Night of the Comet (1984) - The Sci-Fi Comedy Hit Of The Year
Oh man. I could have sworn that I'd seen this movie, but looking back at my calendar, I may have been thinking about Night of the Creeps. I have the sense that Night of the Comet is generally well-regarded, and the trailer I just watched looks great:
Luckily Netflix has this one on instant streaming. I definitely need to check it out soon.
Made just before his final Bond film, A View to a Kill, this Roger Moore flick looks mildly interesting based on the trailer below. If you've seen and enjoyed it, let me know. I'm always up for some 70s/80s Elliott Gould.
News: Support REWIND THIS!, A Documentary About VHS Culture
01.11.12
In the summer of 2010, a friend of a friend reached out to me because was aware via twitter that I had "made a couple large VHS purchases recently." He said he and two of his friends were working on a documentary about VHS specifically and the home-video revolution of the 70s, 80s, and 90s generally, and that they they thought I "might have a compelling voice to contribute to the film." I agreed to meet with him and, on an August morning a few weeks later, I spent several hours being interviewed by three strangers about my collection, my favorite not-on-DVD movies, how the mass availability of VHS during my childhood affected my view on movies, and why I continue to (some would say compulsively) search for and buy VHS.
I began to get a sense of the scope and feel of the project when - after I excitedly showed off my recently purchased Bubba Until It Hurts video - one of the trio casually commented, "oh yeah, we've had several people talk to us about that VHS." The fact that these guys already had interviewed several people who were excited about Bubba Until It Hurts told me everything I needed to know about where their hearts were at, and that if they ended up actually being able to make their film, it'd be one I'd be incredibly interested in seeing.
Fast forward to today (see what I did there?), and those three filmmakers (who are now close friends, not strangers) are nearing completion on the documentary. It's called REWIND THIS!, and you can read about some of subjects they've interviewed over the past year-and-a-half on their blog. As someone who has closely tracked their progress, I can guarantee that they aren't kidding when they say they've made a fairly comprehensive sweep of "video era icons, direct-to-video filmmakers, video alchemists, film programmers, surviving rental stores, journalists, XXX veterans and some of the pioneers of the independent video movement." If you're like me, this description of the project's scope will make you very excited:
We have already shot over 60 hours of footage in Dallas, Austin, Seattle, Los Angeles, New York, and several other cities in the US. We've conducted interviews in the offices of former employees of small scale film companies like Cannon, Vestron, Wizard, Troma, and IVE. We have also gone to great lengths to contact a variety of noteworthy filmmakers who emerged from the SOV (shot on video) era as well as directors who witnessed the transition from the theatrical market to the video store. We've been to all of the major North American rental chains both new and old. We've investigated how the change in media accessibility has affected society by discussing the matter with experts on this development, such as Frederick Wasser, author of "Veni Vidi Video: The Hollywood Empire and the VCR". Our preliminary interviews and research have revealed a powerful sense of nostalgia in a cross-section of the video generation. For a large segment of the populace VHS calls to mind late-night sleepovers, romantic epochs, and countless unnameable guilty pleasures. We are interviewing collectors with thousands of tapes who continue to spend money building their libraries. REWIND THIS! will cover every aspect of the video story, from box art to the format wars.
That text comes from the REWIND THIS! Kickstarter page, which you can (and should) access here. They're looking to raise $15,000 to finance a trip to Japan to "cover the creation of home video technology, as well as the extremely unique direct-to-video market that exists there," and to pay for various post-production expenses. The Kickstarter launched yesterday, and they're already half-way to their goal.
If you're at all interested in VHS and the now mostly ignored home-video culture featured on this site, please go to the Kickstarter page, watch the trailer for the film, and toss a few bucks their way. There's some cool thank-you gifts in it for you if you do, but more importantly, you'll be helping the production of a unique documentary that seems - quite frankly - to be designed specifically for people like us.
If you can't afford to chip in right now, at least follow REWIND THIS! on Facebook and Twitter and help spread the word to as many like-minded VHS freaks as you can find.
2019: After the Fall of New York (1983) - In The Year 2019, The Future Depends On One Man
Just a couple of ads for this oft-tedious but sometimes interesting cheapie post-apoc flick:
From the January 24 and January 28, 1985 Orange County Register. Click here for more.
News: The Common iLounge - The Intimate Lounge.
12.01.11
The Common iLounge - The Intimate Lounge. The Areas' Special Meeting Place For Guys and Gals
Here's a throwback to a time before "i" meant an Apple product. There's a lot of greatness in this admat. The fact that a guy with a Hammond organ was a "local favorite." The fact that even back then, social spots were hyping their "giant" TVs. And - above all else - that they promised "a soft soothing sound - no rock - no sock!" What does that last part even mean?
That's a sex-load of unnamed dirty flicks. Who knew tiny Nashua, New Hampshire had it in it? I'd love to talk to someone who visited (or even better, owned or worked at) the Litchfield, Tyngsboro, Strand, or Milford theaters.
But I've gotta say... Hey Litchfield, you're showing two x-rated films and you aren't letting in anyone over 2? The fuck kind of screening criteria are you using? "No nudies for 1 year olds. But by the time you're three, it's time for you to be exposed to that shit." Sure, why not.
