A Very Gay Olympics Quickie

While the competitions officially start tomorrow night, the Opening Ceremonies of the 2014 Winter Olympics aren't for two more days. 

First, I have to ask if anyone is really all that surprised by the two major stories trending on the web, right now? First, are the hilarious horror stories being tweeted from journalists about their unfinished; easily broken; water tainted; heatless accommodations. And I thought I had a bad hotel experience in Chicago, last summer! Of course, foreign war correspondents are understandibly less than sympathetic...

Then there's NBC's story about the prolific electronics hacking taking place among the tourists pouring in from all over:

Oh, dear. Not that I would have gone, but I somehow feel better knowing there is nothing on my phone I wouldn't be willing to share with my 85 year old great aunt. I don't use my smartphone for much more than pictures, calls and texts (and the occasional GPS) and have no fear of my personal and/or financial information being stolen from it.

Listen, I get it. The Olympics are the Oscars for athletes. The winners' names will be recorded for the remainder of Human History (forget about eternity... humans will most likely be extinct long before our sun goes supernova). The participants spend lifetimes preparing to compete and no one should be denied the right to do so. But no one should be afraid to be arrested, beaten or worse, just for being who they are. Thankfully, this video from the Canadian diversity group CIDI ICDI isn't about to let the Russians off the hook quite so easily (via):

As George Takei might say..."Oh, myyyyy!"

I will not be watching the Winter Olympics this year. Not that I would normally, though I occasionally stop while clicking through channels to see the medal count or watch some figure skating (I am so effing gay, I almost can't stand it). This time, though, I think it would feel... icky, to watch, knowing how bad things are for LGBT Russians. It makes me sad that what should be a Celebration of World Unity has instead become a lesson in homophobia, incompetence and an egotistical Tsarist's whims. Personally, I'd be happy to never see Putin's nipples again, for as long as I live.

More, anon.
Prospero

Flush that Potty Mouth!

Ghostly Graffiti in Grave Encounters

Last year I posted about the trailer for Grave Encounters, an independent horror movie about the crew of a paranormal investigative TV show who find themselves trapped inside an abandoned asylum which is not only actually haunted, but may be rife with demonic forces. I finally caught it last night on cable and thought I'd share a few thoughts about it with you.

A 'found footage' movie in the style of The Blair Witch Project and Paranormal Activity, Grave Encounters has some truly intense moments and a couple of great jolts (a moment that truly got me involved images similar to one of the most terrifying nightmares I've ever had). The cast of Canadian unknowns does alright and the atmospheric sets are downright creepy. And like any decent haunted house movie, it's most effective moments are when we can't see what's happening and are left to imagine it for ourselves. All in all, Grave Encounters is a fun and effective horror movie that I almost really enjoyed. 

Almost? Yes, almost. And I'll tell you why - nearly every other word in the movie was "F#@%!" Now, I'm no prude. I have no problem with profanity and have been known to use some very colorful combinations of it (especially when a rude and dangerous driver pulls some idiotic stunt in front of me) and have even included the F-bomb in my own screenplays. It wasn't that someone used the word. It was that everyone used the word, constantly. It got to the point where I literally wished I could have reached into the screen and washed the actors' mouths out with soap. The movie was written and directed by first-time filmmakers, the Vicious Brothers but I don't know whether the script was that profane or the actors improvised all of that swearing. In either case, it nearly ruined what would have been a perfectly fine movie experience. the brothers have written a sequel which is scheduled for an October release in Canada. I hope they toned the swearing down for it. Of course, the actors could have just been swearing about being Canadian (love you Joyce and Mark!). 

 More, anon.
Prospero