DUCKZILLA!

DUCKZILLA! Surging up from the depths of the sea on a tidal wave of terror!

DUCKZILLA!


"The arrogance of man is thinking nature is in our control and not the other way around."- Ken Watanabe as Dr. Ishiro Serizawa in, Godzilla (Warner Bros./Legendary Pictures, 2014).

No more is this brought home to me than when I'm at work and I see the ducks swimming in the fountain out front.

Stupid ducks.

Just sayin' ...

A Few Things Godzilla here.

The New Godzilla? Forget it! here.

Go to Jays' Tee Vee blog main page here. If there's a buncha' articles under this 'un, yer already there.

Just a Few Things Godzilla

'Bout fell outta' my chair when I first saw this. Would have laughed even more
if it wasn't so dang true. For lotsa' things Godzilla, go to Armand Vaquers' blog
Armands' Rancho Del Cielo. That's where I got this 'un.

Just a Few Things Godzilla


Was in Wal-Mart yesterday. Seems someone is trying to cash in on Legendarys' recent Godzilla release by issuing Godzilla King of the Monsters on disc.

Saw it on the shelf and examined. No company logo/label. My guess is it probably ISN'T the Criterion Collection release. THEY WOULD LET YOU KNOW it's from them. They also wouldn't say it's a 1966 release of an American 'redo' of a 1964 original ... Right on the box. Seems to be ahead about ten years. Doubly laughable when you notice the official copyright statement just below saying the original is copyrighted by Toho from 1954.

As stated in an earlier post, I'm not gonna' take in Legendarys' Godzilla flick. If I'm paying for a movie ticket, I want my moneys' worth. Less than ten minutes of the "Big G" out of 123 minutes just ain't worth it to me.

Here's a lobby poster of the original Japanese release:

This graphic is much bigger than it appears. Right click and open in new tab.

Armands Rancho del Cielo blog here.

Wikipedia article on Gojira, the original 1954 Japanese release here.

Wikipedia article on the 1956 American re-edit release, Godzilla King of the Monsters here. Starring Steve Martin as Raymond Burr ... uh ... Or is it the other way around?


Go to Jays' Tee Vee blog main page here. It there's a buncha' articles under this 'un, yer already there ...

The New Godzilla? Forget It!

WOOF! WOOF! WOOF!

The New Godzilla? Forget It!

Guess I won't be seeing the new Godzilla flick after all. Looked at a thread on the Classic Horror Film Board and that was warning enough. I go to CHFB as I find what those "monsterkids" say to be  more reliable than say, some reviewer who goes on and on about the stuff he reads into a movie while at the same time really says nothing about the film itself.

Complaints about the films' unevenness, plot holes, cut aways and defects abounded. Those could be debated and were but the main thing that dissuaded me from going was it being stated that there isn't enough of the title "character" in the film ...

Maybe 7 to 8 minutes worth.

Only about 7 or 8 minutes of "face time" ... in a 123 minute movie? Oh c'mon! If that's the case then forget it.

After ALL those months of hype, only a few minutes of the big guy?

What did the ads say?

GODZILLA!

What did the posters say?

GODZILLA!

What did Gareth Edwards say?

GODZILLA!

What did Warners and Legendary Pictures say?

GODZILLA!

WHAT DID THE HYPE(!) WITH A CAPITAL HYPE(!) SAY!?

GOD - FREAKIN' - ZILLAAAAAAAA BABY!!!!!!

What does the actual flick have?

... godzilla ...

Lotsa' sizzle with only a bite of steak at the end of the line.

Naw! I'm saving my dough.

Just Sayin' ...

The Godzilla I know and loathe.

Classic Horror Film Board Godzilla 2014 thread here.

Classic Horror Film Board main page here.

Wikipedia article on the 2014 Godzilla flick here.

Wikipedia article on the original 1954 Godzilla film here.

Armands' Rancho del Cielo blog here. If you want lotsa' things Godzilla, this is the place!


Go to Jays' Tee Vee blog main page here. If there's a buncha' articles under this 'un, yer already there.

