Random Thoughts

I love this fake trailer, very well done.

Also, did anyone know that there was sequel to the holiday legend A Christmas Story? I was checking in dvds at the library and saw this very plain looking box, I turned it around and it said the sequel to Christmas Stroy!


It was called It Ruins in the Family (labeled My Summer Story in the United States. It was released eleven years after Christmas story and the only returning cast member is Ralphie's teacher Miss Shields. Jean Shepherd who narrated Christmas Story also returned to narrate and wrote the movie and the orginal director Bob Clark also directed this one. You think with those two back it couldn't be all that bad, as of now I havent seen it. It has a 5.5/10 rating on imdb. Not sure if I should even bother checking it out.

Not On DVD: PROJECT U.F.O. (1978) - TV's weekly close encounters

PROJECT U.F.O.
(1978, USA, TV)

In 1978, the double-whammy of box office hits, Star Wars and Close Encounters of the Third Kind, had sparked a sci-fi explosion on TV. But while Star Wars directly inspired the galactic dogfights of Battlestar Galactica and Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, what could TV do with Close Encounters?

The answers lie in Project Blue Book, the USAF official catalogue of the investigation of UFO sightings in the USA, also the inspiration for many events in Close Encounters. In the first episode of Project U.F.O. ('The Washington DC Incident'), UFOs descend near a woman alone in a remote country house, buzz a guy stranded in his pick-up truck late at night, and get tracked by a roomful of air traffic controllers - all mirroring major scenes from Spielberg's film.


After a jumble of sightings, two officers from the Air Force investigate and question all the witnesses. Sergeant Fisk and Major Gatlin are very limited characters, often sounding like they're spouting official USAF documents. Having said that, fair-haired Caskey Swaim is still easy on the eye. The hook to the series was a weekly dose of UFO sightings and alien visitations. These are imaginatively done, albeit on a TV budget (the models look far too small to be anything else than plastic kits). The parade of different extra-terrestrials, usually a new race every week, are more interestingly realised.

The twist is that some of the sightings can be explained away, others cannot. Though if you rewind to the footage of the reported sightings and compare them with the explanations, they don't always match up. When The X Files began, I thought that, like Project U.F.O., at least a few of the cases Mulder and Scully investigated would turn out to be hoaxes or natural phenomenon, rather than them striking paranormal gold every single week.


For the time, Project U.F.O. was a visual effects-heavy TV show, and still provides plenty of retro eye-candy. Looking past the special effects to the original cases that are described could prove to be a little spooky, if you get into it. Nowadays, it's hard to enjoy because of the lack of engaging characters. The level of logic and science is partly aimed at children, or at least anyone who's never heard of electrical storms and the planet Venus. The show is also remarkably low on interesting or even recognisable guest stars, Leif Erickson (of the original Invaders From Mars) and Pamela Franklin (The Legend of Hell House) being rare exceptions.


It's a stretch to call Project U.F.O. a forerunner to The X Files as it's too light in tone, with such slim storylines, (The Night Stalker was much more of an influence). It was also a steep contrast from the aggressive aliens, imaginative action and tight special effects of Gerry Anderson's UFO of almost ten years earlier.

Both seasons of Project U.F.O. reappeared on UK's Sci-Fi Channel a few years ago, so the series is still out there, but has never appeared on DVD anywhere. 26 episodes in all, has anyone spotted them recently? Keep watching the airwaves!

Here's the opening of the first episode on YouTube...

Bye Week Blues

Lots of bye weeks and some lopsided scores made this an interesting week. 31-3, 37-7, 42-6, 45-10, 38-0, 35-7 were some of the final scores coming out of this weekend. At least the Titans had a bye week to forget their 59-0 loss.

1. New Orleans Saints (6-0) Had an amazing game in Miami coming back from being down 24-3 to win 46-34. The only suspect thing about the team is the Defense yet they make up for it with many turnovers for scores. Darren Sharper already has 6 interceptions at 3 touchdowns, this is through six games!

2. Pittsburgh Steelers (5-2) I had my doubts about this team, still have some yet they continue to win and this time they beat a good opponent. The D seems to be back, and they were the major catalyst for the 27-17 win over Minnesota, handing the Vikings their first loss of the season.

3. Denver Broncos (6-0) They had a bye week, and remain undefeated. Did anyone else notice that Kyle Orton has a career winning perfecantge of .667, better than Peyton Manning.

4. New Englad Patriots (5-2) Had a long flight to London to beat down on the poor Buccaneers. I am not sure wthy the Bucs thought playing the Patriots on netural turf was a good idea.

5. Indianapolis Colts (6-0) Had a bye week, oh wait they played the Rams...is there a difference? Colts are loving playing the NFC West this year me thinks.

6. Minnesota Vikings (6-1) They are now in loss column, too many turnovers that lead to long Pittsburgh Td's, I know offense players cant tackle but they should work on it.

7. New York Giants (5-2) Two losses in a row have some people in NY wondering whats wrong? They were pretty competitive in this game but 3 picks by Manning and a late costly fumble proved too much to overcome.

8. Cincinati Bengals (5-2) I am not sure anyone could have seen this smack down coming. Well, possibly in Cedric Benson's dreams! The former disgruntled Bear is having a career year and his new team creamed the Bears 45-10.

9. Arizona Cardinals (5-2) They are back, the road win over the Giants was a surprise but they have all those weapons and new RB Beanie Wells is showing he could be something special. They are also now in sole possesion of first place in the West.

10. New York Jets (4-3) Played the Raiders and just dominated them 38-0, This team sure can run, they had 316 yards rushing! Glad Thomas Jones is on my fantasy team.

11. Dallas Cowboys (4-2) They handled a good Atlanta team at home and seemingly have found a new #1 WR in one Miles Austin.

12. Atlanta Falcons (4-2) Their defense came back to life and let the Cowboys pass all over it, they lost 37-21 to the Cowboys but they can make a statement in their next game vs. Saints.

13. Philadeplphia Eagles (4-2) Beat the futile Redskins without Brian Westbrook, DeSean Jackson lead the team with 67 yards rushing on one carry.

14. Green Bay Packers (4-2) I think they enjoyed playing the Lions and Browns for consecutive weeks, alas the next game will not be so easy. A certain someone is coming back to town...

