Keith, right again with your assessment of "Dog Soldiers". I've seen it a dozen times now and, knowing that the young lady has been selling them down the river from Minute One, her final betrayal still resonates. And that's exactly how I see the trend moving, toward torture porn-slash-one"ick"smanship, who can bring an audience closest to hurling. I've been catching trailers for the remake of "The Last House On The Left", and it does seem to want to break that trend, employing some measure of suspense and a modicum of revenge thrown in, but those are just the trailers. I get the feeling that the rest of the flick may disappoint mightliy.
---------[ Received Mail Content ]---------- Subject : Re: [scifinoir2] "Charlie Jade" Marathon Airs This Tuesday on SciFi Date : Sun, 8 Mar 2009 19:39:46 +0000 (UTC) From : Keith Johnson <keithbjohn...@comcast.net> To : scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com "Dog Soldiers" is fast becoming my symbol of what's right and wrong with modern horror movies. By right, I mean it's a good film that shows how it should be done. This film has genuine scares based on mounting tension, not just gore. It has a lot of good actors, actors I've seen in other dramatic fare, so I know they've got the chops. It has a solid plot, balances moments of lulls in action with those of high action. It even has a good musical score. When the soldier sacrifices himself near the end, I actually noticed how his acting and the music in the background worked together to make the scene work. It's a horror movie done right. By wrong, i mean it showcases how crappy most of the US fare is. I mean, "Dog Soldiers" is a horror film dealing with the supernatural, it's got tons of gore and violence, and it was made in modern (post-2000) times. In those areas, it shares kinship with the likes of the recent "Friday the 13th" remake and a host of other films that have assailed us recently. So why is it that the vast majority of those American horror films suck and pale by comparison? Is it this recent trend of "torture porn", where the focus of many flicks is simply to be as disgustingly graphic as possible, sacrificing real suspense and tension in favor of gut-churning shock? Is it that most American horror film directors nowadays are young guys in their '20s, and their video game, music video sensibilities make them incapable of crafting films that have intelligent plots and suspense? Is it that the directors and their young target audience are so used to gore and violence, that the films *have* to focus on topping what's come before, building shock on shock to poke an increasingly desensitized audience? (And if so, why doesn't this apply to the UK, Mexico, South Korea, etc?) I'm not sure. It just seems that there's a lot of remakes of classic horror films --from The Haunting to Friday the 13th--where all they do is up the gore factor. But then, even original movies also seem to focus on gore. There are some good ones. I admit to laughing at the well done camp of "The Cave",and some of you say the first couple of "Saw" movies, while gory, did have real suspense (I remain doubtful). But I'm still not getting how Britain has good stuff like "Twenty Eight Days Later"--done by the likes of Danny Boyle, no less. But in America the kids flock to see movies that still focus on heightened gore, loads of bared breasts, throwaway plots, and a suspense built not on genuine scares, but on wondering just what new method or household device the bad guy will use to behead, disembowel, skewer, or flay the idiotic actors. What is the deal? ----- Original Message ----- From: "Aubrey Leatherwood" To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Sent: Sunday, March 8, 2009 1:57:20 PM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern Subject: RE: [scifinoir2] "Charlie Jade" Marathon Airs This Tuesday on SciFi You know, I actually watched that movie when it came out on "HOLY STARS!" VHS... I do like that one as well. Aubrey Leatherwood www.aubreyleatherwood.com FaceBook * MySpace The People You Know, The Sex They Have ROMANTIC TIMES NOMINEE FOR BEST CONTEMPORARY EROTICA 2008 ISBN: 978-0-9818905-0-0 Lyrical Press. Inc To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com From: keithbjohn...@comcast.net Date: Sun, 8 Mar 2009 16:21:05 +0000 Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] "Charlie Jade" Marathon Airs This Tuesday on SciFi Give "Dog Soldiers" a chance if you've never seen it. It's pretty good, especially for a show that's become a SciFi regular... ----- Original Message ----- From: "Aubrey Leatherwood" To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Sent: Sunday, March 8, 2009 11:59:35 AM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern Subject: RE: [scifinoir2] "Charlie Jade" Marathon Airs This Tuesday on SciFi Oh no... Here we go again! ROFLMAO! I swear I turned over to the Beast of Bray Road after finishing Dungeons and Dragons on Plex. I saw a blonde girl giving a throaty squall as she was consumed by what look like a slimy hair mess. I'm trying to figure out why, genetically, the slime *and* the hair, but I digress. Man I am glad I did not watch this movie. I, instead, played more Heavenly Sword (old game but I have not mastered the crossbow which is of major importance to my ego). I may watch the Ginger Snaps movies, I acatually don't mind those. I've never seen this movie of which you speak starring he-who-shall-not-be-named. I will watch it and--if I live--I'll let you know how it is :) that is assuming basketball is off and I am drinking. Here is what my TV guide has to say about Never Cry Werewolf, "A hunter and a delivery boy help a 16 yo investigate her mysterious new neighbor" Sounds like something I saw once in the back room of Movie Gallery. Aubrey Leatherwood www.aubreyleatherwood.com FaceBook * MySpace Imperfection A story of perfect committment, perfect love... and perfect sex. Available March 16, 2009 from Lyrical Press The People You Know, The Sex They Have ROMANTIC TIMES NOMINEE FOR BEST CONTEMPORARY EROTICA 2008 ISBN: 978-0-9818905-0-0 To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com From: truthseeker...