Michael Louis Calvillo Must Be Destroyed

Disposable Teens

Posted in Music, News, Rants, Raves on November 9, 2011 by Michael Louis Calvillo

Like GWAR, SKINNY PUPPY were part of my love for theatrical, art, horror rock. GWAR were the grimy kings of metal, SKINNY PUPPY held down that industrial angle.

I learned about GWAR right out of high school. SKINNY PUPPY took up about two or three years of my teens. I went on this very teenage, high school, drama, gothy, industrial music kick. I loved the stuff. NINE INCH NAILS ruled (still kind of do). Trent Reznor was my idea of supreme awesomeness.

SKINNY PUPPY were nowhere near as melodic. They didn’t produce too many club bangers. They are kind of like industrial-psycho-monster jazz. Some of their atonal aural scapes and sound collages aren’t really music. I always skipped those (or played them in darkened room or something stupid and teenage). I listened to a few of their albums heavily. Cleanse, Fold and Manipulate, Too Dark Park, and Last Rights were all excellent albums. There are a few of those non-songs, but they just add to the ambiance. SKINNY PUPPY are all about ambiance.

(My favorite SP album)

They perform in costume, but unlike GWAR’s sleazy, outer space, scumdogs, SKINNY PUPPY are way dark.

I went to a show at the Hollywood Palladium in ’92 for their Last Rights tour. I was sixteen. It was my second or third concert ever (My first? RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS at the Greek Theater circa Mother’s Milk). It was scary, Loyal Reader. I was too small for the tumult.

(My second favorite SP album)

Before the show, me and my posse (I rolled with like eight others in a mini-van) gathered front and center and nabbed some prime real estate. As showtime got closer the lights went lower. The music on the PA got weird. They played lots of pre-show metal – Danzig and Ministry and the like, but as the show was about to begin, the band worked in part of their act. Those atonal aural soundscapes weren’t so atonal. They still weren’t music, but the electrified the vibe. The crowd began to swell.

Front and center and short is rough. As soon as the crowd began to lean forward, one huge mob of interlocking legs, stumbling and squeezing the hell out of each other, I basically got squished.

Seconds before they hit the stage the music on the PA cut out. The crowd swelled. The lights went out. The crowd went BONKERS.

More of those aural experiments zapped the air like lightning. Things on stage began to light up. A few TV sets played static then images of the grotesque.

Nivek Ogre (Kevin spelled backwards, folks), SKINNY PUPPY’S front man (they were a trio back then – the lineup has changed over the years), stepped from the darkness in the creepiest, full body monster suit I’ve ever seen. It was awesome.

Alas, I was swept about the arena on a tidal wave of wild gesticulation.

My teenage mind had officially been blown.

(Showtime!)

I stuck with them for a couple of years. The last album I tried was 1996’s The Process. They’ve had some stuff since them, but I fell off. The band suffered overdoses and deaths and have regrouped here and there. Last week I picked up their latest, Handover. The jury is still out. I gotta give it a few more listens. So far so good though. Some of it reminds me of their old stuff. One song sounded like Rob Zombie (which is also currently in out Car’s CD changer).

Perhaps it’s time for a Renaissance? Is that gothic, industrial drone compatible with the adult brain or was it merely a phase? Time will tell.

My wife is new to them. She hasn’t gave me her opinion yet, but I think she likes it. I’d ask her, but she’s taking a nap. The woman DOES NOT STOP. It’s finally caught up to her. I’m glad. She’ll get the sleep that she needs and she looks damn adorable sleeping.

Part of SKINNY PUPPY’s (what a lame name though, huh?) appeal is an undercurrent of madness, of dark, romantic madness that gets teenagers all nutzo. I’m too grown for that emo crap, you know?

So then, Loyal Reader, get out there (however you do it) and buy a new album, then listen to it and pick it apart. Blog about it. It’s fun.

Oh, and be sure to include video…

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The Greatest Show On Earth!

Posted in General, Music, News, Raves on November 7, 2011 by Michael Louis Calvillo

I was bummed to hear that GWAR guitarist, Cory Smoot, died a few days back. I don’t know all that much about the men behind the masks, but the guy was only 34 years old and it’s a shame he passed on. Talk about one of the coolest jobs ever.

