Feedback for FWOAN...

"For Want Of A Nail" has been doing very well on the festival circuit and with that comes some feedback, so here's a selection of the kind words we've been receiving.

Loved it! Wonderful! I don’t have OCD, but I’m always trying to look for context and examples, to help me understand how my daughter is processing things and how OCD might be disrupting/interfering in her brain. The various visual treatments of Marty’s thoughts, in the multitude of ways that you showed them, did a fabulous job to help me. Thank you for that! It’s really hard, perhaps impossible, for those with OCD to shut off the thoughts. That’s so clear in the film. Well done.

Chris Baler, Producer of 2017 Documentary Short "Unstuck: An OCD Kids Movie"

For Want of a Nail is a great short film. The Writing is awesome and the directing brought it together quite nicely. The Acting was very natural and I could feel the emotions in the characters. The Cinematography was very well done. The Editing was smooth and true to the genre. The Sound Design / Score was perfect for the genre as well. The Visual FX were very well done throughout. I loved it!

Mindfield Film Festival, Alburquerque

WOWOWOW!  I am so impressed with the final product! It's excellent in every way! Bravo and THANK YOU for making it!

OCD Help For All

Absolutely spot on. Well done for this , very informative.

Ash Curry, Advocate for OCD Action and NHS Speaker

I have a friend who has bad OCD. Now I have a better understanding of how his obsessions affect him. Really good informative film. Very informative.

Keith, Mental Health News Hub

We loved your film and are extremely honoured to have such high quality work as part of our festival.

Changing Face International Film Festival

You can also read a review of the film by The Independent Critic HERE.

Sleaze Fiend Magazine - Issue 3 is here...

It's been a bit of a while since our bumper size Issue #2, but finally - after finding a new print company - we're ready to put the new issue out there!

The long awaited Issue #3 has finally arrived! This issue is filled with BIKES, HIPPIES, LSD, SAVAGERY BEYOND YOUR WILDEST IMAGINATION & MUCH MUCH MORE!

You can pre-order it HERE.

Giallo, Exploitation, and Various DVD, Blu-Ray, and Movie Reviews...

The most recent reviews are at the top of each section.

Shameless Screen Entertainment DVD Reviews:

Stage Fright (Michele Soavi, 1987)

Formula For A Murder (Alberto de Martino, 1985)

Contraband (Lucio Fulci, 1980)

Four Flies On Grey Velvet (Dario Argento, 1971)

Amsterdamned (Dick Maas, 1988)

The Washing Machine (Ruggero Deodato, 1993)

The Sister of Ursula (Enzo Milioni, 1978)

The Frightened Woman (Piero Schivazappa, 1969)

Baba Yaga (Corrado Farina, 1973)

Venus In Furs (Massimo Dallamano, 1969)

The Beast In Space (Alfonso Brescia, 1980)

Satan's Baby Doll (Mario Bianchi, 1982)

Love Goddess of the Cannibals (Joe D'Amato, 1978)

Watch Me When I Kill (Antonio Bido, 1977)

Oasis of Fear (Umberto Lenzi, 1971)

My Dear Killer (Tonino Valerii, 1972)

Almost Human (Umberto Lenzi, 1974)

The Strange Vice of Mrs Wardh (Sergio Martino, 1971)

Who Saw Her Die? (Aldo Lado, 1972)

Phantom of Death (Ruggero Deodato, 1988)

Dellamorte Dellamore (aka The Cemetery Man) (Michele Soavi, 1993)

Night Train Murders (Aldo Lado, 1974)

Torso (Sergio Martino, 1973)

The Killer Nun (Giulio Berruti, 1979)

What Have They Done To Your Daughters? (Massimo Dallamano, 1974)

Strip Nude For Your Killer (Andrea Bianchi, 1975)

Various Giallo Reviews:

Death Smiles On A Murderer (Aristide Massaccesi, 1973)

The Pyjama Girl Case (Flavio Mogherini, 1978)

The Suspicious Death Of A Minor (Sergio Martino, 1975)