Washington D.C.: Wretched Hive of Scum and Villainy

Washington D.C.: Wretched Hive of Scum and Villainy


Stumbled on this "meme" the other day and thought I'd share this and a few others of the same. Sort of a "one stop shop" for it. Enjoy ...

I remember Star Wars the first film. It will always be Star Wars to me, NOT "Episode Four A New Hope". Saw it sixteen times in the theater back in '77. Saw the second, seven times. After that, I stopped caring. Even less now that it's a "cult", cg and all ...

When in doubt ... VOTE 'EM OUT!

Sir Alec did dabble in Sci Fi before. The Man In the White Suit comes to mind.

The one residing here will be out after 2016.
Ya'll make sure Hillary doesn't replace him.

Sort of a repeat but just as good.

I shouldn't be so ungrateful. They are here to "help" me after all ...

I did time in Jersey. No, I wasn't in prison ... I just did time there ...

Typical day in D.C.. Thought I'd throw this one in ... or out.

Star Wars: Star Worn Out here.


Go to Jays' Tee Vee blog main page here. If there's a buncha' articles under this 'un, yer already there.

Son Of God: I'm Not Excited

Diogo Morgado in the title role. He must be the
real thing. He speaks with an English accent!

Son Of God: I'm Not Excited


A new Jesus movie is hitting the theaters and I'm not enthused. I mean, we've seen it before, right?

Let's see, oh yeah, a robed pretty boy in hairdo and beard shows up, spouts platitudes, performs miracles, ticks off the local civic/religious authorities and gets killed for his trouble. Oh yeah, he then returns from the dead ... Why? ... Because he's GOD!

Huh?

That's all I EVER got out of these flicks. People leave the theater just as much in the dark as when they went in.

NOTHING about as to what and why he went through what he did. Just a nice story about "a good man who died".

Maybe what I'm looking for is a cinematic Chick tract with a newsmans' five Ws' treatment and a so many step plan of salvation. You know ... WHY Jesus did what he did ... Where one stands with God (You're toast!) ... and how acknowledgement of the payment only HE could make can change that standing.

Only one "Jesus movie" ever made an impression on me.

The Passion of the Christ - Mel Gibsons' film about the events in the bogus arrest/prosecution of Jesus and the very REALISTIC portrayal of His crucifixion. This film is NOT pretty to say the least and I would not allow children to see it. My only problem is that it's lacking in the details of what the salvation He provides is.

Below are the details as to the what and why of salvation. Be sure to read the whole chapters they appear in for further clarification.


1. Romans 3:10 - As it is written, There is no one righteous, no, not one.

Psalm 14:3 -  They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that does good.

Keep in mind, you're not good enough to get to Heaven on your own. No matter what you do, you're just not "good" enough.

2. Romans 3:23 - For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.

You're under a penalty and will always fall short of being good enough for God on your own.

3. Romans 5:12 -  Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.

It's because of Adams' rebellion and act against God that we're under this hereditary condition of death and sin. It can't be "cured" by ones' own effort.

4. Romans 5:8 -  But God commends his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

God, however, loves us and provides a way out from under this crushing penalty. His son, Jesus is the only one who can make the payment we ourselves can't.

5. Romans 6:23 - For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Our sinful condition can only result in eternal separation from God. But through Jesus Christ, eternal life can be gained.

6. Romans 10:13 - For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Here's where it starts. He is waiting for you.

7. Revelation 3:20 -  Behold, I stand at the door, and knock. If any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.

He's calling you (And has probably for quite some time. You just won't bother to hear it.). All that's needed is for you to let him enter your life and take over.

8. Romans 10:9 and 10 -  That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved.
                                   -  For with the heart man believes to righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made to salvation.

If you believe from within that He rose from the dead, so will you one day. If you tell others that He runs your life as well, you are destined for Heaven (Providing, of course, that He actually IS in charge of your life!).

9. John 3:16 -  For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

That last verse pretty much settles that!

Movies are fine but as they say, "It's not like the book". Read the book first.

Just sayin' ...

Wikipedia article on Son of God film here.

Wikipedia article on Mel Gibsons' The Passion of the Christ film here.


Go to Jays' Tee Vee blog main page here.

Dylan Farrow Asks: What's Your Favorite Woody Allen Movie?

