Goodbye, Thank You and a Few Last Things

The Party's Over

Well, this should come as no surprise to anyone. I reach more people on Facebook than Caliban's Revenge ever did. And it's quite obvious from the lack of posts that I have been, let's say "otherwise occupied," of late. My life has changed so very much since I started this blog on July 9th, 2008.

At the time, my intent was document the production process of a play I was directing. It was not only on the main stage of my alma mater, it was also being showcased at the first International Thornton Wilder Society Conference being hosted by said alma mater. The play was The Skin of Our Teeth. My concept was Steampunk and it was awesome, if I do say so myself! Of course, we hadn't even had auditions when I first posted and I needed something to talk about... so I posted about one of my other passions: Movies. Specifically, 10 Fantasy/Horror/Sci-Fi Movies that Need to Be Re-made. Which you can read right here, if you are so inclined. And since I'll be closing out with very same topic, you might be interested to see the differences between the two (several have been or are in the process of being made by now).

As I wrote more and more, reviewing movies; commenting on politics; promoting charities; raging against the machine; promoting LGBT issues or just being silly for the sake of being silly, I poured an awful lot about myself onto these posts. And enough people responded to make it fun. I met the amazing Stephen Rutledge and Stephen Rader (and a few other amazing folks) thanks to this blog. And I have corresponded with folks all over the world, thanks to this blog.  Since I started, I lost my mother and met an extraordinary man who came to me exactly when I needed him the most. The world, to paraphrase Tolkien,'has moved on.' And I, with it.

I hope I have entertained you; made you laugh or made you angry or made you feel anything at all. If I did, then I win! If not, then why did you bother reading? I am still doing lots of writing for myself and J has encouraged me to get back to revising some of my 'almost' screenplays, so I am going to do just that. And who knows? I may be back. I'd love to do a Home Cooking blog. Yes, I know; done to death. But by a gay bear who is REALLY good at it?

Anyway, below is Uncle P's final post on Caliban's Revenge:

10 Sci-fi/Horror/Fantasy Movies that Need to Be Re-Made

10. Something Wicked This Way Comes. Ray Bradbury's amazing novel was done a disservice by the Disney version. The novel was a significant influence on me at a young age and remains one of my all time favorites. It needs to be done right.

 9. Ghost Story. Peter Straub's terrifying novel is given very short shrift in John Irvin's eviscerated film version. A quartet of once-greats can't save this mess, though it did introduce genre favorite Alice Krige to U.S. audiences. A more faithful adaptation of the novel is long overdue, even it means a sprawling 3+ hours run-time. Straub's complex story deserves no less.

 8. Flash Gordon. Yes, I said it! Even the cheesiest of cheese lovers admit how queso this 1980 cult classic is. And trust me, I adore it as much as anyone else, probably even more. It is exactly the kind of movie the word 'Camp" has come to describe and it is it's own perfect thing. But in the character's heyday, Flash Gordon was a serious Sci-Fi Adventure tale and an imaginative, serious  reboot is certainly worth exploring

 7.  Frogs. With James Patterson's "Zoo" taking TV by storm this summer, I MUST talk about this 1972 AIP stinker about animals striking back, if only to prove that everything old is new again. Replace Sam Elliot with Ryan Reynolds; Ray Milland with John Mahoney Joan Van Ark with almost anyone. Seriously.... A doll whose lines are dubbed in by Andie McDowell, even. (Some of you are laughing VERY hard at that joke... I hope).

 6. The Exorcist. Yup. Still on the list. Because I've never found it scary! In fact, the whole 'head-spin' effect is so obvious, I laughed the first time I saw it. That wasn't scripted as a funny moment... I still do not understand the mass hysteria that accompanied the film's initial release. And yes, I understand that one must believe in the devil to be afraid of the devil...  But there are movies that have scared me. This just isn't one.

