Men Working

Hello everyone.  I just wanted to drop a line and let you know that I have taken a break from blogging for awhile to concentrate on other things in my and our (Warren and I) lives.  As you know Warren stepped away from writing a daily blog and is posting various pictures each day, pictures that catch his eye for one reason or another.  Sometimes it’s difficult to think of things to say each and every single day, so Warren is taking a break to rest his brain and concentrate on himself for once!

As for me, well I have started a second job.  Yes, my full-time job was cut back and I’m now working only 32 hours or 4 days per week.  So, in order to pay my bills and have money for myself and for Warren and I to take some trips this summer and fall, I found a second job which I began a couple of weeks ago.  In addition, I decided to play softball again this summer so have been practicing on Wednesday nights, and starting next week, will be playing games on both Tuesday and Wednesday evenings.  Another important addition to my “all of a sudden very busy life” was that I decided to start writing my screenplay/script.  This is something that I have been thinking about and wanting to do for some time now, and have decided it’s about time to start before I get too old!!   My film will be of the horror genre (my personal favorite) and will focus on my favorite group of supernatural creatures…VAMPIRES!

Because of all of the new things in my life, I don’t have much time to sit down and write blog entries, but hope to start doing so again very soon.  Yes, Warren and I continue to see at least one movie each week, and last week we saw both “Obsessed” and “State Of Play” – good films that we both enjoyed very much and would recommend as must see.  This coming weekend we are looking forward to the Robert Downey Jr. and Jamie Foxx film, “The Soloist”.

Please continue to check out Warren’s picture blog “The View On Superior” and stop by and check on me from time to time to see if I am back and running.  We hope to see and talk to you all again soon.

All the best,

Steve

I Love The 80’s

Hello again!  Yes, it’s true, I’m a child of the 80’s.  I grew up during the best era in history…at least in my opinion.

Obviously, I’m a huge movie buff, but also really into music as well.  My favorite movies, my favorite music, and even my favorite clothing is from…you guessed it…the 80’s!  Some of my favorite films include: “The Lost Boys”, “Fast Times At Ridgemont High”, “Sixteen Candles”, “St. Elmo’s Fire”, “The Breakfast Club” and they are all from the 80’s era.  My favorite music is “hair metal” which is a product of the 1980’s.  I have attended hundreds of concerts over the years, while last summer taking part in Rocklahoma in Pryor, Oklahoma.  Warren and I took an extended road trip and watched and listened to many of my favorite bands from the 80’s including: Warrant, Poison, Firehouse, Ratt, Faster Pussycat, Kix and many, many more.  What a great week of music that was, and a lifetime of memories on that trip.  Oh, and who can forgot the fashion from the 80’s; torn jeans, zippered jackets, rock-n-roll t-shirts, and spandex!!!  No, I didn’t own any spandex, but it is truly fun isn’t it.

What I love to see is when the movies, music and even fashion trends from the 80’s era comes thru today.  I love seeing the horror movie remakes, with many coming out over the past year (i.s My Bloody Valentine, Friday The 13th, Halloween, etc) and many more coming soon.  Even the music comes back with many of the hit songs getting re-made, and re-visited by artists of today.  Fashion comes and goes, but torn jeans are back…and have been for awhile, and I enjoy wearing my pair each time I go out on the town.  I feel great in them, and pair the jeans up with my “Ratt” or “Poison” t-shirt and I’m ready to do.  But nothing can compare to the era itself, what a great time I had growing up.

Last Saturday, Warren and I had the opportunity to go to the theater and check out a new film entitled “Adventureland” which was set in the 1980’s.  It included a soundtrack packed full of 80’s hits, and even some of the fashions were on display throughout the movie.  It was a great story, one of youth and of growing up – including the partying; who could forget that!

Here’s a quick look at the plot of the movie…

It’s the summer of 1987, and James Brennan has just graduated from Oberlin College. James is all set to embark on his dream tour of Europe when his parents suddenly announce that they won’t be able to subsidize the trip. Forced to take a job at Adventureland, a local amusement park, after being turned down everywhere else, now the only things James has to look forward to are sugar-fueled children, belligerent dads, and an endless parade of giant stuffed animals. When James strikes up a relationship with captivating co-worker Em Lewin, however, he finally starts to loosen up. Suddenly, the worst summer ever doesn’t seem quite as bad.

