LITERAL REMAINS

These two poems that I’ve just posted, “You Remind Me of a Song” and “To __”, are some very old pieces that I wrote way back when.  Way, way, back when.  I don’t even want to think about how long ago it’s been.  Really, it’s scary.  But they are two of my favorites that I’ve written over the years.  Maybe because of the stories behind them, I don’t know (I won’t go into those stories, I’ll spare you the gory details), but also, probably, because I’m a child of Byron (which reminds me of another poem I need to find in the ol’ files).

I just had to post them here though, for you, all my friends…all my friends that I don’t know who you are.  But if you’ve stopped by to visit, I hope you like it here.  As Dracula said, “Enter, and leave some of the happiness that you bring.”

I probably misquoted that.  Please don’t hold it against me.

Hope you enjoy your stay.

John
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To____

For every way that I conceal myself,
You have a way of making me reveal myself.
Your every look, your every smile,
Your every touch calms me for a while.
When I feel broken, sad, and down
You come to me with your sweet sound,
Your voice, like an angel, helps me to forget the dangers
That this world holds vicious and real.
Whether or not you are Heaven sent
You make my heart repent how it feels.
So conceal me, reveal me, let your heart disbelieve me
Or let your heart beat and feel me.
I cannot stop the thoughts and dreams-
What I see, how they are, and what they mean-
How the thought of you soothes and stills me,
How your presence inspires and heals me.

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You Remind Me of a Song

You remind me of a song far better than this
A vitality of life I once had the pleasure to kiss
A memory that lived and breathed me to thrill
A memory I tried to forget but it haunts me still

It’s easy for someone to say “Life goes on”
But the days struggle by when you face them alone
It’s easier said and much harder to be done
It troubles me to think what if you were the one

Is it normal to feel this way, I’m so confused I’m scared
You were the realization of dreams I had never dared
A person becomes so weak after they’ve bared their soul
It makes you a part of me, and without you I’m not whole

So maybe now I’m floundering, falling more than you would
So maybe I’m low in spirits, missing you more than I should
And I’m writing this, as trite as it is, at the expense you will laugh
Letting my blood on the empty page knowing you won’t be back

I’ve tried walking, but I’ve not found the promised land
I’ve tried walking, but I can’t without holding your hand
And Heaven has no milk to drink and no honey to eat
And the earth won’t take me, it’s shaking beneath my feet

You remind me of a desire that kept its promises
A fairer day that was much more dazzling than this
You’re the memory that breathes in my depleted cells
The memory that keeps me, and makes me useless as well.

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I have a new story up.  “The Little Boy In the Short Pants”  It’s a very short story.  I think the kids are calling it flash fiction these days.  Anyway, it’s posted, and you have been invited.

Hope you enjoy it.  If not, then here’s to next time….

John
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One year after Laurie Strode survived her Halloween night of hell fighting deranged killer Michael Myers, she is still haunted by the experience and by disturbing dreams that make her think she is going slowly insane.  Michael killed her parents and most of her friends.  The medicine doesn’t keep the nightmares at bay, neither does talking to her therapist.  She lives with her friend, and fellow survivor, Annie Brackett, and her dad, Sheriff Brackett.  Laurie still lives in fear knowing Michael’s body was never found, and it keeps her from moving on with her life.

Michael’s doctor, Sam Loomis, has moved on.  He has written another book about Michael, detailing the Haddonfield massacre.  When it hits the stores, Laurie reads it and discovers that she is Angel Myers, Michael’s little sister, and that alone descends her deeper into a downard spiral feeling she doesn’t really know who she is.

And the entire time Michael Myers has been living off the land, making his way back to Haddonfield, back to his sister.  He has visions of his mother leading a white horse, the same visions that haunt Laurie.  Michael kills any and all who stand between him and Laurie.  Nothing will stop him from his family reunion.

Rob Zombie’s ambition outweighs his skill.  I think Zombie is a competent director, he has an artist’s eye at composition, and in Halloween II he paints some lovely and disturbing imagery.  There are some really nice shots, just nothing to string them together.  Zombie’s writing skills have fallen a little weak on this one.

Michael Myers is a brutal force in this movie.  During several kill scenes you can hear him grunt at the exertion and it’s vicious, a beast, a maniac, venting the rage and hatred; Tyler Mane is the best Shape to ever stalk Haddonfield.  Brad Dourif, as Sheriff Brackett, is the real standout, delivering a great performance.  Malcolm McDowell’s Dr. Loomis is good, but he’s not given anything to work with, he’s practically not even needed, which adds to the jumbled mess.