Advert: The Happy Hooker, My Pleasure Is My Business, Naughty Roommates, Blazing Saddles, & The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
11.29.11
The Happy Hooker (1975), My Pleasure Is My Business (1975), Naughty Roommates (1969), Blazing Saddles (1974), & The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966)
Oh man. That's a tough two-screen line-up to choose from. I love that the sexy flicks are on the Chelmsford Drive-In's main screen, while the legitimate western(ish) double feature is given second status.
I love the simplicity of this ad. No images, no taglines, just a hand-crafted star border and the promise of a "complete show" for a buck. Greatness perfectly captured.
What better way to celebrate Halloween 2011 than to test your wits with this "ghoulies quiz" from a 1985 Canadian newspaper?
Questions:
1. Which country gave us the legend of the pumpkin?
2. This city in Massachusetts became famous for "witch trials" in the 17th century. Name the city.
3. It is believed that these are worn on Halloween to confuse the evil spirits. What are they?
4. What are the traditional colors of Halloween?
5. What is a male witch called?
6. What is the witching hour?
7. In America, when does Beggar's Night occur?
8. What bird signifies death to all who hear its shriek at noon?
9. One way to ensure a marriage during the coming year was to snap one of these on the first try on Halloween night. Name it.
10. What do Christian churches call the two days after Halloween?
11. Walt Disney used this "monster" movie star as his model for Tchernobog the Black God in "Fantasia." When this star died in 1956 he was buried in his cape. Who was he?
12. What do we call the evil demon of Oriental legend who feeds on humans, especially by robbing graves?
13. Harry Houdini died on Halloween. In what year did he die?
14. Ancient people believed that black cats were really what people?
15. In some European countries, this vegetable was used to predict marriages when pulled out by blindfolded Halloween party goers. What was the vegetable?
16. What is another name for a witch's bird?
17. What 1897 novel by Bram Stoker has an unusually thirsty central character?
18. Tradition tells us that lighted coals were placed in these vegetables to produce the first jack-o-lanterns. Name the vegetables.
19. Legend tells us that flying witches only feared one thing which could ground them. What was it?
20. This author gave us the ghost-fearing, superstitious schoolteacher, Ichabod Crane, in "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow." Who was he?
21. Who waits for the Great Pumpkin every year?
22. This Scottish poet described the traditions of Halloween in his poem of the same name. Who was he?
23. What is the name given to a scar or blemish on the body of a person who has made a contract with the devil?
24. Who played the Wicked Witch of the West in "The Wizard of Oz"?
25. What do we call the practice of going from door to door on Halloween night?
Answers:
1. Ireland
2. Salem
3. Costumes and masks
4. Orange and black
5. A Warlock
6. Midnight
7. The night before Halloween
8. An owl
9. An apple during the game of apple bobbing
10. All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day
11. Bela Lugosi
12. A ghoul
13. 1926
14. Disguised witches
15. Cabbage
16. A bat
17. Dracula
18. Turnips
19. Church bells
20. Washington Irving
21. Linus
22. Robert Burns
23. A witch's mask
24. Margaret Hamilton
25. Trick-or-treating
Legend:
25-21 correct: A bona-fide wizard — get your potion ready!
20-16 correct: Not quite a goblin but a friend of one!
15-11 correct: No trick-or-treating for you; you'd fool nobody!
10-and below: Watch out for the "bumps in the night."
Advert: Halloween Spook Show Abominable Snowman, House of Fright, Cosmic Monster, & Return of the Fly
10.31.11
4 Big Movies!! Thrill Packed!! Tonite Halloween Spook Show! Come On Out! Spend Halloween Evening With Us, In The Comfort Of Your Car. We'll Protect You From Monsters, Vampires And All Other Scarey [sic] Things... The Abominable Snowman (1957), House of Fright (1960), Cosmic Monster (1958), & Return of the Fly (1959)
I can't say I'm a huge fan of any of these four films (to be honest, I'm not even sure if I've seen any of them), but multi-film Halloween-weekend admats like this make me incredibly nostalgic for a world I never knew. What was commonplace 47 years ago seems completely alien today. I'd love to have been an observer at this Monte Vista Drive-In screening. Did the attendees have as good of a time as I like to imagine they did?
Also, I also like how the food offerings at the bottom include "french fried potatoes." Were they not just called french fries in the 60s?
From the October 31, 1964, Gastonia (North Carolina) Gazette. Click here for more.
Interesting if depressing article about William Devane's then-downfall following Rolling Thunder (1977) (which isn't mentioned in the article). I hate the downbeat way this article ends. Boo.
House of Wax 3D (1953) - You've Never Been Scared 'Til You've Been Scared In 3D
One bit of trivia for director André De Toth is that he's one of the few (only?) one-eyed guys to direct multiple 3D movies. But beyond that, he's a solidly prolific director who made movies like The Stranger Wore a Gun (1953), Day of the Outlaw (1959), and - my favorite of all - Crime Wave (1954). I need to check out more of his filmography, and rec that you do too.