15. Baltimore Ravens (3-3) They had a bye week to figure out why they can no longer stop the other team from scoring, lets hope that worked next game is vs. (undfeated) Denver.

16. San Diego Chargers (3-3) Chargers really enjoy playing most teams in the AFC West, sans the Broncos. They beat the Chiefs 37-7 and now get to play the Raiders next.

17. Houston Texans (4-3) Had a nice win to go over .500. They really dominated the 49ers in the first half of the game and scored just enough to prevent a come back by the 49ers.

18. San Francisco 49ers (3-3) Welcome back Alex Smith. Maybe all that time off will make you play like a new man? It couldn't hurt, Smith lead a passing barrage agaisnt the Texans after the half, leading the almost comeback victory (They fell short 24-21). He now has a new weapon in Michael Crabtree who was impressive in his first game since whatever bowl he played in with Texas Tech last year.

19. Chicago Bears (3-3) Laid an egg agaisnt the Bengals. The once dominant defense was nowhere to be seen.

20. Miami Dolphins (2-4) Had a meltdown game agaisnt the Saints, being up by three td's and could not hold the lead. Once again this team can score but they were a better defensive team last year. Ricky WIlliams did a good Cedric Benson impression by putting up good number against his old team, but it wasn't enough.

21. Jacksonville Jaguars (3-3) They were on a bye week and play @Tennessee next Sunday.

22. Buffalo Bills (3-4) Ryan Fitzpatrick lead Bills beat the Panthers 20-9, this game was on my local station and even I passed from watching it. But thats a couple wins in a row for the surging Bills.

23. Seattle Seahawks (2-4) Another team on a bye week, Matt Hasselbeck didnt get injuried this week at the least.

24. Washington Redskins (2-5) They just look like they don't have any real fight in them, their coach is staying but why?

25. Carolina Panthers (2-4) AJ Feeley is chomping at the bit to start soon and why the QB play is not the only problem Delhommme threw three more interceptions this week.

26. Detroit Lions (1-5) Had a bye week, they needed it with Satffor and Calvin Johnson nursing injuries.

27. Kansas City Chiefs (1-6) Not sure if anyone saw that play when Chargers QB Phillip Rivers had roughly 23 minutes to pass the ball, but it was a joke.

28. Tennesse Titans (0-6) They couldnt lose this week, it was a bye week.

29. Oakland Raiders (2-5) They finally benched the ineffective JaMarcus Russell but nothing really helped when you lose 38-0, at home.

30. Cleveland Browns (1-6) Scored only 3 points to the Green Bay defense and this team seems to have no idea what they really want to do with the ball.

31. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-6) Had a beat down, but at least none of their fans were they seeing as how the game was in London. I hear the rookie Josh Freeman may be starting from now on out, what else do they have to lose?

32. St Louis Rams (0-7) This weekend vs the Lions could be their last and best hope for win this year. WOW they had lost 17 games in a row dating back to least season....17!

Gone to Halloween Town - back soon

Forgive the reduced amount of reviews over the next few days, I'm off to find somewhere that celebrates Halloween properly...

NEW Power Rankings

I stress the term "New" as in New Orleans Saints proving that they alone reign supreme over this weeks rankings:

1. New Orleans Saints (5-0) - What else can you say? They took out my #1 ranked team and prove that they could beat out good teams again and again. Drew Brees sure can pass that ball, early MVP much?

2. Minnesota Vikings (6-0) - Sure they have had some close heart attack games, I give Favre props for saying they shouldn't have beaten the 49ers! But seriously this team is stacked with talent and they beat a good Ravens team.

3. Indianapolis Colts (5-0) - They had a bye week, and with St Louis up next they are sure to be 6-0, cant wait for Mannings fantasy stats for my team.

4. Denver Broncos (6-0) - Officially consider me a true believer! Those awesome uniforms they wear seem to have done the trick! Actually I don't mind the circa 80's padres-ish unis, its more the socks that are just terrible. They beat the Chargers on the road, what cant this team do?

5. New York Giants (5-1) - They finally suffered a loss yet it was on the road against the Saints. They also did still score 27 points. I am wondering about the RB situation, is Bradshaw the starter now?

6. New England Patriots (4-2) - 59-0, Tom Brady throws 6 TD passes (5 in the second quarter alone) heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeees baaaaaaaack! Love those red throwback unis!

7. Atlanta Falcons (4-1) - Nice win over the Bears puts the up and coming Falcons up a notch. Matt Ryan looks like the best early QB drafted in many years and the D has proven itself. When do they play the Saints? That will be a good game.

8. Pittsburgh Steelers (4-2) - I continue to not be impressed with this team. Wow you can handle the Browns at home 27-14, the Browns previous high scoring game was 2o. Something seems off about this team. Alas a win is a win and getting Polamalu back should help.

9. Cincinnati Bengals (4-2) - They let the Texans come into their house and tear up their D, who also lost top pass rusher Antwan Odom for the year. We will see if this team can keep its surprise run going. Up next: Chicago, Baltimore, and Pittsburgh.

10. Baltimore Ravens (3-3) - What happened guys? You were sitting at 3-0 and how its 3 losses in a row! Ah you played the Patriots, Bengals, and Vikings? Ok I will cut you guys some slack, but did you guys used to have a good secondary?

11. Chicago Bears (3-2) - Matt Forte never fumbles, right? The game they played was one of those crazy games but his two fumbles, in a row on the goal line but the dagger in the heart of Bears fans everywhere.

12. New York Jets (3-3) - If you were to tell me Thomas Jones and Leon Washington would combine to run for 309 yards against the Bills I would say automatic win! Not the case, Sanchez ended up throwing 5 Ints and they couldn't even attempt a game winning field goal because of a bad snap.

13. Philadelphia Eagles (3-2) - Really? You lost to the Raiders 13-9 and couldn't even score one touchdown. At least the Phillies are winning. But I don't think anyone could see them losing to the Raiders, a huge step back.

14. Arizona Cardinals (3-2) - Now tied for first in the NFC West. They laid a smack down in Seattle with an impressive 27-3 win , limiting Hasselback and co. to a total of 128 yards...yes TOTAL! Look out the are on a roll.