Delirium (Lamberto Bava, 1987)

Francesca (Luciano Onetti, 2015)

Cold Blooded Beast (Fernando Di Leo, 1971)

The Night Evelyn Came Out Of The Grave (Emilio P. Miraglia, 1971)

The Red Queen Kills Seven Times (Emilio P. Miraglia, 1972)

The Editor (Astron-6, 2014)

The Bloodstained Butterfly (Duccio Tessari, 1971)

Death Walks At Midnight (Luciano Ercoli, 1972)

Death Walks On High Heels (Luciano Ercoli, 1971)

Five Dolls For An August Moon (Mario Bava, 1970)

The Girl Who Knew Too Much (Mario Bava, 1963)

Blood and Black Lace (Mario Bava, 1964)

The Case of the Scorpion's Tail (Sergio Martino, 1971)

The French Sex Murders (Ferdinando Merighi, 1972)

All The Colours Of The Dark (Sergio Martino, 1972)

Short Night of Glass Dolls (Aldo Lado, 1971)

Yellow (Ryan Haysom, 2012)

What Have You Done To Solange? (Massimo Dallamano, 1972)

The Black Belly of the Tarantula (Paolo Cavara, 1971)

Seven Blood-Stained Orchids (Umberto Lenzi, 1972)

Seven Deaths In The Cat's Eye (Antonio Margheriti, 1973)

The Forbidden Photos of a Lady Above Suspicion (Luciano Ercoli, 1970)

Autopsy (Armando Crispino, 1975)

Your Vice Is A Locked Room And Only I Have The Key (Sergio Martino, 1972)

Eyeball (Umberto Lenzi, 1975)

The Bloodstained Shadow (Antonio Bido, 1978)

The Case of the Bloody Iris (Giuliano Carnimeo, 1971)

  Other Reviews:

Evil Dead Burn (Sébastien Vanicek, 2026) 

Faces of Death (Daniel Goldhaber, 2026) 

Jason Goes To Hell (Adam Marcus, 1993) 

Silent Night Deadly Night (Mike P. Nelson, 2025) 

Space Cop (Jay Bauman & Mike Stoklasa, 2016) 

Deathstalker (Steven Kostanski, 2025) 

V/H/S/Halloween (Various, 2025) 

Attack of the 60 Foot Centerfolds (Fred Olen Ray, 1995) 

8MM (Joel Schumacher, 1999) 

The Bikini Car Wash Company II (Gary Dean Orona, 1993)

We Are Zombies (RKSS, 2023)

The Bikini Car Wash Company (Ed Hansen, 1992)

Frankie Freako (Steven Kostanski, 2024)

V/H/S/Beyond (Various, 2024)

In A Violent Nature (Chris Nash, 2024)

Mosquito (Gary Jones, 1994)

Stone Cold (Craig R. Baxley, 1991)

Destroy All Neighbors (Josh Forbes, 2024)

Vice Academy (Rick Sloane, 1989)

Ski School (Damian Lee, 1990)

V/H/S/85 (Various, 2023)

Murdercise (Angelica De Alba & Paul Ragsdale, 2023)

Sorority Babes in the Slimeball Bowl-o-Rama 2 (Brinke Stevens, 2022)

Evil Dead Rise (Lee Cronin, 2023)

Kids vs Aliens (Jason Eisener, 2023)

Scare Package II: Rad Chad's Revenge (Various, 2022)

Witch Academy (Fred Olen Ray, 1991)

Dinosaur Island (Fred Olen Ray & Jim Wynorski, 1994)

Virgin High (Richard Gabai, 1991)

Ghoulies III: Ghoulies Go To College (John Carl Buechler, 1990)

Beach Babes From Beyond (David DeCoteau, 1993)

Ghoulies II (Albert Brand, 1987)

Bad Girls From Mars (Fred Olen Ray, 1990)

Ghoulies (Luca Bercovici, 1985)

King Frat (Ken Wiederhorn, 1979)

Texas Chainsaw Massacre (David Blue Garcia, 2022)