The visions of Deborah Myers, mother of the clan, are used excessively and eventually become distracting, irritating, and laughable.  Zombie tries to weave some deep ideas into the narrative, but the movie, as a whole, is too shallow.  The parallels between Michael and Laurie are an interesting attempt, but they get lost in the standard hack-and-slash crutches the movie ultimately relies on to limp to the finish.

And sadly, Halloween II never manages to set the pulse racing; there is an overall lack of tension and fear.

But maybe that will all change.  This is the era of the director’s cut dvd.  I thought Zombie’s first stab at Halloween felt incomplete, but I felt the director’s cut was a vast improvement and felt like a whole film.  I guess I’ll know in about four months or so.

2 out of 5
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James McCullen’s weapons company MARS sells four nano-technology based warheads to NATO.  While being delivered by the United States Army, the squad are attacked, and if not for the G.I. Joe team, the warheads would have been lost.  The two surviving Army men, Duke and Ripcord, are escorted to the Joe base in Egypt.  The Joes take possession of the warheads, and Duke and Ripcord join the team only because Duke knows one of the terrorists who attacked the convoy.  The Baroness, formerly Ana, used to be engaged to Duke.  She blamed Duke for her brother’s death four years prior and things went sour between them.

With Duke and Ripcord on the super secret, uh, super team, they are quickly put into action because the Baroness and Stormshadow break into Joe headquarters and steal the warheads.  Not surprisingly, McCullen is a bad guy and it’s with his help the warheads are stolen.  Also, not surprisingly, he wants to create global destruction.  McCullen’s director of research is a mad scientist, who along with creating the nano-tech, has created their emotionless and unfeeling foot soldiers.  The mad scientist will, before long, become Cobra Commander.

The Baroness, formerly Ana, is married to a scientist who is forced to weaponize the warheads before he is killed, and the now deadly nano-tech warheads are carried to Paris to create some destruction.  It’s a test run that leads to the Joe team chasing them through Paris and blowing stuff up and eventually destroying the Eiffel Tower.

There is a lot of stuff blown up in this movie.  Cars, buildings, glaciers.  And this movie’s sensibilities.  I want to refer to it as C.G.I. Joe; even the real actors feel cartoonish.  I don’t think the original cartoon series was this simple minded.

G.I. Joe:  The Rise of Cobra has a constant flow of action, and it’s brainless, harmless (for the most part) fun; I think it may only be harmful to a person’s intellect.  But it doesn’t really stand out.  I think Snake Eyes (always was my favorite) is the best thing in this movie, probably because he doesn’t utter a single word.  If it had scaled back on the goofiness it would have been a lot better.

For the most part, it’s lifeless.  For all it’s pretty colors and stunts and gadgets, it doesn’t generate much excitement, or wonder.

2.5 out of 5
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I’m tired.  Just a little bit.  Allergies have me down.  Plus my hours at my day (night) job have changed somewhat, and so I’ve not been a-postin’ away here at LR as before.  But I’m trying to do some work, don’t worry, I’m getting to it, got some things brewing.

As this is Thursday, and I know this because that’s what my cell phone says it is, that means tomorrow, Friday, is August 28th.  And it is Halloween II time.  Everybody breathe a sigh of relief, we no longer have to wait.  Rob Zombie has his detractors, and I’m the first to admit that House of 1,000 Corpses was more a curiosity piece than a success, but I am a fan of both The Devil’s Rejects and his Halloween remake.  I’m going to try to go into the sequel with no expectations.  Hopefully by Saturday I’ll have my review up.

Also, Friday sees the release of The Final Destination, the fourth FD movie.  I’m not eager to see it, I believe I can wait for the dvd release.  In fact, if I never see it I’ll probably be okay.  After FD 3 I just have lost interest in a fourth go around.  The first one was really good, the second was great, but that third one, really, was a slow miserable death unto itself.

I’m pulling for Michael to win the box office bucks.

John
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With the release of Halloween II this Friday, I thought I would give my opinions on the rest of the series; what I think are the high and low points.

Halloween:  Arguably the best, and also a classic of the horror genre.  I can’t remember who said it, it may have been John Carpenter himself, but it has been described as a matter of style by necessity.  Halloween was made a shoestring budget, so the money wasn’t there to do everything the filmmakers wanted.  Which is a good thing.  There is a restraint present that isn’t in the succeeding sequels (especially not in Rob Zombie’s remake).  The pacing is the key.   It creeps, but is never boring.  It’s creepy, and terrifying, just downright scary.  The performances are topnotch.  I can’t see Jamie Lee Curtis, or think about her, without hearing the unforgettable Halloween theme.