15. San Francisco 49ers (3-2) - They were on a bye week and are going to show off Michael Crabtree next week in a limited roll. They can use him and getting Frank Gore back should prove even more helpful. If they don't get back on their winning ways it could start to be a trend, one this writer doesn't wish to see.


16. Dallas Cowboys (3-2) - They also had a bye week and will come back and play Atlanta, I am still not sold on a team who needed a miracle catch to beat the Chiefs.

17. Green Bay Packers (3-2) - Yes, they did beat Detroit at home....no big deal. The team still is stacked with talent and could easily make a surprise run at any time. That Aaron Rodgers guy is alright too.

18. Houston Texans (3-3) - Went into Cincinnati and put up a nice 28 points. There offense and Schaub keep proving that are for real, yet I still think they will be a .500 team.

19. Miami Dolphins (2-3) - Had a bye week. Next up they take on the #1 ranked Saints. Lets see if the offense can continue to put up the numbers they have been (38and 31 points in the last two games).

20. San Diego Chargers (2-3) - There are some quality teams ranked low on this list, I would say San Diego is a team who could easily move up when they start winning some games or dump their head coach.

21. Jacksonville Jaguars (3-3) - They had to go to the brink against St Louis at home just to beat them, sorry you are moving down! Jones-Drew continues to show he can man handle bad teams.

22. Carolina Panthers (2-3) - A couple of wins has shown that the Panthers are not totally dead. They had 322 total yards, Delhomme's passing total was 65 yards. They can do some serious running, but beating the win less Bucs 28-21 doesn't prove all that much now.

23. Buffalo Bills (2-4) - Owens still playing there? Anyone care? They did beat the Jets, in a game that no one wanted to win.

24. Washington Redskins (2-4) - Another team who no one can figure out, and not in a good way. I predict there head coach will be fired after next week. Benching Jason Campbell is not going to solve everything.

25. Seattle Seahawks (2-4) - Can you say inconsistent much? A week after they beat the Jags 41-0 at home they lose 27-3 at home, ugh. This team will be one of those teams who can never predict how they will do.

26. Oakland Raiders (2-4) - I am sorry but how the fuck did they do that?


27. Kansas City Chiefs (1-5) - They got their first win of the season AND they didn't even need to score a touchdown to do so, how does one score 14 without a td? Four Ryan Succop field goals and a safety, awesome.

28. Detroit Lions (1-5) - After some impressive play they were shutout in Green Bay of course that was without #1 Wr and QB. When Dennis Northcut is your new #1 WR you gots some problems.

29. Cleveland Browns (1-5) - They scored 14 against Pittsburgh, that's something. Yahoo had Lawrence Vickers as Clevelands star of the game...he had 1 catch for 1 yard and a TD.

30. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-6) - Is John Gruden happy he was let go just in time? This team should never have been this bad. They should just throw on those old unis if they are not going to win. Its nice to see Cadillac Williams running like he did in the past.

31. Tennesse Titans (0-6) - I never thought they would be this bad, this is just a disappointing state. They got creamed 59-0, not sure I need say much else.

32. St Louis Rams (0-6) - They did push the Jags to have to win with a field goal in overtime. They have now lost 16 games dating back to last season and some are saying if they don't beat the Lions they may go winless.

PHANTOM OF THE PARADISE (1974) - De Palma's rock horror show

PHANTOM OF THE PARADISE
(1974, USA)

Another review from Brian De Palma's decade of horror.

Another favourite of mine - its images, dialogue and music are scored into my memory. I don't tire of it and I hope it will interest some of you. Phantom of the Paradise is almost unique. It's directed by De Palma, but with horror movie in-jokes worthy of Joe Dante. It's like Phantom of the Opera revamped as a glam-rock musical, with the legend of Faust and many other influences woven in. All presented in a style that mixes comic strip pacing, movie brat homage, and new wave film-making.

At the time, I even thought that further remakes of Phantom could only go forward musically, until Andrew Lloyd Webber sent it all reeling backwards, a couple of years later.


Winslow Leach is a meek composer who has his music ripped off by Swan, a powerful record producer. When Winslow persists in getting his credit, Swan has him disposed of. After being driven to the point of madness and being hideously disfigured, Winslow returns for revenge, hiding his face under a silver birdlike mask, to haunt Swan's new rock venue, The Paradise...

After seeing repeated exposes of the machinations of the music industry, I was staggered that anyone still wanted to get involved. Breaking Glass, Stardust, That’ll Be The Day, Tommy, Pink Floyd's The Wall all warned that you’ll stitch up your friends, get rolled over by your contract, lose all your money and be replaced by the next big thing, if you don't go insane first.

Throughout the film there's a trio of singers who get recycled and relaunched by Swan in different musical genres. First as rock n rollers, then as beach boys, finally as glam rockers. They're always new, but they're the same guys. Swan manipulates the whole game through bribery, sex, drugs, legal fineprint, and the promise of immortal fame.

I saw it in a UK cinema, once on a double-bill with The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975), the only film with which it could possibly be compatible, but I'm sure I saw it before that paired with a different film.

This was also one of the first films where I could read behind-the-scenes interviews with the cast and crew, that added an extra layer of understanding and appreciation, thanks to in-depth articles in Cinefantastique and Photon magazines. Until then, few serious interviews were done for horror films, and only the biggest movies would get 'making of' publications. At the time I can only remember 2001: A Space Odyssey, The Exorcist and Earthquake having such books.


The film hasn't been widely celebrated as a cult, and never had a special edition in the UK or US. But there was a recent French 2-disc release, which includes a wonderful 50 minute documentary with all the key cast members, director De Palma, producer Ed Pressman and editor Paul Hirsch (who soon after cut a little film for George Lucas called Star Wars). It's loaded with interesting stories and some juicy theories - Finlay reckons that his chest-mounted voice box and black leather-clad costume (with cape) directly inspired Darth Vader's outfit! A great documentary, like a reunion with old friends. There's also a spoiler-filled trailer that includes a censored shot of Finlay's face emerging from the record press, freshly scarred and smoking.

The movie starts off with a mysterious voiceover, delivered by none other than The Twilight Zone's Rod Serling, who's not credited. One of his last jobs before he passed away. Most of the rest of the cast live on...