Woody Allen in typical mode.

Dylan Farrow Asks: What's Your Favorite Woody Allen Movie?


I never really cared much for Woody Allen or his flicks. His weepy, angsty, whiny style of delivery makes ME look good.

I DID have one of his films in my collection, What's Up Tiger Lilly. The operative word is DID. I just pitched it.

What WAS yours?


An Open Letter From Dylan Farrow here.


Go to Jays' Tee Vee blog main page here.

Young Guns: One I Didn't Bother With

L-R: Kiefer Sutherland, Charlie Sheen, Lou Diamond Phillips
Emilio Estevez, Dermot Mulroney, Casey Siemaszko.

Young Guns: One I Didn't Bother With


When the film came out, I made it a point NOT to see it. The above photo put me off from it.

Why? Just look at 'em. They look like a bunch of armed metrosexuals trying to look tough. So I passed it by.

Yeah, I know, "Don't judge a book by its' cover.". Sad ... I really like these guys as actors too.


Wikipedia Young Guns article here.


Go to Jays' Tee Vee blog main page here.

The Monolith Monsters: Now That's What I Call ROCK 'n Roll!

The Monolith Monsters: Now That's What I Call ROCK 'n Roll!


From time immemorial ... the Earth has been bombarded by objects from outer space. Bits and pieces of the universe, piercing our atmosphere in an invasion that never ends: Meteors ... the shooting stars on which so many earthly wishes have been borne.

Of the thousands that plummet toward us, the greater part are destroyed in a fiery flash as they strike the layers of air that encircle us. Only a small percentage survives. Most of these fall into the water which covers two thirds of our world.

But from time to time ... From the beginning of time ... A very few meteors have struck the crust of the Earth and formed craters. Craters of all sizes ... Sought after and pored over by scientists of all nations for the priceless knowledge buried within them.

In every moment of every day they come ... From planets belonging to stars whose dying light is too far away to be seen.

From infinity ... they come ... meteors ...

Another strange calling card from the limitless reaches of space ... Its' substance unknown ... Its' secrets unexplored.

The meteor lies dormant in the night ... waiting ...

- Opening narrative as read by Paul Frees from the film: The Monolith Monsters (Universal International, 1957.).


Was looking for something to write about when I got wind of a film review by Michael Wolff on the Aardvarks' Plumbline blog. By coincidence I was watching this very film that morning! An ending excerpt from the article below:

Despite the apocalyptic feel of the film, "The Monolith Monsters" is actually rather intimate in scope. As usual the idea of setting the action in a small town not only keeps costs down, but helps to reduce the drama to a few faces the audience can quickly identify with. We easily accept the idea that a small California desert community is perhaps the only bulwark between humanity and a viciously unstoppable threat. The American Monster Movie has become something of a lost art (films such as "Predator", "Alien" and "Tremors" being the only positive blips in a wasteland that used to thunder to the tread of giants). But the films of people such as Arnold, Gordon Douglas, Nathan Juran and others remain as blueprints showing to any and all interested parties how it should be done. "The Monolith Monsters" followed the blueprint to diamond perfection, and no one claiming familiarity with the genre should be ignorant of this production.

- From, The Monolith Monsters: Yes I'm Turnin' I'm Turnin' I'm Turnin' to Stone movie review by Michael Wolff, Charleston Examiner, January 12, 2014.

Michael Wolff (The one in the fur coat.) and friend off to the movies.

For the entire article click here.

Michael Wolff profile here.

Charleston Examiner main page here.

Wikipedia article on the film The Monolith Monsters here.

You Tube clip of Paul Frees opening narration to The Monolith Monsters here.

The Monolith Monsters movie trailer (With small passage read by Marvin Miller!) here.

Wikipedia article on Paul Frees here.

Wikipedia article on Marvin Miller here.

Strange little Paul Frees encounter here.

Aardvarks Plumbline blog main page here.


Go to Jays' Tee Vee blog main page here.

Real Hope: No Change Needed

Real Hope: No Change Needed


Ran across this on the net. It amuses. Though I wonder about the "21st Century Filth" button. All the same, thanks for the memories Bob


Wikipedia bio of Bob Hope here.