After a few google searches, I’ve learned that Smoot wasn’t the original Flattus Maximus (the character he played in GWAR), nor will he be the last. Dave Brockie, aka Oderus Urungus, GWAR’S outspoken frontman (and original member since 1984), plans on continuing the tour in Smoot’s memory. The mask angle gives a band like GWAR the anonymity (and longevity) to swap musicians as needed.

(Super badass!)

GWAR is more known for their live shows than their song writing ability, but they have some pretty great songs. I prefer the old stuff – their fun debut HELL-O (1984), and their crowning achievement in terms of concept and musicality, SCUMDOGS OF THE UNIVERSE (1990). The two lively sets are filled with funny, sleazy rockers. They are in regular rotation on my iPod.

Of all the art-rock, punk rock, thrash bands, I’ve got floating around my hard drive, GWAR probably gets the most play.

In any case, those live shows?

Those live shows RAWK and ROLL, Loyal Reader.

I’ve seen GWAR about six times. I’ve stood apart from the action, marveling at the spectacle and I’ve been in the trenches, up to my eyeballs in sweat and food coloring.n

The best shows – the ones spent in the heat of an undulating, pushing, throbbing sea of bodies, crowd surfers above, a tornado of moshers whirling a few feet of flesh away – are near religious experiences. You thrash and dance and squeeze, while the band sprays you down with hoses (and gnarly squirt guns, and, um, phallic cannons).

(The calm before the blood soaked storm)

In the midst of all that sweat and latex and sugar sweet blood, GWAR actually rock pretty damn hard. Each time I’ve seen them they’ve gotten heavier and heavier. I like Death Metal thrash about as much as the next guy, but punk metal is more my cup of tea. Their old stuff had that vibe. Their new stuff grinds, but some of it buries melody with growling instead of singing. Still, they play their cooler songs every show. Most of them have built-in sketches. The GWAR guys seem to delight in performance art. Their shows aren’t just violent trash – the artistry is sublime.

They used to have a fire dancer (according to Wikipedia she’s since left the band) that did an awesome routine to a killer instrumental.

No matter your tastes in music, if the opportunity to go to a GWAR show presents itself you HAVE to go.

Gor-Gor!!!

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Meh Cinema (Let’s Get Together And Watch Paint Dry!)

Posted in Movies, Rants, Raves on November 5, 2011 by Michael Louis Calvillo

Welcome to mediocrity…

I saw two impromptu movies this past week, Loyal Reader. Circumstance pushed us into theaters without much forethought. I love this. Last summer, while trying to get over this damn disease crap (as if I’m battling the common cold or something), we spent a lot of time at home. The money we usually pony up for a nice trip somewhere historical, or tropical, or both, went to easy diversions like movies, and eating out, and the occasional thing.

We saw lots of impromptu movies. We even went to see a movie one fine afternoon and then went to another movie at an entirely different theater in the equally fine evening. The lack of order was very cool. I probably enjoyed certain movies more than I ordinarily would have because of it.

Sitting near my best girl, eating popcorn and Junior Mints, unconcerned about time and responsibility, enveloped by the screen – I can’t think on anything sweeter (I truly can’t).

During the school year, things are quite a bit different. We are superBUSY and we don’t get to the movies as often. We plan. Movies actually mean more because we can’t see them all. We rarely take chances and see things that we might deem as subpar for kicks (like we did ALL summer long). It’s less about the experience and more about the quality of the movie.

Anyway, back on Wednesday, my chemo session (usually six hours of intravenous boredom) got cut short thanks to an extremely uncomfortable allergic reaction (I’ll blog about the drama of it someday). Suddenly, my lovely wife and I found ourselves with a few hours (our kid was at a band event) to kill. Naturally, I brought up the Flickster app on my iPad and we made our way to a showing of PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 3.

Meh.

That’s it.

I’m not mad at the film (unless I really start to think about the films I could have watched in its place – but then, I don’t think anything out there is all that great at the moment anyhow).

It wasn’t bad.