The songwriter turned Phantom was written for William Finlay, a role he makes completely his own. A great, great performance. He was also memorable in De Palma's Sisters, but after these, I only spotted him briefly in The Fury and Tobe Hooper's The Funhouse. Again, I felt that all the main actors would only get bigger parts after this. I feel that Finlay's talents have subsequently been wasted.


Jessica Harper plays the seemingly innocent Phoenix, a new singer that Swan is cultivating. Harper reveals in the documentary that while she was a confident singer and dancer, her first scene in the film was also her first time in front of the camera. After Phantom, she got the starring role in Dario Argento's opus Suspiria, and replaced Susan Sarandon as Janet in the Rocky Horror sequel misfire, Shock Treatment.


Besides starring as Swan, the mysterious producer/Svengali, Paul Williams also composed the many songs for the film (before his hit soundtrack for Bugsy Malone). The music has recently been commemorated in two 'cast reunion' concerts - Phantompalooza! The soundtrack is still available on CD, though I'm still listening to my original vinyl copy. Williams' lack of stature is barely noticeable in the film, where it could easily have been exploited (as it usually is, in the comedy roles he normally gets). There's a subtle gag where everyone else has to duck to get through one of the doors in his mansion. In the documentary, Williams reveals that his character was inspired by record producer Phil Spector.


Gerrit Graham is another memorable character as Beef, the outrageous bisexual rock star. While it's a familiar lisping queen sterotype, Graham keeps it funny, confusing the audience with his butch onstage persona. You won't forget Beef in a hurry. His grand stage entrance, to the opening night at The Paradise, is to be stitched together from body parts harvested from the audience!

De Palma's direction includes the customary split-screen sequence (also used in Carrie, Sisters and Dressed To Kill) showing a musical number simultaneously from the front and behind the scenes (the suspense coming from a bomb planted in the set). But he uses many other techniques. Furious handheld chases, some steady circling single takes, a classically composed optically composited montage, and the climax is a long musical number filmed with multiple cameras in a one-take event.

The end credits music is a cruel elegy called 'The Hell of It' (written by Williams for an unfilmed scene) for which editor Paul Hirsch creates an impeccably edited 'highlights' reel that replays the key scenes from the film, perfectly timed to the song.

It's all very rich cinema, but hard to categorise. Horror, comedy, musical, satire, tragedy, romance - take your pick.

The US DVD release looks much the same as the French transfer, presented in widescreen anamorphic, but is of course missing the second DVD of special features, only available in France. Which is a shame, because it's almost entirely in English (Gerrit speaks briefly in French at one point). France has also released this edition as a blu-ray.

Be sure to also check out The Swan Archives - a Phantom of the Paradise fansite.

Here's an original trailer on YouTube...

GOLD (1974) - gritty action with Roger Moore

GOLD
(1974, UK)

Roger Moore's best non-Bond action movie

For some reason I missed this in the cinemas, and never ever fully caught it on TV. Maybe the publicity stills of Moore sitting in a bath with Susannah York put me off, making me think it was slushy. Anyhow, just seen Gold in 2.35 widescreen for the first time (on a recent region 2 UK DVD) and it's still very enjoyable, thrilling and surprising, with extensive location filming in Johannesburg, back when South Africa was split by apartheid. Watching it with a couple of friends who lived there recently helped add some additional insight.

While I've been looking through a few seventies thrillers, I bought Gold after remembering a scene with a killer Rolls Royce. Like many people, I'm wary of Roger Moore's James Bonds because of the lightweight family films they became, filled with far too much silliness. But his earlier Bonds, especially Live and Let Die are closer to Connery's toughness. Gold was filmed the same year as The Man With The Golden Gun but released slightly earlier.

It's based on 'Gold Mine' by Wilbur Smith, a very popular author at the time, who specialised in thrillers set in Africa. With the sort of detail used for the diamond trade in Ian Fleming's Diamonds Are Forever, Gold depicts the trade from start to finish, from the rockface through to the financiers in the stock market. The opening titles show the process of mining and refining the ore. The leftover rock being relegated to huge slag heaps on the surface. These level, man-made mountains later form a stage for the film's climax. I'm told that the refining process has now been modernised and the slag is being re-processed to extract even more minerals. There's gold in them there slags!

But to dig all the ore out, miners have to go deeper underground than ever, a risky business. A cave-in kicks off the story, with troubleshooter Rod Slater (Roger Moore) risking his life to get everyone out. The mystery is why the trapped miners were so far off course with their digging. If they'd gone any further, they might have ruptured a huge undersea lake that could have flooded the mine forever. While visiting Jo'burg, I went down the last remaining liftshaft into a gold mine. You haven't seen darkess till someone turns off the lights down there. The escape shaft was also particularly terrifying, a small slanted tunnel to the surface - not for the claustrophobic.

Like a true airport page-turner, the characters are closely linked by blood and bed. The daughter (Susannah York) of the owner of the mine (Ray Milland) is married to his deputy (Bradford Dillman), but she fancies playing the field. Meanwhile Bradford and his gay sidekick (Tony Beckley) are in league with the head (John Gielgud) of an international cartel. While Roger and Susannah hook up and go gallivanting, a murderous and explosive plot is being hatched...

Frankly, the sliminess of baddies doesn't get much better than Bradford Dillman and Tony Beckley. Gielgud isn't slimy, but is excellent at greedy ruthlessness, especially round a table with the big-hitters. It's not far removed from his aloof butler in Arthur, but without the humour, he's suitably dangerous. Dillman never fully escaped TV roles, but I've always liked his distinctive voice and sneaky eyes - he dabbled in horror films with Chosen Survivors, William Castle's Bug (1975) and of course Joe Dante's original Piranha (1978). Tony Beckley played several borderline gay roles, such as the disdainful Camp Freddy in The Italian Job (1969), but could also be a realistic serial killer, in the unconventional When A Stranger Calls (1980), his last film. Here he has a pad tastefully painted lilac and covered in pictures of male nudes, greek statues of course. Nothing to do with the story, just a little local colour, as subtle as a mallet.