Steve says…on “Adventureland”: An excellent film, truly one that I was excited to see because of it’s focus on my favorite era, the 1980’s.  The story was cute, and fun.  I truly enjoy teenage comedies, and coming of age stories such as this.  I laughed throughout the film, and also got caught up in the emotional aspects of the story.  I would recommend this movie to all fans of the 80’s, and all those who love a light-hearted comedy.  I rate this movie 4 out of 5 stars.

Warren says…on “Adventureland”: Adventureland was a pretty good movie, and one I know my partner Steve really enjoyed – being an 80’s movie guy. It was a nice surprise. It wasn’t as funny as I thought it was going to be going into it, but the story but the characters make up for that. For a light humored comedy, I’d recommend this movie – as one to go and see with you and your friends … if your a younger guy who like some light hearted comedy.  Warren rates this movie 4 out of 5 stars.

Well, in other news, I have finally decided to start writing my movie script.  This is something that I have been thinking about, and wanting to do for a long time now, and many ideas have gone through my brain over the years as far as what type of movie I want to write.  I decided on a horror film as my very first “stab” at writing, and have put together three scenes thus far, and have decided on a back story.  Unfortunately, I can’t provide any information other than that at this time, but I will keep you posted on my progress over the days and weeks ahead.  My goal is to write a script that will be good enough to sell and hopefully become a feature film someday very soon.  Please wish me luck with my writing!!!

I will catch you all again very soon.  Take care.

Steve

The Best Birthday Ever!

Hello everyone!  I know, it’s been awhile since I wrote last…I have been busy and been in a “writing rut”.  But, I’m back and hope to write a little more often moving forward.  So, how have you all been doing?  Me, well I’m doing pretty good.  I have been busy with work, traveling, etc, etc, etc.  Same old situation!!  Warren and I took a trip last week, leaving on Thursday morning bright and early, around 7am.  We drove about 9 hours until we arrived in Chicago, along the way stopping a few times and paying tolls, tolls and more tolls.  I have to say, Chicago is a great city and it offers a lot to do but man is it expensive.  Between the tolls, the parking (especially in downtown) and the parking fines – don’t ask me – it takes a “toll” on your wallet, even if you are just passing through.  However, Warren and I did spend a night in downtown Chicago and spent too much on parking, but enjoyed a walk around downtown, a great “Chicago Dog” (or two) and even a few beers along Halstad Street – the gay area of Chicago.  Before leaving Chicago the next morning, we stopped at a local “gay bear” store called “Bears Like Us”.  Here I purchased a t-shirt and a couple of bear stickers for our cars.  It was a cute store.

Leaving Chicago we headed about 3 hours (5 hours with the traffic we were caught in – again, don’t ask!) towards Indianapolis, our destination for the weekend.  Here we were going to be attending the HorrorHound Convention – a semi-annual event in Indianapolis, and our first one.

Of course by now you all know how much I love movies, and especially horror movies.  I attended my very first convention last November in Minneapolis, MN – Crypticon – and had such a good time that I couldn’t resist the road trip to Indy to check out another convention, but on a much larger scale.  The other reason I wanted to attend this particular convention so badly was because I was going to get the opportunity to meet one of my favorite actors growing up, Corey Haim.  I feel like I grew up along with Corey, being the same age and watching each and every movie he starred in beginning with “Lucas” and moving on to my favorite movie of all time “The Lost Boys”.  Corey was made famous by many of his starring roles along side his sidekick Corey Feldman.  Together they starred in at least 8 movies together, and were known by may as the “Two Coreys”.

Since the time I had found out that Corey would be attending the HorrorHound Convention, I knew I had to find a way to make it there to meet him.  Along with meeting Corey, I also wanted to get an original “Lost Boys” movie poster and have him sign it.  Not only did I get the chance to do both of these things this past weekend, I also was able to get two pictures together with Corey…what a dream come true for a movie lover and fan such as I am!  Upon entering the convention area, I was so excited to see Corey along with many other stars of some of my favorite horror movies.  Warren and I took a quick trip around the convention area until I spotted Corey at his table, and upon getting over the nerves (excitement), I walked up and introduced myself  and the rest is now history!!  Yes, I have a newly autographed “The Lost Boys” poster in my room as well as two personal photos and a lifetime of memories.