Free Hand For A Tough Cop (Umberto Lenzi, 1976)

Death Row Diner (B. Dennis Wood, 1988)

Dude Bro Party Massacre III (Tom Jacobsen, Michael Rousselet, Jon Salmon, 2015)

Hell Squad (Kenneth Hartford, 1986)

Puppet Master: The Littlest Reich (Sonny Laguna & Tommy Wiklund, 2018)

Willy's Wonderland (Kevin Lewis, 2021)

Hired To Kill (Nico Mastorakis, 1990)

Dial Help (Ruggero Deodato, 1988)

The Zero Boys (Nico Mastorakis, 1986)

Joysticks (Greydon Clark, 1983)

Return to Savage Beach (Andy Sidaris, 1998)

Day of the Warrior (Andy Sidaris, 1996)

Hot Dog ... The Movie! (Peter Markle, 1984)

The Dallas Connection (Christian Drew Sidaris, 1994)

Season of the Witch (George A. Romero, 1972)

Enemy Gold (Christian Drew Sidaris, 1993)

There's Always Vanilla (George A. Romero, 1971)

Fit To Kill (Andy Sidaris, 1993)

Hard Hunted (Andy Sidaris, 1992)

Chopping Mall (Jim Wynorski, 1986)

Do Or Die (Andy Sidaris, 1991)

Guns (Andy Sidaris, 1990)

3 From Hell (Rob Zombie, 2019)

Castle Freak (Stuart Gordon, 1995)

Savage Beach (Andy Sidaris, 1989)

Critters Attack! (Bobby Miller, 2019)

Splatter University (Richard W. Haines, 1984)

Malibu Express (Andy Sidaris, 1985)

Picasso Trigger (Andy Sidaris, 1988)

Hard Ticket To Hawaii (Andy Sidaris, 1987)

Microwave Massacre (Wayne Berwick, 1983)

Evil Toons (Fred Olen Ray, 1992)

Body Melt (Philip Brophy, 1993)

The Best of 80s Scream Queens - Nightmare Sisters, Murder Weapon, Deadly Embrace (David DeCoteau aka 'Ellen Cabot', 1987-1989)

Nail Gun Massacre (Terry Lofton & Bill Leslie, 1985)

The Mutilator - aka - Fall Break (Buddy Cooper, 1984)

Syndicate Sadists (Umberto Lenzi, 1975)

Blastfighter (Lamberto Bava, 1984)

Man From Deep River (Umberto Lenzi, 1972)

Thriller: A Cruel Picture - aka - They Call Her One Eye (Bo A. Vibenius, 1973)

Massacre In Dinosaur Valley (Michele Massimo Tarantini, 1985)

Milano Calibro 9 (Fernando Di Leo, 1972)

Hell Comes To Frogtown (R.J. Kizer & Donald G. Jackson, 1988)

Live Like A Cop, Die Like A Man (Ruggero Deodato, 1976)

Zombie Lake (Jean Rollin, 1981)

Evil Ed (Anders Jacobsson, 1995)

Bride of Re-Animator (Brian Yuzna, 1989)

Dr Alien (David DeCoteau, 1989)

Emanuelle and the Last Cannibals (Joe D'Amato, 1977)

The Bogey Man (Ulli Lommel, 1980)

Creepozoids (David DeCoteau, 1987)

Killer Workout (David A. Prior, 1987)

Hollywood Chainsaw Hookers (Fred Olen Ray, 1988)

Don't Answer The Phone! (Robert Hammer, 1980)

Sorority Babes in the Slimeball Bowl-o-Rama (David DeCoteau, 1988)

Matinee (Joe Dante, 1993)

Slave Girls From Beyond Infinity (Ken Dixon, 1987)

Pervert! (Jonathan Yudis, 2006)

Rabid Dogs (Mario Bava, 1974)

Chillerama (Green/Lynch/Rifkin/Sullivan, 2011)

The Final Girls (Todd Strauss-Schulson, 2015)

The ABCs of Death 2 (Various, 2015)

SS Experiment Camp (Sergio Garrone, 1976)