Ray Milland is always a welcome face, here his career has somehow recovered from the truly awful The Thing With Two Heads (where the head of a white racist is grafted onto a black guy's body) and he's in his best shouty, confrontational form. I think his best horrors were The Man With X Ray Eyes (1963) and The Premature Burial (1962). His daughter is played by Susannah York, the only female character in the whole shebang. While she looks like butter wouldn't melt in her mouth, the actress has appeared in many cult movies, including the gruelling They Shoot Horses Don't They? (1969), and getting the first lesbian screen kiss in The Killing of Sister George (1968). She's most famous as Superman's mother in the first two Christopher Reeve movies. Ms York is happily still working, mainly on British TV.

The interiors were filmed at London's Pinewood Studios, with some really convincing mining sets. But there's extensive location work shot in Johannesburg, in a country where apartheid was a political reality enforced by the white dictators of the time. While the story shows black and white miners working together in harmony, note that the mine bosses are all white and, even at social gatherings, the crowds are segregated into black and white. The miner's homes next to the mine look spotlessly clean and modern, but this wasn't the reality for the majority of black people in South Africa, and still isn't, years after the fall of the apartheid regime.

With larger-than-life characters and plenty of plot twists and surprises, one involving a six-year old Patsy Kensit (Lethal Weapon 2), this is still highly enjoyable and gritty action, particularly the climax.

The UK DVD is a pleasant surprise, accurately presenting this 2.35 widescreen anamorphically. Though the cover artwork is far from inspiring, especially compared to the Polish DVD or the original poster. The film is also available in Germany.

Here's the opening titles on YouTube...

Short Version Rankings

Don't have too much time to type, but I will rank the teams and let you guys say some stuff if you want:

1. New York Giants (3)
2. Indianapolis Colts (4)
3. New Orleans Saints (2)
4. Denver Broncos (8)
5. Minnesota Vikings (-)
6. New England Patriots (1)
7. Cincinnati Bengals (12)
8. Baltimore Ravens (6)
9. Philadelphia Eagles (11)
10. Atlanta Falcons (14)
11. Chicago Bears (10)
12. New York Jets (7)
13. Pittsburgh Steelers (-)
14. San Francisco 49ers (9)
15. Dallas Cowboys (17)
16. San Diego Chargers (15)
17. Miami Dolphins (21)
18. Arizona Cardinals (22)
19. Houston Texans (18)
20. Green Bay Packers (19)
21. Seattle Seahawks (24)
22. Jacksonville Jaguars (16)
23. Washington Redskins (20)
24. Carolina Panthers (26)
25. Detroit Lions (-)
26. Buffalo Bills (23)
27. Tennessee Titans (-)
28. Cleveland Browns (31)
29. Kansas City Chiefs (30)
30. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (29)
31. Oakland Raiders (28)
32. St Louis Rams (-)

DAY OF THE DEAD (1986) - George Romero's best zombies

DAY OF THE DEAD
(1986, USA)

I'm a huge fan of Dawn, but Day is a better film

I find it hard to review my very favourite films objectively, but here goes.

After being seriously wowed by George Romero's classic Zombies: Dawn of the Dead (1978), even in the censored form that hit UK cinemas and then home video, I was anticipating that this follow-up would be a huge draw. I saw Day of the Dead at one of the hugest screens in the country (the Odeon, Norwich) and was vastly impressed, though it was a largely empty cinema. It was a shock to see it so poorly received, at a time when the country was booming with VHS rentals rather than cinema-going.

The 'living dead trilogy' (as it was called before Land of the Dead ushered in Romero's new batch of Deads) marked three decades with a progression in the zombie's history of mindless world domination. The first was a local phenomenon, the second was when the tide turned, and in the third the Dead rule the planet.


These were the days when zombies only shuffled (though they seem to move a little faster when a meal is close). They may be slow, but win through force of numbers. Another method Romero used to add zombie threat was by placing victims in confined spaces, like a basement, an apartment block or the corridors of a shopping mall.

It was all the more claustrophobic in Day of the Dead, when our heroes are trapped underground in a maze of caverns with only one entrance. I thought the corral, the cave where the zombie 'guinea pigs' await experimentation, was the ultimate in zombie nightmares - being trapped in the dark with hungry flesh-eaters hidden in a maze of tunnels - I still get tense when the soldiers have to use the corral gates to retrieve zombies for experimentation, under orders to get real close to them.

In each film in the trilogy, Romero's film-making skills evolved, as did his female characters. The leading women went from traumatised victim, to equality-seeking girlfriend, to level-headed alpha female. Here Lori Cardille represents the strongest female lead in the first Dead cycle (tricycle?) as a scientist who's also handy with a rifle. The movie starts with an excellent scene (shot in Fort Myers, Florida) showing a town over-run with zombies. I'd liked to have seen more scenes of city life, a taster of how I'd wished I Am Legend had been made.

As the dwindling numbers in a military project, to solve the zombie problem medically, lose another member, tensions rise between the soldiers and the scientists. Are they on the brink of a discovery, and are they going to be able to hold out long enough?

Dr 'Frankenstein' Logan (Richard Liberty) plays an obsessed but amusing mad scientist. He blinds the military with logic, defending himself from the trigger-happy Captain Rhodes (Joe Pilato), who's impatiently in charge of what's left of the sex-starved soldiers. John Amplas (the star of Romero's Martin) provides sturdy support as one of the few sane minds left on the planet.

A special mention goes to Howard Sherman as Bub, the greatest ever zombie character of the movies, the first (slightly) domesticated zombie. A possible key to the survival of the human race... co-existence!


To me, Day of the Dead has Romero's most consistent cast, the best characters, the tightest story and script, and the goriest effects. Though the blood is used more sparingly, the shock effects are startling, setting a high benchmark for the genre.

While there's nothing quite as memorable to match the iconic shopping mall of Dawn of the Dead, the story flows logically as the remainder of humankind continue to tear each itself apart.

Make-up king Tom Savini excels at engineering the effects for Dr Frankenstein's nasty experiments, as he tries to surgically isolate what makes zombies tick. The gore is unbearably real, the zombies are by now in an advanced state of decay, the deaths are the nastiest yet.

The only false note for me was that the music was far less memorable. It did the job, but i was expecting another iconic Dawn of the Dead strength soundtrack. To me, the music of Goblin will always be the official theme tune for any post-apocalyptic zombie invasion.