Following my dream meeting with Corey, Warren and I proceeded to have a couple of my other movie posters signed including “Friday the 13th 2009″ – signed by the star of the movie and the “new Jason” Derek Mears; my “My Bloody Valentine” poster signed by “The Miner” Chris Carnel; and my “Hellraiser Bloodline” poster signed by Pinhead himself (and my favorite character of horror) Doug Bradley!  I now have art to go across our walls and to remind me of this great weekend all of my life.  In addition to these autographs, we also get to meet and get signed items from: Billy Wirth (The Lost Boys), Brooke McCarter (The Lost Boys), John Kassir (the Cryptkeeper – Tales From The Crypt) and J.D Feigelson (writer of Dark Night of the Scarecrow).

Here’s a look at some personal photos taken during our tour around the convention:

Pics from top to bottom, and left to right: Corey Haim, Doug Bradley, Derek Mears, Billy Wirth, Tom Savini, and Luke Goss (Warren’s personal favorite of the festival).   These are just a few of the many wonderful pictures we both took.  As I said, I will have memories to last a lifetime.  Besides the meet and greets…and the autographs…I also bought a few t-shirts including a HorrorHound Weekend tee from the last convention held in August of 2008, a Lost Boys tee with David the vampire (Keifer Sutherland) on the front of the shirt, and “The Lost Boys” movie logo across the back.

At the convention, there was also a mask area taking up the back 1/3 part of the room.  On display here was a large variety of masks made famous in many of the horror movies from past and present, along with some sci-fi movies and a few classics (i.e Count Dracula, Frankenstein, Wolfman, etc).  In the days and weeks ahead, I will try to share some of these images with you as Warren and I took pictures of many of these masks.  In addition there were some training classes being held in the back of the room, teaching people how to create these masks and images as done so wonderfully over the years in film by Tom Savini (seen above).  Tom has a school which aspiring artists could attend to learn how to create these images, and I would love to be able to attend this school…too bad I’m short on money and talent!

Other activities over the weekend of horror included screenings of a number of horror films from past and present.  The one film that I really wanted to watch again was “Dark Night of the Scarecrow”.  This was a classic film, which came out in 1981 originally and was made-for-tv.  I haven’t seen this film in many years, and because it hasn’t been released on DVD as of yet, I wanted to see the restored version before it hits DVD (October of 2009).  Although Warren doesn’t care for horror films, I convinced him to sit through the viewing, and I believe that he truly enjoyed the movie.  Because it was made especially for television back in the early 80’s, there is not much blood and/or gore, so I told Warren he would be safe.  The film, although lacking all of the gore of today’s films, is truly scary in it’s own way.  Following the screening of the film, the writer J.D. Feigelson who we had met earlier in the day, did a Q&A session for the fans…this was pretty cool.  J.D. is a great person, and provided a lot of insight on the film and how it came about.

Here is a quick look at the storyline…A retarded man is unjustly accused of attacking a young girl. Disguised as a scarecrow, he hides in a cornfield, only to be hunted down and shot. Later, after it is revealed he saved the girl from a vicious dog attack, members of the search posse are killed by a mysterious scarecrow.

On Saturday night, following the screening of this film, and a stop at the Texas Roadhouse restaurant for a sandwich and side, we headed back to the Marriott hotel, and the convention to spend some time lounging in the after party area where we shared a beer and watched the interactions of the convention goers and the stars.  We spent a couple of hours just hanging out and chilling.  It was a nice, relaxing night and I enjoyed the entire day.  The following morning we got packed, headed out of Indianapolis in the middle of a rain storm and made our way back about 10 hours until arriving back in St. Paul, MN.  Yes, it was good to be back home in many respects, but I truly missed our time away and our weekend full of fun.  What made this weekend so great was that is was my birthday on Saturday – Happy 36th Steve – and I was able to get away and spend some quality time with my partner Warren.  We had a blast, and I look forward to the next “road trip”.

