Cameron H.

So...I'm not finding Gamer even a little bit fun. I only got about 20 mins in, but I think I'm going to have to call it. Life's too short and I don't have the energy for this one. I'm sure the episode will be great though.

I might as well watch Scrooged next since there are ghosts in it...

100% agree. Amazon keeps trying to sell me on Gremlins as a Halloween movie. Nice try, motherfuckers. Also, I'm not sure if I'm just weirdly emotional right now or if it's this debilitating conjunctivitis, but something about the climactic basketball game at the end of Teen Wolf just made me tear up like crazy.

Man...Is anyone else having trouble mustering up the desire to watch Gamer? I'm having so much fun watching Halloween movies right now, I really don't feel like watching it. Too bad they didn't choose to do Lawnmower Man this week. At least then I could justify it as a sort of horror movie. Oh, well...I guess I'll carry on...somehow.

I know the director came out recently and said it was definitely a Halloween movie, but I have to agree with you--it's Christmas all the way! I usually watch Corpse Bride for Halloween and Nightmare at Christmas. Sometimes people don't understand their own work, I guess... Why, thank you!

Seconds before...

So, I've been spending the month watching "Halloween" movies pretty much exclusively. As Halloween is next Monday, it's time to start in on my traditional movies: It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlies Brown, Hocus Pocus, Shaun of the Dead, Ghostbusters, Evil Dead, Corpse Bride, Brothers Grimm, Monster House, Sleepy Hallow, The Adventures of Ichabod Crane, ParaNorman, Frankenweenie, and a few others I can't think of at the moment. Amyway, I just wondering, do any of you have traditional Halloween movies? For those curious, here's what I've watched so far this month (It's a lot, but I'm up at like 4AM everyday and I work from home now...so, yeah) Arachnia, Final Sacrifice, Curious George A Halloween Boo Fest, Casper, Hotel Transylvania 1 & 2, Ernest Scared Stupid, The Addams Family, Night of the Living Dead, Night of the Lepus, House on Haunted Hill, The Witches, Alvin and the Chipmunks Meet Frankenstein, Alvin and the Chipmunks Meet the Wolf Man, Hillbillies in a Haunted House, Harry Potter (all of them), Twilight, Troll 2, Misery, Rosemary's Baby, The Thing, Interview With a Vampire, The Lost Boys, Dracula, Frankenstein, The Mummy, The Wolfman, Carrie, Children of the Corn, Psycho 1 & 2, The Birds, The Mist, Room on the Broom.

I just finished listening to the episode, and while I think the theme song at the end was pretty decent, I don't know how well it would wear on repeat listenings. I mean, great job to whoever did it, but it's more something I would like for the Howdies or something.

"Oy," indeed.

I know I'm in! "They're an aphrodisiac..." --Pete (probably)

While I get what you're saying, I'd say there is a pretty significant difference between being "flawed" and being a "fuck-up." Flaws can be interesting, but if you're a fuck up as a grown ass adult, you're just obnoxious. That's my problem with the characters in this movie: they're boring, stick figures that I have no desire to be around longer than absolutely necessary. Given an extraordinary situation, a good writer can make a hero out of an ordinary person. Just because they aren't flawless, comic book supermen, doesn't make them any more relatable. It just makes them more insufferable.