I've got the Anchor Bay Divimax DVD edition (pictured), which has great extras, especially the documentary. Not sure that I want to see the gore any more clearly though, in the new Blu-Ray edition, but I bet Savini's FX remain undetectable.

The original widescreen trailer is here on YouTube, or here's a subtle teaser...

Giants Season Comes to an End

As baseball ends and I gear up for football, hockey, basketball, etc.. its time to reflect on the season that was. I must admit for most of the year I had hope because my San Francisco Giants were good and surprised with a great effort, not a playoff spot, but they shocked a lot of people by winning 88 games after only managing 72 wins in 2008. I ended up attending many games this year and got to see many wins. I even went with a bunch of friends on my birthday to see them come out victorious over the Texas Rangers.

So here are some of the things I will remember from the 88 win 2009 San Francisco Giants:

Randy Johnson getting his career 300th win in Washington on June 4th, and that diving throw he made to first base...sacrificing his 46 year old body in the process. I am pretty sure Johnson can still pitch and be somewhat effective (he was 8-6) before his injury which shut him down for almost the reminder of the year, but I think Giants could use someone else like Brad Penny or Madison Bumgardner to take over next season.

Johnathan Sanchez's no hitter on July 10th. I will admit I didn't watch all of this one, I was watching it but decided to make a hot tub run instead and missed the final of the game. I was happy and somewhat shocked that Sanchez got a no no in the first place, seeing as I thought it would be Lincecum or Cain. It was even better because the win came at home and was the first Giants no hitter since 1976. The win also showed other teams that Giants were in the hunt this year and going to the all-star break they were 10 games over .500.




Kung Fu Panda aka Pablo Sandoval. The guy was robbed of being an the all-star team and in his first season he threw up impressive numbers: a .330 batting average (2nd best in the NL), 25 HR and 90 RBI. Also Sandoval is a fan favorite and someone who plays the game with a great passion. I hope he is someone that sticks around for many years with the Giants. I also remember the way I wanted him to make the all-team really bad and all the VOTE PABLO signs up in the stands.

Lincecum and Cain. Now widely considered the top two pitchers in the game Cain and Lincecum showed that they could carry this team. Matt Cain finally showed that with some good luck he is a picther capable of winning he went 14-8 with a 2.89 era and 171K's. The all-star game starter and 08 Cy Young Tim Lincecum also put up amazing numbers this season. He was 15-7 with a 2.48 era and a league leading 261K's. These guys could team up and be the best 1-2 combo in baseball for years to come. The team lead the majors in Complete games, strikeouts and Shut outs and had the second best era in the majors!

Giants made some trades! I was pleased that the Giants didn't just stick with what they had, they owed it to the fans to try and make the postseason. While it didn't work it showed the fans that they were looking to win now. The trade for Ryan Garko seemed like it would give the Giants a better bat at first base. They also got all-star 2nd baseman Freddy Sanchez from the Pirates. Sanchez was good when he played but injures kept him from helping the team as much as he wanted too. Also the Giants made some good moves by getting in veteran pitcher in Brad Penny who was coming off a terrible stint in the AL. Penny went 4-1 with a 2.59 era in six starts for the Giants.

Surprise players. A big one comes to mind here: Juan Uribe. Giants got him for his defense, and the fact that he could play 3B, SS, and 2B but he proved to be a spark plug and helped a lot. He did fill in an many positions and batted .289 with 16hr and 55 RBI's. His walk off shot against the Dodgers on August 12th is something that I will remember.
Eugenio Velez was a late call up this year but still played in most of the games after the all-star break. Velez posted .267, 5 HR, 31 RBI and 11 SB in 84 games.
I would also list Kevin Frandsen on this list but for negative surprise. I thought he would show up and win a spot but his play was bad and he could never get it going. He is a local guy and it would be nice if he could prove his worth, I am just not sure it will happen.
There was a ton of other guys who played great this year who I will mention: Brian Wilson, Jeremy Affledt, Brandon Medders, Sergio Romo, Nate Schierholtz to name a few.

Look to the future: The NL west is proving to be a tough place to play. The Dodgers and Rockies both made the playoffs and finished with more than 90 wins each. The Giants will have to add some bats and also keeping improving on pitching and defense. Here are some of the moves I would like to see this off season:

Let go of the following players:
Rich Aurilia- It was a good run, the city loves this guy and he will always be welcomed at a Giants game. It is just time and he knows it. Thanks for the great years and nice the nice way you could pitch hit later in your career.

Randy Winn- I know he can still play with speed and can catch fire but its time to let him go. He only had 2 home runs and his average dipped to .262 and as the years pass his speed will decrease. I am sure he will catch on somewhere else.

Randy Johnson- Thanks for the 300th victory memory and playing hard but we have a younger guy who can take over now.

Merkin Valdez- He finally stayed healthy for a season but is not the same pitcher who we expected him to be. His era ballooned 5.66.


Need to get a big bat, there is talk of making a trade and getting a big name first baseman but they could try to get a Jason Bay or Matt Holliday type, but who knows if someone will want to play here in a pitcher friendly park. I am torn between resigning Molina. Posey is still a year away from being good and Molina can still manage some power (had 20 hr) but he costs many runs with his slow legs.

This was a great and memorable season and hopefully a stepping stone for more wins and a playoff appearance next year! GO GIANTS!!!

THE FURY (1978) - De Palma follows up CARRIE

THE FURY

(1978, USA)

Highly recommended horror thriller

This is my first full review of the horror films from director Brian De Palma's best, most consistent decade, which I recently listed here.

Thirty-three years on, Carrie (1976) is a staple of Halloween horror marathons, but the director's next film continued with the theme of teenage killer telekinetics and could even be viewed as a sequel. What if Carrie White passed on her powers? I'd go as far as to say that it was even hinted at the end of the film, mirrored by a similar scene at the end of The Fury. The link is actress Amy Irving who played Sue, Carrie's best friend. What if she moved town and changed her name...


Amy plays Gillian, now facing schoolgirl bullies of her own. But what Carrie did with objects, The Fury does with people, channelling telekinesis to manipulate blood pressure and internal organs... They also have limited telepathy, vivid flashbacks, and maybe even second sight.