Now it’s back to reality, including the daily grind of work…and battling an April snowstorm….welcome to Minnesota people!!!  The good news is that Warren and I are in talks to head out to San Fransisco, CA in September to take part in the Folsom Street Fair.  In addition we hope to take a day or two to travel around Los Angeles and check out the sites – including Hollywood and maybe even a new tatoo for me by Kat Von D – of L.A. Ink fame.  I’m also looking forward to our next horror convention, whether in Minnesota this fall or somewhere else around the country, wherever it may be we will have a great time.

Until next time, take care and enjoy.

Steve

I Was Into Him

Good Sunday afternoon you to!  How has your weekend treated you so far?  Mine, well it has been pretty darn good overall, I’m not looking forward to going back to work tomorrow…and hey, I don’t have to if I don’t feel like it considering I have three “banked days” to use yet.  That’s right, as you may know from my partner Warren’s blog, I have been cut down to working only 32 hours a week – 1 less day each week, until further notice.  So, I have taken three unpaid days from my paycheck already, but have worked them and have them to use when I feel.  Although tomorrow is probably not a day that I will be taking off, it sure sounds good right now!!!

Well, yesterday Warren and I headed back to the movies.  We decided on a nice romantic comedy; something light-hearted and fun.  This type of movie is not one that we go to all that often, but considering our choices seemed a bit limited yesterday we thought “what the heck” let’s give it a shot.  Our choice, “He’s Just Not That Into You” had a boat load of big stars, it looked rather funny and seemed like a good choice yesterday.

Here’s the story…

HE’S JUST NOT THAT INTO YOU: A group of interconnected, Baltimore-based twenty- and thirtysomethings navigate their various relationships from the shallow end of the dating pool through the deep, murky waters of married life, trying to read the signs of the opposite sex–and hoping to be the exceptions to the “no-exceptions”; rule. Gigi just wants a man who says he’ll call–and does–while Alex advises her to stop sitting by the phone. Beth wonders if she should call it off after years of committed singlehood with her boyfriend, Neil, but he doesn’t think there’s a single thing wrong with their unmarried life. Janine’s not sure if she can trust her husband, Ben, who can’t quite trust himself around Anna. Anna can’t decide between the sexy married guy, or her straightforward, no-sparks standby, Conor, who can’t get over the fact that he can’t have her. And Mary, who’s found an entire network of loving, supportive men, just needs to find one who’s straight.

STEVE SAYS… on “He’s Just Not That Into You” – It was a light-hearted movie about dating and relationships, while sometimes slow-moving in the middle it had some humorous and sweet moments throughout.  The actors were likeable for the most part, but I was hoping for a few more comedic moments in the movie.  I did laugh a bit, smiled at times throughout, and even felt some emotional moments towards the end of the film.  Unfortunately it wasn’t enough for me to give this movie a good recommendation.  I would rate it at 2 1/2 stars out of 5.

WARREN SAYS…It was a good movie, not a great movie nor a bad movie – just a good movie.  Good entertainment.  I’d rate it at 3 stars out of 5 … just slightly above average.

One thing that I truly did like about the movie, is that it stars one of my favorite actresses of all time, Drew Barrymore.  Drew played a smaller role in this movie, but is always likeable not matter what role she plays, or movie she is in.  Although this was not one of my favorites of Drew, she still was enjoyable to watch in the movie.

Here’s a look at my “Top 5″ favorite Drew Barrymore films.

5 - FIRESTARTER: Drew Barrymore plays Charlie McGhee, a pre-pubescent girl whose moods of anger and frustration are manifested in the telekinetic creation of raging fires. Her parents participated in dangerous… Drew Barrymore plays Charlie McGhee, a pre-pubescent girl whose moods of anger and frustration are manifested in the telekinetic creation of raging fires. Her parents participated in dangerous government experiments in the 60s, and their bodies were altered in ways that affected the physical and mental makeup of their child. Now the CIA wants to harness Charlie’s powers and use them as weapons of destruction. They successfully kidnap her, but can they contain her fears and blistering rage? Circumstances soon spin way beyond their control.