Y'know, considering these jokers have had twenty some years to hone their talents, they really don't seem to understand even the basic mechanics of their powers. For example, when they first arrive at the cabin, Henry and Jonesy are having a hushed, furtive conversation outside. And just before Jonesy reveals to Henry that he thinks Duddits lured him into traffic the night he got hit, he takes a long minute to make sure neither Pete or Beaver are eavesdropping, because, of course. I mean, it's not like the other two telepaths can just, like, I don't know, read what's on his mind or something. So, here they are, four guys who don't seem to have any control over these powers they probably don't deserve, so you'd think they'd at least learn subtlety, but no. In two decades, they couldn't be bothered to keep their shit low key. Whether it's aggressively staring down a military officer in the middle of a snowy internment camp or creeping out a realtor on the way to the sale of her life, nobody ever makes any attempt at being not creepy. Let's take the Pete and Realtor situation. She comes in asking if he can make a new set of keys. He slips and uses her name.* She then asks, "Did I tell you my name?" Instead of being cool about it and saying something like, "Yeah, but you're upset. You may have forgotten. Don't worry about it" he swerves off the highway and takes the first exit to North Creeperton, suggesting, "Uh...I guessed." Um...that's really weird, dude, like, really weird. But okay, she really needs her keys. We'll overlook it. So, he leaves his job in the middle of the day, and they go to a convenience store. Fine. That's kind of nice. He then goes over her story with her. Cool. Nothing wrong there. Then he draws attention to his magic, swirling finger. "It helps me think." Dude, she might not have even noticed had you not said anything, but now her focus is squarely on your pervy, twirling finger. Then, he corrects her story and tells her, "And you bought a candy bar. A Mars bar." WHA--? WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU EVEN DOING??? All you did is make yourself come off as a fucking stalker. Was pointing out the candy bar really necessary? You may think it's cute, but you have to know, since you can fucking read minds, that you just came off as the creepiest creep to ever creep out of North Creeperton. However, your mind reading tells you can still achieve the ultimate fuckarow. So you then point out which car is hers and then extort her into a date by withholding her keys unless she submits to go on a date with you. ARRRRRRGGGH!!!!!! And, as she speeds away, and he stands dejectedly in the rain, all he can say is, "Another fuckarow." Hey, Pete. Come closer. You've had these powers for two thirds of your goddamn life, let's start to learn how to live with them, shall we? How about next time you try this? Trish: I lost my keys. Pete: I'll help you find them, Trish. Trish: Did I tell you my name..? Pete: Yup. Trish: Oh...huh, weird. Anyway, you can help? Pete: Sure can. [Pete gets keys immediately and hands them to her.] Pete: Here you go. Trish: Oh, wow! You're a life saver. Pete: Aw, shucks. It was nothing. Trish: How can I ever repay you? Pete: Not necessary, Trish. I was happy to help. But, if you'd like to meet up later, I would really enjoy getting to know you better. Trish: Hmmm, I don't usually go out with guys I just met, but you seem like a really nice guy and didn't come off like a creep at all. Sure. That sounds lovely. You're welcome, Pete. Now try not to get your dick bitten off. *So...how did he mind read her name? Is she always thinking about it? You know what? She probably was. I imagine someone who is so dumb as to not look on the ground directly beside her car for her keys first, is probably the type of person who needs to be constantly reminding themselves who they are.

Good one!

Okay, okay. You can drop the charade now, MoFuzz. Or should I say... But seriously, if what you're describing is "Literature 101," then as it pertains to the movie (since not everyone here has read the book), what we're talking about is a Remedial Summer Reading Course as taught by an apathetic substitute teacher with a nasty Quaalude habit. Sure, some of what you're describing is in the film...as soft, cliched pencil drawings found in an "Artist's" trash bin. However, aside from the flashbacks, they do not "combine their strengths to overcome bullies." In fact, almost as soon as they arrive at the cabin, they are immediately separated. Shit, two of them die well before the climax! I mean, how exactly do they relate to each other as individuals? Aside from maybe Jonesy and Thomas Jane's character, I have no idea. We know they're friends, but only because the movie tells us they are, and as someone who has passed Literature 101, I can tell you that's a big no-no. And honestly, as evidenced in the movie only, what exactly is Beaver's "strength?" He knows the lyrics to "Blue Bayou?" As someone who has read the book (admittedly--just once, years ago) I don't think I ever came up with a satisfactory answer to that question. I think the best I ever came up with was "superhuman empathy." But that's certainly not apparent in the movie where the man is all liability. The fact is, this movie feels--at best--like a first draft published and optioned for film based solely on the author's name and bankability. Nothing more. However, I am curious, and maybe you know. Is SSDD a "redrum" reference? When we first meet Beaver, he is writing it on the frosted glass of a phone booth. From our initial perspective, we are reading it as "DDSS." When spoken phonetically, is "DDSS" supposed to read as "Duddits?"

But, considering their goal was more "We need to keep this fucking lid shut" than "Criminetties! Let's make sure Beaver doesn't slide off" it sounds like friction tape was still the wrong way to go.

My question: why does young Douglas Cavell's mother call him "Duddits" too?

It really does surprise me how often disaster could have been avoided by utilizing some good old fashioned telepathy. For example: "Hey Beav, I've got an idea to turn this fuckerow into a fuckeree by getting some friction tape out of the shed. But--fuck me, Freddy--I'm getting this real strong impression that you're about to pick up a toothpick up off this blood and shit soaked floor and stick it in your mouth. So, before I go, and you turn this into a real jobba-nobba, you want me to check the kitchen for some more?" ETA: Also, want to know the most frightening thing about this movie? Being a twelve year old boy and having friends who can read your thoughts. Yikes!

During the shouting at the helicopter scene, I thought it was hilarious when the military repeatedly tells them that they are under quarantine and Beaver and Jonsey keep shouting back something to the effect of "No, no. You don't understand. We have a really sick guy in here." I would have loved it if the military guy shouted back, "No, motherfuckers, you don't understand. We know there's a sick guy down there. You're under Quar-an-tine! Have fun with your shit weasels! We're out!"

Honestly, it's been so long I can't remember. All I remember was thinking, "Surely the book will clear up some of these things that don't make sense..." Nope. It has to be one of the most faithful of all his adaptations--which is, so sad. Then again, he wrote it on tons of painkillers so maybe it made sense to him..?

I think that was Jarry Canada, although, I might be mistaken...

Couldn't agree more!

Well..I'm sure being Eleven will be just as fun...

Not Holtzman? Noice! That's so choice!