Go to Jays' Tee Vee blog main page here.

THAT'S Tonto? ... You're Kidding ... ... ... Right?

Depp tries to put the chemo in kemo sabe. This is sad.
Just because you can cosplay doesn't mean you should.

THAT'S Tonto? ... You're Kidding ... ... ... Right?


I like a good joke & all but ... Come on! THAT'S Tonto? You sure? More like Freako!

"Look Clayton! Those two dipwads are trying to pass them
selves off as us!" "Yeah Jay, it's pretty sad what some people
'll do for attention. By the way, just WHAT does kemo sabe
mean?" "You DON'T want to know ... kemo sabe." 

Now really! That orc THING looks more like something out of that abortion Peter Jackson has been passing off as Lord of the Rings. Tonto? Who you people tryin' to kid?

Shoot! I'm OFFENDED! ... And I'm racist! This is gonna make the Klinton Spilsbury flick look good. And folks wonder why I don't go to the movies anymore ...

By the way ... Someone should tell Armie Hammer that good "stage names" AREN'T found on boxes of baking soda.


Bill Cosbys' reminiscences of THE LONE RANGER here.

Go to Jays Tee Vee blog main page here.

This Is A Test

This Is A Test

This is a test (Not a pop quiz. This makes up 35% of your final grade.) of the Emergency Blogging System. This is only a test.

Bzzzzzzrp! Bzzzzzzrp! Bzzzzzzrp! Bzzrp! Bzzrp! Bzzrp!

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This concludes our test of the Emergency Blogging System. This blog, in cooperation with the FCC, Homeland Insecurity, local authorities & other intrusive agencies is participating in a network designed to deal with emergencies (Real or otherwise.).

Had this been an actual/bogus emergency or false flag operation, you would receive instructions directing you to your nearest politician/community organizer/authority figure of whatever political stripe, in order for you to benefit from his/her/its sage guidance and advice (Be sure to check all firearms, money, survival gear & free thought at the camp gate.).

Now back to our regularly scheduled programming/mind candy/propaganda /indoctrination.

An actual film about how much the government cares & wants to help.

Wikipedia article on This Is Not A Test movie here.

Go to Jays' Tee Vee blog main page here.

Dr. Faustus: With the Devil, the Deck Is Stacked

Richard Burton & "friend" ponder the wonders & joys of his
FINAL DESTINATION in Dr. Faustus (1967, Columbia Pictures Corp.).

Dr. Faustus: With the Devil, the Deck Is Stacked


Dr. Faustus is a tale of a man who sells his soul to the devil in exchange for knowledge, power, & the various services of the nether-world. Richard Burton in the title role of Faustus, becomes dissatisfied with his acheivments in the numerous philosophies & sciences & turns to the black arts in his quest for riches both material & of the intellect.  As time goes on & runs out, he becomes aware of the emptiness of such things & of the nearness of the payment (His soul.) due. Try as he might, he cannot turn back to God & thus be saved from separation from God & eternal damnation. With his back on Christ, he is literally dragged into the very hell he seeks to escape.

This is a stage play set to film & comes across as such. All the actors, with the exception of Elisabeth Taylor, are stage trained & while it does show, it in no way takes from it. The film was panned by the critics not only for the above but also for Ms. Taylors' lack of acting. Considering the (non-speaking) role(s) she played in it & her good looks, she didn't have to. She literally walks through the movie.

I had first seen it on TV during a family summer vacation in Kentucky in the late 60s'. After a days' swimming, hiking, restaurant, we settled down in the cabin for a bit of viewing.

The movie did cause me a bit of concern. Raised as a Catholic, I was told rather vaguely about what salvation was & all that doctrinal dancing around it didn't help. The emphasis on ritual & extra-biblical doctrine/tradition only served to cloud the issue & I was left in the dark as to the fate of my immortal soul. Constantly being threatened with hell/purgatory if I didn't follow the instruction of priest & nun I had pretty much given up on Heaven as it had seemed unattainable.

So what if I followed ALL instructions to the letter? According to THE CHURCH ... Even if I did toe the line ... Even if I did wrap myself in their spiritual straitjacket 110% ... Even if I worked my way up & became the best pope ever ... I might still have had to fry in Purgatory for a million years or so in order to burn out any residual sin.