A bunch of suits from the government are very interested in Gillian's powers and have already kidnapped Robin (Andrew Stevens) whose dad (Kirk Douglas) is desperately trying to find him. While Gillian's powers are being investigated, she discovers that she's not alone and psychically linked to Robin. While Gillian is unaware that she's in danger, Robin's father is stopping at nothing to avoid arrest and rescue his son.

But these talented teenagers have to be handled carefully, for if they get stressed, watch out. The Fury can make people bleed. From the nose, the eyes, the fingers, and so on... There's also a tense, disastrous scene when Robin gets stressed at a funfair.

Secret government agents with dark motives are now more familiar in series like Heroes. Decades ago, I thought that The Fury had been ripped off by the very similar Firestarter - with telekinesis substituted by pyrokinesis. But The Fury lead the pack of telekinetic thrillers, and for my money it was the best of the bunch, certainly far more fun than Cronenberg's Scanners.


De Palma masterfully uses camera movement and classic slow-motion sequences backed by a rare horror score from John Williams, who provides a lush and memorable theme-heavy score. This combination is showcased in an impressive action scene (the rescue)where the dialogue and sound effects are left out, leaving just the music. The soundtrack was recently remastered on CD.

Why it wasn't nearly as popular as Carrie, I don't know. I was shocked that Carrie played to sold-out performances and The Fury didn't come close. Both were fuelled by a popular novel (The Fury was written by John Farris), but perhaps Carrie was a far bigger bestseller (Stephen King's first) and the movie's high school hi-jinks paid off with the target audience. Both are horror films, but The Fury is also a conspiracy thriller. The stories have all the same ingredients, a little less humour, and more politics, a better cast, a higher budget and plenty more blood.


In fact, the spectacular prosthetic effects made it one of the bloodiest uncut films of the seventies, presumably due to the weaponless violence, with an unforgettable climax, attempting to top Carrie's final moments. The effects were by Dick Smith (The Exorcist) and Rick Baker (before An American Werewolf in London). It was spectacular, early mainstream splatter. I even thought that Andrew Stevens was cast because he could make the veins in his forehead stand out!

The Fury is flattered by a cast of acting heavyweights, with Kirk Douglas (Holocaust 2000) sparring with a demonic John Cassavetes (Rosemary's Baby). Fiona Lewis rarely played good girls (Dr Phibes Rises Again, Innerspace) and the underused Carrie Snodgress plays an old flame of Kirk Douglas. At the time I thought that Andrew Stevens (Stella Stevens' son) as the other telepath, would surely have a more high-profile career.

Some De Palma favourites reappear: Charles Durning was also in Sisters, and William Finlay (in a bit part) had already starred in Sisters and The Phantom of the Paradise. Dennis Franz was in both Dressed To Kill and Blow Out, and appears here in one of his earliest of many, many cop roles. Keep your eyes peeled for a teenaged Daryl Hannah as one of Gillian's school bullies.

A tight thriller, a good horror angle, unusual action scenes, creatively shot, a beautiful and haunting soundtrack... what's not to like?

The DVD hasn't been remastered in the UK or US since 2002 and especially needs remastering to make the many darker sequences far less grainy and foggy. Anamorphic? I guess it would be too much to ask for extras. Once again, I'd have thought the director's many hits, and recent work (Redacted) would have ensured that his back catalogue would be better treated.

More about De Palma's 1970s horror films here...

An uninspiring trailer for The Fury is here on YouTube. Perhaps why it wasn't as big a hit?

NFL Rankings - Down to Five Undefeated

Ah, the games roll on and we now enter October! Time for bye weeks, teams to starts establishing things, and injuries! This week showed that many bad teams stayed bad and good stayed good. Here are the rankings, enjoy:



1. New England Patriots (3-1) (2) - They were able to handle the Ravens who were really playing well. They did have the home field advantage which was probably the X factor of the game, that and getting Welker back. I may have a team with a loss ranked high but they have Brady!



2. New Orleans Saints (4-0) (6) - Saints move up because they played a good team and handled them nicely. At home they beat the Jets with defense and a nice running game, I did not think that's how I would describe a Saints team.



3. New York Giants (4-0) (1) - I know they didn't lose, but to nit pick they only beat a terrible Chiefs team by 11 (of course Manning was out by that point and Chiefs scored 13 of 16 points in the 4th quarter when Giants were resting). The Manning injury could pave the way to doom aka David Carr.



4. Indianapolis Colts (4-0) (7) - An impressive win against the Seahawks places the high scoring team up in the rankings. I still am not used to seeing the Colts play in place were natural light shines on the field, it looks weird!



5. Minnesota Vikings (4-0) (-) - Vikings are looking pretty good. That old guy is making smart passes and they have that running back who is pretty good too. The D can put pressure on the QB, just ask Aaron Rodgers.



6. Baltimore Ravens (3-1) (4) - They fall off a tad because they lost, but they lost to the Pats at home. Playing the Bengals at home might help them get back on track.



7. New York Jets (3-1) (3) - Mark Sanchez ended up throwing 3 INT's, and the offense never seemed to get it going in New Orleans. Maybe without the turnovers this game could have been closer. But still made it a somewhat close game against a Saints team who is playing like the best team in the NFC.



8. Denver Broncos (4-0) (13) - I feel this team always got put down by my rankings, but they finally beat a somewhat worthy team so they shoot up five spots. They don't win pretty but a win is a win and they are 2 games up over the Chargers, will it last? They play the Pats next.



9. San Francisco 49ers (3-1) (-) - 49ers had a shaky first half against a bad Rams team. The defense really stepped up and Patrick Willis had 2.5 sacks and a interception returned for a TD. In the end they shut out the Rams. They will need that offense to step up against the Falcons. You can tell they miss Gore a lot but Coffee is filling in alright.



10. Chicago Bears (3-1) (12) - Bears can now score some points. They put up 48 against the Lions yet also gave up 24. Forte and Cutler had a nice game and they can rest easy with a win going into their bye week.



11. Philadelphia Eagles (2-1) (8) - They were on a much needed bye week, giving time for McNabb and Westbrook to heal. I think they feel much better knowing that Kevin Kolb can fill in and do a good job.