Bloodsucking Pharaohs In Pittsburgh (Dean Tschetter, 1991)

Anthropophagous (Joe D'Amato, 1980)

Contamination (Luigi Cozzi, 1980)

Manborg (Steven Kostanski, 2011)

Galaxy of Terror (B.D. Clark, 1981)

Fly Me (Cirio Santiago, 1973)

Barbed Wire Dolls (Jess Franco, 1976)

Hitler's Last Train (Alain Payet, 1977)

Fraulein Kitty (Patrice Rohmm, 1977)

Ilsa: The Wicked Warden (Jess Franco, 1977)

Caged Women (Leandro Lucchetti, 1991)

Super Bitch (Massimo Dallamano, 1973)

99 Women, Women Behind Bars, Bare Behind Bars, Sadomania, and Amazon Jail ("Bad Girls Behind Bars" DVD Collection, Jess Franco and Oswaldo De Oliveira, 1969-1982)

Jungle Warriors (Ernst R. von Theumer, 1984)

Red Heat (Robert Collector, 1985)

Chained Heat (Paul Nicolas, 1983)

Hard To Die: Sorority House Massacre 3 (Jim Wynorski, 1990)

Sorority House Massacre 2 (Jim Wynorski, 1990)

He Knows You're Alone (Armand Mastroianni, 1980)

2019 After the Fall of New York (Sergio Martino, 1983)

Silent Night (Steven C. Miller, 2012)

The Las Vegas Serial Killer (Ray Dennis Steckler, 1987)

The Hollywood Strangler Meets The Skid Row Slasher (Ray Dennis Steckler, 1979)

Evil Dead (Fede Alvarez, 2013)

The ABCs of Death (Various, 2013)

Maniac (Franck Khalfoun, 2013)

The Lords of Salem (Rob Zombie, 2012)

Dead Genesis (Reese Eveneshen, 2011)

More reviews will be added as-and-when.

Super-Double-Big-Score-Agent Grooviness...

Futurama: Bender's Big Score:

Praise be, "Futurama" has returned, albeit in the form of four films over the next 12 months (essentially the animated version of a TV movie, as it didn't have the flashy visuals to match The Simpson's Movie, but instead was more akin to the original show itself - ergo - animated TV movie). But that's not to bitch, far from it, because - just like the show itself - "Benders Big Score" was absolutely hilarious. While at times the gags slow down to make way for the all-important story (not sarcasm, "Family Guy" would do well to take note) but when that can take a back seat, the jokes - which were already flowing steadily - come thick & fast in a veritable deluge.

The plot is similarly entertaining, while the internet spam angle is a bit late-1990s the story is intricately woven and, true to it's sci-fi origins, folds back on itself in a mind-bending manner as the very fabric of the space-time-continuum is fiddled with to head-scratching extents.

I certainly look forward to the following three "Futurama" movies, because if they're anything like "Bender's Big Score" they're going to be leaving us all in stitches.

Superbad:

It's taken me a while to get around to seeing this Apatow-blessed coming-of-dick-joke-laden-age flick, but I was lucky enough to receive the Region 1 DVD damn near two weeks before street date - ahhh bless pre-ordering and early stocking. Anyway, not being the sort to turn a good dick-gag down, I found "Superbad" to be absolutely hilarious...I think Jonah Hill might very well have to be crowned the official dick-joke king after this performance.

I was similarly pleased to see genuine heart amidst the field of dick drawings, the central theme of two male best friends facing the daunting end to High School and the separation that University inevitably brings - something many have, are and will face in their lifetime.

Clearly, anything touched by Apatow (and likewise the superb Seth Rogen) turns to gold, and judging by the preview clip of "Pineapple Express", that too is going to leave many-a-face aching from laugh-jaw. Back to "Superbad", how on earth could you resist a film that includes a "Real Ghostbusters" lunch box filled to the brim with increasingly absurd dick-doodles?

...