 5. The Shining. Kubrick was wrong! And while Mick Garris' TV version was closer, neither actually conveys the growing sense of danger and terror as King's prose manages to do. I don't know about you, but I would gladly sit through a 195 minute, R-rated Frank Darabont version!

 4. Mysterious Island. The unofficial sequel to 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, the 1961 film version of  Mysterious Island is set during the U.S. Civil War. It has a terrific Bernard Hermann score and some of Ray Harryhausen's most memorable stop-motion effects. A modern Steampunk version that is more faithful to Jules Verne's novel  could be a hit in the right hands. The 2012 version starring Dwayne Johnson does NOT count.

 3. Demon Seed. Didn't see that one, coming, did you? Dean Koontz (the poor man's Stephen King) wrote the novel about a woman living in a fully computerized house is raped by and gives birth to said computer's hybrid offspring. There is talk of this remake happening. The original is really... odd. 

 2. Logan's Run. I will always push for the movie this dystopian novel deserves. And yes, I am aware of the original's many charms. I still say "Meh." It could (and should) be done better. Persistent rumors of this remake happening make me think it might never be...

 1. The Haunting. The scariest movie ever made was re-made by an action-movie buffoon as one of the most ridiculous movies ever made. Like King Kong, it deserves a remake that respects the original. And I still dare any of you to watch Robert Wise's film alone, with the lights out. You'd wet yourselves, you wimps!

And so ends 7 years of "Opinionated Nonsense." At least on this forum. You can follow and/or friend  me on Facebook. To friend request, please send a Private Message with the phrase "Sea Monster."

Here's the thing:

"Now my charms are all o'erthrown,
what strength I have's mine own,
Which is most faint: now, 'tis true,
I must be here confined by you,
Or sent to Naples. Let me not,
Since I have my dukedom got
And pardon'd the deceiver, dwell
In this bare island by your spell;
But release me from my bands
With the help of your good hands:
Gentle breath of yours my sails
Must fill, or else my project fails,
Which was to please. Now I want
Spirits to enforce, art to enchant,
And my ending is despair,
Unless I be relieved by prayer,
Which pierces so that it assaults
Mercy itself and frees all faults.
As you from crimes would pardon'd be,
Let your indulgence set me free."

No More, anon.
Brian

Time to Say "Goodbye?"

Is it time to pack it in, kids? It's been almost an entire month since I've posted anything. I've gotten so poor, I don't go to the movies even half as much as I used to. The last show I did seems like forever ago, already and I'm battling an early-onset bout of S.A.D. Vegas, while interesting and another city off my Bucket List, wasn't nearly as exciting as I'd hoped (being poor is no fun in Sin City). And Thanksgiving dinner alone in an Italian restaurant -- even if it is one of the best Italian restaurants in town -- is hardly a Holiday meal. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed my trip but I have no need to go back any time soon and I certainly wouldn't go alone, again. Still, it was better than my last Thanksgiving (shh... don't tell Auntie).

Uncle P's life has changed so drastically over the last 14 months... And while the promise of a fulfilling creative venture looms, nothing is set is stone. Everyday seems like a struggle... Oh, don't get me wrong. I'm not going anywhere. There's depressed and then there's depressed. I've been depressed and have no intention of going back there. This is most definitely NOT a suicide post. 

It is, however, about the possibility of ending Caliban's Revenge. That doesn't mean I'll stop using social media. Hardly. I seem to reach way more people on Facebook and Twitter (even though I hardly use Twitter) than I do here. And who's to say I wouldn't start a new blog about something different. Food, maybe. Cooking is one of my other great passions. "Prospero Cooks" That could work. 

Anyway, this is just an end-of-year ramble which may or may not signal the end of The Revenge. We'll see how well I survive the holidays before making any rash decisions. Just know that I am thrilled if you still read me. I'd be more thrilled if you let me know you still read me.

More, anon (at least once more),

Prospero

PS - The trailer for Mad Max: Fury Road is one of the many things that makes me want to live:

BOOM!!!