Halloween II:  I don’t care too much for this first sequel.  It’s a drastic departure from the original.  There’s more blood, more nudity, more of almost everything except the quality filmmaking of the first one.  Where are all the patients in the hospital?  It’s derivative.  Although it has its moments, just not enough of them.  One thing though, a nursing home I used to work at reminded of this film an awful lot:  it was really dark there at night, and it always brought the hospital scenes from Halloween II to mind.

Halloween 4 – The Return of Michael Myers:  I’ve never seen Halloween III:  Season of the Witch, mainly because it didn’t involve Michael Myers.  Apparently a lot of Halloween fans don’t care for it; I could just never understand having a Halloween movie without Mike.  So, for part 4, it’s The Return of Michael Myers!  The producers got smart.  And this is one of the best sequel.  Danielle Harris, hottie that she is now, is kind of irritating as Michael’s young niece in this one,  and Donald Pleasance finds his over-the-top groove as Dr. Loomis here, but other than that everything here just clicks right into place.  It’s not on par with the original, far from that league, but it’s a good one to watch over and again.  I love the opening credits, very autumnal and picturesque.

Halloween 5 – The Revenge of Michael Myers:  Danielle Harris is still irritating.  Donald Pleasance is still over-the-top.  “Retread” is the term that comes to mind.  And what is up with Michael’s mask in this one?  It looks not normal and very not good.  It is kind of like Halloween II (the original sequel), it’s a nice gesture, but really, why?  It’s the thought that counts, I guess, but we could have all lived without it.

Halloween – The Curse of Michael Myers:  The worst.  Absolutely. The. Worst.  What the hell was this all supposed to be about?  What were the people responsible for this thinking?  Why put Donald Pleasance through this crap?  It was his last movie, there was no better direction for the series?  Why dump this load on us, the fans?  Why?  Why?  WHY?  I can’t hardly stand to watch this one to this very day.

Halloween H20:  Luckily, after the crapfest that was The Curse of Michael Myers, we get a small nugget of gold.  And Jamie Lee Curtis.  Along with Return, H2O reigns as the best of the sequels.  This is just a good movie, straight up.  Jamie Lee alone with her boyfriend at the prep academy she teaches at for the weekend, the students all gone (or so she thinks), and then big brother Michael crashes the party.  From start to finish this is Halloween gold.

Halloween – Resurrection:  The best I can say about Resurrection is that it was a nifty idea, and it’s not Revenge or Curse.  It’s a thru and thru guilty pleasure.  It has some great things going for it, but falls apart along the way and never fully realizes its potential.  Thus is life. Busta Rhymes is a hoot, everything is kind of predictable, but it’s a fun ride if you hang in there.

Halloween – Unrated Director’s Cut:  I saw this opening night.  I was excited.  It could never live up to my expectations.  It really didn’t.  At least not the theatrical cut.  The movie I saw in the theater didn’t feel like a complete feel, it felt truncated, half done (not half baked).  The director’s cut dvd is the way to go with this baby.  It’s not a classic, just a good movie.  Rob Zombie isn’t John Carpenter, and he really doesn’t try to be.  He brings a white-trash glam to the table and a grittiness in place of the original’s sleekness.   This has become a favorite movie of mine.

John
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I’ve been secluded away on a somewhat sabbatical.  In truth, I’ve been kind of busy and haven’t had time to do much in the last week, and when I have had some free time, I’ve just been goofing.  But I’m trying to do better.

Over the last week or so, I’ve had a second (sometimes third or fourth) viewing of three movies I initially found a little disappointing.  In the case of one, it was major disappointment.

First up, Friday the 13th.  The reboot of the horror stalwart left me wanting more.  More of a good movie, that is.  I thought this remake, re-mash, re-imagining, whatever it’s called, almost completely missed the mark.  I said almost.  There’s a lot going wrong here, there’s a lot that’s brainless, but it has some saving graces.  Upon repeat viewings, I appreciate what Derek Mears brings to the role of Jason; he’s menacing, and I think he may be the best man for the role since Kane Hodder.  I don’t know if it’s my fondness for the series, my love of ol’ hockey face, or what, but this movie has grown on me.  It doesn’t complete me, but it completes my collection.  Director Marcus Nispel (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre) and his crew have a movie that looks good, even when what’s happening in said movie is less than stellar.  But I appreciate the stupidity of it.  I like it a little more than I did before.

Underworld: Rise of the Lycans was, and was not, what I was expecting.  I knew the story that was going to unfold before mine eyes, verily, every fan did.  What I was not expecting was for it to unfold in such a lackluster fashion.  Eek Gad!  If this movie had been made first, it might have been a different story for me; as is, it is still the weakest, and worst, entry in the Underworld series.  Until they make another one, then things may change.  Not that it’s completely bad, it’s not without merit, but it falls so short of the two previous films.  I recently watched the Underworld trilogy, beginning with Rise of the Lycans, and this movie still kind of just sits there.  I don’t like it any less, neither do I like it any more.  It’s a good action movie, but doesn’t help the series.  It still feels like everyone is painting by numbers.