Otherwise, I was proud to complete "Splinter Cell: Double Agent" the very morning that "Superbad" dropped on my door mat. Having snuck my way through it for two weeks, I was chuffed to finally complete this game. Initially I was wondering whether the purchase had been wise, as I was struggling with the joypad controls (I'd played the previous three games on the PC), but I stuck with it and was soon zipping around cracking safes and dangling from pipes over the seemingly mandatory 'glass-room-in-a-Sam-Fisher-game-bit'...although I was rather gutted there was a distinct lack of cut-scenes. The previous games were loaded with them between each mission, but in "Double Agent" there was the odd bit here and there...I guess they were trying to go for a more 'Half-life' style where it all unfolds in-game, which I guess is admirable.

Regardless, as a fan of the franchise, it was a welcome entry...even if I was rather late to the party, ha!

...

Finally, following on from recent exclamations I'd reclaimed my muse, I'm slowly following up on the claim...with thanks going to "Superbad". It re-inspired me to get on with my feature comedy script (even though they both have almost nothing in common - but that's not how inspiration works really is it). I went back and added in a few lines to one scene, and now must re-read the first act to get myself back into the mindset of the script, also re-read all my notes and really wrap my head around it all again before I proceed with the second act...but fingers crossed I've regained my muse for real!

Only time will tell...there's no point rushing and coming out with ropey-old-pish at the end.

Night/Day Watch...

I'm not entirely sure what all the fuss about "Night/Day Watch" is for. I mean yes, the Russians don't make movies like this normally and yes there are some spectacular ideas in it and the effects sequences are great...and while I dig all those things about the films, I found myself mercelessly bored at times.

I get the impression that the film is punching above it's weight in terms of story importance, trying to be the "Lord of the Rings" of vampire films or something, mythical for myth's sake...if that makes sense. At times, especially with the first film, I felt like the film was shoved right up it's own arse...it felt like it knew it was unlike anything from Russia before, plus I found the story a tad on the needlessly complex side...at times it feels as if weird stuff is just happening for the sake of it, like being weird and oddly mythical is superior to letting your audience get what you're on about.

My main gripe though, are the moments, sequences or flat out stretches of the films where you're left tired out waiting for something exciting to happen, rather than scenes that don't feel at all necessary ("Day Watch" just didn't need to be 2 and a half hours long) or scenes that just drag on too long, or just plain drag.

Particularly with "Day Watch", it feels bloated. It needs to be more direct, not as poncy about it's storyline and just get the job done efficiently...they both had the potential to be great films, but their down sides really bleed over onto the good sides and muddy the over all quality of the films, which is a real shame in the end. At times it feels like the makers were finally given access to the toy box, but just went crazy rather than play constructively and decisively.

Maybe it's just me, but I do honestly feel these gripes are justified as I do feel these films are unfortunately flawed in their execution, robbing them of their deserved greatness.

All guns blazing...

Shoot Em Up:

I'd heard little bits about this film on the internet, things like "delivers a baby during a gunfight, shags during a gunfight", so I figured this was John Woo meets thrash metal meets speed & cocaine in a blender. And indeed it was with brass-shelled-gusto.

Admittedly I didn't really bother following the twisty-weird-story, I guess every film needs a story (of some sort) even a film that takes indiscriminate action up to 11 like this film does, but who cares when Clive Owen is chomping on carrots and blazing pistols? It's genuinely entertaining, the whole film just getting more and more ridiculous with every passing minute and gunfight.

Clive Owen is beginning to carve out a niche as a gun toting badass of late, what with this and 2005's "Sin City" where he played Dwight. Everybody involved is clearly having the best time ever, and in turn the viewer has a bloody good time too. This film is sheer entertaining committed to celuloid, 'nuff said.

The post-Halloween round up - part 2...

Additionally I checked out "SAW IV", which from the off I felt was unnecessary. To be honest it was tied up nicely at the end of the third film, but they've found a way to keep it all going (albeit a bit of a naff one, just find a new apprentice in pretty much the same way as before).

