love me some Zombieland. Two showings and I’m STILL not sick of it AND want to continue to hype the movie. So I was able to attend an early showing of Zombieland AND The Chicago Official Premiere of it. In all honestly I’ve been trying to not hype the movie up too much for those who haven’t seen it yet (the majority of the world.) I don’t want people to go in with super high expectation and be let down since I have to admit this is probably the best zombie comedy of all time. Yes I know I’m engaging the current holy grail of zombie comedies – Shawn of the Dead. I felt it was more entertaining, more gore filled, and more creative in every way possible (aside from the lack of Shawn’s weapon of choice.) However the weapons used in Zombieland? How often do you see a piano or banjo used in the slayings of zombies?

I had high hopes for Pandorum to be the next Alien in terms of quality. Maybe Alien is a bad call, too much of a franchise there with giant aliens. Let’s restart that. I had high hopes for Pandorum to be the next Event Horizon or possibly even the movie that rips off of the game Dead Space and does it right. While the movie itself was by no means bad, it wasn’t great. There were a few glaring inconsistencies and plot holes that stuck out like a sore thumb and I had guessed the big twist within moments of where it starts in the movie. Maybe I’m being too critical, I loved the cast and the special effects, it just didn’t win me over. I still say though that whoever invents the razor they have in the movie will become an instant millionaire.

Being able to see the limited release of Paranormal Activity I have to say I was shocked. I had heard a lot about it but when I initially saw previews I was worried it would be it would be a huge Blair Witch ripoff with the whole gimmick of the actors being the ones filming it. So how pleasantly surprised was I when this turned out to be one of the freakiest and surprisingly best haunted house movies I have ever seen? The main 2 characters interacted perfectly and felt ‘real’ in a way the Blair Witch kids never were able to muster and the very low amount of people that made up the supporting cast fit in well to advance the story. This is a movie that will benefit by being watched with other people because the reactions it will get help make every scene that much better.

Last update’s media intake had me watching the last of the Friday the 13′th series. Where could I go from there? Well how about that other 80′s horror franchise that made it big- Nightmare On Elm Street. I watched all 7 of the movies and still have to say I prefer the Elm Street series to Jason. I don’t know if it’s because Freddy has a personality or I can buy into his way of coming back to life but his movies always were just more entertaining. Aside from someone who can kill you in your dreams who can argue how great his glove was. They are rebooting the series this year and as fun as the cheese factor was in some of the movies I hope they keep it dark. I want to see Freddy as evil as possible with his only means of having fun are being mean not slapstick.

With the two franchises completed I knew that meant I had to sit down and watch the one movie that can be considered the worst of both by many- Freddy V Jason. What should have been the epic showdown between the two franchises ended up being panned by many. You know what though? It really wasn’t nearly as bad as I remember it. The concept was sound if they hadn’t painfully over explained it at the beginning of the movie and some of the fight scenes between the two really were just creative. Going all out in both dreams and in the real world. While the ending could have been slightly different (Freddy’s head winking and smiling was idiotic) most of what lead up to it actually fit. Also every time Jason took one of Freddy’s attempted kills just put a smirk on my face. Not as great as it could have been but much better from when I first watched it.

TV
Since my last update had me done with all but the season finale yes, I have finished watching True Blood Season 2. It was able to neatly tie up the major plot lines for the current season while opening it up to launch season 3. I do have to admit though the scene with Sam’s character at the end felt stretched out on where they plan to go with him next season. It really could have been cut a bit shorter and not feel so long and.. well let’s be honest boring. The cliffhanger that comes from the very end of the season? Priceless. I really thought that was a great way for them to leave it off and it should be interesting where they take it from here.

Of course that’s not all I’m ever up to when it comes to TV. It’s a whole new season! Well seasons of: Sons of Anarchy Season, House, and Dexter. All of these started off strong. While House’s first episode didn’t have that much of a cliffhanger the other two did and all 3 shows really seem to have the formula down so far.