A million years in Purgatory? You know ... that place that's the next best/worst thing to hell or Cleveland? As a million years seemed pretty much forever, I decided to risk hell & take it easy.

In '74, I got aquainted with fundamentalism & escaped from ... THE CHURCH. Not that the "rapture bunnies" don't have their issues, but that's another story. Salvation, in & of itself supercedes all man made tradition/doctrine no matter who/where it comes from.

So I saw Dr. Faustus to the end & it did trouble me some. No matter how much Burtons' character wanted to turn from evil, he just couldn't bring himself to do it. Between Lucifer, procrastination, Liz Taylor & his own weak character, the deck seemed pretty well stacked. His Catholic upbringing probably didn't help much either. "Let's see ... I turn from evil ... & go back to ... THAT!?"

The film ends with Liz dragging him to perdition albeit a pantomime one. Think Monty Python & the Holy Grail but without the laffs. To my then 13 year old mind, this was powerful stuff & stayed with me.

A couple years back, I found this as a three dollar special at Big Lots. I take it out every six months & watch. The film is still powerful but in a different way. Having come to a real understanding of the gift Jesus offers (See second link below.), I now look at this movie as something more cautionary & redemptive than scary.


Of Dr. Faustus & Color TVs here.

On the Rapture, Third Impact, Armageddon & All That here. Second half of the article is important!

Internet Movie Database review here.

Go to Jays' Tee Vee blog main page here.

Max Cannon At the Movies

Max Cannon At the Movies

Oh yes! Dad & I at the movies. Actually the worst he did in the theater was take us to see Old Yeller. What a mess that was! Ah memories ... (Holy Crud!).

Y'know folks ... You just gotta take in the humor of Max Cannon. He has got to be one of the most twisted minds in comix. His Red Meat predated Family Guy by quite a few years & unlike the latter, there's a touch of class & cleverness that keeps you wondering what that guy is on! Try him out ...

My Old Yeller experience: Bring Me the Head of Walt Disney (Frozen or Otherwise) here.

Max Cannons' product free cruelty Red Meat website here.

Go to Jays' Tee Vee blog main page here.

Ray Harryhausen: Farewell To A Master

Poster for documentary on Mr. Harryhausen. Credit: Joe Wilson, Arrow Films.

Ray Harryhausen: Farewell To A Master

Words cannot describe the sadness I have over the passing of this great artist. I'll leave that to all the other articles on the net. Other than Willis O'Brien (Mr. Harryhausens' mentor.) & George Pal, there are no other stop-motion animators I can think of. Since the passing of Mr. O'Brien, Mr. Harryhausen WAS stop-motion animation. His work in motion pictures left a deep impression on me & are a great influence in my tastes in film.

Ray Harryhausen: 1920-2013 Age 92

Good bye sir. You will be missed.


Link to SAA Illustration Hub/SAA News blog for another example of documentary poster art here.

Link to an earlier article of mine about where I may have inadvertantly met Mr. Harryhausen here.

Night At The Drive In (One Million Years BC) article here.


Go to  Jays' Tee Vee blog main page here.

Spirited Away: Giving It Another Shot

An Alice In Wonderland-like scene from Spirited Away. L-R No-Face,
Chihiro Ogino, Zeniba, & (on table) Boh with friend.

Spirited Away: Giving It Another Shot


A few years back I saw Hayao Miyazakis' anime-ted film Spirited Away ... on Cartoon Network ... AND HATED IT.

It was too darn long. Too darn weird even for a fantasy. And Puke-Faces' ... er ... uh ... No-Faces' puke fest didn't help at all. I don't know why I wasted over three hours viewing that mess. And it was a mess. Though at the time I knew why ... commercials ... stretching  a 2 hr, 5 min. film into three long agonizing hours.

I was a 'victim' of one of TV programmings' not so subtle little tricks: Show the first 20+ minutes of a flick to get you hooked then slog through commercial breaks every 10 minutes or less. Unless it's commercial free, the vast majority of films are unsuited for TV. Spirited Away is no exception.