Ciao.

P

Taking a Break

West and Wewaxation

Uncle P has had a rough year (and an even rougher Fall). Last weekend I broke my toe; caught some sort of bug and then had a very hectic and rather exhausting week at the day-job. I'm tired, folks. So I've decided to take a small break from blogging (since I can't seem to get one anywhere else) for the rest of this year. I'm sure my small band of loyal of loyal readers will understand. That's not to say I won't pop in and rant if I find something that inspires me to do so. I hope I do. I may tweet (@Caliban761) and will certainly be on Facebook. And I will be scheduling a few auto-posts here and there. But I need to give up something for a bit, and right now, it's Caliban's Revenge. 

I want to get through the holidays as painlessly as possible and while I'll be spending most of Christmas week with my amazing sister and the BIL in Florida, I'm still in recovery mode and need some time to get re-energized and re-inspired.

I hope you all have a wonderful holiday season, no matter holidays you do or don't celebrate. Take time for yourselves (and buy something to give yourself for Christmas - a tradition Mom started in our house while I was still in high school). Be good to one another and tell the people you love that you love them, every chance you get. 

See you in 2014.

More, eventually.
Prospero

A Break

So, after almost 5 years of writing Caliban's Revenge, I think I may have run out of things to talk about.

No, not really. But with everything that's been going on these past few weeks (Mom's health; a new relationship; etc.), I think I simply may be just too tired to write about anything.

I'm not going away. I refuse to go away. But I need a little break, I think.

I don't know how long that break will be. A few days? A few weeks? A few months? I have no idea. I just know I need to take a break. My lack of new posts in the past few days is certainly an indicator of my need for a break. 

Hopefully, I'll come back recharged and excited to blog again. Hopefully, I'll have done some work on other, long-gestating writing projects I've been putting off for too long. Hopefully, Army of the Dead will have it's KickStarter page up and running.

I love that you read my nonsense and hope you don't forget about me while I'm gone - no matter how long that is (I'm hoping not very long). Keep watching this space. I WILL be back. I promise.

To hold you over, my favorite new music video, "Head Hung Low" by Father Tiger:

More, eventually.

Brian

I'm Tired

1.47 Million and Counting

1.47 Million?! Holy Cow!

I don't often check my blog stats. I don't really care if people are reading what I have to write. I started Caliban's Revenge as a way to document the process of producing and directing a play. Over time, it's developed into so much more.

It's become my place to vent; reminisce; critique; comment and talk about how I view the world in the so-called "Information Age." And while I may have only 57 'official' followers, I know there are plenty of folks who read these posts regularly, even though they don't 'follow' the blog. And they certainly aren't shy about letting me know they read it, especially on Facebook.

So tonight, wondering if I should talk about the awesome time I had last night (a young friend joined me for his very visit to a gay bar - The Raven Inn in New Hope, PA*) or some other topic, I figured I might as well check my stats. And I was floored by what I found.

In the 4 and half or so years since I started writing Caliban's Revenge, it has been visited over 1.47 million times. Of course, I have no idea how many people have actually read what I'm writing. I have no doubt that some people just Googled some random topic and were led here, only to discover this wasn't what they were looking for. I also have no idea how many people found the blog randomly and liked what they saw and kept coming back (except for those 57 brave souls who publicly admit that they like what I have to say enough to follow me).

My followers (that sounds FOX TV creepy) are horror fans, movie fans, gay folks and a few real-life friends. My readers are from all over the world (in occasionally weird and remote places), though mostly here in the U.S. The vast majority of hits come from Google searches (some of whom are undoubtedly looking for the truly awful thrash-metal song of the same name). While one reader in particular seems bent on posting hateful, homophobic comments (all of which are rejected, so I don't know why this self-hating troll keeps trying) even folks with dissenting opinions have been respectful and polite. 

