BEAR PROM

What an absolutely flawless night. And I made the paper! Heh-heh!

Click here for the rest of the Dallas Voice photos from the dance.

"Put up your dukes, Toddy! Put 'em up and WEEEEEERK!!!"

ASSAULT!

Now is usually time time I start missing the warmer weather. The photo below was taken in the spring of last year at Jack's Backyard Bar in Oak Cliff. The waitress totally photobombed the shot we were attempting to take, molesting my poor moobs.

That bar is closed now. Wish it weren't. Wish it was back open. And that my feet were naked, a cool glass of vodka was in hand, and I was breathing the warm sweet air.

SONG LYRIC WRITTEN ABOUT ME



For more Blue Redder, click here.

HUSH

We all have Christmas Traditions, right? This one is mine: every Christmas Eve I go outside by myself, usually past midnight, and just... listen. I listen to the silence. I feel that vibe of quiet, of silence so loud it's deafening. Even here in the heart of the city, for whatever reasons people have, they sequester, hole up, keep still. And it's the quietest night of the whole year.

For that one moment, I face myself. I look at my place in this universe and take stock. Acknowledge. Assess.

Soon my warm home calls, usually some ten minutes later.

So I turn and go back inside, so that I may sleep with the rest of the city.

BIRTHDAY GIFT, PART TWO

Well, Dean delivered again. Yay me! For this year's 41st Birthday, he decided to do his own tribute to this photo:

And here's his:

Can you say Le Swoon? No? Fine, then I shall say it for you.

LE SWOOOOOOOON!!!

BIRTHDAY SUIT!

Well, almost.

This is my friend Dean:



I met him on the photo sharing site, Flickr.

He lives in London. He sent the photo above to my on my birthday in 2010, which was indeed a total and delightful surprise. We are both interested in photography, and were trying to come up with ways we could work on a project together despite the miles. I know he's a fan of brightly colored and designed socks, so my original pitch to him was to maybe have us take homage photos of each other wearing the exact same pair of socks. Dean wound up surprising me on my birthday with this photo, and challeging me to take a similar photo in turn. Thus, The Flickr Socks Only Challenge was born.

He took it a step further with this photo:



And, in turn, I uploaded these:



Kinda naughty, I know. But I had an absolute blast taking them. Through, frankly, they are only slightly more revealing than a speedo by the pool would be.

Anyway, it made for a memorable birthday. And some major fond memories.

Happy Birthday to me!

MOVES

When theater folk see sudden moves, they think it's the Sharks vs Jets opening dance from West Side Story. It confuses them. And then it brings musical theater where none was wanted or needed. And no one likes that.

THANKSGIVING NOSTALGIA

Anyone else out there remember these awesome icky things by Brach's?

ASPIRATIONS

When I was but a wee lad, I wanted to be the Dairy Queen ice cream man when I grew up. (You know, the person behind the counter who dispensed the soft serve and dipped the cones in chocolate? I soooo wanted to be that guy!)

I also wanted to be Santa Claus.

Hmmm. I wonder where I can get an application?

PHOTOS

Here is some great photography by James Webster at Webjam Studios.

http://webjamstudio.smugmug.com/Portraits/Marco/

We spent last Saturday afternoon playing in the park and I had an absolute a blast shooting these with him. Such wonderful work! Thanks James!!!

I LIKE CONVERSING: LONG DISTANCE PHONE CALL

ME: Well, there is something I've been meaning to tell you...

CHARLIE: Really?

ME: Yes. And, um. I've actually been kinda nervous bringing it up.

CHARLIE: What is it?

ME: (Pause) I'm the Goatse Guy.

CHARLIE: (Pause) Goodbye, Marco.

Click.

OLD HALLOWS EVE

8 COOL HORROR FILMS YOU MAY HAVE NEVER SEEN

I am always on the hunt for truly different and unusual horror films. I tend to prize mind fuck over gore, ideas over execution, and the whole less-is-more approach to these kinds of movies. I don't mind "old", black and white or subtitles either. Bearing that in mind, here are my picks for 2011.

A TALE OF TWO SISTERS (2004)

Based on an old Korean folk story about an evil stepmother, writer and director Ji-Woon Kim takes a decidedly modern approach in his adaptation of this dark tale. Two young sisters, Su-Mi (Im Su-jeong) and Su-yeon (Mun Geun yeong) are returning to their home after being hospitalized the wake of their mother's recent death. They find their father distant and despondent and, worse, a new stepmother (Yeom Jeong-ah, who is superb) who makes it clear she will not tolerate much of anything from these girls. But there are dark secrets within this house, which has a terrible affect on anyone who enters it.

A Tale of Two Sisters veers from horror to thriller to mystery, in a fairly non-linear way. All of the puzzle pieces are there, but you have to do a little bit of work to see how they all fit. Terrific performances and an organic approach to the material keep you watching, even if you sometimes find yourself confused by where the story is going.

This is a movie that demands, and subsequently awards, you for paying attention. It's certainly not the most frightening this on this list, but compelling and eerie enough to recommend.