I knew eventually I would have to give this movie another chance. Cartoon Networks' handling of it left such a bad taste, I kept putting it off for several years. Finally the taste went away & I got to thinking seriously of another try. So it was with some reluctance I scored a copy at Half Price Books & popped it in the disc machine.

BIG DIFFERENCE! The film didn't drag this time. The weirdness was more enjoyable without the latest must-have piece of junk being shoved at me. No-Faces' vomit party was only a few minutes long (I'm sure there were TWO{!} commercial breaks during that sequence when it aired!). I STILL think it's a bit on the long side (I'm a 90 minute man.) but it being a Miyazaki flick & all that goes with it, more than makes up for it.

I think I'll keep this one.


Wikipedia article on Spirited Away here.

Wikipedia article on Hayao Miyazaki here.


Go to Jays' Tee Vee blog main page here.

Dang! Part 7: Robinson Crusoe on Mars

Dang! Part 7: Robinson Crusoe on Mars

by

Jay Agan


Sometime, early in 1990. The Drexel North theater was having its' annual 24 hour sci-fi movie marathon. 13, count 'em, THIRTEEN pieces (Movies!) of my favorite kind of schlock. Being "between jobs" (unemployed) & having nothing better to do (Job hunting!? You gotta be kidding!) I decided to attend.

There I was. Packed together with several hundered fellow boisterous sardines in a very small space. From high noon Saturday to high noon Sunday, it was wall to wall wonder & weidness of various levels with the fun set at high.

Heaven is a movie theater.

A couple highlights:

About a third of the way through, we were treated to Forbidden Planet & a beutiful print at that. To see such a classic, pristine & on the big screen ... took my breath away.

Some of the younger set thought it was a new movie. After all, that was Leslie Nielsen on the screen, right? I mean, he does look so young in this flick ... Great make up job!

They had a difficult time believing me when I told them the movie was one of Nielsens' earliest & was released in 1956.

"Yer kidding!? Right?"

"Nope! The only thing in this theater older than that movie right now is me!"

The biggest & best highlight of the occasion came right after the first film started.

Cue the music.

Roll opening credits.

Several breathtaking panoramic shots of the spacecraft "flying" top speed to the red planet.

Title fills the screen.

ROBINSON CRUSOE ON MARS

An iffy title for a more than great movie. Cheers hit the roof. The marathon was on. We had arrived!

Illustration by Computer Genius on Deviantart.

RCOM chronicles the endeavors of a stranded astronaut (Paul Mantee) in his struggle to survive the elements (It was thought Mars possibly had a thin, breathable atmosphere when this film was made.) & the crushing lonelyness. His only companion, a lab monkey named Mona. He's later joined by a slave-escapee (Victor Lundin) from an alien mining expedition.

The fourth member of the cast, who dies early from a crash landing, was played by a then unknown (1963) actor going by the name of Adam West.

Yes ... THAT Adam West!

O.K. So the opening music abruptly ends as the spacecraft (Mars Gravity Probe One) hurtles at the audience, practically through the screen & ... There's Adam West at the controls.


Hey! It's Batman & Robin! Mnnnn ... not quite.

Suddenly, a rather irritating, rotund fellow (Many anime & movie con goers have personally met this person. His name is THAT GUY!.) a few rows back, shouts:

"BATMAN!

The whole theater, me with it, EXPLODES in thunderous cheers & applause.

I wonder if Mr. West truely realizes the extent of the tremendous impact he's made on pop culture ...


Article copyright © 2-14-2013 Jay Agan


A more accurate rendition of Mars Gravity Probe 1/Eleanor M by Computer Genius here.

Wikipedia article on Forbidden Planet here.

Wikipedia article on Robinson Crusoe On Mars here.

The Drexel North, A Place on High Street here.

Go to Jays' Tee Vee blog main page here.

Out On A Date PT4

Out On A Date PT4


I've always liked Charles Bronsons' movies. The guy couldn't act his way out of a wet paper bag, but then he didn't have to. His films are always enjoyable.

You're probably wondering what that has to do with dating. Well it seems Mr. Bronson & I, though we never met, both shared a dislike in a mutual aquaintance.