I have no idea how long Caliban's Revenge will continue. I know plenty of bloggers who have shut down their bogs and/or created new ones. My friend Stephen in Chicago gave up his blog and now exclusively posts on Facebook, while my friend Pax in NJ has turned from Horror to photography. Personally, I plan to stick around for a while. At least until I'm too senile to post things that make sense. Or until my fingers have become too arthritic to type. Or my death. Whichever comes first, I guess.

If you are a follower, I thank you. If you are just a regular reader, I thank you. If you are a friend who reads because you think you have to, I won't be hurt if you don't. If you've stumbled across my nonsense by accident - Welcome! I hope you stay.

Know that I will never stop having opinions about many things; I'll never stop loving movies and horror; I'll always be honest when I write and I'll always try to keep it interesting. 

Thanks for your support. And here's a bit of random nonsense for you:

More, anon.
Prospero

*Bucks County's only gay bar, since The Cartwheel burned down...

I Missed My Anniversary But Not My Birthday!

I can't believe I missed the 4th Anniversary of Caliban's Revenge. It seems like just yesterday. But I suppose that since today is my birthday (yes, I'm a Cancerian, though many astrologers prefer the term "Moon Child") I can add the two together in one post.

And since I have done so before, I'm going to update my first real post "10 Fantasy/Sci-Fi Movies That Should Be Remade:"

10. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. Steampunk is everywhere these days, and what better vehicle to exploit it than Jules Verne's classic novel about a pacifist and his nuclear submarine? Disney's 1954 classic version invented SCUBA (Self Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus) and involves an investigation into narwhal attacks, but ends up releasing the Kraken. Modern effects could make or break a remake.

9. Logan's Run. This one has been kicking around forever. The original is pure cheese, dated and almost silly, though it won an Oscar for Special Effects. I wonder if Farrah Fawcett was one of them... Anyway, it's well overdue for an update that's truer to the source material.

8.The Haunting. Jan de Bont's abysmal remake isn't worth mentioning, though Robert Wise's original 1963 film adaptation of Shirley Jackson's novel remains the scariest movie ever made (I dare you to watch it alone with the lights off). Just imagine what a good director can do with the material today.

7. Something Wicked This Way Comes. Disney's 1983 version misses out on so many of the things that make Ray Bradbury's novel one of my all-time favorites. A better script (even though Bradbury wrote the Disney version), combined with modern FX would make Something Wicked... a true movie event.

6. The Exorcist. Currently playing as minimally staged play, William Peter Blatty's novel about demonic possession was a sensation, as was William Friedkin's movie. Personally, I never thought the movie all that scary (though I suppose belief in such things helps). While Dick Smith's physical makeup FX were state-of-the-art at the time, imagine that spinning head today.

5. The Shining. People who love Stanley Kubrick's version of The Shining have never read Stephen King's brilliant and terrifying novel about a haunted Colorado hotel and the family that spends a winter taking care of it. Give me the money to do so, and I'll make a version that will make you poop your pants!

4. Ghost Story. While I personally don't believe in ghosts, Peter Straub's novel about ancient evil really got to me when I first read it. Imagine my disappointment at the lame, truncated movie version. 

3. The Stranger Within. This ABC TV Movie of the Week featured Barbara Eden ("I Dream of Jeannie") as a woman impregnated with an alien child. For the 70's, it was awesome. I imagine a new version would be even better.

2. Metropolis. Fritz Lang's silent masterpiece about social classes is more relevant today than ever before. A remake would be the ultimate 99% allegory. 

1. The Wizard of Oz. Heresy, you say? Wicked is still a massive Broadway hit and Sam Raimi's Oz, the Great and Powerful looks like it's going to be amazing. With so many remakes of other classics in the pipes, why not remake Hollywood's most famous fantasy? Do you know how many film versions of Alice in Wonderland there are? 

I'll be seeing Chris Nolan's birthday present to me (The Dark Knight Rises) this weekend, but I have to know what movie(s) you would like to see remade.