Books
The Likeness is the follow up to Tana French’s In The Woods which I had read last update. She has an interesting way to make sequels by having the follow up novel focus on a different character aside from the main one. From what I’ve read this is a trend she is going to continue in her next novel as well. Murder mysteries with unique plots or at least plot advancements is what Tana seems to be about and it works. So far she’s at 2 for 2 on a well written book going in a direction I didn’t really expect. This one follows Cassie, the spitfire partner of the main character from the first novel whose apparently lost her nerve after the last case. When she agrees to go undercover on a case that has to deal with identify theft she will have to do so quickly as the identity that was stolen was an undercover one she made by someone who is her physical twin.

Michael Crichton’ Prey deals with nanotechnology in a way that shows how if created wrong it could leave to a new form of life, and the end of ours. While most of the novel is character driven he does lay down a lot of ideas that either are in place now or are being worked on. What happens when a company wants to create something so new and groundbreaking that they don’t want to test it just in a save environment? What about when what they are testing has been created to adapt, reproduce, and learn?

Games
So if you don’t really follow my blog you may not know this but recently my X-Box 360 died, you can read it’s obituary here. Fortunately 2009 is an amazing time to live in. Magical things can happen from modern science! Much like zombies, 360′s can be brought back to life! It’s only a matter of time before my 360 is back in my room, wasting my time, MAKING me play video games. Oh how I miss my 360… my precious. However the one red ring that rules them all has deemed I can’t have my 360 for now and honestly as long as I can keep up being productive- who am I to complain?

Zombieland’s Official Chicago Premiere (Wait.. didn’t I already see this in Chicago?)

While I’ve already seen Zombieland and loved every moment of it- I could hardly pass up a free invite to the OFFICIAL Chicago premiere from Horror Society now could I? Specially since I did love it

Now for an official premiere that would have both Woody Harrelson and Jesse Eisenberg in attendance I could not exactly attend without arm candy so made sure to invite Leah along. Arm candy and someone who would also love the movie? Perfect combination. Ended up seeing, though not having much of a chance to talk to; Bryan, Rick, Erin, and Rus. Dano was also in line but wasn’t able to get in.

Before the movie I had to check out the undead horde. They were all waiting in line to walk the red carpet with Woody and Jesse and as you can see were clearly behaving themselves.

Before the movie itself there was a little pre-speech from Woody and Jesse. Woody held most of the lead on the conversation and apologized profusely to the zombies attending in the audience that everything which they were about to see was done while he was in character. He almost looked a little worried, though I’m sure anyone would be worried if one of the people introducing you was Kitty Zombie.

I’ll be honest Zombieland the second time around? Just as good as the first, with the added bonus that I was actually surrounded by the undead! The rules, the zombie kills, the celebrity guest appearance I try not to say out lout for the few who may not yet know who it is. Everything just flows together into an entertaining zombie flick. What really impresses me is that they are able to do so much with such a small cast. The majority of the ‘supporting actors’ are either the undead or on screen for a single scene for about a minute. Zombieland is really a must see film for zombie, horror comedy, or action comedy fans out there. So a good night was had that really had everything. Including another look at that wonderful zombie clown on the big screen.

1 Week And Counting!

My 360′s Death has been greatly exaggerated. So on that note, with the 360′s status finally being ‘repaired’ it is only a matter of time before I will see it back sitting in my bedroom. Sitting there and killing my free time on a daily basis with video games sucking away my productivity at night. On occasion I wonder if it might not be better to have my play time permanently cut back. My ability to get anything done skyrockets when I have less distractions sucking away my will to get projects done. This is probably proven by finally getting BuyZombie’s Facebook page up and running.

Maybe I should not hope they rush through getting it fixed. Spend some time being productive, getting ready for unknown potential move, etc. (This sounds like a solid idea, until Modern Warfare 2 hits in November of course…)

…Never Sleep Again

Just past midnight so it’s perfect timing for the trailer to hit as I’m part way through re-watching the Nightmare on Elm Street series right now and nothing can be more fitting than having this hit the Internet right as I finish NOES 6 and am getting ready to pass out. Freddy has always had a special place in my horror memories as he’s one of the few creatures you just can’t easily escape. In all honestly while other villains, monster, whatever may be difficult to kill or come back to life- Freddy comes at you while you sleep. He uses your dreams against you and is already dead so isn’t a being that you can just go out and try to easily find a way to kill. This new trailer has a montage of classic scenes being recreated and a few new ones to be shown off. I really want this movie to do good as it’s a franchise that when done right has one of the best scare factors you can put in place.