As stated in Out On A Date Pt1, I dated his neice a couple of times. What little she told me of her famous uncle in our brief (very) relationship was they didn't like each other very much. Understandable. After having been abruptly dumped & figuring out why MUCH later, I can see why he didn't care much for her. Scheming little ...

Being Plan B would not have been so bad if it happened Plan A didn't work out for her BEFORE we started dating, catching her on the rebound so to speak. Being Plan B while she was STILL WORKING on Plan A is ... well ... sucks. Especially if A "pays off" & there's no need for B, thus getting dumped.

It's been quite a few years & I know I shouldn't be harboring any resentment over it. Live & learn as they say ...

Sometimes though, I still get to thinking ... there could be no better punishment for her than to have her forced to watch ALL her uncles' films back to back for eternity ... with me sitting right next to her ... enjoying the show.

"Pass the popcorn hon."

Yeah ... I'm full of myself ... And lovin' it!


Out On A Date Pts 1, 2, 3 Girls n' Guns.

Go to Jays' Tee Vee blog main page here.

Night At the Drive In

Not the Knox Auto Theater of my youth in Mt. Vernon, Ohio.
This one's in Radcliff, Kentucky.

Night At the Drive In


You younguns' may not think so today, but going to the movies was a big deal back in the day. Cable wasn't as widespread, no internet &, aside from 8 & 16 mm films in cans or reel to reel video tape, home video didn't exist.

It's not like today, where every other home seems to have the equivalent of a movie studio /theater in the living room. When a flick was released, it hit the theaters, then you'd wait at LEAST a year before it got on television. If you wanted to see it then, then you had to see it THEN. Otherwise it was a nine month wait til the next time. Now it's weeks between theater & disc.

If a studio felt they could get an extra nickel off a flick they'd put it in a second run. The drive-in theater came in pretty handy for that. The pre-released flick would be the second (or later) feature on a double bill. That's where this story comes in.

I really DID want to see Planet of the Apes (The ORIGINAL '68 version, not that abortion of recent years.). I Remember as a kid reading installments of it in Argosy magazine a few years before (I must have been eight or nine then.) It was THE movie of the year for some. I was quite happy when informed by the parents we were going to see it that week in that summer of long ago.

It was, howsomever, the second feature I was a trite more anxious to see. The thick icing on the cake so to speak: One Million Years BC. I had actually seen the original '40 flick while trapped in military school a year before & wanted to catch this.

The Ray Harryhausen dino effects was what got my attention, not Raquel Welch who, I suspected at the time, was one of Mr. Harryhausens' more fabulous creations (No one looking that good could be real!). Puberty finally hit me a few months later then it was ... OH! Maybe she was real.

So flashback to the Knox Auto Theater in that summer of '68. Planet is over & we're loaded up on popcorn & sugar from intermission. My brother & I seated on the closed/window down tailgate of Dads' Plymouth Fury lll looking out over the roof, little sister in between.

We're part way into the film when the first real special effects sequence lumbers onto the screen. It's not one of Harryhausens' stop motion dinos however. Something more out of the Bert I. Gordon school of fun cheesiness. A GIANT ... IGUANA!

"Yeek!"

Little sister ducks into the car. She wasn't gonna let that lizoid get her!

"What happened back there!" Mom

"Oh ... Sheila saw the monster." Dad

After a while, she figured the critters weren't coming after her & alternately sat with Mom or between brother & I. Good fun had by all.


One Million Years BC Wikipedia review here.

One Million BC Wikipedia review here.

Raquel Welch Wikipedia bio here.

Ray Harryhausen Wikipedia bio here.

Argosy magazine Wikipedia article here.

Go to Jays' Tee Vee blog main page here.

The Whisperer In Darkness: One NOT Worth Watching

Pass this one by.

                            The Whisperer In Darkness: One NOT Worth Watching

                                                              by

                                                                  Jay Agan


     Words cannot describe my disappointment on viewing this film. In light of the fact this film came from the same outfit that made Call of Cthulhu, I had such high hopes for this. Call of was 100% faithful to Mr. Lovecrafts' story, & though I knew there would be at least a little embellishment with Whisperer (The trailers seemed to indicate as much.) I was hoping it would adhere 90%. Perhaps ...