It was…meh.

(An exercise in patience – Junior Mints and popcorn help to pass the time…)

I do dig the way each of the PARANORMAL ACTIVITY sequels slowly (ever so SLOWLY) fills in back story that’s useful to appreciating the film that came before it. I thought part 2 was especially clever, running a story that moved concurrently with part 1’s narrative. I have to give the PA team credit for tweaking conventions and doing things differently than the average cash-grab retread.

Still, PARANORMAL ACTIVITY, no matter the chronology, or the occasional glimmer of inventiveness, is…well…still, PARANORMAL ACTIVITY. It’s still all about watching NOTHING (hoping for something) for about 80 of the film’s 90 minute run time.

Jumping ahead, the end of PA3, like that of PA1 and PA2, is pretty cool. Like part 2, I like what it does for the other films in the series. It’s interesting (I’m a sucker for demons and the like). Unfortunately, it’s not even a little bit scary. I thought the first and second film did a better job with the creepy factor (utilizing typical household creaks, and groans, punctuated by the occasional massive BOOM for effect). PA3 strives to shock, but the overall impact has withered.

(Note: as a self-proclaimed horror aficionado, it takes a lot to scare me, but I am handicapping my review with the average viewer in mind).

I guess the million dollar question here is would I go out and see PA4?

The sad answer (damn you Hollywood and your filthy, money-making tactics) is ABSOLUTELY!

Despite my many, many quibbles, I’ll definitely turn out for another round. The movies have built up a wonderfully macabre mythology around a simple tale of demonic possession. I want to know what happens next, if only for five to ten minutes of screen time thrills.

So then, go see it, or rent it, but remember, my recommendation comes with a giant MEH tacked to its backside.

Oh, also, the second film we stumbled into, PUSS IN BOOTS, got a small mention in my post EMOTIONAL TWISTER. I can probably come up with more to say, but does the picture really warrant a few hundred words about how average it is. Probably not. If you have a kid in the proper demographic, you could do worse.

The weird thing about the PA3 trailer is that it features a number of scenes not in the actual film…

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Emotional Twister

Posted in General, Movies, Music, News on November 3, 2011 by Michael Louis Calvillo

Right hand Sadness. Left hand Tragic. Right foot Cold. Left foot Magic.

Then you topple to the ground in exhaustion.

Yeah, it’s been that kind of day, Loyal Reader. No school. I missed the monkeys. We’re writing a FREEDOM WRITERS essay. I think I’d have rather spent time correcting tenses and spelling things like ‘Coincidence’ or ‘Asparagus’ for four hours than going to a funeral, but we are people of respect and respect we must.

I don’t want to really get into it. He was an incredible guy. He shouldn’t have died. He had way too much to live for and it’s so sad it breaks my heart every time I think about it. Pounding it out, each keystroke jabs. My hands want to type something happy. It’s not happening. Not today.

Well…

I have to look at it the other way around. I am alive. And my family is alive. And we love our lives as much as we love each other and that is enough forever and always.

After the funeral my wife, and my kid, and I drowned our sorrows with sushi (a beef bowl for me – ~~cancer~~ won’t let me have bacteria filled raw fish) followed by some bookstore time, followed by a movie (PUSS IN BOOTS a harmlessly, hardly funny, cutesy diversion), followed by more bookstore time, then a visit to Best Buy for some new music.

Here are our five new albums…

1. Skinny Puppy – Handover
2. Rob Zombie – Icon
3. The Black Keys – Attack & Release
4. Mastadon – The Hunter
5. Kid Cudi – (I forget the title and am too lazy to go to the internet and check. Same for the other bands – you can google them if you like. Anyway, with Kid Cudi, it’s his new one.)

(I’ll give you my opinions on the albums as they come to me)

Oh, and then my wife made the most awesome pasta bake! Yum!

You know, though it never makes a lick of sense, life can be quite awesome.

Good night, Loyal Reader. Be safe and live right.

This silly movie is…meh. All of the best bits are in the much shorter trailer. Watch it instead. You’ll save 10 bucks and 89 minutes.