ALICE, SWEET ALICE (1977)

Alice (Paula E Sheppard, utterly cold and convincing) has serious jealousy issues concerning her younger, more accomplished and accepted sister, Karen. After Karen (played by an 11 year old Brooke Shields) winds up dead in church (yep, in church) on the day of her first communion, suspicion naturally falls on Alice.

Co-Writer and Director by Alfred Sole had a tough time with this film's theatrical distribution; releasing it three different times under three different titles, with the film ultimately falling into public domain sometime in the 80's. This DVD release is the director-approved version, and it looks terrific in all of its early 60's New Jersey muted tones.

Nicolas Roeg's Don't Look Now seems to have had a huge influence on this production, with its odd, stylized performances and heightened, Grand Guignol vibe. Catholicism is definitely most creepy here, and Sole casts a cold, stark eye on the story's religious backdrop, giving the whole Godless proceedings a sad, unemotional and deeply unsettling pall. And the murders, though few, are often brutal and shocking. It's not a flawless film, however; things sag along the middle section, and a little over halfway though you almost feel as if the film shifts and becomes another movie all together.

But, ultimately, Alice, Sweet Alice is a nasty, stylized little psychological thriller, and it a cut above many of its slasher sisters from the era.

DEAD END (2003)

A twisted, funny and corrosive horror movie about family, Dead End movie opens with the familiar scenario of a family driving (and bickering) to a relative's house on Christmas Eve. The father, Frank (Ray Wise), decides to part way with tradition and takes a shortcut off the highway via a small, densely wooded road. After nodding off and narrowly avoiding a fatal collision, the family encounters what appears to be an injured young woman holding a baby. After another round of arguing about the next course of action, they decide to give her a lift to the nearest home for help.

Soon, the mysterious young woman has vanished, the first member of the family is killed, and a mysterious black car appears out of nowhere. Unable to cope, the family launches itself yet again at each other's throats in that all too realistic fashion. Unable to find an exit off this dreaded, endless road, they struggle to find a way out.

What's remarkable about this film is how deftly is veers from horror to comedy to satire to drama and back again. When faced with the harsh reality of being trapped in a seemingly never-ending nightmare, the characters quickly begin airing grievances and past injustices. Some band together, others fend for themselves. Dead Alive is, at it's heart, a film about a family who's been together too long. You will laugh, then cringe at the gore, then wince at the drama, then laugh at the gore, cringe at the laughter and most definitely find yourself dreading that next Christmas family gathering.

The rest of the stellar cast includes Lin Shayne as Laura the mother, Alexandria Holden as daughter Marion, Mick Cain as teen son Richard, and Brad Miller as Billy, Marion's boyfriend. Written and Directed by Jean-Baptiste Andrea and Fabrice Canepa. Available on Netflix streaming.

HARPER'S ISLAND (Season 1, 2009)

This nifty television series was yanked off the air before it could finish airing its first 13-episode season. A kicky fusion of an Agatha Christie mystery coupled with a slasher, this hybrid (unlike a lot of single season television) has a definite beginning, middle, and satisfying end, which makes for a perfect October series to get invested in.

The tale begins seven years after a string of murders has taken place of Harper's Island, with a young woman named Abby (Elaine Cassidy) returning to her hometown to lend support to her best friend, Henry (Christopher Gorham), and his marriage into the town's wealthiest family. The journey home is particularly painful to Abby, as she has not spoken to her father, the town sheriff, since her departure from the island after killer murdered her mother, among many others.

As you might have guessed, the murders start anew soon after the wedding celebration is underway. At first, the missing guests are all too easily perceived as unexpectedly gone home, since the murderer cleverly eliminates all of their belongings after each kill. Soon, things start to look suspicious... then the shit really hits the fan.

A high body count whodunit that's surprisingly graphic for a prime time series, Harper's Island is equal parts mystery, slasher and survivalist thriller. It's too bad the series never got a chance to air in its entirety when it debuted, as it was cancelled after three episodes. Satisfying from start to finish, this 13 hour adventure is a perfect mini-investment for any time of year. Created by Ari Schlossberg. Available on Netflix streaming.

PHONE (2002)

Equal parts ghost story, murder mystery, love story, possession tale, who and whydunnit, this South Korean horror hybrid has something to offer for everyone.

Ambitious journalist Ji-won (Ji-Won Ha) is afraid for her life after her expose of an underage sex scandal involving a group of men on trial. Her editor suggests she lay low until the men can be convicted, so she moves into a vacant house owned her sister, Ho-jeong (Yu-mi Kim). After receiving threatening phone calls regarding the trial, she further attempts her efforts to hide by purchasing new cell phone with an unregistered number.

Soon, Ji-won is receiving mysterious phone calls on this new phone, one of which is receipted by her sister's little girl, Yeong-ju (Seo-woo Eun). The child's behavior immediately changes, seemingly and permanently altered by that phone call.

Suspicious about the nature of her new phone, Ji-won discovers that the previous owners of her particular cell number have died. Upon further investigation, she discovers the mystery is a lot closer to her than she could have ever realized.

Scary and thrilling and very well written, Phone should satisfy on many levels. It's been a long time since I sat though a movie that twisted so many times, and yet each twist is completely organic to the story at hand. Deftly written and directed by Byeong-ki Ahn, this is one helluva ride. Subtitled.