I am a huge fan of the original "SAW", it was fresh, unique and the ending left my jaw on the floor (although not hacked off in a pool of blood thankfully). The follow-up however, I didn't really like. The premise wasn't as good, the characters were cut and paste bastards - whore, junkie, whiny little bitch teenager, panicky white collar worker, school-of-hard-knocks black guy and so forth. No wonder it wasn't as good, it was based on Bousman's own script for a completely different film, and James Wan did not have a hand in the script (only Leigh Whannel). However, those two chaps did have their hands in the script for "SAW III", which produced a much better film than "SAW II" I feel, the ciclical nature of the film - treading alternate and unseen angles of plot from the first two films - was what I enjoyed most ... and yes, rotted-pig-slush-device-thing was the grossest thing I've seen for a long time.

As for "SAW IV", with damn near everybody from the previous three films slaughtered - including the main man himself - you just think, what's the point? Sooner or later everyone is going to die, even if they do escape a trap, they'll just be brought back and continue to not think outside of their own boxes so they'll just get hacked up again. With the first three, particularly the first and to a lesser extent the third, you actually cared and wanted people to escape their fates (I could have barely given a thrupny toss about those in part two, bar Donnie Wahlberg).

Another gripe is the sheer scale of the tricks, devices and so on. The scale of the devices is getting a bit silly now, particularly the main set piece in this fourth outing. It's just too big, too flashy and too designed. The great thing about the first film was it was just some grotty old bogs in a grotty old tiled room and the premise of their predicament was fairly simple, yet still terrifying and horrific.

Inevitably this was going to happen to the franchise, everytime you show a bit more and get a bit more outlandish, you have to go further the next time...but can't you just make it more mentally torturous than visually icky? 100 ick units and 0 mental units (to use a bizarre equation I've just cobbled together) is nowhere near as good as 50 ick units and 50 mental units.

The sheer thought of the predicament in the first "SAW", plus the adequate (and at the time actually fairly extreme) gore was an ideal combination. No doubt this won't be the case for "SAW V" or "VI" (which are to be shot back-to-back apparently - not a good sign, most back-to-backs usually suck, and this late in the day as well - have they not seen "Return of the Living Dead 4 & 5"?!)

But to end on a higher note, what I did enjoy about "SAW IV" was the continued way the franchise circles around the same area of events and characters, minor parts from earlier films become main parts (with varied success), and events flash back to earlier events as well as parallel events. You could say that the "SAW" franchise is the new "Friday the 13th" franchise for the 2000's, but in terms of horror in general, at least this franchise seeks to link the films together with at least some depth and complexity.

I appreciate what they're doing with the franchise immensely, but they really need to look back at the first film and regain control over themselves before it gets completely ludicrous and out-of-hand. The best way to make a good sequel is to properly understand the films that preceded it, rather than the cliche of "bigger this, this and this".

The post-Halloween round up - part 1...

Well, tis the season no more ... until Guy Fawke's night ... and then the inevitable shit-fit-frenzy of the run up to Xmas. What did I get up to horror wise? Well, I checked out the European Cut of "Dawn of the Dead" (original & best, obviously not the pointless remake), and I have to say that it's nowhere near as good as the Extended Cut aka Cannes Cut (my personal favourite, which is 139 minutes of sheer heaven). The Euro Cut is understandable, Argento recut to suit Euro audiences, who would subsequently be inundated with 'zeds-n-muff' naffness like "Zombie Lake" - although I actually really enjoyed "Zombie Lake" because it was so silly. However, even though it's understandable, it's still not very well done. The unseen-in-English-speaking-gaffs scene extensions are a Dawn geek's treasured treat, but the exclusions - particularly NO HELICOPTER ZOMBIE, pure madness incarnate - and the soundtrack are a real shame. Superb moments are either chopped out (sometimes in favour of more footage of roaring motorbikes), or the scenes are rendered a clunky and uncomfortable because of Argento's insistence on a purely Goblin-lent soundtrack. Romero used Goblin tracks sparingly and sensibly, they fit the scenes and provided background tension. Argento uses them in a scattergun approach, fades them out abruptly, cuts them off a beat-too-late or just plonks them in the completely wrong place where they become overpowering or just unsuitable. It is however interesting to see a movie I'm so familiar with (yes, I quote the film as it plays) in a different light, but from a technical and critical standpoint, it certainly isn't an exceptional cut of the film - now, the Extended Cut, that is the glory. All of GAR's flair and choice editing, but in greater detail. One could say that Dawn was truly Romero's epic - it's got everything plus a pie-fight after all. Also in my Halloween season line-up was the Halloween theme latest episode of the excellent show "Reaper", certainly one of the most interesting shows to come across the pond in recent times. Otherwise, I also dug myself into "SAW IV", but I'll blog about that in a new post (above).