4 – THE WEDDING SINGER: New Jersey wedding chanteur Robbie Hart loses all hope after being abandoned at the altar by his fiancee Linda. Enter Julia, an effervescent ray of light in the shape of a catering-service waitress, who enlists Robbie’s help in planning her own wedding–to a sleazy, DeLorean-driving junk bond salesman who tomcats around and treats women like unfeeling slabs of meat. Can our hero win Julia over before she elopes to Las Vegas? Will Billy Idol save the day? And, most importantly, will the fluffy romantic storyline be completely overpowered by the weighty mid-1980s cultural references? THE WEDDING SINGER is cheesy fun for the nostalgically inclined. Steve Buscemi tries to steal the film in an uncredited role as a drunk best man, but that honor actually goes to Alexis Arquette, as “George.”

3 - MUSIC AND LYRICS: Alex Fletcher (Hugh Grant) is a cynical and self-deprecating former pop idol (the hilarious opening video introduces his ’80s new wave band Pop!) who is now playing the nostalgia circuit, but has… Alex Fletcher (Hugh Grant) is a cynical and self-deprecating former pop idol (the hilarious opening video introduces his ’80s new wave band Pop!) who is now playing the nostalgia circuit, but has maintained enough dignity to turn down an appearance on a “Battle of the ’80s Has-Beens” TV reality show. Sophie Fisher (Drew Barrymore) is a gifted writer with deep inferiority issues who’s been hired to water Fletcher’s plants, and ends up becoming his emergency fill-in lyricist for a song he needs to deliver to teen queen singer Cora (Haley Bennett) in four days. Despite this contrived “cute meet,” the film, to its great credit, deftly avoids many possible rom-com tropes in favor of organic, character-driven conflicts and comic situations. Alex and Sophie fall in love, struggle over their song, and wrestle with their own respective resistance to romantic happiness, while simultaneously coping with the frustrations of the creative process and the demands of the music industry. The two leads (aided by great comic sidekick turns from Brad Garrett and Kristen Johnston) manage to pull all this off with a lightness of touch that makes the characters’ vulnerability appealing and not pathetic. The original songs by Adam Schlesinger (the go-to guy for singer-songwriter film music) is charming and catchy.

2 - 50 FIRST DATES: Scatological and sentimental, satirical and sincere, 50 FIRST DATES pairs Adam Sandler with Drew Barrymore in this romantic comedy about the power of love and short-term memory loss in Hawaii. Henry Roth (Sandler), the local marina veterinarian, only dates tourists because he’s afraid of commitment–that is, until he meets Lucy (Barrymore). Unfortunately, Lucy lost her short-term memory months ago in a car accident, and for her, each day is October the 13th. She follows the same routine every day–breakfast at the same restaurant, pineapple-picking with her dad, and eventually bed time, where sleep wipes away her short-term memory. Henry, however, refuses to be forgotten, and as his puppy love matures, he embarks on a quest to restore her memory, or at least be a part of her everyday routine. But vying for Lucy’s attention isn’t always easy. Sandler explores various neophytic approaches before making a video for Lucy to watch every morning, reminding her of who she is and what she’s doing. The film includes a trademark Sandler ballad as Henry serenades Lucy with his ukulele and a series of familiar salacious puns. Rob Schneider plays Henry’s best friend, a goofy native stoner whose physical hijinks earn numerous laughs, and a cameo by Dan Akroyd as Lucy’s doctor rounds out the cast.

1 – POISON IVY: Lonely teen Sylvie Cooper befriends sexy schoolmate Ivy and watches as Ivy moves into her home and slowly takes over the Cooper family. A little girl gone bad, she seduces Sylvie’s father and… Lonely teen Sylvie Cooper befriends sexy schoolmate Ivy and watches as Ivy moves into her home and slowly takes over the Cooper family. A little girl gone bad, she seduces Sylvie’s father and betrays the bedridden mother. Ripping the family apart, Ivy situates herself as the new mother. Only Sylvie can save her family.

In addition to these movies, Drew has starred in over 60 feature films, as well as multiple television roles.  Other notable movies include: Guncrazy, E.T. The Extra Terrestrial, Cat’s Eye, Bad Girls, Mad Love, Scream, Fever Pitch, Never Been Kissed, Charlie’s Angels, Duplex and Lucky You.  I have basically grown-up watching Drew on the silver screen, and her infectious smile always seems to warm your heart – whether you are gay, straight or in-between.