Please don’t go the cheese route that some of the original Nightmare On Elm Street movies went with. Please. That’s all I ask you. Be dark, be scary, be about how evil Freddy is supposed to be.

(Edit: Replaced that horribly slowing MySpace trailer with one from YouTube.)

Bringing BuyZombie A Little Further Into 2009

Well social networking, unintentionally, has brought BuyZombie to have the readership levels it currently has! With BuyZombie’s Twitter Page allowing me to both get a huge pile of stable readers, friends, and contacts in the horror industry it was only a matter of time before it was time to expand! While there isn’t too much more that can be done with BuyZombie as my plan is soon to expand with another site I figured Facebook was too much of necessity these days to pass up! (No one is going to argue that there are more Facebook users than Twitter users..)

So if you want to follow BuyZombie on Facebook, check out BuyZombie’s Official Facebook Page!

This Week’s Top 5 Blog Posts

So I’m sitting at work this week 3/4th asleep having just done a quick post here and a completely half assed post over at BuyZombie and it hits me- I didn’t do any research last night for the Friday 5 since I was out seeing movies. Such a travesty cannot be overlooked as at least a couple (literally that’s it.. 2) people have told me they enjoy these so at least for now I’ll keep it up!

1. EXCLUSIVE: B-Sol/BJ-C “DVD Commentary” for FIDO! by: Brian Solomon and Brittney-Jade Colangelo.
Last week Brian did a horror debate with Brad McHargue and with how well that went over was there any doubt I wouldn’t include a follow up with commentary by Brian and Brittney on one of my favorite humor filled zombie flicks? Surely there was no doubt that this one would make my list! So buffer this up or download it and load up your copy of Fido for an entertaining viewing!

2. The Freddy Candy Bowl & Musical Jason Heads by: John Squires.
John shows off a couple recent finds that should be hits with any lovers of the 2 major 80′s horror franchises at K-Mart of all places. A quick run down of both a Freddy and Jason themed Halloween ‘accessory’ to have around the place with videos. If your a fan of either you should at least get a smile on your face when seeing these.

3. Super Fly by: Jeff Allard.
The title post of this brings thought of either a fly with a cape or an 80′s exploitation films. While sadly it’s not about either of these random thought it is a post to tell us what we can expect from a remake of The Fly. Yes I know your thinking to yourself another remake? How can a post about a remake get to the top of my Friday 5? Well for starters Cronenberg will be doing it again. Yes the man himself will be redoing his own movie and how can you not get your hopes up on that? Fun little commentary on the idea by Jeff and worth a quick read.

4. The 2009 Hot Zombie Awards for Excellence in Horror Blogging by: Pax Romano.
Pax Romano has decided to give out awards! Not just any awards but Hot Zombie Awards for a few horror bloggers! It’s a fun list, with fun awards, and mainly going to writers I read on a regular basis. Another good one for a quick laugh.

5. Deadgirl: confirmation adolescent boys are inherently evil. by: Ms. Harker.
Can’t I just say to read the title of the article? Doesn’t that do it for you? No? OK fine all in all the review itself really sums up how I felt about the movie and this gets bonus kudos for mentioning the soundtrack. If it weren’t for how the soundtrack fit into every scene so perfectly and in unexpected ways I don’t think I would have been nearly as enthralled by it.

Night Of The Living Screeners!

The night started with meeting up with Dano to check out the early showing of Pandorum at AMC. With Alien, Aliens, and Event Horizon being 3 of my favorite movies of all time I’m kind of a science fiction horror movie junkie. On top of that I found out about Pandorum shortly after beating Dead Space so the thought of a dark, suspenseful, semi-psychological thriller had me nothing but excited. All of this lead up to a movie that, while entertaining, had a few painful plot holes and inconsistencies that hurt it. I’m not saying it was a bad movie as it was entertaining and I’d be the first to gladly rip holes in something I disliked it just didn’t live up to my expectations. If it didn’t slow down for a bit in the middle I probably could have overlooked any of the issues I had but unfortunately it wasn’t able to keep the pace up long enough.