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The Letter Of Dreams To Come

Posted in General, News on November 2, 2011 by Michael Louis Calvillo

Hey, Man!

Michelle and I want to upgrade my band room. I need some nice, garage band amps that won’t break the bank.

Can I send you a list and you can tell me what sort of deal I can get, or would you rather help select the right set up – you’ll be jamming at least twice a year also! – Halloween, and I think I’m going to start annual summer barbecue jam. Whatever happens, you gotta be a part of the inaugural class!

What I really need is two guitar amps, maybe two 2X12s? I’d like a bluesy, warm clean and then heavy, crunching, screaming distortion, but if not, I can always find a pedal that complements the clean channel enough that switching back and forth will fit perfectly. I’d like two identical guitar amps so the sound and its variable sounds are enough alike to harmonize and create some beautifully in tune music. I also need a bass amp, maybe a 15″ combo amp, or maybe 2X12s as well. Searching, I’m coming up with about 1,000 bucks worth of stuff – the amps I need are about $350 each and the bass amp is about $250 – 350, the higher end prefered.

(Vintage equipment has a great sound, but lacks the digital tricks of its contemporaries)

I’m gonna keep that ROLAND JC 120 Jazz Chorus. It’s not mine to sell (a cool friend lets me use it for as long as I like), but it’s distortion sucks and it has a weird hiss (when I googled this I learned it was how it was supposed to be. Some people actually want that hiss). In any case, it can be a powerful guitar amp, and a real mean contender with it’s deep, clear, fuzzy clean channel paired with a Metal Zone pedal capable of ripping the roof off your garage. Those 2X12s really rock!

Still, the hiss pisses me off.

I found it’s a pretty good PA. I can buy a mixer / head for it, and then run my ancient delay rack mount (which is 1000% fun) through it to clean up that hiss while giving my brand new $50 High / Low impedance mic the stones to run the show. I can finally hear the vocals clean and clear. The mic setup cranks LOTS of volume. We rocked it with most knobs turned to 4. With different effects that number varies. Sometimes you gotta turn it down even lower to avoid feedback, sometimes a delay effect might pull the sound down so low that you have to turn up to compensate. I was tempted to buy a PA and do it right, but this amp is special (it goes for 1K used on ebay! I’m lucky my buddy is so cool. I must honor him by giving it an important place in our little band (It cannot not be played!).

(Like Batman, I like my gadgets high-tech and fun. Line Six’s digital processors offer all sorts of killer sounds! Spice up a solo with some wah and flange and a slight delay – fun!)

Any way, I want to upgrade those three amps and want to do it soon. Maybe we can visit and shop – when you get off work, we’ll eat and then see some UCB.

Between new toys, good friendship, and watching good comedy, I can’t think of a finer night out.

Oh, by the way, this is going up on my blog as a daily post entitled, The Letter Of Dreams To Come. I like to keep a Day In My Everyday Life vibe ’round here. My Loyal Readers like letters and gossip and digging in the dirt. Though, while editing I’ve come to notice that we are boring and pretty gossip free. We like to make fun of folks sometimes (off camera please), but without that Rex Steel causing beef, you’d almost be germ free.

(Click the pic and get in the know. Listen, learn. Rex will be appearing in my rock – rap – festival-on-fire opus, HYPNOTIC. Spittin’ rhymes, cappin’ on fools, swaggering his way through the crowd, when the guns come out Rex is ready to bust a few of these mutant blood freaks’ headz!)

Okay then, what do you think? E-mail me back so we can get this musical transaction underway. Then we need a plan to break it all in…

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(Let’s Go) Walkin’ In The Cold November Rain

Posted in General, Music, Raves on November 1, 2011 by Michael Louis Calvillo

“Everybody needs some time, on their own…”

Damn, Axle Rose was really on his way, huh? In the short time that he and his seminal hard rock band, GUNS ‘N’ ROSES, held it together, he managed to craft a handful of great songs. The aforementioned, November Rain, Patience, Don’t Cry, Sweet Child O’ Mine, and few above average rockers – It’s So Easy, Paradise City – register as classics. They’ll stay relevant forever. You can’t go wrong with good old rock and roll. The sound is somewhat timeless.