Now for my “DVD Pick of the Week”.  This upcoming release is a little something different.  Instead of a feature film or another hot horror release, my choice this week is a television series, and a British series to be exact.  The star of such television series as “Hell’s Kitchen” and “Kitchen Nightmares”, Gordon Ramsey slices and dices his way into British and American homes with my pick of the week…

“Ramsey’s Kitchen Nightmares”.

Critical, angry, and often hilarious, Gordon Ramsay has zero tolerance for bad food, bad service, and bad attitudes. The enfant terrible of the kitchen has transformed himself from celebrity chef to celebrity critic in this original version of his TV series, KITCHEN NIGHTMARES. While American producers would eventually pick up the show, the episodes collected here capture Ramsay at his most volatile as he berates arrogant chefs, clueless owners, and lazy staff until they figure out how to run a halfway-decent kitchen. It’s cringe-worthy material, as the haughty chef puts bad restaurateurs in their place and defends the honor of the culinary arts even if it means evoking a tear or two.

…    Full Description

Gordon Ramsey is by far the “hottest” chef in the world…in more ways than one!   Warren and I watch intently each week as Gordon rips on contestants taking part in his reality show “Hell’s Kitchen” as they make subpar food in their attempt to win the top prize…to become an Executive Chef at one of Gordon’s restaurant hot spots around the world.  It’s very amusing listening to Gordon call the contestants “cows”, “bitches” and other cute names, and/or watching him throw hunks of meat at people or dumping their “poorly prepared” food in their lap or in the garbage.  Now matter what Gordon is saying or doing, I enjoy just checking him out for an hour each week – what a hot man!!  Maybe I should sign up for the show, what do you say Warren? Just kidding pal…you know you are the only man for me – and by the way, today’s sexual encounter was fantastic!  Yes, I was “into him” today and we both enjoyed our time today, right Warren!

That’s about all from here today.  Have a great rest of the evening, and drop me a line to let me know you are out there.

Until next time…

Steve

Wrestling Over Our Choices

Hello and good Sunday afternoon to you!  Today was a day of rest for both Warren and I, as we have been just sitting around the house watching TV and playing on the computer for most of the day.

As for yesterday, I woke up with some neck pain which has been ongoing for about the past week or so, along with a major headache.  As I was in the bathroom and ready to take a shower, I called out to Warren and asked him to call a few chiropractors for me to see if he could get an appointment to help with the relief of this pain.  Being it was Saturday I knew that it might be tough to find a chiropractic office which was open, but as luck would have it, Warren found someone after only a couple of calls and their office was right near the mall and the area we were headed anyway.  So after getting showered and ready, it was off towards Duluth to get my bone cracked – and not the one you’re thinking of!

After my appointment, I started feeling some relief immediately, and the chiropractor mentioned that my neck and shoulder area was in really bad shape and I had many knots which could have been the root of my problems.  Today was actually the first day I woke up without a headache in about a week, and my neck has been feeling pretty decent throughout the day…I can still feel slight pain off and on but not like it was.

Upon leaving the chiropractor, we headed on to the theater to start what was to be the first of two movies for the day.  Since Warren and I didn’t have much for groceries to buy, and nothing else to pick up, we thought two movies would be a fun, relaxing way to spend the day.  Because I have been anticipating seeing “Friday the 13th” for a number of weeks now, I was heading in one direction and Warren in the other as we entered the theater.  Warren is not a horror movie fan, so didn’t want to endure the blood n’ guts that Jason Voorhees was about to spill onto the screen.  He decided on watching “The Pink Panther 2” with Steve Martin, a great comedian and one of my favorite actors.