12. Cincinnati Bengals (3-1) (14) - We were :07 seconds away from another tie! The Bengals sure know how to win at the last second, thats now two weeks in a row they won on a last second game by the score of 23-20. I place them higher than the Steelers because they have beaten them, but, they have a tough schedule coming up playing the Ravens and Bears. Can they keep up this surprising run?



13. Pittsburgh Steelers (2-2) (15) - Got back in the win column with a 3 quarter beat down of the Chargers...but than they go ahead and let up 21 points in the 4th quarter. Is Troy Polamalu really that vital? I look for them to head back up the list, they play the Lions and Browns up next.



14. Atlanta Falcons (2-1) (11) - They had a bye week, and have a tough match up playing in San Francisco this week.



15. San Diego Chargers (2-2) (10) - Drop down because it took them a while to realize they were playing last week until the 4th quarter. This team is capable of much more, but the wrong coach might be leading them to another 8 or 9 win season. They have a bye week and than a big game vs Denver.



16. Jacksonville Jaguars (2-2) (19) - This team like Chicago has transformed into a high scoring team. David Garrard has been lighting up opposing d's and Jone-Drew can always run. This team beat up on the Titans 37-17. They play Seattle and St Louis next, so they could be much better soon.



17. Dallas Cowboys (2-2) (16) - If you look up inconsistent in the dictionary you might see the Cowboys star. They were really close to tying this game in last few seconds. They switched to the game and I saw them waste around 12 seconds after a 4 yard pass, it was pretty bad. Not sure but this team reeks of 8-8.



18. Houston Texans (2-2) (20) - Beating Oakland on the road is not a great feat, but a win at home is always nice. Slaton seems to be getting back on his game. Up next they take their high scoring offense to play Arizona's high scoring offense, should be fun.

19. Green Bay (2-2) (17) - This is another Cowboys like team. They both have talent but they are lacking in certain really important areas. I know giving up 7 sacks a game is not a good way to keep your Qb happy. They lost that vital Favre game, ESPN ran a few stories on it.

20. Washington Redskins (2-2) (26) - They keep on trucking to 8-8. I don't know why but this team always seems to have some reason for playing average football.

21. Miami Dolphins (1-3) (25) - Miami got its first win of the season with a 38-10 pounding of the Bills. Chad Henne took over at the QB spot but I think the signing of Tyler Thigpen was a nice move, I guess I am the only one who remembers he was good last year?

22. Arizona Cardinals (1-2) (23) - Grumble...they still have time to turn around the season...I hope they do not.

23. Buffalo Bills (1-3) (18) - Good news: They got their #1 RB Marshawn Lynch back! Bad news: He ran 8 times for 4 yards! I will go out on a limb and say head coach Dick Jauron will be gone soon.

24. Seattle Seahawks (1-3) (-) - They long to play the Rams again, who they beat 28-0 in their first game, I guess the Rams can make any team look good.

25. Detroit Lions (1-3) (23) - They lost bad in Chicago yet the offense continues to show they can put up points no matter who they are playing. The game was 21-21 at the half but than the Bears realized who they were playing at scored 27 more points. Still not the worst team in the league by a long shot.

26. Carolina Panthers (0-3) (27) - Not playing last week helped the Panthers move up, bad news for them...they have to play this week!

27. Tennessee Titans (0-4) (21) - This team continues to drop down the list, I am waiting for them to win...any day now....oh giving up an average of 27 points a game might be a reason for this!

28. Oakland Raiders (1-3) (-) - I really try to move this team down, it's just they somehow have managed to get a win and the teams below them just plain SUCK! Raiders offense was sad last weekend. They had 165 total yards, I didn't know that Texans D was so good, oh wait IT'S NOT!

29. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-4) (30) - I give them credit for trying to try something new and start Josh Johnson at QB buuut you guys drafted Josh Freeman in the first round, why not just use him? hmmmmm

30. Kansas City Chiefs (0-4) (29) - They played better against the Giants then they did against the Raiders....makes no sense. They have a pretty tough schedule so look for a long year and another retooling this off season.

31. Cleveland Browns (0-4) (32) - You guys dug your way out of the bottom. I was surprised they hung with the Bengals, I am sure a tie would have been a moral victory of these guys. RB Jerome Harrison may be a sleeper this year if you need a fantasy back.

32. St. Louis Rams (0-4) (31) - Another shut out! They were like 2 feet away from having a field goal though. How long does Stephen Jackson play until he wants a trade? Can you name more then one WR on this team? Next three games- Minnesota, Jacksonville, and Indianapolis...ouch!

TWILIGHT PHANTOM (2007) - a different Japanese ghost story

TWILIGHT PHANTOM
(2007, Japan, Ako-kuro)

This Japanese horror film felt very different, despite the familiar plot elements. The location of Okinawa, the large southern island of Japan, presents life very differently from the crowded apartments and uptight manners of Tokyo. They have legends about forest creatures, not urban myths about telephones and other gadgets. The climate is hot, the people more spread out and laid back.

After starting with a couple of solid scares, Twilight Phantom settled into a deceptively easy-going tale of young Misaki joining her husband-to-be, meeting his friends and family and settling into life in Okinawa. Their houses are less modern, but far less crowded than metropolitan life, surrounded by lush vegetation. The people are friendlier and informal with older relatives. It's a very different presentation of Japanese life.


I was settling into this attractive alternate lifestyle when one evening, someone's granny tells a ghost story. A local legend about the red-haired 'kijimuna', told round a late night fire. It's as if she's accidentally invoked a demon, as it seems to become a reality almost immediately. In a pair of extraordinary one-take scenes that horrify with their intensity and ferocity, the group of new friends find themselves facing a powerful evil...

The story then falls into a more familiar pattern, but the characters' real reactions and the naturalistic filming make it a very different experience than usual. It's also gorier than the typical Japanese ghost stories. It's as if everyone had tried very hard to avoid cliches while still sticking to the boundaries of the genre.


I'd been wanting to see this since it was first pointed out by Twitch.com under its Japanese name of Ako-kuro. Finally found it earlier this year under the misleading title of Twilight Phantom on a Malaysian DVD (cover art at top). It's a no-frills release, but has good English subtitles - available here from YesAsia. Though it's a great shame that it hasn't been picked up anywhere else... yet.

Here's a trailer on YouTube...