THE SPIRAL STAIRCASE (1946)

Quite possibly the earliest entry in the slasher genre, The Spiral Staircase is full surprising nods to what would eventually become horror staples: point of view shots of the killer, burst of lightning that reveal the murder in silhouette, and close ups of the killer's eye as he looks onto his latest soon-to-be victim.

Set in the early 1900's, New England, someone is killing young girls with certain handicaps and "afflictions". This does not bode well for the mute servant girl, Helen (Dorothy McGuire) who works at an old mansion for a bedridden old woman, Mrs. Warren (Ethel Barrymore, Oscar nominated for her performance.) Warren lives in this mansion with her two sons, Professor Albert (George Brent) and Womanizer Stephen (Gordon Oliver).

When it becomes apparent that this rash of killings is getting closer and closer to the mansion, Warren begs her physician, Dr. Parry (Kent Smith), to remove Helen from the house for her own safety. Indeed, Warren seems to know something that she is hesitant to divulge. Soon, the murders come to the castle. Unable to cry, scream or even phone for help, The Spiral Staircase leads to inevitable showdown between Helen and the killer.

This is one of those glorious, black and white, thunderstorm and rain, candle and shadow kind of Gothic noir horror affairs. Even though it's doubtful that a modern audience would find much of the film actually frightening, it's a tense, showy gem of a Halloween offering, perfect for those savoring something elegant and heightened and tense. Directed by Robert Siodmak. Written by Mel Dinelli, based on the novel by Ethel Lina White.

BLACK CHRISTMAS (1974)

Horror aficionados will undoubtedly snicker that I am putting Black Christmas on this list, but I'm too often surprised by how many horror fans have never seen it. A film that came out four years before John Carpenter's Halloween, this holiday horror classic is most certainly the godfather of the slasher movie.

On Christmas Eve, the girls of Pi Kappa Sigma begin receiving mysterious phone calls by a man who identifies himself as "Billy". When one of the girls vanishes, they soon begin taking the calls more seriously. Snowed in and at each other's throats, suspicion and speculation begins to unravel the girls as they suspect this "Billy" might be someone they know.

One of the many things that work in Roy Moore's nicely wound screenplay is the rushed holiday setting. With several characters planning to leave the sorority house for Christmas vacation, the chaos of rushed departures make for entirely plausible, nonplussed reasoning among the remaining characters when people initially go missing. The Christmas setting also acts as an effective diversion overall, much in the same way the holiday setting allowed Michael Myers to move about freely in Halloween.

Equal parts mood and violence, Black Christmas derives a lot of its power from aesthetic choices that other slasher films would later take their cues from, including the now mandatory point of view shots from the killer's perspective, odd objects as murder weapons, and the aforementioned phone calls.

Olivia Hussey, Margot Kidder, Andrea Martin and John Saxton round out the ensemble of Bob Clark's second notable entry in the Christmas movie genre (he also directed the perennial favorite A Christmas Story.) Frequently quiet like the hush of snow, then punctuated with sudden loud bursts of violence, this truly unsettling film will keep you up at night.

THE BABY'S ROOM (La Habitación Del Niño, 2006)

New parents Juan (Javier Gutiérrez) and Sonia (Leonor Watling) have just moved to a historic old house in Spain, where the home is in dire need of much renovation and repair. That night, both parents are alarmed when they hear voices coming through their donated, aging baby monitor. Racing to their baby's room, they find nothing amiss.

Deciding that the old monitor is picking up crossed signals from around the neighborhood, Juan buys a state of the art baby monitor complete with video feed. That night Juan hears the voices coming through the monitor again, and goes white when he turns and sees the figure of a man standing next to his baby's crib on the video screen.

Despite an extensive search, the police are unable to find anything or any signs of forced entry. Sonia, only ever having heard the initial voices on the monitor, becomes worried that her husband might be cracking up. Juan, to the detriment of his wife and co-workers, becomes obsessed with the house and discovering the source of its mysterious nature.

A horror movie about a father's fear of his inability to protect his family, The Baby's Room has a nice, slow, dreadful burn that will truly give you the willies. Even better, the movie plays to a beautiful gray area within the characters, and you'll find yourself siding with all of them as they struggle.

Great performances all around, and directed with a taunt grip by Álex de la Iglesia, this Gothic Spanish ghost story will have you gripped from beginning to end. Highly recommended. Subtitled. Available on Netflix streaming.

________________

That's my picks! Hope you check out at least one of these movies this year. (Beats sitting though Saw XXI, right?)

My 2010 horror movie recommendations are here.

My 2009 horror movie recommendations are here.

My 2008 horror movie recommendations are here.

KOOKY SPOOKS!

Anyone out there remember these things from 1979?

HALLOWEEN NIGHTMARE, PART TWO

Do you guys ever have that dream where Elmo slides up next to you at a bar and squeels, "Let's get sexy!!!" Then thirty minutes later you wake up in a cold sweat and realize you've jizzed yourself?

Yeah, I've never had that nightmare either.