Scripting round the bend...

Tried to create a funky title, but failed miserably...so on with the blog-juice.

Finished my "Round the Bend" memory-lane sesh, it has to be said that Doc Croc is officially awesome, nuff said.

Also fancied a re-watch of Jake West's excellent "Evil Aliens", after reading an interview with him in the Guerrilla Filmmaker's Handbook. I loved the film when I first saw it, still love it. It's superb British indie horror-comedy at it's finest, plenty of gore, plenty of flesh, plenty of gags, and plenty good ideas well executed.

Also recently re-watched the cast commentary on "Deadlands: The Rising", all inspired to do so after seeing some of the behind the scenes pics and video for "Trapped", Gary Ugarek's new indie zombie flick that's currently filming and is sure to be awesome. I certainly look forward to seeing it.

But what with being ousted from the TV room because of the Rugby, I sat down to do some script writing. Both 'banking' a one-page-script for a football-themed comic short (strange for me as I despise football), but it's based on (or really just a proper script write-up of) an idea I had for the Nokia Shorts 2005 competition - something which I ended up not getting around to filming. I'd entered the year before with an experimental short using footage shot during a location scout for "my NIGHTMARE" in the summer of 2004.

The main thing though, is that I knuckled down - again with a reluctant muse evading me - and bashed out the second draft of "Signing Off". I might do a small polish for a third draft, but I don't know - depends if there's anything I suddenly think of wanting to add to the monologue. I think I said before, but can't be arsed to look, but I'm writing it for Sean Connell, brother of Ben Connell who played 'BenZee' in "I Am Zombie Man 2", and appeared in the likes of "Smack Addict" and "Trapped" - speaking of "Trapped", Sean also appeared in that and officially became a legend when he took a throat-load of fake blood (food colouring & washing up liquid) after his brother over-zealously gushed a load of it in his face. Bravo to Sean for providing some quality gory-blood-dribble shots before literally washing his mouth out with soap - ergo - LEGEND.

More information on "Signing Off" will be posted as-and-when, same goes for "I Am Zombie Man 3", on which I've been trying out some rough ideas for the title sequence, rendering out raw shots to use later - get some of the leg work out of the way, you know.

Another slew of new movie viewings...

Well, it's been a while since my last round up of new flicks I've recently checked out, so here goes with as little ramble as possible:

"The Host" - a foreign monster movie without (for a lot of the time anyway) a monster. At least it isn't a guy in a suit falling on styrofoam buildings, but I felt it was overlong, the central plot being a bit too thin and a bit too "meh" in general. I appreciate what it's trying to do, or what it's there to do, but I personally wasn't bothered by it in general. It was okay, but yeah...

"Ocean's 13" - it's certainly not as good as the first in the new-version-chise - but it kicks the nuts right off "Ocean's 12" which was just a bunch of stuff happening in Europe, with the majority of the so-called 12 getting nary-a-look-in...which was partially the case with 13 as well, but nowhere near as much. It felt much more like the first, even if Pacino was kinda wasted for the most part (no real "GREAT ASS!!!" type moments here I'm afraid). Over all, it's fun, it's intensely stylish (if only more Hollywood fair was pieced together this excitingly) and you can kick back to it quite easily, if you liked the first you'll no doubt dig this one...but leave "Ocean's 12" well alone, it's just cack...stylishly edited cack though.