After Pandorum, Dano and I raced over to Music Box to check out Paranormal Activity which currently still isn’t set to have a wide release- and it should. We got there and the line was already wrapped around the building, with over 2000 people having signed up for the free screening and only 750 seats availble it was really a good thing I knew a few people near the front of the line. Was able to meet up with Rick, Bryan, as well as Mitch and Kristin from Horror Society. I went in expecting your standard ghost haunting movie and for the first 3/4ths of the movie that’s what it was (with real character development that you can associate with! This was actually a great sell for me since the characters felt real over most haunting movies.) The last 1/4th? Nonstop greatness. I can’t stress enough how well this movie was put together. Being a haunting movie anything said is a spoiler if you plan to see it so I will leave it as the best ghost related movie I’ve seen in years. If you want to check it out I highly suggest seeing if there are any more showings near you (and you can also request that there by one) over at Paranormal Activity’s Official Site.

…and I realized there really are a lot of known actors who start off in horror.

Nightmare On Elm Street launched Johnny Depp’s career. That’s a pretty bold statement to make about an A list actor but it was the firm movie he starred in and is unarguably one of the classic horror movies from the 80′s. I never really thought about it before but I had put it on as background noise while working on something else and she came over and saw him on screen. While it’s common knowledge to most horror fanatics- she doesn’t watch horror. Yes the cousin I hang out with the most does not watch horror and had no idea Depp was in a horror movie, let alone for his first roll.

This is actually a pretty high trend when you think about it. Jamie Lee Curtis in Halloween? Sure she had a few roles on TV before it but that was her break into movies. These aren’t the only two and many actors have either gotten a boost in rolls or broken into the movies after being in a horror film. Just an interesting thought. Good horror movies bring us good actors. Therefor we need studios to finance more good horror movies.

“Enjoy The Little Things”

My cousin Molly was able to procure us a couple of tickets for seeing Zombieland last night and I can honestly say I had a blast. It felt like one of the classic action comedy movies out there that just worked- with zombies. This is so far one of, if not my favorite movie of the summer. I really can’t complain about a single portion of the movie aside from the fact that it had to end and knowing Hollywood there won’t be a sequel, at least not with the same director and cast. This is one of those movies that should easily have a couple made. A franchise would probably ruin it but I’d be game for a sequel… possibly even a trilogy (though we do know how those tend to end up.) If your interested in reading my full review head over to BuyZombie.

Moving Soon = There Isn’t Enough Time In The Day!

(The above lyrics are from Fall Out Band – Chicago Is So Two Years Ago, honestly yes I used a Fall Out Boy quote. Hate me as much as needed. The image is from LOLCats. No LOLCats were harmed in the writing of this post.)

Well It’s official- the condo is up for sale and even if it doesn’t sell will be up for rent shortly after so my ass needs to quite quickly start searching for a new place to live. It’s still up in the air of Neil is staying in the city or heading out to the ‘burbs but if he doesn’t decide soon I’m pretty sure I’m going the solo route when I find a new place. The Box Kitten in charge of all things related to moving is entertained by my predicament of having to move so soon!

While on the one side having a roommate has the benefits of a nicer place, less chores, and less procuring food (it does help that Neil and I get along,) the flip side is privacy, not having to worry about inviting company over, and losing the last part of me being lazy and having to rely on others. I was kind of hoping to get to put this decision off a bit longer (and still may) though I don’t think I really have much time to wait on making a decision.

So where do I plan on moving? Clearly I plan on remaining in Chicago. While I’m primarily still looking into the South Loop area there’s only so many places that may fit in my budget without downgrading to a Studio apartment. It’s been suggested by one of the few people whose advise I will let myself listen to semi-consistently that I check out the west loop for being able to find what I’m looking for and more in my price range. We’ll see. It doesn’t help that I’ve also made a list of everything I will need to buy when I move out. Gah!