Recently using the “twitter” technology I “twittered” this one-liner:
“I love the wide spectrum of views in this summer’s sci-fi. TRANSFORMERS 2 and DISTRICT 9 show both sides of the racism issue, pro and anti.”
So today Aaron S. emailed to inform me that Joseph Kahn, the director of that movie TORQUE that I liked, has a new blog where he has written some against-the-grain views on those two movies. He seems to have a different idea than me about which one is pro.
I didn’t want to write this as an open letter and make a big deal out of it, but I couldn’t get the damn comment thing to work on his blog so what the hell, here is my long response to his post Transforming Michael Bay.
We get alot of good conversations going in the comments about all kinds of random shit. I’ve been thinking maybe I should do some “blog posts” about the nerd news of the day, like today it would be the AVATAR trailer or INGLORIOUZ BASTIRDZ is coming out or whatever and then we could all discuss it. Maybe I’ll start doing that sometimes, maybe I won’t. Nobody knows. But for now here’s a place to comment on whatever you damn well feel like.
I couldn’t find a good picture of the Jeopardy category “POTPOURRI” so instead enjoy this fine ET/GVP poster art.
I’d like to call your attention to a review I wrote early last year, of a movie called THE WILDMAN OF THE NAVIDAD. After playing some film festivals and what not it finally came out on DVD today, so maybe the review is of more use now. This is one of the many movies I have watched just because of its Texas Chain Saw connection (it was produced by Chain Saw co-writer Kim Henkel), but I thought it was a pretty good one, as you can see in the review.
And I’m sure it’s a bitch trying to promote your low budget, set-in-the-70s LEGEND OF BOGGY CREEK homage in 2009, so I thought I would help them out by mentioning it. You know, sort of like Oprah does.
Hey, check out this book they got coming out. Sounds like it will be some sort of a collection of movie reviews and essays and what not. I don’t know about you but I will probaly order 100 copies, like most cool people will.
This is not an official review, but I wanted to give some attention to a low budget independent slasher movie called MURDER LOVES KILLERS TOO which just hit DVD and was written and directed by one of my readers, Drew Barnhardt.
Every once in a while somebody sends me their no-budget movie and I’m afraid to watch it because I know they put their blood sweat and tears into it and I don’t want to have to tell them “yeah, sure, I watched it… yeah, good effort, I liked the, uh, some of the lighting was very professional” or whatever. So I had this thing sitting around for months and forgot about it and then for some reason I decided to put it in.
To my surprise MURDER LOVES KILLERS TOO is a very solid (if somewhat home made) slasher movie that’s just to my taste because it follows traditional slasher formulas and gets the mechanics right (tense chases and cat and mouse moments) but has a very weird and darkly humorous but not postmodern twist. There’s some funny shit, some cool DePalmian camerawork and I am told this is the first ever slasher movie with a reference to BARRY LYNDON. There’s not a huge amount of gore and it’s obviously the work of people with no money, but I had a fun time and hope I get to see Drew make a movie with a bit of a budget, because he seems to have the right idea. He told me he had that idea many people have after watching crappy DTV horror movies that he could do something better, but unlike most of us he then went out and did it.
My apologies to other readers whose works I meant to plug and didn’t, but I really want this one to succeed because he told me the idea he has for his next movie and it’s right exactly down the center of my alley.
If you didn’t hear yet, they are reporting that Michael Jackson died. Michael was a true genius and you guys know how much I always dreamed and speculated about the great things he could still do. Well it looks like I’ll miss out on that. I’m devastated about this news so forgive me if I don’t get those reviews I promised up for a bit, I can’t really think about that shit right now.
No joke, BLACK DYNAMITE won the Golden Space Needle Award, which is the top audience award at the Seattle International Film Festival. It joins such notable past winners as KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN, MY LIFE AS A DOG, BAGDAD CAFE, THE WEDDING BANQUET, TRAINSPOTTING and WHALE RIDER. And, uh, PUMP UP THE VOLUME.
Not to brag or anything but I gave it the highest rating when I voted, so I am partially responsible. Also it was the only movie I bothered to see at the festival this year, which means I pick ’em well. Congratulations to everybody involved, especially star/co-writer Michael Jai White and director/co-writer/one-time-outlawvern.com-commenter Scott Sanders.
Well, I don’t got anything smart to say about it, but I’m seeing some of this news and flashing back to our elections in 2000 and 2004. I remember how that shit felt in the pit of my stomach. But also I’m seeing how the people of Iran are trying to do something about it and at greater risk than we were ever at. And I know I got a few readers scattered through all different countries so if you’re out there, no matter how you feel about the election, stay strong and be safe.