(We hate you almost as much as we hate each other.)

But then eccentricities went and sank the band. I figured Rose would emerge as an important solo artist (whatever name he performed under). I figured he’d keep writing and produce some gems in the process. As evidenced by his output, he was really coming into his own with the rock-opera-ballad type stuff. The fire of youth was giving way to some genuinely accomplished songwriting. That he had (still has?) an entire hell of personal demons only helped. Broken love songs eat happy love songs for a midnight snack.

I read Slash’s tell-all (appropriately titled SLASH) over the summer. The guitar virtuoso spent very few pages on Axle, but the little he wrote isn’t pretty. The frontman comes off as moody, withdrawn, excessive, selfish, and very, very high maintainance.

Anyway, this wasn’t supposed to be a post about Axel Rose, Loyal Reader. I just stole one of his song titles to set the mood for this blog. What I really wanted to write about was the turning of the seasons.

(Get over your Blair Witch phobias and enjoy a nice walk in the woods.)

Unfortunately, it’s gone now. The great things I was going to get out have died and disappeared and now I’m whistling (badly) Patience and trying to bring it back. It’s not coming…

Hmmm. What I wanted to say, in an extremely condensed nutshell – is that I love the fall. I love the cool weather and the crisp air. I love pumpkin spice candles and then pine cones and then the New Year’s mix of smoke, champagne, and holiday treats.

Great songwriters have the power to invoke a feeling that invokes memory that fills us with nostalgia. Something like November Rain and my personal favorite, Patience, do just that. They move me much in the same way Billy Corgan’s version of Stevie Nick’s Landslide does.

(Take a quick blog break and get all nostalgic – this song almost makes me wanna cry...)

I know this emotional recall and the power of sentimental songwriting is different for everyone, my selections are not your selections, but whoever you are, it works. Right? It’s a shame Rose went off the deep end at the height of his power. He probably had (still has) a few stunners in him.

So then, there’s a song out there that triggers the floodgates and gets those memories percolating. When the moment strikes, get comfortable, close your eyes, and take the trip – your soul will thank you for it.

If we’re on the same wavelength, well, here you go…

This Is Halloween (Halloween, Halloween)

Posted in General, News on October 31, 2011 by Michael Louis Calvillo

This particular blog post ran as a guest blog on my buddy’s LiveJournal this past Saturday – visit Benjamin Kane Ethridge’s site, Cloth’s Chapel, if you want to see the original (or better yet, visit just to check in on Ben’s work and see what he’s up to).

Okay then, here we go (with fewer typos than ever before) on with the show…

Halloween has always been my favorite holiday. Christmas gave it a good run for a while (back when I was a greedy little kid looking forward to piles and piles of gifts), but as I matured and toys began to mean less and less, Halloween tipped the scales for good.

(I eat Christmas like you for breakfast!)

Don’t get me wrong. Christmas is still great. In my family, our sense of togetherness grows even stronger over the holiday season. It’s tough to top that kind of warmth.

And when it comes to Halloween, there’s still an undercurrent of togetherness – we all enjoy it and we all generally get together – but it feels less…I don’t know…special.

This isn’t a bad thing.

I know, I know…less special would seem to indicate that Halloween is the lesser of the holidays, but that’s not what I’m trying to convey here. Sure, it’s less special in terms of familial bonding, but, at the same time, there’s less pressure to appreciate something as grandiose as our Entire Existence! There’s less weepy reflection. Things are carefree. It’s all about having wicked, good fun.

And special or not, I’m all about having some wicked, good fun. I prefer fun. I’ll smile, and hug, and cry, and love my way through the holiday season (and I’ll age, and put on the pounds, and stress out over what gift to buy for this person or that).

But Halloween?

On Halloween I’ll dress like a freak and party my brains out. It’s like this: if you offer me a greasy piece of cheesy, saucey, pepperoni laden pizza or a healthy meal of turkey and veggies, I’m taking the pizza nine times out of ten. Sorry, Christmas, you’re just too wholesome.

Okay then, how about some handy, dandy, helpful Halloween Do’s and Dont’s?