FRIDAY THE 13TH – 2009: A man in search of his missing sister stumbles across a deadly secret in the woods surrounding Crystal Lake as Texas Chainsaw Massacre redux duo Michael Bay and Marcus Nispel resurrect one of the silver screen’s most feared slashers — machete-wielding, hockey mask-wearing madman Jason Voorhees. The last time Clay heard from his sister, she was headed toward Crystal Lake. There, amidst the creaky old cabins and moss-coated trees, an unstoppable force of evil lies quietly dormant, patiently waiting for the perfect moment to strike. Though the police and locals all warn Clay to stay as far away from Crystal Lake as possible, it’s the only lead he has, and he isn’t willing to give up until he finds his sister. Clay isn’t the only one inhabiting these woods either, because a group of thrill-seeking college students have just arrived at Crystal Lake hoping for a wild weekend of fun in the sun. Later, as Clay and one of the recently arrived revelers search for clues, the infamous Jason Voorhees emerges to show them just why the locals have avoided these woods for years. Could it be that Clay’s sister has already met a grim demise at the end of Jason’s razor-sharp machete, or is she still out there somewhere in the woods, waiting for her brother to come to her rescue?

STEVE SAYS…on “Friday the 13th” – As a huge fan of this series, I was really anticipating this movie.  It didn’t disappoint, but wasn’t as good as I had hoped it would be.  There were some good kills, solid humor, and even all of the “stereotyped teenagers” that you just wanted to see die on screen; but was missing some additional storyline that I was hoping for.  Overall though, it was a really fun horror film but unfortunately not as good as “My Bloody Valentine 3D” for me.  My rating is 4 stars out of 5.

THE PINK PANTHER 2: Inspector Jacques Clouseau (Steve Martin) the legendary French Officer of the Law, who single-handedly saved the priceless Pink Panther Diamond, has been working outside the museum where the diamond is on display writing parking tickets for the last 6 months. Chief Inspector Dreyfus (John Cleese) assigned this duty to his bumbling and inept police officer to get him out of his hair. Recently, treasures from around the world have been stolen by the Tornado, and an international dream team of detectives is being assembled to capture him. Chief Inspector Dreyfus is ordered to assign Clouseau to the dream team. As soon as Clouseau joins the team, the Pink Panther Diamond is stolen by the Tornado. Now Clouseau must not only capture the Tornado, but save the diamond again.

WARREN SAYS…on “The Pink Panther 2” – It was funny, and I enjoyed Steve Martin and his performance.  I see the movie as a “dumb comedy” where I could just sit back, relax and just laugh.  Warren’s rating is a 4 stars out of 5.

Following our “individual” movies, we came together to watch the second movie of the day together.  Our choice, “The Wrestler” was actually my personal choice, as I had read about and heard that this was a really great story.  It was also Mickey Rourke’s comeback movie for which he won a Best Actor at the Golden Globes a few weeks ago.  Mickey Rourke has starred in many films over the years, and had a very successful career until running into some personal issues that caused his career to spiral downward.  Some of my personal favorites of Mickey include: Angel Heart, Rumble Fish, 9 1/2 Weeks, Body Heat, Johnny Handsome and Wild Orchid.  Unfortunately, not only did Mickey’s career endue a major change, so did his looks (see below a then(s) and now pics).  After picking up a quick snack of Nestle Bunch-A-Crunch, we headed into the theater, which was the smallest in the entire complex.  A few more people came in following us, about 15 total when all was said and done, and we sat back and started our second journey into Hollywood for the day.

THE WRESTLER: Mickey Rourke is back in his rightful place once again..the lead! In “The Wrestler”, he takes on the persona of retired 1980s-era star professional wrestler yearning for the feeling he once knew while in his prime. The film tells the tale of former larger-than-life wrestler, ‘Randy “The Ram” Robinson’, fighting his way back up the independent wrestling circuit to chase away old ghosts which continue to haunt him.  Robinson is driven to settle a score and unfinished business in the dangerous squared ring of glory.

Years have passed since the heyday of “The Ram.“ The splendor, fame, fortune and applause have all faded away.  Only the man behind the façade remains. Randy Robinson’s personal life is clouded with hard luck, personal demons, and the troubles of his past and present. Not all his battles are contained in the ring. Subsequent to being evicted from his trailer, he finds himself lost, despondent and living in a van. The relationship between Randy and ‘Stephanie’ (Evan Rachel Wood), his disgruntled, estranged 22 year-old daughter and recovering alcoholic daughter, is damaged and broken.