More, anon.
Prospero

The Gayest Things You'll See This Week (Oprah Winfrey Edition)

Via

Via Buzzfeed, comes an amusing tweet from Barney Effing Stinson himself, Neil Patrick Harris which read in part:

"...Oprah came over to our house today. I made her pizza."

Honestly, who doesn't love NPH and David Burtka? Handsome, talented and successful, the power couple almost inspired yet another label (it may still happen) but I had a few things to talk about tonight, so it all falls under "The Gayest Thing(s)..."

But back to Harris and Burtka (screw Oprah*). Are there possibly two more appropriate role models for LGBT youth? They have great careers, lots of money and two very photogenic twins. They're the Gay American Dream. And yes, I know not every gay person wants that, just as not every straight person wants it. All I ask is to truly have the right to "...life, liberty and pursuit of happiness." I know I read that somewhere... Anyway, I dare you to come up with a single item that speaks ill of either of them. And neither seems to take what they have for granted. They are both loved by fans, colleagues and friends. There is no dish or dirt; not a single negative thing to be found. How refreshing! Personally, I can't wait for Harris to finally host the Oscars.

Mistie Atkinson, 32 (really?)

This next item (via) isn't very gay at all, but it goes a long way to prove that straight people are often far stranger than anyone I've ever met in the LGBT community (and I've met and known some doozies). Mistie Atkinson (well, there's your problem), 32, of Nice in northern California, was arrested for stalking her estranged 16 year-old son on Facebook and then seducing him! The police report states that they both knew they were biologically related, but it doesn't say if they knew there were mother and son. O.M.G.. EWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!!! Excuse me... I have to... BRB...

That's better. One always feels better after one has offered a sacrifice to the porcelain god. Honestly though, I'm kind of glad this involved straight people. Look at David and Neil and then look at Mistie. Who looks happier and more well-adjusted to you? I'm just saying. Mistie has been charged with a variety of sexual assault an incest crimes.

And since this post is just all over the place, anyway, here are two music videos; one old and one new.

New, first:. Here is the latest and very gay video from KINGSHIP, 'Wandering Sailor" (may be NSFW, depending on where you work):

Next is something I've been holding on to for quite a while (and honestly, almost forgot about). It's been a while since I first came across this, so I don't remember if the song is any good or not (almost too tired to care, honestly) and I don't really care. (Update: It's a really awful death-metal thing where the lead "singer'' screams indecipherably with his lips on the microphone). I don't even care about any of the band members' sexuality. I just love that every time some one Googles this song, they get directed to me, first:

Mwahahahahahahahahahahahahaaaa!!! My plan for World Domination is working!

More, anon.

Prospero

P.S. - Can you tell I'm in a mood? And can I get some sharks with friggin' lasers on their heads? Is that too much to ask?

*Just kidding, Ms Winfrey. Uh, I mean... Your Highness, uh...Your Majesty, uh...Great and Powerful (and hopefully non-litigious) Supreme Cheerleader for the World. I really do love you, though I hate to admit it publicly.

P

Dog Tired

Uncle P, If I Were a Dog

Tonight was another long rehearsal. We had a costume parade which lasted about an hour, then started where we left off last night. We got about three-quarters of the way through Act II, and called it a night. 

We have an advantage though -- Thanks to the holiday weekend coming up, there is nothing scheduled in the theatre before we open, so we get an extra 5 days of tech, giving us the luxury of not having to complete a run just yet. And things seem to be finally coming together. I got to see some scenes I am not in and had not seen previously. There's some great stuff going on in them. And the duet with my 'husband' is actually cleaner than I thought it was, even though we haven't run it in a long time (Tom had a shoulder injury and hasn't been able to rehearse for a while). 

I'm finally beginning to see the light at the end of what was a very long tunnel. Maybe now I can get a decent night's sleep.

