"Che", "30 Rock", And More!

I haven't posted in a long time, so this is just a small catch up on what's been happening. I got really excited today because Steven Soderbergh's "Che" has just come out in a 3 disc set in the Criterion Collection. If anybody knows me, they know I'm obsessed with getting Criterion editions of some of my favorite films. As soon as I have the money, I'm going to Barnes And Noble and purchasing a copy. It's 5 hours long (although it was theatrically released in two parts, and that's how it's presented here), and is pure brilliance! Benicio Del Toro, who is set to appear in next-month's "The Wolf Man", acts as Che. He is one of the greatest actors of his generation, and I cannot wait to see his performance in "The Wolf Man"!

I've also started to watch Tina Fey's "30 Rock", a comedy series that follows the daily lives of the crew on the fictional "TGS With Tracy Jordan". Tracy Morgan, Tina Fay, Alec Baldwin, and Jack McBrayer are brilliant in the TV series. Alec Baldwin is hilarious with his all business approach to television, Tracy Morgan's portrayal of true idiocy is brilliant, and Jack McBrayer melts your heart as the simple-minded yet loyal Kenneth. Anybody who wants to watch a great television series should watch "30 Rock"!

Other than that, I have also started watching the television series "Star Wars: The Clone Wars". It's very good, but I am not as impressed with it as I was with the 2003 micro series that was on Cartoon Network. The new series has plots that are worthy of the original trilogy, and the visual style is amazing, but the script is sometimes a bit childish. However, I would still recommend it to friends, and I recommend it to you.

Boris Karloff And Bela Lugosi In Edgar Allan Poe's "The Black Cat" And "The Raven"

Both Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi have been in excellent horror films on their own and have also created monster icons in their own right, but some of their best work together lies in the two Edgar Allan Poe films made by Universal in the 1930s: "The Black Cat", and "The Raven".

"The Black Cat" tells the story of the strange and violent relationship between Dr. Vitus Werdegast and Hjalmar Poelzig. For once in his career, Bela Lugosi plays the dashing good guy, but this is to little affect because of his sinister aura. The ending is so shocking and masterfully shot that the film will leave a mark on all viewers! The film features a very modern Bauhaus type furniture, which is strange for a horror story and a pleasant departure from the usual cobwebs and staircases.

"The Raven" is the better of the duo and tells the story of a surgeon, Dr. Richard Vollin, who falls madly in love with a woman soon to be married. He takes in and disfigures murderer-on-the-run Edmund Bateman, who is soon unwillingly drawn into his web of murder. Boris Karloff gives another tragic-but-brilliant performance, and his final heroic act will bring tears to all eyes. Bela Lugosi also gives one of the genre-defining roles as Dr. Vollin, perhaps the greatest mad doctor of all time.

These two films are brilliant examples of Universal Horror. Although they do not feature the blatant German Expressionist photography that "Dracula", and "The Mummy" employed, they do takes us through a newer, more modern type of horror. The films are definitely not supernatural, and focus on psychological horror instead.

The true star of these films, though, is definitely Boris Karloff. His performances in these films are so unnerving (The Black Cat) and tragic (The Raven) that nobody will forget them. The sinister Poelzig will frighten everybody, and the tragic figure of Edward Bateman will definitely make all cry.

Why Do People Kill...

First Halloween Special! Top 10 Horror Movies! AWM Awards!

Happy Halloween everybody! Hope you've all had a good halloween. To celebrate, us folks at AWM central (us folks meaning one guy) have cooked up a wild concotion of Halloween fun! So, to begin- an all new horror story written especially for this site! And so begins... Attack Of The Werewolf!

Attack Of The Werewolf

The moors were dark. The moon hung in the sky, weighted down by the heavy black clouds. The brilliance of the stars were gone, replaced by darkness. It enveloped everything, with it's musky smell. But wait- a footstep. Very small. A twig breaks.
Daniel was in the moors that fateful night. He would not have been, had he known the fate that would befall him. The mist encircled him. He was sweating. His overcoat was torn- almost completely- and there was a huge gouge in his leg. Someone, something had attacked him. And, with the mist as it's ally, it circled him.
A hand slowly rested itself near his foot. It had long, circling hairs, sharp nails. Wait, scratch that- it's finger's were sharp. And suddenly, the mist drew back. The hand had an arm, the arm a shoulder, the should a body. The body, a head. White, brilliant teeth and blood-red eyes staired at him. Daniel looked back at the creature. It was a wolf of some kind, only larger.
And deadlier.
The wolf attacked. He howled in pain, as he felt the vicious, stinking teeth tear into his throat, the black hairs engulfing him. The eyes stared into his. They were vacant. The eyes were vacant. And ever so hungry. The wolf buried himself in the sticky blood at his throat.
And now, Daniel knew his fate. He didn't bother to fight back. The wolf, or dog, whatever it was- pushed him to the ground, and slashed his face. Fresh, vivid blood splattered accross the dying grass.
Daniel looked beside him for help. There was none. So he simply sat there, wheezing and bleeding. The moon hung in the sky. The moors were dark. The moors belonged to the beast.