(The IC watermark stands for – It’s Cool, put me in your blog)

1.DO RESPECT THE YOUNGINS

Halloween is awesome for going nutz. Dressing in costume and getting crazy go together like peanut butter and jelly. But first things first. The kiddies got have their day too. Trick-or-treat as long as you can before you start looking ridiculous. If your fifteen, and tallish, and already growing a goatee, it’s time to give it up.

Don’t worry, you’ll have the chance to trick-or-treat once your kid is old enough to trick-or-treat.

Oh, and give out good candy! None of this pencil or sticker crap.

Also, no bagsnatching or malicious crap. You can scare people if you like. If you take this one seriously, you’ll have some giddy, dumb fun.

So then, if you love trick-or-treating but you’ve surpassed the age limit, either birth, or work your way into some kid’s life, so you can re-experience all of this lovely stuff vicariously.

2.DON’T LISTEN TO CRAPPY HALLOWEEN MUSIC

Where Christmas is big on sentimental schmaltz, Halloween is big on cheesy, kid-jamz, garbage. You can’t go wrong with sound effects and eerie melodies, some classical, maybe even some scary industrial rock, but stay far, far away from goofy drivel like the Monster Mash or The One-Eyed Purple People Eater.

So stupid and corny.

I Put A Spell On You is by far the coolest of the oldies. Screamin’ Jay Hawkins is a Mad Man.

And you definitely gotta listen to Thriller at least once.

(Devil music)

The soundtrack to David Lynch’s LOST HIGHWAY is perfect music for the season. It’s not treacle or silly. It’s serious and unsettling. My wife was playing it in the background while unpacking and my kid (age 16 and not so familiar with David Lynch films or their soundtracks) asked her if it was, “Devil Music.”

Mission accomplished.

3. DO WATCH THE BEST IN HORROR

Steer clear of Lifetime and SyFy. They generally go the dumbbell route.

I always run across HALLOWEEN and I always watch a little. It really is the quintessential Halloween film. It’s unsympathetic and sort of evil – often imitated but never equaled. John Carpenter has never made a finer movie (most of his other stuff – there are a handful of exceptions – IMHO, is kinda weak).

(I’ll be down when I’m ready to come down)

Take in one of the Travel Channel’s haunted destination specials. They usually suck, but they’re fun to watch.

Go see a horror movie at the movies. This season’s offerings aren’t that great, but in the spirit of things, take a chance on PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 3 or THE THING. Their Tomatometers aren’t too bad (PA pulled a 75%). Besides, it doesn’t really matter what you see so long as it is a horror movie. Whether you end up enjoying the movie or not, it’s more about those screaming mimis and talking fools. They add to the ambiance of the performance, giving the movie life.

4.GO SCARY

What are you, ten years old?

No more cutesy costumes. If you’re a kid you got a little more leeway, but as an adult, cute is unacceptable.

No princesses or ballerinas.

(Hello, my pretty)

Sexy girl costumes are embarrassing for everyone. I mean come on, a sexy pirate? Pirates cut your intestines out, steal your loot, and rape your loved ones. I don’t think they have cleavage.

5. THERE ARE HAUNTED MAZES EVERYWHERE!

The latest and greatest in the haunted attraction industry is available somewhere within driving distance of where you are at. So what are you waiting for? You gotta go. First, you support the industry, second, you get a good scare. Everybody wins!

The best mazes get your heart-pumping and your nerves racing and they make for an exhilarating good time.

Happy Halloween, Loyal Reader! Have a great, safe evening!

Crucial Viewing / Halloween Edition / Round 3 – ICHI THE KILLER

Posted in General, Movies, News, Raves on October 30, 2011 by Michael Louis Calvillo

This selection is probably pretty well-known within genre circles. Folks who like the type of movies we like (jacked up freak shows), covet Takashi Miike’s ballastic psycho-drama-thriller-abstract-torture-horror piece, ICHI THE KILLER.

ROUND 1 & 2 (slots three & two respectively) gave Stuart Gordon some well-deserved love. I dig the guy and think the world of his movies. Still, Takashi Miike, takes the perversity of a Gordon film and turns the shock factor up to 11. His film is an easy, numero uno.

