Meg's Dad Rocks!

My very sweet friend Megan is coming down from Connecticut next Sunday to see Sordid Lives and have lunch and a visit with me. I'm very excited to see her, as it's been at least a year, though we send one another silly emails and links to pictures of hot boys like a couple of adolescent girls (she just turned 30 and I, as you know, am older than dirt). She's staying overnight at another friend's close by, making the most of her time in NJ.

Anyway, she and I were IMing earlier this evening and she mentioned her Dad had a blog. Now, she had told me before that he was doing a big charity cross-country motorcycle trip, but I forgot about the blog. I immediately visited it and was most pleasantly surprised. It's best to explain in his own words:

This is the beginning of an adventure. I am planning a cross country trip by motorcycle in the spring of 2010. Sharing that adventure with others is one of the goals.

In 2009, I have been concentrating on the trip planning and riding my 2008 Honda Shadow Spirit 750. As a senior, one of my concerns was how many miles could I travel in comfort considering the changeable weather and traffic conditions. So far I have done well, logging three trips of 650 miles, 210 miles and 500 miles. With this experience, I know my limits and can more realistically plan for the trip. Particularly helpful in the trip planning was the website Motorcycle Touring for Beginners at http://tinyurl.com/ybvlhdr

Cheers,
Free Spirit

As far as I can tell, that is the only time he signs an entry. The pictures are often breathtaking and "Free Spirit's" writing is funny, poignant, instructional and inspirational. I'm now following Free Spirit at his blog, Coast to Coast and highly recommend his very well-written travelogue. You can also link to Coast to Coast from my blog list on the lower left side of this page. Meg's dad is currently in Utah, which means his trip is almost over, but you can (and should) start at the beginning.

I'll be posting on the ZZone tomorrow (though not next Saturday, the 26th) and I'll be back here Sunday, but I wouldn't expect a whole lot more until after Sordid Lives closes on the 27th (unless the JTMF YouTube vid is ever finished...). See? Now you know I'm tired when I get really bitchy. I'm sorry. The man is doing us a favor... When the clip is finally online (dear Lord, please by tomorrow), I will post it here; on the JTMF blog; the JTMF Facebook page and my Facebook page. I am excited to see it, especially after seeing the same videographer's final edit of Psycho Beach Party. You'll know as soon as I do.

More, eventually.
Prospero

International House of Horrors

Mmmmm... unexplained Halloween pancakes!

This post is actually about foreign films. Or, more explicitly, foreign Horror movies. Hence, the "International" which led to the bad pun, which resulted in a picture of a rather skillfully poured skull and jack-o-lantern pancakes, even though this post has has nothing to do with Halloween.

See, that rambling nonsense above is either my own pathetic attempt at Stream-of-Consciousness; an excuse to post a seemingly random picture which has no significance other than as a very bad pun; or proof that I got the keys from the night guard after I slipped a week's worth of my sedatives into his coffee all those years ago... Huh? What? Oh... sorry.

Anyway, I've been coming across more and more clips and trailers for Horror from Europe, Asia and elsewhere that looks as intriguing as (and often more original and interesting than) almost anything Americans are making (Sam Raimi or Michael Dougherty, not withstanding). This post started thanks to a link sent to me by my buddy Sean down in D.C. of a short French horror film (which you can see as the Zombie Clip of the Week on this week's Zombie Zone). So I'd like to share some trailers you may or may not have seen, for movies of which you may or may not have heard.

First up, from France is la Horde, a movie I know I've mentioned at least once. This Tarantino-inspired movie starts out as what looks like a bad-ass caper movie and quickly degenerates into a bad-ass zombie movie. Check it out:

Damn! It's Die Hard or Live Dead!* Dawn of the Living Dead Dozen? Zombie Fiction? Okay, I'll stop. It sort of looks awesome, doesn't it? No word on a U.S. release...

i09 linked to this haunting post-apocalyptic gem from Israeli film student Dan Sachar. When It Will Be Silent is both achingly beautiful and heart-breaking. I can't wait to see what he does with a budget.