So... pretty wild, huh? The writer is planning to continue installments of this story. So check back soon, and we might have a new story for you, waiting to be read. And, if the story proves popular enough, we might make a seperate blog just for it...
So now, were going to start a new tradition right here and now. Every halloween, we're going to review our top ten horror films. Every year, you'll get a different list, as there are a lot of horror films. So now, get ready for our top ten!

Top 10 Horror Movies

1. The Shining (1980)
   Stanley Kubrick's masterpiece is undoubtedly The Shining. Beautifully shot, with haunting music and great acting, The Shining tells the story of Jack Torrance, a failing writer who decides to take his family on holiday. They decide to stay at the Overlook Hotel- as caretakers for winter. As isolation sets in, Jack Torrance begins to experience a special kind of cabin fever... one influenced by the rather frighteningly powerful ghosts that haunt the hotel.
   5 pumpkins.
2. Nosferatu (1922)
   F. W. Murnau has crafted the greatest adaptation of Bram Stoker's Dracula to date... which is quite funny, really, considering it was the first. The powerful imagery and the disturbing appearance of the count started the Murnau style of German Expressionism.
   5 pumpkins.
3. Dracula (1931)
   Bela Lugosi gives his legendary performance in this monster movie classic. Count Dracula, recently arrived in England, begins preying on the Harkers. With the help of the eccentric Van Helsing, they may have a chance at ending his reign of terror. This is the first of the Universal Horror line up, and really did start the gothic-ness of Dracula.
   5 pumpkins.
4. The Wolf Man (1941)
   In The Wolf Man, Lawrence Talbot starts a legacy of horror when he becomes the so called "Wolf Man". Lon Chaney Jr gives a brilliant and heart-breakingly sad performance as Lawrence Talbot. The music, the visuals (particularly the moors) are brilliant. The only let down with the film is the 1-hour running time. Revisit the greatest werewolf horror film of all time.
   5 pumpkins.
5. The Blair Witch Project (1999)
   The Blair Witch Project was the first in the classic line up of shakey-camera horror movies. Some ameteur film makers decide to film a documentary in a haunted forest. As all horror film fans know, horror ensues. I'm suprised the film makers didn't expect it. The only thing that brings down the power of this film is the mention of a child-murderer.
   4 pumpkins.
6. Alien (1979)
   Ridley Scott makes movie history in this clausterphobic horror-thriller, apltly named Alien. Mixing the old school style of the classic Universal Monster movies with the new wave of American horror, Alien is like Alfred Hitchcock in space. It really is a terrifyingly powerful film. The only let down in the end are some particular shots that make the Alien look like it's from a 40's horror movie.
   4 pumpkins.
7. The Mummy (1932)
   Boris Karloff, hot off of Frankenstein, makes movie history again with The Mummy. Photographed with lots of german-expressionism inspired shots, this film has some truly terrifying moments. Boris Karloff delivers an amazing performance as Imhotep. The only let downs are the often cheesy music, and the plot being all too similar to Bela Lugosi's Dracula.
   3 pumpkins.
8. Horror Of Dracula (1958)
   Christopher Lee delivers an amazing performance as the evil Count Dracula. Set in Germanic regions (all though, everybody has an English accent), Count Dracula has been haunting people for decades. Dracula comes to the attention of Dr. Van Helsing when his friend and ally, Jonathan Harker, is murdered by Dracula. Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing provide wholly believable performances. The only problem with the movie is the often cheesy one-liners, and the ridiculous expressions on people's faces.
   3 pumpkins.
9. Frankenstein Meets The Wolf Man (1943)
   In this sequel to The Wolf Man, Lon Chaney Jr has risen from the grave, and has returned as the infamous Wolf Man. As if angry villagers aren't enough, he now has to deal with the very real threat of Bela Lugosi, dressed in black clothes and loads of make up as Frankenstein. It has one of the most unforgettable opening sequences ever. The only problem with this film is the frequent mistakes of trying to be a monster mash-up, which, I guess, is what it is.
   3 pumpkins.
10. The Raven (1935)
    As it says in the opening credits, this film is "suggested" by the Poe story. Boris Karloff, acting as hunted murderer Edmund Bateman, goes to Bela Lugosi (acting as Dr. Richard Vollin) to have his appearance altered. However, Lugosi only makes him even more ugly and terrifying, and recruits him (unwillingly) into a plan of murder. This film will stick with you forever. However, it would have been a treat to not have been mislead by the title.
    3 pumpkins.

Well, that concludes our Top 10 Horror Movies. I know some of you are suprised that titles like "The Excorsist" and "Poltergeist" aren't on there; no worry- I simply haven't seen them yet. Next year, maybe you'll be in for a suprise. And now, for the AWM Awards!

AWM Awards

Right here, right now, I'm going to judge horror movies and books and anything else you can find that is related to horror. These movies, books, and television shows will have the special honor of having an AWM Award. Not that it means anything, but still. Sit back, and relax!