If you haven’t seen it, RUN, don’t walk, and grab yourself a copy of ICHI THE KILLER. If you’ve heard of it, but it’s one of those you haven’t gotten around to, make it a point to do so. It really is that good. Remember, halloween is the perfect opportunity to carve out a few hours with a scary movie.

ICHI is based upon a hyperviolent series of comics. It revolves around a crazed, killing machine that can’t help himself from wreaking havoc (brainwashing comes into play). Worse (or best), he’s highly emotional and is likely to cry hysterically after cleaving you in half with a nasty set of boot-knives. The juxtaposition – bloody, chaotic death followed by girly-man crying, sets an interesting tone. And the cryptic ending (no SPOILERS here) is one for the books.

Things get WILD, Loyal Reader. You’ve been warned…

(This dude is CRAZY, but he’s not Ichi. Ichi is a whole other kind of CRAZY!)

Observe, the trailer…

Crucial Viewing / Halloween Edition / Round 2 – KING OF THE ANTS

Posted in General, Movies, News, Raves on October 30, 2011 by Michael Louis Calvillo

If you haven’t all ready read ROUND 1, do so and then head on back. We’ll wait…

Okay? Back?

Let’s dispense with further fanfare and get right to my second pick for some Halloween viewing…

I’m sticking with Stuart Gordon for round 2. I chose his freaky DAGON for third place, and am adding his equally freaky, and much more disturbing, KING OF THE ANTS in at number two.

KING OF THE ANTS is a noirsh thriller, but with Gordon’s perverse touch, it becomes a surreal, brutal horror film. It follows a young laborer who is offered fast cash to perform a quick, clean hit on a local community activist. The kid isn’t any kind of killer and everything that can go wrong does. George Wendt (yes, the dude from CHEERS) does a great job playing a heavy who gives our hero some major hell.

It’s based on a book by English author, Charlie Higson. I’ve never read it, but the film adaptation is something else. Bold, risky, violent, and flat-out nutzo. Highly recommended.

Follow the poster to the trailer…

(Yeah. It’s kind of like this.)

The trailer…

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Crucial Viewing / Halloween Edition / Round 1 – DAGON

Posted in General, Movies, News, Raves on October 30, 2011 by Michael Louis Calvillo

Halloween movie lists always feature the same handful of films. They’re great. HALLOWEEN, THE EVIL DEAD, THE EXORCIST, THE TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE, and on and on and on. As far as horror goes, they’re pretty much the pinnacle. Most of them are my favorites, but there are tons of less popular fright flicks that deserve a spot within the scary canon.

In honor of the fastly approaching big day, I am proud to present three, unique recommendations (spread over three, unique blogs). If you’ve seen the films, great, find something else or watch one of the old standbys, but, if one of my choices has somehow passed you by, be sure to rent it for Halloween and see what you’ve been missing…

I’m a big Stuart Gordon fan. If you’re uncertain, Mr. Gordon is most famous for directing RE-ANIMATOR, a loose HP Lovecraft adaptation, with a wicked sense of humor and plenty of convincing gore gags. It’s as good as you’ve heard if not better (it nears the top spot on my list of all time favorites). The man has made plenty of other movies and though nothing can top RE-ANIMATOR, a few of them come close. Which brings us to my first, off-kilter, atmospheric, seasonal pick…

DAGON!

DAGON is another HP Lovecraft adaptation. Like RE-ANIMATOR it tweaks Lovecraft’s work so much that the only thing recognizable are some basic plot points. Also, like with RE-ANIMATOR, DAGON has a pitch, black streak of humor that off-sets the shocking horror and raises the madcap terror to levels of gleeful terror.

I’m not gonna SPOIL things here. I’m not even gonna break it down or deliver any sort of a review – going in cold, you’ll come out on the other end loving what you’ve experienced. Trust me.

So then, when it comes to old Gods, and demonic rituals, and reluctant heroes, DAGON nails it. Check out the killer poster, then the trailer, then go get yourself a copy!

(Somethin’ fishy is going on in Gordon’s DAGON)