When it Will Be Silent (כשיהיה דומם) from Dan Sachar on Vimeo.

Mutants is yet another French zombie flick that hasn't seen U.S. release, which makes me sad because this trailer makes Mutants look awesome, as well. There are no subtitles here, but you really don't need them. You know the drill, by now.



Yikes!

Spanish director Juame Balaguero picks up where his original left off in [Rec]2, as a tactical team enters the building to take on the rabid zombies inside:



The sequel to Quarantine, the serviceable American remake of [Rec], is going in a different direction, taking place at an airport, I believe I read.

Here's a film about which I know nothing, but looks slick as all get out. The trailer for Thai horror film 9 Wat (Secret Sunday) has an almost Lynch-like vibe to it, contrasting and combining the mundane with the surreal most effectively:

Literally translated, "9 Wat" is "9 Temples" in English, so I really don't understand why the American title is Secret Sunday. Did the distributors think Americans are so stupid we would think 9 Temples was a religious picture?

Of course, it goes the other way around, and we will soon have the American version of 2008's Best Horror Movie. Let Me In stars Chloe Moretz (Kick-Ass); Richard Jenkins (The Visitor; "Six Feet Under") and the curiously hot Elias Koteas (Shutter Island; The Thin Red Line). Directed by Matt Reeves (Cloverfield), Let Me In has the challenge of translating a very effective Norwegian horror film into very effective American horror film. If Moretz is as good as she was in Kick-Ass, then I have hope. Here's the trailer for the original:

Interestingly, the newly revived British House of Horror, Hammer, is listed as the film's distributor, so it may be just a little less American than we thought...

I'm sure there are plenty more, and I'll report the ones that look interesting to me (as if you care what interests me - honestly, the gall of us bloggers to assume you actually care about our opinions). I think I'm overdue for a Forgotten Gems tomorrow night, on a film I came across while researching this post (yes, believe it or not, I do research stuff before talking about it).

More, anon.
Prospero

* I hereby claim that title now and forever, by the way... I can see Bruce Willis taking on a horde of hungry zombie gang-members now...

Oh, and by the way... Hogjaw.

Gone Giftin'

Just a quick post tonight to wish each and everyone of you the best this Holiday Season. For me, all holidays are secular. I suppose I celebrate the season more as an ancient pagan might; feasting and sharing and glad for the passing of another year above ground. (Too dark? Sorry). And yes, we should celebrate those things every day, but its nice to have a special time set aside for doing extra.

We share our bounty with family, friends and those less fortunate. We eat differently; we get secretive and excited; we wrap gifts in paper to heighten the suspense and take special delight when a gift hits the recipient's mark (or when a giver hits yours). We hug and kiss and carry on; we drink more alcohol and eat more sugar and regret it two weeks after its all over. We spend too much; we stress too much; we run around too much and we put so much pressure on ourselves to have a "perfect" holiday. The best holidays I can remember were always about who I was with, rather what was going on around us or what presents were exchanged.

If you are reading this post, then you are hopefully taking a break from Holiday Madness in search of some insight (or at least a chuckle). Or maybe you're hoping for one of my occasional links to some half-naked hottie or a YouTube clip:

And ha-ha if you clicked that half-naked hottie link.

I'll be back on the Zombie Zone this Saturday (and you should check it to see my favorite Christmas gift so far, from the same kindred spirit who made my "Princess Unicorn" doll last year) and then again with my review (finally) of Avatar Sunday night or early Monday morning.

Eat well, give wisely and spend time with those you love this weekend. Uncle Prospero * certainly plans to do so, and strongly suggests you follow his advice. We wouldn't want this happening, would we?:

Peace on Earth; Joy to the World; Shalom; Namaste; Peace; Flowers; Beads; Happiness. Hare-hare, Rama-rama; Shama-lama-ding-dong.

Oh, and one more thing:



More, not-quite-as-usually anon.
Prospero

PS - Ha-ha if you didn't click on the second half-naked hottie link. Merry X-Mas, Yo.

*Bonus points to the first person who identifies that image.