• Greatest horror icon: Boris Karloff
• Greatest horror novel: Frankenstein
• Greatest horror actor: Bela Lugosi
• Greatest horror director: Roger Corman
• Greatest horror television special: 'Salem's Lot (1979)
  
• Greatest horror movie: The Shining (1980)
• Worst horror movie of all time: Halloween (2007)

So, that concludes our programming for tonight. But don't forget, the horror fun isn't over yet! Tune in between November 23rd and November 29th to read the AWM blog post for the Boris Karloff blogathon!

Good night. Sleep well. Don't let the bed bugs bite.

Double Double Bills

You know, I've been going to the cinema a lot quite recently. I've discovered an art/rerun cinema right next to me (in Manhattan, it's not possible to not be in a strategic location), and a mainstream cinema opposite me. However, my stays in these cinemas have been... elongated. The reason why is both visits to the cinema have been a blast from the past... First of all, all the films I saw were reruns, and they were double bills!

The first double bill I went to see had "Toy Story" and "Toy Story 2", in 3D. It was great seeing these classic films again, particularly the first one. The reason why is I haven't seen the film since I was 4 years old, and seeing it on the big screen was almost like seeing it for the first time. I really enjoyed seeing them. The double bill also announced that a new Wii game is coming out- "Toy Story Mania"- which is based on the classic ride in Disneyland. I've been on the ride in Disneyland, and it was brilliant, so I am excited.

The second bill- which I saw last night- was a little more frightening. As Halloween is coming round- one of the biggest holidays in America- There are a lot of Halloween events around. For example, on the tv channel TCM, there are multiple horror themed marathons going on. For example, there is a Boris Karloff marathon the day before Halloween, and a "Meteor Night" marathon that plays some really old sci fi movies.

Well, do you remember that art cinema I mentioned? They have a string of horror movies playing at the moment, and whilst most of them are very clever, they are also a bit too much to see at the big screen. However, there were a few that I would have seen, but unfortunately missed- "An American Werewolf In London", with a Q&A with John Landis, and Tom Savanni's remake of "Night Of The Living Dead". However, the double bill I went to see was better than any of that. It was (drum roll please)............... "The Horror Of Dracula" and "The Curse Of The Werewolf"! Two classic Hammer Horror films for the price of one (almost)! Anyone who knows me well will know that "The Horror Of Dracula" is one of my all-time favorite movies! Seeing it on the big screen was incredible. I had never seen "The Curse Of The Werewolf" before, and whilst it wasn't the best film I've ever seen, it was amazing to see on the big screen.

And if any of you hammer fans live in London, they have an upcoming Hammer event in London- The Hammer Festival, which includes ghost walks and screenings of classic Hammer films. If you're a Hammer fan, then this is worth checking out.

Woah...

So, as you guys can probably tell, I haven't been updating this blog too much in the last month. I haven't lost interest, just a lot of important stuff has been happening all in succession. So, to start off this post with a bang, I'm gonna give you some bad news.

I entered an art contest about a month ago, and the rules were that you had to draw your favorite video game boss battle. The winner would get 60 dollars worth of video gaming money. This is all at an independent website, and they have about 4 contests a year. I entered, but didn't win. No biggie. Look at this to see my art on the internet!

So, after that, I found out that I had been accepted into the school play. This isn't a small thing, it's quite a big deal. There were auditions and everything. It's not the sort of thing that are made so parents come and say "awwww"- real reviewers come. I am playing the part of The Sentry in Sophocles' "Antigone". It's a pretty good play. Check it out sometime.

So, after those two important pieces of news, I've also started writing classes. I brought in my first piece yesterday. I aimed for something like Catcher in the Rye. It's OK, I'm not particularly proud of it, but who knows what will happen?

"The Death And Return Of Superman"

When I found out the news that Doomsday, one of my all-time favorite Superman villains, was the central antagonist for season 8 of "Smallville", I went into a frenzy of reminiscence. In Smallville, Doomsday is the alter-ego of Davis Bloome, a paramedic with an appetite for violence. His alter-ego, the Doomsday creature, looks a little different from the comics, but still, it is great that, for the first time ever, Doomsday has come to the silver screen.

As I said before, I was reminiscing. The main reason why is that Doomsday was originally introduced in a Superman story arc named "The Death Of Superman". Superman and Doomsday both die at the end of the graphic novel, and so it sets up events for the next two entries, "A World Without Superman" and "The Return Of Superman". These events were also recently adapted into an animated film, named "Superman: Doomsday".

Now, as many of my family and friends will know, I don't like the Superman character, but I don't despise him. Many of his stories don't appeal to me because he has no flaws- the only comic that had him in that I ever liked was "Superman: For Tomorrow"- one that I recommend to everybody. I do believe, however, that "The Death And Return" is Superman at his best. It was so successful as an arc that there was an audio drama, several animated adaptations (with lots of artistic liberty) as well as a video game.