Hello fellow Seagalogists and others, Steven Seagal’s latest and most recent, KILL SWITCH, arrives on DVD October 7th. Here’s the trailer:
Seagal plays a Memphis homicide detective chasing two unrelated serial killers while committing atrocities against dentistry and possibly juggling more than one family. (read the rest of this shit…)
WAYS YOU CAN SUPPORT THE SHIT OUT OF VERN & OUTLAWVERN.COM
if that's your thing:
1. Patreon
Toss me a couple bucks a month, support the good shit, also get access to a bunch of exclusive writing. This is my primary source of writing money that has allowed me to cut down to part time at the day job. Thank you!
2. Buy my books from your local bookseller or somebody
(NOTE: My ten year contract has passed on the Titan books, so I don't get residuals on them like I do WORM ON A HOOK and NIKETOWN, but I would love for you to read them because I'm proud of them)
EXTRA CREDIT: Review them on Amazon! That would really help me out. Unless you didn't like them, in which case forget I said anything.
3. If you ever buy from Amazon, go through my links or search engines
(you pay the same amount you were gonna pay anyway they cut me a little slice)
I also have an Amazon UK one:
(I can't get the search box widget to work anymore, so click on MOONWALKER and then search for what you want.)
4. My exciting line of fashion and leisure products
(I get a couple bucks per item, you get a cool t-shirt, mug or lifestyle item)
5. Spread the word
Tell your friends about my reviews and my books and everything. Only cool people though please, we don't need a bunch of suckers and/or chumps around here.
THANKS EVERYBODY. YOUR FRIEND, VERN
* * * *
Recent commentary and jibber-jabber
The Allusionist on Alligator: “J– Maybe a reason why the movie reminds you of “Neon Maniacs” is that they were shot by the same…” Mar 16, 01:11
Glaive Robber on Sing Sing: “I appreciate your thoughts, Mike. I do think there’s a lot of inhumanity to mass incarceration, which I of course…” Mar 15, 14:23
Mike V. on Sing Sing: “Glaive Robber, thank you for sharing your perspective. I often wonder how films like this (though I haven’t seen it…” Mar 15, 10:09
Max K. on In the Lost Lands: “I think you’re dead on with the Pyun comparison. It really does feel like Anderson’s version of his work, even…” Mar 14, 22:18
burningambulance on In the Lost Lands: “The posters for MONSTER HUNTER had Jovovich’s name right above the title, in a slightly smaller font, and I still…” Mar 13, 19:48
Glaive Robber on In the Lost Lands: “I thought they could have chopped this down from 100 mins to maybe 85 or 80, but overall, I respected…” Mar 13, 14:48
Glaive Robber on Sing Sing: “I had a tough time with this, because so much of it was triggering, bringing back the memories of when…” Mar 13, 14:44
Bill Reed on In the Lost Lands: “Sky Captain and Albert Pyun references in the same paragraph? You’re really making me want to watch this movie, even…” Mar 13, 11:19
jojo on In the Lost Lands: “[i]They just don’t know how to sell movies anymore.[/i] Well, it’s just that their sales tactic has changed to “we…” Mar 13, 02:19
VERN on In the Lost Lands: “I only knew of it when the trailer came out and then only knew it came out last week because…” Mar 12, 23:25
Franchise Fred on In the Lost Lands: “God bless ‘em for releasing this in theaters but it barely made a million. They just don’t know how to…” Mar 12, 22:40
Felix Ng on In the Lost Lands: “I think we are blessed to have Milla Jovovich and Kate Beckinsdale in our lives. Genetically altered zombie killers and…” Mar 12, 19:19
rainman on In the Lost Lands: “Milla J VVitch would have disappeared 20 years ago if not for her loyal husband. Good for them. I concur…” Mar 12, 18:53
Felix Ng on In the Lost Lands: “I really enjoyed this, Vern! The action editing is greatly improved from the choppiness of the last RE films. Like…” Mar 12, 15:00
Bob Vila on The Order (2024): “Great movie, great review. Law is really good as a burn out cop, surprisingly convincing considering how handsome and British…” Mar 12, 07:08
Potpourri
Friday, August 21st, 2009I couldn’t find a good picture of the Jeopardy category “POTPOURRI” so instead enjoy this fine ET/GVP poster art.
Tags: posts done just to keep people on topic in other comment threads
Posted in Blog Post (short for weblog) | 969 Comments »