Don't forget - Caliban's Revenge will feature several guest bloggers next week, many of whom have already submitted some awesome posts. I hope you love these bloggers as much as I do. I consider them my friends, even though I've only actually met a few of them.* And as a special treat, Uncle P's sister will be writing a post of her own. Woo-Hoo!

*And I'll be finally meeting one of them after the Saturday matinee on the 14th.

More, anon.
Prospero

Experimentation in Progress

Not Actually Uncle P

So I started playing with the blog's look today. I am definitely NOT finished. This particular format is much like my original layout, though the colors are more like my most recent. I kind of like the fonts, but the layout and colors are BORING!

I'm going to play around  with it a bit tonight, though I probably won't save anything for a few days, in the hopes that you all tell me you hate this look as much as I do.

Of course, if I do make changes tonight, I'll be sure to up date you on them. I'm doing some creative stretching. I may have mentioned that I need a jump start (or something).

 Ever feel like the world is a very strange and unfamiliar place? One would think that at my age, that wouldn't be an issue. But at times, the world seems completely alien and unreasonably random; an unknowable and illogical place where nothing we do has any meaning at all. I may have mentioned my bout with depression in the 90's and how therapy was the best thing I ever did for myself. This is not that.  This, I think, is simple restlessness. A need for change and hopefully, growth. I'm just starting a little small... "Baby steps!"

More, anon (maybe even more anon than usual)
Prospero

Ch-ch-ch changes...

Time to mix things up a bit around here. You'll notice I 've already changed my profile picture for the second time now. I had a hard time choosing. I almost used the image on your left, but thought that was more like Caliban's profile picture, not Prospero's. I've been holding on to this little guy's picture for a while, waiting for the right piece about Zombies to use it. I don't think I ever will...

Don't worry - I won't be changing much. Maybe the banner. Maybe the font (Uncle P is so old, I first typed "type face" instead of font. Quaint, ain't I?). It'll still be me and my usual nonsense; critiques; opinions; rants and the very occasional insightful commentary on something about which I am particularly passionate. You may hardly notice whatever it is I decide to do. Conversely, it may stick out like an elephant on the blog, which everyone wishes would go away, but won't until we acknowledge its existence. If so, I hope it makes everyone really uncomfortable enough to be forced to speak up and tell me how awful it is. 

I've been in a mood of late and feel many things are due for a change, so why not start with the one thing over which I actually have complete control? To be honest, don't get used to the new pic - it's not exactly what I'm looking for, but certainly as weird and interesting as the first two (though the first one actually was me in a Venetian mask). And somethings may change several times before I decide on which version I like. 

Oh, and yes I watched some of the Emmys, tonight. The two Jimmies rolling around the stage like 10 year-olds was funny. Charlie Sheen was actually and honestly gracious. Winner Juliana Margulies' dress was weird, wasn't it? The opening number stopped being funny long before it ended. Jane Lynch, representin, y'alI! Her 'gay agenda' joke was almost cute... Loved those Best Actress in a Comedy nominees standing tall with Amy Poehler and showing each other love. The singers, while all performers I enjoy, are silly and superfluous. Really, Joel Mchale? I hope to see you taking yourself down on next week's "Soup." Yay, Melissa McCarthy (love her, loathe her show)! Yay, Ty Burrell and Julie Bowen! They are consistently the most hilarious married couple on television.I normally hate the "idiot husband" character, but Burrell is so delightfully good-natured in the role, you can't help but love him. And Bowen has been a fav since her days on "Boston Legal." Halfway through I came in to check mail and Facebook and half-listened to the rest of it. Yawn, "Mad Men." Yay and yawn, "Modern Family!" Is it over now? Yay, it's over!

Keep watching for more changes, and please share your opinions about them. Maybe I'll make a game out of it, somehow. Hmm... 

Remember: Change is inevitable. Change is good. Exact change is better.

More, anon.
Prospero