@lycos.com Date: Sun, 8 Mar 2009 11:44:11 -0400 Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] "Charlie Jade" Marathon Airs This Tuesday on SciFi Keith, just finished off "The Beast of Bray Road", and loathing myself for the self-abuse it took to do so. As for the Ricci flick? NO. Your words here explain why it's so horrid. And, prithee, let us never speak of Cap'n Herc again... ---------[ Received Mail Content ]---------- Subject : Re: [scifinoir2] "Charlie Jade" Marathon Airs This Tuesday on SciFi Date : Sun, 8 Mar 2009 14:12:25 +0000 (UTC) >From : Keith Johnson To : scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com I see it's a werewolf day all day long on SciFi. The silly and laughable Beast on Bray Road is on now. Later, "Dog Soldiers" is on, which is actually a decent werewolf thriller. Then there's the "Gingersnaps" movies, and much later, a werewolf flick starring Kevin Sorbo. There's also that much troubled film "Curse", from Wes Craven, starring Cristina Ricca. That movie was delayed quite a bit, and I read about all kinds of rewrites and stuff. Is the finished product any good? ----- Original Message ----- From: "Martin Baxter" To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Sent: Sunday, March 8, 2009 7:43:07 AM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] "Charlie Jade" Marathon Airs This Tuesday on SciFi It airs tonight. Forgot that Skiffy's switched its premieres to Sunday. I plan on watching it, because I need something to rip apart. ---------[ Received Mail Content ]---------- Subject : Re: [scifinoir2] "Charlie Jade" Marathon Airs This Tuesday on SciFi Date : Sun, 8 Mar 2009 03:16:00 +0000 (UTC) >From : Keith Johnson To : scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Forgot about "War Wolves" . Was it any good? ----- Original Message ----- From: "Martin Baxter" To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Sent: Saturday, March 7, 2009 8:14:43 PM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern Subject: RE: [scifinoir2] "Charlie Jade" Marathon Airs This Tuesday on SciFi Tracey, I liked the show as well. I'm inclined to feel that it must be a good show at least, because Skiffy farmed it out to Last Call hours for viewing. We all know that they keep the crap (Those Wond'rous Skiffy Originals :P) in the primo time slots. I'll be watching. Speaking of Those Wond'rous Skiffy Originals, who's down for some "War Wolves" action tonight? (crickets) ---------[ Received Mail Content ]---------- Subject : RE: [scifinoir2] "Charlie Jade" Marathon Airs This Tuesday on SciFi Date : Sat, 7 Mar 2009 15:14:29 -0800 >From : "Tracey de Morsella" To : I loved the premise, I wanted to like it, but could not get into it. I liked to hear your views From: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com [mailto:scifino...@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Keith Johnson Sent: Saturday, March 07, 2009 3:12 PM To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Subject: [scifinoir2] "Charlie Jade" Marathon Airs This Tuesday on SciFi We spoke very briefly a year or so ago about the South Africa-produced series a year or so ago. I'd noticed it was aired on SciFi really briefly, maybe one or two shows on a Saturday afternoon, then a couple aired in the middle of the night. I only caught an hour or so, and it was obvious that the full plot didn't unfold for several eps. But I never got to finish watching, as SciFi pulled it. Since then, I've heard lots of good things about "Charlie Jade" from various sources, so think i will check out the marathon next week. Anyone see this series? How was it? ********************************************************* http://www.scifi.com/charliejade/about/ Charlie Jade is a rogue private detective in a world dominated by greedy multinational corporations. When Charlie sees the corpse of a beautiful young woman, he realizes she embodies the impossible: She has no identity, which is inconceivable in Charlie's world. While tracking her suspected killer, Charlie discovers a secret desert facility. A massive explosion propels him into a parallel universe that seduces him with its similarities and baffles him with its differences. Charlie is soon drawn into a conflict that involves his home universe, the one he now inhabits as well as a third universe. The third world is pristine and pacifist … with unsuspected terror at its heart. The show's creators are Robert Wertheimer (Bollywood/Hollywood, Due South, Robocop: The Series) and Chris Roland (Stander, Man to Man, The Bone Snatcher). Charlie Jade is written by Guy Mullally (Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's The Lost World, Little Men), David Cole (Cold Squad, Due South), Stephen Zoller (Anne of Green Gables, The Windsor Protocol) and Alex Epstein (Galidor). Executive producers are Wertheimer, Roland, Izidore Codron, Robin Spry and Jacques Pettigrew. Series regulars include: Jeffrey Pierce (The Others, West Wing, JAG) as Charlie, Marie-Julie Rivest (Savage Messiah), Michael Filipowich (Starhunter, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind), Tyrone Benskin (Deacons for Defense, The Long Island Incident), Michelle Burgers (The Schoolmaster, Sinbad), Danny Keogh (Citizen Verdict, Sinbad) and Patricia McKenzie (Stardom, No Alibi). A cross-section of directors from both Canada and South Africa provide the series' highly cinematic, cutting-edge signature style. Directors include T.J. Scott (Hercules, Xena, La Femme Nikita), Darrel James Roodt (City of Blood, Sarafina!) Jimmy Kaufman (Due South, Stargate SG-1) and Neal Sundstrom (Inside Out, Homeland). Post-production and state-of-the-art CGI were handled by CineGroupe in Montreal, who in the last year produced two U.S. series — Galidor: Defenders of the Outer Dimension and Tripping the Rift. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQdwk8Yntds http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQdwk8Yntds http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQdwk8Yntds Windows Live™ Contacts: Organize your contact list. Check it out. Hotmail® is up to 70% faster. Now good news travels really fast. Find out more. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQdwk8Yntds