Trying to build a new life, he takes a job at a deli, moves in with aging stripper ‘Cassidy’ (Marisa Tomei) and attempts to develop a relationship with her and her son. ‘Cassidy’, also known by real name ‘Pam’ has great difficulty becoming physically and romantically involved after hours. Although battling issues of her own, she encourages Robinson to reconnect and bond with his daughter.

After a heart attack in the midst of a hardcore match, on his successful and impressive comeback trail, the wrestling legend is firmly warned by a physician to make drastic changes. If Robinson wants to continue to live much longer, he must abandon smoking, cocaine and wrestling. But when the prospect of a grudge rematch in an ultimate showdown with his former arch nemesis, ‘The Ayatollah’, (Ernest ‘The Cat’ Miller) presents itself, Randy is far too tempted to refuse.  He accepts the challenge. The aging former wrestler returns to the ring for one final shot glory even if it means risking his life.

STEVE SAYS…on “The Wrestler” – a truly great film, although as sad as it may be in my eyes.  It shows how as a performer, one day you are on top of the world, and the next you have nothing but your image and a handful of fans.  This movie also saddened me and made me think of how one day you are young and full of life with the whole world ahead of you; and next you are older,  maybe more broken down in some ways with a large part of your life is behind you – how short life truly is! I really enjoyed the film, and feel that Mickey Rourke and his comeback to mainstream was a win!  My rating is 4 ½ stars out of 5.  WARREN SAYS – now, I have to be honest – I’m not as crazy about movies like this one, as Steve is.  I’m not into movies where you see a lot of “bare breasted women” so many parts of the movie were a “turn off” for me.  I will say that the lead actor…Mickey Rourke, did do a pretty good job of acting in the movie – and the movie truly shows how the public life and private life of a wrestler are really not all that glamorous.  When you’re popular – everybody loves you, but when your unpopular – nobody loves you.  Warren rates this movie 3 ½ stars out of 5.

After the second movie, it was off to eat our lunch/supper at Old Chicago in downtown Duluth, where we split an order of French Fries and each had a Calzone – Warren choosing the Chicago Seven, while my pick was the Spinach Artichoke Chicken.  The meal was very good overall, but I was wishing afterwards that I would have chosen the Meat Me Calzone – Meat lovers unite: A calzone packed with garlic-spiced Italian sausage, Canadian bacon, Andouille sausage, pepperoni, roasted garlic, fresh basil and melted cheese; after all meat is the only way to go! ☺  Following our meal, we headed home and crashed for the remainder of the evening.  It was a full day, but one that we got to kick back, relax and enjoy.

As for my DVD Pick of the Week, this past week’s pick was one that I had ordered a couple of weeks ago from DVD Empire and was just released this week.  “My Name Is Bruce” was my choice for this week, and along with the DVD that I ordered, I also received an autographed mini poster from the star of the film, Bruce Campbell.  This was a cool free giveaway to those who ordered through the HorrorHound website, and had pre-ordered the DVD.  The poster is very cool, just like the cover art below with a beautiful handwritten and signed note from Mr. Campbell in silver permanent marker.  I love the poster, and will be looking for a frame for it next weekend.

Here’s a look at the storyline of my pick of the week…

MY NAME IS BRUCE: Something evil is stirring in the small mining town of Gold Lick, and it’s not happy. Guan-di, the Chinese protector of the dead with a strange affinity for bean curd, has been awakened by reckless teenagers, and now his bloody crusade to wipe out the town’s entire population can only be stopped by one man – Bruce Campbell (the guy who starred in all three Evil Dead movies and Bubba Ho-tep), B-move star and deadbeat ex-husband extraordinaire, who’s recruited to be their unwitting savior. Thinking the whole scenario’s a publicity prank, Bruce is distracted from his mission by a hot mom and fan boys aplenty– but when our hero has to face off against a dark force more fearsome than a Hollywood agent, the laughs and screams start flying!

Well, that’s about all from this end of the world.  It’s cold out today, but has been sunny a majority of the day.  Warren and I did take a short ride to the grocery store a short time ago, and even took a quick tour of the town as we sometimes do.  Not too many people out today, and not much happening around town – a quiet day in the neighborhood.

Until I see you again, take care and don’t forget to drop me a line and let me know what you are up to, and watching on the silver screen.  We will talk to you again soon, hopefully in a couple of days.

Steve