When I first saw The Day the Earth Stood Still in December ’08, I wanted to shout “Blasphemy!” at the screen and hurl tomatoes at it.  To call it disappointing is understatement.  But as I said in my original review, there is something about it that is fascinating.  Something draws me to it.  There is something intriguing at work here, and it’s not the big, multi-million dollar, bloated, lifeless, Hollywood mentality.  I believe this movie started out as an honest effort, with good intentions, but, like a lot of us, got lost somewhere along the way.  I saw this movie twice in theaters, and have recently watched it once on DVD.  There is still something at work here, some hidden charm.  I don’t think it’s as quite a disappointment as I originally thought.

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Like a lot of people, I guess, I’ve seen the trailer for the upcoming Martin Scorsese film Shutter Island, an adaptation of the 2003 Dennis Lehane novel, and I thought it looked interesting.  So, as is the case most of the time, I wanted to read the book before I ventured to see the film.

In the Fall of 1954, patient Rachel Salondo goes missing from her room/cell at the Ashecliffe Hospital for the Criminally Insane, located on Shutter Island.  Solando seems to have simply vanished into thin air.  Solando is a multiple murderess, having killed her three children by way of drowning, then setting them down at the kitchen table for a meal.  It is believed her husband’s death in the war is what finally fractured her mental state and sent her over the edge.  She is missing, and considered highly dangerous.

U.S. Marshal Teddy Daniels is sent to investigate.  Going with him is his new partner, Chuck Aule.  They arrive, by ferry, at Shutter Island just before a hurricane hits.  In the four days that follow, cut off from the rest of the world, Teddy and Chuck try to unlock the mystery of Rachel’s, nearly impossible, disappearance, and they try to pull back the veils of secrecy that shroud Ashecliffe Hospital.

Teddy, though, has his own secrets, primarily his real reason for being there.  It seems he has pulled some strings, and is there to locate another patient, Andrew Laeddis, a pyromaniac.  Laeddis lit ablaze an apartment building, Teddy’s apartment building, and it killed Teddy’s wife, Dolores.  Dolores’s death still haunts Teddy, and it only complicates the investigation.
Shutter Island is my first introduction to Lehane’s work, I’ve not read any of his other novels or seen any of the other film adaptations of his books.  But I think I may check them out.  Shutter Island is stellar book with a nifty little mystery at its heart.  It’s noir, it’s locked room/locked island, it’s deep and more than the pulp I was expecting.  The paranoid, isolated, atmosphere is genuine enough, as is its sense of time and place.

The mystery isn’t too hard to unravel, but the journey to the conclusion is well worth the slower parts.  There were times when I wished it would pick up just a little.  All in all, if you like a good mystery, a good twisty tale, you can’t go wrong with Shutter Island.

4.5 out of 5
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Yeah, I really should have been finished with this story a couple of weeks ago, but I’ve just been kinda piddling around.  You know how it is.

It’s called “At Night When the Demons Come” and it started out as one thing and became another.  That seems to happen a lot to me.  The central idea was always the same, but it was going to be more blood and guts.  As it is, it is not blood and guts.  It is what it is.  Everything may not make sense, but please accept it for what it is.  Afterall, I’m not a professional.

The title of the story was originally going to be more sensational, but then I changed it once the story changed.  This title came from Whitley Strieber’s The Grays; in that book is an excerpt from a story called “Beings Come To Our House” written by a nine year old girl.  Late at night, when the demons come….

I just like the title.  Here’s my story.

John
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Okay, I found a few files, but not all the ones I was looking for.  If I were a little more organized it would not be so frustrating.  I really need to clean this desk, everything.  Where did I put all those other poems?  I know I was looking at them not too long ago, where are they….

Anyway, I’ll find them whenever.  Here’s a couple more po-ems.  Enjoy.

John
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Song Of An Angel 

I slipped on my jacket
And smelled your perfume
From where you had worn it-
So I’ve thought about you all day
While I’ve been with my other friends,
Wondering when I will see you again- 

I went out on the town
And my mind was so preoccupied
I looked for you everywhere-
I thought I saw your face a thousand times
But it just disappeared like smoke,
Like a dream I can’t forget- 

So I’m writing these words
Because I hear your laughter
Ringing in my ears right this very minute-
And if I hear voices, it’s your voice
Saying “Aww….”, sweetly, like the song
Of an angel- 

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