     I guess you could say 100% of the original story is there ... which makes up 66% of the film. Right after the protagonist realizes that things aren't as they seem, the film goes from Lovecraft to Lucas, ie. it turns into an Indiana Jones movie complete with a "temple of doom" scene! I should have known something was up when early in the film a character mentions the protagonists' lack of expertise in flying a plane. Yup, there's not only a chase on the ground but also a chase in the air as the hero & a little girl try to outfly the Mi-Go. The girl ends up falling to her death, body spinning to earth.  Guess they took the "kill off the little girl" cue from the The Walking Deads' first episode. Just came across as mean to me.

     You also get a "What the heck!?" conclusion as, when you think the Wilmarth character ended it all in a plane crash, he's now in a "dream state" describing how happy & wonderful it is to be under the Mi-Gos' sway. Yeah, I "spoiled" it for ya. Maybe I saved you some time. You'll thank me later.

Pretty much how I felt after watching.

     The best part of the film was when my dvd player encountered a smudge or something & the picture pixilated, skipped, hopped, & jumped for a minute. My copy came with a second disc of extras about the making of the film. I have not bothered to view it. It's enough that I know they ruined the story. I don't need or care to know how.


Copyright © 8-17-2012 Jay Agan


Call of Cthulhu: One Really Worth Watching here.

H. P. Lovecrafts' Dark Heritage here.

Howard Phillips Lovecraft Historical Society here.

Go to Jays' Tee Vee blog main page here.


This article (only) may be copied in whole or in part. Please cite proper credit & backlink.

Casting Call, NOT QUITE!

Casting Call, NOT QUITE!

Was in the local hobby shop talking to the proprietor about my disatisfaction with The Whisperer In Darkness (To be addressed in a later blog post!) when he mentioned something that piqued my interest.

There was going to be a casting call at the very place in about less than an hour. A small horror film was in the making & they were looking for actors. As it was an open call & being a frustrated actor, I decided to attend. After a stop at a local fast food joint, I went back.

The call was already in session, & I was told he was already talking to a couple of rather attractive young ladies. Going to the back, I leaned in a corner & listened as the fellow explained some of the plot/storyline to the two.

Seems there was an incest/pregnancy subplot though nothing "overt" was to be shown. OK. He then said the film would involve a group of "religious" people who killed off dysfunctional families as what's "broken" stays "broken". That's when I left.

Even though I heard VERY little, I figured "religious" meant "Christian". Hollywood Christian. Meaning a bunch of violent low-grades spouting out of context verse & acting worse than the "heathen" they profess to be against. I may be wrong about what he meant by religious but I doubt it would be Kirk Cameron material.

Yes, I knew this was to be a "horror" film. I knew it would not be the kind you would show to your congregation. If it was to be a simple little fright flick (AND if I might be what they were looking for.) I wouldn't mind being in it.  But ... At the same time there's more than enough anti-Christian films out there giving a false impression of the Lord & believers. Of course many so-called followers & other Westboro Baptist types have been NO help at all in fostering such an image for others to pick up on.

What would Jesus do in regard to people broken by abuse of any kind? Including the abusers? I doubt he would advocate killing them. The fact the world in general & people in particlar are broken (Romans 5:12) is why he gave of himself, paying the penalty of the sinful state the world & individuals are in (Romans 6:23 & 5:8).

Hmmm ... why not a "horror" film based on John 8:3-11, wherin the "good" vigilanties are forced into examining themselves? Or a "political thriller" following the storyline of  2nd Samuel Chapts. 11 to 19: A Godly man in high position goes wrong, is forgiven, but must still pay the penalty(s) & unintended consequences. You get the idea. By the way, look up the above passages.

I guess I should be heartened by the fact that the technology to "bypass" Hollywood is more than in the reach of those of limited means. A shame so many feel the need to emulate Tinsletown. There's so much good material out there (A lot not even in the Bible.) that could be used to uplift/promote good.


How Do We Get to Heaven? here.

What Will Heaven Be Like? here.

God & Science web site here.

On the Rapture, Third Impact, Armageddon & All That here.

Go to Jays' Tee Vee blog main page here.