"1408" - John Cusack = awesome. New Stephen King adaptation = awesome. "1408" = alright, a bit up & down. It starts well, and it continues that way at least up until the half-way point, perhaps a little further. But it is as soon as all the really obviously supernatural stuff starts happening (i.e. the stuff beyond a crazy alarm clock and scary window), that it starts to crumble a bit, taking a bit of a detour, and then re-adjusting to a solid-enough ending (part of which I found to be quite visually arresting, many kudos going to Cusak's performance). Definitely worth a watch, not superb, but there are far worse King adaps out there...although "The Shining" this is not.

"Knocked Up" - what can I say? Absolutely balls-out hilarious, maybe a little less-so than "40 Year Old Virgin", but probably only because this film is a chunk more sentimental (but not sickeningly so, rather in a growing up & moving on kinda manner). The extended version is definitely better than the theatrical (same as with "40YrOV"), because there is a decent dollop more in the way of irreverent guy-gang trash talk and dick jokes. Seth Rogen is a LEG-END, nuff said. I absolutely cannot wait to see "Superbad" - NICE!

Yes, I know it seems like all I do is watch movies all day, but I don't ... I play Xbox too! :)

Surfing through new viewing adventures...

Or, in other words, me catching up with films I've had recorded off TV on video for years and have only just got around to watching! It's always the way, too many movies, not enough time to watch them all...and inevitably you end up with a bunch unwatched (I've even got "The African Queen" on DVD which I bought years ago but still haven't watched, hell, a friend borrowed it and watched it years ago and I've still not sat down and checked it out).

Anyway, first up it was "The Thing From Another World", and for what it is (guy in a suit, loosely based on the source story), it's actually pretty good fun, took me back to my Uni days watching old black & white films...obviously, Carpenter's rendition is infinitely superior (and still utterly terrifying), but the old rendition was quite enjoyable...I don't know why it took me so long to get around to watching it, I had it polished off in no time (despite it not being the longest film anyway, sometimes it can take me a while to get through a film I've been putting off for a long time, but not in this case...I would have seen it straight through had I not had some filming to do elsewhere that day...)

Next up, and on the same videotape, "The Wild Bunch", another film I'd been leaving for ages unwatched. Well...I think I'm more a "The Good, The Bad & The Ugly" kinda guy personally, although when the action kicks off in TWB, I have to admit it's rather spiffing and I certainly do appreciate it's place within Westerns but also Western Cinema...mind you, I prefer "Straw Dogs" in terms of Peckinpah (a film I must re-watch sometime soon, much like "The Crazies", which I've been hankering for of late...and yes I know, that's a George Romero movie...but you know what I meant regardless).

Then - "Chopper" - I'd had this recorded for me whilst I was away at Uni, if memory serves, and FilmFour were doing one of their free weekends (back when they had cash and were a extra-fee-based service). Eric Bana - brilliant in this - a charming nutter brought to life. Not really sure whether there was much over all point to the film, or over all arc to the story, it almost felt like a collection of moments or sections of time in the title character's life (yes, I know he's real, but again, you know what I meant). Fortunately it was of mere running time, so it didn't out-stay it's welcome.

And finally - and currently - "Blue Velvet". I've often seen the same bit on Sky (with Kyle Mc-thingymy in the cupboard watching Hopper go nuts), and once again, never really got around to sitting down to watch it. So far I'm 30 minutes in, interesting...but I'll have to finish it off before I'd even attempt to comment, not that I predict I'll really understand most of what is going on - take "Eraserhead" for example. I famously took a good 2 or 3 months to actually finish the film, watching it for no longer than 10 minutes at a time because it wigged me out so much, it was just too much weirdness and freakiness and that damn bird-person-baby-thing wailing just sent me off every time...a wailing baby just creeps me out man *picks nose* ... (if you didn't get that vague reference, pfft, whatever mate, yeah? lol...)

So yes...I must try and crack on with "The African Queen" as well, and get that return-viewing of "The Crazies" done and dusted as well...

Such a hard life isn't it? YARGH!!!